Preach the Full Gospel

294 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 4:5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Tim 4:5) Paul continues his final instructions to Timothy, reminding him again that as he stands on the Word against false teachers afflictions will come his way. But he is to stand on the Word anyway and endure what may come his way. Timothy is charged with doing the work of an evangelist and fulfill his ministry. What is the work of an evangelist? It is to preach the gospel. Let the full preaching of the gospel be your service (ministry) Let it be heard from your preaching! Let it be pointed out in your teaching, and let it be used in your counseling. In short, let it be at the heart of your calling because it is! Jesus said in Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. I wonder some times if we, in our earnestness to have conversions, skip over some of the things included in the gospel. Things that were clearly present in the early “evangelists” messages. For example, what was Peter's first message? He did not “skip” pointing out their sin of crucifying the Son of God, and here's what happened next: Ac 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter's “full gospel message” included the necessity of repentance, and baptism, which would result in the remission of their sins and the receiving of the Holy Spirit! Another example is Phillip evangelizing the Ethiopian Eunuch: Ac 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" How did the eunuch know the urgent importance of repentance and baptism if Phillip had not included it in his “full” message of Jesus? I think we would do well to go back to this “full” preaching of the Gospel! It's what we were told to do in the great commission and illustrated wonderfully for us in the early church! Preach sin! Preach the antidote for sin! Preach Jesus, Preach repentance. Preach baptism, and preach the promise of remission and the gift of the Holy Spirit!