The Sum of the Gospel
Jesus is the central theme of the gospel, and without Him, our preaching and teaching are empty and ineffective.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that Jesus is the central theme of the gospel, asserting that preaching without Him is futile and devoid of value. He insists that the focus of all teaching and ministry should be on Christ and His crucifixion, as anything less leads to spiritual darkness. Spurgeon warns that when Jesus is sidelined, the message loses its power and effectiveness, urging ministers to ensure that their sermons are filled with the light and life that only Christ can provide. He concludes that a sermon without Jesus is not worthy of the effort, as true nourishment for the soul comes from Him alone.
Text
Beloved, because Jesus is the sum of the gospel he must be our constant theme. "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." "I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified." So spake men of old, and so say we.
When we have done preaching Christ we had better have done preaching; when you have done teaching in your classes Jesus Christ himself, give up Sunday school work, for nothing else is worthy of your pains. Put out the sun, and light is gone, life is gone, all is gone. When Jesus is pushed into the background or left out of a minister's teaching, the darkness is darkness that might be felt, and the people escape from it into gospel light as soon as they can. A sermon without Jesus in it is savourless, and worthless to God's tried saints, and they soon seek other food. The more of Christ in our testimony the more of light and life and power to save.
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "The Jesus Christ Himself," delivered December 9, 1877.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Jesus in the Gospel
- The Consequences of Leaving Jesus Out
- The Power of Christ in Our Testimony
- The more of Christ, the more of light and life and power
- Jesus is the key to saving power
Key Quotes
“When Jesus is pushed into the background or left out of a minister's teaching, the darkness is darkness that might be felt, and the people escape from it into gospel light as soon as they can.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“A sermon without Jesus in it is savourless, and worthless to God's tried saints, and they soon seek other food.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Make sure Jesus is the central theme of our preaching and teaching.
- Recognize the importance of including Jesus in our Sunday school lessons and other forms of ministry.
- Seek to bring light and life to our testimony by emphasizing the power of Christ in our lives.