First Things First Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing MTP – February 2017 Gordon Green First Things First Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

Romans 15:18-19 (ESV) 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

Romans 15:18-19 (ESV) 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

.... with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] in the power of the Spirit. So [starting] from Jerusalem and as far away as Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel [faithfully preaching the good news] of Christ. - Amplified Bible

“....The church exists to hear and receive the gospel and then proclaim (preach, communicate) it to others” “The central vocation (ministry) of the church is to bear witness to Jesus Christ, and the primary way that takes place is by means of proclamation (preaching and teaching) – largely with words, but also with deeds that confirm the words, with the words of the gospel of Jesus Christ....” - “A BRIEF THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH” PART 5: “THE CHURCH’S MINISTRY OF PROCLAMATION” - GARY DEDDO p2,5

Mark 16:14-18 (ESV) 14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table.... 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

“Some modern approaches to this preaching fall short of this biblical purpose by focusing merely on conveying ‘nuggets” of biblical knowledge, or on telling people what they should (or should not) do....The goal of truly biblical preaching is primarily to proclaim who Jesus is and what he has done for us, then who we are in relationship to him as revealed to us in the written word of God. This gospel-focused preaching asks and answers, from the Bible, a vital question: Who are you Lord?” - THE CHURCH’S MINISTRY OF PROCLAMATION p2; Gary Deddo.

“The gospel identifies in words who Jesus Christ is, and announces the in-breaking and coming rule and reign of his kingdom....This good news is the proclamation that originates with Jesus. It’s the message about who he is, and what he has done to bring us reconciliation with God and to give us a share in his victory over sin, death and evil.” - GOD’S “GATHERED TOGETHER” AND “CALLED OUT” ONES,P2; G DEDDO.  

1 Corinthians 1:18-23 (ESV) 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God..... 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[a] to save those who believe.... Footnotes: 1 Corinthians 1:21 Or the folly of preaching

Romans 10:14 (ESV) 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Romans 15:18-20 (ESV) 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel....”

Romans 15:18-20 (ESV) 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel....”

Christ Speaking Through You MTP – February 2017 Gordon Green Christ Speaking Through You First Things First

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Ephesians 2:12-17 (ESV) 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ ....having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one .... 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross....17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

Ephesians 4:20-24 (ESV) 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ Ephesians 4:20-24 (ESV) 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him....

1 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (ESV) 13 And we also thank God constantly[ for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

NASB For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe MSG When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!

I what Crist has accomplished through me

Acts 15:12 (ESV) 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. Acts 21:19 (ESV) 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me

18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

ISAIAH 42  Behold my servant, whom I uphold,.     my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him;     he will bring forth justice to the nations. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a]     till he has established justice in the earth;

6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;     I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7     to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,     from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 49 5 And now the Lord says,     he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him;     and that Israel might be gathered to him. for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,     and my God has become my strength— 6 .... I will make you as a light for the nations,     that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 60:1-3 (ESV) Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

MTP – February 2017 Gordon Green

Acts 2:33 (ESV) Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

John 17:4-6 (ESV) 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.