Fellow redeemed in Christ,

What's good about the public ministry, the ministry of Christian pastors and teachers? We have seen from Scripture that it is good because it was ordained by Jesus Christ Himself and because it serves to extend His Kingdom here on earth.

A third good thing about the public ministry is taught in our text this morning: It is effective through the Gospel of reconciliation. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:16: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."

What is the Gospel? It is the Good News "that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them . . . For he hath made him to be sin for us, [he] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:19, 21). This Gospel tells us that on Calvary a momentous exchange took place. God added up all of the disobedience and iniquity and guilt of all men—and what a monstrous sum total of sin it made! And then He added up all of the obedience and goodness and holiness of His Son, Jesus Christ—and what a blessed sum total of righteousness that made! Then God switched accounts: Christ got mankind's sin, and mankind got Christ's righteousness. Christ suffered on the cross that punishment for our sin which we would otherwise have had to endure throughout all eternity in hell; and we meanwhile were clothed in the righteousness of Christ, who kept perfectly for us that holy Law of God which we could not even begin to fulfill. By means of this blood and righteousness of Christ, God has reconciled the world to Himself, He has made peace with all men, no longer charging them with their sin but speaking rather the words of salvation: "Be of good cheer. Your sins have been forgiven you. The gates of heaven are now open to you. By faith in Jesus Christ you become my dear children."

The Apostle Paul says that he is not ashamed of this Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes. The Good News is more than mere words. It carries with it the faith-creating power--we get the word "dynamite" from the Greek word here--the faith-creating power of the Holy Spirit, That Gospel is able to turn our unbelieving hearts to believing hearts; it is able to free us from the kingdom of Satan and make us members of the Kingdom of Christ; it is able to create life where before there was nothing but death. In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul compares this faith-creating power of the Gospel to the miracle of God on the first day of creation, when God commanded the light to shine out of darkness (2 Cor. 4:6). And in his letter to the Ephesians he tells us that the full resources of God's almighty power are available in the Gospel for the creation and preservation of our faith--the same effective power which He exercised when He raised Jesus from the dead on Easter Day (Eph. 1:19-20)!

The Romans too had their power, the power of their mighty legions by which they had created a huge empire for themselves. But that human power was as nothing com- pared to the power of the Gospel to create children of heaven and heirs of everlasting life. No wonder that Paul could tell the Romans: "1 am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Yes, people in Rome are very much impressed with the power of the Caesar and the empire, but I have a power that is far greater. Rome's power is merely human, and at the most it can accomplish only earthly and temporal things. But the power of the Gospel is from God, and it can accomplish heavenly and eternal things!"

People in our day too boast about their ability to accomplish things, but again that human power is as nothing compared to the power of the Gospel. Doctors have the ability to heal many diseases, but only the Gospel has the ability to cure man from death. Scientists have the power to perform technological wonders, but only the Gospel has the power to lift men out of this perishing world to the eternal mansions prepared by a gracious God. Diplomats at times succeed in promoting peace among nations, but only the Gospel can bring mankind that peace of God which passes human understanding. Architects and builders are able to construct magnificent skyscrapers, but only the Gospel is able to construct that temple of the Church which alone will remain standing on Judgment Day.

It is this effective power of the Gospel that makes the public ministry so gwd The Christian pastor and teacher have the high privilege of using day by day that power of God by which the souls of men are saved from hell and heaven is filled with saints. As Scripture puts it: "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (Jas, 5:20). What we have sung is true:

O blessed ministry

Of reconciliation,

That shows the way to God

And brings to us salvation!

By Thine evangel [Gospel] pure,

Lord, Thou preserv'st Thy fold,

Dost call, enlighten, keep,

Dost comfort and uphold, Amen.