Connecting the Gospel Dots
I stood at the back of the church, trying to process what I had just heard. For forty-five minutes, the speaker talked about Noah and the ark, quoting obscure historical facts, detailing ancient shipbuilding techniques, and even providing mathematical calculations for how many animals could fit in each compartment.
What he never mentioned? Sin. Judgment. Salvation. God's mercy. Not once.
The congregation filed out with polite smiles and murmured "good message" comments, but I noticed the confusion in their eyes. They had received information without application, facts without faith direction.
I am continually baffled and frustrated by what passes for preaching these days. It seems many preachers are so afraid of offending others that they dance around the truth and never present the whole gospel. They tell stories from the Bible, present bits and pieces of information, and offer alliterated outlines or fancy bullet points. But in the end, the congregation typically walks away confused about what to do with the outpouring of facts that never truly resonate with them. It's like the gospel is presented as a connect-the-dots puzzle with many dots but no numbers or letters to guide the hearer on where to start and in what order to connect the dots.
Paul didn't mince words when he told the Romans, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).
Why are we?
True gospel preaching isn't just informational; it's transformational. It doesn't merely tell us about Noah; it explains why we need an ark of salvation ourselves. It doesn't just recount David and Goliath; it shows us how to face our own giants with faith. In trying to make the gospel palatable to the world, we ultimately strip it of its power.
Jesus himself wasn't concerned with being non-offensive when truth was at stake. He called the Pharisees "whited sepulchres" and "generation of vipers." He spoke clearly about hell, judgment, and the narrow way that leads to life.
In our chapel ministry here in Wales, I've seen the difference when truth is presented with both grace and clarity. People might not always like what they hear, but they are never confused about what to do with it. The gospel is simple enough for a child to understand but profound enough to transform the hardest heart, if only it is preached clearly.
The apostle Paul put it this way: "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" (1 Corinthians 14:8).
I wonder how many souls remain lost because we give uncertain sounds from our pulpits, never sounding the clear call to repentance and faith.
Let's be people who connect the dots for others, making the gospel path clear. Not just presenters of biblical trivia, but proclaimers of transformational truth. The world doesn't need more interesting Bible facts or fascinating Bible stories; it needs Jesus, presented clearly, boldly, and lovingly.
And that, dear friends, is something worth being crystal clear about.