Essential and Overachieving

By Pastor Eric

The gospel, both essential and overachieving. For many of us who have been brought up in the church since we were children, or even for those who have found the church more recently, one major theme stands true and constant in our faith journey, “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.” God created us in his image, we are sinners by nature, and we are unable to save ourselves from that sin which separates us from God. Yet out of God’s great love and mercy for each of us, we have been saved by grace through faith, to him. This is the gospel, thanks be to God!  

Essential is defined in the dictionary as, “absolutely necessary, extremely important, basic, indispensable, of the utmost importance, critical.” God tells us in scripture that the “only way” to heaven is through his Son Jesus Christ. This is the “good news” (the gospel). Although I am a sinner, I am saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the “only way” to heaven, to the Father, then Jesus/the gospel is essential to life! Therefore, the gospel is absolutely necessary, extremely important, indispensable, of the utmost importance, and critical to life for everyone! Do you know that the gospel is essential? Do you live like it is?

Overachieving is defined in the dictionary as, “performing better or achieving more than expected or standard, to perform above expectation.” As we have become settled in our faith walks, we can sometimes take for granted the “full potential” of the gospel, God’s grace! Our expectation of the gospel becomes a means to and end for ourselves, keeping it in a box which we can measure and explain. But, the gospel does not start and stop at our “ticket” to heaven. The gospel is bigger than that, it holds much more weight than we can imagine, it calls each of us who believe to be and do more for him. The gospel does not have human boundaries and the power it holds is nothing we can understand completely. The gospel of Jesus Christ performs way above our “human” expectations, it exceeds all standards of measurement, its power has no limit, it is an overachieving gospel. What is your view of the gospel? Has the gospel become a “punch ticket” for yourself? 

This year, the youth ministries will be looking at the essential and overachieving nature of the gospel through the lens of storytelling. Romans 10:14 asks three life-shaping questions: “How can they (unbelievers) call on the one they have not believed in? How can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? How can they hear without someone preaching to them?” How will the world know about Jesus if we don’t tell our stories? We need to hear and tell the great stories of the essential and overachieving works of God in this world. The world needs, especially in these times, to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Who will tell them?…..If not YOU, then who? 

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