CAN THE GOSPEL BE LOST ?

2 TIMOTHY 1:13,14

What Paul is saying here is that Timothy has been given something that is valuable and that needs to be protected. It’s a deposit – something that one person has entrusted to another  person for safekeeping. Paul says that Timothy, is to protect it, keep watch over it, and with the Holy Spirit’s help ensure that it’s kept safe. It is  in danger of being lost if it’s not protected.

What exactly is he talking about?  He is talking about the GOSPEL—the  good news that has been entrusted to Timothy. The GOSPEL  must be protected. We are always in danger of losing in the gospel.

A brief glance  at church history teaches us that solid Christian organizations can easily lose the gospel if they are not attentive.  And losing the gospel doesn’t happen all at once; it’s more like a four-generation process.

· The gospel is accepted

· The gospel is assumed

· The gospel is confused

· The gospel is lost

It is tragic for any generation to lose the gospel. So this is one of the most important things we must do as a church: To guard the  GOSPEL. There is in one sense no greater  duty  that the church has than guarding the gospel. 

It is my opinion that  the Gospel  which first was brought to Namibia  by evangelical missionaries  such as Johan Heinrich Schmelen, Carl Hugo Hahn, Martin Rautannen and others was  gradually lost, as the gospel  was  assumed but not assimilated in subsequent generations.    

Today we  have a Namibian church that is often  confused  as to what the gospel is  and many in  our younger generation  have lost the gospel altogether  and  proclaim themselves to be atheists. 

The Gospel  must  be  preached plainly, clearly  and  passionately. Christ  is the Gospel. Christ, His person and work,  must be  clearly articulated. A clear call must be made to ALL PEOPLE that their sin  will exclude them from heaven UNLESS they come through Christ the Saviour. He is is the ONLY  Door and Gate  through which ANYONE  can and must enter.  But you must first enter ! God the Father  will not accept anyone into His holy presence UNLESS they come  to Him through Christ.  

CHRISTIANS, YOU HAVE WORK TO DO!   MAKE CHRIST KNOWN.