Gospel focus in church

Recently, I received the following message on my cellphone from a fellow pastor: 

"A church is nothing better than an ethical club if its sympathies for lost souls do not overflow, and if it does not go out to seek to point lost souls to Christ. A healthy church knows the gospel, and a healthy church shares it! May the Lord make our churches healthy."

While at first reading, it looks great, there is a flaw with the thinking: 

The Bible is certainly clear that Christians are to be evangelical; but to be healthy, church meetings must not focus on the Gospel. The focus should be on the Source of the Gospel, Jesus Christ (Hebrew 12:1; Revelation 2:4) and the "first works" will follow (sharing the Gospel among them). We must first exalt Christ in His church, the rest will 'naturally' be an outflow of a soul enraptured with the Lord.

Succeeding this, in the church, we are to exhort and edify one another that we may be the more refreshed and encouraged and even more ready to share Christ with others (Hebrews 10:25b; 1Corinthians 14:3-4, 26; Ephesians 4:12, et al.). This comes not through the 'non-participatory' church meetings of sitting and listening to long sermons by one man, but by the mutual sharing and fellowship found in 'participatory' church meetings as clearly patterned in Scripture (1Corinthians 14:26-27, 29, 31).

Perhaps many sitting in pews today know little beyond Jesus Christ than the Gospel. However, believers are commanded to "grow" beyond that (Hebrews 6:1-2; 2Peter 3:18; et al.) and Paul prayed that we would enjoy Him (Ephesians 3:17-21). This is the "abundant life" of the Christian which compels them to gladly, and without restraint tell others about (John 17:3, 10:10).

The words of the Lord were not an imperative form (command) in Acts 1:8, but declarative, stating that of a truth, His people would certainly be His witnesses into the uttermost parts of the earth. As people would become converted, they would naturally share Christ, witnessing what He had done in their lives. It was the Lord expressing the fact that we "shall be" His witnesses. It wasn't a command for us to carry and try to "do," but a declaration of what His people would "be" (i.e. His "witnesses").

These subtle words of men on the surface sound good, but they become pale in the light of God's Word. I often hear from the pulpit "about" the Gospel ("the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ") and how people need it; but so little is told of what the Gospel IS (our need for the righteousness of God and how to receive it; Romans 1:16-17), and Who it came from (2Corinthians 5:21). Sadly though, it's this kind of thinking that proliferates our churches; and brethren, following the philosophy of men, leave the commandments of God; making God, His Son Jesus Christ, and His Gospel offensive to non-believers, as they try to force the Gospel "creed" ("you are a sinner ... repent! ... You will go to hell ... accept Jesus Christ as your Savior ...") upon others rather than living it in front of others (Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 5:15; et al.).

Notice what the book of Acts (2:47) describes as the new converts' relationship with the people around them: "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." This and other passages in the epistles (Philippians 2:15; 1Peter 2:9, 12; 1Corinthians 14:24-25; et al.) show us that people are won over not by beating them on the head with a Bible, or yelling at them, or laying guilt trips on them, or by other 'tactics,' but by the conversation of believers. All the while, believers were: continuing "stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.... continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart ..." (Acts 2:46). The brethren, when gathered together (church meetings) were learning, fellowshipping, eating together, praying together, rejoicing together . . . no mention of the Gospel being preached to the saints, for they had already believed, "and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Let's worship God in His church first, in spirit and truth, and the evangelization will follow from the transformation of the brethren as they grow in grace.