I am convinced that the Apostolic Gospel has been watered down very much and is one of the main reasons why the Church is not experiencing half of what it should be in this generation. So we need to return to the full Apostolic Gospel. This blog will mention 4 ways.

The Star Wars Episode 8 trailer has come out recently and there is a very interesting line that may prove to be very prophetic of what God wants to do in our times:

“But it’s so much bigger than this”

 I am of course not wanting to compare the Jedi teachings and the Gospel. There are fundamentally different. But there is a similar suggestion here of wanting to go back to the original teachings, which are much bigger than we are preaching today.

Here are 4 ways the Apostolic Gospel is so much bigger:

1.It was preached with the expectation of revival

 All the First Century churches were birthed in revival. E.g. the Jerusalem Church (Acts 2), the Thessalonian Church (1 Thess 1:5), etc. Hebrews 2:3-4 says :

“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

In the 1700s George Whitefield, John Wesley and others saw themselves as preaching the original Apostolic message. John Wesley said that we were “to preach the whole council of God” As a result their preaching was accompanied by much anointing and stirred up revival wherever they preached.

2.It promises access to all the resources of heaven

It’s a Gospel of complete GRACE that has been lost along the way. After the Apostles died, a more legalistic (law based) and Greek philosophy’ influenced way of living crept in which has affected the Church to this day.

Salvation promised a way to live like Jesus (1 Jn 2:6), because of the awesome grace that is available now to every believer, through the Holy Spirit. We have access to all the resources of heaven. These are sufficient not only for every need but to transform us into the likeness of Jesus (2 Pet 1:3-4):

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

However, how many of us truly live this today and preach this?

3.It encompasses Healing

 Healing was an integral part of the Apostolic Gospel, not a side-line. It was an expression of the love of God for us and His desire to transform us through the Gospel. Such healing encompassed not only physical healing but deliverance and also emotional healing. God wants to cure the whole person. We should expect the same today and preach it as an integral part of the Gospel.

In fact it goes even further, to God’s desire to heal the nations (Rev 22:1-2)

4.It is designed to prepare the Bride for Jesus’ Return

One major element was that the Apostolic Gospel was there to prepare the Church for Jesus’ imminent return. See 1 Thess 4:13-5:11.

We have lost this focus today on preparing for Jesus’ return and the Gospel that is there to purify us and transform the Church into a beautiful and mature Bride, ready for the Bridegroom.

This First Century focus on the Second Coming stirred believers to live the fullness of the Gospel. Also to preach Him fearlessly in readiness for this great event.

Today we must be getting very close to Jesus’ return. So we need to recover this aspect of the Apostolic Gospel, to get us ready.

So let’s preach the whole Apostolic Gospel today.