Be the Good News. Preach the Good News.

I don’t know Ian Simpkins. But recently stumbled across his post on facebook that speaks to influencing the world for Christ like Christians in the 1st century.

Consider Ian’s thoughts and our closing comments.

They had no platforms.
No buildings.
No political clout.
No viral campaigns.
No celebrity pastors.

Just a deep, unwavering conviction that Jesus had risen from the dead—and that this good news changed everything.

The earliest Christians weren’t impressive by worldly standards. Paul even said they were regarded as “fools for Christ,” “the scum of the earth,” and “the garbage of the world” (1 Cor. 4:10,13).

And yet, their lives—shaped by love, generosity, courage, and sacrifice—turned the world upside down.

They didn’t win people through coercion or control.

They bore witness through community.

They didn’t just believe in the resurrection—they embodied it.

And because of that, the Roman Empire couldn’t ignore them.

Historian Rodney Stark notes that Christianity spread not through mass conversion events or military might, but because followers of Jesus cared for the sick when others fled, welcomed the marginalized when others excluded them, and treated women, children, and the poor with dignity and honor.
Their influence wasn’t engineered—it was earned.

Today, it’s tempting to think we need more money, more followers, better branding, bigger buildings, or louder voices to make a difference.

But maybe what we need most is what the early church had:

A clear sense of identity.
A resilient hope.
A relentless love.
And a deep dependence on the Spirit of God.

Because influence in the Kingdom of God doesn’t come from worldly success—it comes from faithful presence.

From lives laid down.
From tables shared.
From burdens carried.
From people willing to be seen as “fools” if it means being faithful.

The early church didn’t just talk about Jesus.
They looked like Him.
They didn’t chase relevance—they cultivated resemblance.

And their quiet revolution of love still echoes today.

May we recover that same vision—not to build empires, but to embody the Kingdom.
Not to impress the world, but to serve it.
Not to protect our comfort, but to proclaim our King.

Jesus didn’t die to make us famous.
He died to make us faithful.
And faithful people change the world.

Not by force.
But by love.

Ian’s observations are worthy of our serious reflection and application as we shine as lights in this world.

However, not to disagree or take away from the point of individual influence and the power of our Christian example, there’s one more point that needs emphasis.

Preaching the Gospel.

Peaching the pure, unadulterated gospel.
Preaching, not traditions, opinions, or politics, but the gospel of the Great Commission (Mk. 16:15-16).

The New Testament calls it…
…the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19).
…the Gospel of God (Rom. 1:1)
…the glorious Gospel (1 Tim. 1:11_
…the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 4:23).
…the Gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15).
…the Gospel of the Grace of God (Ax. 20:24).
…the Gospel which is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16).
…the Gospel of your salvation (Eph. 1:13).

We need men to stand in the pulpits and preach the gospel.
We need churches to support gospel preaching world wide.
We need Shepherds who will not only encourage gospel preaching but also demand it.
We need brethren who will receive with open ears, hearts, and minds the message of the gospel.

We need homes where parents uphold the gospel both in word and in deed. In attitude and in action.

First-century Christianity spread, not only due to the godly influence of Christians who lived for Christ, but also because of those who preached Christ and Him crucified

We need men to fearlessly and boldly preach like Peter,
Like Paul,
Like Stephen,
Like Phillip,
And like those men, they mentored–Timothy and Titus.

Gospel preaching:
Edifies the church.
Encourages the discouraged.
Emboldens Believers.
Enlightens the uncleaned.
Evangelizes the lost.

Gospel Preaching should be based on..
Sound words (2 Tim. 1:13).
Divine wisdom (1 Cor. 2:1-5).
And revealed Truth (Eph. 3:3-5).

Gospel preaching ought to be balanced with Instruction.
Warning.
Rebuke.
Encouragement.
And edification.

In addition to the everyday godly example of Christ-followers, we need gospel preaching.

Gospel preaching that is presented as G. Campbell Morgan wrote with “Truth, Clarity, Passion.”

Gospel preaching that Vance Havner once quipped, “comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.”

Gospel preaching that, in the words of the late Dee Bowman, “storms the will.”

Brethren, let’s Be the Good News.
And preach the Good News.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman