The Holy Spirit impressed two things deeply upon my spirit several years ago: “My people do not know My Word, nor do they know My ways,” and “Whatever happened to the gospel?” These are not light thoughts. They are a burden. They are a wake-up call. We are living in a time when many people in the body of Christ know church language, know religious routines, and know how to gather, but too many do not truly know the heart of God revealed in Scripture or the ancient path of walking with Him (Jer. 6:16). Jesus warned, “You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God,” and that warning still speaks today. At the same time, the plain preaching of the gospel message has grown faint in many places, even though Romans says the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation.” And when the Word is not known, God’s ways are not understood, and the gospel is not preached, the church grows weak and society feels the loss.
My People Do Not Know My Word, Nor Do They Know My Ways
This is one of the great troubles of our generation. Many know about God, but few know God through His Word. Many want His hand, but do not seek His heart. Scripture says in Psalm 103:7 that God “made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” There is a difference between seeing what God does and understanding how He leads, corrects, speaks, and forms a people. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” and Colossians 3:16 tells us to let “the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” When believers do not know the Word, they become easy to sway, easy to offend, and easy to mislead. Without the truth of Scripture living richly in us, we begin to build our faith on feelings, trends, personalities, and opinions instead of on Christ. God’s Word is meant to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, not a book left closed while culture leads the way.
Whatever Happened to the Gospel?
This question must be asked with honesty and holy fear: whatever happened to the gospel? The gospel is not a self-help message. It is not a motivational speech. It is not merely a promise of comfort, success, or influence. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, and that through repentance and faith we can be forgiven, made new, and reconciled to God. Jesus began His ministry saying, “Repent, and believe the gospel,” and He told His followers to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name among all nations. Yet in many places, the message of sin, repentance, the cross, holiness, and new birth has been softened, skipped, or replaced. But Jesus said, “Ye must be born again,” and Paul declared that he did not shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God. When that happens, people may gather, sing, and be inspired, but without the true gospel they are not being anchored in the power of God unto salvation.
The Cost of These Absences
These absences have gravely impacted the body of Christ for generations. When people do not know God’s Word, they cannot stand firm in truth. When they do not know His ways, they mistake noise for anointing and activity for obedience. When the gospel is not preached, churches can become crowded but spiritually thin. This does not stay inside church walls. Society also feels the effect. We can see the confusion, compromise, spiritual emptiness, broken families, shallow faith, and moral instability that grow when truth is no longer plainly taught and Christ is no longer plainly preached. A church that loses its grounding in the Word and its burden for the gospel cannot offer the world the light it desperately needs.
A Call to Return
But this is not a message of despair. It is a call to return. God is still calling His people back to the Bible, back to prayer, back to holiness, back to sound doctrine, and back to the simple, powerful gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not need more empty words. We need truth preached with love, conviction, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We need believers who do not just know verses, but know the ways of God. We need pulpits that do not entertain crowds while starving souls, but that boldly declare Christ crucified and risen. The answer for this hour is not to blend in with the times, but to come back to the ancient path where truth, repentance, and grace meet.
Supporting Scriptures
The burden of this message is echoed throughout Scripture:
· Psalm 103:7 — “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.”
· Hosea 4:6 — “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
· 2 Timothy 4:2-3 — “Preach the word… For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.”
· Romans 1:16 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation.”
· Romans 10:14 — “How shall they hear without a preacher?”
· 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 — Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
· Jeremiah 6:16 — “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths… and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
· Mark 16:15 — “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Final Word
The Spirit is still speaking. The question is whether we will listen. This is the hour for the body of Christ to recover what has been neglected. We must know the Word of God, learn the ways of God, and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ without apology. If we return to Him with humble hearts, He will restore clarity where there has been confusion, strength where there has been weakness, and fire where there has only been form. The church does not need a new message. It needs to return to the everlasting one.
Closing Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, awaken Your people again. Forgive us for neglecting Your Word, for drifting from Your ways, and for allowing other messages to take the place of the gospel. Put a holy hunger in us for truth. Teach us Your ways, not just Your works. Open our eyes to see where we have grown dull, distracted, or compromised, and call us back to repentance, prayer, holiness, and obedience. Raise up bold voices that will preach Jesus Christ clearly, faithfully, and without fear. Let the fire of the true gospel burn again in pulpits, in homes, and in hearts. Strengthen Your church, steady Your people, and make us a light in this generation. In Jesus’ name