April 28th, 2026
by Rick Story
by Rick Story
04/19/2026
R. D. Story
5th Gospel…Sermon
Introduction:
S. M. Lockridge… Every Sermon Should:
1) Stretch Your Mind: It should teach you something and help you think more clearly.
2) Inform and Instruct You: You should leave, learning something you didn’t know before you arrived.
3) Tan Your Hide: In other words, it should correct you or convict you.
4) Warm Your Heart and Provoke Your Will: It should encourage you inwardly and move you to action, so you do what God wants you to do.
For the vast majority of people who want to know about Jesus, where would they look? For most, you’d think it to be the Bible. And you would be correct. The short answer is the 1st 4 books of the New Testament. It’s because the 1st 4 Gospels are geared to show us the birth, the life, the words, the miracles, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Matthew presents Him as King. Mark shows Him as servant. Luke reveals His humanity. And John lifts up His divinity. All together, these 4 Gospels tell the story of the Son of God.
But today, I’m here to tell you about ANOTHER “Gospel” the world reads every day. Because the majority of non-Christians, and I’m sorry to say, Christians in name only, don’t crack open God’s word to learn about the Savior of mankind.
In 1997 a movie came out starring Bruce Willis playing Korben Dallas, and Milla Jovovich as Leeloo. Milla is the heroine who played in “Resident Evil” movies. In this movie, the two team up to save humanity. The name was “The 5th Element.”
Just as the 5th Element was there to save humanity, God has produced another expression of the Gospel story. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was an evangelist by the name of Gypsy Smith.
“There are five Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John… and the Christian. But most people never read the first four.”
Today we’re gonna talk about a Gospel that is read by the world, EVERY day:
It’s not written in a book.
It’s not printed on paper.
But it’s written in a life.
It’s lived in the home, at work, in your neighborhood, in the church, in hospital rooms, in Walmart, in schools, and in the secret places of the heart.
IT IS the 5th Gospel!
The 5th Gospel doesn’t replace the first 4 Gospels, but it REFLECTS them.
You see the moon, not because of any light of its own. You see the moon because it REFLECTS the true source of the light.
The 5th Gospel doesn’t add to Scripture, but it displays Scripture. The 5th Gospel doesn’t create a new Christ, but the 5th Gospel makes the same Christ visible to the world through your life.
For some people, you’re the closest thing they’ll ever see to a Bible. If you’re a child of the King, you may be the only sermon they’ll ever hear. You are possibly the only witness they’ll observe before they ever open up a Bible.
So, my question isn’t merely, “Do you believe the Gospel?” The true question is, “Does your life PREACH the Gospel?”
We Are Christ’s Living Letter
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (KJV)
“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
Now THAT is a powerful word picture.
Paul is telling us we are a letter. A letter is meant to be read. A letter carries a message. A letter communicates something from one person to another. And Paul says, your life is a letter FROM Christ to those you come in contact with.
In other words, the WORLD is reading you because you are the 5th Gospel…
They read your patience.
They read your temper.
They read your forgiveness.
They read your honesty.
They read your response to pressure.
They read your marriage.
They read your parenting.
They read your attitude when things go wrong.
They read your conduct when there are no applause.
The world may NEVER enter a church building, but the world is still reading about God’s church through the lives of its people.
Christianity is NOT merely something we confess with our mouths… It’s something we embody with our lives.
The GREATEST argument for the faith isn’t a clever explanation, a cute bumper sticker, or a cool tee shirt. It’s a CHANGED life. A life touched by Jesus, by a living God in such a way that people can see there is something different, something holy, something hopeful, and something real.
When Peter and John were brought before the Sadducee council in Jerusalem, and they saw the boldness which Peter preached, it says in Acts 4:13 (KJV):
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”
That’s the goal of the 5th Gospel:
Not that people say, “Look how impressive they are.”
Not that people say, “What a talented speaker.”
Not that people say, “What a charismatic personality.”
But that people say, “you can tell, that dude has been with Jesus.”
The Witness Is Written by the Spirit
Jesus said in Acts 1:8 (KJV)
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Take notice very carefully to what Jesus said:
Jesus didn’t say, “Try harder and maybe you can be a witness.”
He didn’t say, “If you’re naturally outgoing, you can become my witnesses.”
And He didn’t say, “Only gifted, trained, or fearless folks will be my witnesses.”
But what he did say was, “ye SHALL receive power…” and then, “Ye SHALL be my witnesses”
Witnessing isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a Spirit-enabled calling.
The Holy Spirit gives COURAGE… where there is fear.
The Holy Spirit gives TRUTH… where there is confusion.
The Holy Spirit gives COMPASSION… where there is hardness.
The Holy Spirit gives BOLDNESS… where there is timidity.
The Holy Spirit gives POWER… where there is weakness.
And that’s why the 5th Gospel can’t be written with fleshly strength. It can’t be produced with image management. It can’t be maintained by religious performance. Because it can ONLY be written the Spirit of the living God on the human heart and on your soul!
A lot of people know how to look religious.
And a lot of church folk know how to speak religious lingo and with religious speech.
There are many who can sing about faith, and quote Bible verses till the cows come home, but still not be the 5th Gospel.
But when the Holy Spirit fills a life, something changes. Your words become weighty, your actions have meaning, and your character is now convincing.
A Spirit-filled witness doesn’t just talk about Jesus on Sunday, he/she is a witness who reflects Jesus on Mondays.
The 5th Gospel MUST Be Visible!
Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV):
“14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Light doesn’t argue for itself. Light doesn’t boast. Light doesn’t have to announce to a dark room, “I’m the light.” IT SIMPLY SHINES!
Jesus said His people are to be the light in this world. In other words, we are to reflect Jesus. People should be able to read Jesus when they look at the 5th Gospel we radiate.
Astrologically: You can only see the moon because of the light reflecting from the sun. So too, the 5th Gospel is a reflection on the person of Jesus Christ.
What I’m trying to say is, the 5th Gospel isn’t only verbal, but it’s visible. It’s seen in our conduct. It’s seen in our compassion. It’s seen in our consistency. And it’s seen in our integrity.
When a Christian is honest in business, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian is gentle in conflict, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian is faithful in marriage, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian is kind to the weak, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian forgives an enemy, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian speaks truth without cruelty, THAT IS LIGHT!
Jesus didn’t say the world would glorify the Father because of our performance. He said they would glorify the Father because of our good works. Not because we’re trying to be admired, but because the light we reflect leads them to God.
That’s the danger of living so that people see us but never see Christ. The 5th Gospel IS NEVER a story about our greatness.
The 5th Gospel is ALWAYS a testimony of His grace!
Witnessing Happens In Ordinary Places
One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is thinking that people being the 5th Gospel only happens in special moments. There are moments for evangelism, for preaching from the pulpit, special testimony moments, altar calls, mission trips and public activities/proclamations. But life is ordinary And that’s where most of the 5th Gospel is penned.
The 5th Gospel is written at the breakfast tables.
The 5th Gospel is written in traffic, on I-65 at rush hours.
The 5th Gospel is written in the school hallways.
The 5th Gospel is written in the offices.
The 5th Gospel is written in the hospital waiting rooms.
The 5th Gospel is written in the Walmart.
The 5th Gospel is written in the nursery.
The 5th Gospel is written in the nursing home.
The 5th Gospel is written at the kitchen table after everyone else has gone to bed.
Your family may never hear you preach a sermon, but they see how you act at home.
People who never sit under your Bible Study, will see how you handle inconvenience.
They may never attend this church, but they’ll observe how we display patience.
They may never ask you deep theological questions, but they’ll be deeply affected by your life.
The 5th Gospel is not only public, it’s personal. It’s not what you say in a crowd, but what you are in private.
The most powerful 5th Gospel witness isn’t the loudest one. It’s the most consistent one.
The 5th Gospel Witness MUST Carry the Right Message!
The 5th Gospel doesn’t invent a new message. The 5th Gospel simply tells the truth about what’s been seen and known.
The 5th Gospel isn’t our own version of Christianity.
It isn’t a Joel Osteen style self-help book with Bible verses attached.
It isn’t moral improvement without the cross.
It isn’t activism without repentance.
It isn’t religion without resurrection.
The 5th Gospel IS the reflection of the first 4 Gospels, that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That Jesus lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose again on the 3rd day, and He calls all people everywhere to repentance and faith.
If our version of Gospel points people to anything else, we have failed as witnesses. A Christian witness shouldn’t cause people to think, “Look at that person.”
When people see forgiveness in you, they sense the mercy of Christ.
When people see hope in you, they sense the resurrection power of Christ.
When people see humility in you, they sense the servant heart of Christ.
When people see courage in you, they sense the lordship of Christ reflect from you.
The 5th Gospel isn’t about self-exaltation, but it’s about Christ-exaltation!
The 5th Gospel Endures Pressure!
One of the clearest signs of a true witness is what happens under pressure.
It’s easy to praise God when life is going smoothly. It’s easy to talk about faith when answered prayers seem immediate. It’s easy to always wear a smile when things are going your way.
But the world watches the 5th Gospel most closely when those who claim to be Christians are tested.
When a bad diagnosis comes, when the bills pile up, when the relationship strains, when the child rebels, when the job is lost, when the prayer seems unanswered, and when a suffering doesn’t pass quickly.
That’s when the 5th Gospel becomes especially powerful. Because people all around you can see if your faith is real.
Paul and Silas in prison sang at the midnight hour. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
Job had all his possessions and children snatched from him and yet he still worshipped. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
Daniel was kidnapped and tempted and even thrown into the lion’s den but remained faithful. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
Stephen forgave even while being stoned. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
And Jesus himself, in His suffering, displayed perfect obedience to the Father. THAT was the original witness, the original Gospel.
Trials don’t automatically make you a witness. If your hope disappears the moment hardship arrives, then your witness was shallow.
But if Christ remains your confidence in the valley, then the world sees something GREATER than just optimism. It sees the 5th Gospel. Ephesians 4:14 (KJV)
The 5th Gospel Must Be Authentic
Throughout the world, people have had enough counterfeit religion. There’s weariness from hypocrisy.
They’re tired of empty words, suspicious of performative services, and they’re looking for something real. That’s why authenticity matters.
The 5th Gospel MUST be honest:
Not perfect, but honest.
Not sinless, but repentant.
Not proud, but teachable.
Not pretending, but transformed.
There’s a difference between acting religious and walking with God, between having a moral image and having a spiritual reality. People may not expect perfection from you, but they DO expect sincerity.
When they read the 5th Gospel people need to see that their life can know how to confess, how to repent, how to forgive, and how to start living with God as their purpose.
One of the greatest ways you witness about Christ is not by never failing, but how you respond when you fail.
A believer who humbly repents points to grace. A believer who quickly forgives points to the cross. And a believer who keeps coming back to Jesus points to hope.
That kind of authenticity makes the 5th Gospel believable!!!
The 5th Gospel Is a Blessing to the World!
When Church folk truly live as the 5th Gospel, they become a blessing to everyone they meet.
They bless the home because peace enters the atmosphere.
They bless the church because unity is strengthened.
They bless the workplace because trust is built.
They bless the community because compassion is seen.
They bless the lost because hope becomes visible.
The 5th Gospel witness isn’t a burden to society, it’s a gift from God.
Remember, we are salt and we are light. Salt preserves, light guides through the darkness, love heals the broken, and truth liberates.
And that is why the 5th Gospel matters so much. Because the world doesn’t just need some more religious talk. It needs the life of Jesus written and displayed in others who have been transformed by the grace of a merciful God.
What It Looks Like Practically!
So, what does it mean to be the 5th Gospel?
First, it means we stay close to Jesus.
As the moon can’t reflect what if doesn’t receive, we can’t reflect Jesus if you haven’t received His light. Prayer, Scripture, worship, obedience, and fellowship aren’t extras. They’re lifelines.
Second, it means we let the Spirit shape how we react in daily life.
Your witness is tested more by your reaction than by your intention. How do you respond when you’re interrupted, criticized, betrayed, or overlooked? The Spirit of God makes us more like Christ in those moments.
Third, it means we speak about Jesus naturally and faithfully.
Our lives should never be silent about Christ. The world needs both our conduct and our confession. Because we don’t preach ourselves, we preach Jesus.
Fourth, it means we love people on purpose, intentionally.
Jesus was moved with compassion. If we are His witnesses, we MUST learn to see people as Christ sees them. Not as interruptions, but as souls He created.
Fifth, it means we remain faithful over time.
The 5th Gospel isn’t written in a day. But it’s written over years of steady obedience, ordinary faithfulness, and daily dependance on God.
The Final Questions!
If the world were to READ your life THIS week, what would it learn about Jesus?
Would they see a Savior who’s patient, or a believer who’s always irritated?
Would they see a Savior who forgives, or a believer who keeps score?
Would they see a Savior who’s holy, or a Believer who compromises easily?
Would they see a Savior who serves, or a believer who only wants to be served?
Would they see a Savior who loves, or a believer who’s cold and distant?
You aren’t called to SURVIVE till heaven, you’re called to SHINE until heaven. He didn’t leave you here just to OCCUPY space, He left you here to BEAR WITNESS to the Son of God.
Landing the Plane!!!
The first 4 Gospels tell us what Jesus did, His birth, His life, His miracles, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension.
The 5th Gospel shows what Jesus can still do through a surrendered life.
He can take a sinner and make him a witness.
He can take a fearful heart and make it bold.
He can take a broken person and make a testimony.
He can take ordinary believers and turn them into living letters of grace. So TODAY, ask God to write His 5th Gospel on our lives.
TODAY, become a 5th Gospel!!!
2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV) “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation…”
R. D. Story
5th Gospel…Sermon
Introduction:
S. M. Lockridge… Every Sermon Should:
1) Stretch Your Mind: It should teach you something and help you think more clearly.
2) Inform and Instruct You: You should leave, learning something you didn’t know before you arrived.
3) Tan Your Hide: In other words, it should correct you or convict you.
4) Warm Your Heart and Provoke Your Will: It should encourage you inwardly and move you to action, so you do what God wants you to do.
For the vast majority of people who want to know about Jesus, where would they look? For most, you’d think it to be the Bible. And you would be correct. The short answer is the 1st 4 books of the New Testament. It’s because the 1st 4 Gospels are geared to show us the birth, the life, the words, the miracles, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Matthew presents Him as King. Mark shows Him as servant. Luke reveals His humanity. And John lifts up His divinity. All together, these 4 Gospels tell the story of the Son of God.
But today, I’m here to tell you about ANOTHER “Gospel” the world reads every day. Because the majority of non-Christians, and I’m sorry to say, Christians in name only, don’t crack open God’s word to learn about the Savior of mankind.
In 1997 a movie came out starring Bruce Willis playing Korben Dallas, and Milla Jovovich as Leeloo. Milla is the heroine who played in “Resident Evil” movies. In this movie, the two team up to save humanity. The name was “The 5th Element.”
Just as the 5th Element was there to save humanity, God has produced another expression of the Gospel story. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was an evangelist by the name of Gypsy Smith.
“There are five Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John… and the Christian. But most people never read the first four.”
Today we’re gonna talk about a Gospel that is read by the world, EVERY day:
It’s not written in a book.
It’s not printed on paper.
But it’s written in a life.
It’s lived in the home, at work, in your neighborhood, in the church, in hospital rooms, in Walmart, in schools, and in the secret places of the heart.
IT IS the 5th Gospel!
The 5th Gospel doesn’t replace the first 4 Gospels, but it REFLECTS them.
You see the moon, not because of any light of its own. You see the moon because it REFLECTS the true source of the light.
The 5th Gospel doesn’t add to Scripture, but it displays Scripture. The 5th Gospel doesn’t create a new Christ, but the 5th Gospel makes the same Christ visible to the world through your life.
For some people, you’re the closest thing they’ll ever see to a Bible. If you’re a child of the King, you may be the only sermon they’ll ever hear. You are possibly the only witness they’ll observe before they ever open up a Bible.
So, my question isn’t merely, “Do you believe the Gospel?” The true question is, “Does your life PREACH the Gospel?”
We Are Christ’s Living Letter
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (KJV)
“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
Now THAT is a powerful word picture.
Paul is telling us we are a letter. A letter is meant to be read. A letter carries a message. A letter communicates something from one person to another. And Paul says, your life is a letter FROM Christ to those you come in contact with.
In other words, the WORLD is reading you because you are the 5th Gospel…
They read your patience.
They read your temper.
They read your forgiveness.
They read your honesty.
They read your response to pressure.
They read your marriage.
They read your parenting.
They read your attitude when things go wrong.
They read your conduct when there are no applause.
The world may NEVER enter a church building, but the world is still reading about God’s church through the lives of its people.
Christianity is NOT merely something we confess with our mouths… It’s something we embody with our lives.
The GREATEST argument for the faith isn’t a clever explanation, a cute bumper sticker, or a cool tee shirt. It’s a CHANGED life. A life touched by Jesus, by a living God in such a way that people can see there is something different, something holy, something hopeful, and something real.
When Peter and John were brought before the Sadducee council in Jerusalem, and they saw the boldness which Peter preached, it says in Acts 4:13 (KJV):
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”
That’s the goal of the 5th Gospel:
Not that people say, “Look how impressive they are.”
Not that people say, “What a talented speaker.”
Not that people say, “What a charismatic personality.”
But that people say, “you can tell, that dude has been with Jesus.”
The Witness Is Written by the Spirit
Jesus said in Acts 1:8 (KJV)
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Take notice very carefully to what Jesus said:
Jesus didn’t say, “Try harder and maybe you can be a witness.”
He didn’t say, “If you’re naturally outgoing, you can become my witnesses.”
And He didn’t say, “Only gifted, trained, or fearless folks will be my witnesses.”
But what he did say was, “ye SHALL receive power…” and then, “Ye SHALL be my witnesses”
Witnessing isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a Spirit-enabled calling.
The Holy Spirit gives COURAGE… where there is fear.
The Holy Spirit gives TRUTH… where there is confusion.
The Holy Spirit gives COMPASSION… where there is hardness.
The Holy Spirit gives BOLDNESS… where there is timidity.
The Holy Spirit gives POWER… where there is weakness.
And that’s why the 5th Gospel can’t be written with fleshly strength. It can’t be produced with image management. It can’t be maintained by religious performance. Because it can ONLY be written the Spirit of the living God on the human heart and on your soul!
A lot of people know how to look religious.
And a lot of church folk know how to speak religious lingo and with religious speech.
There are many who can sing about faith, and quote Bible verses till the cows come home, but still not be the 5th Gospel.
But when the Holy Spirit fills a life, something changes. Your words become weighty, your actions have meaning, and your character is now convincing.
A Spirit-filled witness doesn’t just talk about Jesus on Sunday, he/she is a witness who reflects Jesus on Mondays.
The 5th Gospel MUST Be Visible!
Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV):
“14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Light doesn’t argue for itself. Light doesn’t boast. Light doesn’t have to announce to a dark room, “I’m the light.” IT SIMPLY SHINES!
Jesus said His people are to be the light in this world. In other words, we are to reflect Jesus. People should be able to read Jesus when they look at the 5th Gospel we radiate.
Astrologically: You can only see the moon because of the light reflecting from the sun. So too, the 5th Gospel is a reflection on the person of Jesus Christ.
What I’m trying to say is, the 5th Gospel isn’t only verbal, but it’s visible. It’s seen in our conduct. It’s seen in our compassion. It’s seen in our consistency. And it’s seen in our integrity.
When a Christian is honest in business, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian is gentle in conflict, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian is faithful in marriage, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian is kind to the weak, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian forgives an enemy, THAT IS LIGHT!
When a Christian speaks truth without cruelty, THAT IS LIGHT!
Jesus didn’t say the world would glorify the Father because of our performance. He said they would glorify the Father because of our good works. Not because we’re trying to be admired, but because the light we reflect leads them to God.
That’s the danger of living so that people see us but never see Christ. The 5th Gospel IS NEVER a story about our greatness.
The 5th Gospel is ALWAYS a testimony of His grace!
Witnessing Happens In Ordinary Places
One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is thinking that people being the 5th Gospel only happens in special moments. There are moments for evangelism, for preaching from the pulpit, special testimony moments, altar calls, mission trips and public activities/proclamations. But life is ordinary And that’s where most of the 5th Gospel is penned.
The 5th Gospel is written at the breakfast tables.
The 5th Gospel is written in traffic, on I-65 at rush hours.
The 5th Gospel is written in the school hallways.
The 5th Gospel is written in the offices.
The 5th Gospel is written in the hospital waiting rooms.
The 5th Gospel is written in the Walmart.
The 5th Gospel is written in the nursery.
The 5th Gospel is written in the nursing home.
The 5th Gospel is written at the kitchen table after everyone else has gone to bed.
Your family may never hear you preach a sermon, but they see how you act at home.
People who never sit under your Bible Study, will see how you handle inconvenience.
They may never attend this church, but they’ll observe how we display patience.
They may never ask you deep theological questions, but they’ll be deeply affected by your life.
The 5th Gospel is not only public, it’s personal. It’s not what you say in a crowd, but what you are in private.
The most powerful 5th Gospel witness isn’t the loudest one. It’s the most consistent one.
The 5th Gospel Witness MUST Carry the Right Message!
The 5th Gospel doesn’t invent a new message. The 5th Gospel simply tells the truth about what’s been seen and known.
The 5th Gospel isn’t our own version of Christianity.
It isn’t a Joel Osteen style self-help book with Bible verses attached.
It isn’t moral improvement without the cross.
It isn’t activism without repentance.
It isn’t religion without resurrection.
The 5th Gospel IS the reflection of the first 4 Gospels, that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That Jesus lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose again on the 3rd day, and He calls all people everywhere to repentance and faith.
If our version of Gospel points people to anything else, we have failed as witnesses. A Christian witness shouldn’t cause people to think, “Look at that person.”
When people see forgiveness in you, they sense the mercy of Christ.
When people see hope in you, they sense the resurrection power of Christ.
When people see humility in you, they sense the servant heart of Christ.
When people see courage in you, they sense the lordship of Christ reflect from you.
The 5th Gospel isn’t about self-exaltation, but it’s about Christ-exaltation!
The 5th Gospel Endures Pressure!
One of the clearest signs of a true witness is what happens under pressure.
It’s easy to praise God when life is going smoothly. It’s easy to talk about faith when answered prayers seem immediate. It’s easy to always wear a smile when things are going your way.
But the world watches the 5th Gospel most closely when those who claim to be Christians are tested.
When a bad diagnosis comes, when the bills pile up, when the relationship strains, when the child rebels, when the job is lost, when the prayer seems unanswered, and when a suffering doesn’t pass quickly.
That’s when the 5th Gospel becomes especially powerful. Because people all around you can see if your faith is real.
Paul and Silas in prison sang at the midnight hour. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
Job had all his possessions and children snatched from him and yet he still worshipped. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
Daniel was kidnapped and tempted and even thrown into the lion’s den but remained faithful. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
Stephen forgave even while being stoned. THAT was the 5th Gospel!
And Jesus himself, in His suffering, displayed perfect obedience to the Father. THAT was the original witness, the original Gospel.
Trials don’t automatically make you a witness. If your hope disappears the moment hardship arrives, then your witness was shallow.
But if Christ remains your confidence in the valley, then the world sees something GREATER than just optimism. It sees the 5th Gospel. Ephesians 4:14 (KJV)
The 5th Gospel Must Be Authentic
Throughout the world, people have had enough counterfeit religion. There’s weariness from hypocrisy.
They’re tired of empty words, suspicious of performative services, and they’re looking for something real. That’s why authenticity matters.
The 5th Gospel MUST be honest:
Not perfect, but honest.
Not sinless, but repentant.
Not proud, but teachable.
Not pretending, but transformed.
There’s a difference between acting religious and walking with God, between having a moral image and having a spiritual reality. People may not expect perfection from you, but they DO expect sincerity.
When they read the 5th Gospel people need to see that their life can know how to confess, how to repent, how to forgive, and how to start living with God as their purpose.
One of the greatest ways you witness about Christ is not by never failing, but how you respond when you fail.
A believer who humbly repents points to grace. A believer who quickly forgives points to the cross. And a believer who keeps coming back to Jesus points to hope.
That kind of authenticity makes the 5th Gospel believable!!!
The 5th Gospel Is a Blessing to the World!
When Church folk truly live as the 5th Gospel, they become a blessing to everyone they meet.
They bless the home because peace enters the atmosphere.
They bless the church because unity is strengthened.
They bless the workplace because trust is built.
They bless the community because compassion is seen.
They bless the lost because hope becomes visible.
The 5th Gospel witness isn’t a burden to society, it’s a gift from God.
Remember, we are salt and we are light. Salt preserves, light guides through the darkness, love heals the broken, and truth liberates.
And that is why the 5th Gospel matters so much. Because the world doesn’t just need some more religious talk. It needs the life of Jesus written and displayed in others who have been transformed by the grace of a merciful God.
What It Looks Like Practically!
So, what does it mean to be the 5th Gospel?
First, it means we stay close to Jesus.
As the moon can’t reflect what if doesn’t receive, we can’t reflect Jesus if you haven’t received His light. Prayer, Scripture, worship, obedience, and fellowship aren’t extras. They’re lifelines.
Second, it means we let the Spirit shape how we react in daily life.
Your witness is tested more by your reaction than by your intention. How do you respond when you’re interrupted, criticized, betrayed, or overlooked? The Spirit of God makes us more like Christ in those moments.
Third, it means we speak about Jesus naturally and faithfully.
Our lives should never be silent about Christ. The world needs both our conduct and our confession. Because we don’t preach ourselves, we preach Jesus.
Fourth, it means we love people on purpose, intentionally.
Jesus was moved with compassion. If we are His witnesses, we MUST learn to see people as Christ sees them. Not as interruptions, but as souls He created.
Fifth, it means we remain faithful over time.
The 5th Gospel isn’t written in a day. But it’s written over years of steady obedience, ordinary faithfulness, and daily dependance on God.
The Final Questions!
If the world were to READ your life THIS week, what would it learn about Jesus?
Would they see a Savior who’s patient, or a believer who’s always irritated?
Would they see a Savior who forgives, or a believer who keeps score?
Would they see a Savior who’s holy, or a Believer who compromises easily?
Would they see a Savior who serves, or a believer who only wants to be served?
Would they see a Savior who loves, or a believer who’s cold and distant?
You aren’t called to SURVIVE till heaven, you’re called to SHINE until heaven. He didn’t leave you here just to OCCUPY space, He left you here to BEAR WITNESS to the Son of God.
Landing the Plane!!!
The first 4 Gospels tell us what Jesus did, His birth, His life, His miracles, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension.
The 5th Gospel shows what Jesus can still do through a surrendered life.
He can take a sinner and make him a witness.
He can take a fearful heart and make it bold.
He can take a broken person and make a testimony.
He can take ordinary believers and turn them into living letters of grace. So TODAY, ask God to write His 5th Gospel on our lives.
TODAY, become a 5th Gospel!!!
2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV) “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation…”
Rick Story
Recent
The Good News: 'The 5th Gospel'
April 28th, 2026
The Good News: Re-Ignite The Fire
April 22nd, 2026
Immanuel: God With US (Week 1)
December 14th, 2025
Sunday Message 12/7/2025 - Choose To Be Faithful
December 8th, 2025
Sunday Message 11/2/2025 - Godly Wisdom and Christ Honoring Character
November 2nd, 2025
Archive
2025
March
August
November
2024
October
November
Categories
no categories
Tags
no tags
No Comments