Consider the Gospel Anew

Greeting

Prayer

Scripture

Opening - Goal - Considering the Gospel Anew - ( Once more; again. In a new and different way, form, or manner, another time, afresh)

Reconsider the gospel - not salvation grace, faith, Jesus, God’s glory - but the structure and focus of the message.

[Be gentle] Problem with today’s gospel is it emphasizes the cross at the expense of, or to the exclusion of, the resurrection.

(start with sin (bad news) goes to the cross (good news) (now we get to spend eternity with God) and the resurrection, maybe, afterward) (sin-cross- maybe res)

(1) The contemporary gospel emphasizes sin and then moves to the cross and how it brings us to God.

The early church emphasized the resurrection.

(start with the resurrection and then the shed blood then sin)

(2) The early church gospel emphasizes the resurrection and then moves to Jesus’ sacrifice and how it addresses sin.

The inverse of our gospel message today.

(3) Contemporary starts with Man and moves toward God, the early church starts with God and moves toward Man.

Skeptical? (set up expectations on language)

(Resurrection / Raised) (Cross/Blood/ Sacrifice)

Acts 25/1

Romans 12/1

1 Cor 14/5

(Use Paul’s opening)

Example: Vehicle / Destination

(both contemp/early church, have sin, sacrifice, eternal life)

In the contemporary gospel the cross is the destination and the resurrection is the vehicle.

In the early church gospel, the resurrection is the destination and the cross is the vehicle.

This difference has a profound effect on our understanding of the gospel - one being man-centric, the other being Christ-centric.

A gospel lacking the resurrection lacks power because the resurrection IS the power of the gospel.

1 Cor 15

Now, let us begin… lol

The Preaching: The resurrection is the foundation of the gospel.

Acts 1:21-22

Acts 2:22-24, 30-32

Acts 3:14-16, 28

Acts 4:2, 10

The Problem: 4:1-4 (4) The resurrection alone challenges beliefs and forces a decision.

(couple of issues - 1 political, 1 spiritual)

Matt 28:11-15

Sadducees

Talk about the issue of sin not forcing a decision

The resurrection lies at the heart of the issue of Jesus being God or not

The Power 4:5-12: (5) The resurrection proves the gospel.

Deut 33:29

2 Sam 22:47

Isaiah 45:17

Psalm 18:3

Psalm 30:2

Psalm 147:2-6

What they are really asking is, What God did this healing through you

What does Peter say...

Why does he say that, because of the resurrection...

The Plan 4:13-22: (6) Preach the resurrection.

… nothing to say in opposition - remember what we learned about miracles in the opening sermon of this series - miracles validate the message and the messanger

118:8 “It is better to take refuge in Jesus than to trust in man...”

What are we to take from the scripture today?

Preach the resurrection.

Our gospel should be Jesus resurrection-centric - it should be saturated with the resurrection.

Why?

Because it is the foundation of the gospel.

The resurrection alone forces a decision.

The resurrection proves the gospel.

What to take from today - challenge to think about the resurrection as it relates to the gospel - to consider the gospel anew.