The Gospel: Our Anchor - Part One
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I am sure you have all heard the phrase, “The only constant in life is change” or some version of it. The philosopher Heraclitus (Latter 6th Century BC to Early 5th Century BC) who lived in Ephesus is credited with highlighting this reality. He is called the philosopher of change.
He wrote, ““You cannot step twice into the same rivers; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you.” and “We step and do not step into the same rivers; we are and are not.”
One commented on this, “Noone and nothing escapes Heraclitus’ cosmic river. Not only does the river always change, but also the subject. Every moment that passes finds a new world and a new ‘us’.
In a certain sense, we must agree with Heraclitus. Change is always in us, among us, and around us. However, if this is the primary truth of life, then we will eventually end up in a certain misery as we navigate life. If we focus on the ever changing change of life, we are left to drift along on the waves of constant uncertainty.
However, as believers we have an anchor that holds us securely and safely amongst and in the midst of the constant changes of life. What is that anchor? The gospel is the activity of God on our behalf to give us rock solid, anchored hope in the midst of all of life.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
PRAY
The Context of the Gospel
The Context of the Gospel
What do we mean by context? The circumstances in which an event occurs; a setting, a situation. The key word in this portion of Scripture is the word, gospel - This word means good news, glad tidings, good story, good telling
This leads to another question. How does one understand news as good? The answer to this question is not difficult, complex or hard to determine. The way we hear news as good is if there is also news that is bad.
Let me illustrate: You are walking down the street and a man tells you that he can recover all the money and restore the credit for anyone that has been a victim of identity theft. You think, well that’s nice, but you just go on with your day as usual. That’s not really a big deal is it. Let’s add a bit to the story.
Later that evening you swing by the gas station on your way home from work to fill up. Your transaction is declined. You try several times with several different credit cards with the same result. Eventually, you drive home with a near empty tank of gas. When you arrive home, you rush to the computer to look up your balances online, but you are unable to log in. Frantically, you can the 1-800 # on the back of your credit cards. When you get someone live, you are unable to verify your account because you cannot answer any of the security questions. The next day, you are the first one through the bank doors. Thankfully, there remains one person who knows who you are. Through some research, you determine someone in another country is using your identity. As a result, you have no money in checking or savings and all our credit cards are maxed out. You sit and wonder how you will get out of this mess. You are reminded about the man you passed by uninterested earlier and wish you could see him today.
There is a context of bad news in relationship to the gospel’s “good”. It is the very worse news that can be heard. The bad news is:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death,
We are guilty before God and we are corrupt in nature and God has a problem with it.
The Content of the Gospel
The Content of the Gospel
The Cambridge Dictionary - the subject or ideas contained in something written, said, created, or represented. The substance of something.
What we are trying to determine is the basic and necessary content of the gospel. It is possible to get the gospel wrong and the results are catastrophic. Let’s look at a couple of passages related to this.
The gospel right, preached with difference motives
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
The gospel wrong, regardless of messenger or motive.
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Paul tells us the gospel is primary about or regarding with the person and work of Jesus Christ.
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The context of the gospel is bad news, but the content of the gospel is good news. What is this good news in its most essential form?
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Christ died for our sin
Christ was buried
Christ rose from the grave (dead)
Christ is living (was seen by many witnesses)
This is the message that saves; Jesus saves!!! If some is not saved by Jesus and only Jesus, they are lost.
The Confidence of the Gospel
The Confidence of the Gospel
For I am not ashamed of the gospel - Paul writes in a negative form NOT. Paul is not embarrassed of the good story concerning Jesus Christ. He possesses complete confidence in the gospel.
Why might one be ashamed of the gospel?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
Remember, what they did to Jesus?
Why does Paul need confidence in the gospel?
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Why is Paul confident in the Gospel?
Because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone...
Because in it the righteousness of God is revealed.
We will be looking at these concepts in the next couple of weeks.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
Practical Application
Practical Application
Repent and believe
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Study and learn the true gospel. Reject the false gospels of the world.
Reject a life of responding to other constantly changing realities (situations and people) apart from the gospel. Live in light of the gospel
Be thankful God gave us a gospel
Share the gospel - news is meant to be shared, especially good news.