The Gospel: The Most Important Message
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 15
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Planning and preparing for the day - going about the day’s errands and what you have as highest priority e.g. waking up earlier to have a better breakfast before the day.
When it comes to Christian/godly living, we ought to have one message that should dominate our lives. This one priority is that which dictates the wat we live day to day, it determines what we do in our days and what we find to be most important to us according to that one priority. That one priority is the Gospel.
PAUL’S VIEW OF THE GOSPEL
PAUL’S VIEW OF THE GOSPEL
Throughout all of Paul’s letters, there is always one central message. He will always circle back to the message of the Gospel. From the beginning of his ministry to the end, he preached one message, and that was the Gospel.
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.
following this in Acts 13, He preaches The Gospel to the synagogue officials.
Acts 14:1, 5-7
And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them,
they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region;
and there they continued to preach the gospel.
After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
And there are many more verses throughout Acts that speak of paul preaching the gospel in the book of Acts.
Yet we see the same message in the end of His ministry.
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,
One question to ask ourselves with regards to Paul’s view of the Gospel is, why? Why does Paul continue to be consistent in preaching this Gospel? Surely Paul was preoccupied with the woes of missionary life, health struggles, being imprisoned, being shipwrecked etc? Why does he continue to come back to what we would unintentionally label as “a simple doctrine”.
To neglect the gospel, not as the good news or of the fact that the gospel saves, but that it takes first place in our lives is very easy to do when it comes to the busyness of life. We can get so caught up in our daily lives, that we can begin to ‘lose our first love’ and neglect the very truth that saves us