The Gospel of God

“The gospel of God” used in Scripture several times:

Mark 1:14

1 Peter 4:17

1 Thess. 2:2

Used to show that God is the source of the gospel.

Gospel= good news of life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John 3:16

It not the invention of man.

It is not plan B. Before creation, God planned to save the world and glorify Himself through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-20).

God has something He wants proclaimed to this world.

Christianity has grown form just a few fishermen to the largest religion in the world- over 2 billion people.

In our introduction to this book we explained:

Paul had spread the gospel in the East.

Paul determined to go to Spain (West).

He saw Rome as a place that could help him do that.

Paul never made it that far West because he went North (died). The gospel made it to the West. How? It’s God’s gospel. It didn’t die with Paul.

This morning we answer the question “How is God spreading His gospel?”

1. God is spreading His gospel through the Old Testament prophets (2-3).

A. God laid a foundation for the coming of Christ.

Oldest book of the Bible is Job. Job 19:25-26:

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed,

yet in my flesh I shall see God,

Lives= present tense. Over 1000 years before Jesus was born Job said the Redeemer was alive. This redeemer would resurrect him from the dead.

Genesis 3:15 God told Adam, Eve, Satan a child would be born that would crush Satan’s head.

Psalm 2 tells us to kiss the Son lest He be angry and we perish.

Isaiah- born of a virgin, government would be on His shoulders, led like a lamb to the slaughter.

Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem.

The Old Testament gives us prophetic pictures of Jesus as well:

Noah in the Ark (Jesus is the door)

Isaac on the altar (Lamb upon the altar)

The Mannah in the wilderness (Bread of Life)

Water from the Rock that was struck (Living Water)

The Tabernacle (Word was made flesh and dwelt among us)

Jonah in the belly of the whale (Resurrection and the Life)

God started telling the Gospel in the book Of Genesis and He tells it all the way through Revelation.

B. The foundation God laid strengthens our faith.

There is wisdom in God waiting to send Christ.

We see this is not something newly invented by false teachers.

We see the consistency in the writers of the OT & NT.

We see the accuracy of the prophecies and the types in the OT.

Our faith is strengthened by the OT.

It is a difficult thing to believe God became man. That’s why this foundation was laid. Note verses 2-3 say that the purpose of the OT was to show how Jesus is both God and man:

His Son (God’s)- eternal, divine

David’s descendant- human (according to the flesh)

C. God is still using the OT.

Illustration of inmate from France. I asked him how he got saved. Someone brought him a Bible. He started reading the Old Testament. When he got through the law he started telling the guards he needed a lamb. They ignored him. He got to the New Testament and said he found the Lamb.

Some folks seem ashamed to talk about the OT.

Aren’t you ashamed to think God told Abraham to offer up His Son? No, because I’m not ashamed that God did offer up His Son.

Aren’t you ashamed to think that there was only one way for the folks in Noah’s day to be saved? No! Because there is only one way any of us can be saved!

Aren’t you ashamed to believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale and resurrected three days later? No! because I believe that Jesus Christ was swallowed up by death and rose three days later!

The OT is just as inspired as the New Testament!

Jesus preached from it!

Paul preached from it!

Peter preached from it!

I’m going to preach from it!

Paul calls the OT the Holy Scriptures. You can’t be holy unless you are true. God is still using the OT prophets to declare the gospel of God.

2. God is spreading His gospel through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (4).

A. Jesus was declared to be the Son of God.

By the angels at His birth (Luke 1:11).

“For unto you a Son is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord.”

By the Father at his baptism.

“This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” Matthew 3:17

By a Roman soldier at His death (Matthew 27:54).

“Truly this was the Son of God.”

Nothing declared His sonship more than His resurrection.

Every Sunday God is reminding the world Jesus rose from the dead.

Across the world it happens every Sunday!

We gather

We worship

We celebrate

We fellowship

We serve

We teach

Christians have been doing this for 2000 years!

B. If Jesus had not risen from the dead Christianity would be a fool’s religion.

Would have fizzled out in the first century.

Would offer no power over sin.

Would offer no ability or reason to endure.

“the Son of God in power”

If Christ had not risen, we could not sing:

Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;

Would you o'er evil a victory win?

There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?

There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;

Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide–

There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r

In the blood of the Lamb;

There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r

In the precious blood of the Lamb.

C. The resurrection declares that good will overcome evil.

“the Spirit of holiness”

The character of our Lord. Without sin, filled with grace & mercy. Good!

There would be no joy if an evil man rose from the dead.

No joy if Nero rose.

No joy if Hitler rose.

No joy if Osama Bin Ladan rose.

That would scare us to death. We would wonder if evil could be defeated.

If there is a man we can’t kill we want him to be a good man!

God is good and you can’t kill Him! Evil will be defeated, and God will prevail. The resurrection proclaims that!

3. God is spreading His gospel through the Apostles work (1 & 5).

“called to be an apostle” (1)

“through whom we have received grace and apostleship” (5)

A. The Apostles had a unique office

The office of Apostle is limited.

Jesus called and commissioned the Apostles.

Qualifications of an Apostle (Acts 1:21-22)

Present with Jesus during His earthly ministry (Baptism to ascension)

An eyewitness of the resurrected Jesus

Paul was uniquely called to be an Apostle by Christ on the Damascus road.

He saw Jesus

He was taught by Jesus (Gal. 1:12-17).

He was confirmed by the other Apostles.

There are no new Apostles.

Rev. 21:14 says the names of the twelve Apostles are written on the foundation of the city of heaven. The office of the Apostle is closed.

B. The Apostles had a unique role.

Their role was to lay the foundation of the churches teaching.

Eph. 2:20 says the church is:

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Some of the Apostles wrote Scripture.

All the Apostles preached the gospel.

They were preachers and teachers

“to bring about the obedience of faith” (5)

They were also evangelists and missionaries

“among all nations” (5)

They also were able at times to perform mighty signs and wonders (2 Cor. 12:12).

No one today is giving new teaching from God.

No one can perform the types of signs and wonders the Apostles did. If they did it would be all over the news.

The New Testament Scripture is the result of God working through the Apostles.

The New Testament church is the result of God working through the Apostles.

C. By the grace of God the Apostles were chosen.

“we have received grace” (5)

God chose people who were unworthy:

Fisherman

Tax collector

Zealot

Look at Paul. Least of the Apostles. Hated the church. Killed Christians. An example to all of us that God’s grace is greater than our sin.

What God di through the Apostles to make His gospel known He is still doing:

Through the teachings of the New Testament.

Through the churches that exists all over this world

Through the testimony of God’s grace for the chief of sinners.

4. God is spreading His gospel through believers (6-7).

A. God is including Gentiles in His saving work (6).

“including you” reference to “nations” (5)

We should be amazed there are so many Gentiles in the Church of Jesus Christ.

1) The hatred of the Jewish people by Gentile nations.

2) The exclusion of Gentile nations by OT and NT Jews.

3) The stronghold Satan had on us through the worship of false gods.

4) How far we are away from Israel.

Today there are far more Gentiles than Jews in the church.

Look at verse 6. If you are saved you ought to praise God! “Including you!”

God called you to belong to Jesus Christ!

How do I know if God has called (is calling me).

You see your own sin.

You have a desire to be forgiven.

You want to be free from the power of sin.

You believe Jesus died for you and rose again.

If these things are true God is calling you or has already called you to himself.

God is calling you to be a saint! (7) Holy one, separate, etc.

B. God is including Gentiles in His sending work.

Verse 7 is connected to verse 6. When God calls someone He sends them too.

God has an interest in saving you. He saves you to send you. You are one of the ways God is making His gospel known.

Look at verse 7:

You are loved by God

You are called by God

You have the grace of God.

You have the peace of God.

Those of us who have been called to salvation by God have a responsibility now to to tell others about:

The love of God- John 3:16

The grace of God- Eph. 2:8

The peace of God – Romans 5:1

The gospel of God! God is making it known through the prophets, the resurrection, the Apostles, and through us.