Living the Gospel Life

Intro: Navy, Booyah, Fire Alarm, “Kingdom of God” No fire alarm but fire, we get to be messengers. Not content, but nature of living the gospel life. The purpose, power, and posture of the gospel life.

Pray

Purpose

People

Things were going well, let’s stay here and set up came. People will just keep coming to us! Said every church that is now boarded up.

Mark 1:38 “And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.””

He has to go to those towns, why? because they need to hear the gospel also.

As Jesus intentionally moved from town to town preaching he gospel because all people need to hear the good news. Jesus’s purpose was people! Reaching people with the gospel.

Our purpose then as followers of Jesus is people! Reaching them with the gospel. And it will look like being intentional, going out of our way, to do so. The gospel life is dynamic, not static, moving to people.

Maybe it looks like drawing that cousin aside over thanksgiving weekend and pointing out, “hey, you’ve said life is meaningless in like five different ways this weekend, do you really believe that?” Or to the co-worker, “Hey, I know you’re going through a divorce now, I would be happy to grab a coffee and hear how things are going and pray for you.”

I met one lady intentionally moving to people at the winter shelter. “Is this what it’s like to be loved?”

God loves people.

Power

Confidence in being sent

Word and prayer

Are we bold to ask the question Elijah asked to the Shulmanite who helped him? What do you want? Are be bold enough to take the sick woman’s hand as Jesus did? Are we confident enough that when we open our mouths and speak the Gospel it has the power to transform lives?

The confidence behind Elijah, Jesus, and Paul is the same. They are sent by God. They know God is with them because they were sent by him.

I among others were sent to disciple two chinese students whom we baptized here and went back to China. When we would pray together, they said it’s like the atmosphere changed. When they sit through the Alpha class and read the bible their hearts were stirred. Then, on the alpha retreat we were on the boat at Lake Gaston and a wave smacked one of our friends in the face and she knew right then an there she was a Christian. Okay! God is super quarky! She told that testimony on

Remember our confirmations where we recieved the laying on of hands, the power of the Holy Spirit.

Posture

Humility

English Standard Version Chapter 9

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Jesus became a man, paul becomes every man.

Preach the gospel to yourself every day and every day you will become the people to whom you have the honor of preaching the gospel.

People not projects.

Gospel life is purposeful: going to people, is powerful: being sent by God in word and spirit, and is humbling both in posture and and responsibility.

Conclusion

Go to people with the gospel in the confidence and humility of Christ. The reason we don’t is because we will suffer. We go to people they will reject us. We come with power, evil powers will react too. We come with humility the pride of men rage against us, for darkness does not like the light. Christ, experienced each one of these things, rejection by men, assailed by the evil ones, and despised and hated to the point of death. Yet all of this suffering becomes his glory, and as we suffer we share in his sufferings and thus in his glory too. Why? Because the victory is so secure. Jesus’s resurrection is so secure all his sufferings becomes his glory, so too with us and our eternal life with God. Like a race-when are we cheering? When is the runner’s glory? Is it not in the straining, the suffering, of them pouring themselves out during the race? Why? Because we know there’s an end! With Jesus, he wins the race and shares that victory with us! So we go with the mission of Christ we will share in the sufferings of Christ yet that is our glory because our victory is so secure.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Go to people with the gospel in the confidence, humility, and victory of Christ