The Gospel is enough

title- The Gospel is enough

luke ch 11 verse 29-32

Joke —I met a geanie last night and he said he would give me one wish

I was content with what I had

so I wished the browns would win the super bowl for a friend

the geanie told me that Joe flacco is their quarter back and it would be impossible,,

wish for something else....

So I told Him I was preaching a sermon on easter

and I wished that no phones would go off in the middle of the service

the genie thought for a minute and said

looks like the browns are going to finally win their superbowl

Intro

I have a question for you.

Is Jesus enough ?

Is the Gospel the center of your walk with Christ?

or is it your experience ?

Many people get caught up in seeking after signs and wonders and they start to neglect the weightier matter such as the truth of Gods word.

There is a famous song that has lyrics pertaining to this matter.

more than anything -by Amy Grant

Help me want the healer more than the healing

help me want the savior more than the saving

help me want the giver more than the giving

help me want you Jesus more than anything

today we will be reminded that our faith is in the person of Jesus

not just what He can do

Luke 11:29 NKJV

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Jesus is teaching the people

and as usual — the crowd intensifies in number and passion

they were thickly gathered together

pressed into each other and hanging on every word coming from the mouth of Jesus

earlier in the chapter

some religious leaders asked Jesus to prove himself more by giving them a sign from heaven

Here He is addressing those very people

and knowing their hearts

Jesus calls them out

for being a wicked generation whom only wants to see miracles

sounds like a lot of people who follow after Jesus today

some people elevate spiritual gifts and the miracles over the giver of those gifts

be careful that you do not

because you will start to chase the feeling of God

rather than the person of God.

Jesus tells the crowd the only sign you will get is the sign of Jonah.

Luke 11:30 NKJV

For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Here we have a comparison

In a similar way that Jonah was a sign to the ninivites

Jesus will be a sign

to the generation of jewish people he was addressing.

Jonah- old testemant prophet

we have a book named after him

He was called by God to preach repentance to the non Jewish town of ninevah

but He didnt want to go and do it,

so He runs from God

He hops on a boat going the opposite direction

and when a storm hits the boat , they decide Jonah is the reason for the storm

The crew decides to throw Jonah overboard

This is where God sends a giant fish to swallow up Jonah

He spends three days and three nights in the belly of the fish

This is the sign of Jonah

He comes out of the Belly of the fish on the third day

and is used by God to deliver the gentile nation

Jesus becomes a sign to this generation by going to the cross

dying, being burried for 3 days

and then ressurecting from the dead.

have faith in the truth and not your feelings

this means that we frame our lives through the truth in Gods word

not just our experiences

so many times people will guage their relationship with God on their personal experience

but I promise you, The miraculous things you see God do

will not be able to keep you close to Him

when life is not going your way

and the fuzzy feeling is gone

What substance will you have?

Our entire life must center around the person of Jesus , who in Himself is the sign that will be given to all mankind.

He must be your primary source of faith.

paul says this in

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NKJV

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Paul delivers the sign of the gospel

Christ died for our sins and welcomes us to partake in forgivness and relationship

We live in a time of Church history

Where the gospel is not enough

where people are elevating the signs and wonders over the person of Christ

people can tend to treat Jesus like a lottery ticket

and all they want to see is the big miraculous move of God.

Well you know what, so do I

But I dont go chasing after miracles and signs

I go chasing after Jesus

Your feelings will lie to you

but the word of God never will

Story- I remember about 3 years into my life with Christ

things started getting dry.

It wasnt new and fresh anymore

maybe some of you can relate

It wasnt miraculous signs that kept me close to God when I felt like He was far from me

It was the truth of His word

When God is not giving you signs of His power and love

and when it seems dry in your life.

you can know He is still there

because you have the sign of the Gospel

Luke 11:31 NKJV

The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

the queen of the south is the queen of sheba, modern day arabia

and It would have taken her months to voyage to Israel

She had heard of Solomons great wisdom

and all that God was doing in Israel

Jesus points out that her faith will

condemn the people of His generation

When she is raised from the dead at the final Judgment she will be saved

but those who reject Jesus will be condemned.

Jesus also says He is greater than solomon ,,one of the greatest kings of Israels history

and indeed it is more important to travel from the ends of the earth to meet Him

Luke 11:32 NKJV

The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

The same thing goes for the gentile nation of Nineveh.

They will be raised to eternal life because of their faith in Jonahs God

yet again Jesus points out I am greater than Jonah.

If they heard Jonah and repented

all the more you should repent at my preaching

faith comes by hearing

The queen of sheeba heard of the Great works of God

and she repented and believed

The ninevites heard the preaching of Jonah

and they believed

The greatest miracle comes when the holy spirit convicts a living soul

and that person repents from their sin and starts following Jesus

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

you dont need extra spiritual signs to convince you that God is near to you .

dont believe that lie.

God is still working miricales

but it is according to His will

look at how Jesus addresses Thomas

who also sought after a sign after His ressurection

John 20:29 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We need to hear the wonderful truths of scripture

and the wonderful truths of Gods love

and when you believe it with all your heart and soul and mind

the greatest sign will be given

and that is a new heart and a redeemed life

through the life, death, and ressurection of Jesus Christ.

Will you be content with Jesus

Is He enough for you?

Or do you need the entertainment of signs and wonders

trust in Jesus

and the power of His Gospel

and trust me

He will supply you with plenty of miraculous events

according to His will

maybe you have never put your trust in Jesus

today can be that day

lets pray