The Gospel

News Information Data - what does news do for us?

Is it just information? I guess it could be....let’s try.

The Guardians won/lost yesterday.... standings (central division) ....MLB top 4 teams...

Now is that just information? No…well, to many of you its not just information. There’s emotion tied to it. You have hours of watching time invested don’t you?

So news about the Guardians…it, in some ways might be considered personal.

How about this news...

Oxygen’s Atomic Number (number of protons in the nucleus): 8

Atomic Weight (average mass of the atom): 15.9994

Now for most of you …you’re thinking. Ok...

As long as I’m able to breath it I’m good.

That news didn’t really affect you.

Here’s more....

My wife is threatening to kick me out of the house because of my obsession with acting like a news anchor.

More on this after the break.

Boss, I have good news and bad news

Whats the bad news?

Im retiring today

Whats the good news?

Im retiring today

Watch any news station today and you’ll find that stories of world affairs are crafted in a way to connect with listeners or watchers. National news, International news…politics, sports, fashion…all the sub categories of the newspaper...

Some will connect with you…some will not… but many times you’ll walk away with information…news…that you will carry through your day, and guess what you’ll do with some of that news...

Sometimes that news will affect you in a way for humor…disgust…helps you plan for the next day or week or maybe even your next job or your investments...

Sometimes news and information will even cause you to change something big in your life won’t it. Information…news…sometimes it gives you reasons for fear…sometimes hope.

Sometimes information or the news you hear is so cool, so big, you just can’t keep it to yourself…you begin to tell others about this news…

You’ll tell someone else about it!

Did you hear???

How about good news verses bad news?

Have you ever said, “do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

Or maybe you’ve had both good and bad news, and you made a decision to start with one or the other based on circumstances or the person you’re talking to.

Study done back in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2013 about what people really want to hear first.

Example - "I have good news and bad news," I said. "The good news is the job is finished. We have all the trailers loaded. The paperwork is complete. It's all ready to go. The bad news is the drivers got delayed and won't pick up the trailers until tomorrow, which means we'll miss the delivery date."

That’s a major problem the boss said.

He was right. It was a major problem.

Could have said..."I have good news and bad news. The bad news is the drivers got delayed and the shipment is going to be late. The good news is the job is finished, the trailers are loaded, the paperwork is complete, and we've worked out new arrangements with the warehouse. We're going to send two trailers directly to their distribution facility in Pennsylvania so they can fulfill orders from there. While that will cost us a little more, it keeps the customer's schedule intact."

What the study showed was that People generally like to hear good news last…it gives a bit of hope. Something to look forward to…even in the midst of bad news. And sometimes they can even participate in the better news to help turn around the bad news. It’s almost like the bad news could be something completely defeating…but now, with hope and some good news…its like the bad news can be overcome…like a battle is beginning…and you know that with a new perpsective…you’ll be an overcomer…a fixer…you work out the puzzle before you. You’ll make it.

News - Information - Its around us everywhere… News and information that we’re connected to, that means something to us.

Some news is just for a small group of people…some news is global in nature. Sometimes it just for us...

We have a word in our bible that goes right along with the idea of news and information.

Gospel - it is the English translation of the Greek word evangelion. You might be familiar with these words....The Gospel, the gospels (Matthew Mark Luke John). Maybe evangelize or evangelist or evangelism.

All from this greek word, evangelion, that simply means Good News…more specifically, news that brings great joy.

ἀγγέλλω angello to announce or bring

εὐ, "good" or "well"

basar in hebrew....

We have understandings attached to these words don’t we? With these words, we have religious significance.

We might say “The Gospel Truth”…gospel doesn’t mean truth but we have an idea about what this means if we hear it or say it.

Like when I say the word Gospel, you might think of your Bible. One of the first four books of the New Testament. You might think about Jesus. If I say evangelion, you might think about how someone might become a believer, a disciple of Jesus. All appropriate. I’m there too.

The word Gospel though isn’t just a word that’s attached to Christianity. It was a greek word…and before…there was an equal Hebrew version...

A word…that meant, great news or announcement....that brings great joy.

Good news

In English, the word gospel is full of religious meaning, but when Jesus and the apostles used the word euangelion (good news/gospel) they were using a nonreligious word from their culture.

______

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “The Gospel of Caesar Augustus?”

We can go back even a bit further in history...

In and even before the world of Alexander the Great…we might even say the Greco-Roman world...

This word or similar words or phrases…gospel…or evangelion…they were used when referring to history-making, world shaping reports of political, military, or even societal victories.

So …this wasn’t just a word you might use lightly…like…I bring you good news, you can get free fries with the purchase of a burger at Wendy’s today. Usually this was bigger stuff…as a general rule of thumb.

The Battle of Marathon ....

The setting of that first marathon was a battle in 490 B.C. when Greece was invaded by Persia. Despite all odds, Greece managed to defeat Persia, and after the battle, Greece sent heralds to take the euangelion (proclamation of good news) out into every town and village in the country, to tell the people what had happened, and declare to them that they were free! Those heralds were “evangelists”. They were evangelizing that Greece won the battle!

In our times we had the end or WWII

On May 8, 1945, World War II in Europe came to an end. As the news of Germany’s surrender reached the rest of the world, joyous crowds gathered to celebrate in the streets, clutching newspapers that declared Victory in Europe (V-E Day). Later that year, US President Harry S. Truman announced Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. The news spread quickly and celebrations erupted across the United States. On September 2, 1945, formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri, designating the day as the official Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Let’s go back around the time of Christ…back to what I mentioned a minute ago…the Gospel of Caesar Augustus...

The Gospel of Caesar Augustus

An inscription found in Priene, in modern-day Turkey, referring to Caesar Augustus says:  “the birthday of [Augustus] has been for the whole world the beginning of the gospel (euangelion) concerning him.” (Priene 150.40-41)

The birthday of Caesar Augustus…was great news for the whole world…put more simply.

This inscription is found on a government building dating from 6 B.C. Here is more of what it says, which gives us insight into how they understood the “gospel” concerning Caesar Augustus:

The most divine Caesar . . . we should consider equal to the Beginning of all things . . . for when everything was falling (into disorder) and tending toward dissolution, he restored it once more and gave the whole world a new aura;  Caesar . . . the common good Fortune of all . . . The beginning of life and vitality . . . All the cities unanimously adopt the birthday of the divine Caesar as the new beginning of the year . . . Whereas the Providence which has regulated our whole existence . . . has brought our life to the climax of perfection in giving to us (the emperor) Augustus . . .who being sent to us and our descendents as Savior, has put an end to war and has set all things in order;  and (whereas,) having become (god) manifest /PHANEIS/, Caesar has fulfilled all the hopes of earlier times.

The “gospel” of Caesar Augustus was what we call today the Pax Romana, the age of peace in the Roman Empire which came about during this time, into which Jesus was born.

Caesar Augustus in this inscription is declared to be: divine, savior, and the beginning of the good news for all people on Earth.

Jesus was born into this time of history…when the good news was…when the gospel or evangelion was…Augustus has saved us all.

This summer we’ll be touching…fairly regularly on the idea of discipleship. And this is kinda where our discipleship begins…Great News that saves us all....and not just saved from sins…but the much bigger picture of salvation. (Leghart)

Here’s how Mark began his “Gospel” …his writing of the “news that brings great joy”…his news about Jesus…the messiah…the one who was born to change the world....

Mark 1:1 CSB

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark is writing right into a culture that is focused on …for them …a narrative of “good news”....but Mark isn’t writing to One Up anyone…he’s writing to pass on truth…reality…what is really happening…

Yes, Caesar might have brought some form of earthly peace. However, here’s the guy who bringing real life…even in the midst of a broken world…here’s the guy leading us to new, reborn, recreated life.

News that brings great joy…

Do you think Mark’s intro caught the ear of people around that time?

Matthew records some of Jesus’ first words after His baptism and His times of testing by Satan in the wilderness.

He begins to gather some disciples…come with me…I’ve got good news for you. Simon and Andrew, James and John...

And then Matthew writes this about Jesus....

Matthew 4:23–24 CSB

Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them.

What’s Jesus saying? Hey…here’s some Gospel for you … news that will bring great joy....

A new Kingdom is coming…the Kingdom of God.

And then he’s healing and teaching…can you imaging the excitement. Yes…here’s the Pax Romana ....but this seems different…this seems bigger.

news that brings great joy…even in the midst of tough times. Yes, life is not easy....but guess what....change is coming…and can even be yours now.

Not just a better way to live (Rome - the Roman way)… this is all about new life.

How do you think that sounded to people? Some of you …I know what you’re thinking…that sounds good to me right now…amen?

Crossed my mind many times these past few weeks for sure.

Here’s what Jesus said when he was in his hometown of Nazareth....teaching in the synagogue.

Luke 4:18–19 NIV

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What’s the content of this proclamation…he’s telling evangelion…he’s an evanelist of gospel…news that brings great joy!

Now, the context for that event....news wasn’t flowing through the streets with parades for Jesus and parties everywhere....some in that room were disgusted with Jesus…others…listened…and were silently asking…could it really be happening. Could this be the news…the Gospel…the evangelion that we’ve been waiting for since days after creation when sin broke the world?

Could this be God with us?

We know the end of those thoughts don’t we? We know that Jesus taught and showed and healed and shared life …real life…with many many people...

And then He died on that wonderful cross. I say wonderful because of what it brought....did you know this…He said that …this brought Him great joy.

Great Joy....not happiness. Happiness comes and goes right? Joy...

in the midst of tough news…a rough life here…whatever you might be going through…we might even say…bad news - in the middle of bad news....great joy.

Jesus gave us that good news last. Repent…yes…you need to give up that old life which means admitting you’re not able to fix yourself....but guess what ......good news , I’ve overcome the world…I’m here to give you brand new life…and it can start now.

News that brings great joy.

Now…if this is good news…news that brings great joy…

Is this something we should talk about…like we like to share with people how great the Guardians are doing this year?

If you share this great news…guess what you are? You’re an evangelist. You’re one who takes news that brings great joy to other people.

Not all will hear you like you’ve heard the news. But some might....

Jesus said...

Matthew 24:14 (NIV)

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations...

disciples are those who follow Jesus. We’re his disciples…followers. Outsiders in the time just after jesus died, rose and ascended, called these disciples Christians. Christians are disciples…there’s no difference. And disciples are those who carry this news…that brings great joy…to everyone around them. This is us!

Here’s what Isaiah said about those who are willing to both hear, accept, take in, and share this good news about God being the giver of new life.

Isaiah 52:7 NIV

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news....just a very creative way to say…those people are awesome.

Early in the Bible we have this gospel (evangelion)…news that brings great joy....

Proto-evangelion: Genesis 3:15

Genesis 3:15 CSB

I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

The first man and woman were just beginning to experience a world where death had begun to reign. They had lost that image of God. The presence of God in their life.

And God brought gospel (news that will bring joy)....some day, everything will be turned around. Someday came when Jesus arrived. Someday came when Jesus began to teach and share and proclaim…evanglize…The New Kingdom is coming. Follow me...

Ok…so here we are. What do we do with this information?

First we have to know that its true. Some of you are walking through some incredibly difficult things. And you’re doing it …yes, scarred and scared at times…but you’re walking through it with these truths in your back pocket. Our God reigns....

Does the world need this news so they can walk with hope? yes...

We are all evangelists. Let’s be the best possible news carriers, disciples, that we can be.