A Church on Mission: Proclaiming the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
NEED DATE
It is vital for any individual or organization to determine what their goal for existing is. As we talked through the things that we should be doing as well as what we ought to be doing, we developed a mission statement that includes three main objectives. Over the next three messages, I want to point scriptural examples and explanations regarding these
We exist to worship the Triune God by proclaiming the truth of the gospel, training disciples who make disciples, and serving families and community with the love of Jesus Christ.
This morning I want to look at the first aspect of this mission statement, Proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Our main text will be 1 Peter 4:6 so let’s stand to gether and read this verse together.
There are three aspects of this I want to spend our ti0me on this morning. Let’s first wrap our minds around
The Gospel
This is the most important thing for us to define in this statement because there are many others who attempt to distort the truth of the good news. Paul warns of this in 2 Corinthians 11:4.
The result of the gospel is emphasized here: that a person who was once dead is made alive. Well to even get to that point, we have to have a better understanding of things and while it is not perfect, I believe that the Roman’s Road is a good place to begin when considering this path from being dead to alive.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
We are saved from a life of living in sin if we will simply trust that surrendering our lives over to Jesus is the best option for our lives. To be saved is to acknowledge that there is need for saving in the first place.
It is also necessary to point out that this gospel is also described as ‘the truth’ in various places such as Ephesians 1:13 . Here we are told that it is because of belief that we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Because of the gospel and that we believe that it is true we will not be judged based on our flesh but by the blood that our lives have been covered by.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
So, now that we understand the gospel, what do we do with it?
The Gospel Proclaimed
The word for preach here literally means ‘to speak good news’ which is a helpful reminder that it is not just from the pulpit. There are three aspects of the proclamation of the gospel that we need to remember that begins with the traditional we that we all think of.
Proclaiming of the gospel comes in the form of preaching in a congregational setting. This is seen throughout the New Testament and is the centerpiece of when the saints gather together. It should happen early and often. We ought to look forward to it. But you might be thinking, “I’m not a preacher so what does this have to do with me? The simple answer is you still must proclaim the gospel.
Proclaiming of the gospel should happen to one another. This means that we ought to all be friends who share the truth of God’s word with one another as a form of encouragement. We should share our testimonies from time to time.
Sharing of the gospel with the lost. We have a responsibility to disperse the gospel to all of those who are in need of it. Jesus sent out the twelve apostles in Luke 9:1-6 .
And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
The Response
Because we take this requirement seriously to proclaim the gospel the gospel will have a response every time.
Positive response: 1 Corinthians 15:1
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
Those who receive the gospel stand on it and stand with it in their hands, generously sharing with all of those who would believe in it.
However, we all know that the response to the gospel is not always one of acceptance.
Negative Response: Romans 10:16
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
The appropriate response to the gospel is one of obedience.
When we put all of this together, we can understand that proclaiming the gospel as a church, to one another, and to the lost is a part of our worship to God. Romans 12:1 says that we worship God with the entire being.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
So how will you respond this morning? Will your heart swell with adoration for such a beautiful gift of grace? Have you been faithful as an individual to share the gospel with the lost?
