A Christ-Centered Gospel

It isn’t about me.

In the beginning, God…

Where am I?

The Word was with God...

Where am I?

Let Us make Man in Our image...

There I am.

After our likeness...

There I am.

From the dust He formed me...

There I am.

It was called “very good.”

He called me good...

The serpent came, whispering...

Why am I listening?

Did God really say...?

Was I listening?

It was a delight to the eyes...

Why am I looking...?

Why am I reaching...?

What am I doing!?

He calls in the cool of the day…

“Where are you?”

While i whisper,

“who am I?”

He asks ...

“Who told you...?”

while I murmur,

“How could I...?”

He asks ...

“what is this you have done?”

While i shift the blame,

“it was this serpent you have made -”

I walked in Your Presence...

How could I… betray You?

I heard and was heard...

Why did I… reject You?

The Serpent lied....

How could i ever be like You?

He spoke to the Serpent...

“Cursed you are.”

Where am I?

“and dust you shall eat.”

Where am I?

“He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

“Where am I...? That isn’t me…? is this real-”

Salvation.

And the Word was God...

Who is this?

And the Word became flesh...

Who is this?

The virgin shall conceive and bear a son...

Who is this?

And shall call His name Immanuel...

Who is this?

He had no form or Majesty...

Who is this?

A man of sorrows...

Who is this?

He was pierced for our transgressions...

Who is this?

Crushed for our iniquities...

Who is this?

For His sake i have suffered the loss of all...

Who is this ?

I count it all as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing-

Jesus.

There He is.

He is the First and the Last...

There He is.

The Living One...

There He is.

Worthy is the Lamb Who was Slain...

There He is.

To Him be the Glory and Honor forever.

There He is.

It isn’t about me.

Pray.

What is the Gospel, the Good News?

There seem to be a lot of different Gospels in the world, doesn’t there?

The Good News is the American Dream.

The Gospel is financial freedom.

The Gospel is Marriage.

The Gospel is your diet and wellness!

The Gospel is the affirmation of others. Being liked.

The Gospel is “living your truth”.

In every different Gospel, there is a central focus. and that focus is… you.

Make money for.. you.

Get married for… you.

Be in good health for.. you. For your comfortability in the mirror.

Be liked so YOU can be secure. Only serve others to build your OWN security.

Be YOU for YOUR sake.

I’m sorry if i am the first to tell you, that the real Gospel, the real Good News isn’t about you. The real Gospel is not a dream, it is not an ideal, it is not a moral principle. The Gospel is Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world that He gave you money?

For God so loved the world that He gave you a spouse?

For God so loved the world, He gave HIS ONLY SON. That Whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.

Jesus is of exceeding worth. Everything in Scripture points to Jesus, Old and New Testaments alike. You are not the central focus of the Gospel. You are not God’s gift to earth, but the free gift is salvation to those who have believed.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He created all things, man and woman included. He created us good. He created us righteous. He created us to be in His presence, to walk with Him and have fellowship with Him, we were created pure.

The Tempter came, and he spun a lie so sweet, playing on the fact that even living in perfection, man would always want more and crave what he should not have. So we took, and we ate of the fruit and we fell from goodness. We fell from righteousness. We fell from purity. In our pride, we fell into sin.

But all is not lost, because God spoke of a man during His curse of the Serpent, saying that He will crush the Serpent’s head. And as the Word of God does, this Word stirred hope in man, and they began to search for the coming of the anointed one, the Messiah.

Was it Moses? Elijah? David? one of the judges or prophets? But everyone disappointed.

Even with all of the disappointment, still the people searched for their deliverance. Are we any different? We still do the same.

Is it money? A relationship? Friends? A degree? If i get one of these, then i will be satisfied.

But nothing ever seems to satisfy. It was the same for Israel, nothing ever worked out. No kings, no judges, no prophets, ever seemed to fully satisfy the people. Just like no man, or woman, or possession will ever satisfy you.

But there has been one. Unto us a child was born. He cried, like us. He needed His parents to provide for Him at first, just like us. and He grew up just like us.

But something about Him was different. Water turned to wine? the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, those who were sick were healed, those oppressed by demons were set free, could this be?

He loved the lost, and had compassion on orphans and widows. He flipped tables and dined with sinners. He wept with those who wept and rejoiced with those who rejoiced. He was bold, yet gentle. He was kind, but had a fire in His soul. He preached and prayed, shouted and whispered. He was a man, like you and me.

He is God’s perfect Lamb.

He was led to the slaughter by people He knew everything about, people He created, so that through His atoning death we could be forgiven of every sin even to the first rebellion of our shared parents.

God is Loving, and He is also Just. So in His love, to satisfy His justice, He sent His only Begotten Son, to die a death that we deserved to pay the price for our sins. Because of that we can live with God for all time like we were supposed to from the beginning. Jesus’ death reconciles us to the Father, it brings us back to our original state so that we can dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

John 3:16–17 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

This is the gospel. How do those other Gospels sound now?

You are Chosen Race...

Read 1 Peter 2:1-12

1 Peter 2:1–12 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

So… What Now?

That’s a great question. Unfortunately, it isn’t one anyone else can answer for you.

It is up to you, whether to believe or not to believe. To love God and be loved by God, or to reject Him.