What is the Good News?

Introduction

We have been in the Gospel of Mark for almost 11 months now

We started in January this year — and we’ve studied, and sat with this account of Jesus’s life

From the start of his ministry all the way until his arrival in Jerusalem a week before he is publicly humiliated and crucified

And I wanted to slow down a little this week—to zoom out—and ask a very important question:

What is the main point of everything we have been reading and studying?

This book is not a history book

Not a biography of Jesus

It is a Gospel

What does Gospel mean?

Is this good news to you?

What would be good news to you?

To get a call and be told something good has happened

News vs Advice

So very simply today, I want to talk about what the Good news is

Scripture Reading

(SLIDES)

Mark 10:42–45 CSB

42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We’ve already read this in Mark but this is the foreshadowing of the Good News

God has come to dwell among humans

And he hasn’t come to be served

But he’s come to serve us

And give his life

to purchase us back

(Slide to main)

In short: the good news is that God is absolutely committed to you; and he will let nothing — even our own sin and failures — get in the way of making you his own

He will endure pain, heartbreak, and even death, to win you over into his love

And when we finally turn to receive him, he gives us eternal life, and the promise of the resurrection, that one day we will live with him and others in perfect unity — without sin, without brokenness, without pain

And all of this is a gift to us — free of cost — because God himself paid the cost

So as Christians, we have the privilege of knowing the living God

And not just to know him — but to be known by him — and loved by him

We never work past the Gospel

Some Christians have the idea that the ‘Gospel’ is simply the entry way into the Christian life

It’s the simple doctrine that we work past to get to the more important teachings

But this couldn’t be further from the truth

The gospel is the entry way—but it is also the entire way

We never work past the gospel

So even if you’re here and you’ve been following Jesus since you were a small child

You are as just in need of this good news today, as you were when you first accepted Jesus

The moment we lose sight of the gospel — we lose sight of Jesus

What it means to be a Christian — is someone that remembers and lives out the gospel

But before we talk about what it means to remember and live out the Gospel—we have to clearly define the gospel

Any ideas?

These aren’t just ideas—they are reality

What is the Good News?

In short it is a message of salvation

And even ‘salvation’ is a Christian word — We have been rescued

Rescue (?)

The Gospel is a message of deliverance, rescue, salvation

But there are two aspects of this salvation

God has saved us FROM something — and God has saved us FOR something

Salvation — What God has saved us FROM

(SLIDES)

Eph 2:1-5 (NLT)

New Living Translation Chapter 2

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

God has saved us from death

And not just what happens when we die

Spiritual death

In this life

He has saved us from sin

Sin = Not the way things are supposed to be

Separation from God

God has saved us from Hell

We have a new eternal destiny with God because of what He has done

Now many Christians solely focus on this aspect

They preach a doom/gloom gospel about how we are all sinners and you’ll go to hell if you die without accepting Jesus

But that is only half of the picture

Salvation — What God has saved us FOR

(SLIDES)

Eph 2:4-7

New Living Translation Chapter 2

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

We have been saved for a purpose

To be loved and showered grace and kindness upon by God

We have been saved FOR God

Our maker and designer (expound) — Kitchen tools (?)

In this life

Eternal life begins now, not just when you die

(Slide)

“To say it again, eternal life is less about a kind of time that starts when we die, and more about a quality and vitality of life now in connection to God. Eternal life doesn't start when we die; it starts now. It's not about a life that begins at death; it's about experiencing the kind of life now that can endure and survive even death.”

— Rob Bell

And in the life to come

We don’t think about heaven enough (expound)

So now that we’ve talked about what the Gospel is

We have been saved from sin, death, and hell

We have been saved for a living eternal relationship with God

I briefly want to talk about what it means to remember the Gospel — and what it means to live it out

Remembering the Good News

If you read the Bible—one of the greatest enemies of God’s people is forgetfulness

God’s people constantly forget who God is and what he has done

This is from after the Exodus account of God saving his people:

(SLIDES)

Deuteronomy 8:11–19 CSB

11 “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. 12 When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, 13 and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, 14 be careful that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 15 He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty land where there was no water. He brought water out of the flint rock for you. 16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your ancestors had not known, in order to humble and test you, so that in the end he might cause you to prosper. 17 You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ 18 but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them, I testify against you today that you will certainly perish.

We are in the same danger today

We are constantly tempted to forget the gospel

And part of the reason we do everything we do here at Church is for us to remember God together

Through songs

Through the Lord’s Prayer

Through sitting under God’s word

Through discussion

When we forget the gospel:

We lose our identity (expound)

We lose our purpose (expound)

So we remember:

This is why we read scriptures daily, this is why we pray

To remember who God is and what he has done

But it goes further than just remembering—the gospel requires a response—it has to be lived out

Living the Good News — The Freedom of the Gospel in Everyday Life

Listen to Pauls overwhelming confidence and freedom:]

(SLIDES)

Rom 8:31-39 (NLT)

New Living Translation Chapter 8

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remembering the Gospel—and living in that truth—bring such freedom in our every day life

All of what we have been talking about—isn’t just for when we die

The Gospel brings peace, and freedom, and hope TODAY

The gospel brings hope to a hopeless world

The gospel brings freedom to those wrapped in bondage

The gospel brings peace to those who are restless

The gospel brings joy to those who can’t find any in this world

Because of Jesus, we have good news!

And today, I want to remind you of this truth

So no matter where you find yourself this morning—I have very good news for you

Even if it doesn’t feel like it — God is near

That in Jesus — God dealt with our sin once and for all

That despite all of our circumstances — God is in control

And that God deeply loves you

And he deeply desires for you to know him more fully

He is relentless in pursuing you — and he will never give up

Guys, the worlds will try to keep us busy to drown out these truths — but we have to keep them at the front and center of our minds

If we live in remembrance of the Gospel — we will live lives of complete freedom

College experience (?)

Nothing else matters

So I pray that the simplicity of the gospel finds a home in your heart

That your hearts and minds aren’t too full and busy to make room for these grounding truths

That the Spirit will constantly bring these things to remembrance

When we are dealing with our own brokenness

And when we are dealing with the brokenness of others

Discussion Questions

What is some of the bad news happening in the world?

Where does the world need good news?

Where are you seeking to hear good news?