Gospel Reset

CHURCH 911

SERMON 6

GOSPEL RESET

INTRODUCTION:

RAVI ZACHARIAS - "JESUS DID NOT COME TO MAKE US MORE MORAL. HE DID NOT COME TO MAKE BAD PEOPLE GOOD. HE CAME TO MAKE DEAD PEOPLE LIVE."

MUCH OF WHAT THE CHURCH DOES, AND WHAT MANY PREACHERS DO, FOR THAT MATTER, IS PUSH THE GOSPEL AS SIMPLY A MORAL CODE.

AND IF YOU CHECK ALL THE BOXES OF THIS MORAL CODE, THEN YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

BUT THIS LINE OF PREACHING IS ACTUALLY A HIGHJACKING OF THE GOSPEL AND A PERVERSION OF WHAT THE INTENT OF THE GOSPEL IS.

CERTAINLY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO THE GOSPEL SHOULD DEMONSTRATE A DIFFERENT MORAL CHARACTER THAN THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO THE GOSPEL, BUT WHERE WE’VE GOT IT BACKWARD IS THAT IT IS NOT MORAL CHARACTER THAT AFFECTS SALVATION, BUT SALVATION, AS IN THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THAT AFFECTS MROAL CHARACTER.

CHRISTIANS ARE MORALLY GOOD BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL.

THEY ARE NOT AWARDED WITH GOSPEL PROTECTION BECAUSE THEY ARE MORALLY GOOD.

SIMILARLY, AS GOD MAKES CLEAR HERE IN THIS SECTION OF PAUL’S FIRST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS, IT IS THE GOSPEL THAT TRANSFORMS, NOT ELOQUENT WORDS OF WISDOM.

LISTEN AGAIN TO WHAT PAUL WRITES HERE IN CHAPTER 2, VERSES 1 THROUGH 5…

– 1 AND I, WHEN I CAME TO YOU, BROTHERS, DID NOT COME PROCLAIMING TO YOU THE TESTIMONY OF GOD WITH LOFTY SPEECH OR FOR I DECIDED TO KNOW NOTHING AMONG YOU EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. 3 AND I WAS WITH YOU IN WEAKNESS AND IN FEAR AND MUCH TREMBLING, 4 AND MY SPEECH AND MY MESSAGE WERE NOT IN PLAUSIBLE WORDS OF WISDOM, BUT IN DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT AND OF POWER, 5 SO THAT YOUR FAITH MIGHT NOT REST IN THE WISDOM OF MEN BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD.

A VAST MAJORITY OF BELIEVERS IN THE U.S. ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH HAVING EVERYTHING ALL PUT TOGETHER THAN THEY ARE WITH REALLY ATTEMPTING TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.

WE EXPECT TO BE MADE COMFORTABLE PHYSICALLY, AND WE EXPECT TO MADE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE SPIRITUALLY, WHEN WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS TO BE MADE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST.

WE WANT THE MUSIC TO BE PERFECT, THE SERMON TO BE A SWELLING ORATION THAT LIFTS SOUL TO THE HEAVENS, SO THAT WHEN WE LEAVE, WE FEEL MORE RELIGIOUS THAN WE DID WHEN WE CAME IN.

BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS A GOSPEL RESET.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT WE NEED TO REALIGN OUR CONCEPTION OF WHAT THE GOSPEL IS ALL ABOUT AND HOW THE GOSPEL REALLY WORKS, IN ORDER FOR US TO REALLY BEGIN TO MAKE A DEEP IMPACT ON A WORLD THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS, TO SPEAK THE AUTHENTIC GOSPEL, INTO THEIR AUTHENTICALLY MESSED-UP LIVES.

AND WHETHER WE WANT TO ACCEPT IT OR NOT, GOD EXPECTS US TO BE THOSE PEOPLE.

BUT WHAT DOES A GOSPEL RESET LOOK LIKE?

WELL I’M GLAD YOU ASKED.

GOD’S WORD GIVES US A BIT OF INSIGHT INTO WHAT A GOSPEL RESET MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

HERE’S THE FIRST THING…

1. A GOSPEL RESET HELPS US RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS IS ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER.

a. PAUL MADE IT CLEAR TO THESE BELIEVERS THAT HE HAD NOTHING BUT CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. (VERSES 1-3)

b. WE HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER BUT THE SAME THING.

c. OUR FAITH IS NOT IN SOME DENOMINATION.

i. THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION HAS NEVER SAVED ANYONE.

ii. ALTHOUGH IT DOES SOME VERY GOOD THINGS, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE GOSPEL.

d. IT IS NOT IN SOME ASSOCIATION OF CHURCHES.

i. THE SHILOH BAPTIST ASSOCIATION HAS NEVER SAVED ANYONE.

1. BUT IT IS A GOOD THING THAT WE COOPERATE WITH LIKE-MINDED CHURCHES IN OUR AREA TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.

e. IT IS NOT IN SOME LOCAL CHURCH.

i. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH – BETHEL SPRINGS HAS NEVER SAVED ANYONE.

1. BUT IT IS A GOOD CHURCH TO BE A PART OF.

f. OUR FAITH IS NOT IN SOME PASTOR.

i. WE OFTEN HEARKEN BACK TO THE GOOD OL’ DAYS OF SOME PREVIOUS PASTOR WHOSE MINISTRY WAS VERY MEANINGFUL…

ii. AND TO SOME DEGREE, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

iii. EVERY PASTOR WANTS TO BE LOVED AND MISSED BY THE PEOPLE HE HAS SERVED.

1. BUT NO PASTOR HAS SAVED ANYONE.

g. EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL ADMITTED HERE THAT HE CAME TO THESE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS, NOT WITH LOFTY WORDS OR WITH GREAT WISDOM.

h. HE CAME WITH THE SIMPLE, POWERFUL MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED.

i. PAUL, WHAT WISDOM CAN YOU SHARE WITH US?

1. JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED.

ii. PAUL, GIVE US THE LOFTIEST STATEMENT YOU CAN THINK OF.

1. JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.

i. PAUL REMINDED THESE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS THAT THE GOSPEL DOES NOT DEPEND UPON HUMAN CAPABILITY.

i. THINGS SUCH AS LOFTY SPEECH AND HUMAN WISDOM.

j. THE GOSPEL IS SUFFICIENT WITH JUST THIS SIMPLE STATEMENT.

i. JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.

k. AS A MATTER OF FACT, PAUL POINTED OUT HIS OWN SHORTCOMINGS.

i. AND I WAS WITH YOU IN WEAKNESS AND IN FEAR AND MUCH TREMBLING, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT…

2. A GOSPEL RESET REQUIRES AN ADMISSION OF WEAKNESS.

a. THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL IS NOT BOUND UP IN HUMAN ABILITY, BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD. (VERSE 4)

b. AND MY SPEECH AND MY MESSAGE WERE NOT IN PLAUSIBLE WORDS OF WISDOM, BUT IN DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT AND OF POWER.

c. PAUL’S HUMAN WEAKNESS MADE IT EVIDENT THAT HE HAD RELIED ON THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT’S POWER.

d. HE WAS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF CONVINCING PEOPLE TO ACCEPT AN ARGUMENT…

e. HE WAS IN THE BUSINESS OF SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT A CHRIST WHO WAS CRUCIFIED FOR THE SINS OF EVERY MAN, WOMAN, BOY AND GIRL…

f. WHO DIED ON THE CROSS SO THAT I MIGHT LIVE IN HIM.

g. WHO WAS BURIED, AND ON THE THIRD DAY WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD, TO SERVE AS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT NOT EVEN DEATH CAN DEFEAT ME…

h. AND BECAUSE I AM IN CHRIST, ONE DAY, EVEN IF MY PHYSICAL BODY DIES, I WILL LIVE FOREVER WITH HIM.

i. THAT’S THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL!!!

j. JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED…

k. A GOSPEL RESET REQUIRES ME TO ADMIT THAT I CANNOT SAVE MYSELF, AND THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY, I CANNOT DO ENOUGH GOOD TO GAIN GOD’S FAVOR…

l. I NEED A REDEEMER, AND JESUS IS THAT REDEEMER.

3. A GOSPEL RESET REQUIRES RELIANCE UPON SOMEONE OTHER THAN OURSELVES.

a. SO THAT YOUR FAITH MIGHT NOT REST IN THE WISDOM OF MEN BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD.

b. SO THAT YOUR FAITH WILL NOT REST IN HUMANITY, BUT IN THE CREATOR OF HUMANITY.

c. FRIEND, IF YOUR FAITH IS RESTING IN THE WISDOM OF MEN, YOUR FAITH IS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO SAVE YOU.

i. FAITH THAT RESTS IN THE WISDOM OF MEN IS IMPOTENT FAITH.

1. IT IS GOOD FOR NOTHING, BECAUSE, AS PAUL MADE CLEAR IN THE FIRST CHAPTER, GOD CHOSE WHAT IS FOOLISH IN THE WORLD TO SHAME THE WISE.

a. BELIEVERS HAVE COME TO RECOGNIZE SOMETHING ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST: IT IS WISER THAN MAN’S WISDOM.

b. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST ASSESSES REALITY IN WAYS THAT FAR EXCEED ANY HUMAN WISDOM.

d. BUT IF YOUR FAITH IS RESTING IN THE POWER OF GOD, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN OVERTHROW YOU.

CONCLUSION: A GOSPEL RESET HELPS US RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS IS ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER.

A GOSPEL RESET REQUIRES AN ADMISSION OF WEAKNESS

A GOSPEL RESET REQUIRES RELIANCE UPON SOMEONE OTHER THAN OURSELVES.

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE EACH NEED TO ANSWER THIS MORNING.

- HAVE YOU, OR ARE YOU WILLING TODAY, TO PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, KNOWING THAT HE IS NOT ONLY ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER, BUT HE IS ALL SUFFICIENT TO FIX YOUR SIN PROBLEM?

- HAVE YOU, OR ARE YOU WILLING TODAY, TO ADMIT YOUR OWN WEAKNESS, AND YOUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR.

- HAVE YOU, OR ARE YOU WILLING TODAY, TO RELY ON GOD, RATHER THAN YOUR OWN DEVICES, NOT ONLY TO SAVE YOU, BUT TO LEAD YOU EACH AND EVERY DAY?