Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Big Idea:
Big Idea:
The gospel is good news we can share with everyone.
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning. Welcome to Church Online.
Christmas is right around the corner! And considering that, we adding a little Christmas flavor to our “Master Builder” series - hence the Santa hat on the lego guy.
In this series, we’ve been discussing how thinking impacts our living. And we’ve been thinking about important topics in the Christian life. And one of the most important topics we can think about is “gospel.”
The word “gospel” means good news. And in the Bible, it refers to what Jesus did to save us. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth...
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
The gospel or “good news” is Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead 3 days later, showing the payment for our sins had been accepted.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That’s why all people die. It’s the penalty of sin.
So when Jesus rose from the dead, it was proof the debt of sin was fully paid. Speaking of the resurrection, Paul wrote...
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s all good news! But… it’s really starting to talk about the wrong holiday: Easter. Easter is all about the death and resurrection of Jesus - the gospel! However… the gospel is a big part of Christmas too.
In Luke 2, there’s a familiar Christmas passage. If you’ve seen a Charlie Brown Christmas, you know it well...
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The phrase “good news” that the angel uses is the same Greek word translated “gospel” in other verses. The gospel came on the first Christmas! Although Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross or rose from the dead yet, it was still good news that Savior God had promised long ago had finally come! The world had been enslaved to sin for ages, but now there was finally hope!
Or, as my favorite Christmas song puts it...
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn!
Therefore, since the gospel is important part of the Christian life… AND… because it’s an important part of the Christmas season (which we’re in), it’s good for us to think rightly about it.
So, this morning, let me share a verse that’ll help us think about the gospel.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
This verse has a ton to say about the gospel; and, how we should think about it. So, let’s begin thinking about the gospel by asking four questions. Question number 1...
Body:
Body:
Is the gospel truly good news?
Is the gospel truly good news?
We already discussed the word gospel means good news. We also talked about Jesus’s death and resurrection is good news. We even talked about the good news of the first Christmas. But is this truly good news? Especially to us 2000 years later!
Well, look at this passage...
We know that the law is good when used correctly. For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.
This verse sounds pretty intense. Sounds like a lot. But I’ll summarize the main point this way: God’s law helps us understand the bad news.
You may be asking, “Wait, bad news? I thought we were talking about good news - gospel? Well, yes, we are. But many times, in order for good news to be truly good, we need to first understand there’s bad news.
For example, if I came up to you and said, “Hey, I paid your debt.” You may say, “Thanks… but, what debt?” I told you good news. It sounds nice. But it’s not truly good because you’re not aware of any debt. So, honestly, it means nothing to you.
But what if you discovered that day you had made a mistake on your taxes last year. And the IRS fined you $25,000. And now I said, “Hey, I paid your debt!” That changes things, right?
You’d probably reply, “What?!? Are you serious! Thank you so much!!!” It’s good news!!!
The bad news makes the good news truly good.
That’s true with the gospel. That’s the sense of what Paul’s writing to Timothy. The law of God is good when used correctly; meaning, it helps us understand the bad news. Not to leave us under the condemnation of the bad news, but to help us understand the greatness of the gospel!
So, let’s try it out. Let’s see if God’s law can help us see if the gospel is truly good news. Let’s look at a few of the 10 Commandments - which is part of God’s law.
The 9th Commandment: You shall not lie (Ex 20:16). Anyone ever done that? Don’t lie.
I could go to the 6th and 7th - murder and adultery. Those are pretty serious. And some of us may think we’re good, until we remember Jesus clarified that your thought-life counts too. Jesus said lust is adultery and hate is murder. Yikes!
Here’s one for the young people. The 5th Commandment: Honor your father and mother. Have you done this all your life?
That’s only 4 out of 10 commandments. I don’t know about you, but I’ve already failed… 4 times. And if I were before the Judge, I’d be guilty because I’ve broken the law - I’ve sinned - multiple times. That’s bad news.
According to the law of God: I’m in trouble. You’re in trouble. We’re in trouble. But before we move on, there’s more bad news...
Hypothetically speaking… even if we perfectly kept the law, we’d still be doomed. Why? Because all humans are born under a curse.
According to the Bible, the first human was Adam. He’s all of our great-great-great x10,000 grandfather. And when he sinned, it had serious consequences… for all of us. Paul wrote...
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
He goes onto write...
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
That’s bad news! It means it’s not just about our own sin. It’s also the curse of sin inherited from Adam. When you hear Christians say we're “born sinners,” it’s not saying we’re little monsters from the womb (although that’s true sometimes). It’s more specifically referencing this curse. We were BORN under the curse of sin. Doomed from day one! That’s bad - really bad - news!!!
And let me remind us of this… sin, is first and foremost, against God. We offended Him! King David said to God...
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Which makes this next verse crazy...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The gospel is God (who we sinned against) loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son (Jesus!!!), so that whoever believes in Him(just believes!!! Just puts their faith, their trust!! That simple!) should not perish but have eternal life. Holy smokes! That’s good news! And it’s made truly good by first understanding the bad news.
Is the gospel truly good news? When we consider the bad news that’s applicable to all of us - it surely sounds like it!
Let’s now look at another part of this verse...
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
It says the gospel “is the power of God” for salvation...
Question number 2...
How is the gospel the power of God?
How is the gospel the power of God?
What exactly does that mean?
Look at this word “power.” The Greek word is dunamis. It’s where we get our English word dynamite. That’s kinda cool. To think of God’s power as explosive. As dynamite. Throw it and BOOM! However, that’s not an entirely accurate comparison. As theologian Kenneth Wuest says, “The Greeks knew nothing about gunpowder.”
Rather, this power is impossible power. It’s power that has no earthly comparison. It’s God-power. It’s Holy Spirit-infused energy, not just a power in God’s hands. And here’s why that’s important. Dynamite has limitations. God’s power is limitless!
It can accomplish the impossible. For example, It’s power that can enter a rebellious sinner’s heart of stone and completely change it to a tender heart of love.
For example, consider the man who wrote this letter - the apostle Paul! He used to be known as Saul. A man who killed Christians. There wasn’t a person in the church who ever considered him becoming a Christian - that’s impossible! And yet, the POWER of the gospel changed his life.
Or even, consider the church he’s writing to: the church at Rome. Paul didn’t start this church. Nor did any of the apostles.
Some theologians believe this church was started by regular people, who were present at the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first fell on the apostles (Acts 2). These insignificant, untrained, inexperienced people took the simple message of the gospel back to Rome - the most powerful place in the world (the capital of the empire). And because the GOSPEL is the POWER of God to for salvation, a church was born… in the least likely, most impossible place!
That’s the kind of POWER we’re talking about. It’s power that takes a simple, foolish-sounding message and accomplishes the impossible.
It radically transforms lives.
It revolutionizes communities.
It changes world!
When simple words, shared by faithful people, accomplish the impossible (like changing hearts, cultures, and kingdoms), that’s POWER!
Alright, Rom 1:16 also says, it’s to “everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Question 3...
Is the gospel for everyone?
Is the gospel for everyone?
We already discussed we all NEED it. As sinners, we need the gospel for salvation. And we just mentioned that it’s powerful enough to reach anyone. But, is it really FOR everyone? Like, is it a message we should share with people?
Earlier, I read from the Christmas story found in Luke 2, starting in verse 9. But look at verse 8...
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Many of us skip over this verse and focus on the angel’s message. And that’s fair! After all, the angel is proclaiming the gospel! But, the contents of this verse play an important role in the gospel story.
It’s no mistake the gospel came to shepherds first. God intentionally sent the angel to them! But here’s what’s strange: Shepherds were considered dirty. Scum. Why would God send this glorious good news to these bottom-dwellers?
Because, by sending the gospel to them first, God was declaring, “This good news is for everyone! From the bottom up!” And that’s great news, especially for the poor, the outcast, the nobody.
But, here’s an interesting thing I’ve noticed. Many times, the church’s willingness to take the gospel to the poor, based on this principle, has often excluded the rich. We preach the gospel to the needy, but don’t believe the gospel is FOR the rich - those with money, power, or comfortable-living.
But, I’m convinced that’s not God’s plan for the gospel. He desires all men to be saved! Yes, it’s for people at the bottom, but it’s supposed to make it’s way up to the top too! God has a plan for rich people!
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Paul’s instructing rich Christians in this verse. Rich people belong in the Kingdom of God too. The gospel is FOR them!
The existence of the Roman church would’ve spoken to this as well. The Romans - in Rome - were not needy. They were first class citizens in the most powerful city in the world. And yet, they NEEDED the gospel, it was FOR them, just like everyone else.
That’s why Paul wrote...
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Paul’s saying, “The gospel is FOR everyone!” To the elite, wealthy, highly sophisticated Greeks, to the most uncivilized people - the barbarians.
The gospel is truly good news.
It’s the power of God for salvation.
And it’s FOR EVERYONE!
So, here’s the final question...
Am I ashamed of it?
Am I ashamed of it?
Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel...”
Paul preached to a culture that would’ve laughed at his gospel message. Yet, he was not ashamed. It boldly proclaimed the gospel. Why? Because he rightly thought about the gospel!
He knew it was good news.
He knew it was the power of God for salvation.
And he knew it was a message EVERYONE needed to hear!
So, let me ask: Are WE ashamed of the gospel? Here are a couple of ways to determine how we should answer that...
Do we ever share the gospel - do we ever tell anyone about the good news of Jesus?
Have you ever kept the gospel away from people for fear of how they might react?
Response:
Response:
As we close, I’d like us to determine in our hearts if we’re ashamed of the gospel. And if we are, why are we ashamed? The only reasons I can think of is because:
We don’t think it’s truly good news.
We don’t think it’s powerful.
We don’t think it’s for everyone.
But as we’ve discussed, these are NOT valid reasons to be ashamed!
The gospel is truly good news. It’s the greatest news! It’s the greatest hope we can have in the darkest of times.
The gospel is truly the power of God for salvation. It’s powerful all on it’s own. It doesn’t require us to be eloquent speakers or to have all the answers. All we need to do is share it. It has power to do the impossible all on its own.
And it’s truly for everyone. It’s for all nations. It’s for all classes. It’s for every person. Every person needs to hear it. So, we don’t need to be afraid to share it - with anyone - yes, even with the residents of the town of Glastonbury.
You guys know me. I say this with the most sincere heart. Glastonbury is awesome. It’s a safe town. It’s a nice town. It’s a generous town. Is it perfect. Of course not. But, it’s honestly the only place I want to live. I want to be buried in this town. I love this place.
I also believe God has called my family to live here, so that we can share the gospel. Because guess what, Glastonbury needs the gospel too.
Just because is an affluent town doesn’t mean they don’t need the gospel. Rich people sin too. They need to hear the good news that Jesus can save them.
Just because we’re a highly educated town doesn’t mean the simple message of the gospel can’t transform lives. It’s the POWER of God for salvation - to everyone!
God has a plan for the people of Glastonbury and it starts with them hearing the gospel. And part of that plan involves us sharing the gospel with them. And we won’t do that unless we’re rightly thinking about the gospel!
And as we approach Christmas, this is the perfect time to do all that:
To think rightly about the gospel as we think about Christmas.
To share the gospel in a season when everyone is open to thinking about the gospel, as they think about Christmas.
And one simple way we can share the gospel is invite them to our Christmas service next Sunday.
You can invite them to our in-person service here at the Boathouse.
Or, you can even do it digitally. You can share the Church Online Christmas service with them. The Christmas Service will be posted on Sunday, December 20th, Thursday the 24th, and even Friday the 25th. Heck, we’re even repeating it Sunday, December 27th! It’ll be available on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and directly from our website.
Let’s pray.
Father, we thank you for the gospel. We think for the good news about Jesus. How He came to save us that first Christmas. And how He eventually sacrificed His perfect life for us on the cross and then rose 3 days later showing He had defeated sin and death. And if we’re simply put our faith in Him, He’ll forgive us our sins and give us eternal life. That’s good news! God help us to live in that good news today. And then, help us to boldly share it with a world that needs it. Give us courage to be unashamed! We pray these things in the name of Jesus, amen!
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Have a great day - God bless you!
