Sermon Tone Analysis

This week, we continue our "Back to the Basics" series.

The last two weeks, we've talked about what the gospel-- the "good news"-- is.

The first week, in Luke 4, we talked about how the good news, is that God's kingdom is invading the earth.

God's kingdom offers freedom from humanity's worst enemies-- sin, sickness, death, and the demonic.

Jesus is Davidic, Messianic king of this kingdom.

He is the one who earned the victory over those things, as a man just like us, through his death and resurrection.

And as part of the good news, Jesus offers us freedom from these things, and victory over them.

What he offers us, is a truly abundant life.

Last week, in Ephesians 2, we talked about the good news using different imagery-- that of family.

All people, apart from Christ, are strangers to God's family.

You are outsiders, living without hope, not knowing God, having no access to God.

But Jesus is the one who changes all of that.

Jesus is the one who brings peace between people and God, reconciling us to each other, and to God.

He is the one who gives us access to the Father, and gives us life.

So that is the incredibly good news that Christianity offers.

That is the gospel.

Sometimes, Christians get confused about this.

When they think about the gospel, they think about what they have to do.

But the good news, is about what God has done for people through Jesus.

It's at this point that we are ready to begin answering the question, "What do we have to do?".

You understand, hopefully, that this is the good news that's being offered to you.

You understand that God's kingdom is invading earth.

That it's better to be on the inside of the kingdom than the outside.

That it's better to be part of God's family, living in peace with him and each other.

But how do you get in?

God's kingdom has a gate.

A door.

What do you have to do, for the door to be opened to you?

Or, if we use family imagery, there are adoption papers available to you.

You can become God's sons and daughters.

But what do you have to do, for those papers to be signed for you?

The answer to this question is debated in churches.

Let me very clear about this.

What I'm going to teach in each of the next three weeks, in some circles, is controversial.

There are Christians who strongly object to everything I'm going to teach.

So what I'm going to do, is be very deliberate in how I teach you how you say "yes" to Jesus and to God's kingdom.

I will teach you all of this in a way that makes it really obvious what the issues are.

I'll present what I think the Bible very clearly teaches.

I'll note the objections that some people make, and then I'll try to blow up those objections.

I'm going to do all of this as a kindness to you, and as a protection for you.

My goal is that, at the end of these three weeks, when you hear someone teaching a cruddy version of the gospel, you will recognize it for what it is, and not let yourself believe it.

My goal is that you will become like my eight year old, who came home from church recently, and told us that his teacher taught them a bad gospel in Sunday school.

When you hear it, you'll recognize it for what it is, and you'll know to reject it.

You'll have discernment.

So.

What is it that you have to do, for the gate to God's kingdom to be opened to you?

If you were in a small group, being asked this question, you'd maybe answer this in a dozen different ways, using dozens of different verses.

Where do you even start?

For me, the most logical starting point is the book of Acts.

The book of Acts describes the evangelistic ministry of the early church, starting in Jerusalem, and then Judea, and then working its way over toward Rome.

I think the author of Acts-- Luke-- has very deliberately written his book in a way to help the early church understand what the good news is, and how we say "yes" to Jesus if we hear the good news, as good news.

Now, whenever people teach anything, the first time they expose their hearers to something new, they have to explain it fully.

The first time I teach anything, I try to assume as little knowledge (preunderstanding) on your part as possible.

I don't want to teach things in a way that goes over your head, and frustrates you.

Once you are familiar with a topic, I can change how I teach.

I can assume that you and I are on the same page, more or less.

And when I teach on that topic for the second, or third, or hundredth time, I teach it in a way that's designed to remind and reinforce what you already know.

What I don't do, because I'd never get anywhere, is try to teach you every part of every thing, every week.

Now, when I do this, I'm doing what every teacher does.

And we find Luke doing this in the book of Acts.

The first time Luke summarizes the gospel in the book of Acts, he does so fairly fully-- more fully than he does, anywhere else in the book.

He doesn't start from square one, because Acts is the second book of a two-part work-- Luke, and Acts, are like volume 1 and 2 of a single book.

But he most fully explains the gospel, and how we respond to the gospel, the first time, in Acts 2:22-41.

Then, after this, he summarizes it in a way that assumes that you, and he, are on the same page.

Luke is a gifted writer, and teacher.

He's not going to explain everything, in all its detail, every time the gospel is shared, in every single city, by every single apostle or missionary.

This is unnecessary.

It would bore you.

And it would ruin a good story.

So let's read the Acts 2:22-41.

This is Peter's speech in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit has just come like a fire upon all the disciples.

They've all been speaking in tongues.

And the crowd is trying to figure out what is going on (NRSV):

22 "You that are Israelites,[a] listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,[b] a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know- 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.

24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death,[c] because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.

25 For David says concerning him,

'I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;

26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

moreover my flesh will live in hope.

27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One experience corruption.

28 You have made known to me the ways of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'

29 "Fellow Israelites,[d] I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.

31 Foreseeing this, David[e] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,[f] saying,

'He was not abandoned to Hades,

nor did his flesh experience corruption.'

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

33 Being therefore exalted at[g] the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.

34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

'The Lord said to my Lord,

"Sit at my right hand,

35 until I make your enemies your footstool."'

36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,[h] this Jesus whom you crucified."

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers,[i] what should we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."

40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."