Church Words- Week 2

Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

The church word this week is gospel.

TheGreekwordtypicallytranslatedas gospel is euangeliōn.

The word has an interesting history. Before it was a word Christians used, it was a word Romans would use. A famous inscription from the time of Emperor Augustus is called the Priene Inscription. It announces the birth of Augustus as the birth of a god and states, “The beginning of the good tidings [εὐαγγελίων (euangeliōn)] for the world.” This is of course, extremely similar in wording to Mark 1:1 (Lexham Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Imperial Religion”). Both historically and biblically, the gospel was an announcement of good news that had implications not just for one specific group of people but for everyone.

To understand the gospel, we first have to understand why we need good news.

In Romans 7, Paul sets up the very good news about what Jesus has done for us by laying out some very bad news: his struggle with sin. Paul speaks very honestly about the struggle to obey the law and do the right thing in every situation. If we are going to be saved by our good behavior, then the record we maintain must be perfect. And Paul recognizes that it is impossible to be flawless: “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (Romans 7:21). He feels as if there is an internal war continually being played out in his life over the direction of his actions (v. 23). Paul’s struggle with sin is our struggle with sin today.

SometimeswhenChristiansstarttalkingaboutsin,peoplecangetturnedoff.

They don’t understand why it is necessary. What is at stake? Reversing the language of Romans 7:14–25 paints a clear picture of why it matters that to get to the good news, we need to understand the bad news: “For we know that the Law is material, and I am spiritual. I am not controlled by sin because I understand my own actions. Therefore, I do what I want instead of the things that I hate. Now if I do what I want, then I disagree with the law that what I do is wrong. So I am in complete control of my own actions, and sin has no place in my life. For I know that my flesh is good, because I have the desire and the ability to do what is right. I have no problems avoiding evil that I don’t want to do—it isn’t an issue for me at all. Since it isn’t a problem, sin doesn’t get dwell within me. As a result, I have decided that evil is nowhere to be found—at least, nowhere near me. In my innermost being I take no joy in the instruction of God, and so there is no battle being fought over who I am or what I will do with my body. I am a wonderful person for that, and I am not in need of a Savior. No thanks to God for Jesus Christ; he isn’t my Lord because I serve myself and saved myself.”

Ofcourse,wecannotsaveourselves!

That’stheproblem.Wehaveatendency to do the wrong thing at the worst time and to have no explanation for it—apart from sin. We have no hope of entering God’s presence, no promise of eternal life, no chance of forgiveness—outside of Jesus. But because of Jesus, there is some very good news for us and for the world. As Paul triumphantly proclaims, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). When we read Romans, we should know that the original letter did not have chapter and verse numbers breaking up the flow of thought. Paul goes right from wondering where his help will come from (7:24) to celebrating the fact that despite doing the very thing he hates (7:19), he is not condemned! The term “no condemnation” is legal and has the feeling of a courtroom ruling. You have been summoned before the judge, the charges read, the evidence presented, and the judge declares you innocent: no condemnation. The reason? Because Jesus has taken the punishment on the cross! We are made right with God. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the gospel is that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

BoBurnham’sNetflixspecialInside(2021)channelsadeepsenseofhuman brokenness and need for healing.

Burnham has long been a critic of the ills of the internet, while also acknowledging how he has benefited from it. Throughout the special, which is mostly made up of original songs, Burnham expresses the bad things the internet can sometimes do to us as human beings. He calls out his own failures online and explains that “self-awareness does not absolve anybody of anything.” This seems to echo the apostle Paul’s words: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Trying to surface the ineffable, Burnham’s song “Funny Feeling” juxtaposes the superficial, human, corrupt, alienating, and beautiful found simultaneously in our experience of the internet and of the world itself. In one line, he refers to “the quiet comprehending of the ending of it all.” Humans find themselves in a tremendous dilemma and even great tools like the internet eventually find themselves being used for evil and bringing about alienation and brokenness. (Content warning: Burnham’s special contains a lot of crude language and some crass references, as well as some nonexplicit nudity.)

Anotherillustrationofourfreedomfromcondemnationcanbeseeninthenovel Do We Not Bleed?

In that novel, the character Jon Mote is investigating the disappearance of a young woman from a communal home run by nuns. He learns that the groundskeeper, Sam, has a criminal past. When confronted with his past, he admits going to prison: “‘When I got out, I couldn’t find work. Nobody wants a black Indian with no diploma and a past.’ Sam has stopped walking and is looking back toward the campus. ‘Sister Brigit was the only one. She cared about my past but she also didn’t care’” (Daniel Taylor, Do We Not Bleed? [Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2016], 109). He then describes his interview and how she knew of his past but presented him with an opportunity to start over. That second chance was gospel for Sam. It was good news that he no longer stood under condemnation but had a new start—because of the grace of God.