Believing in the Glorious Gospel of salvation

I. Intro.

A. The gospel of salvation is glorious!

1. James Smith, a Christian writer wrote: “The gospel is a glorious revelation of divine grace — a manifestation of the purpose and good pleasure of God, to save sinners in harmony with, and to the honor of — all His divine perfections.”

2. "The gospel is a proclamation . . .   of peace by the blood-shedding of God incarnate;   of a full, free, and complete salvation — for all who truly believe on His name...”

— Jesus explains (in v.30) God’s response to his prayer was not for His sake but for His disciples sake.

He further explains, what could be, several closely connected reasons why it was for their sacks, which would be for our sake as well.

It is for our sack to—

II. Believe and Be Encouraged

A. God’s voice from heaven was a confirmation to Jesus disciples to be encouraged.

1. In v. 27 Jesus reveals His emotions to His disciples not to discourage them but instead teach them that there’s a cost to one’s commit to doing the father’s will.

2. Jesus was in turmoil because he was about to place upon himself the sins of the world.

3. But despite his turmoil He refused to ask the father to deliver Him from this hour.

4. Before His disciple, Jesus willingly expressed His submission to the His father’s will with this prayer “Father, glorify your name.”

5. The lesson for believer is this, in spite of difficulties and conflicting emotions, embrace God’s will with a desire to glorify His name.

6. The disciple were able to hear and under stand the voice from heaven.

7. It’s reasonable to assume that because of their faith in Jesus, they were spiritually perceptive in hearing and understanding the voice.

8. If not, how was John able to record what the voice from heaven said if he did not understanding what he heard.

9. To those who were unspiritual standing there, it was only noise.

B. The voice from heaven was confirming the disciples faith to believe and be encourage.

1. They were to be encouraged that God’s glorious work of salvation was about become a permanent reality in their lives.

2. Hebrews 2:3-4

Hebrews 2:3–4 NASB95PARA

3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

2. God has confirmed and proven that His glorious work of salvation through Jesus Christ His Son is great.

3. The signs, wonders, and various miracles that Jesus performed, pointed to the great and glorious work of God’s salvation.

4. The death of Jesus on the cross has made it possible for God’s glorious work of salvation to become a permanent reality in our lives by God’s grace, through faith.

5. We are to be encouraged believers because God’s glorious gospel of salvation is presently at work in our lives.

6. God’s salvation is presently at work in our lives saving us, providing God’s forgiveness of our sins (past, present and future sins), setting us free, changing our lives for holy and righteous living, enabling the believer with Holy Spirit power to be wittiness and servants of Jesus Christ.

7. As believers we should be encouraged because, we have a great and glorious salvation in Jesus Christ.

This glorious gospel of salvation is also for our sake to believe in-

III. Overcoming the World and the Devil

A. Jesus announced that His death on the cross would be the hour of judgment for the world and “The ruler of this world”— the Devil (v. 31).

1. The evil injury and and offences of this world will now be held accountable under God’s judgment

2. And the devils power over people by sin and death can now be overcome by faith in Jesus Christ.

3. The believer’s faith in Jesus Christ will make him or her an overcomer of the world.

4. Have you realized that your faith in Jesus makes you an overcomer of this world.

5. Have you been allowing the stress of the world, and the problems of the world to overcome your peace that is in Jesus.

6. In John 16:33 Jesus said

John 16:33 NASB95PARA

33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

7. In the world we will have suffering but in Jesus we will have His peace which allows us to take courage because we know that he has overcome the world for us to have His peace.

B. The devil uses this world to spiritually blind people with unbelief, to deceive and misguide people with the world’s ideologies, philosophies and the religion's of this world.

1. Satan use this world to tempt us to sin and rebel against God.

2. And put our trust in the wisdom of this world and not in God.

3. 1 John 4:4 says to God’s children—

1 John 4:4 NASB95PARA

4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

4. To overcome the world as believers in Jesus Christ, we must acknowledge who we are from.

5. You are from God, you are no longer from this world...

6. You have been adopted into God’s family.

7. You are now his Child.

8. And as His child, you can now overcome the world because you have His Holy Spirit within you who is greater than satan who is in the world.

9. The world can no longer overcome you because you have the greater one dwelling within you—the Holy Spirit...

10. And now you are able to overcome the world.

The glorious gospel is for our sake to—

IV. Believe in the Lifting Up of Jesus From the Earth (v.32)

A. The phrase “lifted up” speaks of the cross by which Jesus was to be crucified.

In a sermon that appeared in Christianity Today publication, entitled “The Living Plus Sign” make this statement—

We have not really seen the cross of Christ, until we have seen it as the great plus sign by which God and man are drawn together in reconciliation (restored in spiritual relationship).

1. Jesus lifted up on the cross has become God’s spiritual magnet to draw humanities spirit and faith to believe in Jesus for their salvation.

2. Not all will be drawn only those who will believe.

3. Jesus is the Christ of the cross.

4. Our mission and our heavenly destiny is in the light of the cross.

5. Our mission is to lift Jesus up in our lives as the light of the world.

6. fulfilling our heavenly destiny is to live in the light of the cross as the way, the truth, and the life.

B. When we see the cross as the great plus sign, we see it as adding souls to the church of Jesus Christ “such as to be saved.”

1. I cannot add souls to the church, neither can you.

2. We must rely on the drawing power of the cross.

3. By lifting Jesus up, He will do the drawing and the saving of souls.

4. How do we lift Him up.

5. By glorifying Him and by serving Him.

Finally, the glorious gospel of salvation is for our sake to—

V. Believe in the Light (we read in John 12:33-36

John 12:33–36 NASB95PARA

33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

A. The crowd was confused, the Messiah they believed in would not die but will live forever.

3. They could not see how it was possible for Jesus die and the live forever.

4. What they failed to realize what is impossible with man is possible with God.

5. They were in spiritual darkness and need the light of Christ.

B. We need the light of Christ so that the darkness of this world will not overtake us.

1. We need the light of Christ to make to understand our heavenly purpose in this world.

2. We need to believe in the light to become the children of the light.

3. being children of the light will always distinguish us from the darkness that is in the world.