The Gospel
Introduction.
1. Presentation of the gospel promises the power of God. Rom 1:16 - I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes . . .
2. Gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) (Persian) = the good news of victory. (We get our word “evangelism” from this word)
3. The gospel is defined in the Bible. I Cor 15:1-5 - Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
4. So, what is the gospel? It is the story of the life, death, burial & resurrection of Lord Jesus!
I. The Context for the Gospel
A. God created everything. Gen 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
B. God created man & woman for a purpose.
1. We are created in God’s image & likeness. Gen 1:26-27 - Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
2. We are commanded to be stewards; to manage God’s creation for Him. Gen 1:28 - God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
3. God promised to provide for us through His creation. Gen 1:29 - Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
4. God walked with Adam & Eve in the cool of the day. Gen 3:8-9 - Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
5. God seemed to enjoy that fellowship because when they didn’t show up He called out to them.
6. The reason for our existence is for God to enjoy us!
C. But Adam & Eve rebelled against God’s authority.
1. They ate the fruit so that they could be more like God. Gen 3:4-5 - “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
2. They were expelled from God’s presence & holiness. Gen 3:23-24 - So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
D. So have you!
1. Rom 3:22-23 - There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .
2. Rom 3:10-12 - There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
II. The Lord’s Life
A. The Incarnation. God became a man!
1. Phil 2:5-8 - Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!
2. Col 2:9-10 - For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
3. That’s why Christians celebrate Christmas.
4. That’s why we eat the bread at communion to remember the Lord’s flesh. (Jn 1:14)
B. God identified with your human experience. When you pray, He understands!
a. He experienced temptations. (Matt 4:1-11)
b. He could feel rejection & pain on the cross as the Lamb of God.
III. The Lord’s Death & Burial
A. Lord Jesus volunteered for the cross. He wants you so badly, He was willing to do that for you!
B. What did the cross do for you?
1. It is the ultimate expression of God’s love for you. (Rom 5:8)
a. His death on the cross paid for your sin. Eph 1:7 - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace . . .
b. Jesus bore your sins in His body on the cross. (I Pet 2:24)
2. The cross brought peace (reconciliation) between God & His creation. (Col 1:20)
3. The religious systems of justification before God by obeying rules & regulations was nailed to that cross when Jesus died on it. Col 2:13-14 - He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
C. You are now free to return to God & walk with Him in the cool of the day. All you need to do is surrender to Him as Lord of your life!
D. That’s why Christian celebrate Good Friday.
E. That’s why we drink the cup at communion to remember the price that was paid for us.
F. The world doesn’t understand the cross, so it ridicules us for believing in it.
1. I Cor 1:18 - For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
2. Why the cross? To show you how horrible sin is to God.
IV. The Lord’s Resurrection
A. The Lord raised Himself from the grave to prove Who He claimed to be.
1. The Son of God. (Rom 1:4) - God in flesh! (Jn 2:19 & 10:18)
2. When Jesus asked His enemies why they wanted to execute Him, they replied, “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” - Jn 10:33. His enemies correctly understood Who He claimed to be!
3. Only God can do the things Jesus did. Only God can raise Himself from the dead!
B. How does the Lord’s resurrection affect you?
1. It justifies you before God the Father. (Rom 4:25)
2. It indicates God will raise you too!
a. I Cor 6:14 - By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
b. I Thess 4:14 - We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
C. That’s why Christians celebrate Easter!
God loved you so much that He was willing to pay for you by dying on the cross. He wants you back as His child to walk with you in the cool of the day forever! Simply surrender yourself to Jesus as Lord of your life. When He starts calling the shots in your life, you will begin discovering an abundant life! You can have a superior faith. No religion today can even come close to this! You need to respond to His grace right now!
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