What is the Gospel?

These are the notes from the first talk I gave to the students going to Wellington, New Zealand, for summer project. It's about the Gospel. Below.




Intro
-Project about the Gospel – because life is about the gospel
-specific examples of different activities (devotions, interacting, confrontation, playing games, doing ministry, worshiping God, eating, showering, sleeping)
-Col. 1:21-23
-looking at Col. This summer – ‘Jesus colored glasses’
-read – note: ‘if’
-note ‘the faith’ – and ‘hope of the gospel.’
-Where we’re going:
-The gospel in broad strokes
-3 problems that God had to solve
-The gospel defined
-2 enemies of living gospel-centered lives

The Gospel in Broad Strokes
-Not 4 Laws, etc. – GOOD NEWS!
-of what? - A King and his Kingdom (Matt. 4:23) (note it’s about realm AND ruler)
-Why is the King’s Kingdom good news?
-we desire safety; anxiety ridden about provision; desiring of relationships (romantic or otherwise), broken other relationships (parents, friends…), shame, suffering/AIDS/Katrina/earthquakes; lack of significance; injustice/poverty; lack of connection to God; and ultimately, we die –
-What’ll the King do? Joel 2:23-26 (provision – food, etc.); Is. 2:3, 4 (peace between nations, people obeying God’s laws); Dan. 12:2 (resurrection of the just and unjust); Jer 23:5 (KING who will do justice always); Is. 25:6-8 (joy, provision, resurrection, bringing all peoples together); Micah 2:1-3 (punishment of oppressors); Micah 2:12-13 (The LORD himself is King and shepherds his people); Is. 9:2-3 (joy in the experience of God);
-Why do you think Jesus did miracles?
-Summarize
-So think of the gospel as good news. Share the gospel as good news(!)

Problem 1
-Jesus fixing the world means judging it, which is bad news for anyone who has not obeyed him.
-day of the Lord = when God would fix stuff; problem – Is. 13:9
-God judges by works (not faith!!!! – answers the ‘what of those who haven’t heard’)
-everyone is a sinner
-God’s solution – justification through faith
-Justification is…
-Problem – Nah. 1:3
-Solution – a substitute.
-punished in our place (Is. 53:5, 6, 10)
-firing squad analogy
-implication – no judgment awaits those who believe in Jesus
-turn to each other and say ‘God will never punish you’
-‘Judgment day’ already begun
-obeyed in our place
-Matt. 3:13-17 – weird!
-identifies with us
-not unique as a ‘son’ – unique thing: God is pleased – fulfills righteousness
-again: judgment by works
-Rom. 4:6 – Let me talk about crediting – (tax analogy)
-2 Cor. 5:21
-God looks at us in Jesus – since Jesus obeyed…
-Turn to the person next to you and say, “God looks at you as worthy of reward because of Jesus’ obedience”
-no more trying to get continually ‘forgiven’!!!
-no more trying to seek to enter heaven thru anything else!!!
-So first problem….
-and God’s solution…

Problem 2
-So God justifies people through faith on the basis of Jesus’ justice; can we go on living in sin?
-God’s solution: Jesus begins to reign in his people by his Spirit
-more from Josh later – but a few facts
-Holy Spirit is God
-The Holy Spirit is not Jesus – but is from him and represents him
-What’s he do? Walk thru Rom. 8:1-9 – emphasizing the Spirit

-Summary: so God not only justifies; he brings about the obedience of his people(!) So the GOOD NEWS of the Kingdom has begun!

Problem 3
-yeah but – Christians still sin.
-God’s solution: the fullness of the Kingdom is a future reality.
-Look at 1 Cor. 15:21-28; explain
-Summary – still waiting for the King to fully reign! And that means that one day we will be rid of the presence and effects of sin (glorification)

The Gospel Defined
-What are the aspects of it?
-Jesus’ obedience, death, and resurrection
-his future Kingdom
-justification; new nature; glorification

-The Gospel is the good news that Jesus’ substitutionary obedience (why important?), substitutionary death, and resurrection, bring everyone who believes in him into his new, fixed world.

2 Enemies of Gospel-Centered Living
-moralism
-define.
-why is this contrary?
-1 – the SPIRIT produces obedience.
-2 - God doesn’t get the glory!
-apathy
-forget what we’re rescued from.
-forget that hell is real and real people are going there
-start believing we can’t obey God
-forget to put hope in what matters(!)

Conclusion
-Let’s conclude this: Jesus life, death, and resurrection do several things:
1) they cause us to be declared righteous in God’s judgment day.
2) They cause us to have a new nature and God’s Spirit which is producing life change.
3) They are bringing us into God’s presence in a fixed world forever.
-That is what our project must be about. What our lives must be about. What our prayers, our devotions, our interactions with each other – what everything must revolve around and give credence to.
-GOOD NEWS! Jesus is King, and is bringing you home.
-Pray

Direction for Quiet Time
-Going to give you until 11:15 to be back here to have quiet times
-Let me give you some basic direction for study of the word and for prayer
-Word
-What was the author telling the original audience? (list observations!)
-What sins are pointed out in the section? How do I do them?
-How does this passage point me to the gospel
-3 facets – what are they?
-Prayer – ACTS
-Also – settle in your heart that this is where God has you for this summer
-Break – return at 11:15