CLT IV - The Gospel

The Gospel

Intro
Pray – and say questions can come during (and/or after)
Christians need the gospel
Not just to know how to share it well, but also…
To grow
To remember reality
To serve
To love the unloveable
For holiness in all of life
To view sex rightly
For confidence in living the Christian life
For hope
Thus, beware thinking you’ve outgrown it
Every prayer
Every time you read the Bible
Every relationship
Every word you speak
Titus 3:4-8
Rest of our time: defining the gospel
Before that, though, consider this: gospel = good news.
Let’s look at the world the good news is delivered to
-Sex trafficking (define – ave. age in US – 14, poss 100k this year; ave. age is 10-15 in Asia – even forced into it by parents)
-Thousands (i.e. 83 yr. old woman) losing homes to foreclosure
-man tries to explain to his autistic son why their house burned down in ca
-Haiti – wait and see if kids live to name them – oft choose which live/die
-Iraq – car bombs kill 1 person, injure around 20 – Tuesday
-People are born blind, without limbs, and into starvation
-marriages that began in love, end in messy divorce
-children molested by family, teachers, religious leaders
-hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, AIDS
-and you will work really hard your whole life to get by, looking to entertainment and relationships and even spirituality for happiness, only to find that they don’t satisfy your deepest needs – and then you will die.

And into this mess that we often ignore, Jesus has come to give us good news: Mark 1:15. The good news is that the Kingdom of God has come near.
Outline Why the Kingdom is good news
5 facts about the King
conquers hearts
has authority to forgive
changes lives
creates a loving family
will finish what he started

Why the Kingdom is good news
-saw bad situation
-contact point with unbelievers
-do not dull yourself with entertainment against reality (ecc. 7:4) (James 1:9-12) (my liking Bond…),
-The Kingdom is good news because of what the King will 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?
-To starving Christians in Haiti – one day you will feast!
-To our brothers and sisters suffering in war – one day God will stop all conflict
-To those who are oppressed as in India (117 churches, 5k homes, 65 dead)
-To all of us who are pained and need the face of God – we will see his glory in his Son
-THINK of the gospel as good news (vs. boring)
-TELL the gospel because it’s good news

-repeat point

Fact 1: Jesus the King conquers hearts
-Problem: who we are by nature
-Rom 1:30 – ‘God-haters’
-Eph. 2:2 – obeyed Satan
-Matt. 7:11 – we’re evil
-Rom 8:7 8 – incapable of obedience
-John 6:65
-Rom. 3:10-12
-Rom. 1:18-22
-evangelism application (describing depth of sin)
-ev application – what we should expect from unbelievers’ views of data
-remember this to remember what you’re saved from!
-But Jesus has come as King, and conquers hearts…
-John 6:37-39
-Matt. 11:27
-John 3:5-8, 19-21 (result = coming to Jesus in faith!)
-app: thank God for conquering your heart!
-plead with him to conquer the hearts of others – because he CAN
-communicate confidently because he WILL
-don’t for a second think that you did a thing to bring yourself, lest you rob God of glory

Fact 2: Jesus the King has authority to forgive
-paralytic story in Mark 2
-Jesus’ coming as King is good news – but there’s a problem
-Is. 13:9
-God’s solution – justification by faith (define)
-Nah 1:3a
-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 poured the fullness of hell on Jesus instead of you’
-‘Judgment day’ already begun (Jesus’ passion narrative!)
-obeyed in our place
-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, “Jesus obeyed God for you – and all his rewards will be given to you”

-application: NO condemnation for you. But REWARD.
-if EVER you feel as if you are condemned…
-imperfect Christians are perfect in Jesus’ eyes (Jas. 4)
-basis for forgiveness - not some weird mysticism. Unbelievers are RIGHT when they say good people will go to heaven

-repeat point

Fact 3: Jesus as King changes lives
(repeat points so far)
-(whole point of next CLT – so not much time)
-Rom. 6:17-23 (context first!)
-point – God has promised the obedience of his children (parable of the sower)
-trust him for it
-thank him for it!
-answering non Christians re: can we just go on sinning?
-beware moralism!!!

-repeat point






Fact 4: Jesus the King creates a loving family
-Matt 19:29 (my experience)
-Ephesians 4:9-16
-Eph. 2:17-22
-Ps. 65:4 (picture of entering the temple – where God lives!)
-appreciate it
-participate in it
-love it – but realize that experience is from God’s Spirit AND word and isn’t perfect yet
-invite people into it

Fact 5: Jesus the King will finish what he started
-1 cor 15:21-28 (explain)
-rev 21:1-7; 22:1-5; 12-17, 20-21
-application – 1 peter 1:6, 7, 13; mark 8:32-34

-So what’s the good news?

Pray