by Samuel E. Ward Sermon 1: The Gospel According to the Gospels Introduction: "The Name of the Promise Is Jesus" by Michael Card The Lord God said when time was full
He would shine His light in the darkness
He said a virgin would conceive
And give birth to the Promise
For a thousand years the dreamers dreamt
And hoped to see His love
The Promise showed their wildest dreams
had simply not been wild enough
But the Promise showed their wildest dreams
Had simply not been wild enough
The Promise was love and the Promise was life
The Promise meant light to the world
Living proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus The Faithful One saw time was full
And the ancient pledge was honored
So God the Son, the Incarnate One
His final Word, His own Son
Was born in Bethlehem
But came into our hearts to live
What more could God have given
Tell me what more did He have to give
What more could God have given
Tell me what more did He have to give
The Promise was love and the Promise was life
The Promise meant light to the world
Living proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus The Promise was love and the Promise was life
The Promise meant light to the world
Living proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus At last the proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus The Old Testament Promises of His Birth 1. The miracle of His birth, Isa 7:14: The Virgin Birth 2. The place of His birth, Mic 5:2: Bethlehem. 3. The purpose of His birth, Isa 61:1: Healing and Redemption Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, I. The Introduction of the Promise in the Gospels. A. Matthew Linked the Coming of the Promise to the Hope for the Deliverer King, Mat 1:1-2, 6, 16. 1. The Promise had a right to the throne, Mat 1:1-2, 6, 16. He provides the genealogy of the eternal king (Mat 1:1ff) beginning with Abraham, the ancestral father of Israel continuing through the patriarchs of Israel, and the kings of Judah according to the line of David into which Jesus was born by Joseph. 2. The Promise held the hope for salvation from sins, Mat 1:20-21. Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV) 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." B. Mark Linked the Coming of the Promise to an Announcement by a Forerunner Prophesied by Isaiah and Confirmed by His Baptism. 1. The forerunner promised the coming of the Lord. Mark 1:1-3 w/
Isa 40:1-5
Mark 1:1-3 (NIV) 1The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"— 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 2. The baptism by John confirmed the mission of Lord, Mar 1:6-11.
Mark 1:6-11 (NIV) 6John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
C. Luke Linked the Coming of the Promise to the Fulfillment of Hope for All God's People, Luke 1:26-35; 67-75; 2:8-12. In the first two promises we see why Israel placed such great hope in Jesus as a political revolutionary who would overthrow Roman rule in their land. 1. The Promise as told to Mary, Luke 1:26-35 Luke 1:26-35 (NIV) 26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Here was confirmation that the promises made to David for his line to have an eternal kingdom will be kept. 2. The Promise as told to Zechariah, Luke 1:67-65 Luke 1:67-75 (NIV) 67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Like the one just mentioned, this promise, has national overtones. We must understand the political climate in Israel at the time was one of great hatred for the Romans who occupied their land. The hope was for a future king to come and give Israel back its independence and defeat all her enemies. This will be done, but not before it repents from its sin and turns to her Messiah. 3. The Promise as told to the shepherds, Luke 2:8-12 The promise announced to the shepherds is all-inclusive, from the lowest shepherd to the highest ruler who believes in Christ the Lord as Savior.
Luke 2:8-12 (NIV) 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." D. John Linked the Coming of the Promise to the Offering of Life and Light to the World, John 1:3-7. John 1:3-7 (NIV) 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 1. The Light shining in the darkness is the same Light who created light. 2. The Life that has always existed in eternity is the same Life that gives all life, earthly and eternal. 3. The Light that shines through the darkness of creation is the same Light that dispels the darkness in human hearts, hearts that had no idea how to find the way back to the Light that gives eternal life. II. The Offer of the Gospel in the Gospels A. The First Recorded Offer of the Gospel by Jesus, Mark 1:14-15.
Mark 1:14-15 (NIV) 14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
This passage informs us that entrance into the kingdom of God involves repentance from sin and faith in God's salvation through Christ. B. The First Preaching of the Gospel by Jesus, Mat 4:13-17. Matthew elaborates on Jesus' picking up the mantle from John the Baptist and going forth with the same message. "Repent. NOW!"
Matthew 4:13-17 (NIV) 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." C. The First Discipling in the Gospel by Jesus, Mat 4:18-20.
Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV) 18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.
III. The Necessity of the Gospel in the Gospels A. We Are All Commandment-Breakers, Mat 5:18-22
Matthew 5:18-22 (NIV) 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. 1. People who hate are guilty of a murderous heart. 2. People who lust are guilty of an adulterous heart. 3. People who have to swear by an oath only indicate that their word is not trustworthy without invoking a witness or making a pledge against it. 4. If we break one law, we are guilty of breaking them all because we have shown that we have reserved the right to override the rule of God, making our rule higher than God's, James 2:10. James 2:10 (NIV) 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. B. We Are All in Need of Being Born-Again 1. Otherwise, we will not see the kingdom of God, John 3:3.
John 3:3 (NIV) 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
2. Otherwise ,we are still under God's judgment, John 3:18-20. John 3:18-20 (NIV) 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. IV. The Remedy of the Gospel in the Gospels, John 3:16-17
John 3:16-18 (NIV) 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
V. The Reason Some Will Not Believe the Gospel A. Satan Steals the Word of God Away, Luke 8:12.
Luke 8:12 (NIV) 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
B. Early Testing Keeps the Word of God from Taking Root, Luke 8:13.
Luke 8:13 (NIV) 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
C. Life's Worries, the Pursuit of Riches, and the Lust for Pleasure Crowds Out the Word of God Before it Matures, Luke 8:14.
Luke 8:14 (NIV) 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
VI. The Reward of the Gospel Goes to Those of Noble and Good Heart,
Luke 8:15.
Luke 8:15 (NIV) 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
What is a noble and good heart? It is everything that the previous hearts are not as represented by the soils. A noble and good heart is a soft, workable heart. It is a patient heart, giving the new truth of God's Word time to take root and carry it through difficult times. It is a set apart heart toward that which is good and righteous so that the Word of God will not be choked out by the distractions of unworthy pursuits. Noble and good hearts are those that have been prepared by the Holy Spirit . . . A. Know the Truth When They Hear It. B. Keep the Truth When They Get It. C. Produce Good Fruit as They Live and Share It. D. Are Given the Promise of Eternal Life, John 6:40.
John 6:40 (NIV) 40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
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