By Samuel E. Ward August 19, 2012 I. We Are Communicators of the Gospel: If we aren't communicating it then we are being disobedient to the Lord's command to share Him with others. II. We Are Carriers of the Gospel: We have a worldwide mission to complete and each of us is called to witness wherever and whenever we find an opportunity. III. We Are Contenders of the Gospel: Because the gospel contains truths that are so essential to its nature and purpose, they must be defended and protected lest they be stripped of their saving message. Primarily, we contend for the Deity and Lordship of Christ, salvation that brings forgiveness of sins, resurrection from the dead, eternal life, justice in judgment, to name a few. Christians have a fourth responsibility toward the gospel which we have been studying. It is that . . . IV. We Are Persuaders of Others Concerning the Gospel: (2 Cor 5:10-11a NIV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. {11a} Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. A. The Parable of the Soils has helped us understand that ultimately the decision to believe rests with the one to whom the gospel is presented. We can share, water, cultivate and nourish the seed of God's Word in the hearts of those we have given it, but the Holy Spirit must convict others of their need for Christ. People will either choose to accept, reject, or delay their decision, but it will a decision they must make in conjunction with God's work in their hearts and minds. We have also been made aware in our study that . . . B. We cannot expect the church to grow unless its members are faithfully involved in the presentation of the gospel to others. If the gospel is not shared then how can we expect people to believe, repent, and be baptized? The Great Commission is not about our waiting for the lost come to us, but rather, our going to them. When we operate on this principle then the church gathered can be the center for teaching and worshipping that Christ designed it to be and evangelism can take place where it is most likely to have its best effect—where the lost are. Any other plan will only result in shallow teaching and the opportunity for false teaching to take hold. C. We must make others aware of the consequences of rejecting Christ. All that is left for those who continue in sin and unbelief without Christ is what is written in Hebrews 10. (Heb 10:26-27 NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, {27} but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. It is much more pleasant to dwell upon the fact that . . . D. We Must Declare the Benefits of Receiving the Gospel 1. Sins are forgiven, Acts 2:38a. (Acts 2:38a NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. a. This is important for the purpose of being purified from the defilement that sin has brought upon us and separated us from a pure and holy God. (Eph 4:18-19 NIV) [The unbelieving] are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. {19} Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. b. Unless we are reconciled with God, we cannot experience a relationship with Him. (2 Cor 5:20b-21 NIV) We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. {21} God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. c. If we confess are sins, God promises to forgive us all and every kind of sin we have committed. (1 John 1:9 NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our best-known secular humanists and novelists, said, "What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me." [1] --John Stott A second benefit is that . . . 2. The Holy Spirit is given, Acts 2:38; 9:47; (Acts 2:38 NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. How important is the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian? It is work of the Holy Spirit Who comes to us when we believe that begins the work of making us like God in His righteous character until we go to be with Him and receive the full and eternal reward of our faith. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers, encourages, and leads us to reject the sinful acts of our fleshly nature so that we become more Spirit-led in our actions, thoughts, and desires to the glory of God. (2 Th 2:13 NIV) But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. (Gal 5:22-25 NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. {24} Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. {25} Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Not only is it a blessing to have been given the Holy Spirit, He is a necessity if we are to effectively witness for Christ. He is the Power in the witness! 3. Justification (declared "innocent") from sin is given, Acts 13:39 (Acts 13:38-39 NIV) "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. {39} Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. How many people have you encountered that believed that God accepts people on the basis of how well they have kept the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are a part of the Law of Moses which scripture teaches is not able to justify anyone because to have disobeyed one law only once means that the whole Law has been violated. God gave the Law as a complete unit. To disobey God in one aspect of the Law is to have shown rebellion and irreverence for God's will which was the original sin of Adam and Eve. On the basis of that one sin, man fell and became in need of God's salvation. Christ has provided the perfect righteousness God demands for a relationship with Him. We gain the righteousness we need to stand before God not by being righteous ourselves, but by accepting Christ's offer to give us His righteousness to us through faith in His payment for all of our sins which he bore on the cross. 4. Opportunity for all nations to share in the promise of Christ is given, Rom 16:25-26; Eph 3:6. (Rom 16:25-26 NIV) Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, {26} but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him. (Eph 3:6 NIV) This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. This day described in Isaiah is one we yearn for. (Isa 2:2-4 NIV) In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. {3} Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. {4} He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5. Fruit in the church and its members is produced and grows, Col 1:5-6. (Col 1:4-6 NIV) We have heard of your [the Colossian's] faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- {5} the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel {6} that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. What is attractive about the gospel is the faith and hope it offers. There is a future hope beyond this life stored up in heaven to all those who believe. It unites those who share that faith into a community of love for each other that when proclaimed and made visible to the rest of the world, bears fruit and spreads throughout the world. David Platt has written, "If we were left to ourselves with the task of taking the gospel to the world, we would immediately begin planning innovative strategies and plotting elaborate schemes. We would organize conventions, develop programs, and create foundations… But Jesus is so different from us. With the task of taking the gospel to the world, he wandered through the streets and byways…All He wanted was a few men who would think as He did, love as He did, see as He did, teach as He did and serve as He did. All He needed was to revolutionize the hearts of a few, and they would impact the world."[2] 6. The gospel comes in power that is demonstrated in at least three ways, 1 Thes 1:5. (1 Th 1:5 NIV) Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. People are influenced to believe in Christ . . . a. By the power of its effects in believers' lives b. By the power of the Holy Spirit performing His ministry in believers' lives c. By the complete conviction and confidence in the truth of the gospel in believers' hearts and minds that compels them to share it. THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE By Harry Dixon Loes This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine. "If the gospel is old news to you, it will be dull news to everyone else." [1] John Stott, The Contemporary Christian, Intervarsity Press, 1992. [2] David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, Multnomah Books, 2010. |
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Monday, August 20, 2012
We Are Not Ashamed of the Gospel
