By Samuel E. Ward August 26, 2012 Let us never forget that . . . I. We Are to Communicate 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 to Carry 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 Contend for 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. IV. We Are to Persuade Others Concerning the Gospel: "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men." (2 Cor 5:10-11a NIV) Besides these . . . V. We Are to Possess the Gospel, Yet We Are Meant to Give it with Everyone. George Sweeting, in his book The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who in 1949 was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee. In 1968, Currier's sentence was terminated, and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him. But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it. Life on that farm was hard and without promise for the future. Yet John kept doing what he was told even after the farmer for whom he worked had died. Ten years went by. Then a state parole officer learned about Currier's plight, found him, and told him that his sentence had been terminated. He was a free man. Sweeting concluded that story by asking, "Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message -- the most important in your life -- and year after year the urgent message was never delivered?" We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others still enslaved by sin. Are we doing all we can to make sure that people get the message?[1] Telling others about Christ and the hope He gives to those who trust in Him was a compulsion that Paul could not contain. He had been given a message of pardon in the form of the gospel. This gospel is offered to anyone enslaved by sin who would accept it from Christ's nail-printed hands. The spirit of Paul's felt urgency is intensely felt in his letter to the Colossians. (Col 1:25-29 NIV) I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- {26} the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. {27} To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. {28} We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. {29} To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. Note that this gospel that has been entrusted to all of us as Christians belongs not to us only, but the whole world! There are at least seven designations of the gospel that is of eternal consequence to those who accept or reject it. First, it is . . . A. The Message Of Salvation Belongs to Jews and Gentiles Alike, Acts 13:26, 38-39. (Acts 13:26, 38-39 NIV) "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent . . . {38} 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. Let us understand from this passage that . . . 1. The message of salvation has been sent by God to everyone, not just to some. 2. The key points in the message of salvation is that Jesus provides forgiveness of sins and a declaration of innocence before God that we cannot provide for ourselves. 3. The message of salvation is not based on keeping the Law of Moses, nor on any code of conduct or system of morality. We all fall short of them all and therefore are unable to be justified by them. B. The Power of God unto Salvation Belongs to Everyone Who Believes, Yet It Is Meant to Be Shared with Everyone Rom 1:16. (Rom 1:16 NIV) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Let us ease our reluctance to share the gospel when we are intimidated by unbelievers by reminding ourselves of these truths: 1. The gospel is not driven by our power, but God's. 2. The salvation the gospel offers is for everyone and we do not have the right to withhold it from any person or group of people. Tim Hansel tells an interesting story about himself. In my late twenties, a bunch of my friends and I decided to sail around the world. I have to admit, though, at the time I was a bit worried. I hadn't even sailed before. I was uneasy and anxious. So I spent a lot of time reading the Bible and praying about it, until it dawned on me that God was whispering, "Tim, I'll give you peace if you read some books on sailing. The reason you're anxious is not due to lack of prayer, but to your lack of sailing knowledge." I wasn't unprayerful; I was unskilled. So I took a step I needed to take to "let" God work his peace in my heart. I began reading about sailing.[2] Sometimes it is the lack of knowledge of God's Word and other information that keeps us from witnessing So, let us get the knowledge we need whether it be from the Bible itself or other helpful resources that are available to fill our knowledge gap. You might be surprised at how much you already know! But as Paul wrote . . . (2 Tim 4:2 NIV) Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. C. The Good News about the Lord Jesus Belongs to All Believers, Yet It Is Meant to Be Shared with Everyone, Acts 11:19-21. (Acts 11:19-21 NIV) Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. {20} Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. {21} The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. God is seriously involved in spreading the gospel and we know this because: 1. God is not unwilling to scatter Christians to areas where He wants Himself known. 2. God is present everywhere the gospel is preached with His hand upon those who share it. 3. God will bring a harvest of souls of those who believe and repent. God is the mover and shaker in the process of evangelism. We are the instruments and means and by which He brings the good news to others. D. The Good News of Peace through Jesus Christ Belongs to All Believers, Yet It Is Meant to Be Shared with Everyone, Acts 10:36, 43, 45. (Acts 10:36 NIV) "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all . . . {43} All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name . . . {45} The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles." Thomas Merton explains how mankind's lack of peace is primarily due to the fact that he does not seek it from the only Source Who can provide it. Man is not at peace with his fellow man because he is not at peace with himself; he is not at peace with himself, because he is not at peace with God.[3] E. The Good News about Jesus and the Resurrection Belongs to Believers, Yet It Is Meant to Be Shared with Everyone, Including Intellectuals, Acts 17:18, 32-34. (Acts 17:18 NIV) A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection . . .{32} When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." {33} At that, Paul left the Council. {34} A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. Sadly, it is difficult to have a reasonable discussion concerning the validity of our faith with others for two reasons: 1) the general public lacks the ability to think deeply, and 2) the church is just as ill-prepared to initiate and participate in such a discussion. Sheila Hardy has noted, I think correctly that . . . The lack of intellectual heft in America's low-church Christianity results from a strategic seduction of the masses in order to mute deep thought. Here's how it happens: 1. Market consumer goods for pleasure, comfort, and vanity [not knowledge]. 2. Cover the landscape with advertising to commodify all impulses. [Nearly everything we see in our environment seems directed at trying to sell us something material.] 3. Infect all households with the hypnotic effect of television [This is passive receiving of images rather than active seeking of knowledge or information. We would rather be entertained than informed.] 4. Limit the time and space in mass media for any depth and diversity. [Oftentimes a very important discussion in an interview on television will have to be cut short for a commercial after less than five minutes of discourse.] 5. Aim public education at the child's ego, not the mind [It is better to "feel" good than to know what "good" is] .[4] F. The Good News Of God's Grace Belongs to Believers,Yet it Is So Important That Believers Should Be Willing to Suffer Imprisonment and Hardship to Make Sure Everyone Has the Opportunity to Hear about It, Acts 20:22-24. (Acts 20:22-24 NIV) "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. {23} I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. {24} However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. How many of us would be willing to pray the prayer of David Brainerd, 18th century missionary to Native Americans. "Oh, that I might be a flaming fire in the service of the Lord. Here I am, Lord, send me; send me to the ends of the earth…send me from all that is called earthly comfort; send me even to death itself if it be but in Thy service and to promote Thy Kingdom."[5] G. The Good News of God's Revealing His Hidden Age-Old Plan to Offer the Opportunity to Believe and Obey to All Nations Is the Church's Responsibility to Share with All Nations, Rom 16.25-27. (Rom 16:25-27 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-- {27} to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. Paul indicates in this benediction that God deserves to be praised for making a way for people from all nations to become citizens of His eternal kingdom. This way is faith in Him and obedience to His commands. This faith is possible because of Jesus Christ who gave His life to save us from the sin that separates us from God and, according to Hebrews 7:24-25, (Heb 7:24-25 NIV) . . . because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. {25} Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. As believers and ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we have not just "good" news for the world, we have "Great News." A. B. Simpson expressed it well when he wrote that the gospel . . . " . . . tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.[6] We should be careful not to ignore this opportunity to trust Christ. We should be just as careful not to let the urgency of the state of unbelievers leave us unmoved to share this Great News with family, friends, neighbors, anywhere and anytime God gives us opportunity. [1] Our Daily Bread, November 6, 1994 [2] Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 63. [4] "Intellectuals Are Still Neglected Sheep," Sheila T.Hardy, 2007, http://www.universityuus.org/d/Intellectuals%20Are%20STILL%20Neglected%20Sheep.pdf |
Pastor Sam's Sermon Notes
Posts
Comments
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
We Are Not Ashamed of the Gospel
