“Vision 2020” #7
October 25, 2015
GWB
“Gospel Means Good News”
- Mark 1.1; 1 Corinthians 15.1-4 –
How do you share the gospel with others? If someone asks, “You’re
religious. How could I find what you have?” how would you explain? Or, if a
friend is enduring a trauma in his life and everything is coming unglued, how
might you share the good news?
Is there a simple way to explain the gospel—perhaps an outline to hang
our thoughts on? Note Paul’s summary in 1 Cor. 15.1-4. Here are two simple
ways to explain the good news of Christ with others.
I. The good news: the story of God
Bible
1. We all have our own story—our life journey. We have ups and downs,
joys and heartbreaks—good times and bad. What’s your story? What would
you think of your story intersecting with God’s story?
2. Let me share God’s story. His story is big (as we might expect!) and it’s a
true story. Let me share it with you around four big ideas:
a. Creation. God created the world. He made a good world—without
suffering or death—perfect. And he created man and woman, in his
image—like himself, to love him, enjoy him, and share his life. He placed
them in paradise, in Eden. God speaks to us all thru his world (Ps 19.1-6).
b. Fall. Adam and Eve, given only one prohibition, disobeyed God. Their
rebellion brought into the world the sin and suffering we experience.
Adam and Eve died because of their sin—and we’re born in the same fix.
All of us suffer in this world and face death because we too sin (Rm. 5.12).
c. Salvation. God loves us and he wanted to restore us, so God himself
became a man (John 3:16). Jesus was human, like us, but the Son of God.
He lived a perfect life, but then died on the cross for our sin—he took
sin’s penalty, death, on himself. Then he was raised on the third day,
defeating sin and death forever. When we respond by trusting in him
alone, we are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9).
d. Restoration. There’s hope! God will make the world new; the “new
heavens and new earth” will be God’s creation restored, perfected— joy,
harmony, fellowship with God forever! We can face Judgment Day
without fear. If we reject Christ, we reject all hope. The Bible promises
the Kingdom, but warns of hell (John 3:18).
3. Your story can intersect with God’s great story by receiving Christ now.
We are saved by faith, by receiving Christ (John 1:12; 3:16). We rely
completely on the death and resurrection of Christ to save us. We do not trust
our “works.” We turn from our own way to Jesus. “Jesus is Lord, King!”
II. The good news: the story of Jesus
The gospels
1. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, tell us the story of
Jesus. They share the good news.
a. The life of Jesus. Jesus’ life is special—actually, unique. He taught the
people about God—and that God’s Kingdom had come. People flocked to
hear his teaching about God’s love. And he did miracles—he made sick
people well—so people hurried to hear him. And Jesus never sinned—he
was perfect. His followers (disciples) came to the conclusion: “You are
the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 8.29 || Matt. 16.16 || Luke 9.20).
b. The death of Jesus. Out of envy, the leaders of Israel rejected him.
They turned Jesus over to the Romans, who flogged him, abused him, and
executed him on a cross. All four gospels focus on Jesus’ death as very
significant. (Fully half of the gospel of John is about Passion Week.)
c. The burial of Jesus in a cave tomb.
d. The resurrection of Jesus. On the third day after his death, faithful
women came to anoint his body with spices. They saw him alive—and so
did the other disciples. He had conquered death itself! Jesus is Lord, the
Life-Giver, granting eternal life.
2. What does this story have to do with you and me?
a. This gets personal. You and I are sinners. (We’ve all broken God’s
law—in our hearts, our words and our actions Rm. 3.23.) And the bad
news is that sin’s penalty is death—physical, but also spiritual and eternal
(Rm. 6.23). Eternal death is hell. Good news! When Jesus died, he died for
us, paid the penalty for us—and when he was raised again, he gained the
victory over death—for us. As the Son of God he could pay for us.
b. We must receive Jesus as Lord and Savior—turn from sin, and trust in
Jesus as our own God and Savior (John 3.16). He forgives us, gives us life,
and receives us as his own—so we can be baptized and join his church.
And then we grow as his followers.
Responding to God
1. Share with each person as an individual. Never be so committed to a
“presentation” that you are insensitive to your listener, or rote in your
manner. Share as much as your listener is ready to hear.
2. Ask God to lead you to friends in your circle who are ready. The Holy
Spirit is at work in the world, convicting people of sin, righteousness and
judgment. You are trying to cooperate with Him.
3. Give as much of the gospel as the person is ready to hear. Some are
resistant; others are hungry. Some are ready to come to Christ.
4. Trust God to use you as he wants.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ON NEXT PAGE
1. Why is it important to understand the character of God to
understand the gospel?
2. Which presentation would you use with a person who has no
church background and has never opened a Bible? Which
presentation would you use with a person who has? Explain.
3. Your friend has gone through a difficult divorce. She's
confided in you about her feelings and outlook on life. She is
obviously distraught. Which presentation would you use and
which parts would you present initially?
4. You’re using the story of Jesus. In particular you are talking
about the life of Jesus with a friend who's been unemployed for
two years, and his self-worth has taken a hit. Which miracle
stories would you use? Which teachings of Jesus would you
highlight?
5. Your co-worker does not see herself as a bad person. Would
you use the story of God presentation or the story of Jesus
presentation? Why?
6. Which questions would you be asking yourself self when
conversing with a friend about spiritual things? How would
your questions guide you in knowing what to present?
7. How would you determine how much of the gospel
presentation to give to a friend? What indicators would you
look for?