"PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL"
Have You Believed The Gospel?
INTRODUCTION
- The gospel of Jesus Christ is "good news"...
- News that Jesus wanted everyone to hear - Mk 16:15
- News that can cause one to be "born again" - 1Pe 1:23-25
- But it is news that must not only be heard, but believed...
- Thus the gospel contains facts to believe
- Which requires understanding and conviction concerning those facts
[What are the gospel's "facts to believe"? According to 1Co 15:1-3,
foremost is the fact that...]
- JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS
- THE PROBLEM OF SIN...
- The Bible defines sin as transgression of God's law - 1Jn 3:4
- It also includes failing to do what one knows is good - Jm 4:17
- The Bible declares that all have sinned - Ro 3:23; cf. 1Jn
1:8,10
- Even one sin makes one guilty - Jm 2:10
- The consequences of sin are grave (spiritual death) - Isa 59:2;
Ro 6:23; Re 21:8
- Everyone is a sinner, even the "religious" need saving! - e.g.,
Ac 10:1-2; 11:14
-- Do you believe that you are a sinner?
- THE SOLUTION FOR SIN...
- Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures - 1Co
15:1-3; cf. Isa 53:4-6
- This was because God loved us, even when we were sinners - Ro
5:6-8
- In love, God offered Jesus as a propitiation for our sins - 1Jn
4:9-10
- It was also to satisfy God's righteousness (justice) - Ro
3:23-26
-- Do you believe that God loves you, and that Jesus died for your
sins?
[So we must believe that Jesus died for our sins. Also foundational to
the gospel of Christ is that...]
- JESUS WAS BURIED AND ROSE AGAIN
- THE FACT OF HIS RESURRECTION...
- Attested to by the Scriptures - 1Co 15:4; cf. Ps 16:10-11
- Attested to by eyewitnesses - 1Co 15:5-8; cf. Ac 2:32; 3:15
- Supported with empirical evidence - Ac 1:3; 10:39-41; 1Jn 1:1-4
- Supported by eyewitnesses who refused to recant despite
suffering hardship - 2Co 6:4-10
-- Do you believe that Jesus was buried and rose again?
- THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS RESURRECTION...
- The Christian faith depends on the resurrection as historical
fact - 1Co 15:14-19
- It verifies our justification, that Jesus' blood is sufficient
- Ro 4:24-25; Mt 26:28
- It gives us hope concerning our resurrection - 1Pe 1:3,21; 1Th
4:13-14
-- Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead?
[Not only must we believe Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose
again, but also that...]
- JESUS IS LORD AND KING
- HE HAS BEEN EXALTED...
- To sit at the right hand of God, ruling as Lord - Ac 2:33-36
- He is King of kings and Lord of lords - 1Ti 6:13-15; Re 1:5;
17:14
-- Do you believe that Jesus reigns from heaven above?
- HE NOW HAS ALL AUTHORITY...
- In heaven and on earth - Mt 28:18; Ep 1:20-22; 1Pe 3:22
- Over our lives and the things we do - Ro 14:6-8; Col 3:17,23
- Thus He expects to do what He says - Lk 6:46
-- Do you believe that Jesus has all authority over your life?
- HE EXERCISES HIS AUTHORITY THROUGH HIS APOSTLES...
- He commissioned them to teach His doctrine - Mt 28:20
- To receive them is to receive Jesus, and ultimately, God - Jn
13:20; 1Co 14:37
- Which the early Christians did faithfully - Ac 2:42; 1Th 2:13
-- Do you believe that Jesus rules through His apostles' words
today?
[Accepting the apostles' word as revealed in the New Testament as
authoritative, the gospel also calls us to believe that...]
- JESUS IS COMING AGAIN
- HE IS RETURNING AS PROMISED...
- By the two men in white apparel (angels) as Jesus ascended - Ac
1:9-11
- By His apostles in their writings - 1Th 4:16; Re 1:7
-- Do you believe that Jesus is coming again?
- HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD...
- He is coming to judge the world in righteousness - Ac 10:42;
17:30-31
- It will be day of righteous indignation for many - Ro 2:5,16
- When we shall have to appear the judgment seat of Christ - 2Co
5:10
-- Do you believe that you will have to answer to Christ when He
returns?
CONCLUSION
- Such are the facts proclaimed in the gospel of Christ
- Do you believe the gospel of Christ as preached by His apostles?
If you do, then there is only one proper response: "Men and brethren,
what shall we do?" (Ac 2:37). In our next lesson, we shall consider
carefully the commands of the gospel to obey...