The Gospel
Weekly Reading
Monday: Deuteronomy 21:10-23, 2 Corinthians 5
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 22, 2 Corinthians 6-7
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 23, 2 Corinthians 8
Thursday: Deuteronomy 24, 2 Corinthians 9-10
Friday: Deuteronomy 25, 2 Corinthians 11
Saturday: Psalm 105
Sunday: Jeremiah 20-29
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 22, 2 Corinthians 6-7
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 23, 2 Corinthians 8
Thursday: Deuteronomy 24, 2 Corinthians 9-10
Friday: Deuteronomy 25, 2 Corinthians 11
Saturday: Psalm 105
Sunday: Jeremiah 20-29
Sermon Notes
Key Passage: Ephesians 2:1-9
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
THE RULER*
The Story starts with God.
Genesis 1:1-3 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good."
If we want to know what is good, beautiful and true, we must start with God, the Creator.
Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Rule over creation.
Reproduce. Be fruitful and multiply. To fill the earth with worshippers of God.
Represent Him on the earth. Created in the image of God. To be a kingdom of priests on the earth.
THE REVOLT
We want a Kingdom without the King.
Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Sin is first relational. Sin Separates us from God.
Sin in 3 Dimensions**
Sin done by us
Sin done to us
Sin done around us
Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Wrath is God’s righteous opposition against and response to sin in all of its forms.
THE RESCUE
Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—"
Colossians 2:13-15 "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."
- Physical: made alive
- Relational: having forgiven us all our trespasses
- Legal: canceled record debt
- Militarily: disarmed
“The concept of substitution may be said to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone." -John Stott, The Cross of Christ
How does Christ’s salvation change us?
From death to life
From guilt to innocence
From unholy to holy
From shame to honor
From fear to power
From despair to hope
From chaos to peace (shalom)
THE RESPONSE
The gospel demands a response.
Acts 2:38 "And Peter said to them, “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.”
Repent + Believe = Turn + Trust
*These four movements are taken from chapter 1 of the book “Before You Share Your Faith” by Matt Smethurst. Copies of the book are on sale for $5 in the lobby and both digital and audio versions are available on Hoopla for free through the Charleston County Library.
**Sin in three dimensions and the list of aspects of Christ’s salvation are described briefly in Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer, pp. 90-93.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
THE RULER*
The Story starts with God.
Genesis 1:1-3 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good."
If we want to know what is good, beautiful and true, we must start with God, the Creator.
Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Rule over creation.
Reproduce. Be fruitful and multiply. To fill the earth with worshippers of God.
Represent Him on the earth. Created in the image of God. To be a kingdom of priests on the earth.
THE REVOLT
We want a Kingdom without the King.
Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Sin is first relational. Sin Separates us from God.
Sin in 3 Dimensions**
Sin done by us
Sin done to us
Sin done around us
Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Wrath is God’s righteous opposition against and response to sin in all of its forms.
THE RESCUE
Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—"
Colossians 2:13-15 "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."
- Physical: made alive
- Relational: having forgiven us all our trespasses
- Legal: canceled record debt
- Militarily: disarmed
“The concept of substitution may be said to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone." -John Stott, The Cross of Christ
How does Christ’s salvation change us?
From death to life
From guilt to innocence
From unholy to holy
From shame to honor
From fear to power
From despair to hope
From chaos to peace (shalom)
THE RESPONSE
The gospel demands a response.
Acts 2:38 "And Peter said to them, “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.”
Repent + Believe = Turn + Trust
*These four movements are taken from chapter 1 of the book “Before You Share Your Faith” by Matt Smethurst. Copies of the book are on sale for $5 in the lobby and both digital and audio versions are available on Hoopla for free through the Charleston County Library.
**Sin in three dimensions and the list of aspects of Christ’s salvation are described briefly in Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer, pp. 90-93.
Discussion Questions
3DQ - 3 discipleship questions to ask each other: What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it? How can I help?
1. Was there anything that you heard today that was new to you?
2. In all of the information that you heard, what did the Lord highlight to you? Why do you think that is?
3. Why is it important to see the gospel through both a wide angle lens (the whole world) and a zoom lens (our own hearts)?
Exercises:
1. Was there anything that you heard today that was new to you?
2. In all of the information that you heard, what did the Lord highlight to you? Why do you think that is?
3. Why is it important to see the gospel through both a wide angle lens (the whole world) and a zoom lens (our own hearts)?
Exercises:
- Read Acts 10. Compare and contrast the message of the gospel that Peter gives in vv34-43 with other messages of the gospel that you have heard. What elements does Peter include? Why are they important?
- Take the 4 R’s from today’s message and put those movements in your own words. Write 1-3 sentences for each one. Describe the good news to someone else.
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