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The Gospel Is a Spoken Message that Demands a Response

Gospel in a Minute

Paul summarized the message of salvation in a paragraph.

“Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us! 27  The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath. 28  They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. 29  “When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30  But God raised him from the dead! 31  And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel. Acts 13:26-31 (NLT)

Principle: The Gospel Is a Spoken Message that Demands a Response

Having framed his gospel presentation within the history of Israel, Paul summed up the salvation message by telling his listeners and us that Jesus is the one promised by God in the Old Testament, who was rejected by the Jewish leaders, put to death, buried, rose again from the dead, and appeared to many.

The gospel is a message that must be spoken. Acts of mercy and love are not sufficient to properly communicate it. Such acts can open people’s hearts, but unless the gospel is spoken, people will not understand what God has done for them and who Jesus is. They will not be able to properly respond.

Following such a gospel summary, all that remains is to explain the meaning – our forgiveness and justification and Jesus’ lordship over all creation. And what would Paul’s listeners do with this amazing news? What is the proper response?

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Gospel in a Minute: Frame the Gospel within the History of Israel

Gospel in a Minute

On his first missionary journey, Paul the Apostle preached the gospel to Jews in Antioch of Pisidia. He assumed they were familiar with the promises God made to King David, that one of his descendants would sit upon the throne of Israel forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

“And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel! 24  Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. 25  As John was finishing his ministry he asked, ‘Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’ Acts 13:23-25 (NLT)

Principle: Frame the Gospel within the History of Israel

When we share the gospel with those who are not as familiar with the Bible, we must make the effort to explain how Jesus came in fulfillment of promises made to God’s people long ago. The gospel is not a philosophy that has meaning outside of real history. I have heard a serious lie regarding God’s Word phrased something like this: “It’s not true, but it’s the truth.” The meaning is that the gospel is not historically true, but it “contains” eternal truth. This reduces the gospel to “whatever works for you.” Nothing could be farther from reality. The gospel is historically grounded in fact. One day in the not so distant future, the actual risen Messiah King Jesus, the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel, will return in the clouds with great power to judge all mankind. At that point in time, all the earth will come to realize that the gospel is grounded in historical fact. For now, we must help to convince people that…

the gospel is a narrative of God’s historical promises to Israel and their fulfillment  in real time.

As such, a proper gospel presentation will frame Jesus’ coming, ministry, death on the cross, resurrection, ascension, and future Second Coming in light of those promises and prophecies. It is important for gospel communicators to familiarize themselves with the the Old Testament and how it points to Jesus and the glorious gospel. That is how the early church presented Christ, and so should we!

If you are inclined to learn better how to do this, I suggest Scot McKnight's masterpiece, The King Jesus Gospel. I wrote a summary, which you can access by clicking here.
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Can I Know for Sure if I Am Going to Heaven?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, a religious system based on keeping church rules and submitting to its hierarchy. It offered no security regarding my eternal destiny, only the hope that I might die in what is called a “state of grace,” meaning that I would have no mortal (grave, death producing) sins on my conscience at the time of death. One could go to confession to get a fresh start or gain “indulgences” through attending Masses on specific days to obtain a sort of guarantee of having an opportunity to get right with God before death.

But those who rely on religion cannot know for sure if they are going to heaven. The best one can do is hope for the best.

How different are the words penned so long ago by John the apostle.

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (NLT)

When I first truly understood and believed the good news that Jesus died for my sins and took away the guilt and the judgments leveled against me, giving me his very own life, I realized immediately that God had set me free from relating to him through religious rules keeping and church affiliation! Nothing the Catholic Church ever did or taught gave me the kind of joy, life, and freedom I experienced through being born again by faith in Christ. This began my escape from religion, whose tentacles are long and clutching.

Religious systems are always performance based, manipulative, and fear inducing. They offer no assurance.

The Jews tried to relate to God through a religious system, too. They believed that if they kept the Law of Moses, they were good. If they failed to keep it, they would die. Since Christianity is directly descended from Judaism, many Christians fall into such thinking. It’s pretty simple, as long as we are able to stay on the right side of the scale. Unfortunately, no one can do that. God gave the Law to expose our hopeless situation. We are all sinners who deserve to die.

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11  So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12  This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” 13  But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14  Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:10-14 (NLT)

The good news is that Jesus kept the Law for us by living and dying in complete obedience to his heavenly Father. His sacrifice for our sins as God’s Lamb purchased our freedom from death and made us children of God. His resurrection proved his sacrifice on our behalf was accepted.

Now those of us who declare faith and allegiance to Christ can know for sure that our eternal destiny will be life forever with God.

Jesus promised:

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Can we know for sure if we are going to heaven? We can, but only if we put our full confidence in what Jesus accomplished on our behalf. If we are still relying on ourselves to get it done, we can have no assurance whatsoever.

Prayer

Jesus, I am weary of trying to earn my way into God’s favor. I realize now that it is hopeless. You designed it that way so that I would come to my senses and realize that trusting in you is the only way. I ask you today to forgive my sins and come into my life. I give you myself. I belong to you from this day forward. Come, Holy Spirit, fill my life and show me more about Jesus’ and the Father’s love for me. Empower me to be a fearless proclaimer of the good news to others. Amen.

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Gospel in a Minute: Water Baptism and the Baptism in the Spirit Are Distinct

Gospel in a Minute

Peter made the obvious conclusion: God accepted the Gentile Cornelius in exactly the same way he had the Jewish apostles!

The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46  For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, 47  “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48  So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ... Acts 10:45-48 (NLT)

Principle: Water Baptism and the Baptism in the Spirit Are Distinct

The Bible promises that Jesus will baptize his followers in the Spirit. (Luke 3:16) The evidence of this outpouring or baptism is speaking in tongues, as first experienced by the Jewish believers on Pentecost. In Acts 10 it happened again with Gentiles, which astounded the ethnocentric Jews, who imagined that they alone were eligible.

The giving of the Spirit is proof of our acceptance into God’s heavenly family.

Only born again children of God are eligible for this amazing gift of love. (Luke 11:13) Our spiritual identity carries God’s own being, a kind of spiritual DNA, if you will.

When we share the gospel, we should inform our hearers that the Holy Spirit will be given to those who put their faith in Christ, both as the indwelling source of life and identity and as an outpoured source of power and boldness.

The two experiences of God’s Spirit come as distinct processes – the first from being born again, the second from being baptized in the Spirit. Believers are to submit to water baptism as a public testimony of allegiance to their Savior and Lord. The two baptisms are distinct as well.

Promise of the Father

To learn more about the baptism in the Spirit, click here. I have also written a book on this important subject, which is available on Amazon.

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Gospel in a Minute: Expect the Holy Spirit to Draw People to Christ

Gospel in a Minute

Suddenly something unanticipated happened while Peter was preaching to Cornelius and company.

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. Acts 10:44 (NLT)

Principle: Expect the Holy Spirit to Draw People to Christ

While most of our listeners probably will not erupt in spontaneous tongues as did Cornelius, we should expect to see some evidence of the Spirit’s operation.

The preaching of the gospel relies upon the hidden work of God’s Spirit for success.

Jesus spoke about this.

At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26  Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! Matthew 11:25-26 (NLT)

Paul taught us that God uses the “foolishness of preaching” (1 Corinthians 1:21-24) to bring people to Christ. Preaching works because there is power in the words of the gospel and because of the hidden operation of God’s Spirit in those who hear. If we do our part, we can depend on God to do his by drawing people to Christ. This whole things was his idea anyway. Jesus said:

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45  As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. John 6:44-45 (NLT)
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Gospel in a Minute: Preach the Forgiveness of Sins

Gospel in a Minute

Peter concluded his gospel presentation to Cornelius by offering forgiveness of sins to those who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus, the crucified and risen Messiah King of Israel, the Divine Son of Man who is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

He [Jesus] is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” Acts 10:43 (NLT)

Principle: Preach the Forgiveness of Sins

Once we know who Jesus is, the glorious risen from the dead Lord of Lords who will judge all mankind, we need to understand that he does not hold our past sins against us, if only we will repent from our rebellion against God.

We may not have been the ones who actually drove the nails into his hands and feet, but we all have participated in the sin of turning our backs on God. He died for all of us because we all had an impossible debt to pay to God. Only he could do it, and he did!

After his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples:

...“Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48  You are witnesses of all these things. Luke 24:46-48 (NLT)

That is really good news!

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Gospel in a Minute: Preach the Coming Judgment

Gospel in a Minute

Peter continued his gospel presentation to Cornelius by sharing that Jesus commanded his disciples, including us, to tell people he is coming back one day to judge every human being who has ever lived.

And he [Jesus] ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. Acts 10:42 (NLT)

Principle: Preach the Coming Judgment

It is not popular to tell people that Jesus is coming back again to hold every human being who ever lived accountable to God, but it is the truth. Jesus is the only one through whom anyone can be saved. The coming judgment is not something invented by his followers years later to drum up converts. Jesus clearly taught this to his disciples.

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16:27 (NLT)

Jesus is the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel the prophet centuries before (Daniel 7:14), the coming king and judge. Our Lord confirmed his identity as this divine being before the Sanhedrin the night before his crucifixion. (Matthew 26:63-64) It is who he is!

The last judgment is a non-negotiable part of the gospel, and preaching it is one way we show our allegiance to our Lord and our faithfulness to the truth.

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Gospel in a Minute: Jesus Rose Bodily from the Dead

Gospel in a Minute

Peter continued his gospel presentation to Cornelius by testifying to being with Jesus after he bodily rose from the dead.

...They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, 40  but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41  not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Acts 10:39-41 (NLT)

Principle: Jesus Rose Bodily from the Dead

The assertion that Jesus rose from the dead is the heart of the gospel. But even in Paul’s day, people denied it. He wrote:

But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13  For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14  And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15  And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16  And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17  And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:12-17 (NLT)

Jesus “ate and drank” with the apostles. He talked with them. He allowed them to touch him. Admittedly his resurrection body was different from ours – but it was a body. His resurrection proved his claim to be the Messiah and Lord. It proved that Father God accepted his sacrifice for our sins. It validated Jesus’ promise that one day he will raise us up as well.

The resurrection of Jesus was a bodily one, verified by eye witnesses. This is the gospel. This is our hope.

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Overcoming the Tragedy of Self-Inflicted Loneliness

 

Anyone who has heard or read the story of how Nathan the prophet fingered King David for committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband and his friend, Uriah the Hittite, will never forget the drama of self-discovery experienced by the king. (2 Samuel 12:1-15) After setting David up with a story of a rich ruler who stole a poor man’s only sheep instead of using one from his own large flock, David became furious and demanded that the scoundrel be punished severely. Nathan’s words, “You are the man,” brought David to his senses and prompted him to repent for his sins. Those words still ring true for us today.

We are often our own worst enemy, blindly hating in others what we despise in ourselves.

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. Romans 2:1 (NLT)

Problem: We may experience self-inflicted loneliness if we repel potential friends by being critical and judgmental.

As anyone who has lived very long knows, we generally do not respond well to criticism. When we engage in such, it reveals that we see ourselves as a judge of others. It is difficult to be the friend of a judge.

Jesus was called the “friend of sinners.”

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.  2  This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! Luke 15:1-2 (NLT)

It was a derogatory title pinned on him by the Jewish religious leaders, who held those whom Jesus befriended in contempt. Those leaders believed that they were morally superior because of their knowledge of the Law and their imagined adherence to it. The truth is that we all fall short of God’s glory and fail to keep the requirements of the Law. (Romans 3:23)

No one is ever in a place to despise other human beings.

Jesus, on the other hand, who was truly superior in every way to all others, gladly chose to be with the ones whom the religious leaders judged and shunned. Those labeled as “sinners” picked up on Jesus’ love and were attracted to him, at least the ones whose hearts were open to his message of hope and forgiveness. The interesting thing is that Jesus calls us to leave our sin and follow him, but he does it in such a way that draws humble people toward him rather than pushing them away, as the religious hypocrites did.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Criticism breeds criticism. Rejection usually gets rejected in return, but love draws people.

It is true that God judges sin. He has the right to do that, but he has provided a remedy in his Son, who died on our behalf in order to provide forgiveness and reconciliation. Those who reject the good news that Jesus took our punishment and guilt upon himself, can only expect judgment from God. However, those who believe the gospel are able to receive and enjoy God’s love.

God’s heart is open toward anyone who is willing to receive his love and who is humble enough to admit his or her desperate need for forgiveness and help.

Pride is harsh and unforgiving, but humility is gentle and inviting.

Solution: Loving humility is a huge key to having and keeping friends.

Mature followers of Christ learn how to make proper assessments of people without descending into thinking we are somehow superior. Jesus completely knows people and their motives. Nothing is hidden from him, but his heart remains open to those who are open to him, regardless of their shortcomings and failures. That is why we have hope.

We all need friends. If we want to have more of them, we should try being more humble and loving and less critical.

We may find that those we formerly criticized and rejected have much to offer in the way of friendship if we start treating them as we wish to be treated. We can ask the Holy Spirit to take the “log” out of our own eyes, so that we will be able to properly see others through God’s eyes. If we make the effort to be friends with “sinners,” just maybe someone will decide to reach out to those other sinners in the neighborhood – us.

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Gospel in a Minute: Jesus’ Ministry Revealed His Identity as Messiah

Gospel in a Minute

Peter continued his gospel presentation to Cornelius by describing Jesus’ earthly ministry prior to his crucifixion.

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.  Acts 10:39 (NLT)

Principle: Jesus’ Ministry Revealed His Messianic Identity

The Old Covenant scriptures predicted the ministry that the Messiah would have. Several chapters in the second half of Isaiah, called the Suffering Servant section, are especially relevant. Jesus referenced snippets from several verses in Isaiah to reassure John the Baptist of his Messianic identity. (Isaiah 29:18-19, 35:5-6, and 61:1)

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3  “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” 4  Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5  the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6  And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’” Matthew 11:2-6 (NLT)

Jesus, the Messianic King, went about revealing the nature of God’s kingdom by liberating captives from the kingdom of darkness.

The gospel is part of an intricately woven tapestry. A proper gospel presentation will show people how Jesus’ earthly ministry fulfilled Old Covenant prophecies.

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