The Gospel Message
On Sunday, I ended my message with a four word explanation of the gospel. I wanted to share it with you this week in case you missed it or didn’t get to write it down.
Law enforcement agencies made the switch from coded conversations to plain language communication. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, different police agencies found it difficult to communicate with one another. They might use the same code words to describe different realities. The church has a tendency to use coded language. Honestly, we don’t mean to do this. Humbly, we must examine our gospel witness and make adjustments. Otherwise, how will they hear?
What is the gospel message?
1. God. The Lord is the eternally triune God. God is the creator. Everything got it start from the Creator. He is worthy of worship. He is holy. Therefore, he punishes sin because sin has separated him from his creation.
2. Man. Man was created by God for a relationship with him. He was created in the image of God. Man chooses rebellion over a living relationship with the Lord. Hostility exists between holy God and sinful man.
3. Jesus Christ. Jesus is the hero of all scripture. All scripture points to him and he fulfills scripture. You cannot totally comprehend the Bible apart from him. He is fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life of grace and truth. He died on the cross in our place to bear God’s wrath for sin. He was buried and rose again defeating sin, death, hell, and Satan. He gives eternal life to all who receive him by faith.
4. Response. The gospel demands response. God calls everyone everywhere to repent of their sin that separates them from God and trust Jesus to rescue them from sin’s destruction. Those who reject God’s gracious offer will forever be without hope because they are without God.
Write these four words down. Share them with a family member or friend. It will encourage your faith. Find someone this week and give them these four words.
How will they hear if we do not preach Christ always?
You can find the small group guide here (Spirit and Truth for 10/22/17). You can also download the Message 2017 Bible Reading Guide here (The Message).
