THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

3 CIRCLE EVANGELISM

Slideshow image
THE GOSPEL
JESUS AND ONLY JESUS

THE GOSPEL MEANS GOOD NEWS

 

The gospel is the reason our church exists. We have the greatest news the world has ever received—that Jesus Christ is alive and that we no longer have fear of death. Those who believe in him can have eternal life with him forever. 

 
 
 

CREATION

 

In the beginning, God created the world. When he created it, it was good. He created fish and animals, trees and flowers, stars and planets. But the best part of his creation, the one thing he created in his own image, were man and woman. He knew them, and he loved them. But humans disobeyed God, they departed from him, and as a result, they hated God. Their relationship was shattered.

 
 
  

OUR SIN

 

The Scriptures explain that all of mankind has a serious problem, and it is that we are sinners against God and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). You see, the purpose of all of creation is to glorify God, and man as God’s chief creation is to worship and enjoy Him forever (Revelation 4:11).

 

We exist to magnify and glorify God, but our sin, which is a violation of God’s law (e.g. lying, hatred, stealing, immoral thoughts, etc.), separates us from God who is holy and just (I John 3:4, Isaiah 59:2).

 

 

 

GOD’S LOVE

 

God relentlessly pursued humanity, and pursued them, and pursued them. And humans rejected him, and rejected him, and rejected him. The result of humanity’s disobedience and sin, was death. They were set to be punished for what they did and spend an eternity apart from the God who loved them. Yet, God loved them so much that he sent his only son—who is also fully God—to take the punishment for us so that we could enjoy a full and lasting relationship with our creator.

 

GOD’S GRACE

The Bible says that this was a gift of God, that he saved us while we were still sinners, that the evidence of God’s love, was his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to the earth, God became man, and he lived a perfect life. He was later punished for a crime he didn’t commit and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. He died and was buried in a tomb that had an enormous stone placed over the entrance. Yet three days after he was put on the cross and died, he rose from the dead! Think about that for a second. Jesus rose from the dead. Death has absolutely no hold over him. He proclaimed victory over death and over sin and bridged the gap between God and humanity.

 
 
 

OUR REPENTANCE

 

Since we are born sinners (Psalm 52:5), we stand condemned already in our guilt and spiritual deadness (John 3:18). Yet in God’s perfect holiness––and this is the good news––God has, in His good pleasure, made a way for sinners to be reconciled to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 5:14-21, John 3:16-17). Jesus Christ, God’s Son came to earth, was born of a virgin, died on the cross, and rose again three days later from the grave, breaking the power of sin and death. While on the cross, Jesus stood condemned before a righteous and holy God and absorbed the wrath of God that was due us. He absorbed the penalty of God’s full wrath and died for the sins of His people. 

 

The whole world is commanded to repent of their sin and to believe the Biblical gospel (Acts 3:19, Luke 24:47, Acts 17:30, Ezekiel 18:30-32, Matthew 3:2, Acts 20:21). The gospel, to them that believe, is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16, I Corinthians 1:18). 

God created and owns everything, including you (Genesis 1:1, Psalm 24:1). God is perfectly holy (Matthew 5:48). God desires your obedience to His law (James 2:10). You have broken God’s law (Romans 3:10; 23). You will pay the eternal penalty for your sin (Romans 6:23). You cannot save yourself by your good works (Titus 3:5). Christ came to earth as both God and sinless man (Colossians 2:9). Christ demonstrated His love by dying on the cross to pay sin’s penalty (Romans 5:8; II Corinthians 5:21). Christ rose from the grave and is alive today (I Corinthians 15:4). You must repent of all that dishonors God (Isaiah 55:7; Luke 9:23). You must believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, and be willing to follow after Him (Romans 10:9).

 
 
 

 

SANTIFICATION

Now all that we have to receive eternal life and have our relationship restored to God is to believe in Jesus Christ. To believe that God became man, died on a cross, and rose from the grave three days later. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him, shall not die, but have everlasting life.” God meets us where we are at but loves us too much to leave us there. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are convicted and in pure surrender to what God has given and what Jesus has done, we   have life transformation not just behavior modification. Through sanctification, we become more like Jesus in our heart, mind, strength and soul. Looking to the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to be our guide and our example for living. 

JESUS IS THE POWER