“A Contagious Message” has been told in many different places and many different ways for many different years. Some have understood it while others have changed it or rejected it because of the cost being too high, or the gift too good to be true. Any way you look at it, the story of the gospel is “A Contagious Message”.
Ann Lamott in her book, “Bird by Bird” shares this story:
An eight-year-old boy had a younger sister who was dying of leukemia, and he was told that without a blood transfusion she would die. His parents explained to him that his blood was probably compatible with hers, and if so, he could be the blood donor. They asked him if they could test his blood. He said sure. So they did and it was a good match. Then they asked if he would give his sister a pint of blood, that it could be her only chance of living. He said he would have to think about it overnight.
The next day he went to his parents and said he was willing to donate the blood. So they took him to the hospital where he was put on a gurney beside his six-year-old sister. Both of them were hooked up to IVs. A nurse withdrew a pint of blood from the boy, which was then put in the girl’s IV. The boy lay on his gurney in silence while the blood dripped into his sister, until the doctor came over to see how he was doing. Then the boy opened his eyes and asked, “How soon until I start to die?”
What a picture of self-sacrificing love! We all, at one time or another, have been inspired by acts of heroic selflessness, like when a bystander risks his or her life to rescue someone who is in trouble – or the soldier who, to save the lives of his comrades, throws himself on a live grenade.
NO STORY is more moving or more powerful than that of Jesus Himself, who demonstrated His love by willingly laying down his life for the sake of his friends.
For six weeks, we’ve been talking about HOW to “Become Contagious” as we represent that Message. But we have never actually looked at THE MESSAGE ITSELF. And today we will talk about that contagious message.
We will look at 4 Key Characters: 4 Primary Players in God’s redemptive drama, and we will look at what the Bible tells us about each one, giving us a good overview of the central message of the Christian faith.
I. THE FIRST KEY CHARACTER: GOD
What is it about God that we need to understand in order to best represent the message that we represent?
3 ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
1. He is a LOVING God
John 3:16 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God’s love is not just to a certain group of individuals—it is offered to the world. God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. God’s love pursues us and tells us in so many ways that we matter to Him!
READ JOHN 6:40
2. He is a HOLY God
God is Holy which means that he is absolutely pure and separate from everything that is impure.
Psalms 93:5 (NIV)
5 Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD.
ILLUSTRATION: Billy Graham wrote about an experience that illustrates this well. He tells of a time when he was to be interviewed in his home for a well-known television program. Knowing that it would be on national television, they took great pains to make sure everything was clean and nice—including vacuuming and dusting the entire house, and going over the living room, where the interview was to take place, with a fine-tooth comb.
By the time the TV crew arrived, they felt everything was spic-and-span. But then, when the powerful television lights were turned on they could suddenly see cobwebs and dust where they had never seen them before under normal room lights!
APPLICATION: The point of Billy’s illustration is that no matter how well we clean up our lives and convince ourselves we have them in order, when we see them in the light of God’s holiness, the many cobwebs, faults, and imperfections will suddenly show up with embarrassing clarity.
3. He is a JUST God
God is LOVING, God is HOLY, and God is JUST.
James 2:13a (NKJV)
13 For judgment is without mercy…
God is like a good judge who, because of His holiness, MUST deal with our cobwebs, faults, and imperfections. God loves us and WANTS to have a relationship with us, but as the perfect judge he must demand justice fairly.
This brings us to the 2nd Key Character.
II. THE SECOND KEY CHARACTER: MANKIND
God’s holiness exposes us for what we really are - SINNERS!
READ ROMANS 6:23 (GREEN TAB – RIGHT PAGE MIDDLE))
God’s HOLINESS demands JUSTICE and that justice brings ETERNAL DAMNATION. Many REFUSE His LOVE, not Understanding their CONDITION.
ILLUSTRATION: MARK MITTELBERG, one of the authors of the Contagious Christian materials, compares it to a situation where a group of friends are having fun swimming together near a boat out in the ocean where there is a danger of drowning. Knowing the danger, you stand in the boat, throwing them a rope, and shout out to them to grab onto it—but they just laugh at you and ignore your silly rope. “The water’s warm and the swimming’s great,” they say, “why don’t you lighten up and join us!”
If, however, you first get their attention and point out the sharks that are circling the waters around them, they’ll suddenly become much more interested in your rope!
APPLICATION: The same is true with the gospel; People need to understand the hard-to-hear news about their sin and the predicament they’re in before they’ll become very interested in the solution you offer through Christ.
III. THE THIRD CHARACTER: CHRIST
The central truth of the gospel is that Christ died as our SUBSTITUTE. As GOD, He had the authority and power to devise a plan for our salvation. As MAN, He was able to execute the plan by taking upon Himself the punishment we deserved.
READ 1 PETER Peter 3:18a (FIRST BLUE TAB – RIGHT PAGE)
He did this for US – a GIFT.
“GRACE”– ‘the freely given, unmerited favor and LOVE of GOD.
Upon receiving Christ, our SIN-DEBT is paid in full! Christ becomes a BRIDGE bringing us back to God – to once again have access to the Father!
READ EPHESIANS 3:12 (SECOND BLUE – LEFT PAGE - BOTTOM)
CHRIST – a BRIDGE back to God that we can now approach with FREEDOM & CONFIDENCE! NOW He says to us, “I’ve paid your penalty. Would you trust and follow me?” - which brings us to the fourth key character …
IV. THE FOURTH KEY CHARACTER: YOU
After hearing this, we must all understand that the BALL is in YOUR court. God IS loving and has offered a way BACK TO HIM BUT EACH OF US MUST RESPOND!
FORGIVENESS IA AVAILABLE BUT NOT AUTOMATIC!
Luke 13:3b (NIV)
3 But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
We must TURN away from SIN and SELF and TURN TO JESUS by TRUSTING HIM ONLY – the process of REPENTANCE!
READ ROMANS 10:9 (NIV) (2ND YELLOW TAB – LEFT PAGE)
- we must “confess” - to “give verbal affirmation” acknowledging with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and was raised for you.
- you must “believe in your heart” – much more than recognition. To believe and to confess involves a whole-person commitment.
There are TWO parts of a single step as lifting the foot and then placing it back down bring the one act of taking a step. Many feel they are safe and ARE FOOLED because they’ve not understood the cost – they’ve only taken ONE STEP.
READ ROMANS 10:10 (NIV)
RECEIVING the gift itself is a free choice – BUT - in accepting it, one must understand IT COSTS US EVERYTHING! The process of Lordship begins a lifetime experience.
READ LUKE 14:26-27 (3RD YELLOW TAB – TOP LEFT PAGE)
I imagine that many of these casual followers considered themselves “disciples”. Jesus explained what it meant to truly be his disciple.
READ LUKE 14:28-30
APPLICATON: What Has It Cost You To FOLLOW Jesus?
-- loss of social status or wealth.
-- to give up control over your money, time, or career.
-- Some may be hated, separated from their family, and even put to death.
So what has it cost you? THERE MUST BE A COST!
QUOTE: C.T. Studd (Charles Thomas Studd): "If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
Just as one considers the cost over a career change, a marriage, and other areas of life, they must also carefully count the cost of becoming Christ’s disciple.
SUMMARY
YES, we possess something well worth ‘BECOMING CONTAGIOUS’ over, a “CONTAGIOUS MESSAGE”. As we work to become contagious to others we must take this responsibility seriously.
God – a loving, holy, and just God separated from…
Mankind – sinful, rebellious, and lost on our own.
Christ – God’s gift of grace offering a bridge to mankind – salvation.
YOU -- EVERYONE must decide what he/she will do with Jesus
1st - Make sure your position for eternity is secure! What Was/Is YOUR Response? If something regarding this message has made you nervous, don’t allow your pride to get in the way of making sure! Let’s talk and share together!
2nd - Develop a passion to Be Prepared to Share The Contagious Message! We can never assume one’s eternal security! The cost is too high!
ILLUSTRATION: NEVER ASSUME!
I read about an owner of a manufacturing plant who decided to make a surprise tour of the shop. Walking through the warehouse he noticed a young man just lazily leaning up against some packing crates with his hands in his pocket doing nothing. The boss walked up to him and angrily said, "Just how much are you paid a week?" Well, the young man’s eyes got rather big, and he said, "Three hundred bucks."
The boss pulled out his wallet, pealed off three one hundred bills, gave it to him, and said, "Here’s a week’s pay. Now get out of here and don’t ever come back" Well, without a word the young man stuffed the money into his pocket and took off. The warehouse manager was standing nearby staring in amazement. The boss walked over to him and said, "Tell me, how long has that guy been working for us?" The manager said, "He didn’t work here, he was just delivering a package."
Be Prepared! Be Available! Understand the Cost! We Possess a Message Worth being Contagious Over!
