The Power of the Gospel
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(Romans 1:16 NIV)
May 18, 1980. You might remember that on that day there was an incredible explosion which was estimated at 500 times more powerful than the force of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. This explosion was so powerful that it ripped 1,200 feet off the top of a 9,700 foot volcano known as Mount St. Helens.
Although the mountain had been dormant for 123 years, within minutes incredible power was unleashed. Thousands of tons of volcanic ash were thrust into the atmosphere. The cloud of ash literally turned day into night in the surrounding communities. They were virtually immobilized as from 4 to 6 inches of the powdery substance fell like a winter snowstorm. What was once considered prime hunting and fishing country was decimated. Sports Illustrated reported that 26 lakes, 154 miles of trout streams, and 195 square miles of wildlife habitat were destroyed. Powerful.
But Mount St. Helens was not powerful compared to another volcano which erupted in 1883. Mount Krakatoa, in Indonesia, erupted with a force that was equal to 30 hydrogen bombs. The power from Mount St. Helens was estimated at 500 atomic bombs. One hydrogen bomb is equal to 1,000 atomic bombs. So, Mount Krakatoa was equal to 30,000 atomic bombs. Mount Krakatoa was 60 times more powerful than Mount St. Helens. During the eruption of Mount Krakatoa, tidal waves killed 36,000 people in Java and Sumatra, and a cloud of ash cooled the earth's climate for almost two years.
What we have seen in natural eruptions of power is but a small example of greater forces at work in the universe. From the time when dynamite was first produced in 1867 by Alfred Nobel until the time of the discovery of the power contained in the atom, we have learned much. But all that knowledge combined only gives us a clue to what the real power behind this universe is like.
The truth is that we haven't begun to comprehend the limitless power of God. Today, we celebrate a display of His power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This power is not destructive power as in an earthquake or the eruption of a volcano. It is creative power. And it may be unlike any power you have ever experienced.
This power culminating in Christ's resurrection has immense implications for us today. One of its implications is that the power that enabled Christ to rise from the dead can impact our lives as well. And if there is a power like that available to us, it would be a tragedy not to be aware of it.
Resurrection Power
The resurrection of Christ, which we celebrate every Easter, is the fundamental issue upon which Christianity either rises or falls. Our faith is based on it.
Romans 1:4 says that Jesus "was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead." The power of God demonstrated in Christ's resurrection is the key issue of Christianity. If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then He was a fake, what he said was not true, and we might as well believe something else. The apostle Paul said without the reality of the resurrection, our preaching is vain, and our faith is vain. If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then we are believing a lie. The validity of Christianity rises or falls on the veracity of the resurrection. The truth of Christianity is verified by God's power.
To many, we Christians make an amazing claim. We believe that Christianity is the only true way to God. Some think we are quite arrogant to make such a claim. But we do not make that claim out of arrogance; we make it out of assurance. Our assurance comes from the evidence of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It is this resurrection that sets Him apart from all others. Many have come before Christ, and some have come after. But only Christ has died and come back to life by the power of God.
The resurrection power demonstrated on that first Easter was simply the culmination of the plan of God for the redemption of this world. In fact, the entire life of Christ was a demonstration of the power of God. We see the power of God in his birth. A virgin conceived by the supernatural power of God. By this supernatural power of God we see a sinless man brought into the world. We also see the supernatural power of God as Jesus stretched forth His hands to heal. He opened blind eyes, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, and raised the dead by the supernatural power of God. As he went to the Cross, we see the power of God manifested. His suffering and death was a dramatic demonstration of God's power working in Him. On the third day, God reached down from heaven, and rolled away the stone, and Christ rose from the dead. This is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. This is why we say that Christianity is the only true way to God.
When we see what God did by His mighty power in the resurrection of Christ, something begins to stir in us. Such a power in this universe cannot help but capture our fascination. What would it be like to experience that power for ourselves? How would such a power touching our lives revolutionize our existence? What would it be like to know such a power on a personal and intimate level? The apostle Paul was caught up in these same emotions when he said in Philippians 3:10, "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection." We, like Paul, not only want but need to experience that power. And the implication of Christ's resurrection is that we can.
Gospel Power
Because the power of God was manifested in the resurrection of Christ, we can have confidence in the power of Jesus to save us. This is why Paul could speak of the gospel as the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Because of that first Easter we can know that there is power in the message of the gospel - power to save us from our sins. It is the power of God.
Human power is limited. A 747 was halfway across the Atlantic when the captain got on the loudspeaker: "Attention, passengers. We have lost one of our engines, but we can certainly reach London with the three we have left. Unfortunately, we will arrive an hour late as a result." An hour later the captain made another announcement: "Sorry, but we lost another engine. Still, we can travel on two. I'm afraid we will now arrive two hours late." Shortly thereafter, the passengers heard the captain's voice again: "Guess what, folks. We just lost our third engine, but please be assured we can fly with only one. We will now arrive in London three hours late." At this point, one passenger became furious. He shouted, "If we lose another engine, we'll be up here all night!" Even the mightiest power man can devise pales in comparison with the power of God.
If God could bring Jesus Christ back from the dead, He can certainly deal with our sins, although it is a mighty task.
That great English preacher of the last century, C. H. Spurgeon, said, “In the deepest sense, it is indeed a work to convert a soul. If Niagara could suddenly be made to leap upward instead of forever dashing downward from its rocky height, it were not such a miracle as to change the perverse will and raging passions of men. To wash the Ethiop white, or remove the leopard's spots, is proverbially a difficulty, yet these are but surface works; to renew the very core of manhood, and tear sin from its hold upon man's heart, this is not alone the finger of God, but the bearing of his arm. Conversion is a work comparable to the making of a world. . . . It is a work indeed. The labors of Hercules were but trifles compared with this; to slay lions and hydras, and cleanse Augean stables-all this is child's play compared with renewing a right spirit in the fallen nature of man."
God is at work where the message of the Gospel is preached. It is His message concerning His Son and the salvation He purchased on our behalf. It goes forth in His power.
Notice several important truths about this Gospel. First, notice the personality of the Gospel. The Gospel centers in a person. It is the good news about Jesus Christ. It tells the story of the mission and work of Jesus Christ in dying on the Cross to save us from our sins.
We read in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Now aI make known to you, brethren, the bgospel which I preached to you, which also you received, cin which also you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, aif you hold fast 1the word which I preached to you, bunless you believed in vain.
3 For aI delivered to you 1as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died bfor our sins caccording to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was araised on the third day baccording to the Scriptures,
We can come to know Him personally. The powerful good news of God is that we can be redeemed. Our sins can be forgiven. Our hearts can be changed. We can be made right with God. And it all centers in a person - Jesus Christ our Lord. And, we can come to know Him personally.
Our text describes it as “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” The Gospel is practical because it does something about our sins. What we need is salvation. We are unable to change our own hearts and without God's intervention we are without hope.
You can see this truth lived out everywhere around you today. There are many people today who live lives of quiet desperation. They’re hopeless. Without God, there is no hope for humankind. So, the good news gives us practical hope that our sins can be dealt with. We can be given a new beginning. But more than a new beginning, we can be given the power to live our lives differently from now on. This is what salvation is all about.
Notice also the reach of the Gospel. It is for everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. No person is too sinful. No person is beyond His reach. No person is beyond the power of God to save.
There is no barrier artificially erected. The Gospel is for the educated and the uneducated. The Gospel is also for people of all races. African, Asian, Slavic, European, American - it makes no difference to God. You may be morally good or morally bad, but without Christ you are lost. And if you are lost, you are a candidate for God's salvation. The power of the Gospel reaches to you.
And finally, notice the responsibility of the Gospel. It is for everyone who believes. It is the responsibility of people to put their faith in Christ. The Gospel is a call to believe in Christ. That is our responsibility. That is our duty before God.
Now, the Gospel is not a message of good works. It is a mistake to believe that we can do enough good works to earn God's favor. The Gospel is about the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Our responsibility is not to do good things and trust in those, but to trust in what Christ has done. So, when I say that our responsibility is to believe, what I mean is that we must cast ourselves on the mercy of God. We must surrender to Christ. We must put our trust in Him and Him alone. And if we do, then we will receive the salvation of God by the power of God.
(This sermon was built with the assistance of a sermon series by Dr. D. Hoke)
