INTRO.- The word “gospel” means glad tidings or good news!
Good news! Know some? Heard any lately? Good news seems to be few and far between these days what with the poor economy, high gas prices, unemployment, decent jobs hard to find, falling housing market, etc.
ILL.- A farmer went into his banker and announced that he had bad news and good news. "First, the bad news...""Well," said the farmer, "I can't make my mortgage payments. And that crop loan I've taken out for the past 10 years -- I can't pay that off, either. Not only that, I won't be able to pay you the couple of hundred thousand I still have outstanding on my tractors and other equipment. So I'm going to have to give up the farm and turn it all over to you for whatever you can salvage out of it.
"Silence prevailed for a minute and then the banker said ,"What's the good news?" "The good news is that I'm going to keep on banking with you," said the farmer.
Is there any good news in our world or country today? Well, yes, you may have to look hard to find it. It depends on what you’re talking about whether national news or personal news.
ILL.- It’s like the lady who had a pain in her side and went to her doctor. He said that she had appendicitis and needed an operation. She decided to get a second opinion from another doctor who said she had some heart problems. She said, “I’m going back to my first doctor. I’d rather have appendicitis than heart problems.” Of course, as we know when we age, sometimes we don’t always get “good news” from our doctors.
But there is some good news in our world.
Luke 2:8-11 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
Acts 5:42 “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”
Acts 8:12 “But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
Acts 8:35 “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”
Acts 17:18 “A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.”
Here is the good news in Jesus.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
PROP.- Let’s consider several different looks at this “good news” gospel.
1- It’s the gospel of the apostles
2- It’s the gospel of the prophets
3- It’s the gospel of the Son
I. IT’S THE GOSPEL OF THE APOSTLES
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.
ILL.- Did you ever see the 1997 movie entitled, “The Apostle” starring Robert Duvall as the preacher/apostle? Here’s a short take on that movie.
Eulis 'Sonny' Dewey is a preacher from Texas living a happy life with his beautiful wife Jessie. Suddenly his stable world crumbles: Jessie is having an affair with young minister Horace. Sonny gets enraged and hits Horace with a softball bat, putting him into a coma. After that he leaves town, takes a new name, 'Apostle E.F.' and goes to Louisiana. There he starts to work as a mechanic for local radio station owner Elmo, and Elmo lets him preach on the radio. E.F. starts to preach everywhere: on the radio, on the streets, and with his new friend, Reverend Blackwell he starts a campaign to renovate an old church.
It was pretty good movie, in the sense that Duvall played his part well, but his life was not what I’d call the life of a true apostle. In the first place, he was never qualified to be an apostle just like preachers today who might call themselves apostles of Christ. In the second place, Duvall did not live the Christian life. You just don’t go around beating up people with a ball bat. You may want to, but you don’t do that. You don’t give in to your sinful nature to that extent. Maybe to a lesser extent we do, however. In the strictest sense of the word “apostle,” there are none today. In the broader sense of the word we all could be apostles.
The word “apostle” means “one sent.” Or one set apart. In the strictest sense of the word there were only 12 apostles who were set apart for a special ministry. But we, too, are sent into this world by the great commission. Of course, I wouldn’t go around calling myself an apostle because someone might call you on it!
Matthew 10:1-10 1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Does this sound like you would have wanted to be an apostle? Heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons, etc.???
There have been a few times when I wished I could have performed some of these miraculous things, but of course, we all realize who actually performs miracles! It’s not the preacher or the apostle, but the God of heaven! He may work through us to do good in this world, but He is the power in us and to Him belongs the glory, the honor, the praise!
The original 12 apostles received this commission: As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
What kingdom was near? The kingdom on earth perhaps. And we know that the kingdom of God is here on earth, right now. It’s the church and people need to be a part of the kingdom! How so? By believing in the Lord Jesus and surrendering to His will. Repent. Repent and be baptized. Trust and obey. We need to be out selling the good news of the gospel to people, any time, any place, etc.
II. IT’S THE GOSPEL OF THE PROPHETS
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
Hey, I’m a prophet. Are you? How so? What did the OT prophets do? They were both forth-tellers and foretellers! Some prophets could both foretell the future and they preached “forth” the message of God.
The forth-tellers gave warnings, rebukes, promises and exhortations. The fore-tellers were prognosticators who told of future events. The term “prophecy,” however, is generally used with reference to fore-telling or prognostications of future events.
ILL.- It’s kind of like that 90 year old preacher/prophet from San Francisco, CA, who set the time for Jesus to return to earth and missed it several times. Harold Camping, convinced thousands of followers that the world would end on May 21, 2011.
He is quoted on March 8, 2012 as saying: "We realize that many people are hoping they will know the date of Christ's return. We humbly acknowledge we were wrong about the timing."
But this wasn’t the first time that Camping was wrong. He had previously predicted judgment days on May 21, 1988, and September 6, 1994. I think perhaps he has given up trying to predict the time even though we know that the Lord has promised He will come back!
Harold Camping’s credentials of being a prophet of God sort of went down the drain. The OT prophets of God were “right on” in their predictions. That’s how you could tell they were a true prophet of God.
Deut. 18:21-22 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Are there prophets today? There may be but I don’t know of any. Not in the sense of being fore-tellers of future events. I know there are many preachers today who CLAIM to be fore-tellers of the future, but time will tell.
Yes, there are plenty of the prophets today who are forth-tellers of God’s Word. In a sense, that’s what I am whenever I preach God’s Word. That’s what you are when you teach God’s Word. But we are not prophets in the strictest sense of the Word, nor do I make any claim to be.
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. God promised through His OT prophets that the gospel was coming, that Jesus the Messiah was coming and He would save people from their sins!
That was God’s plan. God is a planner. Someone said that the plan will work if we work the plan. And I would say that God’s plan has worked very well and will continue to do so.
We’re in sales. He’s management. We just need to go along with our manager and do as He asks. Here’s the best advice for those who claim to be prophets of God today.
II Timothy 4:1-5 1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
III. IT’S THE GOSPEL OF THE SON
3 Regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. The gospel is all about Jesus. It’s about His life, His death and His resurrection from the dead.
ILL.- A rookie police officer was out for his first ride in a cruiser with an experienced partner. A call came in telling them to disperse some people who were loitering. The officers drove to the street and observed a small crowd standing on a corner.
The rookie rolled down his window and said, "Let's get off the corner people."
A few glances, but no one moved, so he barked again, "Let's get off that corner... NOW!" Intimidated, the group of people began to leave, casting puzzled stares in his direction. Proud of his first official act, the young policeman turned to his partner and asked, "Well, how did I do?" Pretty good," chuckled the vet, "especially since this is a bus stop."
Jesus was no rookie Savior. He had all the right credentials and did all the right things in His life and ministry. We may “blow it” at times in our various ministries or areas of service, but Jesus did everything right in carrying out the will of His heavenly Father.
Through the Spirit of holiness Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus exhibited power on earth. He exhibited the power of God, but probably not the kind of power most people think of. Jesus exhibited power by being a servant and by purposely lowering Himself to others. Jesus was always willing to lower Himself in order to love others and minister to them. He did things that most people would not do.
He not only calmed the seas but also the hearts of people. Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom. He called His disciples to become fishers of men. He healed the sick, the leprous, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, the demon possessed, and raised the dead. He forgave sins. The woman caught in adultery. The paralytic. He fed the multitudes. He fed people the spiritual truths of God. He blessed the children. He associated with the outcasts and sinners. You name it and Jesus did it right.
Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
Jesus was no rookie Savior! He was the real deal, the son of the living God. He was and is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world!
The gospel is indeed the gospel of Jesus Christ! We love good news, and Jesus is the greatest good news this world has ever heard! Because of His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead we have the promise of eternal life! IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER? Is there a better promise?
CONCLUSION--------------------
ILL.- I read online that a teenager in Scotland who was told to clean his room last month discovered more than just dirty socks: He found 12 lottery tickets, among them, a winner.
Winning the lottery sounds good to many people, especially, if it’s a big win like that 81 year old lady from Rhode Island who won $336.4 million on March 6, 2012, and took home a one-lump sum of $210 million, BUT THERE’S SOMETHING BETTER!
All the money in the world cannot be compared to what’s coming for us in the next life and it’s all because of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Praise His name!
