The Good News (Part 2)
“God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.” Romans 1:2
Intro: Last week’s sermon was on the Good News in book of Romans. We focused on three people in church history whose lives were changed by the writings of Paul in the book of Romans and how those three went on to transform the world and the church as we know it. St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Wesley. We talked about how the Good News of the Book of Romans changes and transforms me and you.
Today we are going to look the positive influence we can have on others because of the Good News of Romans and how that gives us the ability, the talent, the skill and the courage to obey the “Great Commission” of making disciples as we share and witness our faith in Jesus Christ. Let’s begin as we think about what prompted the Letter to the Romans to be written in the first place?
The apostle Paul spent ten years from 47 AD to 57 AD in intensive evangelism and discipleship in the territories bordering the Aegean Sea in what is today modern Greece and Turkey. During those years he systematically, with a well thought out planning concentrated his mission work on the Roman provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia. Along the main roads of these provinces and in their principal cities. Paul preached the gospel and planted churches. Paul took the last words of Jesus serious. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
This is still the mission and purpose of the church today. Google United Methodist Church Mission and you find. “The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” And a very similar mission statement for Southern Baptist on the Great Commission.
So Paul wrote the Book of Romans to tell us about his efforts of evangelism and encourage the churches to continue the work of sharing the Good News. New faith community were planted in Iconium, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth and Ephesus and churches in many other cities around those four provinces.
Then he left behind spiritual leaders and Elders. Of course under the direction of the Holy Spirit to do the work of discipleship, the work of teaching and training of how to be a follower of Jesus Christ and then grow in faith to become mature enough to also share the gospel of the Good News to others.
Even though the apostle Paul had completed three missionary journeys during the ten years from 47 to 57 AD, his work was by no means finished. During the winter of 56-57 AD, while on the last part of his third (and final) missionary journey, Paul spent time in Corinth at the home of his friend and new convert Gaius, he looked forward to a visit which had to be paid to Jerusalem in the immediate future.
You probably have already heard the old joke. “Why was the racehorse named Bad News?
Because “BAD NEWS” travels fast!”
Bad news spreads fast because it is a curiosity, gossip, drama. But there is power in “Good News.” Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes:” The term “Judeao-Christian has been used since the 1950’s to emphasis commonality between Jews and Christians. (And in recent years even to stress a common Abrahamic heritage between Muslins and Christians) But here Paul give the term its early big push in teaching Jews and Gentiles the Gospel.
Let’s take a quick look at what Good News does.
I. Good News is a Release for the Human Heart.
The basic element of Christian faith is to worship and praise God. Every believer is therefore Christ-centered and drawn to share the Good News of Jesus during worship. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
We publish that we belong to Christ. We share that we are a new person. We discard the old life. We begin to live the new life that has begun. The Holy Spirit reforms, recreates, restores that image of God that was once broken by sin. Great joy takes place in heaven when just one person turns from sin to the Saviour, Jesus Christ. The bible teaches us that even the angels in Heaven rejoice and celebrate in Luke 15:10.
This week I was in London at a New Faith Communities Leadership Team meeting. We heard reports on four new ministries that are starting in the District including “ReJoice” Williamsburg. The London Connect new faith community has relocated to the old Dollar General Store building on South Laurel Road. It is right beside “Save A Lot” so they are already using the pun that they expect to Save A Lot of Souls.”
We closed the meeting celebrating the Good News of the four new ministry starts. And just as the meeting was over a man walks in the door and asks, “Is this a church?” Al l the pastors looked around at each other in surprise. The Lead Pastor of Connect Shannon went back and introduced himself to a man, who I will call “John,” and they began to talk. They were kinda blocking the front exit of the doors so, the rest of us stood around talking quietly. Until we notice that both Shannon and the John fell to their knees and began praying. Within moments we had all formed a circle and began placing our hands on Shannon and John praying for repentance, and deliverance, and salvation.
As the prayers ended and I opened my eyes I saw the floor was literally wet with tears where John had cried out in anguish to God for forgiveness. John was in boot camp on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center Towers were struck. He was among some of the first newly trained Marines to be deployed to Iraq. John was a sniper. His job was to kill his target at any cost. He shared that he had been given a badge of honor for achieving his objectives. But he was ashamed that in the line of duty. There is term in the military called collateral damage. Non-combatants that are in the line of fire or who are wounded or killed accidentally or unintentionally. It was for those people who John had the most difficulty getting forgiveness. There is often post-traumatic stress in the life of people who return from service in the military. John is going to need a lot of help reform, be recreated, to be restored. But I believe that God put London Connect in that shopping center on South Laurel highway and our meeting on Thursday night when there is not usually any meetings at the church and us and John together at the right place and the right time. One person said, “John welcome to God’s family.”
Friends, there are hundreds of people like John within just a few miles of this church. I am not talking about snipers or Marines. I am talking about the lost who are so confused because of poverty, and not having a job that pays a living wage. Or they are living in an abusive relationship that they can’t get out of because they have nowhere else to go. Or they are addicted to some bad habit. Or maybe they have just never really been at the right place at the right time to be introduced to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the one and only Higher Power! Jesus Christ is the one and only Higher Power! Today in this very worship service I can guarantee you without any doubt there are people here today who need to hear the Good News. The Good News is a release for the human heart.
II. The Good News Yields Freedom from guilt.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1
You are guilty. The first step to healing is realizing you are no better than anybody else. You are not better than the person who sits around you. There are no big sins and little sin. There is just sin. Because we are all human we repeatedly break the Holy Word of God. And without forgiveness through Jesus Christ we have no hope at all. Try as hard as we might to understand this we often misunderstand this simple truth.
Two hunters were taking a hunter safety training class. During the course they were told that if they were ever out in the field hunting. And if they got lost, or turned around or injured And needed help the universal signal that a hunter needed help was to fire three shots up into the air. So sure enough, on their first trip hunting. They got lost. One of the men twisted his ankle and was having a difficult time walking. So they decided to call for help. One of the hunter’s shot three times up into the air.
An hour later there was no help. So they talked and decided to try again. So they shot three times up into the air.
Another hour went by and still no sign of help. So they talked and decided to try again.
One hunter said to the other this better work this time because this is my last three arrows.
We can have the best of training and still misunderstand. We can have the best of intentions and still get it wrong.
Paul teaches that first we are accountable to Christ. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That is the Good News!
Second, knowing that I have sinned and that I need the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, I now turn from my sins and trust in Jesus Christ for my eternal life to forgive me and deliverer me from the grips of sin’s power. So the Book of Romans explains how Paul’s first mission is evangelism. That is getting people saved. Then second is his connecting those new believers to small groups of other Christians called the Church who are not only holding up the accountability to Christ but also hold one another accountable in small groups the Church.
Imagine it is a sunny day and you head out to the beach for a swim. You plunge into the water and just as you come up you notice a sign that says: No Swimming Sharks!” Your day is ruined. Is it the signs fault. We are glad the sign is there to warn us. We are thankful for the person who put up the sign. But the sign doesn’t get rid of the sharks. Somebody has to put up the sign. You have to see the sign. You have to read the sign. You have to believe the sign. Then you have to obey the sign. Just like the Good News doesn’t get rid of sin. Because we are all human and of the flesh and sold by the bondage of sin. We are at war with the flesh and the flesh is at war with the spirit. Oh wretched, heartbroken, miserable people we are.
But hear the Good News of Romans 7:25 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. The Good News is that God forgives. God forgives all manner of sins! What would you have said to John the sniper? Could you have shared the Good News of God’s real victory over sin. All of us there Thursday night proclaimed the Good News to John. Not guilty! Set free! No longer condemned! Welcome to the family of God.
III. The Good News Produces Something Meaningful.
Sin is a trap. Life becomes an endless cycle of pain and hurt, and hurting and pain. The result is futility and despair resulting from the bad news. Sin may be fun for a moment. Sin may be enjoyable for a season. But after a little time sin makes people miserable. But the Apostle Paul preaches to the Romans chapter 15 The Gospel has overcome sin. The Gospel has broken the power of bad habits. The Gospel removes guilt. The Gospel replaces fear with love. The Greek word for Gospel means “Good News.”
In other words it is the Gospel that produces something meaningful in life. But somebody has to tell the Good News. You have to open your eyes and heart to see it. You have to open your ears and soul to hear it. You start to believe and then you have to follow and obey.
Sin is not something meaningful in life. Oh, there are a few people who go around showing theirself and bragging about their sin. But for the most part sin is not something people brag about. It is not something people put on a resume for a job. It is not impressive or carries much weight even in a sinful society. Sin produces nothing meaningful. But the Gospel, the Good News on the other hand. That produces something important. The cross is something that carries a lot of weight. The empty tomb has a significant effect on the world. In fact can we all agree that it has changed who we are? It has produced something meaningful in my life and your life. Something so big and so good that we just can’t help but share it and talk about it. Let’s talk about the Good News more than any other news. Let’s share the Gospel more than anything else. Wouldn’t it be great if your next conversation could include the words, “Welcome to God’s family.”
The Good News is a Release for the Human Heart. The Good News Yields Freedom from Guilt. The Good News Produces Something Meaningful. Let us prayer.
