Sharing The Good News

If you use any or all of this message--would you be willing to fire off a quick email to:pastorjerryvargo@juno.com? I would like to have an idea of how often my sermons are actually being preached to strengthen the Body of Christ. Thanks!

Sharing the Good News!

Calvary Christian Chapel

Pastor Jerry C. Vargo

I. Introduction.

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. And he spoke and said to those who were standing before him saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”

Zechariah 3:1-4

A. I’m so glad that I have been plucked from the fire!

B. I’m so glad that my filthy rags have been removed!

C. I’m so glad that my iniquity has been taken away!

D. I’m so glad that I’m now clothed with festal robes!

E. But the real question is this: Am I glad enough to tell others? Are you?

F. This morning, I want to talk about God’s plan for His church!

II. Body.

A. Listen to John 3:16-17:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”

B. This is the central purpose of God…to love the world. How does God love the world? He loves the world through us!

C. Everything flows out of this purpose. There can be no discipleship without sharing the good news. No worship, no fellowship, no true stewardship, no true prayer…nothing happens without sharing the good news.

D. I’m reminded of the important words of Jesus in John 14:12:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.”

D. If this is true, then when Isaiah prophesied about Jesus in Isaiah 61…it also applied to us.

E. Go there…and let me explain. TEXT: Isaiah 61:1-3 (There has been some disagreement about this text…as to who Isaiah was talking about).

F. My goal today is to shatter the notion that sharing the good news is just about preaching a canned presentation of the way of the cross.

G. Much more is involved. If we are to be the church that God has called us to be, then we must be people who love people. John Maxwell captured this idea when he said:

“People don’t care how much you know, till they know how much you care.”

H. If you are “In Christ,” then you are equipped to share the good news.

I. Briefly, let me mention some very simple principles about sharing the good news.

1. It is ALWAYS God’s work through us!

A. Listen to Isaiah 61:1a again. What awesome words.

B. It is God upon us that can make all the difference. We have exchanged our old rags…with His bright clean new linens.

C. My attempt to share the good news without His Spirit upon me is really very useless.

D. This is why we need the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8.

E. So, we must remember that it is always His work through us. We are not responsible for the outcome…we are just responsible to share!

F. Notice also the next part of the verse 1b. Why is the Spirit of the Lord upon us? Because He has anointed us.

G. He has rubbed us with the oil of His Spirit. This simply means that whatever He has called you to do…He will equip you for that task.

H. Remember, it is ALWAYS God’s work through us…Why? Because He has empowered us with His Spirit and He has equipped us for the task.

2. Sharing the Good News involves many elements.

A. I said a few minutes ago that my goal was to shatter the notion that sharing the good news is just about preaching a canned presentation of the way of the cross.

B. Isaiah 61:1-2 gives us many ways to share the good news.

1) Bring good news to the afflicted.

a. The words “good news” carries the idea of bringing “fresh news.”

b. The afflicted are those who are depressed. Those whose circumstances are pressing in on them.