The Gospel: Good News Revealed By God

SERMON OUTLINE

(1). The Runner (vs 1-5)

(2). The Steward (vs 6-10)

(3). The Watchman (vs 11-13)

(4). The Destroyer (vs 14-21)

SERMON BODY:

Ill

• George Whitefield, also spelled Whitfield,

• May have been the most well-known religious figure;

• Of the eighteenth-century English-speaking world.

• In a little less than thirty-four years of ministry,

• It is estimated that Whitefield preached eighteen thousand sermons,

• And was heard by as many as ten million people.

• He carried on an extensive preaching ministry in England, Ireland, and Wales,

• As well as making fourteen trips to Scotland and seven trips to the American Colonies.

• Quote: One of my favourite Whitefield quotes is:

• “Other men may preach the Gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel.”

• Wow! That is good!

Now, ministry was not always easy for Whitefield:

• He often faced misunderstanding;

• And even opposition from the established Church,

• One of the revolutionary things he did was to preach in the open air,

• We take that for granted today, but in his times is was revolutionary.

• He began his open-air services among the mining community;

• And those who would not normally come to Church.

• George Whitefield’s ministry also crossed denominational lines;

• As he was willing to preach the gospel in an uncompromising way,

• To any group that would have him.

• George Whitefield kept up a nearly unbelievable pace,

• Speaking in public about one thousand times a year for thirty years.

• He loved to preach, and one biographer wrote of him,

• (Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, 2:522).

“His whole life may be said to have been consumed in the delivery of one continuous, or scarcely interrupted sermon”

• Quote: Let me give you one of my favourite Whitefield quotes again:

• “Other men may preach the Gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel.”

• TRANSITION:

• I think the apostle Paul would give a hearty ‘Amen!’ to that quotation.

• Like Whitefield, the apostle Paul also had a passion for the gospel,

• And was at times radical in the way he went about sharing it.

• And like Whitefield he too experienced misunderstanding and opposition.

Note: The key themes in the first two chapters are often summarised as:

• Chapter 1 deals with the fact:

• That Paul’s apostleship came from God – not from men.

• Chapter 2 deals with the fact:

• That Paul’s gospel came from God – not from men.

• If you scan these verses, you will notice they contain four-word pictures.

• There are four images, four metaphors,

• That will help us get to grips with an overview of this chapter.

(1). The Runner (vs 1-5).

“Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not RUNNING and had not been RUNNING NY RACE in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you”

Ill:

• When my friends daughter was about three,

• He tucked her up into bed and asked what she would like to pray about.

• Straight away she replied, “Onions."

• The dad then asked his girl, “Why she wanted to pray about onions.”

• She replied:

• "Because last week the preacher said we should pray for things we don’t like."

• When it comes to running or exercise,

• Some folks just don’t like to do it!

• In sport there is an expression, “No pain, no gain”

• I have a friend who does no exercise and if you ask him why,

• He replies, “No pain, no pain!”

• TRANSITION: The apostle Paul uses running as an illustration,

• The point he makes is this;

• When he runs he runs to win! He does not run in vain!

• He compares running to his ministry;

• And he says his ministry had purpose and direction and achieved something.

• His desire was this Church would also run in the right direction,

• Until they finished their race.

• But there were others false teachers who were trying to detour them.

• And if they were successful,