EXPANDING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPEL

 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

                My wife and I recently took a trip to North Carolina to visit my parents. Several times along the way I saw a small sign attached to a power poll that simply said “Jesus saves”. I understand the intent of this signs, but I had to wonder if most people do. In our secular culture today, the idea that Jesus saves seems to be passe and meaningless. Most people don’t feel any need to be saved. They rightly ask, what do I need to be saved from? To just state that Jesus saves leaves the Gospel hanging in a vacuum.

                If the Gospel is good news, and it is, then what makes it good news? I think the Gospel needs to be understood in three parts, which are outlined in the Great Commission. We are saved from something. We are saved to something. We are saved for something.

                The first component of the Gospel is the hardest to communicate today. The Gospel holds up a mirror and shows us that we are slaves to sin. The problem is that most people today don’t believe in sin. Sin is an archaic word that has been disregarded by our society in general. In a world that negates the idea of any ultimate authority, let alone God, sin become irrelevant. Today, people don’t sin, they make bad choices.

                Yet the Bible is very clear that sin is a reality. Coming to grips with the reality of sin is the first step in understanding the good news of the Gospel. It is similar to receiving a diagnosis of cancer. Until I know about the cancer, I will not do anything about it. But once I know, I can take action. Sin is spiritual cancer. Most people feel its affects but don’t take them seriously or understand what they point to. In one way or another, we are all slaves to sin. Sin dominates our lives. It shapes the way we view ourselves and one another. It shapes our actions, and yet does this so subtly that we do not recognize its influence.

                The effects of sin are all around us; broken relationships, anger, bitterness, strife, war, abuse. All of these things are signs that we live in a broken world that has lost its bearings. God created the world to operate in a certain way according to His design. When we disregard God’s design and try to live our lives differently, we face the consequences and that is what sin does and is. Sin is rebellion against God’s design. As Paul writes in Romans 3:23-24, …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

                The good news of the Gospel is that we can be saved from our sin. We can be saved from our selfish, self-destructive lifestyle. We can be saved from our open rebellion against God. We can be saved from the brokenness of our world. The good news is that there is a cure for this spiritual cancer. Recognizing that sin has the upper hand in our life and desiring to be free from its tyranny is the first step to receiving the Gospel.

                But the Gospel doesn’t leave us in a vacuum. We are saved to something. This something is first a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Gospel reconnects us with our creator in an intimate and personal way. The Bible tells us that we literally become God’s children. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1 (NIV) Our new relationship with God comes with enormous benefits both now and in the future. We have access to the resources of God to help us face all of the challenges of this life. In addition we have a heavenly inheritance that we will enjoy for all of eternity.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:3-7 (NIV)

                But there is something else we have been saved to and that is a community of faith. The Bible calls this the Body our Christ. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV) We are not left to figure out this new life in Christ all alone. Instead, we are incorporated into a genuine community. A community committed to Christ and moving in the same direction. As a part of this community, we gain a genuine sense of belonging. At its best, we are embraced, supported, and encouraged by one another. Unfortunately, we don’t always live up to the ideal, but even in our flawed state we can experience the benefits of belonging.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

                There is a third aspect of why the Gospel is good news. We are saved for something. When we place our faith in Christ and become incorporated into His body, we gain a new sense of purpose in life. We are saved to fulfill God’s plan and purpose in the world. Most people want to be part of something that really matters. We don’t want our lives to be wasted on meaningless things. God offers us the opportunity to be a part of something that not only matters for now, but also for all of eternity.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (NIV)

                We have been invited to partner with Jesus to change our world. There are many different ways that we can accomplish this task, but they all point back to calling people into a relationship with Jesus.

                The Gospel is really good news. The Gospel calls us out of our slavery to sin and into a relationship with Jesus. The Gospel invites us to be a part of a community that spans both time and distance. The Gospel offers us the chance to live a life that will matter for both the present and the future.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

 

DON’T WORRY

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

                In 1988, Bobby McFerrin came out with a song titled. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The first stanza of that song is pretty profound.

Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry be happy
Don't worry be happy now

                The tune was catchy and many people found themselves singing it to themselves. Don’t worry, be happy. It sounds good, but most of us have a hard time actually doing it. Worry is a common malady among us humans. Animals don’t worry, but people do.

                There is much in our world today that could cause us to worry. The political divide in our country is just one example. There is global unrest, natural disasters, and the persistent threat of another global pandemic.  It would be nice to move to a Caribbean Island, camp out on the beach, and forget about the rest of the world, but that isn’t going to happen. Daily we are faced with the trouble and turmoil all around us. So what are we to do?

                Rather than trying to escape from the things that cause us anxiety, we need to take positive steps to address our worry. Jesus addressed the issue of worry in the Sermon on the Mount.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)

                Jesus gives us some insights into dealing with worry. To make His point, He highlights our obsession with food and clothes. Most of us, fortunately, are not worried about having clothes to wear or food to eat, although many in our world are. For most of us the obsession we have is having the “right” clothes and eating the “right” food. Many people are slaves to the latest fashion trends. If they don’t have whatever the trend setters declare is the latest fashion, they are depressed and anxious. For others, food has ceased to be a source of fuel for their body, but an obsession with being sophisticated, trendy, or politically correct regarding what they eat. Both of these obsessions lead people to look down on others who don’t follow the latest fashion or who don’t eat according to the “rules.”  

                Jesus makes it clear that when we are anxious about food and clothing, for whatever reason, we are focused on the wrong thing. Jesus tells us that our worry is really a lack of faith in God’s goodness. What is important is not what we wear or what we eat, but our value as people made in the image of God. God loves us beyond measure. Our value is not based on what we wear or eat, but on who we are in Christ.

                There are many other things that cause us to worry besides food and clothes. But the same principle applies. When we allow those things to consume our energy, we are failing to trust God. This does not mean that we stick our head in the sand or that we don’t take things seriously. It means that we take our concerns to the one person who can do something about them.

                Paul zeros in on a positive plan for dealing with worry in our lives. Instead of denying our anxiety, we need to express it to God in prayer. Prayer becomes a release valve for the anxiety that builds up inside of us. If we read through the Psalms, we see David doing this time and time again. But David didn’t just complain to God. He also affirmed his trust in God. And that is what Paul is telling us to do. Express your worry, but then claim God’s promise to be with you. The peace of God comes when we fully trust God to deal with the trials of life.

                Jesus said the same thing at the end of his instructions on worry.

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV)

                Instead of being consumed by worry, Jesus tells us to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. When we seek God’s kingdom first, He puts all the rest of the things in life into proper perspective.

                Jesus is telling us to not let worry over the “what if’s” of life rob us of the energy we need for today. God’s grace is always sufficient for the day. God will give us what we need when we need it, not before. Worry clouds our future and robs us of the joy God wants us to experience today.

                Bobby McFerrin was right when he said that worry only doubles the burden we carry. But instead of trying to produce an artificial happiness, we can tap into the peace of Christ that assures us that God knows what we need, and that He will provide it at the right time.

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Luke 12:22-23 (NIV)

 

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

                I had the privilege of attending a conference for pastors and ministry leaders this past week. The conference was titled ReCourage and it was intended to encourage those who are serving on the front lines of ministry. I can say that they accomplished their goal. I came away refreshed and encouraged.

                Genuine encouragement has become a rare commodity in our world. Most people are feeling pushed to do more with less. Companies are down-sizing and then asking their employees to pick up the slack. The pressure to perform is constant and unrelenting. According to the CDC, 51% of young people feel discouraged and depressed.  

                This has been a discouraging time for the church as well. The pandemic has taken its toll on churches. Church attendance has dropped by some 20%. Many people who stopped attending church during the pandemic have yet to come back, if they ever will. Church finances have taken a hit as well. Many churches have seen a dramatic decline in their finances, which has been the cause of much belt tightening and added pressure. Although the pandemic was not the cause on many of the stresses churches face, it tended to exaggerate them.

                As individual believers in Christ, it is easy for us to become discouraged when we look at all that is going on in our world. The moral climate of our world seems to continue to spiral downward. The level of global conflict continues to increase. And additionally, we are facing more and more natural disasters. It feels like our world is falling apart.

                One of the things stressed at the conference that I attended was that our hope is not found in our circumstances but in our Lord and Savior. When we focus on our circumstances, we get discouraged. But when we focus on Christ and what He has done for us, we can be encouraged. This is not pie-in-the-sky or putting our head in the sand. It is realizing and embracing the truth that there is more to life than what we can see. God is still on the throne. Our salvation is secure. We are deeply loved by God. God has not abandoned us.

                The Bible challenges us to encourage one another as a part of the Body of Christ. I know from personal experience that the times I feel the most discouraged is when I am isolated from others. When a person feels like they have to face the challenges of life alone, discouragement sets in. But when we pull together, we can see hope. The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV)

                We can encourage one another because we know that this life is not the end of the story. As Peter says, we can look forward to an inheritance, kept for us in heaven, that will never spoil or fade. Jesus promised that He is preparing a place of rest for us, and one day He will come and take us home. But we can also be encouraged because we don’t have to face the challenges of life alone. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to be with us constantly. He has also given us one another, the church, the body of Christ. God has demonstrated His love for us through His church. We belong. We have a place that matters. We are significant. We have purpose and meaning, not just for some time in the future, but for right now. We can be encouraged because we can make a difference for all of eternity. All that the world accomplishes apart from God will fade away. But whatever is done for God will last forever.

                We all need to be encouraged on a regular basis. The challenges of life can easily drain our emotional resources if we are not careful. That is why the Bible tells us to encourage one another daily. Just like we need daily food and rest, we also need daily encouragement. The word encourage means to be filled with courage and that is exactly what we need today. We need to be filled with courage that comes from God to face whatever the world throws our way. Whatever it is, we can stand firm because we know in whom we trust, and He is faithful.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)