Gospel Essentials
KBC Church Planting Preaching • Sermon • Submitted
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1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy:
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace.
2 We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. 3 We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, 6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit,
5 For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good.
Intro:
Intro:
KBC: On behalf of our interim co-executive director/treasurers, Dr. Curtis Woods and Jim Donnell, I want to thank you for your faithful giving toward the Cooperative Program, and for being a Kingdom minded congregation.
(KBC Church Planting Graphic) I serve the KBC as a church planting and development associate for the western half of the state, which includes everything in the green. I call it Paducah to Pineville. The team I serve on is headed by Dr. Carlos De la Barra and I serve along side Job Juarez, who serves the eastern half of the state, and Eddie Torres who serves the entire state as the ethnic planting associate.
One of the funded plants you help each month through your giving and KBC partnerships is Gospel Community Church in Owensboro. GCC is pastored by Danny Hinton and reaches out to the fourth largest unreached people group in the world, the deaf.
GCC not only effectively reaches the deaf, but is seeing people of many different disabilities worship Christ together; such as the blind autistic, and people with other disabilities.
Danny is hearing, but is a licensed ASL interpreter. He is currently leading his church to not only reach those with disabilities with the gospel, but is making an impact on the community that God has placed them. They are working on rehabing an old building for worship that will double as a resource office throughout the week for the disabled.
One thing that Danny and our 43 other funded planters need is prayer. We’ve developed a tool that helps you pray for one of our church planters every week. Once you sign up, you can get the planter’s email address and can send them a short email of encouragement, letting them know that you prayed for them. Let me encourage you to either write this web address down, or better yet, put it right in your smart phone so you’ll have it for later. www.kybaptist.org/pray4
Intro to sermon: Gospel Essentials (SEED, SPIRIT, SOWER, SOIL)
This letter to the Thessalonians is structured in two parts:
Paul looks back at his time with the Thessalonians with fondness, and;
Paul addresses the concerns in the church: namely sexual conduct, brotherly love, answering questions about those who have died, and issues regarding Christ’s return.
One of the major themes of this book is that the gospel message that Paul preached is authentic.
The Good News came from God, they can trust it, and it will sustain them to the end.
Paul commends them on how they endured persecution, turned from idols, and encourages them to continue to faithfully follow Christ.
So with that in mind, I’d like to camp out on today and give you an exhortation for the start of the New Year.
Who is my target audience?
Where will we initially meet?
What type of leadership structure will we adopt?
How will my relationship with my sponsoring church affect the plant?
Will there be enough funds to not only help develop the church, but to sustain my family?
Am I networking enough?
Am I tech savvy?
Who have I made mad this week? Is it something I can fix for the future, or do I need to just go on?
One question I ask the planters is this: what is the main point of planting a new church?
The answer is a simple one: To reach people with the Good News of the gospel.
Planters and pastors often get caught up in the trappings of what it takes to led a church, but forget that one of their main goals is to not only reach people with the gospel, but to teach believers to do so as well.
Church members often do the same with the busyness of life often crowding out the
So today, in using verse 5 as our main text, I want to encourage you to remember that there are four basic components to sharing the gospel that not only applies to church planters, but to all those who have been called according to His purpose. SEED, SPIRIT, SOWER, and SOIL.
5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit,
Seed
Seed
(SEED, SPIRIT, SOWER, SOIL)
The gospel came to you not only in word, but in power…
The word for gospel also means, “Good News, or great tidings.”
Many believers might think “Good News” when thinking about their own salvation, when thinking about sharing it, they think “fear and trepidation.”
Friends, when sharing the gospel, we need to remember that the gospel is only Good News because there is bad news.
The good news is received through Christ alone; by grace, through faith.
But, we need to be reminded that people are inherently bad rather than good.
You see, the lost believe that people are basically good (so do many professing Christians), but may need a little “nudge” from God to get them over the hump.
When I’m at WKU witnessing, one of my favorite questions when talking to students is this: “on a scale of 1-10 ,1 being completely evil and 10 being perfect, how good are you?”
90% of people fall between 6-8.
People believe they are basically good. The gospel message turns that on its head. Listen to these verses for a moment:
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
I am cleansed from my sin”?
12 All who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
The gospel message gives awareness to the judgment that is to come in order that the lost may recognize that they have a problem. Once someone sees that they have a problem and are convicted of their sin, the gospel will be sweet to them and they will gladly receive it.
Notice what Jesus says in
37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This truly is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David lived?” 43 So the crowd was divided because of him.
“out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” Friends, when someone understands that they’ve sinned and stand guilty before God, but receive forgiveness through the gospel, there is a change in them.
The seed of the pure gospel is the only thing that saves.
We have a similar problem today as Paul had with the seed in his day: people think the seed isn’t enough on its own, so they’ve engineered a hybrid seed.
A hybrid seed occurs when one mixes law and grace as seen in Galatians.
Salvation comes through Christ alone, but something else is added.
There’s the spiritually enhanced seed where you automatically get a supernatural gift: Christ + a gift = salvation.
There’s the works enhanced seed where Jesus and you prove your salvation by all the good things you are doing.
There’s the “set-free salvation.” You’ve seen this one. This is where Jesus saved someone and gave them the knowledge that organized religion is tainted and not needed. This is where you don’t need to follow His commands in order to be a follower of His.
Spirit
Spirit
(SEED, SPIRIT, SOWER, SOIL)
The gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.
The power for the gospel comes directly from the Spirit.
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
Paul was called by the Spirit to preach the gospel in Thessalonica
9 During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!”
records Paul preaching the gospel in Thessalonica.
1 After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
Back in the context of our focal passage, Paul reminded the believers that they’d received the gospel with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
Paul calls them “imitators of us and of the Lord” in verse 6-7
6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Spirit opens doors to gospel conversations.
He directs the believer to fertile fields where witnessing encounters are well-received.
He uses circumstances, things, and people to accomplish His purposes.
Friends, witnessing without the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit is very difficult; mostly because without the Spirit we won’t do it.
My friend printed me up some evangelistic prayer cards to give away. I use mine often. Listen to this 3-point prayer.
Lord, help me to love you more than life itself.
Help me to understand and love more than life that which you are doing through Christ Jesus.
Help me to have Kingdom expansion eyes every day, everywhere I go.
My friend says this about the Holy Spirit’s role in witnessing: “Seed sown without the energizing agent of life, the Holy Spirit, lies dormant. He is the one to open the hearts of unbelievers. He is the one to bring conviction of sin. He is the one to bring about conversion and a birth from above.” CB Principles and Practice of Church Planting. p22.
Sower
Sower
(SEED, SPIRIT, SOWER, SOIL)
Our gospel…(For we…)
The third essential in gospel sharing is the Sower.
Paul loves to use the phrase “our gospel.”
14 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages
Rom
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel,
is perhaps the most clear passage regarding the Sower.
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
God is seen working when the Sower is being obedient to his or her call as a disciple and shares the life-giving message with the lost.
Many have a poor understanding of the Sower.
Some understand the seed sower to be programmatic: i.e. sowing is only done in the context of organized events.
Some understand the sower to be a gift. Friends, there is no gift of evangelism, only the office of evangelist.
Some understand the sower to be the paid guy. When I was teaching Good News Fishing Clinics in churches as part of my project for my dissertation, one of the questions I asked on the survey was something like “do I share the gospel using the same method?” Someone actually answered, “no, that’s what we pay the pastor to do.”
“Church, if you pay the pastor to evangelize all your family and friends, you aren’t paying him enough.”
Friends, the scriptures are clear that if you are born again, you are to be a Sower of gospel Seed.
19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Whenever we examine these four gospel essentials and are looking for the problem we will not find an issue with the Seed, the Spirit, or the Soil. Only the Sower is the issue.
Believer, are you regularly sharing the Good News of the gospel?
Do you feel equipped?
Can you share the gospel with someone else in 3 minutes or less?
Another witnessing technique I sometimes use is a two-question survey. It goes like this:
Would you consider yourself to be a Christian?
As a self-professing Christian, can you tell me what the gospel means?
Friends, spend a month or two asking this question to about 10 people. You’ll find that they either can’t tell you what it means OR they’ll tell you anything but the gospel.
Soil
Soil
(SEED, SPIRIT, SOWER, SOIL)
Come to you…(to you…)
People naturally struggle with the Soil.
When I talk to pastors, their three biggest complaints are that they are too busy throughout the week in the office to make time for evangelism, no one will come to evangelistic trainings, and evangelistic programs fizzle out too quickly.
When I talk to non-pastors, they’re biggest complains are “I’ve never been trained, I’m afraid that I won’t know the answers to their objections, and I don’t know any lost people.”
This last excuse is so prevalent, that I’m teaching two seminars in April in Louisville and Madisonville on where to find lost people.
Soil for the gospel seed is everywhere!
You’ll find them at work, school, WalMart, the doctor’s office, the Post Office, the mall, the gas station, the restaurant, your neighborhood, the daycare, the soccer field, online, AND in your church!
One of the best places to start to witness to people is in your church.
Go find a guest, take them out to lunch and share the gospel.
Start asking people to share with you how they came to Christ and you’ll find some that don’t have a gospel testimony. They’ll talk about how they were baptized, joined the church, or momma read the Bible to them when they were young. Share the gospel with them.
Teach a class on Sunday and share the gospel.
Teach a class in your home, invite church people and lost people and share the gospel.
Lead the ushering team and share the gospel.
Start a church security team Bible study and share the gospel.
Share it when you sing a solo.
Share it when you pray over the offering.
Share it on holidays throughout the year.
Friends, the Soil is the only medium in which the Sower can place the Spirit empowered Seed in to grow.
The Seed won’t grow by you simply knowing it.
It won’t grow because you “look different.”
It won’t grow without us having compassion that leads to passion. We first need compassion for the lost before we’ll have a passion for sharing the gospel with them.
According to a 2012 study, Allen County has about 20,000 in population with only 6,200 religious adherents (30%) and 2,500 weekly church attenders (12%).
Friends, if only 12% of a county loves Jesus enough to spend an hour worshipping Him, I’d say that there is not only plenty of soil for all 37 churches of all denominations, but there is room for a few more church plants to start right here in Allen County.
Believer, would you make a commitment to the Lord to personally identify at least 10 lost people this year and share the gospel?
Church, can you challenge yourself to place the gospel essentials at the top of your priority list for 2019?
Let me close with this plea:
You may be here today and have never heard the gospel message.
The Bible tells us in that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.
This sin separates us from God and when we die we will be judged by a righteous God who will declare that we are guilty. He will then condemn the guilty to a literal and real place called Hell.
The Good News is that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “He who knew no sin, became sin.”
On the cross of Calvary, Jesus died in your place.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
During this time of invitation, I’d like to encourage you to do two things:
Repent of your sins and turn to Christ. If you’ve done this and would like to learn more about following Christ meet me up front during our time of response or talk to me after the service.
If God has placed a lost person on your heart, during this time of response I want to encourage you to lift them up to the Lord, asking Him that He would give you an opportunity to share the gospel with them sometime early in 2019.