Being a Christian Introduction
Being a Christian • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
What is the Gospel?
Last week I had the chance to be with the youth on their trip to Branson and our curriculum came out of Romans and Acts and specifically looked at the Gospel message and how the Gospel has to change everything about us from our thoughts, actions, beliefs, and relationships with others. In starting that study, though, I asked the youth the following question: What is the Gospel? What would your answer to this question be?
Some say that the Gospel is good news - that’s literally what Gospel means. But good news about what? Some say that the Gospel is practical advice to help us along the way. Others say that the Gospel is something that happened in the past and doesn’t impact our life today. What is the Gospel?
Paul talks about this good news of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and shares this
3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
What is the good news in these verses? The plan of salvation! That Christ came, died, was buried, and rose from the grave. One helpful definition of the Gospel is this: “God’s account of his saving activity in Jesus, in which, by Jesus’s death and resurrection, he atones for sin and brings new creation. Our faith in Jesus, not our works, makes us right with God.”
We read more about this good news in places like John 3:16
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
and 2 Corinthians 5:21
21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Now, if this is what the Gospel is, the followup question we must ask is what should the Gospel do?
We read in the Bible that Jesus changes lives and His Gospel message must change our life as well. We see in places throughout the New Testament that the Gospel not only changes us but it completely transforms us!
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We read in these 2 verses that we are literally a new creation. Our old self is crucified with Christ and we are born again as Jesus talks about in John 3. The Gospel message of Jesus must result in a changed life… But many people don’t like change. Maybe we like a little tune up here or there, but we don’t want a complete makeover. Yet, that’s what the Bible shares that we need.
On Sunday we started looking at creation in Genesis 1-2 and we see that God created all things good. Yet, we know that Genesis 3 comes next and we see sin separate us from God. So many people love John 3:16 but they fail to understand what it’s implying. Why did Jesus have to come and die? Because we messed up. Because we sinned and committed treason against our God. In our world people don’t view sin as being that serious. Listen to this statement: Even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation. Do you think that most Americans agree or disagree with that statement? Ligoner ministries conducts a “State of Theology” survey every 2 years and in 2020 this is what their findings revealed: 66% of Americans disagree with that statement while only 25% agree with it. Among Evangelical Christians such as Southern Baptists, 43% disagree and 51% agree. Barely half of Evangelical Christians believe that 1 sin makes us deserving of eternal separation from God in hell! If only big ticket sins make us worthy of hell and if we’ve lived a relatively good life, we don’t really need a complete renovation… We just need some vitamins and encouragement. The fact of the matter is that our sin makes us deserving of God’s judgment. The Gospel shares with us what Christ did so that we instead receive God’s grace! That’s why it’s the best news of all!
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
What we need in churches around our country and around the globe is to rediscover the power and centrality of the Gospel. What is the Gospel, why did Jesus come, what should the Gospel do in our lives?
Over the next 10-12 weeks, that is what we’re going to be studying in depth together as we go through Dr. Jason Allen’s book entitled, Being a Christian - How Jesus Redeems All of Life. Dr. Jason Allen serves as the President of MBTS in Kansas City and has been a powerful voice for Southern Baptists in recent years as he has remained true to Scripture amid cultural storms to the left and right.
What are some things that Jesus did for you by dying in your place on the cross?
Jesus came and died to save us from eternal separation from God in hell
Jesus adopts us into His forever family
Jesus creates unity within His church
Jesus died for us so that we could live and die for Him
See, Jesus died on the cross for more than our eternal destination - that’s a big thing no doubt, but it’s not the only thing He did.
Look at what Jesus does for us in Hebrews 10 as our great high priest
10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds,
Jesus sanctifies us - He conforms us to be like Him
He makes us perfect legally in God’s sight
He puts the law on our heart - the Holy Spirit lives in us and guides us to live a Christlike life
Should the Gospel of Jesus Christ impact the way that we live day in and day out?
Yes! If you are a Christian this evening, you have certain responsibilities and obligations. While the Gospel tells you what Jesus did for you - not what you did for Jesus - the Gospel reminds us that we are here for a reason and that Jesus wants to transform every aspect of our life from top to bottom. The Bible shares with us that we are called to follow after King Jesus and to be His witnesses as we make disciples and share the Gospel.
While we will have much more to discuss in the weeks to come concerning the Gospel and how Jesus wants to change every part of our life, what questions do you have as we begin this study?
Format:
Lesson Video (10-15 minutes)
Discuss Chapter / Lesson Video (20-25 minutes)
Sunday evening 1/9 prayer time - please make plans to be here as we come together as individuals to pray for our church, community, country, and world.