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Preparation of Salvation

"THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST"
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In Mk 16:15-16
Jesus makes reference to "the gospel"...
 a. Commanding His disciples to preach it to every creature
 b. Offering salvation to all who believe and are baptized
 
2. In Ro 1:16-17
Paul makes reference to "the gospel"...
 a. How he was not ashamed of it
 b. How it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe
 
3. What is this "gospel"...?
 a. That Jesus wanted everyone to hear?
 b. That is God's power to save mankind?
 
4. The word "gospel" (Gr.
euaggelion) means "good news"...
 a. It pertains to the good news of salvation through Christ
 b. It involves the proclamation of God's grace offered through Jesus
 c. It requires a response involving obedience - cf. 1 Pe 4:17; 2 Th
 1:7-8
 
5. A simple way to summarize the content of the "gospel" is that it
 contains...
 a. Facts to believe
 b. Commands to obey
 c. Promises to receive
 
[Let's take a closer look at "The Gospel Of Christ"
starting with...]
 
I. FACTS TO BELIEVE
 
 A. CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED FOR OUR SINS...
 1. Fundamental to the gospel Paul preached - 1 Co 15:1-3
 2. As foretold by the Old Testament scriptures - Isa 53:4-6
 3. Why did Jesus die for our sins?
 a. Because we are all sinners! - Ro 3:23
 b. Because the wages of sin is death! - Ro 6:23
 -- In love God offers His Son as a "propitiation" (sacrifice) for
 our sins! - 1 Jn 4:9-10
 
 B. CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD...
 1. Also fundamental to the gospel Paul preached - 1 Co 15:4
 2. As proclaimed by Peter in the first gospel sermon - Ac 2:22-32
 3. As seen by many eyewitnesses - 1 Co 15:5-8
 -- Raising Jesus verifies the justification offered on the cross!
 - Ro 4:25
 
 C. CHRIST IS EXALTED AS KING AND SAVIOR...
 1. He is now both Lord and Christ - Ac 2:33-36
 2. He is head over all things - Ep 1:20-23
 3. All authorities and powers are now subject to Him - 1 Pe 3:22
 -- God has made Jesus ruler over the kings of the earth! - Re 1:5
 
 D. CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN...
 1. As promised when He ascended to heaven - Ac 1:9-11
 2. Coming to offer both rest and tribulation - 2 Th 1:7-10
 a. Rest to those who responded to the call of the gospel - 2 Th
 2:13-14
 b. Tribulation to those who obeyed not the gospel - 2 Th 1:8-9
 -- His coming will cause many to mourn
while others rejoice - Re
 1:7; 22:20
 
[Whether we are prepared for His coming depends upon our obedience to
the gospel (cf. 2 Th 1:8). This implies that "The Gospel Of Christ"
also contains...]
 
II. COMMANDS TO OBEY
 
 A. BELIEVE THE GOSPEL CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST...
 1. We must believe the gospel
or we are lost! - Mk 16:16
 2. The gospel is God's power for salvation to those who believe 
 - Ro 1:16
 3. E.g.
we must believe that God raised Him from the dead - Ro
 10:9-10
 -- For those willing to believe
eternal life can be theirs! - Jn
 3:16; 20:30-31
 
 B. CONFESS YOUR FAITH IN JESUS...
 1. Confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus leads to salvation 
 - Ro 10:9-10
 2. The Ethiopian eunuch provides an example of such a confession 
 - Ac 8:37
 -- Jesus will confess us before God if we confess Him before
 others! - Mt 10:32-33
 
 C. REPENT OF YOUR SINS...
 1. Jesus wanted repentance preached in His name to all nations 
 - Lk 24:46-47
 2. Peter therefore preached the need to repent to the Jews - Ac 2:
 37-38; 3:19
 3. Paul likewise preached the need to repent to the Gentiles - Ac
 17:30-31
 -- Unless we repent
we will perish in our sins! - Lk 13:3
 
 D. BE BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS...
 1. Jesus expected people to be baptized in response to His gospel
 - Mk 16:15-16
 2. Peter proclaimed baptism for the remission of sins to those who
 believed - Ac 2:37-38
 3. Paul related the place baptism had in his salvation from sin 
  - Ac 22:16
 -- When we submit to baptism
God does His work in saving us! - Co
 2:11-13
 
 E. BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH...
 1. Faithfulness is necessary if we desire to receive the crown of
 life - Re 2:10
 2. There is a real danger in losing our faith - He 3:12-14
 -- Rest assured
our faithful labors will not be in vain! - 1 Co
 15:58
 
[When one obeys the commands of the gospel
they receive wonderful
blessings. These blessings are offered in the gospel as...]
 
III. PROMISES TO RECEIVE
 
 A. THE REMISSION OF SINS...
 1. We are promised the remission of sins! - Ac 2:38
 2. Our sins are "blotted out"
"washed away" - Ac 3:19; 22:16
 3. Made possible by the precious blood of Christ - Ep 1:7
 -- An ongoing blessing whenever we confess our sins! - 1 Jn 1:9
 
 B. THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...
 1. Spoken of by Christ during His ministry - Jn 7:37-39
 2. Promised to those who repent and are baptized - Ac 2:38-39;
 5:32
 3. One aspect of this gift relates to His indwelling
 a. The Spirit indwells the Christ - 1 Co 6:19; Ro 8:9-11
 b. The Spirit enables us to mortify the flesh - Ro 8:12-13
 c. The Spirit is God's instrumental agent to strengthen the
  Christ - Ep 3:16
 d. The Spirit can produce wonderful fruit in our life - Ga 5:
 22-23
 -- Because we are His children
God has given us this wonderful
 Gift! - Ga 4:6
 
 C. THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE...
 1. In the sense of our eternal reward
 a. Received at the end of a life bearing the fruit of holiness
 - Ro 6:22-23
 b. Received in the age to come - Mk 10:29-30
 c. Received at the time of judgment - Mt 25:46
 2. In the sense of our abundant life now
 a. Offered by Jesus - Jn 10:10
 b. A quality of life made possible by our relationship with God
 - Jn 17:2-3
 c. A life in Christ enjoyed even now - 1 Jn 5:11-13
 -- Thus godly living has promise both in this life
and that which
 is come! - 1 Ti 4:8
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Can we understand why "The Gospel Of Christ" is "good news"...?
 a. The "facts to believe" contains the message of God's love and
 grace
 b. The "commands to obey" are not difficult works
done to earn
 salvation
but simple acts of faith whereby we receive God's grace
 - cf. 1 Jn 5:3
 c. The "promises to receive" help us deal with the real problem of
 sin in our lives
 
2. What have you done with "The Gospel of Christ"...?
 a. You have now heard it
if not before
 b. You know as much as those who heard it on the day of Pentecost
if
 not even more
 
Together with the apostle Peter
we implore you...
 
 "...Be saved from this perverse generation." (Ac 2:40)
 
Respond as they did (in faith and baptism
Ac 2:41)
and rest assured
that Jesus will save you and add you to His church! - cf. Ac 2:41
47

－－《Executable Outlines》

"THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ISAIAH"
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. Undoubtedly you have heard of the four gospels...
 a. The gospel according to Matthew
 b. The gospel according to Mark
 c. The gospel according to Luke
 d. The gospel according to John
 -- But have you heard of the gospel according to Isaiah?
 
2. Preaching the gospel of Christ
it was not uncommon for the apostles
 and others in the first century to refer to the Old Testament...
 a. It was Paul's custom - Ac 17:2-3
 b. Apollos did the same at Corinth - Ac 18:27-28
 
3. That was because elements of the gospel were foretold by Old
 Testament prophets...
 a. Concerning the coming of the Messiah (Heb.
Anointed One; Grk.

 Christ)
 b. Concerning the establishment of His kingdom
 
4. One such prophet was Isaiah...
 a. Who lived 750 years before Christ
 b. Who was sent to prophesy to Judah and Jerusalem - Isa 1:1
 
5. Isaiah's book contains so many prophecies regarding the Messiah and
 His kingdom...
 a. He is often called "the Messianic prophet"
 b. We could call his book "The Gospel According To Isaiah"
 
[To illustrate my point
let's review some of the prophecies found in
the book of Isaiah...]
 
I. THE GOSPEL OF THE MESSIAH
 
 A. GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE MAN...
 1. He will be born of a virgin
 a. Whose name will be Immanuel ("God with us") - Isa 7:14
 b. Fulfilled with the birth of Jesus by Mary - cf. Mt 1:18-23
 2. He will be a wonderful Child
 a. With an amazing name(s)
destined to reign - Isa 9:6-7
 b. Announced by the angels at Jesus' birth - cf. Lk 2:11
 3. He will be of the family of David (Jesse)
 a. Descending from the "stem of Jesse" (David's father) - Isa
 11:1
 b. Jesus' lineage shown in Mt 1 (via Joseph) and Lk 3 (via
 Mary)
 4. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him
 a. With wisdom and understanding
counsel and might
knowledge
 and fear of the Lord - Isa 11:2
 b. Visibly manifested at His baptism by John - cf. Mt 3:16
 
 B. GOOD NEWS ABOUT HIS MINISTRY...
 1. He will be proceeded by a forerunner
 a. One sent to prepare the way - Isa 40:3-5
 b. Fulfilled with the ministry of John the Baptist - cf. Mt
  3:1-3
 2. He will be anointed to preach good tidings
 a. To the poor
proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord -
 Isa 61:1-3
 b. Fulfilled by His preaching in Nazareth - Lk 4:16-21
 3. He will bring light to those living in Galilee
 a. In the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali - Isa 9:1-2
 b. Fulfilled by His living and preaching in Capernaum - cf. Mt
 4:12-16
 4. He will not advertise Himself
 a. By quarreling or crying out in the streets - Isa 42:1-3
 b. Fulfilled in Jesus' response to threats on His life - cf. Mt
 12:14-21
 5. He will suffer in our behalf
 a. Despised and rejected by men - Isa 53:1-3; cf. Jn 1:12
 b. His suffering and death for our sins - Isa 53:4-6
8; cf. Mt
 8:17; 1 Pe 2:24
 c. Silent before His accusers - Isa 53:7; cf. Mt 27:12-14
 d. His grave with the wicked and the rich - Isa 53:9; cf. Mt
 27:38
57-60
 e. All according to God's will
for our sins - Isa 53:10-12;
 cf. Ac 2:23; 1 Ti 2:5-6
 
[Through such vivid prophecies
Isaiah foretold the gospel of the
Messiah. Note how Philip was able to make good use of Isaiah's "gospel"
in preaching Christ (cf. Ac 8:30-38).
 
But Isaiah's prophecies were not limited to the Messiah Himself. Just
as Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom (cf. Mk 1:14-15)
so did
Isaiah through his prophecies...]
 
II. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
 
 A. GOOD NEWS ABOUT ITS ORIGIN...
 1. It shall come to pass in the "latter days"
 a. The mountain of the Lord's house will be established - Isa
 2:1-2
 b. The time was fulfilled when Jesus began preaching - cf. Mk
 1:14-15
 2. It shall proceed from Jerusalem
 a. As the Word is spread - Isa 2:3
 b. So Jesus explained
the Word must proceed from Jerusalem -
 cf. Lk 24:44-47
 
 B. GOOD NEWS ABOUT ITS NATURE...
 1. It shall be a kingdom of peace
 a. People will not learn war; its king will be the Prince of
 Peace - Isa 2:4; 9:6-7
 b. Thus the kingdom of God is one of peace - cf. Ro 14:17
 2. It shall include the Gentiles
 a. The Gentiles shall seek Him
in Whom they shall find justice
 - Isa 11:10; 42:1
6
 b. Thus Jesus has united both Jew and Gentile - cf. Ep 2:11-18
 
 C. GOOD NEWS ABOUT ITS FUTURE...
 1. It shall last forever
 a. Of His kingdom there shall be no end - Isa 9:7
 b. Even as the angel Gabriel pronounced to Mary - cf. Lk 1:
 31-33
 2. It shall usher in a new heavens and new earth
 a. Promised by God in terms to which Israel could relate - Isa
 65:17-25; 66:22-23
 b. A promised fully realized with the coming of Christ - cf. 
 2 Pe 3:10-14; Re 21:1-4
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Perhaps we can see why the apostles and others used the Old
 Testament...
 a. To convince many that Jesus was the Messiah
 b. To proclaim the prophecies concerning Him and His kingdom were
 being fulfilled
 
2. What is your reaction to the gospel...?
 a. Foretold by the prophets centuries before Christ came?
 b. Proclaimed by the apostles and preachers in the first century

 A.D.?
 
3. My prayer and hope is that it is...
 a. Similar to that of the Samaritans - cf. Ac 8:12
 b. Akin to that of the Ethiopian Eunuch - cf. Ac 8:30-38
 -- Not like some of those in Rome
who had hardened their hearts! 
 - cf. Ac 28:23-31
 
Have your hearts grown dull
and ears hard of hearing
that the good
news of the kingdom and the Lord Jesus Christ do not prompt the proper
response? I hope not
and that we are all moved to proper action by
these words of Jesus spoken at the beginning and end of His ministry:
 
 "The time is fulfilled
and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent

 and believe in the gospel." - Mk 1:15
 
 And He said to them
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel
 to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
 but he who does not believe will be condemned". (Mk 16:15-16)

－－《Executable Outlines》