This is the Gospel

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:58

Today's sermon is entitled This is the Gospel. Let's read Colossians chapter 1, verse 19 to 23, and I'm reading from the New International Version of the Bible. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God, and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation. If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard, and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, have become a servant. We have the gospel explained to us by Paul in this passage of Scripture. In Colossians chapter 1, verse 23, he says, This is the gospel that you have heard, and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. He tells us that what he has shared with us is actually the gospel. And we see from this passage of Scripture four things about the gospel. Number one, the gospel begins with the incarnation. In Colossians chapter 1, verse 19 it says, For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. Now the word incarnation means to take on flesh. And the gospel begins with the incarnation or Jesus coming to earth and taking on human flesh. It's an incredible truth to understand that Jesus Christ became fully human, yet did not cease to be fully God. Someone has put it this way: Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. It says in John chapter 1, verse 1 and verse 14, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. God became a man, Jesus Christ. And he sympathizes with our weaknesses. He was tempted in all points like we are, yet he never sinned. He understands what it's like to be a human being. He is that great high priest that we can come to when we are struggling and find help in time of need. He gives us his grace and he hears our prayers and he responds to them. But while Jesus was on the earth, he did not cease to be fully God. It says in Colossians chapter 2, verse 9, for in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. So the first thing we see is the gospel starts with Jesus coming to earth or the incarnation. The second thing we see that the gospel involves is it has universal implications. It's for everyone. Let's look at Colossians chapter 1 and verse 20. It says, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Jesus shed his blood on the cross and has made it possible to reconcile man to God. It's a wonderful truth for us to understand that the gospel is for everyone. It's God's will that everyone be saved. First Timothy chapter 2, verse 4 tells us that God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. And it says in Romans chapter 10, verse 13, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. When Jesus died on the cross and took on the sin of the world, he paid the price once and for all for the sin of all mankind. Every sin that has ever been committed was being committed at the time, and every sin that will ever be committed was paid for on the cross. God made him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. Jesus has made it possible for anyone who calls on his name to receive the salvation by grace through faith that he purchased on the cross. Jesus wants us to be reconciled to God through his blood. He wants to reconcile all people to himself. I want to tell you, friend, that Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin on the cross 2,000 years ago. And it's his desire and will that you come into a living relationship with him. All you need to do is call on the name of the Lord, and the Bible says you will be saved. So far we've seen that the gospel begins with Jesus coming to earth, the incarnation. Secondly, we've seen the gospel is for everyone. It has universal implications. Number three, the gospel has personal application. Yes, it's for you and me personally. Let's read Colossians chapter one verse twenty one and twenty two. And as we do, please notice the word you in these verses. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. At one point, you were separated from God by your sin. Your behavior reflected that separation. But God has made it possible for you to be reconciled through Christ to Him, and for you to become holy in His sight, without blemish, and free from accusation. Verse 21 teaches us that you were separated from God by sin. And verse 22 teaches us that we have been reconciled or redeemed by Jesus. We need to say, Jesus, I want you to be my personal Lord and Savior. It's important for us individually to respond to God. Number four, the gospel has personal responsibility. It requires a response. It's for us personally, we need to apply it to our lives, but we also need personally to respond to the gospel, and it has a responsibility that is incumbent upon us. Colossians chapter 1, verse 23 says, if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. It's important for us to understand that we need to continue in the gospel, to be established in the gospel, to be firm in our faith, and not lose hope in our eternal redemption because of Jesus. This wonderful hope that has been set aside for us in heaven. We need to respond to the gospel, and that involves continuing to follow Jesus. It's God's will for you to be saved. That's his good will. His pleasing will, which would be the next stage, would be for you to become a disciple, a disciplined follower of Jesus. And his perfect will is for you to become a disciple who makes disciples for Jesus Christ. We need to grow up in our faith. It's important for us to understand that. In verse 23, Paul says, This is the gospel that you heard that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Who have you heard the gospel through? And who will hear the gospel from you? We have a responsibility to go and tell others the good news. Jesus said in Mark chapter sixteen, verse fifteen, in what is known as the Great Commission, he said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. So today we've seen four things about the gospel. Paul said this is the gospel. We saw that it begins with the incarnation, that Jesus came to earth. Secondly, we saw that it has universal implications. It's for everyone. Third, we saw that the gospel has personal application. The gospel is not just for everyone, but it's for you personally. And then we saw that the gospel has personal responsibility. It requires a response. And the response is to continue following Jesus. That is a lifelong pursuit and goal. And the other responsibility we have is to share this good news with others. So let's pray. And as we do, let's ask the Holy Spirit to show us what he wants us to do as a result of what we've heard in today's sermon. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for the gospel. Thank you for the good news that we have heard and responded to. Thank you that Jesus, you came to show us what God was like and to pay the price for our sins. Thank you that this good news is for everyone, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And thank you that it's your will that all people would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. We pray by name for those we know and love, and we ask that they would hear and respond to the gospel themselves. Thank you that the gospel does have personal application. And we thank you that even though we were separated from God by sin, we have been reconciled and redeemed by Jesus. We recognize the personal responsibility that the gospel has upon us, that it requires a response. And Lord, we want to be those who follow you, to grow in our relationship with you, to become disciples and disciples who make disciples. We also thank you for the responsibility to go and tell others, and we ask you for boldness and opportunities to do so. Holy Spirit, speak to us and show us what you want us to do, what changes or adjustments you want us to make in our lives as a result of what we've heard in today's sermon. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.