The Gospel – So What?
August 1, 2021
“Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL
- The gospel is good news
- We gather in worship because Jesus died for sins, was buried, and rose on the third day.
- 10 Reasons why American go to church, CNN article
THE STORY OF GOD
- CREATION
- Geneis 1:1 ““In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
- So what? Who or what do you credit for who you are? What is your origin story because it will shape how you see everything?
- FALL
- Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”
- Genesis 3:13 “Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”
- So what? Why are things and people not the way they are supposed to be and who is to blame for it?
- REDEMPTION
- Genesis 3:15 “And I will cause hostility between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
- So what? Who or what will rescue me and redeem what is broken?
- RESTORATION
- Revelation 21:1,4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared… He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.”
- So what? What will the world look like when all is as it should be? Who or what will be the focus of the world?
SO WHAT? WHO CARES?
- Surrendering to Gods Story
- Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Jesus. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.”
- Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
- What Compels You?
- Why are you here? What compels you week after week?
- What drives you to overcome the challenges and frustrations?
- I am inviting us to share a singular motivation: The Glory of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ.