Let The Prodigals Come Home

Can you ever be a perfect parent? Is there a guarantee that if you are a good parent your children will follow the Lord and turn out all right? After all, doesn’t the Bible promise that if you bring up a child right, he/she won’t depart from the ways of the Lord. Isn’t that the promise of Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

I’m sure there are lots of faithful Christian parents who are scratching their heads over that one. They’ve lived faithful Christian lives before their kids, taken them to church, taught them godly principles and pointed them to Christ and have done everything they know to train up their children in the way they should go. Yet, their kids grow up and become prodigals who walk away from the faith. Some become agnostic or atheist and some live horribly ungodly and sinful lives. What happened? Were they bad parents? Was God unfaithful to His Word?

It may surprise many that the statement of Proverbs 22:6 is not an iron clad promise that God makes like the promise of salvation to those who believe. It is meant, like most proverbs, as a general statement of truth. That is, that generally speaking, if you practice good consistent godly parenting, your children will grow up and live according to the training they have received.

However, this is not absolute and therefore is not always the case. We cannot make our children come to faith in Christ, that is a personal decision and is a work of the Spirit of God. As children grow older they begin to make their own decisions and there are many other factors and influences at play in their lives.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9¹ tells us that a parent’s role is to faithfully live godly Christ-centred lives before their children and to train them in the way they should go. I have seen far too many godly and faithful parents of prodigals racked with guilt thinking they have done something wrong when their children have walked away from the faith.

As a Pastor I’ve wrestled with this when young people from my church have rejected Christ and have walked away from the faith. Some actually declaring they are agnostic or atheist. What could I have done differently? How could I have prevented this? I should have been a better Pastor, I should have ... I should have ...

Yes, its always important to see if there are any corrections we need to make, but for most of us who have sought to be good and faithful parents and pastors, more often than not, it has nothing to do with us. God has no grandchildren and every child, every young person, must decide for themselves whether or not they will follow Jesus. We must not burden ourselves with false guilt as a result of their decision.

I am thankful to God that all three of my children have chosen to be followers of Jesus. I have not experienced the pain I have seen in the faces of parents of children who have chosen to do otherwise. I cannot imagine the incredible pain, the confusion and the struggle. But, I have seen people in my church walk away from the Christ’ People I have known and loved and it has deeply pained my heart.

The question is, how do we respond to the prodigals that we so deeply love? How do we respond to their rejection of Christ? How do we handle their lifestyle that may be far from what we taught them. How do we welcome them home again? How do we love them without condoning their rebellion? What can we do to bring them home to the Father?

Rather than me trying to answer these questions, let me direct you to an outstanding article I read recently from Abraham Piper, the prodigal son of famous author and theologian John Piper who is among one of my favourites and perhaps the most outstanding living theologian. Abraham’s article is powerful and full of solid advice for parents of prodigals. Read it and then comment here to let me know what you think and to perhaps share your story.

http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=859

 God Bless Your All

Because of Calvary

Pastor Rick

Pastors Are Real -- Crazy

Listening To Sermons and Stuff

Do you remember when you were a kid how weird it was when you saw your teacher outside of class?  Somehow we had it in our minds that teachers were always dressed for school, always stayed at school and had no life outside of school.   It's kind of the same way with Pastors today.   We see them at church all the time but often wonder "What are they really like?  What do they do in their spare time?"  (Hint:  They don't have much of that).

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Moody Pastor’s Conference in Chicago.    No, it wasn’t a conference for moody Pastors but rather the annual Pastor’s Conference of the Moody Bible Institute which was founded by D.L. Moody the great evangelist of the late 19^th century. (More about him in a future blog).

I've been going to this Conference every year since 1984 and have enjoyed incredible fellowship with Pastors from all over the world and believe me they are very real.  Okay, okay, so the real story is we Pastors go to Chicago in May to have Giordano's world famous deep dish pizza and we take in the conference while we are there.  But, we are very real guys who like to have a good time and enjoy life.
   
We enjoy every day things like good fellowship with good friends, going to the ball game, or in Chicago to the Navy Pier like my associate Steve Norton (blogs for Hollywood Jesus).   So  Pastors are regular fun loving men who have very real lives and deal with many of the same issues of life that you deal with.

So, Pastors are real people with real lives.  But, we're also Real Crazy.   We spent 4 days at the Pastor's Conference listening to at least 3 one hour sermons a day.   Now, I ask you, what kind of person loves listening to 3 long sermons a day.   Well, Real Pastors of course.   We're real, but we're real crazy too.  The fact is we were blessed from the Word of God by some of the best preachers on the continent.  Still, here's a secret so don't tell anyone.   Guess what?  Preachers, also critique other preachers preaching.

That got me to thinking that I needed to discipline myself to listen to the message so that God could speak to me.   Then it got me to thinking that the average person in the pew,  Sunday after Sunday, has to learn to discipline themselves to listen so that their hearts are encouraged and challenged by their Pastor's sermon.   After all, he has spent at least 15-20+ hours preparing a banquet for you and it would be a shame to walk away from the table complaining about the meal God wanted you to have.   So here's some thoughts on how to listen ot a sermon.

How To Listen To A Sermon

•  Prepare Your Heart Ahead of Time

          Most people assume the sermon starts the moment the preacher opens his mouth on Sunday morning.    The fact is,  if you are going to get the most out of Sunday morning (sermon and worship) then you need to prepare your heart ahead of time.  Saturday night or early Sunday morning, just spend some time quietly asking God to speak into your heart and help you to respond to the worship service as you worship Him and nourish your own soul.   Perhaps even read through the passage the Pastor will speak from.    Then,  as you enter the Sanctuary,  bow your head and quietly ask God to speak to you through the morning message.

• Come With A Sincere Desire To Hear And Obey What God Will Say To You

         You need to approach the sermon with a willingness to hear God's voice and to obey what He says.     If you are part of a Bible and Gospel centered church,  your Pastor will not bring his own message but a message from God's Word, the Bible.   You need to approach the Worship Service as if you were having an encounter, an audience with God.   Be ready to hear His voice and be ready to obey what He says.

• Remember,  The Pastor Is But A Vessel

        Don't get too hung up on your Pastor, he's just a vessel.   He has his quirks and mannerisms and it may even be that you are not too fond of Him.   Don't focus on him, focus on the Word from God that he is bringing.   It is the Word of God by the Holy Spirit that will transform your life, not the Pastor. (1)    Don't miss the blessing God has for you because you've got issues with your Pastor.    Please, don't compare him to Swindol or MacDonald or Piper or MacArthur or anyone else.   He is the shepherd that God has called to feed and care for you.    Those other guys don't care for your soul like he does and they won't be there in the middle of the night in the midst of tragedy in your life.

• Put Aside All Distractions, Listen Carefully And Make Application To Your Life

         Listening takes discipline and if you focus, not only will time fly but you will be blessed.   Set aside all the distractions.   Turn off your cell phone unless you're using the Bible on it.   Don't text, don't blog, don't FB, don't do anything that distracts.    Focus on what the Pastor is saying (you're in the presence of God, you don't need to multi-task), look at the scriptures he's preaching from,  take notes,  be thinking about how it applies to your life.   The purpose of the sermon is not to fill your head with more information, it is to bring transformation to your life as you apply its message.

         By the way,  don't get distracted by one thing the Pastor says so that you don't get the main point of the message.  In Chicago, one speaker said something I wasn't sure I agreed with, some of us didn't get anything else out of the message because we focused on that one controversial statement.  If something is an issue,  jot it down and study it later, or if its a distracting introduction or video clip, let it go, but don't let it steal the other good stuff God has in that message for you.

• At The End Of The Service Give God Praise And Ask Him To Work The Message Into Your Life

          You didn't go to church just to go through the motions.   Every part of the service is designed to bring you into an encounter with God so that by His Spirit He can transform your life and make you more like Jesus.   Before you leave the Sancturary,  bow before God and surrender yourself to Him and ask Him to help you apply what you have just heard and experienced.   Be determined to walk in the Spirit in light of the scripture you've heard expounded.

It's way too easy to walk into a church service and walk out without having been impacted.  And its way too easy to criticize your Pastor, compare him to others, or think about how he should have done better.  In the end these will do nothing to conform you to the image of Christ.(2).   Just as it is hard work to be an expositor of the word,  it is hard work to be an expository listener. (3)

Real Pastors and real people are in need of being good listeners to the Word of God and they are not really crazy for having a passion for being transformed into the image of Christ through the Word of God.     God Bless You All !

Pastor Rick


(1)  1 Corinthians 1:12; 2:3-5
(2)  2 Corinthians 3:18
(3)  I have not read the book but the book "Expository Listening" by Ken Ramey is getting great reviews.  It would be a good idea for all of us listeners to read it.

Who’s Money Is It?

         

Remember that bank commercial awhile back that showed various people shouting out, “It’s my money, and I want it now|”.¹   We live in a very materialistic culture in which we demand what we want, when we want it, and in which we have a certain sense of entitlement.   As followers of Jesus, we need to be careful that we don’t get caught up in this false world view.

Last time I mentioned that I preach on money every year.   I do it because it is  important to our discipleship that we develop and live out a world view founded on the Scriptures which often puts us in conflict with the world view of the culture around us.

When it comes to money, one of the foundational principles every disciple must establish is,  who is the rightful owner of the things we  possess.   If we don’t firmly establish and fix that in our minds, we will never have a right perspective on money or  learn money’s proper place in our lives.   The fact is that money is a spiritual issue partly because it is God’s number one competition for the affections of our heart.²

There are at least three important things we must establish in our heart and in our attitude towards ownership of the things we possess..

● God Owns Everything

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,  the world and those who dwell therein, (Ps 24:1)

The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. (Lev 25:23)

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. (Hag 2:8)

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. (Hag 2:8)

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chron 29:11)

When we understand that God is the owner of everything, we establish that we are not, and we understand that every spending decision is a spiritual decision.

● We Are Managers

Though God owns everything, He has entrusted the things we have to use according to His plan and purposes and that includes, spending, giving and enjoying. ³   In the Scriptures, God has given us principles for financial management so that we would know how He, our master, would have us use His resources and He graciously allows us to even enjoy the benefits of some of those resources.

In essence, we need to understand that God owns it, and we manage it.   You bank account is His.  Your car is His.   All that you have is His. 

● Managers Must Give An Account To The Owner

Jesus told the parable of the talents in which the master gives three different servants various amounts of money to manage and then goes on a journey.   After a long time, the master comes back and requires each servant to give an account of how he handled his masters money.⁴

In the same way, just as the CEO of a corporation must give an account to the Board of Directors, or a Bank Manager to his or her superiors, so every follower of Jesus (every person for that matter) must be prepared to give an account to God the rightful owner for the way we have managed His resources.

In a world  often obsessed with materialism, understanding this foundational principle gives a proper perspective on money and possessions and frees us  from bondage to the unbridled materialism of our culture..  It will influence how we use the resources God has entrusted to us and it will bring our hearts joy knowing that we are honouring God.⁵

 (Please feel free to respond to any of my posts.   Join the conversation.)

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¹ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX0fIi3H-es

² Luke 16:13; Matthew 6:21

³ 1 Timothy 6:17

⁴ Matthew 25:14-30

⁵ Luke 16:11-13

　

　

Money And Your Relationship With God

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Every year at the church where I Pastor (www.parkwaybiblechurch.ca) in Toronto, I preach on money.  Yesterday I preached part one of a two part series called “Money Myths.”  A money myth is a belief about money that appears correct but is contrary to God’s principles.   Though many pastors hesitate to preach on money, I do it every year because I believe I must preach the whole counsel of God and I believe that handling money is a vital part of discipleship.  Fifteen percent of all that Jesus taught had to do with money so I don’t believe I’d be a faithful Pastor if I didn’t teach His people what His Word says about it. 

Many of us don’t see the connection between how we handle money and our relationship with our Saviour.   The fact is that money and possessions are God’s number one competitor for the affections of our hearts.  Of your heart.  Of my heart.   Jesus said, No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Luke 16:13)

It’s not that you have to be poor to be close to Jesus it’s just that money and possessions are always in competition and our God is a jealous God.¹   Every follower of Jesus has to constantly guard their heart² less our devotion be diverted from the Saviour.

The fact is that how we handle our money and possessions reveals the true condition of our heart.  The scriptures tell us that For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt 6:21).  If Christ is truly Lord of our hearts then He will also be Lord of our cash.   If you are walking close to God and you understand His perspective on money and possessions, it will impact how you think about and handle money and possessions.   The reason I preach regularly about money is because I sincerely believe that God wants us, as disciples,  to be equipped to handle these earthly possessions for His glory and He doesn’t want material things to dominate our hearts.

The Apostle Paul had commissioned young Timothy to confront error in the Ephesian church and to establish right principles in the young church there.   He understood that lack of contentment with God’s provision was a great danger to godliness, the chief goal of the believer. 

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,    7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.    8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.     9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.    10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.  (1 Tim 6:6-10)

I know that most of us don’t’ consider ourselves rich and therefore conclude that this passage has nothing to do with us.   However, the truth is that if you are reading this you are among the 5% of the richest people in the world.   The problem with riches isn’t that they are bad in and of themselves, but that our basic fallen nature can be so easily ensnared by the deceitfulness of riches.   Unless we bring everything, including our riches under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, they can drag us into “ruin and destruction.”

Money, rather than being an unspiritual matter, has everything to do with our walk with the Saviour and unless we know and practice God’s principles when it comes to money we will not experience all the joys and blessings of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

(Watch for the next Blog Post on "Who’s Money Is It Anyway?")

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¹ Exodus 34:14

² Proverbs 4:23

THE GOSPEL IN ITS ESSENCE

Last time, I laid out for you the Gospel message in what was hopefully a clear and concise way.    If we do not have a clear understanding of the gospel message we will never be able to clearly present it to a world that desperately needs this Good News.   Today I want to give you the shortened version, let’s call it “Gospel Essence”.   

I believe that every Christian should know these truths by heart.   This is the skeleton upon which any believer can hang their gospel presentation.    Other information can be added according to the presenters biblical knowledge, but this is the essence of the Gospel.   I would caution that one does not just dump this “Gospel Essence”  on an unsuspecting hearer, but rather it provides the framework for any believer to share their faith in the context in which they find themselves.    Knowing the essence of the gospel means that it can flow out of you naturally in any given circumstance at any given time. 

The Gospel Essence consist of four vital truths which I have place in the form of a question. You will also notice four key words that help you remember the essence of the gospel: 1) God, 2) Man, 3) Jesus Christ, 4) Response.    My hope and prayer is that this will help you be an effective witness for Christ as you seek to take the Good News of the Gospel to a broken culture.

FOUR VITAL GOSPEL TRUTHS

- Answer 4 Vital Questions

GOSPEL TRUTH # 1

Who made us and to whom are we accountable?

GOD: The Righteous Creator

 1. God Is The Creator

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  (Rom 1:19-20)

Therefore we are accountable to Him.  

2. God Is Holy & Righteous

"the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrigteousness suppress the truth (Romans 1:18)

God is Holy and Righteous and He Will Not - He Cannot Overlook, Ignore, or Tolerate Sin.

 

GOSPEL TRUTH # 2

What’s our problem?  Are we in trouble and why?

MAN: The Sinner

For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.    22  Claiming to be wise, they became fools,   (Rom 1:21-22)

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Rom 3:19)

1. Every Human Being Has Sinned

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; (Romans 3:10)

Sin is rebellion against God.

Sin is a rebellion against God’s reign and authority in our lives and breaks our relationship with Him.    It is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator.

2. God Actively Judges Sin

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Rom 3:19)

For the wages of sin is death, (Rom 6:23)

 

No one likes to think of judgement but the fact is however that unless you know how bad the “bad news” is, you’ll never appreciate how great the “Good New” is. 

 And this is where the glorious hope of the good news comes into full view.

 

GOSPEL TRUTH # 3

What Is God’s Solution To Our Problem?  How Has He Acted To Save Us?

 JESUS CHRIST: The Saviour

You and I were sinners destined to be condemned.  But God Himself has acted to save sinners like us!

1. The Word Became Flesh

God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and came into the world so that we could be forgiven and made right with God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (John 1:1)

      

2. The Lamb Of God

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  (John 1:29)

God in the person of Jesus Christ, became the sacrificial lamb who died on the cross in our place to take away the sin of the world.

3. The Heart Of The Gospel

He Died For Our Sins (Penal substitution)

The mission of Jesus was to dye as a substitute for our sins.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  (2 Cor 5:21)     

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken,  smitten by God, and afflicted.  5  But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,  and with his stripes we are healed.  6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;  and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isa 53:4-6)

 

4. He Rose From The Dead

 - He rose triumphant from the grave as proof that His sacrifice was sufficient for our sins and that He has the power of life over death and the power to forgive and give us new life.

GOSPEL TRUTH # 4

How Can I Be Included In God’s Salvation?  What Makes This Good News?   

RESPONSE: Faith & Repentance

A person is saved from God’s wrath when by faith they turn from their rebellion and trust Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.

 ...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom 10:9)

FAITH

 1. Reliance

Real faith is a rock solid, truth grounded TRUST in the risen Christ to save you from Sin

 2. Righteous Verdict

Real faith is relying on Him to secure for you a righteous verdict from God the Judge

By virtue in you Faith in what Christ has done (1 Cor 15), you are declared “not guilty”

3. Faith Alone

Real faith comes through this kind of faith alone and excludes all self effort.  It comes simply through faith in what Christ did for you.

REPENTANCE

Real repentance is more than just saying you are sorry, it is also means turning from your rebellion against God’s rule in your life and surrendering yourself to His rightful rule in your life. 

The Good News is that God has made a way for you to be forgiven for your rebellion against Him and a new life as you live under His reign.

 EVEN SHORTER:

1.  GOD - The righteous judge

2. MAN - The Sinner

3. JESUS CHRIST - The Saviour

4. RESPONSE  - Faith and Repentance

Gospel Clarity

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

So, what is the Gospel? In our last Blog, "Gospel Confusion," we talked about the fact that even among so called evangelicals there is a lot of doctrinal confusion and even theological error when it comes to the Gospel Message itself. How can we be eager to preach the gospel (Romans 1:15), if we’re not clear about what the gospel message is.

I believe that every Christian should be able to present the essential Gospel message in 90 seconds. Certainly every Elder, Deacon, Sunday School teacher, children’s and youth worker should know the clear gospel message as well as should baptism and church membership candidates. The purpose is not so you can just dump the message on someone and feel you’ve done your duty. The purpose is so that the essence of the Gospel message is so fixed in your mind and heart that it becomes part of who you so that it can be naturally shared.

The following gospel outline is designed for "gospel clarity". It is the simple message of the story line of the entire Bible. Of course you can add more bible verses or fuller explanations but this is the gospel in its essence. I wouldn’t suggest you try to memorize this but get the principles involved and key bible passages or verses.

FOUR VITAL TRUTHS - Answer 4 Vital Questions

Who made us and to whom are we accountable?

GOSPEL TRUTH # 1
1. GOD: The Righteous Creator

Many people like the idea of God but they don’t really understand who He is and why it matters. They often think of Him as good natured - low maintenance friend you call on in a jam.

* There are a few things we need to know about God in order to grasp the good news.

1. God Is The Creator
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Rom 1:19-20)

We are not alone in the universe. We are not autonomous and self-accountable. There is a Creator who has a right to reign in our lives. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) Therefore we are accountable to Him. If we get this wrong everything that follows will be wrong.

God Created By His Word. There Was Nothing and God spoked. He created you and you have a purpose and we are accountable to our creator. Because He is the creator, He has the right to reign over us. In essence, sin is a person’s rejection of God’s Creator rights to reign.

2. God Is Holy & Righteous
God is loving and good. He is compassionate and forgiving. But, we also have to understand that He is Holy. When Moses asked God to show Him His glory, God said, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (Exodus 34:6-7). Now that part we get, but God also said, "Yet, He does not leave the guilty unpunished" (Exodus. 34:7b).

Some would say that God is a loving God and would not punish the wicked. That’s like saying God is the unscrupulous janitor who sweeps the dirt under the carpet. Sweeping our sin under the carpet so to speak would absolutely violate the God’ Holiness and Righteousness.

God’s love does not eradicate His Justice and Holiness. For indeed "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (Romans 1:18).

Many modern attempts to redefine the Gospel leave out sin and rebellion and the wrath of God from which we must be saved. They ignore the fact that we have offended God’s holiness and come under His wrath. Anytime you see that being argued you know that is not the gospel once delivered unto the saints.

God is Holy and Righteous and He Will Not - He Cannot Overlook, Ignore, or Tolerate Sin.


What’s our problem? Are we in trouble and why?

GOSPEL TRUTH # 2
2. MAN: The Sinner

For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (Rom 1:21-22)

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Rom 3:19)According to the Bible, every last one of us is a sinner. The sobering conclusion then is that when we stand before God the Judge, every mouth will be silenced. No one will mount a defence. Not one excuse will be offered. The whole world, every last one of us – will be held fully accountable to God and will be found wanting.

1. Every Human Being Has Sinned
Adam and Eve
- Genesis 3

Adam and Eve demonstrate the disobedience of us all. In the garden God told them they could eat of every tree but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They rebelled and ate the forbidden fruit. It was the rebellion in their hearts that separated them from God and sin entered the human race through them.

Sin

Sin is rebellion against God.According to the Bible, sin is more than just breaking some impersonal heavenly regulation. Sin is the breaking of our relationship with God and a rebellion against God’s reign and authority in our lives. It is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

It is written: "None is righeous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)

For the mind that is on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; ndeed it cannot (Romans 8:7)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is full of stumbling stones, and this one is the largest. To human hearts that stubbornly think of themselves as basically good and self-sufficient, this idea that human beings are fundamentally sinful and rebellious is not merely scandalous. It is revolting" (Greg Gilbert - "What Is The Gospel" pg 51)
This is the offense of the Gospel and it is precisely what many of the modern definitions of the Gospel seek to either play down or even totally eradicate and when you do that, it is no longer the gospel of Jesus Christ.


2. God Actively Judges Sin

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Rom 3:19)
For the wages of sin is death, (Rom 6:23)

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Rev 19:15)

The Bible teaches that the final destiny of unrepentant sinners is a place of eternal, conscious torment. Revelation calls it "the lake of fire." Jesus who spoke more than anyone about judgment called it a place of "unquenchable fire." It’s awful place to be and so let’s not make it sound more tolerable - less horrific than it is.

Judgment in the "lake of fire" however one might envision it sure doesn’t sound like Good News does it. The fact is however that unless you know how bad the "bad news" is, you’ll never appreciate how great the "Good New" is. And this is where the glorious hope of the good news comes into full view.


What Is God’s Solution To Our Problem? How Has He Acted To Save Us?

3.  JESUS CHRIST: The Saviour
You and I were sinners destined to be condemned. But God Himself has acted to save sinners like us!

Jesus came not only to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, but also to bring sinners into it by dying in their place and for their sin, taking their punishment on Himself and securing forgiveness for them, ,making them righteous in God’s eyes, and qualifying them to share in the inheritance of the Kingdom.


1. The Word Became
The Word became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and came into the world so that we could be forgiven and made right with God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

2. The Lamb Of God
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)God in the person of Jesus Christ, became the sacrificial lamb who died on the cross in our place to take away the sin of the world.

3. The Heart Of The Gospel Penal Substitution

The mission of Jesus was not just to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, but to do so by dying as a substitutionary sacrifice for His people. Jesus was not just King, He was suffering King.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21)Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:4-6)
* This is the heart of the gospel message and cannot be left out and still be the gospel. Jesus didn’t just come to be our example or a great teacher but to be our substitute. To die in our place for our sin.

HE IS RISEN - He rose triumphant from the grave as proof that His sacrifice was sufficient for our sins and that He has the power of life over death and the power to forgive and give us new life.



How Can I Be Included In God’s Salvation? What Makes This Good News?
4. RESPONSE: Faith & Repentance

* Acts 26;18 - Paul recounts why Christ called him and sent him.to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in meA person is saved from God’s wrath when by faith they turn from their rebellion and trust Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.

FAITH

1. Reliance

Real faith is a rock solid, truth grounded TRUST in the risen Christ to save you from Sin

2. Righteous Verdict

Real faith is relying on Him to secure for you a righteous verdict from God the Judge

By virtue in you Faith in what Christ has done (1 Cor 15), you are declared "not guilty"

3. Faith Alone
Real faith comes through this kind of faith alone and excludes all self effort. It comes simply through faith in what Christ did for you.

REPENTANCE

Real repentance is more than just saying you are sorry, it is being sorry but it means turning from your rebellion against God’s rule in your life and surrendering yourself to His rightful rule in your life.

...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom 10:9)

The Good News is that God has made a way for you to be forgiven for your rebellion against Him and a new life as you live under His reign.

(Next blog, we’ll shorten this to just the skeleton that can be easily remembered and become the framework from which you build your own gospel presentation while maintaining the essential message)

Check out this excellent gospel presentation: "Two Ways To Live"

Two Ways To Live

http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/2wtlonline.html