This fall I am doing a series of message on living out the Great Commission. From developing a relationship with lost people to helping grow up that lost person into a multiplying follower of Christ. This past week I spoke on sharing a verbal witness – or simply preaching the gospel. There is such confusion on what the gospel is and worst a watering down so that people think they are coming to faith in Christ but that have been misrepresented. Over the next few blog entries I want to give you the points from my message. The text is Acts 10:34-42 – it is the story of where Peter goes to Cornelius the gentile and shares the facts of the gospel. There were ten truths that Peter shared. How we communicate is a matter of style and presentation. I am more concerned with WHAT we share – that is a matter of substance. I hope this will encourage and motivate you to give a verbal witness….
1. The Gospel is for any person who comes to faith in Christ –34
34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation….
Salvation does not occur from the right pedigree, religious background or the type of church you attended. Salvation is not exclusive but affects all who hears and believes in the gospel.
Peter is specifically commenting on the non-partiality nature of the gospel because he is realizing that it is for all men – even Gentiles. But conversely there is a realization that salvation is not limited to Jews – or that the Jews have a special in with God. The gospel can save any person – it is not based on standing or personage or ethnicity. This means that the gospel can be heard by all people and that all people can respond to it and be saved. But that also means that Salvation is not automatic. This is also a good reminder that we must not ASSUME that all people are true believers. Peter is realizing that being right with God happens when a person trusts in the gospel and not because of the side of the tracks they come from.ILL: Young people who attend NewSong….its not automatic. You must come to personal faith in Christ by acceptance of the gospel. Close proximity and association – like hanging around a church or having parents who were Christians - doesn’t provide salvation. ONLY ACCEPTING THE GOSPEL CAN! ILL: A number of years ago we were in London as a family and took a tour of Westminster Abbey – Alex got to sit in the seat reserved for the Monarch – King/Queens seat – it did not make him royalty…..being around the gospel does not mean you are a Christian!
2. The Gospel will produce the righteousness needed to get back with God. – 35
35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.
The phrase “welcome to him” – suggests that before salvation we are not welcomed to God.
Why do we need the gospel and salvation? Because we are separated from God – we are no longer welcomed into fellowship with Him. We are not welcomed in God’s presence. We are UNACCEPTABLE TO GOD! It has not always been that way….Genesis 1 tells us that when God created man – we were in perfect relationship with God. He created us to be with us. We were created to fellowship and worship God. We were able to do that because we were without sin. But then Adam and Eve fell and God threw them out of the Garden and sin separated the Creator from his creation – mankind! Without the gospel we are eternally separated from God. Our depravity has caused a great chasm between us and God.
We are not righteous by any means OF OUR OWN and if we try to be righteous – it is never enough…..THAT IS CALLED INFUSED RIGHTEOUSNESS. We are not reverent towards God – we can not worship Him in our sinful state. We can not muster up enough righteousness that he would want to be in fellowship with us. But when we hear and accept the good news of the gospel and we are redeemed out of our sin and completely eradicating our sin – God gives us his righteousness. THAT IS CALLED IMPUTED RIGHTESOUSNESS. Paul explains this essential doctrine in Romans 5:12-21.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinner….
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The gospel brings the righteousness needed to be reinstated in fellowship and worship with God. Without God’s righteousness – we are NOT RIGHT with God and unacceptable.
Isn’t that unloving for God not to accept us? Isn’t that elitist for God to expect that kind of righteousness? That means without His righteousness no one will be aceptable to God? Where is God’s love?? His love hung on a cross to provide the way for his righteousness to be given to us as a free gift!
3. The Gospel provides man with peace with God. – 36
36 “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ…..
Peter says that the Sons of Israel received a message of peace through Christ.
What peace? Why did they need peace? Why do any of us need peace? How does the gospel provide peace? The Apostle Paul helps us with this…Romans 5:8-10
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Before the salvation we were at enmity with God – we were His enemy. We also were set to receive the wrath of God. We were part of the kingdom of darkness…..NOT Citizen’s of Heaven!! But through Jesus Christ and when we received the gospel – we were reconciled with God. RECONCILED – is an accounting term which means…to pay the debt….no longer a debtor! When I have been at odds with anyone relationally – I owe a debt to someone…there is NO peace. There is usually a pit in your stomach – it is the absence of peace that drives us to resolve the conflict…..to reconcile is when are they going to call for the debt to be PAID! We have a debt of sin….I COULD NOT PAY!!! I AM MORALLY AND SPIRITUALLY bankrupt! That is why we call the gospel –the gospel of peace….ministry of reconciliation….helping people discover how to have the debt paid and peace given! That is what people need – PEACE. In our sin we are wrought with guilt, shame, hopelessness, no assurance of eternity. If people would be honest and they would take a hard look at their spiritual condition – they would see the turmoil all around them. The gospel brings peace – a peace that passes all understanding.