Gtcotr/ss030914
Today
is Family Sunday at COTR. Our goal today is to strengthen our families and
thereby strengthen the family of God by strengthening our grasps on the truths
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This
past Wednesday evening we rehearsed a simple, easy to remember, way to tell
someone else the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Before we begin reading our scriptures
this morning I want to invite the Children down to the front for a moment. (Production Note: I want to go over this
with the children before releasing them back to their seats for Family Sunday.)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ in 4 Easy Steps:
1.
Jesus lived a life we could not live.
2.
Jesus died a death we should have died.
3.
Jesus rose to give us a life we could never have otherwise.
4.
Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life.
To
further strengthen our faith in and grasp of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, let’s
turn and begin our scripture reading this morning from:
1 Timothy 3 NLT
14 I am writing these things
to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon,
15 so that if I am delayed,
you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This
is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the
truth.
16 Without question, this is
the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and
vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations.
He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
Paul
wanted to impress his son Timothy concerning the importance of the Church and
its role in serving and preserving the Gospel of Christ. He did this by making
several strong proclamations. Allow me to share my top 7.
1. The Church is the Pillar and Ground of the
Truth
Paul
is not saying that the truth sits on the foundation of the Church but rather
that the Church sits on the foundation of the truth and upholds and proclaims
it.
2. Without Dispute, Great is the Mystery of Our
Faith
He
is not speaking about the kind of mystery which is somehow spooky or unable to
be comprehended. Rather, that truth which has been hidden through the ages is
now revealed. Paul did not intend to allude to doctrine beyond comprehension or
unintelligible. He was simply saying that which had been concealed from man is
now made known and is of the utmost importance.
Colossians
1:26 The mystery which has been hidden
from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
3. God Appeared to Man in Human Form
This
is the power of the Gospel … Jesus Christ, is the Son of God and the Son of Man.
We cannot preach the Gospel without holding to the fact that Jesus was in the
beginning with God. He was, is and forever will be. And He appeared to mankind
on earth in the form of a human – He took upon flesh and dwelled among us.
4. The Incarnate Christ was Proven to be Messiah
by the Holy Spirit
The
Holy Spirit furnished the evidence that justified the claims of Christ, that in
Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. From the voice and dove at
baptism to the healings and miracles in Galilee, from the Resurrection to
Pentecost, every prophecy of Messiah and every claim of Christ were evidence
and vindication to the testament of God’s Word concerning our Savior.
This
is the doctrine of faith which the Church is held to account.
5. The Angels of Heaven Witnessed and Testified
that Jesus is Lord.
From
the Shepherd’s Fields of Bethlehem to the Temptations in the Judean Desert,
from the Mount of Transfiguration to the Resurrection and Ascension – Heaven
Witnessed and Heaven Testified to the Deity of Christ and the Power of the
Gospel. Both heaven and earth watched in awe …
6. Every Nation has been Included in the Gospel
This
was a part of the “mystery” hidden from the ages and from generations. Although
unknown and unimagined in wholesale by the Jews to whom Messiah was promised –
God always had a plan of redemption for all nations, kindreds, tribes, tongues
and peoples all over the world. This Grand Scheme of the Gospel was concealed
until the revelation of the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of the Believers in the
First Church in Jerusalem and they began to be witnesses to their city, their
state, their nation and the uttermost parts of the world.
This
again is the heartbeat and the responsibility of the Church and every Christian
who holds true to Gospel entrusted to us by faith. The Gospel message of
Salvation by the blood of Christ is to:
·
Whosoever will …
·
He who hath an ear …
·
Lest at any time … Gospel message.
7. The Whole World is a Field Ready for Harvest
“He
was believed in throughout the world …”
Refuse
to believe what the world says about God, Jesus, the Church, Christians, you or
even themselves. “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is
Lord.” Multitudes from all walks of life, every culture, custom, race and creed
sit in the valley of decision each day ripened and ready to be harvested. They
will believe if we will only go and share the Gospel.
Go
and tell:
1.
Jesus lived a life we could not live.
2.
Jesus died a death we should have died.
3.
Jesus rose to give us a life we could never have otherwise.
4.
Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life.
Might
I just share one more Gospel truth this morning: In the part of verse 16,
referring to Jesus Paul says:
He was
Taken to Heaven in Glory
The
great truth and the great power of the Gospel is that we serve a Victorious
Risen Savior. And, if that same Spirit that raised Christ up from the dead
dwells in you it will also make your mortal bodies alive and you too shall be
victorious over sin, death, hell and the grave.
This
morning I want to encourage you and encourage you to encourage your family and
friends to believe and to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Accept no substitute!
Our
Church is pledged to manifest and proclaim this Good News to our generation and
to serve and preserve the Gospel of Jesus Christ for generations to come.
We
hold to the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and put our trust in the Holy
Scriptures. It is my hope that you will teach these powerful life changing
truths to your children and to your children’s children, it will change and
charge their lives for eternity.
As
well, I commission you to serve and support the House of God remembering that
the Church is the pillar and the foundation of truth.
Let’s
bathe our families in prayer once again.
