Gtcotr/ss072819
(Note:
Update on Lucy – granddaughter of Pastor Randy and Elizabeth Sebert)
This
past Wednesday evening, at our mid-week service, we continued our study of the
Book of Acts. Acts 6 was our text for this week. We discovered God’s great
need, and the need of any growing congregation, for Born-Again Believers to
take part in Church. Church services are used by God to meet needs … God’s
needs and the needs of people whether they know it or not. We heard several
testimonies which bore witness to the fact that God often draws people to
Church just when or just before they need it most.
We
realized that many times we miss the opportunity God has worked so hard and
long to give us … a divine opportunity to positively affect someone for Christ.
When we miss that moment, we miss God. We concluded Wednesday evening by asking
ourselves, what are going to do for Jesus this week? So let me ask you: What
are you going to do for Jesus this coming week? On the job; at school; at home;
in the community; or with friends? Don’t miss it and don’t wait to be asks – take
initiative and part in the plan of God.
This
morning we are going to begin a new series entitled:
5 Doctrines of the
Gospel of Christ
A
doctrine is a teaching. The Gospel means Good News. In this case there are 5
fundamental doctrines we find critical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s
begin by reading our key scripture which will be found in the New Testament
book of Romans. The Apostle Paul boldly writes:
Romans 1:16 For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
The
Holy Spirit is clearly telling us that the Gospel of Christ contains the power
of God to save everyone who believes it. The continuing concern Paul addresses
later on in the book of Romans is that people cannot believe in something which
they have not heard about and no one can hear about the Gospel unless someone
else is willing to tell them.
Paul
declared that he would not live his Christian life ashamed or afraid of sharing
the Good News concerning the salvation that is in Christ with others. It is not
up to us to save people, but it is up to us to tell them … after all, someone
told you!
Hebrews 4:2 For indeed the
gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did
not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
It
is God’s hope this morning that you will believe the Gospel that is proclaimed
in Church today and act on it by faith. Now let’s take a look at:
5 Doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
1.
Salvation
John 3 NKJV
1 ¶ There was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by
night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God;
for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to
him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How
can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s
womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God.
6 “That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 “Do not marvel that I said
to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Note
that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. It appears Nicodemus was afraid
or ashamed to be seen with Jesus for his reputation’s sake. However his
questions are sincere. Jesus in no way scolds him but rather welcomes him and
teaches him concerning the salvation of his soul.
This
account lends us to understand that we should encourage even small and weak
steps towards Christ. Turn no sincere soul away, even when they are too weak,
afraid or embarrassed to be seen with Jesus during the day. God accepts any turn
towards Him as progress.
The
Talmudists, those Rabbis who study and are well versed in the written and oral Law
of Moses, tell of a man named Nicodemus Ben Gorion who was one of the three
richest and most influential men in Jerusalem in the same time period as Jesus
of Nazareth. This Nicodemus was brother to Josephus Ben Gorion, the well-known
Jewish historian and author of the Wars and Antiquities of the Jews. The
Nicodemus spoken of by the Talmudists is also known by another name among the
Sanhedrin of that time, Bonai, and was known to be a disciple of Jesus.
Many
stories are told among the Jewish writers concerning the great wealth of
Nicodemus and his family then later the abject poverty they faced perhaps as a
result of the great persecution of Christians in Jerusalem. We cannot know for
sure if these two are the same person, but it would seem reasonable since the
backgrounds and activities are so similar from the accounts of both Jewish and
Christian writers.
The
Apostle John mentions Nicodemus three times in the Gospel of John. Here in John
3; then again in John 7:50 where Nicodemus defends Jesus against unjust
suspicion of the Jews; and finally in John 19:39 when Nicodemus brought
a wealth of burial spices along with his rich secret disciple of Jesus friend,
Joseph of Arimathea, to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body for burial after
the cross.
John
3:2 says that Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus at
night and heard that he could be born again. This conviction that Jesus was
Messiah lasted Nicodemus all the way through the trial, crucifixion and burial
of Christ. I can well imagine he was also there for the resurrection.
Jesus
said to Nicodemus – “You must be born again.”
This
is the first doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is: Salvation
Ephesians 2 NKJV
8 For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Salvation
is a gift which God freely gives to everyone who will believe and receive it by
faith. Grace cannot be purchased, earned or deserved. Grace is the “free gift”.
If it costs you it’s not free and it’s not a gift. Salvation is a gift God
wants to give everyone. How then can I receive this Good News gift of God?
The Romans Road to Salvation
i. Romans
3:23 – All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
ii. Romans
6:23 – The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
iii. Romans
10:13 – Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
So,
what have we discovered today?
·
We must encourage good beginnings, even when weak or afraid.
o We should never turn
away any sincere soul who is seeking God.
·
We must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ
o For it is the power
of God unto salvation for all who believe.
·
You must be born again.
o There is no other
way for the rich or for the poor.
o From sinners to
saints
o From rulers of the
Jews to Presidents of the United States
o You must be born
again …
Have
you been born again since you’ve heard about Jesus? Have you been born again
since you believed? Why not receive Jesus into your heart today!
Next
week: Water Baptism
