Outline of the four sermons in the series "who needs the gospel?"

Who Needs the Gospel?

Seeking to make the gospel central in our lives, in our church,

and in our mission to the world

1. I do—1 Corinthians 15:1-5

        *Big idea: Each one of us has a personal, daily, ongoing need for the gospel

        A. Old news, but not dead news (1-2)

·      The word for “gospel” simply means good news. A message that is proclaimed. News of victory in war or something like that.

·      Confusion in the church at Corinth means Paul needs to clarify what the right gospel actually is. He goes on to do this in verses 3-5

·      The Corinthians received this gospel, stand in this gospel, are being saved by this gospel. In other words, it’s still relevant. It’s not dead.

·      They must keep on believing, and never give up the hope this gospel offers

        B. Old news, but still critical news (3-5)

·      Critical because it’s the same news taught by Jesus, and it’s the same news taught by all the other Apostles

·      Critical because the news that Jesus died means that our sins are all atoned for; we are forgiven because Christ was forsaken for us

·      Critical because the news that Jesus was resurrected means our forgiveness is certain, and the risen Jesus lives for us

·      Critical because Paul says this is the most important news ever: “of first importance” (v. 3).

C. Application: Beware of at least four ways in which we say “Not me. I don’t need the gospel” when we should be saying, “I do! I need the gospel every day!”

·      Negligence: we fail to rehearse the basic facts of God, Man, Christ, Response

·      Emotions: we let fear or sadness or shame proclaim their bad news to the point that we can’t hear the good news

·      Condemnation: we turn criticisms or failures into news that is more important than the good news. Christ took all our sins and failures on himself on the cross and atoned for every one of them.

·      Legalism: C.J. Mahaney’s definition of legalism: “Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through my obedience to God.” Legalism makes our good works into the good news that saves us, rather than letting Christ’s good work on the cross save us.

2. The Church does—1 Cor. 15:1-5; Rom. 8:29; John 15:12

*Big idea: The church needs the gospel because the church

only makes sense because of the gospel

        A. Remember the basics: God, Man, Christ, Response

·      The basic message is for individuals for sure

·      But as 1 Cor. 15:3 made clear, the gospel has a community element: Christ died for our sins

B. Question: What does the church have to do with the gospel? Answer: everything.

·      “Brothers” in 1 Cor. 15:1 is a theological word: the church at Corinth exists because God has taken isolated spiritual orphans and brought them together into God’s new family

·      God’s plan has always been to create a new people for himself through his Word

·      God in his wisdom has not left each of us to be lone ranger Christians

·      Mark Dever has said, “Christian proclamation might make the gospel audible, but Christians living together in local congregations make the gospel visible.”

C. Gospel-neediness within the local church is reflected in the “one-anothers”

·      John 15:12 is a foundational one-another statement: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

·      It’s foundational because it shows that the gospel is to drive the way we treat one another; we are to love in the way that Jesus has loved us

·      Love, humility, and unity are three categories that can be given to summarize many of the 50+ one-another statements in the New Testament (see appendix to this outline for a listing of nearly all of the one-another statements)

3. My Neighbors do—Luke 10:25-37

*Big idea: When you love God, you will love like God,

because you know how you have been loved by God

        A. Follow Jesus

·      Loving God means following Jesus, and submitting to his authority in your life

B. Love fulfills the Law

·      True love for God always results in loving neighbor. A good root bears good fruit.

C. Love is not limited

·      True love for God and neighbor never asks the question “Who is my neighbor?” To ask that question is to look for an out, a loophole in finding out who I must love. Love is not limited.

·      Love does not “pass by on the other side.”

·      Love happily embraces needy, messy people wherever they may be found.

D. Love is detailed

·      Love is detailed and thorough because it is marked by compassion

·      The compassion shown by the Samaritan reminds us of God’s love for us demonstrated in the Gospel

E. Love asks the right question

·      The right question to ask is “Am I a neighbor?”

·      The person who asks that “right question” is willing to love needy, messy people

F. Application questions

·      “Am I a neighbor?” Is there anyone in my life who is not a Christian who would call me their friend? In other words, they sense that I love them and I am committed to them as the Samaritan was to the needy, messy man in the story that Jesus told

·      “Am I too busy to be a neighbor?” In my list of priorities for my life, do I include time in my schedule to love my neighbors?

·      “Is our church a neighbor to our community?”

4. The World does—Matthew 28:16-20

*Big idea: Every follower of Christ is part of the Great Commission

        A. The greatness of the risen Jesus

·      Jesus comes near and speaks to his disciples who had abandoned him, showing his mercy and willingness to forgive

·      Jesus makes clear that he is the long awaited Son of Man prophesied in Daniel 7. Thus, all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to him

B. The mission given by the risen Jesus

·      The mission is to make disciples

·      The people who carry out the mission are all those who follow Jesus as his disciples, not merely a special group of people

·      The mission is carried out wherever disciples go, by baptizing new disciples into the community of disciples, and by teaching them to obey all the Jesus has commanded

·      No individual follower of Christ is exempt from the call to make disciples, even though every individual disciple will play a different role in the process

C. The presence of the risen Jesus

·      The task would truly be impossible without God’s help

·      Disciples have God’s power present with them in the person of the Holy Spirit