The Gospel

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Romans 1:16 (ESV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Introduction:

• The Gospel is the power of God.
• The Gospel is the good news of Jesus.
• The Gospel must be proclaimed.
• The Gospel must be believed.
• The Gospel must be lived.

1. Jesus is building His Church.

Matt 16: 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

1.1. Jesus is the rock which the Church is built upon.

1.2. The chief corner stone had to be buried in the foundation.

Ephesians 2:20 (ASV) being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;

1.3. Jesus builds the house.

(ESV) Ps 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

1.4. Is the Lord building your house?

2. The Lord Jesus adds to the Church.

Acts 2: 47 … and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved…

2.1. The Lord Jesus grows His Church.

2.2. The growing of a Church is an anomaly.

2.2.1. Anomaly: something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.

2.2.2. Suppose to be a different way.

2.3. The problem begins when we start devising ways to add people instead of allowing the Lord to grow His Church.

2.3.1. Because it is not about us adding people to our Church.

2.3.2. The pride of man contributes to Pastors and Leaders devising ways to get more people into the building…

2.3.3. Man figure out ways too increase attendance is not the same as the Lord “adding to their number day by day”

2.3.4. The goal is for church to be filled with Disciples who are making Disciples; then the church will be a growing church.

3. Eight days later after the resurrection of Christ the disciples were still behind closed- locked doors.

3.1. Jesus breathed on them on day 1.

John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you…..
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.

3.2. Yet a week plus a day later there they were.

John 20: 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

3.3. On Day 8 the doors are still shut and some translations say locked.

3.3.1. Those must have been a long eight days.

3.3.2. Still afraid.

3.3.3. Were the religious leaders or the Romans going to show up at any moment and do to them what they did to Jesus.

3.4. Jesus stood among them again for the Jesus did not hold back His rebuke of unbelief and hardness of heart.

Mark 16:14 “he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart…

3.5. He appeared in another form.

Mark 16:12-13 (ESV) 12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

3.6. We have to have ears to hear and respond to the call of discipleship.

Luke 24:30-32 (NKJV) 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

4. They were called Disciples.

Matthew 28: 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

4.1. We are disciples of Christ the moment Jesus breathes on us.
4.2. With discipleship comes the revelation that our walk with Jesus needs to become first priority.
4.3. The great commission is to make disciples.
4.4. The great preparation is to be filled with power from on high.
4.5. The preaching of the gospel is two fold: to make disciples and to be a testimony against the Nations.

Matt. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

4.6. Our preaching Christ should either produce disciples or a gap.

5. Losing your life to save it.

Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Philemon 1:13 (ESV) I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel,

5.1. What has discipleship cost you?

5.2. Ela… When we were growing as children there were times in our growth when we would experience growing pains in our bones… these pains were necessary for the body to stretch and continue to grow.

5.3. When the church is successful in making disciples there will be growing pains.

5.4. There is a cost.

Matthew 10: 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

6. Simple Gospel.

Acts 2: 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved

6.1. Continuing together.

6.2. Breaking bread.

6.3. Simplicity of heart.

6.4. Praising God.

6.5. Favor with people.

6.6. The Lord adding daily.

• Keeping the Gospel from becoming something it was not intended to be. Conclusion: Blessed are those who believe but have not seen.