The Gospel

Last week Pastor Frank taught using the 23rd Psalm, sharing with us that nothing is going to happen to us in 2016 that God doesn’t know about and nothing is going to happen to us that we and He can’t get through together!

-This week Pastor Frank begins a new series entitled “What’s the Difference” and, starting today on the topic of “The Gospel,” will walk us through the differences among the predominant religions of the world today.

Verses used: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Galatians 1:1-9, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Matthew 5:48.

Key verses:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Galatians 1:1-9

1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Sermon Notes:

1. Jesus plus nothing.

2. If you add something to what Jesus did on the cross then you are subtracting from what He accomplished on the cross.

3. All means all and that’s all that all means!

4. Religion is salvation through moral effort.

5. Gospel is salvation by grace through faith alone in Jesus.

6. Religion focuses on what I do or don’t do.

7. The Gospel focuses on what Jesus has done.

8. Religion produces pride or despair.

9. The Gospel produces humility, gratefulness and confidence.

Some questions to consider this week:

1. What was one thing you remember from the message on Sunday?

2. Like a counterfeit bill, how do you think you would do in spotting a counterfeit gospel?

3. Have you ever had someone try to present you with a false gospel? If yes, how did you respond? Or perhaps, how do you wish you would have responded?

4. What does Paul say will happen to anyone who promotes a “gospel” other than that which he preached – the good news of grace?

5. If you had to argue for the reality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by giving one example of how you have changed as a result of your faith, what would you share?

6. What practice have you established to ensure that you “hold firmly to the word?”

7. Why do you think other religions and cults have such a hard time with the Gospel?

8. “For Christ died for sins once for all” (1 Peter 3:18). How does this verse influence and strengthen your conviction of His Gospel?

9. How can we be “stirring in” the sermon’s verses into our lives this week?