Why we cannot stop short of the gospel

by Jeff Fry

I.       Intro

A.   Review

B.   Most people love to help others and make them happy.

1.     Helping others is a great thing.  It is a necessary thing too.  Jesus gave us some great examples of helping others:

a)    Jesus' healings of many people (e.g. the woman with the flow, the demoniac, etc)

b)    feeding the five hundred

c)     providing wine for the wedding when they ran out of it

2.     These are all good things that Jesus did.

3.     We should strive to be like Jesus and think of others first as Philippians teaches so clearly

a)    "… think of others before yourself .."

4.     But Jesus goes one step further than just making others happy and improving their immediate situation

5.     Jesus says that the most important way to help people is to give them new life.

II.    The gospel is the only way to spiritual life

A.   State

1.     Read John 10:10

a)    Who is speaking?

b)    what does the thief do?

c)     what does Jesus do?

d)    what does Jesus mean when he says that he came to give "life"?  What kind of life?

e)     what does Jesus mean when he says that he came that people may have life to the full?

2.     Before we understand Jesus' statement in John 10:10 we must understand the message of another passage - Ephesians 2:1-2

a)    Ephesians 2:1  says, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."

(1)  This verse says that all Christians were spiritually dead before God made them alive because of their sins (wrongs).  These spiritually dead people …

(a)     WERE SELF-CENTRED

(i)      they followed their own desires (self-centredness)

(b)   WERE IN BONDAGE

(i)      they were led by an evil spirit who is now energizing (working in) the spiritually dead people to oppose and be disobedient to God

(2)  Of course, this doesn't refer to physical death because the writer is addressing the Ephesian Christians as having been dead due to their wrong-doings.  Yet we know that wrong-doings don't normally lead to physical death (although they can).  One can be self-centred and even led by an evil spirit and not die.  In fact, it happens all the time.

(3)  further clues that the writer is speaking in spiritual terms and not physical terms is his description of these Ephesian Christians as  "raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus". If this were physically so then there would be no need to be writing this letter to them as they would already have first-hand knowledge of this truth

(4)  It is obvious that the writer is describing what is spiritually true of them.  He is using the word "dead" as a metaphor to describe their spiritual condition before God changed them and turned their disobedient, rebellious hearts into hearts that loved Him and His ways (made them alive).

b)    This metaphorical use of "dead" in the NT is not uncommon.

(1)  Matthew 8: 22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

3.     Now we must read John 10:10 again with this knowledge that everyone is dead because everyone has sinned

4.     Now, to say that Jesus came to give us life, means that he came with the purpose to call spiritually dead people to spiritual life.

a)    Jesus' plan is to use us to share His message with people and then they have the opportunity to believe and become alive

b)    If we don't share His message, then we undermine the purpose of Jesus instead of serve the purpose of Jesus.

c)     If we just settle with making people feel good and helping them only in the physical realm but not the spiritual then we will short-circuit God's purpose.

d)    we must do exactly as Jesus:

(1)  help people practically for the love of God

(2)  help people spiritually for the love of God to repent and turn to Christ as saviour from sin

e)     If we only help people with their practical, physical problems but don't help them with their spiritual problem, then

(1)  we leave them dead!

(2)  You also cut out the main message of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - the cross of Jesus

(a)    Each gospel account dedicates about 1/3 of the last end of its account to the account of the cross

(b)   One man said that the message of the gospels IS  the cross of Christ with just long introductions!

(3)  You cut out the message that Paul says is of "first importance" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

f)      the way dead people become alive is through believing the message of Christ, the gospel

(1)   Romans 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

g)    but if they haven't heard about him then they can't believe in Christ

h)    And they can't hear about him unless someone preaches about him

i)       And how can they preach if they are not sent?

(1)  We have been sent to tell people the gospel message about Christ

(a)    we are ambassadors for Christ according to  2 Cor. 5:20

(i)      an ambassador relays a message on behalf of one party to another party

(ii)    an ambassador pleads and appeals

(iii)   an ambassador represents the party also

(b)   We are beautiful when we share the gospel

(i)      "beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Romans 10:15)

B.   Illustrate

1.     If you had the cure for cancer would you only make the cancer patient feel more comfortable and yet fail to give them the cure? No!

a)    Then we should not just help people practically and physically but to give them the gospel which can cure the disease of sin

2.     Why is it that after I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my life, my life radically changed?

a)    never spent a lot of time considering God and Jesus much but after my conversion I started to attend Bible study and prayer meetings in addition to my 4 university subjects in Electrical Engineering.

C.   Apply

1.     When have you last shared the gospel with someone? 

a)    Has it been a long, long time?

b)    Remember who you are: an ambassador for Christ

2.     What are some of the roadblocks which keep you from sharing your faith? 

a)    What is the cause of these roadblocks?

b)    Can Christ help you overcome them?

c)     What do you need to change to become more of an ambassador for Christ?

III.  Conclusion

A.   So, while Jesus did many good, practical things for people while he walked the earth, his overarching purpose was to proclaim the gospel to give new, spiritual life to people (John 10:10).

B.   What is our purpose?

1.     John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

2.     So, share the gospel and give true life to others in Jesus' name.