Gospel 101

Friday November 28, 2014

Suppose there was a non believer visiting your home church. At the end of the service your pastor asked you to share the gospel with the guest. What would you say to him? What about the good news would you present?

Peter defined the good news as "peace with God through Jesus Christ". Human beings are all born into sin and rebellion against God - we´re at war with Him. But peace is now possible because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Peter told his audience that Jesus' baptism showed that He was fully man and fully God (Acts 10:37, Matthew 3:13-17). Following this, the apostle said that Jesus has set us free from the power and bondage of Satan and sin (Acts 10:38). When He was put to death on a cross (v. 39), Jesus "took upon himself the curse for our wrong doing" (Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 2:24). Peter also spoke of Jesus' resurrection. "But God raised him to life on the third day" (Acts 10:40).

In addition we don´t adequately proclaim the gospel if we leave out the solemn fact of the coming judgement. Peter warned that God has appointed Jesus "to be the judge of all - the living and the dead" (v. 42, see also Hebrews 9:27).

Peter concluded his gospel presentation with an invitation: "Everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through [Jesus'] name" (Acts 10:43). And he woub oldly present what Jesus lived out and taught, for he was a "[witness] of all he did" (vv. 39, 41).

Today we have the commission to go and tell others about him (v. 42, Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). What does that entail? Sharing the good news is simply telling people about who Jesus is and what He´s done to reconcile us to God. That´s the gospel 101! - K.T. Sim

Read
Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak : "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning of Galilee after the baptism that John preached -- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen -- by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more that five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Question to Ponder
Will you tell someone about Jesus this week?
What inspires you about Peter and his presentation of the claims of Christ?

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Sept - Nov 2014 issue