Apostles Church

Gospel is not instructions to follow but a story to believe. Context 2:15-16 Judaizers. Not works (3x)/faith (3x). Illus: Kite Runner (Amir, Hassan, Rahim Khan, “there is a way to be right again”). We all want to be right – before ourselves, before others, before God. Not what we do that makes us right (not our performance, make up deeds, etc). It is believing what God had done for us in Christ. Story: He has been condemned in our place and his righteousness credited to us.
Why important? If you believe that you can be your own savior, establish your own record, manufacture your own significance, make yourself right you will fall into two evil patterns:
You will dishonor Christ. 2:21 Christ died for nothing. But if you see your need and that Christ alone can meet it, you will honor him and love him. Illus Spurgeon: Only when you feel the noose around your neck will you weep for joy when the Savior cuts the rope.
You will devalue people. Historical setting of 2:11-14. Peter fell under influence of Judaizers. Paul confronts Peter: you are not accepted by God and declared right and significant because of your Jewishness, so don’t despise those who lack your Jewishness. Principle: Whatever you are trusting in for your righteousness, you will tend to look down on others who lack it. That which you look to to establish your significance, worth, adequacy and rightness you will be inclined to reject those who lack it. If morality you will have contempt for those who do not share your moral standards; money/contempt for poor; success/contempt for unsuccessful; manners and orderliness/contempt for the loud and riotous; fashion and beauty/contempt for plain; ethnicity/contempt for other cultures and races. Question: Is there a kind of person/type of person you find yourself having critical, negative feelings about? What makes us right and gives us worth and significance is that we are loved by God and in Christ He will have us.
How does Paul correct Peter’s pride and prejudice? Points him to the Gospel. Gospel levels pride, boasting, and feelings of superiority. Gospel Humility, seeing Christ as the one who loved you and gave himself up for you. You are not right because you are moral, or successful, or invited, or beautiful, etc. but only because Christ loves you and gave himself up for you. Trust in that or you will dishonor the most significant person in the universe and devalue those he loves.

The Gospel is a Story for Everyone. “Good News.” Announcement about an objective history changing event that has ramifications for everyone and to which all people must respond. 1 Sam 31:9 Philistines defeat Saul. BC 490 Battle of Marathon. 9BC Good news of Caesar Augustus. Ramifications for everyone. When we speak of the Gospel we are speaking of a history changing event that has changed everything and has ramifications for everyone and to which everyone must respond. When Paul showed up preaching in the Roman world, he did not proclaim a philosophy, a subjective experience, but a historical person and historical events. 1Cor 15 banked the faith on historical event.
Gospel is an announcement, a story – Christ has come, dealt decisively with our sin, bringing forgiveness and freedom; defeated Satan ensuring that eventually sin and suffering will be eradicated; conquered death so that all who believe in him could have eternal life. Facts that have ramifications for all people and to which all people must respond.
Church is called to share this story with as many people in as many places. Not popular in our pluralistic culture. The culture pushes Jesus to realm of values and preferences and out of the realm of historical events and facts. Favorite colors are preferences; historical events are facts. The Gospel is a real historical event that requires our response – it is not a philosophy or preference. RESPONSE: Everyone is evangelizing – to tell me to stop it is to do it. The church is called to run humbly and lovingly with this good news and to do so even at cost to our own reputations and lives.

Conclusion. Apostles is seeking to be a community of the Gospel of the Jesus Christ. ONE: A community free of pride and prejudice and self-righteousness (seeking to find our rightness is our morality, beauty, wealth, or race) finding our worth in Christ who loved us and gave himself up for us and calls us to love and give up ourselves for others. TWO: A community that lovingly shares the story of Christ with our city. Who do you know that needs to hear this story? That needs to be in an Gospel environment?