Tip: I have added a tool that allows you to hover your cursor over a passage and read it directly from God’s Word. I pray that this assists you in your readings.
Today’s Passage: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:18-20
If you are like me, you have been taught the gospel, understood it and obeyed it; however, when it comes to teaching others about it, you suddenly feel inadequate and forget the verses you have known for years. Teaching the gospel is not complicated but in order for others to believe it, knowing where Scriptures are located so that the student can read for himself is helpful. The student’s faith and obedience should come directly from the inspired Word of God and his response to God’s commandments instead of being based on our own persuasive words or opinions. In I Corinthians 2:4, Paul spoke of his own teachings as being from the Spirit of God and not from his own persuasive words of human wisdom.
The title of this series of lessons is: “What is this Good News?” Throughout the next studies, we will meditate upon some of the examples of Christians spreading the gospel of Christ to others in order to know what we need to teach others. Additionally, Scriptures regarding salvation will be noted so that we can mark them in our Bibles and keep them handy for teaching others. I am working on developing various tools that we can use to spread the gospel but primarily, knowing what to teach and where the Scriptures are found in the Bible is all we need to know in order to tell others about Christ. If we are enthusiastic about the joy and hope we have found in Christ, we cannot help but share these blessings with others.
Jesus told His apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:18-20. Mark records Jesus as stating, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” Mark 16:15-16. These passages show that the apostles were to preach the gospel and baptize the lost.
Though we may not travel the world as missionaries like some of the apostles, we are no less responsible for spreading the gospel than they were. A prime example of Christians seeking and saving the lost is the first century church. After Stephen’s death, the followers of Christ were subjected to great persecution. They fled to various regions of Judah and Samaria. See Acts 8:1. This might have caused the end of the church if not for God’s will and the determination of the new Christians to spread the gospel. “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” Acts 8:4. Indeed, we must be as willing to share the hope that is in Christ with the lost around us everywhere we go. Let it be said of us, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15.
DEFINITION OF “GOSPEL”
The literal definition of the word gospel (gōd spell in Old English) is “good news”. The gospel that we are to share is the good news of Christ. The gospel is the entire Bible in a nutshell – God’s creation; man’s downfall due to sin; his inability to keep the laws perfectly; his inability to save himself; his need of a Savior; God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ; Jesus’ birth, teachings, death, burial & resurrection; the Word given to us that teaches us how we can be saved through Jesus Christ and the ultimate rewards of our heavenly home with our Lord. This is HOPE! There is no other hope except through our Savior because without Him, the many sufferings we undergo on earth will be far more pleasant than what we experience after we die. Yet if we are in Christ Jesus, no happiness or joy we encounter here on earth can compare to the glories of heaven and the joy of living with our Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit forever. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” Romans 8:18.
The first gospel example we will study will be Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. We will continue with Philip, Stephen and Paul in our next studies, Lord willing. I have broken the lessons down as this will be quite a long study when it is complete. God bless you as you study His Word and meditate upon it.
GOSPEL EXAMPLES
Teacher: Peter
Location: Jerusalem
Complete Passage: Acts 2:14-40
Main points presented by Peter:
1. Joel’s prophecy that God would “pour out [His] Spirit on all flesh” was being fulfilled. This day the apostles were given the Holy Spirit in a visible and tangible way. Acts 2:17
2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Messiah as proven to them by His miracles, wonders and signs. Acts 2:22
3. The Savior and Messiah for whom they had been waiting was the same Jesus whom they had crucified. Acts 2:22-23
4. Jesus was raised up because death could not hold Him. Acts 2:24
5. David prophesied that the Lord would not be left in the grave. Acts 2:27
6. God raised up Jesus to sit on his throne. Acts 2:30
7. The apostles were all witnesses of the resurrected Christ. Acts 2:32
8. Peter reaffirmed “that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
9. In order for their sins to be forgiven, the listeners would need to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Acts 2:38
10. Those present were advised to “be saved from this perverse generation”. Acts 2:40
What lessons can we learn from Peter’s sermon in order to teach the lost today?
1. The Old Testament prophecies told of the coming Messiah’s birth, death and resurrection. These were all fulfilled perfectly in Jesus Christ. These prophecies were written hundreds to thousands of years before Christ was born. Some examples of Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment are Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 26:14-15; Psalm 69:4, John 15:24-25; Psalm 22:16, Luke 24:38-40, John 19:18,37
2. Jesus’ apostles were eye witnesses of Christ’s death and saw Him after He was resurrected. (Luke 1:1-3, Luke 24:46-48, II Peter 1:16)
3. Jesus’ miracles proved that He was sent from God and was given the power of God Himself. (John 8:42, Acts 2:22)
4. Just as predicted, Jesus was crucified though He had done no wrong. (Isaiah 53:9, I Peter 2:22, Hebrews 4:15
5. Jesus did not remain in the grave but was raised from the dead. (Matthew 28:6, Mark 16:14, John 3:13, Acts 4:10)
6. Jesus returned to heaven and sits at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19, Acts 5:31, I Peter 3:22)
7. We must also repent and be baptized for the remission of our sins. (Mark 16:16; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4; I Peter 3:21)
8. We need to be saved from this wicked and perverse generation. (Acts 2:40; Philippians 2:14-15, James 1:21)
We can learn much from Peter’s gospel sermon. By studying the words that the Holy Spirit guided him to speak to the crowds in order to prick their hearts, we can learn what is needed of us when we speak to others. We must teach others with much love and compassion but we must never be afraid to speak the truth. While happy and loving thoughts of our Father are important to portray, so also is the message that failing to know and obey God will result in eternal punishment (II Thessalonians 1:7-9).
If we truly love others we will be concerned about their souls. I want to spread the gospel to everyone with whom I come in contact so that they will have an opportunity to know about the Lord. I pray for forgiveness for all of the opportunities I have allowed to slip away due to fear, distractions or selfishness.
I pray that this series of lessons will speak to you as it has to me. Preaching the gospel to "every creature" is a blessing because only by doing so can we bear much fruit in the kingdom.
God bless you, dear sisters!
