2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY 2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE SERIES 2: The Gospel - The MESSAGE SERIES 2: The Gospel - The Key to the Unsearchable Riches of Key to the Unsearchable Riches of ChristChrist

I. I. INTROINTRO

How often do I hear the well-worn How often do I hear the well-worn sighing, “Ang hirap ng buhay!”sighing, “Ang hirap ng buhay!”

~ Jn 16:33~ Jn 16:33

Sometimes it seems that circumstances Sometimes it seems that circumstances are even worse for Christians.are even worse for Christians.

~ In addition to all the frustrations and ~ In addition to all the frustrations and heartaches of life common to heartaches of life common to everyone, we have an enemy – the everyone, we have an enemy – the Devil (1Pet 5:8).Devil (1Pet 5:8).

Underlying all the other problems we Underlying all the other problems we face, however, is the greatest problem of face, however, is the greatest problem of all – all – our sinour sin..

~ Not the sins of other people against ~ Not the sins of other people against us, as painful as those may be, but us, as painful as those may be, but our own sin against Godour own sin against God. .

II. II. LIVING IN SPIRITUAL POVERTYLIVING IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY

Richard Lovelace has written that many Richard Lovelace has written that many Christians “below the surface of their lives Christians “below the surface of their lives are guilt-ridden and insecure . . . [and] are guilt-ridden and insecure . . . [and] draw the assurance of their acceptance draw the assurance of their acceptance with God from their sincerity, their past with God from their sincerity, their past experience of conversion, their recent experience of conversion, their recent religious performance or the relative religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious, willful infrequency of their conscious, willful disobedience.”disobedience.”

Why is this true?Why is this true?

~ One answer is that we have ~ One answer is that we have a narrow a narrow view of the gospelview of the gospel, tending to , tending to

see it see it only as a door we walk only as a door we walk through to through to become a become a Christian. Christian.

~ In this view, the gospel is only for ~ In this view, the gospel is only for unbelievers.unbelievers.

Another reason for our quiet Another reason for our quiet desperation is that many people have a desperation is that many people have a pragmatic view of the gospelpragmatic view of the gospel..

~ What can the gospel do for me? ~ What can the gospel do for me?

We fail to see the gospel as the We fail to see the gospel as the solution to our greatest problem – solution to our greatest problem – our guilt, condemnation, and our guilt, condemnation, and alienation from Godalienation from God. .

~ Beyond that, we fail to see it as the ~ Beyond that, we fail to see it as the basis of our day-to-day basis of our day-to-day

acceptance acceptance with Him.with Him.

The apostle Paul wrote of preaching The apostle Paul wrote of preaching “to “to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”Christ” (Eph 3:8). (Eph 3:8).

~ Paul was not referring to financial ~ Paul was not referring to financial wealth but to wealth but to the glorious truths of the glorious truths of the gospel.the gospel.

~ ~ We don’t understand the riches of We don’t understand the riches of the gospel.the gospel.

III. III. THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPELTHE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL

The reality of present-day Christendom The reality of present-day Christendom is that most professing Christians actually is that most professing Christians actually know very little of the gospel, know very little of the gospel, let alone let alone understand its implications for their understand its implications for their day-to-day lives.day-to-day lives.

The word gospel means, essentially, The word gospel means, essentially, “good news.” “good news.”

~ ~ And it is specifically good news And it is specifically good news about our relationship with about our relationship with

God.God.

~ It is the good news that directly ~ It is the good news that directly addresses the ultimate bad news of addresses the ultimate bad news of our lives. our lives.

~ Rom 1:18~ Rom 1:18

~ Eph 2:3~ Eph 2:3

In Paul’s message, the Good News In Paul’s message, the Good News always outweighs the bad news.always outweighs the bad news.

~ Eph 2:1-9 ~ Eph 2:1-9

~ What could be a greater contrast than ~ What could be a greater contrast than an object of God’s wrath seated with an object of God’s wrath seated with His Son in a position of glory?His Son in a position of glory?

This good news doesn’t begin when we This good news doesn’t begin when we die. die.

~ It certainly does address that issue, ~ It certainly does address that issue, but it also tells us that but it also tells us that there is good there is good news for us now.news for us now.

~ We can begin each day with the ~ We can begin each day with the deeply encouraging realization that I deeply encouraging realization that I am accepted by God, not on the am accepted by God, not on the basis of my personal performance, basis of my personal performance, but on the basis of the infinitely but on the basis of the infinitely perfect righteousness of Jesus perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.Christ.

Think again of the story of the former Think again of the story of the former slave.slave.

~ ~ His inheritance far surpasses his His inheritance far surpasses his debt.debt.

This is the truth of the gospel.This is the truth of the gospel.

~ We owe an enormous spiritual debt to ~ We owe an enormous spiritual debt to God – a debt we can’t begin to God – a debt we can’t begin to

pay. pay.

~ The gospel tells us that Jesus Christ ~ The gospel tells us that Jesus Christ paid our debt, paid our debt, but it also tells us but it also tells us

far far moremore..

~ We are now His sons and daughters, ~ We are now His sons and daughters, heirs with Jesus Christ of all His heirs with Jesus Christ of all His

unsearchable riches! unsearchable riches!

Why did the apostle Paul develop at Why did the apostle Paul develop at such length the bad news of our such length the bad news of our situation? situation?

~ ~ We can’t begin to appreciate the We can’t begin to appreciate the good news of the gospel good news of the gospel

until we until we see our deep need.see our deep need.

~ Few people ever think about the ~ Few people ever think about the dreadful implications of being dreadful implications of being

under under the wrath of God. the wrath of God.

~ ~ And most of all, none of us even And most of all, none of us even begins to realize how truly begins to realize how truly

sinful sinful we are. we are.

Jesus once told a story about a king’s Jesus once told a story about a king’s servant who owed his master ten servant who owed his master ten thousand talents (Matt 18:21-35).thousand talents (Matt 18:21-35).

~ In the context of the story, that ~ In the context of the story, that immense sum represents a immense sum represents a

spiritual spiritual debt that every one of us debt that every one of us owes to owes to God. God.

~ ~ It is the debt of our sinsIt is the debt of our sins. .

This is what the gospel is all about. This is what the gospel is all about.

~ Jesus paid our debt to the full. ~ Jesus paid our debt to the full.

~ But He did far more than relieve us of ~ But He did far more than relieve us of debt. debt.

~ ~ He also purchased for us an He also purchased for us an eternal inheritance.eternal inheritance.

~ That’s why Paul wrote of the ~ That’s why Paul wrote of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.”“unsearchable riches of Christ.”

~ AND GOD WANTS US TO ENJOY ~ AND GOD WANTS US TO ENJOY THOSE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES THOSE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES IN THE HERE AND NOW, EVEN IN IN THE HERE AND NOW, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULT AND THE MIDST OF DIFFICULT AND DISCOURAGING DISCOURAGING CIRCUMSTANCES.CIRCUMSTANCES.