WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Gospel - What? Publishing Date: 2025-02-16T05:04:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/gospel-what/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.000 I don't know what he is going to tax you on. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:21.440 Just like the presidency of Donald Trump is beginning to wreak havoc, so in this case you've 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:27.960 got the reign of Jesus Christ the King, which doesn't wreak havoc, but instead it brings 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.180 benefits. 00:00:30.180 --> 00:00:40.360 You have the reign of this King and you have benefits, you have His kindness, you have 00:00:40.360 --> 00:00:52.040 a code of conduct, you have a culture, and this is beginning to intrude or break into 00:00:52.040 --> 00:00:53.040 the world. 00:00:53.040 --> 00:00:57.800 No, Jacob, it's really not happening. 00:00:57.800 --> 00:00:59.640 This thing is all fiction. 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:00.640 Show me where it's happened. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:03.600 Hey, look at yourself, man. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:04.840 Look at yourself. 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.040 What happens when you are sick? 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:08.480 What happened when she was sick? 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:09.920 What did she do? 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:11.480 She came up for healing. 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:12.480 Healing is what? 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.220 It's a benefit of the kingdom. 00:01:14.220 --> 00:01:15.220 Who heals? 00:01:15.220 --> 00:01:16.220 The King. 00:01:16.220 --> 00:01:17.220 What happened? 00:01:17.220 --> 00:01:18.220 Her leg got healed. 00:01:18.220 --> 00:01:19.440 What happened to Vibi? 00:01:19.440 --> 00:01:21.120 His code of conduct changed. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.000 His culture changed. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:24.920 What happened to others here? 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:26.880 Why are you living the way you're living? 00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:28.400 How come your hearts have changed? 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:30.400 How come you think different? 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:32.920 How come you operate so different? 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:39.960 It's because once you receive the benevolent rule of this King, the way His reign functions 00:01:39.960 --> 00:01:44.240 intrudes into, invades, and then becomes part of your life. 00:01:44.240 --> 00:01:47.320 We are living testimony of another kingdom. 00:01:47.320 --> 00:01:52.240 And when a Christian does not live according to the code and the culture of that kingdom, 00:01:53.240 --> 00:02:02.320 And so this is happening. 00:02:02.320 --> 00:02:03.480 It's happening every day. 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:08.400 It's happening at the rate of 20 or 30,000 people in China every night. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:11.600 That's just one nation. 00:02:11.600 --> 00:02:15.920 Hearts being changed, people being transformed, the way they used to think changing, bitterness 00:02:15.920 --> 00:02:20.600 going, anger going, forgiveness flowing out, healing happening, some occasionally being 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:25.760 raised from the dead, others having their minds changed, strongholds gone, anxiety and 00:02:25.760 --> 00:02:27.100 fear disappearing. 00:02:27.100 --> 00:02:29.040 How in the world does that happen? 00:02:29.040 --> 00:02:35.840 Except because of the rule and reign of a King who now rules everything. 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:37.880 Trump has nothing before him. 00:02:37.880 --> 00:02:41.120 I'm just using Trump because he seems to be so powerful, right? 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:48.120 I got no axe to grind with him. 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:58.880 And so the gospel of the kingdom was, hey, look at John the Baptist. 00:02:58.880 --> 00:03:00.360 What's John the Baptist doing? 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:01.840 John the Baptist comes out of the wilderness. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:03.320 Why does he come out of the wilderness? 00:03:03.320 --> 00:03:06.360 Am I talking too fast? 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:09.200 Why does John the Baptist come out of the wilderness? 00:03:09.200 --> 00:03:13.120 John the Baptist comes out of the wilderness because most prophets used to dwell in the 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:14.120 wilderness. 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:18.200 We have Elijah, who's a John the Baptist type, used to spend his time in the wilderness 00:03:18.200 --> 00:03:21.520 and then he comes out of the wilderness and he comes to the people. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.160 And what is his announcement? 00:03:23.160 --> 00:03:27.320 His announcement is, listen, the axe is at the root of the tree. 00:03:27.320 --> 00:03:29.280 Anytime now it's going to happen. 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:30.320 What's going to happen? 00:03:30.320 --> 00:03:34.200 There's a kingdom at hand and it is going to break upon you. 00:03:34.200 --> 00:03:37.920 But you are not ready, he says to the Jews. 00:03:37.920 --> 00:03:41.320 And so he says to the Jews, listen, this is what I want you to do. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.480 I want you to be baptized. 00:03:43.480 --> 00:03:48.360 And the Jews are scratching their head and the Pharisees are going really mad. 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:49.360 Why? 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:54.320 Because you only baptize non-Jews who want to become Jews. 00:03:54.320 --> 00:04:00.880 Only proselytes, Gentiles, would get baptized because it was a ceremony called Mikwa where 00:04:00.880 --> 00:04:09.040 you cleanse yourself of past sins and then you get adopted into the Jewish religion. 00:04:09.040 --> 00:04:10.840 And what is John the Baptist saying? 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.240 He isn't going to the Gentile or the non-Jew. 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:18.520 He's coming to the Jew and saying, listen, there's a kingdom at hand and you are not 00:04:18.520 --> 00:04:23.240 ready and you need to repent and be baptized. 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:27.360 And now you know why the Pharisees want to kill him. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:36.600 And while he is doing this, along comes a man who most people know as a carpenter and 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:41.440 he points to that man and he says, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of 00:04:41.440 --> 00:04:42.440 the world. 00:04:42.440 --> 00:04:48.000 And the man comes in, he baptizes him and testifies that as I did, I saw a dove descending 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:49.000 on him. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.240 And that man now begins to preach. 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:53.600 And he begins to preach in Matthew 423. 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:58.600 It says, and Jesus went around preaching the gospel of the kingdom. 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:00.040 Only the words changed. 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:04.940 It wasn't repent and be baptized for the kingdom of God is at hand. 00:05:04.940 --> 00:05:11.140 It became repent and be baptized for the kingdom of God is in your midst. 00:05:11.140 --> 00:05:20.220 As in, in the course of history, suddenly at this moment, the reign of the eternal king 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:25.180 has intruded forcibly and from now on it will manifest. 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:31.620 A day will come when it will be consummated, but it will manifest right away. 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:34.020 What does manifest and consummate look like? 00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:36.260 It's like having a baby and not yet having a baby. 00:05:36.260 --> 00:05:42.580 There are people here that are pregnant and if you ask them, do you have a baby, they'll 00:05:42.580 --> 00:05:44.180 say, yes. 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:51.940 And then if you ask them, sure, they'll say, look. 00:05:51.940 --> 00:05:58.700 Sometimes yes. 00:05:59.380 --> 00:06:05.220 So, they say, look, so what are we trying to say? 00:06:05.220 --> 00:06:12.460 We are trying to say that on one hand it is manifest, on the other hand it's not consummated. 00:06:12.460 --> 00:06:15.860 Whenever I think of this, I always think of Prince Charles who is finally king. 00:06:15.860 --> 00:06:18.660 The guy was waiting forever. 00:06:18.660 --> 00:06:19.660 Now it's consummated. 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:25.780 And so the idea of the reign of God being manifest, it's manifest every day, guys. 00:06:25.780 --> 00:06:27.260 Every day. 00:06:27.820 --> 00:06:32.460 And if you only pause to look at it, you'd marvel at how much good news there is. 00:06:32.460 --> 00:06:34.460 How much good news there is. 00:06:34.460 --> 00:06:41.900 There is, I quickly went towards him in the middle of the worship to show him a text of 00:06:41.900 --> 00:06:47.900 a little baby born while we were worshipping in the New York church. 00:06:48.460 --> 00:06:55.020 God did a miracle in first the conception of the baby and now the birth of the baby. 00:06:55.020 --> 00:06:59.340 And that baby will be strong and healthy. 00:06:59.340 --> 00:07:03.340 God did it. 00:07:03.340 --> 00:07:05.340 It just happens so often. 00:07:05.340 --> 00:07:10.460 So, you've got the gospel of the kingdom and we are supposed to go to Matthew 423. 00:07:10.460 --> 00:07:12.460 If Jesus does it, then we have to do it. 00:07:12.460 --> 00:07:16.460 Matthew 423, Matthew 423. 00:07:17.020 --> 00:07:19.020 Matthew 423. 00:07:27.020 --> 00:07:27.820 Okay. 00:07:27.820 --> 00:07:34.060 Jesus went through Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel or the good 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:41.660 news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness amongst the people. 00:07:41.660 --> 00:07:49.660 So when we preach the kingdom, there is also the need to both have the words and the works. 00:07:51.660 --> 00:07:53.660 John 1836. 00:07:53.660 --> 00:07:55.660 John 1836. 00:07:55.660 --> 00:08:01.660 Jesus is in front of Pilate and Pilate asks him, are you a king? 00:08:01.660 --> 00:08:03.660 And Jesus said, you say so. 00:08:03.660 --> 00:08:11.660 And then he says, my kingdom is not of this world. 00:08:15.660 --> 00:08:25.660 John Calvin said this, I love this quote, the purpose of the church, as in our purpose, 00:08:25.660 --> 00:08:41.660 the purpose of the church is to bear witness here and now to the invisible kingdom, 00:08:43.660 --> 00:08:47.660 just like Jesus did. 00:08:47.660 --> 00:08:55.660 With words and works. 00:08:57.660 --> 00:09:03.660 This has been what we've been talking about, man, for the last four days this week. 00:09:03.660 --> 00:09:05.660 This is what we've been talking about. 00:09:05.660 --> 00:09:07.660 Don, are you leaving early? 00:09:07.660 --> 00:09:09.660 My sermon's not done, man. 00:09:09.660 --> 00:09:11.660 I'll get you for that. 00:09:17.660 --> 00:09:19.660 He told me he'd be leaving early. 00:09:19.660 --> 00:09:21.660 I didn't think he'd fire that one back. 00:09:21.660 --> 00:09:23.660 That was Don. 00:09:23.660 --> 00:09:27.660 I'll say more about him later on camera. 00:09:27.660 --> 00:09:37.660 So the purpose of the church is to bear witness here and now to the invisible. 00:09:37.660 --> 00:09:43.660 The purpose of the church, we'll put him on probation for the next three months here. 00:09:43.660 --> 00:09:53.660 The purpose of the church is to bear witness here and now to the invisible, 00:09:53.660 --> 00:09:55.660 just like Jesus did with words and works. 00:09:55.660 --> 00:09:59.660 Critically, and this is something you should desire. 00:09:59.660 --> 00:10:03.660 Just want it, because this is what we are supposed to do. 00:10:03.660 --> 00:10:07.660 This is how we witness to the Christ. 00:10:07.660 --> 00:10:11.660 Because remember, it's we who have made salvation a personal thing about 00:10:11.660 --> 00:10:13.660 receive Christ into your life. 00:10:13.660 --> 00:10:15.660 That was never how it was supposed to be. 00:10:15.660 --> 00:10:19.660 It was, I have a kingdom, I'm inviting you. 00:10:19.660 --> 00:10:23.660 Not you inviting Jesus into your life, but Jesus inviting you into a kingdom. 00:10:23.660 --> 00:10:25.660 Hear me again. 00:10:25.660 --> 00:10:27.660 It's not about you inviting Jesus into your life. 00:10:27.660 --> 00:10:35.660 It is Jesus inviting you into a kingdom. 00:10:35.660 --> 00:10:41.660 And so, any questions before we go on? 00:10:41.660 --> 00:10:47.660 Any questions? 00:10:47.660 --> 00:10:53.660 And you witness to the kingdom by both works and words. 00:10:53.660 --> 00:11:03.660 Are you saying the gospel of Christ is the same as the gospel of the kingdom? 00:11:03.660 --> 00:11:07.660 It was always known as the gospel of the kingdom. 00:11:07.660 --> 00:11:11.660 After Jesus rises and ascends, when he sends his disciples out, 00:11:11.660 --> 00:11:15.660 Paul then begins to start using the word the gospel of Christ, 00:11:15.660 --> 00:11:17.660 because Christ is the king of the kingdom. 00:11:17.660 --> 00:11:21.660 But when Jesus preached it, and for the first while, 00:11:21.660 --> 00:11:29.660 it was always the gospel of the kingdom. 00:11:29.660 --> 00:11:33.660 He had to set the foundation saying the kingdom is at hand, 00:11:33.660 --> 00:11:35.660 because Christ had not appeared. 00:11:35.660 --> 00:11:39.660 Once Christ appears, he says the kingdom is here. 00:11:39.660 --> 00:11:42.660 And so, he would go around to the synagogues, 00:11:42.660 --> 00:11:44.660 preaching the gospel of the kingdom, the good news, 00:11:44.660 --> 00:11:49.660 or the good message, or the good announcement of the kingdom that he had brought. 00:11:49.660 --> 00:11:53.660 And then later on, Paul and other disciples and apostles 00:11:53.660 --> 00:11:57.660 begin to change the word from gospel of the kingdom to gospel of Christ, 00:11:57.660 --> 00:12:01.660 because Christ is the king of the kingdom, and without him, there is no kingdom. 00:12:01.660 --> 00:12:10.660 So, you are emphasizing the benefit of God over the message of him forgiving? 00:12:10.660 --> 00:12:12.660 Which we will come to in about six minutes. 00:12:12.660 --> 00:12:16.660 Any other question? 00:12:16.660 --> 00:12:23.660 Yeah, so John the Baptist at one point says, 00:12:23.660 --> 00:12:25.660 listen, the axe is at the root of the tree. 00:12:25.660 --> 00:12:29.660 Like when you try to bring down a tree, it doesn't come down with one chop. 00:12:29.660 --> 00:12:32.660 You keep chopping it, and finally there's that one strand that holds the tree, 00:12:32.660 --> 00:12:34.660 and then you chop it and the tree falls. 00:12:34.660 --> 00:12:36.660 And so, John the Baptist is saying to the people, 00:12:36.660 --> 00:12:39.660 listen, you are so close to the kingdom coming. 00:12:39.660 --> 00:12:41.660 One more chop and the tree falls. 00:12:41.660 --> 00:12:44.660 But before the kingdom comes, repent. 00:12:44.660 --> 00:12:52.660 But before the kingdom comes, repent and be baptized, because you're not ready. 00:12:52.660 --> 00:12:54.660 That he was saying to the Jews then. 00:12:54.660 --> 00:13:02.660 Any other questions, guys? 00:13:03.660 --> 00:13:16.660 Okay, so one of the things that gives us authority to go out with the gospel 00:13:16.660 --> 00:13:24.660 is this thing called, which we rarely talk about, ascension. 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:31.660 We talk about death, we talk about resurrection, but we rarely talk about ascension. 00:13:31.660 --> 00:13:39.660 Ascension is when after 40 days, he rises to heaven, a Shekinah cloud blocks him from you, 00:13:39.660 --> 00:13:43.660 and then there are two men standing next to the disciples, Acts chapter 1, verse 6, 00:13:43.660 --> 00:13:47.660 saying, just like you saw Jesus go, he will come back. 00:13:47.660 --> 00:13:52.660 And we don't realize that this is critical to the authority we have with the gospel. 00:13:52.660 --> 00:13:54.660 Just think of it this way, guys. 00:13:54.660 --> 00:13:56.660 Again, let me take Trump as an example. 00:13:56.660 --> 00:14:02.660 With executive orders, he's changing everything all across the world. 00:14:02.660 --> 00:14:09.660 Programs are going coupled, finances that belonged in one area are being taken out, 00:14:09.660 --> 00:14:10.660 people are being dismissed. 00:14:10.660 --> 00:14:13.660 He can do anything he wants through executive order. 00:14:13.660 --> 00:14:15.660 He's changing everything. 00:14:15.660 --> 00:14:16.660 He's changing the world order. 00:14:16.660 --> 00:14:19.660 He's changing how Gaza should be treated. 00:14:19.660 --> 00:14:23.660 He's deciding that we'll be the 51st state, that Greenland will be his, 00:14:23.660 --> 00:14:25.660 and he'll swim in the Panama Canal. 00:14:25.660 --> 00:14:32.660 So all these things are happening just because he at present has the power. 00:14:32.660 --> 00:14:37.660 And that is the authority in which people are going up. 00:14:37.660 --> 00:14:42.660 Musk can't go and do stuff unless he allows it. 00:14:42.660 --> 00:14:45.660 Musk may have all the money, but he has no authority. 00:14:45.660 --> 00:14:49.660 Guys, power is not enough. 00:14:49.660 --> 00:14:52.660 Power is not enough. 00:14:52.660 --> 00:14:54.660 Authority is required. 00:14:54.660 --> 00:15:02.660 Satan has the same power that he had before Christ, but what he has been stripped of is authority. 00:15:02.660 --> 00:15:07.660 I give you authority over all the power of the enemy. 00:15:07.660 --> 00:15:09.660 Power is not enough. 00:15:09.660 --> 00:15:15.660 But in his ascension, he now is the ultimate authority, 00:15:15.660 --> 00:15:16.660 and therefore just like Trump says, 00:15:16.660 --> 00:15:22.660 Musk, you go do this, whatever your name is, you go do this, and no one will stop you. 00:15:22.660 --> 00:15:26.660 Now Christ is saying, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. 00:15:26.660 --> 00:15:30.660 Therefore, you now can go. 00:15:30.660 --> 00:15:34.660 And one thing that every Christian should know, and Christ knows, and the devil knows, 00:15:34.660 --> 00:15:38.660 is that persecution always advances the gospel. 00:15:38.660 --> 00:15:43.660 The gospel has never been stopped because people die. 00:15:43.660 --> 00:15:48.660 The same blood that was shed at the cross that shouts out, grace, grace, 00:15:48.660 --> 00:15:54.660 is the same thing that is shouted out when a person dies. 00:15:54.660 --> 00:16:00.660 So persecution becomes a weapon in the hands of the church. 00:16:00.660 --> 00:16:04.660 It's a weapon. 00:16:04.660 --> 00:16:10.660 But that's why he now has the ability to say, now you go, because I have all authority. 00:16:10.660 --> 00:16:14.660 When he ascends, it's like his coronation. 00:16:14.660 --> 00:16:16.660 Ephesians 1 talks about it. 00:16:16.660 --> 00:16:23.660 See Ephesians 1, 22, 20 onwards it says, and so Christ has been exalted to the highest place, 00:16:23.660 --> 00:16:28.660 above all authority, above all power, above all principality, above every throne, 00:16:28.660 --> 00:16:32.660 above every name that is named, he is the ultimate authority. 00:16:32.660 --> 00:16:35.660 You go to the Old Testament and you see in Psalm 2, verse 6, 00:16:35.660 --> 00:16:40.660 I have installed my king upon my holy hill. 00:16:40.660 --> 00:16:45.660 You smaller kings, come and kiss his hand, lest he be angry. 00:16:45.660 --> 00:16:49.660 And in the coronation psalm, Psalm 2, and then he goes on to say, 00:16:49.660 --> 00:16:52.660 ask and I'll give you the nations as your inheritance. 00:16:52.660 --> 00:16:59.660 Why? Because there is nobody else greater than him. 00:16:59.660 --> 00:17:04.660 So ascension is a critical part of this whole gospel or the kingdom story 00:17:04.660 --> 00:17:12.660 because it is what now gives us, I mean you have to think in terms of what Trump does 00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:15.660 now Christ does in a completely different fashion. 00:17:15.660 --> 00:17:18.660 Nobody can stop him. Nobody can stop him. 00:17:18.660 --> 00:17:22.660 There is no legislative branch that can stop him because he stood in the court, 00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:24.660 was punished for our sins. 00:17:24.660 --> 00:17:28.660 Even a legislative or a judicial branch cannot stop him now. 00:17:28.660 --> 00:17:36.660 He does whatever he wants because in every realm of the universe, he triumphs. 00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:39.660 That is why he says, okay, Jacob, go now. 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:42.660 And so what if you die? 00:17:42.660 --> 00:17:52.660 That ain't going to stop. That's going to like make it, take a quantum leap. 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:58.660 Any questions? 00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:03.660 King Jesus, king of the universe, the train of his robe fills the temple. 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:09.660 He is high and lifted up. 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:13.660 Fills the whole earth. 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:16.660 Remember what we keep saying? 00:18:16.660 --> 00:18:20.660 That the earth is presently filled. 00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:22.660 Vancouver is presently filled. 00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:25.660 This room is presently filled. 00:18:25.660 --> 00:18:27.660 North Korea is presently filled. 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:32.660 Las Vegas is presently filled. 00:18:32.660 --> 00:18:35.660 The White House is presently filled. 00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:45.660 Kremlin is presently filled with the glorious splendor of the Lord of the armies of heaven. 00:18:45.660 --> 00:18:49.660 And he is holy. 00:18:49.660 --> 00:18:52.660 Presently filled. 00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:58.660 The day it sinks in, and sometimes truth does not sink in except through repetition. 00:18:58.660 --> 00:19:00.660 How do you teach your children truth? 00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:04.660 Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:21.660 The day it sinks in, your chest and your shoulders arch back and you become a little braver because you know what is real, what is true. 00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:26.660 Later on, the gospel of the kingdom began to be called the gospel of Christ. 00:19:26.660 --> 00:19:29.660 You see it in 2 Corinthians 2.12 for example. 00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:33.660 2 Corinthians 2.12. 00:19:33.660 --> 00:19:36.660 That's just a reference to it being called the gospel of Christ. 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:39.660 Alright, so now we come to the content. 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:42.660 This is where we'll have to memorize things. 00:19:42.660 --> 00:19:44.660 So what's the content of the gospel? 00:19:44.660 --> 00:19:46.660 The gospel has content. 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:48.660 What's the content of the gospel? 00:19:48.660 --> 00:19:50.660 So here's the first thing. 00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:52.660 Our testimony is not the gospel. 00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:57.660 Our testimony is not the gospel. 00:19:57.660 --> 00:20:00.660 Our testimony is not the good news of Christ. 00:20:00.660 --> 00:20:08.660 Our testimony is what happened to us when we received the good news of Christ. 00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:15.660 And our testimony may have relevance to some people and may not have relevance to some people. 00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:23.660 For example, if I came out of a drug background and I tell someone about how Jesus saved me out of a drug background, 00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:28.660 if he is an addict or if he has problems with addiction, it makes a lot of sense to him. 00:20:28.660 --> 00:20:33.660 But for a guy who grew up in a Christian home, my testimony is not very relevant. 00:20:33.660 --> 00:20:36.660 He does not need saving from addictions. 00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:42.660 So our testimony is the result of receiving the good news of Christ. 00:20:42.660 --> 00:20:45.660 Now we have a story because of what Jesus did. 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:49.660 But our testimony is not the gospel. 00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:51.660 We've got to be aware of that. 00:20:51.660 --> 00:20:53.660 Because very often we take our testimony. 00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:56.660 Our story is good. We must have stories. Jesus had stories. 00:20:56.660 --> 00:21:03.660 But we must understand that is not the content of the gospel. 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:08.660 So what is the content of the gospel? 00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:12.660 Here is the content. 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:20.660 Who Jesus is, what he did, what he does, and how I should respond. 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:27.660 Who Jesus is, what he did, what he does, and how I should respond. 00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:30.660 So that's just a basic one-liner. But here's what it looks like. 00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:39.660 The gospel is that Jesus Christ, the good news is that Jesus Christ, 00:21:39.660 --> 00:21:47.660 the holy, sinless one, and Lord. 00:21:47.660 --> 00:21:53.660 The good news is Jesus Christ, the holy, sinless one, and Lord. 00:21:53.660 --> 00:21:56.660 Because we have to establish him as God. 00:21:57.660 --> 00:22:04.660 The holy, sinless one, and Lord came down to the earth as man. 00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:10.660 Because the incarnation is critical. 00:22:10.660 --> 00:22:15.660 Came down to the earth as man and died for us. 00:22:15.660 --> 00:22:21.660 And then it's important to say why. Because he loves us. 00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:26.660 And died for us because he loves us. 00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:32.660 Then rose again. 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:36.660 And is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavens. 00:22:36.660 --> 00:22:41.660 And is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:44.660 As in we have to let people know where he is now. 00:22:44.660 --> 00:22:47.660 And that he has a father. 00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:52.660 That he's seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. 00:22:52.660 --> 00:22:56.660 And that he will return. 00:22:56.660 --> 00:22:59.660 I'll repeat the whole thing. That he will return as what? 00:22:59.660 --> 00:23:05.660 As judge and Lord. 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:16.660 Therefore, turn from your sins to him and be baptized. 00:23:16.660 --> 00:23:18.660 One more time. 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:21.660 The good news is this. 00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:27.660 That Jesus Christ, the holy, sinless one, and Lord. 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:31.660 And you can put in whatever words you want depending on who you're speaking to. 00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:37.660 To someone who has multiple gods, you say the holy, sinless one and the only God. 00:23:37.660 --> 00:23:40.660 Those are details you can fill. 00:23:40.660 --> 00:23:41.660 So the good news is this. 00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:47.660 That Jesus Christ, the holy, sinless one and Lord. 00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:52.660 Came down to the earth as man. 00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:57.660 And died for us because he loves us. 00:23:57.660 --> 00:24:00.660 John 3, 16. 00:24:00.660 --> 00:24:02.660 Because he loves us. 00:24:02.660 --> 00:24:05.660 He then rose again. 00:24:05.660 --> 00:24:11.660 And is seated on the right hand of the Father in heaven. 00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:14.660 And he is returning. 00:24:14.660 --> 00:24:16.660 As what? 00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:18.660 As judge and Lord. 00:24:18.660 --> 00:24:24.660 Therefore, turn from your sins to him and be baptized. 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:27.660 So that's the first part. 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:30.660 Second part. 00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:47.660 Jesus died to rescue us from sins, Satan, eternal separation, and the wrath of God. 00:24:47.660 --> 00:24:56.660 Jesus died to save us from rescue us from the very name Yeshua means one who saves. 00:24:56.660 --> 00:25:07.660 Jesus died to save us or rescue us or deliver us from sin, from the devil, from eternal separation that none should perish. 00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:08.660 John 3, 16 again. 00:25:08.660 --> 00:25:14.660 From eternal separation and from the wrath of God. 00:25:14.660 --> 00:25:23.660 First Thessalonians 5, verse 9 and 10. 00:25:23.660 --> 00:25:29.660 Because we skipped the fact that there is something called wrath upon sin. 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:34.660 And therefore the ones who decide to choose sin instead of God. 00:25:34.660 --> 00:25:37.660 We skipped that because it's not palatable and we'll go there. 00:25:37.660 --> 00:25:45.660 First Thessalonians 5, verse 9 and 10. 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:50.660 He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep. 00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:51.660 I'm sorry, verse 9. 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:58.660 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:25:58.660 --> 00:26:06.660 He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 00:26:06.660 --> 00:26:09.660 Third. 00:26:09.660 --> 00:26:13.660 The good news is that we can receive beautifully. 00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:18.660 Look at the smorgasbord man. 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:26.660 The good news is that we can now receive in full measure, in full measure, we can receive forgiveness of sins. 00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:29.660 Romans 8, 1. Therefore there is no condemnation. 00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:31.660 Forgiveness of sins. 00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:33.660 Next one. 00:26:33.660 --> 00:26:37.660 I mean, as I say this, you must savor it because this is your condition. 00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:38.660 Forgiveness of sins. 00:26:38.660 --> 00:26:42.660 We live under a no condemnation ministry. 00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:43.660 Forgiveness of sins. 00:26:43.660 --> 00:26:44.660 Next one. 00:26:44.660 --> 00:26:47.660 Friendship with God. 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:48.660 It's ridiculous. 00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:51.660 You are friends with God. 00:26:51.660 --> 00:26:54.660 Friendship with God. 00:26:54.660 --> 00:26:56.660 Third. 00:26:56.660 --> 00:26:58.660 The fatherhood of God. 00:26:58.660 --> 00:27:01.660 When the Spirit comes into you, you call him Abba Father. 00:27:01.660 --> 00:27:04.660 The fatherhood of God. 00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:06.660 Fourth. 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:10.660 Eternal life after we die. 00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:12.660 And five. 00:27:12.660 --> 00:27:14.660 The Holy Spirit. 00:27:14.660 --> 00:27:19.660 We receive the full measure of these five. 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:20.660 Six. 00:27:20.660 --> 00:27:22.660 Kingdom benefits. 00:27:22.660 --> 00:27:23.660 Here and now. 00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:24.660 Kingdom benefits. 00:27:24.660 --> 00:27:27.660 Here and now. 00:27:27.660 --> 00:27:29.660 We receive it now. 00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:30.660 That's when you begin to tell your stories. 00:27:30.660 --> 00:27:33.660 You know, when this happened, I did this and got this. 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:36.660 You know, when my mother was this, this happened and that happened. 00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:40.660 You know, when I didn't have any money in my wallet, this happened and that happened. 00:27:40.660 --> 00:27:43.660 You know, when I was bitter and angry, this happened, that happened. 00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:46.660 Benefits of the kingdom. 00:27:46.660 --> 00:27:48.660 So here's the good news again. 00:27:48.660 --> 00:27:52.660 We receive in full measure, full measure, no half measures here. 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:55.660 We receive in full measure the forgiveness of our sins. 00:27:55.660 --> 00:27:59.660 Friendship with God. 00:27:59.660 --> 00:28:02.660 Fatherhood of God. 00:28:02.660 --> 00:28:05.660 Eternal life. 00:28:05.660 --> 00:28:09.660 Holy Spirit, as in the Spirit of God lives in you. 00:28:09.660 --> 00:28:10.660 And the benefits of the kingdom. 00:28:10.660 --> 00:28:12.660 We receive it in full measure. 00:28:12.660 --> 00:28:16.660 And it's being given freely to ones who don't deserve it. 00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:18.660 And we get one more thing. 00:28:18.660 --> 00:28:19.660 I forgot the seventh thing. 00:28:19.660 --> 00:28:20.660 Righteousness. 00:28:20.660 --> 00:28:22.660 Right standing. 00:28:22.660 --> 00:28:27.660 Right standing with God. 00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:29.660 Where accounts have been settled. 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:33.660 Debit and credit matches everything paid for. 00:28:33.660 --> 00:28:34.660 Righteousness. 00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:37.660 These are the seven massive benefits. 00:28:37.660 --> 00:28:41.660 I mean, when you say this to somebody, you might think it's of no effect. 00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:46.660 We'll get this. 00:28:46.660 --> 00:28:48.660 Here's the other crazy thing. 00:28:48.660 --> 00:28:51.660 You can only receive this by faith. 00:28:51.660 --> 00:28:54.660 You can only receive this by faith. 00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:57.660 And by faith alone. 00:28:57.660 --> 00:29:04.660 So if you are listening to this, you are out of excuses for not receiving this Christ. 00:29:04.660 --> 00:29:09.660 And you will face the wrath of God at some point. 00:29:09.660 --> 00:29:14.660 Yeah. 00:29:14.660 --> 00:29:17.660 Romans chapter two talks about it. 00:29:17.660 --> 00:29:21.660 That there are Gentiles who have learned how to obey the law within themselves. 00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:24.660 But the crazy thing is, here's the answer. 00:29:24.660 --> 00:29:25.660 Yeah. 00:29:25.660 --> 00:29:27.660 Romans chapter two talks about it. 00:29:27.660 --> 00:29:31.660 That there are Gentiles who have learned how to obey the law within themselves. 00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:35.660 But the crazy thing is, here's the other part of what Romans says. 00:29:35.660 --> 00:29:40.660 That if you break one law, then you're guilty of breaking all. 00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:44.660 And therefore all have fallen short of his standards. 00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:49.660 So you can observe 99 out of the 100 laws in your heart even without receiving Christ. 00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:53.660 And that makes you an amazing moral person. 00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:59.660 But you still, all that morality is still like menstrual rags. 00:29:59.660 --> 00:30:00.660 That's the actual word. 00:30:00.660 --> 00:30:03.660 It's not, we say like filthy rags. 00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:07.660 It's not filthy rags, it's menstrual rags. 00:30:07.660 --> 00:30:10.660 That's the actual word. 00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:17.660 When we talk about how much power there is in this. 00:30:17.660 --> 00:30:19.660 See, this is the content. 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:20.660 The language can change. 00:30:20.660 --> 00:30:21.660 The words can change. 00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:25.660 Details can be added depending on who I'm talking with. 00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:26.660 With an atheist it's different. 00:30:26.660 --> 00:30:27.660 With a Buddhist it's different. 00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:30.660 With a Jewish person it's different. 00:30:30.660 --> 00:30:35.660 So often when you read the Bible, it's being spoken for a major part of the Jews. 00:30:35.660 --> 00:30:37.660 So for them it's a different approach. 00:30:37.660 --> 00:30:40.660 And then you go to the Gentiles and it's a completely different approach. 00:30:40.660 --> 00:30:41.660 So it changes. 00:30:41.660 --> 00:30:42.660 Those details can be filled in. 00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:45.660 But this is the content of the Gospel. 00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:51.660 And it is by faith and faith alone. 00:30:51.660 --> 00:30:52.660 And by no other means. 00:30:52.660 --> 00:30:55.660 You can't earn it, you can't deserve it. 00:30:55.660 --> 00:30:56.660 It's by faith and faith alone. 00:30:56.660 --> 00:30:58.660 This is the content of the Gospel. 00:30:58.660 --> 00:31:02.660 And the reason I'm walking around and talking about it and not writing it, not reading it, 00:31:02.660 --> 00:31:05.660 is because I've been memorizing it. 00:31:05.660 --> 00:31:10.660 Because if you asked me this last week, I would not be able to say to you. 00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:13.660 Because the content of the Gospel is important. 00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:16.660 At work, you know the content of your work. 00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:18.660 Try faking it. 00:31:20.660 --> 00:31:21.660 How does this phone system work? 00:31:21.660 --> 00:31:24.660 Oh, you just pull up the receiver and hit nine. 00:31:24.660 --> 00:31:26.660 God knows what will happen. 00:31:29.660 --> 00:31:30.660 Yeah? 00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:36.660 Go ahead. 00:31:36.660 --> 00:31:40.660 So, signs and miracles are a demonstration? 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:45.660 Signs and miracles are a demonstration that the reign of God has come. 00:31:45.660 --> 00:31:48.660 Because like, in the book of Acts, there's like a lot of signs and miracles. 00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:49.660 Yeah. 00:31:49.660 --> 00:31:51.660 So these are the words. 00:31:51.660 --> 00:31:53.660 And now that I've said the words to you, your question is, 00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:55.660 okay, Jacob, you say these are the benefits. 00:31:55.660 --> 00:31:56.660 This is what Christ can do. 00:31:56.660 --> 00:31:58.660 Show me. 00:31:58.660 --> 00:32:01.660 In Luke 7, there's this really amazing passage. 00:32:01.660 --> 00:32:03.660 Here's what happened in Luke 7. 00:32:03.660 --> 00:32:06.660 In Luke 7, two of John the Baptist's disciples come to Jesus. 00:32:06.660 --> 00:32:09.660 And they say to him, are you the real deal? 00:32:09.660 --> 00:32:12.660 And Jesus doesn't say, I am the real deal. 00:32:12.660 --> 00:32:17.660 Jesus says, go tell John that the poor have the Gospel preached to them, 00:32:17.660 --> 00:32:21.660 the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf are healed, and lepers are cleansed. 00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:23.660 What an answer, huh? 00:32:23.660 --> 00:32:25.660 That it ain't enough. 00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:26.660 Words ain't enough. 00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:27.660 Show me your works also. 00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:29.660 John 14, he says that again. 00:32:29.660 --> 00:32:35.660 If you don't believe me, believe in the Father and believe the works that I do. 00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:37.660 And so this is where we must move. 00:32:37.660 --> 00:32:43.660 We must witness to the invisible kingdom, the invisible reign of the King. 00:32:43.660 --> 00:32:46.660 So the kingdom is here. 00:32:46.660 --> 00:32:48.660 Is it the same as the promised land? 00:32:48.660 --> 00:32:49.660 Like are we in the promised land? 00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:50.660 No. 00:32:50.660 --> 00:32:53.660 The kingdom is here as it is saying the reign of Christ is here. 00:32:53.660 --> 00:32:58.660 And wherever the reign of Christ is, that is the land that's best to live on. 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:05.660 What would heaven be with golden streets, all the burgers you want, but no Jesus? 00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:08.660 It would be just pointless. 00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:16.660 I mean, my ideal heaven would be, let's not go there. 00:33:16.660 --> 00:33:21.660 Let's not go there. 00:33:21.660 --> 00:33:26.660 How many of you watched Canada play the US yesterday? 00:33:26.660 --> 00:33:33.660 Okay, put your hands down. 00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:34.660 I don't know. 00:33:34.660 --> 00:33:40.660 An ideal place would be where Canada always wins. 00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:42.660 Okay, here's the next thing, guys. 00:33:42.660 --> 00:33:47.660 This is a 2000-year-old problem. 00:33:47.660 --> 00:34:15.660 The power of the Gospel is not in presentation for spiritual laws, slick movies, personality, passion. 00:34:17.660 --> 00:34:37.660 You and I are powerless to bring people to faith. 00:34:37.660 --> 00:34:42.660 See you guys. 00:34:42.660 --> 00:34:49.660 Oh, see you, Prashanth. 00:34:49.660 --> 00:34:51.660 The power of the... 00:34:51.660 --> 00:34:52.660 Yeah, sorry. 00:34:52.660 --> 00:34:54.660 That was funny. 00:34:54.660 --> 00:34:58.660 The power of the Gospel is not in presentation. 00:34:58.660 --> 00:35:00.660 Guys, it doesn't matter how well we present it. 00:35:00.660 --> 00:35:03.660 It doesn't matter how passionate you are. 00:35:03.660 --> 00:35:07.660 Passion doesn't count for nothing. 00:35:07.660 --> 00:35:11.660 The power of the Gospel is not in presentation, not in the four spiritual laws, 00:35:11.660 --> 00:35:14.660 not in slick movies, not in personality, not in passion. 00:35:14.660 --> 00:35:17.660 You and I are powerless to bring people to faith. 00:35:17.660 --> 00:35:23.660 You and I may get a profession out of them, but profession is not possession of faith. 00:35:23.660 --> 00:35:26.660 Profession of faith is not possession of faith. 00:35:26.660 --> 00:35:30.660 I remember a guy ages ago, this was about 30 years ago, a guy comes to my door. 00:35:30.660 --> 00:35:35.660 I used to live in Richmond and he was trying to sell the province newspaper. 00:35:35.660 --> 00:35:40.660 And I told him I'll take his subscription, but he'll have to listen to me telling him about the Gospel. 00:35:40.660 --> 00:35:43.660 And I told him about the Gospel, asked him whether he would receive Christ. 00:35:43.660 --> 00:35:47.660 Of course he'll receive Christ. He got a subscription. 00:35:47.660 --> 00:35:52.660 There was another politician who later on went and was a liberal, 00:35:52.660 --> 00:35:55.660 conservative MP for Richmond many years ago. 00:35:55.660 --> 00:36:01.660 He came for a full Gospel Businessman meeting, received Christ. 00:36:01.660 --> 00:36:04.660 That profession of faith is easy. 00:36:04.660 --> 00:36:07.660 What do you think a politician should do when he comes for that? 00:36:07.660 --> 00:36:10.660 If he doesn't receive Christ, he loses out on all the votes there. 00:36:10.660 --> 00:36:13.660 Profession of faith is easy. Possession of faith is very difficult. 00:36:13.660 --> 00:36:18.660 We do not have. You and I have to come to grips with the fact that you and I are powerless, 00:36:18.660 --> 00:36:24.660 powerless to bring people to faith. 00:36:24.660 --> 00:36:30.660 So what's the secret? What's the secret ingredient? 00:36:30.660 --> 00:36:34.660 I love this. 00:36:34.660 --> 00:36:48.660 The Gospel is endowed with the power of God. 00:36:48.660 --> 00:36:50.660 And what does that mean? 00:36:50.660 --> 00:37:04.660 It means that the full power of the Holy Spirit resides, 00:37:04.660 --> 00:37:32.660 rushes through and resonates through the Gospel when you release it with your words. 00:37:32.660 --> 00:37:37.660 It's very deliberate, eh? It's very deliberate. 00:37:37.660 --> 00:37:43.660 God has decided that every time, Jacob, you take the content of the Gospel and speak it. 00:37:43.660 --> 00:37:49.660 I have decided. It's like he's decided that rain will not come from the beaks of crows, 00:37:49.660 --> 00:37:51.660 but it'll come from clouds. 00:37:51.660 --> 00:37:54.660 That the sun will not rise in the west, it will rise in the east. 00:37:54.660 --> 00:37:58.660 He's decided that you can do whatever you want. It ain't going to rise from the west. 00:37:58.660 --> 00:38:05.660 He's decided it. In the same way, he's decided that I want you to know that it is in the simplicity 00:38:05.660 --> 00:38:09.660 and the foolishness of the Gospel. 00:38:09.660 --> 00:38:16.660 I have decided that when you release the words or the content of the Gospel through your mouth, 00:38:16.660 --> 00:38:22.660 I have decided that the power of the Spirit of God who hovered over the earth while it was being created, 00:38:22.660 --> 00:38:31.660 that same power will reside in, will rush through, will resonate through the words that you speak 00:38:31.660 --> 00:38:37.660 and something will happen in the hearts of man because for you, it is impossible to bring anyone to faith. 00:38:37.660 --> 00:38:46.660 I'm the only one who can do that and I have decided that I'll only do it through the foolishness of the content of the Gospel. 00:38:46.660 --> 00:38:49.660 And therefore, he says, can you not be ashamed of it? 00:38:49.660 --> 00:38:55.660 And when he says, can you not be ashamed of it, he's also saying, can you not make it more palatable? 00:38:55.660 --> 00:39:02.660 Can you not dumb it down so that people won't resist it or people will understand it better? 00:39:02.660 --> 00:39:10.660 Romans 1.16, and therefore, I am not ashamed of the content of the good news of Jesus Christ 00:39:10.660 --> 00:39:17.660 because it is the only thing that has power in it to change the hearts of man and make them possess faith. 00:39:17.660 --> 00:39:21.660 And God has decided it, so he has written, so it will be. 00:39:26.660 --> 00:39:30.660 It's crazy he's decided this. There's nothing you can do about it. 00:39:32.660 --> 00:39:38.660 Listen to what he says in, I think, 1 Corinthians 1. 00:39:38.660 --> 00:39:40.660 1 Corinthians 1. 00:39:40.660 --> 00:39:43.660 1 Corinthians 1. 00:39:43.660 --> 00:39:45.660 18 to 25. 00:39:45.660 --> 00:39:46.660 1 Corinthians 1. 00:39:46.660 --> 00:39:48.660 18 to 25. 00:39:49.660 --> 00:39:51.660 1 Corinthians 1. 00:39:51.660 --> 00:39:53.660 18 to 25. 00:39:59.660 --> 00:40:03.660 Man, sometimes you cannot twist God's arm. 00:40:03.660 --> 00:40:13.660 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. 00:40:13.660 --> 00:40:20.660 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. 00:40:20.660 --> 00:40:25.660 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? 00:40:25.660 --> 00:40:29.660 Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 00:40:29.660 --> 00:40:38.660 For since the wisdom of the world, through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 00:40:38.660 --> 00:40:46.660 As in, he has decided that hey, in this message is the power to change people. 00:40:46.660 --> 00:40:51.660 And if you don't preach it like this, you won't get the results because there's nothing you can do. 00:40:51.660 --> 00:41:00.660 So we sugarcoat it, we make it more palatable, we try to make it receivable so people don't resist it. 00:41:00.660 --> 00:41:10.660 Decide that you will not circumvent short-circuits, skirt around the content of the gospel because it is the only thing that can save. 00:41:10.660 --> 00:41:12.660 We are not interested in the profession of faith. 00:41:12.660 --> 00:41:15.660 We are interested in the possession of faith. 00:41:16.660 --> 00:41:23.660 Galatians 1.10 puts it this way, when I compromise the gospel to please men, I'm no longer a servant of God. 00:41:23.660 --> 00:41:36.660 Hear me. Galatians 1.10, Paul is saying, when I compromise the gospel to please men, I am no longer a servant of God. 00:41:36.660 --> 00:41:39.660 This should put a fire in your heart. 00:41:39.660 --> 00:41:49.660 This should put a fire in your belly saying, man, I'm going to take the foolishness of God because this is the only way to save man. 00:41:49.660 --> 00:41:55.660 Someone said this to you guys. That's how you got saved. 00:41:55.660 --> 00:42:04.660 Your righteousness, your friendship with God, your recognition of his fatherhood, your benefits that you presently enjoy, your eternal salvation, the Spirit of God residing in you, 00:42:04.660 --> 00:42:11.660 all happened because someone did not dilute it. 00:42:11.660 --> 00:42:17.660 I remember these three people coming up to me and saying to me, you're running out of time. Jesus Christ died for you. 00:42:17.660 --> 00:42:22.660 When will you make a decision for Christ? Make it quickly because you won't even get the scraps that fall off the table. 00:42:22.660 --> 00:42:27.660 And they kept saying it. They did not dilute the gospel. And what did I do to them? I started cursing them. 00:42:27.660 --> 00:42:32.660 The guy who said, you won't even get the scraps of falling off the table, I started cursing him. 00:42:32.660 --> 00:42:35.660 He's walking away and I'm walking behind him cursing him. 00:42:35.660 --> 00:42:41.660 24 hours later, I gave my heart to the Lord because I suddenly realized the depth of what he had said. 00:42:41.660 --> 00:42:49.660 And the first person I went to meet after I got saved was this professor because I had troubled him all my life in school. 00:42:49.660 --> 00:42:53.660 I dipped stuff in curry and threw it at him. 00:42:53.660 --> 00:42:58.660 And I remember going to him and saying, Paul, thank you for persisting. 00:42:59.660 --> 00:43:10.660 Sometimes he would call me the child of the devil, but he would still lovingly tell me the gospel, never diluting it. 00:43:13.660 --> 00:43:15.660 Any questions? 00:43:19.660 --> 00:43:21.660 You know, this should give us courage, man. 00:43:22.660 --> 00:43:29.660 It doesn't make it more difficult. It just puts fire into what you now believe because you know why you believe it. 00:43:32.660 --> 00:43:38.660 So forgive us, Lord, for the lack of confidence in your power that you have invested in the gospel. Forgive us. 00:43:38.660 --> 00:43:46.660 Forgive us for the lack of confidence in the gospel in which you have put in power. 00:43:47.660 --> 00:43:50.660 It was conveyed to us, now we will convey to others. 00:43:50.660 --> 00:43:56.660 This is what we mean by courage, conviction, courage, irresistible wisdom. 00:43:56.660 --> 00:44:00.660 This foolishness is the irresistible wisdom of the living God. 00:44:00.660 --> 00:44:07.660 And you and I need to have the conviction inside us, deep conviction that nothing will shake us from this. 00:44:07.660 --> 00:44:09.660 And then the courage to say, I will go say this. 00:44:09.660 --> 00:44:13.660 If persecution comes, it only advances the cause. 00:44:14.660 --> 00:44:16.660 It never slows it down. 00:44:16.660 --> 00:44:19.660 It's like warp speed, man, if you get persecuted. 00:44:27.660 --> 00:44:31.660 Jesus gave this commission to the disciples, right? To the eleven. 00:44:31.660 --> 00:44:39.660 He said, listen, Matthew 28, 19 to 20, go preach the gospel. 00:44:40.660 --> 00:44:45.660 Then he said, baptize them. As in when you do, you'll get disciples. 00:44:47.660 --> 00:44:58.660 Make sure you baptize them in the name, but into a body. 00:44:58.660 --> 00:45:04.660 And then teach them to do all that I've commanded. 00:45:04.660 --> 00:45:10.660 So, you need to understand that preaching and the church go together. 00:45:10.660 --> 00:45:20.660 When we separate, I'll end with this, when we separate the proclamation of the gospel 00:45:20.660 --> 00:45:36.660 by tasking a few to do it, or setting aside a mission week, 00:45:36.660 --> 00:45:43.660 or the guys who go to Wally, or the outreach ministry, all the missionaries. 00:45:44.660 --> 00:45:48.660 Whenever we separate the proclamation of the gospel from the church 00:45:48.660 --> 00:45:56.660 and just task a select few to do it, then we're doing something that's biblically wrong. 00:46:00.660 --> 00:46:02.660 It is what all disciples engage in. 00:46:05.660 --> 00:46:10.660 And it is what the Spirit strategically places us during this week. 00:46:10.660 --> 00:46:15.660 There'll be different times when he'll strategically bring us into an encounter where we have an opportunity. 00:46:30.660 --> 00:46:36.660 If someone prayed with Chava and received the gospel by faith and faith alone 00:46:36.660 --> 00:46:39.660 and decided to follow Christ, what should Chava do next? 00:46:39.660 --> 00:46:44.660 The ideal situation would be Chava saying, follow me. 00:46:46.660 --> 00:46:53.660 See my life. Watch how I am. Watch how I am when I have a lot of money, when I don't have money, 00:46:53.660 --> 00:46:58.660 when I have a job, when I don't have a job, when my children are doing well, when my children are not doing well. 00:46:58.660 --> 00:47:03.660 Come follow me. That would be the ideal situation. 00:47:03.660 --> 00:47:09.660 And then as they follow you, they begin to see that this God they trust in is really God. 00:47:09.660 --> 00:47:12.660 And then you say, now follow me into the church. 00:47:12.660 --> 00:47:16.660 And you bring them to the community that you are part of. 00:47:16.660 --> 00:47:20.660 And now they see how other lives work. 00:47:20.660 --> 00:47:25.660 Because disciples are formed in the context of a community. 00:47:25.660 --> 00:47:29.660 So preaching must go with the church. Why? 00:47:30.660 --> 00:47:39.660 Because the gospel was used by God to set you apart so that you can assist God in setting others apart. 00:47:39.660 --> 00:47:45.660 Let me say that again. The gospel was used by God to set you apart to himself 00:47:45.660 --> 00:47:51.660 so that you can now assist him in setting others apart. 00:47:51.660 --> 00:47:57.660 Last time, the gospel was used by God to set you apart for himself. 00:47:57.660 --> 00:48:04.660 And now that you have been set apart, he wants you to assist him in setting others apart. 00:48:04.660 --> 00:48:09.660 And then it's a gift that keeps giving. 00:48:09.660 --> 00:48:12.660 Hi, Priya. How are you? 00:48:16.660 --> 00:48:19.660 Alrighty. Any questions? 00:48:21.660 --> 00:48:23.660 Cool. Let's pray. 00:48:23.660 --> 00:48:28.660 And then if you need prayer, there will be people up here who will pray with you and for you. 00:48:28.660 --> 00:48:34.660 Let's pray. Jesus loved the content of the gospel. 00:48:34.660 --> 00:48:39.660 So we'll end by not praying but looking at what we've written. 00:48:39.660 --> 00:48:48.660 And just repeat it. And as we do, Holy Spirit, can you take it, embed it, inscribe it, help us memorize it? 00:48:48.660 --> 00:48:57.660 Because as we do, we'll realize that, my God, what we've written down will be just flushed with power, will be gorged with power. 00:48:57.660 --> 00:49:09.660 And when those words come out of our mouth, clumsy words, clumsy, foolish words, it will bring people salvation. 00:49:09.660 --> 00:49:12.660 This is how you've decided it. This is how it will be. 00:49:12.660 --> 00:49:17.660 So we look at our notes and we've written it differently, but we say it together. 00:49:17.660 --> 00:49:24.660 The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ, feel free to read slightly aloud so that you can hear it. 00:49:24.660 --> 00:49:40.660 The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ is the Holy, Sinless One and Lord who came down to the earth as man and died for us because he loves us. 00:49:40.660 --> 00:49:52.660 He then rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavens and he will return as judge and Lord. 00:49:52.660 --> 00:49:58.660 Therefore, turn from your sins to him and be baptized. 00:49:58.660 --> 00:50:12.660 Next one, Jesus Christ died for us to rescue us from sins, from Satan, from eternal damnation or eternal what? 00:50:12.660 --> 00:50:19.660 Eternal separation and the wrath of God. First Thessalonians 5.19 if it's someone who needs to see a scriptural reference. 00:50:19.660 --> 00:50:37.660 Third one, the good news is this, that we now receive the full measure of the forgiveness of sins, of the friendship with God, of the fatherhood of God, 00:50:37.660 --> 00:50:46.660 eternal life of the Holy Spirit, of the benefits of the kingdom and the righteousness of God. 00:50:46.660 --> 00:50:53.660 And it is given to those that don't deserve it. There's nothing we can do to earn it. 00:50:53.660 --> 00:51:01.660 When we believe this by faith and faith alone, that's the only way to receive it. 00:51:01.660 --> 00:51:04.660 Brilliant. Bless you guys.