Covenant Baptist Church
Sermon Guide for February 10, 2019
Our emerging description of the gospel:
The life giving news that the kingdom of God has come to us in Jesus Christ who is the Son of God.
Now, real life with God, overflowing with all that is truly good, (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), is available in His kingdom here, now and forever, to everyone willing to trust and follow Jesus. We live this kingdom life with the certain hope that one day Jesus will return to rule and reign forever over an entirely new universe free from any remnant of sin or death.
The kingdom of God having come to us means, in Jesus, God has made life under His care and direction available to mankind.
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15
How do I enter into and live life in the kingdom of God?
Salvation in its fullest sense is receiving life and living in the kingdom of God here, now AND forever.
Jesus was also calling for people to respond to the gospel in a particular way. He was urging them to ...repent and believe in the gospel…
Sometimes in the New Testament the act of believing is assumed and only the word repent is used to communicate this response.
Repentance is not…
● ….merely a feeling of regret for private sins
● …best understood as just turning away from sin
Repentance is a choice to think and act differently in response to a new awareness and understanding of an infinitely better way.
We don’t choose to repent on the basis of our emotions but our emotions will certainly be present urging us to do so.
The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130
Repentance is when a person, seeing the dark reality of their sin in the brilliant light of Jesus, changes courses to trust and follow Him instead.
“The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:16-17
Only encountering Jesus can bring a person enslaved by sin to be repulsed by the horrid culture of darkness, emptiness and death that defines life apart from God.
The gospel casts a vision of the reality of an interactive life with God through His perfect love for us expressed in Jesus.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… Romans 1:16
We can and will turn away from sin but only when we are turning to Jesus.
O soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in light of His glory and grace.
There is no better way than to turn your focus on Jesus than reading the Gospels that tell the story of His life.
In seeing and knowing Jesus we will continually turn back to Jesus and learn to remain there more and more.
