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I would like to start this blog off with a song:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCV_2H9xD0 

So, today I was watching my home church, Southcrest Baptist Church, live. And the message was so good and God-breathed that I think it needs to be shared. Because, the gospel is to be heard not hoarded. It won’t be word for word because this is my interpretation of it, if you want to hear to the real thing you can listen to the podcast: Southcrest Baptist Church. The sermon is called A Snapshot of the Real Gospel.

The scripture that this message is based on is Colossians 1:19-23. Now, obviously the world is being effected by a virus and we absolutely losing our minds over it… fear of catching it is overwhelming. Yet, it astonishes me that we fail to acknowledge the biggest virus to ever exist and we can’t catch it because we are born with it. The ultimate virus is sin. Creation has been sick since we ate of the fruit and sin entered the world. But, because of God’s great love for us he had a cure: Jesus Christ. Lets read what the Bible has to say on this matter:

Colossians 1:19-23 (ESV)

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy, and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minster.

  1. The Initiation and Incarnation of the Gospel (19)
  2. The Implantation of the Gospel (20)
  3. The Transformation of the Gospel (21-23)
    1. The Alienation of Man (21a)
    2. The Reconciliation by God (21b)
    3. The Justification of Sinners (22)
    4. The Continuation of the Saints (23)
      1. Steadfast (Grounded) (23a)
      2. Secure in Hope (23b)

This is how the sermon is structured at my church. Now, The Initiation and Incarnation of the Gospel: The initiation of the gospel is the movement of God, he is coming to us. He is looking for you like it or not. The incarnation of the gospel is Jesus. Fully man AND fully God, God in the flesh. Reconciliation for man with God could never happen without the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is in verse 20, The Implantation of the Gospel. The Gospel is Jesus Christ. The word gospel means good news. The world is in need of good news right now and the gospel of Jesus Christ is the ultimate news, don’t ya think? Next is The Transformation of the Gospel, what we were before and after Christ.The Alienation of Man, we were without hope. We became strangers, the relationship between God and man was severed in the garden. Though most would never admit it or may not even be aware, our minds are at war with God. Those who are not just in the world but are of it are enemies. Then we have The Reconciliation by God… reconcile means to restore a relationship. Back in verse 20 we see how the relationship is put back together, the blood on the cross. Because of Christ we have, The Justification of Sinners: holy, blameless and above reproach. We are now made holy… set apart. We are blameless… completely clean, without blemish. We are above reproach… free from accusation. Because of Jesus this is now how God sees us. Lastly, we have The Continuation of the Saints. The word if in verse 23 doesn’t mean that if you do this then you’ll have salvation. It means that because of, since you follow Jesus you do these things. You cannot work for or loose your salvation. Faith, grounded on the foundation of Jesus, not shifting from the hope of the gospel. Because that’s what the gospel is , hope. Hope is the anchor that holds everything together. Jesus is the gospel and the gospel is hope. Jesus is the cure of sin. 

That’s how I stated my day, worshipping God Almighty next to my family. I encourage you to start your days like this. In a world that’s having a major meltdown and is controlled by fear there is hope and whether we can see God at work or not he is there. He doesn’t take a break and whether we are quarantined or not neither should we. Following Jesus doesn’t me driving to a building we call a church. The church is a people and we aren’t just a day of the week. This season of life is were the church is tested. Romans 12:2 is in play. Is the church conformed to this world or are we standing unashamed of the Gospel of Christ and living by faith (Romans 1:16-17)? My challenge to you and to myself: Get off your butt. This is were we stand steadfast and firm in a world of fear. The salt and light in a tasteless and dark reality (Matthew 5:13-16). How can the world know of the cure if you don’t share the gospel? I might not be on the World Race but I am always running the race that God has set before me (Hebrews 12:1, Isaiah 40:31, Philippians 3:13-14)