Here are the English notes from my sermon "What is the Gospel?" on March 25, 2018.

1. What Is the Gospel?
Why Is the Gospel Important?
Romans 1:7-16
7 To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for
all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world.
9 God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—
that I constantly mention you,10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s
will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I want very much to see you, so
that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually
encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
13 Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come
to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among
you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks
and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to
you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
Key Verse - Romans 1:16 - Why the Gospel is Important
The gospel is not just any kind of power, is the power of God for salvation. The Greek
word for “power” is dunamis and it the word from which we get dynamite.
All the power in the universe can not save one person. It takes the power of God in the
gospel.
Salvation = Rescue
Think of a person whose ship sunk and is all alone in the ocean, no one for thousand of
kilometers. Then they hear the sound of a helicopter – Good news! Rescue is coming.
The same is true for every one of us. We are lost in an ocean of sin. We need to be
rescued from our sin. If we are not rescued we face death, judgment, hell and wrath. We
are without God and without hope.
Salvation is not just what happens when you repent and place your faith in Jesus. It begins
there but doesn’t stop there. It will continue until God creates a new heaven and earth and
comes down with the New Jerusalem to live with His children forever.
Salvation Can be Broken Up into Three Aspects
1. Justification - rescued from the penalty of sin
2. Sanctification - rescued from the power of sin
3. Glorification - rescued from the presence of sin

2. 1. Justification – Beginning
Justification is God declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s
righteousness being imputed to those who receive Christ through repentance and faith.
Jesus’ perfect, sinless life and sacrifice on the cross where He experienced the punishment
for our sin are the only grounds for our being justified in God’s eyes.
2. Sanctification – Middle
The process of being conformed more and more into the likeness of Christ through the
work of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word within a community of believers called a church.
Sanctification is what happens as we follow Jesus. Remember what He said? “Deny
yourself, pick up your cross and follow me.” He gave us an example to follow.
3. Glorification – End
Glorification is the completion, the consummation, the perfection, the full realization of
salvation.
It will begin when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom, at that time we will get our new
glorified bodies. Salvation will be completed when God creates the new heavens and
earth and brings the New Jerusalem down to earth where He will dwell with His children
forever.
Tim Keller
We never “get beyond the gospel” in our Christian life to something more “advanced.”
The gospel is not the first “step” in a “stairway” of truths, rather, it is more like the “hub”
in a “wheel” of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s but the A-Z of Christianity. The
gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the
way we make progress in the kingdom.
What Isn’t the Gospel?
Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace
of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another gospel, but
there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even
if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have
preached to you, a curse be on him! 9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is
preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!
Danger Signs
1. Focuses on something other than Jesus
2. Appeals to our flesh
3. Contrary to the Bible

3. Some Examples of False Gospels
1. The Jesus “Plus Something” Gospel
2. The “Me” Gospel
3. The “Health and Wealth” Gospel
4. The “It’s OK to Sin” Gospel
5. The “Go to Church” Gospel
6. The “Spiritual Experience” Gospel
7. The “Better World” Gospel
Three Ways to Live
1. Be your own god - unholy trinity - me, myself and I
2. Earn your acceptance - try and make yourself right with God
3. Trust Jesus to make you right with God through his sinless life, sacrificial death and
resurrection
What Is the Gospel?
The Meaning of the Word “Gospel” in Jesus’s Day
Euangelion - Greek word which means “good news” or “good message.” It was not used
in a religious context, but rather in the context of kings and wars. Most often it was a
proclamation by a messenger to announce good news on behalf of a king
1. When a king would come to power, he would send out messengers to proclaim the
“good news” of his new reign.
2. If a son was born to him, he would send out messengers with the “good news”.
3. If he was victorious over an enemy in battle, he would send out the “good news” of his
victory.
In Mark 1:14-15 we see Jesus using the word in a similar way:
14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of
God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and
believe the good news!”
Be Own God Earn Acceptance Trust Jesus
grace over truth truth over grace grace and truth
irreligion religion gospel
license legalism relationship
rebellion duty love

4. Descriptors of the Gospel in the Bible
Gospel
of God, God's, of the blessed God
of the grace of God
of Jesus Christ Son of God,
of Christ
of our Lord Jesus, of His Son
of the glory of Christ
of the kingdom, of peace,
of your salvation, not man's, word of the gospel
Good News
about Jesus
of the kingdom of God
of peace through Jesus Christ
of a great joy
Other Descriptors
eternal
glorious
law of liberty
message of reconciliation
message of salvation
mystery of Christ
power of God for salvation
wisdom of God
word of God
word of Christ, word of the Lord
word of the cross
word of faith
word of life
word of truth, word of the truth
What the Four Gospels Tell Us
The four gospels confirm that the gospel is about Jesus. Each gospel is titled with “kata”
in the Greek which means “according to.” The gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John. Each gospel tells the story of Jesus so the gospel is the “good news” of Jesus’
life, death, resurrection, ascension and his return.
Basic Gospel Message Outline - Focus on Jesus
1. Why we need Jesus – sin
2. What Jesus did for us – the cross
3. How we are reconciled to God through Jesus – repentance and faith

5. First Importance
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you,
which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being
saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I
passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures,
3D Gospel - Law/Judge, Kingdom/King, Relationship/Father
Romans 3:21-26 Law
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by
the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to
all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through
faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins
previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the
present time, so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in
Jesus.
Mark 1:14-15 Kingdom
14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of
God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and
believe the good news!”
Romans 10:9 Kingdom
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be saved.
Galatians 4:4-7 Relationship
4 When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the
law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And
because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba,
Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an
heir.
In Own Words - William
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus has restored the kingdom of God and provided
the way for us to be reconciled and adopted by God if we turn from our rebellion and
place of trust in Jesus and all that He did for us.

6. Review Questions
1. What did you learn from this study of the gospel?
2. What are the three aspects of salvation and their implication for us?
3. What did the word “gospel” mean in Jesus’ day?
4. What are some of the things you learned from looking at the descriptors of the gospel
in the Bible?
5. What observations do you have from the Bible verses we looked at?
6. Give at least two different answers to the question, “What is the Gospel?”
7. What things impacted you the most in this study of the gospel and why?
Homework
Write out your own definition of the gospel based on the material covered. Look at
William’s example.