The following are sermon notes from Go Make Disciples. The Gospel. This is a topical study on the subject of Discipleship by looking at the four Gospels and the book of Acts. To read more about this series, including the introduction, resources and listen to audio content click here.
This sermon actually occurred last chronologically in our Go Make Disciples series, however, due to it’s succinct and clear teaching on the gospel we’ve received many requests to post in online. So we’ve decided to post the notes and the audio out of order so that it can be passed around for the glory of Jesus and can be used to spread the gospel further. This sermon was originally preached on September 11, 2011.
John 3:16 is probably the most quoted and memorized passage in Scripture in the entire Bible. Yet, what happens so often when a passage is quoted ad nauseam the context lost.
Gospel of Love
John 3:16-17 is clear. God loves the world. This is a world-warping truth. This means that God not only loves the seemingly morally upright, but the deviants, criminals and impure. God loves the men who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon on September 11th 2001. God loves the pedophile that murders a child’s innocence. God loves.
Much of the time when Christians read this verse we instantly get a warm feeling in our stomachs in knowing the wonderful truth that God loves us. But he doesn’t just love you, He loves everyone else too. We worship a God of love. The Gospel is the purest act of love we have ever known. Therefore, we reject those who turn this gospel of love into a gospel of hate. The gospel of hate will burn the Koran. The gospel of hate will picket the building of Mosques. The gospel of hate will hate. Our Jesus loves. God loves the world!
Exclusive and Inclusive
The gospel is simultaneously exclusive and inclusive. It is exclusive because the Scriptures are clear: salvation comes through Christ alone (John 3:17). There is no other means by which man can be saved. It’s Jesus and Jesus alone. Buddha will not save you, Allah cannot save you. Good deeds won’t save you. Salvation comes through Christ alone. Exclusive. This truth will instantly anger anyone who does not agree with you, yet, it’s the gospel. This doesn’t make us extremists, this makes us Biblical.
Though Christianity is exclusive (saved by Jesus alone), it is the most inclusive religion in the world. Anyone can be saved! Your race doesn’t matter, your gender is irrelevant, your age has no bearing, all can be saved by worshiping Jesus! Furthermore, it doesn’t matter how seemingly sinful, gross, defiled you may be, Jesus saves all who trust in Him. This is an incredible truth!
Limited/Unlimited
The atonement, or payment, that Jesus provided on the cross for your sins and mine is limited while it is simultaneously unlimited. The atonement is limited in that it only takes affect for those who are saved, yet Jesus died and became the sins of all people. Therefore, the atonement is also unlimited.
The atonement is made effectual in all those who are saved by Jesus and no one else. Yet, the Scriptures are clear that Jesus died for all sins. So it is both limited and unlimited. To state it simply, Jesus died for everyone, but only some are saved.
Propitiation and Expiation
Sadly, in some translations of the Bible these two words have been either confused and/or lost completely. This is one of the reasons we use the ESV translation which maintains these important words.
When Jesus died on the cross He became both the propitiation for our sins and the expiation of our sins.
Propitiation describes the act of diverting the wrath of God, which is God’s just and appropriate reaction to our sin, from us to Jesus. By dying on the cross Jesus took the wrath that was due us for our sins and diverted it onto Himself. Those are saved by Jesus will never be punished for their sins, Jesus has already been punished, it has been paid. We may be disciplined to call us to holiness, but we will never be punished. The wrath of God that was due you has been propitiated, diverted, to Jesus. Praise God!
Expiation describes the act of taking our sins away from us. You see, propitiation alone is not enough to restore us to right relationship with God. His wrath is satisfied, yes, but we are still defiled by our sins. We are still covered in the mire and muck of our perverted sins. We must be cleaned, we must be purified before God can commune with us. Expiation accomplishes this. Our sins are taken away from us and we are washed clean from our impurity. We are no longer defiled, we are pure and righteous because Jesus gave us His righteousness in exchange for our wretchedness.
This is the gospel through which Jesus makes disciples. This is the gospel we take with us wherever we go! This is the glorious truth that sinners can be made clean, saved from the wrath of God and given eternal life! This is what we are called to share.
For more information about this series click here.
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