In this session we explore the message of the gospel itself. What is the gospel? Do we have a sufficient understanding of the message we preach to communicate it clearly?
Session in a sentence
The message of evangelism is Jesus Christ: Christ come, Christ crucified, Christ risen and Christ returning.
Session background
St Augustine famously declared, ‘You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.’
The gospel moves people from despair, darkness, brokenness and hopelessness, into joy, light, love and hope. The gospel moves restless hearts to fulfilment in their creator. Tragically, though, it seems that many followers of Jesus have lost confidence in the power of the gospel today. There are many reasons why believers don’t share the gospel with others: fear, feelings of inadequacy, and hoping someone else will do it, all play a part. These reasons all find their root in the same place – a lack of understanding about what the gospel actually is, and a lack of trust in its power.
In Romans 1, Paul boldly declares, ‘I’m not ashamed of the gospel,’ and then immediately goes on to qualify why this is so: ‘because it is the power of God to bring salvation to everyone who believes’ Romans 1:16). Understanding that the gospel is the power of God to bring salvation is to understand something of who God is, what he has done, and what that means for the world. It’s all wrapped up in the reality of who Jesus Christ is. This is not detached or abstract philosophy with no significance beyond the lecture hall or debate room. For one thing, understanding the gospel helps us to approach foundational questions about our existence and the identity of the God who created us. Questions such as:
Who Am I?
Everyone asks this question in some way. What is the meaning of life Is there purpose? What is my identity? The gospel answer is that you are a child of God, created and loved by him. In many contexts around the world today, the primary concern of a person is no longer, ‘What will happen when I die?’ but, ‘Who am I while I am alive?’
Who Is God?
There are many religions in the world. Even if God exists, how can we possibly know who he is and that we are worshipping the right one? God has made himself known through creation, through the Bible, through the experiences of Christians all over the world, and through the person of Jesus Christ. He is the creator and sustainer of life, the king of the universe, a perfect and loving heavenly Father who longs to bring a broken and rebellious humanity back into relationship with himself.
Who Is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is the most compelling figure in all of human history. Few historical scholars doubt that Jesus existed, but who was he? A wise teacher? A con man? A mad man? Actually, Jesus is who he says he is: the saviour of the world who, through his life, death and resurrection, has made it possible for a person to become a child of God and know the eternal king eternally.
While these types of question can serve as a starting point for a conversation about the gospel, they don’t necessarily lead us to a fully sufficient understanding of what the gospel means. Rather, they are connection points on which we can begin to build a relationship. We must dig deeply into scripture to ensure that through these questions we can point to the full and powerful gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are to be worshippers who witness so that others may come to worship and witness.
Session guide
Catch up (20–30 mins)
Take time to catch up with one another, sharing stories, encouragements, feedback on opportunities and anything else that would encourage the group. Ask the group to share about their journey through the Gospel of Mark over the last month (Session Two – Application). Use this time to explore and affirm our true identity as children of God because of the saving work of God’s eternal Son, rather than a ministry calling. The response to our identity is to become ministers of reconciliation on behalf of the family, seeking out the lost so that they too may know that they can come home.
Prayer
Commit the time to the Lord and pray over any situations, positive or challenging, arising from the catch up time.
Teaching (20–30 mins)
Work through the following teaching material in your own way, either by reading it word for word, or by reworking it into your own presentation.
‘And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.’
1 CORINTHIANS 2:1–2
Paul shows his commitment to the truth and power of the Jesus story by declaring, ‘I decided while I was with you to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified.’ This is the heart of the gospel: that God himself stepped into the mess of our world in the person of Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, died upon a cross to take the death we deserved, and rose again on the third day, breaking the curse of death once and for all. Salvation and true life are found through faith in him alone. We share this truth not merely to bring about changed minds, but to bring about new life – a transformation that can only be achieved by faith in Jesus Christ.
This session will explore what the gospel is. Use the following sections to spark discussion about what we believe the gospel to be.
- GOSPEL DOCTRINE – The systematic layout of the gospel.
- GOSPEL NARRATIVE – Broadly speaking, the same gospel is presented here as in the more systematic approach, but with more emphasis on a narrative explanation that reads more like a story.
- YOUTH TALK AND GOSPEL METHOD – There are various explanations of the gospel in the gospel methods listed, each with its own focus on a particular part of the gospel narrative and a way of presenting it for someone to hear it with clarity.
Ensuring we are proclaiming the truth of the gospel is imperative. Remember: we can’t save anyone, the gospel is the power of God to bring salvation (Romans 1:16). If our gospel messages are watered-down, one-dimensional attempts to appeal to the heart of the listener, we might see lots of hands up ‘responding’ to the message, but what have they really responded to?
The gospel message brings with it some incredibly challenging ideas. It describes us all as ‘sinners’ and claims we are broken beings who deserve death. The good news of the gospel is so good because it is the saving response to a human condition that is so bad.
Our concept of how loving and gracious God is will hinge on how much of a problem we think our sin is. People struggle with the idea of a God who judges us for our sin and the thought of a loving God who would allow people to go to hell. It’s easy to be tempted to play down these aspects of the gospel, or to ignore them completely, but this won’t do. Our evangelism has a responsibility to unpack the problem of sin so that the power of the cross and the hope of the resurrection is understood for what it really is – the undeserved grace of God given lovingly to his children and the only hope for humanity.
Sin is a great problem solved by a greater God. To water down one is to weaken our perception of the other, and so we must commit to the truth – no matter how challenging it seems.
Another area that can easily be missed is the idea that we are to die to our self-centredness, to take up our cross and follow Jesus with everything we have (Matthew 16:24). The call to a life defined by sacrifice is often minimised in favour of a ‘God will make you happy’ message. Similarly, any attempt to add, subtract, or rely on our own communication skills to win people over will only end up turning the true and powerful gospel of salvation into no gospel at all.
‘The spiritual power in the gospel is denied when we augment or adjust the gospel into no gospel at all. When we doubt the message alone is the power of God for salvation we start adding or subtracting, trusting our own powers of persuasion or presentation.’
MATT CHANDLER
We must be sure to avoid presenting the gospel in ways that miss the questions people are asking. For example, younger generations today are often more concerned with questions of ‘now’ – purpose, identity, and justice – rather than the ‘not yet’ idea of what happens when we die, and so the way we present the gospel message should bear this in mind. The way we package our message will change with the times, but its content – its essential truth – remains the same. We must know the gospel deeply if we are to attempt to present it clearly. We are not seeking to offer good ideas or advice, but the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit.
Prioritising daily Bible study is vital for every believer, but especially for those who are communicating its truth on a regular basis. How can we claim to have revelation from scripture if we are not allowing it to feed our lives every day? We are called not only to be evangelists, but Bible-teaching evangelists.
Discussion (15 mins)
- How well do you think you understand the gospel?
- What are the challenges of explaining the gospel well today?
- How can we create connection points with contemporary listeners?
- What does it actually mean to be a ‘Bible teaching’ evangelist?
‘The gospel is the lifeblood of Christianity, and it provides the foundation for countering culture. For when we truly believe the gospel, we begin to realise that the gospel not only compels Christians to confront social issues in the culture around us. The gospel actually creates confrontation with the culture around – and within – us.’
DAVID PLATT
Application (5 mins)
Encourage every member of the group to start or continue a daily reading plan using the YouVersion phone app or other Bible reading notes. Our engagement with scripture is essential if we are to grow as followers of Jesus and understand the gospel deeply so that we can share it simply.
Using the material about the gospel in this booklet and your Bible, produce a concise explanation (3–5 points) of the gospel with supporting Bible verses that you can share with the group at the next session. This task is not a test, it is a devotional activity – a way for you personally to make sense of the truth of the gospel. The Gospel Doctrine might be helpful.
Prayer
‘Lord Jesus, thank you that you came and lived a perfect life, that you took our place upon the cross, and that through your resurrection we can share in new life. Help us to trust in you and to grow in your love. Help us to understand your Word more fully, to know your gospel more deeply and to be able to share it simply and truthfully with those around us. Thank you for the opportunities you give us, and please equip us to be faithful to those opportunities as we spend time in your Word and in your presence.’
Accountability (15 mins)
Be honest with one another about your Bible reading habits. In small groups or pairs, discuss your daily reading habits – good or bad – and some of the things you love about reading God’s Word and some of what you find difficult. Think carefully about what a new season of Bible engagement could look like for you and set a target – stretch yourself a bit, but don’t feel the need to bite off more than you can chew and set yourself up for failure. Ask your accountability group to check in with you next month to see how you’ve been getting on. Remember, it’s not just about a Bible reading target, it’s about the joy of knowing God and his gospel more fully day by day.
To finish, complete accountability forms, share in pairs or smaller groups and pray for one another.
