Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- General notes
- What do you do?
- A Gospel Conversation
- Sinners Saved by Grace
- The Weight of Sin: Guilt, Shame, and Nakedness
- God’s Gentle Mercy
- God’s Pursuit and Redemption Through Christ
- Christ Alone, Our Hope and Salvation
General notes
- I am and you are sinners, we sin because we are sinners. A lion kills its prey, because he is a lion, it is his nature.
- How do we want to meet God, do we believe He is our own maker?
- How many religions are in the world.
- What is truth
- We were formed in our mothers womb
- Jesus is the only one to claim to be the Son of God
- He is the only one that was resurrected, and it was for our justification
Scripture references
- Romans 1:17-18
- Ephesians 1 and 2
- Romans 8 and 9
- Genesis 3:8 God showing mercy and love, or instant judgement
- Psalms 51 you only have I sinned
What do you do?
Me: I am a full-time RV Missionary.
Person: What does that mean?
Me: I live in an RV and travel around and try to share the gospel and pray with people wherever I go
Person: What does the gospel mean?
The Gospel
The Gospel is the incredible news that even though we are all sinners and separated from God, He made a way for us to be forgiven and restored to Him. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life that we could never live, to die the death that we deserve because of our sin, and then to rise from the dead, defeating sin and death. By trusting in Jesus and what He did for us, we can be forgiven, have a relationship with God, and receive the promise of eternal life. It’s not something we earn; it’s a gift of grace from God.
Here’s how a Gospel-sharing conversation might look if it were shaped by the approach of Reformers and influential theologians like Spurgeon, Calvin, Luther, Sproul, and John MacArthur, with a focus on the evidences of conscience and creation:
A Gospel Conversation
Opening Questions: The Reality of God’s Revelation
- Have you ever looked at the world around you—the vastness of the universe, the complexity of nature—and wondered if there is a Creator?
- Romans 1:20 tells us, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”
- Charles Spurgeon would say, “The stars and the heavens preach a silent but loud sermon, declaring God’s glory. Can you look at them and deny His handiwork?”
- Do you ever feel that sense of right and wrong deep within you? Where do you think that comes from?
- God has given each of us a conscience, an inner voice that testifies to His moral law. Romans 2:15 says that the work of the law is written on our hearts.
- R.C. Sproul emphasized that even those who deny God cannot escape the moral law written on their consciences. He would ask, “Why do we instinctively know that things like murder or lying are wrong, even if we try to suppress it?”
The Universal Problem: Our Sin
- Have you ever done something you knew was wrong, even when no one was watching? How did it make you feel?
- Martin Luther spoke of sin as a disease in the human heart. It’s not just that we sin; we sin because we are sinners by nature.
- John MacArthur would point out that our conscience accuses us because we are guilty before a holy God, and we know it deep down.
- If God is the Creator and Judge of the world, what do you think He sees when He looks at us?
- God’s standard is perfect holiness. John Calvin said, “Our hearts are idol factories,” constantly turning away from God. Our sin separates us from Him.
- We are not only sinners by our actions but by our very nature. We are in desperate need of God’s mercy.
The Solution: Jesus Christ
- Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ is so central to the Christian faith? Why not just follow good moral teachings?
- Jesus didn’t come to show us how to live a better life; He came to rescue us. As R.C. Sproul put it, “We are not just in trouble; we are spiritually dead, and only Jesus can give us life.”
- Spurgeon would say, “It’s not your works, your prayers, or your tears that save you. It is Christ alone, dying in your place.”
- If you were to stand before God and He asked you, ‘Why should I let you into My heaven?’ what would you say?
- Luther would remind you that no human effort or good works can earn salvation. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
- John MacArthur emphasizes the Gospel’s power: “Christ’s death paid the penalty for our sins, and His resurrection proves that the debt was paid in full.”
The Call: Repentance and Faith
- Would you be willing to acknowledge your sin before God and trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness?
- The Reformers believed in the necessity of repentance—a turning away from sin—and faith in Christ. Calvin said that faith is a gift from God, and Spurgeon often invited people with urgency: “Come to Christ as you are. He will make you clean.”
- What’s stopping you from surrendering your life to Him today?
- Luther called the Gospel “good news” because it is an offer of grace, not a demand for perfection. God offers forgiveness freely through Jesus.
Closing Thought
God has revealed Himself through creation and has written His law on your heart. You already know that you are a sinner, but the good news is that God, in His love, provided a way for you to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. John MacArthur might end with a clear invitation: “Today is the day of salvation. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
Sinners Saved by Grace
Scripture Reading and Message
Good Morning. I capitalize the G and the M because I want to proclaim that, “Good” acknowledges the One who alone is truly good, as Jesus said in Mark 10:18 (NASB1995):
“Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.” I am pointing to God’s perfect nature, recognizing that all goodness comes from Him.
The M in “Morning” refers to the Bright Morning Star, which is a title Jesus uses for Himself. In Revelation 22:16 (NASB1995), He declares: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” By this I proclaim that Jesus is our light, our hope, and the one who ushers in the dawn of redemption.
So Good Morning. I am a sinner. You all are sinners; everyone who has ever lived and is now living is a sinner. You know it, and I know it. We often avoid the topic of sin. It’s uncomfortable to talk about, but it’s a fundamental fact, and it makes understanding the Gospel much richer than we can ever fully comprehend. The reality is, we sin because we are sinners—it is our very nature. Just as a lion hunts and kills because that’s what a lion does, we sin because it is in our very nature to do so.
Genesis 3:7-10 (NASB1995):
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Let the Story Sink In
These three verses capture one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of Scripture. Another equally devastating moment is when Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 NASB1995). In that moment, Jesus bore the full weight of humanity’s sin, experiencing the separation from the Father for the first and only time.
It’s also described in Isaiah 53:10 (NASB1995):
“But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.”
God’s justice required that sin be punished, and Jesus bore that crushing weight for us.
The very instant Adam chose to disobey his Creator, sin entered the world and forever changed the human condition. The burden of that moment echoes throughout humanity, as sin brought separation, pain, and the need for redemption—a redemption that Jesus would ultimately fulfill at the cross.
Consider the cry of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:24 (NASB1995):
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
Paul’s lament is a cry of desperation, mirroring the weight of sin Adam felt. Sin enslaves us, leaving us helpless and hopeless apart from God’s intervention.
Similarly, Psalm 51:4 (NASB1995) captures David’s deep anguish over his sin:
“Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.”
David’s heartfelt confession reflects the gravity of disobedience to God. It is the same sense of guilt and shame that Adam and Eve experienced, standing exposed before a holy and righteous God.
The Weight of Sin: Guilt, Shame, and Nakedness
Adam and Eve’s realization of their nakedness symbolizes the crushing weight of sin, guilt, and shame. They tried to cover themselves and hid from God, feeling exposed and afraid. Sin not only brought separation but a deep sense of unworthiness before a holy Creator.
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Romans 3:23 (NASB1995): “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
This verse emphasizes the universal impact of sin. Adam’s choice marked the beginning of humanity’s collective fall from God’s glory. -
Isaiah 59:2 (NASB1995): “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
This highlights the relational separation caused by sin. -
Psalm 38:4 (NASB1995): “For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.”
The psalmist vividly describes the crushing weight of sin, echoing the burden Adam and Eve must have felt.
God’s Gentle Mercy
Despite the enormity of Adam and Eve’s sin, God approached them gently. His presence in the garden wasn’t with a thunderous declaration of judgment but rather a gentle announcement, like the soft whisper Elijah experienced on Mount Horeb.
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1 Kings 19:12 (NASB1995): “After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.”
Just as God approached Elijah with a gentle whisper, He approached Adam and Eve with a heart of mercy, announcing His presence instead of immediately enacting judgment. -
Psalm 103:8 (NASB1995): “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.”
This verse reminds us that God’s response to sin is often marked by compassion and mercy.
God’s Pursuit and Redemption Through Christ
God’s question, “Where are you?” reveals His heart for redemption. Even as Adam and Eve hid, God pursued them, foreshadowing His ultimate plan to redeem and restore humanity through Jesus Christ.
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Luke 19:10 (NASB1995): “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus’ mission echoes God’s pursuit of Adam and Eve in the garden, seeking to restore what was broken. -
2 Corinthians 5:19 (NASB1995): “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
God’s heart has always been about reconciling us to Himself, from Genesis to the cross. -
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NASB1995): “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
This underscores God’s loving pursuit and His power to make us alive in Christ, despite our spiritual deadness.
Christ Alone, Our Hope and Salvation
Finally, as Romans 8:1 (NASB1995) declares:
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus bore the full weight of our sin and shame on the cross, satisfying God’s righteous wrath. His resurrection assures us that, in Him, we are justified and redeemed.