Summary
The sermon delves into the meaning of the gospel, emphasizing that it is not merely a story to remember but a profound invitation to surrender one's life to Jesus Christ. Pastor Angel explores the Jewish and Gentile understanding of the term "gospel" (Besora and Euangelion respectively), tracing its roots in Old Testament prophecies and New Testament teachings. He highlights how the gospel is centered on the historical event of Jesus’s resurrection, which marks the inauguration of His eternal kingdom and the power of God for salvation. The sermon contrasts the Roman "good news" of imperial power with the Christian gospel of Jesus as the true King of the universe. It calls believers to act as royal heralds, proclaiming Jesus’s sovereignty and inviting others to pledge allegiance to Him. The message challenges the listener to prioritize the kingdom of God, recognizing that Jesus’s authority surpasses all earthly rulers, and it concludes with a call to surrender fully to God’s reign in personal lives.
Sermon transcription
The gospel is all about because I'm sure growing up as a human being this exposed to many kinds of influences and knowledges and friends and so on and communities we may have perceived what the gospel of Christ wrongly. To try to open your minds and your heart this morning as we unpack what it means, what the gospel truly means in the biblical sense so that we may understand and we may proclaim it correctly to our friends and our families. I'm sure you will discover something new and you may say that I did not know that before. As I'm sure you will discover some new insights as you open your hearts and listen to the gospel. The gospel we can all share and I believe we have all different versions of the gospel as we some of your friends and your families would ask you what is the gospel. If someone today after the service will approach you outside in the train in the groceries or in school or even your workplaces if somebody your neighbor would ask you one day tomorrow or tonight what is the gospel? I'm sure we will all be able to tell our own version of the gospel. But I hope what we will learn this morning will add to it and somehow make our understanding of the gospel complete and in the biblical sense. So if there is one insight or truth and principle that I want you to bring home from this conversation that we have is this. The gospel is not merely a story to remember. It is an invitation to surrender. Can we all read it one at the same time? 3 2 1 is not merely a story to remember but an invitation to surrender. So in the rest of the time that I will share with you God's word, I want you to remember this truth and this principle that the gospel is more than a story to remember. It is not just a story. It is actually an invitation that demands surrender from everyone who hears the gospel. So whenever you proclaim the gospel, it is not just a story that you tell them. It is actually an invitation for them and God requires them to surrender their lives to Him. Our text today is Mark 1 E 15 as was read by Pastor Angel a while ago. Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel."
The first time or the first time Mark the gospel writer in chapter one at the outset of this account about Jesus He told his readers that when Jesus was baptized by John when Jesus when John the Baptist was in prison Jesus began his ministry in the entire Galilee in Israel and there is only one overarching message of Jesus as he visits the different cities and towns of Galilee in the first century and the overarching message of Jesus is the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. If you will look at the passage, Jesus is saying something that what you have been waiting for is over. The time is fulfilled. So he's implying our waiting time is over. Those who have been waiting for the kingdom of God, it's over. The good news that the waiting time it's done. He here it is. The kingdom of God is near. In other translations, it is near at the door. The most awaited time for the Israelites in the first century and even today Jesus is saying, "I am proud to announce to you that the time has come." It's so beautiful. Well, I can if you put your feet on the shoes of the early Christian the early the early Jews in the first century, they were so excited because they have waited for it for many many years if not hundreds or thousands of years as it was promised in the Old Testament. The kingdom of God will be established. And let me just give you a backstory of that. Remember the dream of Daniel the dream of Nebuchadnezzar that he saw a statue with a gold head and the different parts of the body bronze silver and so on and so forth. Remember the story and then Daniel interpreted that before the king and said and you in your dream you saw this stone coming out of nowhere flying. It hit that that image in the feet and that image crumbled and it vanishes. And the stone that hit that that image because Daniel was saying you are the head of the the the statue. You're the gold. You're the the most powerful kingdom Nebuchadnezzar, but your kingdom will not last. It will be superseded with another kingdom and so on and so forth. At the last portion, Daniel said in prophecy as he looked forward, a stone out of nowhere hit the hit the image destroy all the empires in the world. And that stone grew bigger and bigger and became a kingdom that were never end. So from that story Daniel was saying the promised kingdom of God will defeat all the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of God will be forever. So that brought hope to the people of Israel who were in bondage in Babylon. So from that day forward they would have been looking for that kingdom and then all of a sudden after more than 600 or maybe 400 years when Jesus stepped into the pages of history started proclaiming the time of waiting is over. The kingdom that was promised to you is at the door it's near. No wonder when Jesus was born, magi from the east came to Jerusalem to look for the king of the Jews. Because it was prophesied and they remember these magis are not believers. They're pagans. And yet even in their pagan sorcery, in their pagan astrology, they knew that a king will be born on a particular day. And they saw the star and they went to pay tribute to the king. No wonder Herod the Great, who was supposed to be the king of the Jews in those times, felt so insulted when the magis approached him and said, "We're looking for the king of the Jews." He was the king of the Jews. He felt so betrayed and insulted that he may commanded to kill all babies below two years old. Remember the story. Remember your gospel? Because the king when the king was born, the kingdom was inaugurated. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is at the door." And look at the invitation. Repent and believe in the good news. So the gospel is the good news. But what is the gospel? What is the gospel, Pastor B? What is the gospel all about? Before I define it clearly, the gospel is not good advice but good news. An event that happened. So let me clarify first. The gospel is not a good advice. You behave so you go to heaven. You believe so. More than all these things, the gospel is not good advice. We don't need good advice. When we talk about news, we talk about an event. When you watch the CNN, the BBC or whatever news we have in Europe, when you watch the television and you open the newspapers, you're looking for an event that happened, whether it's a bad news or a good news. So when you talk about news, it talks about an event. And when we tell about the good news of the gospel, the good news of Jesus, we're talking about a singular event that happened in the history. And we're talking about the historical event of Jesus's resurrection from the grave. That is the good news. And how can that good news more than 2,000 years ago still good news today? What's the relevance of the gospel of that singular event that happened in history? Because that event affected the denown world and affects the world today. Everything changes from that demarcation line when Jesus rose from the grave on the third day. The world changed and it continues to change because the new creation has been launched as promised by God. When Jesus rose from the grave, Apostle Paul writing, the great theologian in the first century, Apostle Paul wrote, "He is the firstborn among the new creation." God promised that the old creation that was marred by sin will be renewed. He is restoring the world, the new creation. And when Jesus rose from the grave, he was having a new body glorified. He was the new creation, the first fruit of the new creation. Meaning all who believe in Jesus will have the same new body when we resurrected. It's no longer decaying. It's no longer marred by sin because Jesus is the first fruit of the new creation. That's why Paul said in 1 Corinthians, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. So the historical event is about the resurrection of Jesus. That is the good news of the gospel. So when we talk about the good news, we're focused on the event that happened that nobody no one can deny. Even the atheists of 21st century can no longer refute the resurrection of Jesus. It is harder to disprove the empty tomb and the more than 500 living witnesses. According to Paul, there are more than 500 witnesses of Jesus. And when he was writing in first Corinthians, he said, "If some of you have some extra money, you can travel to Jerusalem. Some of them are still alive and you can interview them." No wonder Christianity exploded from Jerusalem and conquered the rest of the world. But more than anything else, the gospel is about that news that rocked the world from then onwards. Now, the understanding of the good news has two parts. Now listen carefully. If you're a Jew, this is how you understand it. If you're a Greek or a Gentile, this is how you understand it. Okay? Let's first define how the Jewish people understand the gospel or the term good news. In the Old Testament, the word that was used is Besora. Often referred to the announcement of victory, deliverance or the reign of God, especially in the coming the coming of his messianic kingdom. The book of Isaiah is full of prophecy that says a child will be born and you shall call his name Emmanuel for God is with us and the government of his of him shall of his shoulder shall be upon him forever. Remember he will be called wonderful counselor prince that Isaiah would prophesy the child that will be born. He will be the prince of peace. He's the almighty one and the kingdom will never end. So the Jews who were reading the prophecy of Isaiah when they were in bondage in Babylon were very hopeful that someday the kingdom of Israel will be restored and God again will rule in his kingdom. So the word Besora in the Old Testament, if you're reading the if you're a Jew in the first century, when you hear the word the gospel or the good news, the first thing that comes to you, it has something to do with the promised kingdom. The Messiah is coming and he will deliver us. They may have a wrong understanding of the Messiah. As we know in the scripture, they thought the Messiah that will come is like David, a warrior or Moses that will face Pharaoh and set them free from the Roman oppressors. They have a misconception of the Messiah, but well, they still have the hope that a Messiah is coming. Everything was corrected in their minds when Jesus came. Isaiah 52:7 tells us, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news." That's where we got the word good news in Isaiah. And when you read the whole Isaiah 50 or 40 to 55, it talks about the promised Messiah. When they were in bondage in Babylon, God again promised them, "I'll give you a second exodus." Your forefathers were delivered from Egypt. I opened the Red Sea for them. I gave them the promised land. When they were the next generations, when they were in Babylon, they were still hoping that God would set them free. And God promised them, "I will make a highway in the desert for you, my people, because I am your God and you are my people. I will deliver you again. I will give you a new exodus." And then Isaiah was writing if if you are the bearer of that good news and you would run from this place to that place and they would run to deliver good news because in those days there were no television, no radio, no social media. How do you bring the good news from one area to the other? Usually carried by a courier who would announce and and Isaiah was describing how beautiful are the feet of those who bear that news to tell us who are waiting on the other side of the world the most awaited time is over this is now the good news so that's what Isaiah was trying to tell now in the new testament they have a different understanding of good news in the new testament the word that was used because they were already under the Greeks and their language is Greek. So they use the word Euangelion. Many of us are familiar with this. So in the New Testament, Euangelion refers specifically to the good news of Jesus Christ. His life, his death and resurrection and the invitation to enter God's kingdom through faith. The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is here. The invitation comes. Repent and believe the good news. He even said to a Pharisee, "Unless you're reborn from above, you will never see the kingdom." So center to the Jewish people, central to their lives and faith is the kingdom of God. Now, if you're familiar with your gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the most common and the most repeated phrase in the gospel is the kingdom of God. The parable of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is like a sower. The kingdom of God is like a merchant who found the greatest pearl. The merchant of this. It's all about the kingdom because that was their consolation. Everybody was waiting for the promised kingdom. But in the first century, the word Euangelion in the Greek is interesting. Listen to this. In the first century, Euangelion was the good news of the emperor. It was an imperial word. It was used by the Roman Empire to proclaim the birth of a new emperor. His success or accession to the power, accession to the throne, or a military victory that brought peace. It's interesting that they use the same word Euangelion to tell about the good news of Jesus. Now if you're reading the gospel of Luke, he openly said at the outset in chapter 2 in the year of Augustus Caesar, a census was given that why Mary and Joseph was forced to go and travel to Bethlehem to register and that where Jesus Christ was born to fulfill the prophecy. Augustus Caesar in the first century he is the one that bears Euangelion when he ascended to the throne and succeeded Julius Caesar was assassinated we know that's in history and he became the successor actually the first emperor of Rome the Roman Euangelion that was announced we have a new emperor and they would declare about the victories of Augustus Octavian his name that was the good news in those times when there is a new king and when there is a newborn king or the birthday of the king or the graduation of the king or whatever victories the kings would announce they would hear the trumpet Roman Euangelion we now have a new emperor and the name is Augustus Caesar. So people in the first century very familiar with the term Euangelion. But after AD.33, they heard a different person. Another king is on the throne. A people and the 12 disciples who go around the Mediterranean announcing the Christian Euangelion. The true king is not Caesar but Jesus because he rose from the grave and is alive forever more. Ascended to the father, seated at the right hand of God. He is now the king of the universe. It's so interesting if you read history even Julius Caesar they made up this story that he also ascended without evidence of resurrection. You see the parallel of the Euangelion such announcements in the first century were considered good news. If there's a new emperor when Octavian won against Mark Anthony and whoever Cleopatra or whoever those rival to the throne in the first century when they heard the news that was why was the good news good news to them because they signaled salvation peace and order through the emperor's rule. Well, it's true to have an emperor. He may not be good. He may be bad. But it's better than without a leader. Without a leader, anarchy is worse than having a bad leader. Because there are many factions in the first century, rebels and everything. So everybody's doing their own government. But when there was a new emperor, he would subject everybody and he would declare peace and order. And that was a good news to many people, especially the poor and the marginalized. So that was good news to them. The Roman Euangelion was a royal announcement of Caesar Augustus reigning as the new emperor of the Roman world. Interesting when you read history, he was given he was even ascribed to him that he ushered the golden age. The pax romana that we know the peace he declared peace in the entire Roman world. The parallel of the prince of peace coming alongside with him when the boy Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the magi from the east paid tribute. On the other hand, the Christian Euangelion proclaims the royal inauguration of Jesus Christ as the sovereign king over all the world of our creation. The term lord curios in the Greek is also used about Caesar. The emperor is the lord of the universe. That's why when Paul was preaching in Mediterranean, he encountered a lot of statues of the emperor because the emperor also proclaimed to be God and he installed his statue in all the colonies of Rome and asked the people to worship the statue. That is what we call the emperor worship where they will stand at the statue and face the statue and say Caesar is curios is lord. Imagine here comes Paul traveling in the first century in the Mediterranean world telling them no this is not the Lord Jesus is curios now we understand why they were persecuted they were ostracized Paul was stoned to death tried in court in prison because they were being accused of preaching sedition against the Roman Empire. To be a believer in the first century was a matter of life and death. Today it's different. I don't know if we are blessed today or we can or we are to be pied of our shallowest in the gospel in the faith. But that's true. Jesus is the true Lord and King of the universe. Everything else is a parody and an imitation because only Him rose from the grave and nobody else. All the emperors died and buried. But Jesus died and on the third day rose and he said to his followers, "All authority in heaven and on earth, including the Roman Empire, is now under my authority. Therefore, go into all the world and preach the Euangelion. Tell them that the new and the true king of the universe is Jesus." So don't be ashamed to tell the good news to your friends. And that good news is still good news today. Why is the forgiveness of sin still today available. Peace in our hearts is still available for those who would believe the good news. No wonder Paul wrote his letter to the Roman churches that he did not visit yet. And he said, I am not ashamed to preach the gospel to you even those who are in Rome. Why Paul? Because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for every man who believes. Rome was the center of civilization in those days. And Paul said, "I want to go there and I will tell them about the true Euangelion." How beautiful. Matthew 28, Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me and go therefore and make disciples of all nation. Ethne all people groups not just to the Jews to the Greeks to the barbarians everyone go tell them about the Euangelion and in acts 18 look in his version he said Jesus said to his disciples who were so eager about the establishment of the kingdom and Jesus said don't think about that first but I'll give you another admission you will receive power when the holy spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses, my martyr, martyrus in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. When they hear the word ends of the earth in the first century, the first thing that comes to their mind is Rome. Rome is the end of the world, the ends of the earth. That's why if you read the book of Acts, Acts 28, Paul was in Rome preaching the gospel even he was in prison. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Now we have the gospel in Netherlands in the different parts of the world and we are still commanded to go as the new generations are being born into this world. Tell them about the Euangelion. Every father, every mother, when you're being given a child, tell them about the Euangelion. That singular event that happened in history that changed the world and still changing the world today and even our lives. When you put your faith in Christ, he will change us. The power of forgiveness is still available today and salvation is still available today. The church, as Acts 18 tells us, has been sent out into all the world as royal heralds of King Jesus announcing the gospel of his kingdom. In the first century, when a new king is on the throne, the first thing that the new king would do is to send out his heralds to tell all the provinces under his kingdom about the good news that there is a new king. There was no newspaper. There was no radio. The royal heralds will be sent with their entourage in the different provinces of his empire to announce they will gather in the plaza. The royal heralds of the Roman Emperor Saka arrived with the banner of the king with the trumpets and all the soldiers and the royal herald was announced. Here ye hear ye. We now have a new emperor on the throne and the name is Augustus Caesar. And the king demands allegiance from all of you. And picture this in your mind. Everyone in the community would bow their knees and pledge their allegiance to the new emperor or otherwise leave. That's the same thing when every when the apostle Paul goes to the different areas of the Mediterranean and the Roman world proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. What is he saying? Brothers, we have a new king of the universe and he's seated at the right hand of the father. So now what now? Pledge your allegiance to Jesus. That's what we do today. Pastor Angel, what do I do to enter the king? Believe in the Lord Jesus. Repent and believe. Turn around. Make your pledge of allegiance to the king. Bow your hearts to Him. That's what Jesus is saying. So the heralds call the people to pledge their full allegiance to the Q king. That's the job of the royal heralds. We are the royal heralds of Jesus. When Jesus sat on the throne and when he rose again from the grave, what did he do? He sent his disciples go into all the world as if He was sending his heralds from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. You see the parallel about how Jesus would do it. You will be my witnesses. And the book of Acts record how the early church courageously against all odds herald the gospel even to the Roman Empire. Even when Paul was in chain with Ptorian guards, he would speak about the Euangelion of the the new king, the true Euangelion. By the way, this is the same gospel. Forgive me for the wrong spelling there. The go this is the same gospel that we are called to announce today. We still have the same Euangelion. Amen. You see how beautiful that mandate that has been given to us. That's the very reason why new the Netherlands is existing. Why do we gather every Sunday of Sunday? Well, we can all go out and enjoy the summer and go some shopping and enjoy the holidays. And why do we bother to go to church? What do we get? We gather because we are part of the body of Christ that has been commissioned and herald to herald the gospel through our worship by inviting your friends and your friends and relatives and families so that they too will hear about the true Euangelion the event that happened in history more than 2,000 years ago that's still changing people and communities today. It is still the good news. It is still good news after more than 2,000 years ago because the power of the gospel transcends time, culture, and generations. It is not just a story to remember. It is a reality to respond to. Amen. Whenever you meet someone in the grocery or in the train station, tell them about the good news. It is not our problem whether they believe or not. Just tell them. Our rule, our role is to herald it. Tell them about what the Lord has given you and how the Lord changed you and how the Lord forgave you. The Lord will allow us to meet people from different walks of life. Romans 1:16 Apostle Paul writing with pride with proud in his heart proud in his I am not ashamed of the Euangelion for it is the power why are you not ashamed Paul because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek wow Paul was writing this when he was in Corenth after all the trials and persecutions Paul's eye was focused was in Rome. He just crossed the sea a little more steps. I'm in Rome and I am going there to tell you, I am not ashamed of the Euangelion. Why? In the midst of the Roman Empire, Paul is not ashamed to raise the flag of Jesus. The true king is not the one on the throne but the one on the right hand of the father. You know when you read Romans 1:16 today, it's no effect but in those times, maybe it scares them. Is Paul going to brave himself to coming to Rome and preach about the Euangelion and there is a Roman Euangelion and there is a Christian Euangelion. What would be the effect of this? Will we be charged of sedition that they are proclaiming another king when there is another king on the throne? When you read the book of Acts, that was the accusation to them. Paul was persecuted in Ephesus. Why? Because they are preaching that there is another king. Who is the king? Jesus is king in those days. And Paul said, "No, he's not the true king. But the Messiah who sat at the right hand of father of the father, the gospel is not outdated. It is undefeated. Its truth is as powerful today as the day of the tomb. The tomb was found empty. That's true. It has surpass and transcend and overcame history trials. We know in history someone tried to sabotage God's word. People die and pass away. But the gospel continue to march forward. And remember this brothers and sisters, even when we die, we will not live obviously for the rest of eternity in this world. Even when we die physically today or in the next few years, God in his mercy, the church will continue. Because when Jesus built the church, he said neither the gates of hell or the grave will ever prevent it. At the outset, Jesus already said, "The church that I'm trying to start, the assembly, the eccaia, the gathering, it will transcend time, generation." As if he was saying to the disciples to the 12 who were mesmerized, I will build my church, Peter, and neither the gates of Hades shall prevail against it. What he's saying is all of you will die but my church it is not dependent on you, Peter, it will march forward. That's why the church is still standing up today because the good news is still the good news today undefeated not outdated. So as I close, how are you, my brothers here in the Netherlands. 15 years has passed. I know we have good and bad, ups and downs, turn and different curves along the way. Those are part of life. We still live in a broken world. But don't let anything discourage you. We are here for a greater purpose beyond our own personal and petty purpose. I'm not saying those things are important but there is a higher purpose. The reason why we are gathered because if we are only here for my purpose, then let's just go home. We're here not for because of a human being. We're here because we have been empowered by God for a past that will change the world. The future of the world and the universe lies in the preaching of the gospel. The world is being changed. Jesus is coming very soon. And when he comes again, he will establish his physical kingdom which we are all part of the process and the progress of it. Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. So how are you today? Is the kingdom of God still our priority, central to our being? Or in other words, is Jesus your king or just a name you follow, a name you sing about? Have you pledged your allegiance, your full loyalty and allegiance to Him alone? If I can only come here with the uniform, the royal uniform and costume as a herald, I will announce the same. Here ye here ye the Netherlands. Jesus is the king of the universe. And what does it mean to you? Pledge your allegiance to the king because he owns the universe. If you do not pledge to Him, this is my own term. Get out of my universe. Where do we go? Where do we go in those days? If you do not submit to the king, you die. The Roman soldiers are there. There's only two option. You bow your knees to the present emperor or you deal with the sword of the imperial. But today the Lord is gracious appealing to each and every heart. Even how stubborn we are and how rebellious we are after all the grace and the mercy and the favor of God upon our lives, we still try to resist. And Jesus is ever faithful because he's not He's different from all the emperors of the world. He's gracious and loving. He reaches out to us in love. One time he said to his disciples, "Do not be like the pagan leaders who lord it over. I have come not to be served but to serve." That's the kind of king we have. A loving king, a self-giving love of the kind that he died on the cross for us. Can you imagine that? His throne is the cross. When he was lifted up, it was viewed as the enthronement or the lifting up, the exaltation of the king. And the crown of the king was not the same crown that with all the jewelries and all the precious stones. The crown that he wore was the thorn of crowns. Apostle Paul looked at the cross after many 20 years, looked back and said, "God demonstrated his love toward us when he were still sinners. He died for us." That's the very thing that John was saying. When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to me. And that lifting up is the cross. When I am lifted up on the cross, when I finally be crucified, I will draw all people to me. His exaltation, his coronation was different from the coronations of the world. His exaltation and his ascension to the right hand of the father. The term seated at the right hand of the father means he is now ruling the universe. The authority has been shared to the son. So here's our takeaway. Don't forget the gospel is not merely a story to remember. But first of all we have to know the story. The beautiful story. But don't just remember it. It is an invitation to surrender. The moment you hear it, it solicits and demands surrender from us for every human being who would hear the gospel. That's why Paul said every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is curios. He is the Lord. Curious. It's not Caesar. It's not anybody else. The one that is still standing today is the son of God, Jesus Christ. So, shall we again? One, two, three. Okay. Can we do that again with conviction as if you believe it? Okay. One more time. The gospel is not merely a story to remember but an invitation. So if you have not surrendered your life to Jesus now that you hear it, that is the rightful response. You want to be part of God's kingdom. Jesus said, the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God it's near. It has come. Repent and believe in the Euangelion. So here's my challenge for all of us as we close. What do we do? Bow your heart to Christ. Don't just bow your head. Bow your heart. The most important thing is the heart. How do we bow our hearts? By pledging your allegiance to the king. As you take your citizenship, for us as Filipinos who are migrants in this foreign beautiful country, when you get your citizenship, your Dutch citizenship, you pledge allegiance to a different flag. When I when I got my Singapore citizenship, the embassy of the Philippines, Impostor Boots, why do you change? I pledged with all my heart, my allegiance that I will be loyal to the new country that I belong to. The same thing when you how do you receive? How do you repent and believe? You pledge your allegiance. Lord, from this day forward, you are now the Lord and the King of my life. And you know the benefit of that? There's so many benefits. Correct? If you're a Dutch pastor, so many benefits. How much more the benefit of the kingdom of God? If somebody any demon is trying to attack you, they are attacking the he's part of my kingdom. Kingdom of God all the kingdom of God will the power of God will be upon you to empower you to fulfill. Imagine the power of the heavens and the king who is now for you with you, not against you. So pledge your allegiance. What does it what do we mean by pledging allegiance is let God rule your life today? Nobody else, not our spouse. Who rules my life is my spouse. No, not your spouse. The Lord must rule our hearts. Not social media, not the stocks market or anything else. Let Jesus rule you. That what it means to be part of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is God's rule. Lord, you are my king. You are my Lord. I bow to you. What do you want me to do? You bless me with so much wealth in the Netherlands. You bless me with so much inheritance. Lord, what do you want me to do with this? What do you want me to do with my you celebrate your 60th birthday, your 70th birthday, or your 40th birthday. Lord, what do you want me to do with the rest of my life? You're my king. Tell me, you blessed me with a good job, a good salary, whatever. Lord, what do you want me to do? Why did you place me here in this particular job and career? What do you want me to do? That's what it means to live and let God through. Amen.
Take-aways
- The gospel is not just a recollection of historical events but a call to surrender one's entire life to Jesus Christ as the true and eternal King. This understanding shifts focus from passive memory to active submission.
- The central event of the gospel is Jesus's resurrection, which marks the beginning of God's new creation and the defeat of sin, death, and all opposing powers. This event remains the basis for the gospel's power today.
- The term "gospel" carries contrasting meanings for Jews and Gentiles, emphasizing God's delivery and the reign of His Messiah, but the core message transcends cultural differences, uniting all who believe in Jesus's authority.
- The Roman Empire used the term "Euangelion" to proclaim the rule of emperors, but the Christian gospel redefines it by announcing the sovereignty of Jesus, who rose from the dead and now holds all divine authority.
- Believers are commissioned as heralds of the gospel, tasked with proclaiming Jesus as King and inviting others to pledge allegiance to Him. This responsibility continues to this day, requiring courage and faithfulness to the truth.
Food for thought:
- How do you personally define the gospel? Does it involve a set of teachings, actions to take, or a relationship with Jesus? How can you ensure your definition aligns with the biblical emphasis on surrender and repentance?
- If the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the gospel, how does this truth reshape your understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ in modern times, where skeptics and distractions abound?
- Why do people today often reduce the gospel to a set of moral behavioral standards or even a checklist of beliefs? How does this contrast with the Roman practice of using "Evangelion" as a tool for political control, as discussed in the sermon?
- What practical steps can you take this week to become a more courageous herald of the gospel, modeling Jesus's self-giving love and authority in your community or workplace?
- In moments when God’s call to surrender feels overwhelming, how can you anchor yourself in the truth that He is the only King who rules not by oppression but by grace and love, as demonstrated on the cross?