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Week1 Sermon Questions For Groups

May 30, 2021

The Good News of the Gospel 

Introduction:

The gospel of God is good news for the world. Rather than thinking of the gospel as a one-time event in the life of the believer, we recognize that the gospel is a worldwide proclamation that Jesus has come to deliver us from our sin, comfort us, strengthen us, and mobilize the cavalry to go into the world “gospel-ing” it through word and deed. The gospel bears witness that we live in a kingdom, we belong to a King, and we have faith, hope, and love at our disposal for every moment—big or small.

Bottom-line:  

Something To Talk About:

What if God is compassionate and big enough to care for every person hurting? What if God’s gospel is big enough to comfort the lonely, set the captives free, minister to us in our despair, and mobilize a generation to push back against the evil we see in our world? Is the gospel big enough for all of this?

  1. God is for me and not against me: Our Lord loves us and is with us. God says, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3). Jesus says, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. …” (John 15:9). All of Scripture assures us that God is with us and that He loves us. God’s being with us should change everything. It should help us align our thoughts and actions with His, knowing everything in my life is a result of His love and His presence, not His disfavor or absence. Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” God is and will forever be for you and not against you. Through the deepest trials, know that Jesus is with you and that He has already won the toughest battles for you. He asks that you simply trust in Him and know that He has always been there for you.
  2. God is perfect. Jesus lived perfectly for me. He is my righteousness: Every Christian must come to realize that our own righteousness can never match the perfect standard that God sets.  Christ himself said, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.” (Mark 10:18). Only God is perfect. Jesus is God revealed in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He is holy and pure and without sin, yet took our sin in His own body on the cross. In return for Jesus taking our sin, those who put their faith in Him get His righteousness instead of their own. It’s not our actions that make us acceptable to the Father. It’s our trust in Jesus that imparts the righteousness of Jesus that puts us in right standing with God. Those who don’t understand this righteousness, which comes from God as a gift, become frustrated trying to establish their own righteousness through good works. (Romans 10:3) We must trust completely in what Jesus did for us to obtain the right relationship with God.  
  3. God loves me. Jesus died for my sins. I am loved and forgiven: God loves you more than you can imagine. But God’s love is much more than just affection. God’s love is His determined commitment to do what is best for you. Love is doing what is best for others no matter what it costs you. God is that kind of love. He wants what is best for you, and is always working in your life for your good. He not only feels deep affection for you but is actively and consistently working for your good. God has fully forgiven you. He has forgiven us all our sins. Colossians 2:13–14 says, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Jesus paid it all. It’s paid in full. In Christ, I am deeply loved, completely, and fully forgiven.
  4. God is present and powerful. Jesus rose from the dead. I am not alone or without the power to overcome. I am more than a conqueror in him: God’s omnipresence and the manifestation of His presence are two different things. One is a fact; the other is often a feeling. God is always present, even when you are unaware of Him, and His presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion. This benefit of salvation is priceless. When you are lonely, you are not alone. When you feel afraid, divine comfort is near. When the task ahead seems impossible, divine power will strengthen you. When you wonder what to do next, God’s Word will nourish and guide you. Jesus says, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). Romans 8:37-39 (ESV) tells us that “… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does the gospel mean to you generally? What does it mean on a daily basis? 
  2. What is the good news of Christ being made sin for us?
  3. How can we be certain that God is for us? God being for us is ultimately revealed in Him sending Jesus to die on our behalf. Agree or disagree and why? 
  4. God is generous with His love: agree or disagree and why? 
  5. God’s love is limitless: Agree or disagree and why?  
  6. What is forgiveness to you?
  7. Read Colossians 2:13-15 and describe what Christ has done for you.
  8. Read Matthew 6:14-15. Believers in Christ will forgive others. This is a direct result of being forgiven in Christ. We forgive because we’ve been forgiven. What is it about God’s grace that gives you the power to forgive?
  9. What righteousness is wholly acceptable to God and available to every believer?
  10. How does the righteousness of Christ become our very own righteousness — so that we can stand accepted in God’s Presence?
  11. Righteousness means right standing with God: Agree or disagree and why? 
  12. True or false: The Bible teaches that I can never become righteous enough on my own and must be declared righteous by God.   
  13. What are your expectations for this week as a result of Sunday’s message?

Take one thing home with you:

One of the ways to grow in gospel fluency is to regularly rehearse the truths of the gospel at the beginning of each day. Say the following statements out loud: “God is perfect. Jesus lived perfectly for me. He is my righteousness. God loves me. Jesus died for my sins. I am loved and forgiven. Jesus rose from the dead. I am more than a conqueror in Him. God is alive and present and with me. He sent His Spirit to be with me and in me. I am not alone or without the power to overcome. God is for me and not against me.”