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Darkness and Light

2 Corinthians 4:2-6
ILLUSTRATION: Stormy, Bekah, and some teens watching Judah
while melody and i went on a date
- we get home to find
o our doorknob broke off
o our hammock broke
- apparently stormy sat on the hammock and broke it
o we made jokes about him being too big
- truth is, that hammock had sat outside for years and had the
sun wear on it, the rain wear on it, and the snow/ice wear on
it
o the structural integrity was in question
not stormy's size
#1: INTEGRITY
- V2: Paul and other Christians refused to change the Gospel to
obtain converts to Christianity
o they decided they would not use tricks or alter the Gospel to
reach people
o so they could have a good conscience before God
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Gospel of Jesus Christ
o if it is changed, altered, manipulated it is not a means for
salvation by forgiveness of sins
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- V2: Paul openly states the Gospel as it is:
o that Jesus existed from the beginning with God
o Jesus is God
o Jesus co-created the universe with God the Father, and God
the Spirit
o He came to earth, becoming human
o He was born of a virgin
o lived a perfect life, never sinning once
o died to forgive the sins of the world
o rose from the grave, defeating death and sin
o lives eternally with God in Heaven
o will return again to establish His kingdom on earth and to judge
all mankind
o mankind is sinful
o the only way for forgiveness of sin is through belief in Jesus
- If we change this in any way, it is no longer the Gospel
o it will no longer have the power to save sinners
o in order to be forgiven of sin, you must take the Gospel, the
WHOLE GOSPEL, and NOTHING BUT THE GOSPEL
you cannot mix Christianity/the Gospel with any other
religion
they do not mix
ILLUSTRATION: OIL AND WATER
they are oil and water
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- Many people today want to add to or take from the Gospel
o some say you can be a Christian, I can be a muslim, we all are
going to heaven
John14:6 "Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me."
there is no other way to Heaven, but through the Gospel
of Jesus Christ
o Some say Jesus was just a man
then His death would not pay for the sins of anyone
o Some say Jesus sinned
again, His death would not pay for the sins of anyone
o Some say God did not create the earth like He did in Genesis
then how can we trust the rest of the Bible?
how can Christ redeem, what He did not create?
o some say Jesus did not resurrect to life
then how was He God?
if not God, How does His death save us?
- We could go on forever, but if the Gospel is not the Gospel
o or if you do not believe it all
o then it cannot save
ILLUSTRATION: that friend that said he could do anything
- Cameron: always getting hurt
#1: ITEGRITY of the Gospel
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#2: ILLOGICAL
- V3: the Gospel Veiled means that some who hear the Gospel will
not understand it
o many will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not understand
o Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is
the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it.
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But small is the gate and narrow the
road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
- Jesus often spoke in parables so that those who could understand
would
- Why will some not understand?
- V4: "the god of this world", satan/the devil, blinds them spiritually
o those who are spiritually blind are unbelievers
o satan wants to keep them from seeing the truth of the Gospel
satan wants unbelievers to:
think they don't need God
buy into other religions
think they are Christians, when they really are not
These are the veils, that are talked in about in V3
they keep ppl from understanding the Gospel
- When someone thinks they don't need God, they have bought into
another religion, or they think they are a Christian when they are
not:
o satan is winning
o the Gospel of Jesus seems ILLOGICAL to them
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- 1 Cor. 2:14 "The natural person does not accept the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to
understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
o only by the Holy Spirit's guidance can someone understand the
things of God, especially the Gospel
o If tonight you find the Gospel ILLOGICAL
pray that God would give you understanding through the
Spirit
ILLUSTRATION: box game
#1: INTEGRITY of the Gospel
#2: ILLOGICAL without the Spirit; blinded by satan
#3: INSIGHT
- V5: What Paul proclaims is Jesus Christ/the GOSPEL
- V6: "let light shine out of darkness"
o alludes to Genesis 1 when God created the heavens and the
earth
- V6: "God has shown in our hearts to give the light of glory... in
Jesus Christ"
o the same God who created light, desires to give spiritual light to
those blinded by satan
God wants to take those who believe something other
than the Gospel, other than the Bible, and give them
understanding of the Gospel and salvation through it
o Only God is able to give INSIGHT that allows people to
understand
that is why the Gospel seems ILLOGICAL to many
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- Luke 24:44-45 "Now He said to them, "These are My words which
I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are
written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the
Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures,"
o God will give INSIGHT
o ask for it!
- NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL WITHOUT GOD
LEADING
- #1: INTEGRITY of the Gospel
- #2: the Gospel seems ILLOGICAL without the Spirit to those
blinded by satan
- #3: INSIGHT is given by God through the Spirit
- CORRECTIONS ABOUT STANDING UP
o standing up when i count to 3 does not make you a Christian
that has simply been just so that it is a public decision
o becoming a Christian is believing the entire Gospel
allowing it to change your life
committing your life to live for Jesus
- If anyone wants to do that tonight, just stick around when
everyone else goes to small groups so we can talk