The Good News

Thank you for that season of prayer. You can be seated today. We are going to continue the new series that we're in. Brother uh Spa introduced it last week and this is a series that kind of coincides with the Wednesday night series which is an evangelism series right now. And you might be like, why are we on this evangelism kick on both Sunday and and Wednesday? Well, we have a couple of big events coming up. One of those being Fall Fest. And uh we want to evangelize.

We want to let people know that we're here. We want them to come and experience what we get to experience every week. And so we have this uh wonderful event coming up. There's some invite cards in the lobby. And I would say that probably after the lesson today uh that will be your homework is to take some of those invite cards and to hand them out and to evangelize and share what God is doing here or what he's done in your life personally and invite them to experience that same thing here at APC.

And so we're going to be talking today about the good news. How many of you like bad news? I'm looking. I'm looking. Okay. Nobody. Good. Oh, thought we were going to have to have an intervention today. But there's nobody that likes We all like good news, right? Somebody comes to you and they say, "Well, I've got good news and bad news." Which one do you want first? Who says you want the bad news first? Just raise your hand if you say you want the bad news first.

Okay, that's probably me, too. I want to start with the bad news. Who says they want to hear the good news first? Okay, there's a couple in here. See, I want to hear the bad news first because I want to end on a happy note, right? I want to end on this. Okay, good. We got good news as well. Something to look forward to. I guess in the bad news, I think we could say that the gospel is very similar to that. We're in the bad news.

We're born into the bad news. The Bible says we were born in sin. We were shapen in iniquity. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." So that's the bad news. We're in the bad news until we have faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which we're going to talk about today being the death of Jesus, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus. That is the good news because it means we're not stuck in the bad news. We don't have to live uh weighted down and burdened and bound by sin and the effects of sin.

That's the bad news. But the good news comes when we obey the gospel, when we have faith in it, and then when we believe it to the point that we begin to act on it. That's good news that you don't have to stay locked in your sin. And I'm seeing many this morning who have experienced that good news already. You've experienced repentance of your sins, which is the death. We put to death the flesh. We've experienced that. We've experienced the burial with Christ. And that is baptism.

We go down. We're immersed in the waters of baptism. We bury our old flesh, our bad news. We bury that in waters of baptism. And then we rise to walk in newness of life. Paul says in Romans and that is when we have that whole experience as we are filled with the gift of the spirit. The Holy Ghost is poured out on us. We speak with other tongues as it says in the book of acts. We speak in that heavenly language. We receive the gift of the spirit.

That is the good news and that's how we take part in it through repentance, through baptism in Jesus' name and through receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. That is how we participate with the gospel. But it doesn't end there. Once we have the Holy Ghost, which is the spirit or nature or character of God, once we have that, now we begin to act in ways that Jesus acted. We begin to do things the way that Jesus did things. And the good news doesn't just stop with us.

We should then become kind of a speaker, if you will, one of these speakers that I'm speaking into the microphone and however it's working and however these wonderful men and women that run our AVM, then the the sound comes out of the speaker, that's what happens. God speaks into us. He breathes the breath of life into us and then what should come out of us is what is him, his nature and his character. we become a speaker or we become an amplifier, a sharer of what God has done.

And so that's where the lesson is going to focus today. But we're going to walk through what Jesus said about the good news. And I'm going to read a couple passages of scripture, okay? Starting with Matthew chap 28. We're going to read verses 16- 20. And it says this. Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." I'm thankful for that verse of scripture right there, that all power is given to him in heaven and earth.

All amounts of power. He has he has all the power. And then he has all types of power as well. all all the kinds of power and all the amount all power is given to Jesus in heaven and in earth. And so he says in verse 19, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." And what is that name? That's right. The name of the Father, the name of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

teaching them those that you are going to teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world amen I don't think it's a coincidence or just some he wasn't just filling the air with words when he started with all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth because of the instruction instruction that he was about to give. Go ye therefore and teach all nations. In a time where there wasn't technology of uh electronic systems, social media, even radios, or in a time when travel even wasn't that easy, that might have felt like an overwhelming task.

It also may have felt like an overwhelming task because of the the historical climate that was happening, the societal unrest and and all of the the distress that was happening in the world. might have felt like a very heavy uh very hard thing to do to go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the father and the son the holy ghost and teach them to observe all the things that Jesus had commanded. So I don't think it's an accident he said I have all power and then he bookends it by saying and I'm with you always.

The one who has all power is always with us. So we don't have to fear whatever opposition or adversarial spirit may come against. We don't have to fear any of that. We just simply have to obey what is spoken in these scriptures. And that is go and teach people about Jesus. Go and share the good news of the gospel. And he is with us as we do that. as we go, he is with us to help us. He says some similar things in Mark chapter 16:15.

This is Jesus again. This is after his uh burial and resurrection. This is before he ascends into heaven. Both Matthew 28 that we just read, also Mark 16. Here's Mark's spin on it. He said unto them, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Every creature. Now, I don't know that you have to preach to your dog or your cat. It might be good practice. You know, you could set them up there and just preach the gospel to them and just I don't know that that's what he was talking about.

How many of you work with some creatures? How many of you have some creatures in your family? Yeah, there more hands there. But whoever it is, whoever's ears or whoever's heart, whoever's eyes this gospel falls upon, they are one that Jesus died for and that Jesus intended in that verse. And so every creature is included in the gospel plan of salvation. Let's look at Luke again. After Jesus's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, there are some words that he gave to his disciples, and these fall into that category as well.

Luke 24:es uh 44-53. And Jesus said unto them, "These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me." So Jesus is telling them the Old Testament, what you know, what they knew of as the Bible at that point was what we know as the Old Testament, the law, the prophets, the writings, and the Psalms. He said, 'Th those are about me.

Jesus is making a claim here that he's God, that he is the God of the Old Testament. And then verse 45, then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. This verse I feel like is important when we're talking about sharing the good news, not only for us. This is a good thing to pray as you go to open your Bible every day and when you read the word of the Lord or when you come to church on Sunday. Lord, open my understanding that I could understand what you have written.

Because sometimes it's written in a way that we might not understand. Particularly King James, it can be uh kind of poetic and kind of very different from the way that we talk now. And even in the more modern translations, there's sometimes uh analogies that they use that may not really connect with us. But I believe that this this scripture, we could pray this prayer. Lord, open my understanding to understand the scripture. So this is an important prayer for you. But as you share the gospel, as you teach that Bible study, or as you teach that Christian education class, as you teach that connect group or that that one-on-one Bible study you're having at work, this is an important prayer to pray with that person that you are discipling or mentoring in in the word of God.

Pray that he would open their understanding that they would understand the scriptures. And you can get them on that. Let's pray that uh because if it was important to Jesus, this was one of Jesus's prayer requests. So, it seems like it's pretty high on the list right there. He opened their understanding that they would understand the scriptures. And that is important as we share the gospel. We want their understanding to be opened. So Jesus continues. He said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these things.

And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but tear ye in the city until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany. And he lifted up his hands, and he blessed them. And it came to pass while he blessed them that he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. That is Luke's rendition of what Jesus how Jesus spent his last moments on earth telling them go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the father.

Wait for this till you are endued with power from on high. What is he talking about there? Dude, with power from on high, repentance, remission of sins. Well, let's let's go on because Luke didn't stop there. Luke also wrote the book of Acts. So, let's pick up in Acts chapter 1. We're going to read the first eight verses. And Luke says this, the former treatise or the former thing that I wrote, which is the Gospel of Luke, the former treatise have I made. And he's addressing O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up after that through he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God and being assembled together with them.

Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem. We just read that in Luke 24. But that they should wait for the promise of the Father, which he says, "You have heard of me." For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." So Jesus gave these instructions to the writers of the gospel to the his disciples and to his followers and by extension to us as well telling us you're going to receive power.

You're going to receive the Holy Ghost and it's about to be poured out in the very next chapter on the day of Pentecost. But this power isn't just for us. This power is for us to become that speaker or that sharer of the good news that we have now been a part of. We have repented of our sins because he said in Luke 24, repentance and remission of sins should be preached. That's repentance and baptism is what remits our sins. That should be preached among all nations beginning at Jerusalem.

And then he said there's going to be a outpouring of my spirit as well. And that spirit is yes it is for us. It's to help us live a transformed life. It's to help us live according to the principles and the values of scripture. Absolutely. But it is also given to us as power or encouragement or a little motivation to share what we have received with someone else to share what God has done in our lives. And so Jesus, we see are seeing in these passages, Jesus is reminding his disciples of his of his purpose.

What his purpose was on earth was to die for our sins. He came he literally lived so that he could die for our sins. No one lived a more surrendered life than Jesus. Although he was gaining popularity and his fame was spreading around the world, he would somberly explain to his disciples that all things written in the law, in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning him must be fulfilled. And he wasn't just referring to miracles and wonders, things that had been said about the coming Messiah or the coming savior and deliverer.

There was some really great and wonderful things. There was some really powerful things that were going to take place through the Messiah. But he wasn't only referring to the miracles and wonders. He also referred to his suffering, his death, and his resurrection. And Jesus taught his disciples. We read it in Luke 24. Thus it is written, thus it behooved Christ to suffer. That that word behooved there in the in the King James, it means necessary. Thus, it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

That means that Jesus's suffering, his death, and his resurrection were all necessary parts of his mission. They were the necessary parts of his mission. And as we follow his example, our suffering is also a necessary part of our story and of our lives. I would say this that in in Jesus Christ, in the church with God, pain is not pointless. Your pain and your suffering, the adversity, the agitation that you feel, pain is not pointless. With God, pain always has a purpose. Not because God sends the pain.

I don't believe that's what happens. I believe we uh we experience pain and suffering because we live in a fallen world because there is sin. There is also suffering and there is shame. So, I don't believe that this is something God sends to us. I believe that it is something that we were already it's the bad news. We're already going to experience it. But God said, "I can take even that and I can bring good news out of it." We serve a redeeming savior. He not only can redeem our lives, our sins, uh the the trajectory of our fallen life, he can redeem that, but he can also as we experience pain and adversity and affliction, he can redeem that as well.

Because in Jesus, pain is not pointless. Pain has a purpose. And that's what the gospel shows to us. That is the good news. And so when you are witnessing, when you're evangelizing, when you're talking with that individual at work and they are telling you about all of the struggles that they have and all of the things that they are going through, that is a good place for you to be a good listener, for you to be a compassionate heart to them and show them Jesus's compassion and his care.

But it's also a great place to insert the good news. That this doesn't have to be all that is written about your life. God wants to write more to your story. He wants to put good news into where there is bad news in your life. And we can trust him to do that. Doesn't always make sense to us because we're just like, just get me out of the pain. Just don't let me suffer. Just rescue me. Just get me out of it. But pain has a purpose.

And if we will surrender our hearts and our lives to him, if we'll surrender that bad news to him, he will bring the good news. And we see that in scripture. His his death and his burial looked like very very bad news. But he was willing to surrender himself to God's plan. That was God's plan in his in his great abundant wisdom. That was what God planned. And when Jesus surrendered to it, there were very good things that came from that. And the same is true.

We can appropriate, we can live out the gospel in that same way. So the death, the burial, but also the resurrection. Without the resurrection, Calvary would just be another tragedy told of unrequited love. Really, he loved us and we crucified him. But Jesus resurrection on the third day was the triumphant culmination of his redeeming work, his fulfillment of those Old Testament prophecies. He was affirming his identity as the God of the Old Testament manifest in the flesh. The reality is all humans suffer and all humans die.

Neither of those things proved anything about Jesus. He came as a man. He suffered and he died. That is the common human experience. But his resurrection is a different story. His resurrection is where things go like, "Oh, that's not common. That is not the common human experience." And and so Jesus his resurrection uh is the powerful part of the story. And so for us today as we live out the gospel, repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, repentance from our sins turn, which is turning away.

Repentance means I'm headed this direction. And to repent is just to simply turn 180 degrees and go the opposite direction. And so when we have done that, when we've walked away from our sinful life and from our sinful flesh and we repent and we turn to him, he receives us then and that's how that's how we live out the gospel. So that repentance and that remission of sins going down in the waters of baptism. But then it's also necessary to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

And we read in Acts chapter 2 and all throughout the book of Acts that when they received the gift of the Holy Ghost, they spake with other tongues. They they spoke in a language that they had not learned. And that is how we live out the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We're filled with his spirit. And then not just filled with his spirit to go to heaven. That is a wonderful and a good and a right byproduct of having received his spirit. But then we also we've received his spirit so that we can walk in a new life.

We don't we don't walk in the same way that we used to walk. We've repented. And so we're walking away from that. How do I how do I live righteously? How do I live godly? Well, I live by the principles of his spirit. I walk out his nature in each and every relationship that I have. And I I walk in that newness of life and I share the resurrection story. This is what my life used to be like. This is what happened to me and now this is what my life is like.

That's just a good uh testimony template if you needed one. Here's how I used to be. Here's what happened. And here's how things have been since he made the change in my life. So Jesus, he needed to suffer to die and to rise again on the third day. And Jesus is the good news. He didn't just tell the disciples about the gospel. He was the gospel. He was the living embodiment of good news because Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God's promises. He is the conqueror of sin and death, our bad news.

He is the He's conquered that bad news to give us to be the one through whom we have eternal life. That good news. He is the gospel. The New Testament talks about the gospel of Jesus Christ and it it does it with a couple of uh Greek words that we probably wouldn't understand, we wouldn't know in our modern culture, but one of them means one who is sent forth. It's actually where we get the term apostle. Okay? So that's that's where it's derived from and it just means one who is sent forth and they usually it means one who is sent with a message.

So, if I were to call Michael up here and I would say, "Michael, go give the nursery this message." I don't know what I would tell the nursery, but it this just play with me, okay? Is I have Michael is my apostle to the nursery. I'm sending him forth with a message. Okay? So, that's that idea. We, right, we are apostolic Pentecostal Church. That's literally our name. Okay? And so in order to be apostolic, we we have to recognize I have been sent forth with a message.

I've been sent with a message, not our own message. Now, you can tell your testimony of how this power works in your life. And that's good. You should do that. But this isn't our message. We are we're preaching. We're we're giving the message that Jesus Christ gave to us, the good news that he gave to us. And so we we don't tell our own message. We've been we've been sent with a message from Jesus. Now, Michael may have a few things to say to the nursery on his own, but if he's my apostle, he's not going to give his message.

He's going to give my message. And I would just tell them, "Thank you for what you do. You're doing a great job." That would be what I say to them. Because I don't want to do it. No, you don't want me to be in there watching your children. Trust me, they would go home so hyper. The other Greek word that gets mixed in a lot of times with this with the same idea is what where we get the word gospel from and what it means to be good news.

Um the the Greek word is often translated as gospel, but it just refers to a joyful announcement of victory or salvation. A joyful announcement of victory or salvation. When you joyfully announce to someone, whether it's someone sitting seated in this room or a member of your family, maybe it's even through text or through email, when you give a joyful announcement of God's victory and his salvation in your life, you are proclaiming the good news. And that's what we're called to do. That's what he has asked.

That's what he has sent us forth to do. So, we're sent forth with a message. And that message, we are apostolic witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the death, burial, and resurrection that we have now lived out. Because the gospel isn't just something to believe in. It's not just something to hear about or to base a faith system on. It is something to live out. And how we live out the gospel, I've said it a couple of times. I'm going to say it again just because there's it's always good to proclaim the gospel.

we participate and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ when we repent of our sins and when we consecrate our lives to him and we turn away from the life that we were living in order to live the life that God wants us to. That's the death of Jesus Christ. He was crucified. We crucify our flesh to walk his way. the burial. Jesus was physically buried in a tomb. We are also physically buried but not in a tomb or not in the dirt but in the water.

So we fully immerse in our baptism here and we baptize in the name of Jesus. We fully immerse as a symbol of that death. We leave our old person. We leave our bad news in the waters of baptism and we are buried with Christ to rise and walk in newness of life and to receive the infilling of the gift of the Holy Ghost. That resurrection now because we were dead in the in the burial, right? You have to be dead in order to be buried. We die when we're in repentance.

We're buried in our baptism. And then we come alive by the power of Jesus Christ in us, which is the Holy Ghost. is the infilling of the gift of the spirit. That is how we live out the gospel. And within that story, whatever your details are for that story, as you tell your story of death, burial, and resurrection, that is a joyful announcement of victory over bad news, of salvation from bad news into the good news. See, it's real simple. It's it's real just very logical to hear to hear that's how we live out the gospel and then for us to further live it out by sharing that with someone.

But I think sometimes this is for me this is where I then get timid and scared. I'm certainly thankful for what God has done that he has delivered me and that he has washed away my sins. That he no longer holds my sins against me. He no longer hangs that bad news over my head and says, "Well, now you have to live like this." Because he doesn't do it that way. He has washed those things away. That bad news is completely gone. I am thankful for that.

It gets for me awkward and I get a little timid when it comes to sharing that with somebody and telling that story. But I don't think we need to be afraid. As I said earlier, he gives us power to do that. He gives us the motivation. He gives us the strength and the wisdom to know how to do it. It doesn't have to be any certain formula or way. He told them to preach, which is a public announcement, a public proclamation of the good news. So to preach it.

He also told them to teach it. So to break it down into understandable concepts. And we can do that. And that that probably happens over time. That's a preaching is is kind of like this one time thing. We just say it, we get it out there. But teaching is a little bit more methodical, at least in my mind. And so, uh, that that public proclamation, don't get hung up on the word preach, by the way, and be like, "Oh, that happens behind a pulpit with a microphone in your hand about 11:30 on Sundays." Don't get hung up on the word preach because yes, that is preaching, but think about public proclamation or public announcement that you're not just keeping it private anymore.

You're sharing. So, here's how I understand it. If I am sharing with a co-orker what God did on Sunday, I'm telling them about our service and about all the things we experienced and how this crazy lady taught us at 10 and she was just really excited and it was just weird, but it was great and I just felt the presence of God. And as you're telling them and you're you're focusing on God and not on the crazy lady who was up there behind the pullpit, when you're focusing on God and telling them, that is public proclamation.

You are preaching. Just make sure you're preaching the gospel, telling them good news. So, I'm going to encourage you to think about today and be be very intentional about what is some good news that I could share from service today. Be on the lookout for it. We've had multiple guests already this morning. That's good news. You can share. There are people coming. They would like to know more about Jesus. It's wonderful. We get to share this this building with them and anything. Look out for good news.

Watch for it as we're together on Sunday. It's a great way to preach to those you come in contact with the rest of the week. It's able a way for you to get your foot in the door to be able to help people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. And then of course, we also teach it, which is that more methodical or uh disciplined, I guess you might say, way of proclaiming the gospel. Teaching often refers to nurturing spiritual growth or helping disciples grow in their faith and walk in a way that honors God.

The word teach just simply means to make disciples or to instruct someone as a learner. It describes this continuing process of shaping believers through instruction and example. Each of us are still learners as well. We still need to be taught. That's why you come, those of you that have been around a while, you you come to Christian education because you recognize, I still need to be taught in the ways of God. It's why you still read the scriptures daily. It's why you come to Wednesday night Bible study.

I need to be taught. So each of us are still learners as well, but we are also to be teachers. That is a ministry. That is a function for every believer to be a preacher and a teacher. It is a function for every believer. Not just the people that get to be on the platform or have to be however you however you view that. It's not just platform activity. Teaching and preaching is a function of every believer in the church. And I I got to thinking, what are some teaching opportunities that each of us have?

Well, if you're a parent or a grandparent that is involved in your grandkids' lives, or maybe you're an aunt or an uncle that's involved in niece and nephews, or uh parenting is a teaching opportunity. And what did Jesus say? Teach them to observe all the things that I have commanded. Teach them God's word. you you're going to teach them how to tie their shoes and you're going to teach them how to hold a spoon and you're going to teach them how to drive. You're going to teach yourself how not to have an anxiety attack as you teach them how to drive.

You're going to teach them all manner of things. Jesus is saying make sure foundationally that you're also teaching about the good news. teach them what it takes to live a life that is pleasing to God. Deuteronomy 6, he says, "These words which I command you this day, they shall be in your heart. You're going to teach them diligently to your children when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise up." All of these things. So, parenting is one of those teaching opportunities.

So parents in the room, if you've got young ones or older ones, you are teaching. Make sure to be teaching them according to the word of the Lord. I'm thankful today that I was taught the word of the Lord. And I am using a Bible this morning. That is my grandma Barnhill's Bible. She has some uh issues with her sight. She can no longer read. She is still living. She turned 100 on July 22nd. I know. I hope she gets to watch this or listen to it later.

She's always, "When are you going to speak next, Amber? When I want to listen to you." So, here you go, Grandma. Happy birthday. Happy 100th birthday. But this is her Bible. And I'm thankful that I was I was the one to receive it. And I I've flipped through here and there's little handwritten notes in the margins and there's some like she has like she has defined some of the Greek words. And she was she is a scholar. She she was hungry to know the truth and she was also diligent to teach it to my mom who was diligent to teach it to me.

She taught me the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news of scripture. And that's that's a teaching opportunity that we have if we're parents. Also, Christian education settings like this or smaller settings in in rooms. Some of you have taught Sunday school in the past or you might be interested in teaching Sunday school or being a part of our Christian education. That is a teaching opportunity. That is one of the ways to live out this command with of Jesus that says, "Teach them to observe all of my commandments." Bible studies is another teaching opportunity.

Whether that be a one-on-one Bible study, whether that be you with a group of people, maybe it's you with your family. Connect groups is another way for us to teach the word of God. All of these are opportunities for us to live out that preaching and teaching command that each of us were given. Not just somebody else, but it was for us as well. Jesus further directed not just to preach and to teach, but he also further directed them to baptize. And we know to from scripture to baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And I I want to run through these quickly. The apostles who heard him that day, they understood and they obeyed Jesus' command consistently by baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ. Now, how we read it in Matthew 28:19 and 20 is uh baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. Well, the people that he that actually heard those words come out of his mouth, they heard with their own ears. what they ended up doing in the book of Acts.

We see they lived out that uh instruction by baptizing in the name of Jesus. Every time we see this in the book of Acts, so I'm going to run through it. So when the disciples are shown when they're standing together after Jesus's resurrection and ascension, Peter declares on the day of Pentecost, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." And that's Acts chapter 2:38. So acts chapter 2 Peter's who heard baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost he baptized he said be baptized in the name of Jesus and then in acts chapter 8 the Samaritans were baptized in the name of the lord Jesus in acts chapter 10 cornelius's household was commanded to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and the believers at Ephesus were baptized in acts chapter 19 in the name of the lord Jesus these examples show us how the disciples obeyed Matthew 28:19 by invoking the singular name that embodies all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the name of Jesus Christ.

And I would say this morning, if you have not been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, you can be and you should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. It's more baptism is more than a ritual. It's a response of faith. It's burying that old life, that bad news life. It's burying that. And we are joyfully identifying with Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection. And finally today, as we wrap up, the point on the outline is just simply this. I will proclaim the gospel to everyone I can.

If you've got good news, if you've got the solution to the issue that you're hearing about from your friend or from your family, your loved one, if you've got that good news, why wouldn't you share it? Why wouldn't you tell somebody about that? Thank God that he has saved us. But he saved us and he filled us with his spirit so that we will be witnesses unto him. It's not enough for us to hear and believe the gospel. We are called as his church to faithfully share the good news with others.

And we must rely on the Holy Ghost for boldness and for guidance, trusting that he will lead us to hungry people and help us know what to say to reach them. So let us proclaim Christ everywhere we go. How do we do that? How do we proclaim Christ? Well, certainly it's going to come verbally. It's going to come out of our words or however it is that we are communicating. It's going to be proclaimed through our words and what we choose to say and what we choose to share.

But I would also add in addition to that is the life that we live can also proclaim Christ. our values, the choices that we make, our morals, those are ways that we can proclaim Christ as well. If you're going and you're giving good news, but you're doing it like this, yeah, Jesus died for your sins. You need to be baptized in Jesus name and receive the Holy Ghost. Have I proclaimed the good news? I mean, technically, yes. But my demeanor, my attitude, my facial expressions, they're not proclaiming Christ.

We know Christ was gentle. We know he was kind. We know he was loving. He was caring and compassionate. So, we can also proclaim that part of him as well as who he is. Would you stand with me today and would you thank him for the good news that has been received in your life? Jesus, I thank you. Thank you so much that your gift is free to each and every one of us and you are still pouring out your spirit upon all flesh. And there are some here this morning.

There are some and there will be some here today that need that good news. I pray that you would help us to proclaim that. Yes, oneon-one with them. But I pray that we would proclaim it in our worship, that we would proclaim it in our prayer, and that we would proclaim it during the altar service as we have a time to connect with others in prayer. Help us to proclaim who you are and share the good news of the gospel. Help us, I pray in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen. Thank you everybody for your attention to this screaming raving lunatic up here. I appreciate it.