MACTAN ZONEMETRO CEBU CHRISTIAN CHURCH

11 March 2011

CHRISTIANITY SEMINAR

Good news…

…encourages us.…makes us happy.…gives us hope.…comforts us.…convinces us there is still good in this world.

We like hearing good news

What would you consider good news?

JESUS CHRIST

THE GOOD NEWS

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:8-11

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:8-11

Good news: Jesus came to save us from our sins

Matthew 1:20-21But after he [Joseph] had considered this

[divorcing Mary], an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus means “the Lord saves”. There is no other Savior.

Luke 2:8-11

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me [Jesus],because he has anointed meto preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,to release the oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me [Jesus],because he has anointed meto preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,to release the oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me [Jesus],because he has anointed meto preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,to release the oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me [Jesus],because he has anointed meto preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,to release the oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

Good news: Jesus came to proclaim the year of God’s favor—He came to free us from imprisonment and oppression by our sins

John 8:34-36Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is

a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son [Jesus] sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Only Jesus can set us free.

Luke 4:18-19

Good news: Jesus came to proclaim the year of God’s favor—He came to restore our spiritual sight

2 Corinthians 4:4, 6The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel [which means “good news”] of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God….For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Only Jesus can restore our spiritual sight.

Luke 4:18-19

3After his [Jesus’] suffering, he showed himself to these men [the disciples] and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God….

9After he said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:3, 9-11

3After his [Jesus’] suffering, he showed himself to these men [the disciples] and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God….

9After he said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:3, 9-11

3After his [Jesus’] suffering, he showed himself to these men [the disciples] and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God….

9After he said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:3, 9-11

3After his [Jesus’] suffering, he showed himself to these men [the disciples] and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God….

9After he said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:3, 9-11

Good news: Jesus is alive and well

1 Corinthians 15:20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the

firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Is there anyone else in human history who claimed to be a savior and has returned from the grave?Only Jesus came back to life from the grave!

Acts 1:3, 9-11

Good news: Jesus is at work in Heaven—He intercedes and mediates for His followers

Romans 8:34bChrist Jesus…is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

1 Timothy 2:5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

There is only one intercessor and mediator—Jesus!

Acts 1:3, 9-11

Good news: Jesus is at work in Heaven—He is preparing an eternal home for His followers

John 14:2[At the Last Supper, Jesus promised,] “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

What do you think of your home today?The home Jesus is preparing for His followers is infinitely better!

Acts 1:3, 9-11

Good news: Jesus will return for His followers to be with Him forever

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17For the Lord [Jesus] himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Are you ready for Jesus’ return?

Acts 1:3, 9-11

3For what I [Paul] received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

3For what I [Paul] received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

3For what I [Paul] received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Good news: Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins

1 John 4:10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son [Jesus] as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Can anyone else truthfully claim to have died to atone for your sins?Jesus is the only atoning sacrifice for our sins!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Good news: Jesus’ resurrection means eternal life for His followers

1 Corinthians 6:14By his power God raised the Lord [Jesus] from the dead, and he will raise us also.

Do you want to truly live forever?Eternal life is found only in Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

25“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He [God] said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring [Jesus] all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26When God raised up his servant [again, Jesus], he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Acts 3:25-26

25“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He [God] said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring [Jesus] all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26When God raised up his servant [again, Jesus], he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Acts 3:25-26

25“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He [God] said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring [Jesus] all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26When God raised up his servant [again, Jesus], he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Acts 3:25-26

Good news: Jesus came to turn us away from our sins

Titus 2:11-14For the grace of God that brings salvation has

appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Only in Jesus can we truly turn away from our sins.

Acts 3:25-26

1) He came to save us from our sins.2) He came to proclaim the year of God’s favor.3) He is alive and well.4) He is at work in Heaven for His followers.5) He will return for His followers to be with Him

forever.6) He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.7) His resurrection means eternal life for His

followers.8) He came to turn us away from our sins.

Jesus Christ: The Good News

Question and Answer Portion

THE FIRST PRINCIPLES

A Bible Study Series1) Jesus: The

Cornerstone of Faith2) The Word of God3) Discipleship4) The Kingdom of God5) Light and Darkness

6) The Cross of Christ7) God’s Plan of

Salvation8) The Church9) Jesus’ Lordship

Romans 10:14-17How, then, can they call on the one they have not

believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

In Closing