Lesson 1: Good News for You

  Good News For You

Everyone—Please turn off your cell phones.

The Bible calls the history of Jesus on earth and His mission here the “Gospel”.  That word ‘Gospel’ means the Good News.  What I am about to share with you is good news for you.

Everyone whose life has been transformed by the grace of God has a story to tell.

Before we continue, let me ask you one or more of these important questions!

1. What do you think happens to us when we die?
2.  If you were to die tonight, are you certain that you would go to heaven?
3. If you were to die tonight and stood before Jesus at the gate of heaven and He said to you, “________ why should I let you into my heaven?  How would you answer Him?
4. What do you think He meant when Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again?” John 3:3

1. Believe in God’s Love. He loves you personally and wants to be a part of your life.

• God loves you and sent Jesus so you could have a personal relationship with Him.

 John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ESV

• God’s love does not excuse you if you reject Him.

John 3:18   He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. NKJV

2. Realize our human problem — we can’t find God on our own.

• You are born with spiritual rebellion that separates you from God.

Romans 3:10-11, 23.  As it is written:  “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.   23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory [expectation] of God, NKJV [Isaiah 53:6]

• Nothing you do to try to be good or righteous can win you God’s approval or salvation.

Titus 3:5a Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us… NKJV

Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ. NLT

3. Jesus is the only way to God.

• Jesus is the only one who is qualified to bring you into relationship with God.

 John 14:6 Jesus said …, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  NKJV [Acts 4:12]

• On the cross Jesus Christ made the way for you to have a relationship with God.

1 Peter 3:18 Christ suffered [and died] for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. NLT [Romans 5:8]

• Jesus rose from the dead to demonstrate God’s power to justify us from our sin.

Romans 4:24-25 …God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. NLT [1 Peter 1:3]

4. God’s grace means there is nothing you can do or need to do to earn salvation.

• Salvation is a free gift that only comes through faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. NKJV

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. NIV [Acts 16:31]

• Faith for salvation is demonstrated by turning from your old life and surrendering control to Jesus.

Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. NIV

Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, NIV

5. Everyone will bow to Almighty God.

• The God of the Bible is the only true God.

Isaiah 45:21b I [am] the Lord. There is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me.  NKJV [Deuteronomy 10:17]

• If you don’t surrender to Him now, when you die you will face the judgment of God.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, 7b …He [God] will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. NLT [Romans 14:11-12]

6. It is urgent that you turn to Jesus right now.

• No one knows when they will die, now is the best time to surrender your life to Jesus.

Romans 2:4 Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent. GNT [Luke 13:3]

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, NKJV

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• Would you like to receive Him now as your Savior and Lord?

Romans 10:9-11, 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts him will never be disgraced.” NLT

Salvation Prayer:  If you are ready to surrender your life to Christ pray this prayer out loud with me.

Dear Jesus, I ask you to come into my life// take control and be my Savior and my Lord. //   I admit to you that I am a sinner// and that up to now I have wanted to control my own life.  // please forgive me for living my life without you. // I am thankful that Father God sent YOU to die for me // and that you took all of my sin upon yourself on the cross.  // I believe you rose from the dead so I could have eternal life. // I renounce all forms of witchcraft and sorcery. //

I put my faith in you alone. // Thank you for hearing my prayer. // I receive you as my Savior and Lord.   Amen

It is not praying this prayer that saved you, but it is God’s grace and your faith in Jesus that He died for your sin and rose from the dead for your salvation.

Welcome To The Family Of God!

Assurance of Salvation. 

John 5:24 …He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. NASU [ 1 John 5:11-13]  Do you believe Jesus is your Savior?

First Steps as an obedient follower of Jesus       

• Would you like to be trained to be an obedient disciple of Jesus and a trainer of others?

• Jesus told us to baptize everyone; are you ready to be baptized?