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Sermon Notes

What Does the Gospel Cost Us?

Sunday 12 August 2018 Pastor Craig Ledbetter 2 Corinthians 8:9
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I. Introduction (Proverbs 11:30)

A. Notice the phrase, “He that winneth souls…”

  1. It means, Winning them over to believe in, and trust only the Lord Jesus Christ for life
    • Not trusting in their church, or their pope, or their good works
    • Not trusting and resting in science or technology
  2. But getting people to believe that Jesus is alive from the dead, and our sure hope - our anchor, our Saviour from our sin! (John 8:30; 10:42; Acts 4:4)

B. What will it cost each and every one of us to go beyond these four walls and actually win a soul to faith in Christ? (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:14,15)

  1. Here is a light - designed to shine and lighten any dark room
  2. Well, WE are lights in the world, and were designed to shine too
  3. Yet, We have so many barriers that we hide behind that keep us from being the gospel witness Christ saved us to be

C. What does it cost to win a soul?

  1. To shine the light of the Gospel?
  2. To win just one soul?
  3. To disciple and baptize every new believer?
  4. To birth another church, and then another, and then another?
  5. What will it cost?
  6. What will it cost to give the Gospel to one soul?
    • Sometimes just the cost of a single Gospel tract - pennies per tract
    • Sometimes it costs just a half hour giving your testimony over a cup of coffee to an unknown person you met providentially
    • But most of the time, not only will it cost us our comfort, our time, our money… it often costs us everything we have!

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” - 2 Corinthians 8:9

D. Most people have NOT heard the Gospel

  1. Only about religious duties, and being good, and about saints, and miracles, and psychology
  2. “We talk of the Second Coming of Jesus; half the world has never heard of the first.” - Oswald J. Smith

E. The Gospel is the good news about who Jesus Christ IS and what He has done for the likes of you and me!

  1. Most people only want to admit a slight need for Jesus
  2. The rest of us know just how lost and how messed up we were and GLADLY testify of what we were like BEFORE we heard the Gospel

F. Did you know that the Gospel costs you nothing to receive (it is FREE at Christ’s expense), but it will often cost you everything to give it to someone else!

II. Background - Four Examples

A. Let’s look at four examples of what it cost to go somewhere with the Gospel

  1. Jonah
  2. Peter
  3. Paul and Barnabas
  4. Jesus Christ Himself

B. What Did It Cost Jonah?

  1. His comfort - sent to Nineveh
  2. His will - had to be swallowed by a whale first
  3. His pride - preaching to enemies

C. What Did It Cost Peter?

  1. His reputation - preaching to Gentiles
  2. His safety - imprisoned multiple times
  3. His life - tradition says crucified upside down

D. What Did It Cost Paul and Barnabas?

  1. Their homes - constant travel
  2. Their health - beatings, shipwrecks, stoning
  3. Their comfort - working while ministering

E. What Did It Cost Jesus?

  1. His glory - He left heaven
  2. His comfort - no place to lay His head
  3. His life - crucified for sinners

III. Application

  1. What has the Gospel cost YOU?
  2. What are you willing to give to see others saved?
  3. Is the Gospel worth everything to you?
  4. Will you pay the price to share it?

The Gospel is free to receive but costs everything to give. What will you give?

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