1. THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT GOD

God has created everything. We are to live under His authority and He alone is worthy of worship.

Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things (Revelation 4:11).

2. THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT DEATH

God is holy, and He calls us to be holy. However, all of us have fallen short of His perfect standard. This imperfection is called sin. Sin separates us from God, leaving us spiritually dead and sending us to eternal punishment called Hell (Ephesians 2:1-10).

...the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

(Sinners) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46).

3. THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT LOVE

How do sinners become righteous? Through God's amazing love! God's love trumps our sin through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Jesus was fully God and became a man. He lived a perfect and sinless life and willingly took our sin upon himself. He died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. Jesus died in our place.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for unjust, so that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Though Jesus died on the cross, death could not contain Him. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead defeating sin, Satan, and death.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me... (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

The life, death on a cross, burial, and resurrection of Jesus reconciles sinners with God, giving them hope, joy, peace, love, purpose, and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

4. THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT TRUST, REPENTANCE, AND FAITH

We must trust in Jesus alone for our salvation.

There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).

We must repent from our sin for our salvation (turn away from a life of sin).

Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

We must put our faith in Jesus alone for our salvation.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

5. THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT LIFE

By God's grace, through Jesus, all those who have put their faith in Jesus have been given eternal life!

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life (John 5:24).

We will experience many trials and tribulations on this earth, but as followers of Jesus, we will not lose our hope, our peace, or our joy, because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Do you have a relationship with God through the perfect life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?

Have you placed your trust and faith in Jesus alone and repented of your sins (Mark 1:15)?

Do you commit your life to following Jesus wherever He may lead you (Matthew 10:37-39)?

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL?

After hearing the Gospel today, you are called to a response. You will either follow Jesus or you will continue in a life of sin and death.

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).

If it is the desire of your heart to trust Jesus, turn from sin, and place your faith in Jesus alone for salvation, then pray to Him right now. Admit to God that you have sinned and deserve death. Ask Him to forgive you of your sin and rebellion against Him. Thank Him for sending His Son Jesus to save us through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, for this has secured salvation for all those who would believe in Him. Ask Him to daily remove sin from your life and to give you the strength to do this through the power of the Holy Spirit. Commit to following Jesus, by faith, for the rest of your life.

Next Steps

After trusting, repenting, and placing your faith in Jesus alone, the next step is obedience in biblical baptism in water. Jesus has saved you and calls you to be a witness of the cross and resurrection through water baptism.

To find out more about baptism at Hillvue or to schedule your baptism, please call the church office at (270) 842-0012 and ask to speak with one of our pastors. If you're not in the Bowling Green area, we can also help you get in touch with a church near you to schedule a baptism.

Have you made a decision to follow Jesus? Please let us know!