What is the Good News?

“Good News” comes from the Greek Word “εὐαγγέλιον”. This Good News is a reference to good tidings that are brought on behalf of a Kingdom and more specifically on behalf of the Kingdom of God.

This Good News is first mentioned in Isaiah 52 as part of a prophetic poem to the people of God after they have been taken into exile because of sin, Jerusalem and the temple have been destroyed, and there is Good News proclaimed: God still reigns and He will restore this city as He takes His throne in peace. The poem declares “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news (Is. 52:10).”

In the New Testament, this term is used to summarize the entirety of Christ Jesus’ teachings and His reign in taking our sin through crucifixion, death, and burial. But the Good News doesn’t stop at His death, it continues in His resurrection, pouring out of His Spirit, ascension to heaven, and promise to return. It continues in our lives through the process of God saving us and making us more and more like Jesus.

The Good News is truly Good News because it proclaims over all of creation that there’s no one and nothing too far gone or broken for God’s reign to not impact with salvation and hope and freedom and grace and love. As we receive this Good News, it continues a process by God’s grace in us in which we are transformed in God’s image from glory to glory.

So, what is the Good News?

The Good News is:

  • God created everything and it was good (Genesis 1-2).
  • God created humanity and it was very good (Genesis 1-2).
  • God and humankind were in a perfect relationship (Genesis 1-3).
  • Humanity broke that relationship through sin (disobedience, pride, missing the mark, idolatry, etc.) and that sin led to death (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23, 6:23).
  • Humanity could not repair that relationship through our work (Genesis 3).
  • God had a perfect plan of redemption through:
    • Creating a chosen group of people called Israel (Genesis – 2 Chronicles),
    • Setting them apart from other nations by His Presence, the Law, and Covenants (Genesis – 2 Chronicles), So that through them a man named Jesus Christ of Nazareth could provide redemption.

(Genesis 3:15, 17:19, 22:18, 26:1-5, 28:13-14, 49:10; Exodus 12; Leviticus 17:11, 21:9; Numbers; Deuteronomy 18:15-18; 1 Samuel 2:35; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Job 19:23-27; Psalm 2:1-12, 8:5-6, 9:7-10, 16:9-11, 22, 31, 35:19, 38:12-13, 40:6-9, 41:9, 68:18, 69:21, 78:1-2, 89, 103, 118:17-18; Isaiah 6:9-10, 7:13-14, 8:14, 9:1-7, 11:1-10, 22:22, 25:7-8, 35:4-6, 40:3-4, 42:1-6, 44:3, 50:3-6, 53, 61:1-2; Jeremiah 31-33; Ezekiel 37; Daniel 7:13-14, 9:25-26; Hosea 11:1; Micah 5; Zechariah 9:9, 10, 11:12-13, 12; Malachi 3:1, 4:5-6)

  • Jesus, 100% God, 100% man, came in flesh, lived among humanity, taught the Word of God, fulfilled the Word of God, performed miracles, signs, and wonders, and invited all people to follow Him by atoning for sin through death by crucifixion and burial (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans). 
  • After 3 days, Jesus was raised from the dead, appeared to many disciples, breathed His Spirit upon them, calling them to make disciples that they baptize and teach to obey everything Jesus taught (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 21, Acts 1, 1 Corinthians 15). 
  • Every follower of Christ Jesus is filled with God’s Spirit and given access to the gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12) and the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The Spirit of God empowers these believers to love God, love others, make disciples, and live in eternal life now and forevermore (Matthew 22:34-40, 28:18-20; John 3:16-17, 17:3; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3).
The Good News (in short form):

In short: God created everything and it was good. Humanity broke that goodness with sin and sin led to death. God came as a human named Christ Jesus who paid for that sin through His death and resurrection to restore humanity and creation into right relationship with God. All who call on Jesus’ name are filled with His Presence and transformed by His Power to walk rightly, love fully, and live eternally with other believers in God’s Kingdom.

What do I do with the Good News?

  • Receive the Good News

In Acts 1-2, after Jesus is raised from the dead, He breathes His Spirit upon a group of His disciples who thereafter join for prayer and while they gather, the Holy Spirit empowers them for the birthday of the church. During this time, they begin presenting the Gospel to all those gathered in Jerusalem. While one of them (Peter) was preaching this message of Good News, a group of Jewish people nearby said the following:

“36 Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:36-40 (NIV)

You may be in a similar place as the people of Jerusalem at the time they heard the Good News. You may be wondering to yourself, “What shall I do?” The message then and the message today hasn’t changed: receive the Good News of Jesus through repentance, baptism, and living a life empowered by the Holy Spirit.

 

But was the Good News meant for just those in Jerusalem, at that time? The apostle Paul, who was one of these early Jewish believers who encountered Jesus wrote to the Christians of Rome:

“8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13 (NIV)

The Scriptures are clear that no matter who we are, where we come from, what we have done or haven’t done, that if we declare with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. All who call on Jesus’ name will be saved from the power and penalty of sin, hell, and the grave. 

And the promise to those who call on the name of Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord is that the Spirit of God will live in them. John wrote it this way to the early Church: 

“13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” 1 John 4:13-16 (NIV)

So, if this is for all people and you want to receive this Good News of salvation and the indwelling of God’s Presence, pray this prayer: 

“Dear Jesus, I come to You declaring that You are God and Lord. I was made by You and I fell in sin. I need You. I believe You died for my sin, was buried on my behalf, and rose from the grave. I repent and ask for Your forgiveness from my sin. Lord Jesus, I give You every part of my life and commit myself to You. I ask for Your grace to transform me, help to obey You, and strengthen me to love You and others all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.” 

If you prayed this prayer, praise the Lord! We celebrate this decision and declaration that you have made! Welcome to God’s family and Kingdom! We’d love to partner with you on this journey of following and loving Jesus together. With that said, here are few next steps that we see according to the Scriptures:

“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

  • Get in the Word: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”
    • We want to encourage you to read the Word of God (Bible) as much as possible! We suggest beginning in the Gospel of John and reaching out to our pastors or group leaders with any questions. 
    • For access to the Bible, we suggest downloading the Bible app on your phone, using Bible Gateway, utilizing The Bible Project, or grabbing an NIV translation for personal use. We have these available at our Connection Desk in the CCF Lobby.
  • Attend Church: “They continued to meet together, praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).”
    • Join us on Sunday mornings at 10:00am for a powerful time together in God’s Presence, Worship, Word, and community! 
    • For more information please, go to: https://ccflive.org/
  • Get Baptized: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).”
    • Make the next step of declaring your faith in Christ Jesus through the public proclamation of baptism. We offer baptism classes/meetings and opportunities to be baptized through the year.
    • For more information, please go to: https://ccflive.org/baptism/ 
  • Get Connected: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity (Ps. 133:1).”
    • Join a Life Group and/or Commission Group, participate in community events (community nights, worship & prayer nights, etc.), or jump into some of our partner ministries (Prayer, Compassion, Youth, Kids, Bridges, etc.)
    • For more information, please go to: https://ccflive.org/ministries/
  • Serve: “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Phil. 2:1-5).”
    • Join a ministry team, greet people on Sundays, offer others some food, or use whatever gifts God has given you to serve others! We love God and others through our many service opportunities, and we’d encourage you to find a way to bless others in our community! For more information, please go to: https://ccflive.org/ministries/
  • Share the Good News: “14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15)
    • If you are believer in Jesus, you are called to be a witness of His Good News to all those around you. You have been transformed by His grace and love, filled with His Spirit, and empowered to share the Gospel story through your words, actions, and lifestyle.

How do I share the Good News?

As those who have received the Good News, we are called by our Lord to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15 NIV).” Our Savior also calls us to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV).” 

All of this is to say that as disciples of Jesus we are invited to not just receive the Gospel, but to share the Gospel with others and be part of the process of making disciples. This may seem intimidating, but we rest upon the truths that God doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), that God will provide everything we need for this call (Mark 16:15-20), and that God will be with us as we go (Matthew 28:18-20). 

With that stated, we would suggest the following methods of sharing the Good News with others:

The Mission of BLESS (Exponential)

  • B: Begin with Prayer – 
    • Jesus prioritized prayer and connection with His Father as the foundation and launching ramp for all of His ministry. Our model of sharing the Good News must start in prayerful communion with God who will guide us, prepare us, and open doors for us to bless those for which we pray. Start a list of your friends, relatives, acquaintances, neighbors, and colleagues, and begin this process by praying for them to come to know Jesus. 
  • L: Listen with Care – 
    • We begin with prayer, talking and listening to God, then we listen to others. Jesus listened very well to those who were His followers as well as those who weren’t. He modeled this by asking questions, and we can grow as listeners when we learn to ask better questions. We’d suggest starting with the facts (weather, sports, families, etc.), then moving to common interests (golf, pets, entertainment), followed by points of pain and struggles in one’s life which ultimately leads to opportunities to share spiritual stories and openness to God, prayer, deeper relationship, and the Gospel. 
  • E: Eat Together – 
    • When we look to Jesus’ ministry, He is often found sharing meals with those He interacted with. His miracles were performed at weddings, festivals/feasts, and in homes. His teachings and restoration moments with many were found at the table as well. His greatest shared meal, Communion or the Eucharist, is one that is supposed to be a practice we do in remembrance of Him while we eat together. This is because when we eat together, it is a common and equal ground, something that we all do, and it’s an effective way to build relationships with others through hospitality and conversation. One of the most effective predictors of healthy evangelism is based on how well churches extend hospitality to the unchurched. Eating together is a beautiful way to do this all. 
  • S: Serve in Love – 
    • When Jesus is asked of greatness, He makes it clear that the greatest among the disciples is the one who serves. He came not to be served, but to serve (Mk. 10:45), and He exemplified this through His life, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, ascension, and promise to come again. The calling to serve others is found all through the New Testament letters and it is wonderful way to show our neighbors that we see them, love them, and want to help them, which ultimately builds relationship and leads to openness to God and His Gospel. We’d suggest looking for practical ways to help your neighbors, look for pain points in others’ lives and provide support (grief, divorce, compassion, etc.), and paying attention to the love languages of those you’re serving. When we care for people and serve them, they will know they are loved and it’s an open door for sharing the story of Jesus. 
  • S: Share Your Story and Share Jesus’ Story – 
    • Sharing our story and Jesus’ story are incredibly important to the process of BLESSing others. In fact, it is the main reason behind all that we do in this method. Our goal is to be able to share our story and Jesus’ story as ways to engage with those we are BLESSing and ultimately, be part of the process of leading them to the saving grace of knowing, loving, and following Jesus. We’d suggest the following steps: 
      • Share Your Story: 
        • What was your point of pain? 
        • What did that pain do to you/how did you respond to that pain? 
        • How did God show up? 
        • What difference did it make it? 
        • Invite a response using a question (Can you relate?). 

Share Jesus’ Story 

What is the 3 Circles Gospel Presentation: 

 

Circle 1: The first circle represents our brokenness through sin. We were created in God’s perfect design, but our sin led to our brokenness. We see this in our lives and our world every day. 

Circle 2: The second circle represents God’s plan to bring us out of brokenness into God’s perfect design once again. God came in flesh as a human being named Christ Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus took upon Himself the sin of the world and paid the penalty of that sin by dying on a cross as a sacrifice. He was buried on our behalf and risen from the grave to restore us to God’s perfect design and give us eternal life. Our response to this gift is two fold: 1. We are called to turn from our sinful ways and 2. We are invited to follow Jesus and His way of life. 

Circle 3: The third circle represents God’s perfect design. It is what we made for and what Jesus has made available to us through His sacrificial death and resurrection. As we turn and follow Jesus, we are invited into another two-fold process: 1. Grow in God’s perfect design for our lives and 2. Go into the brokenness of this world and share the Good News of Jesus’ redemptive action for all to come back into God’s perfect design. 

What Now?

Go: In the Great Commission that Jesus gives to His disciples, He calls them to go. Receiving and sharing the Good News is not a complacent step, but an active participation in God’s grace and empowering Presence.

Obey: As you go, whatever God says to do, wherever He calls you to go, whatever He invites you to say, obey Him. The greatest success in the Kingdom of God is obedience and the greatest joy of following Jesus is being obedient to His Word and leading. It may not be easier, comfortable, or convenient, but you can trust what the Lord calls you to will be the best thing for you and those around you. And you can always anchor in this truth: God will be with you, and that’s more than enough.

Stay in Love with Jesus: There is one goal for our existence: to be loved by God and to love God and others in return. A part of this loving relationship is sharing the Good News, but the goal is not to fall out of love with Jesus and fall in love with the “numbers” of how many we’ve won for Him. Rather, stay in love with Jesus by keeping Him as your first priority. Anchor yourself in God’s Word, spend your moments in prayer and communion with God, and choose a posture of abiding in God’s Presence rather than striving in your performance. You will find that when you stay in love with Jesus that everything else will fall into place exactly as it should be.

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