sharing the gospel

September 23, 2024

Nineveh Repents

Jonah 3.1-10

This episode in Jonah 3 is one of the few times in the OT that we see the nations responding to the LORD in faith. Too bad that Jonah can’t…won’t celebrate it.

Jonah has a tremendous response to his message from folks he seemingly couldn’t care less about…first on the ship and then in Nineveh. And the overwhelming response of the folks in Nineveh, as we will see next week, even makes him angry. Mercy…what’s that?!?

It’s a warning to us…we too can forget that we are all in need of God’s mercy. Everyone one of us. And just as God has been merciful to us, so we are to be merciful to those around us. Lot’s of ways we can show mercy, but the best way is to share the hope that we’ve found in Jesus.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of calamity. He loves the lost. He loves us too. And wants us to love the lost just like He does.

Sometimes the folks that we have written off as too far gone, like the folks there in Nineveh, are just the folks who are ready to hear the gospel and respond to it. Believe it or not, that might have been you at one point. Then somebody told you about Jesus, and you responded in faith. Our job is to pay it forward…being faithful to share our story with the folks around us who need to hear it. Who is that for you?

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This post is based on a sermon from our Jonah series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

July 9, 2023

The Priorities of the Gospel and Unity

Philippians 1.12-30

Two priorities for Paul are clear: proclaiming the gospel and unity of the body. The first might be done out of mixed motives, but the second requires oneness of spirit and mind…an attitude of togetherness.

As individuals, sharing the gospel…telling our story, investing our mina…should be a motivating, a driving factor in our lives. We weren’t saved to go to heaven…we were saved to serve and to share. To be a part of seeing the kingdom expanded through the spread of the gospel. Here in the valley and around the world. Part of that sharing…living a life worthy of the gospel we’re proclaiming. Folks shouldn’t be surprised to find out you’re a believer…it should be obvious in the way that you conduct yourself. You are a citizen of heaven, so live like it. Here you are just a pilgrim passing through.

As a church, sharing the gospel is also super important. It should drive the things that we do, the ministries that we offer, and the way we invest the resources that we’ve been entrusted with. But equally as important is our unity. That will impact our effectiveness in sharing the gospel. Our oneness of spirit and mind. Our standing firm together. Our striving together for the faith of the gospel. Our love for one another.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Philippians series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

March 8, 2021

Just Like Paul

Romans 15.14-33

“And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named…” Like Paul, we too are called to share Jesus where He is not already known/named. It might not be in some far-flung locale like Illyricum. It might just be one desk over…one cubicle over…one house over.

We all have a story to share…I’m not talking about your biography. I’m talking about your testimony…the story of how Jesus changed your life. And these days it’s a story that folks desperately need to hear. They need to know about the hope that you’ve found in Jesus.

God has uniquely wired you for the ministry He’s given you. There is no one like you. The gifts and talents and experiences and passion and personality all flowing together to make you uniquely you. But He’s given you all of those things for a purpose…and that’s to minister, to serve as a priest in the place, in the context He’s given you to minister in….to offer up those who don’t know Him as an acceptable sacrifice, a pleasing aroma. To bring more folks into the kingdom. That’s the only thing worth boasting about…not what I’ve accomplished, but what Jesus has accomplished through me. And what Jesus has accomplished through you. And what Jesus is accomplishing through us as a church.

Finally, let me come back to prayer. I hope you see that prayer is your primary weapon against the enemy. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood… Prayer is something that should not just be a daily habit, but a throughout the day habit. And it’s something we should be doing for/with one another.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Romans series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

October 12, 2020

Whoever Will Call Upon the Name of the Lord

Romans 10.1-13

God’s righteousness…His right-standingness…has always been a matter of faith. It has to be. Because we could never achieve a right standing before God on our own. Sin gets in the way every time.

Salvation is and has always been by faith. Faith in God. Trusting His promises. Looking for Messiah…for the Savior. Believing in Him now that He’s come. By faith we enter into a relationship with God. By faith we also continue our relationship with God. The Christian life is one of faith.

But here’s the thing…faith is more than just acknowledging a set of facts. It’s hearing and acting on what you’ve heard. It’s believing and walking in belief. It’s trusting in Him…and then obeying. A heart rightly aligned to God wants to obey. One that isn’t doesn’t. You weren’t saved just to go to heaven. If so, you’d already be there. You were saved to do the good works He’s given you to do. To walk in obedience. To share your story. To live generously.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Romans series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

October 5, 2020

What About Israel? Part 2

Romans 9.19-33

Two great truths collide in this passage…God’s sovereignty and our responsibility. Both are true. God chooses and yet we have a choice. Nothing happens contrary to God’s purposes and yet we can’t say, “It’s not my fault.”

But we don’t want to miss Paul’s point…he’s not trying to create a Gordian knot for theologians to argue and debate over. He ultimately wants to bring us back to the gospel…to God’s love and His mercy, His patience even with those who reject Him, and His plan to redeem His creation.

The idea of God’s sovereignty often causes folks to immediately question His fairness. And yet if God acted on the basis of fairness, none of us would be saved. It’s not fair that any of us would receive His mercy. We all deserve to be vessels of wrath destined for destruction because of our sin. It’s only His mercy that allows even one of us to be a vessel of mercy…to make known the riches of His glory to a watching world.

Mercy and wrath. Heaven and hell. Definitely not topics that folks like to talk about these days, and yet it’s imperative that we understand that one day we will all have to give an accounting for the lives that we lived. The only determiner of our final destination will be whether or not we trusted in Jesus. If you have, you are a vessel of mercy prepared beforehand for glory. If you have not, you are still under God’s wrath. So will you choose to trust in Jesus today?

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This post is based on a sermon from our Romans series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

August 24, 2020

Sharing Your Story

Luke 8.26-39

Having just calmed a violent storm at sea, Jesus meets a man with an equally violent storm raging within him. In both cases Jesus is able to squash the chaos with a word. It would be easy to come to the conclusion that Luke is showcasing Jesus’ power and authority over both the natural and supernatural worlds. And he does that, but I think Luke is driving us to something even more powerful…you see, beyond the power of Jesus is the love of Jesus. Jesus crosses a violent, storm-tossed sea and faces down the forces of hell for one man! Did you get that? Jesus crosses a violent, storm-tossed sea and faces down the forces of hell for one man! O what a Savior! And having rescued him, He sends him on a mission to share his story – of “what great things God had done for him.”

I love this story. It’s a beautiful picture of the lengths that Jesus goes to to seek and save the lost…

Crossed the sea (calmed the storm, etc.)

Faced off with the hosts of hell

Braved the potential backlash of a frightened mob

For one man

Jesus is still on a rescue mission, pulling folks out of the fires of hell. Setting the captives free. And as those who have been set free, He calls us to join Him in that same mission. To share our story…of what great things Jesus has done for us.

Though we may not have been as bad off as the demoniac in this story, before Jesus we were all just as lost. We were all held captive in the kingdom of darkness. We were all without hope and in desperate need of rescue. And only Jesus could do that.

So what is your story, and who can you share it with? Jesus sent the man back to his home town to share with those closest to him what God had done for him. Sounds a lot like our impact list…those folks who are closest to us who don’t know Jesus. Could be friends or family, neighbors, co-workers, classmates or teammates. If you have trusted in Jesus, then you have a story to tell.

And as I think back over my own story, I’m reminded…Jesus changes everything. He wants to change everything in our lives if we will let Him. But we have to be intentional about pursuing Him. We have to make the choice…training, not trying. Quality time in His Word everyday aka Daily Devotion. Praying throughout the day aka Consistent Prayer. And time with other believers as often as possible aka Intentional Community. And when we do that we find that He’s been pursuing us all along…the Good Shepherd looking for the one lost sheep.

Let me challenge you with two last words…first, take time this week to write out your story. On our website you can find a template that will walk you through putting together Your Story. Take your time…don’t rush. Pray over it and ask God to direct you through the process.

Second, prayerfully consider who you need to share your story with. Who do you know that hasn’t yet trusted in Jesus? Pray for opportunities and ask God for courage in the moment to take advantage of those opportunities when they come.

pro rege,

This post is based on a sermon from our UN/Stuck: A Season for Discipleship series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

October 21, 2019

Rome at Last

Acts 28.1-16

It’s been a long and grueling trip, but Paul has finally made it to Rome. And as he nears the end of his journey, he’s welcomed by the church in Rome.

All along the way, God has guided Paul’s journey. Though many times it seemed his life was in peril…from the Jews more than once, from the sea, from the soldiers, from the serpent…he was never in danger. God still had work for him to do. He had a divine appointment to keep in Rome. God said it, and Paul rightly believed that He would also bring it to pass. God can be trusted. He didn’t save Paul from the storm, but He saved him through the storm.

God was the Author of Paul’s story. He is also the Author of your story. I don’t know what your storm looks like today, but He does. And more than that, He’s right there with you in the hurricane-force winds and the crashing waves. And He wants to accomplish something in and through you in the midst of the storm. Believe it or not, the storm is an important part of the story He’s telling through you. That assumes of course that in the storm you are looking to Him. Running towards Him instead of away. Crying out to Him instead of crying out against Him.

We said it before, the furnace, i.e., the storm, can either destroy you or purify you. It can either turn you to ash, or turn you into something beautiful. What is it doing to you?

The storm is also a platform that God is providing for you to share your story…to share the gospel…to share the hope that you have. A hope that is no more prominently displayed than when you are in the storm. Because it shows a watching world that your faith is real.

We’ve talked a lot about circumstances and furnaces and storms and chains in the last several weeks…take some time right now to pray…to cry out to God…to ask Him to help you in the storm and through the storm and to use you through it to display the gospel in a unique way.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Acts series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster

October 7, 2019

Paul before Agrippa

Acts 26

Paul makes his last defense before he heads to Rome…a defense not so much of the charges against him as it is a defense of the gospel.

Once again we are faced with the question, what will we do with Jesus? Accept or reject. Follow or turn away. He is either King, or He will be Judge. We don’t know how most of the folks responded that day. We know that Festus thought the idea of a resurrection was crazy. Agrippa wasn’t ready. What about you?

Paul asked Agrippa, “Do you believe the Prophets?” Let me ask you the same question…do you believe the Prophets? Do you believe God’s Word? Our culture would say it’s antiquated, outdated, no longer relevant, even absurd…but what about you? It is either true or it’s not. You cannot pick and choose. It’s all or nothing. And if you believe the Bible’s true, what impact is it having on your life…the decisions you make, the conversations you have, the way you see and interact with the world around you? Maybe you’ve trusted Jesus as Savior, but have you made Him Lord? Does He call the shots…set the agenda..chart the course in your life? Or do you?

Once again we are reminded that our circumstances provide opportunities that we might not otherwise have. Are you taking advantage of them? Are you intentionally looking for ways to share your story? If not, what’s holding you back?

Let me challenge you this week…share your story with one person.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Acts series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster

September 30, 2019

Paul before Festus

Acts 25

Paul makes his second defense before the Romans. Same charges. Still can’t be proven. And yet Paul’s circumstances give him access to some of the leading folks in the city.

Two years in prison. Falsely accused and unconvicted. Could easily make a person bitter. Could easily become a “why me” or “woe is me” scenario. But not so for Paul. It’s simply an opportunity to share his story with anyone and everyone he can. How is that possible? Paul knows that God is the Author of his story. And he knows that God still has work for him to do. He has a divine appointment in Rome.

Paul is in chains because of the hope of the resurrection…that’s what keeps him going. If he didn’t have that hope, why not live it up now. Eat, drink for tomorrow we die. But he did. And it’s the same hope we have. Jesus is not dead…He is alive! Our circumstances don’t define us…our hope does. Ricky mentioned last week that we are all in the furnace, and the flame can either destroy us or purify us. It can turn us to ash, or make us something beautiful. Focusing on our chains…on our circumstances…can often be the flame that destroys us. But looking beyond them to the opportunity and to what God is doing in and through them…is the flame that purifies us and makes us stronger.

Paul did his best…he strived…to live a blameless life. So Paul’s circumstances weren’t the result of bad choices he had made. They were trials that God allowed to test and purify Paul’s faith as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1.6-7. Some of us are in circumstances that, like Paul, are not the result of bad choices, and some of us are in circumstances where we are reaping the consequences of bad choices. Either way, our circumstances are providing some kind of platform…some opportunity that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Even in our mistakes and failures we can find opportunities to point folks to Jesus. God doesn’t call us to be perfect, but He does call us to be faithful.

Agrippa, Drusilla and Bernice…a family that had a front row seat to hear the gospel as Paul shared his story. Felix and Festus. And many others. Each had a choice to make…what do you do with Jesus? Is He a dead Man that Paul claims is alive? Or is He who He claimed to be…both God and Man, Savior and Redeemer, King and Judge. You too must answer that question. Heaven and hell hang in the balance.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Acts series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster

November 26, 2018

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

Acts 13.44-52

The reaction to Paul’s preaching of the gospel in Pisidian Antioch is wildly mixed…for those who believe, primarily Gentiles, there is great joy at the good news that they too can be saved. For those who reject, primarily Jews, there is jealousy, anger and great hostility toward Paul and Barnabas.

In 2 Corinthians 2.15-16, Paul writes, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?” When you share the gospel…when you tell others your story…not all will be excited. Some may actually be angry and behave very badly. Not all will believe. That shouldn’t keep us from telling others about Jesus. Because He is good news. And telling those around us about Him is the most loving thing we can do.

Plan A vs Plan B…some of us are stuck in our Plan B experience. Life hasn’t turned out like we expected. Welcome to life on planet earth. We’ve all experienced the crashing down of our hopes and dreams. Our own bad choices and/or the bad choices of others and/or life in a fallen world are all contributing factors, but for those of us who have trusted in Jesus, we have to believe that our Plan B is God’s Plan A. That He is using it all…the good and the bad…to conform us to the image of Jesus, to transform us to live and love like Him. You are where you are…you have the relationships and are in the circumstances that you are in on purpose. God wants to use you in those relationships and wants to use your circumstances to make you more like Him. If God can use the greatest evil the world has known, the most notorious murder in history, the death of the only truly innocent Man to bring about the greatest good…salvation for all who will believe in Him…can He not bring good out of your current circumstance?

So where are you with the gospel? Is it good news of great joy? If it is, who are you sharing it with? Who is that person in your life that would surprise you if they came to faith? How is “the word of the Lord spreading in your region”? If you are not sharing your story with folks around you, what’s holding you back? What’s keeping you from telling them about Jesus? Make this Advent season a time to reflect on the joy of your salvation…a time to reconnect with Jesus. Be on the lookout for opportunities to share your story and then do it with boldness.

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This post is based on a sermon from our Acts series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster