For anyone who is not a Christian, the experience of attending the typical church service as a guest must be pretty baffling.  And no, I’m not referring to the traditions, the jargon, knowing when to stand, sit or kneel, or how to find the right page at the right time.   Such things can be anxiety producing or downright annoying (no one wants to look out of place or like they don’t know what they’re doing, to feel awkward and self-conscious when they are fervently hoping not to be noticed).  But I’m not addressing any of that just now.  I’m talking about the content.

“God is good!” someone shouts.  “Thank you, Father!” exclaims another.  And so it goes: “We’re celebrating Jesus…Praise the Lord…We worship you, Lord…We bless your name…Amen…Hallelujah!”  Smiling faces.  Soft rock music.  Cue fog machine.  Turn on the mood lighting.  Let’s DO this!

But something is missing—not much, just the reason for rejoicing.  An explanation might be nice.  WHY do Christians say God is good, even though bad things happen to “good” people? WHY are they grateful?  WHY celebrate Jesus?  WHAT does He save from (or for that matter, what for)? HOW is this accomplished?  What difference, if any, does it make?

These are very basic questions any visitor might have.  [I would not be at all surprised to find that many who attend services with some regularity have the same questions.]  Yet, such questions are seldom asked, much less answered, at many churches.  Our hypothetical visitor (or first time live-streamer checking it out in safe and comfortable anonymity) is left to wonder.

The cause of the bewilderment can be traced at least in part, to widespread apostasy (falling away, departure or rebellion) predicted for the end of this age.  That apostasy is no longer on the way.  It is here.  It’s all around us—church bodies wanting to borrow the good name of Christ, but desperate to get out from under His authority.  They pick and choose the doctrines they’re comfortable defending and drop or disavow those which rank low in popular opinion polls.  In hiding from talk of sin, Satan, the judgment that awaits all of humanity and the reality of hell, they show that they are actually ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Yet without the facts, shared person-to-person by those who know them best, modern people have no hope of understanding what grace is, why they should be grateful to God for it or for what reason it should produce feelings of relief and peace and joy.  They can have no clue as to why Christ died, for whom Christ died and from what exactly, they need to be saved. No wonder studies show that they are disenchanted with such a “christianity” (small ‘c’) and are seeking alternatives.  How times have changed, and not in a good way.

Here is the bold and unflinching confession of Christian faith that changed the world:  

“¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  ³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: ⁵ And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: ⁶ After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.  ⁷ After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  ⁸ And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”  (I Corinthians 15:1-8)

“¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”  (Romans 1:16-17)

These passages announce that salvation is available and obtainable by faith in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died on the cross to pay the full penalty for our sins.  When we trust not in our own works, but in Christ’s finished work on the cross on our behalf, God applies His sinless Son’s righteousness to us.  Jesus’ resurrection provides the critical proof that God’s plan to sacrifice His own Son in our place was fully effective.  It worked, and because He lives, we will live also.  The gospel is the power by which God saves people who hear and believe it.

Christians, we must talk openly, constantly and unapologetically about the death and resurrection of Jesus, or we forfeit that power.  The Apostle Paul warned his young protégé Timothy, that in the last days perilous times would come, in which there would be those “Having a form [or appearance] of godliness, but denying the power thereof…”  He tells Timothy flatly, “from such turn away.” (II Timothy 3:5)

Paul’s example of laser focus on the gospel stands in sharp contrast to the waffling and evasion of those who are embarrassed by it. Here he explains to believers in Corinth, how he prepared for his visit to them.  Let’s peek at Paul’s letter over their shoulders:

“¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  ² For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  ⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”  (I Corinthians 2:1-5)

Later in the same letter, Paul showed just how pivotal the good news of Jesus’ resurrection really is, declaring in clear and unmistakable terms that Christianity crumbles without it.  Let’s listen to him explain in his own words:

“¹³ But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:¹⁴ And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.  ¹⁵ Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. ¹⁶ For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:  ¹⁷ And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.  ¹⁸ Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.  ¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”  (I Corinthians 15:13-19)

BUT CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED!!!

“²⁰ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  ²¹ For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  ²³ But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.  ²⁴ Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”  (I Corinthians 15:20-26)

This is how we know God is good.  This is why we thank, praise and worship our God.  This is why we say, “amen.”  This is why we sing.  This is why we shout, “Hallelujah!”  Do we expect the message about a dead man raised to life again, with the power to raise other men from the dead, to be sneered at and rejected by the majority? Of course we do.  It happens everywhere we go.  Does it bother us?  Not in the slightest.  God loves the world.  He thinks it deserves to know.  So, we gladly share the hope that we have, based solely on the fact that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

This is our testimony:  “…he [God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him [Jesus] from the dead.”  (Acts 17:31)

It has always been our testimony.  It remains our most urgent, most important and, most potent message for a lost and dying world.  Jesus is alive.  He is coming soon.  Are you ready?  [Hint: if you find the very thought terrifying, you are not ready.  But don’t run into hiding.  Take heart and see below.]

HOW TO BE SAVED:

1. Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
2. Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
3. Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and Master of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
4. Believe His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)