We’re going to be in Ephesians 1 in just a few moments. Another way of looking at the pure unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a very appropriate way to draw this quarter to a close and this year to a close. By reminding ourselves of what the New Testament describes as the Gospel, how it describes, what is implied with that description so that here at the end of the year we know exactly what we are talking about. You’ve got your Bible’s open there to Ephesians 1. Undoubtedly when the Apostle Paul and Peter, and others describe the Gospel, their talking about it in terms of something that was planned by God even before He said, “Let there be light”. Let’s get that in our minds this morning. Yes the first Gospel sermon was preached in Acts 2 but, the Gospel wasn’t formulated in Acts 1 or Acts 2. Begin reading there in Ephesians 1:3 Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him”. And he goes on to describe of course many of the different aspects of this good news, redemption in verse 7 through His blood, and forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace….

SUNDAY MORNING (December 23rd) - Counterfeit GospelsThe Churchless Gospel"I'm interested in Christ, but not the church" is not an uncommon thing to hear in our moderncontext. Some don't understand the importance of the church's existence. Others would saythey "belong" to a local church, but they rarely participate in the life of the church.The author of Hebrews speaks of the great honor it is to meet together with otherbelievers. And at one point, he warns against "neglecting to meet together, as is the habit ofsome" (Heb 10:23-25). Passages like this let us know that the problem of Christians neglectingcorporate worship is not new. If the author of Hebrews saw this problem as important enoughto address, it must mean that even back in New Testament times, some Christians wereneglecting what God designed for their good.why is the "churchless gospel" attractive to many?.f'Is the church important? If not, why not? If so, why?Is membership in a local church merely an option for the modern Christian?What principles can we learn from the many "one another" passages in the New Testament?(John 13:14, 34-35; 15:12,17; Rom 12:10;15:14; Gal 5:13; Eph 4:2,32; 5:19, 21; phil 2:3; Co13:13, 16; 1 Thes 4:18;Heb 3:13;]ames 5:16; 1 Pet 3:8; 4:9; 2]ohn 5)If the "churchless gospel" is a counterfeit, does it need to be countered? If so, in what ways?

SUNDAY MORNING (December 16th) • Counterfeit GospelsThe Political GospelPolitics is the science or art of political government; the practice or profession of conducting political affairs; exercising or seeking power in the governmental or public affairs of a state, municipality, etc.How should we think of God in relation to human governments and political affairs?Is there any danger attached to the fusing of politics and the gospel? If so, what sort of danger?What should we make of God's documented interaction with the old Testament nation ofWhat do jesus' words in Mark 12:13-17 have to contribute to this discussionIs there any such thing as a Christian nation? If so, in what way? If not, why not?

SUNDAY MORNING (December 9th)•Counterfeit GospelsThe Social GospelSocial is defined "as pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations": a social club; "seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; pertaining to, connected with, or suited to polite or fashionable society": a social event.To socialize is "to associate or mingle sociably with others": to socialize with one's fellow workers.There is by no means anything wrong with the social aspect of human relationships or socializing with others. But history documents a number of attempts to fuse the gospel of]esus Christ (Rom 1:16) with appeals, opportunities, and gimmicks centered on the social needs and wants of men and women, young and old. Examples abound-gymnasiums and physical fitness opportunities, therapy and recovery programs, community recreation, political activism, the entertainment of teenagers, dramatic presentations, the providing of handy conveniences, etc.Why is the "social gospel" so attractive and, as a result, so popular?Should churches organize programs to serve social needs, finance social causes, and use social programs as a means of community outreach? If so, why? If not, why not?Should Jesus' words in John 18:36 play any role in this discussion?Is it important for brothers and sisters in Christ to spend social time together? If so, why? Ifnot, why not?

SUNDAY MORNING (November 18th) • Counterfeit GospelsThe "Good Morals" GospelBe pleasant. Help others. Be polite. Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't steal. Say you're sorry. Useyour manners. Treat other people the way you would want to be treated.The "good morals" gospel sounds a lot like the gentle admonitions of a grandmother.Millions believe that as long as they have some "good, clean morals," that's what matters inthe eyes of God. The ultimate goal of religion? To promote moral, upright behavior. Theultimate purpose of the church? To function as a bastion of morality and encouragechurchgoers to be hard workers and kind neighbors. All the while, subscribers to the "goodmorals" gospel can exhibit "good, clean morals" in the eyes of the secular society aroundthem, yet never recognize their desperate need for a Savior.In what ways do these characteristics and tendencies of the "good morals" gospelultimately produce a counterfeit?r "Getting right" with Godwithout defining who Godis -~ Thinking of God in human terms, almost like a doting grandparent -~ Treating the "good news" as good advicewhyis the "good morals" gospel so attractive and, as a result, so popular?If the "good morals" gospel is a counterfeit, does it need to be countered? If so, in what ways?

SUNDAY MORNING (November lrh) • Counterfeit GospelsThe Judgmentless GospelJohn Lennon's 1971 song "Imagine" encourages us to imagine there is no heaven or hell.Instead, we should embrace the need to live for today. The song was a big hit when it wasreleased and is now recognized as one of the greatest rock/pop songs of all time. The lyricssummed up the mood of the post-1960s era, a time in which people were questioning religiousclaims and traditional morality.Forty years later, many-even those who claim to be followers of Jesus-are fullyfollowing Lennon's advice. We are told that the gospel is not really about the afterlife. Thegospel answers much bigger questions than a person's eternal state. It's all about life todaynotso much about tomorrow. In fact, there may not even be a great Day of Judgment that iscoming.In reality, the "judgmentless gospel" championed by some segments of the religiousworld isn't big enough to include the full picture. of course we should see the gospel asspeaking to life today. And yes, the gospel is not only about going to heaven when we die. Butwe must take care that, as we are surrounded by so much religious confusion, we hold togetherall the components of the gospel story.The "judgmentless gospel" shows up in many forms. In your own words, why are these._l;"~-·-f-'· ua.l.rb~L v'u-·..':-> ,"vouu.n.tIe".r.Cf.cl.ii.t~sl•?.o.. ;~ "Everybody is going to heaven" -~ "The afterlife isn't nearly as important as making the most of life here on the earth" -~ "Godwouldn't ever send anyone to hell. People choose to go there" -~ "Godknows my heart" -Whyis the "judgmentless gospel" so attractive and, as a result, so popular?If the "judgmentless gospel" is a counterfeit, does it need to be countered? If so, in what ways?

SUNDAY MORNING (October 28th) • Counterfeit GospelsThe Therapeutic GospelA woman comes into an emergency room, coughing uncontrollably. As one of the doctorseventually talks with her, he finds out that she's been a smoker for decades. He prescribessome medicine that will temporarily relieve the worst of her coughing, but he tells her that thecough will not completely go away as long as she continues smoking. A few weeks later, thelady comes back, complaining that the medicine is no longer working. What will the doctorsay? "I'm only addressing your symptom. The real problem is that you continue to damageyour lungs."Every doctor knows that getting the diagnosis right is vitally important for giving theright prescription. It isn't enough to treat symptoms; doctors must identify the root cause of apatient's problem. As christians, we should be no less vigilant in searching the Scriptures forthe true diagnosis of our spiritual state.The "therapeutic gospel" answers a key question like, What are we here for? by pointingto our desire for personal happiness. Another important question, What has gone wrong? isanswered by pointing to our feelings of emptiness. Sin is recast as an obstacle to findinghappiness. It's whatever gets in the way of our becoming all that we ought to be. Godwants topatch up the hole in our hearts, and he does this by sending Jesus to fill our hearts with love tobless our pursuit of happiness. The church is then transformed into a place to help people findpersonal fulfillment.~ Is the "therapeutic gospel" a counterfeit gospel? If so, in what ways?~ Why is the "therapeutic gospel" so attractive and, as a result, so popular?consider how, whenever the "therapeutic gospel" takes hold, certain results are bound tofollow. These results leave us spiritually anemic at just the time we need to be spirituallyempowered.~ Disillusionment when suffering comes. Why?~ Ashrunken view of sin. Why?~ People who desire what Godcan give us rather than Godhimself. Why?If the "therapeutic gospel" is a counterfeit, does it need to be countered? If so, in what ways?

SUNDAY MORNING (October 14th) • Counterfeit GospelsEquipping Ourselves with the Real DealFrom the time we can put together syllables and comprehend what other people are saying, weare fascinated by stories. Something deep within the human soul hungers for narratives andthe truths they convey. In a profound way, we not only come to live for stories, we live bythem. Howwe understand the story of our world affects how we live.The Bible is a library of books that contain many different types of literature. Taken asa whole, the Scriptures provide us with a grand narrative-a great story in which every personis invited to take part. God has chosen, through his Word, to tell his children the Story, not abedtime story that rocks us into a gentle sleep, but the story that we wake up to in themorning that explains why we exist. God's Story tells us who we are, what has gone wrongwith the world, what God has done to redeem and restore his broken creation, and what thefuture holds for his people, those who accept his offer of salvation.The fundamental questions that define our existence find their answers in the biblicalnarrative. And if we are to live by the biblical story, it's important that we rightly understand itand the good news at its heart. Take the time to read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, one of the clearestdescriptions of the gospel in the Bible. Using that passage and your own grasp of the Story,how would you describe the gospel?Consider these primary "scenes" of the Story. How would you summarize them in your ownwords?~ Creation -~ Sin -~ Covenant-~ Law-~ Prophecy -~ Jesus -~ Redemption -~ Gospel-~ Return -

Modern society lives in an age of terror. Unstable nations build weapons of mass destruction.Misguided religious extremists plant bombs and attack embassies. The threat of a nuclearattack constantly lurks in the background of our national consciousness.But imagine a quieter weapon of mass destruction, a weapon that, when unleashed, cando as much damage to a nation as explosive acts of war. Didyou know that for more than 2,000years, countries have sought to destabilize their enemies by spreading counterfeit money? Justthink of what would happen if counterfeit bills flooded America. There would be massiveconfusion. It would take millions of dollars to educate the populace in becoming experts atseeing the truth in order to spot the fakes. By imitating the genuine, the counterfeit moneycreates confusion and typically distorts the value of the real currency. The counterfeit worksbecause it mimics the real deal so well that customers and businesses spread the fake moneyuntil even governments are"affected.In the same way, at even greater cost, Christians and non-Christians are often drawn tocounterfeit gospels. Even those of us who have walked with the Lord for many years may beinclined to accept cheap imitations of the truth. In your own words, what are counterfeitgospels, and why do they attract the attention of so many?Take the time to read Galatians 1:6-10, 1 John 4:1-6, Jude 1-4, and Revelation 2:12-17. Whatshould we take away from these passages about the danger of counterfeit gospels?Having read Acts 16:11-15, Romans 1:16-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, and Colossians 1:3-14, why iscontinued confidence in the power of the gospel vital?Practically speaking, when there is a lack of clarity in understanding and applying the gospel,what dangers arise?Devoid of gospel confidence and clarity, disciples of Christ can begin to lose theirdistinctiveness. Why and how do entire churches tend to lose their focus on the gospel andunite around other things?