Title: Christians Teach Christ

Focus: To be Christians, you must teach Christ in by your deeds and by your action

Function: To motivate the audience to teach Christ by dying to self

Intro:	
1.  Sometimes a lot of hard painful work and never get anywhere
2.  Revelation 3:1-3 - Church at Sardis - Reputation for being alive but was dead
3.  Notice the exortation:  REMEMBER what you have received and heard
	a.  What did you receive?  John 3:16
	b.  What are we supposed to do with who we have received?
	c.  We are to teach.  How?

I.  Information about Jesus begins with the Gospels
	A.  Word "gospel" means many things to different people
	B.  What is Gospel?
		1.  Background of the word
			a.  Grk word: a message of glad tidings, victory
			    - Augustus birth 9 B.C. called "gospel" in Achaia (began civil year)
			b.  Background from O.T. Good news of coming rule of God
			c.  Isa 52:3-10 (v.7)  (birshar; beroshah - Grk "euaggelion")
			d.  Isa 61:1-2 (v.1) in Luke it is "gospel"
		2.  Use of the word by Mark  (Mark 1:1, 15)
			a.  Some have called Mark a passion story with extended intro
			b.  Shadow of the cross looms over entire book of Mark
				- Begins with "Gospel"
				- Mark 8 (1/2 way through) Jesus talking about dying
		3.  What Paul calls the "Gospel" (1 Cor 15:1-4)
		4.  Concept of Gospel becomes more and more focused in the Canon of scripture
	C.  First witnesses used "bullets" in their teaching
		1.  Buckshot approach v.s. bullet approach
		2.  One well aimed high powered bullet will get to the heart of the matter
		3.  If you don't know what the bullet is and where to aim, will get nothing
		4.  "Aim at nothing, and you will hit it every time"
	D.  So we need to have Jesus as the center of our teaching
		1.  What occupies the center of our teaching?
		2.  Is there a center, or buckshot?
		3.  Is it minor doctrinal issues, of Jesus that looms large in our teaching?


II.  Make Jesus your passion
	A.  What occupied the center of the Apostles teaching?
	B.  Whenever they got a chance, they spoke the Gospel
		1.  Whenever they got people's attention
			1.  Acts 2:22-25, 32-36 - Speaking in tongues
			2.  Acts 3:12-26 - When healed a lame man
			3.  Acts 4:8-12 - Before the Sanhedrin
			4.  And many more examples in Acts
		2.  Paul's Letters each allude to the Gospel usually in first part
			1.  Rom 1:16 - Whole book is about the Gospel
			2.  1 Cor 1:23; 2:1-2; 15:1ff - Gospel solution to problems
			3.  Gal 1:6-9; Phil 1:12; 2:5ff - Gospel, not accomplishments save
			4.  Any many more examples
		3.  Their passion was the Gospel of Jesus
			1.  Acts 4:19-20; 5:28-29 - They would not stop preaching
			2.  Acts  14:19-21 - Paul stoned and returns
			3.  1 Cor 9:16, 23 - Gospel is Paul's passion
			4.  Phil 1:18 - Rejoice if Christ is proclaimed in pretense or truth
		4.  First evangelists were ordinary Christians (Acts 8:4)
	C.  Reporters are relentless in getting important news to people
		1.  How often do we report the GOOD news.  If we got paid for it, could 
		      we make a living from how we reported the Good News?
		2.  You ARE a reporter for Christ.  
	D.  Don't have to know all doctrinal answers
		1.  Bottom line issue is the Jesus and him crucified
		2.  Issues don't save, the Gospel is what saves
		3.  Determine to know nothing but him crucified


III.  Live his crucifixion and Resurrection every day
	A.  Talking about worship and service
		1.  Principle - serve Lord according to his character
		2.  Eg:  No idols because God is trascendent
	B.  We worship Jesus as Lord
		1.  He is the crucified and risen Lord
		2.  What does that have to do with us?
		3.  Rom 5:20-6:13
			a.  Jesus died, so we should die as well (Rom 12:1)
			b.  We are a new person
		4.  We have been "clothed with Christ" (Gal 3:27)
		5.  Phil 2:1-11 - Jesus emptied himself, humbled, obedient
	C.  Like Jesus, must empty yourself of self
		1.  Need to fill youself with Jesus
		2.  Should be so full of Christ that he oozes out
		3.  You leave some of him on everyone you touch
	D.  What you are doing is so loud I can't hear what you are saying
		1.  A sermon seen is louder than a sermon heard
		2.  A sermon experienced is louder than a sermon seen
		3.  What do people "experience" in you?

Concl
1.  You must teach Christ
	a.  By making the Gospel of Jesus the center of your teaching
	b.  By making Jesus your passion
	c.  By living his crucifixion and resurrection everyday
2.  If you do this, you will lift him up and teach him
3.  John 12:32 - If I be lifted up will draw all men to myself
	a.  If we are not drawing, we are not lifting up Christ
	b.  If we lifting and not growing, we ait lifiting Christ
	c.  The Gospel of Jesus is central to who we are
		- Hub of a wagon wheel , take away the hub, wheel falls apart
		-  If lose focus on the Jesus, the Lord's work falls apart