I think it's safe to say that every gospel presentation includes good news and bad news. The good news is God's love, reconciliation through Christ, how abundant my life now is, etc. The bad news is sin, death, and fractured relationship, how messed up my life was before, etc.
So if you were writing a how-to guide for making a gospel presentation what would your outline be in terms of good news/bad news?
I'll go first...
Good News
Bad News
Good News
More Good News
How about you?
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us wthout end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C.S. LewisPost Thanks / Like - 3 Thanks, 0 Laughing
I think it depends on who you are presenting to: to be most effective the message needs to be adjusted to the recipient (and a lot of that needs to be the work of the Holy Spirit, not us!). Having said that, I think your general outline is the way it should most often be done. Don't ignore the Bad News (and I think many today do ignore it) but stress the Good News, for the bottom line is that it is Very Good News indeed!
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When preaching, I try to go bad news, good news (which is always God, in some form), and so what?
...just my $.02.Post Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 0 LaughingJim Chabot - "thanks" for this post
How about bad news, 'oops I ran out of time, come back next week for the good news'?Originally Posted by Ryan Scott
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us wthout end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C.S. Lewis
How about: "Stay tuned for exciting scenes from next weeks sermon season finale' " or "Next week, a special sermon by Billy that will change your life forever."How about bad news, 'oops I ran out of time, come back next week for the good news'?
"Sermon Trailer's" That's it!
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I must say, Billy, I really like your outline!
We are often told that "gospel" means "good news." I tell my people from time-to-time that if it doesn't sound like good news when they tell it, they are telling it wrong!
Wilson
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." (1 Cor. 15:10)Post Thanks / Like - 2 Thanks, 0 Laughing
I have seen a sermon that included a recap of the previous sermon. Sometimes the recap was longer than the new episode.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us wthout end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C.S. LewisPost Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 0 Laughing
I feel bad for those who have to leave early!
Wilson
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." (1 Cor. 15:10)Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 2 Laughing
That'l teach em! Especially as they pull the roast out of the oven and feel the heat!I feel bad for those who have to leave early!
Wilson
-Jim
To know and to serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth, that, like the nose on your face, is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard. But a little faith will see you through.
Garrison KeillorPost Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 1 LaughingSusan Unger - thanks for this funny post
I prefer the Joel Osteen method:
Good News
Good News
Good News
Rich
"Love without holiness disintegrates into sentimentality. Personal integrity is lost. But holiness without love is not holiness at all. In spite of its label, it displays harshness, judgmentalism, a critical spirit, and all its capacity for discrimination end in nit-picking and divisiveness."-Mildred Bangs WynkoopPost Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 5 Laughing
Depends on the narrative one is using. Some narratives have their own outline: good news, bad news, redemption news.
Mine is similar to Ryan's but a bit different.
Good News (shalom/wholeness)
Bad News (sin/brokenness)
Good News (grace, restored to shalom/wholeness)
Mission (how is God calling you to join God in God's continued work of restoration?)
Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived. - Shane ClaibornePost Thanks / Like - 5 Thanks, 0 Laughing
Maybe people are already convinced of the bad news and conventional religion underscore the already abundantly obvious bad news. Enter Osteen... Culture and religion have already preached the heck out of the bad news (see the self-help section of any bookstore for exhibit A) and Osteen simply tags-in, preaches news that isn't bad, and reaps an easy harvest of thousands.I prefer the Joel Osteen method:
Good News
Good News
Good News
Rich
All of the attacks on Osteen simply add to his credibility with those who have a stomachful of religions' bad news fixation.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us wthout end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C.S. LewisPost Thanks / Like - 2 Thanks, 0 Laughing
Here's me -
People in the Bible were broken
We are broken
God did something for the broken people in the Bible
God does something for us
For example, yesterday was Mark 6:1-13
Jesus experienced rejection
We have all been rejected
Jesus gave the disciples authority
Jesus wants to give us authority over our failures, too!
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That's the form I was taught in undergrad through The Four Pages of the Sermon.
Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived. - Shane ClaibornePost Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 0 Laughing
That's the form I was taught by reading the book. I often execute it quite poorly, and yesterday was no exception, but God uses willing vessels. (self-deprecating shameless promotion alert):
http://crossview.info/sermonaudio/2012_05_13_sermon.mp3
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I usually use a similar format to yours.
Good News - Creation
Bad News - Brokenness
Good News - Restoration & Redemption
Even Better News - New Creation
In fact I preached this on Easter this year.
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I've often wondered what our worship services would be like if we sang the way many preachers in our tradition have preached. Our songs follow this format -
verse one - bad news. i was a sinner
chorus - Good news. Jesus.
verse two - bad news. Now I have trials
chorus - Good news. Jesus.
verse three - bad news. I'm getting old and I'm gonna die.
chorus - Good news. Jesus.
If we sang like our sermons, it would like more like this
chorus - wonderful grace of Jesus
verse one - do better
verse two - try harder
verse three - witness more
verse four - God's watching
We could connect that in a medley with these lyrics:
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows when you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!! You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Jesus Christ is coming... to town!
Wow, that just beats the stuffing out of 'Just As I Am'. Sheer brilliance!
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us wthout end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C.S. LewisPost Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 3 Laughing
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