Now That's Really Good News
A shepherd lost one sheep out of one hundred. In the bible sheep represent people much of the
time. Other times they represent sheep. For now it's people in this article. And just to
personalize it, this sheep is you. You are lost, somewhere, out there, on a hillside far away,
where wolves are known to frequent.
Somehow you weren't paying attention, daydreaming perhaps, singing just louder than the
shepherd's call, but now, he doesn't know where you are and the search begins. He finds you
singing and munching and singing. He rejoices, he found his lost sheep. Then he finds some of
his friends and he says Rejoice with me, my sheep was lost but now is found. You are found, you
are the subject of rejoicing among the friends. What great news.
Luke 15:3-7 NIV Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred
sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after
the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and
goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have
found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Jesus is the shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100: 3 He is very happy when
one of his sheep find their way to him, or is the other way around, the shepherd Jesus finds his
way to them, it is a day for rejoicing. I'm getting a bit teary-eyed telling you this story out of the
bible which you can find here: Matthew 12:10-12. (I've been a sheep since I was five years old,
just 51 years.)
It's exciting to be a part of the family of God, all we have to do is believe on the son of God, Jesus
Christ, and call upon him to be saved from our lost condition and he will save us. Let's take a
look in God's word the Bible and see what the new testament writers had to say about Jesus and
salvation, which is good news to the lost and forgotten of our world. Let me assure you, the
Shepherd is still on the job, he's not a hireling and won't run away, even if a wolf comes near.
John 10:13 He's made an investment and intends to see it bear fruit. It will bear fruit if those
who hear and act on simple words that pierce to the dividing of soul and spirit, bone and marrow.
Hebrews 4:12
Here are some revealing passages from several new testament figures, first Peter in the book of
Acts.
Acts 10:39-43 NIV "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in
Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on
the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses
whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that
everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Now that is one power-packed paragraph. Peter testified to the Gentiles gathered at Cornelius'
house about Jesus who they saw as eye witnesses after Jesus death and resurrection. He lays
out that Jesus then charged them with the command to preach and testify to folks about him.
This is great news to those in the household. God actually gave Peter a vision indicating to him
that the Gentiles would also be saved through faith in Jesus. This wasn't just a Jewish thing, this
was a whole world thing, it was an everyone thing, it was a believe and receive in his name
thing. Thank God we have the words of Peter to the Gentiles recorded for all to see.
Next, let's check out Saul, who became Paul, one of the Jews persecuting the church, these are
his words.
Acts 13:38-39 NIV "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from
everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
This passage is part of the story where Jews and Gentiles together heard Paul and Barnabas (a
Levite who became a disciple and traveled with Paul). The Jews rejected the message while the
Gentiles who were motivated to do so received it and believed. At this point and under threats
of death, Paul and Barnabas determine to take the good news to the Gentiles. Smart move on
their part, the alternative would have certainly shortened their vocational performance and
calling. So, this part of the good news became really good news from the entire rest of the world.
Jesus had a cousin, his name was John. John was the guy out in the desert who ate locusts and
wild honey. He dressed pretty rough too, clothes of camel hair and a leather belt, and all the
people from Jerusalem and all Judea went out to hear him preach. He didn't mince any words
commanding the people to repent and be baptized for remission of their sins. Once they
confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan river.
John had a wonderful speaking style calling the Pharisees and Saducees who came out to hear
him a brood of vipers. He warned that the axe was already at the root of the tree and they were
about to be cut off. He said they were not much better than a pile of rocks and God could raise
up children for Abraham from stones, they were nothing special. He was goading them, chiding
them to repent and do works in keeping with repentance. And if they persisted in their sin, well
they were headed for the fire which was unquenchable, they were going to be burned up.
Needless to say, John ticked many of these folks off with his rhetoric, yet they couldn't deny the
authority with which he spoke. You can find all this in Matthew 3:1-12 NIV
John alluded to the good news in this: Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water unto repentance.
But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John knew the Christ was coming, he wasn't
exactly sure who it was, but he knew he was coming. He baptized Jesus also, and witnessed the
Spirit descend upon him like a dove. John also heard the voice from heaven, "This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased." John now knew who the Christ was and participated
in preparing the way for him. Later he declares, "I must decrease, but he must increase." Little
did he know, his life was on the line, he was a great forerunner of the good news. His life was
forfeit for the message he proclaimed.
Now let's look at another man named John in the new testament. He was the disciple that Jesus
loved. The gospel of John is named for him and he sent out a couple of letters we call 1 and 2
John. John makes the gospel fairly simple to understand. 1 John 3:23 And this is his commend:
to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24
Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he
lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
In a nutshell, it's by simple belief in Jesus as savior that is the crux of the good news. What
makes it really good news is that anyone can participate. It takes only a simple childlike faith.
That is part of the obstacle for some, they'd prefer climbing great mountains for salvation to
bending the knee. They'd prefer keeping a list of strict rules, than to be motivated by love to do
good. I was five years old, at the wrong church, and still responded to the good news. You really
cannot blow it, God loves you. He'll guide you into all truth, but it starts with a simple response
to the gospel.
If you are not born again, born of the Spirit as Jesus taught Nicodemus one evening after dark, it
may be time for you to humble yourself and accept the free gift of eternal life provided for you.
Just call on the name of Jesus and he will respond to you. Nothing gets the ear of God quicker
than someone calling on his Son's name. Don't worry about water baptism or sacraments or
anything else, that will come in due time. What is happening is you becoming an adopted son or
daughter into God's family. Believe me, he receives you, because you are invoking all Jesus
provided through his sacrifice of himself when you call on his name.
Romans 8:15 KJV For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And in Galatians 4:6 we read:
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. God becomes our father through two things our belief and confession of his son, and
secondly by him adopting us by giving us his Spirit to live in us.
I'll conclude with a verse from Peter. 2 Peter 2:4 KJV Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Those who believe become partakers of
the divine nature his Spirit comes to give life to us. That is the really good news, God adopts us
as his own, he becomes our father, Jesus paid for the sins of the world including ours. We
become new creatures, new creations by a simple act of faith in Jesus, calling on his name,
confessing him as Lord of our lives. Nothing could be simpler; nothing could be better than this
really good news.
17 April 2008, Bruce Dickey
A shepherd lost one sheep out of one hundred. In the bible sheep represent people much of the
time. Other times they represent sheep. For now it's people in this article. And just to
personalize it, this sheep is you. You are lost, somewhere, out there, on a hillside far away,
where wolves are known to frequent.
Somehow you weren't paying attention, daydreaming perhaps, singing just louder than the
shepherd's call, but now, he doesn't know where you are and the search begins. He finds you
singing and munching and singing. He rejoices, he found his lost sheep. Then he finds some of
his friends and he says Rejoice with me, my sheep was lost but now is found. You are found, you
are the subject of rejoicing among the friends. What great news.
Luke 15:3-7 NIV Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred
sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after
the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and
goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have
found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Jesus is the shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100: 3 He is very happy when
one of his sheep find their way to him, or is the other way around, the shepherd Jesus finds his
way to them, it is a day for rejoicing. I'm getting a bit teary-eyed telling you this story out of the
bible which you can find here: Matthew 12:10-12. (I've been a sheep since I was five years old,
just 51 years.)
It's exciting to be a part of the family of God, all we have to do is believe on the son of God, Jesus
Christ, and call upon him to be saved from our lost condition and he will save us. Let's take a
look in God's word the Bible and see what the new testament writers had to say about Jesus and
salvation, which is good news to the lost and forgotten of our world. Let me assure you, the
Shepherd is still on the job, he's not a hireling and won't run away, even if a wolf comes near.
John 10:13 He's made an investment and intends to see it bear fruit. It will bear fruit if those
who hear and act on simple words that pierce to the dividing of soul and spirit, bone and marrow.
Hebrews 4:12
Here are some revealing passages from several new testament figures, first Peter in the book of
Acts.
Acts 10:39-43 NIV "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in
Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on
the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses
whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that
everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Now that is one power-packed paragraph. Peter testified to the Gentiles gathered at Cornelius'
house about Jesus who they saw as eye witnesses after Jesus death and resurrection. He lays
out that Jesus then charged them with the command to preach and testify to folks about him.
This is great news to those in the household. God actually gave Peter a vision indicating to him
that the Gentiles would also be saved through faith in Jesus. This wasn't just a Jewish thing, this
was a whole world thing, it was an everyone thing, it was a believe and receive in his name
thing. Thank God we have the words of Peter to the Gentiles recorded for all to see.
Next, let's check out Saul, who became Paul, one of the Jews persecuting the church, these are
his words.
Acts 13:38-39 NIV "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from
everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
This passage is part of the story where Jews and Gentiles together heard Paul and Barnabas (a
Levite who became a disciple and traveled with Paul). The Jews rejected the message while the
Gentiles who were motivated to do so received it and believed. At this point and under threats
of death, Paul and Barnabas determine to take the good news to the Gentiles. Smart move on
their part, the alternative would have certainly shortened their vocational performance and
calling. So, this part of the good news became really good news from the entire rest of the world.
Jesus had a cousin, his name was John. John was the guy out in the desert who ate locusts and
wild honey. He dressed pretty rough too, clothes of camel hair and a leather belt, and all the
people from Jerusalem and all Judea went out to hear him preach. He didn't mince any words
commanding the people to repent and be baptized for remission of their sins. Once they
confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan river.
John had a wonderful speaking style calling the Pharisees and Saducees who came out to hear
him a brood of vipers. He warned that the axe was already at the root of the tree and they were
about to be cut off. He said they were not much better than a pile of rocks and God could raise
up children for Abraham from stones, they were nothing special. He was goading them, chiding
them to repent and do works in keeping with repentance. And if they persisted in their sin, well
they were headed for the fire which was unquenchable, they were going to be burned up.
Needless to say, John ticked many of these folks off with his rhetoric, yet they couldn't deny the
authority with which he spoke. You can find all this in Matthew 3:1-12 NIV
John alluded to the good news in this: Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water unto repentance.
But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John knew the Christ was coming, he wasn't
exactly sure who it was, but he knew he was coming. He baptized Jesus also, and witnessed the
Spirit descend upon him like a dove. John also heard the voice from heaven, "This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased." John now knew who the Christ was and participated
in preparing the way for him. Later he declares, "I must decrease, but he must increase." Little
did he know, his life was on the line, he was a great forerunner of the good news. His life was
forfeit for the message he proclaimed.
Now let's look at another man named John in the new testament. He was the disciple that Jesus
loved. The gospel of John is named for him and he sent out a couple of letters we call 1 and 2
John. John makes the gospel fairly simple to understand. 1 John 3:23 And this is his commend:
to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24
Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he
lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
In a nutshell, it's by simple belief in Jesus as savior that is the crux of the good news. What
makes it really good news is that anyone can participate. It takes only a simple childlike faith.
That is part of the obstacle for some, they'd prefer climbing great mountains for salvation to
bending the knee. They'd prefer keeping a list of strict rules, than to be motivated by love to do
good. I was five years old, at the wrong church, and still responded to the good news. You really
cannot blow it, God loves you. He'll guide you into all truth, but it starts with a simple response
to the gospel.
If you are not born again, born of the Spirit as Jesus taught Nicodemus one evening after dark, it
may be time for you to humble yourself and accept the free gift of eternal life provided for you.
Just call on the name of Jesus and he will respond to you. Nothing gets the ear of God quicker
than someone calling on his Son's name. Don't worry about water baptism or sacraments or
anything else, that will come in due time. What is happening is you becoming an adopted son or
daughter into God's family. Believe me, he receives you, because you are invoking all Jesus
provided through his sacrifice of himself when you call on his name.
Romans 8:15 KJV For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And in Galatians 4:6 we read:
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. God becomes our father through two things our belief and confession of his son, and
secondly by him adopting us by giving us his Spirit to live in us.
I'll conclude with a verse from Peter. 2 Peter 2:4 KJV Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Those who believe become partakers of
the divine nature his Spirit comes to give life to us. That is the really good news, God adopts us
as his own, he becomes our father, Jesus paid for the sins of the world including ours. We
become new creatures, new creations by a simple act of faith in Jesus, calling on his name,
confessing him as Lord of our lives. Nothing could be simpler; nothing could be better than this
really good news.
17 April 2008, Bruce Dickey
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