BONUS: "The Four-Chapter Gospel" sermon series

The Four-Chapter Gospel is a way of recognizing that we are all part of a much bigger story--the story of God.

God's big story can be understood in terms of four chapters:
  1. Creation:  All that God created was good and beautiful and harmonious.  The world as God created it was a world of perfect shalom.
  2. Fall:  When sin entered the world, God's shalom was destroyed.  This sent humanity--and creation as a whole--on a new path.  We now found ourselves on a trajectory that included darkness, hate, violence, selfishness, and all-around brokenness.
  3. Redemption:  When sin became creation's new reality, God embraced a new mission.  Now, God's mission was to restore the shalom of the world.  First, God worked through the people of Israel to restore shalom.  But God's greatest act of redemption came through Jesus, the one who--through his life, death, and resurrection--made shalom possible again.
  4. Restoration:  One day, God's shalom will be fully restored.  One day, the world will once again be as God intended it to be.  The redemption brought by Jesus will be consummated in the new heaven and the new earth.

This is good news.  And understanding this can help your people better grasp how they fit into the story and mission of God.

This sermon series contains five sermons.  The first is an introductory sermon titled Embracing the Four-Chapter Gospel.  The remaining four sermons each focus on one of the chapters of the Four-Chapter Gospel.

FULL DISCLOSURE:  I preached these sermons from my home office while our church was quarantining during the pandemic.  You'll get to see, not only the sermon, but how we offered a simplified worship service for at-home worship.
5 Lessons