Malcolm Cox Malcolm Cox

Introduction





What is your picture of the gospel? If we are to fully embrace all that it means to be a new creation, we need a clear and compelling vision of the gospel.
In the previous class we explored the fact that the gospel is good news, as well as the way Jesus defined the good news, and how we can cultivate a healthy view of the gospel.
Today is part 2 of two classes designed to refresh and expand our view of what the gospel is, and what it means for us today.
A skinny gospel of forgiveness and going to heaven needs fleshing out into the full picture of what Jesus was teaching, demonstrating and offering.
Before we get into the main points, just a reminder that the gospel (new good news) is the coming of the kingdom.

Mark 1.14-15
“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

What are some of the implications of the arrival of the Kingdom for you and me?
1. Gospel Mission





Accepting Jesus means a personal, global and cosmic impact:
”The gospel is personal but never private." Trevor Hudson
Joining up with Jesus means joining him in his mission. Have a look at Luke 4:16-21. What was his mission? Among other things, it was—and is—justice for the poor, healing for the sick, liberation for the oppressed. We are called into this mission. You are a portal for God's justice, mercy and liberation.
Jesus said this about his mission:

Luke 4.43
“But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.””


He was a proclaimer of the the good news, and we, as his followers have the same privilege,
Romans 10.15
“And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””
What does it mean to be 'sent'? What does it mean to go and 'bring good news' to people?
In your group, discuss the various ways we are sent and bring the good news. Explore different contexts such as family, neighbours and workplace. What difference does it make to be a bringer of good news in these situations? How do we recognise when we are being called to bring good news in those places?
Is there a place for cold-contact evangelism? This situation in Acts looks very like it,
Acts 8.4
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”The word 'preached' is the 'euaggelizo' word meaning 'to proclaim good news'.



2. Gospel Life




In John's gospel the word ‘kingdom’ is used less than the other gospels. Instead he uses the word ‘life’ (‘zoe’ in Greek) as a rough equivalent.
John 17.3
““This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”


The good news (kingdom reality) we enjoy is a new life (eternal life).
This fullness of life containing eternity starts now - not in heaven. The gospel is knowing God, not simply going to be with God.
As Richard Foster put it, "The goal of the Christian life is not simply to get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us."
You might like to read all the references to 'zoe' in John's gospel and see what you learn about this new creation life we have - right now: John 1:4; 3:15-16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 26, 29, 39-40; 6:27, 33, 35, 40, 47-48, 51, 53-54, 63, 68; 8:12; 10:10, 28; 11:25; 12:25, 50; 14:6; 17:2-3; 20:31.
If the good news (gospel) is our new life, what does that mean for the way we think about ourselves, our faith community and our relationship with God?


Conclusion: Cultivating a Healthy view of the Gospel





Questions and suggestions for reflection and discussion


How does Jesus embody the gospel mission and the gospel life?
How could you and your local group grow in the gospel mission?
How could you and your local group grow in the gospel life?
Read one of the gospels and make notes on anythi

Teaching Tip 362 | “Plain Speaking - five things that can spoil an otherwise good sermon” | Malcolm Cox 


Introduction

Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot. 



As a delicious dish can be ruined by one lousy ingredient, so a good lesson can be spoiled by small distractions. What might seem a minor detail to you as a speaker may appear majorly problematic to your hearers. Bercot offers us five issues to consider. 







Mispronunciation. The odd word here or there is no big deal. However, if it is crucial to your topic it is a big deal. Mispronouncing an important word destroys your credibility and leads to significant distraction. Imagine a doctor mispronouncing the name of your medical condition. How would you feel?

Poor Posture and Distracting Movements.  Stand and move in a manner appropriate to your context. Some church contexts suit more movement than others. How people are seated, the sight lines and amplification system will have an impact. In general, refrain from pacing ‘continually back and forth, like a zoo animal in its cage’ (92), but also from being too stiff like an army sentry. 

Inappropriate Dress and Slovenly Appearance.  Bend your preferences to the culture of the place where you will be speaking. You are not the focus; God is. You are up there to serve. Anything out of place—a suit where people wear jeans, or jeans where people wear suits—will distract your audience from the message. 

Using ‘Word Whiskers’.  These are words of phrases also known as ‘fillers’. We want to avoid, “um”, “OK”, “you see”, “y’know” — especially when liberally sprinkled throughout a talk without meaningful purpose. The best way to work on this is to record yourself and write down such fillers. The best way to cut them out is to speak more slowly and pause, rather than ‘fill’ with a ’word whisker’.

Going Over Your Allotted Time. In almost 40 years of preaching, I have never—not once—annoyed my listeners by being too short. The opposite is not the case. More on this in the next episode. 



What are your thoughts on the five issues Bercot addresses? What other problems have we missed? 


Conclusion

Next time, we will go on to look at landing your plane on time.


Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so.


Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching.


Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life.


Contact us here with enquiries: courses@aimukandireland.com  


The website can be found here: https://aimukandireland.com  


Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 


Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). 


If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, "How God grows His people", sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 


Please pass the link on, subscribe, and leave a review. 


Remember to keep calm, and carry on teaching.


God bless, Malcolm

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 518 | New Creation Series — Part 10 | “New Creation - New Learning” | Malcolm Cox

Introduction 

A new creation! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to this series on ‘A new creation’. Today, the connection between being a new creation and learning. 

Learning to Learn 

I was very impatient when learning to drive. I wanted to take as few lessons as possible. Partly because I wanted to drive without somebody else in the car (in my space!), and partly because I was an impoverished student at the time. After I passed my test I enjoyed driving solo. However, I had no conception of how much more there still was to learn about driving. The first evidence of that was when I ran out of petrol on the M20 while driving my then girlfriend to Dover Castle (Penny eventually forgave me!).

To follow Jesus is to take on the identity of a life-long learner. However much we learn about him this side of glory, we have only touched the edge of all that we could learn. A disciple - the word mathetes means student - is someone who grows more and more into the likeness of Jesus (2 Cor 3.18). Our current church theme is ‘a new creation’ (2 Cor 5.17), and part of being a new creation is learning all of what that means. How does this happen and why is it important?




The right goal
What is the goal of the Christian life? The goal is not to get to heaven. That might sound strange, so let me explain. The goal is to know God. Last Sunday I saw an advertising board alongside the M25 which asked the question, “Where will you spend eternity?”. I appreciate that someone is trying to help people make a decision to seek God, but it's the wrong question. The right question is, "Who will you spend eternity with?” God is about relationship, not destination.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

2. The right person

Therefore, we want to learn about God so that we can be love and enjoy him. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

How do we do this? By learning as much as possible about our hero, Jesus. 

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

A passionate desire to know Jesus is what motivated the Apostle Paul to write,

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-14 NIV11)

Paul most certainly wanted to be ‘in heaven’, but it's because of who will be there. What is your goal as a Christian, as a disciple? Is it to stay in God's good books? Is it hoping that he will keep you  healthy and all the people you care about will be saved? Or is it to be like Jesus and spend eternity with him? Our goal has a big influence on our learning because it shapes what kind of learning we embrace or reject.

3. The right attitude

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Phil 4.11-12

Was Jesus discontent while on this earth? Not at all — unless you count the discontent he felt about the spiritual pride of some of the Pharisees!  Jesus exhibited remarkable contentment despite being tired, hungry, thirsty and homeless (Luke 9.58). Paul learne

Matthew 6.26
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Life makes us question whether God cares

1. Jesus Needed God's Care

Luke 3.21-22
“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.””

Luke 9.34-36
“While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.”

Wilderness angels Mark 1.13
“and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”

Gethsemane angel Luke 22.43
“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” Point: If Jesus needed it...

2. Jesus Showed us God Cares
QUESTION: How did Jesus show people God cares?

Matthew 10.26-31
““So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Point: God has gone out of his way to let us know he cares. Jesus shows us that sometimes God caring does not mean our lives are easy. Gethsemane! He understands us.
 
Conclusion
1 Peter 5.6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Convinced God cares?

His Eye Is On the Sparrow (1905) SM Mrs. C. D. Martin
1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, 
Why should my heart be lonely and long for Heav'n and home, 
When Jesus is my portion? 
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

2. "Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear, 
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears: 
Though by the path He leadeth but one step I may see: 
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; 
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
    
3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever doubts arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, 
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for me.
I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.or

Teaching Tip 361 | “Plain Speaking - Speak With an Interesting and Clear Voice” | Malcolm Cox 


Introduction

Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot. 



It is crucial to know what we are talking about and present it with confidence and conviction.  However, what difference does the quality of our voice make? Bercot makes this observation:


“In daily conversation, we seem naturally to know how to make our voice pleasant and interesting. We rarely speak in a monotone when talking to friends. but somehow when we’re in front of a congregation we forget to do what comes naturally. That’s why every speaker needs to consciously speak with modulation.” 85


What does this look like?







Modulation. We’re talking about variety in pitch, volume, tone and emphasis. Read one of the parables. Can you imagine Jesus sharing it with no variation in his voice? A monotone? I hardly think so. Where do you think he might have placed emphasis—speaking louder, more softly or slowly? Take the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. I’m pretty sure he relayed the Pharisee’s prayer at high volume (“‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’” (Luke 18:11-12 NIV11), and the tax collector’s at low volume (“‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (Luke 18:13 NIV11)

Volume, Tempo, and Pausing.  Can you be heard by everyone in the room? Look at the back as you start speaking and take note if it looks as if they are straining to hear you. The bigger the group and the larger the room, the slower we need to speak. Sound tends to get garbled the further it travels. Pauses help your audience ‘breathe’ as they listen. A small gap here and there in your lesson will help them to grasp your point. Use dramatic pauses sparingly but meaningfully.  See the example of Jesus in Mark 3:1-6 and imagine the effect of the silence.

Enunciation.  I vividly remember the person who preached on the text, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4 NIV11) His accent was strong. It sounded like he was saying, “Blessed are those who moan”. Once would not have been too bothersome, but it was the main phrase of the lesson and repeated multiple times. The congregation did not know whether to ask him to speak more clearly, try to ignore it, or laugh. It was embarrassing, distracting and avoidable. 



What are your thoughts on cultivating an interesting and clear voice? 


Conclusion

Next time, we will go on to look at five things that can spoil an otherwise good sermon.


Has today’s tip been worth two minutes of your time? I hope so.


Remember to keep calm and carry on teaching.


Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life.


Contact us here with enquiries: courses@aimukandireland.com  


The website can be found here: https://aimukandireland.com  


Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 


Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). 


If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, "How God grows His people", sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 


Please pass the link on, subscribe, and leave a review. 


Remember to keep calm, and carry on teaching.


God bless, Malcolm