Preaching the Gospel

Psalm 49, what I have upon my mind is just a very practical message on the Gospel, the Gospel message. There's a lot of things that we can take for granted. We can get so used to the Gospel, clear Gospel preaching, that we can almost think that's what happens everywhere.

But we need to always come back to the Word of God and be reminded of the... Like, there's nothing like the message of the Gospel. There's not another message that even comes close to it. So, one of the assemblies back home, I've been involved in their weekly Bible study.

We've been going through the book of Romans. Romans, if you want to be able to preach the Gospel better or even percent it better, older preachers have told us, study the book of Romans because it is really the doctrinal aspect, the foundation upon which the Gospel is resting. And if you have a better understanding, let me use the term, the mechanics of the Gospel, the need of a sinner, the righteousness of God, just the importance of what Christ has done, that will help you when you're dealing with those that are not saved.

Here's a practical thing that we have to be very careful of. You and I were saved. I come to the Bible and it's as clear as a bell.

I'm a sinner and Christ died for me. It almost in our mind is like a, it's just like a logical one, two, three. And we sit there and go, how come they can't see it? Because they're blind.

They don't have light. That's something that we have. I'm going to show you that we, as a result of repentance, God has given us something light from scripture and our brains literally have been illuminated by the truth of the word of God.

Now, dear child of God, nobody but God can get that light. Nobody. And sometimes when we try to reduce the Gospel down to a sinner's prayer, just say this, formula one, formula two, we are missing.

There's something uniquely that only God can do. Only God can gauge the level of concern, repentance that is in the heart of the sinner. And therefore God is the one that grants the giving of life.

So I guess the first warning is be wary of trying to simplify the Gospel from our point of view. I can't see anything else in the Bible. Don't end up talking to sinners, getting frustrated.

How come they can't see it? Because they're dark, they're dead in their sins. And we are 100% dependent on the spirit of God. One more point before we read.

I've been enjoying this, the book of Romans. Paul was never in Rome when he wrote, before he wrote the epistle to the Romans. Yet in chapter one, I've never really appreciated the context of the statement, for I am not ashamed of the Gospel of God.

For it is the power, that's where our English word dynamite comes from. It is the power of unto salvation. And then in that chapter, Paul would make reference to the fact that he is looking forward to being in Rome so that he can preach the Gospel and see the Gospel affect many people.

Now, I didn't really appreciate this until a brother mentioned it in a Bible study. The world power at that time was the Roman Empire. Rome was its capital.

Rome, the city of Rome, was a filthy debauchery of wickedness. We think it's bad today with what's going on. Rome was putrid, rife with sin.

And this preacher wasn't afraid of it. I'm not afraid of how big, bad, ugly the sinners are. It doesn't matter to me the depth to which they've sunk into bondage and everything else.

I've got a message from the living God of heaven that's able to blast people out of their sin. And I started thinking about my own self, thinking about all the different things that are trending today and the rise of this and the rise of that. I don't need to mention those particular sins from the platform.

Do you ever find yourself just hesitating a little bit like maybe God's not able to do anything? That's the flesh within. And then we can almost start to, well if we do this and that's putting too much emphasis upon our efforts. Always remember the God that we worship loves every single sinner, has an incredible desire to save them, has the ability to save them.

Nobody is beyond the gospel of God. That's, I'm getting fired up. I'm going to keep you all awake here for a few minutes.

I don't really need the microphone, do I? It's wonderful by times when you just get a little handle on what God is able to do and you see it in the word of God. So Psalm 49, let's read a couple of verses that will lead up into this. I'm reading this for an expression.

The context is very interesting. We'll just look at that. Now look at verse number six.

It's all about wealth and trusting in wealth and boasting in wealth. That's what you'll get as you read the Psalm. Verse number six.

They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him. Now notice four. Because the redemption of their soul is precious and it, what's the it? And it ceases forever.

That he should still live forever and not see corruption. Look at verse number 12. Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not.

He is like the beasts that perish. Their way is their folly, yet their prosperity approve their sayings. Like sheep they are laid in the grave.

What is the it of verse number eight? And it ceases forever. The Psalm is emphasizing what money can buy, what money can bring you. One thing it can't bring you is redemption.

That's what he's emphasizing. That's why right in the middle where people will look at the success of somebody and they'll name streets after them, buildings after them, you'll get that in the chapter, and they just carry on with oh my land look at this. Right in that Psalm you're introduced to how precious the redemption of the soul is.

No effort. Money just represents pure effort from humanity. All that they can accumulate that is unable to give to God the ransom, the price for redemption.

Now that brings us to the death of the Lord Jesus. The absolute importance of the blood of Christ. Dear brother, when you're on the platform don't shy away from the blood of Christ.

The death of Christ. The importance of that. Absolutely paramount.

I know I'm speaking to the choir here today, but there's a lot of younger people and it's nice just to have a handle on what we are doing. If you're ever asked and given the privilege to present the gospel, I'm thinking at a public level, you could apply this even at the individual level, just remember it's a tremendous honor to speak on behalf of the God of heaven. So that soul that is perishing.

God needs vessels to speak through, to channel through, if I could put it that way. And that's why it would be good for us to all have a firm grasp of just what the gospel entails. I want you to notice another expression.

Go to Psalm 90. This is a rather strange expression, but it helps us to understand the preciousness of redemption. Why that is so precious.

Psalm 90, a title, a prayer of Moses, the man of God, uniquely has that. Psalm 90, if you take time to look at the backdrop, just what is going on here. Psalm 90, Moses has been journeying with the children of Israel ever since they disobeyed when God brought them to the border to the promised land.

And you remember the unbelief. We will not go in. We will disobey God.

And God in his anger says that all of those military men, over 600,000 were given the number 20 years and up over the next 40 years, they will die. Every one of them because of their unbelief, their sin. And Moses writes Psalm 90.

And I think what has happened, he has been witnessing year after year after year. Let me give you a number. 15,000 deaths a year.

God said, I will make sure that 600 plus that have disobeyed me do not get into the land. And we often look at the tabernacle system as it moved. And I think you could get probably over 50 different movements in that 40 year period.

Everywhere they left, they left the cemetery because of unbelief. Because they went against the God of heaven. And when you read Psalm 90 with that understanding, it's almost now as if Moses is overcome by the judgment of God.

He just can't fathom it. God, are you not satisfied yet? Is your wrath not appeased yet? And he gives us an expression that only appears here. Let's read it.

Look at verse number 11. Who knoweth, who is able to comprehend the power, the extent of thy anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. I'll explain that in a minute.

So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts onto wisdom. So he's overcome by the consistent, unrelenting, judging hand of God. Year one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, keep on going.

And God has the number over 600,000. I will not repent. They never get like that sometimes, just not understanding God.

How can this be right? And what he says is this, verse 11, even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. God is so powerful and to be feared, we're incapable to give him the proper. It's just beyond us.

Our human minds are so limited in our little tiny apprehension of God that we misjudge what he's doing. And Moses is going to come to a point where he realizes God is right. God is holy.

So dear child of God, that's why the redemption of the soul is precious. That sinner's sin is against a holy God that we don't understand. If God was to send every sinner right now on the face of the earth to hell, he would be right.

He would be just. He would be holy. His character wouldn't be marred, tarnished one bit.

Just understand that when you are dealing with a sinner, I've had the experience, I'll say it carefully, where I've gotten frustrated with God on my knees. God, they're saying all the right things. They tell me they're reading your word.

They tell me they're praying and they're asking you to save them. How come you're not saving them? And I'm starting to put the blame on God. The blame is never on God.

The hardened heart of sinners. It's an amazing thing that God would even tolerate us. I'm thinking of my own salvation experience.

You think of yours, the arrogance that the God of heaven had to put up with, the rebellion and the graciousness with which he responded. Staggering. You'll find that when you read the Bible.

That's one thing I'm impressed with the older I'm getting. It's just I'm learning more about the character of our God. So gracious, so kind.

All of us put together wouldn't even come close to the love that God has for every single sinner. All across this world. I love to think the Spirit of God working in every country, every time zone, every culture, every language, everything.

Tirelessly working. That's why when you come to the New Testament, we often don't mention the moral order that we have in the Gospel of Luke before we read Luke 16 of a man in hell. You were introduced to Luke 15 of three persons seeking.

The shepherd, the woman, and the father. What a lovely picture of all persons of the Godhead. Desperate, searching for sinners.

Why? Because only God can calculate the pain of Luke 16. A rich man in hell. Dear child of God, it's a solemn thing to be able to handle the Gospel.

It's a solemn thing, listen to me, when God trusts you with sin. Individually or collectively in our meetings or your Sunday school class. That's a solemn thing.

It should never be a light thing. Oh whatever. No, God has brought those people across our path for a reason.

He wants them to hear his message. So important. So the next time you're reading Psalm 90, just reflect on that.

Who knows the power, the extent of thy wrath? There's only one person that could say that. That's the Lord Jesus. He experienced the fullness of that at Calvary.

But we have a hard time understanding that. Let's go to John chapter 3. Now all of these things are going to be very very common. John chapter 3. This is well known of course.

Nicodemus. But it's nice to see it with our eyes and just be reminded that this is a work that is uniquely linked to the Spirit of God. I don't mean to say this in an irreverent manner.

I heard an older preacher say it so I feel a little bit at liberty to say it. The Spirit of God is the ultimate birth mother that brings every sinner into God's family. Sometimes we can try to stick our fingers into that.

Just say this. Just do this. The best thing we can do when a sinner is troubled, encourage them to get to the Word of God and speak to their God on their knees.

The Spirit of God doesn't need my intelligence, my crafty little sentences. So just look what we read here. This is well known.

Chapter 3 verse number 5. Jesus answered. Verily, verily, truly, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, the Spirit of God, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Look at John 16.

Look at what the Lord Jesus said about the Spirit of God. John 16 and verse number 8. Referring to the coming of the Spirit of God in Acts chapter 2. The Lord is going to go back to heaven as you know. John 16 verse 8. And when he is come, he will reprove, convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

See the unique work. So dear child of God, let's be very clear. As a result of studying the book of Romans, the very first verse, the Gospel of God.

Thank God it's a message that comes from God, not from us. Let us keep that in mind. Let's not try to mix into it.

Let's be careful not to humanize the Gospel. Bring a whole bunch of logic thinking into it. What do we find from the Word of God? It's only the Spirit of God who can convict.

It's not your earth-moving stories. You've got to be careful when you preach that you're not preaching at the emotions. You preach for the intelligence, the conscience.

Emotions will come into it. That when a person starts to have an understanding, they've sinned against God. I've had people just cry for 15 minutes in front of me.

And it draws, it pulls on you. And you almost want to be really sympathetic and then, oh it's all right. It's not okay.

You're in your sins and you're moments away from hell. It's real. Thank God God wants to save you.

You have to let them settle. We don't want an emotional response to the Word of God. We want an intelligent understanding.

There has to be the conviction of sin. That doesn't mean that we get up here and we're off balance and we just go on about hell, hell, judgment, judgment, sin, sin. No.

There needs to be a balance. But we don't get up here and just go on about the love, the love, the love, the kindness, the tenderness. No.

Both extremes are off balance. There has to be a blending of both of those attributes of God. There in the book of Romans, this is interesting.

When do you read about the love of God in the book of Romans? Chapter 5. Oh, what do you read in chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4? Four times the righteousness of God. Four times the judgment of God. Perfectly matched.

God's judgment is righteous. And when you get to chapter 5, after he has laid this foundation of the holy standard that we have failed, then he introduces the love of God. And then go further into chapter 5 and into chapter 6. Then all of a sudden you're introduced to the gift of God.

The end of chapter 5 and then chapter 6, the grace of God. There's an orderly way of laying out the gospel. So if you avoid the darkness, the sin, the judgment, you have a lopsided gospel.

Sinners do not need to be saved because they're not able to say heaven is their home. Sinners don't need to be saved because God loves them. Sinners need to be saved because their sins are taking them to hell under the judgment of God.

That is solemn. And God is right when he does it. So I find that to be just... Actually, I don't do much gospel anymore.

It seems to be a lot of ministry and that's fine. But years ago it was a lot of gospel. I always found it to be a wonderful thing to witness the spirit of God dealing with somebody.

And you see the conviction increasing. And at that point you're literally just hands off. Just preach the message, leave them with God, pray for them.

We get on this platform and we preach as if everything depends on you. We get on our knees in private and everything depends on God. Because we are dealing with a unique work, the spirit of God.

Now I'm not going to take time to do this, but if you went to 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 23, being born again by the word of God. He contrasts the corruptible seed with the incorruptible. There is a unique work that the spirit of God himself does.

But he does it using the word of God. That's 1 Peter 1. So Sunday school teachers, are we encouraging our Sunday school students to learn verses? Are we giving up saying it's too hard? For those of us that take the platform or those that are speaking individually to people, do you hesitate to quote the word of God? That's where the power lies, the word of God. It's not in our verbal presentation.

We were listening to Murray McCandless at the Kansas City conference last weekend. I'm a firm believer that when it does come to the public, we should do our best to put capable individuals. I think that's only proper, but I'm not saying that we can't use every single person.

There's different abilities that we all have. Mr. Murray told us of a man that got saved, and the man was not a very good speaker, but he kept saying this phrase over and over again, sinner friend, sinner friend, sinner friend. If he said it one time, he said it 500 times.

And the man went home, and you know what hit him when he got home? I'm a sinner. Who is my friend? Jesus Christ got saved! So God can use anyone, anything. I've had a number of gospel meetings where I sat down and thought the thing was as flat as a pancake.

Oh my word. If someone says they got saved, God has a tremendous way of humbling you. Sometimes you think you have a really good night, and I've had Murray lean over to me and say, you were too good tonight for God to save anybody.

Pride would just go right away to your head, thinking I did something, I said something. It's a work of the Spirit of God. Gracious work.

And he uses the word of God, and he brings into that heart conviction. Now, let's go to Romans chapter 2. Just about done here. Romans chapter 2. Interesting that you find this in the epistle.

Romans chapter 2. And also in Romans 10, so then faith cometh by hearing. There's a hole here in the word of God, so the importance of the word of God is being stressed. But I just want you to notice this little expression.

Romans 2, verse number 4. Or despises thou the richest, notice the plural, of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God, only two times in the Bible, the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Notice the next verse. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath.

Isn't that something? What's your attitude? What's my attitude towards somebody who is arrogant? I just get tired of it. I just walk away. Too much.

That's too much for me to handle. Isn't that something that God keeps leading? Keeps leading. Keeps attempting.

Over and over. Not knowing that the goodness of God and God has a purpose in those dealings to actually turn them from their sin to the living God. Tremendous.

That's first Thessalonians. You turn to God from idols. There is what's happening at the spiritual level when we're presenting the gospel, public or individually.

Now, dear child, get a hold of, workers together with him. There's Corinthians. What a thing that we can work with the God of heaven in this work.

I find that rather encouraging. Let's go quickly now to Ephesians chapter 2. Just want to quickly mention this. I've mentioned this before at various conferences, but it's nice just to kind of go over these things.

Ephesians 2. This is a famous verse. For by grace are you saved through faith. You know these words.

Ephesians chapter 2. Verse number 8. Ephesians 2 verse number 8. For by grace. I love how that starts. As a result of the gracious dealings of God, are ye saved through faith.

And that, what is the that? Is it referring to saved? Or is it referring to faith? And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works us any man should boast.

Well, this is where we're glad for the grammatical structure of the Bible. The Spirit of God has placed in the nominative case these words. Saved.

That. Gift. That's the subject of this sentence.

Faith is not the gift. Faith is not the gift. Salvation is the gift.

How is that gift achieved? Through the exercise of faith. Just was appreciating this a couple of days ago. Romans chapter 4. Abraham believed God.

It was counted on to him for righteousness. And in that chapter, you know what his faith is called? His faith. It's something that belongs uniquely to you.

Everybody, as a result of free will, we have a choice. Sinners. You will discover this the more you work with sinners.

Up until the moment of salvation, they are trusting in something. They are. That's what repentance is.

A turning away. Be it self. Be it works.

Be it church. Be it whatever. Turning away.

A letting go. And a placing of one's faith in the Lord Jesus. So keep that in mind.

Now, finally, I want to show you Hebrews chapter 4 for a minute. This just sort of backs up as well. But there's just a little extra thought I want you to notice here.

Hebrews chapter 4. And look at verse number 2. Of course, it's wonderful to consider the backdrop of this epistle. Because you have those that have trust in the Lord Jesus. Then you have those that are wavering.

Wondering whether they should. Whether they should go back to Judaism. But notice what Paul.

Well, I just about said Paul. But we're not too sure who. But the Spirit of God does here.

Hebrews chapter 4 and verse number 2. For unto us was the gospel preached. As well as unto them. Now you have to notice the us and the them.

Just notice the contrast. But the word preached did not profit them. Not being mixed with faith in them.

That hurt it. I believe the grammar proves that the faith is in them. And the message of the gospel is coming upon their ears.

And there was a group of people. The writer. They took the internal faith and they mixed it like a blender with the message.

Their salvation. The other group heard the same message. Had the same opportunity.

But they simply refused to believe. Now go a little bit further. Go over to verse number 12.

This is quoted many, many times. But I never really appreciated just a little bit deeper into the verse. Verse 13.

I'll read the verse 12. For the word of God. This is the importance of the word of God.

Is quick and powerful. Living. Effective.

Energetic. And sharper than any two-edged sword. Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.

Now think about that for a minute. You and I are unable to divide between soul and spirit. Where does the soul end? Where does the spirit pick up? The word of God can divide.

Look at the next one. End of the joints and marrow. Those that are in the medical field.

Where exactly in that joint or that bone does that joint or bone end and marrow pick up? Where is the precise line? But the word of God is able. Here's the one I want. And is a discerner.

Is able to sort out the word of God now. And is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. If I asked you to give me a description.

What is the difference between a thought and an intent? It almost sounds like the same thing. I'm not too sure which comes first. Does one come after the other? I don't really know.

But the word of God is able to cut a line right through it. This is the context of verse 13. Neither, Mr. Newberry.

And, he's carrying on the thought, neither is there any creation, creature. That's the word creation. Neither is there any creation that is not manifest in his sight.

What's the context? The thought that rises up in the heart. The mind. The creation of that.

There's something that's been produced. That is still on the inside. It hasn't made its way out for you and I to see it.

You know the only one who can see it? The word of God, God himself. He knows the very root of that thought. Of that intent.

Only God is able to measure the readiness of the sinner's mind. Have they genuinely repented? To us, they're saying all the right words. But I don't know what's in the deep recesses of their minds.

They're hiding things from me that you can't hide from God. Finally, Hebrews 10. I find this interesting that it's in the same epistle.

This is one of my favorites. I love this verse in the Bible. Hebrews 10.

This comes back to what I started with. Hebrews 10 and verse 32. Notice, a call to remembrance.

The former days. In which, here it is. After ye were illuminated.

Enlightened. We all know what that means. You ever walk into a dark room? The minute you put a switch on.

Phew. The room just blazes with light. Dear child of God, let me take you back to the split second before you got saved.

Do you remember however it might have come to you? I'm a sinner. However that might have come to you. I'm wrong.

I haven't done what's right. I've offended God. Whatever measure you might have appreciated of hell.

I deserve judgment. Just to help the young people. I've been saved over 30 years.

Do you know what I've discovered from the Bible? I understand now more of how sinful I am than the moment I got saved. So God is not looking for a full understanding of this. Just that acknowledgement that I'm wrong.

And right in that moment. You know what was happening when you were accepting that? I'm a sinner. I deserve judgment.

That was light from God. Do you know what you did? You mixed it with faith. That's right.

What was the next thing you saw? Christ died for me. That was light from God. That just shone into the mind.

And once again you just simple faith. That's right. I never saw that before.

That wasn't something new added to the Bible. It was there all along. I was totally blind.

Thank God for light. Aren't you glad you're saved? Isn't it a wonderful thing to be saved? A wonderful thing to be connected with the God of heaven. May we be encouraged.

May we understand the privilege of being able to spread this message. But at the same time let us understand our weakness. Our inabilities.

What we're not able to do. But rejoice in what God is able to do. Thank you for listening.