Go ahead and join me if you would in your copy of God's Word in Romans chapter 10.
Beginning last week, this week, and into next, we're taking a little break from our normal verse-by-verse exposition to answer three questions.
And these are three questions that I think are of greatest importance to answer in the church in our day.
Today, these three questions have seemed to define the work of ministry for me here, and I think will continue to do so.
To the degree that I was musing about why it was that I felt that I was just teaching the same things over and over and over again.
That it seemed that there was nothing deeper to delve, to take my energetic mind and apply to.
And realize that these are the questions that we most need clarified in our day, to be reminded of in our day, brought back to again and again and again.
So last week, we asked the question, what is the Bible?
And we answered it this way, with of course, much explanation.
The Bible is God's inspired, inerrant, authoritative, clear, necessary, and sufficient Word to mankind.
I'm talking about how God has spoken into the world.
He's given us good instruction that we are to follow.
And this Word is to be the foundation on which we build everything else.
Lives of godliness and holiness toward Him.
And so, the question I want to address today is, what is the Gospel?
And then next week, we'll ask the question, what is the church?
What is the Gospel?
Why is it so important for us to answer this question?
Some of you may be thinking, I am sitting, gathered with the church this morning.
Of course, I know what the Gospel is.
But there is much misunderstanding of the Gospel in our day.
I know that I could ask each of you in this room to tell me what the Gospel is,
and we would end up with as many different answers.
Often, the answers that people give to this question are woefully inadequate.
They're not full understandings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There are many voices in our day, large and loud voices, that would say,
the Gospel is such and such, or the Gospel is this or that.
And it sounds very similar to what we would proclaim to be the Gospel, but it is not.
I hope and pray that we do, in fact, have a clear understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
because we speak about it constantly.
I hope that we do so with a great deal of clarity.
But the larger culture has much to say about this question.
Many loud voices.
I feel sometimes that the non-Gospel, Gospel presentations are being broadcast through megaphones,
and ours is a quiet whisper.
So it's very easy to get lost in the fray when we're trying to answer these questions.
It was J.I. Packer who once said,
The way of wisdom is like walking a tightrope,
from which one can fall through overbalancing either to the left or to the right.
If you've known me long, I often say, I often misquote J.I. Packer,
and I say there's two ways to fall off a tightrope.
We have to get this one right.
We have to walk this one very carefully right down the middle.
For the sake of our souls and the souls of others,
this question matters.
Whether you think it does this morning or not,
I plead with you to know this question.
And the answer that you arrive at matters.
Paul said in Romans 1 and verse 16,
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel,
for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
This Gospel, right?
This answer we want to arrive at,
is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The Spirit uses this Gospel to change people from death to life.
To save their souls.
Now we sent out at the end of this year,
to the members of Christ Family Church,
what we call the Member Health Survey.
And I've told you, from time to time,
I'm going to bring up some of the statistics that we've gathered.
Not all of our church members responded to this,
but 105 did.
Thank you to those of you who did and were honest.
And we asked people to rate themselves,
on a scale of one to five,
a number of various questions.
Concerning the Gospel and its proclamation.
Of those respondents,
45% of our church would say,
agree or strongly agree,
that they regularly share the Gospel.
If we start just there,
we have failed to understand the Gospel.
We do not have the right answer to this question,
if only half of us are consistently sharing this good news.
We may have missed the point altogether.
What did Paul say in Romans 1, verse 16?
He's not ashamed of the Gospel.
Why?
This is the power of God.
God, for salvation.
We may not see its great necessity in the world
the way that we should.
Now, a large number of people said that they felt equipped,
agreed or strongly agreed,
85% of our fellowship said they felt equipped
to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Only 53% said they felt comfortable
sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This good news is a discomfort to them
in their sharing.
And then finally,
and the two are not mutually inclusive,
necessarily,
but this year,
only 6% of the respondents
led anyone to faith in Christ
this past year.
Now,
there have been times in history,
even biblical history,
if you look at the prophet Jeremiah,
who cried out faithfully,
and maybe one person
repented of his sin.
There have been times
that God has withheld His favor
in Gospel proclamation.
And so,
I don't want to belittle your faithfulness.
If you have had a clear understanding
of what the Gospel is,
and you have been consistently
and persistently sharing
the good news of Jesus Christ
with somebody,
and you have not seen them come to faith,
I do not want to belittle your obedience.
You are doing exactly
what God has asked of you to do.
But there seems to be
a fairly large disconnect
between these numbers
if,
and I believe this is true,
that God is in the business
of saving souls
through this Gospel of Jesus Christ, right?
It is the power of God
for salvation.
He is about the building
of His church.
And we must ask ourselves a question.
Do we think we find ourselves
in a day
that is so post-church
that God no longer intends
to save our classmates
and roommates
and family members
and co-workers,
our neighbors?
Do we think we're in that day?
I don't believe we are.
Which means there's
some type of disconnect
in our understanding,
in our presentation,
in our fervency
in Gospel proclamation.
So this matters.
It matters a lot.
So we're going to look today
a bit at Romans chapter 10,
verse 13 through 17.
There's not a concise text
that sums up
the good news of Jesus Christ perfectly.
There's not a quick, simple,
turn to,
let me explain here text
that does this.
I hope that it's possible.
Excuse me.
I thought I could fight
through that one.
I hope that as we began,
when I said,
let's turn to Romans chapter 10,
your eyes may have fell
to this text
or you thought to yourself,
why this text?
I could think of a bunch
of other wonderful texts
from which to begin
speaking about
what the gospel is.
This would be good for you
to do
and to have many of these
in your back pocket
for gospel proclamation.
But it takes a little more work
to fully answer the question.
We can't just do it
from a single text.
The whole Bible
is God's redemptive story.
So we must read broadly
and we must understand thematically.
But there are
some good summary texts.
Not complete,
but good summary texts.
So we're going to look at this one
in brief
and then we're going to go elsewhere
and I'll bring it back to this
finally at the end.
So don't think me strange
that I'm not going verse by verse
through Romans chapter 10,
verse 13 through 17.
We remind you, beloved,
that this is God's word to us
written for His glory
and our good.
We would all do well
to listen to it
in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
Verse 13.
For everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
How then will they call on Him
in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe
in Him of whom
they have never heard?
And how are they to hear
without someone preaching?
And how are they to preach
unless they are sent?
As it is written,
how beautiful are the feet
of those who preach
the good news.
But they have not all
obeyed the gospel.
For Isaiah says,
Lord, who has believed
what He has heard from us?
So faith comes from hearing
and hearing
through the word of Christ.
In order to see the gospel
in Romans 10,
verse 13-17,
I want us to take a broader look
at the first four chapters
of Romans.
So you're welcome to join me
in Romans 1.
We're going to zoom back a bit
into the beginning
of Paul's letter
to the Roman believers.
Romans is a phenomenal letter.
Maybe a climactic letter
in all of the Scripture
because it so clearly
lays out systematically
what Christianity is.
This letter preceded
Paul's intended visit to Rome.
And he wanted to clarify.
He wanted to be sure
that the church in Rome
understood this gospel
that he preached.
This, I believe,
is the most succinct place
to find a comprehensive
gospel presentation
in the Scriptures,
chapters 1-4 of Romans.
So, first,
after his salutation,
Paul says that there is a God
who created us
and that we are therefore
accountable to that God.
As the creation,
we are accountable
to the One
who created us.
It leads out strongly
in Romans 1,
verse 18.
It says,
For the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men
who by their unrighteousness
suppress the truth.
There is a God
who we are accountable to
and His wrath
is being revealed
against those
who have been what?
Ungodly and unrighteous.
Outside of their created order.
Not God worshippers
the way they were meant to be.
He elaborates on this
and then in verse 21 of chapter 1.
For although they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God
or give thanks to Him,
but they became futile
in their thinking
and their foolish hearts
were darkened.
So mankind has this God
who made them
and to whom
they are accountable.
There is much indictment language
in those two texts.
Romans 1, verse 18.
The wrath of God is revealed.
For although they knew God,
they did not honor Him.
Their foolish hearts
were darkened.
But let's look as Paul goes on
in his argument
that he indicts
all of mankind.
So first he does this
at the beginning of chapter 2
of Romans
with the Jews.
Those who have been God's people
have been given His law.
He says,
Therefore you have
no excuse, O man,
every one of you
who judges.
For in passing judgment on another,
you condemn yourself
because you, the judge,
practice the very same things.
So the Jews
would have judged
by the law.
Paul is saying to them,
You have no excuse.
You have shown
in your judgmentalism
that people ought to be
keepers of the law
and you are not keepers
of the law.
You practice the very same things.
And so you are without excuse
before Almighty God
to whom you are accountable.
Second,
he does this with
everyone else.
So people who are not Jewish,
the Gentiles,
the Greeks,
various words are used,
but everyone else.
All of us.
No one is without.
No one is with excuse.
Excuse me.
So,
Romans chapter 2,
verses 12 and 13.
Paul writes,
For all who have sinned
without the law
will also perish
without the law.
And all who have sinned
under the law
will be judged
by the law.
For it is not the hearers
of the law
who are righteous
before God,
but the doers
of the law
who will be justified.
And then chapter 3,
verses 9 through 12.
What then?
Are we Jews
any better off?
No,
not at all.
For we have already
charged that all,
both Jews
and Greeks,
everyone else,
are under sin.
As it is written,
none is righteous.
No,
not one.
No one understands.
No one seeks for God.
All have turned aside.
Together they have become
worthless.
No one does good.
Not even one.
Mankind is not
intrinsically good.
Mankind is intrinsically evil.
Rebellious.
Rejectors of our good God
and His instruction.
This is the argument
that Paul is laying out
before us here
at the beginning
of his letter
to the Roman believers.
We have a God
who we are accountable to
and we have rejected
His ways.
All of us,
without fail,
have done this.
No one does good.
Not even one.
This is not good news yet,
is it?
In fact,
this is very,
very bad news.
There is a God
who created us
and will judge us
and we will stand
in that judgment
and will not stand
before Him
in our given human state.
This is bad news.
It's a problem.
It's a problem
that needs remedying.
We need something
to help us
in this condition.
So third,
Paul presents
the solution
to our problem
in the person
and work
of Jesus Christ.
And we say that
a lot around here.
Faith in the person
and work
of Jesus Christ.
And we say both
because we must believe
that Jesus is
who He said
He is.
Right?
The Son of God.
Incarnate.
Came to earth.
Lived a perfect life.
Those things are important
that we understand.
Right?
Jesus wasn't just a man.
We're not saying
that His work
was simply
that He was a man
who was a martyr.
No.
He was the Son of God.
And His work.
He said He fulfilled
the law
in perfect living.
He committed
no sin whatsoever.
He died
a sinner's death.
He bore the wrath
of God
for the sins
of all
who would believe
in Him.
He did not stay
in the grave.
He was raised
from the dead
three days later.
He's conquered death.
He has life.
He ascended.
He's been given
majesty
and honor
in heaven
at the right hand
of the Father.
Right?
These are the works
that we're talking about
when we say
the person and work
of Jesus Christ.
Right?
He is somebody
and He did things.
Right?
He accomplished
things.
This is what we
must believe.
Paul says in
Romans chapter 3
verse 21
but now
the righteousness
of God
the rightness
of God
has been manifested
apart
from the law.
You'll see that
it's manifested
in whom?
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ
fulfilled the righteousness
of God.
And so then
fourth
and finally
Paul tells us
how we can be saved.
Right?
Not an abstract principle
out there
but that
those of us
with this problem
this great
transgressor
of God's law
problem
how is it
that we
can be
saved?
Romans chapter 3
in verse 22.
2.
The righteousness
of God
through
faith
in Jesus
Christ
for all
who believe.
By believing
in Christ.
Not merely
as an abstraction.
Not merely
as yeah
yeah
Jesus lived
but in His
person
and
His work.
We throw
ourselves
this great
fallen state
we find ourselves
and we throw
ourselves
on the person
and work
of Jesus
Christ.
We say
if I am
to be saved
it will be
by this
person
and this
work
that I will
be saved
and no
other way.
The evangelist
Ray Comfort
uses often
an analogy
of putting
Jesus on
like a parachute.
And too many
in our day
put Jesus on
Jesus will
save me
and we
don't jump
out of the
plane.
We stay
in our
comfort
and in
our place
where we
are.
It's an
ascent.
It's a
mental
ascent.
If I
were to
ever need
such a
thing
it would
save me.
But what
the gospel
says to us
is you
are falling
and you
will die.
Your end
is destruction
and we
put on
we
desperately
cling
to this
parachute
that is
Jesus
Christ
and we
believe
that he
will
save us.
Again
Romans
chapter 4
and verse
5
to the one
who does
not work
but believes
in him
who justifies
the ungodly
his faith
is counted
as righteousness.
So Paul
here says
to be very
clear
you can
do no
working
to find
yourself
saved.
There's no
amount of
effort you
can put
into
your
salvation
but it's
simply
by
faith
that we
get
Christ's
righteousness.
Our greatest
efforts at
perfection
will never
be perfect
and what
God requires
is perfection
so we need
somebody else's
perfection
the perfection
of Jesus
Christ
and that is
granted to
us
by faith.
in him.
Okay.
So here's
the gospel
outline
found in the
first four
chapters of
the book of
Romans.
If you're
familiar with
the Romans
road
that's good.
There's a
reason that
that was a
way we were
taught to
share the
gospel of
Jesus
Christ.
This is a
good place
to show
people the
gospel in
the text.
So having
looked broadly
and a bit
briefly at
Paul's case
from Romans
chapter 1
through 4
we can
see that
he seeks
to answer
four crucial
questions.
And I'm
stealing these
straight out of
Greg Gilbert's
book What is
the gospel?
One of those
that I have a
copy for to
give away.
He seeks
to answer
four crucial
questions.
Number one,
who made us
and to whom
are we
accountable?
We saw that.
Number two,
what is our
problem?
Or in other
words,
are we in
trouble and
why?
Do we have
a problem?
And what
caused that
problem?
Third,
what is God's
solution to
that problem?
How has he
acted to
save us
from it?
And
fourth,
how do I
myself,
right here,
right now?
How do I
come to be
included in
that salvation?
What makes
this good
news for
me and
not just
for someone
else?
And I'll
add to that
or just
generically
good news.
What makes
it good
news for
me?
And so
the questions
and the
answers to
the questions
can be
summarized
as follows
in four
words that
are easy
to remember.
Greg Gilbert
did not
come up
with this.
This has
been around
for a
very,
very long
time.
And they
are as
follows.
God,
man,
Christ,
response.
I want
you to
pick these
up as a
really simple,
easy outline
in your
mind.
Somebody
comes to
you and
says,
what is
the gospel?
I've
heard this
word.
I've
heard you
say this
word.
What is
the gospel?
Don't
answer
God,
man,
Christ,
response.
But use
it,
they'll be
more
confused,
but use
it as
an outline
from which
to think
about the
answer to
this most
important of
questions.
So let's
look at some
other texts.
I want to
go to some
other texts.
I want you
to turn
with me
to some
other texts
and let's
see if we
can't
identify
God,
man,
Christ
response
in these
texts.
So 1 Corinthians
chapter 15
is the first
place we'll
go.
So 1 Corinthians
verses 1
through 5.
Paul writes,
now I want to
remind you
brothers of
the gospel I
preached to
you,
which you
received in
which you
stand and
by which you
are being
saved.
If you hold
fast to the
word I
preached to
you,
unless you
believed in
vain.
For I
deliver to
you as of
first importance
what I also
received,
that Christ
died for our
sins in
accordance with
the Scriptures,
that he was
buried,
that he was
raised on the
third day in
accordance with
the Scriptures,
and then he
appeared to
Cephas,
then to the
twelve.
God,
man,
Christ
response.
Now,
you get a
little work
and look around
in the text
to find
these things.
We see
Paul talk
about the
need of
salvation
in the text.
Verse 2,
you are being
saved.
Verse 3,
that you
received.
There's a
problem being
presented in
the text,
which is the
problem of
sin,
which includes
God.
So God and
man are found
in the very
fact that
people need
salvation.
This was an
understanding of
the people that
Paul was
writing to.
So God and
man are
presented in
the very
issue of
sin.
Now,
in our day,
this may
not be a
thing that
most people
understand.
You can't
merely walk up
to somebody
and say,
do you believe
that you're a
sinner?
And they
would say,
what does
that even
mean?
We have
such a
relativistic
moralism in
our day.
Most,
I think,
would say,
no,
I think I'm
a good
person.
Some in
our day may
not even
know what
you are
talking about
when you
use the
word sin.
So you
have to,
in some
cases,
back up a
little bit
and take
them to
Genesis
chapter 1,
chapter 2,
and then
to chapter
3 to
establish
more of
the
storyline.
But here,
this understanding
that they
were sinful,
that they
needed salvation,
we see both
God and
man.
God as
holy judge,
man as
transgressor of
his law.
Now,
I hope you
see Christ
in the text,
right?
There was
much Christ
in the text.
Verse 3,
that Christ
died for our
sins,
in accordance
with the
scriptures,
that he was
buried,
that he was
raised on
the third
day in
accordance
with the
scriptures,
and that
he appeared,
right?
So we
see God's
person being
called the
Christ according
to the
scriptures.
This was
understood to
be the
Messiah,
the one
that would
come and
deliver his
people,
his person,
and his
work,
right?
Death,
burial,
and
resurrection.
So a good
text for this,
1 Corinthians
chapter 15,
verses 1
through 5.
God,
man,
Christ.
Response,
right?
Do you see
response in
the text?
Verse 1,
reminds them
of the
gospel he
preached,
which you
received,
and by which
you are
being saved.
Verse 3,
I deliver you
with the
first importance
what I
also received,
right?
So here's the
response that's
given to the
gospel in
these places.
Okay,
turn with me
to Acts
chapter 3.
We'll look
at two
sermons,
excerpts
from sermons.
First,
a sermon
from Peter
in Solomon's
portico,
verses 18
and 19.
Luke records
for us,
Peter said,
but what God
foretold by the
mouth of all
the prophets,
that his
Christ would
suffer,
he thus
fulfilled.
Repent,
therefore,
and turn back
that your sins
may be blotted
out.
Again,
if you were
to open this
text to an
unbeliever,
or you find
yourself an
unbeliever this
morning,
and you're
looking at this
text,
where do
you see
God,
man,
Christ
response?
Once again,
we see the
need of sins
being blotted
out.
There is a
problem,
right?
That problem
is this
God,
man part
of this
outline,
right?
God,
holy judge,
creator,
our authority,
man's fallen,
transgressed,
his good
command over
us.
We see
Christ in the
text,
Christ suffered.
This is the
one,
the fulfillment
of the
prophets.
Repent,
therefore,
the response.
Repent.
Repent of
your sin.
Turn back.
Turn back
to God
by faith
in Jesus
Christ.
God,
man,
Christ,
response.
Let's look
at one
more.
Acts
chapter 13.
This is
Paul
preaching.
verses 38
and 39.
We'll do
this very
briefly.
I don't
want to
beat the
dead
horse.
Let it be
known to
you,
therefore,
brothers,
that through
this man,
forgiveness
of sins,
there it is,
God,
man,
is proclaimed
to you.
And by
him,
everyone
who believes
is freed
from everything
from which
you could
not be
freed by
the law
of Moses.
Through
this man
is Christ.
No,
this is Jesus
that he's
referring to
here.
And the
belief you
see in
verse 39.
Everyone
who believes
is freed
from their
sin.
So God
man
Christ
response.
So,
there are
a lot
of really
common
errors
in our
day.
Misunderstandings
of the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
And I just
want to walk
through some
of those
briefly and
give some
biblical
responses
to these
errors.
Because you
may even
have people
in your
spheres of
influence
that claim
to be
Christ
followers.
And if
you'll
work
asking
them
good
questions,
you may
find them
fall into
these
categories.
And it
would be
such a
loving,
kind
thing
for them
for you
to clarify
what the
gospel of
Jesus
Christ
is.
The
first,
I call
the
temporal
prosperity
gospel.
That is
that we,
by believing
in Jesus,
receive
physical
blessing
here and
now.
Temporal,
right?
Not
permanent.
Temporal
blessing
here and
now.
And this
takes a lot
of shapes,
right?
You've heard
probably the
term prosperity
gospel.
There's the
prosperity
gospel
preachers
and their
church
buildings
with purple
carpet and
making
pleas for
jets.
We have
one of
those here
in Atlanta
who does
that.
No,
I do not
need a
jet.
I do
not.
I would
give it
back.
We have
this very
gospel being
preached in
Gainesville
and then a
guy jumps on
a jet and
flies to
California to
preach the
same prosperity
gospel.
That is
one end of
the spectrum
of what I'm
calling the
temporal
prosperity
gospel.
The other
end of
that is
that Jesus
leads you
into a
life of
comfort.
That you
can continue
really to be
just as you
are, but
if you'll
sprinkle a
little Jesus
on it,
things are
going to
get a
little better
for you.
We'll
tidy up
your marriage
and your
job and
your children.
This is
really prevalent
in our day.
People allowed
to be lulled
to sleep
in American
comfort.
by this
temporal
prosperity
gospel.
I'm going
to read to
you a
couple of
texts.
John
chapter 15
verse 20
and 21,
Jesus said,
Remember the
word that I
said to you,
a servant
is not
greater than
his master.
If we're to
be Jesus
Christ followers,
he is our
Lord.
We are his
servants.
He goes
on to
say,
If they
persecuted
me,
they will
also
persecute
you.
If they
kept my
word,
they will
also keep
yours.
But all
these things
they will
do to
you on
account of
my name,
because they
did not
know him
who sent
me.
So the
ungodly
will
persecute
the godly.
Paul wrote to
Timothy,
those who
desire to
live godly
in Christ
Jesus will
be persecuted.
The way of
Christ is the
way of
suffering.
We are
meant to
fill up
what is
lacking in
the affliction
of Christ
by displaying
to the
world around
us that
we do
not love
this world.
We love
one who is
greater than
this world.
If you
are not
signed up
for the
suffering of
Christ,
you don't
love
Christ.
You have
not tasted
and seen
his goodness.
If
Christianity
is an
add-on
for you
so that
you can
live your
best life
now,
you don't
understand
the gospel.
Jesus said
in Mark
chapter 8
verse 34
and 35
after calling
a crowd
around him
with his
disciples,
he said,
if anyone
would come
after me,
let him
deny himself
and take
up his
cross
and follow
me.
For whoever
would save
his life
will lose
it,
but whoever
loses his
life for
my sake
and the
gospels
will save
it.
He is
not talking
about little
discomfort.
He's not
talking about
one week
a year
when you
go to a
third world
country and
stay in
its nicest
hotels.
This is
not what
Jesus is
talking about.
The cross
is a place
of death.
This is
what he's
saying.
He's saying,
you must
be willing
to follow
me to
the very
place
that I
went if
you want
to have
me.
This
temporal
prosperity
gospel
has got
so many
Christians
on their
heels,
living in
a peacetime
mentality.
Beloved,
this is
war,
and people's
souls
are at
stake.
Why would
we believe
such a
gospel?
Why would
we believe
such a
gospel that
calls us
to suffer?
My one
word answer
for you
is Christ.
He is
better.
He is
more glorious,
more to be
treasured than
anything this
world could
possibly offer
us.
George
Whitfield,
the great
evangelist of
the first
great awakening,
said,
O free
grace in
Christ Jesus,
with what
love,
peace,
and joy,
does God
fill this
soul of
mine.
Lord,
I am not
worthy,
but thy
mercies in
Christ Jesus
are infinite.
The next
one I'd like
to address
goes by a
number of
names.
Similar,
similar in
nature to the
temporal prosperity
gospel.
You call it
easy-believe-ism
gospel,
the decision-ism
gospel.
It's the
teaching that
if you are
to be in
Christ,
all you must
do is make
a mental
assent to
Christ.
Make a
decision to
follow Jesus.
The way the
following looks
isn't really of
importance,
right?
We're going to
get you to
sign something,
wave your
hand,
but nobody's
looking around,
so don't worry
about being
embarrassed.
Christ.
We're going to
get you
baptized so we
can count your
name.
And most of
you have heard
me say this,
but you're going
to hear me say
it a lot if
you're part of
this church.
I had a
pastor at one
point of a
large evangelical
church in our
area who would
say regularly,
if you ever doubt
your salvation,
turn to the front
of the Bible where
you wrote down
the date you
walked the aisle
and take
confidence in
that.
And that's a
damnable lie,
right?
Scary.
I hope this
man's grown past
that.
I'd like to
think that he
has, but has
gotten himself so
wrapped into this
idea of
decisionism, and
I think had a
genuine concern
for people who
doubted their
salvation that
this was the
solution that he
came up with.
What does the
Bible teach?
Let's look at
2 Peter 1.
verses 3-12.
His divine
power is
granted to
us all
things that
pertain to
life and
godliness,
through the
knowledge of
him who
called us to
his own
glory and
excellence.
If we are in
Christ, he's
given us a
spirit who
calls us to
walk in
his ways,
by which he
has granted
to us his
precious and
very great
promises,
so that through
them you may
become partakers
of the divine
nature, having
escaped from
the corruption
that is in
the world
because of
sinful desire.
We're escaping
sinful desire.
For this very
reason, make
every effort to
supplement your
faith with
virtue, and
virtue with
knowledge, and
knowledge with
self-control, and
self-control with
steadfastness, and
steadfastness with
godliness, and
godliness with
brotherly affection, and
brotherly affection
with love.
We list a bunch of
character qualities.
This is what it
should be looking
like for you to
be a Christ
follower, and
these things should
be happening, and
they should be
happening in
increasing order.
Verse 8,
For if these
qualities are
yours and are
increasing, they
keep you from
being ineffective or
unfruitful in the
knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
For whoever lacks
these qualities is so
nearsighted that he
is blind, having
forgotten that he
was cleansed from
his former sins.
Therefore, brothers, be
all the more
diligent to confirm
your calling and
election.
For if you practice
these qualities, you
will never fail.
So if you doubt
your salvation, don't
turn to the front of
your Bible and look
for a date you wrote
down when you
walked an aisle.
I don't even know
if you do that.
I don't.
My name's not even
written in the front
of mine.
Don't do that.
What does the
Scripture tell us to
do?
The Apostle Peter
says to make your
calling and election
sure by doing what?
By pursuing Christ.
By walking in his
ways.
And having your life
assessed not just by
you, but by those
around you.
Be part of a
faithful church.
Invite people to
help you pursue
holiness.
Can you see in you
these qualities
growing in you?
You.
Verse 11.
For in this way
there will be
richly provided for
you an entrance
into the eternal
kingdom of our
Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Peter's not saying
if you do these
things you'll be
granted entrance.
What he's saying
is if you're doing
these things it's
the evidence that
you're in Christ.
It's the evidence
that you belong to
him.
That you have a
spirit.
That you have
placed believing
faith in his
person and his
work.
And it starts
to work out of
you.
This reality of
who you are.
And then he says
this.
And I love it.
Verse 12.
Therefore I intend
always to remind
you of these
qualities.
Though you know
them and are
established in the
truth that you
have.
Right?
He says it's so
important.
I'm just going to
keep reminding you
of the way it looks
to follow Jesus.
so that you
wouldn't be deceived.
You wouldn't be
deceived by this
easy believism
decisionism of
apparently Peter's
day and of
ours.
Following Jesus
Christ.
If you're in
him it takes all
of you.
It takes every
bit of your
effort and energy.
And at the
end we have
him.
The glorious
thing.
That is.
Paul contemplating
his own death.
Philippians 1
verse 21 says
for to me to
live is Christ.
Right?
All of his
suffering.
All of his
pursuit.
Gave his life to
follow this Jesus.
And he had him.
And to die is
gain.
Why?
Because he had
more of him in
his dying.
The great end of
the gospel of
Jesus Christ is
Christ himself.
It will be
brought back to
God in Jesus.
John Piper wrote
in a book he
wrote called
God is the
gospel.
This.
The critical
question for our
generation and for
every generation
is this.
If you could have
heaven with no
sickness and with
all the friends you
ever had on earth
and all the foods
you ever liked and
all the leisure
activities you ever
enjoyed and all the
natural beauties you
ever saw, all the
physical pleasures
you ever tasted,
and no human
conflict or any
natural disasters,
could you be
satisfied with
heaven if Christ
were not there?
And the answer of
the Christian is
no.
I want to be where
Christ is.
this is heaven
for me
that I would be
with Christ.
Finally, what I'm
just going to call,
there's probably a
better name for it,
but the legalistic
gospel.
Those who think far
too much of
themselves maybe are
in the faith,
but somehow believe
they deserved
God's favor,
rejected the idea of
grace altogether in
that way and
then begin to
heap up
unnecessary
requirements on
others to be in
the faith.
To be clear,
the Bible does
command, there are
clear commands we
are meant to
follow, we want
people to be
pursuing righteousness,
but we are very
apt as people to
add extras on.
And we typically
add on the extras
that we're already
pretty good at.
Stuff that I do
very well, I'm
also going to
expect other people
to do very well
that are extra
biblical things.
The Galatians had
a problem with
this.
They had what many
churches had in
the early church
days, the
Judaizers that
were coming around
and beginning to
teach that people
had to obey much
of the ceremonial
Old Testament law,
the primary one
being circumcision.
Gentiles were not
circumcised, they
were teaching them
that they must be
circumcised in order
to follow God,
even in Christ.
And Paul writes
these scathing
words to the
Galatian church,
chapter 3,
beginning in
verse 1.
He says,
O foolish Galatians,
who has bewitched
you?
It was before your
eyes that Jesus
Christ was publicly
portrayed as
crucified.
Let me ask you
only this.
Did you receive
the Spirit by
works of the law
or by hearing
with faith?
Are you so
foolish, having
begun by the
Spirit, are you
now being
perfected by
the flesh?
So any
teaching that
would teach you
that in order
to be saved,
you must do
work, right?
Is a damnable
lie.
But we are
saved by faith
alone, in
Christ alone,
and then we
work.
This is the way
that plays out,
works out in
our living.
So, Romans
chapter 10,
verse 13
through 17.
We're going to
look for God,
man,
Christ's response
as we bring
this to a
close.
for everyone
who calls
on the name
of the Lord
will be saved.
We need
salvation.
There is God
and man in
this text
there.
How then
will they call
on Him in
whom they
have not
believed?
And how are
they to believe
in Him who
they have not
heard?
And how are
they to hear
without someone
preaching?
And how are
they to preach
unless they
are sent?
As it is
written,
how beautiful
are the feet
of those
who preach
the good
news.
They have
not all
obeyed the
gospel,
for Isaiah
says,
Lord,
who has
believed
what he
has heard
from us?
A faith
comes from
hearing and
hearing through
the word
of Christ.
And there
we see
Christ all
throughout
that text,
right?
Everyone who
calls on
the name
of the Lord
will be
saved.
When we
talk about
Jesus'
name,
we're
talking about
His very
being and
His work,
person and
work.
We think
about the
name of
Jesus,
we're talking
about His
person and
work.
So everyone
who calls
on the
person and
work of
Jesus will
be saved.
How are
they to
know?
Unless
somebody tells
them.
Paul runs
through a
litany of
questions.
How are
they to
know unless
someone
tells them?
Get out of
your head
the idea
that anyone
can be saved
apart from
hearing the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Read,
proclaimed.
There's work
all over this
world sending
the gospel
into places
that are
dangerous
because we
believe this.
We believe
that this
text is
inerrant.
There are
creative ways
that the
scripture is
going out
into the
world.
You need
to look at
Voice of the
Martyrs and
the way they
send weather
balloons over
North Korea.
Phenomenal!
There are
North Korean
churches because
of work like
that.
The gospel
going into
places.
It's an
incredible thing
that God
saves people
through words
spoken and
printed,
distributed,
wide,
far.
It's an
astounding
thing.
How will
people be
saved if we
don't proclaim
the good
news to
them?
And you
need to be
careful that
you don't
assume that
just because
we live in
the southeast,
people you
know have
heard the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
They may
have heard
some erroneous
version of
it, but
they may
not have
heard the
good news
of Jesus.
They may
not have
ever been
shown the
weight of
their sin
from the
scripture.
Understand
their problem
that they
might find
their solution
in Christ.
Don't get
dismayed in
this text
either by
the word
preaching.
This is the
word that
is often
considered
translated
evangelism.
Going and
proclaiming.
Don't think
it has to be
what I'm
doing now
gathering
large crowds.
You say
I'm not
meant to
preach.
That's okay.
Not many
of you should
be teachers.
However,
we should
all be
gospel
proclaimers.
This is
what Paul
is talking
about here.
This is
what he's
saying.
So in
a sense
we've all
been sent.
The great
king,
the Lord
has sent
us all
out.
We have
been
sent.
And in
another,
I hope
that this
morning you
hear you're
sent.
This church
wants to
equip you
and send
you to
the very
ends of
the earth.
Paul here
quotes from
Isaiah 52
and verse
7.
How beautiful
are the
feet of
those who
preach the
good news.
And he is
tying to
something that
happened
historically.
When a
victory was
won,
a runner
would be
sent back
to tell
the city
that the
victory had
been won.
A runner
was sent
from the
army.
Go.
Go and
tell them
we have
won.
And this
is exactly
what God
is doing
with the
proclamation
of the
gospel of
Jesus
Christ.
He has
already won.
The work
of Christ
is finished.
And now
this news
is going
forth.
Runners
go out.
That's us.
And we
share this
good news
with anyone
and everyone.
We get
this idea
of a
marathon
from a
man.
I just
love to
say his
name.
Pheidippides.
You have
to go like
this when
you say
Pheidippides.
History
tells us
ran to
Athens
with the
good news
of the
victories
people had
over the
Persians
at
Marathon.
And this
was about
26 miles.
It said
it was in
August and
he died
upon arriving
and delivering
this good
news.
This is
what we're
talking about.
How beautiful
are the feet
of those
who preach
the good
news.
God has
won and
declared a
victory and
he sends
us out to
share this
with every
one.
So there's
these big
questions that
must be
answered for
people and
you can start
answering those
questions at
any point in
the process of
it.
And I'll
tell you right
now that
almost all of
my gospel
presentations
begin with
the trouble
of this
world.
Everyone
sees it.
No one
thinks we're
living in the
lap of luxury
and life is
just a
breeze.
Why?
Why is life
hard?
Why do we
see such
tragedy around
us?
That's because
of sin.
It's the
result of
the curse.
Curse?
Someone must
have created
the world in
order to
curse the
world.
And how is
all of this
made right?
There's such
opportunity.
Open up the
news and
begin to talk
with somebody
about that and
you will find
that you can
begin to answer
the questions.
Who made us
and to whom
are we
accountable?
What is our
problem?
We have a
problem.
We're in
trouble.
Why?
Why are we
in such
trouble?
What is
God's
solution to
that problem?
Has he
worked one
out?
He has.
How is it
that we are
saved?
And how
are we
pressing
people to
respond?
This thing
matters.
Decide
today whom
you will
follow.
plead with
people that
they would
give their
lives to
Jesus Christ.
I want us
to be a
people who
unite with
Paul in
Romans 1
16.
These are
the people
that God
wants us
to be.
His beautiful
feet runners.
For I am
not ashamed
of the
gospel.
For it is
the power
of God
for salvation
to everyone
who believes.
Let's pray
together.