WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.500 Salvation from sin and its penalty and salvation from a severed relationship with our Creator is our greatest need. 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:20.660 ! You see, we need to be saved from sin itself. Sin is the poison in our system and in all the systems of the world. 00:00:21.660 --> 00:00:29.699 This world, right alongside us, longs for the day that it will be set free from the infection that is sin. 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:36.299 Paul writes in Romans 8 verse 19 and then skip a two for brevity, verse 22. 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:43.740 He says, for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 00:00:44.200 --> 00:00:51.379 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 00:00:51.380 --> 00:01:00.719 Everything that is wrong in this world is because of sin and we need to be rescued from it. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:05.400 We need to be saved from sin itself in three ways. 00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:09.939 First, we need to be saved from the guilt of sin. 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:15.959 Paul will begin to expound on the guilty state of man in verse 18. 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.519 We will launch into it in a few short weeks, Lord willing. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:25.719 Verse 18 of chapter 1, and he will not conclude until the end of chapter 3. 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:35.659 He wants his readers to be absolutely assured we are all guilty before a most holy God of sin. 00:01:35.859 --> 00:01:39.060 We have all broken his commands. 00:01:39.420 --> 00:01:45.780 We all are guilty and deserve the just punishment for our sin. 00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:55.120 So you'll see in Romans chapter 3 verse 10 and following where he says, as it is written, citing from Psalm 14, none is righteous. 00:01:55.379 --> 00:01:58.079 No, not one. 00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:00.120 No one understands. 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:01.859 No one seeks for God. 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:03.599 All have turned aside. 00:02:03.740 --> 00:02:05.840 Together they have become worthless. 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:07.219 No one does good. 00:02:07.379 --> 00:02:10.180 Not even one. 00:02:10.180 --> 00:02:10.620 No one. 00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:10.860 Right? 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:15.879 Paul here, citing from the Old Testament, gives us no wiggle room whatsoever. 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:17.260 None is righteous. 00:02:17.659 --> 00:02:18.480 As if he says, huh? 00:02:18.780 --> 00:02:19.520 Not even you. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:21.360 No one understands. 00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:22.360 No one seeks for God. 00:02:22.640 --> 00:02:23.700 We've all turned aside. 00:02:23.860 --> 00:02:25.340 Together become worthless. 00:02:25.640 --> 00:02:26.520 And then another objection. 00:02:26.700 --> 00:02:27.860 No one does good. 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:30.500 Not even one. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:35.000 Compare yourself to someone else that you know. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:35.900 A co-worker. 00:02:36.640 --> 00:02:37.200 A sibling. 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:39.340 Well, I'm not as bad as. 00:02:39.340 --> 00:02:41.099 It doesn't matter. 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:44.879 You have transgressed God's law. 00:02:45.480 --> 00:02:49.640 You need your guilt for that taken away for you. 00:02:50.939 --> 00:03:00.939 Praise be to God that he works powerfully through the gospel message to set us free from the guilt and therefore the penalty of our sin. 00:03:01.420 --> 00:03:04.680 This is the wonderful doctrine of justification. 00:03:05.020 --> 00:03:08.759 You heard me say earlier, we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, and Christ alone. 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:16.539 Justification is a one-time act of God declaring us forgiven and righteous. 00:03:16.899 --> 00:03:19.399 Forgiven and righteous. 00:03:19.899 --> 00:03:27.539 The gospel, the double cure that saves from sin and makes us pure. 00:03:27.539 --> 00:03:31.259 Paul writes in Romans 8 and verse 1. 00:03:31.259 --> 00:03:38.959 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:41.060 Having believed in him. 00:03:41.060 --> 00:03:47.300 Having believed in him, putting on his perfect life, his law keeping, him bearing the punishment that is due us. 00:03:47.640 --> 00:03:49.060 Our guilt is expunged. 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:51.000 It's taken away. 00:03:51.219 --> 00:03:55.080 It's removed as far as the east is from the west. 00:03:55.219 --> 00:04:00.060 It is hurled into the sea to sink and be seen no more. 00:04:00.060 --> 00:04:00.580 More. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:04.719 We need to be saved from the guilt of sin. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:10.120 And praise God, if you were in Christ this morning, then you have been saved from the guilt of sin. 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:16.220 Secondly, we need to be saved from the power of sin. 00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:24.160 In order to live in a way that is pleasing to our God, we need to be set free from bondage to our sin. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:32.360 To that sinful flesh baggage that we carry along with us through this life. 00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:40.000 You see, when Adam sinned, he was able at that moment both to sin and to not sin. 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:43.060 He had the capability of doing both. 00:04:43.819 --> 00:04:49.060 But when he sinned, his sin nature passed to all mankind. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.879 We became enslaved to sin. 00:04:53.500 --> 00:04:58.400 And so that even those things that we deem righteous are not righteous. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:03.199 They are sin, self-motivated, self-seeking. 00:05:04.679 --> 00:05:13.139 But once we've been redeemed, once we've been saved by Christ, we have once again been set free from the power of sin. 00:05:13.179 --> 00:05:16.319 It doesn't have dominion over us any longer. 00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:19.859 Paul writes in Romans 6, verse 17 and 18. 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:28.319 But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed. 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:35.199 And having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 00:05:36.100 --> 00:05:44.960 That is to say that our hearts are now bent towards keeping the law and not towards breaking the law. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:50.699 Beloved, sin no longer has power over us if we are in Christ. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:58.799 We have the ability by the Spirit to put off those things which entangle and to run. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:01.959 We do not have to sin. 00:06:02.599 --> 00:06:05.919 So don't act as if you're a victim of your temptation. 00:06:07.939 --> 00:06:13.659 Thirdly, we need to be saved from the very nature of sin. 00:06:13.660 --> 00:06:21.320 If we have believed the gospel for our salvation, then we have been made new creations. 00:06:21.980 --> 00:06:25.220 We have changed in kind. 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:30.620 The pollution of sin no longer reigns in us. 00:06:31.280 --> 00:06:36.040 While it exists, it no longer reigns in us. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:39.620 This is the great doctrine of regeneration. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:42.379 We have been made new. 00:06:42.379 --> 00:06:46.339 Paul writes in Romans chapter 8, verse 7 and following. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:50.959 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law. 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:52.339 Indeed, it cannot. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:57.839 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:02.000 So a positional place, a kind, those in the flesh. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:03.500 Verse 9. 00:07:03.500 --> 00:07:07.560 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:10.620 If in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:15.579 Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 00:07:15.579 --> 00:07:23.199 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:29.159 So we need to be thinking in this way when we think of salvation. 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:32.920 What is it that we are being saved from? 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:38.580 The guilt of sin, the power of sin, and the nature of sin. 00:07:38.579 --> 00:07:45.800 We need also to be saved from a severed relationship with our Creator. 00:07:46.859 --> 00:07:56.659 We were made to be worshipers and we will always be some measure of miserable until we can praise our Creator as we ought to. 00:07:56.660 --> 00:08:05.520 There is no greater, higher good for the creation than to do the very thing that it was created for. 00:08:06.400 --> 00:08:12.500 We need to be saved from a severed relationship with our Creator in at least two ways. 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:17.320 First, we need to be reconciled to God. 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:22.500 Praise God that when we are saved, we are delivered from the penalty of our sin. 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:28.699 But it is a more glorious thing that we are delivered to God Himself. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.779 The fellowship that existed at the Garden before the fall is restored when we are saved. 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:39.039 Our relationship is made whole. 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.299 Those who were once cut off are now grafted in. 00:08:43.899 --> 00:08:47.299 Those who were enemies are now called friends. 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:52.599 Those without a home are adopted as sons. 00:08:53.059 --> 00:08:56.299 The great doctrine of adoption. 00:08:57.199 --> 00:08:59.639 And ladies, you want to be sons because sons got the inheritance. 00:09:00.959 --> 00:09:03.039 Romans chapter 8, verse 15 and following. 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:06.579 You do not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, 00:09:07.079 --> 00:09:11.219 but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, 00:09:11.439 --> 00:09:12.879 Abba, Father. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:18.820 The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:21.340 And if children, then heirs. 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:24.939 Heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ. 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:29.419 We need to be saved from our lack of belonging. 00:09:29.419 --> 00:09:33.100 And we need to belong to our God. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:38.960 We also need the hope of glory to be restored. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:43.720 Lord, everlasting relationship with this God awaits us. 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:45.860 An eternal dwelling. 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:53.660 Whether it's the present place or the future new heaven or the future new earth. 00:09:54.220 --> 00:09:58.420 Those who are in Christ will be with God forever. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:01.220 Once again, Romans 8. 00:10:01.400 --> 00:10:02.920 Can you tell I'm eager to get there? 00:10:03.680 --> 00:10:05.000 Verse 38 and following. 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:11.200 Paul says, I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:15.559 nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:20.519 will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 00:10:21.019 --> 00:10:24.620 We will be with him forever. 00:10:26.179 --> 00:10:28.879 So, we need to be saved. 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:34.080 And I hope that this morning you are saved. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:37.680 You're getting some broadening sense of what that means. 00:10:37.740 --> 00:10:38.980 A full scope. 00:10:40.040 --> 00:10:43.120 That you've been saved by believing in this gospel. 00:10:43.259 --> 00:10:47.560 The good news that Jesus came, lived, died, and was raised. 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:53.879 I pray that by grace alone, through faith alone, in the saving personal work of Christ alone, 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:56.220 you have been saved. 00:10:56.220 --> 00:11:02.639 If not, then I pray that this be the hour of your salvation. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:07.720 That you flee from the wrath to come by fleeing to Christ. 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:15.560 That you see that you need to be saved and the only way that you might be saved is through the powerful gospel. 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:27.819 Paul goes on in verse 16 to say the gospel is the power of God, excuse me, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:29.839 Believe that it's true. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:33.500 Believe that its promises are true for you. 00:11:33.500 --> 00:11:36.899 John Trappa, Puritan pastor. 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:39.279 This is the quotation on your bulletin. 00:11:39.299 --> 00:11:40.139 I finally get to read it. 00:11:40.179 --> 00:11:41.340 It's been on your bulletin for like a month. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:43.620 It said, 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:48.740 It is the nature of faith to believe God upon his bare word. 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:51.080 It will not be, saith sense. 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:52.559 It cannot be, saith reason. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:56.259 It both can and will be, saith faith. 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:59.019 For I have a promise. 00:11:59.019 --> 00:12:05.299 Now, this would be an inadequate consideration of this phrase. 00:12:05.439 --> 00:12:08.100 For it is the power of God for salvation. 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:11.819 If we do not consider the word power. 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:19.019 This Greek word dunamai is the root word that we get our English word. 00:12:19.699 --> 00:12:24.139 But you can guess dynamite from powerful. 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:27.659 John MacArthur in his commentary on this text said, 00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:32.039 The gospel carries with it the omnipotence of God. 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:34.079 That's the all-powerful God. 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:35.919 The omnipotence of God. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:43.139 Whose power alone is sufficient to save men from sin and give them eternal life. 00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:47.100 Too often the gospel gets peddled as if we are sick. 00:12:47.219 --> 00:12:51.600 And the gospel is some medicine that we need to be made well. 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:57.339 This is not the picture that Paul paints or the rest of the scripture paints. 00:12:57.340 --> 00:13:02.560 It's rather that we are dead and we need God's power to make us alive. 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:06.340 The gospel is powerful. 00:13:06.940 --> 00:13:09.480 It is the means by which we are saved. 00:13:09.540 --> 00:13:14.639 And it is a means wielded by God himself. 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:19.340 It's not to be a great comfort to anybody who is seeking salvation. 00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:21.340 And to those who are saved. 00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:25.780 We are unable to save ourselves. 00:13:25.780 --> 00:13:32.340 We must have the all-powerful God work on our behalf to make us new. 00:13:34.620 --> 00:13:35.780 Again from Romans. 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:37.200 Romans 5 and verse 6. 00:13:37.340 --> 00:13:37.780 Paul says, 00:13:38.160 --> 00:13:43.840 For while we were still weak at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:45.220 Romans 8. 00:13:45.220 --> 00:13:45.220 00:13:45.300 --> 00:13:49.800 For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.780 God has done what we could not do. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:56.800 By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. 00:13:56.920 --> 00:13:59.720 He condemned sin in the flesh. 00:14:00.680 --> 00:14:03.200 And Romans 9 verse 15 and 16. 00:14:03.300 --> 00:14:05.040 For God says to Moses, 00:14:05.340 --> 00:14:07.540 I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. 00:14:07.660 --> 00:14:11.340 And I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 00:14:11.340 --> 00:14:15.139 So then it depends not on human will or exertion. 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:18.840 But on God who has mercy. 00:14:20.300 --> 00:14:22.899 God has purposed the salvation of his people. 00:14:23.220 --> 00:14:27.540 And he will accomplish all his purpose. 00:14:28.500 --> 00:14:31.300 Our God is all-powerful. 00:14:31.540 --> 00:14:35.720 And he does not put into the hands of men his power. 00:14:36.400 --> 00:14:40.320 He accomplishes what he sets out to accomplish. 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:46.240 We are going to unpack this at length in the coming months. 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:47.879 It is deep water to wade in. 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:51.860 And we are going to just plow right into the middle of it. 00:14:52.300 --> 00:14:54.920 But I just want to interject a warning here. 00:14:56.060 --> 00:14:58.920 The doctrine of election should never make us proud. 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:04.120 And it should not cause us to question the justice of our God. 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:13.700 The doctrine of election should altogether humble us as we are a people undeserving of the loving kindness of our God. 00:15:13.700 --> 00:15:20.820 Were our God to be entirely fair to us, we would be destroyed in this instant. 00:15:20.820 --> 00:15:24.520 But because he loves us. 00:15:24.520 --> 00:15:26.460 And because he's just. 00:15:26.680 --> 00:15:30.220 He has made a way that we might be saved. 00:15:31.180 --> 00:15:39.120 These thoughts should create in us awe at the eternal purposes of the Most High God. 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:41.899 It's exactly what it does for Paul. 00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:44.379 Turn with me to Romans chapter 11. 00:15:46.779 --> 00:15:50.779 After he goes through this great expounding of this doctrine. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.519 Beginning halfway through chapter 8. 00:15:53.740 --> 00:15:55.679 And then in through the end of chapter 11. 00:15:55.820 --> 00:15:59.600 Before he gets to the practical application part of the letter. 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.399 He says this. 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:10.019 Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. 00:16:10.100 --> 00:16:12.000 Do you hear anything judgmental in there? 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:15.040 Where Paul says, I think I know better than our God. 00:16:15.680 --> 00:16:16.779 Absolutely not. 00:16:17.379 --> 00:16:20.899 He says, this is a depth to be plumbed. 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:24.399 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:28.820 How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. 00:16:28.820 --> 00:16:31.120 For who has known the mind of the Lord? 00:16:31.180 --> 00:16:32.720 Or who has been his counselor? 00:16:33.060 --> 00:16:36.900 Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? 00:16:37.180 --> 00:16:41.480 For from him and through him and to him are all things to him. 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:43.360 Be glory forever. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:44.879 Amen. 00:16:46.280 --> 00:16:49.920 His theology erupts into doxology. 00:16:50.220 --> 00:16:51.680 Into praise. 00:16:52.100 --> 00:16:55.460 And it ought to do the same for us. 00:16:55.460 --> 00:16:58.980 We ought to be laboring to understand his word. 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:03.519 That we might praise God as he intends to be praised. 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:06.860 We ought not make a God of our own design. 00:17:07.120 --> 00:17:10.500 But rather we should worship the God of the text. 00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:22.299 Now, God in his eternal purpose has chosen to use the church as a secondary means for the salvation of his people. 00:17:22.299 --> 00:17:24.759 And this is an important thing to distinguish. 00:17:25.259 --> 00:17:27.579 He's not given to us the power. 00:17:28.159 --> 00:17:30.139 The gospel is his power. 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:30.419 Right? 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:32.039 It's the power of God. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:34.639 But he uses us. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:41.500 His people preaching his message in order to save his people. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:43.720 And he does it because he loves us. 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:45.159 It's how we experience him. 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:46.159 This side of glory. 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:46.500 Right? 00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:48.480 We can't yet see him face to face. 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.779 But we get to see him at work in the world around us. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:55.920 As we're sent as ambassadors of our great king. 00:17:57.460 --> 00:17:59.740 Romans chapter 10 verse 13 and following. 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:04.819 Paul writes for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:06.900 This is from Joel 2 verse 32. 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:12.279 Then he said, well, how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.500 And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? 00:18:15.579 --> 00:18:18.399 And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:21.160 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:23.639 As it is written, Isaiah 52 and verse 7. 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:27.720 How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. 00:18:29.099 --> 00:18:31.240 Paul follows out his reasoning. 00:18:31.420 --> 00:18:35.599 I mentioned to you before he loves fours in this book. 00:18:36.859 --> 00:18:41.359 Joel 2 32 says for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:41.619 Right? 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:43.740 We've got this powerful gospel message. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:46.379 People must hear it to believe it. 00:18:46.419 --> 00:18:48.399 But how are they to believe it if they haven't heard it? 00:18:48.679 --> 00:18:51.059 And how are they to hear it unless somebody tells it to them? 00:18:51.159 --> 00:18:53.719 And how are they going to tell it to them unless they're sent? 00:18:55.379 --> 00:19:03.519 God uses his people to bring about the salvation of his people as we go about preaching the good news. 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:12.500 I stated in my introductory comments, if we misunderstand these verses, then we will find ourselves misunderstanding the gospel itself. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:19.839 If we don't get these verses right, our evangelism will go awry and we will lose our ability to be effective witnesses to our great salvation. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:25.019 We will either get the message itself wrong or we will get the methodology of preaching that message wrong. 00:19:25.399 --> 00:19:26.939 Likely both. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:34.359 I hope this morning that the gospel message has been made clear. 00:19:35.159 --> 00:19:39.379 If you have many misunderstandings of the gospel, please ask questions. 00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:41.199 We are here for that. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:46.539 We want you to be exceedingly clear what the gospel is. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:59.100 With the hope that we are clear on what the gospel is, I want to spend our final moments together in this text speaking to the possibility of getting the methodology of preaching the gospel message wrong. 00:20:00.360 --> 00:20:09.640 You see, I believe that a great error of the church in our day is to trust in methodology rather than the message. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:22.040 From a sincere desire to see people saved, many have wandered off the message as the power of God and believe that he empowers the next innovation. 00:20:23.340 --> 00:20:26.900 This form of error is often called pragmatism. 00:20:28.120 --> 00:20:35.700 Pragmatism in these terms is a way of thinking that always justifies any means provided that we see the ends that we might hope for. 00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:45.420 But the problem of it is, if we are unable to see the salvation of souls and we are innovative to that end, how can we possibly know if people are being saved? 00:20:46.299 --> 00:20:50.460 You can't witness the regeneration of a heart that may you might hope. 00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:57.980 A hand raised, a decision made, an aisle walked doesn't ensure that somebody is in Christ. 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:05.799 So how do you know if your means are justifying or that end is justifying your means? 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:14.680 Surely the ends can't always justify the means when the ends are a spiritual goal. 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:24.920 Just consider that some of the largest, with my quotation fingers, churches in America don't preach the gospel at all. 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:29.940 Barely, if ever, do they employ the Bible, yet they grow. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:36.000 Surely those ends can't be good and proper ends. 00:21:37.080 --> 00:21:46.620 So we must be so careful that we don't ever think that anything has the power of God for salvation except for the gospel. 00:21:47.820 --> 00:21:50.480 Except the gospel message. 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:57.980 This is why verse 16 begins, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. 00:21:59.180 --> 00:22:00.819 Why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel? 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:03.960 Because it is the power of God for salvation. 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:08.220 Why should he be ashamed of the gospel? 00:22:09.099 --> 00:22:14.680 But when Paul tells us that he's not ashamed of the gospel, he states it in this negative form. 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:19.340 Rather than saying, I am very proud of the gospel, for it's the power of God for salvation. 00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:21.779 He says, I am not ashamed. 00:22:22.860 --> 00:22:31.299 And I think he does this because we tend towards being ashamed, not toward being proud of the gospel. 00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:36.960 We want to get our results and we want to get them quick. 00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:42.860 Pastors everywhere want to be counted amongst those great pastors. 00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:46.859 Pastors, people want to feel significant in the kingdom. 00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:50.699 It's very possible. 00:22:51.439 --> 00:23:03.500 I think most likely that it was his tendency and that he knew it would be ours to, rather than being proud of the gospel, to be ashamed of the gospel. 00:23:05.419 --> 00:23:08.799 Pragmatism is a form of shame in the gospel. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:14.980 It's an expression of disbelief that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. 00:23:14.980 --> 00:23:22.819 May we be a people who always believe in the gospel preached as the hope for mankind. 00:23:23.579 --> 00:23:29.860 May we preach it boldly on Sundays and in our homes and places of employment. 00:23:30.579 --> 00:23:35.000 May we preach it boldly to ourselves that we might be humble and grateful. 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:40.880 May we be a people for whom the gospel is the theme of our lives. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:46.339 For our good, for the good of others, to the glory of our great God. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:54.680 May we be wholeheartedly devoted to the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation. 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:57.039 Let's pray together.