and power and your greatness
and we pray you be with us today and be with us in the preaching
of the word and that the Holy Spirit would take the words and
we know that your word will not return unto thee void and so
we pray that you would use it to accomplish your will and whatever
purpose you have it go forth to do. Oh Lord that it would
pierce and penetrate hearts we pray that if it's your will that
your lost sheep would be drawn to thee. And we just pray that
you'd be glorified, most of all, Lord Jesus, that you'd be glorified,
and you'd be lifted up, and that our hearts and our eyes would
be set upon thee, and that the cares of this world would just
fade away as we have this time to focus upon you. And we just
pray all these things in your name, in Jesus' name, amen. Turn,
if you would, to Romans, chapter 10. Romans, chapter 10. from your Bibles to Romans chapter
10. Entitled the message here today,
Seven Things Every True Preacher Knows. Seven Things Every True
Preacher Knows. And we're going to see these
truths right in our text today. Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter
10. We'll be looking at the first
17 verses. We'll be looking at verses 1 to 17. Now Paul, the apostle of the
Lord Jesus Christ, he was a preacher of the gospel of God's free and
sovereign grace. And he unashamedly, he just preached
his heart. And his heart's desire was that
the lost might know Christ, that they might come to know him,
that the Holy Spirit would regenerate them, and that they would be
turned to Christ. And he is praying here for those
who hate him. and for those who hate his Lord.
Look at verse 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now think
of this. He's not interested in any personal
gain. He's not interested in building
monuments or making a name for himself. He's not interested
in making proselytes to a certain denomination. He's not interested in making
a following. because he points everyone to
Christ. He's not interested in converting
man to a system of doctrine. He preached the grace and the
gospel of God's free and sovereign grace to the lost, that they
might be saved and that they might know God by the regenerating
power of the Holy Spirit, knowing full well that salvation is of
the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord from
beginning to end. and that salvation is in Christ
alone, and that the whole reason Christ came to this earth was
to save His people from their sins. So let every preacher and
teacher examine their motives, and examine the objective, and
God have mercy on any man who uses the ministry for any other
purpose but the glory of God. But the glory of God. What is
it to be saved? He says, brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be
saved. What is it to be saved? It's to know God. It's to know
God. It's to be born again by the
Holy Spirit of God. It's to be a new creature in
Christ. It's to be justified, fully justified
in Christ. It's to be sanctified in Christ. It's to be redeemed and purchased
through the precious blood of Christ, it's to be delivered
from the power, the penalty, and the practice of sin, and
Brother Matt and I have talked about this, and the guilt. The
guilt of our sins. Is that not what haunts us? Is
the guilt of our sins? If you're a believer, Christ
has paid it all. Brother Donny Bell, I remember
Brother Donny Bell saying, he said, he said, I haven't felt
the guilt of my sins since the Lord sinned. Well, not everyone
feels that way, but what a what a peace, then what a peace you
can you can glean from that beloved. Oh, my notice in verse two of
Romans 10, it proclaims that that the religious lost have
a zeal for God. They have a religious enthusiasm,
don't they? But they have no spiritual knowledge.
of the things of God, no knowledge of Christ, no knowledge of what
it means to be saved. For I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." Christ hasn't
been revealed to them. Now, he's not setting himself
up as a judge of their condition. He knows, think of this, Paul
knows what salvation is. He knows what it is. He knows,
and every believer knows what it is. And he knows that these
folks that he's praying for, that they give no evidence of
possessing the salvation that he's talking about. Paul knew what every preacher,
every true preacher of the gospel knows. Seven things, and let's
look at these seven things from our text. Paul knew that the
average religious person, is seeking acceptance with God on
the basis of their own goodness and their own righteousness.
Look at verse three. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. How does one go about trying
to establish their own righteousness? Turn to Mark chapter 10, verse
17. The same way the Jews of old
did. We have a picture of this. Mark chapter 10. Look at verse
17. When he was gone forth into the
way, there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him,
good master, what shall I do? Note that. What shall I do? What shall I do that I may inherit
eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? There is none good, but one,
and that is God. Thou knowest the commandments.
Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear
false witness, defraud not, honor thy father and mother. And he
answered unto him, Master, all these have I observed since my
youth. Well, he's lying. He's full of self-righteousness.
He's dripping with self-righteousness. Then Jesus, beholding him, loved
him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest, go thy way, sell
whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven, and come, take up the cross, and follow
me. And he was sad at that saying,
and went away grieved, for he had great possessions. Great
possessions. Now God's law requires what?
Perfect obedience, doesn't it? Absolute perfect obedience. And every son of Adam is a lawbreaker. Every son of Adam is a lawbreaker. It is fatal and fruitful to seek
to be saved by your own goodness. As there's none good, no not
one. Salvation is only in Christ Jesus our Lord. It's nowhere
else. It's not in any of our works. And note when he said,
what must I do to be saved? Something he has to do. Salvation's
in Christ and Him alone. It's what He's done. It's what
He's done, beloved. Number two, Paul knew that the
only righteousness God will accept is the righteousness of Christ,
which He wrought out for His people by His perfect obedience.
in their place, and every true gospel preacher knows this. Look
at verse four. For Christ is what? The end of
the law for righteousness. Oh, that's melodious to God's
people. To everyone that believe it.
And only God's people believe on Christ. The purpose of the
law is not to save. The purpose of the law is to
point us to Christ. Point us to Christ. Now, we're
not antinomians. We don't believe that you can
go out and do whatever you want. Not at all. But this scripture
says here, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.
He did it all. He did it all. He's fulfilled
everything in the place of his people. He is the end of the
law for righteousness. Again, salvation's in Christ
and him alone. He fulfilled the law in the place
of his people. He has terminated the law as
a covenant and as a curse for his people. Galatians chapter
3 says this, Christ hath redeemed us. From what? From the curse
of the law. The demand that the law had on
each one of us who believe is gone. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law being made a curse for us. For it is written,
cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now number three,
look at this, point number three, every gospel preacher knows this,
And Paul knew this, the severity of God's law. Look at verse four. For Moses described it, the righteousness
which is of the law, that the man which doeth these things
shall live by them. He knew the severity of the law.
The law requires more than just agreeing with it. The law requires more than knowing
to do good. And the law requires more than
trying to do good. The law demands doing. Scripture declares that no man
is justified by the law. Turn if you would to Galatians
chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3. What does the law require?
The law requires an absolute perfect work, doesn't it? An
absolute perfect work. And we are imperfect, aren't
we? But there was a man who walked upon this earth, who was God,
fully God, and fully man. He is the Lord Jesus Christ,
and He came to this world to die for His people upon Calvary's
cross. In Galatians 3, verse 11 says
this, But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God,
it is what? Evidence. For what? The just shall live by faith. Trusting, resting in Christ and
Christ alone. It's wonderful, beloved. For
us, it's not about doing. It's done. It's done. Now, we do seek to live a godly
life, don't we? Absolutely, we do. We do. We don't want to do the things
we once used to do. And the love of Christ constrains
us. And we're being conformed to the image of Christ. But the
law has no demands on the believer. None. Christ fulfilled them all. Think of this. Think of this.
In turn, if you would, the Job chapter eight. Think of this. If a man seeks to be saved. By
his works. Or by his supposed goodness.
If a man seeks to be saved by how good he thinks he has to be, how good
does he have to be? How good does one have to be
to supposedly be saved by their own works? As good as God, as
holy as God, and as sinless as God is impossible. Look at Job chapter 8, verses
20 to 22. And then we'll look at
Job 9, verses 1 and 2 in Job 9.20. And then look at verses Chapter 9, verse 1 and 2. Then
Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth, but how
can a man be just with God? How can a man be just with God? And then look at verse 20 of
Job chapter 9. If I justify myself, mine own
mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall
also prove me perverse." And then, how can a man be just before
God? Only in Christ. Only in Christ. There's no other
way. There's absolutely no other way. Only in Christ. Let's go
back to our text in Romans chapter 10. man can only be justified before
God in Christ alone Romans chapter 10 verses 6 to 8 but the righteousness which is
a faith speaking on the wise say not in thine heart who shall
send in the heaven that is to bring Christ down from heaven
or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ
again from the dead but what say that the word is nigh even
in thy mouth and in thy heart." That is the word of faith which
we preach. So our next point is this. Every
true gospel preacher knows that the holiness of God is ours by
faith. Is ours by faith. Christ was
here upon this earth and He lived a substitutionary life for His
people. And He died a substitutionary
death for His people. perfectly fulfilling the law
of God in our place. And we just, we're the believers
in all, because we know we can't even fulfill one point of the
law, because we break it all the time, so many times. But it's all about His obedience
to the law. Again, we're lawbreakers by birth,
by nature, and by choice. Look at Romans 10 verses 9 and
10, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. Let us remember this, that every
mercy and blessing of God is by faith in Christ, that comes
to us is by faith in Christ. Grace is given to God's people,
how? In and through the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. It's always in Him. It's always
through Him. Galatians 2.9-10 says this, And
when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived
the grace that was given unto me, Paul's writing, they gave
to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should
go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they
would that we should remember the poor the same, which I also
was forward to do. But Paul says the grace that
was given to me. If you're a believer, grace has
been given to you, given to you, and it's not given to everyone.
And it's amazing. Think of this, our holiness is
in Christ, right? It's in him alone. We don't go
to Calvary for forgiveness and then to Sinai for holiness. We
don't do that. We don't go to Christ for redemption
and then the law for righteousness, do we? Not at all. Colossians
says this, where there's neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is
all in what? In all. He's everything to the
believer. We are chosen in Him. We are
redeemed in Him. We are accepted in Him. We are
seated in the heavenlies in Him. Our salvation is secure in Him.
And this is why the gospel preacher will only point you to Christ
and Him alone. He is our all in all. He is our
all in all in redemption. He is our all in all in righteousness.
He is our all in all in holiness. He is everything to the believer. And that's why Paul penned that,
by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in Colossians 3.11. But Christ
is all and in all. Oh my. Look to Christ and live,
the Scriptures proclaim, right? And what happens to the Christian
after the Lord saves us? We keep looking. As we pilgrimage
through this world, we keep looking. We don't ever stop looking. And
then think of this, when we get to glory, we'll be seeing Him
face to face and we'll be looking. Looking at our Savior. Beholding
our Redeemer. My, what a great God and King
He is. Turn if you would to 1 John chapter
5. Oh my, someone asked me a couple of weeks ago, how do you know
you're one of the elect? How do you know you're saved? I know because
I'm born again and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
And Scripture declares that I can know. And I do know. And the
only reason I know that I'm one of the elect, I didn't know before
the Lord saved me, but I do know now, is because Christ Himself
has saved me. He is my King. He is my Savior.
He is my Redeemer. Look at 1 John 5 verse 11. 13.
And this is the record that God has given us given who is elect. This is the record that God has
given us. It's a record that God has given us beloved 1st
John 5 11 to 13. This is the record that God has
given us given to us eternal life. And this life is where
it's in his son. He that hath the son who has
what life he had the son. If you have the Son, you have
life. That's what Scripture declares. And he that hath not the Son,
what? He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God, that ye may know. Look at that. Know when I get
to heaven? No, no, right now. Oh, I can know. That you may
know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the
name of the Son of God. Oh, what peace this brings God's
people through the toils and storms of this life. We can know
that we have eternal life. Our next point. Number five,
the true gospel preacher knows that the gospel is the same for
all the elect. Jew, Gentile, male, female, old,
young, rich, or poor. A people of every language, every
tribe, and tongue, and nation. God's elect. That same gospel
that saves me is the same gospel that saves my wife. Same gospel
saves you. Same gospel, same Savior, same
Redeemer. Look at Romans 10. Verse 11 to
13, for the Scriptures say, Whosoever believeth on what? On Him. On
Christ, beloved, shall not be ashamed. For there's no difference
between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that, what? Call upon Him. Same Lord. Same Lord, sister,
who saved you saved me. It's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. My goodness. Look at verse 13. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. He is the way, the truth,
and the life. There's no other way. There's
no other truth. There's no other life but in and through Christ.
And all who come to the Father come through Christ and Him alone. And if you come to God as you
If you come to God, you'll come to God as everyone else who before
you has come to Him. By Christ alone. By Christ alone. No other way. Abel came to Christ. Moses came to Christ. Job proclaimed, I know my Redeemer
liveth. Which is the cry of every believer,
isn't it? Turn, if you would, to Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53. Isaiah proclaims this, Isaiah
53, verses 4-6 and then verse 11. Oh, look at this. And every believer
looks at this in awe. Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet
we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he
was wounded for our transgressions. The sinless one. The perfect
sacrifice. God incarnate in the flesh. He was wounded for our transgressions,
for the transgression of his people. He was bruised for our
iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. And with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His
own way. And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Imputed. Our sins were imputed
to our Savior. And He bore it all. And then
look at verse 11. He shall see the travail of his
soul. God the Father shall see the
travail of the son, and he shall be satisfied. I love that word. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, many, every single one of his people. for
he shall bear their iniquities. And he did on Calvary's grounds.
And Paul the apostle proclaimed, I know whom I believed and I'm
persuaded that he is able. He's able. We're not able, but he's able
to keep that which I committed unto him against that day. Paul's rest, Paul's trust was
in Christ and Christ alone, beloved. for the redemption of his soul. The sixth point every true gospel
preacher knows is this, that the preaching of the gospel is
necessary to faith. Look at Romans chapter 10 verses
14 to 16. How then shall they call on him
whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him
of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As
it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed our report? When I read Isaiah, or Jeremiah,
or Micah, they're preaching to me. Just like a gospel preachable.
The Word has such power, such power when the Holy Spirit uses
it. Here this is talking about the
Word being preached too. And how shall a man call upon
or trust Christ to save him if he knows nothing of his redemptive
character? If he doesn't know who he is?
How shall a man call on Christ if he doesn't know who he is? When Jesus came to the coast
of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, what do
men say that I, the son of man, am? Some thought he was just a prophet,
just a teacher, just a good man. How shall a man call upon Christ
or trust Christ to save him if he knows nothing of his redemptive
work? What did he do? So who he is? How shall a man
call and trust Christ if they don't know who he is and they
don't know what he's done? Revelation 1.5 says this, And
from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten
of the dead, the prince of the kings of the earth unto him,
that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. That speaks of His redemptive
work. 1 Timothy 1.15 says, And think of this. So how shall a man trust Christ
if he doesn't know who he is and if he doesn't know what he
did? And how shall a man call upon Christ or trust Christ to
save him if he knows nothing of his redemptive glory? Where he is now. Hebrews says this, let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. Turn, if you would,
to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Where is Christ
right now? He's at the right hand of the
Lord. He's at the right hand of the Father. But how shall
man know that if he... no one ever tells him? This is the importance, beloved.
This is the vital importance of us preaching Christ. Every
time I get in the pulpit to proclaim Christ, not to say 50 ways how
to make yourself a better Christian, because that doesn't do anything.
That will lead you to failure. Trust me, I lived that life.
It dooms you to failure. You're constantly beating yourself
up. It's all about what Christ has done. It's all about what
our Lord has done. And again, when we look to Christ,
the love of Christ constrains us from sin. Constrains us from
sin. Look at Romans 8.33, and look
at this. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Now, think of that. If you're
a redeemed, blood-bought child of God sitting here right now,
think of that. Who shall bring any charge against you? Now, Job said, our own hearts
condemn us, right? Any charge. Did Christ pay everything
for me, or is there something left? Oh beloved, the good news
is Christ paid it all. He paid it all, everything that
God demanded. Well look at this, it is God
that justified. I'm justified through Christ.
Christ is God. God incarnate in the flesh. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. How will man know that and
trust Christ if no one tells him? Or if he's never heard the
gospel. See, there's millions of people
that are going to church on Sundays and sitting where there's no
gospel. My goodness. And they're thinking they're
going to heaven and they're, oh, yeah, and they're yet they're
twofold child. My goodness, beloved, what mercy
God has had upon us, what mercy that God has made us to hunger
and thirst after righteousness, to hunger and thirst after the
gospel, to want to be placed at a place where the gospel is
preached and proclaimed. What what a blessing for us. My turn, if you would, to Acts
chapter 30 or I mean Acts chapter eight, there's no Acts chapter
eight. How can a man know these things
unless he's told? Let's take a quick look here
at the Ethiopian eunuch. We've got a few minutes still. I absolutely love this story
here. This narrative is just beautiful. Look at Acts 8, 30
and 31. Now this eunuch had been reading
the scriptures. And Philip ran thither to him
and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said, Understandest
thou what thou readest? Now remember what we looked at
in Romans chapter 10 verse 14 to 16, right? But how shall they
call on him in whom they've not believed? And how shall they
believe in him in whom they've not heard? And how shall they
hear him without a preacher, right? So he's reading the scriptures. Understand this, thou what thou
read us. And he said, How can I accept some man should guide
me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with
him. Now, look at verse thirty five, then Philip opened his
mouth and began at the same scripture and what what did he do and preached
unto him? Jesus preached Christ. Preach
Christ to him. My goodness. And in Acts eight thirty seven
and Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He's been regenerated,
born again by the Holy Spirit of God. He's heard Christ preached
and he believes. He believes, my. And I ask you now, you who believe. is not the gospel since the Lord
saved you got sweeter and sweeter and sweeter. It's wonderful. It never gets old. Never gets
old. The last point, point number
seven, the last point that every true gospel preacher knows is
this. He knows that saving faith comes by hearing the word of
God. Look at Romans 10, 17. So then
faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. If a man
can talk you into praying a prayer or coming to Christ, a man can
talk you out of it. But God's people, our hope is
built on Christ in Him alone. And faith cometh by hearing.
All the unhearing are given ears to hear the gospel. The blind
are given eyes to look to Christ. So then faith cometh by hearing
and hearing by the word of God. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
55, 11. It's not just preaching we need
to hear, because there's a lot of people that are out there
supposedly preaching, and there's nothing going on. Love it? It's the preaching of the Word
that we need. It's the preaching of the Word. Look at Isaiah 55,
verse 11. So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish. Look at this, that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. Think of
that when you who believe heard the gospel for the first time. It was sent to you. It was sent
to me. And it fulfilled that which God
had accomplished it to do. And it prospered. Because it's
a work of God. It's not a work of man. We need
preaching of the Word today, brothers and sisters. That's
what we need. Faith doesn't come by dreams and visions like these
folks say, but it comes by the Word of God. It comes by the
Word of God. What does the Word of God do?
It convicts us of sin. It convicts us of sin. The Word
reveals Christ to us. The Holy Spirit takes the preached
Word and reveals Christ. Reveals that we're sinners in
desperate need of Christ. My. And the Word reveals God
Himself, who He is. His majesty and sovereignty and
power. And what else does the Word do
for the believer? It gives us assurance, doesn't it? Where
would we be if we didn't have the assurance that our salvation
is secure in Christ? We'd be like this all the time.
But our salvation is not dependent upon us. It's in Christ and Him
alone. It's in the God-man. What assurance? And how do we know that? Through
the Word. through the preaching of the
word. God has to reveal Christ to us. Turn, if you would, to
John chapter one, and we're closed with this. You cannot separate
the incarnate word in the written word. It's God's word. And Christ is the word of God.
Christ is the word of God. And this this is God's word.
It's his word. It's his it's his book. His words
to his people. Look at John chapter 1 verses
1 to 3. In the beginning was the word. And we know that's Christ. And
the word was with God. And the word was what was. Was. There's no doubt it's not
up for debate. It's not up for debate. The same
was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made. My. Faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God. Heavenly Father, we just come
before Thy throne with grateful and thankful hearts for allowing
us to gather together, allowing us to be here and to look into
thy word, and we pray the Holy Spirit would illuminate the word
and teach us, teach us. May we take the things that we've
learned and just, may they be an anchor to our soul. Because
your word points us to you, Lord Jesus, points us to you. And
we love thee and we thank thee for your goodness and mercy towards
us. May you be glorified in the preaching of your word, in Jesus'
name, amen.