Complete in Thee No work of mine
Could take, dear Lord, The place of Thine Thy blood hath parted
And bought for me And I shall stand Complete in Thee They justify,
O blessed thought, And sanctify, salvation wrought. Thy blood hath parted not for
me, And glorified my God shall be. Complete in thee, no more
shall sin be all I do and am within. Thy grace hath set this
prisoner free, and I shall stand complete in thee. Yea, justified
O blessed thought And sanctified Salvation wrought Thy blood hath
poured And bought for me And glorified My God shall be Complete
in Thee Each need supplied And no good thing To me denied Since
Thou my portion, Lord, wilt be I need none else Complete in
Thee Yea, justified, O blessed thought, And sanctified, salvation
wrought, Thy blood hath pardoned, bought for me, And glorified
my God shall be. Dear Savior, when before Thy
bar All tribes and tongues assembled are Among Thy chosen will I be
At Thy right hand, complete in Thee May justify my own blessed
thought And sanctify salvation wrought Thy blood hath pardoned,
bought for me And glorified I too shall be I love to get up and preach after
I heard the gospel preached so clearly. My thought is if I end
up darkening council with words without knowledge, everybody's
got to hear something glorious. And that was such a blessing.
Thank you so much for that message. Would you turn with me to Romans
chapter two? Verse 11, Romans chapter two. For there is no respect of persons
with God. He's the only being in the universe
of whom that can be said. The great demonstration of that
is the cross. There is no respect to persons
with God. Four, as many as have sinned
without the law shall also perish without the law. And as many
as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. Only those who have done the
law perfectly shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which
have not the law, these are people without a Bible, without a written
revelation, they've never heard of the Ten Commandments. For
when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the
things contained in the law, everybody knows it's wrong to
lie. Everybody knows it's wrong to
murder. Everybody knows it's wrong to steal. They have the
law written in their heart. Everybody does. I get so annoyed
when somebody says, teach us how to live. You already know.
You really do. I do too. We're born with that
knowledge. For when the Gentiles, which
have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law,
these having not the law are a law unto themselves. which
show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts that mean while accusing
or else excusing one another. I'm either going to have an accusing
conscience or I'm gonna make an excuse. What's my fault? Here's
the text, verse 16, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men. Got any secrets? When God shall judge the secrets
of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. Now, this is one of three times
that Paul uses the personal possessive pronoun, my gospel. My gospel. Now, the fact that
we're here this morning indicates that you and I have what we would
call my gospel. that which I hope will bring
me into heaven when I die. My gospel. Is the gospel I call my gospel
the gospel? That's what I want to know. Is
the gospel that I call my gospel the gospel. Paul also uses the phrase, this
gospel, as opposed to other gospels. Paul warned us of another gospel,
which is not another, a different gospel, a gospel that does not
save. This gospel is called in the
scriptures, The Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Son of God. The Word of the Gospel. Do you
know the Gospel has specific words that if those words are
not used, the Gospel is not preached? It's got a specific content called
the Word of the gospel, the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel of Christ, the gospel
of God, the gospel of His Son, Christ's gospel. Paul says several
times, our gospel, the glorious gospel, the truth of the gospel, the
gospel of your salvation, the gospel of peace, the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting gospel, the gospel that never
had a beginning and will never have an end. Is my gospel the
gospel? The definite article The tells
us that the gospel excludes all other gospels. Paul warned us in Galatians one
of another gospel, which is not another for some would trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. There are other gospels. which do not save is what I call
my gospel, the gospel, the gospel of God. Turn back to Romans one
for just a moment. Now in this message, I'm going to Outdo gave 10 points. I got 12. And they'll be brief. And they're
all questions that can be answered with a yes or a no. Every one
of these questions I can answer with a yes or a no with regard
to The gospel I call my gospel. But let's look real briefly at
Romans chapter 1 verse 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. The gospel is the gospel of God. You want me to tell you what
we would be in real trouble if I was preaching the gospel of
Todd? None of us would be saved. It's
not the Baptist gospel. It's not the Catholic gospel.
It's not the reformed gospel. The gospel never needed reformed.
When people talk about the reformed faith, oh, the faith needs reform.
Did you reform it? It's God's gospel, verse two,
which he had promised to for by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. Now the New Testament had not
yet been fully written. He's talking about the Old Testament
scriptures. If my gospel doesn't come from the Old Testament scriptures,
it is not God's gospel. The whole Old Testament identifies
the gospel of God. And look what he says in verse
three with regard to the gospel of God. It's the gospel concerning
his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. The gospel is not concerning
making America, a Christian nation again. There never was a Christian
nation in the first place. It's not about some right-wing
or left-wing political agenda. It's not about affecting or changing
the culture. It's the gospel concerning His
Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. I love Jesus. Thou shalt call his name Jesus.
Don't you love his name? I hope we always say it with
reverence. I hate it when people say his
name flippantly. I love the way the disciples
never came up to him and called him by his name, Lord and Master. And he said, you call me Lord
and Master and you say, well, for so I am. But I love his name,
Jesus. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Jesus Christ,
he's the Christ. He's God's prophet. He's God's
priest. He's God's king. He's like no
other prophet. Every other prophet said, thus
saith the Lord. He said, I say unto you. He's like no other priest. Every
other priest brought the blood of an animal that could never
take away sin. He brings his own precious blood
into the presence of the father. Oh, the power of his blood. He's like no other king because
he is the king. He has all power. Every other king is only there
by his appointment and any power they have is his power. The king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord, it's the rivers of water. He
turneth it whithersoever he will. He is the Christ, God's prophet,
God's priest, God's king. He is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He's the Lord. He's the one whose will is always
done. That's what is meant by Him being
Lord. When He created the universe,
He did so as an act of His will. He willed the universe into creation. Whatever happens in time, whatever
happened to you this morning, whatever happens to you in the next second, everything
that's ever taken place, is His will being done. What about nothing? It's His will being done. Salvation is His will being done. If you're saved, it's because
He willed your salvation. He's Lord. He's Lord of the dead
and the living. He's everybody's Lord. Somebody
says, he's not my Lord. Yeah, he is. You may not know
it, but he is. You are in, I am in his hand. He is Jesus Christ, our Lord. The gospel of Jesus Christ, our
Lord, which was made, verse three, of the seed of David, according
to the flesh. David's son is David's Lord.
And he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. The word was made flesh. He came
in the flesh. A real man. He was made of the
seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the
Son of God. God, the Son, the second person
of the Trinity. In the beginning was the Word. A distinct person. The Word was
with God and the Word was God. Declared to be the Son of God
with power, and here's two proofs. His holy life, the spirit of
holiness, empowered by the Holy Spirit without measure to never
sin, the spirit of holiness and the resurrection of the dead.
You look in every other tomb, somebody's DNA is still in it.
some pile of dirt somewhere, he's the only tomb that is now
empty. He was raised from the dead.
Now, how can I know if my gospel, what I hope in, is thee? gospel and like I said I got
12 questions and they're going to be very brief I hope they'll
be very easy to understand and I hope every one of us can answer
these questions well we can answer these questions with a yes or
no and my first point is does my gospel line up with the old
testament scriptures let me give you one scripture
Paul said in first corinthians chapter 15 verse 3 The gospel is how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures is the gospel
that I believe is the gospel I hope in according to the Old
Testament scriptures. And there's so much we could
say about that, but I want to give one example. Here's the
gospel according to the Old Testament scriptures. God said, when I
see the blood, I will pass over you. He didn't say when I see
your faith, he didn't say when I see your sincerity, he didn't
say when I see your understanding and knowledge, he didn't say
when I see your progress, he didn't say when I see your changed
life, he didn't say when I see your decision, he said when I
see the blood. I will pass over you. There's one thing he was looking
for. One thing. The blood of his dear son. What if someone had committed
some horrible sin that very day that would make you blush? Would
he pass over him? If he's in the house with the
blood over the door. Is my gospel the gospel that
lines up with the Old Testament scriptures? Second question. Does my gospel give God all the
glory in salvation? God said, my glory, I will not
share with another. Now, if me and you are seeking
our glory, what is it? Sin, evil, just wrong. If God seeks his own glory, it's
only appropriate for his glorious person, isn't it? Now, in salvation, in salvation,
let me give a scenario. If you're saved at the beginning
of your salvation with God responding to something you do, your decision,
an act of your will, who gets the glory? You do. You do. If God responded to something
you did, You get the glory. Somebody else didn't do it. You
did. You're the difference. What about in the middle of your
salvation? You become more holy, better through your diligence
and self-denial and scripture reading and prayer. You become
more holy and less sinful while your brother who's not quite
as spiritual as you didn't reach your level. Who gets the glory
there? You do. What about the end of your salvation
when rewards are passed out and you, through your diligent life,
gain a higher reward than your brother? Who gets the glory? You do. If in my salvation, God doesn't
get all the glory in every aspect to every degree. My gospel is
not the gospel. Thirdly, third question. Does
my gospel give the preeminence to Jesus Christ in all things? Now examine yourself. Does my
gospel, the gospel I believe, Give the preeminence to Jesus
Christ in all things. Now, the only way that can be
answered is do I really believe that Jesus Christ is all? Do
I believe that Jesus Christ is all in the Scriptures? That every
Scripture is Him? Do I believe He is all to God? All that God requires? Do I believe
He's all that God is? Do I believe he's all in every
doctrine? He's the sum and substance of
every truth in the scripture. Do I believe that? Do I see it?
Do I see that he's all in my salvation, that all God requires
of me, he looks to Christ for? Do I see he's all in my experience?
What do you mean by that? The only hope I have is his faith.
I believe that. The only hope I have is his sincerity,
his love, his life. He is all in my... I don't trust anything about
me. And I got good reason to not
trust it. Paul put it this way in Colossians
1, 18, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things, he might have the preeminence. Does he have the preeminence
in every aspect of your salvation? Now, if he doesn't, your gospel
can't be gospel. Fourth question, does my gospel
violate any of the attributes of God. Now his attributes, who he is, who he is as it was revealed
in the scriptures. He's holy. He's absolutely sovereign. That
means he's the first cause of everything. His will is always
done. He is absolutely just. He's absolutely righteous. He's
immutable. He can't change. He's independent.
He has no needs. He's omnipotent. He's all powerful. He's omniscient. He knows everything. He's omnipresent. He's everywhere
at once. All of his glorious attributes
that are revealed in the scripture. His isness, his isness is revealed
in the word of God. Does the gospel that I believe
violate any of those attributes? If it does, it's not the gospel.
And let me give you an example of what I'm saying. Most people,
most stuff that goes on under the umbrella of what they call
Christianity, well, I'm not going there, but,
Most people believe that Jesus Christ shed his blood for everybody
without exception. But it's up to you as to whether
or not you'll be saved. It depends on the decision you
make. You've got to exercise your will and choose him and
believe and only then will you be saved. He could die for you,
but you might wind up in hell anyway if you don't do your part.
Do you know that violates every attribute of God? Every single
attribute. I mean, it violates his justice.
You mean he can punish your sin and then punish you all over
again for it in hell? Why, that's against the justice
of God. It's against his love. He can love you and yet send
you to hell. It's against his immutability that he could change
in his view of you. It's against his sovereignty.
It's against his wisdom. Every attribute of God is denied
in that kind of belief. Does the gospel, I believe, violate
any of the attributes of God? If it does, it's not the gospel. Is my gospel the gospel? Fifth
question. I love this. Does my gospel actually
honor God's law? The Ten Commandments, the reward
for obedience and and the punishment for disobedience. Does my gospel
actually honor the law of God? God's holy law. Somebody says,
well, I try, I do my best. I try to keep the commandments.
I ain't good enough. That's not even close. Somebody says, well, I try to
keep the law. No, you don't. No, you don't. Be honest. I mean,
I love God's law. I do. I love God's law. And I
know not one time in my personal experience have I kept one commandment
one time. but the gospel, my gospel honors
God's law. It gives me a perfect obedience
before God's law. So God's law looks me over just
like you said at a Jeremiah 5020, the law of God will look me over
and there'll be no sin. Perfect righteousness. All sin
is punished in the cross. Oh, My gospel honors the holy
law of God. Now, does your gospel honor God's
law? Don't deal with this. Deal with this. May God give
me grace to deal with it. Does my gospel actually honor
the law of God? Here's the sixth question. Does my gospel meet the sinner
where he is dead in sins not where he should be but where
he is and you hath he quickened who were what dead in trespasses
and sins like the good samaritan coming to the Man who was, scripture
says, half-dead. Half-dead. You know, I used to
think, well, what in the world, how can you be half-dead? Well, you
can be half-dead. You can be spiritually dead and
physically alive. He was still physically alive
at the time, but he was spiritually dead. But the scripture says
the good Samaritan came to him where he was. And that's what
I need Christ to do for me, to come to me where I am, because
I can't get to him. He's got to come to me where
I am, dead in trespasses and sins and do everything for me
to save me. Does my gospel come to me where
I am. Here's the seventh question.
Told you I'd be quick. Will my gospel save the chief
of sinners? Now I wish I could deal with
this the way I ought to deal with it and with the The problem,
but I won't, but let me give it a shot. Who's the chief of
sinners? Me. Me. And the problem with that is
if you agree with me, I'll get mad at you. You're as bad as
I am. But let's try to think of this
as it ought to be thought of. The chief of sinners is somebody
who in their heart, in their heart of hearts before God, They
believe that all they are is sin and that they cannot not
sin. And in their heart of hearts,
they really believe their sins, their fault. They're not blaming
anybody. They're not victims. It's all their fault. It can't be like Adam, the woman
you gave me. If you hadn't given her to me,
it wouldn't have happened. All my sin is all my fault. I cannot look in judgment on
any human being for any action, because I know, you know that
scripture, therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever
thou art, the judges for thou, the judges doest the same things. No, I don't. God says you do.
God says you do. Don't say no, I don't. Yeah,
you do. Worse. Worse. Well, that's the way I
used to be. No, that's the way you are now. I have no claims on God. If he sent me to hell, just and
holy is his name. If he passed me by. Can your
gospel save the chief of sinners? Mine can. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. And I love it that there's no
adjective before that. It doesn't say repentant sinners.
It doesn't say believing sinners. It doesn't say sensible sinners.
That's the one I think is so funny. Sensible sinners? I thought
they were stupid. But it doesn't say just sinners. Just sinners, are you in that
demographic? Christ Jesus came into the world to save you. I
guarantee he did. It's what the Bible says. Eighth question. Does my gospel provide all that
God requires? my gospel the gospel i'm relying
on to bring me into heaven does it does it provide all that god
i'm talking about the living god the god of the bible i'm
not talking about some kind of weak god i'm talking about the
god of glory Does my gospel provide all that God requires? My God, or the God of the Bible,
not my, God requires perfect righteousness. He provides it. He requires satisfaction to his
law. He provides it. He requires that
all sin be punished. He provides it. He requires faith. He provides it. He requires repentance. He provides it. He requires a
new heart. He gives it. Everything God requires. Everything He provides. If there's anything He didn't
require or that He did require that I don't have, and that he
doesn't provide, I won't be saved. All he requires, he provides. Will my gospel keep me saved?
This is the ninth question. Will my gospel keep me saved? You know, folks think, well,
can you be saved and then be lost? Well, if you can, you already
said that Christ is a failure. If he intended to save me and
shed his blood for me and I end up being lost, he failed in his
intention. And salvation really is by works,
bottom line. Salvation is by what you do.
If you can't keep yourself, you won't be saved. And nobody will
be saved if that's the case. Nobody will be saved. Thank God,
he says, I give to my sheep eternal life. Eternal life. Now unto him, said Jude, that
is able to keep you from falling. And to present you. to present you, to keep you from
falling, to cause you to persevere all the way to the end, and to present you faultless
before his presence with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our
Savior. Yes, my gospel is able to cause
me to persevere. all the way to the end, which
really is the evidence of salvation. You're saved if you go all the
way to the end. And the only way me and you will go all the
way to the end is if we're kept by the power of God through faith
and to salvation, kept looking to Christ only. 10th question. Can I face death? and judgment with my gospel. I might die tomorrow, but I do
know I'm on the downhill slide. I mean, you know, I remember
when I was a kid, 63 years old, put him in a grave. I mean, it's,
it's, uh, that's, you know, you've lived long enough. You're just
in the way. Um, so I know I'm in that area of, I'm going to,
I don't have long, I don't have much longer. I don't, neither
do you. Neither do you. What is your
life? A vapor that appears for a little
while. I mean, it's just gone quick.
Can I face death and the judgment of God with the gospel I believe? Well, let me tell you how I can
know. If this is true, there is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. You know, if that's so, I'm good
to go. I can face death and judgment
if I don't have any sin, if there's no condemnation. Listen to Paul's
words in Romans 8, verse 31. If God be for us, who can be against us? He that
spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not? What could possibly prevent Him
from freely giving us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is He that can condemn? Christ does. I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus dies. and that he died for me. Oh, I can, I can face death and
judgment with that. John said in first John chapter
four, verse 17, here is our love made perfect that we may have
boldness on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we. Do you hear that? How's he? Oh,
he's lovely to the father. He's perfect. He's all together
without sin. As he is. So are we. Yeah, I'm ready for judgment.
If that's so, it is. It is. 11th question. Will my gospel make me perfectly
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Do you know heaven would not
be heaven to me if I had to take my wicked nature there with me? Whom He did foreknow. Then, He also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of His Son. Now, if that's the
way I'm conformed to His image, yeah, my gospel, my gospel, the
gospel I believe, what I hope in, it's gonna perfectly conform
me. to the image of Jesus Christ. I'll be just like him. I won't
have any sin. I won't even remember what it's
like to be a sinner. When I'm in heaven, the only, I won't
remember, I won't remember my sin. But I'll know when I look
at the scars on his hands and feet, I'll know he's the only
reason I'm there. But I won't remember what it's like to be
a sinner. And that's, you know, we just
heard that song, waiting for my body that will never sin.
Waiting for my body that will never sin. Now, here's my last question. Does my gospel enable me to rest? What do you mean by resting? There remaineth therefore a rest
for the people of God for he that's entered into his rest
hath ceased from his own works as God did from his. God created the universe. On the seventh day, he rested. Why? Because the work was very
good. Very complete. Nothing could
be added. He that's entered into his rest
hath ceased from his own works. What's that look like? Listen
to this scripture. To him that worketh not. You have some understanding that
if salvation by works, you have no hope. You work not. You need to be working. You need to be not working. To him that worketh not. Salvation by works for you is
impossible. You're sure of that. If any aspect
of salvation is dependent upon you doing anything or not doing
anything, you won't be saved. You believe that? To him that
worketh not. But believeth on him that justifies
the ungodly that resteth in him that justifies the ungodly here's
what you're resting in you're not working you're resting in
him that justifies the ungodly resting Do not disturb. Is my gospel the gospel? Well,
does it line up with the Old Testament scriptures? Does my
gospel give God all the glory? Does my gospel give the preeminence
to Jesus Christ in all things? Does my gospel violate any of
the attributes of God? Does my gospel honor God's Holy
law. Does my gospel meet the sinner
where he is? Dead. Will my gospel save the chief
of sinners? Does my gospel provide all that
God requires? Will my gospel keep me saved? Can I face death and judgment
with my gospel? Will my gospel perfectly conform
me to the image of Jesus Christ? Does my gospel allow me to rest? You can answer, I can answer
all those with a yes or no. If my answer is yes to those,
yes, my gospel is the gospel. And the scripture says that the
gospel, God's gospel, is the power of God unto salvation to
everyone that believeth. This weekend went by very quickly. What a blessing. Gabe, thank
you for your message this morning. We opened this weekend Friday
night by reading a passage from 1 Corinthians 1. And I'd like
to close this weekend with some verses from this chapter. 1 Corinthians 1. We've heard
this weekend that you did not choose me, I chose you. Salvation
is by the sovereign election of God. Somebody might be thinking,
well, how do I know that he's chosen me? Well, the scripture
tells us in this passage of scripture, what those people whom he has
chosen look like. So if you see yourself in the
description that God gives, you can have some comfort that the
Lord has chosen you. Look at verse 27. God hath chosen. the foolish things of the world. Scripture speaks of man being
foolish and God being wise. The only wisdom I have is found
in Christ, who God has made to be my wisdom. Left to myself,
I'm a fool. God has chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things that are
mighty. those who have no strength, and that while we were yet without
strength, Christ died for the ungodly. Verse 28, the base things of
the world and the things that are despised have God chosen,
yea, the things which are not. That's God's, that's his summary
of those whom he has chosen, things that are not, we have
nothing. in ourselves, and we have everything
in Christ. To bring to naught the things
that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. We are
the true circumcision, worship God, worship Christ in the spirit,
rejoicing, worship God in the spirit, rejoicing Christ Jesus,
and have no confidence in the flesh. That's my gospel, Todd. And I'm so thankful the Lord
has given us such a clear description of Him and us and His gospel. I pray that the Spirit of God
will be pleased to make it effectual to our hearts. We're going to
enjoy a meal together over in the fellowship hall. I hope you
can stay for that. Tom's going to come lead us in
a closing hymn. And while we sing, I know we
have some folks that are flying out this afternoon that want
to grab a bite to eat before they have to leave. So we'll
let them head over. And anyone involved in preparing
the food, please feel free to be dismissed now. and uh or when
we stand to sing and uh and we'll go over there in a few minutes
okay 168 168 let's stand together number 168 ? Lord, I hear of showers of blessing
? ? Thou art scattering full and free ? ? Showers the thirsty
land refreshing ? ? Let some drops now fall on me ? Even me,
even me, let thy blessing fall on me. Pass me not, O tender
Saviour, let me love and cling to Thee. I am longing for Thy
favor, whilst Thou art calling, O call me. Even me, even me,
let thy blessing fall on me. Pass me not, O mighty Spirit,
thou canst make the blind to see. Witnesser of Jesus' merit,
speak the word of power to me. Even me, even me, let thy blessing
fall on me. Love of God so pure and changeless,
blood of Christ so rich and free. Grace of God so strong and boundless,
magnify them all in me, even me. even me let thy blessing
fall on me pass me not thy lost one bringing bind my heart oh
lord to thee while the streams of We will not have our regular
midweek service this coming Wednesday night. Okay, so we'll gather
back together next Sunday. Let's pray together. Our Heavenly Father, thank you for thy dear son. Thank
you for the forgiveness of sin. Thank you for the hope of salvation.
Thank you, Lord, for the ministry of your spirit that opens our
eyes and gives faith to our hearts to believe. Thank you for your
word. Thank you, Lord, for your people, for your church, Thank
you for the time of fellowship and encouragement that we can
enjoy together. We pray your blessings on this
as you've blessed us this weekend, Lord, continue to abide with
us. We ask it in Christ's name. you