Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. The gospel is the message of
pardon, of God's mercy, of redemption, the buying back, the paying of
the cost of our everlasting salvation, all accomplished through the
blood through the faithfulness and the shedding of the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all according to God's eternal
purpose, which He purposed in Himself. Now, this message is
a declaration. It is not, as men falsely say,
it's not an invitation that's given hoping that men might,
according to their own free will, accept, or if left to their free
will, they'll reject. It's a declaration. Paul the
Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 15, Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel. I make known. I give understanding
unto the inspiration of God's Spirit. It's an announcement
made known by preaching. He said, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you. It pleased God, the Scripture
says, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The
absurdity. That's what the word, the absurdity. That's according to the world's
thoughts. How absurd! Surely there must
be a better way. Surely there's a way that you
can convince men. Surely there's a way if you can
just set them down, capture them just for a few minutes, play
some tricks, or fool them, or this, that, and the other. Preaching. It's the message that is believed
by God-given faith. The Scripture says, "...which
ye have received." How do they receive it? By the power of God. Made willing in the day of God's
power. And the Scripture says, "...wherein
ye stand." It's a declaration. Preached. Received. Men stand in it. Kept by the
power of God through faith. God-given faith. Faith that was
not theirs. By nature. Given unto you to
believe. Ready to be revealed in the last
time. Verse 2 says, "...by which also you are saved, if you keep
in memory what I have preached unto you, unless you have believed
in vain." This is the only message That God the Spirit blesses to
the salvation of God's elect. There is not another true gospel. Paul the Apostle says, Galatians
1.8, But though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you. Let
him be accursed. Excommunicated of God. God does not bless a lie. He is the truth, and the truth
sets a man free. But this message that reveals
God's true sheep, by the Lord calling them out of darkness,
also is the message that reveals men to be apostates. Paul says, this message, verse
2, by which you are saved if, and here again, that word if
right here, is not according to man's will, free will. You
know that. It's the evidence. If you keep
in memory what I've preached unto you, unless you believed
in vain, unless by God Almighty leaving a man to himself, men
possess the faith that is nothing more than the mental assent possessed
by demons, The devils believe that there is a God. The devils
believe that there is a Lord Jesus Christ. But if a man be
a stony ground hearer, excited for a while, elevated in his
thoughts, and receives it with joy, but when the pressure comes
from believing the gospel, comes and a man says, it's just not
worth this. He will quit. Unless Almighty
God keeps him, he's going to quit. The Scripture says, 1 John
2.19, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For
if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued
with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest.
They were not all of us. Do you know why a man or a woman
quits? Because they want to. They want to. And Almighty God
leaves a man or woman to Himself, and they leave that they might
be made manifest that they were not of us. Almighty God is going
to have to save a man or a woman on purpose and keep them or they
will leave. Verse 3 and 4, For I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ
Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He
was buried, and that He rose again the third day according
to the Scriptures. Now, the Spirit of God, the Scripture
reveals, moved upon holy men. Made so by the grace of God. Made so by the imputed righteousness
of Christ. Nothing in them merited the title
holiness. They are made so by God's grace. Sanctified, set apart by God's
choice, by God's Spirit. Taught. Kept. But the Spirit of God has set
forth in the Scriptures that men set forth in the Scriptures. Now, you have to understand,
when Paul made that statement, how the Lord died for our sins
according to the Scriptures. Buried, rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures. The Old Testament Scriptures.
When he wrote this right here, the New Testament was being written. So Christ and His crucifixion,
His burial, His resurrection was all written in the Old Testament
Scriptures. I want you to turn to Isaiah
53. Isaiah 53. You know, as you're turning there,
you know how the Lord Jesus Christ said in the New Testament, Now,
we have the New Testament now, and we can read in John 10, 15,
and it says, I lay down my life for the sheep. That's what the
Lord said. That's who He died for. I told
some Pharisees later, He said, you don't believe Me because
you're not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and
they follow Me. Now, in the Old Testament, according
to the Scriptures, This is how he died. Isaiah 53, verse 4 and
5. This is what the Old Testament
Scriptures says concerning the very statement that the Lord
Jesus Christ made. The Lord Jesus Christ, when He
said in John 10, 15, I lay down my life for the sheep. There's
the revelation of it. Here's what the Old Testament
said concerning the very thing that the Lord Jesus Christ said.
Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet
we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Yet He
was wounded for our transgressions. Whose transgressions? The Lord
revealed that. The sheep. The sheep. This Scripture cannot be inconsistent
with the Lord's revelation in the book of John. He was wounded
for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes,
we are healed. And in time, God's going to tell
us. He's going to reveal it to us. How did the Lord Jesus Christ
die? According to the Scriptures. He was made sin. That's what
2 Corinthians 5.21 says. He was made sin. This is what
the Old Testament says. He bore our griefs. Carried our sorrows. Every type,
every picture, every shadow in the Old Testament set forth Christ. Unless Almighty God opened the
Old Testament saints' eyes to see, they would have never seen
this. You say, well, I can see how much easier it would be for
a New Testament type living that they could see. No, they won't.
No, they won't. I'm telling you, as I've said
before, you can take a Scripture that is so plain to a believer,
You think no one will doubt what that Scripture is saying. I've
quoted 2 Thessalonians 2.13, you know it. But you think no
one will ever doubt sovereign grace when they read this Scripture.
No one will ever doubt election when they hear this Scripture.
But we are bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren, Beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth." Nobody will doubt that, Carl, unless God gives them a new heart.
They'll look at that Jeff and they'll say, I don't believe
that. I don't believe that. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
our sins according to the Scripture. Still in Isaiah 53 verse 9, the
Old Testament Scriptures says, now we just read in 1 Corinthians
how He died. How He died for our sins. How
did He die? Bearing our griefs, carrying
our sorrows, wounded for our transgressions. How He was buried. according to the Scriptures.
How was he buried? Look at Isaiah 53 verse 9. He made his grave with the wicked,
with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither
was any deceit in his mouth. How did he die? In a barred grave. Rich, poor, wicked. He died according to the Scriptures,
buried in a tomb Joseph Arimathea gave him his grave. How did he
die? He died in humiliation, humbling
himself in absolute perfect submission to Almighty God. When he was in the grave, how
long was he in the grave? Well, according to the Scriptures, Psalm 16.10 says that he was
not going to see corruption. For thou wilt not leave my soul
in hell, in the grave, in the world of the dead, neither wilt
thou suffer or allow thine Holy One to see corruption, destruction. He was not going to stay in that
grave any longer than Almighty God had purposed according to
the Scriptures. And then Psalm 30 verse 3 declares
that God was going to raise him from the dead according to the
Scriptures. O Lord, Thou hast brought up
my soul from the grave. Thou hast kept me alive that
I should not go down to the pit. And then the Holy Scriptures,
the Old Testament that preached the Lord Jesus Christ, how He
was going to die. How he was going to be buried.
How long he was going to be in there. Almighty God was going
to raise him from the dead. And Acts 10.43 says, To him give
all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins. So back in 1 Corinthians
15, the Scripture says in verse 5-7, And that he was seen of Cephas
of Peter, then of the twelve. And after that he was seen of
above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part
remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. And after
that he was seen of James, and of all the apostles." Now here
Paul sets forth, whenever the Lord Jesus Christ came out of
the grave, it was an open declaration by Almighty God. He was to be
witnessed. He was witnessed to be raised
from the dead. The scripture says in verse 5,
he was seen of Peter, then of the twelve. I want you to look
at Luke 1, verse 1 to 4. by our lords calling out his
apostles. This is the way he did it. Obviously,
according to his work, his apostles were called by the Lord Jesus
Christ and taught the gospel by the Lord Jesus Christ. They were eyewitnesses. They
saw him. They saw Him as He lived, they
saw Him die, and they saw Him raised from the dead. It pleased
God that they would be eyewitnesses of this account. Luke 1, verses
1-4, For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in
order a declaration of those things which are most surely
believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which
from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, It
seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding, straightness
of understanding of all things from the very first to right
unto thee in order, O excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest
know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed."
Look at 2 Peter. That's what Luke had said about
it. Look at 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1. Verse 16 to 18. 2 Peter 1, 16
to 18. Peter says, For we have not followed
cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses
of His majesty. For He received from God the
Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to Him from
the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. This voice which came from heaven
we heard when we were with him in the holy mount. Peter says
when he went up on that mount of transfiguration, when he shined
brighter than the noonday sun, Peter said, I'm telling you,
we were there. I heard it. I heard God speak
from heaven. I heard the voice of God Almighty
say, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He saw
Moses. He saw Elijah. He saw the law
and the prophets talking to the Lord Jesus Christ concerning
His death. Look at 1 John 1. 1 John 1. 1 John 1, this is where Brother
Mitch was a moment ago. 1 John 1, verses 1 to 3. 1 John
1, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon our hands,
have handled of the Word of life. For the life was manifested,
that is, in the flesh. We have seen it. bear witness,
show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and
was manifested unto us, that which we've seen and heard declare
we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son,
Jesus Christ." So now we look back. 1 Corinthians 15. The Lord Jesus Christ was raised
from the dead and His Apostle says, We saw Him. We saw Him. He appeared to Peter. Then to
12, which was a title, even after Judas was gone, a title still
given to the 11. Now Paul says in verse 8, and
last of all, He was seen to me also as one born out of due time. Paul declares, that he possessed
the necessary credentials to be an apostle. You had to have seen him, learned
the gospel, taught the gospel from him. Paul says, he revealed
himself to me. I want you to look at Acts 26.
Acts 26, verse 13 to 16. Paul said, I saw him. I saw him. And he taught the gospel to me.
Acts 26. I'm sorry, yes, Acts 26. I was
stuck in 23. Acts 26 verse 13. At midday,
Paul was given his personal testimony. At midday, O King, I saw in the
way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun shining
round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we
were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto
me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? It's hard for thee to kick against
the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I'm Jesus whom thou
persecutest. But rise and stand upon thy feet,
for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee
a minister and a witness both of those things which thou hast
seen and those things in which I will appear unto thee." I looked
up the word appear. It means the visage. It means
to see. Paul the Apostle, under the inspiration
of God's Spirit, said, I saw the Lord Jesus Christ after he
had ascended into glory. The man. The God-man mediator. That same Jesus that was raised
And the ascension, the angels told the apostles, you men of
Galilee, why stand ye here gazing into heaven? This same Jesus
that you see ascended into the clouds, into heaven, shall in
like manner return. Paul said, I saw Him. He talked
to me and I saw Him. Appeared unto me. Paul the apostle
back in 1 Corinthians 15, It says in verse 9, For I am the
least of the apostles. I am not meet to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the church. Here he says, Almighty
God, the Lord Jesus Christ, appeared to me. He appeared to all of
the apostles on the day of His resurrection. He appeared unto
them. They saw Him. Luke says, John
says, Peter says, these are not cunningly devised fables. We're
telling you, we were eyewitnesses of His glory and His resurrection. And Paul says, I saw Him. I heard
Him. He taught me. But here's the
situation, Paul says. I'm the least of them. I'm the
least of the apostles. I'm not meat to be called an
apostle. I'm not competent, that's worth
a word. I'm not fit to be called an apostle. Why? Because I committed the
great crime of persecuting the church. And he never forgot that. He went to his grave realizing,
I put an article in the Bulletin this morning by Brother Todd
concerning a sinner, not worthy, I can't remember
how he titled it now, but he wrote an article on that. Basically
this is what he said, Paul the Apostle, who probably was one
that is for men concerned, He loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
He saw Him. He taught Him. God blessed Him.
And Paul, not being falsely humble, said, I'm the least. I'm the
least. I'm not worthy. Not worthy. Not worthy. Not fit. I'm the
chief of sinners. And every believer will say the
same thing. No, Paul, I am. I'm not worthy. You've seen of
me, born out of due time. I'm the least of the apostles,
not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church
of God. But... But... This is what I am. This is what I am myself. And
here's the great hope of every regenerated sinner. by the grace of God. I am what I am. And his grace
which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more
abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which
was with me." Paul was an arrogant Pharisee. He said there was Prior
to the Lord calling him out of darkness, he said, there was
nobody that was more useful than me. Concerning the law, he said,
I was blameless. Born the right day. Circumcised
the right day. Born to the right parents. Zeal? I persecuted the church. He said,
but when Almighty God called me out of darkness, 1 Timothy
1. He said, I realized this. I was a blasphemer. I had no
reverence for God. Almighty God revealed His truth
concerning His will and His purpose and His glory and His calling
and Christ's redemption for His people. And I said, you're a
liar. You're a liar. I know better
than you, God, Now, you're not fair. You're not fair. I was
a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious to God's people.
But by the grace of God, Almighty God did not leave me to myself. In spite of me, one that was
not competent, God called me to be an apostle. And I'm not
neat. I'm not fit to be an apostle.
But by the grace of God, Almighty God saw fit to not leave this
rebel to himself. By God's grace, every redeemed,
regenerated sinner can say this, by the grace of God, He chose
me in Christ. By the grace of God, He did not
leave me in my unbelief. By the grace of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ died for me. Died with me on His heart. I
know my sheep made sin for me. By the grace of God, the Holy
Spirit of God called me out of darkness and unbelief. Irresistibly. How did He do that? He gave me
a new heart. A new heart that was willing.
And I had no glory in myself in that new heart. I came because
I wanted to. But He gave me the want to. He
gave me that grace and that power. And lastly, by the grace of God,
I'm kept by the power of God. Kept till the day of salvation. kept to be revealed in the last
time. I am what I am by God's grace
and I have nothing to say but unto Him and Him alone is all
honor and glory and praise for Christ's sake.