Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 9. I'd like to read verse
16 of 1 Corinthians. And I want to tell you the name of the message
that I'd like to preach. I've entitled this, Why Do I
Preach the Gospel? This message was born to my heart
this week. through this passage of Scripture,
I'd like to preach on this subject. 1 Corinthians 9, 16, For though
I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is
laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach
not the gospel. The glorious gospel of God's
sovereign grace is the proclamation, this is not an invitation, this
is a proclamation of pardon, mercy, and peace that is bestowed
upon hell-deserving sinners through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the message that reveals
all mankind to be ruined in Adam's fall. It is the message that proclaims
some out of this fallen race to be redeemed by the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's the message that reveals
that all that has been redeemed by Christ shall surely be regenerated
by God's Holy Spirit of promise, and that through the preaching
of the gospel. and those that Almighty God has
purposed to save, eternally purposed to save. All that the Lord Jesus
Christ has redeemed by his blood, all that the Spirit of God regenerates
in time, that they shall surely be kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
That's the gospel. The gospel is the message of
God's eternal purpose to show mercy, and that Almighty God
is going to save His people. Now, knowing these precious truths
to be so, I've got this question For myself, why do I preach the gospel? I've got six reasons that I've
written down as to why I preach the gospel. I know that the gospel
is going to be preached. I know that Almighty God is going
to have a witness in this world. I know that. Why do I preach it? Out of this verse that I just
read, 1 Corinthians 9, verse 16, Paul the apostle says, For
though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. I did not come up. I was not the originator of this
gospel. He said, for necessity is laid
upon me. That's my first point. Why do
I preach the gospel? Necessity is laid upon me. Let me ask you this. Where else
could a man honestly and truthfully start. Mama didn't call me. Friends could not encourage me. This has got to be a God-called
ministry to me. Look at 1 Timothy 1.12. 1 Timothy
1.12. You read it or I'll read it to
you. The Apostle Paul says to Timothy,
and I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for
that he counted me faithful. Not that he saw me to be faithful
and therefore called me. He counted, he purposed me to
be faithful. into the ministry. Who before
was a blasphemer, a persecutor, an injurious, but I obtained
mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Why do I preach
the gospel? Almighty God has laid upon me
the calling of this ministry. The Lord Jesus Christ calls men,
makes men ministers. He calls them to that position,
and when He calls them, He keeps them. Look at Acts 4. Acts chapter 4, verse 13. Acts
4, verses 13 to verse 20. And when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant
men, they marveled. They took knowledge of them that
they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was
healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
But when they had commanded them to go aside out of counsel, they
conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men?
That indeed a noble miracle hath been done by them is manifest
to all that will in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it, but that
it spread no further among the people. Let us straightly threaten
them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they
called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach
in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and
said unto them, whether it be right, the sight of God to hearken
unto you more than unto God, judge ye. And we cannot but speak
the things which we have seen and heard. Why do I preach the
gospel? Necessity is laid upon me. I am what I am by the grace of
God. God Almighty God calls men to
the ministry, imparts into them a heart for the gospel of God's
grace. We are what we are by the grace
of God. Here's the second reason. Know that Almighty God calls
men to preach the gospel. is that this is the message that
the Lord Jesus Christ preached. Matthew 4, verse 23. The scripture says that Jesus went
about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease among the people. The Scripture reveals that the
Lord Jesus Christ freely, boldly preached in the synagogues the
message of redemption and regeneration through Himself. We preach redemption,
regeneration, pardon and mercy through Christ. He preached it
concerning himself. This one gospel from God Almighty,
and it is the gospel of the kingdom, the good news that His kingdom
was now come through Him, by Him, in Him. He preached the
gospel. But people would say, but what
do you mean? What did he preach? When I say
I preach this gospel, call of God, necessity being laid upon
me, preach this because the Lord preached it, what did he preach
in particular? I'll tell you what he preached
in particular. He preached that man is ruined in Adam's fall. He told Nicodemus, You must be born from above. You must be born again. You must
be born from heaven. Almighty God is going to do for
men what men cannot do for themselves. I cannot rebirth myself. He preached Man's ruin in the
fall. He preached, secondly, particular
redemption. He preached that. He said in
John chapter 10, verse 15, I lay down my life for the sheep. I lay down my life for my people. He preached particular redemption. Why do I preach this? He preached
it. Why do I proclaim what I proclaim? Christ proclaimed this. He did
not preach universal redemption. He preached that He came into
this world to seek people, that which was lost in the false,
and he expressly set forth who he died for. John 10, 15. I lay down my life for the sheep.
He preached the irresistible grace. John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will No wives
cast out. Why do I preach this gospel,
Neil? It's what he preached. He preached. Man is ruined. God must save him. When the Jews
questioned our Lord in John 10, 24, they asked Him, How long
dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly." This was his answer. This was his answer. I told you. And you believe not. The works
that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. John
10 and 26. But ye believe not. Because ye are not my sheep. My sheep, as I said unto you,
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." The Lord Jesus Christ went about
all Galilee teaching in the synagogues and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom, and he set forth the particular of what he was preaching. He did not leave it to man's
imagination and say, well, that's just what you think the gospel
is. No, I know this is what it is, because this is what God
preached. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why do I preach the gospel? He laid upon me the necessity,
gave me a heart. Secondly, this is the message
that the Lord preached. He said in Luke 4.18, reading
from the scriptures, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has
sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives and recovery sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that are bruised." Do you notice what he said he did? This
is what I do. I do this. I heal the brokenhearted. I preach deliverance to the captives,
recovery of sight to the blind, and liberty to them that are
bruised. I preach the gospel because this
is the only message that is from God. This is the only message
that is from God. Romans 1-1, Paul, a servant of
Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel
of God. There's one message. This is
the only message which God Almighty is the author, He's the executor,
He's the subject of it, and He's the revealer of it. This is the
gospel that is concerning His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. which was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of
God with power. All power, he said in John 17,
2, is given unto me, that I should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given me. I give power, I give grace, I'm
merciful. According to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection of the dead, I preach the gospel of God's
grace because Christ is the exalted subject, and he is the manner,
the matter of the gospel. This is the message that's concerning
His work, His power, His honor, His grace. And man has nothing
to do with it. Man is the recipient of the grace
of God. Man is the object of God's mercy. God Almighty is not waiting on
man to do anything or all mankind is going to perish. This is the message that proclaims
the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself, to be made flesh according to
God's eternal covenant of grace. Made flesh, a body prepared Him
just like this flesh Except this flesh had no sin in it. A body
made him that aged just like mine does. Mine because of sin. His made like unto his brethren. A marvelous thing, a miracle. A body that was prepared him
that fell and hurt and bled and died. yet without sin. This is the message that proclaims
him to be the son of God, accepted by God. God Almighty has raised
him from the dead, proving that God accepted what he did as the
substitute of his people. He finished the work of redemption. He paid their debt. He put away
sin. And now by His blood, in His
blood, there is no condemnation for them that be in Christ Jesus. Never was. Never was. Why? Because God saw Him slain
before the foundation of the world. He saw the day of redemption. eternally, everlastingly, and
trust in His Son, His servant, His chosen. Fourthly, I preach
the gospel because this is the only message that the Spirit
of God blesses to the salvation of God's elect. Now you listen to what God has
to say. And you remember, all scripture is given by God's breath,
by inspiration of God. And it's profitable for correction. It's profitable for instruction,
righteousness. If you want to know what is the
truth, throw away everything that anybody's got to say that
doesn't line up with this. I don't care what it is. If the
scripture doesn't bear it out, then it's a lie. This is the only message. This
is the reason I preach this gospel. This is the reason I preach election.
This is the reason I preach predestination. This is the reason I preach sovereign
grace, particular redemption, total depravity, irresistible
grace, preservation of the saints. This is the reason that I preach
because Almighty God has said it so. Here's number four. Preaching the gospel, this gospel,
is the only, the only, the only message that God blesses to the
salvation of His elect. Romans 1, 16, 17. Paul said,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The gospel that Christ
preached. I'm not ashamed I'm not ashamed
yet of particular redemption. I'm not ashamed of irresistible
grace. I'm not ashamed of these precious
truths. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believe it. To the Jew first and also to
the Greek for their end. In that message, in that gospel,
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith, faith given to believe
that it is the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. From faith to faith. God gives a man faith to believe
that it's not my faith and it's Satan's. He's given me faith
to believe that I'm justified totally by His faith imputed
to me, charged to me, faith to faith, faith given to see His
faith. Therein does the righteousness
of God reveal from faith to faith, and it is written that just shall
live by faith, by the object of their faith, by Christ's This is the message. This is
the only message. So I'm going to say, well, that's
just what you say. Well, I'm going to say what he says. Because
whatever he says is going to stand. And whatever I say that's
not according to what he says is going to fall. Why do I preach
the gospel? Because God Almighty has revealed
in His Word and more is the only message that God
blesses to the salvation of a sinner. Does God bless another message,
a message of free will? Does God bless a message of free
will offered to a man's soul? No. No. No one has ever been converted
under a false gospel. Marvin, you're going out too
far on a limb. I'll go as far as God Almighty reveals. And
I'll stand up to it. This is the truth. God Almighty
has set forth. This is the power of God Himself. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
it. I'm not ashamed of it. Men are going to hate you. Well, they're going to have to
hate me. We ought to obey God rather than
men. Paul, and every preacher of the
gospel, is not ashamed. He's not ashamed of Christ. He's
not ashamed of his gospel. And he clearly and boldly sets
forth the preaching of the gospel of God's grace and mercy to guilty
sinners totally according to his eternal plan. purpose to
show mercy, grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. They're not
ashamed. They're not ashamed to hear it. They're not ashamed
to proclaim it. They're not ashamed to believe
it. You know why? Because this is the
only hope they've got. Only in the gospel is the imputed
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to be given to
those that trust Him, that God has given a part to trust Him.
It was the Lord that regenerated them. It's God that gives them
faith to believe what God has taught them. And they have absolutely
no confidence in their flesh. None! None! What did I do for my salvation? Well, you believed. He gave me faith to believe. That wasn't my faith. It was
given to you to believe. No filthy rags of man's self-righteous
works are revealed in the gospel. Christ alone is honored in God's
people who love to have His Son. Number five, the reason I preach
the gospel of God's grace in Christ is that this gospel endures
forever. This is God's word. This is God's
word. Heaven and earth is going to
pass away. But he said, my word will never
pass away. Revelation 14, 6 and 7, and I
saw another angel. representing all of God's sent
preachers. I saw another angel fly in the
midst of heaven, that is, unhindered, having the everlasting gospel
to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear
God, respect God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment
has come, and worship Him that made heaven and earth. and the
seas. Why do I preach this? This message
endures forever because God endures forever. This is the truth of God's eternal
grace. Number six, the glorious gospel is the message
that exposes light and darkness. Galatians 1 says, all preaching
to the church of Galatia, 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. I stand before you as a man that's
dying, just like you are. We're dying. We all just took a breath. We just took a breath of God's
air by the grace of God that Jesus breathed. Now here's the
truth. The message of God's sovereign,
electing, predestinating, particular redeeming, irresistibly gracious
regeneration is the message that exposes light and darkness. Paul says, if any man, I don't
care if it's an angel from heaven, Satan was an archangel. If he preached any other gospel
than that which we preached, let him be accursed. To preach
or to believe any other message And to die in that state, woe
is me. Paul said, woe is me if I preach
not the gospel. I heard Brother Henry say, woe
is you if you don't believe Him. God claimed to be a preacher,
and I don't preach this message right here. Woe is me. not preaching, not believing,
not setting forth this message, I'm going to perish. That's what
God said to the Apostle Paul. This is the message of a sinner's
hope, and it's born to my heart and to every believer's heart.
Romans 16, 25. Now to him that is a power to
establish you according to my gospel. and the preaching of
Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which
was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest,
and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith, that God only was, be glory through Christ
Jesus forever. Amen. Yes, I preach. this gospel, because God called
me to this gospel. He sent me to preach the gospel. This is the message that He preached.
This is the message that He blesses. This is the message that honors
Him. And now, by the grace of God, made willing in the day
of His power, I stand before you a weak man, but the message
that I preach is the power of God of salvation. Lord, bless
these words to our heart, for Christ's sake.