Turn in your Bible to Luke chapter
1 verse 1. Luke chapter 1 verse 1. I'm taking my text from the first
verse. 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. What are the things
that are most surely believed among us? Among us. Well, that's the title of my
message. And I sat down in my desk yesterday and worked on
this message for you. And I'm going to repeat something
I've already said because I've got it written down here. When
we started coming here back in September of 2006 and preaching
the gospel of God's grace. Someone said to me, who lived
in this area, someone that is not here, someone I met in a
meeting away from here, but someone who lived in this area, when
he found out that we were going to come here and preach the gospel
and pray that the Lord would establish a gospel ministry,
He said to me, we don't need any more churches in Kingsport. And I thought, to which I replied,
well, you're right. We don't need any more churches.
This town is full of churches right down the road down here.
I used to go through, when we were on Sullivan Avenue, that
circle. What do they call that? Church
circle? Is that what it's called? And I said, you're right. The town's
full of churches. But what Kingsport does need is a gospel church,
a gospel ministry that plainly and boldly declares the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ that alone is a power of God unto
salvation. That's why the apostle said,
I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is a power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believes. and in that gospel of the very
righteousness of God revealed how God can be just and justify
the ungodly. So we came here, started preaching
the gospel, and often you who were there in the beginning remember
that we would often pray, Lord, send a pastor to your people
here. And we'd pray, and we'd ask,
and we'd seek the Lord's direction in this matter from the school
building, over here to Sullivan, was it Sullivan Avenue? To a
little storefront there, and then to the building here. And we would pray, Lord, be pleased
to send and raise up a pastor. And the Lord heard our prayer.
There he sits. The Lord heard our prayer and
sent you a pastor, a preacher of the gospel. Aren't you thankful? I'm just so happy, so thankful
the Lord has sent you a faithful gospel ministry and his dear
family. We're just so, so appreciative.
I know you are too. Gospel preachers are hard to
find. Brother Mahan used to say, the woods are full of preachers,
not many gospel preachers. I've run into a lot of people
when they find out, they always kind of inquire a little bit,
you know, what do you do? I said, well, I preach the gospel. Oh,
yeah, well, you know, do you know him? Do you know him? You
know, preachers all know each other, don't they? Well, this
one doesn't. I know some gospel preachers, but there's a lot
of folks in our area that say they're preachers, but I don't
know them, don't want anything to do with them. So here's my question. What is it that sets this ministry
Here at Kingsport Grace, what is it that sets this ministry
apart from others? I mean, there's churches all
over this city. What is it that sets this ministry apart from
others? Is it the personality of the
pastor? He's a fine man. I love him and
appreciate him. But that's not what sets this
ministry apart. Is it our fine musical programs
we have? I'm thankful for the music we
have, but that's not what sets this ministry apart. When we
came in through town here, past that church up on the hill there,
they were having a big, some kind of a big play or drama or
something. And the parking lot was full.
You know, I'm not really interested in trying to fill the parking
lot. I tell the folks up at Zebulon, if we're just interested in filling
this building, I can do that in one week. Guarantee you, one
week. I can have them running out the
door. But that's not what we're interested in. We're interested
in preaching the gospel, the gospel of God concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ. So what is it that sets this
ministry apart? It's not the pastor. It's not
the music. It's not the programs for the
young people. Now, I'm all for helping the young people. But
my soul, our young people have too much on their plate now.
They don't need any more entertainment. What do our young people need?
They need to hear the gospel. They need to hear the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So it's not the program for the
young people or the old people or the single people. What sets
this ministry apart? The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The ministry that we have here
and that God has raised up here, what sets this ministry apart
is our message. Our message. That's the difference. That's the difference. Paul said,
I'm determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and
him crucified. We're determined to preach the
gospel, the gospel of God. Now, our text here says in the
introduction to the gospel of Luke that we have taken in hand
to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most
surely believed among us. What do believers most surely
believe? All things written in the Word
of God. That's what believers believe.
All things that are written in the Word of God. You're going
to study, when you get to Acts chapter 24, in verses 14 and
15, the apostle said, This I confess unto thee, that after the way
which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my father, believing
all things which are written in the law and in the prophets."
The law and the prophets are all about Christ. To him give
all the prophets witness. When we preach the gospel of
God concerning Christ, we set forth those things that believers
most surely believe. If you're a believer, You believe
God's gospel as it's revealed in the word of the Lord. You
cannot reject the vital truths of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ and call yourself a believer. You cannot reject the gospel
of God's grace and call yourself a believer. Now whatever else
you might be, you're not a believer. If you're a believer, you believe
the gospel. the gospel of God concerning Christ. Now, there
are several outlines I could use on this subject, things we
most surely believe, and I'll get to my five points here in
just a minute. There's an old preacher, and
all of you have heard this statement, or most of you have, his name
was Roland Hill. He was born in 1744, died in
1833, ministered over in London, England. But he said of every sermon that's
preached that should contain the three R's, the three R's,
ruined by the fall and Adam all died. I love the way Barnard
put that. What happened in the garden?
What happened in the garden? Ruin, sin, depravity, death,
sin entered in, death entered in, guilt entered in. So we preach ruined by the fall,
don't we? And then we preach redemption
by the blood, redemption that's successful. The Lord Jesus Christ
is not a failed redeemer. He made complete atonement for
all the sin of his people. He redeemed his own with his
precious blood. Those for whom Christ died, they're
justified by his blood. Barnard used to say about that
point, what happened at the cross? That's a good way of putting
it, isn't it? What happened in the garden? What happened at
the cross? And then that third R is regeneration. By God the
Holy Spirit. Regeneration is not something
you do. Regeneration is something God
does in you. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. You hath he quickened. You hath
he quickened who were dead. So these are the things that
we most surely believe. The three R's. Ruined, redeemed,
and regeneration. Or we could use this outline.
Here's another outline we could use. Things that we most surely
believe. T-U-L-I-P. Tulip. T-U-L-I-P. What does T-U-L-I-P
stand for? Total depravity. The T stands
for total depravity. All have sin that comes short
of the glory of God. Men are totally, totally depraved. And you really don't believe
that unless You have experienced that in your heart that you are
a wretched rotten vile guilty miserable sinner. The U stand for unconditional
election. These are the things that God's
people believe unconditional election. 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 in the truth whereunto he called you
by our gospel. That's what we call unconditional
election. Believers believe God elected
a people in eternity. And then we come down to the
L, it gets back to talking about the atonement of the Lord, limited
atonement. Not limited in its power, but
limited in its scope. The Lord Jesus said, I lay down
my life for the sheep, for the transgression of my people, Isaiah
53. He was stricken. And then the
I stands for irresistible call. These are the things that believers
most surely believe. No compromise. No backup. These are the things we believe
and preach because the word of God teaches these things. Irresistible
call of the gospel. Our Lord said no man can come
unto me except my father which sent me. Draw him. That's the
irresistible call of God, the effectual call of God. Man in
his fallen state does not have the ability. God must draw him
or he'll never come. And then the P stands for perseverance. Perseverance and preservation
of the believer. You see, we are saved by grace,
kept by grace. kept by the power of God. Those
whom God saves, he saves with an everlasting salvation. He
gives them and has obtained for them eternal redemption. Now, back in 1954, back in 1954,
I was, 1954, I've been two years old, 1954, there was a Bible
conference in Ashland, Kentucky in 1954. And there were several, I think,
five preachers there. One of them was Roth Barnard.
And in that message, in that conference, he brought this message
on this title, Six Stubborn Statements. Remember? Six Stubborn Statements. It went something like this.
God is sovereign, absolutely so, or he's not. Now, when you
face truth in the road, you've got to bow to it or run from
it. Six stubborn statements. God
is sovereign or he is not. He either elected a people or
he didn't. Man is either totally depraved
or he's not. He either died for his people
or he didn't, following that TULIP. I was reading through
some old bulletins. I've taken on a new project for
Pastor Mahan, Henry Mahan. I'm going through all the old
bulletins from 79 through 2003, and I'm scanning his articles
that he had written through the years in my computer and putting
up, well, eventually put them up on the Internet. But I found
a bulletin from March of 1980. I just love reading through these
old bullets and just to look at the announcements. And there
was a church, Bob, you remember this, the Dingus Free Will Baptist
Church. And that group of people there
contacted Brother Mahan from his TV ministry. And he went
there in March of 1980, Dengas, West Virginia, and he brought
that message, that outline, six stubborn statements. And the
place was packed out. This place was a free will church.
Well, you want to hear the rest of the story? They split. It was a big split. And there is some folks there
that God was pleased to call out. and teach them the gospel,
and they're still there preaching the gospel of God's grace. But
think about this. I thought about this, and we
don't realize the significance of things that have happened
in the past. From that conference in 1954, when Brother Barnard,
Brother A.D. Muse, George Fletcher, B.B. Caldwell,
Clarence Walker, those men came and preached the gospel of God's
grace, sovereign grace. The only gospel there is a sovereign
grace. But from that meeting in 1954,
that church there where that meeting was held, that church
split. And in 1955, Brother Henry Mahan and about 100 men left
that congregation, and that's where 13th Street Baptist Church
started. From 13th Street Baptist Church,
Brother Henry had a wide television program that started back, I
think, in the late 70s. And there was an old construction
worker that lived in Pike County. This was back in the early 80s,
started watching that TV program. And the Lord gave him ears to
hear the gospel and a heart to love it. And he contacted Brother
Mahan and said, if you would come down, if I build a building
here in Pikeville, Kentucky, would you send some men down
here to preach the gospel? The point I'm making is from
that 1954 conference to 1955, 13th Street Baptist Church, to
1985 in Pike, Pikeville, Kentucky. You
see how the Lord used that meeting as a springboard for the gospel.
And then, you see, from that 1954 meeting, we come all the
way down to right here in Kingsport. This ministry was started from
that ministry in Zebulun. You see, the scriptures teach
us, despise not the day of small things. Who would have ever thought
that 1954 meeting that Brother Henry organized and put together. But that's an interesting story,
isn't it? But instead of using those outlines
that I've just given you, those three outlines, I'm going to
use a different outline. And I'm going to use this outline
that was the theme of the Reformation. Most of you know a little bit
about the Reformation. I don't know a whole lot, but
I tell you what I know. Back 500 years ago, there was
a religious revival, a great awakening they called it, that
spread across Europe. Europe was dominated by Roman
Catholicism. And there was a Roman monk by
the name of Martin Luther, and the Lord opened his eyes to the
just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith.
And he took a stand for the gospel. When they had the power to take
his life, he said, here I stand. I can do no other. He would not
back down. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and
others, these men stood for the gospel and preached the grace
of God revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace alone. Faith alone. through the blood sacrifice of
Christ alone. And from that reformation, there
was a five-fold theme that dominated that movement. Even in this country,
and this is historical fact, even in this country when George
Whitefield came to this country in the early 1730s, He came preaching the gospel
of God's sovereign grace, his electing love, his irresistible
call, the effectual atonement of Christ. And there was, in
this country, what they called the Great Awakening. This is
the early 1700s. And the message that was preached
in that day by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield was this
message of grace, sovereign grace, electing love. And the Lord blessed
that meeting. Then 100 years later, in 1830,
there was another great revival that swept this country. Ashel
Nettleton was one of the prime movers of that revival in that
day, 1830. But again, he was a Calvinistic
grace preacher. And they stood for the scriptures
alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, to the glory of
God alone. So let's look at those five things. Things that we most surely believe. The Scriptures alone. The Scriptures
alone. Believers receive the whole record
of Scripture that is able to make one wise unto salvation. I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians
chapter to 1st Thessalonians chapter
2. The scriptures alone. The scriptures
alone 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13 for this cause also
thank we God without ceasing because when you receive the
word of God which you heard of us. You received it not as a
word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which
effectually worketh in you that believe, the scriptures alone.
Now look back in chapter 1, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 4. Knowing, brethren
beloved, your election of God, for our gospel came not unto
you in word only, But it came in power of the Holy Ghost and
in much assurance as you know what manner of men we were among
you for your sake. The scriptures alone. God will
bless his word. You cannot improve upon it. We
are told to preach the word. We're commanded to preach the
word. Be in season, out of season. Paul said, I charge you before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the Word. You can't
improve upon it. I love what Brother Scott Richardson
said when someone asked him what is preaching. You know what he
said? Just simply repeating what God's already said. And that's
it. That's just one beggar telling
another beggar where he found bread. Bread is in Christ. And the Word of God is all about
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures alone are our
only rule of faith and practice. We seek not to counsel or advise
from any ruling, governing body of man, but we look to the Word
alone and ask God to reveal it unto us. I like what the psalmist
said in 119. That whole psalm is about the
Word, isn't it? Psalm 119. Through thy precepts we get understanding,
Through thy precepts, that's his word, through thy precepts
we get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. If you don't hate that which
is false, it's because you don't love that which is true. If you
love the truth, you can't stand to hear a lie, somebody lying
on God. that noble Bereans that Luke
writes about in Acts 17 when Paul preached the gospel they
went home and searched the scriptures whether these things be so. Our
Lord gives us the example in preaching if you would find Luke
24. Luke 24 when those two men approached the Lord Jesus on
the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 verse 25. Then said he unto them,
O fool, slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into
his glory and beginning of Moses? And all the prophets he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. The scripture is all about Christ.
Look over just a few pages of John chapter 5. John chapter
5 verse 39. Search the scriptures for in
them you think you have eternal life. They are they which testify
of me. And then later on the Lord said
had you believed Moses you would have believed me because Moses
wrote about Christ. You see, the whole Word of God,
to Him give all the prophets witness. Wherever you turn in
this book, it's all about Christ, His person, His work, His glory.
And believers never question whether or not this is God's
inspired Word. All scripture is given of God.
It's God breathed, God sent. Holy men of old spake as they
were moved, driven by God the Holy Spirit. And they wrote one
message. That one message is Christ, His
person, His work. You see, faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the Word of the Lord. That's why in our worship
service we make much of the Word, don't we? We read it, we study
it, we meditate upon it. It's sweet to our heart. It is
the Word of the Holy Inspired Scripture. It is in the Word
of the Holy Inspired Scripture that we find out who God is. He said, I am God, beside me
there is no other. Who is God? Had he not written
a testimony concerning himself, and we were left to our own imagination,
we would concoct some vain idol to worship. But because he's
given such a glorious testimony of himself, God is God. He is holy, he is sovereign,
he is eternal, and beside him there is no other. And he cannot
fail in everything he undertakes. It's through the holy inspired
record of scripture that we find out who God is, and we also find
out who we are. We just think a little bit too
much about ourselves. You know, it's the other fellow.
I thank God I'm not like that fellow over there, the Pharisee
prayer. But it's in the word of God that the Lord reveals
unto us our true character. that we are guilty, that we are
sinners, that we've all sinned and come short of the glory of
God. And we find out the remedy, don't we, for our sin, for our
ruin, for our guilt, what Christ has done for us. You see, salvation
is based upon His performance Not ours. I preached from Luke
chapter 1 down about verse, this morning, about verse, I can't
even remember. It's one of those senior moments.
Verse 45 or so where it says, there shall be a performance
of those things. Salvation based upon His performance,
the performance, the doing and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our salvation is based upon His performance, not ours. Aren't
you glad it's that way? It's that way. Here's the second
thing. The gospel is the gospel of Christ
alone. The Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I want you to find
Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. Mary said, My
soul doth magnify the Lord. My spirit hath rejoiced in God
my Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ is God,
my Savior. In Luke chapter 2, when they
brought the eight-day-old infant in to be circumcised according
to the law, this is God Almighty manifest in the flesh. Simeon
took him up in his arm, verse 28, and blessed God and said,
Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
Mine eyes have seen not salvation. He's looking at an eight-day-old
baby, and he's saying, He is my Savior. You see, my friend,
salvation is in a person. You've heard this before, haven't
you? These are the things that we most surely believe. Salvation
is in a person. He that hath a son hath life.
Salvation is not in a persuasion, a profession, a position, or
in a pool. Salvation is in the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. He is the Savior. Salvation is
being found in Him by purpose and power, by faith in Him. I love Philippians chapter 3
verse 7 down to verse 9 where Paul said I count all things
but loss for the excellency the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
lord for whom I suffered the loss of all things and I count
them but done that I may win Christ and be found in him not
having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which
is through the faith of Christ the obedience of Christ you see
it all gets down to his person and his work. And I'm not trusting
the finished work of Christ. I'm trusting the Lord Jesus Christ
who finished the work for us. The Lord Jesus Christ himself,
he is salvation. Salvation is not in the church.
Salvation is in a person. Look to him. That's why he said
in Isaiah 45, look unto me. Don't look back there. Don't
look in here. Hebrews 12 says, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Look unto me, he
said, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. I am God,
and beside me there is none other, the only just God and Savior. Look unto Him. Look to Him with
eyes of faith. If He ever grants you faith in
your heart, you look to Him and you beg Him, Lord, have mercy
on me, the sinner. Here's the third thing, grace
alone. Grace alone. Grace alone. Salvation, the salvation of sinners
is by the grace of God alone. When we talk about grace, we
don't mean God done his part and then we do our part. That's
not grace. That's works. Grace and works
don't mix. They never meet. When we talk
about grace, we mean sovereign grace. effectual grace. I like what Mephibosheth experienced
fetching grace. Go get him. Bring him. He's mine.
Grace, grace, grace. God saves sinners by his grace. Now let's see if we can find
that. I think we can. 2 Timothy chapter 1. I think I can make good on that.
2 Timothy chapter 1. This is probably, I probably
quote this verse every time I'm given privilege to preach the
gospel. 2 Timothy 1.9 Well, verse 8, Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but be thou partaker of the affliction of the gospel according to the
power of God. Who saved us? Now, who saved
you? Well, you know, I had that special
feeling. Forget it. Feelings come and
feelings go and feelings are deceiving. My want is a word
of God. Nothing else is worth believing,
Martin Luther. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works. But, that little
word B-U-T is a big word in scripture. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in sin. But God, but according to His
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ, when
you walked the aisle, when you prayed through. It doesn't say
that, does it? Which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. Now get a hold of these two words.
You see, grace is eternal grace. Salvation is by his eternal purpose. Purpose and grace. God never
saved one sinner by accident. You just didn't bump into the
gospel one day. You'll never convince me that
I came from the northern mountains of Utah all the way to Ashland,
Kentucky. How did I get from northern Utah
to Ashland, Kentucky? And why Ashland, Kentucky? I'll
tell you why. God had a gospel preacher there,
and I needed to hear the gospel. And God saved this sinner by
purpose and His grace, and His grace is eternal. These are the
things that we most surely believe. God saves sinners by grace, grace
alone. The grace alone is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shall
with mercy be justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. All through the scripture you
see the display of God's sovereign power, God saving and healing
sinners by his grace. The Lord passed many by, leaving
them to perish in their sin and cross the path of others and
save them by his grace. I like that scripture there in
Acts 1511. We believe through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You probably studied it, didn't
you? Preached on it, didn't you? We believe through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ that we shall be saved even as they. God saved the Jew the same way
he saved the Gentile. By his grace. Sovereign grace
alone. Fetching grace. Saving grace. Why does the Lord pass by some
and reveal himself to others? Why? Because it pleased him to
do so. Who are we to question God? You
remember Matthew 11, 25? He's hid these things from the
wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes, even so, Father,
for so it seems good in his sight. Aren't you glad? The Lord is
pleased to reveal himself unto his people. Grace alone. The word of God alone. Grace
alone. And then faith alone. Faith alone. Faith alone. Christ alone. Faith alone. That's the fourth
thing. Faith alone. The just, you read it in Hebrews
11, all about Right up above where you started there in Hebrews
10, 39, the just shall live by faith. It's four times in the
Word of God. Without faith it is impossible
to please God. A man who's without faith is
a man without Christ, without salvation. Faith alone, works
do not enter in to our salvation. The just shall live by faith.
Salvation is received by God-given precious faith. Now listen, faith
does not accomplish salvation. Faith receives the Lord Jesus
Christ who did accomplish salvation for us. For by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it's the gift
of God. Faith receives the Lord Jesus
Christ who accomplished salvation for us. You see, faith is not
something that, we're not born believing God. The carnal mind
is enmity against God. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. Faith is the gift of God, the
sovereign gift of God. Arthur Pink called it something
exotic, something that's outside of you, that blooms outside of
you, and God puts that in your heart by His power, by His grace. When He gives life, He gives
faith. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. You don't believe to be born,
you believe because you have been begotten of God. Faith alone
is the gift of God. God has ordained salvation to
be received by faith that he might receive all the honor and
all the glory. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. Can I have you turn to Acts chapter
13? Well, let's go back a little
bit further. Let's go to Acts chapter 10. What are the blessings
of believing the gospel? What are the blessings of believing
the gospel? In Acts chapter 10, this is Peter
at Cornelius' house, verse 42, he commanded us to preach unto
the people and to testify that it was he which was ordained
of God to be judge of the living and the dead, Acts 10 verse 43. Are you with me? To him give
all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive the remission of sin. Oh, what it is to be
a believer, to have all your sin remitted, to know the Lord
Jesus Christ by his blood put away all our sin, past, present,
future, original, actual. omission commission all saying
he put away by the fact that he put away by the sacrifice
of himself and then turn to act chapter 13. What are the blessings
of believing the gospel. Act 13 this is Paul's. first
missionary journey. I believe this is his first sermon,
verse 38. Be it known unto you, therefore,
maiden and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses
us from all our sin, and by him all that believe are justified
from all things which could not be justified by the law of Moses. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith alone. The Apostle Paul said, I know
whom I have believed and persuaded that he's able to keep that which
I've committed unto him against that day. I know whom I have
believed. You see, these are the things
that we most surely believe. Faith alone. Now here's the last
one. Salvation is to this end and
to this purpose, to the glory of God alone. I want you to find
1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 1st Corinthians chapter 1 here's
the bottom line at any ministry you go anywhere in this city
and put the ministry under the microscope and the telling feature
of that ministry is it who gets the glory is that man preaching
the gospel or is he not Tell me who gets the glory. You see, the gospel ministry
and the one, the preacher of the gospel, that's sent of God,
he gives the Lord Jesus Christ, as Edward said in his book on
the history of redemption, the grand design of redemption is
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all about his glory, not
yours. Not the church, not the preacher. It's about his glory. Now, I told you to turn to 1
Corinthians, Chapter 1 verse 30 you got it, but of him are
you in Christ Jesus? How'd you get in Christ? Well,
he put me in Christ He put me there, but of him are you in
Christ Jesus? That's pretty plain, isn't it?
But of him are you in Christ Jesus? Who of God is made unto
us wisdom and Righteousness, he's the Lord our righteousness.
In him, in Christ, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
He's our righteousness. He is our sanctification. He
is our holiness. He is our sanctification before
God. And he is our Redeemer. He's
the Redeemer that really redeems. He's the Savior that really saves
his people from their sin. Verse 31, that according as it
is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. You see, the Apostle said again
in Galatians chapter 6, God forbid, God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The angels sang
out. It's recorded in Luke chapter
2. Glory to God in the highest on
earth. peace and goodwill toward men. You see, the gospel of God is
all about His glory. These are the things we most
surely believe. This sums up what we believe,
what we preach. Salvation by grace alone, the
word alone, Christ alone, faith alone, based totally on the revelation
of God the Holy Spirit alone, completely to the glory of God
alone. These are the things we most
surely believe. And that is a ministry that the
Lord will raise up. That is a ministry that the Lord
has raised up here. And that is a ministry that the
Lord will bless. Putting sinners in the dust,
pointing them to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is worthy. You remember
that scripture over there in the Revelation? the revelation
of the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, oh, worthy is
the Lamb that was slain, to receive all honor, glory, power, and
blessing, both now and forever. And then it said, Amen. Amen. Now, I hear from folks,
I'm just about done, give me a minute. I hear from folks all
over the country, through the sermon audio ministry that we've
been doing for the last 10 years. And one common complaint that
I hear, and I hear from folks quite often, it's heard from
a man up in Minnesota, I was telling you about it. And he's
been listening to Pastor Mahan and some of the other grace preachers.
And the Lord has taught him the gospel. And I'm so thankful. I'm so happy. But one of the
complaints I hear from him and others around the country where
this gospel's gone out, there's no gospel church in this city. There's nobody in this city preaching
the gospel. Isn't that sad? I've heard people
say, well, I've looked everywhere, and nobody's preaching the gospel.
All I hear is those three big lies. God loves everybody. Christ died for everybody. God's
trying to save everybody, but they won't let Him. That's all
that's being preached in this day. God does not love everyone. The love of God is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ,
didn't die for everybody. He died for His people. And the
Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, who is God our Savior, He doesn't
try to do anything. I mean, our God's not a... I can't help but just... You
forgive me for mentioning Brother Mahan's name, but my soul...
He used to put it this way, our God is no peanut God. Remember? He's no peanut God. He's God. I like what Arthur Pink said,
God is God. God is God. Absolute sovereign
holy and eternal and you can't give him too much glory You say
you give you just give too much glory to Christ. I like to be
guilty of it You can't give him too much honor and glory Not
at all Well, may God bless you. I'm so thankful for this ministry
That the Lord has raised up here and he's blessing it. So folks
are moving here. Why are they moving here? Because
of the gospel the message is preached here Christ, Christ,
Christ. Thank you.