Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I'd like to show you something
this morning that is vital to every believer, every single
believer. Romans chapter 1 verse 1 says,
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated
unto the gospel of God. He calls it the gospel. And in chapter 2 verse 16, he
says, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ, according to my gospel, calls it the gospel, then he
calls it my gospel. And then in 2 Corinthians chapter
2, he says in verse 12, furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach
Christ's gospel. And in chapter 4 verse 3, he
calls it our gospel. And then in verse four, he calls
it the glorious gospel. Now over in Galatians chapter
one, verse six, he said, I marvel that you are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel, which is not another, but there be some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. He said, there's not
another, there's only one. Back in Matthew 26, our Lord
called it this gospel. And in Revelation 14, he called
it the everlasting gospel. There's only one. There is only
one gospel. Many years ago, there were two
precious preachers of the gospel. And I'm not going to mention
their names, but they were driving down the road together in a car
and they were talking and thinking about this subject of how can
we know that we're preaching the truth? These were two men
who had committed their lives to preaching the gospel. And
they said, how can we know that we're preaching the truth, the
true gospel? Every preacher thinks he's preaching
the truth. Every single one. How can we
know? Well, these two men came up with
an outline that consisted of nine questions. Nine questions
for us to hang the truth on. And we're going to look at those
nine questions this morning. Here's the title of this message.
How Do I Know? If my gospel is the gospel, how
do I know? Here's the first question. Does
my gospel totally agree, totally line up with the Old Testament? Many people forget about the
Old Testament. Here's our first question. Does
our gospel totally agree with the Old Testament? Well, turn
with me over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses
1 through 4 say this. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have
received, and wherein you stand, by which also you are saved,
if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed
in vain. For I delivered unto you, first
of all, that which I also received, how that Christ 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 listen to Mark chapter 9.
Mark chapter 9 verse 11 says this, And they asked him, saying,
Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And he answered
and told them, Elias verily cometh first and restoreth all things. and how it is written of the
Son of Man that he must suffer many things and beset it not. But I say unto you that Elias
is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they
listed, as it is written of him." As it's written. Now Acts chapter
3 says this, verses 17 and 18. And now, brethren, I know that
through ignorance you did it and did also your rulers. But
those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all
his prophets that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Everything he showed through
his prophets Now he's fulfilled. All the Old Testament prophets
said, one man is coming to remedy this. One man. Those things which God before
had showed by the mouth of all his prophets that Christ should
suffer, he hath so fulfilled. The true gospel is not what you
can do. It's not what you should do.
It's not what you're going to do. It's what He has done according
to the Scriptures. That's the true gospel. All right,
now here's our second question. Does my gospel give God all the
glory in salvation? All the glory in salvation. Turn with me over to 1 Corinthians
chapter 4. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 7 says, For
who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that
thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? Salvation
is of the Lord. It's to whoever He wills to give
it to. Now think about this. If He willed,
if He wanted for everybody to be saved, then what would the
will of God have to do with salvation? If He wanted everybody to be
saved, if He wills that everybody is saved, but everybody is not
saved, then why would we glory in His will? Why? It would be irrelevant. totally
irrelevant. But here's what the Scriptures
do say. They say, of His own will begat He us. Whatever He purposed, He finished. And He finished it from the foundation
of the world. Now, if Christ died for everybody,
then let's ask this question. What does the blood of Christ
have to do with salvation? It's insufficient. But if Christ
only died for His elect, and if He doesn't lose one of His
elect, then we glory in His blood. The scripture says, He laid down
His life for His sheep. All right, now if God loves all
men and women, All men and women in the world, exactly the same.
Then what does the love of God have to do with salvation? If
God loves you, but cannot save you, then God's love doesn't
have anything to do with salvation. But listen to this, the scripture
says in 1 John 4, verse 10, herein is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins." If the Holy Spirit calls all
men the same, if it's a general call, if it's a universal call,
then what does the Holy Spirit have to do with salvation? What
does it have to do with salvation at all? The scripture says, whom he calls,
he justifies. Does my gospel give God all the
glory and salvation? Absolutely. Absolutely. Here's our third question. Does
my gospel give the preeminence to Jesus Christ in all things? Now that word preeminence means,
is he the first? Is he the chief in all things,
in election? Did I choose God or did God choose
me? Well, John 15 verse 16, he said,
you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that
you should go and bring forth fruit. Is He the first? Is He the chief
in justification, being justified before God? Do I earn it or is
He just and justifier? Which is it? Well, Romans chapter
3 verse 24 says, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption That is in Christ Jesus. We're justified through
the death of Christ Jesus freely. Is he first and is he the chief
in faith? Am I the author of it? Or is
he the author of it? Well, Hebrews chapter 12 and
verse 2 says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith. What about in love? Is He the
first and the chief in love? Do I have to give my heart to
Jesus first? Or do I love Him because He first
loved me? Well, 1 John 4, 19 says, we love
Him because He first loved us. Does my gospel give all the preeminence
to the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes, it does. He's the first. He's the chief in everything. Everything. Here's our fourth
question. Does my gospel totally agree
with the character and attributes of God? Do I believe God is truly
holy? Truly holy. Does my gospel agree
with His holiness? Does my gospel agree with His
justice? Do I agree with His justice? The scripture says, "...shall
not the judge of the earth do right?" Now listen to this. David said, "...against thee,
thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight."
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear
when thou judgest. You know who David's talking
about? Himself. He says all that and he's talking
about me. Justified when thou speakest
and clear when thou judgest. Me. Does my gospel agree with
his justice? Does it agree with his immutability? That means God doesn't change. Do I believe Malachi 3.6? It says, for I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore you sons
of Jacob are not consumed. That's why you're not consumed.
It's because I change not. Immutable. Does my gospel agree
with His sovereignty? If I believe that man has a free
will, then I cannot believe that God is sovereign. I can't. Does my gospel agree with the
character and the attributes of God? That's something to consider. Here's our fifth question. Will
my gospel Meet me where I am and save me. Or do I have to take the first
step? Will it come to me all the way where I am and save me
where I am? Turn with me over to Ephesians
chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 says
this, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and
sins." Dead. What does dead mean? It means
dead. Spiritually dead. Verse 2 says,
wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace you are saved. Even when we were dead in sins,
even when we were dead in sins. My gospel comes to me where I
am dead in my sins all the way. All the way. Every step that
is taken is taken by my God. Every step. That's the gospel. Is that what my gospel says?
Because that's the gospel. Here's our sixth question. Will
my gospel save the chief of sinners? I mean the chief, that person
that you look at and say, there's no hope for that person. Will
my gospel save the chief of centers or does a center have to reform
first? We'll turn with me over to acts chapter seven. Acts chapter 7, this is where
Stephen was preaching. And verse 54 says, when they
heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed
on him with their teeth. Verse 58 says, and cast him out
of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their
clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. Chapter
8, verse 1 says, And Saul was consenting unto his death. He
wanted it to happen. And at that time there was a
great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem,
and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea
and Samaria, except the apostles. Now over in chapter 9, verse
1, it says, And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or
women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed,
he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him
a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? And he said, who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling
and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And
the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it
shall be told thee what thou must do. Now, verse 10 says,
There was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And
to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold,
I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise,
and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire
in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold,
he prayeth." Verse 13 says, Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have
heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy
saints at Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from
the chief priest to bind all that call on thy name. But the
Lord said unto him, Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto
me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel. For I will show him how great
things he must suffer for my namesake. And Ananias went his
way, and entered into the house, and putting his hands on him,
said, Brother Saul, The Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto
thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me that thou mightest
receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately
there fell from his eyes as it had been scales, and he received
sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized." Saul, whose name
was changed to Paul, he said, This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I am the chief." Paul knew. I am the chief. There's a song
that says, the vilest offender that truly believes That moment
from Jesus, a pardon receives. He is able to save to the uttermost. That's a wonderful gospel, isn't
it? Well, here's our seventh question. Will my gospel keep
a man saved? Somebody asked a preacher one
time, do you believe in once saved, always saved? And the
preacher answered, well, that depends on who saved you. If
you saved yourself, if people say, I got saved, or if your
mama saved you, you know, she prayed me right into heaven.
Or if your preacher saved you, oh, he had an altar call with
tears in his eyes, and I was drawn down to the front, and
we all started crying. If that's your salvation, then
you don't have a hope in this world of staying saved. Because
as quickly as you got it, you could throw it away. As soon
as mama stops praying, and as soon as the crying's over, everything
could go right back to the way it was. But if God saves you,
if God saves you, what God does is forever. He said, I give unto
them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. Jude, verses 24 and 25 say, Now unto Him that
is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only
wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen. Well, here's our eighth
question. Can I face death with my gospel? Can I face death with my gospel? A woman said one time, preacher,
I'm afraid that I don't have dying grace. And the preacher
said, well, are you dying? She said, no. He said, then you
don't need dying grace yet, do you? But here's the question. when that time comes. Based on
the gospel, I believe. Can I say with the Apostle Paul,
for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. For me to live is Christ and
to die is gain. Can I say that? Do I believe
that? Does my gospel teach me that? Well, here's our ninth question,
our last question. Is my gospel able to make me
perfectly conformed to the image of Christ? Well, let's turn over
to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and verse 28
says this. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called,
them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified." Our Gospel says, and we know and believe, that
it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when
he shall appear, we shall be like him. For we shall see him
as he is. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he, even as God, even
as our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is pure." Based on that,
I believe with all my soul and I know that this gospel, Christ's
gospel is the gospel. This word, every word of this
gospel is the gospel. I pray the Lord would teach me
more of this gospel. I pray the Lord would open my
eyes to see more of this gospel, more of this Christ. I pray the
Lord would do this for us all. We need this gospel. We need
the truth. We need the truth. Back to Romans
1 where we started. Romans 1 says, Paul, a servant
of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the
gospel of God. Lord, separate us unto the gospel. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace. you