I'm wired. So good to be with everyone.
So good to be here. It's a delight. David said, remember, I was glad
when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.
And it is a blessing for us to be here. My wife, this is my
first trip here, although I've known of this ministry and Brother
Rupert for more than 30 years. I told the folks earlier when
Pastor Mahan first came up here in the early 80s, I was with
him in the ministry there in Ashland, 13th Street, Ashland,
Kentucky. I was with him there in the ministry
for 12 years before the Lord called me to where I'm at now.
I've been there over 23 years, and I told the folks that I plan
to die right there. I told them when they called
me and I came there that day, I said, I'm either gonna bury
you, Or are you going to bury me? But I'm here until the end
until the Lord is pleased to call me home. So take your Bible
this morning and let's find the book of Galatians. One of my
favorite, favorite books. The book of Galatians chapter
1. The book of Galatians chapter 1. And I'm calling this message,
the title of it is 6 Marks of the Certified Gospel. 6 Marks
of the Certified Gospel. Look down at verse 11, Galatians
chapter 1 verse 11. The Apostle Paul says, I certify
you brethren. This is a certified gospel. This
is a gospel of God that's guaranteed. It's guaranteed to get the job
done. It's guaranteed of God to accomplish
all of God's purpose. He said, I've spoken it. I've
purposed it. I'll bring it to pass. I will
do it. I certify you, brethren, that
the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. It's not man's invention. It's
certainly not man's gospel in the sense we have anything to
do with the forming of it, the planning of it, the plotting
of it, the execution of it, or the application of it. Salvation
is totally of the Lord. The certified gospel. Now let's
go back to verse 3 Galatians chapter 1 verse 3 and we'll read
down through verse 16 Grace be unto you and peace from God the
Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Now here he gives us A
good description of the gospel, verse 4, "...who gave himself
for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God our Father, to whom be glory
forever and ever." And then, amen. Amen, I marvel that you
are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto What he says is another gospel now if it's not
the gospel of God Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ the gospel
of his grace and the gospel of his glory if it's not The gospel
of God, the Apostle Paul says, anything less than that is another
gospel. It's another gospel. It's not
a true gospel. It is a false gospel, which is
not another. He's saying here, there's just
one gospel. God has always saved sinners
one way, in one person, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is not
another, but there would be some that trouble you and would pervert
or change the gospel of Christ. But though we are an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached, let him be," and that's a strong word right there, let
him be accursed. Let him be damned. Let him be
condemned to preach another gospel. If any man loved not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, he says in another place. As
we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have received, Let him
be, and he says it again, let him be accursed. For do I now
persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased
men, I am not the servant of Christ." Those who stand in the
pulpit merely to soothe men or to preach things that are pleasing
to men, or to do so in a way which is comforting to men, who
have no hope in Christ, if I just simply preach to be a man pleaser,
I'm not the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, I certify
or guarantee you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached
of me is not after man, neither I received it, of man, neither
was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." He's saying
here that salvation is of the Lord. For you've heard of my
conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that
beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it.
You remember the story of Saul of Tarsus, don't you? Saul of
Tarsus, the Pharisee. He bragged about himself there
as he records his words there in Philippians chapter 3, a Hebrew
of Hebrews, a Pharisee. Concerning the law, he said,
blameless, circumcised the eighth day and then he He said, I count
all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus,
my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and who
count them but dumb 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 righteousness which
is of God, by the Lord Jesus Christ. So now, He's telling
us about his past religious life when he was lost and didn't know
God, didn't know the Gospel. You've heard of my conversation
in time past in a Jew's religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted
the Church of God and wasted it, profited in the Jew's religion. He made money persecuting Christians.
Above many my equals in my own nation being exceeding zealous,
Now this is Saul of Tarsus being exceedingly zealous of the tradition
of the fathers. He was a zealous man. He was
ignorant in his zeal, but he was full of zeal. But, see that
verse 15? B-U-T. Boy, underscore that word. That's 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, hath quickened us
together with Christ. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb, called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me. Immediately, I conferred not
with flesh and blood." He had a personal encounter with the
Lord Jesus, cried on that road to Damascus, and the Lord unhorsed
him, put him in the dust before Almighty God, and crying out,
Lord, what will you have me to do? And that's what happens when
God confronts a sinner. He conquers him, makes him to
bow and submit unto the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's
Lord of all things and in all things. I guarantee you, brethren,
that the Gospel is the Gospel of God. It's a certified Gospel. God is the author of it. The
Lord Jesus Christ is the subject of it. He is the executor of
it. Being confident of this very
thing that God who has begun a good work in you, He will perform
it. He's the author of it. It's God's
gospel. He's the subject of it. It's
all about the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the sum, subject, and substant
matter of the gospel. He's the executor of the gospel.
He's the applier of the gospel. He is the revealer of the gospel.
He's hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed
them on debates. And the gospel of God, He is
the sustainer of it. We're kept by the power of God. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the power of God unto salvation. To everyone that believes,
to the Jew first and also to that Gentile. Now, starting in
verse 3, the Apostle Paul defines this message of the gospel that
he says is a certified message. It's a certified, guaranteed
gospel. And here's the six marks of it. Verse 3, the first word, grace. Grace. It all begins with grace,
doesn't it? The cause of salvation is the
grace of God. The cause of salvation is the
grace of God. The sovereign favor of Almighty
God. The irresistible grace of God. God who saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace that was given to us in the Lord Jesus
Christ before the foundation of the world. We know by that
Every sinner that God saves, He saves them by His grace alone
and He saves them by purpose. God never saved a sinner by accident. Everything He does, He does on
purpose. And we know all things work together
for good to them who love God, to them who are called according
to His, what's that word? Purpose. Purpose. Of Him and
through Him and to Him are all things. He does all things on
purpose. God saves every sinner whom He
saves, He saves them by His grace. From election to glorification,
salvation is all of His grace, is it not? Grace alone, Christ
alone. You see, it's God's electing
grace that chose us in Christ before the foundation of the
world. We read in Romans 11, 26, there's a remnant according
to the election of grace. His grace justifies us in the
Lord Jesus Christ. One of my favorite verses in
the book of Romans is Romans 3, verse 24. Being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. How did God save you? Well, if
you're saved, you're saved by God's purpose and God's grace
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace alone. His grace justifies. His grace shows us. And His grace
called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Did you notice that? In verse
15, Galatians 1, But when it pleased God, who separated me
from my mother's womb, and He called me, Call me by His grace. It's the call of grace. In whom
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin,
according to the riches of His grace. You see, we only believe
the gospel because of the grace of God. For by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift
of God. We believe the Gospel only because
of His grace. We believe the Gospel only because
of His purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, we believe according
to the working of His mighty power. We believe through grace. We shall be saved by His grace
and grace alone. And His salvation is all to the
praise of the glory of His grace. You see, all the way through,
the Gospel of God concerning Christ is all about His favor. Sovereign. And if you're going
to preach grace, it's sovereign grace. He will have mercy on
whom He will have mercy. It's always sovereign grace. His choosing grace, His redeeming
grace, His regenerating grace, according to the riches of His
grace. Now, have you embraced the certified gospel of the grace
of God? Is that your gospel? Can you
say with Paul, that is my gospel? My gospel, God saved me by His
grace. His grace alone. That's the certified
gospel. Here's the second thing. Fruit
of this salvation, by the grace of God, is this second word found
in Galatians chapter 1 verse 3. This word peace. You see that? Peace. Peace from God. Now, I'm interested in that.
I'm interested in having peace with God the Father and through
or from our Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit of this salvation by
the grace of God is peace with God. Now, you read through the
epistles of Paul and you'll see this common salutation. Grace. from God the Father and
peace. in our Lord Jesus Christ. But
it's more than just a common greeting. This word peace here
is the fruit of the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is grace and peace. There
is no peace with God apart from His grace. Notice it doesn't
say peace and then grace. It's always grace first and then
we have peace with God. We often hear people lost people
in other religious churches, we often hear them say, and you
maybe have heard someone say this, and maybe you've been guilty
of this own thing, of this thing. I'm trying to make peace with
God. You ever heard somebody say that? Have you ever said
that? Don't ever say it again. Don't
ever say it again. How can a wiggling maggot of
a sinner satisfy our Thigh's holy God? How can you make peace
with God? Who you think you are? Thank
God that the Lord Jesus Christ made peace for us with His own
blood. That's how peace was made. in
Christ, being justified freely, being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Tell me then,
how is peace made? How is God satisfied? How is
the law honored? How can God be just and justify
the ungodly and not violate His holy character? How can He be
a just God and Savior? Do you know how? Only in Christ. God was in Christ reconciling
us unto Himself. Now this term, reconciliation,
is not difficult to get a hold of. Let me see if I can help
you. Our sin separated us from God, right? That's what happened
in Adam. In Adam all died. In Adam all
sinned. And there's a great gulf fixed
and we can't, wiggling maggot sinners, we can't be reconciled
to this thrice holy God. But we can be reconciled in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, instead of separation in
the Lord Jesus Christ, we are reconciled because we're one
with Him. Can I show you that in Scripture?
Let's see if we can find that. Turn to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Colossians
chapter 1, verse 2. Verse 20, verse 19, we had it
in our Bible study this morning. For it pleased the Father that
in Him should all fullness dwell, having made peace through the
blood of His cross. Having made peace through the
blood of His cross. Did you get that? having made
peace to the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things
unto himself. By him I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometimes
alienated enemies in your mind by wicked work, yet now have
he reconciled." He reconciled us. God was in Christ reconciling
us unto himself. He made peace for us with his
own blood. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us. It's only peace with
God through the Lord Jesus Christ who has performed all things
for us. Now, do you know anything about
that kind of peace? Do you have peace with God? I
mean true, lasting peace? Are you reconciled to the Lord
Jesus Christ by faith in Him, being one with Him? Are you reconciled
to Him? This is the only gospel, the
only certified gospel that will give a poor sinner guilty before
God, a poor sinner peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the good news, we have grace
and we have peace. Salvation by His grace and the
fruit of that is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And the believer can say we count
everything else lost, dung, and ruined that we may win Christ
and be found in Him. Now here's the third. Here's
the third truth. We're talking about the sixth
marks of the certified gospel. Grace, peace, and then look at
verse 4. Who? Who gave himself for our
sins? Now, what gives infinite, eternal
value to the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? He's
more than just a mere preacher from Galilee. Jesus of Nazareth,
this one whom they nailed to the tree, is none other than
God Almighty manifest in the flesh. And what gives His atoning
work and the shedding of His blood infinite value and eternal
power is Who it is that put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And that's exactly what He did.
Now, I would underscore this word here. These four words are
here in verse 4. Who gave Himself for? Our sins. Now there's a whole
lot right there. A whole lot right there. We see,
first of all, who? Who? We read in Galatians chapter
4, In the fullness of the time God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under
the law. God did what? He gave His Son. God gave His Son for His people. We see that the Lord Jesus Christ
is none other than God Almighty manifest in the flesh. We see
what He did. He gave, He gave His life. Remember the Lord said in John
10? He said, no man takes my life from me. I have power to
lay it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received in my Father. You see, He gave
His life. He voluntarily laid down His
life for His church. He loved the church and gave
Himself for it. Who gave and then He gave. What did He give? We could have
given a diamond mine or mountains of gold, rivers of silver. He could have given all of these
things. But what did He give? He gave Himself. Think of that. The Lord of glory. laid down
His life, the Lord of glory, took to Himself a real human
body without taint of sin. He had no sin, knew no sin, and
did no sin. But let us never forget, He is
and was a real man. He is a God-man mediator, and
He is the One who gave Himself. I love that Scripture in Hebrews
1-3. When He had by Himself purged
our sin, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Why did He sit down? He finished the work. He sat
on Calvary's tree. It is done. It is finished. That's
good news. He obtained for us eternal redemption
with His own blood. Not with the blood of bulls and
goats. But with His own blood, He obtained eternal redemption
for us. And then it says there, He gave
Himself for our sin. Now, He didn't have any sin of
His own. That is, the Scripture said,
such a high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sin. You can't find no sin on Him.
He had no sin. Even His enemies said, I find
no fault in Him. He had no sin, knew no sin, and
did no sin, but He gave Himself for our sins. Who did the Lord Jesus Christ
die for? He didn't die for all of the
sins of all men everywhere. That's not so. This book does
not teach that. But He did die for the sins of
His covenant people. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity
of the sheep. He laid down His life for the
sheep. There is substitution, wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquity, and the chastisement of our peace
is laid upon Him. Our sins. Christ dies for the
sin of His people laid upon Him. God made Him to be sin for us
who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. How can that happen? How can
God Almighty take all the sin of God's people and lay them
upon the Lord Jesus Christ and so punish His sin to put an end
to my sin? How can He do that? Because He's
God. That's how He can do that. No
mere man can do that. Because He's God, He did that.
Put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. We are redeemed with
the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. My son, God will
provide Himself a Lamb and He is the Lamb of God. John identified
Him, said, Behold the Lamb of God that does what? That does
what? Behold the Lamb of God, the sacrifice
of God that does what? That taketh away the sin of His
people. Thank God He does. It is the
only sacrifice for sin that any sinner's hope is the Lord Jesus
Christ in him crucified. That's why the Apostle Paul,
when he closes this Galatian epistle, says this, God forbid
I should glory, save, in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, His sacrifice, the shedding
of His blood is the only certified sacrifice. God will accept no
other. Only that which God provides,
Only that which God provides will God accept. You remember
who said that? I remember the man who said that,
Scott Richardson. I never forgot it. Only that
which God provides will God accept. We're accepted in the Beloved,
the Lord Jesus Christ. We're accepted in Him. That's
good news, isn't it? Grace be unto you. Peace. Notice it's grace to you. It
doesn't say grace to everybody. You see, even in those little
words right there, grace to you. Grace to you. That's sovereign
grace, is it not? He doesn't say grace to everybody.
It's grace to you. It's grace to His people. And
then we have peace. Peace that comes from God. You
know, God is called the God of all comfort. The God of all grace. He's a God of all peace. Who
gave Himself for our sins. Now, here's the fourth thing.
Here's the fourth thing. Here's what I call the character
or promise or hallmark or assurance of that certified gospel. That one word right there, deliver. He delivers. I know the US Mail,
they say they deliver. I know the UPS, the UPS driver,
he delivers occasionally, he gets it right. I know FedEx,
once in a while they deliver. But the Lord Jesus Christ, my
friend, I certify you, I guarantee you, He delivers. He delivers
on every promise that He has made. I love the words of Joshua,
his dying words. He said, of all that God has
promised, not one word will fail. I'm persuaded like Abraham of
all that God has promised, He is able to perform all that He
has promised. He's able to deliver thee. Remember that scripture? He's
able. Hebrews 7.25. He is able to save to the uttermost. He is able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him. Is He able to deliver this sinner? Is He able to deliver that sinner? Well, if you let Him. If you
let Him, He will. Oh no, my friend, that's another
gospel. You don't let God do anything.
You're in His hand. You're in His hand. He's able
to deliver to the uttermost all that come to God by Him, seeing
He ever lives to make intercession for us. He ever lives to deliver
us. He delivers us. Let me show you
an interesting scripture. Turn over a few books to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1. This word here, deliver, that
He might deliver us from this present evil world. Where we live is an evil world.
What makes this world evil? Think with me. What makes this
world evil? Sinners. That's what makes it
evil. He delivers us from this present
evil, evil world. He delivers on every promise. All the promises of God in Christ
are yes and in Him and amen to the glory of God by Christ. Now,
where did I tell you to turn? 1 Thessalonians, right? Sometimes
I have a senior moment. Forgive me. 1 Thessalonians chapter
1. Look at verse 9. For they themselves
show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how you turn
to God. How you turn to God from your
idol, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His
Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus Christ,
who delivered us. What did He deliver from? This
evil world. And He delivered us from the
wrath to come. The wrath to come. I heard stories
years ago about George Whitefield, the old preacher that came over
here in that great awakening back in the early 1700s. George
Whitefield. George Whitefield, and he often, he was a street
preacher, an open air preacher. And often times he would end
his sermon by warning the people, Oh, the wrath to come! Oh, the
wrath to come! How can a sinner be delivered
from the wrath to come? By the Deliverer, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He delivered us from the wrath
to come. that He might deliver us. The
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, He did not die to make salvation
a possibility. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't
die to put men in a savable state. The Lord Jesus Christ made complete
payment, full atonement, full ransom that actually delivers
us from all our sin. Full payment. Full payment for
all our sin. In Luke chapter 4, we read this
about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor.
This is the Lord reciting that Isaiah 61 there in the synagogue
of Nazareth. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance, to the captives, recovering of sight
to the blind, to set them at liberty to the bruised. You see,
this is the only certified gospel that will really and actually
deliver us from the bondage, penalty, and guilt of our sin
before God. He delivers us. In Romans 11,
it may be verse 26, I'm not real sure, but He's called with a
capital D, He's called the Deliverer which shall deliver all His people
from their sin. I have a Deliverer who cannot
fail. I love that Scripture over in
Isaiah 42 where it says, He cannot fail. My Savior, my God, cannot
fail. He delivers on every promise.
This is a certified gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that actually
delivers sinners. He is a Savior that saves. Call
His name Jesus. He shall save His people from
their sin. He is what He's called. He's
a Savior who delivers us. He is the Redeemer that redeems.
We are redeemed with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christ of God cannot fail
to deliver all His people. I have a question for you. How many people will be in hell
for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died? How many people will be
in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died? Now, if you have
to stop and think about that, you're in trouble. Because there's
no one going to perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. There's
none in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. If He paid
their sin debt, they're set free. Deliver them from going down
to the pit, I found a ransom. And when the ransom's paid, the
prisoner skedaddles. He's set free. It says that in
Galatians 5 verse 1. Stand fast therefore in liberty
wherewith Christ has set us free. Free, free indeed. Free from
the law, oh happy condition. The Lord Jesus Christ has died
and we have remission from all our sin. Now, all that the Father
giveth to me shall come to me. Those that come to me I will
in no wise cast out. Now here's the fifth one. who
gave Himself for our sins, look back at Galatians 1 verse 4,
that He might deliver us from this present evil world. Now,
I underscore this word, according. According to. According to the
will of man. What does that say there? According to the will of... I read that wrong, didn't I?
I want to see if he's paying attention. According to the will
of God. He gave Himself for us according
to the will of God. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. You have taken with wicked
hands and crucified the Lord of glory, but I raised Him from
the dead. According to the will of God. The will of God. Oh, the will of God! You mean
everything in salvation is according to the will of God? Does the
will of God ever change or fluctuate? It's the sovereign will of God
that saves sinners by His sovereign will. This is the fifth mark
of the certified gospel. It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Is
that right? The Father has given Him power
over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many
as the Father has given to Him. Salvation is by the sovereign
will, grace, and purpose of God. He doeth according to His will
in the army of heaven and among the heavens of this earth. And
none can stay His hand or say unto Him, Lord God Almighty,
what doest Thou? Of His own will begat He us with
the word of truth. John chapter 1 tells us we're
born again not of the will of flesh, not of the will of man,
we're born in the garden of God. That's the certified gospel of
God by His will. Salvation is His way or no way.
They have that old saying on the job, it's either my way or
hit the highway. Salvation by His way. He is the
way. His will will be done in this
matter of salvation. Thy people shall be made willing
in the day of His power. The certified gospel is salvation
by the sovereign will of God. Now here's the last one. The
gospel of God, the certified gospel, is the gospel of His
glory. Look at verse 5. You see that,
Galatians 1 verse 5? To whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Now, salvation is by the
creature's will and the creature's way and the creature's doing. Who's going to get the glory? Pat yourself on the back. My
friend, we know that salvation is by the will of God, the grace
of God, and it's all to the glory of God, is it not? But of Him
are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification and redemption, according as
it is written, He that would glory, let Him glory, let Him
glory. Oh, we do glory. But we rejoice
and we glory only in the Lord. When you read Ephesians chapter
1, when it talks about verse 1-6, according as He has chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world, all to the praise
of the glory of His grace. When it talks about the redeeming
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption through
His blood, it's all to the praise of the glory of His grace. And
then in verse 13 and 14 of Ephesians chapter 1, when it talks about
the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in convicting, in regenerating,
in making us new creatures in Christ, it's all to the glory
of the praise of the glory of His grace. alone, grace alone. This is a certified gospel. In Psalm 115, not unto us, O
Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name do we give glory. You see, the theme of the redeemed
in heaven is unto Him who loved us and unto Him who washed us
from our sin in His own blood To Him be all the honor and glory,
both now and forever. That's why the redeemed in heaven,
they sing, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb. to receive
our honor, power, glory, and blessing both now and forever. Worthy is the Lamb. The grand
design of redemption is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
those who were saved by God's grace, by the certified gospel,
saved with the Apostle Paul, We are the true Israel which
worship God in the Spirit, that rejoice in Christ Jesus, and
we have no confidence in the flesh. Not at all. You see, the
gospel of God, Paul said, were unto He called you by our gospel
to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
certified gospel of God that we read about in verse 11, I
certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of
me is not after man. The certified gospel gives Him
all the honor and glory. Now, I have a personal question
for you. I want you to answer it in your
heart. Don't answer it to me. You answer
it in your heart before the Lord. It is a certified gospel. Can
you say with Apostle Paul, that's my gospel. That's my gospel. That's my gospel. That's my hope. That's my peace. He, the Lord
Jesus Christ is all my salvation. He's all my righteousness. Blessed
is the man whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works. Without works. Well, I pray the
Lord will bless that. And next time you read that scripture,
you think maybe That word certified, certified, certified. The gospel
of God guarantees the salvation of His people. He cannot fail.
Well, the Lord bless you and keep you. And I pray, I've been
praying for you and praying the Lord will give leadership and
wisdom about you need a pastor. You know that, don't you? You
need a pastor. Let me give you a little advice
here. I've been at this a little while.
I've been preaching the gospel 35 years. I've been at it for
a while. Don't think and don't fool yourself
thinking, well, we can get along without a pastor. I know sometimes
we have to for a while. But my friend, be diligent. Be
diligent seeking the Lord's will in this matter. And be making
an urgency. Lord, send us a pastor. We need a pastor, and you do.
You do. And I pray the Lord be pleased
to raise up a pastor. When we started the ministry, when the Lord was pleased to
start the ministry there in Kingsport. Kingsport, Tennessee is 100 miles
south of where we're at. And many of you know the Moody
family there, and they contacted me through the sermon audio ministry,
and Tony and I got acquainted. He called me out of the blue,
didn't know who he was. But he said, we're down here in Kingsport,
and some folks down here believe the gospel, that certified gospel,
and we want to hear more of it. And when we started going there
and preaching, we'd drive up there every Sunday night about,
and we did that for six years. 100 miles up, 100 miles back.
And our prayer was that the Lord would send them a pastor. The
Lord would send them a pastor. He did. Six years later, someone
said to me after Gabe Stonerker was called into the ministry,
and then they called him the pastor of that church. Many of
you met Brother Gabe. I think he's been here to preach
for you. And one of my preacher friends said to me, he said,
Brother Tom, he said, you're going to have a hard time giving
this ministry up here in Kingsport? And I said, oh no, no, no, no.
We've been praying that the Lord would send a pastor. And He did. And the Lord blessed them with
Gabe Stoniker. I'm so thankful for that ministry
there in Kingsport, what the Lord's doing there. And you be
patient, but now be urgent. Be urgent about it too. and seek
the Lord's will in this matter and be diligent about it. Lord,
send us a pastor. Cry from your heart to the Lord.
Lord, send us a faithful gospel preacher. And I pray that he'll
be pleased to do that. Okay. Thank you. Lord bless you.