We're in the Gospel of Romans,
Epistle to the Romans, written by Paul. This is our fourth study,
and this morning we're in Chapter 1. We'll be looking at verses
13 and 17. And I've titled our study this morning, The Gospel
of Christ. In our last look at this first
chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Rome, we considered
the mutual faith. The faith that we all have, we
are of one faith, faith in Christ. It's a gift from Christ to you
and I. It's the faith He uses to guide
us through our way through life. It's a mutual faith. All of God's
elect are given the mutual faith that all of the God's elect are
given by the Lord Jesus. Faith or belief in the true and
living God does not come through wisdom of men. True faith can
only come by God the Father through the Holy Spirit revealing His
Son to a new heart, one who was once dead and has been born again. That's what we read often over
in Matthew 16, 17, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which
is in heaven. We also considered our peace
and comfort the peace and the comfort that we have in this
faith that is bestowed upon us. Today we look at another angle
of the diamond. The gospel of Christ, and there's
only one gospel, and that is Christ. He is the gospel. He
is the good news. And we'll see more of that in
this morning's message. But for now, we're going to look
at that diamond. And that's what the gospel of
Christ is. It's a diamond. We can take that diamond and
look through at different angles, at different sides, but we're
still going to see the same looking from this side. It's
still Christ that's shining light. We're going to look at another
angle of the diamond for the reason that we have peace and
for the reason that we have comfort. Look with me if you would at
Romans chapter 1. Begin reading at verse 13, shall
we? Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes
I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto that I might
have some fruit among you, also even among even as among other
Gentiles. Paul had a great desire to see
the folks at Rome, but by God the Holy Spirit and also by the
devil he was Deterred from that we'll look at that a few more
minutes here verse 14 I am the debtor both to the Greeks and
to the barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise So as
much as in me as I am ready to preach the gospel to you that
are at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ
for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth
to the Jew first and and also to the Greeks. For therein is
the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is
written, the just shall live by faith." Now, Henry Mann brings
up something I want to share with you. Paul's desire to visit
them was not a sudden impulse, but a desire that he had entertained
for quite some time. He was hindered either by God,
who had worked for him in other places, and you can read about
that in Acts chapter 16, verses 6-9, if you'd like, or by Satan,
who sometimes, by divine permission, has such power, and you can read
that in 1 Thessalonians 2.18, if you'd like. or by his duties
in other places. But Paul desired to have some
fruit among them. And we understand fruit to be
the conversion of sinners, the edification of believers, and
the fruitfulness of believers is grace and works. And I want
to turn over for just a moment to Matthew chapter 7 and look
at that if you would with me. Turn over to Matthew chapter
7. And let's look at what this fruitfulness of the believers
in grace and works is. Verses 15 and 16. Matthew chapter
7, beginning at verse 15. Beware of false prophets which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. We're talking about
the fruitfulness of God's people seeing it in their belief, in
their faith. Not in their works, not in what
they do. We're all human. When you stop making mistakes,
when you stop having reasons for forgiveness, God will have
you in heaven. That's all there is to it. As
long as we walk this earth, we're going to need forgiveness. Beware
of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are reminiscent words. You shall know them by
their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns
or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."
Now, one more, if you would, turn over to John chapter 5.
Let's just confirm what our brother Henry Manning wrote here. John
chapter 5. We see it there. The fruitfulness of God's people
and the unfruitfulness of false preachers. Paul goes on in verses
14 and 16 of our text, back in Romans 14 and 16, to declare
his willingness to bring the gospel of Christ to this church
in Rome. He had been told so much of their
faith in Christ, he was anxious to come and be with them if he
could. In verses 16 and 17, we find our text for today, I'd like to read those
verses again if you would. Romans chapter 1 verse 16, to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the
just shall live by faith. Now, our title for this morning,
our subject this morning, is the Gospel of Christ, that we
read right about there in chapter 16. For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ. Oh, how I love to hear and to
preach It's the good news. It's the
good news that there is mercy and grace in the one who was
sent. The one who was ordained from
the foundation of the world that he would come to save sinners.
He shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. The apostle declares that he
is not ashamed of the gospel of God's grace. He's not ashamed
to preach that grace is unmerited favor. He's not ashamed to preach
that you can't do anything to earn God's grace, that it is
a gift from him from beginning to end. all of salvation is of
the Lord, not part, but all. He's not ashamed to tell people
that you can't save yourselves, that there's nothing you can
do. He's not ashamed to tell you that your works destroy God's
grace. He's not ashamed of the gospel
of God's grace. He's not ashamed of mercy to
the guilty through Christ. I don't deserve. Here's what
I deserve. I deserve damnation. I am but
a worm. That's what I deserve. Paul was
not ashamed to say that. Oh, wretched man that I am is
what he said, isn't it? Who shall deliver me from this
body of death? Paul was not ashamed to tell
you he's nothing. God's preachers are not ashamed
to say, I am nothing. I'm no more than anyone else
is that walks this earth. I'm a sinner, just as everyone
else is. I love what you said this morning.
John, are you going to preach to me? I'm a sinner. I need grace
is what Paul said. We're not ashamed, are we? We're
not ashamed to admit that we deserve the wrath of God. Paul
was not ashamed of the mercy to the guilty through Christ.
of salvation by substitution. We're not ashamed to hear how
our Lord laid down His life where we should be. How He, He who
knew no sin, took our sins as His own. He was made sin, willingly
made sin. Did you know that? Christ, He
allowed those men to take Him and hang Him on that cross. He
laid down His life And he had the power to take it up again.
He cried out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Can you imagine God the Son being
forsaken by God the Father? That substitution. Paul was not
ashamed to tell people, this is the one who took my shame.
This is the one who took my guilt. This is the one who took my iniquity.
That seems to be nonsense to some. Oh, there's got to be something
I must do. You can't tell me that there's
not going to be a change in my life, that I'm going to quit
being a sinner. You can't tell me that. If I'm
saved, I've got to quit sinning. I've got to be righteous. I just
can't be a sinner anymore. Folks, until the Lord takes us
through that door of our death, we are sinners. That's all this
flesh can do is sin. It's just like leprosy. It's
a disease that covers your whole body. Everything. It's in the
blood system. It works its way through every
part of your body. Some think it's nonsense. It's
a stumbling block to them. But Paul and a few more were
not ashamed to believe it or to preach it. Turn over to 1
Corinthians chapter 1. For the preaching of the cross,
for the preaching of mercy to the guilty, for the preaching
of salvation by substitution, for the preaching of the gospel
of God's grace, is to them that perish foolishness. But unto
us, Oh, remember our lessons on unto us? Unto us a child was
born. Unto us a son was given. Unto
us, but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. You know why it's the power of
God? Because it puts him in his sovereign thrown over all things. Doesn't God? I just mentioned
a moment ago, we're going to look at that diamond, aren't
we? We're going to see a different angle of that peace and that
comfort that you and I as God's children have, knowing that He
is sovereign over everything. Preaching of the cross is the
power of God. Verse 19, for it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? Oh, folks, we sure think we have
a lot of wisdom, don't we? What God has allowed us to discover,
I mean, don't get me wrong, breaking Roger's heart, his chest open,
opening up his heart, doing whatever needed to be done, closing it
all back up again so that it still works, that's pretty smart
stuff right there, but that's nothing compared to the wisdom
of the Most High. Nothing! We can't even imagine
the wonders that Christ knows, the wisdom of our Lord. For it
is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring
to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Verse
21. For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew
not God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of what? The foolishness of preaching.
to save them that believe. We're talking about the gospel
of Christ, the only gospel, the gospel that we preach, and through
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block,
and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called
both Jews and Greeks Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom
of God. I've heard of some in religion
that say they cannot preach this in public. Oh, we can't preach
sovereign grace. People don't want to hear that.
They believe it in private, but they will not preach it in public.
They're ashamed of it. They're afraid of men. They're afraid they'll get fired
from their job. Did you know that Norm Wells
was fired when he started preaching grace? When he first heard Henry
Manningham, he came home and he says, I hate that man. And
then the Lord worked on Norm's heart, and worked on it, and
worked on it, and worked on it, and eventually Norm came to know
the truth of God's Word, the truth of His grace, the truth
of His mercy, the truth of His sovereignty, the truth of works
by man is disaster. And when he went back to his
congregation and tried to preach it, they fired him. They said,
we don't want you. We don't want that gospel. We
want a gospel that we can do something with. Some cover their
offense of the cross with words of wisdom, of their wisdom and
human philosophy, seeking to please men, and others just openly
add their works to His grace. Oh yeah, God saved you Would
you come down here to the front and receive His grace now, will
you? Will you come down here and receive it now? I've heard
that. Now I want to consider four quick points that the gospel
of Christ and the preaching of that gospel God uses. He uses
the gospel of Christ to quicken, that means give life, to dead
sinners. Look with me if you would over
James, chapter 1. Look with me if you would at
verse 18. Our God uses his gospel, the
gospel that we preach, to quicken dead sinners. Of his own will
begat he us. That means give life, born again. Of his own will begat he us with
with the Word of Truth. That's preaching the Gospel right
there. That we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. Let's look at one more. If you
would, go to the right again to 1 Peter. Next book over, 1
Peter. Look at chapter 1, verse 23. Being born again. That's what
cricketing is. as being born again and given
new life not from not of corruptible seed that's the that's the seed
of the world that's the religions of the world but of incorruptible
and then what by what by by the word how do you get the word
from the preaching of Jesus Christ in him crucified by the Word
of God which liveth and abideth forever one more if you would
turn over to mark 16 our Lord uses the Word, the preaching
of His Word to quicken dead sinners. In Mark chapter 16, we read in
verse 15, And he said unto them, Go ye into the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature. This is the word of truth. This
is the gospel. Go and preach it to every creature.
And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He uses
his gospel, the gospel of Christ, to quicken his people. But he
that believeth not shall be damned. So our Lord, we see there in
three different instances, our Lord uses his gospel preached. The gospel of Christ to quickened
dead sinners. He also uses that gospel to open blind eyes. Turn
over to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. He opens blind eyes. And we read in 2nd Corinthians
chapter 4 beginning at verse 3, but if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost. You remember when the gospel
was hid to you? You remember before the Lord came and gave
you sight to see the truths of his word? But if our gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost. Verse 4, in whom the God
of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God should shine into them. Verse 5, for we preach
not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves for God who commanded this folks
our Lord uses his gospel we just saw that to preach his gospel
to open blind eyes for the God who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness have shine in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
that's God's Word he uses this gospel preach he uses stand before
people, just like He did that day when I was sitting there
in that pew right there, He used a Gospel preacher to preach His
Word, and God opened my eyes. Gave me sight. Thirdly, He uses
this Gospel to reveal His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn back
to 1 Corinthians again, just to the left there a couple of
pages. Chapter 15, just about three pages to the left. Look
at 1 Corinthians chapter 15 beginning at verse 1. his gospel preach
to reveal his son the Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, brethren, First
Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel which I preached. There's only one gospel. There's
only one. There's only one place you will
find good news, and that's in the Lord Jesus Christ, according
to the word of God. According to the gospel which
I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein
ye stand, by which also that I preached unto you, unless
ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for your
sins according to the Scriptures." One more, if you would, go back
to our text and turn to Romans chapter 10. Look at verses 13
through 15. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him
in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him
in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? Our Lord uses the gospel of His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him crucified to reveal His Son. And then lastly, He uses His
gospel to declare salvation through His Son. Turn over to chapter
3 of the same book, Romans chapter 3, and look with me at verse
24. Romans chapter 3, beginning at
verse 24, we read these words, "...being justified freely by
His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God hath set forth to be in his blood to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God. To declare, I say at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus. To the Jew first, and also to
the Greek. The word Greek means all Gentiles. These two classes comprehend
all mankind. The Jews were chosen to receive
the law, the prophets, the tithes, and the tabernacle. Thus we can
say that the gospel and tithe and promises were first. That's
what we were reading about a moment ago, back in our text. For I
thank God through Jesus Christ for all of you and your faith
spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness,
in whom I serve my spirit and the gospel of his Son, that without
ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. Go to Romans
chapter 3, back in Romans chapter 3 again, and it will bring us
to a close. What advantage then hath the
Jew, it says? Or what profit is there of circumcision? Paul then goes on to declare
this much in every way. committed oracles of God. For
what if some did not believe, shall their belief make the faith
of God without effect? Nay." Let's go ahead and bring
this to a close for now.