Good morning. It's good to see
everybody this morning. If you would, please be turning
with me to 1 Thessalonians 1. 1 Thessalonians 1. I'm going to read one verse.
Verse 5. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 5. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were
among you for your sake. I've not been preaching very
long, but there's some messages that I preach I wish I would
have gave a little bit more detail on and stuff. I've mentioned
this passage before. So I wanted to go back and look
at this. And I promise Joe and I have
not, we don't speak about our messages. So you may hear something
the same again, but I guess it's because we believe the same truth. We have five things mentioned
in this passage that I want to look at today. The gospel, not
in word only, power, Holy Ghost, and much assurance. So how does
the gospel come to you? Does it come to you in word only,
leaving you to figure out what else there is to do for salvation?
Does it leave you with all you have to do because of salvation?
Let's go through these things and see what this scripture is
saying. First of all, we have the gospel.
This word means good news. What is good news to a sinner? I spent a big portion of my life
trying to figure out what I had to do to be saved. At least at
that time, I felt like it was a big portion of my life. I thought
I would just do better, thinking that this would gain me favor
before God, and him showing favor to me. I kept doing and doing
and doing but I was never satisfied. I may have thought for a time
I was doing okay and that this was what was needed. Nothing
deep down ever satisfied my soul. It would keep coming back and
I would have to either try to stifle those thoughts and those
feelings or try to do something else to make them thoughts go
away. Thank the God above, it never worked. It does work for
some, and oh, what a place to be in when you have a false hope. I was like those whom the scripture
speaks about in 2 Timothy 3, 2 Timothy 3, 7, it reads, ever
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
And again in Romans 10, 3, for they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. I thought I would confess my
sins, and that's what I was doing was confessing my sins, but that
never saved me. This is what I derived from what
I thought to be the gospel being preached to me at that time.
I still thought I needed to do something. I tried repenting
of what I was doing, but that was just as it was for Esau.
It never worked. I sought repentance with tears,
but it never came. So what is the gospel? It says
in here that the gospel came to us, not in word only. The
gospel is as Scripture says it is, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What is that? Jesus Christ, who
is He? It means that message that declares
who Jesus Christ is, and that is God Almighty Himself. But
not that only. He is God the Son, the one whom
condescended to do the will of the Father, And why is that significant? If he is God. And he is God. Because he submitted himself
as one being in subjection to another. He did without and became
a man. He had nothing. The Lord of glory
I am talking about. The one that is a greater than
Solomon. who it was said by the Queen
of Sheba that the half was not told her of the wisdom and prosperity
of Solomon. But Jesus Christ himself tells
us that one greater than Solomon has come. This one came down
and walked on this earth. He was a bona fide man walking
on this earth. He came and made himself of no
reputation. He was not one that was that
after seeing him that you would recognize him. He didn't stick
out in the crowd, you might say, for his looks. He was of the
Holy Ghost of God and born to Mary and Joseph, a family that
had very little. They called him the son of a
carpenter. This was not a high calling in that day. It says
he had no place to lay his head, meaning he had no real home to
go to or stay in. We're talking about the Lord
of glory. Especially after he left his mother and father, you
might say, when he was older. He worked with his own hands.
Do not think our Lord did not work with his own hands. Everything
he did, he did by the work of his own hands. But then we have
him crucified. Him crucified was more than just
being nailed to the tree. He was nailed to the tree. but
it was not just being nailed to a tree for him. If it was
just about Jesus Christ dying, God the Father would have just
killed him in his sleep. I know this because God the Father
loved the son. He would not have subjected his
son to needless torture. No, Jesus Christ had to suffer
the shame of the cross as well. He was cursed, spat upon, beat,
had his beard plucked out, and had a crown of thorns put upon
his head. But yet, that was not the ultimate
thing that he had to suffer before his death. This man, this one
man, was forsaken of God the Father. I don't know how to explain
that. God forsaking God. Is there anything
about that that rings salvation to you? He did something that
was absolutely something I do not want to experience. Something
I don't want to work out with my own hands. But then being
forsaken of God, he died after that. He was in the grave three
days and three nights. But the grave could not hold
him. He arose from the grave victorious, ascended to the Father
to present Himself the perfect spotless land on our behalf and
He was accepted of the Father. He saved His people to the uttermost,
fully and completely by His work and His work alone. I just know
that what He did was something I could never do to pay for my
sins. First of all, a spotless sacrifice
was needed. And I know I am not spotless. When this finally came to me
in the gospel, it was good news to me. What I was required to
pay fully, Jesus Christ, my Lord, did in my place. This is good
news to me. Maybe it's not good news to you.
I know that's the case for some, but I have a few thoughts that
come from that. At first, I feel pity towards those who don't
know this, because I know where I was at one time. But I also
feel anger that they reject the work that Jesus Christ the Lord
did on Calvary. If you try to add one thing to
what Jesus Christ the Lord did on that tree, you are trying
to add to his work. But even still, my hope is that
some even yet will come to love him and what he did. Because
whether anyone knows it or not, this was a glorious thing that
Jesus Christ the Lord did on behalf of his people. He was
flesh and bones just like you and I. Yet he did this without
opening his mouth in opposition or rejection of doing any of
this. That just makes me want to bow
down my face in shame. bow down my face in the dust
to honor this one man that did what was required to satisfy
his own justice, him being God. This is the gospel. So how does
this gospel come to us? To those that believe, in other
words. Not in word only. This says that it does not come
in word only. It does not say that it does
not come in word, The gospel must come to you in word, but
not word only. You will not hear the gospel
or come to know God through a vision in the sky or in a dream that
you have meeting God at the pearly gates. It will come to you in
word, but not just in word only. What comes to you? The gospel. If it's not the gospel, then
the words do not matter to begin with. It don't matter how they
come. God sends men, and the men he
sends is up to him. These scriptures were written
by men by inspiration of God. Men today write articles or preach
messages that are recorded, or you may hear them in person.
So I want to be clear, it does not necessarily mean they have
to come to you with a man speaking to you in person necessarily. I'm not going to go into it right
now, but there's results. No matter what method you hear
the gospel, if it comes to you and not just in word only, if
it is not the gospel, then it is just words only. This is talking
about how the gospel comes to some people. It is specific. So if it is not the gospel, it
will be word only and will only ever be word only. Those who
speak of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and Him doing what
no fallen sinner as we are, but He did what no fallen sinner
could do. We can know and see what the
gospel is in scripture. So we know it is not in word
only, so how does it come? First, we have in power. What
power? Or whose power, Joe? What does
scripture say about power? Matthew 28, 17 reads this, 28,
17 and 18 reads this. And when they saw him, they worshiped
him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. The power I'm talking about is
the only power there is. Any perceived power anywhere
else is just that. It's perceived power. Jesus Christ
is where all power comes from. So this gospel comes to us in
power. Is this the power of the preacher
or the one hearing the gospel? How much power does the scripture
say Jesus Christ has? All power. The power that I'm talking about
is not of this world. Should I have the power of a
pilot or a king or a president, I would not have enough power
to bring the gospel to someone in this way. Jesus Christ was
not of this world, nor are his people. He has all power to do
as he pleases in the armies of heavens as well as among the
inhabitants of the earth. And John 18.36 reads this, Jesus
answered, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were
of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should
not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from
hence. If you have any power at all,
it is because it comes from God. 2 Samuel 22 and verse 33 says,
God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect. And again in Psalms 29 four,
the voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full
of majesty. He has the power and the right
to do as he pleases. And this is Nebuchadnezzar speaking
in Daniel 4 35 and he says, and all the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. And none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest
thou? So any power we have comes from
him. The preaching of the gospel is
God's power if it comes in power. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. There is nothing in this world
that I can do or say that would be enough power to do this. My
only weapon is the word of God, and it is he that gives the increase. He has told us that his word
will not return unto him void. It will accomplish that for which
he has sent it to do. So then it comes in power in
what else? Next we have in the Holy Ghost.
I think this should be self-explanatory, but it would seem that it is
not to the majority of this world. The Holy Ghost, that which Jesus
Christ said he would send to convince men of sin. So God Almighty
comes in power of the Holy Ghost, convincing me of my sin. The
words of the proclaimer or the preacher come to those who are
hearing it in the Holy Ghost by the power of God. What is
the purpose that Jesus Christ said of the Holy Ghost? John
14 and 16 says, and I will pray the Father and he shall give
you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. But again, Christ says in John
14, 26, but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father
will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
As Joe said, he didn't come to speak of himself, but to speak
of Jesus Christ. So the Holy Ghost will convince
us of sin. He will teach us those things
of Christ as it is revealed in Scripture. When you hear the
Gospel and it comes to you in power and of the Holy Ghost,
you will have the Holy Spirit telling you this witness is true
if it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Having the fruit of the Spirit
and a part of that fruit is faith, Jesus Christ it will always point
you to Jesus Christ the Lord always But this fruit not only
has faith, but love so you will believe Jesus Christ, and you
will love his truth his gospel Knowing these things what else
also comes with us? And this is where I wanted to
get to Much assurance much assurance of what Assurance that I have
done all that I can do, now it is up to me. There's not much
assurance in that, since I previously tried everything I could to gain
my salvation and failed. Trying to do better, repent more,
rededicate my life, believe God with all my heart. But there's
no assurance in that, because that never happens with man in
and of himself. My assurance doesn't come in
me believing in my believing or believing my faith. My assurance comes when I believe
Jesus Christ and what he did. When I just rest and trust Christ
for what he has done, then oh, what a blessed assurance I have.
The gospel tells us of his works. Faith given allows us to believe
his works. What are his works? Everything
in short, but those that we've already specifically said, and
it is that which the gospel tells us that Christ has done it. He has judicially taken away
my sins as far as the east is from the west. There is no more
work to be done for salvation because he said there is none.
And as I've told everybody here before, he said it is finished. Faith comes from Jesus Christ. Faith points to Jesus Christ. So if God has given you faith
in coming to you with the gospel, it will be manifested in you
believing the record God gave of his son. That record specifically
being Jesus Christ and him crucified, the gospel. Oh, when you see
him, you can totally rest in what he has accomplished. It
will give you blessed assurance. Acts 1731 reads this, because
he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world
in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. Whereof
he hath given assurance unto all men in that he raised him
from the dead. And again in Hebrews 10 and 22
it says, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith. having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. If ever
I begin to look at anything I do or have done or think I should
do, then the much assurance will fade. But if by his power and
might, you continue to look at Christ and what he has done,
I mean completely finished the work of salvation, you will be
much assured about salvation because it had nothing to do
with you. Your assurance, just as the salvation wrought for
you, your assurance comes from Jesus Christ the Lord. Oh, I
like the rest right there. So seeing that it pleased God
through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, and
knowing He will send you that word by His choosing, and that
He will also bring you that gospel in more than word only, but also
in power, and of the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. It is
nice to think about getting to hear the gospel over and over
again. Assuring my soul over and over
again that salvation is of the Lord. We will, when we first begin
to see this, we will say, as Job said, in Job 42, five and
six, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now
mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes. As our text lets us know, this
is how we know our election, that we heard the gospel and
it came to us this way. being blind, now we see. This
being done to us causes us to do something. What does our passage
say? In verse six, and ye became followers
of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction
with joy of the Holy Ghost. You will join yourself to others
that have had this power moved against them in much affliction
and joy of the Holy Ghost, And this was done for us that we
might be in samples to others in and around Beaver, West Virginia,
is what I'll say, and other places. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory
divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of
a God. Born of his spirit, washed in
his blood. Dear Lord, thank you for everything
you've given us. All power comes from you. Bless
these words to the heart of God's people and be with Walter as
he comes to speak. All these things we ask in Christ's
name, amen.