Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. There is much confusion
and downright error among many would-be gospel preachers in
our day over the exact reason and purpose for which we are
to preach the gospel. As a result, many errors have
arisen and much man-centered foolishness has been set forth
as being the gospel. The Lord created the heavens
and the earth primarily as an avenue of bringing glory to His
name. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament
showeth His handiwork. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things,
and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Everything
exists for the purpose of bringing glory to God, from the smallest
microbe yet to be discovered by man to the vast expanses and
reaches of the universe which shall never even be visited by
man because of its frailty and inability. So too the gospel
exists to bring glory to him who is worthy of all praise.
The Lord told the nation of Israel, which was an Old Testament type
of the true elect people of God, that he would deliver them and
bring them into their own land, not primarily because of his
concern for them, but that his name might be exalted. Many people
get sidetracked into thinking that this land to which he promised
to bring them is an actual place of dirt located on planet Earth.
They cannot understand that this land, which the Lord is here
speaking about, is a kingdom which is not of flesh and blood,
but one which can only be entered by the new birth. This astonished
Nicodemus and continues to be a mystery to those who have not
been given eyes to see and ears to hear. The Israel that he is
speaking of is those whose hearts are circumcised rather than their
flesh. This Israel is told that the
Lord would take away their stony heart and write his laws upon
the new heart that he would give them. The New Testament records
this prophecy as fulfilled in the work of Jesus Christ in bringing
many sons to glory. The entire work of the Lord in
behalf of His elect is to deliver them out of bondage and cause
them to be a testimony to His glory in the earth. To this end,
He paid the price for their sin debt, fulfilled every jot and
tittle of the law in their behalf, rose from the dead as a testimony
of the hope of the resurrection which He has promised them, and
ascended back into the heavens to the right hand of His Father
to intercede for them by His presence there as their mediator. that in the ages to come He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. The Scripture says that every
knee shall bow and all the earth shall render tribute unto Him
as the sovereign Redeemer when He comes to gather His people.
Even so come, Lord Jesus. The only reason that we are to
preach the gospel in the earth is to bring glory to his name,
who is worthy of all praise, since he has redeemed us to God
by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
He said, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto me. He spoke this concerning the
death he would die, but he also refers to the lifting up of his
name or his exaltation in the preaching of the gospel, even
as Moses lifted up the brazen serpent. If the preaching of
the gospel is primarily to be done for the glory of God, then
it follows that we don't need to devise clever means of presenting
this truth. We live in an age when the vast
majority of preachers think that the newest fads and gimmicks
are useful tools in reaching the lost. Many churches have
become entertainment centers, which are explained as making
the gospel relevant to our day and time, as if the glory of
God is not relevant. We have never been directed by
the Word of God to reach the lost. God is able to reach men
by the power of His Holy Spirit without the ability of men, and
is presently doing so. If the preaching of the Gospel
is primarily to be done for the glory of God, then it follows
that we don't need to resort to psychological methods designed
to produce results. Many think that they can reason
men into the kingdom of God. Clever methods and plans have
been developed in the last hundred years designed to produce decisions. Some think that they can train
men to be soul winners. The only one who can win souls
said that he intended to save men through the foolishness of
preaching. If the preaching of the gospel
is primarily to be done for the glory of God, then it follows
that we need to clearly and accurately portray the work of Christ as
the only means whereby a man shall be accepted with the Father.
What a glorious message of hope and comfort this is to awakened
sinners! This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Now unto
the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and
glory forever and ever. Amen. Do you rejoice in Him? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.