Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
Now today's message is the eighth message in a series that is intended
to accompany a new book that we're offering, free of charge,
called What is a Christian? A Biblical Study of the One True
Faith. And in these messages, we are
encouraging people to get the book, which is very extensive
with scriptures and examples, along with these messages, to
do what the scripture commands those who claim to be believers,
who claim to be Christian, and that is to examine ourselves
whether we be in the faith. This is an exercise in self-examination. To study the Bible, in order
to know for sure whether or not my claim of being a Christian
is a true claim, a genuine claim, and I'm not just fooling myself.
And the message today is entitled, The Fallacy of, quote, I'd rather
see a sermon than hear one, unquote. The fallacy of that quote, I'd
rather see a sermon than hear one. Have you ever heard that
poem? You know, that came from a poem
It's the first couple lines start out this way. I won't read the
whole poem. But it says, I'd rather see a sermon than hear
one any day. I'd rather one should walk with
me than merely tell the way. That's the first two lines of
a poem written by the American folk poet, Edgar A. Guest, who
lived and wrote in the early 1900s. And that poem, Certainly, when Guest wrote that
poem, he wasn't expressing something that was new, because people
have said things like that for years and years, ever since,
well since man has fallen into sin. People have those ideas. I'd rather see a sermon than
hear one. I've heard people say things like this, that you're
the only Bible that some people read, or it has to do with, as
they claim, showing people that you're a Christian by your outward
character and conduct. And this is the issue now that
we need to face if we're going to understand what the Bible
says a Christian is or a Christian is not. Let me begin by saying
something that I hope will sink down in your mind. There is no
argument or debate that a true Christian, a really genuine Christian,
should or ought to live a Christian life. a godly life, a moral life,
a sincere, dedicated life, dedicated to the glory of God, dedicated
to obedience to God, dedicated to loving people, a life of charity,
a life of grace. There's no doubt about that.
But we must understand, and that's what this chapter is about, that
true Christianity can never be validated or assured by a person's
outward character and conduct and a person does not become
a Christian by watching people's outward character and conduct.
Salvation comes to sinners by faith and faith comes by hearing. We'll look at that in just a
moment. The preaching of the gospel is the power of God unto
salvation. And that's what sinners must
hear. You must hear and believe the gospel in the power of the
Holy Spirit. God, in saving His people, in
making them Christians, He must bring them under the preaching
of the gospel. And they must hear that gospel
in the power of God. The gospel message wherein Christ
is revealed in the glory of His person and in the power of His
finished work. And we understand these things
from the Bible. And so when we hear things like,
well, I'd rather see a sermon than hear one, I desire that
I, as a Christian, live a Christian life, that my outward character
and conduct fit with my claim of being a Christian. I don't
wanna be a hypocrite. I don't wanna, you know, they
used to say, well, he goes to church on Sunday and lives like
the devil Monday through Saturday. I don't wanna do that. And I
wish I don't want anybody to do that. But there's some things
we have to face about this issue. One of the first things we must
face is the fact that the Bible teaches that lost people will
always find the truth of the gospel of God's free and sovereign
grace in Christ offensive. It's an offensive message to
the natural man. Bible says the natural man will
not receive the things of the Spirit of God. But let me read
you a passage in John chapter 3. This is verse 19 where the
Lord is speaking and he says, and this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather
than light. Why? Because their deeds were
evil. Now the deeds there refers to men's religious deeds, not
just their immorality. The light that he's talking about
is the light of Christ, Jesus Christ, in the glory of His person,
in the power of His finished work. Jesus Christ and Him crucified,
buried and raised from the dead. Jesus Christ, the only way of
salvation and righteousness before God. When that light comes in,
it exposes man's efforts to save himself. to be evil, not because
they're immoral, but because they're in opposition to the
glory of God, because they deny the person and work of Christ,
because they are the fruits of self-righteousness and pride.
Verse 20 says, for everyone that doeth evil, hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved,
discovered. And then verse 21 says, but he
that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made
manifest that they are wrought in God. They're the work of God.
Now, there are however, many problems. with this, when people
misuse it to try to defend, when you talk about people claiming
to be Christian and say, well, I just want you to know I'm a
Christian by what you see me do or not do or abstain from
doing, or I want you to just see me as a Christian because
I'm a good father, a good husband, a good worker or whatever. Now
listen again now, there's no argument. that if you claim to
be a Christian, you should live a Christian life, whatever that
is according to the Bible. If you claim to be a Christian
and you're a hypocrite, then that's exactly what it is. It's hypocrisy. But now let me
caution you here. If there are people, you know,
somebody said, well, I'm not going to church because there's
too many hypocrites there. Let me tell you something. You
can live with the hypocrites or you can die with them, either
way. But the hypocrisy of many people does not say anything
about the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel, it's
true, no matter how people respond to it. The question is this,
when you go to church, are you hearing the gospel? Now that's
the question. But whenever you take the attitude
that I'd rather see a sermon than hear one, you have to understand
there are many problems with this when people misuse it to
try to define and identify the reality of what a true Christian
is or is not. Now let me just show you some
of those problems. Here's problem number one. True
Christianity cannot be defined and identified merely by outward
character and conduct. You can't do that. You see, Christ
spoke of the Pharisees that way. He said they do indeed appear
righteous unto men, but inwardly they're full of dead men's bones.
The Apostle John stated this over in 1 John 3 and verse 1.
Listen to this. He says in verse one, he says,
behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us
that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, he said,
now listen to this, the world knoweth us not. Why? Because it knew him not. Did
you know that the world by nature did not and does not recognize
the Lord Jesus Christ to be the son of God? How then could it
recognize his children to be children of God? You know, the
Bible teaches us that we are by nature spiritually dead and
cannot discern the things of God. We cannot make a proper
judgment. In our natural state, we cannot
make a proper judgment of the things of God. You know, I've
talked about it on this program, how we preach the three R's,
salvation. That man was ruined by the fall.
This is God's elect now. This is true Christians, ruined
by the fall, redeemed by the blood, and regenerated by the
Holy Spirit. You see, God's chosen people
are born into this world spiritually dead, natural. That's what natural
means. Over in the book of 1 Corinthians
chapter 2 and verse 14, it says, But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. That's why the Lord Himself told
us we must be born again, else we cannot see, that is spiritually
understand and judge and discern these things, or enter into the
kingdom of God. Do you know one time the Lord
instructed His disciples, as recorded in John 7 and verse
24, you know what He said? He says, Judge not according
to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Now how can
I, who am a sinner, judge righteously? There's not but one way, and
that is through the Word of God. My judgments can be wrong, but
God's Word is correct. Now, you know people who pervert
Scripture in light of this. He said, remember what we just
read, judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous
judgment. There's a commandment from Christ to His disciples
to judge righteous judgment, which is judgment based upon
God's testimony. But most people, they'll turn
to Matthew 7 and verse 1, and what are they? Judge not that
you be not judged. What Matthew 7-1 is forbidding
is self-righteous judgment. Judgment based on appearance.
Judgment based on opinion. How do we reconcile the fact
that men by nature cannot know or recognize true Christians?
With verses like this. You remember over in John chapter
13 where the Lord Himself stated this. He said, By this shall
all men know that you are my disciples. If you have love one
to another. Acts chapter 4 and verse 13 turn
over there. How can men recognize that we're
the disciples of Christ? That doesn't mean that by nature
men can recognize what a true Christian is and what a true
Christian is not. It's simply saying that men will
be able to recognize that you believe in and teach what Jesus
of Nazareth believed in and taught. Like in Acts chapter four, verse
13, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived
that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and
they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. Now
these men didn't believe in Jesus. They didn't even know what a
Christian was, but they knew that Peter and John and James
and these disciples They were preaching the same message that
Jesus of Nazareth preached. You see, true Christians love
those whom the world hates. In 1 John chapter 3 and verse
13, John wrote, Marvel not my brethren if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not his brother
abideth in death. Now, unbelievers may admire the
character and conduct of a true Christian, and the Lord may use
that admiration to bring unbelievers under the preaching of the gospel.
But know this, the natural man does not know or recognize the
reality of what it is or means to be a true Christian, or not,
until God the Holy Spirit gives him spiritual life from Christ
and brings him to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance
of dead works and idolatry. My former pastor used to talk
about that hymn, let others see Jesus in you. And he'd say this,
he said, they didn't even see Jesus in Jesus. And here comes
to the second problem. Here we come to the second problem.
Problem number two. With this thing of saying, I'd
rather see a sermon than hear one. It was not the actions and
conduct of Jesus Christ and his followers that brought on the
hatred of the world. It was the message of the gospel. You see, the Gospel message takes
everything man by nature holds in high esteem as contributing
to his salvation, or exhibiting his salvation, or recommending
him unto God, and calls it an abomination, detestable thing
that pertain to idolatry. In the book of Luke chapter 16
and verse 15, the Lord said unto his hearers. He says, You are
they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your
hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination
in the sight of God. Do you remember how Paul spoke
of his own conversion in the book of Philippians chapter 3?
Here he was, Saul of Tarsus, going down his religious road,
trying to do his best to keep the law. He even persecuted Christians
because at that time he considered Christianity to be a heresy against
the God of the Old Testament. He said according to the law
he was blameless. But then he was brought under
the Word of God in Christ. He saw a vision of Christ. He'd heard the gospel because
Stephen preached it. And when he was converted, in
Philippians chapter 3 and verse 7, it says, here's his testimony. He said, but what things were
gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Everything that
was in the profit column back when he was lost, his obedience,
his morality, his sincerity, He counted it loss because he
then saw that he was a sinner. He said in verse eight, yea,
doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered
the loss of all things and do count them but done 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 faith. Now, as I
mentioned before, this is the condemnation, Christ said in
John 3, 19. Light's coming to the world.
And what do men do? They love darkness rather than
light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth
evil hateth the light, and neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved. The gospel is an offense to the
natural man. Because everything that we by
nature are so proud of, everything that we by nature thinks proves
our salvation, the gospel of Christ takes it and turns our
world upside down and shows it to be nothing but evil, even
dumb as Paul called it. And that brings us to problem
number three. And what I'm saying here, this is the problem with
saying I'd rather see a sermon than hear one. The Bible teaches
that God has ordained the preaching of the gospel as the way of salvation,
not observing the daily walk of a Christian. Now, I've quoted
this verse over and over again, these verses. Romans 1, 16, where
Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it,
the gospel, is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that
believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, For therein,
that is, in that gospel, in that message, the righteousness of
God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the
just shall live by faith. Now here's the thing. The righteousness
of God cannot be revealed from people watching me at my best. You may watch me throughout the
day, and I may have a real good day, and I may appear outwardly
to be the best of the best on that given day. But you know,
if you see that, you still have not seen the righteousness of
God. The righteousness of God is revealed
in the preaching of the gospel wherein Christ God in human flesh
is revealed as the one who substituted himself in the place of his people,
paid the debt of sin on the cross of Calvary, and by his blood
brought forth righteousness that is imputed to every one of his
people. God is holy. He must punish sin. God requires
perfect righteousness. And here's what I'm saying. If
you see me or any other Christian on their best day, you have to
conclude from scripture that whatever they did, God requires
more as to attaining or maintaining salvation, as the ground of salvation,
as that which justifies a sinner, whatever they do. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1,
verse 17, he said, for Christ sent me not to baptize, but to
preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. He says,
the preaching of the cross, the death of Christ, the righteousness
of Christ, his death, burial and resurrection is to them that
perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved is the power
of God. The preaching. In Romans 10.13 he says, 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?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach except they be sent as it is written? How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace! and bring
glad tidings of good things. Now, verse 16, they not all obeyed
the gospel. For Isaiah say, Lord, who hath
believed our report, so then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. Now, it's true the Bible says
over in Matthew 5, 16, let your light so shine before men that
they may see your good works and glorify your Father which
is in heaven. But my friend, the light there
is not the good works. The light there is the gospel
of Christ, which shines on those works to show that they are the
fruit of His righteousness, His work, His glory, and not the
cause or ground of our salvation. Now here's the fourth problem
with those who adhere to that statement, I'd rather see a sermon
than hear a sermon. Acts of charity, acts of devotion,
Acts of self-denial and attempts at obedience are not exclusively
Christian. Now what do I mean by that? Well,
just about every religion of man commands or encourages some
form of charity, some form of moral obedience, morality, Some
law to keep. We can talk about Buddhism and
the Eightfold Path. We can talk about Judaism and
the Ten Commandments. We can go on and on and on, every
religion. I'm not trying to leave out anyone.
But when it comes to character and conduct, most religions will
promote acts of charity, acts of devotion, acts of kindness,
sincerity. Now there may be some who don't.
There may be some religions that condone acts of violence in the
name of their religion. That's sinful. That's false religion. But acts of charity, acts of
devotion, acts of self-denial, acts of obedience and morality
are not exclusively Christian. You may look at two different
people who do a great act of charity, who give a lot of money
to charitable organizations. They're atheists to have done
that. My point is, as you look at an atheist who gives great
deals of money to different charities, would you say, oh, that's the
Christian thing to do? Well, is it a Christian thing
to do, to be charitable? Well, yes, but that's not exclusively
Christian, my friend. A Christian is one who believes
in the Lord Jesus Christ, resting in Him for all salvation, for
all forgiveness, for all righteousness, for all eternal life and glory.
And the only way that sinners are brought to rest in Christ
and believe in Him is through hearing the message of the gospel
as it is preached. Remember what we read there,
1 Corinthians 1. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. Now notice it didn't
say it pleased God by the preaching of foolishness. The way God has
set up things for the salvation of his people, glorifies and
honors him, exalts the Lord Jesus Christ, and gives sinners no
room for bragging, no room to boast. The Bible says, let he
that glorieth, let him glory in this. Let him glory in the
Lord, that he knoweth God in Christ. And so the preaching
of the gospel Which seems such a little thing to the natural
man, a meager thing. Oh no, it's got to be something
more than that. It's got to be some noticeable
change of character and conduct, some experience, some vision,
some dream or something. Oh no, it's just preach the gospel.
The good news of salvation conditioned on Christ who fulfilled all those
conditions. The message wherein the righteousness
of God is revealed. You know, in churches today that
claim to be Christian, preaching has been thrown to the background.
It's all music, entertainment, activity, feeling, emotionalism. But my friend, there's no replacement
for the preaching of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God,
the dynamite of God unto salvation. to everyone that believes. And
you know Paul, he said that when we preach the gospel, whether
people believe it or reject it, we're always victorious. And
you want to know why? Number one, because we glorify
God. Number two, we exalt Christ,
lifting Christ up. You see the issue is not that
the glory of it, the success of it is not whether or not you
believe it. The glory and success of it is
that God is glorified, Christ is exalted. God said it, that
settles it. And it is a joy when sinners
come to believe it. And it's sad when sinners reject
it. But it's still the power of God
unto salvation. Hope you'll join us next week
for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
a copy of today's program or to learn more about Reign of
Grace Media Ministries or Eager Avenue Grace Church, write us
at 1-1-0-2 Eager Drive, Albany, Georgia 3-1-7-0-7. contact us by phone at 229-432-6969
or email us through our website at www.theletterofgrace.com. Thank you again for listening
today and may the Lord be with you.