I'm glad to be with you this
morning. Not because it's a short trip from the house, but to be
able to preach the gospel to you once again. Turn to 1 Thessalonians. Brother Frank is in Madisonville,
as most of you know, preaching down there at the Bible conference. May the Lord bless them. 1 Thessalonians 2. I'm going to
read three verses and I'll lead us in prayer. In verse 1, for yourselves brethren
know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain. But
even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated,
as you know at Philippi, We were bold in our God to speak unto
you the gospel of God with much contention. Look down at verse
8. So being affectionately desirous
of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel
of God only, but also our own souls, because you were dear
unto us. For you remember, brethren, our
labor and travail, For laboring night and day, because we would
not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the
gospel of God. And that's the title of the lesson
this morning, The Gospel of God. Let's pray. Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Our Father, we've gathered here
this morning to read your word, to teach from your word, and
to worship you in spirit and in truth, to give unto you the
glory due unto your name. Help us to do so. Help us, Father,
to set our affection on things above this morning. Help me to
rightly divide the Word of truth. Send forth Your Word in power. Rejoice the heart of Your children.
Instruct us, Lord, teach us. Father, thank You for all things.
Thank You. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. I want to try to keep this brief.
I do believe that we who preach are too guilty of giving too
much information at one time. I can only retain so much. I
can only retain so much. I remember when Henry used to
go to the TV tapings, television tapings, and Charlie Payne would
always go And when it would get in the last 10 minutes, Charlie'd
go. He'd do that. And then it got
down to five minutes, like that. You know, he'd start timing him
down. Sometimes I'd like to do that.
I've said in services where I'd like to say, you got 10 minutes,
wind it up. Wind it up. Even the best of preachers ought
to sit down sometimes. And I said, watch, watch, I'll
just go with you. When I was writing this out,
I wrote two pages of notes and I did that on purpose to keep
myself, hopefully, from going too long and just wearing you
out. Because I get wore out. I know, I sit there sometimes
in other places and I get wore out. I just can only retain so
much. So here's the subject, the Gospel
of God. This phrase, the Gospel of God,
is repeated many times throughout the New Testament. I took a concordance
and I looked this up. Sometimes it's the Gospel of
Christ. At times like this, it's the Gospel of God. And I wanted
to look at that this morning. arrested my attention. First
of all, the gospel of God is of God. It is of God. I thought the angels that fell,
there's a third of the heavenly host, it says, that fell. You
know they have no good news? They don't have one shred of
good news given to them. They are doomed. But God has
given us good news. Good news. I looked this up and
the gospel means good news, glad tidings. It also means a good
message. Good message. When I stand to preach, I have
a good message to preach. God has sent us a Savior. God
has provided for us a Savior in the Gospel. The angels that
fell don't have that. And you know what? I realize
right now that I am no better by nature than those fallen angels. If you take the constraining,
the sovereign constraining hand of God off the human race, you'll
find out that it's a bunch of devils also. Am I right? That's right. And not all that is called gospel
is gospel. Don't fall for that. You know,
this congregation has been well instructed. You know that. Look
over in Galatians chapter 1. In Galatians chapter 1, we see this. Paul said in verse 6, I marvel,
in Galatians 1 verse 6, that you are so soon removed from
him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel." Another gospel, which is not another. He says there's
not another gospel, but there are some that say there is. There
would be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel
of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. Not everything that's called
gospel is gospel. A lot of what I heard as a young
man, and I'm going to talk about that a little bit later, or a
young child, was not gospel. But they went around calling
it the gospel. But it was not the gospel. Not
everyone that uses the name of Jesus Christ is preaching Jesus
Christ. I told someone, It's been several
years ago, I said, you and I do not believe on the same Jesus
Christ. We were discussing the gospel
and he totally disagreed with me over the doctrines of grace. I said, we don't believe the
same God. We don't believe the same Jesus Christ. Look over in 2 Corinthians chapter
11. 2 Corinthians 11. And I don't want to be fooled,
and I especially don't want to preach another gospel. I want
the gospel that's of God. 2 Corinthians 11. Look at this. In verse 4. For if he that cometh
preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached, another
Jesus. One this Bible knows nothing
about. The Word of God only knows of
one Jesus Christ. And that's the Christ of God.
That's the one who is God. It's not this one who wants to
do something if we let him. It's only one. There's only one.
Or if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not
preached, or if you receive another spirit, which ye have not received,
or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might
well bear with him." That is, bear with us. He says, bear with
him, but bear with me. Paul said, you might as well
bear with me. So not everyone that's standing in a pulpit this
morning is preaching Jesus Christ. The Word of God tells us that
if it were possible that Satan would deceive the very elect
of God. That's how close we've come to it. Now the gospel that's of God
starts in eternity. If all a preacher does is go
back to Calvary, he ain't gone back far enough. He hasn't gone
back far enough. If we are going to preach the
gospel that's of God, we have to go back before the world began.
Because Christ is a lamb slain before the foundation of the
world. You've got to go back in eternity. When there was nothing but the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That's where the gospel
starts. That's where the good news starts.
Doesn't the good news start there? And it began to be revealed in
Genesis 3 after the fall when God speaks to them about the
seed of the woman. And then Christ, the seed of
the woman, comes into the world. Becomes bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh. He goes to Calvary. He dies in
our stead. In the stead of all those whom
the Father gave to Him. Rises again, goes back to the
Father, and right now He's there. Right now, He's there, seated
at God's right hand, making intercession for us, ruling and reigning over
this world. That's what Jesus Christ is doing
right now. He's ruling and reigning over all. God's gospel gives all the preeminence
to Jesus Christ. He's the first. He's the Alpha
and He's the Omega. We begin with Him and we end
with Him. None of it's me. None of it's me. It's all him.
It's all about him. And the gospel, that's if God
was not an afterthought with God. The gospel is not a reaction
to the fall. I react. I react to many things
that happen. God's never reacting. He's never
reacted. God is always proactive. Always
proactive. God is always, He's always on
top of everything. God has purposed everything,
He's decreed everything, and He's bringing everything to pass.
Everything that's going on right now is going on right now because
God has decreed it. He has purposed it. And you know
who's making all that to happen? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Look over in Revelation chapter
5. I preached from this, I think, last week. Revelation chapter
5. Let me find the verse. He's talking about who's worthy
to open the seals into this book that's in the right hand of Him
that sits on the throne. The cry goes out, who's worthy
to take the book and to open the seals thereof? And John weeps,
and if he finds out there's none worthy, and then one of the elder
cries, he said, stop weeping, John. Stop weeping. There is
one that's worthy to take the book and to loose the seals thereof. And when John looked, he saw
a lamb as it had been slain there in verse 6. And it says in verse
7, he came and took the book out of the right hand of him
that sat upon the throne. We had taken that book, all the
four beasts and the elders, and all of them fell down and worshipped
the lamb. But if you'll notice, at the end of that chapter 1,
chapter 6, John says here, And I saw when the Lamb opened one
of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder,
one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. But you notice
after chapter 5, here's the point I want to make. After chapter
5, in chapter 5, the cry goes out, Who's worthy to open the
book and to loose the seals thereof? And then it's revealed the one
who is worthy, the Lamb of God. And then in verse six, the lamb
opens, what happens? You read that next chapter in
chapter six. Everything in that book, the counsel of God, the
decrees of God, every name of every sinner that will ever be
saved is written in that book. And right there in verse one
of chapter six, he opens it and what happens? What's written
in that book starts to happen. is given into his hands as the
mediator, and as the mediator, he starts to make everything
happen. Everything. I thought that was
so interesting when I was studying that last week. When that book
is put into his hands, all the decrees of God, all the purpose
of God starts to unfold. It just starts to unfold. And then the gospel that is of
God always, mark this down, always honors God in all His attributes. All of them. It honors His justice. How can
God be a just God and save me? How can God be a just God and
save someone like me and someone like you who is no better than
the fallen angels? Where are you going to get that
answer? I'll tell you where you're going
to get it. In the Gospel of God. Jesus Christ
dying in my place. Jesus Christ literally now, literally
taking my hell. I can't imagine what hell's like.
You know, one time in the scripture, the Lord rolls back that curtain
and we're allowed a glimpse of that rich man being in hell.
It says being in torments and he lifts up his eyes and he's
And he says, Father Abraham, send somebody, let them dip their
finger in water and cool the tip of my tongue. I can't imagine. I can't imagine
it. And that's exactly what Jesus
Christ did in my place. He took the hail of God's wrath
for John Chapman. And that's how justice can be
satisfied. That's how justice can let me
go, have no claims on me, because it dealt with me in Christ at
Calvary. I died. I died in Him. That's real. And that's more
real to me now than it's been nearly 40 years. I'm closing
in on 40 years since I heard and believed the gospel. And
I tell you, it's more real to me now. I feel the urgency to
preach it now more than I've ever felt in my life. And Christ is more real to me
than ever before. The gospel that's of God always
honors God in all His attributes, honors His justice, honors His
love, honors his love, honors his truth. In every way, God is honored
in the preaching of his gospel, his gospel, not another, not
another. In the gospel that says, God
gives no honor to men. You know, it's still written,
none good, no, not one. None. Isn't that amazing? Seven billion people in the world.
You know any good people? Now, if you use our standard,
if you use the standard of the Webster Dictionary, you can find
some good people. If you use God's standard, none. God's standard of good is absolute
perfection. And I have that in Christ. I
have that perfection in Jesus Christ. We have the truth through the
gospel. We have the truth about God.
We have the truth about Jesus Christ. We have the truth about
us. We have the truth about sin.
We have the truth about salvation. We have the truth. Christ said
you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Lie won't set you free. It'll just dupe you. I've heard said before, I've
heard said before, we have the best children. I hope those children
don't believe that. They're going to be in trouble. Now you know what I mean. I know
what we mean by it, but I also know, I hope you don't believe
that, children. Because I'm telling you the truth. The worst place to go to hell
from is sitting right here under the gospel. If God take his hand off, you'll
find out. Because we all have the same
nature. We all have it. And then the gospel that's of
God is a good message. Isn't it a good message? I couldn't
bring you a better message this morning. It's a good message. It's a good message about God.
My thoughts of God, I'm telling you, my thoughts of God, before
I heard the gospel, and brought to faith in Christ were hard
thoughts. A lot of that had to do with
the preaching I was listening to, but they were hard thoughts.
Remember that servant that the Lord gave one talent to? And
he took and he hid it in the ground, he dug a hole and buried
it, and the Lord called him to account and he said, I knew you
were an austere, hard man. You reap, he said, well, you
don't sow. He didn't know the Master did. God doesn't reap
or He doesn't sow. It's all His. But he had a hard,
hard view of God. Do you have a hard view of God? Is this a hard view Come to me,
all you that labor and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. I am meek and lowly of heart.
Have you ever, when you think of the attributes of God, when
you think of the attributes of God, you think, and this is so,
you think God is holy, God is just, God is love, God is merciful. But I've never heard anyone say,
God is meek and lowly. And yet Christ, who's God, said,
come to me. I'm meek and lowly. It is Christ
who said, suffer the little children. And I can say this, it is God
who said, suffer the little children to come to me. And forbid them
not. For as such is the kingdom of
heaven. That doesn't sound hard to me. Now, without Christ, there's
a part of God you don't want to deal with. Because He's just. Let me tell you something about
justice. Justice is not mean. It's just right. Justice is not
mean. When God deals out justice, it's
not God being mean. It's God just doing what's right.
That's what justice is. It's just giving you what's right.
And no more. And no more. No less, no more. People are big on rights. I want
my rights. Well, you're going to get them
one day. I promise you. You're going to get absolutely
your rights to the nth degree. It's a good message. It's a good
message about God. And I tell you, it's a good message
because it gives hope to helpless, lost, doomed, sinners. And as the scripture says, it's
a good hope through grace. Through grace. It's a good message. Christ died and sinned for the
ungodly. It says Christ died for sinners. That's who he died
for. You know, you can't claim a promise
unless you just fit the description of the promise. If you're not,
if you don't fit the ungodly, if you don't fit sinner, well,
then he's not talking to you. Not talking anymore. He's talking
to sinners. Sinners. And then it's the only message.
It's the only message there is. The only message of salvation
that God has given is in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no other message. It's not one among many. It's
the only one. You think you're right? Well,
somebody's right. There's right and there's wrong. And there's no gray area in between. There's only one message. There's
only one way to heaven. There's only one way to God,
that is. One way to God. And that's through Jesus Christ.
Only one way. And then the gospel of God keeps
the sinner saved. I was talking to a young man
here not too long ago. He told me he got saved. I said,
no, you didn't. I told him, I'm being honest
with you, no you're not. Where he goes, he said, let me
ask you something. Do you believe once in grace, always in grace?
Well, I believe once in Christ. God chose me in Christ, loved
me in Christ. That's my security. He said, well, where I go, you
can be lost, you're saved, you know, you're saved if you quit
going, you're backside, you're lost. I said, no, you're not going
to be saved. That's not the gospel. God's not going to save somebody
by a lie. He's not going to do it. Last of all, seeing that the
gospel is of God, the good message, How ought we to treat it? This morning, you have the Word
of God in your lap. The Word of God. When I read
this book, as I read to you this morning, as you read it when
you're home, God is speaking when you read it. You're not
just reading a book. God is speaking. How ought I to treat that? With
great respect, with great reverence and fear, and I'm not talking
about a slavish fear, but respect and awe. We ought to stand in
awe at the Word of God. We ought to stand in awe. We ought to give it a hearing.
A hearing to listen. Christ says
to me, hearken to me. Listen to me. God is speaking. I know how dull we are. I know
how dull I am. I know because of sin, but I
also know don't use that as an excuse. Don't look for an excuse
for your problems. Correct the problem. Give it a hearing. Our Lord said
this, take heed how you hear. Take heed how you hear. For with what measure you meet
it with, listen, it shall be measured to you again. Why is spiritual growth so slow? Why does it seem so slow? Maybe
it's because I am slow of hearing. slower, listen, of listening.
Most of the time, you know this, when you're talking to somebody,
you're ready to start speaking before they finish. You're ready
to start speaking before they finish. I do that too much. I'd like to be guilty of this,
forgetting what I was going to say because I was listening. Because I was listening. God has given us ears, and I
pray that he's given us another ear, a spiritual ear, to hear
his voice, to listen, to listen. Someone said, my son, give me
your heart, listen to me. Listen to me. And we ought to send that out.
God sent it to us. God sent it to us. Did it save
you? I believe it saved me. And brother,
if it can save me, it can save anybody else. It can save anyone else if it
can save me. God has given us the gospel. What a blessing. What a blessing. All right, that's it. That's
enough saying. Yeah, there you go.