I've entitled the message for
this evening, This I Do for the Gospel's Sake. Paul says in verse
23, and this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker
thereof with you. What do you do, Paul, for the
gospel's sake? Well, look what he says in verse
19. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant
unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I become as
a Jew, that I might gain the Jews, to them that are under
the law as under the law. that I might gain them that are
under the law, to them that are without law, as without law,
being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,
that I might gain them that are without the law. To the weak
become I as weak, that I might gain the weak. I am made all
things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's
sake. For the sake of the gospel. In Mark chapter one, verse one,
we read the way Mark begins his narrative of the gospel. And
I love what he says. beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. What a way to begin the gospel. He begins with the beginning.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning was the Word
of The Word already was when the beginning began. In the beginning
was the Word, the Word was with God. As a distinct person, the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with Him. All things were made by Him.
Without Him was not anything made. that was made. The beginning is the origin,
the beginning or the origin of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God. Where's the origin? Eternity. If my concept of Jesus Christ
begins with a major and ends on a cross, I have no concept
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is eternal. The beginning,
the origin is in eternity. Something that's beyond our grasp,
I realize that, but here I go again, the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Now I want you to think about
that before there was a creation, before the sun, moon, or stars. Before angelic beings, when all
there was was God in the Trinity of His sacred persons, the Lamb
was slain. That's God's eternal purpose.
The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the heavens and
earth were created. Man was created. Man fell for
this purpose, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the
son of God. The word gospel means good news. It's news. Have you heard the
news? It's something you haven't heard
before. It's news. And it's something you hear.
It's not something from inside you. It's something from outside
you that you hear. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. And it is good news, not to everybody,
but to many somebodies. The gospel is the good news of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I love his name, Jesus, Savior. Thou shalt call his name, Jesus
for he shall not he'll try to not he'll make possible he shall
save his people the elect those given to him by the father before
the foundation of the world he shall save his people from their
sins that's the promise of the gospel that's what i need to
be saved from my sins i must be saved from the penalty of
sin. I can't bear the thought of going to hell. He bore hell
for me. I must be saved from the power
of my sins because I'm powerless before my sins. I must have him
to save me from the power of sin, which he did in the new
birth. And that's what that means to be saved from the power of
sins. It doesn't mean, well, I have power to not commit this sin and not
commit, well, you ought not commit that sin, but that doesn't have
anything to do with what that means. There was a time when you had no power
to believe. You do now. because you've been saved from
the power of sin to the new birth. One of these days I'll be saved
from the presence of sin when I stand in glory and sin no more. Jesus, what a name, don't you
love his name? Christ. You're reading about it, Eric,
his offices. It's not his last name, it has
to do with his offices. What think ye of Christ, was
the question the Lord asked. That is his offices as prophet,
priest, and king. He's God's prophet. He's a prophet
like no other prophet. He never said, thus saith the
Lord. He said, I say it to you. He's a priest like no other priest.
Every other priest brought the blood of an animal. He brought
his own blood. He's a king. like no other king. Every other king is only a king
because he makes him a king and whatever authority they have
he gave to him and he could take it away. He said all power is
given unto me. He's a king like no other king.
He has inherent power as king of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus Christ the Son of God. God the Son. He's God. You know what that means? That
means His will is always done. His will was done in creation.
He willed, Jesus Christ, willed the universe into existence. His will is being done in all
things right now. Whatever takes place on this
planet, it's His will being done. Are you saying that The bad things
are His will being done? Yes, I am. Yes, I am. They're
not bad in his sight. He's in control, and he knows
what he's doing, and he always brings good out of evil. We don't
understand how he does it, but we trust him. We trust his character,
but he is in control of everything, everybody. He's in control of
every thought going through your mind right now. He's absolutely
sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions of men, and whatever
you do is his will being done. And somebody says, does that
mean I'm not responsible for my sin? No, it doesn't mean that.
You're responsible for your sin. But it's still always His will
being done. And if you're saved, it's because
He, as God, willed your salvation. It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth. It's not because of man's will
or worth or merit. He willed it. That's who He is. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
whoso believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Do
you believe that He is the Christ? Do you love His offices as prophet? He is the Word of God. He's God's
message to you. Oh, to have Him as my priest,
wherefore He's able to save them to the uttermost that come to
God by Him. seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them as their great high priest. Do you love
his priesthood? Do you love the fact that he's
king, that he can cause you to do his will? Oh, we love his
offices as prophet, priest, and king. The Son of God, God the
Son, Jesus Christ is God. Now here's my question. Is this
good news to you? Good. news? Or is it old news? We say, well, I already knew
that. Or does it come as good news? Now, if it does come as good
news, you want other people to hear the news. You want everybody
to hear the news. And this is what this passage
of scripture is about. This is what Paul's talking about.
Are you one that finds this good news? Well, if you are, he saved
you. He saved you. By grace, you are saved. And
if he has saved you, you want others to hear this message and
to be saved by his grace. Now, he saved you. Why didn't
he take you to heaven immediately? It'd be a lot better there than
it is here. I love what Paul said for me to live his cross
and to die as gain. That's the best thing for me. Why did the Lord leave you here
if he saved you? Well, I know this is one of the
reasons, perhaps the main reason, that you and I would be involved
like Paul was in this thing of seeking to gain the more. And that's what Paul says. Look
at his language. He says, for though I be free from all men,
yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the
more. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2 10,
I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain
the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Paul surrendered his liberties.
He made himself a servant to all men that he might gain the
more." Now, somebody says, how is that consistent with God electing
a people and nothing could be added to that number and nothing
could be taken from that number? How can Paul say, I want to gain
the more, although The number of God's elect can't be increased
and it can't be diminished. There is an exact number of names
written in the Lamb's Book of Life and that number can't be
added to or subtracted from. So what do you mean you want
to gain the more? Paul's will to persuade men to
believe Christ was not dampened by him believing that with all
his heart. He knew that God elected a people and only the elect will
be saved and he gloried in that. But did that make him indifferent
and fatalistic toward preaching the gospel to other people? Not
in any way. He said, I am willing to give
up all my liberties and become servant to everybody that I might
gain the more. Now this ought to be uppermost
in my mind and yours. It ought to be something that's
always on our mind. To preach the gospel to everyone
we come in contact with. To seek for everyone to hear
the gospel. Now the Lord said, follow me. and I will make you fishers of
men. That means if I'm following him,
I'm a fisher of men. And if I'm not a fisher of men,
I'm not following him. Proverbs 11 30 says, he that
winneth souls is wise. And that should be the chief
business of my life and yours. Now, I know that this term has
been butchered by soul winners, and they're actually soul murderers
if they don't preach the gospel. But the scripture still says,
he that winneth souls. That's what you're seeking to
do, bring people to a saving knowledge of Christ. No, you
can't save them, but you can preach the gospel to them. Paul
is saying, I am willing to forego all my liberties that I have
that I might preach the gospel. Now, what I'd like to do for
a moment is look at the end of each gospel. Turn to Matthew
chapter 28. I want to see what the closing thought is on all
four gospels. Verse 18, Matthew chapter 28.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth. I can't express how much I love
that verse of scripture. I want power. You don't have
any. He's a powerful man. No, he's
not. She's a powerful woman. No, she's not. All power. Christ said, is given to me,
all power, all authority, all omnipotence. So what does he
say to do? Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you. And lo, I'm with you always,
even unto the end of the world. Mark chapter 16. Verse 15, and he said unto them,
go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to who? Every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Turn to Luke 24. Verse 46, and said unto them, thus it's
written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day. Why was it, why did it behoove
him? That word means it was necessary
because God purposed it. Why was it necessary that he
be raised from the dead? Because he completely satisfied all the
demands of God's law. He glorified God. He saved everybody
he died for. It was necessary that he suffer
as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, bearing the sins
of his people. It's necessary that he rise from the dead. That
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations. beginning here at Jerusalem,
the place where he was murdered, the place where he was crucified.
This is where we're gonna begin. But this message is to go to
all nations. Turn to John chapter 21. I'm sorry, John chapter 20. Verse 19, that same day at evening,
when the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where
the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus
and stood in the midst and said unto them, peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed
them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord, then said Jesus to them, Again, peace
be unto you. As my father has sent me, even
so send I you. And when he had said this, he
breathed on them and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins you remit, they're
remitted unto them. And whosoever sins you retain,
they're retained. Now, does that mean that these
men had the power to say, you're not going to be forgiven. You
will. Your sins are remitted. But not
you. Of course it doesn't mean that.
He's talking about in the preaching of the gospel, anyone who finds
freedom in this message, their sins are remitted in hearing
the gospel. And anyone who finds no joy or
doesn't believe this message that you're bringing as you go
and I send you, their sins are retained. Now, turn to Romans
10 for a moment. I want us to see Paul's attitude
about this. Romans chapter 10. We'll get
back to 1 Corinthians 9 in just a moment, but I want you to see
Paul's attitude. Now, Romans 9 is the great chapter
on the sovereignty of God. I love Romans chapter 9, we read
from it this morning. Verse 11, for the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but
of him that calleth. Now that was the subject of this
glorious chapter, but look how it begins. I say the truth in Christ. I
lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart
for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for
my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Now he is saying, I would be willing to be cursed
if they would be saved. Now, I've never been able to
say that honestly, but I ought to. Look what he says in chapter
10, verse 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. That's my heart's desire and
that's my prayer to God. And that is to be our heart's
desire and prayer to God that those the Lord brings our way. We pray that they might be saved. Now go back to first Corinthians
nine. Verse 19. For though I be free from all
men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the
more. Now, he realizes he can't add
to the number of God's elect, but yet don't you love his attitude?
I'm doing this that I might gain the more. Now he says in verse
20, this is how far he took this, unto the Jews, I become as a
Jew, that I might gain the Jews. Now, I believe the best illustration
of what he's saying is Timothy. Timothy's dad was a Gentile. Now, if I was a Gentile, I wouldn't
want my son to be circumcised if I wasn't raised for that,
and Timothy wasn't circumcised. He was like a Gentile. He'd never
been circumcised. And everybody who would hear
him preach would know he's never been circumcised. And Paul knew
a Jew would have a hard time listening to somebody that never
been circumcised. They just would have a hard time with it. And
so he has Timothy as a grown man to go through circumcision. Would you do that? He has Timothy as a grown man
go through circumcision so that those people won't have that
prejudice against Timothy and they would be able to hear him
easier. And Timothy did it! That's love. But Timothy didn't
need to do that, but he did it anyway. because he knew these
people would be more likely to at least listen to him because
he'd been circumcised. Now I want you to think of that. What they were willing to do
so that men might hear the gospel. To the Jews, become I as a Jew,
that I might gain the Jews. Now what I come out with this
is how unlike Paul and Timothy I am. I would think, I don't
need to do this. There's no requirement for this.
They ought to be able to hear this without, they ought to be
able to listen to me even though I haven't been circumcised. I
wouldn't want to put myself through that. But look what Paul says
he was willing to do under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Now, this man, these men loved men this much that they would
forego their liberties and rights. Timothy had no need to be circumcised. So that those men would hear
the gospel. Don't you admire that? But if somebody would say, you
need to be circumcised to be saved. No way. You remember Titus, look
in Galatians chapter two. Galatians chapter two. Now there were some men who were
saying you need to be circumcised. Yes, salvation is by faith. Yes,
salvation is by grace, but you need to be circumcised. That'll
make you better. That'll make you closer to the
truth. I'm not even saying it saves
you, but you're better off. So how did Paul react to this? But neither Titus, who was with
me, being a Jew, was compelled to be circumcised by these Judaizers. They said, he needs to be circumcised.
And that because a false brother, an unawares brought in, who came
in privily to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus,
that thou might bring us under bondage, to whom we give place
by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel
might continue with you. Now here's another example. Here's
Titus. They say, Titus needs to be circumcised. to be saved. Paul says, no way
we won't subject ourselves to that for even a second, that
the truth of the gospel might remain with you. Now, with Timothy,
it was a thing indifferent. Well, not very indifferent. It
would have been very painful. I can't imagine him going through
that, but his reason is they'll listen to you. And Timothy was
willing to go through that. They're not going to be able
to listen to a guy that's never been circumcised. If it was me, I'd say, well,
then they're going to listen then, but not Timothy, not Paul. I mean, I appreciate,
esteem that attitude and I pray that the Lord would give me the
grace to have that attitude that I would surrender all my liberties
so that they might hear the gospel. But when it came to Titus, Well,
he needs to do that to be saved. No way. We didn't subject ourselves
to them even for an hour that the truth of the gospel might
continue with you. Now, what is the truth of the
gospel? It's that Jesus Christ is all in salvation. That's the
truth of the gospel. That all God requires of me,
all, A-double-L, all, he looks to his son for. He doesn't look
for a thing out of me. He looks everything to his son. Christ is all. He's all to God.
He's all my salvation. I'm not saved because Christ
and. I'm saved because of Christ alone. That's the gospel. You go on reading in this Galatians
chapter 2, Peter is fellowshipping with the Gentiles, eating pork
chops and fried chicken, having a good time with them, and all
of a sudden some Jews come over. And he gets nervous. He knows
they'll disapprove of this. So without saying a word, he
just gets up and walks over and sits down with the Jews away
from the Gentiles. Paul gets up and publicly reprimands
him for that. And he said, the truth of the
gospels is at stake. He said, this act is pure hypocrisy. And what was Peter saying when
he changed tables? Well, you're saved with the Gentiles,
but you're a little bit more saved. You're a little bit more
pleasing to God by being over here with the Jews and practicing
what they do. He was publicly rebuked for that,
but that gives you some idea of what Paul meant when he said
to the Jews, I become as a Jew. Now, in things indifferent, Paul says I'll be circumcised.
When people make it an issue of being saved, I refuse to do
it. Now that's what he meant, I become
all things to all men, I'll give up my rights, in order that men might hear
the truth of the gospel. We are to accommodate ourselves
to men in things indifferent, but never in a way that would
compromise the truth of the gospel. Timothy being circumcised didn't
compromise the truth of the gospel. If Titus would have been circumcised,
it would have compromised the truth of the gospel. Now, I want
to, by God's grace, I want to love men enough to surrender
my rights like Paul did. And I want men, love men enough
to have no compromise in the gospel as Paul did with Titus. Now that's what is meant by this. I become all things to all men.
Go back to first Corinthians nine. Under the Jews, I become as a
Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the law.
As under the law that I might gain them that are under. Now, what he's saying is, is
somebody that's raised up under the law, I know I don't, I can
eat pork if I want, I can eat fried chicken if I want, but
if I'm around them, I'm not going to let it become an issue. I'm
going to just keep my mouth shut about it and preach the gospel
to them and I'm not going to be eating pork or chicken in
front of them. I, to those that are without law, I become under
the law. I become as those that are under
the law. Verse 21 to them that are without
law as without law being not without law to God, but under
the law to Christ that I might gain them that are without the
law. I'm certainly going, not going
to try to push Judaism on Gentiles. They weren't grown up with it.
They don't care about it. That's gone anyway. I'm not going to
try to bring that on them. Verse 22, to the weak become
I as weak. I'm not going to say of the weak
brethren who have these scruples, well I don't care about their
scruples, they're wrong. I'm going to become as weak. I'm
going to not offend them even though they have these scruples.
And I'm going to be weak just like them in this sense. I'm
gonna preach the gospel of them as a sinner. to other sinners. And that's the only way the gospel
can be preached, as a sinner to other sinners, not trying
to bring them under the law. Oh, you're weak, you need to
get... No, I'm to preach the gospel as a sinner to other sinners. I love, I think it was Henry
Mahan's definition of preaching the gospel, it's one beggar telling
another beggar where he got bread. And to the weak, I'm not gonna
be making them feel inferior to
me, I'm going to be on their level. I am made all things to
all men that I might by all means save some. Now, Paul's not saying
he saved these people, you know that. Salvation's of the Lord, but
he shows how much he wanted them to be saved. And I think of what
Scott Richardson, a preacher that's been dead for many years
said, and I hope we'll all take this to heart. We're in the people
business. We want people to hear and believe
the gospel. And we are beginning right here. We don't have a good enough attitude
about this. I know I don't. I know none of us do. And by
God's grace, may we Ask the Lord to give us this heart for people,
to love them, to preach the gospel to them, to be willing to forego
what is all right in itself in order to keep from offending
them in preaching the gospel. Now he says in verse 23, this
I do for the gospel sake. The gospel is such a glorious
message, it deserves me giving my all in the proclamation of
it. And surrendering any rights that
I have, if it'll cause people, more people, to be able to hear
the gospel. Christ is glorified in the salvation
of sinners, so I want to see sinners saved for the glory of
Christ. So may you and I, By His grace,
I have this attitude. For though I be free from all
men, yet have I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the
more. Don't you want, here's the problem
with this. The problem is with me. I want
to think that I've been used to bring people to a knowledge
of the gospel. Don't think that way. Don't think
that way. That's the way we think, but
don't think that way. That's self-promotion is what
it is when it comes right down to it. I want to see how much
I've been used and how much God is blessing me. Don't think that
way. That's offensive to even think
in those terms. But I want to love men enough
to give up my rights in order to preach the gospel to them.
And I want to love them enough to never compromise the truth
of the gospel. Because if I do compromise the
truth of the gospel, no one will be saved by that message. Now,
this is so important. This I do for the gospel's sake. And I wanna close by just thinking
what the Lord said. Follow me and I will make you
fishers of men. We're all called upon to be fishers
of men. Lord, make us good fishermen
for the glory of thy name. Let's pray. Lord, when we see this in your
word, we realize that we come up so short in loving men
the way we ought to love them. denying ourselves that they might
hear the gospel. Lord, give us this spirit, Paul
had. And Lord, deliver us from ever
compromising the gospel. Let us give men the pure gospel
of your grace. the pure gospel of your son,
Jesus Christ, the Lord. And we ask that you would cause
us to have in our minds, in our hearts, the thought of being
fishers of men and seeing men brought to a saving knowledge
and union with thy son. Bless this message for Christ's
sake. Forgive anything that we would think or say that's wrong
Bless this message for Christ's sake, for the glory of His name.
In His name we pray, amen.