Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I'm reading from Mark chapter
1, verses 1 through 3, and I've entitled this message, The Message
of Evangelism. When a true evangelist preaches,
what is it that he preaches? Now, I realize a lot of people
claim to be evangelists and interested in evangelism, but if they're
God-called evangelists, this is the message that they will
bring. Now, in verse 1 of Mark chapter
1, we read the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God. That is the gospel. Now let's go on reading. As it's
written in the prophets, he's talking about the Old Testament
prophets, and our only appeal is it is written. Let me remind
you that the gospel is how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures, according to the Old Testament scriptures. as it's written in the Prophets,
and he quotes two passages of Scripture from the Old Testament.
First, Malachi chapter 3, verse 1, And then he quotes Isaiah
chapter 40, verse 3, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight." Now, this passage from Isaiah chapter 40 is quoted
by Peter. Let me read you what Peter says
in 1 Peter chapter 1. Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. Four, all flesh, this is the
continuation of the quotation from Isaiah 40, we're gonna look
at it in a moment. All flesh is as grass, and all
the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
and the flower thereof falleth away, But the word of the Lord
endureth forever. And this is the word, this is
Peter's comment on this, and this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you. When you hear the message of
evangelism, when you hear the message of the gospel, this is
what you will hear. Now, that is how important the
content of this message is. What is the message of evangelism? Now, I love the way, after Mark
makes this introductory statement, he says, as it's written, as
it's written, this is my only appeal to you, is what I'm saying
according to that which is written. The Bible is God's infallible
Word, and we don't go to the Bible to try to prove what we
believe. I know a lot of people use it
that way, but we go to the Bible to find out what to believe. This is God's revelation of Himself. Now, if someone says, well, I
have a hard time believing that the Bible is all inspired, I
mean, men made copies and copies and copies, and who's to say
what men put in and what God has put in? Well, God created
the world. That means He's all-powerful.
He created something from nothing. And if He has the power to create
the world, He's got the power to inspire a book and keep it
without error. And this is really all we have.
If we don't have the Bible as being the inspired Word of God,
we have human reason. We have my thoughts and your
thoughts, which really amount to nothing. It is written. That is my only appeal. Now, he first quotes a passage
of Scripture from Malachi 3, verse 1. This is what the second
verse of Mark 1 says in the message of the evangelist, Behold, I
will send my messenger. This is God speaking. and this
is talking about John the Baptist. I will send my messenger and
he shall prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek
shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
in whom you delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith
the Lord of hosts." Now, as I said, this is a reference to John the
Baptist's coming to announce the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This was his testimony. Behold
the Lamb of God. which taketh away the sin of
the world. He says, the Lord whom you seek
shall suddenly come into his temple. Now that's not talking
about a temple made of brick and stone and wood. Remember
when the Lord said, destroy this temple, and in three days, I'll
raise it up in John chapter two. When it's talking about him coming
into his temple, it's talking about his incarnation. The word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. And the scripture says he
came as a messenger of the covenant. covenant of grace that God made
with Christ. David spoke of this covenant
like this, although my house be not so with God. Now his family was a mess, and
I think he was also talking about this house, this sinful body
that he was housed in. Although my house be not so with
God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant. A covenant that knows nothing
of time. It was made before time and it'll
last until there is no more time and we're back into eternity.
The Lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered
in all things, and sure, and this is all my salvation and
all my desire, though he make it not to grow." Now, these are
David's dying words, and he speaks of that covenant that God made
with Christ and everyone in Christ. It's eternal. It's talking about
election, God choosing who would be saved before time began. It's
ordered in all things insure because of the death of Christ.
The death of Christ makes it sure and certain. And he says,
this is all my salvation and all my desire. All my salvation
is found in this covenant and it's all I desire, though he
makes it not to grow. Christ Jesus is the messenger
of the covenant. And then in Mark chapter one,
he quotes this from Isaiah chapter 40. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness, this is again talking about John the Baptist.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye
the way of the Lord and make straight in the desert a highway
for our God. Now we're going to spend the
rest of our time in Isaiah chapter 40. Mark 1 3 is a quotation from
Isaiah chapter 40. And somebody once said the scripture
All Scripture is important, and all Scripture is necessary, but
in every mountain range there are peaks that rise higher than
other peaks, and Isaiah chapter 40 is one of those peaks that just
seem to rise higher. This is quoted so often in the
New Testament. It's such an important chapter. Now, this chapter begins with
these words, God telling his preacher what to preach. He says, comfort ye, comfort
ye my people, saith your God. Now, His people are His elect. Not everybody is His people.
On the very opening page of the New Testament, we read how that,
Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people,
not everybody, His people from their sins. Now, somebody may
think, why do you always make an issue of that? And I do always
make an issue of that, and I make no apology for it. I want us
to see that everybody Christ died for must be saved. Everybody
God elected must be saved. Everybody God the Holy Spirit
gives life to must be saved. Salvation is not God offering
to do something for you if you take the right step. Salvation
is of the Lord. And that's why I make an issue
of that, and the scripture makes an issue of that, and I know
many preachers don't make an issue of that, but that is because
they're not really preaching the gospel of God. They're not
preaching the gospel of the scriptures. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. saith your God. Now only his people will be comforted
by this message, and all other people will not find this message
comforting. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Now comfort is good news in the
midst of bad news. It is being consoled and comforted
in spite of something that is not consoling and comforting. You know, when I preach to God's
people, I'm preaching to people who still are sinners, and that's
not comforting, and who may have great trials in their life. That's not comforting. And God's
people need to be comforted, and all true preaching is comforting. If it's not comforting, it didn't
come from God. Even rebuke is comforting, because
it's the gospel, and the gospel in its very essence is comforting. Look what he says in verse 2,
and you'll see why I say that, "...speak ye comfortably, or
to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare
is accomplished, and her iniquity is pardoned, and that she hath
received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Now, in the
midst of anything That is comforting. Going through a battle, the battle's
already been won. Are you troubled over your sins?
They've all been forgiven. You've received of the Lord's
hand double for all your sins. Now, preaching that leaves you
looking to yourself is not the preaching that God commands.
He says, comfort ye, comfort ye my people. And then he says
in verse two, speak ye comfortably. to Jerusalem, and what that means
is, speak to their heart. And that word comfortably is
in the Old Testament 593 times and 508 times it's translated,
the heart. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Now, I have no doubt that this
is a reference to the new heart. that God gives. Not the old heart. The old heart, the one you were
born with, doesn't respond to the gospel. This is the new heart
that God gives. A new heart will I give you,
he said in Ezekiel 36. Now I've heard people say, preach
to my heart and not to my head. And I've heard people say that
in a good way, I think. And I've heard people say that
in a bad way. And I'm not so sure that it's
a good statement in the first place, but the heart is the whole
man. It's the understanding, it's
the will, and it's the affections. Now the preaching that I hear
going on in our day can pretty much be summarized by only dealing
with one aspect. The man who believes in free
will, which would cover most preachers, they try to put pressure
on the will. And then there's what they call
reform doctrine. And my thinking is, why call
it reform if it's the truth? It never needed to be reformed
in the first place, but they still call it reform doctrine.
And that addresses the intellect. And then you have what is known
as charismatic preaching, where they speak in tongues and they
heal and they have all these feelings. They say, we're praying
in tongues and our understanding is not edified, but our spirit
is. It's all about feeling. That's all it is, feeling, how
you feel, how it makes you feel. But the gospel, is directed to
that new heart with the heart man believeth under righteousness.
In my understanding, I understand that the righteousness of Jesus
Christ is the only righteousness there is. I love this too. My affections, this is the way
I want it to be. I don't want to be saved any
other way. And my will, if I'm given my choice, this is the
way I want to be saved. By the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem. And here's the message of comfort.
Tell her her warfare is accomplished. Now every believer has a warfare. going on in their heart. An unbeliever
doesn't really understand this, but a believer does, because
a believer's been given a new nature. And Paul described it
like this in Galatians 5.17, the flesh lusts against the spirit,
and the spirit lusts against the flesh. And these are contrary
one to another. They're at odds with one another,
so that you cannot do the things that you would. Paul said in
Romans 7.23, I see another law in my members, bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin that is in my members." Now, every
believer has a struggle going on, but listen to this, your
warfare is accomplished. The victory has already been
won. It was won before time began
when Christ agreed to be your surety. It was won on the cross
when Christ said, it is finished, warfare over. And this is comforting. That struggle that I feel, well,
the battle's already been finished. When Christ said, it is finished,
victory accomplished for every believer. And then he says, you
tell her that her iniquity is pardoned. Not it will be if,
fill in the blank, it is pardoned. Now, does the full, complete,
eternal forgiveness of sins come for you? I mean, salvation doesn't
end with the forgiveness of sins where you do this, this, and
this. No, it begins with the full, complete forgiveness of
sins. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. Not only is she forgiven,
she's justified. Not only is she delivered from
hell, she's given heaven. Not only is she not getting what
she deserves, she's getting what she doesn't deserve, all the
blessings of grace in Christ. Now, here's the quotation from
Mark 1 in verse 3, the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God so that everybody can see. In verse 4, every valley
shall be exalted, and every mountain shall be made low." Every low
place, every sinner, every sinner is going to be exalted because
of the gospel. And every proud person, the mountains,
the high place, they're going to be made low. You remember
the self-congratulating Pharisee and the publican, one saying,
God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are, and the other
saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Christ said, I say
unto you, this man, this sinner, went down to his house justified,
rather than the other. For everyone that exalts himself
is going to be abased. And he that humbles himself shall
be exalted. And he says, the crooked shall
be made straight, and the rough places plain. Now, crooked means
deceitful. And every natural man is deceitful,
but when God does something for a man, he's made to be honest
before God. And you know what that honesty
is? I'm nothing but sin. That's the only honest thing
you could say. I'm nothing but sin. I need your grace. I need
you to do something for me, because I can't do anything for myself.
That's what honesty before God is, not trying to pretend to
be what you're not. The crooked shall be made straight,
just right, and the rough places shall be made plain. The entangled
places of bondage will be made plain and smooth, and the glory
of the Lord, verse 5, shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Now
listen real carefully. This is what Peter quotes in
1 Peter as being what is preached when the gospel is preached.
The voice said, cry, and I said, what shall I cry? Well, here's
what to cry. All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. Every aspect of fallen human
nature is sinful and fading away. Nothing more than grass. We all
do fate as the leaf, the prophet said, and our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. The heart is desperately wicked,
deceitful above all things. Who can know it? That's what
is said about my flesh and your flesh. God saw the wickedness
of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. There's none righteous, no, not
one. There's none that understands. There's none that seeks after
God. They've all together gone out of the way. They've together
become an unprofitable. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one. David said, surely men of low
degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie. And to
be laid in the balances, they're all together lighter than vanity. The world calls some great, some
low. They're both altogether, lighter
than vanity. Now, is anybody thinking, what's
comforting about this? To say all flesh is grass and
to say these horrible things about the flesh. Well, if you
believe this is true concerning yourself, it's gonna do something
for you. It's gonna cause you to call
upon the name of the Lord. You're going to see that there
is no salvation in you. Oh, what a blessed revelation
that is when you can see that you are nothing, you can do nothing,
and that your only hope is what He does for you. But when you're
made to see that, you're going to call on the name of the Lord,
and you're going to look for salvation in what He did, rather
than what you do, because you see you can do nothing. You see,
He came to save sinners. Evil people. People who all they
do is sin. People who cannot not sin. People
who their sin's all their fault. People who can't sit in judgment
on anybody about anything. People that have no claims on
God. They can't say, God, I did this, now you gotta do that.
No, they are sinners. Nothing but grass. Now only when this is you, can
you trust Christ, because you don't have anything else to trust.
The voice said, cry. What shall I cry? What is the
message of evangelism? All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof. As the flower of the field, the
grass withers. The flower fadeth, because the
Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. If God ever blows upon you
by His Spirit, you will wither in your thoughts of self-salvation.
Surely the people is grass, the grass withers, the flower fadeth,
but the Word of our God shall stand forever." Now, who is the
Word of our God? Well, Christ is called the Word
of God. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God. Only He and those in Him will
stand in judgment. When your name is called, if
you're in Him, you're justified. You're perfect in God's sight.
You have no guilt. You've always done that which
is right and you've never done anything wrong. That's what justification
means. You're not treated as if you'd
never done anything wrong and had always done anything right.
What justification says is you have always done that which is
right and never done anything wrong. Somebody says, how could
that be? I know I've done many things wrong. Well, if you're
a believer, Christ bore your sins and Christ put them away. and Christ gave you perfect righteousness,
and you stand before God as one who has never committed sin. That's what justification is.
All that will stand before God in judgment is Christ. He's the
only one who ever pleased God and everybody in Him. I'd like to read a passage of
Scripture from 2 Corinthians 5, verse 10, for we must all
appear everybody. We must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things
done in his body, according that he hath done, whether it be good
or bad, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade
men. Now, this verse is used to teach
differing rewards in heaven, how you'll be rewarded if you've
done good things, and you're going to suffer loss if you've
done bad things. And it says we're going to receive
the things done in our body, whether good or bad. Now, That's just not what that first
scripture is teaching. And somebody that uses it for
that proves they don't really have any understanding of the
gospel. And they've never understood what grace means, what justification
means, what Christ actually accomplished on the cross. It's trying to
put works in salvation. Now, I'm going to receive what
I've done in this body, and it's all good. It's all good, because
before God, I have never done anything wrong. And if I've done
evil in this body, I'm going to be condemned. This isn't about
rewards in heaven. This is about salvation and damnation. If you're saved, all you've done
is good. If you have evil things done
in your body, you'll be damned. And that's why he says, knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Only the Word of God will stand
forever. Only Christ will stand in judgment
and those in Him, and that's so comforting. That's so comforting. This is comforting to God's people. It may be confusing to those
who are not God's people, but it's comforting to those who
hear the gospel as gospel. O Zion, that bringest good tidings,
get thee up into the high mat. O Jerusalem, that bringest good
tidings, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not
afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold your God. You, the thief, had it right
when he said, Don't you fear God. He knew that that one hanging
on the cross was nobody less than God manifest in the flesh,
who never had sinned, who was the Lord of all, who was gonna
come back as a mighty reigning victor. Behold your God. Now if you behold Christ on the
cross, you behold all that God is. Every attribute of God is
manifest in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the
message of evangelism. It's the message of the cross. That was God manifest in the
flesh on the cross, and He did exactly what He came to do, to
save His people from their sins. This And nothing less than this
is the message of evangelism. Now we have this message on DVD
and CD. If you call the church right
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Diver praying that
God will be pleased to make himself known to you. That's our prayer,
amen. To request a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send
your request to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
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