What is the gospel? What is the
gospel? And I plan to answer the question.
Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon, said one time, many people preach
about the gospel who do not preach the gospel. Many people talk
about the gospel who do not know the gospel. Everything's on the
line here. what is the gospel. Everything's
on the line in this message because Paul said there's just one gospel. He said if any man preach any
other gospel, let him be accursed. So I'm declaring whether I'm
blessed or cursed. If I know the gospel, if I preach
the gospel, I have nothing in which to glory. Necessity is
laid upon me. Woe is unto me if I preach not
the gospel. But if I preach the gospel, I'm
blessed. If you hear it, believe it, rejoice
in it, understand it, you're blessed. But if I don't define
his gospel, I'm under the judgment of God. So what is the gospel? But let's look quickly at Romans
1. And Paul acquaints us with some important things about the
gospel. Notice I said about the gospel.
Verse 1, he said, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be
an apostle separated unto the gospel of God. It's God's gospel. But that doesn't tell me what
it is. It's God's gospel. originated with him. He planned
it, purposed it, executed it, applies it, sustains it. He's
the author thereof. But that doesn't tell me what
it is. I know it's God's gospel. And then the second verse tells
me it's the ancient gospel. It's the gospel of the Old Testament
Scripture. It's the gospel which he promised afore by his prophets
in the Holy Scriptures. It's Moses' gospel, too, and
Abraham's gospel, and Isaiah's That doesn't tell me what it
is. And then verse 16, he says, I'm
not ashamed of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of it. I'll preach
it. But that doesn't tell me what it is. And he said, it's
the power of God unto salvation. That still doesn't tell me what
it is. It tells me what it'll do. Isn't that right? It's the power of God unto salvation.
But that doesn't tell me what it is. And I'll tell you, in
verse 17, it says, Therein, in that gospel, is the righteousness
of God revealed. It reveals the righteousness
of God, from one degree of faith to another. We still don't know what it is. I know whose it is. God's. I know who preached it. Everybody
who's ever been a servant of God preached it. I know it has
the power to save sinners. And I know in that gospel, if
properly understood, a man knows the righteousness of God. But
what is the gospel? Verse 3. It's concerning his son. That's
what the gospel is. It's concerning his son. Paul
said in verse 1, a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an
apostle separated to the gospel of God, the gospel which he promised
concerning his son. The gospel concerns Jesus Christ,
the one who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
who was declared, manifested, determined to be the Son of God
with power by the Spirit of holiness and the resurrection of the dead.
The gospel of God, the gospel which is the power of God to
salvation, the gospel wherein the righteousness of God is revealed,
is concerning his Son. He, the Scripture says, is the
author and finisher of it. He is the subject of it. He is
the messenger of it. And if we preach the gospel,
we preach Christ, because Christ is the gospel. If you'll turn
over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, this is what Paul says here
in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 22. 1 Corinthians 1, 22,
the Jew requires a sign, the Greek seeks out the wisdom. But
we preach Christ. We preach Christ. Christ is the
gospel. Christ crucified under the Jewish
stumbling block, under the great foolishness. On the same page,
chapter 2, verse 1 and 2, and he said, Brethren, when I came
to you, I didn't come with fine words, beautiful oratory, excellence
of speech, or wisdom declaring unto you the gospel of God, the
testimony is the gospel of God. For I determine not to know anything
among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." He's the gospel. The gospel is concerning His
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus it concerns us to be finding
out What God says concerning him, him, him. One other verse, one other scripture
I want you to turn to before I make additional comments is
Isaiah 53. And one fellow said to an old-timer,
what is your creed? He said, my creed is Isaiah 53. The gospel is Isaiah 53. And if you'll note in Isaiah
53, these personal pronouns, now note this, and I wish you'd
take a pen and underscore each one. He, him, and his. I'm saying the gospel is concerning
him. Him. Verse 1, Isaiah 53, who
hath believed our report? To whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? For he, underscore these, personal pronouns. He
shall grow up before Him, before the Father as a tender plant,
as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. When we shall see Him, there's
no beauty we should desire Him. Underscore these. It'll be a
blessing to you. Watch. He is despised and rejected of
men. A man of sorrow is acquainted
with greed. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He is despised,
and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem Him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. But He, Christ, was wounded for
our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes were healed. All we like sheep
have gone astray. We've turned every one to his
own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed. He was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, as a sheep before her shearers is done. So he opened
not his mouth. He was taken from prison, from
judgment. Who should declare his generation? He was cut off out of the land
of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. He made his grave with the wicked,
with the rich, and his death, because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise him. He hath put him God has put Christ
to grief. When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong
his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his
hand. He shall see of the travail of
his soul and be satisfied, and by his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
that I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors. He bare the sin of many and made
intercession for the transgressors." You see what I'm saying, what
Paul is saying? The gospel is concerning him.
It's concerning him. If we preach Christ, we preach
the gospel. If we preach the gospel, we preach Christ. I'm
going to give you, I hate to use this number nine, that sounds
like a lot, but I'll try to be prudent and understanding of
The mind won't absorb what the body can't endure. But I do know
these things are so very fundamental and important. If the gospel
is concerning him, and it is, then it ought to concern me greatly
to find out what God says concerning me. And I'll tell you this, this
gathering this morning will be accounted for by everybody who
hears this message, what is the gospel. No one can plead any
ignorance after this message. First of all, the gospel concerns
his deity. It concerns his deity. No matter how high one places
Jesus of Nazareth, no matter how high you, and he, he asks
his disciples, what are they saying out there? Some say you're
Elijah, some say you're John the Baptist, some say you're
one of the prophets, some say all these great things about
you, but no matter how high you exalt and magnify Jesus Christ
until you call him God, you don't know him. Until you call him
God. See, that's what Thomas did.
He fell at his feet and said, my Lord, My God, this gospel concerns
His deity. Turn to John 10. This was the
problem that these Jews had with Him. In John chapter 10, beginning
with verse 27, John 10, 27, our Lord said, Hear my voice, I know them, they
follow me, I give them eternal life, and they'll never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I am my Father, one. I am God. He that has seen me has seen
God. I am my Father, one. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. And Jesus answered them, Now
many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which
of these works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying,
For good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because that
thou, being a man, make yourself God. Now they worded that backwards. They said, thou being a man,
make yourself God. He being God made himself a man. Got it backwards, fellas. He
is God. He's declared to be God. He made
a man. But they knew what he was saying
and they knew what they meant. So I'm saying that the gospel
concerns his deity. These preachers may run around
talking about Jesus as a great prophet and a great leader and
a great this example and a great that and a great the other, until
you call him my Lord and my God, you don't know him. Isaiah said
unto us, a child is born unto us, a son is given, and the government
is on his shoulders, and his name is called Wonderful, Counselor,
and Mighty God. the everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. And of his kingdom, there's no
end either way. Secondly, the gospel concerns
his eternality. Now everyone knows, turn to Exodus
3, everyone knows that the deliverance of Israel
out of Egypt is a picture of our deliverance out of sin into
glory. Everybody knows that. The Passover.
The Passover was set by God, ordained of God, to picture Christ. Christ, our Passover. Israel
was in Egypt. And their deliverance out of
Egypt into Canaan is a picture, a type of our deliverance out
of sin, bondage, slavery. death into heaven. Everybody
knows that. He gave us the power. So now
here's the question. Who delivered them? Who delivered them by His
mighty hand out of Egypt into Canaan? Exodus 3, verse 13, And
Moses said to God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel,
and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has sent
me unto you, and they shall say to me, What is his name? What is his name? What shall
I say to them?" And God said to Moses, I am. I am that I am. Thus shalt thou say unto the
children of Israel, I am sent you. who delivered us out of sin and
bonded in the glory. The same I am. Turn to John 8
and listen to the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. John
chapter 8, verse 56. John 8, verse 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. He saw it and was glad. Then
said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old.
Hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, Truly, truly,
I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am." Same voice, same
God. I am. And back in verse 24 in
that same chapter, and this is a strong statement here, John
8 verse 24, I said therefore unto you that you'll die in your
sins if you believe not that I am. That says, brother man,
I am he. That's right, the he's in italics
too. The he's supplied by the translators. transgressors, translators. I am. If you don't believe that
I am, you die and you sin. So the gospel is concerning I
am. God, eternal God. All right. Thirdly, the gospel concerns the covenant
that God the Father made with the Son. in giving him a people
to redeem. I hear people say, well, election
is not essential to preaching the gospel. It is, too. Yes,
it is. The sure mercies of the covenant
of David are essential to the gospel. That's right. The word covenant
occurs in this Bible over 300 times. And we know something about God's
covenant with Noah. God made a covenant with Noah.
Kept his word too, didn't he? He said, Noah, I'm going to destroy
the whole world. You and your family will be preserved.
He kept his word. God made a covenant with Abraham.
Get out of your father's house, go to land, I'll show thee and
I'll make of thee a great nation. Kept his word. God made a covenant
with Moses. He brought the people out of
Egypt. Kept his word. God made a covenant with David.
He said, David, your throne is forever. Forever. Your son, your seed will sit
on your throne forever. That's the son of David, the
seed, the Messiah. And he reigned. Our Lord made
a covenant with Christ. Hebrews 8, turn to Hebrews 8.
Hebrews chapter 8. He made a covenant with Christ
involving us on our behalf. In Hebrews 8 verse 6. But now, Hebrews 8 verse 6, hath
he obtained A more excellent ministry, that's Christ, that's
He again. Now how much also He's the mediator
of a better covenant, established upon better promises, better
sacrifices. Look back at chapter 7, verse
22. By so much was Jesus made a surety
of a better covenant, back yonder before the world began. God made
Christ our Lamb slain. He made Christ our guarantor,
surety. He made a covenant with his Son
in which he gave him a people as the stars of the sky and the
sands of the seashore out of every tribe, kindred, nation,
and tongue unto heaven to be redeemed by Christ, to be justified,
sanctified, forgiven, and brought to glory. And Christ said, all
that my Father giveth me, they'll come to me. And him that cometh
out in no wise cast out. I came down from heaven not to
do my will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the
will of him who sent me, that of all which ye have given me,
I'll lose nothing but raise it up at the last day. I pray not
for the world. I pray for them which thou hast
given me. for they are thine, and all mine are thine, and I
have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me,
and I have kept them, and none of them shall perish." That's
a covenant. In Hebrews 13, over just a few
pages, and that covenant is called an everlasting covenant. The covenant with Noah was not
an everlasting covenant. The covenant with Moses wasn't
an everlasting covenant. The covenant with Christ is,
it says here in Hebrews 13 verse 20, Now the God of peace that
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect. in every good work to do his
will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever." You
can't preach the gospel if you don't preach covenant mercies
in Christ. That's right. The Lord is not, did not just make an effort. to gather a people. He sent Christ to gather a people
he'd already given to him for whom he died. All right, fourthly, the gospel
concerns the Old Testament prophecies and promises and pictures of
Christ. Don't try to preach the gospel
without preaching the Old Testament. You can't do it. It cannot be done. Why, I put
you, because Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture.
You see that? He died for our sins according
to the Scripture. He was buried and rose again
according to the Scripture. The way the Messiah is identified,
the way that the Christ is known, is by what is written before
about him. The seed of woman, the priest
after the order of Melchizedek, the Passover lamb slain, the
brazen serpent lifted up, the high priest, the mercy seat,
the atonement. All of these things in the Old
Testament identify who he is and what he came to do. Let Christ
appear, and every picture, every type, every promise in the Old
Testament comes alive. But take away Christ. And all
of these writings back here from Genesis to Malachi are meaningless,
meaningless. They're darkness, they're hopeless. When you watch Abel sacrifice
the blood, God accept him. And his brother over here, his
altar looks the same as Abel's. His woods, the same type of wood
as a fire in a fire. There's a man who came to worship
and a man who came to worship. This one was denied, damned. This one was accepted. What's
the difference? The blood, the sacrifice, the
lamb on the cross. And that's the difference today
in men who are going about the form of religion without blood,
without a lamb, without a sacrifice. The Passover, what means this
Passover? The blood on the door, what?
Without Christ, that's meaningless. Superstition, heathenism is what
that is, without Christ. That Old Testament priest going
into the Holy of Holies with the incense, smoke coming from
that incense. What in the world is he doing,
just clouding up the place? No, sir, that's the prayers of
Christ, intercession of Christ. Blood in a basin sprinkled on
a gold mercy seat, and under it tables of stone saying, not
do this, and thou shalt not do that, and thou shalt do this."
What on earth is this all about? This man in this garb with names
on his breastplate, names in his hands, and holding this to
the Lord on his head, coming into this place with smoke, sprinkling
blood on a box. It's meaningless without Christ. He's our high priest. He comes
as our mercy seed, our propitiation. And His blood cleanses us from
all sin, because the wages of sin is death. The soul that sinned,
it must die. Sin, when it's finished, brings
forth death. And I've given you the blood
upon the altar to make an atonement for your soul. It's the blood
that makes atonement for the soul. But you don't know that unless
you preach the Old Testament. Who is this rock smitten? Who
is this serpent lifted up? Who is this city of refuge? Christ. He died for our sins according
to the scripture. Fifthly, the gospel concerns
His incarnation. Go back to Genesis 3, and I tell
you, this pastor and these elders Brethren, if we didn't have the
Old Testament, we'd just stay home, wouldn't we? I wouldn't
have anything. I couldn't prove anything. Search
the Scriptures. There they which testify of me.
Genesis 3, when Adam fell, Adam and Eve, stood there in nakedness,
stood there in fear, stood there under condemnation, stood there
dead in trespasses and sin. Stood there without help, without
hope, without God, about to be cast out forever. What does God
say? Verse 15, I will put enmity between
thee and the woman, he said to the serpent, to Satan. Between
thy seed and her seed, the woman's seed. The woman's seed, not the
man's seed, the woman's seed, her seed. And it, he, shall bruise
your head, and you shall bruise his. There's that his again,
his heel. What I'm going to do to correct
this whole situation is send him, a woman's seed into this
world. In that time of darkness, God
says there's a ray of light. It's a hymn. In that death, there's life in
Him. In that hopeless situation, there's
hope. But it's in that one I'm going
to sin. So look at Luke. Luke 1. Luke chapter 1. Oh boy, this is good news here. Luke 1. Luke chapter 1. Verse 26. Luke 1, 26. In the sixth month, the angel
Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth
to a virgin, engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the
house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary,
and the angel came in and said, Thou that art highly favored,
the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.
When she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said
to her, Fear not, Mary. Thou hast found favor with God.
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a
son who shall call his name Jesus, Savior. He shall be great. He
shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there'll be
no end." And then Mary said to the angel, how can this be? I know not a man. And the angel
answered and said, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called Son of God,
born of thee, not a man, woman, see, Son of God. He said, A body thou hast prepared
me. Being partakers of flesh and
blood, it was necessary that the captain of their salvation
also partake of flesh and blood. He came that we might have life
and have it more abundantly. He came to seek and to save his
lost sheep. He came into the world to save
sinners of whom I'm the chief. He came to suffer the just for
the unjust to bring us to God. He came to declare the righteousness
of God that he may be just and justify her. He came to defeat
Satan and destroy death. He came to accomplish that everlasting
covenant in which David took great comfort when he came to
die. He said, God has made with me
an everlasting covenant. Six, the gospel concerns his
perfect life. Dr. Romans 1, his perfect life. Romans 1 verse 17, talking about
the gospel, says therein is the righteousness of God revealed
in that gospel. How did God accomplish this righteousness? Through the perfect life of Christ.
Romans chapter 3, let's look at that just a moment. Romans chapter 3, it tells in
chapter 3 the condition that we're in by birth, by nature,
by choice. None good, no not one, none righteous,
none that seek God. Let's start with verse 19, Romans
3. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty
before God, subject to the judgment of God. Therefore by the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight,
for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The righteousness of God without
the law, without my perfect obedience, not without obedience because
Christ obeyed it. He was made of a woman, made
under the law to redeem them that were born under the law.
By His perfect obedience, tempted in all points as we are yet without
sin, He worked out for us a righteousness. But the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, verse 22. It's even the righteousness of
God, which is by the faithfulness, by the obedience, by the submission,
by the faith of Jesus Christ. And it's unto all and upon all
them that believe, for there's no difference But we all have
sinned and come short of this glory of God, of being freely
justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God set forth to be our mercy seat. Seventh, the
Gospels concerning his death. His incarnation, his perfect
life, and his death. The death of our Lord Jesus Christ
on Calvary's cross is so essential to his redemptive work that the
preaching of the gospel is called the preaching of the cross. You know, we say we preach the gospel.
Well, if we do, we'll preach the cross because Paul summed
up his whole ministry of preaching to this statement, preaching
the cross. Look at 1 Corinthians in chapter
1, preaching the cross. In 1 Corinthians 1, 17, 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.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.
And to us who are saved, it's the power of God. Preaching of
what? The cross. All of the redemptive work of
Christ from first to last is summed up in the preaching of
the cross. Without the cross, there's no gospel. The death
of our Lord Jesus on the cross is so vital to justification
that Paul said, my glory is the cross. God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross. Oh, I glory in His deity. I glory
in His eternality. I glory in His covenant. I glory
in His incarnation. I glory in His righteousness.
But all of it summed up in His death. The cross. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross. Now watch this. The death of
our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is said to be the way we
will reconcile to God. That's the way we will reconcile
to God. That's the way that we have peace.
Now let me show you that in Colossians 1. Colossians chapter 1. My only regret is I do not preach
the cross and the blood and the death of Christ more. You think you can over-preach
the cross and the death of Christ and the blood of the Son of God?
No, sir. Any more than you can give Christ too much glory. Because
Paul said here in Colossians 1, listen to verse 19. It pleased the Father that in Him
should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the
blood of His cross. Having made peace through the
blood of His cross. by Him to reconcile all things
to Himself. I say, by Him, I say whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven. And you that were
at one time alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked works,
hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death to
present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in His sight. I don't wear a cross. I don't
have one dangling from my Bible. We don't have any on the church
building, on purpose, because our glory is not in the tree,
it's in Him who died on the tree. Our glory is not in a symbol.
If you have Him, you don't need a symbol. Our glory is in Him. God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross, not in that instrument
of death. but in Him who died there." The
cross sums up all of His redemptive work. That's right. Alas, and
did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would
He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? The Lamb is
His name. The Lamb slain is His name. The
Lamb slain in the midst of the throne is His name. The Lamb
slain in the midst of the throne and exalted is His name. It's the blood that maketh atonement. Don't get too modern. I mean, it's fine to use... I like modern telephones more
than I do those kind we used to ring, you know, and hold up
to your ear and four or five people on the same party line.
I like the new ones. I like the new cars where you
just push a button and the door opens. And you drive down the highway
and you don't have to stop and fix a flat every 10 miles. You
don't have to stop and put water in that old Model T. Model T
place? Yes sir, Model T. Back, Henry
Ford and I were schoolmates. I mean, I know about these. I
love new things. Don't love a new gospel. I don't love a new gospel. I
don't want anything new of the gospel. I want the old blood,
the old past, the old gospel, first century, eternity past
gospel of the blood of the Son of God. Don't take the blood out of the
message. You take the heart out of the message and you take the
life out of the message. It's the blood that makes the
atonement for the soul. And eighth place, the gospel
concerns his resurrection. Paul said, if he be not risen
with false witnesses of God, if he be not risen, your faith
is vain. If he be not risen, there is
no resurrection. If he be not risen, all who have
fallen asleep in Christ will perish. But he is risen. And God said by his resurrection
that what he did was accepted. Not acceptable, accepted. We're not acceptable in the beloved. You preached on that one time,
John. We're not accept, we're accepted. And there's a difference. There's a difference. When God
raised him, God said he's accepted and everybody in him is accepted.
And then in the ninth place, this is the last one. The gospel
concerns his exaltation. Where is he? At the right hand
of God. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with God, Jesus Christ the righteous. And this was Paul's
comfort. If you return to Romans 8, this
was Paul's comfort. In Romans 8, verse 31, What shall we say to these things?
Covenant mercies, elect in grace, effectual redemption, call of
the Spirit. What shall we say to these things?
Well, if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared
not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall
He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies
it. Now watch this. Who can condemn us? Christ that
died, yea, rather is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who makes intercession for us. What is the gospel, Brother
Mahan? It's concerning His Son, His person, His word. We're going
to talk about it, Lord willing, again tonight. That name, our
Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless. Our Father bless
the Word. This is so important. I know
it. The apostles proclaimed it. The reformers died for it. So
many today departed from it. But this is your gospel. This
is the gospel which is your power to salvation wherein only In
it is the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ revealed. Thank
you for teaching us the gospel, revealing to us the gospel, bringing
us to love your gospel concerning your son. I pray this morning
you take this message and make everybody here to understand
it and rejoice in him, not in a doctrine, in him. Love him,
believe him, worship him, trust him. Rest in Him. Look to Him.