A Gospel or the Gospel?

Our message today will be taken
from the book of Galatians, the first chapter. I'm going to read
two verses. Now, I'm speaking to you on the
subject, a gospel or the gospel. Now, this is an important message
and I hope you will sit down and listen to the entire message
and follow in the scripture, if you will. I'm reading from
Galatians 1, verse 8 and 9. Now, listen to Paul. writing
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Though we are an
angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached, let him be accursed. As we said before,
so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto
you than that you have received, let him be accursed." Now, these
are strong words. They couldn't be any plainer.
And I'll be honest with you, if these words were not inspired,
if they were not in the Word of God, if they were not God-breathed,
they wouldn't disturb me. But since they are God-breathed,
since I read them in the infallible, inerrant, verbally inspired Word
of God, they trouble me. They concern me greatly. You
listen to it. If any man preach any other gospel
than that which we have preached, let him be accursed." Now, Paul
speaks that way in 1 Corinthians 9.16. He says, Woe is unto me
if I preach not the gospel. Not a gospel, the gospel. He said in Romans 1.16, I am
not ashamed of the gospel. Now, my friends, it's my business
and it's your business to find out what the gospel is, what
the gospel This gospel Paul is talking about here in Galatians
1, verse 8 and 9. This gospel which he preached.
This gospel about which he said, woe is unto me if I preach not
the gospel. And it's my business and it's
your business to find out what the gospel is. Now in 1 John
4, verse 1, John says this, Beloved, believe not every spirit. There's
a lot of religion. There's a lot of preaching. But
he says, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether
they are of God. Because many false prophets are
gone out into the world. And Paul in 2 Corinthians 11
verse 4 says this, they will come preaching another Jesus. They'll come preaching another
spirit and another gospel. So it's your business and my
business to find out what is the gospel. I don't want to preach
a gospel. I don't want to trust in a gospel. I don't want to rest in a gospel.
I want to know the gospel. I want to believe the gospel.
I want to preach the gospel. Now, here's a problem here, too.
Having heard the gospel, if you hear the gospel, if you read
the gospel, if you discover the gospel, will you believe it?
The question comes, will I receive it? Will I be saved by it? Do I have the courage to preach
the gospel? Do I have the courage to receive
and to stand by the gospel? Now listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians
15. Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, not a gospel,
the gospel which I preach to you and here's the good news
which you receive. And wherein you stand, and by
which you are saved." I like the words of the great preacher
Martin Luther, who stood before all of his persecutors, and all
of those who hated him, and despised him, and threatened him. And
they told him not to preach what he was preaching. And he once
again stated what he believed, the gospel of the Son of God.
And he said, men, here I stand. I can do no other. Here I stand,
I can do no other. But our Lord tells us, he tells
us to count the cost. Now I want to find out what the
gospel is, and I want to preach it. And if you're a wise person,
you'll want to find out the gospel. And you'll want to believe it,
and you'll want to receive it. But our Lord warned us. He said,
you count the cost. If you receive the gospel, if
you believe the gospel, if you're saved by the gospel, If you have
the courage to preach the gospel, and if you have the courage to
stand by the gospel, it'll cost you. Now, you'll face, you can
expect, some great opposition, and it'll come from some unusual
directions. Our Lord said, you'll get opposition
from those of your own household. Now, listen to the scripture,
Matthew 10, 34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but
a sword. I am come to set a man at variance
against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies shall be those
of his own household. But he that loveth father and
mother, brother and sister, husband and wife, yea, his own life,
more than me, is not worthy of me." So if I receive the gospel,
and dare to preach it, and dare to believe it, and dare to have
the courage, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, to stand, right
there, unwilling to be moved, but to stand for the gospel,
I can expect great opposition. Our Lord said, Marvel not, my
brethren, if the world hate you. It hated me before it hated you.
It hated him without a cause, but it hated him. And then he
said in John 16, now listen to this, he said, These things I
have spoken unto you, that when they come you will not be offended.
This is John 16, 1 and 2. They will put you out of the
synagogue for believing the gospel. They will put you out of the
church and out of the chapels and out of the tabernacles and
out of organized religion and try to put you out of the ministry.
If they could, they would. They will put you out of the
synagogue and the time will come that whosoever killeth you will
think that he does God a service." Now, that's hatred. In this world,
Christ said, you shall have tribulation. In this world, you shall suffer
persecution, but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. But
I'll tell you this, if I find the gospel, if God is pleased
to reveal to me the gospel, or if I read it, or some preacher
preaches And I deny it. To deny his gospel is to deny
him. It's to deny him just as much
as Peter denied him when he sat by that fire and said, I don't
know him. And to sell out to the enemies of the gospel is
just as wicked as to betray him as Judas did for eighteen dollars. Now people sell him out for A
lot more than that today, but that's what Judas sold him for,
30 pieces of silver or $18. He sold his Lord. He sold his
soul. And I say this, to deny the gospel
is to deny Christ, and to sell out to the enemies of the gospel
is to sell Christ and to sell your soul. Now, this is a serious
inquiry. This is a serious question. What
will it be, a gospel or the gospel? Well, preacher, what is the gospel?
Will you listen? First of all, the gospel is the
gospel of God. Turn to Romans chapter 1 in your
Bible, verse 1. Now, turn over there and listen
to this. First of all, the gospel, the gospel, which we preach,
Paul said, in which you received, and wherein you stand, and by
which you say, the gospel is the gospel of God. Romans 1,
verse 1 says, Paul, a bondservant, of Jesus Christ, called to be
an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. That's the gospel
I preach, he said. It's the gospel of God. First
of all, it's the gospel of God because it came from God. It
originated with God. God Almighty planned it. Paul
said, after he was converted, he said, I didn't receive this
gospel from man. I wasn't taught it by man. But
I received it from the Lord. This gospel came from God. For
God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. He's the
one that gave Christ. He is the one that sent Christ.
Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed to the image
of his Son, and whom he predestinated, he called, and whom he called,
he justified, whom he justified, he glorified. It's all of God,
from Alpha to Omega, from beginning to end. The gospel is the gospel
of God because he planned it. Christ is the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. God hath from the beginning,
Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2, 13, chosen you unto salvation.
In the beginning. It's the gospel of God because
he planned it, and I'll tell you this, it's the gospel of
God because he executed it. If you'll turn to Isaiah 53,
verse 10, you'll read these words. Now, I know wicked men sent Christ
to the cross, and wicked soldiers nailed Him there, Wicked men
mocked and laughed while he died, but it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. His death on Calvary's cross
was planned from the foundation of this world. It was in the
plan of the Father, it was in the purpose of the Father, it
was in the providence of the Father, it was in the good pleasure
of the Father. You crucified Christ, Peter said
at Pentecost, but God Almighty determined for it to be done.
And you carried out His sovereign will. Yes, sir, God Almighty
executed that sacrifice on Calvary's cross. When the fullness of time
was come, God sent his Son into the world. It's the gospel of
God, not only because he planned it, and not only because he executed
it, but he applies it. Salvation's of the Lord. You
are the called of Christ Jesus. Our Lord said, whom do you say
that I am? Peter said, art the Christ. Well, he said, flesh
and blood didn't reveal that to you, but my Father which is
in heaven. God is the one that revealed
Christ to you. Paul, giving his testimony in
Galatians 1.15, said, God separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by his grace, and he was pleased to reveal his Son
in me. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man the things God
has prepared for them that love him, but he hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit. If you know the gospel, God revealed
it to you. If you know Christ, God revealed
him to you. He said to the disciples, Blessed
are your eyes, they see, and blessed are your ears, they hear.
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. What is
the gospel? The gospel is the gospel of God. Read Romans 1, verse 1. Paul,
a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called him an apostle, separated
unto the gospel of God. And I'll give you another mark
of this, of this, the gospel, and that is the gospel is not
only the gospel of God, but it's the gospel of God's glory. The
gospel of God's glory. Now, if you look at 1 Timothy
1, verse 11, I learned this many, many years ago. This was revealed
to me many, many years ago, 25, 30 years ago. 1 Timothy 1, 11,
this is the correct translation of that verse. Paul's talking
about the gospel he preached. He said it's the gospel of the
glory of God. It's the gospel of the glory
of God. The true gospel will never glorify
man. The true gospel will always glorify
God. The true gospel will not glorify
a preacher, a messenger, a church, a denomination, or anyone. It'll glorify God. Listen to
1 Corinthians 1.30, but of him are you in Christ Jesus. It's God's will that puts you
in Christ. It's God's work that puts you
in Christ. Of him are you in Christ Jesus, who has made unto
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that as it is
written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Moses
one day said, Lord, show me your glory. And God said, I'll cause
all my goodness to pass before you. I will be merciful to whom
I will be merciful. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. Moses, this is my glory. So this gospel, first of all,
is the gospel of God. And then secondly, it's the gospel
of his glory. Now stay with me. the gospel. It's thirdly, the gospel concerning
his son. Now here's where most people
miss the gospel, and I want you to listen. Will you listen carefully? It's the gospel concerning his
son. Look at Romans 1 again, verse
1 through 3. Paul, a bondservant of Jesus
Christ, called him an apostle, separated to the gospel of God,
which he promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scripture.
concerning his son. Now I wouldn't offend you for
the world, but now you listen to me. The gospel of God, the
gospel of God's glory, the good news of redemption, the glad
tidings of eternal life is not a plan, it's a person. It's concerning not a plan, but
a person. It's not a proposition, it's
a person. It's Jesus Christ. The gospel
is Jesus Christ, his person, his offices, and his work. The
gospel tells us who he is. He is very God of very God. The gospel tells us who he is. Thou art the Christ. Thou art
the Messiah. Thou art the Redeemer. Thou art
that prophet of whom Moses wrote. God will raise up from among
the brethren a prophet, Moses said, him you shall hear. Christ,
the gospel, is that gospel of a person to whom Abraham looked,
and for whom Abraham looked, and whose day Abraham saw, and
rejoiced, and was glad. The gospel is a person. This
is my beloved son, the father said, you listen to him. This
is my son. I and my father won, Christ said. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. Baptism is not part of the gospel. It's a response to the gospel.
It's a confession of the gospel. It is in obedience to the gospel,
but it's not the gospel. Christ is the gospel. The gospel
has nothing to do with you, or with me, or with anybody on this
earth. The gospel is concerning Jesus
Christ. Do you see what I'm saying? The
gospel was here before you were ever here. The gospel was designed,
the gospel was planned, the gospel was purposed before God ever
made the world. The everlasting covenant of grace
was conceived in Christ, and was made with Christ. Now watch
this. The gospel tells us not only
who he is, the gospel tells us what he did. He was made of a
woman as our representative. He was made under the law as
our substitute, as our surety. He bore our sins in his body
on the tree. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him. The gospel tells
us not only who he is, very God of very God, God in the flesh.
But the gospel tells us what he did. He came down here to
the earth in human flesh. God robed himself in human flesh. He was made in the likeness of
sinful flesh. He who knew no sin was made sin
for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We don't contribute anything to that. No one else does. Christ
did it all. He paid it all. All the debt
I owe. Sin left a crimson stain. He
washed it white as snow. Now, the gospel tells us not
only who he is and what he did, but it tells us why he did it.
In Romans chapter 3, it tells us that Christ died that God
might be just and justify the ungodly, that God might be righteous
and merciful, that he might be true and that he might be loved.
And the gospel tells us where he is now. Now my friends, I
heard a story one time about a wagon train that was moving
west back, oh, many, many years ago. And as this wagon train
was moving west, the wagon master saw smoke billowing to the sky. They were right out on a prairie,
just, and it was covered with this grass about waist high or
shoulder high. This prairie grass was everywhere
dry and brittle and sun-scorched and so easy to burn. And he saw
the smoke just bellowing towards the sky and he told the people,
he said, now there's a prairie fire and the wind's blowing this
way. So they went behind them and they set the grass on fire
behind them and burned out a huge place, just a great big place,
a place big enough to hold all the wagons and all the people.
And then when they had burned this place completely out and
the ground was black with the ashes, They put all of the wagons
right in this circle, right on this burnt ground. And all the
people got in the middle of the wagons, and here the fire swept
down upon them. And as the fire swept around
them, one little boy was sitting in his father's lap, and he was
just trembling. And his daddy said, Son, why
are you trembling? He said, I'm afraid, I'm afraid.
His daddy said, Son, you don't have anything to fear. You're
standing on burnt ground. And where the fire has burnt
once, It cannot burn again. And that's what Christ did. That's
the gospel. We who trust Him and believe
Him and receive Him are standing on burnt ground. The wrath of
God has fallen upon Christ. And if I'm in Him, it can't hit
again. The judgment of God has descended
upon Christ. If I'm in Him, it can't descend
on me. Christ bore my sin and paid my
debt and died my death and bore my hell. and satisfied God's
justice, and God's justice can demand nothing of those who are
in Christ. That's the gospel, and that's
the reason I say it hasn't got anything to do with what you
do, or what you say, or what you accomplish. It's what He
did. That's right. It's the gospel
concerning His Son. And now, fourthly, what is the
gospel? It's the gospel of God. It's the gospel of God's glory.
It's the gospel concerning God's Son, and it's the gospel of God's
power. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
It's the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believe it,
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. What am I saying?
I'm saying this, that the salvation which comes as a result of believing
the gospel is more than a decision. It's more than the adopting of
a doctrine. It's more than uniting with a
church. Salvation that comes from receiving and believing
the gospel is a new creation. It is a regeneration. It is a
resurrection from the dead. It is a new life. If any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature. Christ wore my crown of thorns
that I might wear his crown of glory. Christ took my nakedness
that I might wear his robe of righteousness. Christ bore my
shame that I might bear His glory. Christ took my weakness and gave
me strength. He was numbered with the transgressors
that I might be numbered with the redeemed. God Almighty gave
me a new heart when He saved my soul, a new nature, and a
new family." That's the gospel. You say, well, why is that so
offensive, brother May? And why is it offensive to the
natural man? It is offensive. They hate it. It's called the offense of the
cross. Paul said the preaching of the cross is foolishness,
sheer nonsense to them who are perishing. Why is this gospel
so offensive? This gospel of God, this gospel
of His glory, this gospel of His Son's substitutionary work,
this gospel of His power, why is it offensive? I'll give you
four reasons. I'll write these down and look
at them later. First of all, the gospel. of Jesus Christ addresses
all men as sinners. It comes to us not as good people. It comes to us as bad people.
It comes to us as lost people. That's right. In Romans 3.19
says, What the law saith, it saith to them that are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
become guilty, guilty, guilty. Romans chapter 3 verse 10 says
there's none good, there's none righteous, there's none that
understandeth, there's none that seeketh after God. And if you
come to God, you'll come as a sinner or you won't come at all. If
you come to Christ, you'll come empty-handed or you won't come
at all. No one's too bad to come, a lot of people are too good
to come. And this offends man's dignity. He doesn't like to be
addressed as a beggar. He doesn't like to be addressed
as a criminal. He doesn't like to be addressed
as a traitor. He doesn't like to be called
a rebel. He doesn't like to be referred to as ungodly. But let
me tell you something. Christ died for the ungodly.
Christ died for sinners. Thou shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall save his people from their sins. All right? Secondly, tell you why it offends
people. It offends them because it addresses all men as sinners.
I'm talking about all preachers and all people in the pew. I'm
talking about people in the prison and people in the White House.
I'm talking about people in the mansions and people in the ghettos.
I'm talking about all people. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned everyone to his own way. Secondly, it presents
a doctrine of atonement, an effectual atonement a sufficient atonement
by Christ alone, without any works or any cooperation from
man. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. And that
offends man's pride. He wants to contribute something
to the redemption of his soul, even if it be just a jot or a
tittle. But let him have a little part.
Now, tell him that Christ did all he can do, and that's up
to him. Tell him that Christ has done all he can do, now he
must take the first step. Just give that man something
to do to appease a holy God, or to make himself acceptable
to God, and he'll take that work, rather than the way of grace.
Because the way of grace, and the way of atonement, and the
way of substitution is offensive to his pride. And then thirdly,
it presents salvation as a gift. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life. And that offends man's fancied
idea of saving himself. A gift? A gift? Let me serve God and let God
pay me in return. Let me do my best for Jesus and
let Jesus reward me in the sweet by and by. But let me have some
part in it. In the fourth place, coming as
a revelation from God offends man's wisdom. coming as a revelation
of God, not the results of human wisdom, not the results of human
reason, not the results of human logic, but coming to us as a
revelation. God reveals himself in Christ
to the heart. That offends man's wisdom. All
right, my friend, there's the gospel. There's the gospel of
God's glory, there's the gospel of God's Grace, there's the gospel
of God's Son, there's the gospel of God's power, what will it
be? What will it be? Will we stand with those who
believe the Word, who preach the Word, or will we stand with
those who deny the Word? Will we stand with those who
preach salvation by grace alone, plus nothing, minus nothing,
through Christ, or will we stand with those who preach works?
I think I can say with Joshua of old, that's for me in my house,
we'll preach the gospel. the gospel, the saving gospel. Now, if you'd like to have this
message on tape, we have the messages on cassette tape. There'll
be two on each tape. You write to me, and we'll send
it to you. Until next week, God bless you,
everyone.

A Gospel or the Gospel?

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A Gospel or the Gospel?

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