R353 What is the Gospel

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and the message. What is the gospel.

As we study the word of God know that we are here for you.

Would love to pray with you and for you, would 866-899-WORD dropped the number down stored in yourself 866-899-WORD 9673.

We would love to connect with starting with me this morning to Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 3. You might recall that as we condescended.

Ephesians chapter 3 verses one through 13. I think that we discovered the monumental wealth of material that the apostle Paul shares with the church at Ephesus in just 13 short verses. So this week and next week I'm going to be focusing on two subjects that we have been invited to focus on in these 13 verses of the third chapter of Paul's letter I subject this morning comes in the form of a very simple question here it is.

What is the gospel. Now that's a monumental question, what is the gospel. I have quoted many times from Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a great Bible expositor whom God used mightily to spread the message of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and continues to do so. As his legacy lives on in the lives of many people through the books and the impact of his ministry. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said in his lectures to students that every time I open the book I make a beeline for the cross. I love that. I think that perhaps was trying to capture somewhat of this, or perhaps Spurgeon was trying to capture somewhat of Paul was trying to teach us.

When Paul said I saved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified what he mean by that.

Perhaps what Paul meant was that any preaching that is void of Jesus Christ and him crucified is not Christian gospel preached any ministry that is void of Jesus Christ and him crucified is not Christian gospel ministry. In fact, the sad thing is that in many churches today, right across the United States, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian, autonomic goes in many many many churches today.

Many a sermon could be delivered and would never offend anybody because it is void of Jesus Christ and him crucified.

It is the offense of the cross. What is the gospel. It is the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want us to focus our attention on chapter 3 in verse seven this morning. Look at it with me.

Paul makes a remarkable statement. He says I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power that we've already discussed the energy that God by his grace gives to his servant in order to give him dynamite authority pertaining to the gospel of which Paul claimed to be a servant. Now the word servant, there is the same word that we have for Deacon on the Yakima's and Paul is saying here that I have subjected my life and I have given myself completely as a servant as a bond slave to this thing called the gospel that seems to me your beloved friends that there is an apparent problem because God's word condemns idolatry.

God's word says that thou shalt have no other gods before me. God's word says that you cannot become subservient to anything outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the word of God puts it like this, thou shalt serve the Lord thy God with all of our heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and hear the apostle Paul says I have become a person who is totally and completely subject to the gospel.

Why did Paul say that he was not making an idolatrous statement. The apostle Paul was simply say that the gospel is the Lord Jesus Christ and the Jesus Christ is the gospel is the good news about the son of the living God. So you can go right back to Scripture and you going to find time without number that the word of the phrase the gospel comes up.

We cannot understand why Paul was placing such an emphasis and why the will of the gospel comes up all the time. We cannot understand the context in which he is writing. We cannot understand why the apostle Paul seems to give his entire life. If not, is very pleasing to the gospel. If we don't understand what the gospel is well beloved friends, ladies and gentlemen if we gained on the standard we go to ask ourselves the question what is the gospel according to the world's definition, but I began to look at the subject and it became rather interesting to say the least. I began to ask myself the question, what does the will defined as the gospel. What does the average person in the street today who knows nothing about God defined the gospel is being well I came up with 10, 11, 12, 15 there it's it goes on and on. Let me share some of them with you. The gospel is the new age movement. According to some people inside of me will pasta what is the New Age movement of all it is. It's all paganism. That's what the New Age movement is you have to go back into Roman times and into the dark ages. Not the time of the Renaissance not the time of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and all the movements of the great French philosophers and you going to find out my friend that there is a re-invention of the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve became too uncomfortable in the world at the New Age movement began to creep in.

It is a religion of natural instincts. Well, what is the world's gospel. It is pantheism.

It is the everything is God movement that is growing by leaps and bounds in America.

Everything you see everything you touch the pancakes that you prepare for breakfast on Saturday morning.

That's God.

So everything that you touch and everything that you see in everything that you have is God himself. There is the environmental protectionism awareness movement. That's the gospel according to many people see friends for some people it's far more important to save a while or an hour or a tree that it is to worship God and you going to say to me frame' you telling me that you not interested in the environment and protecting animals absolutely are and I will lead can support and promote the protection of our environment in every possible way, but I'm going to say to you, beloved friends that God never put a tree and he never put colony never put a dolphin or Manatee in front of God himself. These things are all subservient to him all Bridget Bardo for three or four decades, known as the sex symbol of the world lives on the French Riviera and in an article just recently. She spoke about her life now in the later years, a laugh and she's been given out of marriages, and even out of affairs and nothing has gone right and even though she's had all the fame and fortune God now is protecting animal. The animal rights movement is the gospel to some people I do. I love animals.

Yes, we've got a bunch of them at our house. If any of you are interested.

Specially, some cats but I'm going to say to you precious friends listen to me as much as we love animals and is much as they are important to us. I'm going to say to you that the animal rights movement is not the gospel. I've even heard of people leaving all their money to the animals doing unbelievable things they is that you are God movement. Everyone is God. Every one of us here is God every living being is God there is the universalism movement. That means that everybody no matter what they do no matter what their preference no matter what they persuasion all roads lead to God's heaven wherever that might be friends. I'm going to cite you out of the love of my heart.

If we guide understand what the gospel is we go to understand the universalism movement in America today. The keywording universalism is tolerance, every newspaper you open every debate on every field, every political race is tolerance, IDSA, and we haven't been there that even on presidential debates. You going to hear people compromising in the name of tolerance we not going to do because we need to be tolerant. In fact in America today.

You not even allowed to be a man or woman anymore. You have to be neutral. Men want to look like women and women want to look like men. They want to behave like one another.

You cannot even have a men's institution or women's institution. You cannot have femininity or masculinity, and there is a mad scramble not even continue to everything that is said to take keys and she's out of everything that exists in turn everything into one glorious universalist group folks if you don't hold to that today and you don't believe the gospel of the world you going to run in violation of some organization that's going to bring about some kind of lawsuit to institute some kind of punishment or they going to use the word alienation by going to use the word they going to use all kinds of loaded words that are going to put people more and more into isolationist souls universalist movement there is the vegetarian movement acupuncture transcendental meditation. I've had frames that I have encountered standing on their heads.

I read in the newspaper in my favorite newspaper and I really respect that newspaper the Spartanburg Herald Journal art.

I respect on his pipe.

I don't mind telling anybody that I think it's a very fine newspaper and I appreciate. Most of all their unbiased reporting up most of the time and they never hesitate to write about Christian things and I appreciate that, but I read in the newspaper. Probably the Spartanburg Herald Journal. Just the other day that there's a group of people who descended on a place in Arizona. I wish I had the article and in Arizona in this town is a big rock which is rises out of nowhere and over 10,000 people this past year old disabled on this one place in Arizona because even in this place. There are some vibes apparently an atmosphere and these people. They all march up the side of the ceiling by going sit on this rock and I hung, I wouldn't mind sitting for a week and humming long as I have a fishing rod in my hand. I'll be in good shape. You know the mayor of the little town that surrounds this rock when he was lost by the media. What you think about all this. These vibes in these things going on. He said man I don't know what it's all about, but it sure good for business. That's the bottom line in America's doesn't matter what you believe as long as it's good for business. Well, then there is astrology in Scientology you can drive around our communities today and you going to see some of the most evil things you've ever seen palm readers very antithesis of what God's word teaches people to consult the medium. There is a rise in unprecedented rise in America today than 900 numbers that justify their consciences by stating that no one under 18 can call that number and they are reading and writing in over millions upon millions and thousands upon thousands of dollars is people calling to find out what the future is based upon a call or a teacup. What is the gospel yoga.

In a recent edition of the yoga Journal I quoted is assumed to call anyone a sinner. I'm going to work on this one. Reincarnation we going to come back in another life or somebody else depending upon the life we live in this life. There is, and send Buddhism there is there is tolerance channeling. There is the natural medicine movement. Nothing wrong with taking vitamins is nothing wrong with being healthy is nothing wrong with doing everything you possibly can.

But the natural medicine movement is a gospel movement that denies the existence of the presence of the great physician. The one who made us and created us. It is the one that denies the existence of giftedness that God gives to doctors and nurses to be able to exercise them to see and make judgment calls the tools that God has made available to these people. The natural medicine movement. Then there's the therapeutic touch movement, and I cannot get onto that in a morning service.

What then is the gospel. This is going on all over the world today. What is the gospel.

Why would Paul say I became a servant of this gospel, may I suggest to you six things as we tried to understand we going to go back into the acts of the apostles to try and really understand the gospel is first and foremost a conviction about the Lord Jesus Christ, the good acts chapter 4 verse 12.

The Bible says very clearly that salvation is found in no one else, but there is none other name under heaven given to men by which we must be sorry in acts chapter 3 and verse six Peter and John said silver and gold have I none but such as I do have I have the gospel in the name of the Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

And we know the consequences of that Jesus said of himself in John 1416.

He said I am the way the truth and the life no man can come under the father but by me.

Why I am the gospel.

He was saying three things decide am unique I am complete and I am the only one there is no other way but the New Age movement, not pantheism.

Nothing. Everything is God movement not the environmental protection movement not the animal-rights movement not you all the God movement, not universalism, vegetarianism, acupuncture, transcendental meditation, astrology, yogurt, reincarnation, phones channeling natural medicine. The therapeutic touch movement, otherwise known as TTM. I want you to know there is nothing that can compare to the absoluteness of that wonderful indeed. It is wonderful.

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It is a conviction about Jesus. But secondly, it is a coming to grips with acts chapter 3 and verse 19 the apostles tell us reprint them and turn to God, there is the very act of repentance. Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Isn't that a beautiful picture that is painted they you see the gospel is coming to grips with repentance, you cannot separate the two, number three, the gospel is understanding the reality of spiritual warfare. That's what the cross is all about. My friend at spiritual warfare. The ultimate definition of the cross is the love of God, juxtaposed against the hate of man. Why did Jesus die upon the cross. He died upon the cross because there were those that didn't want to but I had a very clear-cut choice.

What happened Barabbas was paraded in front of the Son of Man, Barabbas was guilty as charged. There is no question about it. Pontius Pilate said wait a minute, because of Mandy's committed crimes he deserves to be X executed. He needs to pay the penalty and the people they just refuse to accept it. Why, because of the reality of spiritual warfare.

There was Jesus Christ. He had healed people he loved them and brought them back together.

He had stopped in for them when they were hungry.

He made the blind to see in the lame to walk in and and Pontius Pilate said, but surely this man is not Mohammed said you must traverse the gospel is understanding the reality of spiritual warfare look at acts chapter 4 verses one into the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came to Peter and John when they were speaking they were greatly disturbed. They were upset because they apostles. Herod is with teaching the people and proclaiming the gospel. You can go on furthering Scripture verse 21 of acts chapter 4. After further threats.

They let them go.

They could not decide how to punish them.

Why, because all the people were praising God for the gospel for what it happened. That's what happened. Acts chapter 5 turn in your Bibles. Acts chapter 5 in verse 40. Look what happened in verse 40 he's speech persuaded the here is a picture of the apostles. They were getting up and preaching and talking about Jesus Christ and him crucified. They called the apostles in and I had them flow. Why did they do that then they ordered them not to speak the gospel and they let them go. But the apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the sake of what for the sake of the gospel. I want to say to our teenagers, young people here this morning if you want to understand the gospel and know what the gospel is you need to understand the reality of spiritual warfare is guaranteed folks. When you turn your life over to Jesus Christ. Satan is going to come at you with everything he's got he's going to come at you through your friends.

He's gonna tempt you with all kinds of junk. To put in your body. He's gonna throw things at your mind. He's going to try and get your to weak spots. He's going to try and cripple you he's gonna try and cause you to stumble and fall.

It is the reality of spiritual warfare and at some time we going to get to the end of Paul's letter to the Ephesians and we going to start a study on what it means to put on the whole armor of God. Paul explains a lot of time dealing with it.

What is the gospel. It is a conviction about the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a coming to grips with repentance.

It is understanding the reality of spiritual warfare, but it is also the prioritizing of biblical preaching, I say to you, with all the love in my heart. I'm so grateful for Spartanburg but I'm going to say to your beloved friends that in today's day and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult for preachers to stick to biblical preaching. I want you to look with me at acts chapter 28.

Some of you might wonder, I know just a few, maybe, but some of you might wonder why your pasta every Sunday gets out, the Bible every Sunday. I say to you turn in God's word every Sunday we read God's word.

Every Sunday I try and preach from God's word. I don't always do a good job and I miss so many things in our don't come across right, but I try. By God's grace to preach and teach the word of God. Why, because the gospel is biblical preaching. It finds its heartbeat in the word of God. Verse 23 of acts 28 they arranged to meet Paul on a certain day and claiming even larger numbers to the place where he was staying here it is from morning until evening. I mean this just consumed him. He explained and declared.

Now those two words that are very important in biblical preaching the word day is the word for X position.

The declaration of the unfolding revelation of God through his word, Paul explained and declared to them what what did he do concerning the kingdom of God, the gospel and he tried to convince the that will make convincing the Greek text is the word to persuade. That is why beloved friends, God forbid that you should ever become involved in the church where the preacher is about the business of articulate snoring. You cannot be about the business of articulate snoring when you understand the gospel. It is a conviction about the Lord Jesus Christ and here the apostle Paul unequivocably. We are told, he persuaded them about Jesus Christ from the law of Moses and through the prophets. It was a consuming effort on his part. Why because he understood the mandate preach the gospel temptation. In today's day and age. My friend is home more and more churches and more and more pastas and more more denominations to retreat into the compromise of tolerance of the gospel to retreat further and further back to have churches that all food with people who just come to listen to good story just come to be comfortable in their environment. The Bible says it is the offense of the cross that we owe family people, but it is offensive to people that the Savior that we worship is one in such a horrible trees. That's why Jesus said if you want to understand the gospel in new Luke 923 you must come up to me you must deny yourself, you must take up your cross and follow me. That's the gospel that is the gospel you been hearing Dr. Dorothy's teaching from God's Encouraging Word the Bible itself, but next up are you here from are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right. Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today.

I repainted my son and by faith I receive you into my Jesus, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. If you just give your life to Jesus Christ, to be dedicated your life to Jesus, oh how we'd love to put some free resources in your hands, Dr. Don.

Once you have. If you'll just call us at 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 rather email us at online@tewonline.org. That's the place you will not only be able to hear today's broadcast and other resources from Dr. Don it's TE W online.org. Thank you so much for joining us. I hope you join us tomorrow for more of The Encouraging Word