1266. Avoiding Gospel Drift

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University travel platform today on The Daily Platform beginning a new study series entitled our great salvation which is a study of the doctrine of salvation or so to reality today speaker is Dr. Sam Horn, former Dean of the BJ you seminary.

Dr. Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University will introduce the series beginning this morning and throughout the course of the semester we are going to have in our doctrinal series. The theme entitled our great salvation and our desire is to do what I think Martin Lloyd Jones said in his book on the assurance of salvation. He said all of our anxieties and troubles all of our uncertainties and hesitations and so much of our unhappiness in our spiritual lives is to be traced simply to the fact that we do not realize what has been provided for us in our great salvation, our desire this semester is to unfold from the Scripture the glorious truth of our salvation so that we bask in it so that we glory in it and so that we are changed through it by this morning Dr. Sam Horn will calm and lead us in our first message as we go through this series. I hope this morning will be a challenge to you as we consider our great salvation. All right, I'd like to ask you take your Bible this morning to the book of Hebrews chapter 2 while you're turning there. I have been looking forward to this semester's doctrinal series dealing with the theology of superior allergy.

I I was very very impacted by our doctrinal theme last semester and as we were going through that theme and listening to the messages I kept thinking myself how are we ever been atop this and I think the only topic that could really topic what we heard last semester is a semester long look at the unfolding display that God is given to us in his word of a multifaceted gem that you and I know is the gospel and so that's what we want to do this semester will be looking at 11 different aspects of that jewel. And as you saw it on the on the screen a moment ago.

There's a path leading up to the lighthouse and were going to consider this semester.

A journey on that path and will be making stops along the way and see on the screen above me and in front of you the different places where were going to park this semester and unfold this theme and make sure that we comprehend and understand it and know how to fit it to our life know how to apply. I think that most of us have heard the gospel very early on in her life.

In fact, I think that most of you heard the gospel repeatedly before you were 12 years of age. How many of you became a Christian before you were 12 years of age right hold your hands are right that looks like the very vast majority of I think most of us would say that we were introduced to Christ by a trusted person in our life maybe was our dad or our mom maybe was a pastor or youth pastor maybe was somebody that work with us at the Christian school we went to.

Or maybe was a camp counselor that we spent a week with over a summer but we probably were introduced to the gospel by a trusted person in our life. And then I think we would all find to be true in our lives what I know is true in mind, I am very familiar with the gospel. I grew up in a Christian home, I heard the gospel repeatedly from parents who not only taught it to us.

They actually lived it out in our home and I think that would be true for most of us here. So, given the obvious familiarity that all of us have with the gospel and given the length of time that we have embraced the gospel and are familiarity with it as individual people and collectively as a group. Why should we take an entire semester. Chapels on a theological theme that is this familiar to us. I think that's a fair question and I think the writer of Hebrews gives us a very good answer, so I want you to look at the text that I've called your tension in Hebrews chapter 2 and I want to read that text to you this morning, writer of Hebrews says this. Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time. We should let them slip for if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast in the implication is that it was and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward and it did. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, and the implication is we won't which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. I want you to notice as you look at these three verses we read together that who ever the readers are. They are obviously very very familiar with the gospel that the writer is describing for them and they have obviously heard it from trusted sources and they have even experienced it and tasted it for themselves and the writers point to them as this, even as familiar with the gospel as they were. And even as experienced as they were in it.

They needed to pay close attention to the gospel lest they drift lest they drift away from keeping the gospel as the central focus of their life and I would submit to you that none of us is immune to this danger. The writer of Hebrews is saying to us as much. As to the readers.

We cannot afford to drift away from the gospel and the answer to this danger that he brings up in the first two are the first three verses of chapter 2 doesn't really come until you get to the first verse of chapter 3 what is the answer to gospel draft and it is here in verse one of chapter 3. Wherefore, holy brethren.

These are is talking to believers, partakers of the heavenly calling, and then uses this consider give careful focused attention to something, give intentional regular thought to the apostle and high priest of our profession know the words of our gospel of the faith we have received. You give careful attention and regular attention to the apostle and high priest of that confession Jesus Christ that's really what we want to do this semester.

So as we start our series this morning we want to ask a very simple question.

How can I avoid the danger that the writer of Hebrews is talking about. How can I avoid gospel drift in my life and I think this morning as we look at our topic.

I would suggest very simply and very basically three answers to three questions that will help us to avoid gospel drift in our life.

These are not profound questions. These are not theologically deep questions. Although there is deep theology behind all of them.

These are just some basic questions that you and I need to begin with. As we think about our journey through the semester as we pick up this GM that is the gospel, and as we start looking at all of the facets and so the first question is this what exactly is the gospel. How should I think about the gospel. What is the gospel, and there are many many answers to that and there are many many ways. To sum up it in such a brief times we have this morning and answered a question like that, let me tell you, I want to do it this morning. I want to describe the gospel to you as a transfixing story I want to describe the gospel to you as a transfixing story. Now all of us love stories, especially compelling. Once stories it draws in the keep our attention they hold us on the edge of RC and they make us long for the next chapter or for the next episode in the story, and they wow us with the finish.

We never saw coming. I do know about you but when I when I think about my home over the last 20 years.

There are two children that grew up in her home and so stories were a big part of our life. And I think probably you grew up with stories as well.

Most of you know what to do on Christmas break and go home and you turn on Netflix and binge on your favorite story in our home. Stories like psych were a common part of our life. We grew up with John and Gus and so did many of you my son chocked up his seventh eighth ninth 10th 11th grade year following Patrick Jane and mental is a fact.

He cried when the series ended. He got me hooked on a little show called white-collar. How many we've ever watched white color. I finally saw the end of white-collar this Christmas and I cried. My favorite of all of them was a program called monk how many of you know the story month, maybe all of you have an uncle like Monger grandfather like monk. My kids say they have a dad like Mark, I don't believe that this this Christmas I was introduced to a new series called designated survivor. Thank you for that shout out soon. I mean, it's a compelling story. It draws you into the point that you shout out inadvertently in a crowd of over thousand now I haven't got into that series yet.

I am saving it for spring break. You guys have a whole plan for spring break. My plan for spring break designated survivor, so don't tell me anything about the series.

Now the reason I bring that up is because how you feel about things like that is how the gospel writers intend for you to think and feel about the story of the gospel is a story that transfixed is as it captures us with the immensity of what God is doing.

When you start unfolding that story. It confounds us with the complexity of what God is accomplished in bringing forth his plan to redeem a people. It amazes us when we think about the simplicity of the offer that God makes that anybody read the heartless of age or creed or deed, and it profoundly satisfies every longing and every desire. As this story becomes our very own story and what's best about it is that it never ends. You could say this, you could say that the gospel is the story for the ages in which God works through Jesus Christ. Think about that to provide salvation for sinners and strength for believers by reconciling all things in heaven and on earth to himself for his glory.

No wonder Jonah in your Old Testament. From the very bottom of the ocean as he cried out to the Lord recognize something about the story and he said it this way, salvation is of the Lord when no one else can. And when no one else wants to God can save it is a transfixing story and when you and I regularly review it and when we hold onto it and when we embrace it. We will never drift. So one of the ways to avoid gospel drift is by answering the question, what is the gospel.

Here's a second way that we can avoid gospel drift we can answer this question. How does a person obtain the salvation. The gospel offers. How do we embrace it.

How do we make it our very own story and there are three very basic theological answers to this. Let me give them to you quickly, and then let me connect the dots between them, we embrace the story we make it our very own by means of spirit generated faith. That's what Paul is talking about in Titus 35 when he says and you know the verse, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and then catch this next part by the renewing of the Holy Ghost.

So we make the story are owned by means of spirit generated faith that is accompanied secondly by God enabled repentance. It's not just that we have this life giving faith or life producing faith. This living faith. We we have that faith and it's accompanied by God enabled repentance. This is Paul's point in first Thessalonians, 19 through 10 when he says to them you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his son from heaven, you turn that term in the Old Testament is typically the word that is used for the idea of repentance and Paula saying to the Thessalonians. He repented of your old life and you turned from it. You turned to God from idols and you have committed yourself to him and you are waiting you are serving him.

As you anticipate the coming of his son from heaven, the one that he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. So it's accompanied by God enabled repentance and it results in a grace energized progressive holiness of life mean these are basic realities to the gospel story results in a grace energized progressive holiness of life pauses it this way in Titus two the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly last.

We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, will you take these three points, and we could summarize it in a very familiar statement that many many of you have memorized.

If you've ever been to the wiles and you've ever been in the CIP program, God is on a mission to redeem and restore fallen people to the likeness of his son for the praise of his glory and this is how he does it is what starts. It starts by means of a spirit generated faith, a living faith in the person of Jesus alone and in the work that he has done on the cross. Hello 20. Think of it this way. Think of the idea of the stock market.

We just think of that idea in your mind and and and and ask yourself do I believe in the reality of the stock market and the answers yes we do we have evidence of it. We see it. People talk about it all the time.

It's it's it's always on the news and think about a particular stock on that exchange and then think about doing more than just putting a little bit of your money and think about doing a little more than just putting even a big chunk of money and think about taking everything that you think about leveraging everything that you could possibly leverage so that you have it all in one big pile, and there's nothing left and you put it all on that one stock is a very poor example of what the kind of living faith is that somehow the spirit of God renews us and energizes us and waking his eyes and helps us to see the truth that Jesus Christ really is who he says he is and he is the only hope for heaven and we take everything and we put it on him.

There is no backup plan.

There is no way to recover if we are wrong we take every ounce of belief and directed completely and exclusively to the person of Jesus Christ and of the work that he is done and I would suggest you that unless the Holy Spirit energizes and generates that kind of faith. You do not have the ability to do that on your own. You are wired to hedge your bets. In fact, that wiring is why even after we have entrusted our souls to Jesus. We keep worrying about whether or not we've done enough. There is a hidden legalist and every one of us that the gospel is designed to root out and expose and it starts like this I have to take everything I EM I have to take everything I believe and I have to rest it all on one plan.

The gospel and that is accompanied this living faith, is accompanied by God enabled repentance that helps me to turn from all of my idols and live entirely in the direction of the true and living God, and it enables me to live in eager anticipation so that I'm living all of my days and in all of my ways in eager anticipation for the coming of his son from heaven, the gospel does the gospel grows grace in me so that I think like Jesus. Things I value what Jesus values and I respond to life like he response this is the gospel. At this point, you might say this and I think it would be a fair objection. I've already done all this mean this is supposed to be a series on the gospel and what you just talked about spirit generated faith God enabled repentance, grace, energized holiness. I've done that. My question to you is this. Are you still doing we meet.

The gospel is for sinners. All of them. Even after they have become saints gospel is as important to you now, if not more so than it ever was before you embraced and so the question this morning is how does a person obtain the salvation. The gospel offers in the answer to that is by faith and you have to keep believing when you got up this morning. Are you still believing the gospel when you get up tomorrow morning will you still be believing the gospel are you still pointed to God, have you still continue to turn away from your idols. Are you still embracing and logging and living for the coming of his son from heaven. That is what the gospel is for believers is ongoing belief. It is on going repentance is on going growth in grace driven holiness that brings us to the final thing and that is this I can avoid gospel drift in my life by answering the question, what is the gospel and by reviewing the answer the question, how did I obtain the salvation it offers, but finally what are the gospel's implications for my life.

How should I feel about the gospel and there are there are many implications that we could point out when we just three as we close number one. The gospel has given us new life and true freedom the gospel has given us new life and true freedom because it meets our deepest needs and it satisfies our deepest desires that Jesus met when John recorded in chapter 10 verse 10 I am come that they might have life.

Jesus came so you can have life and not just the theology of life, but the full experience of it. I think sometimes we think about eternal life is something that we get to get when we finally get to heaven. But Jesus is saying you actually have it now, and it satisfies your deepest longings and your deepest needs.

It gives you what money cannot purchase the gives you what pleasure cannot provide for grants what human power cannot obtain or retain so we have been given new life and true freedom. Secondly, we have been granted by the gospel on new security in our relationship with God and others so harassed in this Romans chapter 5 verses wanted to posit being therefore justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace with God. Therefore, we can have peace with others.

We can have peace in our circumstances, we can be at peace in our own soul with her own self.

So rest in it and don't drift from the gospel and then finally we have been given true significance and purpose for our earthly life by the gospel.

Romans that I wanted to. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, then he goes on with this incredible idea that you take your life and you present it over and over as a daily sacrifice that is alive using your members using your body to advance God's name in reasonable worship to him. So live for it. So we can we walk away from a series like this and from sermon like this and we think about the gospel. It's the story of the people who deserve nothing but inherit everything we deserve nothing and we inherit everything and people like that should feel like this, there should be style and amazement at our heart. There should be unbridled joy filled gratitude that flows out of our heart. We should be overwhelmed by this and there should be passionate eager engagement in this. This is something that we ought to devote her life and even our death. It's an ageless story. It's God's story, and it's your story. Let's celebrate it and let's thank you for father. Thank you for such a story we would never believed it had you not told us Lord we want to receive it want to embrace it and we want to hold fast to it in Jesus name, amen.

You've been listening to a sermon from the study series are great salvation preached by Dr. Sam Horn by listening friend. Can I ask you a question. Have you received the crucified resurrected Jesus as your own personal savior. No doubt God is speaking to your heart. There's a knock on the door of your heart and he's asking to come in. Would you personally individually right now call upon the name of the Lord ask Jesus to be your savior for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Let me urge you to do that right now. May God bless you. To learn more about the impactful programs and ministries happening at Bob Jones University, visit the news website feature you today that today.BJ you.edu you can also follow BJ you on twitter, Facebook and Instagram at BJ you eating you and also follow Dr. Steve Pettit at BJ you president. Thanks for listening to our program today and join us again tomorrow as we continue the study called our great salvation here on The Daily Platform