The Basis For Christian Joy – Part 3
Luke 10:17-24 (21)
February 17, 2019

As you know, we are in sort of a mini-section here in Luke’s gospel
Where we are taking the opportunity to talk about
“The Basis for Christian Joy”

And the reason we are doing this is because
In this passage we have a unique revelation.

Verse 21 marks the only time in Scripture
Where it is specifically stated that Jesus “rejoiced”

We are NOT going to assume that this is the only time He ever did.
• “Joy” is in reality a fruit of the Spirit.
• That means that joy is part of the very nature of Christ.
• And we are aware of other realities, like that in Luke 15 which reminds that us that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who don’t.

Certainly then Jesus would have rejoiced in things like:
• The salvation of Matthew
• The salvation of the woman at the well
• The salvation of Zaccheus

It’s hard to imagine Jesus not rejoicing
• With lepers who were cleansed
• Or paralytics who could walk
• Or parents who had their dead children raised.

We are not insinuating that Jesus never rejoiced.
Yet, this is the only time Scripture specifically states His rejoicing.

And since it is also coupled with the clear rejoicing of the 70
And Jesus issuing commands about their rejoicing;
It becomes a good opportunity for us to discuss this topic.

WHAT DO CHRISTIANS REJOICE IN?
• IT CAN’T BE STUFF – since we are told not to love this world or to store up treasures here on earth, and since we see believers who joyfully accepted the seizure of their property
• IT CAN’T BE COMFORT – since we are commanded to count it all joy when we suffer various trials, and since we see believers who were beaten and rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer for Christ.
• IT CAN’T BE OUR REPUTATION – since we are considered fools for Christ, and since Peter told us if anyone suffers as a Christian he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
• IT CERTAINLY CAN’T BE THE FLESH – since we crucify the flesh with its passions and desires and our greatest longing and joy is to walk in truth.

Well, if we don’t rejoice in all those things like the world does,
THEN WHAT DO CHRISTIANS REJOICE IN?

WELL THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT.
• It all started with the 70 returning from their spiritual mission and they were rejoicing.
• Jesus commended that rejoicing and then actually took the opportunity to take their understanding of joy even further.

We have here 4 reasons for Christian rejoicing.
#1 SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
Luke 10:17-19

This was the initial rejoicing of the 70.
• They had expected to go and most likely to be rejected,
• And yet they were surprised when they realized that the demons were subject to them.

More than just the ability to cast out demons, they saw the lost saved.
Jesus COMMENDED this by saying that as they went
He had been “watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”

Beyond that Jesus revealed to the 70
• That not only did they have authority over the enemy, but they themselves were also off-limits from him. He said, “nothing will injure you”

Nothing can inflict a spiritual injury that can pull you away from Me.

And that statement quickly led us into the next point of rejoicing.
#2 SECURE SALVATION
Luke 10:20

Certainly spiritual authority is a reason for rejoicing,
But comparatively speaking, there is something far greater to rejoice in.
“that your names are recorded in heaven.”

And we talked about this.
• We looked at the various places this terminology was used.
• And we discerned that we are talking here about the heavenly roster, the “Lamb’s book of life.”
• It is the record of the redeemed.
• It is the registry of the bride of Christ.
• Those whose names are recorded there gain entrance into the heavenly city.
• Those whose names are not recorded there are thrown into the “lake of fire”.

And we also learned that this book was written “before the foundation of the world.”
• It was the sovereign decision of God to choose a bride for His Son.
• And even when this bride proved unworthy, the Father sent the Son to come and pay the price of her redemption.

That is why the book is also called
“the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain”
It is the list of those whom Christ atoned for on the cross.

And since Christ promised that
He will not erase our names from the book,
WE REJOICE THEN IN THIS SECURE SALVATION.

So certainly we rejoice in spiritual authority and victories.
But ultimately we rejoice in the victory
That was won on our behalf through Christ in saving us.

And we rejoice that regardless of what we face in this life,
We know we have an eternal home that awaits.

That is why Christians rejoice.

Well, this morning we want to look at THE 3RD REASON.
And it has already been alluded to quite extensively.

We talked about how God chose us before the foundation of the world
And recorded our names in the book of life.

That understanding leads to the 3rd basis for Christian joy
#3 SOVEREIGN GRACE
Luke 10:21-23

And while Jesus commended rejoicing in spiritual authority…
And while Jesus commanded rejoicing in secure salvation…
Jesus Himself celebrated the reality of sovereign grace

“At that very time (literally hour) He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit”

As Jesus explained the reality of God’s sovereign decision
To record the names of the 70 in the heavenly roster;
It no doubt flooded Jesus’ mind again to the sovereign work of God
That has occurred in regard to salvation.
AND AT THIS EVEN JESUS REJOICED.

However what may seem peculiar to some is WHAT specifically He rejoiced in.

He said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”

Now let’s think about this for a moment.
Just to make sure you understand the setting for His statement of praise.

I want to read this passage to you from Matthew’s gospel
Because I want you to see where Matthew links this statement.

Matthew 11:20-26 “Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon inthe day of judgment than for you. “And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. “Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”

Now you recognize that first part of the passage.
• We looked at it in Luke 10 back in verses 13-15 as Jesus was preparing to
send out the 70.
• Jesus just spoke of those cities that would not believe despite the miracles
they saw, and Jesus announced their judgment.

But Matthew then skips the information about the 70 going and returning
And rejoicing in their authority.

Instead, Matthew jumps straight to the statement of praise from Jesus.
(Incidentally when Matthew says “At that time” He doesn’t use the word HORA that Luke uses (hour) he uses KAIROS (time))

But Matthew undoubtedly links the statement of Jesus’ praise
About the truth being hidden from the “wise and intelligent”
To those cities that saw Him and didn’t believe.

Does that help you understand what we are seeing here in Luke’s gospel?
• The “wise and intelligent” are those who have seen the miracles of Jesus and heard the preaching of Jesus but have not believed.
• It is cities like Capernaum and Bethsaida and Chorazin

Incidentally then, the “infants” would be those who did believe.
• He uses “infants” because they are uneducated, untrained, have no experience, and thus are not leaned upon for insight by anyone.

But perhaps the peculiar part in all of this is that Jesus is rejoicing.

Jesus actually says, “I praise You Father…that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.”

So it is puzzling to some that Jesus would rejoice in this,
Or praise God for this.

I thought we were supposed to praise God when sinners got saved,
But here Jesus is recorded as rejoicing in the fact
That God hid the truth from them.

And let me just point out (as a side note) for a moment:
That in our world there are many WHO HATE the doctrines of grace.
• I’ve encountered many who vehemently fight the doctrine of election as it is supposedly unfair and makes God look like a monster. (so they say)
• They fight it, they argue with it, they hate it.
• But, read Luke 10:21 and you will see that Jesus praised God for it! Jesus rejoiced in it!

When Jesus contemplated the sovereign grace of God
And the fact that God hid truth from some and revealed it to others, THIS DID NOT GRIEVE JESUS, IT LED HIM TO PRAISE.

That tells us where we should land on this doctrine.
You can’t hate a doctrine Jesus clearly rejoiced in.

But let me also tell you that there are two reasons why even genuine believers may hate this doctrine.

1) PRIDE
• Let me be the first to tell you that the doctrines of grace and God’s sovereign election are absolutely pride crushing.
• There is no room for man to get any glory when salvation is a matter of God’s sovereign prerogative and not man’s will.
• Election ends in SOLI DEO GLORIA (the glory of God alone)

And some people, who think too highly of the ability and will of man, and who think too highly of their evangelistic skill struggle with this doctrine.

2) IGNORANCE
• They just don’t understand it. They don’t understand what the Bible teaches about it.

So we’re going to take some time here
And see if we can’t certainly take care of that second problem
And trust that God will take care of the first one.

BUT JESUS HERE IS FOUND IN SEEMINGLY PECULIAR FASHION.
He is rejoicing in the Holy Spirit and He is praising God
For hiding things from the wise and for revealing them to infants.

(If He had just praised God for revealing it to infants we’d have no problem, but it’s the fact that Jesus adds praise to God for hiding these things from the wise)
What are we to make of that?

Well, there is actually a much longer and more detailed passage of Scripture that takes this reality and explains it much more fully.

And I think if we can look at it
That it will answer a lot of the questions that you may have
About why Jesus is rejoicing here.

TURN TO: 1 Corinthians 1:18

Now the statement actually comes as Paul is rebuking the Corinthians for their pride and division in the body.
• Namely their division is regarding which spiritual leader they identify with.
• Some actually seek to gain credit by saying they are “of Paul”
• Paul balks at this notion by saying that he wasn’t crucified for anyone, and no one was baptized in his name, and beyond that he “didn’t baptize anyone”.

And then Paul says (17) “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”

Now that’s an interesting statement.
We understand the preaching the gospel part.
But Paul says he was specifically sent
To preach the gospel “NOT in cleverness of speech”

That is to say he was NOT TO USE
Worldly logic or wisdom or manipulation or debate.

And someone would say “Why?”
And Paul’s answer “so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”

So we learn that to preach the gospel
While trying to debate it on an intellectual or “wise” level
Is to actually make void the message of the cross.

That’s a pretty serious issue, wouldn’t you say?
That if you add human wisdom and logic to your presentation of the gospel, all you are doing is stripping the message of all it’s real power.

Incidentally, that’s not the only time Paul said this:
1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” — which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”

Paul told Timothy to stick to the treasure of the gospel and avoid the so called “knowledge” of this world. Men who cling to that actually go “astray from the faith”.

That’s a remarkable statement!
(and we could say so much here about the present-day fascination with scientific argument and “apologetics” that has infiltrated our preaching)

But you have Paul making it clear that in the preaching of the gospel
He is avoiding worldly wise and knowledgeable arguments.

If you want him to clarify it even more just look to chapter 2 here in 1 Corinthians.

(READ 2:1-5)
It’s clear again isn’t.
• He avoided “superiority of speech” and “wisdom”.
• In fact he “determined to know nothing”
• Because he wanted their faith to rest on God’s power not his power of debate.

Paul saw the addition of human argument
As a weakening of the gospel, not as a valuable supplement.

ARE WE CLEAR THERE?

WELL, LET’S SEE WHY.
And the reason is because Paul understood the same thing Jesus understood.

(1:18) “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“the word of the cross” is the message of the gospel.
• It highlights the sinfulness of man (why the cross was necessary)
• It highlights the inability of man (you couldn’t be righteous on your own)
• It highlights the sufficiency of Christ (God crushed Him and accepted you)
• It highlights the grace and love and mercy of God (to atone for us)

And Paul reminds that the world thinks that is “foolishness”
“foolishness” there is MORIA in the Greek.
It’s where we get our word for “moron”.

That’s what the world thinks about this message.
They think it’s moronic.

He’ll actually tell you why later in verse 22 saying, “For Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom”

• Jews want demonstrations of power, not the weakness death on a cross
• Greeks want demonstrations of wisdom, not the foolishness of scorn and shame on a cross.

In other words the notion that the God of the universe
Would subject Himself to such abuse and shame
Was beyond believable to them and they rejected it.

Now, we know there is MORE TO THEIR UNBELIEF than that.
We also know that:
• “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving” (2 Cor. 4:4)
• “unrighteous men suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18)
• “everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (Jn. 3:20)

But we understand something of why the world hates the cross.
AND THE POINT IS THAT for those seeking “earthly power”
Or for those seeking “earthly wisdom”
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS NOT ENOUGH TO TURN THEM.

Those people think that message is foolish.
(And that’s why so many today have abandoned that message for something more spectacular or for something more intellectual)

But Paul says the gospel is foolish to them.

FURTHERMORE: Paul says that God made it like this on purpose.
(this was no accident)

(1:19) “For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”

Paul quotes there from Isaiah 29:14

And in our search for understanding, we have to look at this quickly.
(You’re more familiar with this than you know)

Isaiah 29:13-14 “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.”

Recognize that passage?
• We just talked about it last Sunday night
• Jesus applied it to the Jews in Matthew 15

It is a passage that speaks of people who don’t love God.
• Their religion is external, but they do not believe.
• And God’s response was that He would deal in such a way with them as to
show the utter foolishness of their plan.

They thought that through their own “works” and “intellect”
That they could devise a religious scheme
That would make them pleasing to God.

God was going to show just how foolish their plan was.

AND THE MEANS BY WHICH GOD SHOWED THEM FOOLISH
WAS THROUGH THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS.

So, when we preach the cross,
We aren’t just revealing the salvation of God,
WE ARE ALSO exposing the foolishness of worldly wisdom.

AND TO PROVE THAT, Paul in effect tells the congregation to just look around at each other, while he asks this question: (1:20) “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?

THE ANSWER: They aren’t here. (they don’t believe, they aren’t saved)

In all their wisdom, and in all they know, and in all their ability,
They don’t know the most important piece of information
That has ever entered the world.
THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO BE JUSTIFIED IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.

• They can operate on the brain…
• They can put a man on the moon…
• They can build a bomb that will split an atom…
• They can design buildings that will reach the heavens…
• They can explain mysteries you and I know nothing about…
• They are smart…no doubt about it.

They know how to answer all the problems of physics or how to explain the wonders of chemistry or biology, BUT NOT how to be just before God.

What else can be deduced but:
That their great knowledge and wisdom has ultimately failed them?

To which Paul says:
“Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

I mean, you can actually become a rocket scientist, but if you still don’t know how to be just before God, what is your education really worth?

THE POINT: MAN’S WISDOM DOES NOT LEAD TO SALVATION

And again, God DETERMINED for it to be this way.
(1:21) “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”

Now take that statement for a second.
“For since…the world in its wisdom did not come to know God”

Remember Romans 1?
Romans 1:18-22 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,”

Since the world didn’t use their wisdom to know God,
God ultimately condemned them by making the truth of salvation that which was too foolish for them to believe.

(1:22-25) “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

And what Paul is saying then is becoming clear to us.
1. When I come I only preach the cross even though it is a foolish to the wise.
2. But I preach the cross because it is God’s ordained message and the way that He saves those who believe.
3. So in this message (which the world regards as foolish) God actually puts His power and wisdom on display because He saves people with it.
4. Thus, God proves His wisdom as superior to the world’s and God proves His power as superior to the world’s.

In other words, the world can mock all they want
About how foolish the message of the cross is,
But the reality is that their “wise” message isn’t saving anyone,
But God’s “foolish” message is.

You may think it foolish, but in the end, you’ll see who the real fool is.

• So you have arrogant man who in their “wisdom” decided not to seek God because they didn’t need His help.
• And you have God then who proved their “foolishness” by saving men in a way they were too smart to reject.

Can you see the issue here is credit and the glory of God?
Can you see that God is not about to let man get the glory for salvation?
He makes a mockery of the wisdom of the wise because the glory is His.

But the result was salvation, but not to the wise or the strong.

And Paul again says, “Look Around”
(1:26-31) “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

So perhaps now you’re seeing more as to why God did it this way.
• By orchestrating a salvation too foolish for the “wise”
• And by orchestrating a salvation too weak for the “strong”

God not only shamed their supposed wisdom and strength,
But He also put His own glory on display.

If a smart man is saved by his intellect
Or a strong man is saved by his strength,
Then the glory for salvation goes to the wise man and the strong man.

But if a foolish man is saved in spite of his foolishness
And a weak man is saved in spite of his weakness
Then all the glory goes to God.

Jeremiah said the same thing:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”

Now that is an explanation as to why God hid salvation from the wise
And revealed it to infants.

But that is not all there is to understand.
For in chapter 2 Paul begins to explain HOW the foolish and the weak were able to come to the knowledge of salvation.

(READ: 1 Cor. 2:6-16)

There Paul does acknowledge that he does in fact preach a deep wisdom.
• It is a wisdom of God that far exceeds earthly wisdom.
• It is a wisdom that the wise didn’t understand, and they proved it by crucifying Christ.
• It is a wisdom which man could never think of and which on his own he could never understand. In fact it is wisdom that is contained in a mystery.

But the question is, how do the foolish come to know this wisdom that is too deep even for the wise of the world to understand?

And here is the answer:
(10-12) “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,”

The Holy Spirit is the agent which takes foolish men
And reveals to them the things that only God knows.

• It is knowledge not obtained through worldly studies.
• It is wisdom too deep for philosophy.
• It is wisdom which only comes as a revelation of God’s own Holy Spirit.

A natural man can’t understand it.
Only a man whom God chooses to grant it to can get it.

And if you want the ULTIMATE APPLICATION here to all of this insight,
Paul gives it in chapter 3.

(3:18-20) “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”

Paul says you must become foolish.
• That is, you must deny your reliance upon your own understanding as sufficient for salvation.
• You must deny your reliance upon your own power as sufficient to save.
• You must embrace the message that the world regards as foolish.
• You must embrace the power that the world rejects.

And if you will humble yourself in that way,
Then you will receive the spiritual revelation of God’s salvation
Which is in fact far superior to anything the world knows.

Now, I realize that that was a sort of A CRASH COURSE through Paul’s explanation of why God shamed the wise and exalted the foolish.

But take that information and let’s return now
And listen again to what Jesus said.

Back in Luke 10

“At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”

Now we’re going to have to stretch our explanation of this passage into next week, but do you at least now see the basis behind it?

You have Jesus praising God
For hiding the truths of salvation from the wise.

Well, now we know why.
• He was shaming their wisdom and their arrogant pride to think they could figure out salvation on their own.
• He was shaming their power and their arrogant pride to think they can accomplish salvation on their own.

And that’s why He only revealed salvation to “infants”.
Those too ignorant and those too weak to accomplish anything on their own.

And in doing so He proved that all wisdom and all power is His.
That is why Jesus said, “this way was well-pleasing in Your sight”

You did it according to Your will
Because it pleased You and glorified You.

It also helps us understand why Luke says that Jesus began by rejoicing “greatly in the Holy Spirit”

Because it is the Holy Spirit who is the agent of this revelation
• It is the Holy Spirit who took that mystery of God’s salvation and revealed it the infants and allowed them to be saved.

SO WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS
• Jesus witnessing the spiritual victories of the 70 and then discussing the
secure and sovereign salvation of the 70.

• And as Jesus contemplates that these 70 are not the wise and intelligent like
the people of Capernaum or Bethsaida who rejected the message, but are
instead the foolish infants by worldly standards Jesus rejoiced!

He rejoiced that God had proven Himself wise by humiliating the wise.
He rejoiced that God had proven Himself gracious by saving the foolish.
He rejoiced that God had proven Himself powerful by saving the weak.

JESUS IS REJOICING THAT THE FATHER IS SHOWING HIMSELF SOVEREIGN AND THUS GLORIFYING HIMSELF!

Does that make sense?

By seeing the salvation of the 70
(the weak and foolish infants of the world)
Jesus was blown away by the Father’s wisdom and power to save even infants like them and He praised God!

He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit
And He praised the Father

Now, we’ve got a lot more to talk about in this passage
But this morning I simply want to leave you with this simple element.

Jesus “rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit” because it was the Holy Spirit who revealed the depths of God to men who could not have otherwise known it.

Can you rejoice in that?
Absolutely!

• Can you rejoice that God chose to show you truths that you would have never discerned on your own?
• Can you acknowledge that you could have never searched or studied enough to have figured out how to save yourself, but God chose to reveal it to you through His Holy Spirit?

Yes, we can rejoice in that.
And incidentally, this is called Sovereign Grace!

That God sovereignly chose to reveal to you
What you could never have grasped on your own.

We most certainly can rejoice in that.

WE ALSO SEE THAT Jesus Praised the Father because He had “hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and…revealed them to infants”

Can you praise the Father for that?
• Can you praise God’s wisdom?
• Can you praise God’s power?
• Can you praise God for being wiser than the wisest man and stronger than the strongest man?
• Can you praise God for elevating Himself above all human wisdom and power?

Jesus did, and we do too!

Now, we’re going to work through this text a bit more next time,
But this morning just take these two basic truths.

• REJOICE that the Holy Spirit revealed to you the knowledge of salvation.
• PRAISE God that He sovereignly chose to reveal it to you.

Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

The Attitude of Worship
Psalms 26
February 10, 2019

The prophet Isaiah said:
Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”

The Lord referenced there one of the problems
That was occurring in the worship of Israel.

Namely that people were committed to the form,
But had totally failed to grasp the purpose.
They were good at going through the motions,
But their hearts were not united in what they were doing.

You may remember that Jesus quoted this very verse to the Pharisees.
• In Matthew 15 after they rebuked Him because His disciples didn’t wash their
hands before they ate and thus broke the traditions of the elders.
• Jesus first confronted a specific issue of their hypocrisy and then quoted that
verse to them.

You are a people who come near
You are a people who way the right things
But in your heart, you have no desire to truly worship Me

It was this same group that earned that infamous title from Jesus.
He called them “Actors” or, in the Greek HUPOCRATES,
Or in your Bible, “Hypocrites”

• They just went through the motions.
• Like cups that were clean on the outside and dirty on the inside
• Like tombs that were adorned with jewels but full of dead men’s bones

Their actions were, for the most part, on point,
But the problem was their heart.

From these men we learn a very important lesson.
ATTITUDE MATTERS

It has never been enough to just go through the motions with God.
• Sitting through the worship service
• Singing the songs
• Knowing when to stand and when to sit and how to be quiet

That has never been enough.
God has always looks much deeper.
He looks at the heart.

This reminds us of David’s request back in Psalms 19
Psalms 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”

It’s not just the words we say,
But the thoughts of our heart as we say them.

The prophet Micah addressed this issue as well.
Namely that God wanted much more than just for people to complete the list of requirements.

Micah 6:6-8 “What God Requires of Man With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

The heart matters. Attitude matters.

We even have an entire section of Scripture called “The Beatitudes”
They focus on things like humility, and repentance, and purity of heart,
And righteous desire, and submission.

It is attitudes of people who genuinely seek God.
And thus we are certain that right worship with a wrong attitude
Is not acceptable to God.

Perhaps the most definitive statement to this regard came from Jesus as He spoke to a Samaritan woman whom He met at a well.
John 4:21-24 “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The key is obviously worship and the admonition couldn’t be clearer.
When you worship God it must be “in spirit and in truth”

Now on one hand
We know the dangers of worshiping in spirit but not truth.
• That is nothing more than an emotional frenzy.
• This would be the main problem with the charismatic movement.

You can get all excited, but if the truth isn’t there,
Or if you do the wrong thing or do it in the wrong way
(See Aaron’s sons offering strange fire or Uzzah touching the Ark)
The worship is not acceptable.

But the other problem is just as bad,
And that is to worship in truth but not spirit.
• It is to accurately go through all the motions without the genuine heart of worship on the inside.
• It is to have no internal agreement with your external behavior.

That is not acceptable either.

Can we really say we have worshiped God if we sang, without even contemplating the words?
Can we really say we have worshiped if attended, but didn’t want to?

IT REALLY BEGS THE QUESTION
Why did I come?
Why have I assembled?

The LORD said it through Isaiah:
Isaiah 1:12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?”

I mean, why even mess up the courtyard?

HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN THOUGHT TO HOW YOU’RE GOING TO WORSHIP?
• Have you ever considered if your worship is acceptable?

Or do you just sort of come and go through the motions with little concern as to whether or not God is pleased?

That’s called APATHY
And God strongly rebuked Israel for it.

Malachi 1:6-14 “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ “You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the LORD is to be despised.’ “But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. “But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you. “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ “You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the LORD of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the LORD. “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the LORD of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.”

• You see there that the LORD was angry at the priests.
• Because they were accepting blemished sacrifices
• Then they were complaining about how much work it was

And God’s response was, “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,”

In other words, “If you’re not interested in genuinely worshiping, then I’m not interested in having you here.”

• Certainly our ORDER of worship matters.
• Certainly the DOCTRINE of our worship matters.
• But do not forget that equally important is the ATTITUDE of our worship.

Well, with that as an introduction we turn now to Psalms 26.
In this Psalm we get a peek into David’s attitude
Regarding the public corporate worship service.

And it’s a good example for us to follow.
Especially since David is regarded as “a man after God’s own heart”
(David knew a thing or two about worship)

There are 5 realities we find in David here that we wish to express in our own lives.
#1 A REALIZATION ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF WORSHIP
Psalms 26:1-3

You read right off the bat the word “Vindicate”
And we are aware of that meaning.

But the word can also be translated “Judge”
And I think that better fits the language of David here.

For you see 3 other verbs in verse 2 that all speak to that same mentality.
“Examine” – “try” – “Test”

You have here David with a request that
God would thoroughly examine and evaluate him.

Now, that does not mean that David is totally clueless as to his appraisal.
You’ll notice that David has already evaluated himself.

He says,
(1) “I have walked in my integrity”
(1) “I have trusted in the LORD without wavering”
(3) “For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth”

Now if you listen to David you see that AS FAR AS DAVID KNOWS
He is worshiping and walking in a manner that is pleasing to God.
And yet, David knows that is not enough.

So He asks the Lord to judge him.
“Vindicate me, O LORD”
“Examine me, O LORD, and try me;”
“Test my mind and my heart.”

That is David’s way of saying that
Despite what he may think about his own actions,
Ultimately he wants the Lord to examine him.

Anyone with that sort of request obviously cares about doing it right.

We see this mentality from him later as well:
Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

Paul made this statement:
1 Corinthians 4:3-5 “But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

Paul understood as David did, that
Our own evaluations of our worship are not the ones that matter.

Didn’t we learn from Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”

David knows that.
And so here the first thing he wants is for God to examine him.

What does that indicate to us?
That David’s attitude is one that realizes that worship is about pleasing God not pleasing David.

We read it quite often in Romans 12:
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

We understand that worship must be that which God accepts.

We may have lost this mentality in our world,
But that mentality was certainly alive and well in David’s.
• Every time the priest went behind that veil…
• Every time the sacrifice was laid on the altar…
• It was vitally important that God accept it or people were in trouble.

One had to be very careful to worship exactly as God prescribed
Otherwise ones worship might be deemed unacceptable.

Well you have David here asking just that.
God examine me and tell me if my worship is acceptable.

And friends that is a tremendous attitude to have in worship.
• To be more concerned about whether God accepts it than if I do.
• To sing with a focus on God’s enjoyment instead of my own.
• To be willing and humble to lift my life before God for His evaluation.

THAT IS A GENUINE ATTITUDE OF WORSHIP.
That it matters to me that my life is pleasing to God,
So much so that I ask Him to evaluate me and tell me if it isn’t.

David knew who worship was supposed to please, and so David asked Him if it did.
#2 A REJECTION OF HYPOCRITICAL WORSHIP
Psalms 26:4-5

In light of the first point, this one makes perfect sense.
• David’s concern is that his worship be internally pleasing.
• He wanted God to test his mind and his heart and make sure it was acceptable.

With that sort of mentality regarding worship,
It certainly makes sense to us to find that
David had little patience for those who didn’t care what God thought.

David had no interest in participating in
Some sort of hypocritical and phony worship service.

And he declared that here.
“I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders.”
• He’s talking about liars in worship.
• He’s talking about pretenders in worship.

They are people who attend and sing the songs but they don’t love God.
David says, “I’ll have none of that!”

(5) “I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked.”
• These are people who assemble in worship, but it is all a show.
• They have no intention of leaving their sin.

They are like the people described in Jeremiah 7
Jeremiah 7:8-11 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah spoke of people who lived for the world 6 days a week
And then thought it was all magically erased because they went to church.

Not hardly!
And God judged those people for that.

David has a similar mentality.
I am not going to sit with the wicked and offer with them
Some sort of defiled worship to God.

David has no tolerance of hypocritical worship.

I should point out that God doesn’t either:
Isaiah 1:10-17 “Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

We don’t have time to go read it all, but sometime go read Ezekiel 8-11 and I’ll tell you what you’ll find.
• God sends Ezekiel through a vision to see what is going on in His very temple.
• It is a bunch of people with no love for God.
• In Ezekiel 9 God marks them for judgment.
• In Ezekiel 10-11 God departs from them altogether.

I don’t mind telling you that Jesus had no tolerance for this either.
There is an interesting series of events that unfolds in Mark 11.
Mark 11:11-18 “Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a ROBBERS’DEN.” The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.”

Did you catch how in verse 11 Jesus first looked around and saw it all?
And then the next day He returned and drove everyone out.
No tolerance for hypocritical worship.

And church that disdain hasn’t changed.
• I know we live in this world of “don’t judge”
• And everyone thinks the worship service is some new found manner of “self
expression”
• And we aren’t supposed to criticize anyone else’s worship.

BUT LOOK AT CORINTH.

Remember in 1 Corinthians 5
• When we had that guy sleeping with his father’s wife?
• Paul commanded them to kick that guy out of the church.

1 Corinthians 5:8 “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

The congregation should be pure!
Worship is at stake here.

Or look at 1 Corinthians 10
• Where he recognized people who were going to some sort of idol worship on Saturday and then to church on Sunday.

1 Corinthians 10:21-22 “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?”

Or look at 1 Corinthians 11
• Where people are getting drunk during the Lord’s Supper and excluding the poor and listen to Paul.

1 Corinthians 11:22 “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.”

And later Paul said that God was killing some of them for that sin.

Or look at 1 Corinthians 14
• Where Paul rebuked them for all seeking the limelight and the microphone and the up front and center position.

1 Corinthians 14:26 “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”

My point?
Neither David, nor the prophets, nor the apostles, nor the Father,
Nor Jesus had any interest in hypocritical worship.

WE REJECT IT.
• We are not here to go through the motions.
• We are not free to live one way 6 days a week and some other way on Sunday.
• We gather as a committed redeemed bride, and we are right to not tolerate anything less.

It is a good attitude in worship.
• Realization about the requirements of worship
• Rejection of hypocritical worship
#3 A REGARD FOR CORPORATE WORSHIP
Psalms 26:6-8

We have again a statement of David’s pure commitment.

He says, “I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about Your altar, O LORD”

That is his way of saying, my worship will be pure.
“When I appear in Your courts, I won’t just be going through the motions
And I won’t be covering up some sin.
I’m here to genuinely and faithfully and honestly worship You.”

(7) “That I may proclaims with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders.”

When you read that verse, we understand David as saying,
“I’m coming in innocence so I can sing faithfully.”

That’s one way to look at it.

ANOTHER (those of you with the MacArthur Bible will notice it in his commentary)
That this verse can also be translated “to hear the sound of praise and to proclaim all Your wonders”

In other words, David could also be saying,
That I am going in innocence and drawing near to Your altar
Because I want to hear the singing of the congregation
And I want to sing along with them.

(8) “O LORD I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells”

That is David’s response to being in a worship service
Surrounded by other believers as they sing hymns of praise to God
And draw near to Him.

David says, “I LOVE THIS!”
Attending worship isn’t a burden, it is a delight.
Attending worship isn’t a drag, it is a joy.
He loves worshiping God alongside other believers!

That is an attitude of worship that must be maintained.

In fact, I’d say if that is not the attitude of your heart in worship
That repentance may be in order.

When the early church was redeemed and filled with the Holy Spirit,
• You did not have to tell them that they should love the company of the saints or that they should give worship a try.

They loved it!

Acts 2:43-47 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

David had that kind of a love.

Later we’ll read:
Psalms 84:1-4, 10 “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

It’s just a genuine love for being in the house of God
And participating in corporate worship.

I know, we hear it all the time.
People who supposedly love God and believe in Jesus,
But who never assemble with God’s people for corporate worship.

They are fooling themselves.
• If you don’t love corporate worship…
• If you don’t love the fellowship of the saints…
• You really need to ask yourself if your love for God is genuine…

David loved the worship.
#4 A RECOGNITION ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS OF WORSHIP
Psalms 26:9-11

HERE WE LEARN SOMETHING
About just how serious it is to worship God correctly.

David seems to understand that
Those who do not worship God correctly will be judged by God
And he wants to make sure God knows that he is not one of them.

That’s why he asked Got do examine him earlier.
• He wants to make sure that his worship is acceptable because those who do not have acceptable worship will be judged.

Look at it.
(9-11) “Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious to me.”

David knew that there were people who did not worship God accurately.
• They were “sinners”
• They had “a wicked scheme”
• Their “right hand is full of bribes”

They were people who are seeking to use God to their own benefit
And their worship is nothing more than some sort of bargaining chip
Seeking to get God off their back.

David knows that such worship is not acceptable
And that God will indeed take them away.

So David wants to make sure that God knows that he is not like them.
David’s desire is to walk in integrity.

What is more David worships God for redemption and forgiveness.
• It’s not that David thinks himself righteous.
• It is that he is pure in heart regarding his worship.
• He knows he needs forgiveness; he knows he needs grace.

The issue is that he wants God to know that his worship is pure
And not to cast him aside with the sinners
Who aren’t concerned about that.

In other words:
• We all sit here in a worship service, and every single one of us is sinful in need of redemption and grace.
• But it is possible that only a portion truly believe that and worship God genuinely for giving it.

It is possible that there are some sinners even in worship
Who do not truly humble themselves before God or worship Him honestly.

Remember the Corinthians that Paul said God was killing because they were not judging their body rightly when taking the Lord’s Supper?

David knows that such people will be judged.
HIS PRAYER IS THAT GOD MAKE A DISTINCTION
Between sinners who love God and value grace
And between sinners who don’t.

What you see here is that worship is a serious issue.
• Failure to do it brings judgment.
• David wants God to know that I am doing it, and I want to do it well.

To that we’d ask the question, “How serious is worship to me?”
• Is it a big deal to me?
• Does it matter to me if I participate?
• Does it matter to me if I do it correctly?

It did to David.
#5 A RESOLVE TO CONTINUE TO WORSHIP
Psalms 26:12

“My foot stands on a level place;”
• He has put his foot down.
• His footstep is firm.
• His decision is resolute.

“In the congregations I shall bless the LORD”

We simply call that commitment.

It wasn’t about, “I’ll go so long as I enjoy it.”
It wasn’t about, “I’ll go if it’s convenient”
WORSHIP WAS A PRIORITY FOR HIM.

• I’m going to church.
• I’m going to stand in that congregation.
• I’m going to bless the Lord with them.

Is that important to you?
Because we live in a world where worship has lost all sense of priority.
We live in a world where anything at all
Is an acceptable reason not to attend corporate worship.

We go to church
• If the weather is pretty,
• And I didn’t stay out too late on Saturday,
• And if I don’t have a basketball tournament, or some other sporting event,
• And if my family or friends aren’t planning some other party or event that I want to go to,
• Or whatever else.

You have David here saying:
“It doesn’t matter what else is happening, I can tell you where you’ll find me. I’ll be in that congregation blessing the Lord.”

Is that not a remarkable attitude for worship?

LISTEN TO IT.
• David has a concern that God is pleased with his worship.
• He is so concerned that he actually asks God to send him an evaluation of how he did.
We call that HUMILITY

• David is also passionate about a pure worship.
• He’s not in this for the style points.
• He wants to gather with the genuinely redeemed and worship with them as God commands.
It was PURITY

• David also has a genuine love for worship.
• No one is making him do it.
• It’s not a burden to him, it’s the delight of his life.
It was LOVE

• David understood that the accuracy of worship matters
• And that God judges those who do not do it correctly.
• And so he was careful to not only worship accurately,
• But pray to God that he not be reckoned with the wicked.
It was SERIOUSNESS

• And David expressed a commitment to be in worship among God’s people blessing God with one accord.
It was PRIORITY

Those are pretty good indicators of the attitude of worship.
HUMILITY
PURITY
LOVE
SERIOUSNESS
PRIORITY
Those are good attitudes to evaluate ourselves by.

But ultimately it begins where David did by asking God to examine him.

Tonight, I think it’s only fitting that we take the Psalm to heart.
And as we come to an invitation time, I would think that the request of the first 2 verses would be a fitting prayer for everyone in this room.

“Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.

The Basis For Christian Joy – Part 2
Luke 10:17-24 (20)
February 10, 2019

As you know, we are currently in a section in Luke’s gospel
Where we are talking about the Necessity of Jesus.

• Certainly that has been revealed in Jesus’ sending out the 70 to announce His coming.
• And now we are seeing that through the lens of Christian joy.

In our current text we are looking at 4 truths which we are calling “The Basis For Christian Joy”

And certainly each of these 4 truths also highlight the necessity of Christ,
Since none of them are possible without Him.

We began looking at these 4 reasons last time.
#1 YOUR SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
Luke 10:17-19

Here is where we saw the 70 return to the Lord.
• He had sent them out into an underworked harvest…
• He had sent them out as lambs in the midst of wolves…
• He had sent them out empty handed, requiring them to operate in faith…
• He had sent them out with the understanding that not all would listen to their message…

As we noted, we don’t have any record of their specific mission endeavors.
There are no stories told by the 70 as to what took place on their trip.

But Luke is especially interested in
The universal response of the 70 when they returned.

He simply records, “The seventy returned with joy”

Luke doesn’t say that 38 of the 70 returned with joy.
Luke records that this was the common response of all on the mission.

And the reason for their joy is even recorded.
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

The reason for their shock is because
• Demonic influence and oppression is well-documented in the gospels.
• It was a severe problem, and one that humans where unable to deal with.
• We get numerous stories of the desperation of people as they face demonic oppression.
• Jews knew they were no match for demons.
• And so the 70 were thrilled to find that as they ministered in Jesus’ name, the demons were subject to them.

And I’m sure that probably indicates that they cast out demons.
But more than that, it indicates victory over the kingdom of darkness.

If you read the gospels and you think that
Only the people with physical demonic infirmities
Are under Satan’s influence then you are gravely mistaken.

• The Bible teaches that the whole world “lies in the power of the evil one”.
• Paul refers to Satan as “the god of this world”
• And Paul reveals that one of the reasons people are lost is because Satan has
“blinded” their “minds”.

Demonic oppression goes much deeper and spreads much farther
Than just physically afflicted people.

But the 70 found tremendous victory over their efforts.
And the 70 came back rejoicing in that.

So what you see from a context standpoint is that
It was the 70 who STARTED THIS CONVERSATION about joy.

It began with them because they rejoiced in their spiritual authority.

And first we noted that JESUS CONFIRMED THIS.
He told them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”

Jesus confirmed both their authority and their rejoicing there.
Jesus saw Satan losing battle after battle after battle.

AND THAT IS REASON FOR REJOICING
• Seeing a life that formerly walked in darkness set free from that darkness to be transferred to the kingdom of light is indeed a reason to rejoice.
• And being used of God to see that miracle occur is also a reason to rejoice.

BUT JESUS DIDN’T STOP THERE.
• He actually gave them more reason to rejoice.
• It’s as though He gave them additional benefit that perhaps they had not realized.

(19) “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy,” (that is what they just saw)

“AND nothing will injure you.”

In other words, it is true that you have authority,
But you should also know that YOU ARE OFF-LIMITS from him.

That DOESN’T mean he can’t war…
That DOESN’T mean he can’t at times hinder…
That DOESN’T mean he can’t physically afflict…

But just as he cannot keep God’s elect from salvation,
Neither can he re-capture one whom God has delivered.
IT IS ABSOLUTE VICTORY.

And that is certainly a reason for rejoicing.

And since this is why the 70 were already rejoicing,
This is where Jesus began.

However, spiritual authority is NOT the main reason for rejoicing,
Nor is it the most important, and Jesus makes that clear as well.

He takes the rejoicing of the 70 and confirms it,
But then helps them discern what the real basis for Christian joy is.

And that new insight begins in verse 20.

Rejoice in Spiritual Authority
#2 REJOICE IN YOUR SECURE SALVATION
Luke 10:20

Jesus clearly confirmed the rejoicing of the 70 regarding their spiritual authority,
But it is also clear that
Spiritual authority is NOT the greatest reason for rejoicing.

Jesus makes that clear here as He uses the word “NEVERTHELESS, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you”

Jesus here isn’t say that it is sinful to rejoice in spiritual authority,
He is merely MAKING A COMPARISON.

It is similar to in Luke 14
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

• Clearly hating your father and mother and wife and children is not a command.
• In fact we are called to love them.
• Rather in that statement Jesus is making a comparison that the love we
have for Him must supersede the love we have for others.

He is doing the same thing here.
It’s not that we don’t rejoice in spiritual authority,
It’s just that that isn’t at all the main reason for rejoicing.

It’s as though Jesus says, “You’re rejoicing in your authority,
Well I’ve got a much better reason than that for you to rejoice.”

And here is that much better reason:
“but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Here is the beauty in what is said:
• You are rejoicing because you had authority over the enemy,
• And you saw him losing battles,
• And you saw people freed from his grasp.

Well then you should rejoice that THIS IS WHAT WAS DONE FOR YOU!
• You were rescued from Satan’s grasp.
• You were rescued from his bonds.
• You were transferred to the kingdom of heaven.

Colossians 1:13-14 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

When Jesus says that “your names are recorded in heaven”
He is saying that “you have been saved.”

But I am grateful that Jesus said it the way He did
Because there is a great deal of insight that we can glean from this.

I don’t know that we’ve ever just sat down and focused on this statement
About our names being recorded, so let’s do that this morning.

Instead of simply saying “rejoice that you have been saved”,
Jesus said to “rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

So let’s chew on that phrase for a moment.
• What we are talking about here is the heavenly register.
• It is the log of all the citizens of heaven.
• It is the roll sheet of those who will inherit the kingdom.

The writer of Hebrews said it like this:
Hebrews 12:22-24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”

The writer of Hebrews is making his strong case
As to why the Hebrews SHOULD NOT CONCERN THEMSELVES
WITH BEING EXCOMMUNICATED from Jewish worship.

• So what if they have lost their access to the temple…
• So what if they have lost their access to the synagogue…
• So what if they have lost their access to the feasts and sacrifices…

All of those things are like trying to draw near to the old Mountain of Sinai
Which (as all Jews should have known) no one was able to effectively draw near to.

The writer of Hebrews told these that
They are drawing near to a different mountain; a heavenly one.
They draw near to the actual Mount Zion, where God lives.

• He calls it “the heavenly Jerusalem”
• It is the place were “myriads of angels” dwell.
• It is also the location of “the general assembly and church of the firstborn”

And then the writer says of the church “who are enrolled in heaven”

Isn’t that a great statement!
What a beautiful reality for the church to ponder
That we are those who have been “enrolled in heaven”

Kids today make a big to do about being ENROLLED IN COLLEGE,
Obviously we are dealing with something far greater here.

Paul makes reference to it in his letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 4:3 “Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”

• There are 2 women there who can’t get along and Paul askes Syzygos (whose
name meant “true companion”) to help these women get along.
• He tells him to get Clement to help and all of the fellow workers and then Paul
says, “whose names are in the book of life.”

That was Paul’s way of describing salvation.
They have been granted eternal life.
They have been written down as alive.

This is what we are talking about.
Those whom God has recorded as His children,
Heirs of His kingdom, recipients of His life.

But without a doubt, the book that likes this statement
More than any other is THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION.

Your first recollection to it is most likely in association with the final Day Of Judgment.
Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

If you had no other understanding of the phrase,
THAT PASSAGE ALONE would be enough to persuade you
To see the importance of having your name recorded in heaven.

It is the sole determining factor in whether or not men escape hell.

If your name has not been recorded in that book of life;
In that registry of heaven, you are consigned to judgment.

ON THE FLIP SIDE, not only do those
Whose name is recorded in the book escape judgement,
BUT THEY ALSO INHERIT THE KINGDOM.

Later when speaking about heaven:
Revelation 21:27 “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Your name has to be recorded on the registry or you don’t get in.

For further clarification it is here referred to as “the Lamb’s book of life” which is even more enriching.
• Namely it is those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.
• They have clothed themselves in the righteousness of Christ.
• They are “in Christ” and Christ is “in them”
• They have become partakers of His crucifixion and partakers of His
resurrection.
• They are His bride, and have been given His name.
• And therefore they are welcomed into His city.

Having your name on that list is of the utmost importance.

It not only is your ticket to escaping the eternal judgment,
But also for entrance into the heavenly city.

AND I would tell you that this is an IRREVOCABLE reality.
Another reference to this book is found in:
Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

It is sometimes humorous to me that people who actually argue against the security of salvation will use this verse as part of their argument.

And yet, read the verse.
Jesus specifically said “I will not erase his name from the book of life”

Nowhere does He say that He will.
I’m not even sure God owns and eraser.

Romans 11:29 “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

So not only are we talking about those
Who are His bride and who are purchased by Christ,
But we are talking about those whose names
ARE SECURELY RECORDED in that book.

And yet there is still more information given about this issue in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

Revelation 13 is not talking about worshiping Jesus,
It is referring to worshiping the Anti-Christ (the first beast).

• He is actually the “Jesus impersonator”
• He will deceive the world with his supposed resurrection from the dead after his mortal wound is healed.
• He will speak arrogant words and blasphemies and will dazzle the world with his miraculous power which he will get from Satan.

And the truth is that everyone will follow him.
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him”

His power will be too great,
And coupled with the fact that he’ll kill anyone who doesn’t worship him,
THE WHOLE WORLD WILL WORSHIP.

And let me tell you why worshiping him is so dangerous.
Revelation 14:9-11 “Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

If you worship him, you go to hell.
It’s that simple.
Yet we learned that everyone will worship him,

EXCEPT for one group.
“everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

The only people who will not worship the Anti-Christ
Are those whose name has been written “in the book of life of the Lamb”

There is clearly a DIVINE PROTECTION that is working on their behalf.

You see it again later:
Revelation 17:8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.”

That is in reference to the Anti-Christ’s supposed death and resurrection.
He was and is not, and is about to come (death and resurrection)

And John says that the world will “wonder”, when they see that.

In fact, the only people that won’t be fooled by him
Are those whose name is written in the book of life.

So you see that there is a sort of divine protection at work on their behalf.
• They are protected from the deception of the enemy…
• They are protected from the destruction for all eternity…
• They are promised to be granted access into the gates of heaven…

It’s an important list!

BUT ALSO GLEANED THERE, especially in the passage in chapter 13
Revelation 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

There it is not just called “the book of life”,
Or even just “the Lamb’s book of life”.

It is referred to as “the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

What we are talking about then is that
This is the list of people who have been atoned for
Through the death of Christ.

This is the book of the names of the people He died for.

On the cross, after bearing the eternal wrath of God, Jesus said:
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

At that moment, He actually paid in full the sin debt of every single one of the names in that book.
• It is the book of the reward of His suffering.
• It is the book of His atonement.
• It is the book of His purchased bride.

He bought her He paid for her
This book is His “bill of sale” where her name is recorded.

But even in that passage there is A LITTLE MORE that is interesting.
Both in 13:8 and in 17:8 we read the same statement.

• (13:8) “written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
• (17:8) “written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.”

Well that is certainly interesting.
This tells us WHEN our names were written there.
And this may go against the grain of conventional evangelical thinking for you.

We typically like to say it like this:
• That on the cross Jesus paid in full all the penalty for all the sins of everyone who ever lived.
• It’s just this blanket pardon, fully paid.
• And if you are willing to claim it, then claim it, and then He’ll write your name in that book too.

But that’s not what we read here.
We read that the names written in that book were written there
“from the foundation of the world”

We are talking about a people (a bride)
Whom God selected from the beginning.
• A people’s, yet to be born, whom God chose and wrote their names in heaven.
• And then, God sent His Son to pay the price of their redemption.
• He chose them, He recorded them, and then He purchased them.
• And not only that, but as we saw in Revelation, He then protected them from all the deceptions and threats of the evil one that they might remain His.
• He would not let them fall prey to the Anti-Christ.
• They are His, chosen, recorded, bought, paid for through the sacrifice of Christ, and protected church.

You want to hear some other places where these people are talked about?
John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus plainly says that I came to do My Father’s will
In purchasing and keeping and raising all those whom He has chosen.

And incidentally, all those that He has given Me,
“I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”

Or:
John 10:14-16 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

Jesus doesn’t speak there of some undisclosed group.
You don’t hear Him talking about how He hopes someone will come.

• No, He knows who are His.
• He came to die for those who are His.
• He is bringing all them, even some who are not of this fold (not Jewish)

And later in that same chapter:
John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

There it is again.
• “I know them”
• “I give eternal life to them”
• “no one will snatch them out of My hand”

Or later in His High Priestly prayer.
John 17:6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.”

There it is, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world”

Even later in that prayer:
John 17:9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;”

That’s some distinction isn’t it!
I’m not talking about everyone here, only those whom You gave Me.

And the whole prayer is about how the Father will protect them.
John 17:11-12 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”

John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

And then of course, as we read earlier in John 19,
Jesus will then go and pay the price of their redemption.

Jesus will pay their penalty and will cancel out their debt
And will transfer them to the kingdom of light.

We are talking about those
Who at the very foundation of the world God chose,
And recorded their names in His registry,
And then sent His Son to pay the price of their forgiveness.

In Matthew’s gospel we read of the redeemed like this:
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

So not only did God choose them and redeem them,
But the kingdom was even prepared for them.

It is really quite remarkable.
And all of this occurred from the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
According to God’s sovereign prerogative.

Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

Or as Paul says to the Romans:
Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

Those whom God chose, (through the process of justification by Christ), end up in glory.
• They do not fall for the deceptions of the evil one…
• They are not condemned in the lake of fire…
• They are granted access into the heavenly city…
• They are securely written there.

I’ve always loved:
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

That’s a verse often quoted by those who wish to refute the doctrine of election,
But if you’ll apply a proper hermeneutic and read that verse in context you’ll see that the “anyone” Peter is referring to is not everyone in general, but rather “you” the elect.

And God is not willing to lose any of those He has chosen.

We saw that same thing in the “Parable of The Wheat and The Tares” where Jesus would not unleash judgment on the tares until all the wheat were safely gathered.

We are just seeing that those
Whom He has chosen and recorded and purchased;
THAT THEY ARE SECURE.

Can we agree then that having your name recorded on that list is a good thing?

Can we agree that…
• Having been chosen of God…
• Having been redeemed by the death of Christ…
• Having been protected from the evil one…
• Having been pardoned from judgment…
• Having been granted access into a heavenly city…
…is a reason for rejoicing?

• Do we rejoice when we go out and preach the gospel and see a sinner set free from the domain of darkness? Yes
• Do we rejoice when a person in affliction finds deliverance? Yes
• Do we rejoice in the fact that Satan’s dominion has been eternally broken? Yes

But what we rejoice most in is that all of these things happened for us.

Do you realize church? (those of you who have been redeemed)
• Do you realize that you are one of the chosen?
• Do you realize that your name was one written from the beginning?
• Do you realize that on the cross Christ was paying for your sin?
• Do you realize that you have been protected from the evil one?

And all this despite the fact that you lived for a time in utter rebellion against God.
• You weren’t born redeemed…
• You weren’t born holy…
• You were born in sin,

But the sovereign prerogative of God,
And the fact that He had already written your name in that book
Meant that He would stop at nothing to rescue you.

Ephesians 2:1-7 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Titus 3:3-7 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

That is a reason to rejoice!

And this is what Jesus tells the 70 here.
In fact, we He COMMANDED them to do it.

And church, I don’t know a better way to celebrate this
Than by coming to the table of the Lord
And rejoicing in the price of our redemption.

So we’ll come to the table of the Lord, and as you do:
“rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

The Gospel in a Nutshell
Romans 1:3-7
July 29, 2007

Two weeks ago, we began a study of Paul’s letter to the Romans.
The reason, as I told you then, is to help us better understand the gospel.

There are many in our churches even today,
Who do not understand the gospel, and could not share it.

As we went on our Men’s Retreat
The last night we began to visit about what true salvation is.

And we realized that in the room of ten men.
7 of us had made child hood professions that were not genuine.
7 of us were truly saved later in life.

That is not to say children cannot be saved.
But the point became apparent to us all.

There has spread throughout our churches a dangerous problem.

MANY IN CHURCHES HAVE FAILED TO TAKE THE TIME
TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL.
As a result, people are preaching an incomplete gospel message, And people are responding to this incomplete gospel message.

We are studying Romans to learn the message of the gospel,
So that we may accurately apply it to our own lives,
And then accurately preach it to others.

For a church that is confused about the gospel, is in a world of hurt.

WHY?
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

It is apparent, we must be accurate in regards to the gospel.

We have already seen two points about the gospel.
“The Preacher of the Gospel” (verse 1)
“The Promise of the Gospel” (verse 2)

This morning we take the next step,
And take a brief look at what the gospel really is.

I want to give you “The Gospel in a Nut Shell”.

And there are three things we see here in these 5 verses.
#1 THE PERSON OF THE GOSPEL
Romans 1:3-4

let’s break this point down into two points.

1) THE SUBJECT (3a)
“concerning His Son”

These three words set the boundaries and parameters
By which we measure everything that claims to be the gospel.

If it is the gospel, then it is about Jesus.

If you desire to be a preacher of the gospel, then that means you are a preacher of Jesus, for the gospel is about Him.

It seems our churches, our pulpits, even our daily conversations, Are filled with all sorts of topics,
But if it is not concerning Jesus, it is not the gospel.

Remember what Paul said?
1 Corinthians 9:16 “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”

But in that letter Paul had already said something else.
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

Paul had already said that he preached, “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” Later he said, “woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”

He had also already said:
1 Corinthians 1:17 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”

To Paul, preaching Jesus was preaching the gospel,
And he would be a fool to stray from that.

But it seems like we continually stray from that.
Much of our evangelism today has become
Surface, superficial, light hearted, pleasant, and ineffective.

That style of religious flattery and attraction is eternally ineffective, because the calling of the gospel is not to make friends.
The calling of the gospel is to make disciples.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The point is that when we go, we must preach Jesus.
We are not just inviting people to church…
We are not just trying to make people feel comfortable…
We are telling people they must fully submit their lives to Jesus Christ.

The gospel is all about Jesus.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

If it’s not about Jesus, then it’s not the gospel.
For the gospel is “concerning His Son”.

But let’s dig a little deeper than that.

We see the subject
2) THE SPECIFICS (3b-4)
“who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

It is true that the gospel is about Jesus,
But today (as we have noted) there are people
Who preach a different Jesus than the Biblical Jesus.

So Paul gets a little more specific about the Jesus that we are preaching.
Now these two specifics do not focus so much on what He did,
But on who He is.

If you fail to correctly understand who He is,
Then what He did loses it’s power.

So Paul wants you to see specifically who He is.
“who was born a descendant of David according to the flesh”

Now let’s just take that statement at face value.
When Jesus was born, He was born in the kingly line of David.

In that, it is apparent, that Jesus was a human (he was born),
And that He has the right to set upon the throne of Israel.

If you look at the two different lineages of Jesus.
Matthew 1 is Joseph’s lineage…
Luke 3 is Mary’s lineage…
You will find that Jesus was of David’s line from both His parents.
Jesus is the rightful King, and Jesus was fully human.

He knows what it is like to be a human.
He knows our pain, He knows our frustrations, He knows our joys.

And that is important to understand.
Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

He faced temptation…
He faced tragedy…
He suffered pain…
He experienced death…

He was fully human.
But that is not the only thing Paul wants you to realize.

(4) “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

Of course, after Jesus died, 3 days later, He rose from the dead.
John 2:19-21 “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

In John 2 Jesus laid down the challenge,
In John 20 Jesus put His money where His mouth was.

He stepped out of His own tomb.
And when this happened Paul said it revealed something.
“who was declared the Son of God with power”

That word “Son” translates HUIOS (hwee-os)

An interesting fact, if you could read John’s gospel in the Greek.
He never uses this word to describe anyone but Jesus.

When speaking of other humans he always uses the word TEKNON

Now here is the difference.

TEKNON gives prominence to the fact of birth.
(This child was born a child of their parent.)

HUIOS does not stress birth, but rather the character of the relationship.

A TEKNON is the child of the father, a HUIOS is just like his father.
(“A chip off the old block”)

WHICH IS WHAT WE LEARN OF JESUS.
He was NOT born of God as we are. Jesus was BORN GOD.

Hebrews 1:1-3 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

And that is why Jesus would say to Thomas.
John 14:9 “Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

The message of the gospel is that Jesus is fully God.
And just in case you had trouble grasping that,
Paul says there is one event that should solidify it.

“was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead”

“power” translates DUNAMIS
It is where we get our word for dynamite.

In other words, the resurrection is extremely powerful evidence
That Jesus is indeed God.

That helps us see who Jesus is.
He is fully man, He is fully God.

He is so much man that He can identify with us,
And so much God that He can save us.

It is the mystery and the miracle of the incarnation.
God veiled in Humanity

Matthew 1:21-23 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

And this is the person of the gospel.
He is the subject of our preaching.

We can talk about all sorts of good things,
But if our preaching is not saturated with the God Man, Jesus Christ, Then we are not preaching the gospel.
He is the Person of the gospel, it is all about Him.

But the gospel is not just informative in nature.
It’s not just meant to serve as an encyclopedia.
The gospel is also loaded with purpose.

There is a reason why the gospel preaches Jesus.

#2 THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL
Romans 1:5

Now Paul begins this verse again explaining to you
WHY HE IS PREACHING THE GOSPEL.

“through whom we have received grace and apostleship”

In other words, it is Jesus who gave us “grace” (ability)
And “apostleship” (authority) to preach this message.
Jesus Himself had commissioned the apostles to carry this message.

BUT WHAT WAS IT’S PURPOSE?
“to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,”

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL?

Immediately someone would say “obedience”.
That is a noble answer, but that is not the purpose of the gospel.

Someone would then work their way down the verse and say, “faith”.
That too is a noble answer, but still not the purpose of the gospel.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL?
The glory of Jesus.

Paul does all that he does “for His name’s sake.”

The purpose of preaching the gospel,
Is so that Jesus will be glorified.

It is our desire to exalt, and glorify Jesus more than any other,
And to do that, we preach the gospel.

WELL HOW DOES THE GOSPEL GLORIFY JESUS?
It leads to faith.

Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

The gospel leads to faith, AND WHAT DOES FAITH LEAD TO?
Obedience.

In fact, if faith doesn’t have obedience,
Then the Bible tells us it is not real faith.
James 2:18-26 “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

We applaud the men of old for their great faith, and rightly so.
But if Noah hadn’t built the boat, would his faith have been real?
If Abraham hadn’t left Ur, would his faith have been real?
If Moses hadn’t left Egypt..?
If Rahab hadn’t hung the scarlet cord…?
If Joshua hadn’t marched around the wall..?

If you don’t obey..?
If you don’t follow..?

You see, faith without works is dead.
That is also why Jesus used obedience
As the chief criteria and evidential fruit of saving faith.

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

Romans 2:12-13 “For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.”

That is why Paul calls it here “the obedience of faith”

And it is this obedience by all men that brings glory to Jesus.
WHICH IS THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL
Isaiah 49:5-6 “And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

That is the purpose of the gospel.

It is NOT to make this church bigger…
It is NOT simply to allow people to go to heaven…

The purpose of the gospel is to turn sinful, wicked, obstinate people Into obedient, submissive, devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

THAT THEN BRINGS GLORY TO JESUS.

THIS IS ANOTHER WAY THE GOSPEL GETS PERVERTED.
First, a perverted gospel messages
Says nothing all about who Jesus is,
But secondly it doesn’t require saving faith;
The kind of faith that is evidenced by obedience.

We seem to think that if we talk about heaven, and forgiveness,
And then tell people to accept it,
That we have preached the gospel, and we are making converts.

WRONG!

A true convert is measured by their love and obedience to Jesus Christ.
If they have not left a life of sin and turned to follow Jesus,
You have not made a disciple.

The purpose of the gospel is simple.
“to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake.”

So first, the person of the gospel
Second, the purpose of the gospel
#3 THE PEOPLE OF THE GOSPEL
Romans 1:6-7

And here is where Paul gets personal.
For he wants the Romans to know that he is not just telling them to examine their preaching, but to first examine their lives.

“among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”

WHAT DOES HE MEAN “CALLED”?
(7) “To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints:”
Now please notice that Paul did not say, “called as sinners”

Yet in the church today, you would think that is what God called us to be.
NO, HE CALLED US AS SAINTS.

We were sinners.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

Ephesians 2:1-7 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

NOW LISTEN CLOSELY
(some of you will scorn this)
I am not a sinner. Now I used to be.
But not any more. Now I am a saint.

That doesn’t mean I don’t sin. I do sin.
But that is not who I am.

Thanks to the blood of Jesus, I am a saint.
And if you have yielded your life to Jesus, so are you.

THAT IS YOUR CALLING.
“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

PAUL WANTED THE ROMANS TO KNOW THIS
You have been called as saints.
And before you start examining your message,
Start examining your life.

If your life is still characterized by sin, then you have not accepted the message of the gospel.

THE PEOPLE OF THE GOSPEL ARE THOSE WHO
HAVE HEARD THE MESSAGE, HAVE REPENTED OF THEIR SIN, HAVE BEEN GIVEN NEW LIFE IN CHRIST,
AND NOW WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS.
Is that you?

In the church we have come to embrace this “defeatist attitude” where sin is inevitable.

If sin is inevitable, then the death of Jesus wasn’t very powerful.

DO NOT FALL INTO THE MINDSET THAT SIN IS INEVITABLE,
OR THAT SIN IS ACCEPTABLE.

Neither is true.
First apply that to your life, and then apply that to your message.

The gospel does not allow sinners to stay in sin.
The gospel leads to the obedience of faith.

That is the gospel in a nut shell.
Jesus came, Jesus saves, so you will obey and glorify Him.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

My first question to you this morning, is:
IS THAT YOU?
And is that the message you are preaching?

THAT IS WHAT PAUL WANTED FOR THE ROMANS.
(7) “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as Saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Grace” = the ability to do right.
“Peace” = the consequence of doing right.

He wanted them to have it, and that is what I want for you.

This morning, give your heart to Jesus Christ,
And preach the message of the gospel
To the world around you.

The Promise of the Gospel
Romans 1:2
July 15, 2007

As we said this morning, we are beginning a study of the book of Romans so that we may gain a true understanding of the gospel.

And not just any gospel, but as Paul stated in verse 1, “the gospel of God”.

God has “good news” for mankind.
And we want to know what His gospel is.

And in verse 1, Paul made the claim that this is the good news that he is preaching.

BUT KEEP IN MIND
Paul can’t be sure exactly who he is dealing with in Rome. This is not a church that he planted, nor has he ministered there.

It is a church that has constantly been on his mind.

He had heard good things about them.
(8) “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”

Paul constantly prayed for them, and for an opportunity to come to them.
(9-10) “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.”

Paul wanted to see them.
(11) “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;”

And many times Paul had tried to go to them, but was not allowed.
(13) “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.”

Paul had a longing for them, but beyond that, Paul did not have personal knowledge of them.

Therefore, when Paul writes this letter, he writes with the assumption of an argument.

Paul had been around for a while by now.
Many think he wrote this letter during his third visit to Corinth, while on his way to Jerusalem, where he would be arrested.

And he knew what sort of arguments he would face from the Jews.

And even if those who received this letter were not prone to argue, Paul knew what sort of arguments they would face, and so one of the first things he sets out to do is to PROVE THAT THE GOSPEL HE IS PREACHING REALLY IS “THE GOSPEL OF GOD”.

And of course he does this quite often.
Galatians 1:11-12 “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

And this is also his point in the text tonight.
Paul wants all those who will read this letter to understand that the things he speaks of here, is not from his own imagination, but can be clearly seen, and understood in the Old Testament.

And this is a wonderful truth to learn.

Many today try to treat the gospel like it is some sort of “Plan B” attempt at salvation. This is not true. The message of the gospel has always been God’s plan of salvation.

And of course we will get in to it,
But the Law was never the plan to save. It was always Jesus.

Beyond that, works was never the way to be saved, it was always faith.
The sacrifices were never more than a picture…
The feasts were never more than a promise…

Everything in the Old Testament was pointing to this gospel that Paul is now preaching, and he wants the Romans to know that.

So, now, after revealing that he is preaching “the gospel of God”, he now devotes this statement to prove such.

And there are three points that he appeals to that we will look at a little deeper to reveal that this gospel is not something new, but has always been God’s plan.

3 things
#1 THE GOSPEL WAS PROMISED
Romans 1:2a “which He promised beforehand”

There was a tendency among Jews to think that if they left Judaism, and the sacrifices to embrace Jesus that they were leaving their heritage behind, and this was a very difficult choice.

Some thought they were running the risk of condemnation to do so.

But they had been deceived.
What they didn’t realize is that their manner of Judaism
Was leading them to condemnation.

WHY?
Hebrews 10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

They needed to see that their belief system was the defection from the truth, not the gospel.

The gospel has always been God’s plan.
IT WAS PROMISED
And we can see that in the Scriptures.

The Old Testament was the root of the “New Covenant”

TURN TO: Jeremiah 31:31-34

TURN TO: Jeremiah 32:36-41

TURN TO: Ezekiel 36:22-32

The idea that man was going to be saved by his own good merits Was never the idea of God.

You never find that in Scripture.
God always promised a day when He would change them from the inside out.

And God promised this salvation by promising a person.
The Old Testament is full of “Messianic Promises”

God continually promised a Messiah.
Now the Jews knew that, but they had a limited understanding of who He would be.

They grasped one point real well, they partially understood another aspect, and they missed one aspect all together.

The aspect they got really well was this:
THE MESSIAH WILL BE SENT FROM GOD

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 42:1-4 “God’s Promise concerning His Servant “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

Now, they got that.
In fact, they were looking for this coming King.

And they even knew were to look.
Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

They couldn’t wait to find the One who would restore Israel.
And that leads to the second aspect that they only partially understood.

THE MESSIAH WILL BE A SAVIOR

They understood this, but only in a political sense. They knew Him to be the one who would break the back of Rome and deliver them politically like David had done.

What they didn’t understand was that He would come to save from a much more deadly foe, and that was sin.

Isaiah 59:15-20 “Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives. And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

And He would be the Savior, not just for Jews, but also for Gentiles.
Isaiah 49:5-7 “And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, “Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”

They knew He would deliver politically (at His 2nd Coming) they didn’t realize that He came to deliver from sin.

So they knew He would be sent from God, and they kind of understood that He would be the Savior.

But the third aspect, they never grasped, and that is that
HE WOULD BE THE SACRIFICE FOR SIN

Isaiah 52:13-14 “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.”

TURN TO: Isaiah 53

They never grasped all that, and many still do not.
That is the offense of the cross.

But the point is that this is and always has been God’s Gospel.
The things concerning Jesus (His death, Burial, Resurrection) was not a new idea, this was promised in the beginning.

The Old Testament promised these things.
And Paul wants you to see that.

First, the gospel was promised
#2 THE GOSPEL WAS PROCLAIMED
Romans 1:2b “which He promised beforehand through His prophets”

Now at this point, I suppose the Jews could argue, that if you manipulated the text, you could come up with a view of Jesus.

I mean anyone can look back at a text and reinterpret it right?
I suppose, but that is not the case with the gospel of God.

The requirements of the gospel that Paul preaches are the same requirements that God has always had in place.

In short, The Gospel was not something to be put into effect later, the gospel has always been in effect. Even in the Old Testament.

Salvation was never by works…
Salvation was never purchased by goats or bulls…
It was never liturgical…
It was never legalistic…

THE GOSPEL THAT IS PROCLAIMED TODAY WAS PROCLAIMED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AS WELL.

And we know that to some degree.
OBVIOUSLY REPENTANCE WAS PREACHED.

Joel 2:12-13 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.”

Jeremiah 3:12-14 “Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not be angry forever. ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the LORD. ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the LORD; ‘For I am a master to you, And I will take you one from a city and two from a family, And I will bring you to Zion.’”

Jeremiah 4:1-4 “If you will return, O Israel,” declares the LORD, “Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver, And you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory.” For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Jeremiah 4:14 “Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts Lodge within you?”

That right there should have been enough to stomp legalism. Religious ritual deals only with the external. There is an external sacrifice for every external sin, but Jeremiah and Joel came talking about the sin of the heart.

Even the Gospel was in the Old Testament telling men to repent of the wickedness of their heart.

Not only that, but the Gospel was in the Old Testament which revealed that man was saved by faith, and not works.

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”

Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.”

Even the Old Testament taught that justification was by faith.
In fact, the Old Testament repeatedly taught the futility of works.

Hosea 6:6 “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Amos 5:21-24 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

1 Samuel 15:22 “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”

Jeremiah 6:20 “For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”

(Asaph)
Psalms 50:8-15 “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me. “I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats? “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

(David)
Psalms 51:16-17 “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

BLATANTLY OBVIOUS
The Old Testament taught repentance, it taught justification by faith.

It even gave the same warning that Paul will give in Romans 6 against cheap grace.

Jeremiah 7:1-11 “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!'” Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. “Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘ This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”

The point is that not only was this gospel of Paul promised in the Old Testament, but it was also preached in the Old Testament.

This has always been God’s gospel.

It was promised, it was proclaimed
#3 THE GOSPEL WAS PRESERVED
Romans 1:2c “which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.”

The point here is that not only has God been proclaiming the same truth for years, but God has also preserved this gospel in His word.

He has not changed it…
He has not allowed it to pass away…
He makes sure that it is always readily available for anyone who is willing to dig for it.

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

In a historical sense, it is somewhat secured because it is written in two dead languages.

Even in this way God has preserved it.

But the main point is that this is God’s gospel, it has always been God’s gospel, it will always be God’s gospel.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US.

Well obviously, first, if you have not accepted God’s gospel, you still must do it.
No amount of intention, or good works will save you.

You must submit to the gospel of God.

Repentance from sin…
Faith in Jesus Christ…

It has always been God’s plan.
Romans 10:5-10 “For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
(Deuteronomy 30:12-14)

BUT BEYOND THAT
It is obvious that God has two passions about the gospel.

1) HE WANTS IT PROCLAIMED
2) HE WANTS IT PRESERVED

That makes our job clear.

We are called to proclaim the gospel.
Romans 10:14-17 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

We are called to preserve the gospel
Jude 3-4 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

We now carry the torch that Paul carried.
We proclaim the gospel, and we preserve the gospel.

There is no doubt it is “the gospel of God”

We must devote our lives to it.