The Gospel is Reasonable

In this episode Brother Jonathan talks about the gospel, how some things are incorrectly made the focus in explaining the gospel to people, and how the gospel is reasonable when it is laid out Biblically.

__________________________________________________________

The Gospel is Reasonable

Episode 14     

Remnant Bible Fellowship

I.                   Intro

II.                All that Jesus Christ IS, or DID, reveals the nature and character of God the Father

a.      He declared God the Father.

                                                              i.      “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (John 1:18)

                                                            ii.      “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27)

b.      Jesus Christ is God the Father in a human body.

                                                              i.      “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (John 14:6-9)

                                                            ii.      The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would be God in a human body: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

                                                          iii.      “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

                                                          iv.      “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)

c.       He is the visible image of the invisible God.

                                                              i.      The Apostle Paul said, speaking about Jesus: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:” (Colossians 1:15)

d.      In Jesus is all the fullness of God in a physical body.

                                                              i.      “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)

e.      He didn’t speak His own words, but He spoke the Father’s words.

                                                              i.      “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50)

                                                            ii.      “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28)

f.        He didn’t do His own works, but He did the Father’s works.

                                                              i.      “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10)

g.      He and the Father are one

                                                              i.      “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)

h.      Those who reject Him reject God the Father.

                                                              i.      “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” (John 5:23)

                                                            ii.      “He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.” (John 15:23-24)

                                                          iii.      “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9)

III.             What Did Jesus say about being a Christian? (“Christian” means “follower of Christ”, or what is called being “saved” today)

a.      If someone doesn’t believe that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh they will die and go to Hell.

                                                              i.      “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

b.      It is the teachings of Jesus Christ that men will be judged by in the day of judgment.

                                                              i.      “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)

c.       Those that are Christians will not live a life of sin, but will continue to receive God’s Word and obey it.

                                                              i.      “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

                                                            ii.      “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:47)

                                                          iii.      “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

d.      You must love Jesus Christ more than your own father, mother, or children: or you cannot be His disciple. (i.e. “follower of Christ”, a “Christian”)

                                                              i.      “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)

                                                            ii.      “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

1.       This is all summed up in Paul’s words, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Php. 1:21)

e.      If someone does not give God authority over every part of their life then they can’t be His disciple. (He is Lord of all, or not Lord at all)

                                                              i.      “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39)

f.        Jesus says “count the cost” of being His disciple.

                                                              i.      “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

                                                            ii.      (Luke 14:27-33)

IV.              Why should we count the cost of being a follower of Christ?

a.      “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)—Doing things in the name of Jesus doesn’t mean that you know Him.

b.      “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41)

c.       “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46)

V.                 What is Jesus’ instruction for us as to how we are to escape everlasting punishment?

a.      “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

                                                              i.      Let’s consider the two parts to Christ’s command here. First, we’ll consider what the “gospel” is; and second, we’ll consider what it means to “repent”.

VI.              What is the “gospel”?

a.      God is a Judge, Lawgiver, and King.

                                                              i.      “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king...” (Isaiah 33:22)—Regardless of how you feel about it God does have absolute authority over you.

                                                            ii.      “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)

1.       Every person physically dies, so that can’t be what’s being described here. There is a difference set between those that sin (in the sense of continuing), and those that cease to sin (in the sense that they turn from sin to God).

b.      The universe is His dominion, and we are His citizens.

                                                              i.      “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” (Luke 19:12-15)

c.       As citizens in His dominion we are subject to His Law, as He is the Lawgiver and Judge.

                                                              i.      His Law has many commandments such as:

1.       “Thou shalt not kill.” But Christ magnified the Law to include even hatred to be included as murder. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15) Our thoughts are accountable to God because what we indulge our hearts in shows what our preferences are. It shows what our desire is. If we spend time thinking about things contrary to God’s commandments it shows that our hearts are not submitted to His authority. We are in a state of willful rebellion to God as the righteous King that He is.

2.      “Thou shalt not lie.” All it takes is one lie to be a liar. (Think about it, how many times do you have to kill someone to be a murderer?) In fact, we are told: “But the fearful (those too afraid of man’s opinion to commit to Christ), and unbelieving (atheists, agnostics, any followers of any other religion than Biblical Christianity), and the abominable (homosexuals, transvestites, those involved in occultism, the prideful), and murderers (including those who hate others in their heart), and whoremongers (those who have sex outside of marriage, adultery, and incest), and sorcerers (those who practice witchcraft or the New Age movement), and idolaters (putting anything else above Jesus Christ), and all liars (all who have lied even once), shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

3.      “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (transgender), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals), Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

d.      No man has ever fully obeyed God’s Law except for God Himself.

                                                              i.      “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

                                                            ii.      “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way…” (Isaiah 53:6a-b)

                                                          iii.      “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

e.      What is the punishment for breaking God’s commandments?

                                                              i.      Sinners are criminals in God’s dominion. They are law-breakers. God as a righteous Judge and King will punish all sin because all sin is done intentionally:

1.       “For sin is the transgression [or breaking] of the law.” (1 John 3:4) Every act that man has ever done that violated God’s commandments he has done intentionally. We have intentionally lied, stolen, lusted, and rebelled against God.

                                                            ii.      God has said that He has written the basis of His moral law upon man’s heart. This is called our “conscience”, which means, “with knowledge”. God has said that man is without excuse in His sight:

1.       “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:15-16)

2.      “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20)

3.      So man has intentionally done that which he KNEW to be against God’s moral law.

                                                          iii.      The penalty is death for every violation of God’s Law.

1.       “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a)

2.      “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekial 18:4c)

                                                          iv.      This is obviously not just physical death, but spiritual death. Or as the Bible says:

1.       “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

2.      The “death” spoken of is being cast into the Lake of Fire—God’s eternal prison for the rebellious. According to God’s own description it is a place of: everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46), everlasting fire (25:41), torment (Luke 16:23; Rev. 14:10-11), day and night without rest forever (Revelation 20:10).

f.        What can man do to save himself?

                                                              i.      “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:26-27)

                                                            ii.      “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20)

                                                          iii.      We cannot just say, “Okay God, you win. I’ll start listening to you now.”

g.      But God is not willing that any should perish, and had mercy. (2 Peter 3:9) God must punish sin to be a righteous Judge and King, but God also loves man and wanted to show mercy. The penalty is death, and someone had to pay it.

1.       Read Isaiah 53

2.      “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)

3.      “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:10-13)

h.      Jesus took death for every man that they might not have to die themselves.

                                                              i.      “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree [the cross]” (Galatians 3:13)

                                                            ii.      “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:24-25)

i.        The “gospel” is “good news”. It is the “good news” that though you are condemned in God’s sight, you don’t have to be. The gospel is simply the fact that Jesus is God, He became a man to die in man’s place, He raised from the dead on the third day, and was seen by witnesses.

                                                              i.      Paul the Apostle said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the twelve [the Apostles]: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

                                                            ii.      “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

VII.           What is it to “repent”?

a.      To “repent” is “to have a change of mind towards” or “to turn from”. So to “repent and believe the gospel” is to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus Christ.

b.      Why do people have a problem with this?

                                                              i.      Because men are self-righteous and prideful, and they won’t admit to being sinners: “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” (John 7:7)

                                                            ii.      “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:20)

                                                          iii.      Men are selfish and self-seeking. “Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” (Job 21:14-15)

                                                          iv.      Men desire the pleasure of sin more than to please God. “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4)

                                                            v.      Men are spiritually dead and separated from God by their wicked works. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

c.       There is Judgment coming for every word, thought, and deed that men have done—Nothing has escaped God’s sight.

                                                              i.      “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

                                                            ii.      “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:35-36)

                                                          iii.      “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

d.      It is a heart issue. Man’s will is to do his own will. But this is wickedness in God’s sight because:

                                                              i.      “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)—Every thought based in selfishness is evil in God’s sight because it is seeking to live and walk independent from God.

                                                            ii.      “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man...” (Matthew 15:19-20)

e.      God requires a pure heart:

                                                              i.      “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

f.        The heart is the seat of our will. Where the affections of our heart are, our willful actions follow.

g.      What do we do?

                                                              i.      “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:6-8)

                                                            ii.      “Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” (Acts 11:23)

                                                          iii.      “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:8-9)

                                                          iv.      See your present state of condemnation in the sight of God. Recognize that as long as you live for yourself that you will continue condemned of God. Make a conscious decision to turn FROM all that God hates, and turn TO follow Jesus Christ. This is what constitutes “faith towards God” and “repentance from sin”.

                                                            v.      As much as you sought to do your own desires to fulfill your own pleasure before, intentionally choose to do what pleases God from now on.

                                                          vi.      It is a change in preference. A willful choice to desire to obey God through faith in Jesus Christ, and obedience to His Word.

h.      “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

i.        “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. “(Proverbs 1:23)

j.        “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)

k.      “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)

VIII.        “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13)