Old Time Gospel Beliefs

OLD TIME GOSPEL BELIEFS

INTRO.- Our beliefs are very important. What we believe controls our lives and our destines.

ILL.- Here is what little Danny Dutton, age 8, from Chula Vista, California, believes about God. His third grade homework assignment was to "Explain God."

"One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

“God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.

“God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have.

“Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren’t any who come to our church. Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.

“His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn’t have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary only more important. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times.

“You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God. Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.

“If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared in the dark or when you can’t swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids. But you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And that’s why I believe in God."

Pretty good beliefs for an 8-year-old, don’t you think?

Brethren, what we believe is important. What children believe is important. Old time gospel beliefs are important. Some truths never change. Gospel truth never changes. Biblical truth never changes. And these truths make a big difference in the way we live.

Recently, I shared two old time gospel beliefs: 1- The Lord’s Word 2- The Lord’s obedience.

I believe that the Bible is still God’s Word. It is God-inspired, God-breathed, God-given. We need to read it, refer to it often, and rejoice in it. We need to listen to it, lean on it, learn from it, and allow it to lift us up when we’re down!

I believe that obedience is something that God requires. A faith that at least doesn’t try to obey, isn’t faith. BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED GOD (Heb. 11:8). BY FAITH NOAH OBEYED GOD AND BUILT AN ARK (Heb. 11:7). The demons believe and shudder, but that’s all they do (James 2:19). They don’t obey God. That’s why they can’t be saved.

PROP.- I want to consider several more old time gospel beliefs.

1- The Lord’s love

2- The Lord’s commission

3- The Lord’s return

I. THE LORD’S LOVE

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son...” GOD GAVE UP HIS ONE AND ONLY SON.