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.
I don’t claim to understand all about God’s love, but I do know I would not give up my one and only son for this crummy and corrupt world of people! PEOPLE ARE TERRIBLE!
Some people are very terrible, horrible, corrupt, crummy, and many other things. But Jesus came into this world to serve them, to minister to them, to heal them, to love them, and finally, to die for them!
Brethren, if it wasn’t love that caused God to send His son into the world to do these things, then I don’t know what it was! NOTHING BUT PURE, GENUINE LOVE WOULD HAVE CAUSED GOD THE FATHER TO DO THIS FOR US!
ILL.- A psychologist asked a mother, "Mam, you have five children. Which of your five children do you love the most?" The mother said, "I love all my children the same." The psychologist asked again, "No, Mam all your children are different from each other and you surely must love one of them more than the others."
Then the Mother responded, "Well, that depends. When one of my children is sick, I love that one the most. When of them is hurt, I love that one the most. When one of them is alone, I love that one the most. And when one of my children has been really bad, then I love that one the most."
In a sense, this is the way God loves us. He loves us even though we’ve been bad, really bad at times. And His love doesn’t “slack off” just because we blow it in life. In fact, His love may well increase during those times. He may reach out to us in an even stronger way than ever before.
WE SHOULD NEVER QUESTION GOD’S LOVE. It’s real. It’s genuine. It’s giving. It’s for-giving.
In Matthew 22:39 Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Lord’s love should be demonstrated in our lives to those around us. This is something we should be concerned about. How is the Lord’s love seen in our lives? How is it demonstrated?
In Acts 10:38 we’re told that Jesus went about doing good. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED HOW MUCH TIME CHRIST SPENT IN DOING GOOD TO OTHERS?
Jesus picked up children and blessed them. Jesus healed people of their diseases. Jesus talked to outcasts. Jesus associated with the kind of people that most considered to be sinners. Jesus taught people. Jesus forgave people. He didn’t hold grudges. He didn’t hold their sins against them. JESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD. Do you?
Rom. 12:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.”
Are you out of debt? Even when you get out of debt you will still be in debt. We all owe the debt of love and that’s because of the Lord’s love. WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US (I John 4:19). We love Him because He first loved us and we love others because He first loved us . He has taught us to love and the way of love.
ILL.- Art Buchwald, Pulitzer Prize winner who peddled magazines on street corners as a child, was in New York one time riding with a friend in a taxi. When they got out his friend said to the taxi driver, “Thank you for the ride. You did a superb job of driving.”
The taxi driver was stunned for a second and said, “Are you a wise guy or something?” “No,” the man said, “I’m not putting you on. I admire the way you keep your cool in heavy traffic.”
Later, Buchwald asked his friend, “What was that all about?” His friend replied, “I am trying to bring love back to New York. I believe it’s the only thing that can save the city.”
Buchwald asked, “But how can one man save New York?” His friend replied, “It’s not just one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver’s day. Suppose he has 20 fares. He’s going to be nice to those 20 fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be kinder to their employees and waiters and family members. And eventually that kindness and love could spread on to at least a 1,000 people.”
Suddenly, Buchwald’s friend winked at a woman. Buchwald said, “You just winked at a very plain-looking woman.” “Yes, I know,” said his friend. “AND IF SHE’S A SCHOOLTEACHER, HER CLASS WILL BE IN FOR A FANTASTIC DAY.”
Brethren, I’m not suggesting that we go around winking at everyone we pass on the street. BUT I AM SUGGESTING THAT WE GO AROUND PASSING OUT SOME LOVE IN THE FORM OF KINDNESS, KIND DEEDS, KIND WORDS, AND KIND LOOKS.
I am suggesting that we go around smiling more, giving hearty handshakes and hugs, giving happy “hellos”, having listening ears and eyes, having compassionate hearts, showing that we care.
The Lord’s love needs to fill our lives and be lavished on all the people around us!
II. THE LORD’S COMMISSION
Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The Lord’s commission is: go, teach, baptize, and continue teaching. The Lord’s commission is that we are to encourage people to believe in Jesus and follow Him!
He is the way, the truth and the life and no person comes to the Father except through Him! (John 14:6)
Acts 4:12 Peter said of Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
I John 2:23 “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
It’s okay to believe in God. But it’s better to believe in both God the Father and God the Son! Whoever believes in Jesus as the Son of the living God and follows Him, has the Father also! AND WE NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT HIM AND THEM!
ILL.- Let me tell you about Markita Andrews who sold more than $80,000 worth of Girl Scout cookies since she was seven-years-old.
Markita’s mother worked as a waitress in New York after her husband left them when Markita was eight-years-old. Both of them had the dream to travel around the world. Markita’s mother said to her, “I’ll work hard to make enough money to send you to college. You’ll go to college and when you graduate, you’ll make enough money to take you and me around the world. Okay?”
At age 13 Markita read in her Girl Scout magazine that the Scout who sold the most cookies would win an all-expense-paid trip for two around the world. So she decided she would sell more cookies than anyone. But she needed a plan.
Her aunt advised her, “Always wear your right outfit, your professional garb. When you are doing business, you must dress like you are doing business. Wear your Girl Scout uniform. And when you go to people in their tenement buildings, and especially on Friday night, ask for a big order. Always smile, and whether they buy or not, always be nice. And don’t ask them to buy your cookies; ask them to invest.”
Markita would ask people, “Would you like to invest in one dozen or two dozen boxes of cookies?” And Markita sold 3,526 boxes of cookies that year and won her trip around the world. Since then, she has sold more than 42,000 boxes of cookies and has spoken at sales conventions across the country. She also has starred in a Disney movie about her selling and has co-authored the best-selling book, How To Sell More Cookies, Condos, Cadillacs, Computers...and Everything Else.
Markita claims to be no smarter and no more extroverted than anybody else. The difference is: she has discovered the secret of selling: ASK, ASK, ASK!
Once, on live TV, the producer decided to give Markita her toughest challenge. She was asked to sell Girl Scout cookies to another guest on the show. She asked, “Would like to invest in one dozen or two dozen boxes of Girl Scout cookies?”
“Girl Scout cookies?! I don’t buy any Girl Scout cookies!” he said. “I’m a Federal Penitentiary warden. I put 2,000 rapists, robbers, criminals, muggers, and child abusers to bed every night!”
Unruffled, Markita said, “Mister, if you take some of these cookies maybe you won’t be so mean and angry and evil. And I think it would be a good idea for you to take some of these cookies back for every one of your 2,000 prisoners, too.” SHE ASKED. THE WARDEN WROTE A CHECK.
Brothers and sisters, we’ve got something better than cookies to sell! We’ve got something better than hunting, fishing, golfing, marathon-running, shopping, gardening, good weather, and a good economy to sell!
And we need to be selling Him to everyone we have contact with! ASK, ASK, ASK! That’s the Lord’s commission!
III. THE LORD’S RETURN
ILL.- Max Lucado writes these fascinating words about the Lord’s return. “You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you’ve ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don’t know, but you want to know. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren’t the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds.
“And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen. As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None. From the light begins to tumble a river of color...crystals of every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. ...they are chanting, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’”
“Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns--and there he is. Jesus. Through waves of light you see the figure of Christ the King. ...the angels bow their heads. The elders remove their crowns. And before you is a figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters. Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy. All that mattered, matters no more, for Christ has come.”
Brethren, Christ is coming back. No doubt about it. He has promised He will come back.
In the New Testament the second coming of Jesus Christ is mentioned 318 times. The big questions about Christ’s second coming are: how and when. This is where we sometimes have a problem.
Let’s talk about the “when” of Christ’s second coming. Many people have become obsessed with trying to figure out all the details and make a prediction as to when Christ will come back.
ILL.- Listen to this quote: "The last days are upon us. Weigh carefully the times. Look for him who is above all time, eternal and invisible.”
That statement was not made by a modern prophecy expert. That statement did not come from a televangelist. It was made by a Christian named Ignatius, who lived in 110 AD.
In the 1500’s the Protestant reformer Martin Luther said, "We have reached the time of the white horse of the Apocalypse. This world will not last any longer than another hundred years.”
In the 1800s a Christian named William Miller said, "I am fully convinced that somewhere between March 21st, 1843 and March 21st, 1844 Christ will come.” When Miller’s date came and went, hundreds of people walked away from the Christian faith. If their pastor was wrong about that, what else was he wrong about?
Christian historian Richard Kyle cautions us, "Through two thousand years of Western history millions of…sincere, devout, and knowledgeable people have seen the end as [about to happen in their own lifetimes]…But they have all been wrong.”
And brethren, no one knows when Christ is coming back. We might as well quit speculating. Christ will come back when the Father says it time! “Go, son, go!”
Let’s consider the “how” of Christ’s coming.
I realize that for many Christian people today the most popular teaching about the second coming of Christ is that of the “rapture.” I believe in the second coming of Christ, but I don’t believe in the “rapture” theory or thinking. BUT DON’T GET ALL SHOOK UP ABOUT THIS!
ILL.- Again, Max Lucado wrote, “Don’t be troubled by the return of Christ. Don’t be anxious about things you cannot comprehend. Issues like the millennium and the Antichrist are intended to challenge and stretch us, but not overwhelm us and certainly not divide us. For the Christian, the return of Christ is not a riddle to be solved or a code to be broken, but rather a day to be anticipated.”
For many, old time gospel belief has been: Christ will return visibly to earth some day. Every eye, every person will see Him. There will be a separation. The saved will be taken and the wicked will be left. Judgment will take place. Christians will be saved eternally. They will have no sins to account for. Christ took care of that on the cross. The earth will pass away. A new heaven and earth will be revealed. We will serve the Lord in the new heaven and earth forever.
As far as I am concerned, this thinking makes the second coming of Christ a whole lot easier to understand and make sense of.
ILL.- Brother Seth Wilson who was the academic dean at Ozark Christian College for over 40 years wrote an excellent paper entitled, “A Secret Rapture Considered.” Let me quote parts of it.
Brother Wilson said, “I truly desire to see people awakened to the reality and tremendous significance of the second coming of our Lord. But to put all the emphasis upon a secret rapture and mysterious disappearance of the saved, as if that were certainly the nature of Christ’s coming, is to teach as Bible truth what is at best a doubtful, speculative view of the implications of the Bible.
“The Lord’s coming is surely and clearly taught; so also is the separation of the saved from the unsaved, the resurrection of those in Christ, the transformation of the bodies of both the living and the resurrected saints, and their rising to meet Him, ever to be with Him.
“But after much restudy of the Scriptures, I agree with R. A. Torrey’s statement: ‘THE DOCTRINE OF THE SECRET RAPTURE OF BELIEVERS DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE MUCH SUPPORT IN SCRIPTURE.’”
Seth Wilson went on to say, “I have seen the movies about the rapture and have heard the idea for years. I have had no particular reason to oppose it, and have no feeling against it, if that is what the Lord wants to do; but I just can’t find that the Scripture teaches it.”
Brother Wilson’s article goes into much more detail regarding his thinking on the second coming of Christ. There are copies available at the back of the church if you want one.
Whatever your view of the second coming of Christ, please don’t let it separate us! Our ideas about the second coming of Christ have nothing to do with our salvation. We must not become legalists, thinking we are right and everybody else is wrong. AGAIN, THE PROMISE OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST SHOULD NOT DIVIDE US, BUT RATHER, IT SHOULD EXCITE US!
CONCLUSION----------------------------------------
Jerm. 6:16 “Stand at the crossroads and look: ask for the ancient (the old) paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls...”
Ask for the old paths, where the good way is. The Lord’s love is old, but strong and powerful and ever new. The Lord’s commission still stands. And the Lord’s return is still promised.
Old truths. Gospel truths. Powerful truths. Eternal truths.
