A Sermon For You
A Ministry of Huckaby’s Evangelism
Today’s Sermon
The Gospel
By-Evangelist Gary Huckaby
We take our text today from the first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter fifteen, verse one through verse eight.
1Corinthians 15:1-8; 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, then of the twelve: 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.
No word in English is as misunderstood as the word "Gospel." It is a word that is heard almost everyday, even from childhood. It is a word that many Christians do not really know it’s meaning.
The word Gospel, means "Good News!" or "God Spell!"
The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the good tidings of Great joy! No greater news from Heaven than the Gospel!
One night many years ago, shepherds were watching over their flock when they heard this Good News. The angels came to them saying, "Behold, I bring you tidings of Great Joy." Luke 2:10. Had this been some today their reply to the angel would be, "You are just trying to upset us, or are trying to excite us."
Satan says, "Don’t believe it, for he knows that the moment that you do believe it you are saved.
The shepherds believed it, and the Bible tells us that they were filled with joy!
Suppose someone brought you a telegram, they would know by your reaction to the telegram if it were good news, or bad, by your reaction or the expression on your face. In the Gospel of Luke 15 we see the prodigal’s father was happy that his son was coming home, it was good news to him. The Gospel is not only Good News, it is glorious news! Ephesians 2:1; says, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; When one believes the Gospel, their trespasses and sins are forever forgiven by God. And that my friends is Great News to me! The Gospel is the best news I have ever heard. No one can tell all it has done, but I can tell you what it has undone for me. It has taken care of Three terrible enemies
(1) The Last Enemy, Death
1Corinthians 15:26; The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Over one hundred years ago when someone in a village or town would die, the Church bell would ring out the number of years the one who died age. If they were twenty, the bell would ring twenty times, if they were eight, it would ring out eight times. At this time there was a young man named Dwight L. Moody who lived in Chicago, who told that many times that he heard those death chimes ring, that the number of chimes would stop at just his age. He thought of how it would be with his soul if he died in his lost condition. Then one day a show clerk showed Moody the way of salvation, The Gospel, and Moody received Christ as his Lord and Saviour. No more did he fear those bells, no more did he fear death again, for now he knew the Good News, that Jesus Christ had died, was buried, and rose from the dead to save lost souls.
I have been to grave yards, I have seen workers throwing dirt on the casket, and for a time it scared me. I was not a Christian, and I knew if that were me in that coffin, that my soul would be in hell forever. But Not NOW! Praise His Holy Name, I have believed the Gospel and I know I am on my way to heaven!
One day a child was playing while his mother was hanging out the laundry. Suddenly a wasp landed on the child and stung him. He went crying to his mother and told her what had happened. "It’s alright now son, his mother said, look the bee left the stinger in your arm, and he now has no stinger left to hurt anyone again. Death now has no stinger my friends, because of the Gospel. Jesus told us, "Because I live, ye shall live also." The apostle Paul said, "To die is gain." Philippians 1:21.
Death said to Jesus, "I’ve got you now!" As His body lay in the tomb for three days and nights, but Jesus said "I Am The resurrection, and He came forth victorious from death and the grave.
1Co 15:55-57; O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again in Romans, Paul tells us; Romans 6:9-11; Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(2) The Second Enemy, Sin
Before I was saved my thoughts of judgment were heavy weights upon my emotions and soul. The Gospel says; All sin is Forgiven! By love Jesus stamped my sin account paid in full! Then God threw them behind His back, and God never turns around. Not just some sins, but all of my sins. 1John 1:7, says, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
In the old Testament book of Micah 7:19, the Bible tells us this about our great enemy sin; He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Someone said that after our sins were cast into the depts of the sea, God then put up a sign, "No fishing here."
The Bible tells us in the book of Romans 6:14; For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Then in verse 17-18; But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Sin has no hold on the believer in Christ Jesus. We are not afraid of the enemy of sin. We live in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. My second enemy is now cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God.
The apostle Peter tell us in his first epistle, 1Peter 1:18-19; Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
(3) The Third enemy, Judgment
I use to dread judgment day. I knew that I was headed for the "great white throne judgment." I was lost to God. I had no way to get to Him. My sin had separated me from Him, and I did not know the bridge that crossed the gap. Then one day a young man gave me a Gospel tract, and after reading it I received Christ as my Saviour. Now I do not fear the great white throne judgment. The Gospel changed all of that for me. The Gospel settled that! How did it settle it for me?
Romans 8:1; There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
John 5:24; Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Hath everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation, passed from death to life. Boy, what Great news that is to me! Thank God I am now free!
In the early days of our country, back when the west was beginning to open up to the people. A day when cowboys drove cattle across the prairie, across states, a time when wild fires would burn thousands of acres, and often kill the cowboys who were caught in them. One lone cowboy relates in his diary that at the time of a terrible prairie fire, he rode as fast as his horse would go, but could not outrun the raging fire. So he got off his horse and took a match and started a fire in front of him. That fire took off in a blaze, and the cowboy took his horse and rode behind his fire for a ways, then he dismounted from his horse again and watched as the fire behind him came to a stand still and burn out. When telling his story he made this comment, I was saved from the fire, because I stood in the place that had already been burned.
I too stand in the place where judgment has already been completed. I stand in the shadow of the Cross of Calvary! The cross upon which Jesus died for me! What about you? Are you standing in the Gospel? Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today? You can, if you will believe the Gospel. That Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sin of the world. That Jesus was buried, and that three days and nights later He arose from the grave! Do it today. Do it now!
Huckaby’s Evangelism
P.O.Box 1011
Pine Mountain, Ga. 31822
glhuckaby@excite.com
