The Gospel

The Gospel: What is it REALLY?

Text: Romans 1-8

Objective: Every person needs to understand the true essence of salvation and can do so by understanding 2 facts found in Scripture.

I went back to work about three weeks ago after a 2 month lay off.

Many of you know that I am a truck driver by trade.

While I am at driving, I have a lot of time to listen to Christian radio, pray, think, ponder, and so on.

For a couple of weeks now, I have been listening to some really great preaching as well as some teaching that has me very concerned.

Beyond what I have been hearing on the radio, I also like to watch preachers on TV.

I have to say that I am very concerned with the direction that many of my colleagues are heading.

Many preachers these days are, quite simply, preaching a false gospel.

I want you to know that men and women alike are preaching a bloodless, Christ-less, non-repentant gospel these days that I believe is leading countless millions to an eternity of destruction and separation from God.

I hear preachers telling millions that they can accept Jesus into their hearts and they will be saved…

I hear televangelists convincing people that God will heal them from whatever problem they have…

I even heard a so-called faith healer the other night take a request for a resurrection…

A lady came up on stage weeping about a praise and worship leader who had just died 45 minutes ago and was asking for prayer to resurrect this friend.

At that request, the televangelist shouted, “We’ve got a fresh one!” and proceeded to rally the thousands in attendance to pray for this person to be raised from the dead.

Friends, I know that false teachers have always existed, and they always will.

But, I am convinced that we have reached a new low when it comes to peddling a false Gospel.

It seems: gone are the days when prophetic preaching consisted of one man anointed by God declaring that evil sinful people must turn from their wicked ways…

Gone are the days when anointed men of God would stand up in the face of a culture’s sin and call it what it was…

Gone are the days when anointed men of God would proclaim the marvelous Grace of God that is accessed by repentance.

Now we have prophetic preaching that likens Jesus Christ to some kind of civil rights activist who fought against “the man”.

Now we have men and women who embrace the culture with all of its atrocities against God in the name of political correctness…

Now we have men sent by satan himself who deny the Grace of God and so cheapen it by never talking about repentance, and righteousness, and God-given fruit of His Spirit.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a bloody gospel…

One that required the death, burial, and resurrection of a perfect man – Jesus Christ…and by the way, that is His name…not allah, not muhommed, not joseph smith, not any other name- Jesus Christ is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

I want to explain for you what the Biblical Gospel really is.

This could very well be the most important message you’ll ever hear.

I hope that you have come expecting to hear from heaven today, and I expect, due to the nature of this sermon, many distractions…

Satan does not want you to hear what I am about to talk about.

Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 1:18 and listen to the two aspects of the true gospel.

I. The Plight of Condemnation

(Romans 1:1 – 3:19)

If we were to continue reading through chapter 3 of Romans, we would readily see that Paul has revealed the absolute and utter helplessness of man-kind.

Acting as a prosecuting attorney, Paul takes the entire human race before the supreme Judge of the universe.

Paul noted (READ 1:21-22)

Three times Paul will indicate that because of man’s rebellion, God “gave them up”.

The gravity and eternal consequence of this single phrase “gave them up” cannot be overstated.

We are told that God gave them up to “uncleanness” (1:24)

“vile affections” (1:26)

“reprobate mind” (1:28)

When God turns men loose to follow their own sinful desires, it is as bad as it can get.

Look at our world these days…

Every place we turn we see people who have followed their sinful desires.

We see people justifying sinful pleasure because it feels good…

We see men turning into women and women turning into men…

We see people devising new ways all the time to exploit one another for filthy gain.

Many have been turned over to their own sinful lusts and desires.