Date	Title	Scripture	Play	Download
5/11/2015	BSGC #4 The Sovereign Grace in God's Gospel	Romans 1:1, 9	Play	Download

Introduction: You are bad enough to be a Christian, that is, to be saved by Christ, but never good enough to be a Christian. To be a Christian is simply to believe in Christ and have your status changed/crossed over from death to life. John 5:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

(1)     IF Berean Sovereign Grace Church is to be a church of the Lord Jesus Christ, it has to hold to the gospel message. If we do not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ then we become a synagogue of Satan. There is much assumed knowledge of the gospel and many things that are associated with the gospel, that are not the gospel.

(2)     The gospel is good news, not good advice and yet far too many people treat it this way. IF you stop and ask 10 Christians what the gospel is they will give you ten different answers. None of them will be dogmatic about their answer and will say this is a free country and everybody is entitled to their own opinion, let us just beg to differ. Yet the gospel is a dogmatic message-a straight metal jacket that you have to fit into by faith alone or you have to lose the weight of your works to get in. There is but one gospel message.

Here is Apostle Paul,“2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NASB)

3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity (singleness) and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”

What is the Apostle saying? He is saying people are prone to gladly accept-a different Jesus, a different spirit and a different gospel and yet there is a singleness and simplicity to the gospel. IF we are gathered here for any other reason which is not to preach the singleness and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ then we are wasting our time and our work is in vain.

(1)     The gospel is not man’s response to it. Yet many consider their response to the gospel as the gospel.

(2)     Many look at the gospel as God’s rehabilitation of a failed experiment-God’s plan B-picture God as a Fire Fighter (wrong). Rather God purposed to do this from all eternity that all things should be summed up/headed up in Christ.

Eph 1:10 Outlines of the gospel–

(1)     We have to ask and answer some questions if we have to arrive at a proper understanding of the gospel. We have to answer the question, what is the gospel? What does the word or term gospel mean? We also have to understand the implications of the gospel message if we are to benefit from it.

(2)     Many people approach the gospel message as if they are being invited to a potluck party. A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contribute a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the group-the guests contribute a dish. They approach it with the mind that unless they do or feel something then they have not been saved. They look at themselves for confirmations of the gospel instead of looking outside themselves to the one who completed the work and is doing the saving. The work of the gospel was completed outside ourselves and cannot be validated by our experience or obedience or any work by us. God validated it one way-by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is too important to our salvation and too important to our understanding of the gospel.

(3)     So, back to the questions. What is the gospel? I would rephrase it and say the gospel is not a WHAT message. It is a WHO message. The proper question then is Who is the gospel. Related to that question is Whose gospel is it?

(4)     Answer? “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God; ⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,” Rom 1:1 & 9. SO the gospel is the gospel of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Look, the gospel is attached to a person or being. Only God and Jesus have the gospel and are the gospel.

(5)     The invitation to faith is not the gospel. As I said your response is not the good news.

(6)     Many people approach the gospel as a WHAT message and that is how they are able to sneak themselves in and make it about themselves. They forget who they are by nature, (Dead in trespasses and sins, helpless, without strength, enemies, sons of disobedience, children of wrath by nature.”

(7)     Listen to Apostle Paul, “Romans 7:21-25 (NKJV) 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

(8)     What is the problem? Apostle Paul in this chapter is dealing with the struggle of looking at salvation from a WHAT approach. So, he is looking, he is searching, but he can’t find rest. Anyone who approaches salvation this way cannot rest even though they claim to be Christians. They have to come to the end of themselves. Apostle Paul realizes that what He needs is not a what message? What he needs is something that he can’t do by himself. Rather He needs a WHO. So He says, “Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Who shall deliver you from this body of death, Oh wretched man that you are? Tell me, if you have found a WHO. Apostle Paul says, “25 I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” My brothers and sisters your biggest problem is that you need a WHO. You need a WHO that can deliver you from yourself and all your trouble. So, stop trying to please God until you have found a Who that God accepts.

(9)     So what is the point? The gospel is Jesus Christ-it is His person and His work of redemption of the elect.

(1)     The identity of Christ is the most important aspect of the gospel. If Christ is not God and man then there is no gospel-anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God and man is not a Christian-yes they attend church, but Christ has not been revealed to them. The WHO of the gospel has to be both God and man or else the work that was performed can’t save. The person is Jesus Christ (incarnation)- John 1:1-2 & 14 (NASB) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

(10)    So now that you know the Identity of the Who, what is good about that? The good news is that your Who has stood on your behalf as your surety (legal representative and substitute) and has completely delivered you from peril, from danger and from your enemies.

(11)    The word, gospel, means glad tidings, it is a good spill of the message of victory-of deliverance from conquering of an enemy. It is the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins and son-ship with God restored through Christ. It means remission of sins and reconciliation with God.

What is the nature of the message?

(1)     The message of the gospel is simply that it is good news. And it good news because the work of deliverance was a complete and perfect work and never needs to be repeated, one more time for second time (repetition for emphasis).

(2)     The work is a completed work and God’s testimony of that fact is that He raised Christ from the dead.

(3)     And if there is no good news in the message being preached there is no gospel in it.

(4)     If there is work left for you to do to gain your own victory then that is contrary to the biblical understanding of gospel (both old and New Testaments). There is no good news to be told if you are to be the one leading the charge in the battle. Good news is only for those who stay at home and await the news of the outcome of the battle. You and I have been at home in our sins waiting to hear of Christ’s victory.

(5)     So, in the OT there was a messenger that was sent from the battlefield to announce that the victory was won. He was bringing glad tidings or good news and the term was generally used to declare the news of something that had happened to rescue and deliver people from peril. Always news of victory.

(6)     And because the gospel is good news it has to be announced.Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful (attractive, welcome) upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things , Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”, BSGC your God reigns and has proclaimed the glad tidings of the good things. He has proclaimed salvation to us who were imprisoned by our enemies (sin, death, the evil One and the greatest-God’s wrath.)

(7)     Nahum 1:15, “Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one (Assyria) shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.”

(8)     The messenger of peace brought the good news of deliverance or freedom from enemy attack or destruction. This is the work of the preacher- Rom 10:14, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(9)     What was the message to Judah? That the wicked one shall no more pass through you. What is the message of the gospel? That the wicked one(s) shall no more pass through you. Why? Because the Lord God has cut him off.The Lord says in, “Psalm 40: 9 (ESV) — “I have told the glad news of [your] deliverance in the great congregation”

(10)    The gospel message is that you the sinner has been completely delivered from your enemies. God has cut off all your enemies. The effect of the work towards the sinner: They have peace with God, reconciled and delivered from God’s wrath-there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 5:10, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

The Sovereign Nature of the gospel

(1)        The gospel is a Sovereign grace gospel-it is the gospel accomplished by the design and work of God alone, for the benefit of His people that He sovereignly chose to the end of His glory.

(2)        The work is sovereignly completed in that the Savior was appointed by God and not man, the Savior was also God and man by God’s decree, the purpose of salvation was conceived by God and not man and so its benefits are given sovereignly and freely. What does that mean? It means God is not obligated by anything or anybody to bestow it upon anyone. If it is given freely it is Sovereign grace- and Sovereign grace because it is given freely. It does not have or take any contribution whatsoever from the creature. IF it freely given to the creature, then it cannot be taken away by the creature because its bestowal was independent of any merit disadvantage in the creature. Sovereign grace is free, eternal, effectual ad irresistible.

Definition of a Sovereign:

Daniel 5:18-19 (NASB)

18 “O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19 “Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.”

A Sovereign has the power and freedom to say:

(1)  Exodus 33:19, “Exodus 33:19 (NASB) “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”

(2)  Exod 9:16, “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” A Sovereign does not owe anyone an explanation for the things that He does. He says, “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Romans 9:10

(3)  A Sovereign then does whatever He wants to whomever He wants anytime He wants. He cannot be obligated to anything by the creature. Whatever good He does for the creature comes by grace alone.

(4)  So to you the Lord wants you to know this very hour and this very day that:

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

(5)  Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.”

(6)     Grace is a freely given gift and it does not come with a Walmart purchase receipt that you can return and exchange for what else you want. You take it or leave it.

What is the implication that grace is unmerited? It implies that there is only one attitude that is appropriate for receiving such grace and it is faith.

(1)     Romans 4:16 (NASB)“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,”

(2)     Faith is the only human attitude that looks outside oneself. It looks to another for all that it needs.

(3)     If it is granted freely and sovereignly then it means you can’t socialize, educate or school anyone into it.

(4)     You can’t grant it to anyone because by its nature, it is only freely given to you that the purpose of God in election may stand-election according to grace-there is a remnant according to grace-God has always been in the remnant business-Elder Morris-He has never saved all at any point in history-Not all Angels are saved-Not all were saved in Noah’s flood-Egypt-in the wilderness-even now.

(5)     Thus, It is a gospel whose grace does not run in blood lines-Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated. IT is therefore a gospel of God’s electing grace.

(6)     Jacob and Esau-are twin brothers-by the same mother-Rebecca and Father Isaac.Rom 9:9-12, “And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac, (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”

(7)     What do we see? Not only that-their Father Isaac has the promises of God through Abraham (Gen 15:11)

(8)     They are the grand children of Abraham-the man that God spoke to and who had all the promises of God-through your seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed.

(9)     And yet God saves the seemingly bad guy-Jacob and bypasses Esau. My friends Esau’s grandfather had the covenant that would bring the Messiah. I need you to consider this because people downplay the significance of God’s sovereignty in election and salvation. Because men downplay God’s sovereignty, so they downplay His grace towards the objects of His love-His elect.

Consequently: The children that God wants cannot be born by anything that men do. “John 1:12-13 (NASB), “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

(1)     God gives birth to His own children and these are called the chosen-the elect-chosen by God in Christ before the foundation of the world.

(2)     “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2Tim 2:10

(3)  Chosen from the beginning: 2 Thess 2:13-14,

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(4)     Ephesians 1:3-14 (NASB)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

What are to understand from these scriptures?

(1)     We are to understand that God the Father by grace chose us to be saved in Christ before the foundation of the world to the praise of His glory.

(2)     That Jesus Christ is the gospel and that the gospel has an end of the exaltation of Christ and God’s glorious grace.

(3)     That this a Sovereign work (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) therefore a gospel message that removes the Sovereignty of God in its understanding cannot bring any good news or security to anybody, because it is left to the whims of the creature to achieve it.

(4)     A gospel that denies God’s sovereignty in all things and sovereign election denies Sovereign grace and is not the gospel that answers your need of a WHO.

(5)     A gospel that denies, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God” is not a gospel that saves.

(6)     A gospel that denies that Jesus is both God and man is not the gospel-it is another gospel and it can’t save anyone-not even a cockroach.

(7)     A gospel that tells you what you have to do to be accepted by God is not a gospel. A true gospel tells you what Christ has done for you to be accepted, so stop working and enter into God’s rest.In

Conclusion:

(1)  1Thess  2:3-5, “ For the appeal we make does not come  from error or impurity or with deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.”

Benediction: Romans 16:25-27 (NKJV)

²⁵ Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began ²⁶ but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith– ²⁷ to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.