Gospel—Phil Jennings
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Welcome all to the Gospel meeting this evening.
We trust that maybe there's some folks in from the neighborhood, maybe you've been invited by a friend or a relative, and we heartily welcome you to the gospel meeting. Maybe there's a child here.
Here today, if you've never been here before.
We want you to know how happy we are if you're here.
Not only are we happy.
God is happy.
God is so happy that you've come to the Gospel meeting to listen.
To the story of his love.
For lost sinners, not only his love, but the remedy that he has provided, in order for you, a lost Sinner, to be brought.
Into his home to ensure to share his company.
His fellowship for all eternity.
Well, I'd like to start this gospel meeting with a.
A hymn for the children.
Let's sing #42.
Some brothers start that please.
Child loves.
One of the sing that song just to give.
Your children, a sense of what God has done for you. You know, it would be a shame if we stood up here and we preached a message that couldn't be understood by children, but we don't, we don't preach a message that's difficult to understand.
We preach a message. That's simple. We preach a message about one person.
One person who has done our work that has satisfied God in connection with your sins. All you've got to do is know that one person in order to spend eternity with with God, with Christ.
And so, dear children, as we preach the gospel.
Tonight, we want you to realize that God's offer of salvation is extended.
To you, He holds the gift of eternal life out in his hand. To you children, let's sing.
Number six.
00:05:05
Was stronger than.
The glory I am Smiggle.
To the great thing you like.
Oh Lord, everyone of our grace shine, and from the same good for the Spanish.
Let's turn tonight. I want to turn to.
A verse and Job.
Chapter 25.
This verse asks a question.
And thankfully we can say.
When there's a question in Scripture, there's also an answer in Scripture.
God doesn't leave us with questions.
He allows questions so that there can be an answer.
And here we have a man whose name was Bill Dad.
And in verse four of Job 25 says how then can a man be justified with God?
I believe as the Spirit leads us through the book, the chapters that we're going to take up, I believe it will be abundantly clear how God answers that question. We won't answer it right now. We'll leave it to be answered a little bit later.
But I would say there is an answer.
And the answer.
Is a good one.
Let's turn to another scripture that I had on my heart.
Before we.
Go to the book I want to open.
John, Chapter 3.
I want to read from verse 33.
This might seem to be a little bit difficult of a verse to understand, especially for the children, but maybe as we go along maybe the Lord will help us to understand what this verse means. It says he that hath received his testimony has set to his seal that God.
00:10:11
Is true.
Let's turn to Romans chapter one.
It's my desire this evening to share the truth of the Gospel.
And I don't know of a better book to turn to when it comes to learning.
The truth of the Gospel.
God chose the Apostle Paul as a special servant.
He gave the Apostle Paul an understanding of the truth of the gospel.
And in Romans, the apostle Paul set that truth out plainly and simply for our blessing.
And so this evening, I don't know how far we'll get in Romans Trust. As the Spirit leads, there might be blessing because this book is a book that can lead souls into tremendous blessing.
We talked about Paul having been a chosen servant separated unto the gospel of God.
I'm going to go to verse 3 concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
What is the Gospel of God?
Let's just break it down a little bit so that there's not any misunderstanding. Gospel means good news or glad tidings.
And dear friends.
God has good news for you tonight.
This wonderful news.
He has news can change your life.
Actually, it's news that will give you a new life.
It'll actually take care of the old life that you have.
That old sinful nature. The good news takes care of that.
And it gives you a new life.
But that news, that good news that God has for each individual in this room, you can each take it personally because, because God is offering it once again to you tonight.
That news is centered around one person, God's well beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, if it were not for God's Son.
There would be no good news.
Because of man's need. As we'll get into this chapter, we'll find that man had a serious need.
He needed someone who would step in and take his judgment.
And that someone was chosen to be God's well beloved Son.
So all blessing, dear friends, that God has for this earth.
Flows through one person.
Gods well beloved son, there is no blessing that will come to you apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that simple enough, children? Is that simple enough to understand that if you're going to get saved tonight, you're going to get saved through that blessed Lord Jesus Christ, God's well beloved Son, it can't be any simpler.
But it also can't be any more complicated.
You know, I believe God loves to be simple.
He loves you so much.
He provided a way for you to come in to blessing. He provided a way for your sins to be properly dealt with.
And in such a way.
That you would only have to believe. You would only have to put your trust in one who took your place in judgment.
00:15:04
Well, we're going to get those those thoughts as we go through this chapter.
But it's beautiful.
Most of you children know the most favorite verse in the Bible, John 316, don't you?
Most of you know that verse by heart, and you know what the middle word in that verse is.
Its son.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
But have everlasting life there in that verse, which has brought blessing to so many boys and girls and older ones too, is found in the very center of that verse.
Son.
Verse four and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness.
By the resurrection from the dead.
I'm not going to pull any wool over anybody's eyes.
Too many dear brethren in this room who know this scripture better than I do.
And so I'm not sure that I know it exactly the way the Spirit of God intended it for it to be understood.
But I know that the that the resurrection.
That the cross and the resurrection from the dead.
Was the most powerful display of God's power.
There at the resurrection.
Sin.
Was defeated.
That was defeated.
The world.
That was it, which was an opposition to God was defeated.
And Satan was defeated.
Yes.
The cross is part of that.
But if the Lord Jesus hadn't risen from the grave, there wouldn't be any salvation.
Sin, death, Satan would have overcome him.
If he hadn't risen from the grave.
So I like to think of the resurrection.
As the greatest display of God's power, this world is ever known.
I stand to be corrected. I'll happily be corrected.
I just want to read part of verse 5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship for the obedience.
To the faith among all nations, for his name's sake.
Dear child.
Older one.
The gospel goes forth.
Tonight it's gone forth for 2000 years.
And it always says the same thing.
Obedience to the faith.
If you're going to come into blessing today.
Because of the value of the death of Christ, it's going to be because you were obedient.
To the face.
God commands all men.
Everywhere.
To repent.
This isn't an option.
God's not bargaining.
He's not. He's not letting you choose just which way you can get to heaven.
No, he.
Sat before you.
His son.
In the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And you're going to come into blessing.
By obeying.
That message?
That he has to offer.
00:20:00
Well.
I just want to share verse 11 with you. It's been a comfort. It's been an encouragement to my soul.
For I long to see you.
That I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end, you may be established.
The Apostle Paul had a desire to come to the Romans. He had a love for them.
He desired their blessing and he wanted their growth, and he knew without without an understanding of the gospel, they would never really be established.
And so he thought.
I'd love to go to Rome and I can use my Apostolic power to possibly convey a gift that will help them to be established. But God had greater ideas.
He didn't allow him to go to Rome. Instead he wrote this book.
Instead, he wrote the book of Romans, which outlines clearly.
The truths and the value of the Gospel in the work of Christ.
Why? So that tonight you and I could be in the enjoyment.
Of all of the value of the work of Christ.
That we could understand why he gave up his life and what God did there at the cross.
We know he did two things.
The Lord Jesus died.
Under the penalty.
Of our sins.
And he also.
Died was condemned.
For sin.
God took care of the penalty of our sins at the cross.
God also took care of the power of sin at the cross.
I don't expect your children to understand that.
But that's what God wanted us to understand as to the value of the work of Christ. It didn't just save me from the flames of hell.
It delivered me from the power of sin.
Because they're at the cross the Lord Jesus bore.
In his body.
The penalty.
Of sin.
That was death, by the way.
Let's turn to.
Verse 16.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believeth.
To the Jew 1St and also.
To the Greek.
The Apostle Paul.
Had it instilled in his soul?
What the Gospel truly meant.
To God.
You know, those of us are here in this room her too often.
Of the story of creation where God spoke and this universe came into existence. But an awesome display of the power of God.
But you know what?
God was powerless.
To forgive your sins, He was powerless to bring you into his home in your with your sins upon you. He did not have the power to do that except that there be a remedy for them, except there be a just payment.
For your sins that he demanded, His Holiness and His righteousness abandoned.
A payment.
There was a requirement for sin to be forgiven.
There had to be bloodshed, it had to be a life given in order for God.
00:25:01
To be able to wipe away, wipe your slate clean and bring you.
And the fellowship with himself.
It could create the world, but he couldn't just say, I just won't remember your sins anymore.
There was a need.
For a ransom to be paid.
And that's why the gospel is so powerful. The gospel consists, if we return to 1St Corinthians 15 of three things I received of the Lord. Also that which I have let me just read that.
How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures?
And that he was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, that is basically.
The Gospel.
In a nutshell.
And that was necessary in order for God to have this, to be able to extend this offer that we're extending this this evening to anyone in this room who is lost. So.
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone.
Everyone who believe it.
God doesn't kill favoritism.
For God so loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten Son.
And so it doesn't matter whether you're due, it doesn't matter whether you're Greek, doesn't matter whether you're.
Intelligent, educated, or whether.
You're not so intelligent or not so educated. God loves you.
And he wants to spend eternity with you. He wants you in his home for all eternity. Dear friend, I don't see how you can't take that personally.
And I trust that you will.
Well.
Not going to be able to spend a whole lot of time going through the darker side of this chapter that we have here. But you know what? I just want you to know that God is light. God doesn't brush over sin. He doesn't brush over a man's condition. No, He brings it out into the light and he exposes everything that is in opposition to himself. He exposes everything that displeases him.
And so we have here in this chapter.
The condition of man brought out.
And it's not very pleasant. Let's just read a little bit. We don't want to skip over verse 17 though. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written. The just shall live by faith.
The principle.
On which God will.
Bring man into a righteous standing before himself.
Is on the principle.
Of faith.
This is in contrast with what the law presented to man. The law was it was the principle of works, and if you were able to keep the law as God required you as he spelled it out.
You would gain righteousness on the ground of your own works.
But not so with the gospel.
There are no works in connection with the gospel. There was a work.
There was a work.
That work has been completed, and that work was the cross. That work was where God righteously dealt with sin.
And the blessing that flows from the cross.
Is received on the principle of faith. What is faith?
00:30:04
I like to think about what caused man all the problems in the 1St place. They're in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve really just decided that they were not going to believe God.
They would be happier if they didn't believe God, and we know that. We know the consequences of that decision. They dishonored God terribly, and they suck A.
Whole race of which you and I are part.
And to sin and separation from God.
God remedied that through the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus.
And now he says if you're going to come into the blessing.
That I have for you through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. You're going to come into that blessing on the same principle that you left my blessing. You're going to have to turn around to the spot where you got off.
You're going to have to believe me again.
You're going to have to take my word and you're going to have to believe it. That is what will honor and glorify me. I've provided the work for you. I've done everything that was necessary for my righteousness, My righteousness to be fully met.
The cross of Christ. Those were God's righteousness against sin.
Was completely met.
And now, dear friend, if you're going to come into the blessing of it.
You're going to have to come in on the same principle that you went out in the beginning. You're going to have to believe God.
And that's the reason why I read that verse in John's Gospel.
He that receiveth my testimony has said to his seal.
That God is true.
God is true.
Do you believe it?
Do you believe God is true? Do you believe that when God says I've provided a ransom?
For your need.
I have. I have provided the price at the cost of my only son, pouring out my judgment upon him.
I'm satisfied with that work, and all you have to do is put your trust in your faith in Him.
And you can be saved.
He that receiveth his testimony.
Has set to his seal, but God is true.
Dear friends, it's not hard. There could not be a simpler message.
In comparison with all the messages that are out there and man's, satan's, man made religions, not one compares.
With the message of the gospel.
Every other one puts men through all sorts of contortions that he's not able.
To meet in order to hopefully find some favor with a God he doesn't know and maybe doesn't know who doesn't want to know him.
But not so with God.
God loves you.
God sent his Son, God provided the price that your sins.
Demanded.
Now we turn to a darker side.
Of the story of man's God's dealings with man.
You know God is faithful.
He doesn't overlook sin.
And he's also righteous. He is able to judge situations.
With perfect divine light, he's able to see.
Write down exactly what is wrong with the situation.
And so it says for the wrath in verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, For God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.
00:35:28
Even as eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Because that when they knew God. I'm going to read that again.
Because that when they knew God.
They glorified him not as God.
That became neither were thankful, That became vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
And it goes on.
Here is a picture.
Of God revealing himself.
Making himself known.
The invisible things of God are clearly seen.
That means you understand who God is.
I would like to use an illustration and pardon me for using it because it's a personal illustration.
But I think it helps to.
Understand. Maybe help us to understand this passage.
What this passage is saying is God is seen in creation. God is even though he is invisible, he is clearly seen by the things that are made.
I spend my 8 hours a day at work making a lot of sawdust. I'm a I'm a Carpenter and build some cabinets and I work for a school district and so I'll be oftentimes.
Given a job to do, I'm supposed to go and I'm supposed to build a cabinet for a certain need in the district. And I go there and I begin to work with the the customer, the teacher, the principal, and I put together a design, hopefully it it is suitable to their needs. Go back to the shop, order material, begin fabricating it, put it together.
Go back to the school.
Hanging on the wall.
And let's say it's made out of a certain type of pretty wood.
I don't pretend to.
Say that it's done the way a real Craftsman would do it, but oftentimes, because of the nature of the wood that's used, oftentimes there's an appreciation for it.
Let's say I hang that cabin on the wall and I walk away and I go back to the shop and someone comes into that room and says.
Boy, that's a nice cabinet. Wonder how many millions of years it took to build that for that to form.
Wonder how many? Wonder how many millions of years it took for that to to to make itself?
But you say that's that's foolish. Obviously we know that if there's a cabinet on the wall, first of all, it had a designer, had a builder, had a maker and had an installer.
And that's just a feeble illustration.
Of what man is doing to God.
God has built.
The universe.
It may not be considered infinite to him.
But it's far beyond our ability to even appreciate.
And man.
Knowing full well.
That there's a creator because of the evidence.
That he's left behind turns away from that knowledge.
And says I want nothing to do with him.
I don't want a relationship with him. I see his handiwork but I'm just going to act.
As though he doesn't exist. God doesn't appreciate being treated like that, dear friend.
And if you're treating him like that, there's only one thing he can do.
00:40:02
Eventually.
You will be banished from his presence for all eternity, we can say.
That this kind of treatment from man to God is something that makes him very angry.
We, I think we see it, we see evidence of this, of this, of this wrath on display at times in man's history. Maybe we could look back to the flood and we could see God destroying almost everything that he had created.
Don't you think that that was an expression of God's wrath?
His indignation for being treated.
So awfully.
Creatures.
Don't we remember that when God made Adam and Eve, he put him in a garden?
Of delight.
And then he went.
He walked with him in the cool of the day. He had fellowship with him.
And then when man sin.
Adam and Eve sinned.
Didn't God provide a remedy so that God could still walk with man?
Although he couldn't walk with him in the garden.
Yes, he did. He provided a remedy at the cost.
Of a life.
That's what he thinks of you and me. God was willing to substitute to provide a substitute.
Through one of his creatures, so that he could go on in fellowship with those who had been disobedient to Him.
God loves you, He loves me, and the ultimate price we know was the cross Calvary where the Lord Jesus gave up his life so that he could bring you and I.
Into eternal blessing.
What are you going to do?
With what God has done.
Are you going to say?
I don't care.
Are you going to turn your back?
On the price which he paid to bring you back into fellowship with himself.
You know those offerings in the Old Testament?
They weren't really of much value except to appease God for a short time.
Because they were a picture of the supreme sacrifice that God's Son was going to pay in order to satisfy God as to the sin question.
Now God has his ransom.
He has the payment which his righteousness.
Required for sin.
What are you going to do with it?
Are you going to set? Are you going to receive his testimony and set to set his sealed it God is true.
Are you going to receive it? You know that's fate. That's simple. That's simply what faith is.
It's receiving what God is offering. It's saying.
Yes, this is what I need.
So that I can be brought into blessing for all eternity.
Well, we have in this, this picture, this chapter, here we have those.
Who in their callous indifference towards God and His love?
So dishonor him.
They would rather worship.
One of God's creatures.
Rather than.
Their creator.
That's the that's the, that's the depravity of the heart of man.
Doesn't get much worse.
God being substituted.
For a bird.
4 footed beast.
Creeping things.
How dishonoring to God and so.
There is.
A penalty for that?
00:45:02
And dear friends, if you go on rejecting the light and you have the, you have more than what we have in this chapter. In this chapter, we have the knowledge of a creator.
Seen through creation.
And the judgment that falls upon those may not receive that witness.
You have more.
You have the cross of Calvary.
The ultimate price that God was willing to pay.
The price for turning away from the light that was given to these heathen people was a reprobate mind.
A reprobate mind, I think, is one that loses its ability to judge that which is right and that which is wrong.
You know, that's a wonderful thing that God has given each one of us.
I believe it comes through the conscience.
And as the conscience is instructed by the word of God, it grows.
But when you turn away from the light.
You're left with darkness.
And there are many in this world.
Who are going on in the sins of this chapter?
And they don't think it's wrong.
They flaunted.
Because.
They've fallen under God's judgment.
God's taken away their ability.
To discern.
Right, simple, right and wrong.
We better get to answering the question.
If we were to carry on on into the next chapter, we would find that God takes up the question of those who may not be heathen.
They may be morally upright, and they may pretend that they can judge.
They can. They can be a judge.
To others.
They find God very quickly comes in.
And tells them.
That he's the judge, and as he judges, those who think they're morally upright.
He finds that there is guilty.
As the others.
And then God gets angry.
Why?
Because.
They hardened their hearts.
They despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, and knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.
Reminds me of Cain.
Who?
Offered the wrong kind of sacrifice.
God and his grace says don't worry.
There's a there's the right kind of sacrifice. Go get it.
And offer it to me and I'll receive it.
Cain wouldn't have it. He wouldn't have the goodness of God that would lead him to repentance.
Then we have the Jew presented to us.
Who is the one who has the most privilege before God?
God took up a group of people on this earth, he said. He gave them every opportunity.
To bring forth fruit to him by their own power and their own will.
And he gave them the law, and he gave them privilege.
He gave them a knowledge of himself.
He gave them his presence.
And what did they do with it?
The end of all the privilege, the end of all the blessing and the love that God showed to that nation.
00:50:07
Was the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ?
That.
Is the ultimate.
Act of man's.
Ruined fallen nature and wicked heart.
Man said at the cross, I don't want God, I don't want his Son.
I don't want.
His light.
And I don't want his love.
So man under such privileges that you becomes the most guilty.
And most responsible.
For that awful deed.
And so.
We're going to pass on to Romans chapter 3.
Verse 19 says, And now we know that whatsoever what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that were under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
You say, why is he bringing the world in here?
Thought we were talking about those who were under the law. I thought we were talking about those who had special privilege.
Well, they did have special privilege.
They were the segment of the human race that God chose out.
They were the sample batch that God tested to see whether their human race was capable of bringing it forth any fruit to Him.
And so when that sample batch.
Cast out the Lord Jesus.
God said the whole world's guilty.
There's not one single solitary soul in this world who can produce any fruit.
For me, there's not one single solitary soul in this world who can approach me by his own merit and receive.
Any favor from a holy God?
All of us, all of us are guilty. We're all guilty.
You know it took 4000 years for God to go through the process.
Of proving to man that he was absolutely worthless. You know, God is so patient. He's so patient. Here he was 4000 years. He knew full well that there wasn't a single solitary good thing in in the heart of man. He knew that he was ruined, he had a sinful nature and that there wasn't going to be any fruit for God that would come.
From man.
But he had to show man that.
He had to prove to you and I that we are fallen.
And that we are incurably fallen and that there is no hope for you and I.
And he was willing.
To test man for 4000 years.
He does things so thorough.
And at the end of those 4000 years, he says, OK, now I'm going to take everything, everything that has gone before.
And I'm just going to get rid of it.
Every effort that man has ever.
Exerted towards God proved to be a failure the law.
The Prophets.
They're all going to stand and they're going to witness.
I'm going to back up a little, verse 20 says.
It answers part of the question in Job 25. Part of the question.
There's really two parts to that question. Can a man be just justified?
Before God.
00:55:03
Verse 20 says therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. So there's your answer.
There's your answer. No flesh. No flesh justified in God's sight.
Because of the condition of man's heart, he has not a chance to be justified. Justification is to be brought into a relationship with God in which God sees no guilt.
He sees no sin.
Upon the individual.
He looks at that individual. Not only does he say I can't find anything.
To pass judgment on that soul.
And I never will.
I never will find anything.
To pass judgment. There's no guilt there. Now I know there's there's those here who can explain it better, and that's good.
But man in the flesh.
Couldn't be brought.
Into a standing before a holy God and where God could say I can't find anything.
To condemn in that soul.
Because there was everything to condemn a natural man, Because all he was good for was sin. All man was good for was rebellion against God, enmity towards God.
Self will all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to our own way.
It's the condition of man in the flesh.
And there's no justification.
Of such a man.
But.
God wants to justify the Sinner.
He wants to bring you and he wants and he has brought me into a relationship before himself in which he looks at me and he finds nothing to condemn whatsoever.
He finds nothing that I'm guilty of.
He looks at my slate. He says it's perfectly clean. There's not one single record of anything that this person has ever done.
Displeased me.
Is that the record?
That I created.
Is that the record that you created? Can you present to God a slate that is perfectly clean?
And we always will be.
No.
This is the record that God creates.
Therefore, excuse me verses 21.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. You know I love this verse.
Because it has to do with going back into history.
And it sets the law up, and it sets the time of the prophets up. The prophets were to bring the people to the law. The law was to bring people to God. None of that worked. Law couldn't bring people to God, and the prophets couldn't bring people to the law because they were dealing with ball and man.
But now those two things are set up.
Before.
The way in which God has revealed His righteousness.
In the Lord Jesus Christ.
They're set up there to witness. They're set up there, as it were. Look.
At what Christ has done to the Sinner.
We couldn't do it. We were powerless.
We were just holy, good. We were God's servants who were given.
The responsibility to try to corral.
The wicked heart of man.
01:00:00
But we couldn't do it.
But now there's been one sacrifice which has been made to the glory of God.
One sacrifice that has.
Satisfied a holy God for all eternity. And it's that sacrifice.
Which justifies the center.
A holy and a righteous God.
Can take you.
Once.
A worthless, rebellious.
Sinner who loved to sin.
And your your slate was, as my slate was, absolutely full of things that had brought offense to a holy God.
But now because of the work of Christ and faith in that work.
For were justified by faith and because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because we're justified by his blood.
God can answer the question.
Can any man be justified?
Before God, the answer is yes.
The answer is God is offering it.
And tonight?
You can be justified.
Before God on the principle of faith.
Faith is believing God.
He that receiveth his testimony has set to his seal.
That God.
Is true.
Maybe you might say, I don't understand why God could place so much value on the work of Christ. That's not the question. It's not the question what you think of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The question is, what does God think of it?
God is satisfied. God has been glorified.
God is well pleased.