Posted on 01/06/2004 6:08:05 PM PST by P-Marlowe
18. Our Glorious Gospel |
When Jesus began His public ministry, He went into the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He was handed the Scriptures. He turned to the Book of Isaiah and read this portion to them:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-2a).
After reading it, Jesus closed the book and said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:16-21).
Jesus closed the book after the reading, but Isaiah's prophecy doesn't stop there. Let's read on.
And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, that garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified (v. 2b-3).
The glorious "good tidings" that we proclaim to you today is God's glorious message to man. In a world filled with so much misery, strife, and trouble, it's good to hear some good news for a change.
Message for the Meek
Reading the newspapers or watching the news on TV gives a sad commentary upon man's existence. Oh, how ready we are for some good news! The Gospel is good news, but who is it for?
In reading from Isaiah, Jesus declared, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings," the Gospel "unto the meek." The Gospel is for the meek, those who are conscious of their inadequacies and needs and are reaching out for help. The best way to understand the word "meek" is to separate it: me...ek. When I realize how "eeky" I am, I know what meek is all about. The Gospel is for those who recognize their need for something more, who are dissatisfied with their current status, who desire a better life.
Many people today are very satisfied with their lives. They're satisfied with their possessions and situations. The Gospel isn't for them. Other people today are extremely proud of themselves. The Gospel isn't for them, either.
The Gospel Message
What does the Gospel do? First, it is meant "to bind up the brokenhearted." We've seen Valentine's Day cards that show broken hearts. Sometimes the heart is broken through the middle and sometimes it is totally fractured. Our hearts often break because of unreciprocated love. We have a deep love for another, but it's not received and accepted. This causes our hearts to break. I wonder how many times God's heart is broken over us.
Our hearts often break over our own failures and weaknesses. We promise ourselves that we'll do certain things, but we don't seem to be capable of achieving them. So, we experience heartbreak over our inadequacies. Our desire to be what we apparently can't be and to achieve what apparently is beyond our capacity causes personal heartbreak.
The Gospel has come to bind up the brokenhearted, to let us know that we can be what God would have us to be. The good news is that we can achieve, attain, and experience a love that flows and flows and doesn't quit. The second thing that the Gospel does is "to proclaim liberty to the captives." Paul spoke of those who had fallen in the snares of the devil and had been taken captive by the devil against their will (II Timothy 2:26). Many people today have fallen into the snare of the devil and have been taken captive by the devil against their own will. In another passage Paul referred to those "who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15).
We often use the term "free moral agent," but it's almost a misnomer. To say that a man is a free moral agent when he cannot help but do the things he does is a contradiction. If some compelling force is driving you to do things even when you don't want to do them, you're not free. You're a captive.
Sin often comes to you with a sugar-coated covering. You taste it and "Wow!" you plunge right into it. After the sugar is gone, you taste the bitter portion and try to spit it out. But now it's lodged in your throat and you can't get rid of it. If you're controlled by a cigarette habit or if you've got to have a drink, don't tell me you're a free moral agent. You're a captive - and the bitterness is just pouring into your system.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has come to set free those who are captive. He can break every snare and deliver men from all the bondage of corruption that has held them in its power.
The third thing the Gospel does is "the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Today the Gospel will open the prison that you find yourself in.
When we were in Ecuador, the missionaries told us that if we get involved in a car accident, even if it's not our fault, the best thing to do is to go immediately to the airport and catch the next plane out of the country. When you're involved in an accident down there, guilty or innocent, you'll land in jail. You have to stay in jail until you can prove you're innocent, but you may not get a court date for five years. And in Ecuador they don't feed the prisoners. Someone on the outside has to feed you or you'll starve to death. And that's one of the nicer things about the jails.
I've also heard about the Mexican jails. If you get thrown in, your influence in the United States doesn't mean anything to the judge. They say the best thing is to stay out, because once you're in, you're really in. I don't know how true that is, but I don't want to experiment to find out.
Let's say that you're in jail in Mexico. You've tried every way to get out. You've written to the Mexican government, the American consulate, the UN. You've done everything, and you've finally concluded that you're not going to get out. So now you want to escape. Someone comes along and says, "I have a friend who can get you out."
"How can your friend get me out? Man, I've tried everything."
"He can."
"What makes you so sure?"
"He's freed thousands of others." Really! What do I have to do?"
"Just trust him." "But how's he going to do it?"
"I don't know. He has his own ways. But I know he can."
"But if I don't know how he does it, I'm not sure I want to trust him."
"It's your choice, friend. Either rot in jail or take a chance."
We find ourselves in the prison of our own lust and sin. The good news comes that there's One who can deliver us, set us free, open the doors of the prison and liberate us. But we've got to put our trust in Him completely. We've got to commit ourselves totally into His hands, trusting that He can do what He has promised. We can be assured that He's already delivered thousands out of that same jail. He has set multitudes free from the bondage of sin. He can set you free today from your prison, if you'll give Him a chance.
There is an urgency in this Gospel of Jesus Christ. "...To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Though the Lord is offering you this freedom today, His offer is subject to withdrawal at any time. You see, Jesus Christ is under no obligation to save you at all. He doesn't owe you anything. His offer comes to you strictly because He is so good and loving that He hates to see you in a mess. So He offers to set you free.
However, this offer will be withdrawn - just when, we don't know. God told Noah, "My spirit shall not always strive with man" (Genesis 6:3). If you reject His offer today, you can't be sure whether the offer will be good tomorrow. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6). "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
We proclaim to you "the acceptable year of the Lord." "Now is the accepted time." Now is the time for you to receive this glorious Gospel. Now is the time for you to be set free.
There is coming a "day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2). His offer will then be withdrawn and men shall experience nothing but what they justly deserve for their sins: the "day of vengeance of our God."
The Gospel Power
What will the Gospel do for you? Verse 3 reads: "to give unto them beauty for ashes..." I love the power of the Gospel! I've seen the effects of the Gospel, and I've seen it bring beauty for ashes. Some people are burned out, wasted, and destroyed. I've seen the Spirit of God take those burned-out lives and remake, remold, and reshape them into new and beautiful men and women.
I think of Mike MacIntosh, the pastor of our church in San Diego. When Mike first came to church, he was totally burned-out. He had taken so much acid and speed that he thought a bag was over his head and a .45 pistol was going off inside his brain. He would hear the explosion over and over. As I watched this handsome but totally burned-out young man, I wondered if he would ever recover from the damage done to his brain cells. I saw God take these ashes and begin to work with them - mold, shape, and change. I saw God restore Mike's wife and children. I saw God restore all that he had lost through his own folly.
Today, I see that beautiful young man standing before a glorious congregation in San Diego, with the glow of Jesus on his face and the love of Christ radiating from his life. I realize the power of the Gospel gives "beauty for ashes."
"The oil of joy for mourning" (Isaiah 61:3). Many people today find themselves in deep depression and sorrow of heart, grieved not only over themselves and their inadequacies, failures, and inabilities to cope, but with all of society. Our glorious Gospel gives "the oil of joy for mourning." It will lift your life from depression, sorrow, despair, and despondency to joy and hope.
The Gospel will also give you "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isaiah 61:3). Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy leaden..." (Matthew 11:28). If the burden you're carrying is heavier than you can bear, if you feel pressed down by life and by your circumstances, our glorious Gospel will fill your heart and life with praises unto God. How glorious to see people who once wallowed in the dejection and hopelessness of this world now walk with a spring in their steps, a smile on their faces, and the garment of praise covering their lives. That's the elect of this glorious Gospel.
The Gospel Glory
What is the purpose of the Gospel? That we "might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3). God has done His work so that we might glorify Him. "To God be the glory, great things He hath done." As we see lives change - men and women set free and remade through the power of Jesus Christ, born again by the Spirit of God - we give glory to God for His work. These hopeless lives are now "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord." The changes are God's work wrought in them, and there is no other explanation for it.
So often a man who has fought against alcoholism has been defeated by it. His life is burned out, and he's now an outcast. You see him in the street in his pitiful condition. He has cried out for help. His family has tried to help him. But finally everyone has given up, and we call him a bum. As the power of the Gospel touches the ashes of his life and begins to turn him around, it changes and sets him free. The Gospel liberates him from that prison and makes of him a glorious person, beautiful to behold, a tower of strength within the community.
Only the Gospel can do that, and only God can be glorified for it. That's the purpose of the Gospel.
The Gospel Truth
You ask, "Just what is the Gospel, the good news?" Just this: Though you have failed and sinned, God loves you. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to set you free from your prison. If you'll put your trust completely in Him, He'll free you today, change your life, and make you what God wants you to be.
We have a glorious Gospel, but there's only one difficulty. To be effective it has to be applied. A fellow once asked a minister, "If your Gospel is so great, why isn't everyone a Christian?" The pastor responded, "If soap is so good, why isn't everyone clean?" Does the fact of dirty people testify against the value of soap? No. It works, but you have to apply it.
Have you?
I used to play guitar and sing there when the band didn't show up. Little Country Church on the edge of tow-ow-own, do do do 'n dooo da do. I was the standby band. :-)
Which time? :)
Seriously, I had an awakening in early 1983. I said the sinner's prayer all throughout the summer of 1983. But, I had no teaching on holiness and no power over my sin. It was not until I was delivered from demons in January, 1986. That's when I totally surrendered all and, real demons were cast out of me. I'll never forget it. I was sanctified within another week and got the Holy Ghost right after that. Oh Hallelujah!
It is a joyous and fearful thing to witness reality and not just have religion.
Calvinism for Dummies (Cliffs Notes version)
God is sovereign.
He foreknew and predestined it all.
His Plan. His Will. His creation. The Fall. His Salvation.
The Messiah. The Elect. The Damned. The End. Eternity.
Yes
Man’s destiny is not of his own choosing.
Man’s destiny is irresistible – heaven or hell.
God’s Sovereign Plan and His Sovereign Will dictates and predestines man’s end.
I doubt that even you believe your destiny is 100 your choice. Our destiny is dependent on the environment and the family we are born into and both of those things were determined by God..as was our race, gender, sex and IQ
God sovereignly made you and placed you into the circumstances . He placed within you a set of preferences that would bring you to where His plan would be assured
Thus, to sin is in God’s Sovereign Plan and Will for man.
God hates sin..we sin because we are in fallen flesh..but God knows what sin will attract us and what circumstances will attract us..but it is always our choice and we will do what we will to do yet our sin works into the plan of God
How then, is sin an act of disobedience? It is God’s Will and Plan.
And yet it is still our choice to sin . We have been told what God sees as sin (as well as the law in our heart. ) When we choose to sin it is our choice and yet it is Gods plan .
Man is incapable of stopping his sinning even after being saved.
That is true , but the word incapable implies that you do not have the ability not to sin..and of course we do , we just do not choose to
Thy Will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.
Every thing that happens on earth and in heaven is His will.If you pray for an event it will only occur if it is within Gods will
This is a dreadful doctrine. No Hope.
It sounds like a variation of reincarnation.
Nothing can be done to alter your beginning, middle or end.
Hard. Cold. Unmovable. Preprogrammed. That’s just the way it is.
It is indeed a terrible doctrine if your hope is in yourself
Lam 3:24 The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
It is nothing like reincarnation ..
We can not change most of those things that give you your choices can you? If you have an IQ of 100 , you can not be a brain surgeon . If you were born to black parents you can not change your race. If you become depressed and jump off a building you can not change your mind half way down .
We can only make free choices in accord with our situation and the laws of nature. So you should not be indignant that the God that loves you have a plane to bring you to himself .
Your belief that God owes men a shot at salvation implies some worth in you. That some how we are worthy to be saved ,so God should give us a change to choose him.He has no choice in the matter he has no free will . We want for our selves what we would like to deny Him . it is satan that whispers into the ear of men that it just is not "fair", that we are entitled to choose to be adopted . It is satan that tells us that God loves us because we loved him first. "Ye shall be as gods"
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Rom 9:22 [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
I just can’t imagine putting God in a box like that. Where am I wrong?
It is not Gods Box that concerns you it is yours.
My Pastor explains it this way .Draw a large circle on a piece , then draw within it a small circle
That small circle is human liberty , it is the choices that God allows man to make..who to marry , where to live or go to school, what kind of work to do. We make these choices or ones like them every day ..and we know that we make them freely . Yet notice that the free agency choices are all located within the will of God. We have most surely made them , yet in some way they are the plan that God has had for your life and His eternal plan
Ex, We are not God.we need to allow him to be God and not attempt to usurp that which is His alone
Good finally a Scripture (Wow)
Would you explain how LOVING it is to allow someone to preach a false or compromised gospel when eternity is at risk? Peter understood that
Act 3:12 And when Peter saw [it], he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go.
Act 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John.....
That was Love not false promised and false expectations ..
Well what we have seen so far it is without scripture and full of compromise.
You have not seen me angry or self righteous..you have seen me tell you what you have presented here, and it is not the gospel of Christ ..it is a gospel of self righteous compromise .
If you want to see self righteousness it is as close as your mirror.
You have made no attempt to prove what you say is true.You just give self serving platitudes .
As my daddy used to say ..put op or shut up. Prove that we error in scripture or stop asking prayer for us beg for it for yourself.
He was sure that we had irreconcilable differences..what we found was near perfect agreement on them.
To us (Calvinists) this is not a small matter. It is about being God honoring and giving Him all the glory to which He is entitled .It is not about the last word it is about the purity of the gospel . God is God and Man is man. He owes us nothing, if one says that God had no choice in the matter..man had to or has to choose Him..it is no longer grace or mercy ..
When I told my pastor how much I loved that sermon and illustration he said to me with a straight face. " You know I have a degree in fine arts and I like to use it every opportunity I get" . I wanted to roll on the floor laughing and he stood there with a straight face.
Have you brought you cousin?
And my OPC did withdraw from "community Christian fellowships" when Mormons and other non Christian groups were invited. Not a flame, but an observation.
I asked it before - maybe you'd take a shot
is a retarded mormon is somehow different spiritually than an infant?
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