THE KING’ S BUSINESS
506
Let us remember that the gospel is of God. The minister is called by the Triune God, and the message to be delivered by the minister is the only message that will bring men to Christ. Christ is the only one in this universe who can save a lost soul. Therefore, the full gospel includes at least seven great facts which, for the convenience o f your memory, may be called the seven great R’s o f the full gospel. Let us dis cuss them in their order: RU INED -BY THE FALL W e are face to face with the reason why we preach the gospel o f Jesus Christ. Man is a lost, ruined, helpless sinner. At one period he was not such. Sin entered into the world, made its suggestions to him, he yielded and fell from his estate o f inno- cency and holiness. He was ruined by that fall. He is lost. It is a very mistaken idea to think men will be lost hereafter. They are lost now. There is not a single part of the man that is not affected by sin. Sin entered through the will, tainted and cor rupted the whole being. The fact is not altered when you become insane and deny the existence o f sin. Sin is an awful fact. It is an actuality, yea, it is an entity. It is man’s greatest enemy and God’s everlasting foe. No one who consults his own physical being, or recounts his own experience denies that sin is an actuality, a damnable fact. It has placed man where he cannot extricate himself. He must have a rem edy outside o f himself, beyond his power, yea, he must have a supernatural remedy, and it must be applied by one who is greater than Sin and who has conquered sin. Then, we begin preaching the gospel to a lost, ruined world. Man through sin was ruined by the fall. MAN ’S REDEMPTION Consequently we present to the world redemption by Jesus Christ. Law had to be satisfied, judgment had to be met, pen alties had to be borne, divine obligations had to be paid; therefore, it took God in the person o f Jesus Christ to redeem man from his lost.and ruined condition. Out o f the boundless love o f God, Jes'us Christ was given in order that God might be just
ienced the power o f the gospel. He was a friend, a teacher o f young preachers, was extremely interested in their conduct, their equipment, their message, and their ability to handle the gospel and deal with'congre gations. If all aged ministers would take the same interest in the young men Paul took in Timothy, Titus and others, it would be much better for the young ministers. His injunction to Timothy was very wise. He urged Him to preach the Word. He meant the W ord made flesh—Jesus Christ; and He meant the infallible Bible, written by the Holy Ghost. He urged him to be instant, ready, active, alert in season and out o f season. In other words, one cannot select a time to preach. He should seize the opportunities and redeem them by preaching the gospel o f Jesus Christ at all times and under all-circumstances. It is necessary for us to reprove sinners, rebuke sin, and exhort the unwilling, to be patient with the feeble and at all times practice long-suffering and inexhaustible love. Above all, -he urged him to preach the great fundamental doctrines—repent ance, regeneration, the vicarious atonement, progressive sanctification, God’s power to create,-to fashion, to redeem, to keep, to heal and to glorify. He told him to unfold the beauties o f the present Christian life and the glories o f the life to come." In other words, he said “ Preach the Gospel.” The world needs the gospel, the world will listen to the gospel. The world wants the gospel delivered and the great doctrinal truths o f the gospel taught to men and women who are longing for the truth. The vicarious sacrifice o f Christ redeems, and the vicarious stripes o f Christ heal. PROPHETS IN THE PULPIT Pews aré empty wherever pulpits preach philosophy. Churches are crowded where pulpits preach the full gospel o f Jesus Christ. The world, will listen to doctrines, but men have not time for the evaporations o f philosophical doubters. Every pulpit ought to be filled with a prophet. There is no room for parrots in the Christian pul pit.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs