Sermon #1092 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: “THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST”
Text: II Corinthians 11:3
Subject: Simple Facts Revealed In The Gospel
Date: Sunday Morning— May 30, 1993
Tape #
Reading: Ps. 32:1-5; 51:1-5; 130:1-8
Introduction:
“I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
My subject today is “THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST.” Like Paul, I am fearful for you, lest satan should corrupt your minds, or turn your minds from “The simplicity that is in Christ.” There is no substitute for simplicity and sincerity, especially in the preaching of the gospel.
NOTE: God’s preachers do not strive for scaring eloquence, flowery oratory, moving illustrations, or impressive words of man’s wisdom, education, and intelligence -- (I Cor. 2:45). God’s preacher’s seek to be understood, they strive for simplicity and sincerity.
When the Lord Jesus preached, he spoke in language that people understood. No one ever had to go home, and get out a dictionary, and look up the words he used! Our Lord spoke with simplicity and sincerity. There were no hidden meanings to his words. Everyone who heard him understood what he said.
· They may not have believed him, but they understood him.
Matthew 15:12 – “The Pharisees were offended, after they heard” his doctrine.
Luke 4:28-29 – “When they heard these things, (They) were filled with wrath!”
John 10:30-33 – When our Lord said, “I and my Father are one, Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him,” because he made himself God.
It is essential that those who preach the gospel do so with great plainness of speech. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (I Cor. 14:8). Paul wrote, “I do not frustrate the grace of God” (Gal. 2:21) – I do not confuse, complicate, distort, and make void, or nullify the gospel of God’s grace. He was saying, “I sound a clear, unmistakable note regarding salvation by grace!”
· I cannot force men to turn from their idols.
· I cannot compel sinners to bow to Christ as Lord.
· I cannot make you believe the gospel of Christ.
· But I can warn you in plain language and exhort you in words that are easy to understand.
You may not believe my message this morning, but you will understand my words. There is absolutely no reason for all the confusion there is in the religious world today. “If,” as Bro. Scott Richardson puts it, “preachers would just stand up on their hind legs and tell the truth,” God just might use them. And there is no reason for not telling the truth. It is as plain as the nose on your face. The Word of God is perfectly clear about…
· What Happened In The Garden (Rom. 5:12; Ps. 14:2-3).
· What Happened at Calvary (Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12; II Cor. 5:21).
· What Happens in A Sinner’s Heart When God Saves Him By His Almighty Grace When God saves a sinner…
1. There is a Regeneration, a New Creation (II Cor. 5:17).
2. There is a Work of Conviction (John 16:7-11).
3. There is a Divine Revelation (Gal. 1:15).
4. There is a Reconciliation Made – Surrender! (Col. 1:20-21).
Proposition: The gospel of God is a profound mystery, so great, so deep, so wondrous that no man can comprehend it; yet, it is a mystery revealed and preached with such great simplicity that any sinner who will can see it and believe it.
If you will give me your attention for just a little while, I want by the grace of God to shoot 9 sharp, straight arrows right at your heart.
I. I don’t know if you will ever Repent, but I do know that “Except ye repent ye shall perish” (Luke 13:1-5). “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” – (Isa. 55:6-7).
I cannot give you repentance, or make you repent. But it is my responsibility to tell you what repentance is. Repentance is--
· A Change of Mind!
· A Change of Masters!
· A Change of Manners!
· A Change of Motives!
II. I don’t know if you will ever Be Born Again, but I do know that “Except a man be born again he cannot see, or enter into the Kingdom of God” – “Ye must be born again!” (John 3:3-7).
The new birth is more than a reformation. It is a regeneration. It is more than a decision. It is a creation. It is more than a renewal. It is a resurrection - (John 5:25; Eph. 2:1-4).
Illustration: Ezekiel’s Infant (Ezek. 16).
The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezek. 37).
Lazarus (John 11).
A. The New Birth is the Work of God the Holy Spirit (John 6:63).
B. The New Birth is by the Word of God (James 1:18; I Pet. 1:23).
C. The New Birth is a New Creation (II Cor. 5:17) – “Behold, I make all things new!” (Rev. 20:5).
III. I don’t know if you will ever Seek the Lord, but I do know that all who Seek Him are Sought of Him and Shall Find Him (Jer. 29:13). “I will be found of you, saith the Lord!”
Illustration: The Farmer who lost his check.
“Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
· Salvation is a Heart Work (Rom. 10:9-10)/
· Repentance is a Heart Work.
· Faith is a Heart Work.
A. Those who seek the Lord know their need of him.
B. They seek him in his Word and in his House.
C. They seek him diligently, with all their hearts.
D. They seek him always.
E. They find him.
IV. I don’t know if you will ever be Washed In The Blood Of Christ, But I do know that “The Word of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Cleanseth Us From All Sin” (I John 1:7). I know that through the blood, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and he cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. (I John 1:9).
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
How I rejoice in and give thanks to God for the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! His blood is “precious blood indeed, because…
· It’s Divine Blood!
· It’s Eternal Blood!
· It’s Atoning Blood!
· It’s Effectual Blood!
· It’s Cleansing Blood!
V. I don’t know whether you will ever be Robed In The Righteousness of Christ or not; but I do know that “Christ is the End of the Law of Righteousness to Everyone That Believeth” - (Rom. 10:4).
His name is the “Lord our Righteousness!”
A. Multitudes, like the Jews, stumble over and miss Christ’s righteousness because they seek to establish righteousness because they seek to establish righteousness for themselves (Rom. 9:32-10:3).
B. Our Lord said, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:20).
(5 Things about Righteousness!).
1. Righteousness Lost in the Garden.
2. Righteousness Required by a Holy God.
3. Righteousness Established by Christ.
4. Righteousness Imputed in Justification.
5. Righteousness Imparted in Regeneration.
VI. I don’t know if you will ever Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Trusting Him Alone As Your Lord And Savior; but I do know that “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life!” (John 3:36).
A. The Foundation of Faith is The Word of God.
B. The Object of Faith is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. The Remedy for Sin (v. 14).
2. The Result of Christ’s Death (v. 15; John 12:32).
3. The Reason for Grace (v. 16).
VII. I don’t know when you will die and meet God in judgment; but I do know that you will die at God’s appointed time, and when you do you will meet the Holy Lord God In Judgment (Heb. 9:27).
Illustration: Rowland Hill’s Dream
VIII. I don’t know whether your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life or not; but I do know that “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life (shall be) cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).
A. There is a Book of Life.
B. It is the Lamb’s Book of Life – Substitution, Suretyship.
C. It was written before the World Began – Election, Predestination.
D. All whose names are in that Book must be saved.
E. Only those whose names are in that Book shall be saved.
F. If you trust Christ, your name is in that Book!
IX. I don’t know when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come again; but I do know that he is coming again to this earth in power and great glory! (John 14:1-3).
“This same Jesus” (Acts 1:11).
“Behold, he cometh! And every eye shall see him!” (Rev. 1:7).
“Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess.” (Phil. 2:8-11).
“Then cometh the end!” (I Cor. 15:24-28).
Application: The gospel of God’s grace has been preached, is being preached, and shall be preached in this place. When gospel issues are clearly laid down lines are drawn – Men and women choose up and take sides, just like they did long ago – “Who is on the Lord’s side?” That division is hard to bear. But only when the gospel is preached will god be glorified and sinners saved.
1. Men sometimes tell me, “It is difficult to find God’s salvation.” But it is not. It is only difficult when you look in the wrong place. God’s salvation is in Christ.
2. Men may be baffled as to “Why” God saves sinners, but it is no mystery “How” God saves (Eph. 2:8-9).
3. It may indeed be difficult for proud sinners to bow to the royal claims of King Jesus, but bow they shall.
4. Salvation is not difficult at all, except to you who are working for it – Rest is easy!