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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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Happy New Year.

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Holy is the Lord.

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We're excited to start out a
new year here at Middletown Baptist

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Church and we're thankful that
you are here to worship the Lord

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together with us today.

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Well, we are going to be
starting a three week series looking

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at the goals of a growing church.

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Now, you got a bulletin when
you came in today, do those bulletins

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have a little insert there
with notes?

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Good, good.

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We got that taken care of.

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I'm glad we're going to try
something new here today.

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And this is outside of my
comfort zone.

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I'm just going to tell you
that right now.

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Confession time.

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I don't like to stick to a script.

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I like to go off and go everywhere.

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But I'm going to do my best to
try to follow along with these notes.

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Now, you got to make me a
promise here.

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Don't let those notes there
distract you because what might happen,

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I might get ahead of myself.

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I will try to fill in all of
those notes, but try to do your best

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to follow along with me.

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And I'm also trying to do
something else.

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I'm throwing some stuff up on
the screen behind me.

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Okay, that's new for me.

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Technology is not my strong suit.

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But we're going to try to do
something a little bit different

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today.

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Hopefully you can come along
with me and we can learn something

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in the Lord.

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So the new year, right?

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This is a time for a lot of
people to start making resolutions.

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Don't raise your hand because
then you're putting yourself on the

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spot.

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But how many of us have made
resolutions in the past and then

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a few weeks later, maybe even
a few months later, those have fall,

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fallen by the wayside?

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That's typically what happens.

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We, we make a resolution.

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We make a decision to change
something in our life or add something

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to our life or grow in an area
or get rid of something in our life.

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And yet so many times in our
flesh and in our human nature, we.

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We turn away from that decision.

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So instead of calling them
resolutions this year, what I would

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like us to do is call our
desires to grow in the Lord to call

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them goals.

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Like, we need to have some
spiritual goals this year.

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Any person that's striving to
do something in their life will make

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goals.

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And I think that's something
for us to do individually, but also

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corporately.

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And so here at Middletown
Baptist Church, what I would like

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to do is for the next three
weeks, go through three goals for

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a growing church.

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And we're going to build on
each one of these each week.

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And we're going to culminate
in three weeks on January 19th at

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our vision Sunday.

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And on our Vision Sunday,
we're going to be launching what

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our goal is for the year,
ultimately, as a group, as a church.

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And we are going to see some
amazing things, I believe, happening

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in our Midst here in 2025.

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And so the goals for a growing
church, I guess the assumption is,

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is that we want to be a
growing church.

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The desire for us as a church
is to love God and love others as

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God has called us, to love
them, to grow in our relationship

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with Christ.

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But to grow as a church,
spiritually, numerically.

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I mean, these are all
wonderful things that God has called

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us to do.

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And then, of course, we know
to connect and to serve.

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But what I would like us to
think about here this morning is

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we as a church that are growing.

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If you look around, you're
going to see new faces.

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That's a good thing.

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We want to see new faces at
our church.

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We want to see the faces that
have been here for a long time, too.

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We don't want to see them go
anywhere, but we want to see the

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church filled.

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We want to see the church
growing in a healthy way.

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So how can we as a church
properly have goals as this church

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grows?

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Well, I think the first thing
we have to focus in on is the first

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point today.

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And that is the gospel.

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The first goal that we have to
accomplish within our church, the

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first goal we have to live out
in our church, the first thing that

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we have to base everything in
is the gospel.

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Now, that's a word that maybe
you're familiar with, maybe you're

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not familiar with.

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It's a word that's used quite
frequently within churches.

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It's used very frequently
within scripture.

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We're going to talk about that
here in a few moments.

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But what I would like us to
think about today is just this one

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word.

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Gospel.

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What does this mean for us?

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What does this mean for you?

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What does this mean for our community?

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What does this mean for our world?

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How can we as a church be
focused on the gospel?

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How can we as a church grow in
the gospel?

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How can we as a church
proclaim the Gospel to this world.

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We're going to look at all of
that here this morning.

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So first thing first is, what
is the gospel?

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We got to think about that.

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What is the gospel?

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Well, it literally means good news.

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I know that's a little small
up there, but I will tell you that

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says good news.

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The gospel literally means the
good news.

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Now, most of you know that.

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Most of you that have been in
church for any amount of time know

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that the word gospel means
good news.

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But there might be someone
here today that doesn't understand

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why it's good news.

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Well, the gospel in the
context of scripture is this.

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We have the good news of Jesus Christ.

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We have the good news of salvation.

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We're going to dive deeper
into that now.

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But why should it be important
for us?

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Well, it's important to us
because it's mentioned 93 times in

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the Bible.

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In the New Testament, the word
Gospel is used 93 times throughout

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all of the New Testament.

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And so if the Bible mentions
that word gospel so frequently, it

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should be important to us.

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It's what we do.

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It's what we live.

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It's who we are.

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The gospel, the good news.

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Now, the gospel is scripture.

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It's everything in scripture,
but specifically speaking, it's the

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news of what Jesus has done
for us for salvation.

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Now, now, you could say all of
this is the gospel because all of

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this book is a story of redemption.

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I think I want to be very
clear here this morning that this

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Bible is not just a bunch of
historical narratives that eventually

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culminate in Jesus Christ.

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This whole book is a story of Jesus.

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It's the story of our
redemption, our need for a Savior.

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From the very beginning, in
the book of Genesis, we see that

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the world was created good,
perfect, sinless, but yet we as humans

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messed it up.

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We marred it by sin.

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And we need a redeemer.

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We need someone to save us.

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And so from the very
beginning, Genesis chapter three

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tells us that there would be
the Savior to come to save us.

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And then all of the Old
Testament's looking toward that.

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It's looking toward this idea
of a messiah, Jesus to be born in

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Bethlehem.

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We just celebrated that in the
Christmas season.

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And then we get to the New Testament.

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Jesus comes, and then he says
he fulfills the law.

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He didn't come to destroy the
law, but he came to fulfill the law

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so that we could have
forgiveness, so that we could have

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salvation, so that we could
have righteousness.

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And we know that Jesus lives
that perfect life.

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He dies on the cross for our sins.

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He's Buried, he conquers death
through the resurrection.

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And now he extends that gift
of grace to all that is the gospel.

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We can see the definition of
the gospel in First Corinthians,

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chapter 15.

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If you have your Bibles, turn
there with me.

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First Corinthians, chapter 15.

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I'll give you a few moments to
get there.

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The reason why we want to
drill down on the definition of the

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gospel is because for all of
us to be able to live the gospel,

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we must understand the gospel.

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For us to share the gospel, we
must experience the gospel, we must

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believe in it.

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We must have what we call
gospel fluency.

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How many of you know what the
word fluency means?

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It means that you can, you
know it, you can speak it.

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So for the language, someone
can be fluent in Spanish, they can

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be fluent in a different
language, right?

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And I had a funny story a
while back.

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Micah was talking to someone
and there he said that I can speak

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two languages.

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And I'm like, really?

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You can?

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I didn't know that.

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And he said I could speak Spanish.

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And he said, I can speak it fluently.

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And I'm like, no, this is my,
my nine year old son, if you didn't

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know.

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And I'm like, that's a first
for me.

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Because he knew like three or
four words in Spanish, maybe a little

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bit more.

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And he says, I'm fluent in it.

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Well, you're not fluent in
something if you only know a little

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bit about it.

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And that sometimes as
Christians, what happens is we think

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we're aware of what the gospel
is, but so many times we miss out

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on its impact.

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We miss out on the depth of
the gospel, the importance of the

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gospel.

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And so for a believer today,
if you are a born again believer

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and you are in this room or
you're watching at home, it is vital

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for us to be fluent in the
gospel, to know the nuances of the

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gospel, to understand the
impact of it on our own lives and

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the lives of others.

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And so in First Corinthians,
chapter 15, verse 3 through 6, Paul

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explains the importance of the
gospel and the definition of the

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gospel.

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He says, for I delivered unto
you first of all that which I also

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received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures.

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That's the first aspect of the gospel.

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Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures.

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It's a fulfillment of all of
the prophecy.

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It's a fulfillment of the scriptures.

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Jesus died for our sins.

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Jesus didn't just die as a martyr.

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A lot of times people will
present Jesus as this martyr, a Good

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historical figure, a good
teacher, and he died for what he

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believed in.

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No, Jesus died for us.

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He died because of our sin.

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We are the ones that put him
on the cross because of his love

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for us.

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He said, I will die.

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I will put myself in their place.

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That is the gospel.

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The gospel is that Jesus, the
one who knew no sin.

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Jesus is the only one who did
not sin.

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He fulfilled the law in every way.

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None of us can fulfill the law.

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Some of us can be good, but
not perfect.

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Some of us can be better than
others, but not perfect.

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The Bible says Jesus was the
one who was perfect and so he could

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take our place.

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He's the one who died on the
cross for our sins according to the

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Scripture.

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Then it goes on to say this
and that.

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He was seen of Cephas, then of
the 12, meaning there were evidences

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00:09:58,986 --> 00:10:00,682
of this resurrection.

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00:10:00,826 --> 00:10:02,826
He died according to the Scriptures.

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And then verse four, it says,
and that he was buried and that he

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rose again on the third day
according to the Scriptures.

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And so I think it's important
to note that it's not just about

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his death, but it's also about
his resurrection.

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It's the death, burial and resurrection.

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It's really this, the life,
death, burial and resurrection.

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That is the definition of the gospel.

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If you want to really pour it
down into a very basic sentence.

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The Gospel is Jesus's life,
his perfect life, his death on the

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00:10:30,492 --> 00:10:34,068
cross for our sins, his burial
and his resurrection.

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00:10:34,164 --> 00:10:37,188
All of these are validated in
fulfillment of Scripture.

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00:10:37,284 --> 00:10:41,012
All these are validated by
what Scripture says in the Old Testament.

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So he was seen and after that,
above 500 people, 500 brethren at

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once, of whom the greater part
remain unto this present.

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But some are falling asleep.

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00:10:49,508 --> 00:10:50,612
And so what does he say here?

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He says, there are people who
can vouch for these things in Scripture.

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Jesus's life, death, burial
and resurrection.

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00:10:57,836 --> 00:11:00,428
And so we as Christians, we're
not proclaiming a.

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00:11:00,484 --> 00:11:03,356
A portion of the gospel
because that's sometimes what happens

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00:11:03,388 --> 00:11:05,596
is that we celebrate elements
of the Gospel.

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00:11:05,708 --> 00:11:08,636
We might celebrate that Jesus
died, or we might celebrate Jesus's

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resurrection.

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00:11:09,548 --> 00:11:10,492
All good things.

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But the Bible very clearly
here says, preach the whole Gospel,

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the authentic gospel, even if
it offends, even if people get upset.

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The Bible says that it's
Jesus's life, death, burial and resurrection

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that completes that gospel story.

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00:11:25,004 --> 00:11:28,308
We even see later on in First
Corinthians, chapter 15, that if

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we don't have the
resurrection, everything that we

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00:11:31,356 --> 00:11:32,520
do is in vain.

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00:11:33,020 --> 00:11:36,980
If Jesus just died as a
religious martyr and he was still

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in the tomb.

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00:11:38,084 --> 00:11:40,164
It would have been
significant, but it wouldn't have

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00:11:40,172 --> 00:11:42,020
been enough for us to worship him.

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00:11:42,140 --> 00:11:44,564
It wouldn't have been enough
for us to say that we are going to

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00:11:44,572 --> 00:11:46,958
live and die for this cause of
the gospel.

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00:11:47,084 --> 00:11:51,146
But the fact is, Paul says
that we do have a reason to preach,

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00:11:51,258 --> 00:11:54,698
we do have a reason for faith,
we do have a reason for service,

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00:11:54,754 --> 00:11:58,858
and that is Jesus's life,
death, burial and resurrection.

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00:11:58,954 --> 00:12:00,538
First Corinthians, chapter 15.

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00:12:00,674 --> 00:12:02,330
That's the definition of the gospel.

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00:12:02,410 --> 00:12:05,370
Now, we can get into certain
areas of the gospel, what that means,

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00:12:05,490 --> 00:12:08,186
what that does for us when it
comes to our salvation.

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00:12:08,298 --> 00:12:10,106
But we have to start with the basics.

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00:12:10,218 --> 00:12:13,226
If someone was to come up to
you and say, explain to me the Gospel

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00:12:13,258 --> 00:12:16,842
of Jesus Christ, you cannot
leave out any of these elements because

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00:12:16,866 --> 00:12:19,742
1 Corinthians, chapter 15
says, this is.

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00:12:19,926 --> 00:12:21,838
This is the gospel.

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And so what I would encourage
you to do is think about this and

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00:12:24,374 --> 00:12:26,462
understand the complete
picture of the gospel.

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00:12:26,606 --> 00:12:29,326
So that if someone came up to
you, let's say, for example, you're

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00:12:29,358 --> 00:12:32,142
in Walmart and someone walks
up to you and goes, hey, are you

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00:12:32,166 --> 00:12:32,942
a Christian?

301
00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:34,302
I don't know why they would
say that.

302
00:12:34,326 --> 00:12:35,406
Maybe you were acting differently.

303
00:12:35,438 --> 00:12:37,310
Maybe you're wearing a
Middletown Baptist shirt.

304
00:12:37,390 --> 00:12:39,710
I don't know, maybe you were
really nice to someone and let someone

305
00:12:39,750 --> 00:12:41,214
get in front of you in line.

306
00:12:41,382 --> 00:12:41,726
Wow.

307
00:12:41,758 --> 00:12:43,006
I don't know if I would ever
do that.

308
00:12:43,078 --> 00:12:46,270
But the thing is, this is we
would have this opportunity to share

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00:12:46,310 --> 00:12:47,246
the gospel.

310
00:12:47,438 --> 00:12:48,350
Would we?

311
00:12:48,470 --> 00:12:51,822
Would every single person in
this room that's a believer this

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00:12:51,846 --> 00:12:55,886
morning be able to articulate
this basic truth?

313
00:12:55,998 --> 00:12:59,630
Not, not every aspect of
scripture, not every prophecy, not

314
00:12:59,670 --> 00:13:02,558
every theological truth that
you can find in scripture.

315
00:13:02,654 --> 00:13:07,806
But would we be able to
articulate, to explain and to frame

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00:13:07,918 --> 00:13:11,490
the gospel to a person who is
desiring salvation?

317
00:13:11,910 --> 00:13:15,228
If so, hey, we have a great
tool at our hands.

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00:13:15,324 --> 00:13:20,348
We have the opportunity to
share someone life, eternal life,

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00:13:20,484 --> 00:13:22,236
and that is what matters.

320
00:13:22,348 --> 00:13:27,280
And so Jesus's life, death,
burial and resurrection.

321
00:13:27,620 --> 00:13:34,480
Now, I think, though, that
many of us might understand intellectually

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00:13:34,820 --> 00:13:39,760
the gospel, many of us might
even believe the gospel.

323
00:13:40,290 --> 00:13:42,090
But this next challenge is this.

324
00:13:42,210 --> 00:13:44,922
We must embrace meaning.

325
00:13:44,986 --> 00:13:49,066
We would love it, love the
gospel, if you embrace a loved one.

326
00:13:49,138 --> 00:13:52,506
Like when my kids see their
grandparents getting off the plane

327
00:13:52,538 --> 00:13:55,402
and they run up there and they
embrace them, they hold tight to

328
00:13:55,426 --> 00:13:56,522
them and they don't let go.

329
00:13:56,546 --> 00:13:59,354
You know, sometimes I really
feel left out when my parents are

330
00:13:59,362 --> 00:14:02,202
in town or when Alicia's folks
are in town.

331
00:14:02,306 --> 00:14:04,762
It's like, come on, who am I
I'm like, chop liver here.

332
00:14:04,786 --> 00:14:07,046
They're all about the
grandparents because the grandparents

333
00:14:07,078 --> 00:14:07,846
spoil them, right?

334
00:14:07,918 --> 00:14:08,614
They know that.

335
00:14:08,702 --> 00:14:12,054
And so the truth is, is that
my kids, they embrace their grandparents,

336
00:14:12,102 --> 00:14:13,206
they hold on to them.

337
00:14:13,278 --> 00:14:17,254
That's the idea of embracing
the gospel, holding on to the gospel,

338
00:14:17,382 --> 00:14:21,094
loving the gospel, not walking
away from it, not putting our attention

339
00:14:21,142 --> 00:14:21,990
on something else.

340
00:14:22,070 --> 00:14:25,366
And so the Bible calls us to
embrace the gospel, to celebrate

341
00:14:25,398 --> 00:14:25,814
the gospel.

342
00:14:25,862 --> 00:14:28,534
That's what we do when we sing
these songs here in the service,

343
00:14:28,622 --> 00:14:29,250
right?

344
00:14:29,550 --> 00:14:32,086
We come up here and we're
singing about the truths of Jesus

345
00:14:32,118 --> 00:14:32,550
Christ.

346
00:14:32,670 --> 00:14:35,270
We're celebrating what Jesus
Christ did for us.

347
00:14:35,390 --> 00:14:37,062
We're celebrating his love.

348
00:14:37,166 --> 00:14:38,950
We're getting, you know, back.

349
00:14:38,990 --> 00:14:40,582
When the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

350
00:14:40,646 --> 00:14:42,278
How many of you are Eagles fans?

351
00:14:42,454 --> 00:14:45,250
Okay, I still love you, Christ.

352
00:14:46,750 --> 00:14:49,558
When the Eagles won the super
bowl, we.

353
00:14:49,694 --> 00:14:51,222
You celebrated, right?

354
00:14:51,246 --> 00:14:51,798
There was that.

355
00:14:51,854 --> 00:14:53,126
There was that excitement.

356
00:14:53,238 --> 00:14:53,558
We.

357
00:14:53,614 --> 00:14:55,030
We were thankful, right?

358
00:14:55,070 --> 00:14:59,030
And there's this idea as
Christians that we are victorious

359
00:14:59,110 --> 00:15:00,724
in Christ, in the gospel.

360
00:15:00,862 --> 00:15:03,580
So therefore, it's okay to
celebrate the gospel.

361
00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,768
It's okay to allow ourselves
to get to a place where we're not

362
00:15:07,824 --> 00:15:09,912
hindered by the cares of this world.

363
00:15:09,936 --> 00:15:12,536
And we're celebrating what the
gospel means for us.

364
00:15:12,608 --> 00:15:14,456
Celebrating means telling
other people.

365
00:15:14,608 --> 00:15:17,912
Celebrating means proclaiming
to God our thankfulness to him for

366
00:15:17,936 --> 00:15:19,300
what he has done for us.

367
00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,368
That's what we do when we sing songs.

368
00:15:21,384 --> 00:15:24,680
We don't sing songs so that
people can hear a beautiful, you

369
00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:25,672
know, symphony.

370
00:15:25,736 --> 00:15:28,424
We don't sing songs here for
people to judge and go, well, that

371
00:15:28,432 --> 00:15:29,502
person should be in the choir.

372
00:15:29,616 --> 00:15:31,138
That person shouldn't be in
the choir.

373
00:15:31,234 --> 00:15:34,610
No, the whole point of
praising God through our songs is

374
00:15:34,650 --> 00:15:35,458
so that we can pray.

375
00:15:35,474 --> 00:15:36,162
We're singing to him.

376
00:15:36,186 --> 00:15:37,762
We're not singing to an
audience here.

377
00:15:37,866 --> 00:15:39,746
See, an audience of one in heaven.

378
00:15:39,858 --> 00:15:41,826
And so what we do is we
celebrate the gospel.

379
00:15:41,858 --> 00:15:43,090
And it's more than just singing.

380
00:15:43,170 --> 00:15:47,538
It's by what we do, it's by
how we serve, it's by what we do

381
00:15:47,594 --> 00:15:48,950
in sacrifice.

382
00:15:49,370 --> 00:15:51,666
And I would encourage you to
think about how we can celebrate

383
00:15:51,698 --> 00:15:52,930
the gospel within the church.

384
00:15:53,010 --> 00:15:57,826
But then lastly, here it's the
proclamation to proclaim the gospel

385
00:15:57,938 --> 00:15:58,914
as a church.

386
00:15:59,042 --> 00:16:00,194
Now, how do we proclaim?

387
00:16:00,242 --> 00:16:00,450
We.

388
00:16:00,490 --> 00:16:05,362
We preach, we tell, we
explain, we live.

389
00:16:05,466 --> 00:16:05,730
I.

390
00:16:05,770 --> 00:16:09,490
I think you could summarize
all of this, all of this aspect of

391
00:16:09,530 --> 00:16:12,578
embracing the gospel,
celebrating the gospel, proclaiming

392
00:16:12,594 --> 00:16:15,430
the gospel this way, just
living the gospel.

393
00:16:15,770 --> 00:16:19,442
If we believe the gospel, are
we challenged enough to live the

394
00:16:19,466 --> 00:16:19,970
gospel?

395
00:16:20,050 --> 00:16:21,506
Now, how do we live the gospel?

396
00:16:21,618 --> 00:16:23,190
We live differently.

397
00:16:24,010 --> 00:16:27,230
We live like Christ calls us
to live.

398
00:16:27,530 --> 00:16:30,082
We live with love, we live
with forgiveness.

399
00:16:30,146 --> 00:16:31,346
We live with mercy.

400
00:16:31,378 --> 00:16:32,914
We live with grace.

401
00:16:33,042 --> 00:16:35,026
We live differently in this world.

402
00:16:35,098 --> 00:16:40,386
We respond differently to
people when we live in the gospel.

403
00:16:40,578 --> 00:16:41,042
You know what?

404
00:16:41,066 --> 00:16:43,490
When we live in the gospel,
we're not so caught up in the things

405
00:16:43,530 --> 00:16:44,434
of this world.

406
00:16:44,602 --> 00:16:47,762
For me, when elements of my
life aren't going the way that I

407
00:16:47,786 --> 00:16:49,154
want them to go, I get upset.

408
00:16:49,202 --> 00:16:52,662
I act so sometimes in my
flesh, and that is not living the

409
00:16:52,686 --> 00:16:53,286
gospel.

410
00:16:53,398 --> 00:16:57,170
Because if I'm really living
for the gospel, I'm living with hope.

411
00:16:57,790 --> 00:17:00,214
And I don't care if this
happens to me today.

412
00:17:00,302 --> 00:17:03,110
This doesn't matter if someone
wrongs me today, because I have something

413
00:17:03,150 --> 00:17:03,734
better.

414
00:17:03,902 --> 00:17:04,230
I.

415
00:17:04,270 --> 00:17:05,638
I have something bigger.

416
00:17:05,814 --> 00:17:09,910
And so the Bible says for us
to not only believe the gospel, we

417
00:17:09,950 --> 00:17:10,886
should believe the gospel.

418
00:17:10,918 --> 00:17:12,006
That's the starting place.

419
00:17:12,078 --> 00:17:14,650
You can't be saved without
believing the gospel.

420
00:17:15,150 --> 00:17:20,115
But the next step is living
the gospel, displaying the gospel.

421
00:17:20,307 --> 00:17:22,947
And so I would challenge you
to look at a passage of scripture

422
00:17:22,963 --> 00:17:23,299
with me.

423
00:17:23,339 --> 00:17:25,187
You were in First Corinthians,
chapter 15.

424
00:17:25,323 --> 00:17:27,519
Go to First Corinthians,
chapter 9.

425
00:17:28,139 --> 00:17:33,379
This is a true challenge for
not only pastors and preachers, but

426
00:17:33,419 --> 00:17:34,739
also all believers.

427
00:17:34,819 --> 00:17:37,679
It says in First Corinthians,
chapter 9, verse 14.

428
00:17:37,979 --> 00:17:42,243
And this is, this is obviously
Paul speaking through the inspiration

429
00:17:42,291 --> 00:17:45,550
of scripture, But I think this
is a challenge for all of us.

430
00:17:45,670 --> 00:17:49,262
It says, even so, hath the
Lord ordained that they which preach

431
00:17:49,326 --> 00:17:53,890
the gospel should live of the gospel?

432
00:17:54,630 --> 00:17:58,126
So those who preach of the
gospel, those who proclaim the gospel,

433
00:17:58,238 --> 00:18:00,290
which you would say, well,
that's the preacher.

434
00:18:00,630 --> 00:18:01,710
Well, it is, right?

435
00:18:01,750 --> 00:18:01,902
I.

436
00:18:01,926 --> 00:18:03,342
I do preach the gospel.

437
00:18:03,486 --> 00:18:07,886
But you as a believer are also
called to preach the gospel, to proclaim

438
00:18:07,918 --> 00:18:11,472
the gospel, not just by
getting up behind a pulpit, but by

439
00:18:11,496 --> 00:18:12,656
the way that we live.

440
00:18:12,808 --> 00:18:13,120
The.

441
00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:17,440
The Great commission says for
all to go and to preach the gospel.

442
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:18,860
So we all.

443
00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:20,608
If you're a believer this morning.

444
00:18:20,664 --> 00:18:22,224
Okay, I can only speak in that context.

445
00:18:22,272 --> 00:18:24,512
If you're a believer this
morning, the Bible says that you

446
00:18:24,536 --> 00:18:26,912
are a preacher of the gospel,
by the way, that you should live

447
00:18:26,936 --> 00:18:27,660
your life.

448
00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,520
So it says here, if you are
ordained to preach the gospel, you

449
00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,992
are ordained to live out the
gospel, to live the gospel in your

450
00:18:35,016 --> 00:18:35,506
life.

451
00:18:35,648 --> 00:18:36,126
So it's.

452
00:18:36,158 --> 00:18:37,450
So it's like this.

453
00:18:37,830 --> 00:18:42,382
What we talk about is how we
should walk, right?

454
00:18:42,486 --> 00:18:45,822
So it's talking the talk, yes,
but also walking the walk.

455
00:18:46,006 --> 00:18:46,702
It's living.

456
00:18:46,766 --> 00:18:49,726
So you say, well, we're going
to preach the forgiveness of Jesus

457
00:18:49,758 --> 00:18:49,998
Christ.

458
00:18:50,054 --> 00:18:52,958
But then when someone wrongs
you, you go I could never forgive

459
00:18:53,134 --> 00:18:53,422
you.

460
00:18:53,446 --> 00:18:54,810
See the disconnect there?

461
00:18:55,270 --> 00:18:57,150
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 32.

462
00:18:57,190 --> 00:18:58,846
You should be tender hearted,
forgiving one another.

463
00:18:58,918 --> 00:18:59,150
Why?

464
00:18:59,190 --> 00:19:00,948
Because Christ has forgiven you.

465
00:19:01,134 --> 00:19:02,248
Well, well, you know what?

466
00:19:02,304 --> 00:19:04,920
I, I, we gotta love the grace
of Jesus Christ.

467
00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,152
I, I love that Jesus gave me
the gift of grace.

468
00:19:08,216 --> 00:19:10,712
But yet someone comes and does
something to you and you go, well,

469
00:19:10,736 --> 00:19:11,608
there's no grace there.

470
00:19:11,664 --> 00:19:13,368
We're, we're cutting them
right off.

471
00:19:13,504 --> 00:19:14,616
Do you see the disconnect?

472
00:19:14,648 --> 00:19:18,152
A lot of Christians will
proclaim and be excited about the

473
00:19:18,176 --> 00:19:20,664
gospel over here and the
elements of the gospel here.

474
00:19:20,752 --> 00:19:23,496
But then living the gospel is
a total disconnect.

475
00:19:23,608 --> 00:19:26,136
And the Bible says, live the gospel.

476
00:19:26,328 --> 00:19:27,384
Proclaim the gospel.

477
00:19:27,432 --> 00:19:30,590
Yes, but you proclaim the
gospel loudest by the way that you

478
00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:31,166
live.

479
00:19:31,318 --> 00:19:35,678
And so as a church, our goal
for 20, 25, our goal until the Lord

480
00:19:35,694 --> 00:19:39,886
comes back, is to not only
proclaim the gospel, yes.

481
00:19:39,918 --> 00:19:42,798
But to embrace it, celebrate
it and live it.

482
00:19:42,934 --> 00:19:49,022
You would say, well, why are
we so, why are we so adamant this

483
00:19:49,046 --> 00:19:49,230
morning?

484
00:19:49,270 --> 00:19:51,694
Why are you so adamant this
morning about the gospel?

485
00:19:51,742 --> 00:19:52,558
Well, because.

486
00:19:52,694 --> 00:19:54,986
Look at Galatians chapter one
with me.

487
00:19:55,078 --> 00:19:57,554
I know you were in First
Corinthians, but turn over to the

488
00:19:57,562 --> 00:19:58,710
book of Galatians.

489
00:20:00,730 --> 00:20:03,618
The warning is this.

490
00:20:03,674 --> 00:20:08,310
If we are not careful, we can
drift away from the gospel.

491
00:20:09,130 --> 00:20:12,230
We can start believing in a
false gospel.

492
00:20:13,210 --> 00:20:17,074
We can start thinking of
things in the framework of the world

493
00:20:17,162 --> 00:20:18,834
instead of scripture.

494
00:20:18,962 --> 00:20:23,230
And Paul actually condemns the
church at Galatia here because what

495
00:20:23,270 --> 00:20:27,170
happened is they were deceived
with another gospel.

496
00:20:27,990 --> 00:20:32,414
And so the reason why we need
to live the gospel and have the gospel

497
00:20:32,462 --> 00:20:36,430
infiltrate every element of
our church is because if we are not

498
00:20:36,470 --> 00:20:38,370
careful, we will drift.

499
00:20:38,790 --> 00:20:44,014
Our natural path is always
going to be away from the truth,

500
00:20:44,142 --> 00:20:47,230
away from the gospel, without
the Spirit indwelling our lives,

501
00:20:47,270 --> 00:20:51,364
without the Spirit guiding our
lives, we will drift into our natural

502
00:20:51,412 --> 00:20:55,492
default mode of humanity, of
humanism, of selfishness.

503
00:20:55,556 --> 00:20:58,132
And so Galatians chapter 1,
verse 6 says this.

504
00:20:58,236 --> 00:21:03,268
He says, I marvel that ye are
so soon removed from him that called

505
00:21:03,324 --> 00:21:07,060
you into the grace of Christ,
unto another gospel.

506
00:21:07,220 --> 00:21:10,308
Paul says, I'm shocked that
you could be believing something

507
00:21:10,364 --> 00:21:11,604
else this quickly.

508
00:21:11,732 --> 00:21:14,160
How could you drift away so far?

509
00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:16,608
Another gospel.

510
00:21:16,784 --> 00:21:17,952
So here it is.

511
00:21:18,136 --> 00:21:20,864
What we can learn From
Galatians, chapter 1, verse 6 is

512
00:21:20,872 --> 00:21:23,904
that there's not just one
gospel, there's one true gospel.

513
00:21:24,032 --> 00:21:26,944
But there are many gospels
that are being preached out in the

514
00:21:26,952 --> 00:21:27,552
world today.

515
00:21:27,656 --> 00:21:29,952
There's a lot of people that
have good news.

516
00:21:30,136 --> 00:21:34,060
Hey, if you just get this much
money, you'll be good.

517
00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,080
And even it can even be in the
realm of religion.

518
00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:41,312
If you guys can just keep all
the laws, if you can follow all the

519
00:21:41,336 --> 00:21:42,112
rules, you.

520
00:21:42,136 --> 00:21:43,152
You can have salvation.

521
00:21:43,216 --> 00:21:45,456
And in the context of
Galatians, that's what he's talking

522
00:21:45,488 --> 00:21:45,872
about.

523
00:21:45,976 --> 00:21:49,280
People falling back into
legalism, people falling back into

524
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:50,384
following the law.

525
00:21:50,552 --> 00:21:54,352
So he says, Verse 7, which is
not another, but there be some that

526
00:21:54,376 --> 00:21:57,152
trouble you and would pervert
the gospel of Christ.

527
00:21:57,256 --> 00:22:01,744
And so what we can see is that
there is a danger of someone perverting

528
00:22:01,792 --> 00:22:07,152
the gospel, changing the
gospel, twisting the gospel to a

529
00:22:07,176 --> 00:22:09,274
place where it's not
scriptural anymore.

530
00:22:09,432 --> 00:22:10,614
Folks, what is the gospel?

531
00:22:10,662 --> 00:22:16,102
The gospel is what the life,
death, burial and resurrection of

532
00:22:16,126 --> 00:22:17,090
Jesus Christ.

533
00:22:17,870 --> 00:22:21,718
If someone says, yes, Jesus
died for you, but you have to do

534
00:22:21,774 --> 00:22:24,650
this perversion of the gospel.

535
00:22:26,030 --> 00:22:30,182
If someone says, yes, you have
the book of scripture, you have the

536
00:22:30,206 --> 00:22:32,934
Bible, but you got to read
this extra book on top of that to

537
00:22:32,942 --> 00:22:35,252
really explain the Bible to you.

538
00:22:35,366 --> 00:22:36,380
Perversion.

539
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,112
You have someone that says,
well, you don't really have to believe

540
00:22:39,136 --> 00:22:40,024
in Jesus completely.

541
00:22:40,072 --> 00:22:42,712
It can be Jesus plus this perversion.

542
00:22:42,856 --> 00:22:46,280
Jesus cannot be added to a
life and just be, you know what?

543
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:47,336
Now I'm covered.

544
00:22:47,448 --> 00:22:49,864
I've met some people that say,
well, I'm all the religions.

545
00:22:49,992 --> 00:22:51,496
I got all my bases covered.

546
00:22:51,528 --> 00:22:54,664
I got this religion and this
religion, folks, it's Jesus and Jesus

547
00:22:54,712 --> 00:22:56,664
alone that saves us from our sins.

548
00:22:56,792 --> 00:23:00,232
And so what we can see here is
that there is a perversion of the

549
00:23:00,256 --> 00:23:04,066
gospel back 2,000 years ago,
and there's a perversion of the gospel

550
00:23:04,098 --> 00:23:04,670
today.

551
00:23:04,970 --> 00:23:05,810
Verse 8.

552
00:23:05,930 --> 00:23:11,506
But though we or an angel from
heaven preach any other gospel unto

553
00:23:11,538 --> 00:23:15,986
you than that which he have
preached unto you, let him be accursed.

554
00:23:16,018 --> 00:23:17,490
He says, I don't care who it is.

555
00:23:17,530 --> 00:23:18,834
I don't care who gets up in
front of you.

556
00:23:18,842 --> 00:23:22,322
Even if it's an angel and he
preaches another gospel, he should

557
00:23:22,346 --> 00:23:23,426
be accursed.

558
00:23:23,618 --> 00:23:26,610
That's a danger that we see in
this world today because we might

559
00:23:26,650 --> 00:23:29,070
say, well, look at how that
person looks.

560
00:23:29,650 --> 00:23:34,346
Look at their finances, look
at their congregation, look at their

561
00:23:34,418 --> 00:23:34,938
following.

562
00:23:35,074 --> 00:23:37,978
So therefore, whatever that
person says must be right.

563
00:23:38,034 --> 00:23:43,018
No, the Bible says the true
test is not their life, their looks,

564
00:23:43,114 --> 00:23:44,714
it's their message.

565
00:23:44,842 --> 00:23:46,590
The message of the gospel.

566
00:23:47,010 --> 00:23:49,626
And so it goes on to say there
in verse nine, as we said before.

567
00:23:49,698 --> 00:23:53,930
So I say now again, if any man
preach any other gospel unto you,

568
00:23:54,050 --> 00:23:57,630
thing that ye have received,
let him be accursed.

569
00:23:58,770 --> 00:24:04,426
For do I now persuade men,
Lord God, or do I seek to please

570
00:24:04,498 --> 00:24:04,922
men?

571
00:24:05,026 --> 00:24:07,354
For if I yet pleased men.

572
00:24:07,442 --> 00:24:10,442
I should not be the servant of Christ.

573
00:24:10,626 --> 00:24:13,802
The Bible says if we seek
anything outside of the gospel of

574
00:24:13,826 --> 00:24:16,554
Jesus Christ, we are trying to
be men pleasers.

575
00:24:16,682 --> 00:24:20,886
We're trying to appease what
culture wants us to preach.

576
00:24:21,018 --> 00:24:23,470
Folks, there is a message that
culture wants us to preach.

577
00:24:23,550 --> 00:24:25,214
It's not the message of the gospel.

578
00:24:25,342 --> 00:24:27,902
And I can tell you the message
of the gospel is offensive to our

579
00:24:27,926 --> 00:24:28,622
culture today.

580
00:24:28,726 --> 00:24:28,990
So.

581
00:24:29,030 --> 00:24:30,142
So let's take a side note.

582
00:24:30,206 --> 00:24:33,294
How can I preach the gospel in
a world that's opposed to the gospel?

583
00:24:33,422 --> 00:24:34,222
Will you preach it?

584
00:24:34,246 --> 00:24:36,126
And let the chips fall where
they may, so to speak.

585
00:24:36,158 --> 00:24:36,542
Right.

586
00:24:36,646 --> 00:24:40,574
It's not my job to decide how
a person is going to respond to the

587
00:24:40,582 --> 00:24:41,518
gospel message.

588
00:24:41,614 --> 00:24:44,210
It is my job to proclaim the
gospel message.

589
00:24:44,550 --> 00:24:46,372
And folks, I'm going to let
you know this.

590
00:24:46,526 --> 00:24:49,912
The more you live the gospel,
the more you preach the gospel, the

591
00:24:49,936 --> 00:24:51,576
more opposition you will face.

592
00:24:51,728 --> 00:24:52,664
Say, wait, wait, wait.

593
00:24:52,712 --> 00:24:55,816
The goal of Middletown Baptist
Church should not be to face opposition.

594
00:24:55,928 --> 00:24:57,304
It's not to face opposition.

595
00:24:57,352 --> 00:24:58,616
It's to preach the gospel.

596
00:24:58,728 --> 00:25:02,552
But we may face opposition if
we live and preach the gospel, the

597
00:25:02,576 --> 00:25:03,192
real gospel.

598
00:25:03,256 --> 00:25:06,296
You're never going to offend
anybody if you have a very stripped

599
00:25:06,328 --> 00:25:07,416
down version of the gospel.

600
00:25:07,528 --> 00:25:08,600
Well, Jesus loves you.

601
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,024
Everyone's going to be okay
with that.

602
00:25:10,112 --> 00:25:13,128
If I went to Walmart and said,
hey, Jesus loves you, Jesus loves

603
00:25:13,144 --> 00:25:13,320
you.

604
00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:13,944
Jesus loves you.

605
00:25:13,952 --> 00:25:14,872
They're going to say, oh,
thank you.

606
00:25:14,896 --> 00:25:17,840
Yeah, okay, because everyone
wants to be loved.

607
00:25:19,300 --> 00:25:20,508
Does Jesus love us?

608
00:25:20,564 --> 00:25:21,132
Yes.

609
00:25:21,276 --> 00:25:23,772
Is that the complete message
of the gospel?

610
00:25:23,836 --> 00:25:25,660
No, it's not.

611
00:25:25,780 --> 00:25:26,748
Because what did he do?

612
00:25:26,804 --> 00:25:29,932
He lived for us, he died for
us, and he conquered death through

613
00:25:29,956 --> 00:25:30,652
the resurrection.

614
00:25:30,716 --> 00:25:32,204
And so you have to tell people this.

615
00:25:32,292 --> 00:25:33,480
There is a problem.

616
00:25:34,580 --> 00:25:35,404
What's the problem?

617
00:25:35,492 --> 00:25:35,996
My problem?

618
00:25:36,068 --> 00:25:38,252
I've got a lot of problems,
but the biggest problem that I have

619
00:25:38,276 --> 00:25:38,876
is sin.

620
00:25:38,988 --> 00:25:39,356
Right?

621
00:25:39,428 --> 00:25:41,542
We all have a sin in issue.

622
00:25:41,726 --> 00:25:42,774
Say what?

623
00:25:42,942 --> 00:25:45,238
I came into this church for
the first time and now you're calling

624
00:25:45,254 --> 00:25:46,038
me a sinner?

625
00:25:46,134 --> 00:25:47,286
I'm not calling you the sinner.

626
00:25:47,318 --> 00:25:49,238
The Bible says, for all have
sinned and come short of the glory

627
00:25:49,254 --> 00:25:49,846
of God.

628
00:25:49,958 --> 00:25:52,678
But I'll jump in that mix with
you and say, I'm a sinner too.

629
00:25:52,814 --> 00:25:55,686
But the issue is, is that that
sin has a penalty.

630
00:25:55,718 --> 00:25:59,334
And that penalty of sin is
death, separation from God.

631
00:25:59,462 --> 00:26:01,814
And so when we start talking
to people and say, hey, you know

632
00:26:01,822 --> 00:26:02,134
what?

633
00:26:02,222 --> 00:26:06,102
We need a Savior and there's
only one Savior, that's where it

634
00:26:06,126 --> 00:26:07,590
can get a little bit challenging.

635
00:26:07,750 --> 00:26:09,846
But we do it in love and we do
it in Grace.

636
00:26:09,958 --> 00:26:12,370
So here's the next thing that
I want us to think about.

637
00:26:14,190 --> 00:26:16,210
Romans, chapter 1, verse 16.

638
00:26:16,750 --> 00:26:18,930
This could be a theme verse of
the day.

639
00:26:19,470 --> 00:26:23,730
For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ.

640
00:26:25,550 --> 00:26:26,726
How many of us don't.

641
00:26:26,758 --> 00:26:29,782
Don't admit it right now,
because this is the moment where

642
00:26:29,806 --> 00:26:31,270
we need to be introspective.

643
00:26:31,430 --> 00:26:35,204
But how many of us have been
challenged to be ashamed of the gospel?

644
00:26:35,342 --> 00:26:38,424
Not ashamed of the gospel in
its concept, but ashamed to proclaim

645
00:26:38,472 --> 00:26:39,080
the gospel.

646
00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:40,740
Well, I don't want to offend someone.

647
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:45,176
And that word ashamed doesn't
just mean like, hey, I'm afraid it's

648
00:26:45,208 --> 00:26:45,640
this.

649
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,792
I'm not putting my confidence
completely in the gospel, is what

650
00:26:48,816 --> 00:26:50,100
it literally is saying.

651
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,744
So I am not ashamed to put my
confidence completely in the gospel.

652
00:26:54,792 --> 00:26:55,944
That's what Paul is saying here.

653
00:26:56,032 --> 00:26:58,408
I'm not ashamed to put my life
into the gospel.

654
00:26:58,504 --> 00:27:00,952
I'm not ashamed to sell out to
the gospel.

655
00:27:01,096 --> 00:27:01,560
I'm not.

656
00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,552
I'm not ashamed to give my
life to Jesus and proclaim it.

657
00:27:04,576 --> 00:27:05,432
He says, why?

658
00:27:05,536 --> 00:27:11,576
For it is the power of God
unto salvation to everyone that believeth

659
00:27:11,608 --> 00:27:12,632
to the Jew first.

660
00:27:12,736 --> 00:27:15,032
And that would have been
totally acceptable to these people.

661
00:27:15,136 --> 00:27:17,768
But then it goes, and then
also to the Greek, meaning, this

662
00:27:17,824 --> 00:27:19,032
message is for all.

663
00:27:19,136 --> 00:27:23,896
This message is for people of
all cultures, of all ethnicities,

664
00:27:24,008 --> 00:27:25,176
of all backgrounds.

665
00:27:25,208 --> 00:27:27,562
This gospel message breaks barriers.

666
00:27:27,626 --> 00:27:29,910
This gospel message changes lives.

667
00:27:30,210 --> 00:27:32,074
So Paul says, I'm not ashamed
of it.

668
00:27:32,162 --> 00:27:35,034
I'm going to put my confidence
completely in the gospel and nothing

669
00:27:35,082 --> 00:27:35,498
else.

670
00:27:35,594 --> 00:27:39,470
What happens is, is that
sometimes a church can be challenged

671
00:27:40,050 --> 00:27:43,482
to put our confidence in
things outside of the gospel.

672
00:27:43,626 --> 00:27:43,930
So.

673
00:27:43,970 --> 00:27:45,190
So what do I mean by that?

674
00:27:45,810 --> 00:27:48,122
Well, the gospel isn't really attractive.

675
00:27:48,266 --> 00:27:51,510
So let's find something else
that will pull people in.

676
00:27:51,980 --> 00:27:55,348
And then once people will come
in, we won't tell them what we're

677
00:27:55,364 --> 00:27:58,292
really about for a while, and
we'll get them acclimated, and then

678
00:27:58,316 --> 00:27:59,508
we'll hit them with the gospel.

679
00:27:59,604 --> 00:28:04,996
Okay, well, truth is, is that
how you win people to Christ?

680
00:28:05,068 --> 00:28:08,148
Or let's say it, even in a
bigger scale to our church, how you

681
00:28:08,204 --> 00:28:10,532
bring people to the church and
have them stay in the church is how

682
00:28:10,556 --> 00:28:11,812
you have to keep preaching.

683
00:28:11,956 --> 00:28:15,604
And if I preach anything
outside of the gospel, if I preach

684
00:28:15,652 --> 00:28:18,452
entertainment, if I preach,
hey, you know what?

685
00:28:18,476 --> 00:28:20,096
You come to our church, you'll
get gifts.

686
00:28:20,228 --> 00:28:21,976
Now, we do pass out gifts when
you come to church.

687
00:28:22,008 --> 00:28:23,300
Okay, Your first time.

688
00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,928
But let's be honest.

689
00:28:26,104 --> 00:28:28,792
We could not continue to give
you gifts every single Sunday to

690
00:28:28,816 --> 00:28:29,944
keep you satisfied.

691
00:28:30,072 --> 00:28:32,632
And so some people might Say,
well, I got a gift for the first

692
00:28:32,656 --> 00:28:34,056
Sunday, but I don't get the gift.

693
00:28:34,088 --> 00:28:36,712
Second, third, fourth this
Sunday, I'm not coming back, folks.

694
00:28:36,776 --> 00:28:39,352
That's a silly way to think
about it, but a lot of times what

695
00:28:39,376 --> 00:28:43,512
happens is that churches will
say, let's not base everything in

696
00:28:43,536 --> 00:28:43,992
the gospel.

697
00:28:44,056 --> 00:28:46,460
Let's base it on activities.

698
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:48,568
Let's base it in programs.

699
00:28:48,664 --> 00:28:52,680
Let's base it in giving people
substance to their lives.

700
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,296
But the problem with that is this.

701
00:28:54,368 --> 00:28:56,300
We can find entertainment anywhere.

702
00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:00,840
I can find entertainment
anywhere in the world by just looking

703
00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:01,640
at my phone.

704
00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:03,752
Okay, Some of you that have
the Internet on your phone, you can

705
00:29:03,776 --> 00:29:07,528
watch pretty much any movie,
any video that's ever been created

706
00:29:07,624 --> 00:29:08,500
right here.

707
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,696
So if the church is an
entertainment center, it's not really

708
00:29:12,768 --> 00:29:13,224
a church.

709
00:29:13,272 --> 00:29:14,596
It's not based on the gospel.

710
00:29:14,728 --> 00:29:15,244
So it's not.

711
00:29:15,252 --> 00:29:16,828
If it's not entertainment,
what else is it?

712
00:29:16,884 --> 00:29:17,452
Well, you know what?

713
00:29:17,476 --> 00:29:20,160
I come to church for friendships.

714
00:29:20,660 --> 00:29:21,880
That's a good thing.

715
00:29:22,340 --> 00:29:23,884
Are we going to find
friendships at church?

716
00:29:23,932 --> 00:29:26,636
Yes, but let me pose a thought
to you.

717
00:29:26,708 --> 00:29:28,364
You could find a friendship anywhere.

718
00:29:28,492 --> 00:29:30,396
You could find a friendship up
at the ymca.

719
00:29:30,428 --> 00:29:32,908
You could find a friendship
out in the ball field.

720
00:29:33,044 --> 00:29:36,160
So this isn't the whole reason
why we come to church.

721
00:29:36,580 --> 00:29:39,644
The whole reason we do what we
do, going back to First Corinthians,

722
00:29:39,692 --> 00:29:42,340
chapter 15, is the gospel of
Jesus Christ.

723
00:29:42,460 --> 00:29:44,196
Now, is there going to be
entertainment at church?

724
00:29:44,228 --> 00:29:45,796
Yeah, we have a good time.

725
00:29:45,948 --> 00:29:46,308
Are.

726
00:29:46,364 --> 00:29:47,364
Are there friendships at church?

727
00:29:47,412 --> 00:29:48,040
Yes.

728
00:29:49,260 --> 00:29:49,732
Is there.

729
00:29:49,756 --> 00:29:50,628
Is there camaraderie?

730
00:29:50,644 --> 00:29:50,836
Yes.

731
00:29:50,868 --> 00:29:52,740
Is there all these things that
we love?

732
00:29:52,780 --> 00:29:53,140
Yes.

733
00:29:53,220 --> 00:29:54,356
Those are fringe benefits.

734
00:29:54,388 --> 00:29:56,612
But it is the gospel that
holds us together.

735
00:29:56,716 --> 00:29:58,932
And that's what we preach,
that's what we live.

736
00:29:59,036 --> 00:30:00,660
Now, what does that mean for
us when it comes?

737
00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:03,028
Well, we're not supposed to do
things like loving people.

738
00:30:03,084 --> 00:30:03,396
No.

739
00:30:03,468 --> 00:30:05,444
If you live the gospel, you
love people.

740
00:30:05,612 --> 00:30:07,718
If you live the gospel, you
will serve people.

741
00:30:07,844 --> 00:30:10,590
If you live the gospel, you
will sacrifice for people.

742
00:30:11,050 --> 00:30:12,418
And so the list goes on and on.

743
00:30:12,474 --> 00:30:16,386
So going back to Romans,
chapter 1, verse 16, the question

744
00:30:16,458 --> 00:30:17,250
would be this.

745
00:30:17,370 --> 00:30:20,834
Am I willing to say that I am
not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus

746
00:30:20,882 --> 00:30:21,186
Christ?

747
00:30:21,258 --> 00:30:23,070
Now, what does that look like
in my life?

748
00:30:24,410 --> 00:30:25,458
Well, it looks like this.

749
00:30:25,514 --> 00:30:28,514
I am not ashamed to live differently.

750
00:30:28,562 --> 00:30:31,378
I'm not ashamed to serve differently.

751
00:30:31,554 --> 00:30:34,546
He goes on and say in verse
17, for therein is the righteousness

752
00:30:34,578 --> 00:30:36,458
of God revealed from faith to faith.

753
00:30:36,594 --> 00:30:38,666
As it is written, the just
shall live by faith.

754
00:30:38,698 --> 00:30:43,190
And so it's all wrapped up in
having faith in Christ.

755
00:30:43,970 --> 00:30:48,190
If I have faith in Christ, I
will Live in the gospel.

756
00:30:49,010 --> 00:30:52,026
If I have faith in this world,
what will I do?

757
00:30:52,098 --> 00:30:54,346
I will live like the world.

758
00:30:54,498 --> 00:30:59,082
If I have faith in my
finances, I will live for my finances.

759
00:30:59,146 --> 00:31:02,698
If I have faith in my health,
I'm going to live only in my health.

760
00:31:02,754 --> 00:31:05,198
You see what it is, it's
essentially your master, which whatever

761
00:31:05,214 --> 00:31:06,910
you have faith in is your master.

762
00:31:07,070 --> 00:31:09,118
The Bible says there's only
one thing that can be our master,

763
00:31:09,134 --> 00:31:11,166
and that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

764
00:31:11,318 --> 00:31:11,838
Lord.

765
00:31:11,934 --> 00:31:13,934
That's what that word, Lord
means, master.

766
00:31:14,062 --> 00:31:17,822
And so if we put faith in
anything else in our lives and in

767
00:31:17,846 --> 00:31:21,502
the church, not in Christ,
what will eventually happen is those

768
00:31:21,526 --> 00:31:25,006
things will become our masters
and we'll be men pleasers instead

769
00:31:25,038 --> 00:31:26,222
of God pleasers.

770
00:31:26,366 --> 00:31:26,782
You know what?

771
00:31:26,806 --> 00:31:29,102
There's a big challenge for me
as a pastor to say, what should I

772
00:31:29,126 --> 00:31:29,326
preach?

773
00:31:29,358 --> 00:31:30,810
What do the people want to hear?

774
00:31:31,830 --> 00:31:32,622
And I get that.

775
00:31:32,646 --> 00:31:34,814
I get that sentiment because I
don't want to get up here and preach

776
00:31:34,862 --> 00:31:36,158
obscurity to you.

777
00:31:36,294 --> 00:31:38,814
I do want to preach things
that apply to your life.

778
00:31:38,982 --> 00:31:42,478
But there might be a time in
2025 that I need to preach something

779
00:31:42,534 --> 00:31:43,886
that I don't want to hear.

780
00:31:44,038 --> 00:31:46,382
And you certainly might not
want to hear it, but it's something

781
00:31:46,406 --> 00:31:47,610
that we need to hear.

782
00:31:49,030 --> 00:31:53,294
Folks, I'm going to tell you
here today, because of my love for

783
00:31:53,382 --> 00:31:57,022
God and because of my love for
Scripture and because of my love

784
00:31:57,046 --> 00:31:59,662
for you, I want to tell you
what you need to hear, not what you

785
00:31:59,686 --> 00:32:00,570
want to hear.

786
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:01,560
I.

787
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:03,912
I think that so many times
people think that pastors get up

788
00:32:03,936 --> 00:32:07,272
here and they're talking to
people and there's a disconnect.

789
00:32:07,336 --> 00:32:08,808
And sometimes that might be
the case.

790
00:32:08,944 --> 00:32:10,936
But folks, there are some
times when I'm up here preaching

791
00:32:10,968 --> 00:32:14,072
and I am super conflicted
because what I am telling you is

792
00:32:14,096 --> 00:32:15,192
something that I struggle with.

793
00:32:15,216 --> 00:32:17,752
And I say, okay, I gotta
preach this, but I'm preaching to

794
00:32:17,776 --> 00:32:18,488
myself.

795
00:32:18,664 --> 00:32:20,120
And I would tell you this, folks.

796
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,700
It is okay to have that inner conflict.

797
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:24,380
That's conviction.

798
00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,102
Don't run away from the gospel.

799
00:32:27,216 --> 00:32:29,186
Don't run away from scripture.

800
00:32:29,378 --> 00:32:33,442
If the Lord is speaking to you
in an area and you're sensitive to

801
00:32:33,466 --> 00:32:34,498
that, that is a good thing.

802
00:32:34,554 --> 00:32:35,746
Be sensitive to it.

803
00:32:35,818 --> 00:32:37,618
Don't put up that calloused heart.

804
00:32:37,754 --> 00:32:41,362
It's so easy for us to callous
our hearts against the gospel to

805
00:32:41,386 --> 00:32:44,950
the place where we disconnect
the gospel to application.

806
00:32:45,290 --> 00:32:47,634
Well, I love Jesus, but I
don't love his people.

807
00:32:47,722 --> 00:32:49,810
I love Jesus, but I don't love
his ministry.

808
00:32:49,890 --> 00:32:54,042
I love Jesus, but I don't love
his Word, folks, those are contradictions.

809
00:32:54,186 --> 00:32:56,026
If you love Jesus, you love
his work.

810
00:32:56,098 --> 00:32:58,074
If you love Jesus, you love
his Word.

811
00:32:58,202 --> 00:33:00,794
And so therefore, what we can
see here is that there's that element

812
00:33:00,842 --> 00:33:02,746
of being ashamed of the Gospel.

813
00:33:02,778 --> 00:33:05,626
By the way that we live our
lives, folks, Middletown Baptist

814
00:33:05,658 --> 00:33:10,522
Church this year must proclaim
and embrace and celebrate the gospel.

815
00:33:10,586 --> 00:33:13,370
Not being ashamed of it, not
being ashamed of it.

816
00:33:13,410 --> 00:33:16,346
Hey, if you bring a visitor to
Middletown Baptist Church, they're

817
00:33:16,378 --> 00:33:17,770
going to hear the gospel.

818
00:33:17,850 --> 00:33:22,178
They're going to hear that we
are all sinners, that we need Jesus,

819
00:33:22,274 --> 00:33:24,882
that we need his forgiveness,
that there's a punishment for sin,

820
00:33:24,946 --> 00:33:27,714
but there's a payment for sin
in Jesus Christ and there's everlasting

821
00:33:27,762 --> 00:33:29,346
life entrusting in him.

822
00:33:29,418 --> 00:33:32,018
That is unashamedly what we
are going to do here in Middletown

823
00:33:32,034 --> 00:33:33,058
Baptist Church.

824
00:33:33,234 --> 00:33:36,530
But I'm going to tell you,
that is great on a Sunday morning

825
00:33:36,570 --> 00:33:41,826
at 10:30, but what happens
when we all say, including myself,

826
00:33:41,938 --> 00:33:44,322
that that's not just what
we're going to preach in the confines

827
00:33:44,386 --> 00:33:48,596
of 419 Armstrong Corner Road,
but that is what we're going to preach

828
00:33:48,708 --> 00:33:50,196
everywhere we go.

829
00:33:50,348 --> 00:33:52,036
That is what we're going to
preach in our homes.

830
00:33:52,068 --> 00:33:54,068
That's what we're going to
preach in our communities.

831
00:33:54,164 --> 00:33:56,148
That's what we're going to
preach in our workplaces.

832
00:33:56,244 --> 00:33:58,980
That's what we're going to
preach in difficult places that we

833
00:33:59,020 --> 00:33:59,620
travel to.

834
00:33:59,660 --> 00:34:00,836
You know what that is?

835
00:34:00,908 --> 00:34:04,100
The challenge is what Paul
says here is to say, I'm not ashamed

836
00:34:04,180 --> 00:34:07,444
no matter where I go, because
the gospel is powerful to the Jew

837
00:34:07,492 --> 00:34:08,564
first, but also to the Greek.

838
00:34:08,612 --> 00:34:10,360
It's powerful for everybody.

839
00:34:11,029 --> 00:34:15,261
And so I have a little alliteration.

840
00:34:15,325 --> 00:34:17,453
The four Cs of the gospel.

841
00:34:17,581 --> 00:34:18,925
The four Cs of the Gospel.

842
00:34:18,957 --> 00:34:21,277
I tried to do it in a way that
we could remember.

843
00:34:21,373 --> 00:34:23,969
So the first one is to preach
it with confidence.

844
00:34:24,789 --> 00:34:26,729
Confidence literally means with.

845
00:34:27,029 --> 00:34:27,501
In the.

846
00:34:27,525 --> 00:34:29,649
In the Latin, with faith.

847
00:34:30,149 --> 00:34:30,941
Okay.

848
00:34:31,085 --> 00:34:33,277
Preach the gospel with faith.

849
00:34:33,373 --> 00:34:35,405
Proclaim the gospel with faith.

850
00:34:35,517 --> 00:34:37,085
Live the gospel with faith.

851
00:34:37,117 --> 00:34:37,809
Meaning this.

852
00:34:37,909 --> 00:34:40,749
I trust that what I'm saying
is true.

853
00:34:41,089 --> 00:34:43,401
What if I was trying to sell
you a product, but I didn't really

854
00:34:43,425 --> 00:34:46,745
believe in the product and I
came up to you and, you know, I'm

855
00:34:46,777 --> 00:34:49,449
kind of like half hearted
about it and I don't believe in it.

856
00:34:49,489 --> 00:34:51,577
And I'm like, well, it's okay.

857
00:34:51,673 --> 00:34:53,545
There's probably better
products out there in the world,

858
00:34:53,617 --> 00:34:53,945
right?

859
00:34:54,017 --> 00:34:56,921
I know we're not trying to
sell something, but the concept is

860
00:34:56,945 --> 00:34:57,625
still the same.

861
00:34:57,697 --> 00:35:00,841
To have confidence in what we
are preaching matters.

862
00:35:00,985 --> 00:35:04,297
To have confidence that it's
worth it to follow Jesus Christ,

863
00:35:04,353 --> 00:35:07,608
to have confidence that he is
going to stay with us, to have confidence

864
00:35:07,704 --> 00:35:10,200
that we are in him and in his righteousness.

865
00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,664
And so we preach the gospel
with confidence.

866
00:35:12,792 --> 00:35:16,648
But secondly, we preach the
gospel with courage.

867
00:35:16,824 --> 00:35:18,380
For I am not ashamed.

868
00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:20,376
You know what?

869
00:35:20,528 --> 00:35:24,312
Sometimes it does take some
courage to live out the gospel in

870
00:35:24,336 --> 00:35:26,184
our life, to live differently.

871
00:35:26,232 --> 00:35:27,928
When everyone's living one way.

872
00:35:28,064 --> 00:35:28,360
When.

873
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:32,700
When everyone is living a lie,
living the truth is weird.

874
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:33,720
So.

875
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,160
So when I am going to live
according to scripture and everyone

876
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,320
around me is living according
to the world, I'm going to stand

877
00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:39,656
out.

878
00:35:39,728 --> 00:35:42,552
And there's going to be maybe
some mocking, maybe there's going

879
00:35:42,576 --> 00:35:45,112
to be some people that are
going to question that.

880
00:35:45,216 --> 00:35:47,496
The truth is, is that we have
to preach it with courage.

881
00:35:47,608 --> 00:35:49,976
And the courage doesn't come
from our own heart.

882
00:35:50,048 --> 00:35:51,512
It comes from the power of God.

883
00:35:51,576 --> 00:35:53,736
And he is the one that's
driving us.

884
00:35:53,888 --> 00:35:55,096
It's his power.

885
00:35:55,248 --> 00:35:57,460
It's the power of Jesus Christ
in our life.

886
00:35:58,010 --> 00:36:00,946
And so it's courage,
confidence, courage.

887
00:36:00,978 --> 00:36:03,586
But then I want you to see
it's in a matter of concern.

888
00:36:03,738 --> 00:36:07,390
We need to have a concern for
the souls of man.

889
00:36:08,170 --> 00:36:11,602
We can see in Scripture that
Jesus, as he's moving about in his

890
00:36:11,626 --> 00:36:14,338
ministry, he has concern for
the lost.

891
00:36:14,474 --> 00:36:16,354
He goes to the woman at the
well, right?

892
00:36:16,442 --> 00:36:17,762
What does he do to the woman
at the well?

893
00:36:17,786 --> 00:36:21,170
He could have said whatever to
her, but he had a concern for her

894
00:36:21,210 --> 00:36:21,830
soul.

895
00:36:22,730 --> 00:36:25,952
Jesus goes, and there was one
point in his ministry, and believe

896
00:36:25,976 --> 00:36:29,296
it or not, the Jewish people
would have traveled the longer route

897
00:36:29,328 --> 00:36:30,980
to get around Samaria.

898
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:35,088
The faster route to go through
Israel would be right through Samaria.

899
00:36:35,184 --> 00:36:38,352
But they hated the Samaritans
so much that they would take the

900
00:36:38,376 --> 00:36:39,536
long route around.

901
00:36:39,688 --> 00:36:41,424
And Jesus makes this statement
in Scripture.

902
00:36:41,472 --> 00:36:45,600
He goes, I must needs go
through Samaria, meaning I want to

903
00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:47,936
have a concern for their souls
as well.

904
00:36:48,008 --> 00:36:50,272
I have a purpose for them.

905
00:36:50,456 --> 00:36:53,192
And I want you to see that
there is a time in our life where

906
00:36:53,216 --> 00:36:56,184
we have to lose the
selfishness and say, you know what?

907
00:36:56,192 --> 00:36:57,780
I have a concern for others.

908
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:03,496
I have a concern for their
life, their sin, their lostness.

909
00:37:03,688 --> 00:37:11,128
And when we do that, we're
able to show the next thing here,

910
00:37:11,184 --> 00:37:12,060
compassion.

911
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:15,544
Sometimes it takes compassion
to have the concern.

912
00:37:15,632 --> 00:37:18,152
So maybe we could have flipped
that, but the idea would be that

913
00:37:18,176 --> 00:37:18,936
we have a compassion.

914
00:37:18,968 --> 00:37:22,354
In Matthew, chapter nine, it
talks about Jesus.

915
00:37:22,402 --> 00:37:22,882
And as he.

916
00:37:22,906 --> 00:37:27,682
It says, as he sees the
multitudes, he is moved with compassion.

917
00:37:27,826 --> 00:37:32,658
It literally means that his
bowels, his stomach feels it, and,

918
00:37:32,714 --> 00:37:37,730
and the, the seed of emotions
in, in the Hebrew culture was their

919
00:37:37,770 --> 00:37:38,194
stomach.

920
00:37:38,242 --> 00:37:39,730
We, we talk about our hearts.

921
00:37:39,810 --> 00:37:41,282
Our hearts are moved for them.

922
00:37:41,306 --> 00:37:41,602
It was.

923
00:37:41,626 --> 00:37:44,066
Their bowels were moved, their
stomach was moved for them.

924
00:37:44,138 --> 00:37:47,482
And so what we see is that
Jesus, he had, he had feelings for

925
00:37:47,506 --> 00:37:49,786
these people that needed a savior.

926
00:37:49,978 --> 00:37:54,070
We should grow, we must grow
in our compassion for the lost.

927
00:37:54,610 --> 00:37:57,786
We are never going to proclaim
the gospel message properly without

928
00:37:57,858 --> 00:37:58,830
compassion.

929
00:37:59,250 --> 00:38:02,314
Sometimes we do it with an
iron fist and we say, I've got a

930
00:38:02,322 --> 00:38:05,594
lot of courage and I got a lot
of confidence, but we're going to

931
00:38:05,602 --> 00:38:07,162
beat people over the head with this.

932
00:38:07,186 --> 00:38:10,554
And if they don't get it,
they're, you know, not so good people.

933
00:38:10,722 --> 00:38:12,730
The truth is, is that we have
to have concern with.

934
00:38:12,770 --> 00:38:16,330
For them, concern is tied
together with love.

935
00:38:17,510 --> 00:38:20,606
We must demonstrate our love
to them in that compassion by sharing

936
00:38:20,638 --> 00:38:21,566
the gospel.

937
00:38:21,758 --> 00:38:26,382
So confidence, courage,
concern and compassion, These are

938
00:38:26,406 --> 00:38:30,014
the four Cs of sharing the
gospel, of proclaiming the gospel,

939
00:38:30,062 --> 00:38:32,370
of living the gospel.

940
00:38:32,950 --> 00:38:38,526
You say, well, that's the job
of missionaries, Pastor.

941
00:38:38,558 --> 00:38:39,690
That's your job.

942
00:38:40,380 --> 00:38:43,668
Well, let's see what First
Timothy, chapter 3, verse 15 says.

943
00:38:43,804 --> 00:38:46,916
It says, but if I tarry long
that thou mayest know how thou ought

944
00:38:46,948 --> 00:38:50,840
us to behave thyself in the
house of God, which is the church

945
00:38:55,020 --> 00:38:59,428
of the living God, the pillar
and ground of truth.

946
00:38:59,524 --> 00:39:02,676
The church is the pillar and
ground of truth.

947
00:39:02,788 --> 00:39:05,758
We are the foundational pro.

948
00:39:05,894 --> 00:39:07,966
We are the ones that have to
proclaim the truth of God.

949
00:39:08,078 --> 00:39:08,446
So.

950
00:39:08,518 --> 00:39:10,382
So we are the pillar and
ground of truth, the church.

951
00:39:10,446 --> 00:39:11,214
Now who is the church?

952
00:39:11,262 --> 00:39:12,286
We've had this lesson before.

953
00:39:12,358 --> 00:39:13,410
You are the church.

954
00:39:14,310 --> 00:39:15,570
We are the church.

955
00:39:15,910 --> 00:39:19,086
It is the church's
responsibility to proclaim the gospel

956
00:39:19,118 --> 00:39:20,010
to the world.

957
00:39:20,550 --> 00:39:22,570
It's not another person's job.

958
00:39:23,590 --> 00:39:25,406
It's not the media's job.

959
00:39:25,558 --> 00:39:26,862
It's not Hollywood's job.

960
00:39:26,886 --> 00:39:29,262
It's not the, the politician's job.

961
00:39:29,366 --> 00:39:30,770
It's not anybody's job.

962
00:39:30,870 --> 00:39:33,882
The only time in scripture
that we see a job description of

963
00:39:33,906 --> 00:39:35,546
people to be the pillar and
ground the truth.

964
00:39:35,578 --> 00:39:36,750
It is the church.

965
00:39:37,250 --> 00:39:41,786
We are the ones that have the
burden of the gospel upon us to preach

966
00:39:41,818 --> 00:39:42,950
it to the world.

967
00:39:43,570 --> 00:39:46,538
It is we who are the preachers
of the gospel.

968
00:39:46,634 --> 00:39:50,122
We are not the producers of
the gospel that is Jesus.

969
00:39:50,266 --> 00:39:53,402
We are not the ones that
extend salvation, that is Jesus,

970
00:39:53,466 --> 00:39:56,288
but we are the ones that are
the messengers of the gospel.

971
00:39:56,434 --> 00:39:57,876
We are the pillar and ground
of truth.

972
00:39:57,908 --> 00:39:59,440
And the truth is Jesus Christ.

973
00:40:00,140 --> 00:40:01,524
Sanctify them by thy truth.

974
00:40:01,572 --> 00:40:02,340
John 17.

975
00:40:02,460 --> 00:40:06,308
John 17:17 says, Sanctify them
by thy truth, Thy word is truth.

976
00:40:06,404 --> 00:40:08,868
And so what we do by living,
how do we live the gospel?

977
00:40:08,964 --> 00:40:11,320
We live the Gospel by living
out Scripture.

978
00:40:11,900 --> 00:40:16,852
Scripture is the centerpiece
to our lives because this is the

979
00:40:16,876 --> 00:40:17,156
message.

980
00:40:17,188 --> 00:40:19,556
This is how we know who God is.

981
00:40:19,628 --> 00:40:22,356
This is how we know what he
desires from us.

982
00:40:22,428 --> 00:40:24,480
This is how we know we have hope.

983
00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:31,184
And so we proclaim with
courage, we proclaim with confidence,

984
00:40:31,312 --> 00:40:35,312
we proclaim with concern, we
proclaim with compassion.

985
00:40:35,456 --> 00:40:38,736
But I also would say the four
T's of the gospel would be this.

986
00:40:38,888 --> 00:40:42,800
In doing it in courage, in
doing it with compassion, we must

987
00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,820
still do it with truth, right?

988
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:49,926
We can't sacrifice the truth
because of our compassion.

989
00:40:50,088 --> 00:40:52,330
We can't say, well, I'm so
compassionate about these people,

990
00:40:52,370 --> 00:40:54,058
so I'm not going to tell them
the whole truth.

991
00:40:54,154 --> 00:41:00,670
We must present the gospel
completely true in truth.

992
00:41:01,410 --> 00:41:02,570
That's where it starts.

993
00:41:02,650 --> 00:41:04,426
The word of God is truth.

994
00:41:04,538 --> 00:41:07,994
As we read this morning, all
Scripture is given by inspiration

995
00:41:08,042 --> 00:41:08,570
of God.

996
00:41:08,650 --> 00:41:11,306
And it's profitable for
doctrine, for approved, for correction,

997
00:41:11,338 --> 00:41:12,830
for instruction, righteousness.

998
00:41:13,330 --> 00:41:18,084
So the idea here would be
this, that when we proclaim the gospel,

999
00:41:18,132 --> 00:41:19,300
where do we get the gospel from?

1000
00:41:19,340 --> 00:41:21,600
Well, we get it from what we feel.

1001
00:41:22,220 --> 00:41:23,760
No, we get it from right here.

1002
00:41:24,620 --> 00:41:27,204
Well, we get it by what
culture tells us.

1003
00:41:27,292 --> 00:41:29,076
No, we get it through Scripture.

1004
00:41:29,188 --> 00:41:30,004
So that's the truth.

1005
00:41:30,052 --> 00:41:32,040
But then we proclaim it in trust.

1006
00:41:32,460 --> 00:41:35,120
We trust what Scripture says.

1007
00:41:35,420 --> 00:41:36,724
Now it's a lot with confidence.

1008
00:41:36,772 --> 00:41:37,828
But what I would say is this.

1009
00:41:37,884 --> 00:41:41,374
How many of you have said
something to somebody that that's

1010
00:41:41,422 --> 00:41:46,142
what you believe, but you
don't really trust in its validity?

1011
00:41:46,206 --> 00:41:47,454
You say, well, I don't know that.

1012
00:41:47,542 --> 00:41:48,718
Let me say it this way.

1013
00:41:48,854 --> 00:41:51,374
A lot of times we agree with
it on paper, but we don't agree with

1014
00:41:51,382 --> 00:41:52,370
it in practice.

1015
00:41:54,070 --> 00:41:57,454
I, I would say we must trust
what we are teaching people in accordance

1016
00:41:57,502 --> 00:41:58,370
to Scripture.

1017
00:41:58,790 --> 00:42:01,646
Do you trust it enough to
apply it to your life?

1018
00:42:01,798 --> 00:42:03,850
So that would be like me
saying this.

1019
00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:07,790
Someone, someone has a, a
person that's sick in their family.

1020
00:42:07,830 --> 00:42:11,252
And I say, guys, you just have
to trust in Jesus to get you through

1021
00:42:11,276 --> 00:42:11,652
this.

1022
00:42:11,756 --> 00:42:14,244
He says he will never leave us
nor forsake us.

1023
00:42:14,332 --> 00:42:16,676
He says that he loves us no
matter what.

1024
00:42:16,748 --> 00:42:18,964
And then I have a situation in
my life.

1025
00:42:19,132 --> 00:42:22,756
Let's say for example, in
February, my son's having surgery,

1026
00:42:22,948 --> 00:42:25,380
a very serious six hour surgery.

1027
00:42:25,540 --> 00:42:26,548
He is, by the way.

1028
00:42:26,604 --> 00:42:29,972
And I say, okay, when that
happens, I don't trust God in that.

1029
00:42:30,076 --> 00:42:33,156
I'm paranoid, I'm scared and
there's going to be some apprehension.

1030
00:42:33,188 --> 00:42:34,890
Anytime we have difficulties
in our life.

1031
00:42:34,980 --> 00:42:38,318
But if I tell you to trust in
Jesus for your difficulties, and

1032
00:42:38,374 --> 00:42:40,846
then I don't trust in Jesus,
how is that message going to resonate

1033
00:42:40,878 --> 00:42:41,182
with you?

1034
00:42:41,206 --> 00:42:41,822
It's not.

1035
00:42:41,926 --> 00:42:44,930
It's going to say, well,
that's just a bunch of hypocrisy.

1036
00:42:45,270 --> 00:42:48,142
And so when we preach the
truth to people, when we live the

1037
00:42:48,166 --> 00:42:50,990
truth out, it is that
application of trust.

1038
00:42:51,150 --> 00:42:54,250
Do I trust God enough to make
it real in my life?

1039
00:42:54,950 --> 00:42:56,078
That's the truth.

1040
00:42:56,174 --> 00:42:57,406
That's the trust.

1041
00:42:57,518 --> 00:42:58,942
And then I would say it this way.

1042
00:42:59,046 --> 00:43:05,990
Thinking, thinking biblically,
thinking gospel centric.

1043
00:43:06,730 --> 00:43:12,082
Is our thinking tied to scripture?

1044
00:43:12,226 --> 00:43:17,154
Or is our thinking tied to our flesh?

1045
00:43:17,282 --> 00:43:20,258
Or is our thinking tied to our friends?

1046
00:43:20,394 --> 00:43:23,698
Or is our thinking tied to our finances?

1047
00:43:23,794 --> 00:43:24,146
Right.

1048
00:43:24,218 --> 00:43:25,250
You see what I mean by that?

1049
00:43:25,290 --> 00:43:28,632
Like, what I think about is,
is going to eventually dictate to

1050
00:43:28,656 --> 00:43:29,860
how I live my life.

1051
00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:36,856
If I think that security comes
through anything outside of Jesus

1052
00:43:36,888 --> 00:43:38,456
Christ, I'm going to.

1053
00:43:38,528 --> 00:43:42,040
When push comes to shove and I
feel insecure, I'm going to run to

1054
00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:42,980
those things.

1055
00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:45,080
So thinking biblically would
be this.

1056
00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:49,380
I don't need to go to anything
else because I am sufficient in Christ.

1057
00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:53,016
And this is the passage of
scripture that tells me that that's

1058
00:43:53,048 --> 00:43:54,236
thinking biblically.

1059
00:43:54,408 --> 00:43:57,220
So to think biblically, you
must know scripture, you must be

1060
00:43:57,260 --> 00:43:57,972
in Scripture.

1061
00:43:58,036 --> 00:44:02,120
And so to live the gospel,
you've got to love scripture.

1062
00:44:02,460 --> 00:44:05,400
To live the gospel, you must
learn scripture.

1063
00:44:05,820 --> 00:44:08,916
And so to live the gospel,
it's living scripture.

1064
00:44:09,028 --> 00:44:09,316
That's.

1065
00:44:09,348 --> 00:44:10,420
That's what I would say to you.

1066
00:44:10,460 --> 00:44:11,940
You're saying, how do we live scripture?

1067
00:44:12,020 --> 00:44:16,180
Well, it's taking what the
Bible says and saying, you know what?

1068
00:44:16,220 --> 00:44:19,124
That is how I'm striving in my
life to live.

1069
00:44:19,292 --> 00:44:21,880
So the Bible calls us to live
with love.

1070
00:44:22,900 --> 00:44:24,188
I want to live love.

1071
00:44:24,324 --> 00:44:24,860
Joy.

1072
00:44:24,940 --> 00:44:26,252
I want to live with joy.

1073
00:44:26,396 --> 00:44:26,812
Peace.

1074
00:44:26,876 --> 00:44:28,124
I'm living with peace.

1075
00:44:28,252 --> 00:44:29,020
Long suffering.

1076
00:44:29,100 --> 00:44:29,996
I live with long suffering.

1077
00:44:30,028 --> 00:44:31,132
You see what I'm saying here, right?

1078
00:44:31,156 --> 00:44:34,572
The fruit of the spirit, I am
called to live that out in my life.

1079
00:44:34,676 --> 00:44:38,140
And so therefore, it's not
just a theoretical thing, it's an

1080
00:44:38,180 --> 00:44:39,720
application of it.

1081
00:44:40,500 --> 00:44:43,280
And so the last thing I would
say here is treasure.

1082
00:44:43,860 --> 00:44:47,760
So what you think about is
eventually what you're going to treasure.

1083
00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:49,780
What do we treasure?

1084
00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:53,056
Jesus talks about our treasure.

1085
00:44:53,168 --> 00:44:54,304
Where our heart is.

1086
00:44:54,392 --> 00:44:55,792
That's where our actions are
going to be.

1087
00:44:55,816 --> 00:44:57,552
What we think about is where
our heart's going to be.

1088
00:44:57,576 --> 00:44:59,420
Where our heart's going to be
is what we're going to do.

1089
00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:04,912
If I treasure something
outside of the gospel, I'm going

1090
00:45:04,936 --> 00:45:08,020
To start dwelling on that more
than I dwell on the gospel.

1091
00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:16,586
If I treasure my own life more
than the gospel, I'm going to treasure

1092
00:45:16,618 --> 00:45:19,162
my life and I'm going to
sacrifice what I need to do for the

1093
00:45:19,186 --> 00:45:25,110
gospel, for the sake of my
stability and my safety and my focus.

1094
00:45:25,570 --> 00:45:31,178
And so it's the truth of God
preached with trust, thinking biblically

1095
00:45:31,274 --> 00:45:33,210
and treasuring the gospel.

1096
00:45:33,370 --> 00:45:36,106
That's really what it looks
like when it comes to being the pillar

1097
00:45:36,138 --> 00:45:36,794
and ground of truth.

1098
00:45:36,842 --> 00:45:39,430
So very quickly here, how do
we do this?

1099
00:45:40,050 --> 00:45:44,714
How so we know what, but how
I'm going to move through this somewhat

1100
00:45:44,762 --> 00:45:46,590
quickly, we do it plainly.

1101
00:45:47,010 --> 00:45:49,578
Every time we see Jesus
preaching the gospel, he preaches

1102
00:45:49,594 --> 00:45:50,442
it plainly.

1103
00:45:50,586 --> 00:45:54,442
When Paul preaches the gospel,
he doesn't go around and beat around

1104
00:45:54,466 --> 00:45:56,670
the bush, he preaches it plainly.

1105
00:45:57,090 --> 00:45:59,802
Now there's different ways
that we can preach it plainly to

1106
00:45:59,826 --> 00:46:00,490
different people.

1107
00:46:00,610 --> 00:46:03,290
So if I brought a five year
old up here and I wanted to preach

1108
00:46:03,370 --> 00:46:06,980
the gospel to them, I would
preach it to them the same way, but

1109
00:46:07,020 --> 00:46:08,820
very plainly so that they
could understand.

1110
00:46:08,940 --> 00:46:13,396
If I bring a 50 year old up
here that has a master's degree in

1111
00:46:13,468 --> 00:46:17,188
philosophy, I might still
present it plainly, but in a different

1112
00:46:17,244 --> 00:46:17,604
manner.

1113
00:46:17,652 --> 00:46:18,100
Right.

1114
00:46:18,220 --> 00:46:21,124
And so it's presenting it
plainly to the person who needs the

1115
00:46:21,132 --> 00:46:22,120
truth of God.

1116
00:46:22,540 --> 00:46:24,148
We present it plainly.

1117
00:46:24,324 --> 00:46:26,612
If I get up here and I say,
well, you got to go through all these

1118
00:46:26,636 --> 00:46:30,164
hoops to become a Christian
and that's what the gospel is.

1119
00:46:30,252 --> 00:46:31,124
That's not plainly.

1120
00:46:31,172 --> 00:46:33,480
So I, I would say that we need
to preach it plainly.

1121
00:46:35,020 --> 00:46:37,880
And then I would also say that
we need to preach it powerfully.

1122
00:46:38,300 --> 00:46:41,860
I want you to see in another
passage of scripture, it's in First

1123
00:46:41,900 --> 00:46:44,880
Thessalonians, First
Thessalonians, chapter 1.

1124
00:46:45,820 --> 00:46:48,692
First Thessalonians, chapter
one says something amazing here.

1125
00:46:48,716 --> 00:46:52,244
And I think it's, I think it's
something that sometimes we forget

1126
00:46:52,292 --> 00:46:56,212
about because we think that
preaching the gospel powerfully just

1127
00:46:56,236 --> 00:47:01,490
means someone's yelling it or
someone's really firmly saying that

1128
00:47:01,530 --> 00:47:02,946
this is the gospel.

1129
00:47:03,138 --> 00:47:06,310
And, and so it can only be
powerful when it's loud.

1130
00:47:06,810 --> 00:47:10,130
That's not necessarily what
the Bible talks about, preaching

1131
00:47:10,210 --> 00:47:11,154
the gospel powerfully.

1132
00:47:11,202 --> 00:47:14,498
Now is there a time to shout
the voice Thus saith the Lord.

1133
00:47:14,514 --> 00:47:14,946
Yeah.

1134
00:47:15,058 --> 00:47:18,770
But First Thessalonians
chapter 1, verse 5, it says, for

1135
00:47:18,810 --> 00:47:26,562
our gospel came not unto you
in word only, but also in power and

1136
00:47:26,586 --> 00:47:31,266
in the Holy Ghost, and in much
assurance, as ye know what manner

1137
00:47:31,298 --> 00:47:35,394
of men we were among you for
your sake, meaning this, the gospel

1138
00:47:35,442 --> 00:47:36,978
did not just come in word only.

1139
00:47:37,034 --> 00:47:40,722
But in the power of the
Spirit, and in the power of the Spirit

1140
00:47:40,786 --> 00:47:43,730
came assurance, meaning faith, confidence.

1141
00:47:43,890 --> 00:47:47,778
And so we preach the gospel
with the power of God.

1142
00:47:47,874 --> 00:47:48,130
We.

1143
00:47:48,170 --> 00:47:48,322
We.

1144
00:47:48,346 --> 00:47:50,498
We don't preach the gospel
with the power of man.

1145
00:47:50,634 --> 00:47:52,210
We preach the gospel with.

1146
00:47:52,250 --> 00:47:53,106
In the power of God.

1147
00:47:53,138 --> 00:47:53,810
And what does that mean?

1148
00:47:53,850 --> 00:47:54,514
That means this.

1149
00:47:54,602 --> 00:47:58,962
We preach what the word of God
says, and we allow that person to

1150
00:47:58,986 --> 00:47:59,314
respond.

1151
00:47:59,362 --> 00:47:59,618
We.

1152
00:47:59,674 --> 00:48:01,714
We don't make excuses for the Bible.

1153
00:48:01,842 --> 00:48:02,738
We say, you know what?

1154
00:48:02,794 --> 00:48:03,490
This is not me.

1155
00:48:03,530 --> 00:48:04,870
This is the word of God.

1156
00:48:05,610 --> 00:48:06,498
This is not me.

1157
00:48:06,554 --> 00:48:07,314
This is the gospel.

1158
00:48:07,362 --> 00:48:07,970
This is not me.

1159
00:48:08,010 --> 00:48:08,978
This is Scripture.

1160
00:48:09,074 --> 00:48:10,002
And, and so we.

1161
00:48:10,106 --> 00:48:14,390
The way we preach the gospel
powerfully is by relying on scripture.

1162
00:48:15,370 --> 00:48:18,434
We rely on scripture to
proclaim the gospel, to live the

1163
00:48:18,442 --> 00:48:19,144
gospel.

1164
00:48:19,322 --> 00:48:22,636
I've had many people tell me,
well, that doesn't make sense.

1165
00:48:22,828 --> 00:48:24,220
I don't agree with that.

1166
00:48:24,340 --> 00:48:25,612
I don't think you should do that.

1167
00:48:25,636 --> 00:48:29,164
And I say this, okay, I
understand where you're coming from.

1168
00:48:29,252 --> 00:48:32,080
And even there, there are
certain elements of scripture.

1169
00:48:32,500 --> 00:48:33,436
Confession time.

1170
00:48:33,508 --> 00:48:36,620
There's certain elements of
scripture that I wish weren't there

1171
00:48:36,740 --> 00:48:39,052
because it would be a lot
easier for certain things to not

1172
00:48:39,076 --> 00:48:39,372
be there.

1173
00:48:39,396 --> 00:48:42,252
But what I'm going to say here
to you today is that if the Bible

1174
00:48:42,316 --> 00:48:43,740
says it, we preach it.

1175
00:48:43,780 --> 00:48:45,052
And that's the power in.

1176
00:48:45,076 --> 00:48:47,724
It's the power of the sword of
the Lord and not the power of the

1177
00:48:47,732 --> 00:48:49,068
person standing up here preaching.

1178
00:48:49,164 --> 00:48:50,908
Because I can say whatever I
want to say up here.

1179
00:48:50,964 --> 00:48:53,100
But what the Bible says in
First Thessalonians, chapter one,

1180
00:48:53,140 --> 00:48:55,788
verse five, is that it didn't
come from the power of the word.

1181
00:48:55,884 --> 00:48:57,900
It came through the power of
the spirit.

1182
00:48:58,060 --> 00:48:59,500
The power of the spirit.

1183
00:48:59,660 --> 00:49:01,772
And so therefore, we preach it powerfully.

1184
00:49:01,836 --> 00:49:04,560
But then I want you to see
here, we preach it persistently.

1185
00:49:06,340 --> 00:49:06,700
We.

1186
00:49:06,740 --> 00:49:08,268
We do it regularly.

1187
00:49:08,364 --> 00:49:11,040
We don't just stop when we get opposition.

1188
00:49:11,900 --> 00:49:15,172
Do you know it's very easy to
quit living the gospel life when

1189
00:49:15,196 --> 00:49:18,804
you feel pressure, but
pressure is all the more reason to

1190
00:49:18,812 --> 00:49:20,200
be more persistent.

1191
00:49:20,540 --> 00:49:21,428
Now, now, we don't.

1192
00:49:21,444 --> 00:49:21,892
We do this.

1193
00:49:21,916 --> 00:49:22,100
We.

1194
00:49:22,140 --> 00:49:23,988
We don't beat someone over the head.

1195
00:49:24,124 --> 00:49:24,420
Like.

1196
00:49:24,460 --> 00:49:26,532
Like if I go and preach
something to someone and they go,

1197
00:49:26,556 --> 00:49:27,652
well, I just don't want to
hear it right now.

1198
00:49:27,676 --> 00:49:28,564
We go, no, you gotta hear it.

1199
00:49:28,572 --> 00:49:31,428
And you grab them by the, you
know, shirts and you pull them in

1200
00:49:31,484 --> 00:49:33,380
like, okay, that's where we're
taking it too far.

1201
00:49:33,420 --> 00:49:36,356
The Bible says that there is a
time and a place to say, hey, I presented

1202
00:49:36,388 --> 00:49:38,884
the word of God to them, and
now we have to let the Holy Spirit

1203
00:49:38,932 --> 00:49:39,326
work.

1204
00:49:39,428 --> 00:49:41,706
You cannot Force someone to be saved.

1205
00:49:41,818 --> 00:49:44,538
You cannot force someone to
understand it from your perspective.

1206
00:49:44,634 --> 00:49:47,402
It is only by the Holy Spirit
that that happens, by the power of

1207
00:49:47,426 --> 00:49:47,722
God.

1208
00:49:47,786 --> 00:49:51,242
And so you present it
persistently, as God calls you to

1209
00:49:51,266 --> 00:49:54,730
present it persistently in the
concept of people that have been

1210
00:49:54,770 --> 00:49:56,202
prayed for for years.

1211
00:49:56,386 --> 00:49:57,642
And that's the next point here.

1212
00:49:57,666 --> 00:49:58,666
I want you to see this.

1213
00:49:58,738 --> 00:50:00,510
We got to do it prayerfully.

1214
00:50:00,930 --> 00:50:03,470
You can't be persistent
without the prayer.

1215
00:50:04,130 --> 00:50:06,688
If you think about it from the
perspective of scripture, it says

1216
00:50:06,794 --> 00:50:11,604
in everything, by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving,

1217
00:50:11,652 --> 00:50:13,636
let your requests be made
known unto God.

1218
00:50:13,748 --> 00:50:19,908
It's the prayer that powers us
forward to be persistently and powerfully

1219
00:50:19,924 --> 00:50:21,880
and plainly preaching the word.

1220
00:50:22,620 --> 00:50:23,412
Pray for folks.

1221
00:50:23,476 --> 00:50:26,372
If you have a situation where
you're going to be living out the

1222
00:50:26,396 --> 00:50:28,372
gospel, pray about that situation.

1223
00:50:28,516 --> 00:50:34,240
Pray that you are able to
properly present the gospel in a

1224
00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:38,620
clear, powerful way to an
individual or to a group of people.

1225
00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:41,504
It is the prayer that allows
us to be persistent.

1226
00:50:41,552 --> 00:50:44,352
I mentioned people that have
been prayed for for years.

1227
00:50:44,456 --> 00:50:46,272
I've heard of stories of
people that have been prayed for

1228
00:50:46,296 --> 00:50:48,496
for decades, and they've
rejected the gospel.

1229
00:50:48,528 --> 00:50:51,568
They rejected the gospel, but
there was a faithful person or people

1230
00:50:51,624 --> 00:50:53,840
or church that were praying
for an individual.

1231
00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:57,232
And over time, and that
persistence of prayer allowed that

1232
00:50:57,256 --> 00:51:00,390
person, and their heart got
softened and they came to a place

1233
00:51:00,430 --> 00:51:02,774
in their life where they trust
in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

1234
00:51:02,902 --> 00:51:05,622
Never give up on praying for
individuals, for the gospel.

1235
00:51:05,686 --> 00:51:06,950
Oh, they're too far gone.

1236
00:51:07,030 --> 00:51:09,478
It's not our job to make that
decision on whether or not they're

1237
00:51:09,494 --> 00:51:10,150
too far gone.

1238
00:51:10,230 --> 00:51:13,766
It's our job to plant the
seed, water the seed, and God gives

1239
00:51:13,798 --> 00:51:14,278
that increase.

1240
00:51:14,334 --> 00:51:16,262
That's 1 Corinthians, chapter three.

1241
00:51:16,446 --> 00:51:20,470
I, I, I don't, I don't, I
personally don't get people to get

1242
00:51:20,510 --> 00:51:20,870
saved.

1243
00:51:20,950 --> 00:51:22,006
It is the word of God.

1244
00:51:22,038 --> 00:51:23,430
I am just the vessel.

1245
00:51:23,590 --> 00:51:27,212
I, I, I'm just the person that
says, hey, thus saith the Lord, I

1246
00:51:27,236 --> 00:51:28,540
love you enough to tell you
the truth.

1247
00:51:28,620 --> 00:51:31,036
But I'm not the one that's
grabbing their heart and changing

1248
00:51:31,068 --> 00:51:31,516
their heart.

1249
00:51:31,588 --> 00:51:34,604
I'm not the one that's giving
them that power in their life.

1250
00:51:34,692 --> 00:51:38,012
It is only by prayer and
persistence that we are able to be

1251
00:51:38,036 --> 00:51:39,000
a part of this.

1252
00:51:39,620 --> 00:51:42,972
And so how do we do it
plainly, powerfully, persistently,

1253
00:51:43,036 --> 00:51:44,080
and prayerfully?

1254
00:51:44,900 --> 00:51:48,828
The next question is, who,
who's doing this?

1255
00:51:48,884 --> 00:51:50,572
Well, I put this phrase up there.

1256
00:51:50,596 --> 00:51:51,612
It's very basic.

1257
00:51:51,676 --> 00:51:58,390
All believers are called to
proclaim the gospel to all people.

1258
00:51:59,090 --> 00:52:02,938
All believers are called to
proclaim the Gospel to all people.

1259
00:52:03,074 --> 00:52:04,710
So, so what do I mean by that?

1260
00:52:06,130 --> 00:52:07,338
Are you a believer today?

1261
00:52:07,394 --> 00:52:10,550
If you're a believer in Jesus
Christ, you are called.

1262
00:52:12,050 --> 00:52:13,050
You are called.

1263
00:52:13,170 --> 00:52:14,602
You are called to preach the gospel.

1264
00:52:14,666 --> 00:52:16,554
Well, who am I called to
preach the gospel to?

1265
00:52:16,642 --> 00:52:18,972
Mark, chapter 16, verse 15.

1266
00:52:19,146 --> 00:52:22,792
And he said unto them, go ye
unto all the world and preach the

1267
00:52:22,816 --> 00:52:25,540
gospel to the people that you like.

1268
00:52:26,080 --> 00:52:28,380
No, to every creature.

1269
00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:30,424
That means everybody.

1270
00:52:30,552 --> 00:52:32,100
Now here's the thing.

1271
00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:33,912
Can you preach to everybody?

1272
00:52:33,976 --> 00:52:34,580
No.

1273
00:52:35,040 --> 00:52:35,940
Why not?

1274
00:52:36,240 --> 00:52:39,496
Well, are you in China this morning?

1275
00:52:39,648 --> 00:52:40,152
No.

1276
00:52:40,256 --> 00:52:42,392
You can't preach to someone in
China unless they're watching the

1277
00:52:42,416 --> 00:52:43,288
live stream.

1278
00:52:43,464 --> 00:52:44,744
So we have limitations.

1279
00:52:44,872 --> 00:52:47,736
But if everyone preaches the
gospel to who they can preach to,

1280
00:52:47,808 --> 00:52:50,728
we can continue to connect
with people not just in our community,

1281
00:52:50,784 --> 00:52:51,896
but around the world.

1282
00:52:52,048 --> 00:52:54,312
Say, well, I'm not able to go
to this country, but I'm able to

1283
00:52:54,336 --> 00:52:56,120
support someone who is going
to that country.

1284
00:52:56,240 --> 00:52:59,592
There is our way to reach
people for the gospel.

1285
00:52:59,736 --> 00:53:03,112
And so all believers, if you
are a born again believer, have you

1286
00:53:03,136 --> 00:53:06,360
been saved for five minutes or
50 years, it doesn't matter.

1287
00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:11,610
You are now called to proclaim
the gospel to all people.

1288
00:53:12,470 --> 00:53:14,094
And so that is the who behind it.

1289
00:53:14,102 --> 00:53:16,810
We've talked about the what,
the how and the who.

1290
00:53:17,430 --> 00:53:21,050
And lastly, we need to answer
the question when.

1291
00:53:22,150 --> 00:53:22,654
Right?

1292
00:53:22,742 --> 00:53:24,526
Just happens to be the
questions that we ask.

1293
00:53:24,598 --> 00:53:27,610
Who, what, when, when?

1294
00:53:28,070 --> 00:53:31,370
Well, Colossians chapter one.

1295
00:53:31,830 --> 00:53:34,462
I want you to see all of these
because this is pretty neat to see

1296
00:53:34,566 --> 00:53:37,022
where we have a few verses to
look at here and then we'll come.

1297
00:53:37,046 --> 00:53:38,446
I, I want you to give me an answer.

1298
00:53:38,478 --> 00:53:38,976
Okay.

1299
00:53:39,078 --> 00:53:42,092
After we look at all these
verses, I want you to see when we

1300
00:53:42,116 --> 00:53:42,588
should go.

1301
00:53:42,644 --> 00:53:44,560
So the first one is colossians.

1302
00:53:45,860 --> 00:53:48,360
Colossians chapter 1, verse 28.

1303
00:53:49,700 --> 00:53:52,748
Hopefully you will see the
urgency here.

1304
00:53:52,884 --> 00:53:55,320
Colossians chapter 1, Verse 28.

1305
00:53:56,260 --> 00:53:58,200
Look at verse 28 and 29.

1306
00:54:01,140 --> 00:54:06,822
After we read these verses, I
think we'll have an answer on when

1307
00:54:06,846 --> 00:54:08,250
we should preach the gospel.

1308
00:54:08,910 --> 00:54:13,846
Colossians chapter 1, verse
28, whom we preach, warning every

1309
00:54:13,918 --> 00:54:18,598
man and teaching every man in
all wisdom that we may present every

1310
00:54:18,654 --> 00:54:22,374
man perfect in Christ Jesus,
wherein to I also labor, striving

1311
00:54:22,422 --> 00:54:27,530
according to his working,
which worketh in me mightily.

1312
00:54:28,030 --> 00:54:29,450
So he says warning.

1313
00:54:31,080 --> 00:54:34,100
So actually proclaiming the
gospel is a warning.

1314
00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:37,104
But we look a little bit
further and we see what Second Corinthians

1315
00:54:37,152 --> 00:54:38,112
chapter 6 says.

1316
00:54:38,216 --> 00:54:41,740
Second Corinthians chapter 6,
verse number 2.

1317
00:54:49,160 --> 00:54:51,260
Second Corinthians chapter 6,
verse 2.

1318
00:54:52,360 --> 00:54:56,112
We see more about the time
frame of when we should preach the

1319
00:54:56,136 --> 00:54:56,820
gospel.

1320
00:54:57,670 --> 00:54:59,170
Says, for he saith.

1321
00:55:01,430 --> 00:55:05,054
For he saith, I have heard
thee in a time accepted and in a

1322
00:55:05,062 --> 00:55:07,038
day of salvation, when I
secured thee.

1323
00:55:07,134 --> 00:55:11,134
Behold, now is the accepted time.

1324
00:55:11,302 --> 00:55:14,530
Behold, now is the day of salvation.

1325
00:55:15,590 --> 00:55:17,566
Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 16.

1326
00:55:17,638 --> 00:55:20,542
Some of you are familiar with
that verse, Redeeming the time because

1327
00:55:20,566 --> 00:55:22,290
the days are evil.

1328
00:55:23,200 --> 00:55:25,192
And then lastly, here, this
will be the last one.

1329
00:55:25,216 --> 00:55:29,540
We look at Colossians, chapter
4, verse 5.

1330
00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:36,184
It says, Colossians 4, verse 5.

1331
00:55:36,272 --> 00:55:41,660
Walk in wisdom toward them
that are without meaning.

1332
00:55:42,160 --> 00:55:43,420
They're not saved.

1333
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:45,672
Redeeming the time.

1334
00:55:45,856 --> 00:55:48,780
So walk in wisdom, redeem the time.

1335
00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:53,588
So with all those things in
mind, what do you think next year?

1336
00:55:53,724 --> 00:55:54,960
2026?

1337
00:55:55,660 --> 00:55:56,400
Now.

1338
00:55:57,100 --> 00:55:57,796
When is.

1339
00:55:57,868 --> 00:55:58,660
It's now.

1340
00:55:58,780 --> 00:56:00,468
Preach the gospel now.

1341
00:56:00,604 --> 00:56:01,860
Redeeming the time.

1342
00:56:01,980 --> 00:56:02,760
Warning.

1343
00:56:03,100 --> 00:56:04,084
Get ready.

1344
00:56:04,212 --> 00:56:05,332
That's the idea.

1345
00:56:05,396 --> 00:56:07,748
There is an urgency for the gospel.

1346
00:56:07,924 --> 00:56:11,188
The urgency is that we don't
know when time is going to run out.

1347
00:56:11,244 --> 00:56:13,876
We don't know when that person
is going to take their last breath.

1348
00:56:13,988 --> 00:56:18,548
We must have that compassion
and urgency to proclaim and to live

1349
00:56:18,684 --> 00:56:20,596
the gospel as a church.

1350
00:56:20,788 --> 00:56:23,360
Now, individually, yes, you
can do that.

1351
00:56:23,820 --> 00:56:28,340
But think about when we all
come together individually and do

1352
00:56:28,380 --> 00:56:32,100
that as a group, think about
what that means for us.

1353
00:56:32,140 --> 00:56:35,460
Being a lighthouse to our
community, to be a lighthouse to

1354
00:56:35,500 --> 00:56:36,372
our world.

1355
00:56:36,556 --> 00:56:40,000
And so when we think about the
gospel, we think about the idea of

1356
00:56:40,780 --> 00:56:41,520
who?

1357
00:56:42,570 --> 00:56:52,550
Well, everybody, when, now,
how powerfully, persistently, prayerfully,

1358
00:56:53,450 --> 00:56:54,470
plainly.

1359
00:56:54,890 --> 00:56:55,778
Then we think about.

1360
00:56:55,834 --> 00:56:57,618
We think about like, well,
what is it?

1361
00:56:57,674 --> 00:56:59,058
Well, it's Jesus.

1362
00:56:59,234 --> 00:57:00,990
It's the message of Jesus Christ.

1363
00:57:01,370 --> 00:57:03,746
The last thing we didn't bring
up is where.

1364
00:57:03,818 --> 00:57:04,978
Where do we preach it?

1365
00:57:05,114 --> 00:57:08,988
Well, the Bible says in Acts,
chapter one, verse eight, in Jerusalem,

1366
00:57:09,164 --> 00:57:11,836
you say, well, I've never been
to Jerusalem.

1367
00:57:12,028 --> 00:57:13,320
I can't get there.

1368
00:57:13,700 --> 00:57:15,996
It's not literally talking
about us in Jerusalem.

1369
00:57:16,028 --> 00:57:17,852
Even though it would be
totally fine for you to preach in

1370
00:57:17,876 --> 00:57:21,080
Jerusalem, but that means your
local area.

1371
00:57:22,180 --> 00:57:23,292
It starts here.

1372
00:57:23,396 --> 00:57:25,132
We're not even going to go to
the next steps.

1373
00:57:25,196 --> 00:57:27,964
It does say Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, into the uttermost part

1374
00:57:27,972 --> 00:57:28,492
of the earth.

1375
00:57:28,556 --> 00:57:30,684
We're going to get to that
later on in this study.

1376
00:57:30,772 --> 00:57:33,324
But it starts in Jerusalem.

1377
00:57:33,372 --> 00:57:34,272
It starts in.

1378
00:57:34,286 --> 00:57:35,004
In your home.

1379
00:57:35,092 --> 00:57:36,620
It starts in your town.

1380
00:57:36,740 --> 00:57:38,428
It starts in your workplace.

1381
00:57:38,524 --> 00:57:39,868
That is your Jerusalem.

1382
00:57:39,884 --> 00:57:41,340
And so what I would say is this.

1383
00:57:41,460 --> 00:57:43,836
Before we start thinking about
the uttermost part of the earth,

1384
00:57:43,868 --> 00:57:48,492
which we will think about,
let's start in Jerusalem.

1385
00:57:48,636 --> 00:57:50,348
Let's start in our lives.

1386
00:57:50,484 --> 00:57:55,276
Like, where can I adjust in my
life so that I can begin to live

1387
00:57:55,348 --> 00:58:00,946
the gospel, so that I can be
Able to proclaim the gospel powerfully

1388
00:58:01,108 --> 00:58:03,766
and persistently and
prayerfully in my life.

1389
00:58:03,838 --> 00:58:07,638
What have I allowed to seep
into my life that has pulled me away

1390
00:58:07,694 --> 00:58:08,822
from what I need to do?

1391
00:58:08,926 --> 00:58:12,854
And then next week, what we're
going to look at is as we individually

1392
00:58:12,902 --> 00:58:17,670
get on track with the gospel,
how can we then corporately, as the

1393
00:58:17,710 --> 00:58:21,974
group, come together and
amplify and multiply our message

1394
00:58:22,022 --> 00:58:22,966
to this world?

1395
00:58:23,118 --> 00:58:25,330
I can only preach to so many
people, right?

1396
00:58:26,030 --> 00:58:33,058
But if I preach to 20 people
and you preach to 20 people and she

1397
00:58:33,114 --> 00:58:35,010
preaches to 20 people, do you see?

1398
00:58:35,050 --> 00:58:37,270
That's the element of multiplication.

1399
00:58:37,930 --> 00:58:41,394
And so we want addition in our
church, but we want multiplication

1400
00:58:41,442 --> 00:58:41,762
as well.

1401
00:58:41,786 --> 00:58:43,870
And so what I would encourage
you to think about is this.

1402
00:58:45,610 --> 00:58:49,890
I need to get where I need to
be when it comes to living the gospel,

1403
00:58:49,970 --> 00:58:53,074
proclaiming the gospel,
believing the gospel, trusting in

1404
00:58:53,082 --> 00:58:57,500
the gospel, so that I can join
arms with other like minded people

1405
00:58:58,040 --> 00:59:01,100
and proclaim the gospel
corporately to this world.

1406
00:59:01,720 --> 00:59:04,800
Think about how many people
are moving into Middletown, Delaware.

1407
00:59:04,880 --> 00:59:05,568
Just Middletown.

1408
00:59:05,584 --> 00:59:08,592
We're not even talking about
Odessa, Townsend, Bear, Newark.

1409
00:59:08,736 --> 00:59:11,072
Think about how many people
are just moving into Middletown.

1410
00:59:11,136 --> 00:59:12,180
New houses.

1411
00:59:13,080 --> 00:59:15,152
We can look at that a few
different ways.

1412
00:59:15,296 --> 00:59:16,400
We can look at that as well.

1413
00:59:16,440 --> 00:59:17,888
Middletown's getting too crowded.

1414
00:59:17,984 --> 00:59:19,340
We need to chase them out.

1415
00:59:19,980 --> 00:59:24,692
Or we need to say God is
naturally, or maybe even supernaturally

1416
00:59:24,756 --> 00:59:29,000
bringing more people to our
sphere of influence.

1417
00:59:30,140 --> 00:59:32,484
There was already enough
unsaved people in Middletown for

1418
00:59:32,492 --> 00:59:33,300
us to proclaim to.

1419
00:59:33,340 --> 00:59:34,720
Now he's bringing us more.

1420
00:59:35,580 --> 00:59:36,516
You know what?

1421
00:59:36,668 --> 00:59:39,892
Right up here, there's a Wawa
right up at the corner, you see right

1422
00:59:39,916 --> 00:59:44,788
behind Wawa, there's I think
there's like 87 houses, townhomes,

1423
00:59:44,884 --> 00:59:46,960
87 families that are moving in there.

1424
00:59:47,630 --> 00:59:48,406
There it is.

1425
00:59:48,478 --> 00:59:49,810
There's our mission field.

1426
00:59:50,430 --> 00:59:53,142
There are people around us
that you go around every single day

1427
00:59:53,166 --> 00:59:54,930
and you see that's your
mission field.

1428
00:59:55,550 --> 00:59:58,450
And I would say even so within
your home.

1429
00:59:59,150 --> 01:00:02,102
Like you might have someone in
your home that's not a believer,

1430
01:00:02,246 --> 01:00:05,446
might be a child, it might be
a grandson, it might be a granddaughter,

1431
01:00:05,478 --> 01:00:06,294
it might be a spouse.

1432
01:00:06,342 --> 01:00:08,902
I don't know where you stand,
I don't know everyone's lifestyle.

1433
01:00:08,966 --> 01:00:10,102
But what I would say is this.

1434
01:00:10,206 --> 01:00:13,542
You have an opportunity to be
a gospel witness right where you

1435
01:00:13,566 --> 01:00:14,130
are.

1436
01:00:15,100 --> 01:00:17,732
But before you do that, you
have to go back and understand the

1437
01:00:17,756 --> 01:00:21,636
importance of celebrating,
embracing and living the gospel message.

1438
01:00:21,668 --> 01:00:27,092
And so as a church, the goal,
the very first goal is to have everything

1439
01:00:27,276 --> 01:00:32,244
that we do ministerially in
our ministries, in our practice,

1440
01:00:32,372 --> 01:00:36,804
in our message, in Our
activities, everything be centered

1441
01:00:36,852 --> 01:00:37,796
in the gospel.

1442
01:00:37,908 --> 01:00:41,160
That is the root, that is the core.

1443
01:00:42,630 --> 01:00:43,886
Can we do other things?

1444
01:00:43,958 --> 01:00:44,590
Of course.

1445
01:00:44,710 --> 01:00:46,370
But everything's set in the gospel.

1446
01:00:46,790 --> 01:00:52,366
And so when we're set in the
gospel, all the other distractions

1447
01:00:52,398 --> 01:00:53,342
are just distractions.

1448
01:00:53,406 --> 01:00:54,810
We just let that go.

1449
01:00:55,510 --> 01:00:58,090
We can have a lot of
disagreements in 2025.

1450
01:00:58,550 --> 01:01:01,534
We've got our annual business
meeting coming up on January 19th.

1451
01:01:01,582 --> 01:01:03,982
In the evening service,
there's a lot of things that we could

1452
01:01:04,006 --> 01:01:04,926
disagree on.

1453
01:01:05,078 --> 01:01:08,252
Well, Instead of spending $20
here, we should spend $50 there.

1454
01:01:08,366 --> 01:01:09,180
We could.

1455
01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:11,952
And there might be a
conversation that needs to be had

1456
01:01:11,976 --> 01:01:13,860
about certain elements of that
kind of stuff.

1457
01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:19,376
But when we understand the
core, we understand the purpose.

1458
01:01:19,488 --> 01:01:24,016
When we understand that it's
the gospel that is our driving force,

1459
01:01:24,208 --> 01:01:25,440
we're so.

1460
01:01:25,560 --> 01:01:30,240
We're not so concerned with
the fringe details that don't really

1461
01:01:30,280 --> 01:01:31,580
matter in the long run.

1462
01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:33,056
You know what?

1463
01:01:33,128 --> 01:01:34,300
It doesn't matter.

1464
01:01:35,790 --> 01:01:39,942
It does not matter in the long
run what we do when it comes to what

1465
01:01:39,966 --> 01:01:42,006
time we meet on Sunday morning
or, or.

1466
01:01:42,078 --> 01:01:45,990
Or how many ministries that we
have or how many ministries that

1467
01:01:46,030 --> 01:01:47,366
are doing this and doing that.

1468
01:01:47,438 --> 01:01:51,190
What matters is who are we
preaching the gospel to?

1469
01:01:51,310 --> 01:01:53,990
How are we living our lives
according to the gospel?

1470
01:01:54,070 --> 01:01:55,850
Are we living according to the gospel?

1471
01:01:56,670 --> 01:01:58,330
It's all about the gospel.

1472
01:01:58,670 --> 01:02:01,990
And I would encourage you to
think about that here in 2025 while

1473
01:02:02,030 --> 01:02:03,110
going to ask if you're able to.

1474
01:02:03,150 --> 01:02:05,590
To stand with me, every head
bowed, every eye closed as the music

1475
01:02:05,630 --> 01:02:05,846
plays.

1476
01:02:05,878 --> 01:02:08,742
This morning, we're going to
have an opportunity to respond.

1477
01:02:08,886 --> 01:02:09,814
And really, it's.

1478
01:02:09,862 --> 01:02:10,454
It's two.

1479
01:02:10,542 --> 01:02:11,930
It's two responses.

1480
01:02:12,830 --> 01:02:13,990
One response is this.

1481
01:02:14,030 --> 01:02:15,010
I don't even.

1482
01:02:16,270 --> 01:02:17,958
I might not even know the gospel.

1483
01:02:18,054 --> 01:02:19,926
I don't understand the gospel.

1484
01:02:20,038 --> 01:02:22,390
Or at least I haven't trusted
in the gospel.

1485
01:02:22,470 --> 01:02:24,070
I've been trusting in
something else.

1486
01:02:24,150 --> 01:02:26,982
Before we can get on board
with living the gospel, you have

1487
01:02:27,006 --> 01:02:28,160
to trust in the gospel.

1488
01:02:28,270 --> 01:02:29,452
You have to believe in that.

1489
01:02:29,476 --> 01:02:31,180
Jesus died on the cross for
your sins.

1490
01:02:31,260 --> 01:02:33,452
You have to believe that he
rose again on the third day.

1491
01:02:33,556 --> 01:02:35,436
That is the challenge for us
this morning.

1492
01:02:35,508 --> 01:02:39,692
Are we willing to say that we
are trusting in the gospel?

1493
01:02:39,756 --> 01:02:41,756
Hey, there might be folks here
this morning that have been trusting

1494
01:02:41,788 --> 01:02:42,960
in something else.

1495
01:02:44,340 --> 01:02:48,620
This is your chance to start
out the year, to start out 2025,

1496
01:02:48,740 --> 01:02:52,040
not just as a new year, but a
new life in Christ.

1497
01:02:52,500 --> 01:02:55,390
You want to know what that
means to have faith in Jesus and

1498
01:02:55,420 --> 01:02:58,570
to have faith in his work and
his work alone and not your works.

1499
01:02:58,650 --> 01:03:02,266
Hey, this morning is a time
for you to respond in Faith.

1500
01:03:02,378 --> 01:03:05,610
And as the Bible said in
Second Corinthians, Chapter 6, Today

1501
01:03:05,730 --> 01:03:08,698
is the day of salvation for you.

1502
01:03:08,754 --> 01:03:11,162
What an awesome start to the
year that would be.

1503
01:03:11,346 --> 01:03:13,114
But secondly is this.

1504
01:03:13,202 --> 01:03:17,402
Maybe you're a believer this
morning, but the challenge is not

1505
01:03:17,506 --> 01:03:21,402
do I believe the gospel as
much as am I willing to believe it

1506
01:03:21,426 --> 01:03:22,624
and then live it?

1507
01:03:22,762 --> 01:03:26,900
Am I willing to not only trust
in it, but also proclaim it?

1508
01:03:27,020 --> 01:03:30,148
Am I willing to say that, hey,
this is going to shape my life.

1509
01:03:30,204 --> 01:03:33,028
I'm going to think
differently, I'm going to act differently,

1510
01:03:33,124 --> 01:03:35,908
I'm going to respond
differently, I'm going to love differently.

1511
01:03:36,004 --> 01:03:39,172
Am I going to allow the gospel
to be the center of my home, the

1512
01:03:39,196 --> 01:03:42,276
center of my church, the
center of my ministry, the center

1513
01:03:42,308 --> 01:03:44,644
of my work, everything in my life?

1514
01:03:44,732 --> 01:03:47,524
May the gospel be centerpieced
in that.

1515
01:03:47,612 --> 01:03:49,558
That, that the gospel is the focus.

1516
01:03:49,684 --> 01:03:52,898
Hey, maybe you need a
rededication to the gospel here today,

1517
01:03:53,034 --> 01:03:57,090
not being re saved, but
refocused on what the gospel means

1518
01:03:57,130 --> 01:04:00,190
for you and your family for
this year.

1519
01:04:00,490 --> 01:04:02,962
Hey, if that's you this
morning, as the music plays, you

1520
01:04:02,986 --> 01:04:06,962
can come here and rededicate
your life and refocus your life to

1521
01:04:06,986 --> 01:04:08,322
the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1522
01:04:08,426 --> 01:04:10,830
Maybe, just maybe you need to
thank him.

1523
01:04:11,130 --> 01:04:13,938
Because a lot of times we miss
the point.

1524
01:04:14,074 --> 01:04:16,114
We miss the point of why we
should serve.

1525
01:04:16,162 --> 01:04:18,946
And we say, well, you know
what, it's just hard for me to serve.

1526
01:04:18,978 --> 01:04:21,858
Sometimes it's not as hard
when we actually think about the

1527
01:04:21,914 --> 01:04:23,090
attitude of gratitude.

1528
01:04:23,170 --> 01:04:26,322
Maybe you need to be reset in
that thankfulness of what Jesus Christ

1529
01:04:26,426 --> 01:04:27,490
has done for you.

1530
01:04:27,610 --> 01:04:29,602
So here in the next few
moments, if you need to respond,

1531
01:04:29,666 --> 01:04:32,242
the altar is open, you can
come up here and you can kneel here

1532
01:04:32,266 --> 01:04:35,522
at the steps or in your pew
and respond to the message here this

1533
01:04:35,546 --> 01:04:35,730
morning.

1534
01:04:35,770 --> 01:04:37,586
Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation.

1535
01:04:37,698 --> 01:04:39,090
Pray that you work in hearts
and lives.

1536
01:04:39,130 --> 01:04:42,050
I pray that you challenge our
hearts in the area of the gospel.

1537
01:04:42,210 --> 01:04:43,368
I thank you.

1538
01:04:43,554 --> 01:04:45,100
We ask these things in Jesus name.

1539
01:04:45,140 --> 01:04:45,436
Amen.

1540
01:04:45,468 --> 01:04:48,480
As music plays this morning,
follow as the Lord leads.

1541
01:04:48,900 --> 01:04:51,564
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1542
01:04:51,612 --> 01:04:52,364
podcast.

1543
01:04:52,492 --> 01:04:55,080
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1544
01:04:55,380 --> 01:04:57,756
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1545
01:04:57,788 --> 01:05:01,404
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1546
01:05:01,532 --> 01:05:04,320
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1547
01:05:04,740 --> 01:05:08,880
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaro at middletown baptist

1548
01:05:08,940 --> 01:05:13,368
church.com if you've enjoyed
this podcast, please subscribe and

1549
01:05:13,424 --> 01:05:16,780
follow along for future
podcast and updates.

1550
01:05:17,120 --> 01:05:18,280
Thank you so much.

1551
01:05:18,400 --> 01:05:19,224
God Bless.

1552
01:05:19,352 --> 01:05:20,400
Have a wonderful day.