"The Gospel"

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 59:1-4

1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
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It has been said that the gospel message has lost a great deal of its impact because of the fear of preachers to preach and say YOU instead of THEY. My friends, I do want you to like me and be accepted, but my greatest desire is that you come to a right relationship with God, and an awareness concerning the reality of sin in YOUR life.

God’s message is directed to you. The great tragedy in the church today is that there are so many who have no awareness of sin. You hear said, “I’m a good fellow!” But God says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Again, “There is none that doeth good, no not one.” You might say, “I’ll find some other way to get into heaven.” Jesus said; "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, THE SAME IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER" (John 10:1)

Notice now that this verse contains very clear teaching concerning the all-important matter of salvation. Jesus is saying here that anyone who tries to get into Heaven by any means other than the way provided for by Him in the shedding of His blood on Calvary's Cross, the same is a thief and a robber. He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).Jesus also said: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shell go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9). There is only one door into Heaven and that door is Christ. Anyone who tries to enter the pearly-white city through any other entrance is a thief and a robber. The devil has built back doors, side doors, and all kinds of other doors, but they are doors which are used only by thieves and robbers. Oh, Satan's doorways may look inviting, but they all lead to Hell. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the door-the means of entrance-into Heaven. There is no other way of access to God but by Him.

Is there a sense of failure before God in your heart? What does God’s Word say?
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. – Isaiah 59:2

In Jeremiah 17:9; “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Can you rely on your own senses to diagnose your own illness, your own sins? Psalm 14:1 says: “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” Such people believe that God cares nothing about the man’s behavior.

“The mind of the flesh is enmity against God” The fleshly mind, the phronema sarkos, the lusts, the passions of the soul; it is this which has gone astray from God, and become enmity against him. The carnal mind (mind of the flesh) is enmity. That word, enmity as it is used here is a noun, not an adjective. The mind of the flesh is not corrupt, but corruption. It isn’t rebellious, but rebellion. It isn’t wicked; it IS WICKEDNESS.

The sin in your life has prevented you from coming to Christ or from serving Him with the whole heart. (I Thessalonians 2:18) “We wanted to come to you…but yet Satan hindered us.” Many of you could say this to God. Satan is stopping me from serving you!

In Revelations 12:9b it says “And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world;”

Some people get to thinking that Christians who talk to them about Jesus have some personal gain in mind (Deceiver at work).

Others get to thinking what a great honor they would be to God’s church (DECEIVED).

Others; it’s MY soul (mind/will/emotions). It’s of value to me first and then to God. Even poor, miserable, perverse, and sinful.

Here I am – just try to convince me! I dare you!

LISTEN!!!! GOD LOVES YOU! HE GAVE HIS SON FOR YOU. THE HOLY SPIRIT PLEADS WITH YOU.

But you, along with your sins, can go to hell straight OVER the cross of Christ.

How much does your soul mean to you? Enough to walk down an aisle? Enough to let God have more than scraps from your life?

Sir Francis Newport, the head of an English Infidels Club said to those gathered around his deathbed, "You need not tell me there is no God, for I know there is one and that I am in His angry presence. You need not tell me there is no Hell, for I know there is, for I already feel my soul slipping into the fire."

Oh, the unbearable agony of those who go to Hell! The incredible fear that must come upon the heart of every man and woman that opens up their eyes after death only to finds themselves in Hell!

Every one of us is a sinner. We are not perfect. We have gone astray. We need to repent; repentance simply means going the other direction.

Jesus said, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Peter in his Second Epistle said, "The Lord.., is longsuffering... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This is a teaching that really needs to be taught. You need to know what true biblical repentance is.

True repentance compels you to need to get up and get out of whatever mess you’re in and back to your Heavenly Father.' You know the story of the prodigal son; he was willing first of all to give up his sin. That is true repentance. Repentance produces a willingness to forsake sin.

‘And he would vain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee.' – Luke 15

True repentance consists of a willingness to forsake sin, a willingness to confess, and a willingness to serve Jesus. Sin separates us from Christ.

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” The invitation is open. Romans 10:13 says this: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). That includes me and that includes you.



Preached at Stanton, KY mission church January 25, 1959 by Rev. Clyde Smith