Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/49750/not-ashamed-of-the-gospel-of-christ-quality-very-good/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] This afternoon we venture to take a different text and I would like to direct you to Paul's epistle to the Romans chapter 1.

[0:49] Sorry but I cannot find what I meant to first preach from. We have it here verse 16 that Epistle of Romans chapter 1 the 16th verse.

[1:04] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

[1:27] To the Jew first and also to the Greek. We were trying to speak of this great salvation this morning.

[1:39] And I want to look this afternoon again as to see where we stand. And how we at times may feel about some of these things.

[1:50] Now we all know the writer of this or a little about him. We know that he had a religion which was of the flesh.

[2:06] He had a religion which at first he was very proud of. He had a religion which was so deep apparently in his heart that he could go about persecuting those of God's children.

[2:32] And one of those as we know was what we call the first martyr. And that is a great lesson to us.

[2:45] To show that in that awful stoning. In that awful scene. He had a religion which was so apparently real that he could afford to put others right in his own estimation.

[3:17] To the extent of imprisonment and death. And you've heard me perhaps speak in this wise other places or other times before.

[3:29] The hardness of the heart of the writer of this epistle to the Romans. To stand there and see a child of God having the face of an angel to be stoned to death.

[3:49] What we sometimes call the first martyr. Now the writer of this is the same man. The same man. It's the same man.

[4:00] Used by God. The very purpose. As showing God's sovereignty. God's honor.

[4:12] God's glory. And God's power. Now in relation to the text that he's written here.

[4:22] it says for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ now let's think where was he before did he profess the gospel of Christ when he persecuted those that were of that way did he love the gospel of Christ now you know the answer he hated it because it was that which was of Christ and of God and it was that which was of salvation and yet not of the law as touching the law he said he was blameless well this is a great mystery in one sense until we realize the truth of it the great mystery is this and it concerns you and I he did not realize the law was spiritual he did not realize that God like we were speaking of this morning could see him inwardly as touching the outward law the law of Moses blameless blameless now what a state to be in and be proud of it now it's the same writer of this text now if we could have gone back to Saul not Paul the same man the same man and yet in one way no if we could have gone to Saul and said what about the gospel of Christ and this is what I believe you'd have said and this is what I love you could have very likely been cast in prison if we live to know Saul he's understand therefore as we well know there's got to be something done and something done in this way to pour down the stronghold of sin because it was sin anything that is of one's own righteousness so called is sin anything that is independent of God is sin and this was sin in the greatest way and this was a stronghold now that had got to be poured down now couldn't Saul deal with this himself well in the first place he wouldn't want to he was blind to it he was blind now this text is written by that same

[7:54] Saul or same man as I'm trying to describe in opening it up he persecuted prison and even unto death and he was there at the stoning of Stephen and he was untouched with compassion unfeeling now there's a lesson here the stronghold of the devil over a child of God we say was he a child of God well what do we preach what do we believe in election predestination he was elected in eternity and he was elected when he was going on like this he was still elected when he hated that way of salvation and if we could have reached him as you might say and spoken and we'd have said what about the gospel of Christ he had no time for it all you say he believed in God you see how far one can go in a religion believing in God and not having the real truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the soul in this they miss the very centre of salvation the only begotten son of God now in leading up this text you see that he had to be dealt with now that had to be brought down as much as he was brought down that stronghold of Satan he had to be in one sense smitten with the power of God you say well we all know this historically but do we know a little of what it is for ourselves to be brought to nothing now again as we were saying this morning you see everything was new when God began to deal with Saul the same man a different name see no wonder we might say he was given a new name

[10:33] Saul Paul Paul see God changed his name God changed his heart God changed his way now that's the truth of God as it is in God's word and I believe it as sure as I stand here but it's how it concerns us now friends we're talking about a certain chapel I said they were not a use but there was a lot of watering down see and there was a lot of this we don't live in such a day and age as then and you don't expect these things to happen as they did then and this was preached now in all due respect was that the truth there was a preaching that would do away water down the power as much as I say you can't expect to see that sort of thing not in the fullest extent it may be you don't expect to see such a display of power in the day in which we live why not that's the point it was watered down to such an extent that they would even say well it's foolishness to pray for it you see but things are still the same we have the same God today that

[12:22] Saul and Paul had and his power is the same and this will I come to the chains to make him righteous now with us we've got to come down to ourselves and to see whether we can come in with a text and in with the writer of it for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and this is written without the slightest trace of presumption and is the truth within his heart with the greatest of belief and the greatest of sincerity I am not I put emphasis on that word ashamed of the gospel of Christ he was before now what about us are we ashamed of it you see who I'm coming to are we ashamed of the gospel of

[13:40] Christ we have to stir it in our own hearts because it's not always easy in a world as we might say to be separated from the rest so that one might say there goes one of his who believes in Christ there goes one there goes one who reads the bible and almost to be called there goes some old fool yeah you think of this it's a strong language but it could very well be it goes on there goes one of his followers there goes one who believes in that so called word of God which we believe is nothing but fables now how do you feel this is the point well

[14:42] Paul he knew where he stood why you say well I know where I stand why and how that's the point he knew because he witnessed the power he knew because of his great power that come and brought him nothing he knew of that revealing power of the Holy Spirit and God that had shown him something he didn't totally miss in religion because he was very religious let's be careful in this we can be very religious but we can miss the same unless it shone as Saul did now if you read the

[15:42] Bible you will see if we're on the lines of truth he'd miss the one thing to salvation the one thing that God was going to teach him and presently reveal to him with a voice who said who art thou Lord I can almost feel and see the stillness the surprise that crept over Saul's heart he'd never been here before who art thou Lord and then to hear the voice of his saviour personal saviour say I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest this is the point now this is one reason why he would never again be ashamed of the gospel of Christ for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of

[16:56] Christ not ashamed of it before he was proud of himself and ashamed of any that went that way you read in the Acts of the Apostles and you see how very real this was it's not merely history it's living history and it's living today it concerns you and I here today now are we ashamed I'll come closer to this presently and I want to before we finish are you ashamed it's hard sometimes you say what if they scoff see what if I lose something ashamed what about when it comes to the crossroads in your life now remember what I was saying this morning it's all we were to have a religion for the

[18:05] Sabbath but don't let it come into the week don't let it come into your business don't let it come and upset your plans don't let it come and disturb you because this might be your rest see think what are you going to do say I'm ashamed of the gospel of Christ there's only two ways there's a way of salvation and there's a way of condemnation and damnation there's only two ways and there's no way in between and don't think you're going to sit on the fence and this applies to me too we're either ashamed or we're not now where do we stand if one were to really come in sincerity and truth and ask you what you believe and what you love and what you trust in and what you know what would you say see where would you point would you point you might say to the

[19:21] Lord Jesus Christ would you point to election would you point to free and sovereign grace would you do this even if you suffered for it because he suffered or would you say I'm ashamed I've got another case I want to get presently but there's these things in general when I don't want to deceive others I don't want to deceive myself but I do believe that there are times in a child of God's life when they would hold him high and if possible hold him for all the world to see because they love him so much he means so much to them to them I realise that what

[20:22] I'm preaching is not that which is born of the flesh this is what is born of the spirit now I think back in my life there was a time when I could have preached him to the whole world if they had listened but he hadn't called me to preach then make no mistake he hadn't called me unless there's something in passing we'll touch on you might feel the love of Christ shed abroad in your soul and you might want to preach him from the rooftop but that does not mean to say that he's tempted to preach we've got to watch this very carefully because I know when the movement of love to the Lord Jesus Christ is in the heart you want to tell the whole world because this salvation you're not ashamed of it it's come to you and if this has come to you

[21:24] Christ is yours and you're his now there can be a time in the lives of some men I don't know why I'm on this when they say I want to go and preach him but there's nothing wrong in that how you feel but if he's not commanded it this is the point if he's not commanded it you could well be wrong and I want to be careful I verily believe I see a little danger in this in one sense when you want to tell the whole world of the saviour you found that if you go and not being commanded you go before him you don't follow on oh but you say

[22:25] Saul was sent he was chosen for that very purpose that's a different matter it was revealed to him as to why he went through this he was going to preach that gospel that Christ that so dealt with him and he was chosen to be that witness to go and tell others and the purpose of God was in this that difference you might say well what are you trying to preach I show you presently the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord I'll put it in that way steps and they're one at a time if you try and take a dozen steps it won't you fall over naturally see you've got to take these one at a time and you've got to be led in them one at the time whether it's relative to going into the ministry or whether it is relative to going into the ordinance of baptism one at the time now am I preaching according to the word of

[23:52] God now let's have a look at the dealing of Saul I needn't read it I know it a little bit the Lord met with him in the way and he didn't know who he was the Lord knew who Saul was we know that but Saul didn't know who he was hence who art thou Lord on Jesus of Nazareth whom they persecuted what will thou have me to do Saul that is see he's not taking a dozen footsteps at once you say yes but the Lord has been revealed to him this is the point the Lord stops him and puts him in that right place and he asks the right question what wilt thou have me to do see now you and

[24:54] I come here sometimes what wilt thou have me to do now he said go thou into the city and it shall be told thee what they should do you see I can see this as part of the footsteps right going to the city now you might say what's the city well when I was in this the city was God's house to me it wasn't London it wasn't Birmingham it was God's house that was the city to me that was my city this was where my instruction was going to come from this is where the word was going to come from the message you see step of the time so first thing go they into the city and it shall be told thee what they shall do told thee by who

[25:58] God what about his servants through his servants you see what I'm getting at so an unbeliever in Jesus Christ a believer in a religion without Christ is stopped Christ is revered to him he's given his marching orders to go and be told what will follow on what he should do so he sees a step at a time and he goes on his way and there's other things that were in this but are not touched on them at the moment and this is some of the first steps and they go and they got their all ears to hear what the instructions will be now are you in this this could have been years in your life the stopping in the forced religion the revealing the first time of the

[27:14] Lord Jesus Christ who art thou Lord the leading to God's house your ears are unstopped to hear a voice from the Lord through the ministry voice of instruction told where to go next this is the pathway of Saul Paul and every child of God in measure and I'm not watering it down and I'll ask you this before we go any further are you ashamed of this way way it up in your own breath are you ashamed of it because if you're ashamed of this I tell you straight you are ashamed of Christ because you can't separate the two ashamed of

[28:17] Christ now you may say I would never be ashamed of him well you will be very careful you might at times hide him you might at times and remember this Peter deny you ever knew him in case you lose your own skin well Paul said for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and he meant it I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and it cost him imprisonment it cost him strength beating it cost him suffering but you might say well we reap what we sow and God we know can be very very severe in this but he still loved Paul he loved him in prison he loved him when he received these stripes he loved him in that persecution he still loved him he loved him and why did he love him because he was following in measure in the footsteps of the one who caught him by grace they caught him by grace for

[29:36] I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ you might say well can we come in here and just give a little some might say I'm not ashamed of the gospel I'm not ashamed of the gospel see and go as far as that I'm not ashamed of the gospel and as many like this can go just so far but I'm going the whole way I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ that's the aim and object of the whole century religion Christ there can be gospels and gospels oh yes let's be careful I want to separate gospels and gospels but a gospel without Christ is like a religion without

[30:38] God isn't it this is the point or a body without life this is again the whole point of this some may say well I like the gospel and you can get places gospel halls and gospel this and gospel that yes gospel that but don't leave out the gospel of Christ for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ there can be a gospel of man under the so called name of Christ and man will have the praise and man will have the honor and man will have glory this is it it goes under the heading of the gospel of Christ now that is only deception this is the thing with this only deception now that

[31:41] God and understand me right he went the whole way through with Saul of Tarsus all through this and he does with every child of God and he would take you all through and he would see you all through however many years it take however many pains it take he will go all through this with you like he did with Saul now I'll leave that the moment and say well what is the gospel of Christ it's not only to be preached and it's good to have it preached in truth but it also to walk it out now Paul he didn't preach but he hadn't walked out did he and here again we can see the difference in the footsteps he preached what he walked out he preached what he seen of the power he preached what he had gone through of the suffering he preached and almost as you might say was prayed of his imprisonment and prayed of his strife and did it give

[33:14] Paul any honour and glory well let's think about Paul I am the least of all apostles he wasn't ready he didn't really consider he deserved the name of an apostle and he found the law of God and he found that what he should do he did not and what he did he should not and so on I find then the law and this killed him so he was not ashamed of Christ but he was ashamed of himself ashamed of himself so I want to come in again as it applies to us for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ it is very different thing because this goes the whole way with this all that

[34:23] Christ commands all that Christ says in following in the footsteps that he orders not that you make that he orders one at a time yes at that time when I hoped the love of God was set aboard in my heart I had gone and preached the gospel I would have gone without being commanded to go I'll be honest about this but the point is it's the Lord that says go it's God that says go and it's God that says stop and it's God that says thus far and no farther and if we rightly follow we shall only go as he leads you see but I did not and

[35:24] I thank God for it run without being sent now I'm not getting it at anybody I'm just trying to set forth the truth now the time comes when go into the city and it shall be told what they shall do you see a child of God is like this you'll be told the next step to take see the minister might know nothing about what's in your heart he may know nothing about what's going on in your mind and there's no need to tell him because God knows and if you're one of God's children and the minister is one of God's servants God will deal with both now can you see where I am what I'm getting at so here's a child of

[36:25] God being called by grace being led on taken into God's house in the city and they wait for instruction from God as to the pathway to take now are ashamed of that now just a moment a blind man may be ashamed of his blindness in one way he has to be led is a child of God ashamed of their blindness well let's be careful they know not in a way they sound blind but I have to be led there's nothing to be ashamed of if you're led by Christ you see you're relying on the Lord you're waiting for him to put his hand and lead you you're waiting for a word to follow in his footsteps so you're not ashamed that you're blindness you'll admit it

[37:28] I'm blind you say I can't see without thy light and you may be in this place today and you may say and it's right place to be I cannot move until they bid now there's nothing to be ashamed of because that is the gospel of Christ in this respect the Lord leads and his children follow on the Lord calls and his children come the Lord commands and his children go and that is obedience isn't it you see where we are and are you ashamed of this now you see the Lord will not allow his children to be independent of him there are some who would even his own children would be independent and wander about and take all kinds of wrong footsteps yes but he might bring them back and it can be a very hard lesson to come back after having gone into certain things and gone a certain distance a hard lesson to come back so we got to be careful we can see some of these things around us going so far and then coming back going into something for so many years and all come to pieces going somewhere and it all comes undone and coming back and it can be several years and oh how hard it is and these should be lessons to us to walk carefully and fearfully and watchfully and to watch the

[39:43] Lord's hand and to look from him and to wait for a word now just sum up some of this go there into the city and it shall be told thee what they should do now I'll be quite frank with this and this might help some of you to revive a little in this it was with me I couldn't go to the Lord's tent it doesn't mean you don't want to go wanting to go may be very different than being commanded to go and you will often find this that when one is commanded to go they might very well feel like keeping back air time is always ready we're always ready but God time is different well are you ashamed of this you're not because if you weigh the truth of this up you'll see one thing you are dependent upon the

[41:02] Lord Jesus Christ you cannot move there is light you cannot move there is word you dare not go till he says go see and this is how it should be so his children are dependent upon him and his children wait on him and they watch him do you believe this I do oh you say I love the Lord so did Peter Peter Peter was ready to fight for his Lord and Master but that wasn't the right time yet Peter was so full of love to his Lord and Master and doubtless he had much false zeal to come out and if Peter cut off that man's ear and got away with it he thought he would give himself a medal but the Lord said no don't fight with the sword see they that take the sword you perish with the sword and some put a different interpretation on that but leave that no you've got to watch with this you've got to be here to watch me go through there'll be no fighting with the sword if it were

[42:26] God's will there'll be a host of angels sent to deliver but I've got to go through this through this and you will follow afterwards in measure and I go through first don't fight I go willingly I laid in my life for my friends see but Peter couldn't understand that oh he didn't want anybody to hurt his Lord Jesus Christ but you see where poor Peter was presently didn't was he ashamed of Christ ask Peter there's the gospel I often am in Peter's case ask Peter are you ashamed of him no he says I don't even know him I can't be ashamed of him I don't even know him I don't profess his name it's in the gospel you read it you see there goes one of

[43:26] Christ's followers you go and get to him I know not the man don't get near me don't know him oh and this was the same Peter and the same Saul and same poor different names Peter had the same names so we got to be very careful but after God had finished this is the point finish with him that part of the work after he brought him through these footsteps part of the pathway and the Lord turned and looked upon him ashamed of him then was Peter ashamed of Christ then think about it ashamed of Christ oh I think if we could have reached poor Peter then and spoken to him and I sometimes think of these things

[44:27] I wonder what Peter would have said are you ashamed of Christ oh I don't think he'd have answered a word he'd have hung his head in shame self-abiance and could have almost as you say done away with himself in one sense for what he felt and this is the point was the Lord ashamed of him for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ well I suppose we could say I'll say it revelantly to the Lord Jesus Christ are you ashamed of Peter ah it's turned it round hasn't it are you ashamed of Peter are you ashamed of the one preaching are you ashamed of those who are listening are you ashamed of them well he may be well he may be but oh look what he did for them ashamed of them

[45:37] I hate their sins God hates sin don't make any mistakes but this is the mystery he loves sinners a boyfriend sovereign grace he loves sinners does he love their sin just a minute you've got your children you love the children but you don't love all their ways do you I've got children and grandchildren and I hope in measure I love them but some of their ways I hate I'll be honest I hate it I hate some of their ways and I hate some of mine and God hates sin but I love my children and grandchildren so is Christ ashamed of us think oh no he gave his life see not ashamed of them

[46:42] I hate their sin but I saved them it's their sins that have brought me to this but did he shrink he went through with it in Gethsemane all the way through he was not ashamed it was their sins that brought him there therefore I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ a few minutes I must leave this there's someone else I must bring in I'll get no peace in that I do I ask you and this could be collectively but this is singularly this is one person and that person knows who it is I ask you are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ I'll take it a step at a time you say I'm not ashamed of the gospel but of the gospel of

[47:42]  Christ I'm going to ask you the last word first are you ashamed of Christ are you ashamed of Jesus I know there's one here now what are you going to answer you don't come and tell me you answer before the Lord now what can you say as I quote this word of God are you going to say I'm ashamed of the gospel of Christ are you going to say I'm afraid of the gospel of Christ you say no I'm afraid of being presumptuous what has he done for you what has he shown you has he called you by his grace has he forgiven your sins has he led you along thus far and are you going to die and not take his name on your dear lips in confession that he's your savior and aren't you going to go and tell those sinners around what are they say that you found or are you going to hide him forever amen