10/02/2022 - Part 2 - The Gospel: God’s Only Path to Salvation

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes October 2, 2022 The Gospel: God’s Only Path to Salvation Part 2 Luke 16: 19-31 NKJV 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Romans 1: 16 & 17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Read Luke 16: 19-31 NKJV The Rich Man and Lazarus This morning, we’re returning to a message that I started last week regarding the Power of the Gospel. To be precise the focus was on God’s Gospel of the kingdom. As a reminder, our lesson text is found in the Book of Luke, Chapter 16, Verses 19-31. To get us all on the same page, especially those who weren’t with us last week, I’m going to read again our lesson text. Let’s go to Luke, Chapter 16 . . . . starting at verse 19 . . . . a fairly lengthy text . . . 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Let me remind you, this story is not about being rich or poor, or trading places in life, or flipping the script, or punishing someone because they had their chance at being rich and blew it -- but rather this true passage is about God illustrating that He has only one method that He uses to call man out of his sin and to a life of righteousness and eternal salvation. In simple this passage provides yet another picture of how God draws fallen man to Himself and saves them. What is that ONE and ONLY method? That method is the Gospel – the Word of God. And that Word speaks a specific message that alone is the absolute only remedy for reaching the darkened heart of every man, woman, boy and girl. In slowing this message down, I really need for everyone listening to grasp an understanding of what is meant by the term GOSPEL and its importance to the life and survival of every person in relationship to being at peace with God and going to heaven, not hell, when you die! So with renewed intentionality, let’s dive in for a clear understanding what the Gospel is and its place of significance to life. What is the Gospel? Before I reiterate our Scriptural definition form last week, let me share a few common names by which the Gospel is known by. It is known by terms like: • • • • Godspell Good Story Good News Good Tidings or Glad Tidings And rightfully so, because it is ALL that – [Good News] contrasted with the “Bad News” which is “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” and because we have, we are under the power of Sin and the bondage of Satan. Destined for Hell and torment. And for that, we need God’s Gospel to set us free. Without it, we’re doomed. To avoid oversimplifying what the Gospel is, let me formalize {Bible-size / Biblelize} the definition. Here are several ways the gospel is represented in Scripture: • It is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as provided by our Lord and preached by His disciples. 1 Cor. 15:1-4 as spoken by the Apostle Paul says: 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word [the Gospel] which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, . . . The Gospel then is full and free deliverance from sin on the basis of simple faith in Jesus Christ Who bore our sins on the Cross and died to save us from such sins – by the washing of His blood. For early would-be followers of Christ, the Gospel of the Kingdom is the good news of the long-awaited Messiah who had come at last -- the human ruler through whom God would establish His reign on earth. Further in the New Testament, the Gospel is defined as In our modern “The power of God to salvation! That is, it tells how God by His power saves everyone who believes on His Son. This power is extended equally to Jews and Gentiles. The Apostle Paul gave us this “personal experience definition” in Romans 1: 16 & 17 . . . he declared: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” The Gospel is nobody’s personal or exclusive interpretation. It is a very distinct, precise, and unmistakable call from God to man to inform him that he is lost, but that there is One hope for him in the One and Only name under heaven JESUS that can deliver him from eternal damnation. That’s why the Gospel is known as the Good News; because it ministers GRACE and HOPE to all sinners who stand lost, hopeless, and destined for hell. And the cost for all of this is: Faith and Belief! Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Who paid it all through His finished work on the Cross by way of His shed blood for remission of sin. 1 Peter 2:9 says of those who have heard and obeyed the Gospel . . . But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; Let’s say, hypothetically, that Lazarus or anyone from the dead could return to warn those who are still among the living . . . What could they say to convince those still living on earth to “Get their lives together with God?” To Give their life to Christ? In reality, there is nothing the dead can say to the living to turn their hearts toward God. Only the Gospel is designed and designated to that. There’s nothing Lazarus or the rich man, or any person could say that isn’t already being said this side of heaven to convince a person to believe God’s message of hope and deliverance. Oh yes, may people say, “if someone came from the dead and said Jesus is Real, and Heaven is Real, and Hell is Real – they would give their life to Christ. According to Luke 16 – and the account of the Rich Man and Lazarus -- they would not get Saved. The best thing some encounter like that could bring is a temporary, misdirected fear. Once the fear wears off [and it will], so will the desire to please God. How can you be so sure preacher? Because that’s not God’s plan for reaching the heart of man. God knows that that approach would come short of bringing men and women to reverential fear and true salvation! Moreover, their reason for seeking salvation has nothing to do with Christ but a scared kind of fear. And we all know, once the fear wears off, so does the desire to pursue God. vv. 27-31 [27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”] In death, the rich man suddenly became concerned about getting right with God. He suddenly became an evangelist, and now wanted someone to go to his five brothers and warn them against coming to that place of torment. All of a sudden either God is real, or hell is real or both. For today’s lesson and for the remainder of our time, let me focus on the FIVE Brothers. The pain and torment of the Rich Man was so real that he felt a need to warn his FIVE Brothers to do something different with their lives in order to not end up in that place of torment. Now, what might the FIVE Brothers do differently with their lives other than what they were already doing? In my thinking, the only message the Rich Man would’ve had for his five siblings was: Treat Poor, Beggarly People Better! Share more of your wealth! Don’t neglect the needy! Though noble, none of these kind gestures will get you salvation, nor will they get you into heaven. Listen again to the playback . . . vv. 19-26 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ In any case, Abraham’s reply was that these five brothers had Moses and the Prophets which is to be interpreted that they had the Gospel – that is, the good news of the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ for their remission of their sins -- that alone was sufficient to warn them. The rich man pleaded with Abraham, begging that if someone should go to the FIVE from the dead, they would surely repent. [I’ve often said, figuratively, the FIVE Brothers were representative of false religions that reject the full Gospel of which Jesus Christ is at the center. The five brothers are symbolic metaphors of all the world religions that boast of a god but are absent of Christ the Savior. Lots of religions are religious. Lots of religions talk about God or a god, but they refuse to acknowledge Christ. They are trees with luscious leaves, but not fruit. Look at today’s top religious groups in the world 2022. Of the top nine religions, only one boats of Christ. Christianity (31.2%) Islam (24.1%) Irreligion (16%) Hinduism (15.1%) Buddhism (6.9%) Folk religions (5.7%) Sikhism (0.3%) Judaism (0.2%) ANIMISM. The same is true for Religions in the United States . Protestant (42%) Catholic (21%) Mormon (2%) Orthodox (0.5%) Unaffiliated (18%) Atheist (5%) Agnostic (6%) Jewish (1%) Only one boasts of Christ as the Savior, that’s Protestants. A distant second is Catholicism. Following are several more examples of the Five Brothers metaphor: Metaphors of the Five Brothers: Five Brothers of Religion: • Brother One: Islam - He was told that at death he would be received/welcomed by 72 Virgins. • Brother Two: Mormonism • Brother Three: Jehovah’s Witness • Brother Four: Buddhism • Brother Five: Hinduism The Five Brothers Self-righteousness: • • • • I’ll take my chances Church goers who never get saved or given their life to Christ Tomorrow (Put off today for tomorrow) Good Works (I’m a nice person) • False Religion Five Brothers from Another Mother: 1. Self (Pride) 2. Power 3. Status 4. Money 5. Popularity / Celebrity Five Brothers Procrastination and Delusion: 1. Tomorrow /Not Now/ Delay 2. When it’s my time (Die before your time) 3. What God won’t do (God would never send anyone to hell) 4. I’m not so bad; Comparing self with another 5. God is for those in need Nevertheless, Abraham had the last word – vs 25 & 26. He said that failure to listen to the Gospel, the Word of God is final. If people will not heed the Gospel, they will not believe if a person rose from the dead. This is conclusively proved in the case of the Lord Jesus Himself. He arose from the dead; and men still do not believe. The Gospel: God’s Only Path to Salvation END Value Added Notes: God’s only answer for the human race escaping Hell is the preaching of the GOSPEL [nothing else is acceptable with Him]. That’s because anything else would cause man to come religiously and tragically short of God’s total remedy to save man from his sins [separation from God]. But what are some of the top reasons people don’t gain eternal life and end up in hell? Here are 4 quick ones: 1. Starting with the rich man, because of their wealth, they don’t see a need for God. Their mindset is that God is for poor people who need help. They see God as a type of welfare being that takes care of those less fortunate. God is the one who they believe helps ends meet. … a need that poor people have for poor people who have a need or source in which to mitigate or . Some rich people, not all, see themselves as self-reliant and self-sufficient and therefore don’t need any help from an invisible, imaginary source called God. 2. A second reason people don’t gain eternal life and end up in hell is because of unbelief. They stubbornly resist God and the message of salvation. Roman Chapter 1 & 2. Rom. 1: 18 & 19 specifically says: 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. [Also Rom. 10: 15-17] 3. A THIRD reason is blind deception from Satan. 2 Corinthians 4:2-4 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Mark 8:35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 4. A FOURTH reason people don’t gain eternal life and end up in hell Ashamed of Christ. Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Only the Gospel can overcome these self-centered perception. END