Gospel of Self

Intro

Good morning church family!

We are currently in a series called Which Gospel? Today is the third installment of this series. If you missed any part of it you can go to newlifecorning.org and check out the other two plus past sermons.

Following a different Gospel than that of Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and raised from the dead is nothing new under the sun.

Paul dealt with this in the church of Galatia.

He writes,

Galatians 1:6–7 NASB95

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

The truth is church, there are times when we too stop following the true Gospel of Jesus and start following a false Gospel. One that was never meant for us to follow.

This is something that does happen intentionally some times. There are those who are deconstructing from the faith and restructuring their faith on a different Gospel.

The Gospel of Deconstructionism

Turns doubt and questioning into a new form of faith. Instead

Instead of seeking truth, it elevates skepticism and deconstruction as the goal.

Prosperity Gospel

This is the idea that God’s primary goal is to make you healthy, wealthy, and happy

God’s primary desire is to make you more like Him

The Gospel of Sel Discovery/Self Help

Elevates personal feelings and authenticity over God’s truth.

Promotes that being true to yourself is the highest good

Reframes faith as a tool for self-esteem, self-empowerment, or self-actualization, rather than surrendering to Jesus Christ.

Then there are times when these false Gospels will subtly creep into the life of a believer.

Just like the little foxes that spoil the vine, it’s these little gospels, false gospels, that will disconnect you from the TRUE VINE (Jesus Christ) and cause the fruit you are called to bear to be rotten.

This list can go on and on. Ultimately, all of these false Gospels and more really come down to the root of it all.

The Gospel of Self

This is what I want to discuss with you today. This is the most dangerous Gospel of them all because every other Gospel is rooted in this. I believe that if we get to the root of the issues of life, you can remove the fruit.

Romans 11:16 NASB95

16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

Romans 11:16–20 reminds us that our strength and life come from the root, which is Christ, not from ourselves. Just as the natural branches were broken off because of unbelief, we too must guard against trusting in our own efforts, pride, or heritage.

The Gentiles were grafted in not because they were better, but because they placed their faith in Christ, the true source of life. This shows us the importance of remaining rooted in Him—drawing our nourishment, stability, and identity from Christ alone. When we rely on ourselves, we risk being cut off, but when we stay humble and connected to the root, we continue to flourish in God’s grace.

The Gospel of Self Explained

So what is the Gospel of Self?

I am sure that many of you have heard or even said some of the following:

Follow your heart

Believe in yourself

Do what makes you happy

Can anyone see the commonalities in these phrases?

Follow your heart

Believe in yourself

Do what makes you happy

The commonality is YOU! When we follow the Gospel of self, we leave no room for God. This is what the culture of this world is built on. And while this may seem attractive and seem empowering, it is in all reality dangerous to your walk with God.

None of these way of living is in the Scripture. In fact it is just the opposite.

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our hearts are most deceitful thing about us.

John 14:1 Jesus said, “You believe in God, believe also in me.”

1 Peter 4:19 calls us to be holy, not happy. The only way to be holy is to be connected to Jesus and then you do not receive happiness, you are now able receive a joy that is rooted in who Jesus is and what He has done! No one can steal your joy!

Paul warns us about these false Gospels.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 NASB95

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

This is the day we are living in. Churches and pastors all across America and beyond are telling their congregations:

“It’s ok to continue to live the way you are living. Just be happy. You do you. God understands. God will forgive.”

All across America the Gospel of Self is being promoted over the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of self doesn’t promote holiness, a new birth, or change in a persons life. The Gospel of Self wants you to stay the same!

Let me give you an example.

Neezer Powers

My wife and I have been following a man by the name of Ebeneezer Powers (Neezer Powers). He is a man who transitioned into a woman and God got a hold of him when he was alone and gave him an new identity. He said in one video “God healed the boy so the man could appear”.

He had past trauma and hurts which caused him to seek out a false identity and live as a woman for 10 years. After he started following Christ, he started to check out different churches and was sharing his experience with each one.

One of them really stuck out to me and fits with what I am sharing with you today. Following the service he shared how no one would address him as a man even though he shared with them that he was. Even told them his name was Ebenezer. Introduced himself as a man. What he said really hit home.

They kept calling him she even though he corrected them. He said, “If they only knew that is what I am struggling with on the inside”.

God called him out of that lifestyle and into a new one and the church told him, “It’s ok. We accept it here.”

Church, we do no service to anyone if we fail to teach and preach the TRUTH of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in love. It’s no wonder people are not set free. It’s no wonder people don’t know their identity in Christ. It’s no wonder we do not see a move of God and revival in our communities! It’s no wonder people are not getting saved.

The Gospel of self cannot save, only by the blood of Christ can one become saved and set free! Self cannot save self!

Imagine a man drowning in the ocean. He’s going under. Suddenly he grabs his own hair and tries to pull himself up out of the water. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t lift himself. Why? Because you can’t save yourself by yourself. You need someone stronger than you to rescue you. Jesus is the only one strong enough to pull you out of your drowning state.

This is the problem with the Gospel of Self, it is powerless.

Why is it Dangerous?

This Gospel of Self is a dangerous doctrine that is being taught. Here’s why.

It denies our own sinfulness

The gospel of self will tell you that you are good enough and nothing needs to change. God loves you right where you are.

This is only half true. The first half is a complete lie. You are not good enough. If you were good enough there would be no need for Jesus.

Romans 3:23 NASB95

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Sinned defined is missing the mark and we have all missed the mark. We have all missed the mark of where God desires us to be.

1 John 1:8 NASB95

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Self is not the solution. Self is the problem.

Here is where we miss it most of the time. We are looking at everyone’s sin and not our own.

Do we care just as much as much about our own sin as we do everyone else’s?

We have been talking about this for awhile. There is so much finger pointing going on in the church culture of America that we are making videos of it and putting it on display for all to see and in the midst of it we are missing our own errors and not addressing our own sin by getting it under the blood of Christ.

It is easier to try and fix other people than ourselves.

I cannot change any of you. I do not have the POWER nor the ABILITY to cause anyone of you to change how you live your life, the things you post, the things you say, the things you are involved in. That is not my job anyways. That is the Holy Spirit’s job to change you. I am just the fisherman. The Holy Spirit will gut and clean you and make you holy!

Here is what happens when we make it about self.

It replaces God (Truth) with idols

Paul said this.

Romans 1:25 NASB95

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Paul said they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and the result was serving the creature rather than the Creator. The main idol of today is not a golden calf, it is not social media, it is not politics, the root of the idolatry today is SELF.

We worship our goals. We worship our desires. We worship our image.

We point the finger to make others look bad thinking we make ourselves look good. It is easy to ignore our own sin when we shine the light away from us and onto others.

When you shine the light away from you, it is easier to hide in the cover of the shadows.

Take heed church the stern warning that comes from God concerning this.

Proverbs 6:12–19 NASB95

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, 13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; 14 Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife. 15 Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing. 16 There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

This passage describes a person who is dishonest, sneaky, and always causing problems and divisions. These things have no place the life of those who follow Jesus Christ.

No only should we be careful not to do these things, but also be careful how you handle those who do it to you.

When people talk about me, say things about me, point the finger at me, I take it to God. I don’t need to take it to anyone else. I don’t want to be accused of pointing the finger at others that are pointing at me.

God will deal with them. We just read it. God will judge them better than I could ever do. A few years ago I had someone gossiping and pointing the finger at me in our community. I showed love and grace during that time. Even took them to lunch. They didn’t know I knew.

I didn’t need to point the finger at them and talk about them. God took care of it. In fact they went back to the state they came from.

Your fruit will outshine any lie of the enemy! When those around you point the finger, don’t point the finger back (or give them the finger), shine Jesus back to them. Love them and pray.

The other day I read this example in nature. I love how nature speaks to us about the things of God.

DID YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE ONLY BIRDS THAT DARES TO ATTACK AN EAGLE IS A CROW? Sometimes they flock with other bids and attack…its called MOBBING.

BUT HERE IS THE THING. THE EAGLE NEVER FIGHTS BACK. HERE IS WHY:

1. The crow is bold enough to sit on the eagle's back and peck at its neck.

Relentless. Annoying.

But the eagle... stays calm.

2. The eagle doesn't flap. Doesn't fight. Doesn't waste energy. It does one thing: It rises.

3. The higher the eagle soars. The thinner the air becomes. The crow? It can't handle the altitude.

4. Eventually, the crow gasps. Loses strength...And falls off. Not because the eagle attacked. Not because the eagle flew away.

But because the eagle ascended.

5. Let the crows talk. Let them peck. You don't have to respond. Just keep going higher.

6. They can't follow you forever. Your growth will suffocate their noise. So don't engage. Elevate.

I am reminded of the Scripture that says,

Isaiah 40:31 NASB95

31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

It is time church that we rise above self. It is time church that we crucify our flesh and stop pointing the fingers at everyone else. Woe to those who point the finger. Woe to those who rise up against the elect of God.

Cast down the Gospel of self and pick up your cross and follow Jesus!

The True Gospel of Christ

It is only the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ that one can be saved. You cannot save yourself. You depend on your own strength to walk out your faith. God does in fact love you right where you are, but He also loves you enough not to leaver you there.

You can be set free. You can live a life of abundance. You can receive love and give love. You can forgive and receive forgiveness. You can show grace. You were created in the image of God and you can reflect Jesus to this world and be a light in the dark places.

But you need Jesus to do so.

The true Gospel is Jesus centered, not self-centered

John 14:6 NASB95

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The Gospel isn’t my way. The Gospel isn’t your way. The Gospel isn’t even “our way”. The Gospel is Jesus’ way and only His way.

Metaphorically speaking this word way means a course of conduct, a way of thinking, feeling, and deciding. My goal as a follower of Jesus is to filter everything - my thoughts, my feelings, my opinions - through the lens of Christ. Through the blood of Christ.

His blood speaks better things and you and I have to choose to believe that over our own thoughts, feelings, and opinions. It’s not about trying harder to doing better either. It’s about trusting in who God says He is and who He says you are.

Back to the drowning man. He can’t save himself. But imagine someone on the boat throws him a lifeline. That’s Jesus. He doesn’t shout from the boat, “Swim harder!” He reaches down, rescues, and pulls us out of the water.

That is grace my friends.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Closing

Church, the Gospel of Self will always leave you empty, powerless, and disconnected from the life God intended for you. But the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is life-giving, powerful, and freeing. It takes us from death to life, from darkness to light, from self-dependence to Christ-dependence. You cannot save yourself, you cannot sustain yourself, and you cannot sanctify yourself—only Jesus can. The cross of Christ is not an accessory to our lives; it is the foundation of our faith.

So today, I call you to make a choice: will you continue to live under the powerless weight of self, or will you surrender fully to the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)?

Time of Prayer

Bow your heads and close your eyes.

Right now, I challenge you to take inventory of your heart.

Ask yourself: Am I following the Gospel of Self or the Gospel of Christ?

When you face decisions, do you find yourself asking, “What feels right to me?” or instead, “What does God’s Word say?”

When your heart tells you to follow your feelings do you follow or do you turn to God for truth?

If that is you this morning, lift up your hand right where you are. (Have the people around them pray for them).

As those who are around you are praying, pray this simple prayer:

“Lord, I crucify my flesh today, and I choose to live in You, not in me.”