Why Do We Need The Gospel? - Ricky Archer

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Moses said to the Lord, see you say to me, bring those people up but you have not. Let me know. Whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know you by name and have it found favor in my sight. Now, therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight, consider to that the that the Nations that this nation is your people.

And he said my presence will go with you and I will give you rest and he said to him, if your presence will go with me, do not bring that. If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here for how shall it? Be known that I have found favor in your sight eye and your people, is it not in, you're going with us so that we are distinct. I and your people from other every other people on the face of the Earth. And the Lord said to Moses, this very thing that you have spoken, I will do. You have found favor in my side and and I know you by name Moses said, please show me your glory and he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you and will Proclaim. Before you my name the Lord and I will be gracious to whom. I will be gracious and I will show Mercy on whom I show Mercy. But he said, you cannot see my face for man shall not see me and live. And the Lord said, behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the Rock and why my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of The Rock and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand and you shall see my back but my face you shall not see. Thank you for.

As Brad mentioned earlier, a Ricky's going to be sharing the word out this morning, and I wanted to come on up brother.

We're so thankful that this is the Lord's church and he brings to us of the people that he decides. And so, we're grateful that the Lord has brought you, and Robin and Phineas to us. That's the life with awesome. Praise the Lord. When Ricky first landed here, may have 21. We got to talk in and we drink some water together cuz he doesn't drink coffee. If if I if I asked you for coffee and you don't then I'll say we'll do drink water and we'll go out for water. And that's okay too. But we got to talk in and and Ricky shared what's on his heart about, moving towards church planting. And so, that's a really phenomenal and exciting thing and part of our vision here at Sherwood. As we've been talking, as we want to be a church that has a reproduction mindset of making disciples and planting churches. And we want to see the Lord's work increasing and we want to see the faithful teaching of his word and so I know that that's a weight it in your heart. And there were delighted to hear from you and thank you for taking up my surprise offer in June, they haven't reached. I appreciate that. Thank you. Well, before we get started, I do have a couple things. I normally do the announcements has Brad said, so I guess I just feel like I have to do some announcements as most of you do know and is bread. So kindly said we did have a baby now by we I mean Robin obviously I did not do much, just kind of stood there and support it, but it was a yes, we are incredibly blessed and Rob and I both want to thank everyone here at the church for being so gracious to us. You guys had a baby shower for us and gave us an abundance of gas. So we thank you so much for that. And then people couple people came by the hospital and visited, which was great and then people brought his meals, which is also great. So we just thank you honestly, for just showing the love of Christ dies during this time. So just wanted to get that out of the way. And also, if you do hear what sounds like a 2 week old baby making noise, it is most likely to week old baby making noise. City right over there. So we do appreciate everyone know. So as David did mention, there was a surprise offer in June. He asked if I would want to preach and I said, yes, obviously, there's some nerves that comes along with that, but I did want to preach in. This is the direction that I believe that the Lord is taking me and Robin, in our lives, is to plan to church, and then I will, obviously be the one that is preaching. So we should probably get used to it. So whenever he did ask me that, I, I did know, already what scripture I wanted to preach on. So I did, ask David's permission first for, we know what verse I was going to pretend he obviously said yes cuz it's in the Bible and I think that was a pretty much the only parameters that we had long. As it's in the Bible we're good for the verse that we're going to be going through today is going to be Exodus 34 versus six and seven. Now there are many reasons why I chose this text. That was the main reason why is because it is my favorite. I might I found it most Christians, do you have a favorite verse or maybe even a few verses that are their favorite that they always go back to? And for me is Exodus 34:6 and 7 I say it almost every time. I pray I thank God for being merciful and gracious to me. And that is how the first start. And then also there's several other reasons why I would have. I would choose it and I believe it is just a beautiful verse, it's one of those. That is amazing yet. It's all so awful, whenever you really go through it and then it is all so beautiful and it is balanced. Which I feel like all the scripture is in should be whenever we preach. We should always make sure that we have a balanced approach. We don't go too far on one side or the other of God's attributes so that is one of the main reasons why? And then another one is quite honestly because we're not guaranteed and other day and David gave me an opportunity to preach in Ivory I just wanted to preach on the verses that have meant so much to me. I go to this verse all the time and it's a great comfort to me. So I'm hoping that at the end of the day you find this verse is also great comfort to you as well. And even if it is not I would just encourage you to get a favor verse or two that you can go to on a regular basis to find encouragement and help strengthen you. So with that, let's pray before we get started.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for being merciful and gracious to us. We thank you that you are patient and that you are so loving and so faithful. Are we just simply ask that you would be with us as we listen to your word today? Lord help me to be able to speak truth and to be able to rightly divide your word for it. And I ask that you would allow the message that is preached to be. That is her to be far more effective than the one that is preached. I would, we ask for your help in this. We ask everything in Jesus name, amen. so, before I actually get into Exodus 34 6 and 7 I want to let you know where we're going today. That way, you guys have a clue, we are going to be talking about why we need two gospel. That's what a title to message today is, why do we need the gospel? The goal of the day is going to be to look at the attributes of God so that we can better understand the gospel and why we so desperately need it. So then we're just going to look at the attributes of God so that we can understand the gospel and are desperate need for it. Do before going through, Exodus 34:6 and 7. I feel like we need to clarify what I mean by the gospel. I was disciple dying, man, few years ago and he's pretty much made his life mission to go throughout the world and ask people, what is the gospel? And then he teaches them, he does a lot of this in seminaries and with missionaries as well. And through that through listening to him, do this, several different times, he would ask people, what is the gospel and most the time it was people that were church leaders or missionaries and about 90% of the room would get the answer wrong and they wouldn't get it right. So for me, to think that everyone here knows the gospel would be a little arrogant, I think I would be of any of us to think that everyone here would know the gospel, so I would like to just give a brief explanation of what the gospel is that way we can understand where we're going in, Exodus 34:6 and 7. So, if you want to go and open your Bibles to 1st Corinthians chapter 15, As some of you here, I know know this gospel quite well. I have had the privilege of serving in Awana and I've got to watch another man here, teach this to the kids. And this is exactly where you find the gospel Paul does and 1st Corinthians give probably the most succinct shortest explanation of what the actual contents of the Gospel is. So, the 1st Corinthians 15:1, Paul simply says that he wants to remind the brothers of the Gospel that he preached. So that kind of says, the ground rules here. He is talking specifically about the gospel is preached to them. Then if you jump down 2, verse 3, going to read verses 3 through 5. And this is where we're going to see the contents of the Gospel. start universe theory, says, for I delivered to you as of first importance, what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to cephas then to the 12th, Today we have the gospel. It is simply that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and he was resurrected on the third day. And then he appeared That's what we have to understand, is the gospel. You don't understand that? There's no other way to Salvation. We have to know that we have to be able to believe. Romans 10:9 says that you believe in our. If you confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart, that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So, that is what we have to understand, is the gospel. So, if we understand now, that the gospel is simply that Christ died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day. We can kind of go back to Exodus and see how the attributes of God and help us better understand what the gospel is and why we need it. So I turned back in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 34 case you're wondering, that is the second book of the Bible. So Genesis Exodus easy to find myself chapter 34 and I had Brad Reed in chapter 33 that kind of sets the stage for what is going to happen here. Moses had asked for God, to show him his glory and then as a response to that we can see what God did and how God answered that request of Moses somewhere. Start reading Exodus 34 going to read verses 5 through 9. Starting verse 5, the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaim the name of the Lord, the Lord passed before him and proclaimed. The Lord the Lord, Our God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding and steadfast love and faithfulness. Keeping steadfast love 4000, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin but who will by no means clear. The guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and their children's children to the third and the 4th generation and Moses. Quickly bowed his head toward the Earth and worship. Did he said if now I have found favor in your sight, oh Lord. Please let the Lord go in the midst of us for it is a stiff-necked people and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for your inheritance.

So here we see, this is what God answered when Moses asked to Show Me Your Glory, the Lord did he descended? And he stood there with Moses and he proclaimed the name of the Lord just as he said, he would I want to give us a little bit of context here that way we have a little bit better understanding of what is happening. Now we have to understand where this is at in the timeline of Moses his life to this is not the first time that Moses would have seen the power or the glory of God, which understand back in Exodus chapter 3, Moses encounter God in the burning bush. So he already has already seen God's presence there in the bush was not consumed whenever his burning, then in chapter 4, God, turns a snake are the staff that is in Moses hand into a snake and then whenever he grabs you by the tail, it turns back into a staff and then he takes his hand and makes it like that of a leper. And then Moses, put it back in the clock, takes back out and got heels it instantly. So Moses had seen the working of God. Already is not something new to Moses, and then in addition to that, we look in Exodus chapter 7, through 12. And we see the place. And I mean, you would have obviously seen the glory of God or the power of God, whenever the plagues were going through Egypt. And then in addition to that, you saw the glory of God and the crossing of the Red Sea, the manner that was provided from heaven. And in addition to that, the water that came from the rock. So this is not the first time that Moses really have seen the glory of God. But here, yet again, Moses asking for God to show him his glory because he wants to make sure that God is with them before they go anywhere. Is it important? You realize if we are going to do something for the Lord, we should make sure that the Lord is with us and Moses wanted to make sure that God was with him. And so he asked again and then we can understand, I would understand it from the human perspective, God would you simply explain to Moses? I don't need to show you my glory already have and I mean why are you asking yet again? You know, I mean what you think about Moses being a great man of faith? And yet here he is, after he is seeing so much of God's glory and he is asking God once more to Show Me Your Glory, But God being who he is and not who we are, graciously answers noses. And then he tells Moses exactly what to do so that he can witness his glory because he cannot stand face-to-face with God and see his face and left. So, we understand that we cannot and Moses could not either. So, Dad tells him to stand in a certain place that you will hide him, and he will, let his goodness pass before him and then threw that, he will still allow him to be able to see the backside as much Glory as he could of God is what Moses was allowed to see if you can imagine, probably can't. I can't, but think about what was going through, Moses head, whatever he's getting ready to ascend Mount Sinai again. He's getting ready to go up again and and understand that she's going up to get the Ten Commandments for the second time. He already went up and got the Ten Commandments and then he came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and he found a nation of Israel as was described as a stiff-necked people, then they were worshipping an idol and worshipping a golden calf that have been made and Moses and his anger through down the tablets that have the Ten Commandments on them and broke them. So at this point God tells Moses to cut two more tablets of stone like the first ones and tells him to rise early in the morning and to go up to Mount Sinai. To Moses does that, he did exactly what God had commanded to do. It took the tablet in his hands, same thing as last time and I'm sure Moses thought it was going to be very similar to the first time. He's going to go up there and have a very similar encounter but He was so it was not because at this point Moses goes up and we see in verse five, the scene and I mean, it is truly amazing to think about the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaim the name of the Lord. And Moses knows how terrifying the presence of God is to stand in the presence of God, would have been to risk your own life because God had already commanded. The people were supposed to touch the mountain, were supposed to do certain things, but Moses was one that was allowed to stand there and be in God's presence. We have to think that he still would have been trembling and fear whenever. Actually descended, it would not have been the joyous moment. Like, some people now would Proclaim whenever they say that God has visited them and they have no fear, they have no real repentance or anything like that. Moses would have understood the Holiness of God in the sinfulness of him would have been very similar to Isaiah whenever he saw God. And he had to Proclaim that he was a man of unclean lips. That's where Moses would have been at this moment. but nonetheless, he stood there in the Lord protected him but he also all his glory at a capacity that I would say he had never seen before and we never see again in scripture where Moses ask to see God's glory again. So it was obviously sufficient for Moses at this point when he did see his glory to understand, I've seen enough and I will just wait till I go to heaven to see the rest of your glory. so, That's kind of where we're at when we look at Exodus 34:6. So here we find is where we're going to stay for the rest of the day, really. And this is where we see God self-revelation. And this is where we're going to find the attributes and addresses. The character of God, And then threw that we're going to be able to better understand what the gospel is and why we need the gospel 2 verses, 6 & 7, just to repeat it again because the Lord has before him and proclaimed, the Lord the Lord Our God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding and steadfast love and faithfulness. Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin, but who by no means clear. The guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and their children's children to the third and the fourth generation.

So here will start going through the list of attributes. The first one that is listed is Mercy. No Mercy. Is what happens when God does not give us what we deserve to each. One of us, has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We find that Romans 3:23 and that means that every single person that is in this room had sent and that means each one of us deserves and we did deserve it. The first moment that we send nothing, but the Wrath and the Judgment of God. But God in his great Mercy has allowed us to experience his Mercy at multiple different points in our lives. And if you have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, God who is rich in Mercy, will not give you what you deserve. And that is something that we should praise God. For his Mercy is amazing. And we see all through the scriptures, his mercies are new every morning and we can rely on God being merciful to us. The next one that is listed. The next attribute is Grace and Austin, grace. And mercy are confused or people think they're the same thing. They are different. Mercy is what happens when we do not our God does not give us what we deserve Grace is whenever God gives us something that we do not deserve. So God gives us something that we have not learned and we cannot learn in Salvation. And then there's also got common Grace which we see this all throughout the world. Come and Grace has poured out on Christians and non-christians alike. This is where there's a difference between his common Grace and his actual saving, or a special Grace do in God's come and Grace. Matthew 5:45 says the Jesus. He proclaimed that God makes his sun rise on the evil, and on the good, and sends the rain on the just and the unjust. So we see that God is gracious to both Christians and non-christians alike in some ways. And some other areas of common Grace will be our physical health, people's intelligence doctors and then also financial success. And we we see his, grace displayed every day of Our Lives. I mean, if you think about all the different things that God has done for us into us before we ever came to Salvation, we can kind of understand where God's common Grace comes in. She also likes on 73. You know that God is gracious in the wicked Prosper sometimes, but in the end, God is the Eternal judge and he will be the one that judges whenever we all come to the end of our lives. So got special Grace though his Saving Grace is different and that it is, how God shows his grace, and saving someone from his wrath and judgment and give them eternal life. And all of God's grace is completely unmerited, none of us have learned it. We cannot learn. If there's nothing we can do to deserve, or to earn God's grace. But still, he saves people nonetheless. And I mean, that's why I ain't officiants. 289, it says that by Grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works at so that no one may boast. If our religion was a workspace religion, every one of us would boast of where we were and what we have accomplished to get saved but praise God. It is not because I think each one of us had to come to Salvation would say, we don't deserve it. You haven't earned. It is only by the grace of God that we have this gift. So we can understand that Grace Assembly when God gives us a gift. That is completely unearned and unmerited. The next attribute that is listed here. Is the goddess slow to anger. So that talks about God's patience or some translations are having his long-suffering this means that God does not lose his temper. Like we do God react properly to every situation because he is Sovereign. And everything is part of his plan is nothing as surprised as God. He doesn't get caught off guard and have to get angry with anybody. He understands every single thing that is going to happen from the beginning of time up, until now until the end of time, he knows every single thing. So he does not respond how we would and anger. 7 example, of God's. Patience is simply whenever you go home. Look in the mirror, you are still here. God has been patient with each and every one of us, if you are not a Christian God has been patient with you and that you have been living in complete Rebellion to God's plan and that you're still alive. And we think about all the people that come to Salvation later in life and maybe they have a, a deeper and richer understanding of God's patience because they have tried that patients or maybe longer than some of the other ones of us have. So we thank God for him being patient. And we have to realize most of us would lose our patience with somebody in a matter of seconds or possibly even in a matter of minutes if we're really good. But if somebody treated us the way that most of us tree God and His Commandments, special for non-believers, But even with that, if we are Christian, God is still patient with us, he's patient with us and our sanctification, which is our growth and Holiness. And righteousness got to patient with us. Whenever we move at a pace, that seems far too slow and is often quite painful. So we should thank God every day for his patients. That he was patient with us before we came to Salvation. And then that even after coming to Salvation is still patient with us to praise God, for that. And then, in addition, to the next one that we see is God's steadfast love at 11:30. Something that a lot of people preach on today in a lot of us are probably heard about it. I'm not going to spend too long on and I think if we all have heard quite a bit but still, we have to understand that God's love is perfect. We don't love how God loves we can never truly understand the depth and the richness of God's love. So we understand it is very, very Elementary level. I mean God's love is greater than anything that we could ever understand. And God's love is really on full display whenever he sacrifices his son for us. Our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, gave his life for us. And God loves us so much that he loves the whole world so much that he gave his only son. Even though we can never fully comprehend, the love of God, we can still take great comfort and knowing that God loves us and that he gave his son for us. That if you have come to Salvation, God loves you enough to save you for eternity. And he will allow you to be with him for eternity. We thank God for his love even though we can barely even scratch the surface of understanding what it is. It is so great. It is an amazing Comfort to know that God loves us. The next attribute that we see in verse 6 is God's faithfulness or some translations have it is truth same or basically so depending on which translation have me say God's faithfulness, her Macy's truth and means the same thing means that God is completely trustworthy. He said he will do what he said, he will do, because he is faithful, and we can trust him. God does not, and he cannot lie. But more than that, it's not just that he doesn't lie. He's also faithful whenever it comes to forgiving us for our sins. Think about what it says in 1st, John 1:9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us, our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And on top of that God is faithful and that he will not abandon his people, once he saves them. Jesus spoke about this and John chapter 10, if you want, you can turn over there. It's quite amazing whenever we think about God being faithful, and how great it is that we have a guy that whenever he saves as he holds onto us and keeps us Jesus. Whatever. He's talking in John chapter 10 here verses 28 and 29. He's talking to people that hear his voice and know him as the shepherd. So this would apply to people that are Christians today, people that would call themselves Christians. This is who he would be talking to. Now it's August 28th of John chapter 10 cuz I give them eternal life and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. Here, we see that once God Saves us, he saves us. Completely is not a partial saving. It is not something that he saves us a little bit and we have to work towards it. He saves us completely and then when he does, he holds Us in his hand and no one, and nothing that is ever been. Created is powerful enough to remove us from God's hand, god holds us, and keeps us completely secure. It is abundantly clear throughout scripture that if God has saved you, he has saved you and that is it. It is final and it is great because this means that if you are in Christ, you should have full of surance that you are safe and you know that it is only by Grace anyway. So it's obviously nothing you did to get there and it's nothing that you can do to keep it. So it's great that we can praise God for his faithfulness and we can trust it. We are secure in our Salvation because God is faithful. don't we look at all these attributes so far, it's Really great. And it proves that God is good. I mean, what would it be? Like if God was not merciful and gracious and slow to anger, and he was not full of love and faithfulness, we absolutely terrifying. We none of us would ever know what to do. We would have no idea how to please God, we would know. We would have no idea how to do anything without being literally struck down in one moment because we did something wrong. I praise God. That's not who he is. He is merciful and gracious and slow to anger, and abounding, in steadfast love and faithfulness. So it's good. That God is good, praise God. Every day that we serve a guy that is good and that he does not change. That is another one of those attributes has not listed here, but it is found throughout scripture that God does not change. He stays the same. So we can, we can be sure that he will remain exactly as he is. And it has, he has revealed himself in scripture, you will not change tomorrow or ever, you will always be the same. now, as we move onto verse 7 in, Exodus 34 We see the next part and we really see the results of God's attributes. It says that he keeps his steadfast love for thousands and that he forgives iniquity, and transgression and sin. And by saying that he forgives iniquity transgression and sin, that means that he covers all types and kinds of scent. There's not a sin that a person can commit, a guy cannot forgive you. For, if you are still alive, if you are alive and you are in this room right now, you have breath in your lungs. There's not a send that you have ever committed. The God is not willing and able to forgive. So, if you ever think of anyone has ever told you, that you have to, you know, get a little bit better before you come to the Cross, complete lie, you all you have to do is just come as you are, and God will take you, and God is the one who saves you. So, we have to understand that the God forgives, any sin, and he was willing, as long as you still are alive to forgive you, and will give you the free gift of Salvation, if you call upon the name of Jesus, An hour Robinson, not done yet. The mat reviews that we have discussed. Do a great job of explaining the gospel. Why? Why the gospel exist? It is because God Is So merciful and gracious, cuz he's patient with us. He the founding and steadfast love and faithfulness, that is why the gospel is there. That's that's why he offers us salvation. So one might ask if God is so good. Why do we actually need the gospel? Do you want to just save? Everyone has. He's so merciful and gracious. When everyone dies, when he's just part in every sin and let everyone come to Heaven, know that is not how this works, be cast. As we see the next attribute that we have here in. This is one of the reasons why I said that this verse is one of my favorites because I believe it is beautiful and it is balanced. And that is because of the second part of her seven is where we see the balance. And it says, but who will by no means, clear the guilty. Or if you had any SP translation, it says, yes, he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. So that's the last attribute. It is God's justice. So now you have to ask the question. Well got to never one to heaven. And the answer is right here. No, he will not because he is just in his perfect Justice demands that there be payment for sent. So not everyone will go to heaven, if you are not in Christ, God will not pardon your sin and you will not be able to have eternal life in heaven. Because God is the final and the ultimate judge. So this is why we need the gospel because God is just and it's interesting because today, if you watch anything on the news, I don't but you still hear it. If you understand that there are a lot of people that are demanding Justice and they want justice, but I'm going to tell you right now, none of us want Justice. There's not a single one of us that want God to be just with us because if he was, we would be struck down immediately and we would spend eternity in hell that would be just. That is what I have learned. That is where guy to send me and every other one of us. So if you hear, somebody ask for justice, Just understand that they don't really fully understand what Justice is because our Justice that we have here on Earth is always going to be salty. There's always going to be corrupt, judges, or politicians or cops, or whatever there's good ones. And then, but there's always going to be corruption because we're falling falling race. So, we have to understand that God is just and his perfect Justice will demand that there's payment for sin.

But thankfully that's not what God gives to all of us. He is gracious and merciful An amazingly. Because of that God does not instantly judge us in our sent. You think about it if he wasn't merciful and gracious if it wasn't balanced here as soon as we would say, we would just die and go straight to Hell. None of us would make it to adulthood, most of us would make it out of the first day, right? I mean, it's just that's just what it is. And that's that's where God would send everyone of us. If there was instant Justice for each one. So this is where we understand that the beauty of God's patience and it's great that got a patient because we need it and then because we are, I have found myself and I would guess most of you are very much in the same boat. I'm very much like the nation Israel. I'm a stiff neck person. I can be stubborn and I can be impatient and so it's good that God has patient with me and with all of us and he gives us the opportunity to partake of his grace. In case you're wondering, I want to clarify who it is. That is guilty that God is talking about here, whenever he says, he will not clear the guilty. Because there are people that believe that people are basically good more there. People that believe that they're not really committed any sin that is for the ascending them to an eternity in hell. But that's not what the Bible says. So, if you ask the question, who had sinned Romans 3:23 is the answer. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And if you want to, if you want to listen and greet today, if you want to know what that word, all means in the original Greek language. It means all it means every single person. There's nothing special here since the very easy to read. It means all all of us. Have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There's not one person, no matter how good they think they are. That has not sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I told you a simple man. We've all done it, we've all sinned. So, now we have to understand where does that leave us? If God is good and we are not, what will God do with us? If he is just and that is why we need the gospel. And if you think about what is the payment that is due for sin? Romans 6:23 says, for the wages of sin is death. And then in that, it is not just death. It is eternal hell and Punishment. You don't have to turn there but I'll read for you. What Jesus had to say about what hell is that? Some people think that he'll was not Eternal, scripture would say that, it is then Matthew 25:41. Jesus says to people who are not Christians on that final day of judgement who said, then he will say to those who are on his left depart from me, you cursed into the Eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And then again down in verse 46, talking about the same people who are not Believers says in these will go away into Eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life. Do I have to tell you how is not just for a moment? Did you turn on? Because we have to understand what sin is to God. Even the slightest in is worth eternity, in hell. Because of the Holiness of God, there is a great Theologian that is now in heaven, who had, I think one of the greatest close as far as what sin is, he said that sin is Cosmic treason is treason against the creator of the universe. And if we cease and that way, we'll understand why people will spend eternity in hell. He also urged people to consider the Deep implications of even the slightest in Doesn't, she said when we sin and even the slightest way, we are saying to God guide your laws. Not good. My judgment is better than yours. And your Authority does not apply to me and I am above your jurisdiction. That's what we say to God. Whenever we sent. The question is, do we see sin that way? Do we see it as Cosmic treason against the creator of the universe? If we do, if we even start to understand sending that way, we will understand why we need the gospel. Not just what the gospel. Is that Christ died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day. But why we so desperately need it? And every one of us needs it? There's not a one of us in this room that is not me. The gospel, every moment of every day. Now, I want to go over to Romans chapter 3 and go and turn your bibles if you'd like. I want to read for you another scripture that I believe does a great job of explaining the gospel and our need for it. So we've already kind of covered Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. For the next 3 or 4 versus really do. A great job of explaining how beautiful the gospel is, cuz it doesn't just in there, doesn't just end it. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And now what God tells us exactly what he has done for us, so start reading Romans chapter 3, Starting in verse 23, through verse 26, for all the sin and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace. As a gift through the Redemption that is in Christ. Jesus and God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness because in his Divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Turner said, we already covered that. We've all fallen short of the glory of God. We've all sinned, the, the next word here that I think is really important for us to understand is the word. Justified 4:24 says that we are justified by God's grace as a gift. There were Justified is one that we pray. I don't use much today in our normal language, but what it means is that it is a legal term where God declares somebody to be innocent. So when it says that we are justified by God's grace as a gift, it means that God declares us innocent and he does that through the Redemption and that is in Christ Jesus. So if you are in Christ, We will still stand before the judge at the end of our Earthly lives. But we will be declared Innocent instead of guilty even though we are guilty and got to declare as guilty. But through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, we will be counted as innocent. So that is amazing because God is the ultimate judge. So he has the right to legally declare you innocent or guilty at the end of your life. We will stand and we will have nothing to say. You will not be able to argue our debate. God, you will simply declare what you are, whether it is innocent or guilty, whether you were in Christ or you are not in Christ, and that is it. Surprised God if you are in Christ because you will be innocent. Even though you're not, you will be declared innocent and that is an amazing, amazing gift. the next word that we find in verse 25 that I think we need to clarify is propitiation I don't know about you but that is not a word that I use every day. I mean, I got it, I got to think it through all of my secular schooling, I never heard that word mentioned. I mean, I even went through a college English class and never once heard the word propitiation never came up in a spelling bee hennything. I mean just it's never there but it is an amazing worth and it is such a great and powerful word and it is the right word that you use here. It's the right translation because we have to understand what propitiation is. It means to appease or to turn away, so it is the Turning Away of God's Wrath or the appeasement of God's Wrath. So whenever it says that there was propitiation the guy put forward which was Christ and it was by his blood that we have that Christ shed, his blood to turn away, the wrath of God for you and for me and that is amazing. When you sit there and you think about it, see there was Christ. It was a substitute for us for me. I deserve to be on that cross. You deserve to be on that cross the god. be merciful and gracious, and loving us, allowed his son to take our place and he died in our place, he took away the wrath of God, we took all the wrath of God and that turned away the wrath of God from URI whenever we accept Christ,

Which is great but he did it by his blood. This is where you have to understand what the cross was. It was not just the Romans. Beating up. Jesus was not just the beating they took before you got on the cross. It was the full wrath of God poured out on Christ on the cross. See that? Back in Isaiah 52 and 53 where God crushes Jesus and he did. So so that we would be able to have salvation. You don't deserve it. We haven't learned that. We could do nothing to earn. It did God is merciful to us, and does this for us?

So here we see the concept or the idea of atonement or propitiation, and this is not something that is just in the New Testament, we find this in the Old Testament, as well. There's a story in the Old Testament. That is one of my favorites. It's an account of a priest. who was jealous for the Lord and he stood up and intervened and he stopped a plague and this idea of atonement or the Turning Away of God's Wrath is found right here in Numbers chapter 25. You don't have to turn there. I'm just going to read it for you don't make sense here. We're going to read what God says about that specific priest. The numbers 25:10 says, in the Lord said to Moses, Phineas the son of Elie. Azar, son is Aaron. The priest has turned back my rat from the people of Israel in that he was jealous for my jealousy among them. So I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. There for say behold I give to him my Covenant of peace and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him, the Covenant of Perpetual priesthood because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel. So if you ever want to know why somebody would choose the name their son Phineas there's your answer, but it is it's a great and count in the Old Testament where somebody attempted to turn back the wrath of God or to make atonement for the people and it did but it was not atonement forever, it works for then but there was still always going to need to be more sacrifice and there was always going to be more tournament until Christ came. And whenever Christ came that was the once for all turn in the way of God's Wrath, he's satisfied, God's Wrath completely. Which is amazing. It is just so beautiful that Christ would die for us. so then, if we go back to Romans chapter 3, Verse 26, the last first that I read, there has an amazing line in it. It says so that he might be just and the just of fire of the one who has faith in Jesus, but you have to understand is the only one that could satisfy the justice of God is God. And that is why Christ who's the second person of the Trinity took on flesh? He came and lived a sinless, perfect life. And then was the Willing, perfect sacrifice for us.

The only person that could satisfy God and His wrath was God. So he's the one that did it. So, is he standing there? As judge? He declares all of us guilty that he steps down. And take the punishment for our guilt. Not as amazing as it's. So great to know that God loved us so much that he would give his son. We had think about this since I'm not God, it's a good thing. I'm not cuz I wouldn't get my son and I wouldn't tell me he was just born. Wouldn't do it. I mean I I love to think that I'm a good Christian and I love people but I'm going to tell you there's not a person in this room. I would let my son died for us, so we got to thank God that he was willing to do that. He was willing to give his son. Is it only son? He didn't have a bunch more. He didn't is not the way this worked wasn't like he was like, it's okay. Take my first born and then I do not got six or seven more. The only one, only one son of God and he was willing to give him for us.

So we have to think about that whenever we think about the gospel. Because the only person that can really pay the debt with God and Christ was the one that stepped down and did it. And I want us to see what an amazing and mighty savior. We have God was not our Jesus was not afraid of going to the Cross. Some people would say that whenever he was in The Garden of Gethsemane Gethsemane, he was afraid of the Romans. He was afraid. As you do with the beating that he was going to take. I was not at what he was asking the cup to pass from beforehand. If it would be God's will is God's Wrath and he was going to be taking on that cross. But even then he didn't back down, he stood up and he said not my will but yours. He went to that cross willingly, they didn't drag in there. They didn't have to make him go. He stood up and he took it on his shoulders that I will pay the debt of every single person. For all of time, I will ever come to Faith, but I'll pay the day. We have a great savior. He was strong is mighty, and he's the only one that can save us. There's no other way to heaven, but through him to praise God. That he was willing to do that. So in closing here I got to tell you that I would suggest to you. That the gospel is the perfect display of all of God's attributes. At one time, we see everything that God is on Full display whenever we see the gospel when crisis on the cross. Guess the reason he gave his son as a sacrifice is because he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and he's abounding and steadfast love and faithfulness. But not only that We're going to stay in the Christ, had to pay the price because God is just he will not clear the guilty. So it is only by Grace the God has provided a way for all of us unto salvation. I've done my best to try to explain the gospel. The best way I can using scripture. but if you know that you do not have Christ as your savior, I have to warn you. That God is good. You have to ask yourself, what would a good god do with somebody who is guilty?

so, if you do not know Christ, You come find me, find a view to find most of the people that's been up on stage here obviously today. And any one of us would be glad to sit down with you open up the Bible and go through scripture and explain to you what salvation I'm going to tell you don't want to die without Christ. You don't want to stand before the judge of the universe and be guilty as not what you want. That's not what I want for any of you and praise God. He is patient with us and does not want any of us to perish.

So do you feel as though God is pulling you near with his grace? Come find somebody and talk to them. Find out what elevation is. If you are Christian, maybe that you have accepted Christ as your lord and savior. We should do what Moses did. Whatever the Lord pass before him after he did. He declare, who he was Moses quickly about his head toward the Earth and worshipped. She's more, you know, about God, the more you want to worship Him, the more you want to praise him, cuz the more you find out about God, the more, you understand how great he is and how bad we are and how much we need him. now, I mean, I must confess to you that there is still a mystery to the gospel, I don't think I'll ever understand and I would feel pretty confident saying that if you think about it as well, you will probably end up in the exact same place that I am and that is I can understand why Christ died for me. Why do guys choose p? I mean i didn't I don't deserve it, I don't know her name. So there's still a part of me that Wonders. Why did Christ die in my place? I do all I think is you know it wasn't worth it. That's not a fair trade is not fair that Christ died for me. I should have been the one on that cross, it should have been Christ. I mean, we should all have to pay for our own since but Christ did it There's just a mystery there that I don't think any of us will ever fully understand on why. It's because God's love is so so deep and so rich, and all we can do is just scratched the surface of it. What it does is it makes me turn back to my favorite verse, which is Exodus, 34:6 and 7. And it makes me realize reason the Christ died for me because God is merciful. Cuz he is gracious cuz he is slow to anger. He is a bounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. help me understand why Christ had to die in that it because God is just He will not pardon the guilty. Praise God, the gospel of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for who you are. Lord, all we can do is give you price. Lord, we know everything that we have comes from you. What every good gift comes from you and we know that salvation comes from you and you alone. So we thank you for allowing your son to die for us. Nor do we know that we were not worth it, but we thank you that you still provided a way of salvation for us. We thank you that through the blood of Christ. We can be washed white as snow and then we can spend eternity with you. And Heaven. Lord, we thank you. The perfect and matchless name of Jesus, your son, the Christ, amen.

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