October 9, 2022
Sermon Series: Believers Are To Sow The Gospel Seed
Sermon # 10
The Essence (Heart) of the Gospel
Romans 10:13
“Whosoever” means that any person can be saved no matter who he or she is. No matter how terrible a person and his circumstances may be, he can be saved. He may be in the depths of the inner city or in the depths of the jungle, and he may be enslaved by the most terrible spirit of sin and evil imaginable----God can still save him.
ILLUSTRATION:
Do you really believe that “whosoever” means any person? Too many people try to complicate the issue by adding to the interpretation of Scripture. The gospel is so simple, yet so profound. So available, yet so unacceptable by so many.
“A leading manufacturing company developed a new cake mix that required only water to be added. Tests were run, surveys were made, and the cake mix was found to be superior quality to the other mixes available. It tasted good, it was easy to use, and it made a moist, tender cake. The company spent large sums of money on an advertising campaign and then released the cake mix to the general market. But few people bought the new cake mix.
“The company then spent more money on a survey to find out why the cake mix didn’t sell. Based on the results of this survey, the company recalled the mix, reworked the formula, and released the revised cake mix. The new cake mix required that one add not only water, but also an egg. It sold like hot cakes and is now a leading product in the field. You see, the first cake mix was just too simple to be believable. People would not accept it. The same is true of salvation by grace. It is just too simple to be believable!
God’s words are simple and clear: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Nothing more. Nothing less. What is the essence or heart of the Gospel?
I. THE SUBSTANCE (meaning, makeup, reality) OF THE GOSPEL
“Shall be saved!”
A. From the penalty of sin
B. From the power of sin
C. From the presence of sin
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24).
II. THE SCOPE (space, freedom, opportunity) OF THE GOSPEL
“Whosoever!”
It means anyone and everyone, no matter who they are can be saved.
No matter how terrible a person and his or her circumstances may be, he or she can be saved. A person can be in the depths of the inner city or in the depths of the jungle, and he or she may be enslaved by the most terrible spirit of sin and evil imaginable---God can still save.
III. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL
“Call!”
To “call upon the name of the Lord” means at least two things.
A. You believe Jesus Christ can and will save you. You believe the message of John 3:16.
B. You look upon Jesus as the Lord God of the universe, and you as the servant. You surrender and dedicate yourself to serve Jesus Christ throughout life—in everything and through everything, no matter the cost.
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lk. 9:23).
Deny - means to declare untrue refuse, or nonexistent
Man's tendency is to indulge himself and do exactly what he desires;
but the believer is not to indulge himself, his comfort and ease, appetites and urges, thoughts and feelings, deceptions and enticements, plots and schemes, pride and boastings, reactions and disturbances. The believer is to deny himself by discipline and self control.
ILLUSTRATION: Salvation is centered in the name of the Lord. What’s in a name? Suppose I was to write you out a check for $50,000. It would do you little good! The check would bounce all over North America, because my name is not good for that kind of money. But suppose president Biden were to write you out a check for that amount. It would be a different story. The check might be drawn on the same bank, dated the same day, typed on the same typewriter. The only difference is in the name. It is no use bringing to God the name of the virgin Mary, or the name of Muhammad or Buddha. These names are bankrupt names. God only honors, for salvation, the name of His Son.
Responsive Reading: Romans 10:1-13
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