The records of Colosse Baptist Church show that on Aug. 22 and 23
Colosse will turn 189 years old -- Begin our 190th year as a church
But the records also show it almost would not have been
From our 150th Anniversary Booklet, Chap. 1, "Organization of the Colosse Church"
"On Sunday, June 15, 1806, a number of brethren met at the home of Amos Williams, and after Divine Worship conducted by Elder Gamaliel Barnes, the forming of a church was discussed. On Jan. 7, 1807, it was decided to call for a council to recognize the body as a church, but being disappointed in getting a council, it was decided simply to hold regular services."
> May I interject -- What kind of faith did they have to call for a council in JANUARY???
"After several years and many difficult trials, most were in favor of disbanding. However, there was a small group of zealous brethren that refused to give up the world of the Lord. Through the efforts of this group, a Council was called in..." Aug., 1815
- Consisted of brethren of Baptist churches in Henderson, Ellisburg, Lorraine and Rodman
- They met in the Parish Schoolhouse to look into the circumstances of the group
- To hear an account of their meetings and their objectives
- And to see if, in the opinion and judgement of the Pastors thus assembled
- If they were in fact a GOSPEL church
- And to be given the right hand of fellowship
Well, we don’t just know the rest of the story = WE ARE THE REST OF THE STORY
- Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
- I imagine that those zealous brethren so stedfast in their faith in what the Lord could do
- Must rejoice to know we continue
- And still believe in the Book, the Blood, and the Blessed Hope
- And that we are still a Gospel church
And that brings me to our Sermon today
- Seems fitting to me, on this 52nd Sunday of our 189th year of existence as a Gospel Church
- To bring a message on the Gospel
"Gospel" = 98-x in NT = [amtract] Signifies "good news"
- The revelation God has made known to sinful mankind through Jesus Christ
- He is the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind = Lord of all
- Scripture = Matt. 24.14, "gospel of the kingdom" = Acts 20.24, "gospel of Christ" =
Rom. 1.16 + 10.15, "gospel of peace" = 1 Tim. 1.11, "glorious gospel" = Rev. 14.6, "everlasting gospel"
> And in the words of the beautiful hymn, "The Love of God" [# 188 v. 3]
"Could we with ink the o-cean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,
Were ev-`ry stalk on earth a quill, And ev-`ry man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God a-bove Would drain the o-cean dry;
Nor could the scroll con-tain the whole, Tho’ stretched from sky to sky.
CH: Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How meas-ure-less and strong!
It shall for-ev-er-more en-dure, The saints’ and an-gels’ song."
- Really and truly, the noblest words we could ever hope to speak would fall far short of satisfactorily describing what God has done when we use the word "GOSPEL"
> We can really do no better than Holy Scripture = 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks [be] unto God for his unspeakable gift.
But when it comes to the Gospel = God intends for us to know it = Understand = Share
- So let’s ask first, how can we best know and understand it?
- Some very good Scripture passages that would serve as candidates to help us know and understand the Gospel = (Matt. 1.18-23)
- Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
- Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
- That "most famous and well-beloved" verse = John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. = AND the whole passage in John 3
But perhaps the best Scriptural definition of "the Gospel" is found in our text today
- [1 Cor. 15.1-2] = This is "the gospel"
- We note is has some powerful effects, which we will come back to in a moment
- [15.3-5a] = There it is, in a nut-shell
So what is the Gospel?
- It is the Good News concerning Jesus Christ, "God’s only begotten son"
- That He died for our sins = Romans 1:4 And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
You see, it’s very easy to KNOW what the Gospel is
- But let’s make sure we understand it = Even Paul here makes it clear that’s important
- [15.1-2] = Received = Stand = Saved = "keep in memory" = "unless...in vain"
So how should we understand the Gospel?
- 1 Cor. 15.3, "...Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" = OT
- Perhaps best OT Scripture to make that clear = [Is. 53]
So first we must understand He died for us = In our place
- That’s why the Resurrected Christ declared = [Luke 24.44-47]
And let’s not overlook that other salient point = [Luke 24.48]
- 1 Cor. 15.5, "And that he was seen..." = [15.5-8]
So the Gospel is the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins
- He died in our place = So that we might be able to live eternally
- Something that is to be proclaimed by believers
- And received by those who hear it
- And if they receive it in truth, and not in vain, they can be saved
So that is KNOWING the Gospel = And UNDERSTANDING the Gospel
- How best to SHARE the Gospel? = Let me offer you an accrostic, "G O S P E L"
G - "go" - It is the essence of the Great Commission
- Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
- That’s why = 1 Cor. 15 = Paul went "preaching" v.1 = An "apostle" v.9
- And "by the grace of God" we must also
Truth is = They are not going to be coming to us
- Very little which is going to cause them to come here
- Especially the closer we come to the end of the "church age" = "age of grace"
- Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [them] to come in, that my house may be filled.
G - "go"
O - "one way" - This must be the emphasis of what we preach
- [1 Cor. 15.3] = Who died for our sins? = Not Buddha, Joseph Smith, the Pope
- CHRIST = John 14:6 ...I am the way, the truth, and the life: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, but by me.
- Had to learn early as young Christian = When you start being specific, focusing on Christ alone as the One Way of salvation = They will want to change the subject
- But you can’t! = You mustn’t! = Because Christ IS the ONLY WAY to be saved
S - "salvation / saved" - This is what we must convince others can have
- [1 Cor. 15.1-2] = Saved from what? = Sins, v.3 = Penalty = GUILT
- All taken by Christ = What a bargain! = What a deal!
- And you will meet many people who would like to get in on it
- But they get hung up on that "O" = That "one way"
So in addition to = GOing, proclaiming the ONE WAY to be SAVED
P - "plan"
- 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH
- 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
- NEED TO BE ABLE TO REASON WITH MEN
Did you notice = 1 Cor. 15.9, "apostle" = Specific and general sense of that word
- Specific sense = Can only apply to those who were chosen and sent out by the Lord Jesus Himself = In that sense, no apostles today
- General sense = "A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders"
That brings us right back to the = G - "Go"
- That’s God’s "P" = God’s plan = Sending us = "Go, proclaim the One Way to be Saved"
- AND = E - "every creature" - Who doesn’t qualify as our audience?
- [Acts 17.1-6] = "..These that have turned the WORLD upside down..."
- Roughly 53 A.D. = 20 years after the death, burial, resurrection and ascencion of Christ?
- Is that really possible?
Take 1 person here = 1 wins 1 to Christ = Walks with them for 1 full year, discipling
- End of 1st year = 2 = 2nd year, both repeat this process = End of 2nd year = 4
- 3rd year, 8 = 4th year, 16 = 5th year, 32 = 6th year, 64
- 10th year, 1,024 = 20th year, 1,048,576 = And that was starting with 1
- Acts 2, Jesus left 120 = On Pentecost 3,000 were saved
- Puts Acts 17.6 in a whole new perspective doesn’t it?
- And what would happen if each of us here over the course of the next year
- Would win just 1 convert = Disciple them for 1 year? = DOUBLE OUR SIZE
CONCLUSION
But it’s not easy = 1 Cor. 15.10, "laboured" = BUT = 1 Corinthians 15:10 ...yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether [it were] I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Which brings us to our final point
- For yes, we must GO and preach the ONE WAY to be SAVED
- We must have a PLAN = Know the Word, Sanctify the Lord in our hearts
- We should do this with EVERY person we meet
- But no matter who we speak with = Nor how often we are obedient in sharing the Gospel
We must also = L - "leave" - Leave the results to the Lord
- We must work as if it all depends on us = , God allows us the gracious privilege of being "laborers together with him" (as Bro. Parchman spoke on last Sun. morning at this time)
- In 1 Cor. 15.10-11 Paul seems to indicate this is exactly what he did
- But we must pray and leave all the results to Him and Him alone
- Just to be reminded, from the text Bro. Parchman used = [1 Cor. 3.5-7]
INVITATION
Do you truly know and understand the Gospel?
- Evident in your life first of all that you have been saved?
- And then have you been obedient to the Gospel?
- Going?
- One Way?
- Saved from the penalty AND guilt of our sins?
- Planning properly? = Knowing Word? = 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
- Every creature? = Any one you purposely pass up telling? = Why?
= Leave results with Lord? = Hard to do sometimes..
= ...BUT = Abraham to God = Genesis 18:25 ...Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
PRAYER = INVITATION HYMN # 12, "Room At the Cross for You"
SOURCES: Online Bible + modules > Language
[amtract] = American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
