A CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
  1. INTRODUCTION:

    1. DEFINITIONS:

      1. ATTITUDE: WEBSTER’S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY SAYS: "Posture, position, or bearing as indicating action."
      2. GOSPEL: The message brought from God to man by Christ (John 1:1, John 1:14).

    2. SCRIPTURE:
    • Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
    • Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

    1. THE BASIC THOUGHT OF DISCUSSION IS: WHAT SHOULD BE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THIS MESSAGE OF GOD CALLED: "THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST"?

      1. The attitude that many have taken regarding God’s message has resulted in a mass confusion of misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and misapplication of what God has said .
      2. The discussion will center itself on that attitude a true Christian should have in regard for this message from God.

        1. Definition of "REGARD": (WEBSTER) "To hold in high esteem; To hold in high respect, or evaluation, of something; To look upon with grave respect in the application of what has been said."
        2. The attitude that we have toward "God’s message" will be evidence of whether we do things God’s way, or change them to suit us as "Our way". (See II Timothy 4:1-4).

  2. DISCUSSION:

    1. OBEY IT:
    • II Thessalonians 1:8-9 "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"
    • I Peter 4:17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

      1. Why obey the Gospel of God?

        1. "It is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16).
        2. Christ said: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).

      2. A refusal to obey it results in damnation. Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

    1. BE NOT ASHAMED OF IT.

      1. We should let the gospel of Christ radiate out from our lives in both influence and good works to the glorification of God. Matthew 5:14-16 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that that may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

        2. NOTE: Paul said of the Corinthians: "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men" (II Corinthians 3:2).

      2. Paul exhorted young Timothy that even in his youth he should be an example. "Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (I Timothy 4:12).

    2. PROCLAIM IT (PREACH IT) TO THE WORLD.

      1. Christ sent out his apostles to preach it to every nation and creature (Matthew 28:19-20;
        Mark 16:15-16        ).
      2. The disciples "…that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).
      3. Why should we proclaim it to the world?

        1. To save the lost (Romans 1:16).
        2. To edify the church (Romans 14:19).
        3. To destroy all barriers that would keep one from obeying it (Galatians 3:28; Galatians 5:17).
        4. To enable mankind to be completely furnished to all good works (II Timothy 3:16-17).
        5. To show how to walk after the Spirit and not lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-26).

    3. GUARD IT.

      1. Paul wrote: "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called" (I Timothy 6:20).
      2. Why guard it?

        1. Because it is a powerful treasure.

          1. Paul said it was "The power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16).
          2. Christ likened it to that which brings man to a hidden treasure. Matthew 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field: the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."

        2. The power is of God but in earthen vessels. Thus, proper care must be taken that it is not contaminated by the earthen vessels. II Corinthians 4:6-7 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
        3. Because the tendency of man is to pervert the gospel, which will bring upon him a curse.
          Galatians 1:6-8           "I Marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

      3. How to guard it?

        1. By thorough study as:

          1. The Bereans of Acts 17:10-11, in that " … They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
          2. Paul exhorted Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15).

        2. By trying the spirits or teachers whether they are of God. I John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

    4. DEFEND IT:

      1. Against those that preach it of envy, strife, and contention.

        1. Paul says these are not sincere. Philippians 1:15-17 "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel."
        2. The Lord said these were false prophets in sheep’s clothing. Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

      2. We must defend the truth to keep our faith strong to defeat the "fiery darts of the wicked" and that means a strong, pure gospel of Christ that has not been weaken by compromised teachings of men.
        • (Ephesians 6:16) "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." NOTE: The Lord said, regarding the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:15-16, that because of their being "lukewarm", He would "spue them out of his mouth."

    5. HOLD IT FAST:

      1. Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:13, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
      2. We dare not let the gospel slip away. Hebrews 2:1-3 "Therefore we ought give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

  3. CONCLUSION:

    1. DO WE HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS AS WE DO WORLDLY THINGS?

      1. Worldly things we:

        1. Are not ashamed of.
        2. Tell others a bout.
        3. Protect them.
        4. Defend them with our lives.
        5. Hold them fast.

      2. But is the attitude the same with spiritual things?

    2. REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD SAID IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Matthew 6:33 "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: …"

    3. JOSHUA SAID TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IN Joshua 24:14-15 "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

    4. THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO DETERMINE WHOM WE WILL SERVE AND DO SO AS JESUS SAID TO A SCRIBE IN Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." NOTE: The love that we have for something, or someone, will determine the attitude that we will have toward, or them.

    5. PAUL WELL SUMED US A TRUE CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE WITH THESE WORDS:

Ephesians 4:1-6 "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

 

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