THE GOSPEL AND DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH PREACHED BY CHRIST IN THE FOUR GOSPELS (PART - 4) Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama) April 23, 2019 ****JUDGMENT OF THE SAINTS**** Both Christ and Paul said that Christ will judge his saints when he comes again and reward those who faithfully served him. PAUL 2 Timothy 4:1: I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Romans 14:10-12: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 2 Corinthians 5:9-11: Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things donein his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. CHRIST Matthew 16:27: For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Luke 19:11-27: And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thouwicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give itto him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. In Matthew 25:19 it says: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. To reckon with someone means to ask them to give an account of what you gave them. This is what Paul meant when he said in Romans 14:12: So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. What Paul wrote about the judgment seat of Christ is based upon what Christ said. They both said that when Christ comes again he will judge the saints according to their works and they both based this coming judgment of the saints on Isaiah 45:23 and Eccles. 12:14: For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. ****JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH**** PAUL God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 22:18 that he would bless all nations through his seed. In Galatians chapter 3 Paul defines that covenant. Galatians 3:8 says: And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Verse 16 says: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. The covenant he made with Abraham was a promise that he would justify the nations through faith in Abraham’s seed who is Christ. According to Galatians 3:17 that covenant is still valid and was not disannulled by the law that came years later. It says: And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Did the Law of Moses given 430 years after God made this covenant with Abraham disannul it? No. What does this mean? Men have always been justified by faith and the Law that came after the promise was made did not change it. God did not give the Law to justify men for he already had a method to justify them when he made the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 22:18. He promised to justify the nations through faith in Christ who is Abraham's seed and not by the law he gave to Moses 430 years later. God did not give the Law to justify anyone and no one has even been justified by the law or given eternal life by the law. Galatians 3:21 says: Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. No one obtained the righteousness of God by the Law of Moses and the Law could not give anyone eternal life but the covenant God made with Abraham can do both and has done so since it was given including the time Christ was in the world. CHRIST An example of a man being justified by faith in the Four Gospels. Luke 18:9-14: And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. This publican was justified by faith without works according to the promise and covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 22:18. He was justified the same way we are today because the Law of Moses did not disannul the promise God made to Abraham plus the Law could not give anyone eternal life and no one received the righteousness of God by keeping the Law. As a matter of fact the Pharisee in the story who kept the Law was not justified but went to hell. ****RANSOM FOR SIN**** The word ransom literally means a price paid for the redemption of captives. In war, when prisoners are taken captive by the enemy the money demanded for their release is called a ransom. It’s the price paid to set them free. Anything that releases anyone from a state of punishment, suffering or sin is called a ransom. We all need a ransom because we are all by nature captives to sin. We are sold under sin, under the condemnation of sin, and under the curse of sin. And unless we find a ransom to deliver us we will perish in hell. But, we have found a ransom. And where do we find this ransom? In the Four Gospels. In Matthew 20:28 Jesus said: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Paul quotes this same verse almost verbatim in 1 Timothy 2:5-6: For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. THEY BOTH both preached Christ’s death as a ransom paid to deliver sinners from the bondage of sin, but it was Christ who preached it before Paul. ****REPENTANCE**** CHRIST Mark 1:15: And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Luke 13:3: I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 5:32: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 24:46-47: And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. PAUL Acts 17:30-31: And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men,in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts 20:20-21: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 26:20: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Romans 2:4: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 2 Corinthians 7:8-10: For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Repentance is turning away from the thing that keeps you from being saved. The Law kept the Jews from being saved for they thought they could be saved by keeping the law. They had to repent of the law or their religion and trust Christ alone to save them. Idols kept the gentiles from being saved. The gentiles thought their idols could save them. They had to repent and turn from their idols to the true and living God to save them. Christ and all the apostles and prophets preached repentance and so should we. Paul preached repentance when he preached the gospel of grace. See Acts 20:21-24. ****APOSTASY PRECEDING CHRIST'S COMING**** CHRIST Matthew 24:3-5: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:10-12: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:22-24: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Mark 13:12: Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. PAUL 1 Timothy 4:1-3: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. 2 Timothy 3:1-8: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, (apostasy) and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Timothy 4:3-4: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Neither Christ nor Paul predicted a revival in the last days that precedes the second coming of Christ. They predicted a major falling away and apostasy would precede Christ’s coming. We already see the falling away under way today. ****TRIBULATION AND PERSECUTION OF SAINTS**** CHRIST John 15:18-21: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. John 16:33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Matthew 5:10-12: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matthew 24:9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Speaking to the scribes and Pharisees Jesus said: Matthew 23:33-35: Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Luke 21:12: But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. Luke 21:16-17: And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. PAUL Act 14:22: Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16: For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4: Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. 2 Thessalonians 2:4-5: So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 2 Timothy 3:10-12: But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Philippians 1:29: For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. The Voice of Martyrs organization says more Christians have died for their faith in this current century than all other centuries of church history combined. From 33 to 1900 AD they have documented 14 million martyrs. But during this century alone they have documented cases in excess of 26 million martyrs who died for their faith in Christ. It does not count the untold numbers who were persecuted in other ways, imprisoned, tortured, and even enslaved. According to the Open Doors human rights organization 215 million Christians experience high levels of persecution around the world. On its recently released World Watch List 2018, which ranks the world's 50 worst nations wherein to be Christian, 3,066 Christians were killed, 1,252 abducted, and 1,020 raped or sexually harassed on account of their faith; and 793 churches were attacked or destroyed. The Islamic world had the biggest share of this persecution; 38 of the 50 worst nations are Muslim-majority. The report further cites "Islamic oppression" is behind the "extreme persecution" that prevails in eight of the 10 worst nations. In short, the overwhelming majority of persecution that these 215 million Christians experience around the world -- especially the worst forms, such as rape and murder -- occurs at the hands of Muslims. Both Christ and Paul predicted it and we see it come to pass today. ****BAPTISM**** Dispensationalists can debate this and deny it all they want to but the fact is both Christ’s and Paul’s converts were baptized. CHRIST John 4:1-2: When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) All of Christ’s converts were baptized but his disciples baptized them for him lest any should boast and say they were baptized by Christ. PAUL ----Lydia and her house. Acts 16:14-15: And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us,saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. Notice that when she attended unto the things spoken by Paul she and her house were baptized. ----The Philippian Jailer and his house. Acts 16:31-34: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. He and his family were baptized after they heard Paul speak unto them the word of God. ----The Corinthians. Acts 18:8: And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. After they believed the gospel preached by Paul the Corinthians did two things: They believed and were baptized. And notice it was MANY who believed and were baptized and not a few. Paul did not baptize all of them lest they boast they were baptized by Paul according to 1 Cor. 1:15 which is why Christ’s disciples baptized for him in John 4:1-2. ----The Ephesians Acts 19:4-5: Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this,they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. You have just read 26 major church doctrines preached by Jesus Christ during his ministry on earth as recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I am sure there are others. You also read about the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ which is the gospel by which the church is saved. You have also read that Paul preached the same gospel and doctrines as Christ in his epistles. This is why he wrote: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1 Cor. 11:1) Paul received his gospel and doctrines by revelation from Christ and his gospel and doctrines agrees with Christ’s gospel and doctrines. This is why Paul did not separate his epistles from the Four Gospels or the other scriptures for he said, ALL Scripture is profitable for doctrine in 2 Timothy 3:16. There is no doubt whatsoever that the gospel and doctrines of the church are found in the Four Gospels, for after all it was in the Four Gospels that Jesus said he would build his church. It only stands to reason that if he said he would build his church in the Four Gospels then surely he had to tell us the gospel by which his church is saved and the doctrines his church should believe and obey. He did so in the Four Gospels and continued in the epistles of the Apostles. Don’t make the mistake that many extremists make in saying that Christ preached one gospel and his apostles preached another or that Christ preached one set of doctrines and the apostles another. Jesus Christ is the head of the body of Christ and the apostles were members of his body and the gospel the Head preached the apostles preached. The doctrines the Head taught is the doctrines the apostles taught. The church Christ built has one gospel and one set of doctrines and they are His gospel and His doctrines. The apostles explained them more fully in their epistles, but they are the same.