On Sundays I preach at Bethel Baptist Church in Ingleside, Texas. I have been doing this for a year and three months. Of course I plan and study each week for this service. I am sharing the outline of this Sunday's sermon.
The Inclusiveness Of The Gospel
Romans l:14-17
Introduction: We like exclusive events and things. There are exclusive clubs, circles of friends, religions and even some churches. Our daughter started an exclusive club when she was a girl. There were three girls invited to join her club. Only three. She wrote the membership rules and guidelines. It was written in that she would be the president! That is exclusive!
When it comes to the gospel,however,it is all inclusive. It is a gospel for all people everywhere. God excludes no one from His Kingdom. People only choose to shut themselves out.
Paul, the apostle, came from an exclusive religion. He said of himself that he was: "A Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, as to legalistic righteousness, faultless." Philippians 3:5-6. His exclusivism, however, DID NOT FOLLOW HIM into Christianty. In Romans l:16 he said: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God for the salvation of EVERYONE who believes..."
I. The Gospel IS for everyone. Most everyone has a religion of some kind. Religions are man-made. They come from the basic longing within each person for a god. Paul wrote about this in Romans 1:20-23: "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse, for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, and birds, and reptiles."
II. Paul did say the gospel was the power of God "for salvation first for the Jew". God's perfect divine plan called for the Jews to be the ones to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ...tragic words from the Bible tells us what happened: "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."
III. God had a "plan B". We who are the "Gentiles" and the "Greeks" are "plan B". It is our responsibility as Believers to take this gospel to all people.
Jesus spoke of the inclusiveness of the Gospel: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me."
Be wary of any religion or movement led by anyone who does not have as first and foremost Jesus Christ as the way to God. THE GOSPEL IS FOR EVERYONE. The only true gospel is the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. The good news of who He is and why He came and what He did and what we are to do to be a true believer and follower of him. Any other plan is flawed and fatal.
