8. A Herald to Jesus of Nazareth's Bride

The Church in this country is at a time in which there will be no Isaiah 64:1-3 without Joel 2:13 first.

Transcript

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This is episode eight of uh my version of an audiobook with a book that I wrote titled A Herald to Jesus of Nazareth's Bride in the United States of America. I'm continuing with a section about uh the original gospel versus all the various corrupted forms really of gospels that are being preached. So to pick up where where I left off. How about another piece of shocking truth? The word love is not in the writing called Acts, not even once. So consider this. Here is the document the Holy Spirit includes in the eternal written word, which shows us the version of the gospel the apostles preached, and the word love isn't in it at all. What does this mean? Simply this. The apostles did not go around telling people that this God loves them. Why? Because Isaiah 26 10, when grace or mercy is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness. Even in a land of uprightness, they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord. In other words, like I said in the previous sections, there's no fear of the Lord. And there are at least two important reasons for this. First, as I've hammered, the gospel begins with an invitation to repent, to stop loving oneself, to regard the majesty of the Lord, and to turn to loving the living God. For example, 1 Thessalonians 1 9. There are about 36,000 verses in the Bible. There are only about 36 verses that say that this God loves. But the idea that is far more often communicated in the Bible is that humans are to love this God. Clearly, Peter understood this. For not only did he not tell the people in his sermon on the day of Pentecost that this God loved them, but he confronted them with their sin, their unloving act of murdering the living God's Son. Acts 2 36. The result? A critically important first step. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? In other words, the very first thing people need to feel when they hear when they hear the gospel is the cut of conviction for their sin, for their lack of loving the living God, not that he loves them. When this critical part is removed from a gospel, one is at best limiting the amount of charity agape the person hearing a gospel will experience. And at worst, one may be affecting whether the person is born again by the Spirit. When a sinful woman came bursting uninvited into a room full of men, who had gathered to eat a meal and to have spiritual conversation with Jesus, then falling down before Jesus, weeping in brokenness over the wicked life she had created for herself, her tears wetting Jesus' feet, Jesus declared a profound principle. He told these godly guys, especially Simon, the following Whoever has been forgiven little loves little. The less conviction of sin of not loving the living God a person experiences when they are told a gospel, the less he or she will love Jesus, and the less he or she will obey him. The more conviction of sin a person experiences when he or she is told the gospel, the more he or she will love and obey Jesus due to realizing how very much mercy he is extending to them. The living God gave the most valuable thing he had, Jesus. This should create even more of a sense of what a person's sins cost. So, do not remove this part of the gospel from people. It is critical to their spiritual health. If they're offended by this step, then they're not ready for Jesus. Secondly, the unregenerated have absolutely no idea what real love is. The only way for anyone to know real love is to know the one who is love, and the only way to know him is to know his son. When a person is willing to repent and to follow Jesus of Nazareth in response to them with charity, that is the very first moment a person experiences their very first taste, their very first taste of real love. Then, being born again by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit begins the process of conforming the person into the image of Jesus of Nazareth if he or she sows and keeps in step with the Spirit, so that the fruit of the Spirit is formed in them. And one of the fruit is love, not human love, but the living God's love. So, the good news is not that God so loves the world, or even that he gave his son. The good news is that although this God hates sinners and their sin, which makes them his enemies, who he is going to destroy, he's willing to have charity toward his enemies if they're willing to repent. That is good news. Trying to make a person feel good about being a sinner is just one reason so many congregations in this country are primarily full of lost people who go to church but have never been born again by the Spirit. And one of the main reasons for this is this people must get lost before they may want to be found and rescued. The good news must begin with the bad news, or else the good news isn't good news at all. Lastly, it's true Jesus is a friend of sinners. But there's a question in this to which sinners is Jesus of Nazareth a friend? The Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not consider him their friend, because they did not see themselves as sinners. But the broken, those in touch with their sins, those who knew they were sinners who needed help considered Jesus their friend. The issue which determines whether one sees Jesus as a friend or as a foe is the condition of the person's heart, not the softening of the message. As for forgiving our sins, that is merely part of the process of making us fit for his kingdom and to be his bride. He then expects forgiven people who've been shown such undeserved charity to love him and to obey him as their bridegroom king. John 14 15, John 14 21A, John 14 23 through 24, and John 15 10. Now, once a person enters a relationship with the living God through Jesus of Nazareth, then all the aspects of his love begin to be opened to that person. Passion, doing what's best for them, disciplining them, etc. For example, now it is possible for them to have what Paul prayed for the Christians in Ephesus to have. This is Ephesians chapter 1, beginning verse 17. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy in his holy people, and his incomparably great power to those of us who believe. Then in chapter three of Ephesians, for this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that is, mere information, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Wow. Even more, listen to what Jesus of Nazareth asked the Father for those who rightly belong to him. Notice it begins with righteous father in John 17, 25. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I've made you known to them and will continue to make you known, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and that I myself may be in them. Jesus is working to reveal the follower to his the Father to his followers, in order that the love the Father has for Jesus will be in Jesus' followers for Jesus. Wow. To love Jesus the way the Father loves Jesus. And this is possible. Okay, what is the apostolic gospel? A simple way to remember it is with the word rubber, and then remove the two vowels. R, B, B, R. R, repent. B, believe or trust, another B, be baptized, and then finally R again, receive the Spirit. The very first time Peter preached the gospel on the day of Pentecost, after receiving the Spirit himself, being born again and entering the new covenant, he addressed all four of these steps. This is Acts chapter 2, beginning verse 36. Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this. God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart, convicted of their sin, and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, Here is the gospel right now. Repent. Be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, believe and trust in him, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Of the four parts of the Apostolic Gospel, being immersed in water, baptism, is the only step that is not mandatory, although it is important, very important. Repentance, believing slash trusting, and receiving the Spirit are not optional. For more information on this, see a booklet titled The Original Gospel, The Gospel the Apostles Preached.