1. The Gospel-Doctrine Distinction A DISTINCTION WITHOUT A DIFFERENCE

2. We Recognize False Doctrine Salvation by faith only ◦James 2:24, Hebrews 5:9, Matthew 7:21, Luke 6:46 Once Saved – Always Saved ◦Hebrews 3:12, Galatians 5:4, 1 Peter 5:8

3. We See The Importance of Truth John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

4. Why do some fail to see this? Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Don’t announce their presence or intentions

5. The Devil’s Lies John 8:44 He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

6. The Devil’s Lies Genesis 3:1-5 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die… Sprinkle in just enough truth to make the lies palatable

7. One of his best lies: Limiting the scope of the Gospel 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, 2 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures;

8. One of his best lies: Limiting the scope of the Gospel 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

9. One of his best lies: Limiting the scope of the Gospel ◦Preach only on the love of God and God’s grace. ◦Concentrate on the Man – not the plan. ◦Focus on the message of the Cross. ◦Doctrine is not important, those things are left to the individual. ◦Therefore, we can fellowship anybody and everybody who claims Christ. ◦Don’t have to deal with that contending for the faith, which can be messy.

10. What Is The Gospel? The gospel is God’s power to save us. 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. Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation;

11. What Is The Gospel? The gospel must be preached for men to be saved. Mark 16:15-16, Hebrews 11:6, Romans 10:17 Romans 10:10-15

12. To preach the Gospel is to preach the message of the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

13. To preach the Gospel is to preach the message of the cross. The gospel message saves. Romans 1:16 The message of the cross saves. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21 Two things equal to something else are equal to each other.

14. To preach the gospel is to preach Christ. Philippians 1:12-18 12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice

15. To preach the gospel is to preach the word of truth – God’s word. 1 Corinthians 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. 1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever

16. To preach the gospel is to preach the word of truth – God’s word. Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation Romans 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. cf. John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

17. To preach the gospel is to preach the faith. Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): cf Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

18. To preach the gospel is to preach the faith. Philippians 1:17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. Acts 6:7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

19. The Gospel: Is God’s power to save Must be preached for men to be saved Is the message of the cross Is the message of Christ Is God’s word, the word of truth Is The Faith

20. Doctrine is part of the Gospel. Acts 5:28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” cf. Acts 2

21. Sound doctrine is according to the Gospel. 1 Timothy 1:3-11 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

22. The Gospel Saves – Doctrine Saves Romans 6:17-18 17But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 1 Timothy 4:13, 16 13Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 16Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

23. Preaching the Gospel includes giving instructions that must be followed. Acts 8:35-36 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?“

24. Preaching the Gospel includes giving instructions that must be followed. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Acts 18:1, 4, 8 Acts 18:1, 4, 8 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 4And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. 8Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

25. Preaching the Gospel includes giving instructions that must be followed. Acts 8:5, 12 5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them… 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

26. Preaching the Gospel includes preaching the Kingdom. Acts 8:5, 12 5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them… 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

27. Preaching the gospel includes teaching how we should live. Ephesians 4:17-24 17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness,

28. The Gospel MUST BE OBEYED. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 7and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:17 17For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

29. The Gospel MUST BE OBEYED. 1 Peter 1:22 22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit James 1:21-22 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

30. Failure to adhere to the sound doctrine of the Gospel will cost us our souls. 2 John 9-11 9Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

31. Failure to adhere to the sound doctrine of the Gospel will cost us our souls. Not the doctrine about Christ, but His teachings. Not the doctrine about Christ, but His teachings. Matthew 16:12 Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Revelation 2:15 Revelation 2:15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

32. Conclusion The Gospel:  Is God’s power to save  Must be preached for men to be saved  Is the message of the cross  Is the message of Christ  Is God’s word, the word of truth  Is The Faith The Gospel :  Includes doctrine  Sound doctrine = Gospel  Includes preaching the kingdom  Includes instructions for living  Includes commands which MUST BE OBEYED