Why is the true gospel of Jesus Christ neglected in
professing Christianity?
Why do we hear instead a different gospel from that
taught by Jesus, His apostles, and first
century Christianity?
Why is the message Jesus proclaimed for
three-and-a-half years ignored and forgotten?
The answer to these questions is simple.
A substitute gospel entered the professing
Christian world shortly after the early church
began and the true message of Jesus Christ has been
supplanted ever since.
But how can that be?
Surely the messages heard throughout the land on
Sunday mornings must be the same as Jesus
proclaimed.
Sadly, it's not true.
Many of you viewing this telecast read your Bible.
You know what that message is that Jesus
proclaimed...
or do you?
Is it possible even you have been deceived.
I give you this challenge today.
Look into what the Bible says and compare it with
the message you think Jesus preached during His
ministry.
Because I can almost guarantee that the true gospel of
Jesus Christ has not been preached in the
denomination you grew up in.
Does that sound too brash, too arrogant, to say?
Is it too politically incorrect to tell you the
truth?
As we often repeat on this program, don't believe us
just because we say it.
And don't believe your minister or priest just
because he says it.
Prove it for yourself, right out of the pages of
your Bible.
So if you want to hear what the true gospel is,
stay with me.
I’ll be back in five seconds.
♪
A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at
Tomorrow’s World.
The true gospel that Jesus taught is not being
preached in mainstream professing Christian churches.
Now I know that is a bold statement and I don't expect
you to believe it without biblical proof.
If the gospel you've been hearing is not the same as
that proclaimed by Jesus, and if you can prove for
yourself from the pages of the Bible, what will you do
about it?
Think about it.
A Christian is supposed to be one who follows Christ,
so who will you follow?
Christ?
A popular denomination, a charismatic teacher,
family tradition?
Will you continue attending the “Church of
your choice,” if it's not proclaiming the gospel
brought by Jesus, or will you take another path?
This is a serious question that may call for
courageous action.
How important is it to understand, and believe,
not just any gospel, but the true gospel?
Notice what Jesus said at the very beginning of His
ministry, as recorded in Mark 1:14-15...
"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and
saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom
of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Yes, that’s a command straight from Jesus: “Repent, and
believe in the gospel.” But how can you believe in
something if you've never been taught what it is?
Oh, but you are not deceived.
You know what that message was.
Don't be too sure, because you're not hearing it in
mainstream Christianity.
So, what is that message?
Do you care to know?
Or are you comfortable with a counterfeit, just
as the first century Corinthians were?
Notice how the Apostle Paul soundly corrected
them for their careless attitude in
2 Corinthians 11:3-4.
"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived
Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ.
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus
whom we have not preached, or if you receive a
different spirit which you have not received, or a
different gospel which you have not accepted--[he says] you may
well put up with it!"
Wow.
A different Jesus, a different spirit, and a
different gospel.
If the Corinthians could be deceived, to whom the
great apostle to the Gentiles was sent, how
about you?
Is it possible that you too could be fooled?
Could you be worshiping a different Jesus and
believing a different message from the one He
proclaimed during His three-and-a-half year
ministry?
Paul did not care about political correctness.
He called out these deceivers for what they
were in verses 13-15:
"For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder!
For Satan himself transforms himself into an
angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also
transform themselves into ministers of righteousness,
whose end will be according to their works."
No, these ministers did not look
evil, but they appeared as ministers of
righteousness.
And do we think it is any different today?
There are a lot of charismatic preachers in
our world.
Many are kind-hearted and do lots of wonderful
works--feeding the poor, carrying on campaigns to
“bring people to Christ,” but here is what Jesus
said in Luke 6:46...
"But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the
things which I say?"
Notice He also said this in Matthew 7:22-23...
"Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in
Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?”
And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you;
depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Many people claim Jesus to be their Lord and Master.
It’s easy to claim Him as Master, but not so easy to
live as though He were your master.
The Apostle John dealt with the same issue of
people professing to know Christ, but living their
own way.
Have you ever been asked, “Do you know the Lord?”
How do you answer that question? Well, here's
how John answers it in chapter 2 of his first letter:
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if
we keep His commandments.
He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of
God is perfected in him.
By this we know that we are in Him.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to
walk just as He walked."
Now circling back, what were the two commandments
Jesus gave at the beginning of His ministry?
"Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
But how can you believe in something you've never heard?
I understand that it is shocking to hear that the
true gospel of Jesus Christ is not taught in
professing Christianity today.
That is why I’m challenging you to prove
it for yourself from the pages of the Bible.
The Apostle Paul said anyone preaching another
gospel is under a curse.
Therefore, it's vital for you to know exactly what
it was that Jesus and the first century apostles
taught.
Today’s free offer, Do You Believe the True Gospel?
points you to the scriptures that spell out
that message with absolute clarity.
You'll be shocked to learn what is plainly stated in
the pages of your own Bible, so order your copy
of Do You Believe the True Gospel?
Just call the toll free number shown on your
screen, or go to TWTV.ORG/Gospel.
And when I come back, I’ll show you, in His own
words, what Jesus said He came to earth to proclaim.
For today’s free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also
receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's
World magazine.
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and modern culture will help you make sense of
your world from a biblical perspective.
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Welcome back.
Why is it that people refuse to believe what
Jesus said? Why is it that
so few are willing to simply read the scriptures
and understand them for what they say? As we saw
earlier in the program, Mark tells us that Jesus gave
two commandments at the beginning
of His ministry:
"Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
But what is that gospel?
Before the break, I told you that I would show you
in His own words, what Jesus said He came to
earth to proclaim.
So here it is in Luke 4:42-43...
"Now when it was day, He departed and went
into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him
and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving
them; but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom
of God to the other cities also, because for this
purpose I have been sent.”"
Yes, for this purpose He was sent, and
the message He was to proclaim was the Kingdom
of God.
So what is the Kingdom of God?
Do you know?
Does it matter?
Absolutely, according to the Apostle Paul.
Here’s what He wrote to the people of Galatia,
chapter 1, verse 6:
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from
Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a
different gospel, which is not another; but there are
some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel to you than what we have preached
to you, let him be accursed."
So what was
it that Paul taught?
Was it the same gospel Jesus proclaimed, or was
it a different message?
At the very end of the book of Acts, where we
find the Apostle in Roman custody, long after he
brought the truth to the people of Galatia, here is
what we read in chapter 28 and in verse 23:
"So when they [that is, the Jews in Rome] had appointed him
a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he
explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom
of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both
the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning
till evening."
Notice that while he taught them about Jesus and how He
was the fulfillment of many prophecies, his testimony
involved the same message Jesus was
sent to proclaim--the Kingdom of God.
Now notice verses 30 and 31--the last two verses
found in the book of Acts:
"Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented
house, and received all who came to him, preaching
the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern
the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence,
no one forbidding him."
So what exactly is this Kingdom
of God that Jesus and the early apostles taught?
Some think of it as a nice sentiment--something set up
in the hearts of men.
Many think the church in today’s evil world is the
Kingdom of God.
Others think it is about going to heaven.
And as outrageous as it may sound today, some people
once thought the British Empire was the Kingdom of God.
None of these are correct.
But, the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed was not a
sentiment in one’s heart.
It was not about going to heaven.
It was not the church.
And it was not about Christianity taking over
the world.
It was a message about a very real kingdom set up
on this earth with a King, with territory, subjects,
and laws.
We'll see that in the next segment of this program
right from the pages of the Bible, but I want to offer
you a resource that shows this in far greater detail
than I have time to cover on this short program.
Do You Believe the True Gospel?
leaves no doubt as to what Jesus and the early church
taught, nor exactly what that Kingdom is.
I truly believe that all of our free resources are
of vital importance, but Do You Believe the True Gospel?
is especially so.
How can you claim to be a true Christian if you
don't know what the gospel is that Jesus proclaimed?
So, order your free copy today.
And when I return in 15 seconds, we'll see in
detail what is the Kingdom of God.
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
Call now!
Or go to...
The gospel of Jesus Christ--the good news that
He proclaimed for three-and-a-half years
prior to His crucifixion--the same
gospel that His original apostles and first
century Church of God taught--
is not the message heard in mainstream
churches today.
So far, we've only looked at a few of the dozens of
scriptures proving this point.
We've seen that a substitute gospel was extant even
in the early years of the Church, but the true
gospel was, without a doubt, about the
Kingdom of God.
So it’s time to see, what exactly is that Kingdom of God.
It's self-evident that a kingdom is a government
which must have four elements: A King,
subjects, territory, and laws.
Does the Bible tell us about such a kingdom?
The answer is yes, it does.
Beginning in Daniel 2 we read of an
unusual dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
The prophet Daniel was given understanding and
explained to the king that the giant image he saw in
his dream represented four great empires that would
arise in the area of the Middle East and the
Mediterranean.
The first was that of Nebuchadnezzar’s
Chaldean empire.
Then history shows it was followed by the
Medo-Persian, the Greco-Macedonian, and the
Roman empires.
This last empire would continue in one revival
after another until the end of the age when the
God of heaven would set up a Kingdom.
Let’s pick up the story in verse 44:
"And in the days
of these kings the God of heaven will set up a
kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the
kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall
break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."
These same four kingdoms are described in Daniel 7, but
instead of a giant image of a man, they are
depicted in greater detail in the form of four wild
beasts.
And again, the last one continues down to the end
of the age. Daniel 7 and verse 27:
"Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole
heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of
the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And
all dominions shall serve and obey Him."
Jesus elaborated on this kingdom in His parables.
And as we have already seen earlier in this
program, He said:
"I must preach the kingdom of
God to the other cities also, because for this
purpose I have been sent." That's in Luke 4:43.
Do you realize, my friends, that
Jesus gave us the answer to all four elements of
this divine kingdom?
He explained: who would be the king of the kingdom,
who the subjects of the kingdom would be,
where the kingdom would be located, and what would be
the laws governing the kingdom.
In the remainder of this program, let’s look at
each one, beginning with Who would be the King of
the Kingdom.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied of Him in this
famous passage found in the 9th chapter and verses 6 and 7:
"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given; And
the government will be upon
His shoulder. And His name will
be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His
government and peace There
will be no end, Upon the
throne of David and over
His kingdom, To order
it and establish it with
judgment and justice From
that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will perform this."
This was a clear reference to the One who would come to
set up a literal government on earth.
Many passages point us to none other than Jesus
Christ as that King, but let’s look at one of them.
When Jesus appeared before Pilate,
he asked Him a very direct question, and Jesus
gave him a very direct answer.
John 18:37...
"Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king.
For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have
come into the world....”
But how do we know that this was not
figurative language?
Did Jesus mean it was a real kingdom?
And where would it be set up--in heaven, or on earth?
And who would be the subjects of this kingdom?
I’ll answer these questions in a minute, but
first, let me remind you of our fascinating
resource--Do You Believe the True Gospel?
Most professing Christians are confident that they
know what Jesus’ message was, but few do.
Any follower of Jesus Christ
needs to be sure.
Do You Believe the True Gospel?
shows what that message was in intimate detail.
It will guide you through the Bible and show you
what you may be missing, so don't hesitate to
request your free copy of Do You Believe the True Gospel?
Just pick up the phone and call the toll-free number,
or go to our website at TWTV.org/Gospel.
It’s that simple.
And when I come back, we'll see where that
kingdom will be, who will be its subjects, and what
will be the laws that govern the kingdom.
For today’s free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also
receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's
World magazine.
Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science,
and modern culture will help you make sense of
your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow’s World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
On today’s program I am asking and answering the
question: What Is the Gospel Jesus Preached?
As we've seen in the previous segments, the
message Jesus proclaimed for three-and-a-half years
prior to His crucifixion, was that of the Kingdom of
God.
And that was the same message preached by His
apostles and first century Christians.
Now before the break I said we will look at where that
kingdom will be set up, who will be its subjects,
and what will be the laws governing that kingdom.
One of Jesus’ most famous parables is found in Luke,
the 19th chapter.
He gave it in response to a misunderstanding.
Let's notice it, beginning in verse 11:
"Now as they heard these things,
He spoke another parable, because He was near
Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God
would appear immediately."
There was no question that He spoke about the kingdom
to be set up--it was only a matter of when.
So in response to their lack of understanding, He
begins by representing Himself as
a nobleman on a mission:
"Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman
went into a far country to receive for himself a
kingdom and to return.”
Now notice that He states here that He would receive
a kingdom and return.
We read of Him being crowned in a future coronation ceremony
in Daniel 7, and verses 13-14:
"I was watching in the night
visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him
near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory [and note this]
and a kingdom, That all peoples,
nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed."
Now back to the parable of the minas.
What are His servants to do until He returns?
Are they to live out their lives with nothing to do?
Or are they--are we--expected to grow in
grace and knowledge and to do His work? Let's notice
Luke 19 once again, this time beginning in verse 13...
"So he called ten of his servants, delivered to
them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till
I come..."
And so it was that when he returned, having received
the kingdom, he then commanded these servants,
to whom he had given the money, to be called to
him, that he might know how much every man had
gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, “Master, your mina
has earned ten minas.” And he said to him, “Well
done, good servant; because you were faithful
in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”
Yes, Jesus was born to become a king.
He came 2,000 years ago proclaiming the message
about His coming Kingdom and to give His life a
ransom for many.
He gave parables showing that we can be born into
that Kingdom by the resurrection from the dead
and we can rule with Him.
We must be changed from physical to spirit, as
clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:50...
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption
inherit incorruption.
... For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality."
One must be born into the Kingdom of God, no longer
flesh and blood.
But then what?
Where are those cities that God’s servants will
rule over--the ones spoken of by Jesus in the
parable of the minas?
Are those cities in heaven?
Not according to your Bible.
Not according to Revelation the 5th chapter and verse 10:
"And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we
shall reign on the earth."
But who will they rule over?
Who are these subjects?
Notice in Zechariah the 14th chapter...
"And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left
of all the nations which came against Jerusalem
shall go up from year to year to worship the King,
the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of
Tabernacles."
Read all of Zechariah 14 and you'll see that
these subjects will be flesh and blood human
beings who survive the great tribulation and the
day of the LORD.
These are not servants of God up in heaven, but
carnally minded individuals who will learn
God’s perfect way and also have a chance for
salvation just as we have.
In summary: The King of the kingdom will be Jesus
Christ, as we saw in Luke 19:12.
The territory will be here on earth--Revelation 5:10.
The subjects will be flesh and blood humans--Zechariah 14:16.
And the laws of God will govern Christ’s Kingdom--Matthew 19:17.
There is far more on this subject than I’ve had time
to cover.
That is why we're offering this free
resource--Do You Believe the True Gospel?
It goes into much greater detail, right from the
pages of your Bible, so be sure to order your free
copy today.
And if the line is busy, wait a few minutes and try
again.
Or you can order a copy online at TWTV.org/Gospel.
And be sure to come back again next week when
Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I
will continue to share with you the revelation of
Jesus Christ, the good news of the coming Kingdom
of God, and the exciting end-time prophecies and
their meaning.
Be sure to join us right here next week at
this same time.
For today’s free offer call...
Or go to...
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow’s World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
The preceding program is
produced by the Living Church of God.
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