Admonition Podcast

all throughout this year.

and especially since April of this year, we have been working on growing the evangelistic
work of this congregation.

We have reached out to people through cards.

We have visited people's homes.

We have had one-on-one meals with people.

We have had personal Bible studies with individuals.

We have had a number of precious souls brought to Christ as a result of that work.

But I was recently reminded by a friend.

that as you consider the gospel, not everyone approaches hearing the gospel for the same
reason.

As we examine our lives, as we look at the things that we are going through, we often
approach the Gospel for a number of different reasons, looking for a solution to one of

numerous problems that face the world and that face our very lives.

So I want to take

a brief overview this morning of some of the problems that the gospel addresses through
God's solution to man's problems.

Not everyone has the same problems, not everyone is aware of all of the problems that they
face, and yet

The gospel in God's omniscience, in God's plan for humanity's redemption has solved all of
these problems and I will tell you I didn't run out of problems to list.

I simply knew the limits of our time.

So here's twelve, or eleven, of those problems.

Man's problems.

God's singular solution.

Consider

that one of the things that sometimes brings people to the gospel, sometimes is drawing
their mind towards the reality of life is the brevity of life.

That we all one day will face a time when our life will be over.

In Hebrews chapter 11, or Hebrews chapter 9 verse 27 rather, we are told it is appointed
unto men once to die.

We all have a day that we will face if we live long enough, if Christ awaits or delays
long enough so that we do face it, a day when we will leave this life.

Lazarus faced that scenario in John chapter 11.

word was sent to Jesus as he was away from the place where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived
that Lazarus had become sick.

And Jesus tarried another couple of days after receiving word and then he tells his
apostles there in chapter 11 verse 11 that it's time to go because Lazarus is sleeping and

they say, well if he's sleeping that's good, he's recovering.

Jesus says, no he's dead.

And so Jesus and the apostles begin to journey back to where Lazarus was.

And as he arrives we read verse 17, And so when Jesus came, he found that he had already
been in the tomb four days.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away, and many of the Jews had joined the
women around Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him.

But Mary was sitting in the house.

Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.

Martha had such great confidence in the power and the authority of Christ that the power
and the authority of Christ would have been sufficient in his very presence that he could

have stopped her brother from dying.

And she was not questioning that, she was fully confident of it.

But notice what Jesus said, but even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will
give you.

Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again.

Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Not only was she confident that Christ could do something about Lazarus dying when he did,
she was confident that there was coming a day where all who were in the grave would hear

his voice and come forth.

She says, I know that there's a day coming where all will be those who will be obedient to
your command to rise.

Jesus said to her, am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.

And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Do you believe this?

Some individuals face the reality as they consider their own lives that life is brief, it
is but a time, and they need to be prepared for that life to be over.

And God, in the Scripture, in the Gospel, in the life of His Son, provided the solution to
man's problem of the brevity of life.

Not that we would all continue to live forever on this earth, but that in His authority,
the resurrection is assured.

But then consider as well that we also find over in Hebrews chapter 6,

that God's solution addresses man's problem of a hopeless life.

Sometimes in your interactions with people, you will come across individuals because of
the circumstances they've lived through, because of the situation they're currently

enduring, because of the time or the circumstance of their life where they have lost all
hope.

Yet, sadly, the reality is many who believe they have hope have no hope.

And yet the Scriptures and the Gospel address this problem in Hebrews chapter 6.

The Hebrew writer will address why a Christian, why someone who is obedient to the Gospel
has hope.

Hebrews chapter 6 we read beginning in verse 13,

As the Hebrew writer addresses these Jewish Christians he says, for when God made a
promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying,

Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.

And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of
all dispute.

Thus God determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of
his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible

for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of
the hope set before us.

The Hebrew writer as he's picturing the relationship and the promises and the covenant
that God made with Abraham said that God

took that covenant.

He took that promise and knowing humanity, knowing the way that we work, if we say, hey, I
promise I'm going to do that, and then we swear an oath that we will do the thing that we

promised to do, we consider that a binding contract, an assurance set in affirmation that
surely this thing will be done.

God does that with Abraham.

He not only gives a promise, but then he swears an oath, but there's this problem.

If we're going to swear an oath, we're going swear an oath by something greater than
ourselves.

Otherwise, the promise would have been sufficient.

but God couldn't swear in oath by anything greater than himself.

There isn't anything greater than God.

So God swore in oath by himself.

And the Hebrew writer says by these two immutable things, absolutely unchangeable things,
God, his nature and his character.

that we have a hope set before us, just as Abraham did.

Abraham operated his life for 25 plus years based upon a promise God made and God swore an
oath by that these things would come to pass and the Hebrew writer tells us you too can

operate in your life based upon the hope that is found in the promise of God.

You see, many individuals who think they have hope actually don't.

And then there are those who know and they come to the gospel because they know they have
no hope.

And yet the scriptures tell us we have this hope, verse 19, as an anchor of the soul.

both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil where the
forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become high priest forever according to

the order of Melchizedek." The Hebrew writer says, not only does our hope persist in this
life, our hope proceeds through the veil that is death into eternity.

Why?

Because Christ entered eternity so that we might be anchored in our hope of eternity.

God presents a solution to man's problem of a hopeless life, but also God presents a
solution to the problem of separation from God.

Here in chapter 7 of the book of Hebrews we read for this Melchizedek king of Salem,
priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and

blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all.

first being translated King of Righteousness and then also King of Salem, meaning King of
Peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days

nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

As the Hebrew writer is describing Christ, as he is describing his priesthood and
describing the nature of him as our anchor of hope, he points out

that there's a problem.

There's a problem that existed in the days of Melchizedek.

There's a problem that still exists today and that is the problem presented in Isaiah
chapter 59 verses 1 and 2 and that is that sin separates us from God.

In the days of Melchizedek, in the days of Abraham, man was separated from God by sin and
they needed a mediator.

They needed a high priest.

They needed a priest who could stand between them and the Lord and bring these two groups
that were separated by sin back together.

And yet Christ as the anchor of our soul is a better mediator than Melchizedek.

He is a greater high priest than all the high priests of the Old Testament.

Verse 15 of this shame chapter.

We read, it is yet far more evident if in the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another
priest who has come not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to

the power of an endless life.

You see, Christ is the solution to the problem of separation from God because Christ is
eternally alive.

But in addition to that, Christ is also a better mediator because Christ

has never been separated from God.

Notice verse 16, sorry verse 17, for he testifies you are a priest forever according to
the order of Melchizedek.

For on the one hand there is a nulling of the former commandment because of its weakness
and unprofitableness.

For the law being made nothing uh perfect.

On the other hand there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to
God.

What was the function of the high priest?

He was to bring back to reconciliation the one who had sinned and God.

And the Hebrew writer says that God, through Christ, has allowed us to draw near to Him.

Consider as well, he says, inasmuch as he was not made priest without an oath, for they
have become priest without an oath, but he with an oath by Him who said,

the Lord has sworn and will not relent, you are a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek.

By so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

Also, there were many high priests because they were prevented by death from continuing,
but he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him,
since he always lives to make intercession for them.

The Hebrew writer points out that humanity has always needed and will continue to need
someone to approach God on their behalf, to make intercession for them, and that is what

Christ does for those who come to the Gospel.

But then the Hebrew writer also points out that God addressed the problem of human
mediators.

Already he said right there in the last few verses that one of the problems with human
mediators, one of the problems with the priesthood beforehand was that they died because

they were human.

Because they had all the frailties of life that come with having a high priest, a mediator
who could die.

And yet Christ is a better high priest.

We read verse 26, for such a high priest was fitting for us who is holy.

harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.

Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own
sins and then for the people's?

For this he did once for all when he offered up himself.

One of the problems with human mediators, with human intercessors, is that they first have
to once again be reconnected with God.

they through their own sins become separated from God.

And the Hebrew writer points out that for the high priest before they could offer a
sacrifice for somebody else, they had to offer sacrifice for themselves.

Christ is not only a better mediator because He is one who has an endless life, He's a
better mediator because He is sinless and He's never been separated from God.

But then consider as well for the law, verse 28 says,

for the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses but the word of the oath
which came after the law appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

Now this is the main point of the thing we are saying.

We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in
the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected

and not man.

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, therefore it is
necessary that this one also have something to offer.

For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest.

Since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve the copy in
the shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to

make the tabernacle, for he said, See that you make all things according to the pattern
shown you on the mountain.

But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as he is also mediator of a
better covenant which was established on better promises.

As the Hebrew writer points out concerning Christ that he's a better mediator because he
has an endless life, he's a better mediator because he has a sinless life, he also points

out he's a better mediator because of his proximity to the one who you need mediation
with.

For he sits at the right hand

of the throne of God.

if you're struggling with being separated from God, may I recommend that you build a
relationship with the one who sits right next to him and not with a man who's far from

him.

But consider as well, if we turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, that Paul presents a
number of other problems that man has

and they need to deal with, and the gospel has the solution to.

In 1 Corinthians chapter one, Paul is going to point out the problem of the powerlessness
of man's solutions, as Paul is going to address the wisdom of men and contrast that with

the wisdom of God.

Notice in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 18 we read, 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.

For it is written, will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the disputer of the age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

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.

All throughout history leading up to the time of Christ, you had individuals who would
come to others and say, I have a way for you to be saved.

And still today you have individuals trying to declare the way that you can be saved.

and yet that way originated in their own mind, in their own thoughts, in their own
understanding, and not with God.

And yet Christ has pointed out, God has pointed out, that through the foolishness in man's
eyes of preaching

God has offered salvation.

Consider, as the text continues, he says, verse 22, for the Jews request a sign, and the
Greeks seek after wisdom.

But we preach Christ crucified.

To the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than
men.

God presented a solution to the problem of the powerlessness of man's solutions.

and he gave it in form of Christ.

But he also provided a solution to the problem of human power structures.

When we look at our lives, when we look at the world around us, when we look at the way
the culture around us reacts towards people who are prominent, people who are powerful,

people who are rich, people who have influence, what do people want?

They want to be a person of power, riches, and influence.

But God solved the problem.

God solved the problem that humanity faced because they were always looking for a solution
from the wrong source.

They were looking for a solution from the person of power, looking for a solution from the
person of prominence.

They were looking for a solution from the person with riches, and they didn't have a
solution to offer.

As a matter of fact, they rejected the very solution that exists.

Consider verse 26.

He says, for you see, you're calling brethren.

that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

Paul calls upon the church of to look around at their numbers and say how many of the
prominent citizens of Corinth are sitting among you?

How many of the wise instructors of the academic uh institutes there in Corinth are
sitting in your presence?

How many of the rich in your city are sitting among you?

not because the gospel didn't call them, but because they wouldn't answer the call.

Consider, he says, verse 27, that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to
shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things

which are mighty, and the base things of the world, the things which are despised, God has
chosen, and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are, that no

flesh should glory in his presence, but of him

You are in Christ, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption, that it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the

Lord." God knew that humanity had a problem.

with always looking to those who are powerful, those who are rich, those who are
prominent, those who are influential for a solution and never getting one.

And yet in Christ the solution is found.

But then consider in Acts chapter 13 as Paul is preaching to the Jews and the Gentiles in
this city.

Paul is preaching to them, admonishing them and encouraging them to be obedient to the
gospel, to be obedient to that which the prophets of the Old Testament had told them would

come, to be obedient to the God of their fathers who had obeyed God prior to their lives.

We read verse 37, but he Christ, whom God raised up, saw no corruption.

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the
forgiveness of sins.

And by him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be
justified by the law of Moses.

Beware, therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you.

Behold you despisers, marvel and perish.

For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were
to declare it to you." So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged

that these words might be preached to them on the next Sabbath.

Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed
Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and contradicting and
blaspheming.

They opposed the things spoken by Paul.

Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should be
spoken to you first.

But since you rejected and judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn
to the Gentiles.

For so the Lord has commanded us, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you
should be for salvation to the ends of the earth."

Now when the Gentiles heard this, were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as
many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

And the word of the Lord was spread throughout all the region, but the Jews stirred up
devout and prominent women, and the chief men of the city raised up persecution against

Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region.

But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium, and the
disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

Notice that God also presents a problem to how to judge the wicked.

Here were individuals who should have been righteous.

They were Jews.

They were attending the synagogue on the Sabbath.

They were listening to Word of God being preached.

They should have been righteous.

But instead they were persecutors of those who were righteous.

They were those who were confronting and obstructing the message of the Gospel.

and yet God didn't deliver an iron sword into the hand of Paul to deal with the problem.

God didn't hand off the police force from the local community to Paul to handle the
problem.

Rather, Paul took the exact same instruction Jesus gave to his disciples when Jesus sent
his disciples into the regions of the Jews and said, there's a city that will not receive

you, here's what you do.

You judge the city.

How were they to judge the city?

How were they to levy a judgment against the city?

He says you depart and you shake the dust off your feet when you go.

You see, even in the gospel, God presents a solution to man's problem of dealing with
those who are wicked.

God says you leave them behind and you make sure they know that the judgment that God has
set in place will surely be brought upon them.

Then consider as well, Acts chapter 10, we find that God's solution solves the problem.

of goodness, not meriting salvation.

How many funerals would be so much shorter if they didn't have a list of all of the good
things someone has done in hopes that those good things will be enough to get them to

heaven?

And they won't.

In Acts chapter 10, we are introduced to Cornelius, and notice the description of this
man.

Before he's a Christian, before he's obedient to the Gospel, while he still knows that
he's lost, notice his description.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the
Italian regiment, a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household.

and gave alms generously to the people and prayed to God always.

This is a description of a good man who's lost.

Because goodness cannot merit salvation.

Goodness cannot correct your relationship with God if you're lost.

All the good deeds, all the alms, all the prayers, all the devout actions that this man
could participate in,

could not rectify his relationship with God and he knew it.

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly a vision of an angel of God coming in and
saying to him, Cornelius.

As that angel speaks to him, says, and when he observed him he was afraid and said, What
is it, Lord?

He said to him, Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

Now send men to Joppa and send for Simon, whose surname is Peter.

He is lodging with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea.

He will tell you what you must do.

Cornelius knew that all the deeds he had done weren't enough.

All the prayers he had prayed weren't enough.

All the belief and fear that he had in God wasn't enough.

The angel knew the same thing.

So did the Lord.

That's why he sent the angel to tell Cornelius to send for Peter so that he could hear
words that would tell him what to do.

And so notice in the text beginning of verse 34,

We read, then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth I perceive that God shows no
partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by

Him.

Now, if you come to that verse and you take it out of its context, you might come to the
assumption that what Peter means is the person who fears God and does good things is

saved.

But that's the exact opposite of what Peter means.

Peter means that the one who fears God and works righteousness, God will give the
opportunity for that individual to have salvation.

But how's he going to get it?

The word which God sent to the children of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ, He
is Lord of all.

That word you know which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after
the baptism which John preached

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.

For God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did in both uh in the land of the Jews and in
Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.

Him God raised up on the third day and showed him openly, not

to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us, who ate and drank
with Him after He arose from the dead.

And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained
by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

To Him all the prophets witness, that through His name, whoever believes in Him will
receive remission of sins."

While Peter was still standing, speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those
who heard the word.

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished as many as came with Peter,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnifying God.

Then Peter answered, Can anyone forbid water that these

should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we and he commanded them
to be baptized in the name of the Lord then they asked him to stay a few days.

Here's a man who was devout, a man who gave alms, a man who prayed, a man who did good and
what was he missing?

He needed to obey the gospel.

God presents a problem to the fact that goodness does not merit salvation.

But then consider as well in Acts chapter 2 we're presented with the reality that God in
the gospel has presented a solution to the problem of guilt.

Sometimes people come to the gospel, they begin searching for God, they're looking for
salvation because they know they have sinned and they know they are guilty.

and they need help.

In Acts chapter 2, read about people just like that.

In Acts chapter 2 verse 35, Peter tells the crowd that was standing there on that day that
God was going to make the enemies of Christ His footstool.

Therefore, he says, verse 36, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made
this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

Peter as he concludes this first portion, because it's only the beginning of his sermon,
he tells these Jews, you have put to death the very Son of God and God is going to hold

you accountable for it.

not only is he going to hold you accountable he has taken that same son which you
crucified and he has put him as Lord and Christ

And the text tells us verse 37, now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and
said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

It is a declaration of guilt and recognition of their lost state.

Peter replied and said to them, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." These individuals on this day faced
the problem of guilt.

Their own hands had put to death the very Son of God.

What greater sin have you participated in than to sacrifice and crucify and to shout for
the blood of the very Son of God?

And yet, their problem of guilt, Peter said,

God already presented a solution for.

Repent and be immersed in water for the remission of your sins.

But then consider as well there's also a solution here in this sermon for the problem of
culture.

Someone says, I just, I don't know what to do about the world that we live in.

Peter did.

Verse 39, for the promises to you and to your children and all who are far off, as many as
the Lord our God will call.

and with many other words he testified and exhorted to them saying, saved from this
perverse generation.

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand
souls were added to them and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and

fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

See, God has a solution in the gospel for the culture that is around us.

He says, Get out of it!

and rather be immersed in water for the remission of your sins, be added to the church,
and enter a new culture.

One where obeying the commands of God is exactly what you'll be surrounded by.

But then consider as well that we also find in this text the problem that is solved of
being alone.

Loneliness is hard.

Loneliness for some is insurmountable.

And yet, there are few, if any, circumstances where a person is truly alone if they are a
member of the body of Christ.

And God solves the problem of being alone.

Consider verse 41.

Then those who were gladly received His word were baptized, and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles'

doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Now all who believed were together and had all things in common.

and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house,
they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor

with all the people.

And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." God presents a
solution to the problem of being alone.

He offers us the church that we're added to

by Him when we are obedient to the gospel.

If someone is alone and they're a Christian, one of two things is true.

They're imprisoned and separated from people physically and they're alone by no choice of
their own.

or they've chosen to separate themselves from the Church of God where they could no longer
be alone.

to those who are lost and outside the body of Christ, you are alone because you are
separated from the one who really matters.

And that's God and Christ.

When Paul said he was alone and no one else stood with him, he excluded from that list God
and Christ, for they always stood with him, and he was never alone.

If you're here this morning and you're facing the problems that humanity faces, you're
facing the struggles and the realities of this life, know this, God already has a

solution.

If you're studying with someone and maybe they know they've sinned, but the biggest thing
weighing on their mind is they're alone.

or they're without hope, or the culture around them seems insurmountable, or one of the
many other problems that the gospel has already presented a solution for.

Remember this, that just because they're looking for a solution to a problem, you have the
opportunity to point them to the solution God has already given.

and help them solve the problem.

If you're here this morning and you face that problem, why not accept God's solution to
hear the Word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?

To repent of your sins, confess the name of Christ and be immersed in water for the
remission of your sins.

To rise to walk in newness of life, making the problem a thing of the past.

If you're here this morning and you have needed the invitation of Christ, why not come
forward now as we stand?