What Did They Preach

I want us to look today, friends, at the evidence in the gospel record of how the early church preached, for, I fear, somehow along the way, we have strayed from this biblical gospel, and that is the main reason our society today is in moral chaos, and why the vast number of our churches today lack power and influence with the spread of the gospel. It wasn't too long ago, perhaps eighty years or so, when a great percentage of preachers drank from a particular seminary's fountain that taught that repentance was not necessary for salvation, that all you had to do to be saved was to believe. And many of those who propagated that false teaching sit in hell at this hour with great regret, for it's too late for them to exercise repentance now.

But I want us to look today, friends, at what the only true source of the message of the gospel declares, and that is my Bible. The title of my message today, friends, is What Did They Preach? And my text can be found in the Gospel of Matthew. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends.

We will peer into the gospel record of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and see what He and His followers preached. You may want to get out your pens and paper to take some notes to jot down these scripture references. This is not a long sermon, but I pray it stays long in your memory as a worker of the gospel.

Let me ask you, friends, what did John the Baptist preach? Matthew chapter 3 describes the preaching of John, and verses 7 and 8 reveal just what John the Baptist preached. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits, meat for repentance. That is the message of John the Baptist, and that message was repent.

Let me ask you, friends, what did Jesus preach? Look at Matthew 4, 17. From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The very first word of the gospel, friends, is repent.

And Jesus declared, again in Luke 13, 3, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. And that goes for liberal seminary professors, too. And Jesus declared his message in Matthew 9, 13.

For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. But what did the disciples preach? Let's take a look, friends, at Mark 6 and verse 12. And you will see that when the twelve were sent out by Jesus himself, he gave them the message that he ordered them to preach.

And they went out and preached that men should repent. That's what my Bible says, friends. Are you going to listen to God's word? Or the false heresy of some preachers today, who will send you to hell with their only believed gospel? What did Peter preach in his first public sermon? Look at Acts 2 and verse 36.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now then, when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Amen and brethren. What should we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you on the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

That explains why, friends, so many sit in churches today under meager preaching that has no power and conviction to prick them in the heart under conviction of sin because we no longer inform sinful man of his duty of repentance. Listen, friends, God commands all men everywhere to repent. Well, let me ask you, friends, what did the apostle Paul preach? Look at Romans chapter 2 and verse 4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

And look at what Paul preached to the Ephesian elders. The elders when he left them in Acts 20 and 21 testified both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. And lastly, friends, what was the last word Jesus had to say to the churches in Revelation? That word was repent.

If our Bible clearly declares that the gospel has repentance at its center, then this explains why much of our preaching today has holes in it for we have cut out the need for sinners to repent. Let us return to biblical preaching under the anointing of the Holy Ghost and see folks start getting saved as they come under conviction of sin as their own hearts are pricked until they cry out, What must I do to be saved? Repent and believe. Let us pray.