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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Well tonight we’re on Lecture 9. This will be the last of this series concerning concerning what is the gospel that was preached by various individuals. And so we’ve looked at a number of people that preached the gospel, Old Testament, New Testament, and we have one more. And tonight we are going to lecture nine cover what did John the Baptist preach? Surely he got it right. I hope he got it right. Don’t you hope he got it right? I mean he came on the scene and just started a preaching.

So hopefully he did a few things right. So to start off with, not all the notes or the places we’ll look at tonight are in your notes, but just find a blank piece of white paper there somewhere and write a couple of verses in because you need to have them connected with your notes and turn into your Bible to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah and chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40, and you’ll find that the gospel is mentioned in the book of Isaiah in connection with John the Baptist.

And so I want you to see this. And you’ll notice in verse 1 of Isaiah chapter 40, it says, comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Now look in verse 3, the voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God. In other words, God is coming to walk the streets. God is going to take upon flesh and He’s going to walk throughout the land of Israel.

Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain and healed shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight in the rough places plain. And then looking verse 5, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. The perfection of God, the righteousness of God, God manifested into flesh is coming. And that’s why he says in Book of Timothy in chapter 3, it talks about, you know, God was manifested into flesh. Well that was prophesied and he did come like it was prophesied.

Now you’ll notice there’s a few verses here that you will find mentioned in the New Testament and believe it or not it is in connection with the gospel. But when it says the voice of him crying in the wilderness, Who do you think that is? John the Baptist. Because these verses are used later on to refer to John the Baptist. Now notice what is his in verse 6. The voice said cry and he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass and all the goodness thereof is as the flower of the field.

The grass withereth, the flower fated because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, surely the people is grass. So when even we read that in the New Testament in the book of 1 Peter in chapter 1, it’s referring to people but it’s used in the illustration of the grass. Then he says here in verse 8, the grass withereth. What do you think is withering? It’s people. The flower faded but now look at the last part of But the word of our God shall stand forever.

Now the word of our God in the New Testament quoting from these scriptures is a reference to the word of God but also to the word Christ Himself. Look at the next verse. And verse 9, O Zion, that bringeth good titans. Good titans is a reference toward the gospel. And I’ll show you that in just a minute. So John the Baptist came to preach the gospel, the good news, the titings about Jesus Christ. And look what else he says, the high mountains old Jerusalem that bringeth good titings.

Mentioned it again. Lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God.” Now, John the Baptist saying, behold your God is also found in the book of John in chapter one when he saw Christ and it says, behold the Lamb of God, which take it the way to the center of the world. He’s referring to Jesus is God, behold your God. That’s where these verses come from. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Malachi.

Malachi chapter 1, or you might want to call it the book of Malachi. When I first started reading the Bible, I didn’t know anything about the book of Deuteronomy or Leviticus or any of those books. You know, book a job, book a pom’s, but I finally learned that she’s going to believe everything I’m saying. But now turn to the book of Malachi chapter three, Malachi chapter three, and look in verse one.

Malachi chapter three and verse one where it says, Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and I and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple. He’s gonna send his messenger. This is also a reference to John the Baptist. And when John the Baptist comes on the scene, suddenly the Lord whom ye seek shall come to his temple. That’s the Lord. Jesus Christ is coming and John the Baptist is going to be a forerunner of Jesus Christ.

And he talks about this. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew. Matthew in chapter three. John the Baptist comes on the scene. And notice what he says here in verse one, in those days, John the Baptist is preaching in the wilderness of Judea. And say, and repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now, this is where the king comes from heaven to set up his kingdom upon the earth. So the book of Matthew, picture Jesus Christ as the king.

He’s gonna talk about his kingdom. He’s gonna talk about the constitution. He’s gonna talk about his cabinet and he’s selecting his men. And it has to do with the kingdom. So throughout the book of Matthew, you’ll hear the phrase kingdom of heaven over and over and over again, because that’s doing that period of time, the thousand year reign upon the year. But now notice what he says. In verse three, for this is he that was spoken up by the prophet who?

Isaiah. And this is what he says, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. How do we know that Isaiah is talking about John the Baptist because the Bible says so right here. True? So prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, and the same John had his reament of camel’s hair and leavened girdle about his loins, and his meat was locust and wild honey. But doesn’t that sound good? What is the last time you had some grasshoppers?

Well maybe dipped in chocolate, you know. But now notice, then went out to him, Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region drowned about Jordan and were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, oh you wonderful individuals, you’re good enough. You’re the law keepers, you’re ready to go. Now he says, who in the world you bunch of snakes has warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

So the reason we trust Christ as our Savior is because we’re fleeing from something. we need to be saved from something. And that’s as the place called held. Now, he says in verse eight, brain forth therefore fruits and meat or repentance. Now in the book of Matthew, when you get to chapter seven, it will also talk about you shall know them by their fruits. False teachers have a false message. And people who believe a false message go to the wrong place.

And so that’s in chapter seven. When he talks about broad as the way and narrows the way all that you know and many and few. So here we are talking about this fruit meat for repentance. In other words… Look there in verse 9 and you’ll notice the next two words that will tell you what the repentance is talking about. Repent means you’ve got to change your mind. Change your mind. What is your testimony? And how does a false prophet give a false message by the things that he says?

And people believe what a man says. So you and I are supposed to believe on Jesus Christ, so we change our mind and we put our trust in the Lord. And then notice in verse 9, and think, know that Jesus is the Lord. not because it has to do with the way you think, because they’re thinking something that isn’t true. We have Abraham as our Father, we’re good to go, we’re all right. And he says, no yay. In verse 10, and now also the acts is laid unto the root of the trees where for every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is huge.

Now remember, we just talked about that Sunday and we talked about that God is going to cut down all the bad trees and he’s looking for the right fruit and if you want the right fruit, you’ve got to have the right root. So it’s not a fruit problem, it’s a root problem. So everyone born into the world, we’re all bad trees because we have a bad root. That’s why we have bad fruit. So nobody can bring forth the fruits of righteousness that God’s looking for.

So that’s why everybody’s a sinner and everybody dies, but there’s only been one person born into this world and Isaiah 53 says, and he shall be a little tender plant. He comes from a different root and he had nothing but good fruit. And that’s why when he says here, he’s going to cut down every tree that broads not brain-forth good fruit. See, that’s explained more in detail in chapter 7. The scriptures teach itself. If you just read a little bit further and a little bit deeper and put it in its context, and you’ll find out that lo and behold, it’s not that difficult to understand.

And so he makes a statement here in verse 11, which is where I’m fitted. I indeed baptize you with water under repentance, but he that cometh after me is manger than I, who shews I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Now the Holy Ghost is for those that believe, the fires for those who do not believe. So if you go seeking, I wanna get the baptism of fire. Well, you can have it if you want it.

I really don’t care for it. Because the very next verse talks about the week it goes into the barn and the other, chaff is burn up with unquenchable fire. So no, I do not want the baptism of fire. The baptism of Holy Spirit, yes. And in the book of Mark in chapter 1, it explains that even a little bit better. It’s how it’s called. He talked about, I’ve baptized you with water, but he to come with after me shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

And he says that I am not worthy to even lose his shoelaces. Take off his shoes and the one who comes after me. So John the Baptist knew somebody was coming after him and he knew who it was. And he also says why he was baptized in with water. He was baptized in with water because they believed his message about being baptized by the Holy Spirit to all those who believe. So water baptism before Christ came and was crucified and before the Holy Spirit came, they were baptized in water believing they were going to be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

After we trust Christ as our Savior, on this side of the cross, we are baptized in water because we have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Both saved the same way. They both pictured exactly the same thing. No difference. Now, I want you to take your Bible and look there in your notes right there, where you see in John chapter one, in verse 29, you don’t have to turn there because of the shortness of time.

The next day John seeeth Jesus. Now Jesus is, he’s the Lord, he’s Jehovah. Coming unto him and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which take it the way the sin of the world. So did John the Baptist know who Jesus was? Know that he came to take away the sin of the world? Yes he did. Now, in the next verse, I want you to see this. This is the Lamb that would become a payment. John was an Old Testament prophet and preached that Christ would die for this end of the world.

Remember, Jesus hasn’t died yet. He even said this before Jesus began his ministry. Now in Acts chapter 19, I want you to take your Bible and look at this one because this is very important. What was John the Baptist’s message? What did he preach? So in the book of Acts, it will give you this picture. Acts chapter 19. . . . . . . . . . Now you’ll notice that there was a little preaching going on in the chapter before this in chapter 18.

And the last verse, verse 28 of chapter 18 says, for he mightily, talking about Apollos, who had been encouraged and strengthened and guided and taken into more depth into the Word of God and understanding was preaching. He says, for he mightily convinced the Jews and that publicly showing by the scriptures that Jesus was just Jesus. No, Jesus was somebody in particular. Jesus was Christ. So it wasn’t a matter that they just had to believe that Jesus was Jesus which some people are teaching today, but that Jesus was Christ that He was the Messiah.

He was the offering for sin. That’s what the Messiah was a reference toward. Now look what He says here in chapter 19 and verse 1, and it came to pass that while a pulse was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the the upper coast came to Ephesus and finding certain disciples. Now, you can be a disciple and not be saved and you can be saved, not be a disciple. But he found certain disciples. And these are some of the ones that well, Apollos had been working with, I mean, good man before he got too clear.

But he found some disciples, but notice what he says here in verse 2, he said to them, have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? They said and to him, we have not so much as heardbley whether there be any Holy Ghost. So evidently they were lacking in some knowledge. They had been baptized but evidently didn’t know why. Now is that possible that people can be baptized and not really understand why? I believe there’s a lot of churches that are probably full.

But now look at this. He said to them under what then were you baptized? Because being baptized is unto something. It’s a picture or something. It’s not to save you and it doesn’t wash your, well, the dirt off your neck if you don’t use soap with it. So water will not take away your sins. It was a mental. It’s just like I’ve had a lot of marriages, you know, performed a lot of marriages. And I’ve never seen yet where it’s the ring that does the marrying.

It’s a picture that you’re married if you got a ring it comes from mean something. But generally we take a picture, everybody likes to take pictures of a wedding. Now it’s not the picture that does the wedding. It’s not the picture that makes the marriage. That’s a picture of a wedding. Baptism is a picture of something. So whenever before Christ they were baptized in water because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit that was going to take place. Not everybody evidently understood that.

Look what it says here. In verse 3, what then were your baptized? And they said, under John’s baptism, then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people. Now this is what John the Baptist said. Look at that. That they should believe on him which should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus. So why were they baptized? Because they believed something. dozen they believed on the one that was coming after him. So John the Baptist preached and told people to believe on Christ.

Yes or no? That’s what he told him. And even though he baptized, baptism didn’t save anybody. It was only a picture of a Holy Spirit baptism. And the picture doesn’t save anybody. Now hold your place right here just for a second. look in the book of John, the Gospel of John in chapter 7, John and chapter 7. Now this is what Jesus said because of what John the Baptist was doing. When Jesus was here, Jesus never baptized anybody with the Holy Spirit.

All it was here. Nobody was baptized by the Holy Spirit in the days of Christ. That didn’t happen until the day of Pentecost and then Jesus has already been gone. And this was 50 days after the resurrection of Christ. So look at verse 37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come into me and drink, he that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, scripture is Old Testament.

If you’ll believe on me as the scripture hath said, now he’s telling them this in the gospel of John. So how were they saved in the Old Testament? Same way we’re saved in the New Testament. There’s not another gospel. There’s only one gospel that saves a person. Look what he says. He that believeth on me as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. I wonder what this is? Well, if we read the next verse it might tell us.

This spakey of the Spirit gets us which they that have been baptized in water and keep the 10 commandments and obey the law. Or was that what it says? Did I misread that? I sure did. Looking verse 39 again, but this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, for the holy ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified. So, water baptism that John talked about was something was going to happen after Jesus rose from the dead because nobody up to this point has been baptized by water.

But if you had to be baptized in water in order to be saved, but it represented the Holy Spirit baptism. So you can be baptized in water and still not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, I want you to go over there with me to the book of 1 Peter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1. But 1 Peter and chapter 1. Now we’re going to read some scripture that was mentioned way back there in the book of Isaiah.

And I told you remember this because this is what John the Baptist was preaching in the book of Isaiah in chapter 40. Look what he says now in verse 23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, that means it can’t be of the flesh, it can’t be something that you will it to happen, you cannot produce it because we’re all corrupted, we all come from a bad tree, so there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves. Now get this, but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveeth and abideth forever.

Remember the thing about the flesh and about the word in Isaiah chapter 40, you’ve got exactly the same thing right here. And John the Baptist was a forerunner of this message. And look what he says in verse 24, for all flesh is as grass and in the Old Testament we know that that word grass refers to people and all the glory of man as the flower of grass that was also mentioned back there. The grass withrit that was mentioned, the flower there are fall of the way, in other words we’re all going to die.

But this is the message John the Baptist was going to preach. But the word of the Lord endure forever. That’s also mentioned back there. And this, this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. So John the Baptist had to preach this message. He had to preach the gospel and it has to do with the new birth. Therefore John the Baptist did not teach the law in order to be saved. He didn’t tell them you have to keep the commandments to be saved.

The law was always use just to show a person that they cannot save themselves by their works of righteousness. You only say by the grace of God. Or now take your Bible and look there. In Luke 23, Matthew, Mark and Luke 23. It is important to know this because when we get down to covering all the verses in the book of Galatians. We can only take the time to refer to these things, but you’ll already have a good foundation knowing that there is only one gospel and curses any man who preaches another gospel, which is not another.

There is no other one. And that all these fellows preach the same gospel. I just got another email today where somebody is trying to prove to me that the Apostle Paul’s gospel was different from Jesus Christ. And all we need is just the writings of Paul. We don’t need the writings of anybody else. I believe all scripture is profitable. All of it. And like Paul says, I have not shunned to declare all the word, all the counsel of God.

Well, why would he do that? Well, there’s no New Testament. He must have been declaring something that had to be the Old Testament scriptures. When we talk about the Bereans and how they studied in research, well, what were they were studying and researching. Evidently, I think it was the scriptures that they did have. So here in the book of Luke in chapter 23, look in verse 39, in verse 39 of chapter 23, there’s these two thieves hanging on the cross and they both railed on Jesus.

But one of them somewhere along the line, he must have saw the light. Because it says in one of the male factors which were hanged, railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself, save thyself, and us. But the other answering rebuked him saying, does thou not fear God, see in thou art in the same condemnation? We indeed, justly, for we received the due reward of our deeds. In the word, we deserve to die. We’ve done all this bad.

But him, he ain’t done anything wrong. And so he says in verse 42, and he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. You know that one little verse isn’t awful on. And Jesus said unto him, very I send you, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. That one little verse also says a lot, an awful lot. And it was about the sixth hour and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

And the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was running the mist. Now remember, so that means that they must have hung on the cross for another three hours after he was told this. But they had to break their legs, but not Jesus’ legs, because Jesus had no bones broken and he had already died. Now look at this. I wrote this in here and I want you to look at it. Notice how many things that can be gleaned from this small portion of Scripture.

Remember now, this is before Jesus died. And how was this man saved? So did the thief on the cross have to keep the law to be saved? Did he make any promises of how he was going to live? Did he guarantee that he would turn from all of his sins? I mean, he’s nailed to a cross. I promise I won’t do it anymore. Yeah, I don’t guess you will. You promised to live the rest of your life a little well.

Yeah, how much time have I gotten? Now, look at the statement. The believing thief knew that he was a sinner. He knew that he deserved to die. True? He knew that he was not worthy to enter the kingdom, and that’s why he wanted Christ to remember him. He knew that Christ was not dying for anything that he had done wrong. He knew that Christ was the Lord. So he says, Lord, remember me. He said, he knew that Jesus was the king of a kingdom.

Well, now come us into thy kingdom. He knew there was nothing he could do but trust and believe that’s what else could he do? Well, he could get down and go get baptized. Could he get down and join the church? He had to go and confess it before the men. No, he’s not the minister. All he had to do is believe. He believed in the resurrection of Christ when he says, when thou cometh into thy kingdom, he must believe that he was who he claimed to be and that he was going to come back from the dead and that he had a kingdom and he wanted them, he wanted to be in it.

He knew that he was going to die but that he would live forever. He knew that day he would be in paradise. Why? Because Jesus told him today’s shout, I’ll be with me in paradise. He knew before he died he was going to be in paradise. And there was nothing after Jesus said that. There’s nothing he could have done to go anywhere else. I like that. He knew before he died where he was spent, he turned it in. He did not have to turn from his sins nor promise that he wouldn’t do anything wrong anymore.

He did not have to promise cries that he would make him the Lord of his life to be saved. He did not join the church, pay money or get baptized. He knew there was nothing he could do that could keep him out of paradise. Why? Because God had given his word. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man.

Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Hada can meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believe in that the Lord is coming soon, just keep in looking up.