The Full Gospel Truth (Acts 20:27)

Sermon on 25 June 2023 by Pastor Justin Chia

Acts 20:27 - “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”

Paul spent 3 years in Ephesus preaching the full counsel of God. To many Christians, the full gospel is to be saved and to go to heaven. After we have been saved, we will go into all kinds of spiritual gifts, signs and wonders, health and wealth. However, this is not what Paul preached. The basic Christian discipline is to read the Bible and keep it with us everyday. We have been saved by grace through faith by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:20 - “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,”

What is the full gospel truth? First things first, Jesus is the truth. If we know that, we will be set free. But why are there so many people who know the truth but are not set free? They are not ready to live ready and are not sensitive to the spirit. Their worship is not a demonstration of their commitment and communion with God. We need to be faithful, fruitful, humble, have love, and obey. These five pillars lead us to godly living. So, the full gospel truth is the entire plan and purpose of God for man’s salvation, in all its fullness.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 -

The divine truth is entirely in creation, redemption, justification, conversion, adoption, sanctification, Holy living and glorification. God created you and me in His image and likeness. We have been redeemed by the previous blood of Jesus. We are a new creation. We have the righteousness of God in Christ. That is our identity in Christ. Therefore, we need to live as a new man according to His creation. Jesus Christ is the truth.

Genesis 1:26 - “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””

Ephesians 4:24 - “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Matthew 1:23 - ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””

The word of God must be our authority, not our emotions. If you want to walk in victory, the truth will set you free. Apostle John said that we must walk the way Jesus walks and love the way Jesus loves.

1 Timothy 4:1 - “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”

Matthew 24:24 - “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Galatians 1:7 - “which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Revelation 22:18-19 - “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Apostle Paul preached about salvation, repentance and faith. We need to preach the full gospel truth to all Christians as we are the evangels and messengers of the King. Every time you read the word, the word reads you too. God will continue to add on to you when you serve Him.

Acts 20:21 - “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Acts 1:8 - “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

1 Peter 2:9 - “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

2 Timothy 4:2 - “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

2 Timothy 4:5 - “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

We need to be a faithful expositor of the word and a relevant communicator of the word.

2 Timothy 2:15 - “You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.”

Half converted Christians only want the blessings of Jesus, but they don’t want Jesus.

The full gospel truth through the Old Testament tabernacle.

1. The Outer Court of the Tabernacle

The First Part Of The Full Gospel Truth - Our Redemption, Justification, Adoption, And Conversion.

Isaiah 53:5-6 - “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Titus 3:5 - “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

Acts 22:16 - “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’”

2. The Holy Place of the Tabernacle

The second part of the full gospel truth - Our Sanctification. The Holy Place is only open to the priests - those who engage in the service of the Lord. Sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart.

Luke 4:18 - ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;”

Acts 1:8 - “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

2 Corinthians 3:18 - “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Romans 8:26-27 - “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

3. The most Holy place of the tabernacle

The third part of the full gospel truth - our Holy living.

Matthew 1:23 - ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””

Under the new covenant, the way to the holiest place has been opened for us through the veil, right into the Holy of Holies.

Matthew 27:50-51 - “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,”

Hebrews 10:19-20 - “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,”

The full gospel truth is the entire plan and purpose of God for man’s salvation, in all its fullness. We dwell permanently with Him in the most Holy place. The bride of Christ becomes one flesh with her bridegroom. Let’s continue to press on to the place that Jesus has inaugurated and opened for you - the full gospel truth.

Ephesians 5:31-32 - ““For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

2 Timothy 2:19 - “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.””

2 Timothy 2:21 - “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

2 Timothy 2:26 - “and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

Matthew 1:23 - ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””

Hebrews 10:19-25 - “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We will be able to live a ‘With God’ life.

Amen.