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The sermon presents human beings as fundamentally fallen and spiritually dead, so external reform cannot produce the new creation they need. Salvation and genuine renovation come through the Gospel, which proclaims Jesus as the divine Son, substitutionary sacrifice, powerful Savior, and reigning Lord. God Himself works through Gospel preaching, making it effective despite cultural resistance and human weakness. The fitting response is confident joy, praise, continued proclamation, and generous support for the church’s Gospel ministry.
Theological center: The sovereign, omnipotent God brings salvation and renewal through the Gospel of Jesus Christ—fully divine, crucified as a propitiatory sacrifice, risen, and reigning.
Applications: Rejoice in Gospel preaching · Trust God’s power · Proclaim the true Christ · Consider humanity’s true need
Primary texts: Philippians 1:18 · Luke 1:37 · John 3:16
“Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice; yea, and will rejoice.” Philippians 1:18 HOW Paul would have rejoiced had he been living now. Judging from the effect that was produced upon his mind by the evangelical labors at Rome, what do you think, brethren, would have been the effect produced upon his mind by the evangelical labors in London? Because the brethren there were waxing bold in the name of Christ, he was glad. The fact that in the metropolis of the empire the glad tidings were proclaimed filled him with the most profound satisfaction. His heart was, and his heart still would be, joyful in the Lord. And yet I take it that the ministry of the Gospel in Rome must have been comparatively on a small and insignificant scale. I suppose that in proportion to the population, and in proportion to the size of that city, the preaching must have been very circumscribed, and all things considered, considerably obscure. No preacher had lifted his voice from the terrace of the Capitol, no congregation had been gathered into the great area of the Colosseum, no public announcement had been made all over Rome, that if the people would flock to the Pantheon, they might hear about the incarnation of the Son of God. Anything like that would have kindled Paul’s gladness into rapture. Christ preached out on the Campus Martius, or in the Hall of Minerva, or on the platform of the Athenaeum at Rome, would have left him nothing this side of Paradise to desire. As it was, his cup was running over. Men were told in honest speech about the One who had come down from heaven, who had come at the Father’s bidding to proclaim His will and to accomplish His purposes. They had been told of a Friend that “sticks closer than a brother,” of the Advocate and the Mediator between God and man. And the Spirit of all grace concurring with that which had been preached, the apostle was fully persuaded in his own mind that they had heard words whereby they would be saved, and that the promise of the life that now is, and the promise of the life that is to come, would by them be personally enjoyed. Hence he said, “I do rejoice,” and then emphatically again, “Yea, and I will rejoice.” But how he would have rejoiced, or how he would rejoice if he were living now! Why, for every one man who preached the Gospel in his time, there are thousands who are preaching it now. For every hundred hearers of that day, there are thousands upon thousands now. And for every one place into which the citizens of Rome might go to hear about Christ and Him crucified, I need not say that there are many and ev…