Rsbc

Date: February 27, 2005

Sunday Morning

 

Series: “Christ is The Sum & Substance of The Bible”

Sermon # 33

 

Subject: “ We Preach Christ”

Text: I Cor 1:17-31

 

Intro: Last Sunday we saw what Christ was to the Corinthians he is to us likewise. This message this morning will take a different approach, it will deal with the practical aspect of preaching the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

 

Once again we see that he is not only the sum and substance of the Bible but that he is the sum and substance of preaching. Preaching is a call, it is gift that must be developed, preaching is to be done in the power of the Spirit.

 

I.. PREACHING CHRIST MEANS THAT ONE HAS BEEN SENT BY CHRIST: VS 17

 

The statement that Paul makes in the verse concerning not being sent to baptize even though he had administered it...verse 14-16 that was not his primary calling, it was to preach the gospel.

 

Acts 9-15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: You can see right off that his calling and his sending was from the LORD. Not excluding means , the means was the man that the LORD sent to tell him.

 

Acts 9-17  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.19  And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.20  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

 

When you go through the Bible you inevitably find that men were sent by the LORD to do his biding. The Bible says in John 1-6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

 

The word of God once again poses a question...

Romans 10-14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

 

In Acts 13:2-3 We have the Holy Spirit with the insight of the Church sending Barnabas and Paul... “As they ministered to the LORD, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they has fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

 

Two things he says:

 

(1.) Not to preach with the wisdom of words:

(2.) Because the cross would be made ineffective.

 

II... “PREACHING CHRIST MEANS REJECTION”..VS 18

 

If men rejected his person, then it stands to reason that they would reject both the gospel which is about him and the persons that proclaim it. Most translations of this verse indicate that it is speaking to those that are perishing.

 

Paul said later in this book:

 

2 Cor 2-15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:6  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

 

In his preaching at Mars Hill in Athens Greece it was said of those that were perishing these words...

 

Acts 17-18  Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ preached these words to those that are perishing:

 

Luke 13:3  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

 

Luke 13:5  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

 

 

If you believe not the preaching of the word of the LORD the great gospel message then the reality will come one day, you shall die in your sins and perish in an eternal hell forever separated from the LORD.

 

III.. “ PREACHING CHRIST IS THE POWER OF GOD TO THOSE THAT BELIEVE , NOT THE UNBELIEVER...VS 18-21

 

In Paul’s preaching to the Romans he makes this even clearer. Romans 1-16 “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ  for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the greek.

 

Philip preaching to the Ethiopian not the power of God in the message he was preaching to this man...

 

Acts 8-35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.36  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

 

There is such power to those of us who are believing this morning, we never tire at hearing this message, at reading about it, about singing about it. It is the essence of our life and worship as well as the essence of the bible.

 

It is clear in this text of verses that the LORD intends to use preaching not singing, not a thousand other things, but preaching. Not catering to the crowds with this new age gospel, water downed gospel.

 

“Save them that believe” I do believe that we have been saved, and that we are being saved, and we shall yet be saved. It is through preaching that this is done. It is a blessing to be a preacher of the word of the LORD.

 

This means says two things about the LORD.

 

(1.) That it is the wisdom of the LORD...

(2.) That it is very pleasing to the LORD..

 

Only God could arrange and put into the heart of men this wonderful gift of preaching and cause him to love it, develope it, use it, do it with all his heart and passion. I am a passionate preacher because the LORD made me that way.

 

IV... PREACHING CHRIST IS OPPOSED TO THE SIGN SEEKING AND INTELLECTUAL

DESIRES  OF MEN: VS 22

Keep in mind that Jesus when preaching was approached by a crowd of Jewish leaders and not what they said and what he said:

 

Matthew 12:38  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Matthew 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there

 

The Greeks seek wisdom:

 

JFB a philosophic demonstration of Christianity. Whereas Christ, instead of demonstrative proof, demands faith on the ground of His word,  and of a reasonable amount of evidence that the alleged revelation is His word. Christianity begins not with solving intellectual difficulties, but with satisfying the heart that longs for forgiveness. Hence not the refined Greeks, but the theocratic Jews were the chosen organ for propagating revelation. Again, intellectual Athens received the Gospel less readily than commercial Corinth.

 

V... “ PREACHING CHRIST MEANS THAT WE PREACH HIM AS THE ONE WHO DIED, AND THEREBY WE ARE PREACHING THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD: VS 23-25

 

Nothing is more clearer in the Bible than this fact, he came to die. We see this in his teaching to his disciples. In the institution of the Lord’s supper. It is seen in type in Baptism and in our walk with him daily.

 

Romans 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Romans 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

 

He died that he might fulfill the law and satisfy divine justices:

He died that we might live and have life more abundantly:

He died so that he could be pleasing to his Father.

He died that ours sins could be washed away.

He died because he loved us..

He died to demonstrate his friendship.

He died to so he could rise again and make intercession for us.

 

Romans 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.