Sermon
#1255[1]
Title: The Pre-eminence of Christ in Preaching
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:23
Subject: Christ the Message of Holy Scripture
Date: Monday Evening - October 7, 1996
Beth-El Baptist
Church - Morgan Hill, CA
Introduction:
I want you to listen carefully to what
I am abot to say. We have far too many churches in this world and far too many
preachers. But the greatest blessing God can ever bestow upon any community is
to establish in its midst a local church from which the gospel of his free and
sovereign grace in Christ is faithfully preached. And the greatest blessing God
can ever bestow upon any local church is the gift of a pastor who faithfully
and incessantly preaches that gospel. How blessed of God those people are who
have such a church and such a man! Few, very few people are so blessed of God.
Tonight I want to talk to you about The Pre-eminence of Christ in Preaching. My
text is 1 Corinthians 1:23. Writing by divine inspiration, the
apostle Paul, speaking for all the apostles and all true gospel preachers,
says, “We (Apollis, Peter, and I {v. 12}) preach Christ crucified.”
Proposition: The thing I want you to see is this -Christ is and must be pre-eminent in all true preaching.
·
We do not
preach moralisms.
·
We do not
preach politics (Gun Control - Capital Punishment).
·
We do not
preach against things (Abortion - Pornography - Homosexuality, etc.).
·
We preach
Christ crucified.
That man must not be considered a
faithful gospel preacher who does not preach Christ. Preachers are like the
pole to which Moses fastened the brazen serpent. Our only function is to hold
up Christ crucified before sinners. The
gospel we preach is Jesus Christ. We do not merely preach a Christ centered
gospel. Christ is the gospel we preach. There is a huge difference.
Romans 1:1-6 "Paul, a
servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated unto the gospel of
God, (Paul does not say a gospel, but “the gospel of God. There is only one
gospel. And he is telling us what that one gospel is.) (2) (Which he had promised afore by his
prophets in the holy scriptures,)
(3) Concerning his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, which was made
of the seed of David according to the flesh; (4) And declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (5) By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for
obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: (6) Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:"
When our Lord Jesus began his public ministry in the synagogue at
Nazareth, his sermon was all about himself. Listen to what he said...
Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
The
Book of Acts demonstrates that our Lord Jesus Christ was the singular
subject of preaching in the earliest days of Christianity. The words “preach,”
“preached,” and “preaching” are used thirty-seven times in the Book of Acts. It
is not insignificant that every time they are used the subject preached was
Jesus Christ and the resurrection! If
the Book of Acts is to be taken for our standard, it must be concluded that
unless Christ has been preached no preaching has been done. That man who
pretends to be a preacher but does not preach Christ and him crucified mocks
the people who hear him, and rather than serving their souls he destroys them!
As we read the writings of the Apostle
Paul, we cannot help observing that
to him the preaching of Christ, the preaching of the gospel, and the preaching
of the Scriptures were all the same thing.
Acts 20:27 "For I have not
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."
1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 "But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; (24) But unto them which
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of
God."
1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I
determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified."
2 Corinthians 4:5 "For we preach
not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for
Jesus' sake."
This
is the one thing that all God’s servants have in common. We have varied
gifts and abilities, different personalities and characteristics, and differing
spheres of ministry. But all true gospel preachers have one message. Our message is Christ.
Illustration: “That was a very poor sermon.”
·
There are no
Apostles today.
·
No one today
has the supernatural gifts of the Apostles (Tongues, Miracles, Special
Revelations).
·
But every man
called of God has the message of the gospel. “We preach Christ crucified!”
As I bring this message to you, I want
to make five statements about preaching and show you from the Word of
God that these five things are so. I know that some of you young men have
aspirations for the ministry. Give me your attention. If you will, this message
will help you. But I am not here to just preach to preachers. I am bringing
this message to this congregation because I want each of you to know what is
involved in the work of the ministry, so that you can more effectively pray for
and assist God’s servants in their labors, so that we can serve the cause of
Christ together.
I. True preaching is God speaking
to men through the heart, lips, life, and personality of a man by his Word
about his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Preaching is not a mechanical thing.
God speaks through the whole man. That is one reason why he requires his
servants to be men of specific character (1 Tim. 3:1-7). But, primarily,
preaching, true preaching is the work of
God, not the work of a man. It is God speaking to men through a man about
his Son.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 "All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation;
(19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled
to God. (21) For he hath made him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
II. The preaching of Jesus Christ
and him crucified, when attended with the power of God the Holy Spirit, is the
effectual power of God unto salvation.
A. Be sure you
understand that the power and efficay of the gospel does not come from the preacher.
The preacher is nothing but a vessel, a mouthpiece, a pipe,
through whom God speaks. The gospel
preacher, particularly the pastor of a local church, must be a man of
faithfulness. He must a man of uniring diligence in study. But the power
and efficacy of the gospel does not depend upon his learning, eloquence,
pathos, or diligence in study, though God certainly uses all those things. But
the power of the gospel, the efficacy of it is God the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 "And I,
brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of God.
(2) For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified. (3) And I was with
you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power: (5) That
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of
God."
1 Corinthians 3:6 "I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to
triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in
every place. (15) For we are unto God
a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: (16) 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? (17) For we are not
as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in
the sight of God speak we in Christ."
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 "Not that we
are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; (6) Who
also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but
of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 "Knowing,
brethren beloved, your election of God.
(5) For our gospel came not unto you
in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance;
as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."
Illustration: Spurgeon - “I have a
church that prays for me.”
B. The
preaching of the gospel, the preaching of Christ crucified is the catalyst of
God’s saving grace.
Gospel preaching is absolutely
necessary for the conversion of sinners. No man will ever come to Christ in
faith apart from the preaching of the gospel.
Romans 1:15-17 "So, as much as
in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek. (17) For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just
shall live by faith."
Romans 10:13-17 "For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (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! (16) But they
have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our
report? (17) So then faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word
of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
James 1:18 "Of his own
will begat he us with the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
1 Peter 1:23-25 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for
ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as
the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth
for ever. And this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you."
Be sure you understand this - It is not enough just to preach the Book,
we are sent of God to preach the message of the Book, and the message of this
Book is Jesus Christ and him crucified. There is not a page in this Book
that does not speak of Christ, not a page!
Luke 24:27 "And beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."
Luke 24:44-46 "And he said
unto them, These are the words which
I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled,
which were written in the law of Moses, and in
the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning me. (45) Then opened he
their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures, (46) And
said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day:"
John 1:45 "Philip findeth
Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye
have eternal life: and they are they which
testify of me."
III. This same message is God’s
message of grace for the reproof, correction, comfort, inspiration, and
instruction of his saints in righteousness.
Nothing so inspires devotion as the gospel of Christ.
Nothing more severely reproves our sin and unbelief. Nothing ministers comfort
to our souls like the doctrine of Christ crucified. Nothing promotes holiness
like the message of God’s rich, abundant, free grace flowing to us through the
blood of our crucified Savior!
A.
Christ is our
only hope of salvation.
B.
Christ is our
only rule of life.
C.
Christ is our
only motive to godliness.
D.
Christ is our
only inspiration to devotion and consecration.
Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And
such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Alright, I have shown you from the Word of God that Christ
is the message we are sent to preach, that the power and efficacy of our
preaching is the power of God alone, that the preaching of the gospel is the
means by which God saves his elect, and that it is also the means by which the
Lord God graciously teaches, leads, corrects, and inspires his people in
godliness and devotion to him. But, what is it to preach Christ? You would be
amazed at the number of preachers I have had to ask me that question. Give me
your attention a few minutes more and I will show you what it is to preach
Jesus Christ and him crucified.
IV We preach Christ when we
preach him in the fullness of his redemptive grace and glory as God our Savior.
Let me be explicit and clear. I want
no one to misunderstand what I am saying. The preaching of the gospel, the
preaching of all the counsel of God, the preaching of Christ of necessity
involves the preaching of his...
A.
Eternal Deity
and Godhead (John 1:1-2).
B.
Suretyship
Engagements (Heb. 10:5-10).
C.
Supernatural
Incarnation (1 Tim. 3:16).
D.
Obedience as
our Representative (Rom. 5:19).
E.
Efficacious
Atonement (Heb. 9:12).
F.
Sovereign
Dominion (John 17:2; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:9-11).
G.
Saving Power
and Goodness (Heb. 7:25).
H.
Unfailing
Intercession ( John 17 {Keep Them - Sanctify Them - Unite Them - Teach Them -
Bring Them To Me} Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).
I.
Glorious
Second Advent (Rev. 1:7).
Let me make one last statement by
which I hope to convey to you the great burden of my soul and the intensity
with which I do this work to which God has called me. I take this fifth
statemen directly from the apostle Paul in 1
Corinthians 9:16. I take Paul’s words here to be my own.
V. "For though I preach the
gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is
unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"
I sometimes here men say, “We ought
not take ourselves too seriously.” I am sometimes told, “You take the work of
the ministry too seriously.” Impossible!
If when I preach I do not preach the
gospel, I would be unfaithful to God, unfaithful to your souls, and guilty of
your blood when I stand before God in judgment.
·
Ezekiel
3:17-19
However,
if by the power and grace of God I am enabled to give myself faithfully to the
work of the ministry and faithfully preach the gospel to you, I will both save
myself and you who are enabled of God to here me.
·
1 Timothy 4:16
Application: I ask you to pray for your pastor,
pray for me, and pray for those men who around the world who faithfully preach
the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ around the world. Pray for an out-pouring of God’s Spirit
upon the preaching of the gospel!
·
For the
Salvation of Sinners.
·
To Speak to
Your Own Heart.
·
For the
Comfort and Edification of His Saints.
·
For the
Reviving of His Church.
True preaching is as much a spiritual
exercise as prayer, praise, or the most elevated heights of worship. But true
preaching can exist only where preparation has been made, both by the preacher
and by the people of God. We are laborers together in the gospel. Let us be as
one in the hands of God.
Illustration: Gill’s Comments on the Allabaster Box