Sermon #1444[1] Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: Christ Pre-eminent in Preaching
Text: Colossians 1:18 and 1 Corinthians 1:23
Reading: David Coleman and James Jordan
Subject: Christ
the Message of Holy Scripture
Date: Sunday Evening -- December 17, 2000
Tape
# W-16a
Introduction:
I am endeavoring to expound Colossians 1:18. -- "He is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things
he might have the preeminence." I
have no hope of expounding the depths of that rich, rich text. But I simply
cannot leave it alone. The more I study it, the bigger it gets. This truly is
wine that maketh the heart merry. I want our very souls to be intoxicated with
it.
The title of my message is Christ
Pre-eminent in Preaching. In 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 moralism.
·
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, (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.
·
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!”
Illustration: My Visit with Henry Twenty Years Ago
I want to make five statements about
preaching and show you from the Word of God that these four things are so.
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 efficacy 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 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."
B.
The preaching of
the gospel, the preaching of Christ crucified is the catalyst of God’s saving
grace.
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."
III.
This same message is God’s message of grace for the reproof,
correction, comfort, inspiration, correction, 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."
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 statement 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 preach not 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
(Ezekiel 3:17-19) "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman
unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them
warning from me. [18] When I say unto
the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor
speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same
wicked man shall die in his iniquity;
but his blood will I require at thine hand.
[19] Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor
from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy
soul."
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
(1 Timothy 4:16) "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the
doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and
them that hear thee."
Application:
I ask you to pray for me and pray for our
brethren around the world who faithfully preach the gospel of Christ. Pray for an out-pouring of God’s Spirit
upon his Church. Pray for his blessings upon the preaching of the gospel! Pray
that God will cause the gospel to run well.
·
For the Salvation of Chosen 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 hand of God. As I prepare to preach to you pray for me, for
yourself, for your families, and for those who hear the Word of grace.
Illustration: Gill’s Comments on the Allabaster Box