We've been looking at chapter 9 of the doctrine of Christ that Don has put a title to this chapter. And if you're in recollection of last week, we looked at John chapter 7, verse 11. Or, I'm sorry, 2 John chapter 7. Our first John, which is only one chapter, verses 7 through 11, which says these words, for many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward, whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any of you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed, for he that bideth him Godspeed is a partaker of his evil deeds."

Now, we went through the first few pages of this, and Don, He wants us to know that all the teachings of God's Word are Christ Himself. And I agree. I say amen. Everywhere we look in the Bible, in the doctrine, or in the holy writ of God, the teachings all lead us to one thing, Christ.

One of the first things I learned from many different ministers, not just one, our pastor Gene Harmon himself, And I can list many other ones as well. David Edmondson. Those are some of my favorites. Gabe Stoner. First thing I learned through the preaching of the word through them was this. Get on the road to Christ. That's where people want us. That's where God's people want to hear from. They want to get on that road to Christ as quickly as possible and spend our time there.

All doctrines. You say, well, what about the doctrine of election? That points us to Christ. Christ came and died for a certain people. That's election. What about the love of thy neighbor? What about the good work that God does in us through the Holy Spirit? What about those things? Those all teach us of Christ.

Well, how does that teach us of Christ? How can the good works that the Spirit does in us teach us of Christ? To a sinner, we can't do any of those things. I can't do any of those things in any way that is acceptable or good to God in this flesh. That's why we have no confidence in the flesh. But my Savior has done everything for me. You see, that's how we get on the road to Christ right away. That's how we get on the road to Christ and stay on the road to Christ.

Don wants us to know that the entire Word of God is about Christ Himself. He is the truth of whom the Scriptures speak. When Christ was on the road with the two men on the road to Emmaus, when He was on the road with them, what did He preach? He preached Christ, did He not? He preached about the things He went through all the scriptures, all the Old Testament scriptures, because that's all that was written at the time. And he expounded on the things concerning himself. Not on the things that those men were supposed to be doing, not on the things that they would do in this world, but on the scriptures concerning himself.

What did Felix preach when he jumped on the chariot with the Ethiopian unit? Remember what he preached there? He preached Christ. So all the Word of God, all the teachings, all the doctrines of Holy Scripture are designed of God to reveal and to exalt God's dear Son, our Savior, and to lead us in faith to Him. That which separates the truth from mere religion is that truth concerning a person. the Lord Jesus himself. That may appear to be some a trite, as Don says, a worn out phrase, but it is true that salvation is a person, not a doctrine. The importance of this distinction cannot be overstated. There are many who find fault with its insistence upon this point.

And I'm constantly told, writes Don, that he is oversimplifying God's word. You cannot preach the Bible without preaching doctrine. And you cannot always preach Christ and the gospel if you faithfully expound the word of God. That's what they say. The first part of that objection is true. We cannot preach the Bible without preaching doctrine. He says, I make no apology for preaching and teaching doctrine for being a doctrinal preacher. The word of doctrine simply means teacher, teaching. Certainly, you cannot teach without teaching. The teaching is to indoctrinate. It would be impossible to preach the person and work of Christ without preaching doctrine.

However, it is quite easy to preach doctrine, the teachings of the Bible, and never preach Christ. There are many who do that. Charles Spurgeon was one of those. He was very good at teaching the doctrine of practical godliness. walking in the spirit of good works, but he knew nothing about the grace of God in saving his people. And he very rarely preached about the grace of Christ Jesus in saving his people, Christ and him crucified.

To preach all the counsel of God is to preach the gospel. It is to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. The message of scripture is Jesus Christ himself. And we looked at various different verses last Sunday on that. I don't want to go over that again. Christ crucified is all the counsel of God.

Now, our Savior said to the Pharisees, he said, search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. The Pharisees were experts in the pieces image that they made. Those who preach but do not preach Christ, those who teach from the Bible but do not teach the gospel, do not understand the Word of God at all. That doctrine, which does not have Christ crucified from its beginning to its ending, is false doctrine. Be sure you understand the words of Peter in 1 Peter chapter 1. The Word of God has not been preached unless the gospel has been preached. unless the gospel of Christ has been preached.

Look over at 1 Peter 1, and we'll look at that right now. 1 Peter 1, verses 23 through 25. 1 Peter, chapter 1. Beginning at verse 23, being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever for all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is a flower of grass, The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falls away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

Don goes on to say, all preaching is to be done with the purpose of revealing Christ, making him known, so that chosen sinners may see him, believe on him, and worship him. The goal of all of the apostles and their successors has been to make Christ known in truth. To that end, preaching Christ means we must view all scripture as a revelation of Him, and interpreting it according to that rule. Not being satisfied with mere pieces of the truth, but determined to learn and declare how each piece fits into the puzzle the full picture of Christ and Him crucified. This understanding of scriptures and this kind of preaching will help us in seven distinct ways, and on goes on. We looked at the first one last week. Preaching Christ will deliver us from becoming a mere religion. This morning we're going to look at the last six.

Preaching Christ will deliver preachers and those who hear them from dry and lifeless sermons. Don writes, no doubt the goats will not be satisfied with what they hear, but we are not concerned with them, are we? The sheep find the preaching of Christ to be green pastures and still waters. Christ is their bread, and the preaching of Christ is the bread coming down from heaven to nourish their soul.

When Christ is the preacher's subject and the message, he never needs to figure out a way to make his messages more exciting, more clever, more appealing to those who hear them. For those who are hungry, those who are thirsty, hear the Word of God. And we simply should not concern ourselves with the goats, with what the goats think about our preaching.

Preaching Christ is the best, indeed, the only way to purify the Church. Gospel preaching reveals who the sheep are and purifies the church. Everywhere I go, writes Don, I find that among religious people, the two major concerns are the morality of the sheep and the purity of the church. This is revealed in the attention they give to the work of the church discipline. The scriptures, however, teach that preaching of Christ will accomplish this work very well in itself. The preaching of Christ provides the content and motivation of godliness.

Turn over to Ephesians chapter 4 to bring this point together that Don just made here, that the preaching of Christ provides content and motivation of godliness. Look at verse 17 of Ephesians chapter 4. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord, this is Ephesians 4 verse 17, and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of their blindness, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling have given themselves over into lasciviousness, that means wickedness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. Do you see that? Look, look, look, let's go on, shall we? 22, that ye put off concerning the former conversation, the former life, the old life of man, I, I, I, I, I, is what that's saying, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and being renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ungodliness is contrary to the truth of Christ. Where Christ is preached, growth in grace is the result. Don goes on to say about this preaching, Christ will deliver preachers and those who hear them from dry, lifeless sermons. Preaching Christ will purify the church by removing from its ranks those who profess, those professed believers who do not truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. And you can read that over in Corinthians chapter one, verse 18. And I believe it's first Corinthians. For by the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Our Lord was referring to this matter in his parables when he told us plainly that we do not have the ability to distinguish between the sheep and the goats, between the wheat and the tares, the good fish and the bad. Therefore, we are to leave them alone and leave the separation of the one from the other to Him. Those who do not know Christ will, in time, grow weary of the hearing of Him preached and leave. People will not long endure the preaching of what is foolishness to them.

The surest way to maintain a herd of goats in a congregation is to preach Christless Christless doctrine, no matter how true it may be, puffs men up with a sense of knowledge. Even the goats can tolerate true doctrine if they're knowing it gives them an occasion for pride. But knowing the truth through the revelation of Christ leaves no room for pride, only a sense of gratitude that the truth has been revealed

In this way, the preaching of Christ purifies the church more correctly. By the preaching of Christ, Christ purifies his own church.

Thirdly, preaching of Christ has the promise of divine accomplishment as we read in Isaiah 55.11. Turn over there if you would. Isaiah 55.11. It says, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish God, please, and it shall prosper, and the thing whereunto I send it."

The word that goes forth, writes Don, out of God's mouth is Jesus Christ, called by John the Word in John 1, verse 1. Isaiah 55, 11 refers primarily to the coming of Christ in the flesh, teaching us that whatever purpose God intended in sending of Christ was accomplished. And when Christ returned to God, he did so not as a failure, but as the champion who had fully accomplished all the work given him to do.

It may properly be expanded to also include the preaching of Christ, which is indeed a sending of Jesus Christ every time it's preached. God has a purpose in it, and that purpose shall be accomplished.

Fourthly, preaching Christ helps to protect the preacher from pride and the hearers from idolatry. Those who hear the preaching of Christ will love and respect the man that preaches to them, but they will worship Christ, not the man. Those who preach Christ will rejoice in the results that are obtained by it, but will glorify Christ for those results.

Far too often, preachers and religious leaders talk and act as though the works wrought through them were wrought by them, as though it were Calvin or Luther who brought about the Reformation as a Spurgeon filled the tabernacle. If there could be any sadness and glory, it must be found among those faithful men of the past whose names are now revered as though they accomplished anything at all.

If these men were to return to earth, they would be appalled that the churches and the colleges that are raised in their names, any work done by any man ought to die with the man and will. Let us preach the work of him who never dies and pray that he will be pleased to work through us.

Fifthly, preaching Christ is the only message that will do sinners any good. Turn over to 1 Corinthians again, if you would, and look at verse 21 this time. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 21. For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.

It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The word translated preaching puts the emphasis on the content of what is preached. The foolishness that is preached is Christ on the cross, the doctrine of Christ crucified. Christ is what sinners need. If they will not have Him, there is nothing else good to give them. Consequently, there is no value in giving them something else. I say to all who preach the gospel, pour on the coal. Preach the sovereign, unchangeable Christ to sinners. flood them with the truth as it is in Jesus until they either shout, crucify him, crucify him, or they shout, my Lord and my God, as Doubting Thomas did.

And then lastly, lastly, preaching Christ glorifies him who alone deserves all the praise and all the glory. Dare a preacher aim for anything less? That's what Don asked. Could there be anything greater for a man like myself to desire, but that my Savior be glorified in everything that is said and done?

Don says, I pray for the salvation of sinners through my preaching. And I find that in all of the ministries of ministers of God that I know. But whatever may come of sinners, may Christ be honored and glorified by what comes from my lips. Does not every God-called preacher feel the same? Does not every believer feel the same with regard to his testimony of truth? God grant it to be so, writes Don.

Therefore, we preach and teach Christ. I pray that God will give me the grace to deny every fleshly temptation to preach anything else. I know this, the man who follows this pattern until it seems utterly absurd and absolute foolishness to the proud flesh, and only that man has entered into that which is the power and the wisdom of God as we read in 1 Corinthians.

God help me. This is the determination of my heart and my solemn promise to all who hear me preach or read. that I may be enabled of God to write, I am determined not to know anything among you, save Christ and Him crucified. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

So as much as in me is I am ready to preach the gospel, 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 to also the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written, that just shall live by faith. Amen.