Turn with me, if you would, back
to 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2, let's read the
first two verses together. And I, brethren, when I came
to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring
unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know
anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was told this past week by
a very dear brother to me who lives in another state. I was told by him that I received
a very high compliment on my preaching. He gave some messages of mine
to a woman that he knows. And after she listened to him,
her response to him was, They all sound exactly the same. And his response to her was,
praise the Lord. Not interested. They all sound
exactly the same. I get that. I hope that. I rejoice in that. All sound exactly the same. The
apostle Paul said in verse two right here, I determined not
to know anything among you save except for Jesus Christ and him
crucified. That's it. That's it. Look at chapter one. It's on
the same page for me. Chapter one, verse 23, it says, but we preach Christ crucified. That's what we preach. We preach
Christ crucified. Look up at verse 18, chapter
one, verse 18. It says for the preaching of
the cross is to them that perish foolishness. Oh, may God not
let this message be foolishness to us. May God not allow us to
say, how many times are we going to listen to the same old message? That same old story. The preaching of the cross is
to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? 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. For the Jews
require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach
Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block
and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called
both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom
of God. We preach Christ crucified. By God's grace, Paul said, I
have determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. And that's it. That's it. Turn with me, if you would, to
Philippians chapter three. Philippians 3 verse 1, Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. To me, to
write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous,
but for you it is safe. It's safe. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware
of the concision. That means those who try to create
strife and division. Verse three, for we are the circumcision. We are God's elect, God's chosen
people, which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ
Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. We don't have any
confidence in the flesh. We don't have any confidence
in our wisdom. We don't have any confidence
in our experience. Paul said in our text, and he's
saying right here, I have determined to throw every bit of that away.
Verse four, though I might also have confidence in the flesh,
If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust
in the flesh, I more." He said, let me tell you about me. That's
what he's saying. Let me tell you about where I've
been and what I've done. Let me just give you my credentials,
okay? Verse five, he said, I was circumcised
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. and Hebrew of the Hebrews as
touching the law, a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, this zeal that
I had for God, I went around persecuting the church. Touching
the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. That's what I saw in myself,
blameless. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted loss for Christ. He said, thank God Christ
came to me and he revealed himself to me and he revealed to me what
I was. Isn't that what the Lord did
when he revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus? Paul
said, he revealed to me what I was. He revealed to me what
I was not. And He humbled me. He literally
put me in the dust. And He showed me that everything
that I thought I had in me of value, it was actually all dung. That's a light bulb moment for
a man or a woman. Everything that I thought I had
in me of value before God, it was all dung. And now verse eight, he said,
yay, doubtless. I count all things but loss. for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things and do count them but done that I may win Christ
and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know
him. and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of his sufferings. What is Paul preaching right
here? What's he talking about right here? Christ crucified,
being made conformable unto his death. if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." This was Paul on
purpose getting rid of everything, but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Christ is our message. Christ
is our doctrine. Christ is our salvation. Christ
is our all. We preach Christ. We preach Christ. That's what we do. By God's grace, We preach Christ. Now, I want
us to spend our time this morning seeing why we do that. That's what we do. By God's grace,
that's what we do. We preach Christ. Let's take
a minute here and consider why we do it. Why do we preach Christ
crucified? For the first reason why, turn
with me to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 1, Paul said, Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which
also you have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless
you have believed in vain, For I delivered unto you first of
all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that
he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." Paul said,
I preached to you how that Christ died. and was buried and rose
again according to the scriptures. And he said that, that declaration
is the gospel. That is the gospel. He said,
moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel. Why do we
preach Jesus Christ and him crucified? Here's the reason why. Number
one, it's the gospel. It is the gospel. Not just THAT
Christ died, and I'd like to make this very clear. Everybody under the Christianity
umbrella preaches THAT Christ died. Paul said, I preached unto
you HOW Christ died. I preached to you WHY Christ
died. I preached to you FOR WHO Christ
died. I preach to you what He accomplished
in His death. What did He accomplish in His
death? He satisfied the justice of God. He put away our sins forever. How can God accept me? Jesus
Christ crucified. What about all this sin I have
all over me? Jesus Christ crucified. He earned acceptance for us.
He earned a place with Him. He earned righteousness. He's seated on His throne because
of it. Wherefore God the Father has highly exalted Him. That
declaration is the gospel. We preach Christ crucified number
one, because it's the gospel. A man can preach truths. This is important. As you listen
to people, this is important. A man can preach truths and not
preach the gospel. Preaching the total depravity
of man's sin is the truth, but that's not the gospel. the remedy
for man's totally depraved sin. That's the gospel. We can preach
the truth that all of us ought to straighten up and fly right.
I'm telling you, that's the truth. That's not the gospel. Christ
crucified is the gospel. Jesus Christ crucified. He is the message. We preach
the doctrine of Christ as John, the apostle John wrote it. He
said, it's the doctrine of Christ. All right. Number two, turn with
me to first Corinthians chapter one, verse 17. Paul said, 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.
Why do we preach the cross of Christ? Why do we preach Christ
crucified? It's because it is what the Lord
Jesus Christ has sent us to do. It's what he has commanded us
and sent us to do. He said, I send you forth. He said, as the father sent me,
even so send I you. And he said, this is what I'm
sending you to do. Go ye unto all the world and preach the
gospel. Preach the gospel to every creature.
That's his command to us. Go preach the gospel. Look with me at first Corinthians
nine. First Corinthians nine, verse
16, Paul said, for though I preach
the gospel, I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid
upon me. Yay. Woe is unto me. If I preach
not the gospel, that's why we preach Christ crucified. It's
because woe be unto us. If we preach anything else. Woe be unto us if we believe
on and look to anything else for our salvation. I must preach
it. I must hear it. I must believe
it. And so must you. All of us. Woe
be unto us if we believe on and look to anything else for our
salvation but Jesus Christ crucified. Number three. Turn with me to
Romans chapter one. Romans 1 verse 15, Paul said, So as much as in me
is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome
also, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For, because,
it is the power of God unto salvation. to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Why do we preach Christ
crucified? It's because it is the power
of God unto salvation. If you have anybody that you
care about, anybody that you care about their eternal soul,
if you are concerned for anyone, Get the preached message of the
gospel of Jesus Christ crucified to that person. It is the power
of God unto salvation. It's an amazing thing to me. Declaring this message is the
means that God has chosen to use to wake his people up. In the message of Christ crucified,
The judgment of God is revealed. People, until the Lord reveals
these things and quickens people, they don't have any idea of the
judgment of God. No idea. You know, God is love and God
is a lot of things, but He's not judgment, not until that's
revealed to a person. But in the message of Christ
crucified, the judgment of God is revealed. And here's the reason
why. Christ was crucified. The Son of God was crucified. In this message that we preach,
the mercy and the grace of God is revealed. The mercy of God
is revealed. Christ was crucified instead of his people. The righteousness
of God is revealed. God being satisfied with us.
Why? Because Christ was crucified. Just hearing that declaration,
that's what opens blind eyes. It opens blind eyes the first
time. And every time thereafter, every time that our eyes are
opened again, and we see him as he is for who he is, it's HEARING ABOUT CHRIST CRUCIFIED. OUR EARS ARE OPEN, OUR HEARTS
ARE OPEN. IT'S THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION.
AS WE GO OUT, IF GOD GIVES US OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND PREACH
THIS MESSAGE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE NEED TO PREACH. JESUS CHRIST
AND HIM CRUCIFIED. IF WE GO ANYWHERE, JESUS CHRIST
AND HIM CRUCIFIED. Well, don't we need to preach
this doctrine and that doctrine? Sure, if that falls in the category
of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's what we preach. All right,
number four. I have five of them. Here's number four. Go to Galatians
6. Galatians 6 verse 14, But God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Why do we preach
Jesus Christ crucified? because it is the glory of God. It is the glory of God. In John
11, the Lord said concerning what he was going to do for Lazarus,
Lazarus was sick and Lazarus died. And the Lord said, this
is all for the glory of God. that the Son of God might be
glorified thereby." They came to him and said, Lazarus is sick
and the Lord waited. And he told his disciples, this
is for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified
thereby. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. If any man glory,
let him glory in the Lord. Why do we preach Jesus Christ
crucified? Number one, because it's the
gospel. There's no other gospel. Paul said, if a man comes preaching
any other gospel, which there's not another gospel, let him be
cursed. It's it, there's one gospel.
Number two, it's because that's what he sent us to do. Why do
we do this? Why do we do this? This is what
he sent us to do. Number three, it's because it
is the power of God unto salvation. In God's time, when he's ready
to quicken one of his own and call one of his own, it's going
to come through hearing of Jesus Christ crucified. Number four,
it is the glory of God. It is God's glory. Moses said
to the Lord, he said, show me your glory. And the Lord said,
okay, here it is. I will be merciful. I will be
gracious by hiding you in the cliff to the rock, hiding you
in the broken place of Christ. That's what that is. Christ crucified. I'll be merciful and gracious
in Christ crucified. That's his glory. And number
five, this is the last one. Why do we preach Christ crucified?
It's because that's the only thing God's people want to hear.
Let a man stand up and preach anything else and see what happens. That same old story, literally,
is music to our ears. This flesh may be weak at times. I understand that. The flesh
may struggle to hear it. I understand that. But that flesh
will perk up quick the minute that a child of God hears something
other than Jesus Christ crucified. And it will not have it. It will
not have it. God's people do not want to hear
something new and stale. They only want to hear something
old and fresh. Tell me the old, old story. Tell
me the same old story of the Lord Jesus Christ and His love
for His people. Over in Acts 17, that's where
the Apostle Paul preached on Mars Hill. There was all of these
idols. He came into this place called
Mars Hill and there was all these idols and there was an idol to
this God and an idol to that false God and an idol. There
was one that had the inscription to the unknown God and Paul said,
that's the one I want to tell you about. And he preached Jesus
Christ crucified. And after he had preached to
them, it says, some mocked him, but others said, we will hear
that again. Tell that to us again. The common people will hear that
gladly. Tell us how God has remedied
the curse of our sin through Jesus Christ crucified. Just tell me that, that's all
I need to hear. Tell it to me over and over and over. That's what we'll be crying all
through eternity. Tell us again. Tell us again. May God make us
determined, determined to know nothing, to preach nothing, to
hear nothing, to believe nothing, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. All right, Brother Eddie, you
come.