I'll be reading this morning
from 2 Corinthians 1. I hope you have a Bible and will
open it with me, because as always, all I want to do is go verse
by verse through God's Word, declaring what God has said,
exactly as he said it. And I want to make sure you know
that I am reading from God's Word exactly as it is written.
In verse 1 of 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, it begins this way. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God. He said, I am a messenger of
Jesus Christ. He is the message. He said, in
another place, I am determined not to know anything among you
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He says, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God. A true apostle, like the prophets,
evangelists, and all true pastors and teachers, are not made so
by man or made so in a school or a seminary. But, as Paul,
they are made so by the will of God. They are called, chosen,
equipped, sent, and doors opened by God Himself. If you read in
Scripture, you will see that men like Abraham, Moses, Joshua,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, on and on, Peter, James, John, Paul,
Timothy, were all chosen, called, equipped, and sent by God. And
doors were opened by God for them to preach. God takes an
unlearned shepherd like Moses or a fisherman like Peter. and
fills his heart, his mind, and his mouth with spiritual wisdom,
fills him with the knowledge of God's Word so that the excellency
of the power might be of God and not of man. And men will
say of him, as they did the apostles and even Christ himself, they'll
say, whence cometh this man's wisdom, having never learned
letters? Well, it comes from God, that's
where, not from a school. And he goes on to write in verse
1, unto the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints
which are in all Achaia. All the saints and all the church. He's writing to certain people.
He's not writing to all men and women without exception. He goes
on in verse 2 to say, Grace be to you and peace from God our
Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is not to all mankind,
but is in Christ. It's to believers. And peace
is to believers. Not as the false prophets cry
peace, peace when there is no peace, peace for every man. God
loves you, God love, love, love, they say to every man without
exception, when in fact the wrath of God abides on the ungodly. You won't find any prophet in
all of the Bible saying to people, God loves you, or any apostle
saying to the people, God loves you and Christ died for you.
No, only the false prophets as in Jeremiah 23, verse 17 and
18. And Paul says, grace and peace to you. That is, to the church, to the
saints, from God our Father. God is not the Father of all
mankind. Read Romans 9, verse 8. But God
is the Father of those believers whom he hath chosen and given
the spirit of adoption. Romans 8, verse 15. Well, much
is said to these believers, to all believers, in verses 3 through
7. Words of mercy, comfort, consolation,
salvation. But some, hearing this already,
may object to what has been said. Well, I have only been reading
from 2 Corinthians 1, quoting scripture. But God's people,
the fact is, he that is of God heareth God's word, Christ saith.
Those chosen by God, given faith by God, they believe God's word. And this is what Paul writes
to the Corinthians, verse 13. on down here in chapter 1, verse
13. He says, We write none other
things unto you than what you read or acknowledge. And I trust,
I believe, you shall acknowledge even to the end. He says, We
write unto you nothing other than what you have already read
from God's Word. And you acknowledge, or you know
to be the truth. And you shall know even unto
the end. Paul said in chapter two of this
same book, in verse 17, he said, we're not as many which corrupt
the Word of God or deal deceitfully with the Word of God, twist it,
pervert it, make it say what it doesn't say or not say what
it does say or withhold from it or add to it. In chapter four
of the same book, he says in verse two, we've renounced the
hidden things of dishonesty. We are not walking in craftiness
nor handling the Word of God deceitfully. No, he says, we
manifest the truth. We commend ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God, while we just insist
that men take a Bible and open it and see if what we are saying
is indeed God's Word. Our Lord said that in John 7. He said, He that speaketh of
himself seeketh his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory
that sent him He that seeketh God's glory that sent him, that
man's truth, and no unrighteousness is in him." Or as Proverbs 8
says, nothing fraud or perverse, but everything plain and out
in the open, nothing hidden. All right. So Paul says to these
Corinthians, we're writing nothing to you other than what you've
already read and what you know to be the truth, and hope that
you will believe unto the end. We believe you will. Alright,
down in verse 17. Here's the true preacher's purpose
and methods. Verse 17 of 2 Corinthians chapter
1. I'm reading verse 17. Here's
the true preacher's purpose and methods in preaching, or in the
ministry. Verse 17, Paul said, When I therefore
was thus minded, did I use likeness? Or the things that I purpose
or intend to do, do I purpose according to the flesh, that
with me there should be, well, yes, yes, and nay, nay, or yes
and no? Let me read that again. He says,
did I use likeness? Did I use likeness? Preaching,
God's Word, worship. is no light or laughing matter,
but it is a serious thing, serious business. And you'll never hear
a true preacher or any true child of God, for that matter, speak
of God's Word, use God's Word, use the name of God, use the
name of Jesus Christ, talk about salvation, talk about worship
or church gatherings or prayer in a flippant or careless or
irreverent way. Never. You'll never hear a true
preacher or a true child of God, a true believer speak of any
of the things of God in a careless, irreverent, or flippant way.
No, it is serious business. They'll always speak with fear,
respect, reverence, and seriousness. There's no such thing as a clown
for Christ. There's no such thing as a Christian
entertainer. Not in the Bible, there's not.
And in reality, not in Christianity. Paul says, I didn't use likeness. He says, or the things that I
purpose. I did not purpose according to
the flesh, he said. He says, the things I do, what
I do in the ministry, I don't do according to fleshly tactics,
gimmicks, methods, and plans. He said, well, don't use gimmicks
and tactics to win souls, to build church membership. No.
Salvation is not a thing to be sold like insurance or Amway. No, sir. Souls are saved, churches
are founded, members are added to God's church by God and by
one way, preaching the gospel. Not by leaving dollar bills under
the pew, but by preaching the gospel. Paul says, I don't use
fleshly tactics or gimmicks. No, sir. And he said, my preaching,
verse 18, as God is true, as God knows, as God is true, our
word or our preaching toward you was not yea and nay. He says our preaching is not
yes and no, or that is uncertain or ambiguous, saying one thing,
meaning the other, forked tongue preaching. No yes and no or maybe. as most preachers are doing today.
Why, today's two-tongue teachers and preachers say things like
this. They will tell you that God is
in control, but then they'll turn around and say, but He's
not in control over you. I've actually heard, or read,
that is, in the paper, a man wrote, he said, God is in control,
but you control the one that controls you. Now, if somebody
would explain that to me, I'd appreciate it. But that's utter
foolishness. God is in control, they say,
but not over you. Well, is He or is He not? Well,
yes and no, they say. Well, they say, God loves you.
They tell everyone without exception, God loves you. But you might
go to hell anyway. Well, does He love me or doesn't
He? Well, they say, yes, He does,
but He might damn you. Listen, people, hell and damnation
is a thing for people whom God hates. Well, does God love me? Well, yes, no, maybe, they say.
Well, they say man is lost, but you can find your way if you
look hard enough. That's yes and no. Man is dead,
but he can take the first step. They say Jesus saved, but you
might end up lost anyway. Well, did He save or didn't He?
Well, they say there is power in the blood, But then they turn
around and say, only if you make it so by your faith. Well, is
there power in the blood or isn't there? Did Jesus Christ save
or didn't He? Is God in control or is He not? Is the Holy Spirit sovereign
and all-powerful or is He not? Does God love me and will He
save me or does He not? If you ask them, is God God,
Well, they'll say, yes, well, no, well, maybe. And does God
say, well, yes, no, maybe? I'm not really sure. He wants
to. He tried. But he failed. Now it's up to you. Well, not
us, Paul says. Not us. Not our preaching, he
says. Look at verse 19 and 20 with
me. He says, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached
among you by us, even by me and Silvanus or Silas and Timothy,
was not yea and nay or yes and no, but in Him was yes. He says in verse 20, while all
the promises of God in Him, or that is in Christ, are yes and
in Him, amen. unto the glory of God by us."
He says, when we say God is in control, we mean it. We mean
God is God. Not trying to be. Not wants to
be, if you'll let Him. He is God. When we say that God
loves someone, we mean it. We mean He loves them and He
chose them. He gave them to Christ. And Christ came down here to
do everything that was necessary for their salvation. He did it.
He finished the work. He went back, sat down, sends
the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin, to give them faith in
Christ, to cause them to come to Christ, and give them a new
life in Christ, and keep them all their days, that He loves
them and will love them unto the end. When we say God loves
them, we mean He loves them and He will save them. Not yes, no,
and maybe. But yes, it's so. It's true. All the promises of God are in
Christ Jesus and are yea to the glory of God and amen to the
glory of God. God is going to get all the glory
and salvation because everyone He chose will be saved. Everyone
Christ died for will be saved. He will get all the glory by
raising dead sinners, by saving everyone He purposed to save.
Yes and Amen. This is God's gospel and it's
to God's glory. I hope you believe it. If you
do, it's because God gave you that faith. Well, if you want
this message, write to us and we'll send it to you free of
charge. Until next Sunday, good day.