I am speaking to you this morning
from the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Now the Apostle Paul
is speaking on behalf of Silas, his friend and fellow preacher,
and Timothy, another preacher. And Paul is speaking on behalf
of all true preachers of the gospel here in chapter 4. And
he says in verse 1, Therefore, seeing we have this ministry
as we have received mercy, we faint not. Now let's stop right
there. He says, seeing we have this
ministry. What ministry is Paul speaking
of? Now, you have heard in our day,
you hear quite often of various ministries, so-called ministries
in modern religion. People talk about a youth ministry
or a singles ministry and so forth. Well, in the church, truly
in the church, there is but one ministry. one ministry in the
true church, and that is the preaching of the gospel. And all else, everything else
serves that end. In the true church, the goal,
the aim of God's people and preacher is to preach and hear the gospel
preached, to have our children hear the gospel, to hear God's
word preached. The Word which is able to make
wise unto salvation. And so that is what the church
is to do. That is what we do when we get
together, to hear the preaching of the Word. Four, the preaching
of the Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. That's what Romans 1.16 says. And Paul, in another place, in
1 Corinthians chapter 1, He said in verse 17 and 18, Christ sent
me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. In other words, Paul
says, Christ didn't send me to see how many people I could baptize
or dunk in underwater. But he sent me to preach the
gospel. In verse 18, he says, the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto
us which are saved, it is the power of God. The preaching of
the gospel, that is, the preaching of the cross, Christ crucified. He said in chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians,
verse 2, I determined not to know anything among you, that
is, not to be sidetracked by, not to be taken up with, not
to address any and all issues, but this one thing, Jesus Christ. and Him crucified, which is the
power of God unto salvation. So Paul says, the ministry that
we've been called to do, Paul was a minister of the gospel. And so it is with every true
preacher of the gospel and the true church. It's all about preaching
the gospel. That is the ministry we've been
called unto. He says in verse 1 of chapter
4, our text, 2 Corinthians 4 verse 1, Therefore seeing we have this
ministry, that is, the preaching of the gospel, as we have received
mercy. Now it is God's mercy if a place
that is called a church has this ministry, that is, that God has
revealed unto them the truth, the power of God has been heard
and felt in that congregation, and they know and believe it
is the gospel which we are to be taken up with, the preaching
of the gospel, in all and every time that we meet together. And
it's God's mercy if you're not caught up in other things, all
of these various social programs. That's not what the church is
all about. The church is a place to come
and hear the gospel preached, the truth preached. There are
so very few opportunities for people to hear the truth, and
they need to hear it every time they step in the door. And that's
what they will hear in God's true church. Now, he says, as
we have received mercy, we faint not. That is, Paul says, we're
not going to quit in spite of what all the world may be doing,
in spite of every new trend and fad and every new thing that
comes down the pike, in spite of what all the religious world
is doing, that is, setting the preaching of the truth aside
in favor of entertainment and various things, music and so
forth. Paul says, we're not going to
do that. We faint not. We quit not. fashion word for, we won't quit.
We faint not. We're not going to quit preaching
the gospel. Anytime and every time God's
people come into the, or anyone comes into the church, they're
going to hear the gospel preached. So it was with the prophet John. John, they came to hear him preach
the first day and his message was, Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand. Behold, the Lamb of God." They
came back the next day to hear John, and his message was the
same. Behold, the Lamb of God. They came back the third day,
and perhaps some expected to hear something different, a new
message. No, his message was one and the same. Behold, the
Lamb of God. So that's what we're to do, and
we're not going to quit. We're not going to quit in spite
of what the world wants to hear and do. We're about the ministry
of preaching the gospel. That's what we do. Verse 2, he
says, We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. We have renounced all the hidden
things, that is, the trickery and the religious gimmicks that
are practiced in religion today. We renounce it. as false and
not being of God. Hidden things of dishonesty. Dishonest ways in which they
try to get people in and try to get professions out of little
children and so forth. He says we're not walking in
craftiness. That is like business gimmicks
and sales tactics. Religion today is That's just
what it is, big business, and they use and are taught in the
schools, the seminaries and so forth, religious school, they're
taught standard business practices, standard sales tactics, how to
sell the gospel, as it were, to the public. For that matter, people, it's
not the gospel that they're preaching, or else they wouldn't practice
those dishonest and crafty techniques. Craftiness, he said. We're not
walking in craftiness. We're not trying to sell the
gospel, but declare the glory of God, the glory of Christ,
and bring men and women and young people to repentance, to bow
the knee before a holy and sovereign just God. who's angry with the
wicked every day. He goes on to say, we're not
handling the Word of God deceitfully. That is, mishandling the Word
of God. He said back in chapter 2 of
this same book, verse 17, we are not corrupt the Word of God. Deal deceitfully with it, that
is. That is, keeping back parts of it, or adding to it, or twisting
it, as Peter said. but as of sincerity, that is,
sincerely in this for the glory of God, for the truth of God,
as of God. And God does send his true preachers. He has his true preachers, and
they will say the truth, come what may. And in the sight of
God, he said, it is God we seek to please. It is God's truth
we seek to declare in the sight of God, not men. We're not trying
to be men pleasers. And he says, so we speak in Christ
or of Christ. That is, Christ is the message
of scripture. Christ is the message with which
the Father demands his preachers preach. Christ is the message
which the world needs to hear. And so he said in our text, we
do not handle the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation
of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in
the sight of God. by manifestation of the truth,
that is, using great plainness of speech. And though it may
offend someone, Paul said to another church, Am I become your
enemy because I tell you the truth? No, the one who will tell
you the truth is the best friend you'll ever have. And those who
know the truth and are concerned for the truth, those preachers
that is, They will speak the truth. Speak it in meekness,
but they'll speak the truth. Speak it in boldness, but speak
it in humility. Seeing then, he says, we have
such hope we use great plainness of speech. Paul says by manifestation
of truth, by saying what God's Word says about God, about man. God's Word doesn't have anything
nice to say about man. God's Word does not say. how
much he needs and loves and wants to do something for man. That
is a lie. That is not in God's Word. But rather, God's Word tells
man what a corrupt creature he is, what a depraved creature
he is. How that he needs God, not vice
versa. How that God reigns and rules,
not man. How God's will will be done.
How man's will is perverted and corrupt and only sinful. God's
Word declares the truth. God's Word is the truth. And
God's true preacher declares it. And that's what commends
him, God's true preacher, to every man's conscience in the
sight of God. How do you know a true preacher
of the gospel? He'll tell the truth. Who is
telling the truth? A lot of fellows out there, and
even women, say that they are. Who is telling the truth today?
Many claim to. Well, let me ask you a question,
and I want you to try all these preachers, including the one
you are hearing right now. Try them by this test. Give an
honest assessment of what they are saying and doing by this
test. Who is really getting the glory
in what they are saying and doing? Listen to these preachers. yourself
this honest question. Who is getting the glory and
what these men and even women are doing and saying? Is God
Almighty really getting all the glory? Is that man or even woman
pointing you to God, to Christ only, truly giving all the glory
to God and to Christ? Or are they drawing attention
to themselves? Do you go away from hearing and
watching these fellows and even these ladies, do you go away
thinking about them, what a great preacher they are and how they
have impressed you and so forth? Or do you go away thinking of
the glory, the majesty of God, the person, the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ? Huh? That's the true test. Who's
getting the glory? I know these fellows like to
say, give Jesus a big hand, but who is really getting the glory
for everything they are doing? And if you want to judge all
doctrine that is being preached, this is a good test. What doctrine
gives God most of the glory? I mean all of it, because God
says, I will not share my glory with another, not with man, certainly
not with man. What doctrine gives God all the
glory? That is the truth. That doctrine
is the truth. Which doctrine gives God all
the glory? God choosing us or us choosing
Him? God electing a people or God
running for election? We must decide. Come on now. Which gives God all the glory?
Christ dying for His elect, His chosen people and every one of
them being saved, eternally saved by the blood of Jesus Christ,
the righteousness of Christ, Him getting the all the glory
for their salvation, or them having a part in it, them exercising
their free will and choice and so forth, and making the blood
effectual? Which gives God all the glory?
Come on now, try it out. Test them. Paul said, we commend
ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God by manifestation
of the truth. Try these fellows. Try them by
that test. Who's getting all the glory? And what doctrine gives God all
the glory in salvation and everything? I hope you'll do that. Until
next Sunday, good day. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and
close that.