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'm a messenger of Jesus
Christ. He is the message. He said, in
another place, I'm 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're made so
by the will of God. They're called, chosen, equipped,
sent, and doors opened by God Himself. If you read in Scripture,
you'll 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 a 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, verses 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 2 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 4 of the same book,
he says in verse 2, we've renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. We're 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. Why, we just insist that
men take a Bible and open it and see if what we're saying
is indeed God's Word. Our Lord said that in John chapter
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 one righteous is in him."
Or as Proverbs 8 says, nothing forward 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.
All right, 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 says, 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? All right, what is it? God's
word. Worship is no light or laughing matter, but it is a
serious, 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 says. 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's 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,
they'll say, yes, well, no, well, maybe. Does God save? Well, yes, no, maybe. I'm not really sure. He wants
to, he tried, but he failed, and that's up to you. 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, for that is in Christ, are yes and
in him. Amen. Unto the glory of God. 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's 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.