While studying through the book
of 1 Corinthians with the congregation at Central Baptist Church, I
came across my notes on the second chapter of 1 Corinthians. It's
1 Corinthians chapter 2. And I noticed notes from our
very first radio broadcast. It was ten years ago. This year
will be the tenth year we've been on the radio, and the first
message preached on this station by us was from 1 Corinthians
2 verse 2, which I read, I determined not to know anything among you
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And that message preached ten
years ago is still the message today. Preaching and teaching
you have heard and can expect to continue to hear from this
pulpit will come from God's Word. It will not be my thoughts or
opinion or the beliefs of Baptist denomination, but only by the
grace of God, what God says in His Word. Paul the Apostle said
here in verse 1, I, brethren, came to you not with excellency
of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God."
Paul the Apostle was a brilliant man, a gifted man, scholarly
man, came to the great city of Corinth,
which was a great metropolitan city, much like Paris, France,
New York City, cities like that today, a city full of doctors,
lawyers, philosophers, educators, artisans, politicians. And he
said, when I came, I came not with excellency of speech. He didn't try to impress anyone
with his large vocabulary, high-sounding speech, oratorical ability, but
rather preached to be understood, not admired. He said, I came
not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, that is, using
modern wisdom or philosophy. There is no place for that in
preaching. Paul said in chapter 1, the wisdom
of this is foolishness. Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? He said, I came not to try to
impress anyone, nor to argue, debate, philosophize, organize,
socialize. But he says in verse 1, I came
declaring unto you the testimony of God. Preaching is not sharing,
debating, arguing, but it is declaring, declaring, proclaiming. He said, I came declaring unto
you the testimony of God, the Word of God, what God has to
say to man. And that is not up for debate. It's not something you share.
What God has said, what God has written is not something or something
you throw out there for people to debate and argue and give
their two cents worth. But it is declaring, thus saith
the Lord. Paul said in chapter 9 of this
1 Corinthians, though I preach the gospel I have nothing to
glory in. for necessity is laid upon me,
yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel." The testimony
of God, all that God Almighty has to say to mankind is the
gospel concerning His Son. Just as He said out loud, only
twice did He speak, and both times He was speaking concerning
His He said, this is my beloved son, hear ye him. In chapter 1, verse 21, Paul
says, it pleased God. In the wisdom of God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe that
preaching. Not any old preaching. It's not
the preaching of foolishness, or that is the ridiculous opinions
of man, the foolish notions that men have made up, or as Romans
1 said, all manner of things, vain in their imaginations. No,
it's not the preaching of foolishness, nor is it the foolishness of
these so-called preachers, and most of them are. My, my. All of the nonsense and circus-style
entertainment they call preaching today is utter foolishness. God doesn't use that. He's not
in it, and He's not using it, though the whole world seems
to follow it. God's not in it. But He says
the preaching that the world calls foolishness, chapter 1,
verse 18, is the preaching of the cross. which he says here
in verse 2 of chapter 2, I determine not to know anything among you,
be sidetracked by, be taken up with anything among you, save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Paul says, and I by the grace
of God say the same thing, I am here to do one thing, and that
is declare, to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is the
message. This is the determination of
every messenger, every true preacher of the gospel, to preach, to
declare to a hell-bound generation, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What is this message of Christ
crucified? First, I must tell you what it
is not. It is not this poor, pitiful preaching going on today
which simply says, God loves you, Jesus loves you, died for
your sins, won't you let Him into your heart, accept Him as
your personal Savior. Then we'll go on to deeper and
more necessary things like your marriage or your finances. No,
sir, that's a so-called preacher, a phony fellow, begging people
to do something for a beggar named Jesus and a God who can't
save. unless you let it. Not the message
of Scripture. That's not declaring and preaching
Christ and Him crucified. Here it is to declare Christ
crucified. It's to declare who He is, Christ,
what He did, and where He is now. Who is Jesus Christ? When He came to this earth, most
thought He was just a great man. And they wanted to stone Him
because they heard what he said. They wanted to stone him for
declaring that he was God. They knew what he was saying.
They said, ìFor good works we stone thee not, but thou being
a man, make us thyself to be God.î And they had it all backwards. He was God and he made himself
to be a man. And most still talk of this Jesus
today as if he were just a man. That's why they refer to him
as Jesus. But no, Scripture says he is
God manifest in the flesh. Isaiah 9, verse 6, a child is
born, the Son is given, the government shall be upon his shoulders.
That is the reign, the rule over all things. Call his name Wonderful
Counselor, the Mighty God. the everlasting Father. I declare
unto you this day that Jesus Christ, that one who walked this
planet 2,000 years ago, is none other than God who made this
earth. Peter at Pentecost was not pleading
with or asking anyone to do anything. Not once did he ask anyone to
accept Jesus as their personal Savior, but he simply but boldly
stood up and declared the One named Jesus whom they crucified,
and they crucified Him according to the predetermined purpose
of God Almighty, that that One whom they crucified is none other
than God, Lord, Sovereign Ruler, King, and everything and everyone
is in His hands to do it as He pleases according to His sovereign
pleasure, and none can stay that hand. Peter didn't ask anybody
to do anything, but when he was through, when the Holy Spirit
moved, they were begging him, what must we do? So to preach Christ crucified
is to preach who he is. If he's not God, he can't save
a flea. If he's not God, we're idolaters
for worshiping him. Who He is is Lord, Sovereign,
Ruler over all flesh. Not trying to be, not a figurehead,
but actually reigning and ruling. Sovereign. Who He is is Jesus. That's His name. That's what
it means. Savior. He shall and He did save
His people from their sin. Redeemer of His people. His name
is Christ, the only Mediator, the Covenant Head, the only Intercessor
between God and men. Jesus Christ. He's the Lord Jesus
Christ. That is His name, and that is
how He is to be worshipped and referred to. Not just a man,
He's the God-man, God manifest in the flesh. He said, you call
me Lord and Master, and you say, well, is that how you refer to
the God of glory? Or do you just call Him Jesus?
Then I question whether you know Him. To preach Christ crucified
is to preach who He is and why He came. Yes, He came to live. Lo, I come to do thy will, O
God. In the volume of the book it
was written of Him. Christ came to live a perfect,
sinless life, not to show us how, but to do it on behalf of
His people, given to Him by the Father in the covenant, to establish,
to bring in a perfect righteousness. to give it, to charge it, to
impute it to their account. And all of God's people are made
righteous by Christ's perfect righteousness. He came to live,
yes, but He also came to die. He said, for this cause came
I into this world, to die. To die as a substitute, to suffer
the wrath, the judgment, the punishment of God against the
sins of His people. to be made sin for them, he who
knew no sin. God said, ìThe soul that sinneth
must surely die, and God made his soul,î Isaiah 53 says, ìan
offering for sin.î Not an offering to us, but an offering to Himself
for sin, for the sins of His people. And when Jesus Christ
hung on that cross, He was made a curse, made sin, punished,
the wrath of God fell upon Him, He went to hell on behalf of
His people, and all the sins of all of Godís people were 100%
paid for. Paid in full. Nothing left to
be done but to tell them about it. And everyone whom Jesus Christ
came to live for and die for are, have been, are now, and
shall be saved eternally. That's why He came. To do for
them what they could not do for themselves. To save His lost
and dead sheep. To preach Christ and Him crucified
is to preach where He is now. He's not a babe in a manger,
nor is He to be worshipped as such. He's not hanging helpless
on a cross. He was on a cross, not helpless,
mind you, but He was hanging on a cross. He's not now. He's
seated on the throne, reigning, directing, controlling, working
all things according to His sovereign will and purpose, saving His
people. So to preach Christ and Him crucified
is to declare who He is, what He did, where He is now, sovereign,
successful, substitute, reigning, ruling King. This was the message
of Paul, the message Paul determined to preach. And by the grace of
God, it is my message and my determination. Oh, may God Almighty
reveal unto you, Him whom to know is to have eternal life,
that is, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. May the Lord bless
this Word for His glory and for your salvation. Amen.