The Offense of The Gospel

Q: What does the Bible say about the offense of the cross?

The Bible teaches that the cross of Christ is often seen as foolishness and offensive to those who are perishing. The Apostle Paul's reference to the cross as 'the offense of the cross' highlights how the true gospel of God's glory and grace faces opposition from both religious and secular realms. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul explains that the preaching of the cross is viewed as foolishness to those who are perishing, illustrating the hostility towards a Savior who is fully sovereign and all-capable. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, owing to a fundamental incompatibility with the truths that declare humanity's total depravity and God's absolute sovereignty.

Q: How do we know that God's grace is sovereign?

God’s sovereignty in grace is affirmed through Scripture that emphasizes His control over salvation. The concept of sovereign grace is underscored throughout the Bible, revealing that God acts according to His will and brings about salvation for His elect. Passages like Ephesians 1:4-5 illustrate that believers were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, showcasing God's initiative and sovereign choice in salvation. Isaiah 52:7 reminds us that it is through God’s proclamation that His reign brings good tidings and peace. This sovereignty is vital in understanding that salvation is a gift, not a result of human effort or decision, emphasizing His mercy and grace.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to understand total depravity?

Understanding total depravity is crucial because it establishes the foundation for our need for Christ as Savior. Total depravity emphasizes that every aspect of humanity is affected by sin, leaving individuals incapable of achieving righteousness on their own. Romans 3:23 states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, asserting the universal need for salvation. When Christians grasp the depth of their depravity, it elevates the grace they have received through Christ, showcasing that salvation is not a cooperative effort but rather a divine gift accomplished entirely by Him. This truth is vital for fostering humility and gratitude in the believer, reinforcing reliance on Christ alone.

Q: How does the gospel declare that Christ is Lord?

The gospel asserts Christ’s lordship by declaring that every knee will bow and every tongue confess His supremacy. The lordship of Christ is an essential tenet of the gospel, which asserts that Jesus reigns supreme and that acknowledgment of His authority is both a present reality and a future certainty. Philippians 2:10-11 emphasizes that every knee shall bow to Him, affirming His divine authority over all creation. Furthermore, this declaration challenges the natural man's desire for self-exaltation; the gospel redirects focus from personal achievement to the recognition of Christ's sovereign rule and redemptive work, fostering a mindset of worship and submission to His lordship.

The Apostle Paul, he called his message, he referred to it as the offense of the cross. And he often warned that the true gospel of God's glory and of God's grace would meet with opposition. opposition from this religious world, opposition from the natural world.

You know, this world, it makes no objections to Christ being a partial savior. Men and women can go to work and they can talk about church, they can talk about things, and they have no problem with Christ being a partial savior. They're not offended by a weak and helpless Jesus. They're not offended by a savior that is dependent. upon man, that relies on man to do something. A savior who wants to, but can't. I ask you, truly, what kind of savior is that? But a God who rules and reigns. A God who saves whom he will. The Lord Jesus Christ, a total and complete Savior.

That is offensive to the natural man. Scripture says this, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. The natural man, the unregenerate man, whether in this world or whether in the church, The natural man will not receive the word, cannot receive the word, and will not believe these truths of God. He's incapable. By Himself, He is incapable of understanding the mysteries found in the Word of God, the mysteries concerning God, because they are spiritually discerned. In fact, this message is foolishness to Him.

That's what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1.18. He said the preaching of the cross He said, to them that perish, to them that are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness. It's foolish, it's offensive.

And the natural man hates it. The natural man despises the word of God. They not only hate his word, they hate those who preach it. And it doesn't stop there, they hate and despise those who believe it. Our Lord, he said, marvel not, my brethren, if the world, what? Hates you. He said, it hated me first. He said to the disciples, he said, the time will come when religious people will put you out of the synagogue. They'll put you out of their organized religion. Yea, the time cometh when, listen, whosoever killeth you will think he's doing God a service. Turn to John chapter 9. John chapter 9, the Lord had healed a man on the Sabbath.

He'd spit on the ground and he'd made some mud and he'd rubbed it on this man's eyes and restored his sight. And it's amazing that that created the stir that it did. And it wasn't rejoicing that a blind man had been given sight. They were all tore up because the Lord had healed a man on the Sabbath. That he had spit on the ground and he had made... That's what troubled them. Look at verse 18. It says, the Jews, listen, they didn't even believe, they thought this was rigged.

They didn't think this fellow was even blind to begin with. It said, they did not believe concerning him that he'd been blind and received his sight until they called the parents of him that had received his sight, and they asked them, they said, is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? And his parents, they answered him, and they said, we know this is our son, and we know that he was born blind. But by what means he seeth, we don't know. or who opened his eyes, we don't know.

He's of age, ask him. He can speak for himself. And they spoke these words, not because they didn't know what happened. They spoke these words because they feared the Jews. They had, listen, the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess that Jesus was the Christ, that he had power to save, they would be put out of the synagogue. The natural man has no desire to hear the truth. And they fear this world more than they fear the Lord himself. They'd been threatened if they spoke the truth, they would be cast out of the temple.

Remember Stephen? Remember what happened to Stephen? How did they respond to the truth he spoke? They gathered around and they stoned him. Our Lord, he spoke the truth and the religious people, listen, they wanted to cast him over a hill head first. And they ultimately brought false charges against him and crucified him.

They said this of Elijah back there, and this hasn't changed any at all. They said of Elijah, Are you the one? Art thou he that troubleth Israel? They didn't desire to hear the truth from him. They just wanted to point and say, You're the problem. The Apostle Paul. Accusations were made against him. In Acts 24, 5, a man named Tertullius made allegations against him. He said, we have found this man, this man Paul, a pestilent fellow. What were they saying? He's a pest. Another way to interpret that word is like a disease. He's just a problem.

He's a mover of sedition. accused of causing an uprising among the Jews. He's a problem among the Jews and throughout the world. In Acts 24, 6, it says, he hath also gone about to profane the temple whom he took and would have judged according to our law. They accused him to the point of just desecrating the temple. Paul was hated by these men.

Prior to his conversion, they found no fault with him. He was one of them. They took no issue with him. It was after his conversion. It was after the Lord gave him the message. It was after he began speaking the truth. Paul said, he said this, I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. I don't know of any of us that have been cast into jail for speaking the truth. But we have experienced hatred from friends, even from family, for the sake of the gospel. You know, not many years ago, I heard a man say this. He said, this town, This town, Wheelersburg, would be a better place if this building would just burn to the ground. Isn't that awful? Why do men hate this gospel that we love, that we rejoice in? Why do they hate the gospel that we preach? Why is it offensive to man? Well, let's look at a few of these reasons here this morning. And the first one is this.

I don't know that these are in any certain order, but the preaching of the gospel, it declares man's total depravity and inability to live. And that offends man's dignity, that offends man's pride. It removes any claim that he might have over what he's done. Turn to, again, back to John chapter eight. Look at, our Lord here in this passage had told these men, he said, if you don't believe I'm he, you're gonna die in your sins. And they would counter that. They kept going back to their ancestry, back to their lineage. Look at verse 37. They kept saying, we're Abraham's seed. Verse 37, he said, I know that you're Abraham's seed, but you seek to kill me. because my word hath no place in you.

I speak that which I've seen with my father, and you do that which you've seen with your father. And they answered him, and they said, Abraham is our father. And the Lord said this, he said, if Abraham was your father, and if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham, but now, You're not seeking to, that's not what you're, you're seeking to kill me. A man that told you the truth, which I have heard of God. This did not, Abraham didn't do this.

You do the deeds of your fathers. What's he saying? You're sinners. You're sinners. And they said to him, we may not born of fornication. We have one father, even God. What are they saying there, we'd be not born a foreigner? We're not sinners. We weren't born in sin. We may not be perfect, right? We may not be perfect, but we're not totally corrupt in God's sight. Yes, we are. Yes.

God's word says this, they are all going out of the way. They are altogether become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Men refuse to believe they're sinners. Scripture says this, all, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Men and women today, they'll say, listen, we're not blind. We have our own righteousness. We have our own knowledge. We have our own wisdom. I tell you, if that's what we're relying on, we're in a bad, bad spot.

Your sin remains upon you, and you will die. in your sins. They denied their sin, they denied their need of a savior. Look at verse 42. Jesus said unto them, if God were your father, you wouldn't hate me, rather you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from my father, neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you cannot hear my word.

You're of your father, the devil, and the lust of your father you'll do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he abode not in the truth because there's no truth in him. And when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he's a liar. and the father of it, and because I tell you the truth, you believe not."

This gospel declares that men are sinners. That's what God's word declares. And listen, it's offensive. It offends their dignity. The natural man does not like to hear being told that he is a sinner. And typically, they'll defend themselves, right? They'll have some kind of argument for that.

Sure, I've sinned, but I'm not as bad as others, right? Sure, I've sinned, but haven't we all? We've all sinned, but none of us are, well, none of us are perfect. But you know, even saying that deep down, what they're saying is, I'll go along with you being a sinner, but not me. All, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

A man in his best state is altogether vanity. From the sole of the foot to the top of the head, Nothing, nothing in us that would please God. And that's offensive. But that's what the word of God declares. That's what the gospel declares. Second, here's another thing regarding the offense of this gospel. It declares that God is absolutely sovereign. totally and completely sovereign. He's sovereign in providence. He's sovereign in creation. He's sovereign in redemption.

And that offends our free will. That offends the man's free will. Over in Luke 19, remember Zacchaeus when the Lord saved him? And there were folks that saw that. And again, Think about that. This publican, this tax collector, the Lord had mercy on him.

Did people rejoice? Were they thankful? Rather than rejoice, they murmured. They complained. They said this. They said, this man is going to be guest with a man that is a sinner. I tell you, I'm thankful. I'm thankful that he's a friend of publicans and sinners. I tell you, somebody who didn't murmur, Zacchaeus didn't, did he?

No, he stood and he said unto the Lord, behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I've taken any man By false accusation, I'll restore unto him fourfold." And the Lord looked at him and he said to Zacchaeus, he said, this day, oh what a glorious message, this day is salvation come to thy house in so much as you're also a son of Abraham, where the son of man is come. to seek and to save that which was lost. And as they heard these things, he added, the Lord, he knew what was going on in the minds of those around and he spoke a parable. He spoke a parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear and he said therefore, he said a certain noble man, He went into a far country and he received for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his 10 servants and he delivered them 10 pounds and said unto them, occupy until I come.

What was the citizens response to that? They hated him. They hated him. And they sent a message after him and they said this, and this is what every man by nature raises his hands and declares, we will not have this man to reign over us. But he does. He reigns. He reigns eternal. He's sovereign.

Isaiah 52.7, just listen to these words. How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of them that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth. He's sovereign, he reigns. He reigns in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none's going to stay His hand, none's going to say unto Him, what doest thou? Revelation 11 verse 15, we read this, He shall reign forever and ever. He reigns eternal.

Well, third, here's another point. The Gospel of Christ offends, and offends man for this reason, it comes by revelation. The Word of God must be revealed. Brother Henry, he wrote this, he said, the college professor knows as much about the mysteries of grace as the farmhand. What do they know? Nothing. Nothing apart from the Spirit of God. We know nothing apart from His revealing the Word to us.

Our Lord spoke these words in Matthew 11, 27. Turn there with me to the book of Matthew. Matthew 11, verse 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." You see that this word, this gospel of God's free and sovereign grace, it comes by revelation.

That's what Isaiah wrote. He said this, he said, Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? It must be revealed. If it's to be believed, it must be revealed. Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, he said this, he said, Eyes have not seen, ears haven't heard, neither hath it entered in to the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. For whom he hath, what, revealed them unto us by his spirit. God reveals his word. God reveals the truth of his gospel to his people by his spirit.

God hath revealed his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Remember when Peter made that confession to the Lord? The Lord had asked, whom do men say that I am? And then he said, who do you say? that I am. And Peter said, thou art the Christ. Thou art the son of the living God. When the Lord heard that, you remember what he said to Peter? He said, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you, Peter. but our Father, which is in heaven.

Comes by revelation. The natural man receiveth not, he won't receive these things. He receiveth not the things of God. We try to explain things to people, don't we? They will not hear it. They cannot hear it apart from being revealed to them. The natural man receiveth not the things of God. They're foolishness to them. Neither can they be known because they are spiritually discerned.

The gospel comes by revelation. Hearing comes by revelation. This gospel declares that salvation, it's a free gift. It's totally free. And that offends man's pride. You know, it amazes. It just amazes me constantly. Men want everything given to them. We take a free lunch every time we can get one. Why is that different with salvation? We want to earn salvation, don't we? To somehow be deserving of it.

Salvation is the gift of God. Turn to Titus chapter 3. Titus 3, look at verse 5. Titus 3, 5, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. By the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.

It is the free gift of God. What's to be done with a gift? It's to be received, isn't it? To be received with all gladness and joy, a thankful heart. Fifth, this gospel declares effectual redemption. Effectual redemption. This gospel does not tell men what they need to do. It declares that which Christ has already done. The effectual redemption of his people. The effectual redemption through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. As our substitute. As our sin offering. It's effectual.

It got the job, he got the job done. And again, that offends the pride of the natural man. Men would much rather have him do all that he can do and let us finish it, right? The natural man wants just a little bit of work left to perform it. I think I've told that before.

Back during, I think it was World War II, they come out with a cake, a cake mix, that it was instant cake mix. So it made things much easier. And at first, you just poured some water in it and stirred it, and that didn't catch on. And somebody got the bright idea that if you let people add an egg, crack an egg and put it in there, then they've done something. And then it kind of took off.

We want to add to it. Christ didn't die to make salvation possible. He did it. He died to make it certain. He said, I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I'm the good shepherd. I know my sheep. I'm known of mine, and as the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." He wasn't asking for no help in that, was he? No. He said, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Here's the last one, here's the sixth.

Men hate this gospel because it declares the lordship of Christ. That offends man's desire for recognition in this world and in the world to come. They want to count their crowns and everything else, right? You know, it always makes me, and it always has, it always makes me uneasy when men seek to be in charge. Not when they're placed in power, but when they desire to be in power, and they go around telling everybody that they should be doing something. Paul wrote of a man named Diotrephes, and he warned them, he said, Diotrephes, He loveth to have the preeminence. He loves to be first. This natural man, if left to our, listen, we can pretend to be as bashful and shy as we want to be, but we're eat up with the spotlight.

The gospel declares the lordship of one. the Lordship of Christ, and that every knee is going to bow, and that every tongue is going to confess what? That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He alone is Lord. the offense of the gospel. I ask you, does this offend you?

Over in John 6, again the Lord spoke of a union, that union between Christ and His children. And He said this, He said, I'm the bread which came down from heaven. Not as your fathers ate manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live forever. Christ is the bread.

And some of His disciples, they said, this is a hard saying. Who can hear it? Look at verse 61 again of John 6. When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, Does this offend you? What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they're Spirit, they're life, they're revealed. But there are some of you that believe not." And the Lord Jesus Christ knew who that was and who should betray Him. And He said, therefore I said unto you, no man can come unto Me, except it were given him. of my father, verse 66, from that time on, from that time on, many of his disciples went back and they walked no more with him. And the Lord looked at the 12.

He said, will you go away? Will you go away? I love this answer. Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Aren't we thankful? This gospel may offend this world, but it does not offend his people. The gospel that declares man's depravity. The gospel that declares God's sovereignty. A gospel that must be revealed. That salvation is the free gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. A gospel that declares an effectual redemption. A gospel that declares that Jesus Christ is Lord. All right. Isaac, come lead us in a closing hymn.

The Offense of The Gospel

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the offense of the cross?

How do we know that God's grace is sovereign?

Why is it important for Christians to understand total depravity?

How does the gospel declare that Christ is Lord?

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The Offense of The Gospel

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the offense of the cross?

How do we know that God's grace is sovereign?

Why is it important for Christians to understand total depravity?

How does the gospel declare that Christ is Lord?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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