Corinth, in Paul's time, because of its location, became
the greatest commercial center in Greece. And it was a proud,
you perhaps gathered that from the reading earlier, it was a
very proud, wealthy, but also very wicked city. It was full of philosophers,
philosophers, smart fellas. Paul encountered the philosophy
of the Greeks when he went there. And also there were the religious
Jews with their empty, religious, meaningless tradition. Not a
whole lot has changed, has it? Not a whole lot has changed.
Paul's time there is recorded for us in Acts chapter 18. Let's
look back there for just a moment. Acts chapter 18, we have the
record of Paul's visit to Corinth. Verse 1, here in Acts 18 we read,
after these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. Look down at verse 4. This was
Paul's custom wherever he went. He reasoned in the synagogue
every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus
were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and
testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Jesus of Nazareth
was the Messiah. He's that one God sent. Verse
6, and when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his
raiment and said unto them, your blood be upon your own heads,
I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto
the Gentiles." You reject the gospel? You reject my message? You reject Christ? It's nobody's
fault but your own. Verse 7, and he departed thence
and entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one that
worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus,
the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all
his house. And many of the Corinthians hearing
believed and were baptized. Remember what we read in chapter
1 of Corinthians? That the preaching of the cross
is the power of God and the wisdom of God to everyone that believeth? You have an example of it right
here. Look at verse 9. Then spake the
Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but
speak and hold not thy peace. Why? Why? Verse 10, For I am with thee,
I am with thee. Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature and lo, I am with thee even until
the end of the world. for I am with thee and no man
shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people for I
have much people in this city much people my soul that's encouraging
to Paul the fact that God told him he had much people in the
city of Corinth I mean, wouldn't that kill Paul's evangelistic
zeal? Because what God speaks of there
is election. He speaks of those people he
had chosen to salvation, but the means was through the preaching
of the gospel. How shall they hear without a
preacher? How shall he preach except that he be sent? Did that
discourage Paul? I've heard it said and been accused
that election, the election of grace, kills a genuine burden
for the salvation of the sinners. Well, did it? Did it end up in
the Apostles case? Look at verse 11. This is what
we read immediately after being told that God has much people
in the city of Corinth. Paul said, or rather we read,
he, Paul, continued there a year and six months. Well, my soul,
that didn't discourage Paul, did it? He continued there because
he knew. He knew that the good work God
began, he would carry on. He knew that nobody could stop
God's purpose. He knew that God would have his
way, even in that wicked city. So therefore, with that blessed,
blessed word from God, that promise of encouragement, Paul continued
there a year and a half, teaching the Word of God among them. Now that's exactly what our Lord
Jesus Christ himself taught us. Remember, on one occasion, you
know the passage well, in John 6, he told those Jews that had
followed him across the sea, a multitude, he said, the only
reason you've followed me is because of the miracle, the loaves
and the fishes. You're hungry again. Don't labor
for the bread that perishes, but labor for that bread, that
bread that comes down from heaven, Christ himself, and gives his
life for the world. He said, don't labor for earthly
bread, but the true bread of life that a man shall eat of
and never, never die." He said, you've seen me, you've seen me,
but you believe not. You don't believe. You refuse
to believe. But you remember what else he
said? All that the Father gives me, they'll come to me. They'll believe, they'll hear
the voice of the great shepherd, and they'll follow me, exactly
what he told Paul in Corinth. Look, if you will, back in 1
Corinthians 2. At verse 2, Paul speaks of his determination. There he was, led by God to that
city of Corinth, surrounded with philosophers, the temple of Apollos. And Paul seems to take it all
in. And he puts his foot down and
says, not impressed, not impressed. As a matter of fact, this makes
me more determined, more determined Verse 2, for I determined, Paul
speaks of that time in Corinth, I determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. May that be
my desire and yours. We can look around and as they say it doesn't take
a rocket scientist to look around at other churches, and they have
far more people there. There's so much going on there. It's always a hustle and a bustle. Well, they have special activities
for the young people, for the preteens, for the teenagers. For the young married couples,
the older married couples, the widows, the widowers, they have
something for everyone. And especially now, this time
of the year, my soul, the hustle, the bustle, the glamour, the
glitter, it's increased a hundredfold during this time of the year. And people flock there. They
flock there, don't they? And here at Fairmont Grace Church,
on our bulletin, this is what we say. Others advertise so much
on their marquees. Come in here. We've got what
you like. If we don't, we'll find it. Stop
by here. Come on in. Like I've told you
before when I worked on that boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey,
yelling at people, come in here. Come in here. A winner every
time. And here on our bulletin we have
these words. Simply, plainly, what do you
do there? What do you have for people that
come there? What will you do? But we preach
Christ crucified. That's what we do. We preach
Christ crucified. That's a rare thing. Child of
God, that's a rare thing. And that's a precious thing.
And I thank God that that's so. May God keep us determined to
keep it so. To know nothing. In our religious
generation, when people clamor for our attention, When we hear
shouts of, come in here, step aside, look what we have. May God make us as determined
as ever, more so, to know nothing among this religious nonsense,
but Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, crucified. You've heard
the expression, and I'm not sure just exactly what it means, I'm
sure it's just a metaphor, But as to exactly what it means,
I'm not so sure. I have an idea. But anyway, you've
heard the expression, all roads lead to Rome. I've traveled a
few roads in my time. And I've traveled a few, Mike,
all the way to the end. And I'll tell you what, I didn't
end up in Rome. I wasn't in Rome. But I know
this, I know this, all scripture from God's Word, every avenue,
every book, every road leads to the Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis chapter 1, the very beginning,
in the beginning God created. That leads to Christ, oh yes,
John said, Everything was made by Him and without Him was not
anything made that was made. It leads to Christ. From Genesis
1 to Revelation 22. And when time shall be no more,
that road shall end for God's people at the throne of King
Jesus. wrote in Revelation 22, even
so, even so, come Lord Jesus. And that was his response to
the Lord himself saying, he that testifieth these things saith,
surely, surely, I come quickly. I come quickly, Joe, our Redeemer's
on his way. He's on his way. I come quickly. Every avenue in Old Testament
and New Testament leads to Christ. He told the religious folk of
his day, search the scriptures. Literally what he said to them,
you search the scriptures. You do that. I know that you
do. Because in them you think you have eternal life, But they
testify of me. They testify of me. You study
the scriptures. You labor over the scriptures. You make copies, scrolls of the
scriptures. You scribes. You stand up every
Sabbath day in the synagogue and read the scriptures. And
all you see are the laws of God. And you think in them you have
eternal life. And those testify of me. And you won't come to me. And
if you don't come to me, no matter what you do, no matter what you
practice, no matter what you profess, if you don't come to
me, you don't have eternal life. And that's still true this morning.
Right now this morning, if I'm speaking to some who Even at this moment, you're thinking
about that religious experience you had. Why do we always seem
to think, or folks seem inclined to believe, that a religious
experience is a good thing? It may be the worst thing that
ever happened to you. If it deceives you, if it gives
you a false hope. Oh, Larry, when I was a little
girl, I was in a revival meeting, and the preacher preached and
he gave his invitation. And I just couldn't hold on to
the pew anymore. I went forward. And I made my
decision. I went forward. And I shook the
preacher's hand. If you don't come to Christ,
you don't have life. And the best thing that could
ever happen to you is for God Almighty, in mercy and grace
and power, pull that religious rug out from under you. Bring
you down to see your need of Him. If you don't come to Me,
Christ said. Not to preacher, not to priest,
not even His unholiness sitting over there in Rome. No. If you
don't come to Me, Christ said, you don't have life. You don't
have life. You remember when he joined himself
to those two disciples after the crucifixion, and after he
rose from the dead, and they were walking along discussing
what had happened in the previous few days. And our Lord said,
what are you talking about? Why are you so sad? And they
said, man, are you a stranger And Israel, have you not heard
about Jesus of Nazareth, a man going about doing good? We had
hoped, they said, we had hoped that he should be the one that
should redeem Israel. And there he stood before them,
the one that had already redeemed Israel. And beginning at Moses,
and the prophets. He expounded unto them in all
the scriptures, in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. All roads from Genesis to Revelation,
they all lead to that one in whom is life eternal. They all lead to him who said,
I am the way. No man, are you listening to
this? John 14. He told his disciples
this was right before he went to the garden and was betrayed.
He said, I'm going away. I'm going to the Father's house.
And oh, it broke their hearts. Lord, it broke their hearts. He's doing what? He's leaving us? He's going away? They felt like
orphans. What will we do without Him? He said, come follow me and we've
done that. And now He says He's going away
and we can't follow Him now? But He went on to say, the way
you know, The way you know. I'm going to the Father's house.
And you know the way. You know the way. And Thomas
said, Lord, we don't know the way. You say we do, but we don't
know the way. And you remember what our Lord
so gently said to Thomas and his disciples. I'm the way. Thomas, you know more than you realize.
I'm the way. I'm the way. You followed me,
you're following the way. I'm the way to the Father's house.
I'm the way to God. I'm the way to everlasting glory. You'll be there, Thomas. You'll
be there. You're going to follow the way,
Jesus Christ, the Lamb, all the way to glory. I'm the way, Thomas. No other way to God but by Him. Christ is the way, the answer
to this all-important question. How can I be just with God? How
can I be just with God? Are you interested in that? How can I be just with God? How can I be just with God? How can this sinner and that
sinner be declared not guilty before the throne of the thrice
holy God that says it must be perfect to be accepted. Now,
where does that leave me? Jesus Christ says, I'm that way. How can a man be just with God?
Romans 5 and 1. Therefore, being justified, Romans
5 and 1, therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God
through the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that wonderful? My soul,
I am preaching this morning to some wealthy, wealthy people.
My soul, I'm looking at some folks that have experience, that
possess the riches of King Jesus. None richer. No greater wealth
than that. What is it to be declared justified,
righteous before God Almighty? What does it bring? Listen to
what the prophet said. I'm reading from Isaiah, chapter
32. And the work of righteousness
shall be peace. And the effect of righteousness,
quietness. Quietness and assurance forever. The effect of His righteousness
brings to the heart of every justified sinner quietness and
assurance forever. Religion says never stop. Don't let up for a minute. Keep
running. Keep running. Do, do, do the
law demands. But it gives me neither feet
nor hands. Go, go, do, do, and you never
have peace unless it's a false peace. It never produces the
calm, the quiet assurance of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ,
of lying down in your bed tonight, Mike, and knowing should God
Almighty say, that's as far as Mike Giddens is going in this
life. Tonight, I'm calling him before
me. and having this sweet, sweet
knowledge of knowing I'm in Christ. I'm in Christ. I'm in Christ. God Almighty must change who
He is to reject me. God Almighty must change his
purpose. God Almighty must no longer accept
Jesus Christ before he can not accept this sinner that's in
Christ. And that's impossible. Yes, that
brings quietness and peace and assurance to every redeemed sinner. What is the answer to what must
I do to be saved? And it's the same. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved." The answer, the road to heaven, to
glory, to be where he is. It's not found in believing or
professing that you're a pre-millennialist, or a post-millennialist, or an
all-millennialist. Someone said they were a pan-millennialist. I'm not all meal or post meal
or pre meal, I'm pan meal. What does that mean? I believe
it'll all pan out. It'll all pan out because God
worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. And it's all a matter of grace,
free reigning grace. And where's that? Where's that? Look here in verse 4 of chapter
1 in 1 Corinthians. Where is that free grace? Where
is that grace that can present this sinner without fault before
the throne of God? Where is that grace that can
give me peace? Where is it? I don't have it. I don't have it. I can't give
it to you. Neither can anyone else except
that one. That one that John said was full
of grace and truth. Look at verse 4. I thank my God
always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you
by, I am the way, by Jesus Christ. That's where it's at. Now look,
if you will, at verse 2 again, here in chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians. Paul says, I'm determined. I've
made up my mind about this matter. To know nothing among you save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The one subject. The one subject
is the title of my message. John and I were discussing over
lunch last Sunday afternoon. He told me near the time of the
holiday, Christmas, he may be in his Bible lesson speaking
of that verse in chapter 1 of Matthew. Call his name Jesus,
he shall save his people from their sins. And he said, Larry,
you may feel led to speak from that verse as well at that time. He said, I don't want that to
be a problem. I said, John, I think there's
enough room there for both of us. I think there's enough there
for both of us. Jesus Christ crucified. As our brother taught this morning,
those blessed names, Jesus, the salvation of the Lord, God's
salvation. Have you ever experienced him
as your salvation? your Savior, then you'll know. Then you'll know why Paul was
determined. You'll have the same determination.
Then you'll know by personal, sweet experience of grace. You'll know why we love to sing
of Christ our King and hail Him, blessed Jesus. What a name! Call His name Jesus. For he shall save his people
from their sins. He. Nobody else. Nobody else was given that commission. Nobody else was sent by the Father
for that. No one else has the power to
do that. He. and no other. There's not
another name under heaven, Peter said, given among men whereby
we must be saved. You miss Jesus Christ and you
miss salvation altogether. Altogether. He, by himself, he
will not accept any so-called assistance from the sinner. This
way, his way, demands that you bring nothing. Come ye, come
without money. Without money, without price. The highway to heaven doesn't
have a toll gate on it. Oh no, it's free. When they have
nothing to pay, Jesus Christ says, don't bring your money.
Don't bring anything. Sinner, you've got to come bankrupt. If you come with anything in
your hands, I'll reject you. I'll reject you. Don't bring
your own righteousness. Don't bring your prayers. Don't bring anything. Look unto
me and be ye saved. He says, take the water of life,
free me. If you've got nothing to pay,
this is for you. This is for you. Jesus Christ
himself. He shall save. He shall save. I like that. Oh, I just like that a lot. Don't
you? Don't you? If you're a helpless
sinner, you like that. Now, if you're a self-righteous
Pharisee, that doesn't mean nothing to you. If you think you're earning
your way to heaven, this don't mean diddly squat to you. Over
to a needy, helpless, bankrupt sinner, When he hears concerning
his Lord and Savior words like this, he shall save. Oh, he just wraps up in it. Just wraps up as snug as a bug
in a rug and say, it is well with my soul. He shall save,
not that he will try to save. Now, let's not run off with that
too quick. Let's just pause for a minute.
You say, well, Larry, we know that. It's because God's taught
you that. Because your neighbors don't
know that. Most preachers don't know that. Most professing Christians
don't know that. Listen to them. Listen to them
talk about Christ. He tried to save. He's attempting
to save. He'll save if you give your help. Oh no, that's not why he was
called Jesus. Jesus means Savior, not an attempt
to be a Savior. It means God's salvation. Ooh,
and I love these words. He shall save his people, all
of his people, from all of their sins. Joseph, just lie down and
rest easy. That's what Mary's carrying in
her womb. Jesus, Joshua, the salvation
of his people. The captain of our salvation
shall bring all of his people to heaven. The great shepherd
of the sheep says, there won't be a hoof left behind. All of my sheep are going to
be brought home. Augustine read the works of the
great Roman philosopher, some considered him great, Cicero. And after doing so, he made this
statement. He said, they're not sweet. They're
not sweet. There's no relish in there. They're
not sweet because the name of Jesus Christ is not in them. Not in them. Oh, how sweet the
name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrows. It heals his wounds and drives
away his fear. Christ. Christ, as John mentioned
this morning, the anointed of God, it means, the sent one,
the Messiah. The angels said to those shepherds
that night, that night that God came into the world as flesh
and bone. that night that he who created
the heavens and the earth was made like unto his brethren.
That night they said to the shepherds, Behold, I bring you glad tidings
of great joy because there is born unto you this night in the
city of David in Bethlehem, the house of bread. The word Bethlehem
means the bread of life is born there. a Savior, a Savior, Christ
the Lord. He is Alpha and Omega, the blessed
and only potentate, the brightness of his Father's glory, the expressed
image of his person, and at the same time, he is Emmanuel, God
with us, my soul made like unto his brethren. He was brought
forth in poverty, a stable for his birthplace. He passed by
the palaces of kings and emperors and mansions of the great, even
the comfortable cottage of the poor, and was born in circumstances
of misery and degradation. Though he was rich, for your
sakes he became poor. Who would have ever thought if
they'd entered that stable that night? and saw that infant lying
on his mother's bosom, that that infant was God Almighty. Who would have
ever thought that? That that infant is the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. That all the fullness, all the
fullness of the Godhead dwelt in that little babe. Who would
have ever thought that deity and humanity together in such
a wonderful and describable union lay in the arms of Mary. This mystery of godliness He
left the bright abodes of glory. He left the song of cherubim
and seraphim. He left the bosom of the Father,
the infinite delights which he had eternally enjoyed, to be
a worm. That's what he said. I'm a worm
and no man, and to be scorned and despised by all. Jesus was
once an infant, a feeble child, and yet at the same time he was
the almighty, the all-sufficient God, my soul great. Greater than this feeble brain
can get a grasp of it is the mystery of godliness. He suffered
even from the beginning of his time on earth what pain he endured. From his birth to his death,
he went sorrowing, groaning, from the stable to Calvary, from
the manger to the cross, the man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. He went to Calvary where he finished
his work, conquered his foes, delighted his father and merited
everlasting honors and glory for all of his people. Call his name Jesus. He's the
Christ, oh mystery of mercy. And notice Paul says Jesus Christ
crucified. Not Jesus Christ the teacher
of morality. No. Not Jesus Christ the reformer,
or Jesus Christ the example, Jesus Christ the healer, Jesus
Christ the miracle worker, Jesus Christ whatever people want him
to be, that's not him. No. Jesus Christ crucified. Everything about him, child of
God, you'll give your witness to this, I know. Everything about
him is altogether lovely, Every attribute is perfect. Every word
that ever fell from his lips, perfect. Every thought, perfect. Every action, perfect. Perfect. Perfectly pleasing to
God. Everything he thought, everything
he did, perfect. Oh, but was he ever more lovely,
more pleasing to God, more satisfying to his Heavenly Father than when
he trod the winepress of the wrath of God all by himself? I am a worm and no man. Was he ever more lovely? Then
when God said, Awake, O sword, against the man who is my fellow,
smite the shepherd, was he ever more lovely? Was he ever more
perfectly pleasing to the holy Lord God than when being made
sin he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? My God, You've forsaken me. Was he ever more lovely or deserving
more of the love and the gratitude and the worship, the adoration
of his people, than when from that cross he cried out, it is
finished. It is finished. Oh my soul, Louis
Cates, the great shepherd of the sheep, made atonement for
you and for every one of his children. He says to them, listen
now, listen, it is finished. I've redeemed you. You'll never
go down to the pit. You'll never open your eyes in
hell. Hear this, child of God. You'll
be with me forever. You're not your own. I've bought
you with a price. You're mine. You're mine. You'll
be among those jewels in glory when I make up my crown. Oh,
yes, he's altogether lovely. Jesus Christ crucified, the one
subject. Shouts, redemption obtained. Sins put away. Everlasting righteousness
established. Atonement made. The ransom accepted. And that means that this sinner,
believing on Christ, my substitute, John, me and you like this verse.
In John 18, they must be set free. Justice
demands that his sheep go their way. Let these... Oh, I love that picture of my
great shepherd. When he stands out in front of
his disciples, knowing all things that should come upon him, he
went forth. Oh, he's altogether lovely. Look
as he steps out in front of them. Whom do you seek? Jesus. That
bloodthirsty, God-hating mob said, we want Jesus. We won't be satisfied till we
have him. We want him. We want his blood. We read that Pilate delivered
Jesus to their will. And you've seen what the so-called
free will of man did to the Son of God. And he steps out beforehand
and says, you want me? Take me. Here I am. but these
go their way. He's altogether lovely. Justice
demands, the very justice of God demands that this believing
sinner must go his way, must be set free. There's no condemnation
to them that are aware in Christ Jesus. Oh Larry, you shouldn't
talk that way. I've had Christians, professing
Christians, professing to have served God for 50 years, tell
me, you shouldn't talk that way. You just don't know. I mean,
that's dangerous ground. You're being presumptuous. No,
I'm not. No, I'm not. This sinner believes
God. By the grace of God, I believe
God. It's not being presumptuous to
believe what my great shepherd said concerning his sheep. They'll
never perish. I believe that. Nobody can pluck
them out of my hand. I believe that. That's not presumption. I believe the Son of God, don't
you? Let me wrap this up. I call you,
brothers and sisters in Christ, I call you to bear witness to
the preaching of Jesus Christ crucified. This one subject,
when you've come here, and I know you have, you've come here at times burdened
down, heavy hearted, heavy hearted, lonely, and you hear not the whipping of the law. Not
my series, and I can certainly identify with Paul in verse 1.
He didn't come among them with excellency of speech or of wisdom
declaring unto you the testimony of God. My soul would not fall
on my face if I tried that, obviously. And you didn't hear speculations,
but the preaching of Jesus Christ. And God, the God-man, has done what only He
can. So often, you've heard Him who speaks as
none other can to your troubled heart, saying, it is I. Just like He did in John 6. when
He came walking on that troubled sea and told His fearful, fearful
disciples, it is I. You don't need to be afraid,
Lord, you don't need to be afraid. Child of God, when the storms
of life are raging, You don't need to be afraid. Cause He that
ruleth wind and water has promised to stand by you and whisper,
it is I. Be not afraid. You've come here
at times perhaps feeling alone and lonely. Been there. Will be again. And again. Through a verse read. quoting,
a message, a prayer. Christ again comes and whispers
to you, I'm never going to leave you. I'm never going to forsake
you. And soon, and soon, when that
time comes for us to leave this world, May we hear this. May we be reminded
of this. Write the Lord thy God will hold
thy hand. Sing unto thee. Fear not. I will help thee. I will help
thee. One more. One more. Take this with you, brothers
and sisters in Christ. The great and faithful shepherd
Jesus Christ our Lord says hearken unto me O house of Jacob and
all the remnant of the house of Israel he's speaking to his
people which are born by me from the belly which are carried from
the womb even to your old age I am he and even to whore hairs
will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry
and I will deliver you. When that hour comes, by the
grace of God, may we leave the church below and ascend to the
church above, singing, lead me through this veil of shadows,
bear me o'er life's fitful sea, then the gate of life eternal
may I enter. May I enter, Lord, with Thee. Amen. Amen. God bless you.