If you would like to turn back
to the text that Brother Wayne read in 1 Corinthians 2, this
is a special service. I appreciate being invited to
participate in it and glad that you are here to share in this
moment. I don't know really what you
call this service either. They used to do this when they
did call it ordaining a man to preach, but I agree with Brother
Wayne. I think that's God's business. We've come here, I think, to
recognize Brother David as a public preacher of the gospel. They
used to call it preaching a charge. Our forefathers had a service
like this, and they had somebody like me, and they would preach
a charge to the young preacher. I think that comes from Timothy's
gospel. The Apostle Paul wrote to young
Timothy, the young preacher, and eight times he used that
word charge as he wrote in those two epistles. Let me read three
of them to you. giving the young preacher Timothy
some instructions on how to conduct himself, what to preach. And
then in 1 Timothy 5, verse 3, I don't want you to turn there,
but let me quote this to you. He says, I charge you before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you
observe these things without preferring one before another,
doing nothing by partiality. Then again in 1 Timothy 6, verse
13, he says, I give you charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth
all things, and before Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate,
witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this commandment
without spot, unrebukable unto the appearing of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Then, of course, in 2 Timothy
4, verses 1 and 2, he says this to this young man, I charge thee
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom,
preach the word. Be instant, in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Now, I don't have I don't have
anything to charge Brother David with. I surely don't have any
new commandments or new revelations to give to him. He'll find all that he needs,
all that he needs to observe in that which is already written.
Anything that I could say to him would do him a little good.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. And if I had to encourage
David to do one thing, it would be this. Read, read, read. Till I come to give attendance
to reading, the Apostle told this young preacher. We don't
need preachers in the pulpit who haven't been reading their
Bibles. I love what old Scott Richardson
used to say. He said, if you're looking for
a text, don't overlook the Bible. That's good advice, isn't it?
That's good advice. So that's what you and I are
doing here. We're not setting Brother David aside, he's already
set aside, not ordaining him, God's got his hand on him already.
But we're here to acknowledge him and pay to the state what's
due them, I guess. I want us to look here, Brother
Wayne so kindly read the text, without knowing I was going to
preach for him. But here in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin looking
at this since Brother Wayne has already read it, and let's look
at these verses as we go and maybe consider the context too.
I love the way the Apostle Paul put this in verse 1. Brethren,
he said, when I came to you declaring the testimony of God. I came to you declaring the testimony
of God." Now, Corinth was a diverse group of people. You had philosophers
that dwelt here. They often got together and philosophized
one to another. You had mighty men that lived
here. This place was famous for those. You had open and profane
people live here. These Corinthians were, once
among them, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers
of themselves with mankind. You had common people live here.
You had a diverse group of people that lived here, but there's
one thing all of them had in common. None of them had ever
heard the testimony of God until this apostle came declaring it
unto them. Ain't that amazing? If one generation doesn't come
and declare the gospel to us, you know what happens? We lose
the gospel. We don't have the gospel. We're
not born with this gospel, the testimony of God, and it gets
into our heart by some process of osmosis or some other process. We declare it one to another. It doesn't matter where you were
born, who your parents were, what standing or state in life
you may have. There's one thing that you must
know to be saved. You must know the gospel. And
that's one thing that we're all ignorant of until somebody, by
the grace of God, brings the gospel to us. I came declaring unto you the
testimony of God. And as soon as one generation
ceases to declare it, we've lost it. We've lost it. It has to
be declared to every generation. I was talking with a member in
our congregation just this last week. He was talking to a friend
of his, and his friend made the statement, I don't want to be
preached to. I don't want to be preached to.
Well, we're living in that generation. Nobody wants to be preached to.
We have churches now that have little coffee shops set up. And
they tell you, don't come dressed up. Come wearing your blue jeans
or come casual. This, you won't be preached to.
When you come here, you won't be preached to. They don't like
preaching. This is not your father's church,
they tell us. They don't like preaching. But
listen, brothers and sisters, you cannot be saved apart from
somebody coming to you and declaring the gospel to you. Now, it may
be in a coffee shop somewhere, or it may be from a pool pit,
but there's one thing for sure. You cannot be saved apart from
somebody declaring unto you the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God help us to stop being so
timid and be embarrassed or ashamed to declare the testimony of God. Think of it this way. You and
I are in a dark world. Humanity is groping in darkness. And the only source of light
they have is what you and I have for them. And that's the gospel. God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts. Somebody said, well, Bruce, we're
living in such a dark time. I'm just discouraged to do anything.
Well, we are living in a dark time. But it's always been dark,
hasn't it? I know it may seem to us that
it's getting darker, but listen. It's always been a dark world. The only light this world has
is in this testimony of God. The Apostle Paul was writing
to the Philippian church, and he says that you shine as light
in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. It was dark
back then, too. Holding forth the word of light. And light. What is the gospel?
It's light, isn't it? It's light. And it's the only
light this poor world has. I love how Matthew said it when
the Lord Jesus Christ come into this world in Matthew 4. This
is the way he said it. The people which sat in darkness
saw a great light. That's the gospel. Isn't that
a good way to say it? They sat in darkness and they
saw a great light. They sat in the regions and in
the shadows of death, and to them light has sprung up." But
he was quoting that passage from Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 2. But listen at the difference.
Isaiah chapter 9, and Isaiah says this, the people that walked
in darkness have seen a great light, they that dwell in the
regions of the shadow of death, upon them light has shined."
You may not know the distinction. Here is what Isaiah said, they
walked in darkness and saw a great light. Matthew says they sit
in darkness. What had happened? They went
from walking in darkness to sitting in darkness. Well, I imagine
the light, the darkness had so overwhelmed them, had brought
them into so much despair that finally they just sat down. What's
the use? We have no hope. We can't see
where we're going. We're helpless. And there they
sit. And suddenly, this light shined
into their darkness and delivered them. That's what the gospel
is. That's why we come here to preach Christ and Him crucified. And that's why we preach only
Him. It's what this world needs in its utter darkness. We had
a dear sister down in Tennessee. Her and her husband lost their
son a few months ago, and their hearts are still heavy about
it. And I was talking with her this past week. And she just
sat and wept. Her heart was so heavy. And she
was telling me about a lady that has a daughter that's so open
and profane. She said, the lady said, my daughter
is beyond hope. She sat and wept as she said,
my daughter is beyond hope. And this dear sister told her,
said, no, not as long as she's breathing there's hope. My son,
she said, he's beyond hope. But your daughter's not beyond
hope. I tell you, if the gospel shines through unto her, she's
not beyond hope. You and I should look at this
world and every unsaved person this way. They are in darkness. Everybody that's lost is in darkness. It doesn't matter where they
were, their position in life. Every unsafe person is in darkness. In darkness to sin, in darkness
to Satan, in darkness to a deceived heart. But there's hope. There is hope. But God has entrusted
the source of that hope with the church. And what is that
hope? It is the same thing this apostle
brought to this church, the testimony of God. This world lives in darkness
and this world will die in darkness unless the light of this gospel
shines through unto them. Can we begin to see why this
apostle made this great statement? I came to you, and I came to
you. That is the way the gospel is,
isn't it? Nobody goes to the gospel. The
gospel always comes to us. It comes to us, and it shines
through unto us right where it finds us. We never go to it. It always comes to us. The Apostle
Paul realized this, and he reminds them in the fifteenth chapter
of this book. He said, I came preaching to
you the gospel, and he said, you received it. You believed
it and you were saved by it. You were saved by it. You were
fornicators. You were idolaters and adulterers. But you were washed. You were
justified. You were sanctified in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Oh, the testimony of God. That's
what we need in this hour, isn't it? The testimony of God. I want you to hold your text
right there and look with me over in 2 Corinthians chapter
7. Paul makes mention of this again
in 2 Thessalonians chapter 7. This testimony. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. And look here in verse 7. This shows the importance, I
think, of hearing this testimony, believing this testimony. 2 Thessalonians
1, verse 7. And you who are troubled, rest
with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels in flame and fire. taking vengeance on
them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power,
when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired
in all them that believe." Now look at this, "...because our
testimony among you was believed in that day. I came declaring
the testimony of God, and what did He say they did? They believed
it. They believed it. I know sometimes
we get wrapped up in all kinds of experiences We want to hear
one another's experiences, and we're looking for assurance that
we're saved, and there's many sources of assurance, I realize
that, but when it comes down to the final analysis, who will
be saved? When the Lord Jesus comes again
in flaming fire to take vengeance on the wicked, who will be saved
in that day? Those who believed the testimony
of God. And I rest my soul right there.
Don't you? I'd love to have more sheriffs.
I'd love to live in greater sheriffs. I wish I could get better. We talk about some kind of a
sanctification where we're getting better. I know nothing about
that. I believe we must grow in grace
and knowledge of the Lord and Savior. Should love Him more,
be committed more, believe Him more. But oh, as far as getting
better in your own eyes, I know nothing about that. The last
few years of my life, I've fought with sin in my heart more than
I ever have. I see myself worse now than I've
ever seen myself. Here's my comfort. Here's the
source of my assurance. Here's where I stand as I grow
older and face the aspect of dying. It's right here. I believe
the testimony of God. Whether I feel like it, I believe
the testimony of God. And everybody that truly believes
the testimony of God, they're safe. They'll be with the Lord
Jesus Christ when He comes. to judge the wicked. Look back
at my text again, if you will. Oh, I came declaring unto you
the testimony of God, and I hope as you leave here today, maybe
you and I will have a fresh resolve to take this testimony to our
neighbors, to our co-workers, our friends, when we are said
and speaking with men and women. Let us be like this great apostle. I came declaring the testimony
of God. All this world needs, especially
in this late hour, I came declaring the testimony of God. Well, they
won't come and hear me. Then go tell them. Go tell them
the testimony of God. And back here in my text, it's
worthy of notice how the Apostle Paul declared this testimony. He tells us here in verse 1 that
he came declaring the testimony, but he tells us here something
negative about it. He tells us how he did not declare
this testimony. And I, brethren, when I came
to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom. I did not come with excellency
of speech or of wisdom." Now, Paul was a brilliant man. He
said, I speak with more languages than all of you. He knew what these philosophers
preached, and he knew how they preached. He quoted poets, heathen
poets. He quoted heathen philosophers. He could have spoke with flowery
speech, he could have used eloquent language, but he never used any
of that. Why? There is a reason for not
doing so. He said, Christ sent me not to
baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none of that. The cross
is the power of God in itself. If we add any foreign to it,
anything that's foreign, it makes the cross of none effect. It doesn't need eloquent speech.
It doesn't need flowery language. It has its own power, doesn't
it? The gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation. Look what he says in chapter
2 and verse 4 and 5. Here is the positive aspect of
it. Look what he says in verse 4.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God. Paul is telling us here there
is more involved in preaching than just words. Is there words
involved? Of course there is words involved.
I came declaring the testimony, my speech and my preaching. Of
course there is words involved. But there is more than words
involved in preaching the gospel. There is the power of the Holy
Spirit. demonstration of the Spirit and
of power. What's he saying here when he
says demonstration of the Spirit? Is he talking about that he's
shouting? Is he running the aisles? Is he doing miracles? That's
not what he's talking about at all. It has nothing to do with
him. Not this demonstration of the
Spirit. He says, when I'm up preaching to you, And I'm preaching
in the most simple of languages that a child could understand.
That's the way the gospel comes from my lips. But when it comes
to your heart, it comes with convincing, converting power. Because these simple words that
I'm using, the Spirit takes them and brings it to your heart.
And what happens when He does? He produces faith within. It's not eloquence. I tell you,
the best preachers that's ever preached in God's earth is those
who preach where a child can understand what he's saying.
And then when the Spirit takes it home to a man's heart, I tell
you what it is, you can't talk him out of it. You can't talk
him out of it. I was sitting listening the other
day to a preacher. take of a preacher and I listened
to him for about 15 minutes and I've never in my life heard such
smooth language. Everything was so precise and
you could tell that he was deliberately speaking in such a clear and
precise way that he was more concerned about how he was speaking
than what he was speaking. I was able to endure him for
about 15 minutes. And I said, I can't take this.
I can't take this. You know what we need, brothers
and sisters? We need simple men who can talk to us with words
and phrases that we can easily grasp hold of. And we need the
Holy Spirit to take that to our hearts in His power. That's what we need. And when
that happens, When that happens, when the Holy Spirit brings it
in power, the simple, blessed, old gospel, you'll never shake
that man from it. There's men that I have known
that could not write their own name. I knew a man in Crossville,
Tennessee that could not print his own name. But the gospel
of the grace of God in Christ had come to that man's heart,
and nobody could shake him from it. He said to that old blind
man, this one thing I know. I was blind, but now I see."
And that whole group of Sanhedrin could not shake him from that. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all, and Jesus Christ is my all in all. Let that come home
to a man's heart in its power, and you'll not shake him from
it. Paul said, that's what we're
after. That's what we're after. That's what we need in this day
and this hour. We don't need so much eloquence,
do we? And flowery speeches. We need the simple gospel taken
with power of the Holy Spirit. Somebody's going to say this,
I can't understand it. I can't figure it out. It makes
no sense to me. Ever had somebody tell you that?
We had one dear lady, bless her heart, we loved her dearly, but
she left the church. And she said she's going to go
figure this out. So you're going to go get this
straight. Well, let me say two things about
that. One is this. We declare this gospel so plainly,
with the plainness of speech that God will give us. But nobody can know and savingly
believe the gospel of Jesus Christ apart from a revelation of the
Holy I can't understand it, and you
never will until he opens your heart to know and believe. And when we talk about the revelation
of the Spirit, we're not talking about that he speaks in an audible
voice. He doesn't give visions or put
you in a trance. It's not some new revelation.
But what he does is take this blessed old gospel, and he opens
your heart to believe it and understand it. That's what we
mean when we say a revelation. Brother John Mitchell said one
time, he said, this comes in different ways. It comes to us in different ways.
Sometimes it's like walking in a room and flipping on a light
switch, and there it is. It comes to us in such a glorious,
sudden manner, and it may overwhelm us with joy that the Lord has
made Himself known unto us. But it doesn't always come that
way, does it? Sometimes, Brother John said, it comes like the
slow rising of the sun. And there's gradual light. And
as the sun gets higher, it burns off more and more of the mist.
and the confusion, and warms the heart, and gives light to
the spirit. But however it comes, it is the
Holy Spirit that brings it. Paul was writing to the Thessalonians,
to Thessalonican church, and he said, Our gospel came to you
in word, but not word only, in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much That's the first thing. I don't understand the
gospel. I don't know what you're all
talking about. Well, if that's true, let me
tell you this. You'll never know it. You'll never understand it. You'll never believe it, apart
from the working of the blessed Holy Spirit. Now, that's just
so is it. We'll shut up to Him. We'll shut up to Him. It's His
work. And we'll shut up to Him. That's
the first thing. And the second thing is this.
When he does this, when he does send the gospel forth with light
to our hearts, he begins to bring us love. He begins to bring us
love. I love a Recius Bonar song where
he said, I heard the voice of Jesus say, Behold, I freely give. The living water thirsty one. Does anybody know that next word?
Stoop down. Stoop down. That's the way He gives us to
drink of Himself. Stoop down. Come down. He brings us down, doesn't He?
He brings us down. We become nothing. at his feet. Look how he says it here in chapter
1 and verse 18. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse
18. Look how the apostle says it.
The preaching of the gospel is to them that perish foolishness,
but to us who are saved, we have been saved, we are saved, we
are being saved. It is the power of God. For it
is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring
to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? Look down in verse 27. Look down
in verse 26. You see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty, not
many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things
of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty,
and base things of the world and things which are despised
has God chosen, yea, and things that are not to bring to naught
things that are, that no flesh should glory in his You know how you know the Spirit
brought the gospel and power to your heart? You give up on
yourself. You're made low. You become nothing. You're just nothing. You're nothing. Two things about the gospel.
We'll shut up to the Spirit, and when He begins His work,
He brings us low. Look here in chapter 2 in verse
2, and I'll bring this to a close quickly. He's talking about the
testimony in verse 1. He tells us how it comes, not
with wisdom of words, but now he's going to tell us exactly
what it is. What is this testimony? What
is this gospel of the Apostle-Priest? I determine not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There it is,
isn't it? That's the testimony of God.
That's the light that shines into our hearts to save us. What is it? Jesus Christ. Jesus. Paul said, I'm determined
to know nothing but Jesus and Him crucified. Jesus. Who is
that? That's Mary's son, isn't it? That's the son of Mary. She brought
forth her firstborn son and called his name Jesus. This is the son of man. He's
a real man. A man that has his little bottom
wiped and cleaned. His diapers changed. He was a
real man. He hung up on his mother's breast. This was Mary's son. He knew
what it was to grow weary. and hungry and thirsty. He knew what it was to be tempted
and tried and tested. He knew what it was to suffer. He knew what it was to die and
shed his heart's blood. This was a man. This was Jesus
in our humanity. Paul said, I know nothing but
this man and him crucified. That's why they put it over his
head on the cross. This is Jesus of Nazareth. This
is the way he first revealed himself to the Apostle Paul on
the road to Damascus. I'm Jesus of Nazareth. I'm Jesus
of Nazareth. I love to read the scriptures
and things about him. Listen to Galatians chapter 4
and verse 4. When the fullness of time was
come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, just like you,
just like me. sin accepted. He was made in
the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man. He was a man. And listen to Hebrews
2. For as much as the children are
partakers of flesh and blood, he took part of the same, that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. This man, because he was a man,
was capable of taking our sins in his own body upon the tree
and making an atonement for sin by pouring out his blood. God cannot make an atonement. God is an eternal spirit, but
this man can, because this man can suffer, this man can bleed,
and this man can die. Jesus. I know nothing but Jesus
and Him crucified. But he mentions this name, Jesus
Christ. Christ. Now who is that? That's
the anointed one, isn't it? That's the servant of God. Christ
the servant of God. They called Him Christ because
God was going to anoint Him to do His will. to fulfill his word
and his purpose. God anointed him. Here is what
the prophet said, Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, mine
elect, and whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him
without measure. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles, a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking
flax shall he not quench. Till he shall bring forth judgment
unto truth, he shall not fail, nor be discouraged." This is
God's Christ. And what did He say when He came?
Even when He was twelve years old, this is Christ speaking,
the servant of God. Don't you know that I must be
about my Father's business? My Father has sent me. I am the
anointing of God. Oh, and I love that passage in
John chapter 6 where he said, I came down from heaven not to
do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me, and this
is the will of him that sent me, that all which he hath given
me I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last
day. He is the anointed of God. This
is why we often make this statement that in these three offices,
Christ occupies the office first of prophet. God anointed Christ
his servant to be a prophet. Why did we need a prophet? To
reveal God to us. To manifest God to us. And that's
what he came and did. When you look at Jesus Christ
and all that he was and all that he did, you saw God. You saw
the love of God, the goodness of God. My Father, I manifested
your name unto those that you have given me. He is the prophet.
He is the priest. Why do we need a priest? It was
the priest that stood between God and the congregation. It was the priest that offered
the sacrifice that appeased God. We have a priest, the anointing
of God, the Christ. He's the mediator between us
and God. He's our advocate. He's our access
to the Father. God anointed Him. Paul said,
look at Him hanging there upon the cross. Christ, the anointed
of God. Crucified. Crucified. Boy, he made another statement
down here in this verse, in verse 8. He says something else about
who was crucified, and look at this. He said in verse 7, we speak
the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which
God ordained before the world and to our glory, which none
of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it,
look at this, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. He was Jesus. He was really the
Son of Mary, 100% man. As much the Son of Mary as He
was the Son of God. But He was the Lord of glory.
He is the Lord from glory. This is why you and I cannot
comprehend Jesus Christ taking sin to Himself and going to the
cross and suffering for it. And then after a while, God charging
that sin to that person again. I think when the Lord of Glory,
brothers and sisters, undertakes to do something, He accomplished
it. Don't you think? When He went
to the cross, He rendered an eternal satisfaction to His Father. He could do no less. He took
the sins of all His people, and He stood responsible for them. And He paid the debt for those
sins. And those for whom He died will
never be charged again. He cannot fail. Why? He's the Lord of Glory. If He's
just a man, even a holy man, even a sinless man, He may fail. But oh, when you look at this
man, this holy man, and you say, there's the Lord of Glory. And
He's hanging on a cross. My, he must have accomplished
whatever he intended to accomplish. The Lord of Glory. Paul said,
I know nothing. And he not only said, I know
nothing, he said, I've determined to know nothing. Now, you know
what that means. That means I didn't reach this
conclusion in some hasty manner. I've sat down, this wise man
said, and he said, I've considered my options. I've looked at this
in the light of eternity. And he said, this is the conclusion. This is what I've determined.
I know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him. That's all you need
to know, Brother Davis. That's all I've ever heard you
preach since I've been listening to you. You've determined that
effort. You've determined that. One last thing, look in verse
3, and I'll close with this. Look at the attitude of this
preacher. I was with you in weakness and
in fear and much trembling. That's his attitude. Weakness,
fear, If he could have got out of this, he would have. He was
charged with preaching the gospel. Spurgeon used to say, ìThe gospel
doesnít have a soil that is fit to grow pride.î He said, ìThe
only thing that the soil in the pulpit will germinate is seeds
of humiliation.î You go to the pulpit and youíre
trembling. You are begging God to not forsake
you, to glorify His name. And you leave the pulpit and
you go before the Lord and apologize that you failed to honor Him
as He deserves to be honored. He keeps you low, doesn't He?
Is that how you feel? Charles Spurgeon told about a
man, or Martin Lloyd-Jones told about a man, The congregation wanted this
young man to get up and read sermons. He was a good reader,
so they appointed him. One time a week, he would get
up and read another man's sermon. They liked him so well, they
wanted him to just keep getting up and reading this man's sermon. And then he felt like he had
something to say of his own as he began to read God's Word.
But he felt so unworthy. That he would bring his papers
to the pulpit. And he'd lay them down on the
Bible and pretended to be reading them. But all along they were
hid. Now that don't sound very ethical,
does it? But here was that poor fellow's trouble. I don't feel
fit to speak in the name of the Lord. I don't feel sufficient. I don't feel able. Maybe I can
just pretend to be reading somebody else's sermons. I've left the pulpit a lot of
times wishing I'd had somebody else's sermons instead of mine. I was with you in weakness and
fear and much fear. Pray for your preachers. Be slow
to criticize them. I tell you, they criticize themselves
a lot. Hold them up. The Lord will strengthen
them. You want the Lord to bless you
through them? Pray for them. Pray for them. It's alright if
God keeps them low. If He keeps them down, that's
alright. He'll uphold them. He'll uphold
them. May God bless His Word. Thank
you, Pastor.