And I especially want you to
listen carefully as I preach to you today. And I pray that
God will give you ears to hear. You know, the scripture says,
he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Our Lord said of the
religious people to whom he preached in the days of his flesh, they
have ears, but they don't hear. They have eyes, but they don't
see. And he turned to his disciples and he said, blessed are your
eyes, they see and your ears, they hear. I pray that God will
give you ears to hear what I'm dealing with in the message today. And eyes to see, understand,
enter into by faith the promises of God in Christ Jesus. What
an inheritance, what a treasure. The title of the message is The
Preaching of the Cross. And I'm going to read a most
familiar passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 17. You're all familiar with this,
but let's read it again. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 17. Paul says, for Christ sent me
not to baptize, That is, Christ didn't send me to organize and
baptize and promote. He sent me with this mission
and this errand to preach the gospel. Not to talk about preaching
it, but to preach it. Not to plan to preach it or intend
to preach it or prepare to preach it, but to preach it. God sent
me to preach the gospel. He sent every one of his preachers
to preach the gospel. In fact, Paul said, woe is unto
me if I don't preach the gospel. And he says, he didn't send me
to preach it with wisdom of words, intellectualism, clever words,
oratory, you know, to amuse and amaze men. Lest the cross of
Christ should be made of non-effect, For the preaching, now watch
this, for the preaching of the cross of Christ is to them that
are perishing foolishness, sheer nonsense. The preaching of the
cross of Christ and all that it implies and all that is included
therein is to them who are perishing, whether in the pulpit or the
pew, but they're perishing, nonsense, foolishness. But unto us who
are being saved, The preaching of the cross and all that is
included therein is the power and the wisdom of God. Now, my
friends, it's evident to me, and you hold on there and listen
to me. Stay with me. It's evident to
me that the Lord of glory holds the wisdom of this world in contempt. I believe that. The so-called
wisdom of this world God holds in utter contempt. All of our
smartness and intellectualism, our vain philosophies, and our
so-called wisdom. Listen to 1 Corinthians 1, 19.
It is written, it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of
the wise. I will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world. And Paul said in Romans 1.22,
professing themselves to be wise. And don't we? Professing themselves
to be wise. They became fools. And in Matthew
11.25, one day our Lord lifted his eyes to heaven and he said,
I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou
hast hid these things, these things, spiritual truth, knowledge
of God, understanding of the mysteries of the gospel. Thou
hast hid these things from the wise and from the prudent. and thou hast revealed them unto
babes. Read 1 Corinthians 1.26. He keeps
talking about God had chosen the foolish things of the world.
God had chosen the base things of the world. God had chosen
the despised things of the world. God had chosen the things that
are not to bring to naught the things that are, that no flesh
should glory in his presence. It's evident to me that the so-called
wisdom of this world, intellectualism of this world, and all the so-called
smartness we profess is foolishness to God. Foolishness. And then secondly, it's evident
to me that the Lord God of heaven and earth, now listen, that he
holds the so-called outward morality of this world in utter contempt,
just like he does their so-called wisdom, their so-called goodness. Their goodness is just so-called,
like their wisdom is so-called. Listen to Luke 16, 15. Now listen
to this. He said unto them, and he said
this to the most religious people of that day, the most religious,
the scribes and Pharisees and the Sadducees. He said this to
them, you're they, who justify yourselves before men. You have
a religious veneer and an outward holiness and an outward profession
and an outward righteousness and religion that you use to
deceive men and justify yourselves before others, but God knows
your heart. Men do not know your heart. They
can't see your thoughts. They can't see your pride. and
arrogance and hatred and lust. And they can't see your envy
and jealousy and bigotry and prejudice. They can't see your
covetousness and you look good to them, all that you profess
to be. You fool folks, you justify yourselves
before men because they can't see inside of you, but God can.
God can. And he said, God knows your heart,
fellow, and that which is highly esteemed among me and all this
outward veneer and all this so-called morality and all this outward
religion is an abomination to God Almighty. He holds our so-called
goodness and morality in utter contempt. In fact, our Lord said
to one of these so-called good men one time, he said, there's
none good but God. People aren't good, you're not
good. There's not a good man on the
face of this earth. There's none that doeth good
and sinneth not. Not a good woman on this earth.
That's what the Bible says. It says there's none righteous,
no, not one. There's none that understandeth,
no, not one. There's none that seeketh after
God, no, not one. There's none good, no, not one. Scripture says, let every mouth
be stopped, every alibi cease, and all the world become guilty,
guilty, guilty before God. And our Lord said, accept your
righteousness, your holiness, and people run around talking
about their holiness, of which they have none. But our Lord
said this, accept your holiness and righteousness exceeds that
of the best religious person, you won't enter the kingdom of
God. You won't enter the kingdom of God, none good. Oh, how my
soul, God holds our so-called morality and righteousness and
holiness in utter contempt because he looks on the heart. And let
me tell you something, God can only be satisfied with perfection.
HE CANNOT BE SATISFIED WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION. THAT'S
WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS WE'VE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF
GOD. THE GLORY OF GOD IS HIS HOLINESS. HIS HOLINESS. IT SAYS ISAIAH
SAID HE SAW THE LORD AND HIS GLORY FILLED THE TEMPLE. AND
THE CHERUBIMS AND SERAPHIMS CRIED WHAT? HOLY HOLY HOLY. THAT'S GOD'S GLORY IS HIS HOLINESS
AND WE'VE COME SHORT OF HIS GLORY. You can't get by. Man at his
best state is altogether vanity. That's what the word, at his
best state is vanity. God holds the wisdom of this
world in utter contempt. God holds the so-called morality
and goodness of this world in utter contempt, religious and
otherwise. And then thirdly, it's evident
to me THAT THE LORD GOD OF HEAVEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE LIVING
GOD NOT THE GOD OF YOUR IMAGINATION THAT THE LIVING GOD HOLDS THE
WEALTH AND HONOR AND FAME OF MEN AND WOMEN IN UTTER CONTEMPT
ALL OF YOUR FAME AND ALL OF YOUR INFLUENCE AND YOUR SO-CALLED
POWER THE PRIDE OF YOUR POWER The pride of your honor. They
named a street for you. They named a building for you.
You got your name in the paper. You wear more diamonds than somebody
else. You live in a bigger house. You know the governor. You call
him by his first name. You know the mayor. You've done
this, that, and the other. All of your honor, wealth. God
said this in John 5, 44. Listen, how can you believe?
How can you believe? How is it possible for any of
you to believe which seek honor one of another? That's just one
worm bragging on another worm. That's all in the world. How
can you believe? How can you be saved that seek
honor one of another and you seek not the honor that comes
from God? There's a wisdom, but it's not
the world's wisdom. There's an honor, but it's not
found here. And there are riches. but they're
not the silly corruptible riches you've got stored away in your
safety deposit box. I guarantee you that. He said,
how hardly shall they that are rich enter the kingdom of God.
How hardly. Shall they that trust in riches.
Our Lord was born in a stable. He shows his utter contempt for
all of this sham. He wasn't born in a mansion.
His parents were unknown peasants, not rulers, not well-known people. He was raised in a carpenter
shop, not in a university. His disciples were fishermen,
not famous men. He lived in the fields, in the
mountains, not in luxury. He died between two thieves and
lay in a buried tomb, showing all the way through. And he had
not one possession except the robe he wore on his back. You
know, they tell me today that the smart way to get a hearing,
the smart way to spread the gospel, the smart way to have a revival
or a crowd is to enlist the aid of men and women of fame. and
talent and worldly honor. If you wanna get a big crowd,
get you a politician to kick off your meeting or get you a
movie star, some famous football player or a basketball player
to come and sit on the platform with you. And people will come
by the thousands. They'll come to hear you preach
if you get some beauty queen, Miss Kentucky or Miss West Virginia
or some football star or somebody like that. What a farce. What
a joke. And what a joke preachers are
that take part in stuff like that. Our Lord didn't enlist
the arm of the flesh to promote the glory of God Almighty. Our
Lord didn't enlist the help of Caesar. He declared it's not
by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord. And
anytime that people use methods like that, they show they don't
know God Almighty. What does God need with a flea,
with a worm, with a wretch, just because he can run up down the
football field to promote God Almighty? That's the most ridiculous
thing I ever heard of in my life. Jeremiah 9 says, let not the
wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory
in his might. Let not the rich man glory in
his riches. If anybody's got anything to
glory in, let him glory in this, that he knows me. That's the
thing to be rejoicing about, that you know the Lord. Not that
you know all the presidents by name, not that you know the mayor,
not that you know mathematics, they know Christ. I'm the Lord. And listen to what he delights
in. He said, you delight in your wealth and your riches and your
strength. I'm the Lord that executes loving kindness and judgment
and righteousness in the earth. And in these things, I delight,
God says. I delight in loving kindness.
I delight in judgment. Christ satisfied the judgment. There's no judgment to them who
are in Christ. And I delight in true righteousness, God said. The honor of this world is nothing.
And the power and influence and riches of this world is nothing.
It'll be like an albatross around your neck someday. And God said,
when you stand before him in the judgment, the rust and canker
of your goal stored away that you left for folks to fight over
instead of giving it to people in need will stand in the judgment
as a witness against your eternity bound soul. You write that down. And I'll tell you something else.
LOOKS LIKE BROTHER MAN'S GETTING ON EVERYTHING THIS MORNING. IT'S
TIME SOMEBODY SPOKE OUT. IT'S TIME SOMEBODY TOOK A STAND.
WE'VE GOT THE MOST COMPROMISING BUNCH OF PREACHERS IN THIS GENERATION
THAT EVER LIVED. AND THEY CARE MORE FOR THEIR
FINE HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES AND JOBS AND SALARIES THAN TO DO
THE SOULS OF MEN AND NOTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD ALMIGHTY.
THEY'RE NOT PROPHETS. THE PROPHET WENT OUT OF STYLE
A LONG TIME AGO. But God holds the wisdom of this
world in contempt and the morality of this world in contempt and
the wealth and honor and fame of this world in contempt. And
God holds the religious systems and religious denominations and
religious organizations and religious powers in utter total contempt. That's right. Everything going
under the name of religion today, just about 99% of it, God holds
in utter absolute contempt. In Isaiah 1, 11 through 15, you
read that sometime. God said, to what purpose is
the multitude of your sacrifices? Your sacrifices to me, saith
the Lord, your new moons, your feast days, your Sabbaths, the
calling of your assemblies. My soul hates it. You read Isaiah
chapter one. When you spread your hands and
make long prayers, I won't hear you. Your hands are full of blood. When our Lord came down here
to this earth in the flesh, he came to one of the most religious
generations that ever lived, just like America today. Synagogues
and temples all over the place. And he shunned their temples
and their synagogues and preached on the streets. And he called
their greatest religious leaders hypocrites. That's what he called
them, hypocrites. And he ate with publicans and
sinners. And he drove the money changers
and the promoters and the salesmen out of the temple. He didn't
recruit them, he drove them out of the temple. All the fellows
making merchandise of the temple and the house of God. That's
what we're doing today. selling their gimmicks and their
lapel pins and everything under the sun. Even one fellow was
selling dirt out of the tomb of Christ that he brought back
here in little vials on television not long ago. He drove these
money changers and these promoters out of his temple. And he said,
my house will be called a house, not of merchandise and promotion
and entertainment, but a house of prayer. And then he picked
corn and healed people on their Sabbath day. That irritated them.
And then he refused their traditions and ate with unwashing hands.
And he did every bit of this to show his contempt for organized
religion and traditions and great mighty buildings and fanfare
and extravaganzas and foolish customs. Yes, sir. You know what they do today?
Today, in order to have a religious atmosphere, men burn, men and
women burn candles. That's supposed to be real religious
to burn candles. And they burn candles in the
presence of Him who's the light of the world. Can you imagine
burning a candle in the presence of the light of the universe? It's like a lightning bug before
the noonday sun. And then they take holy water
and baptisms and try to wash sins away. Sin is a heart disease. Sin is a heart stain. Sin is
on the book of God. And they're gonna put it away
with sprinkling water on folks, you know, little babies and sprinkling
water on people's faces, making peculiar signs over them like
this, you know, and only the blood of God can put away sin. Don't you know that? Sin is deep. It's a stain. It's an indelible
stain. It's an everlasting stain. It's
against God and it takes God to forgive sin. Men can't do
that. Absolve you of your sins, sell
you indulgences. They erect dead coal statues
to represent the living God who's a spirit. God is spirit. God's
not worshiped with the things made by men's hands. God doesn't
dwell in temples made with hands. The heaven of heavens won't contain
the living God. And we've got a statue over there
of Jesus and a picture. Can you imagine a picture of
Jesus hanging on somebody's wall? You got him framed and the heaven
won't contain him. MEN AND WOMEN ARE HERDED TO THE
FRONT OF THE CHURCH AND THEY CALL THAT SALVATION. THEY'RE
JUST HERDED TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH UNDER ALL KIND OF PSYCHOLOGY
AND ALL KIND OF MASS PSYCHOLOGY AND SWEET SINGING OF HYMNS AND
HEAD BOWED AND EYES CLOSED AND ALL OF THIS SORT OF THING. THEY'RE
HERDED DOWN TO THE FRONT AND THEY CALL THAT COMING TO CHRIST. And all of our outward rules
and regulations, we're going to use those to make men holy. How can you make men holy with
rules and laws and regulations? The law has never been able to
make anybody holy. People who understood the law
ran from it. They did when God gave it its
sign, isn't that right? They turned and ran. Oh, I tell you, our church programs
and socials today are called Serving God. What kind of God
do we have? I cry out with Elijah of old,
where is the Lord God of Elijah? Where's the living God? Where's
the almighty, awesome, fearful God? Where's the God who lives,
who reigns, who dwells everywhere? Where's the God in the thunder
and the lightning and the snow and the whirlwind that Job saw?
Where is God? Or like Isaiah, who hath believed
our report and to whom is the arm, the power of God revealed? Who knows God? Does anybody know
God? Have you met anybody lately you thought knew God? Have you
heard any preacher lately that you thought really was in contact
with a living God? I sat and listened to some compromising
famous preacher not too many nights ago on nationwide television. And he was carrying on about
all kinds of things, foolishness and insignificant nothings. And I sat there and listened
to him a little while and I thought, is this God's prophet of today? Is this the Paul of 1987? Is
this the John the Baptist, this guy, this compromiser? Is this
man representing God Almighty? This man's God's a peanut God. And his message is less than
nothing. Oh, I tell you, it's not the
wisdom of this world I'm seeking. It's the wisdom of God I want.
The wisdom of the almighty, awesome God. Great is the mystery of
godliness. Mystery, God calls it. Not so
simple a little child can understand it, a mystery. But I'll tell
you this. I'll tell you where the wisdom
of God is. It's in Christ. He is the wisdom of God. He said,
I'm the truth. I'm the truth. The truth's not
in your church catechism. The truth's in a person, Christ
Jesus. I am the truth of God. He of God has made unto us wisdom. I want to know Christ. Oh, I
don't want to miss Christ. I want to win Christ and be found
in him. I want to know Christ and the
power of his resurrection. Don't you? Don't you really? Are you satisfied? ALL OF THIS
SHOWMANSHIP AND ENTERTAINMENT, ARE YOU REALLY SATISFIED WITH
WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO, WHAT YOU'RE HEARING, WHAT YOU'RE READING?
GOD WANTS TO AND CAN'T, GOD LIKES TO AND YOU WON'T LET HIM, POOR
GOD. I tell you, it's not an outward form of morality that
I'm seeking. I can get along, I can please
you. I don't need to go to the show or shoot dice or drink liquor.
I can quit all these things and please you, you know, and appear
holy to men and justify myself before men, but that's not the
morality I'm seeking. I believe every believer ought
to avoid every appearance of evil and live holy before God
in every outward way he can to show forth the glory of Christ.
But my friends, I'm seeking an inward righteousness. I'm seeking
the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. I'll tell you, he's able
to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight,
and that's what you better have. The very fact you don't paint
your nails, or you don't have a television, or you don't chew
tobacco or something like that, doesn't mean you don't have a
wicked, black, dirty, hell-deserving heart. And that's where you need
a holiness, before God, before God. And you've been pawning
yourself off with somebody too long. God knows you're nobody
and you need Christ. He's the righteousness of God.
That old outward form of holiness, I see all these holiness churches,
they're no more holy than a pig. Holiness is in Christ, not in
the flesh. I'll tell you it's not acceptance
or approval of men I'm seeking. I need to be accepted in the
beloved. I need the approval of God. And that's found nowhere
but in Christ. He hath made us accepted in the
beloved. I may hurt your feelings, but
I'm telling you the truth. Just like Peter stood on Pentecost
and talked to those religious Jews. And he said, you better
save yourself from this perverse generation, religious perverse
generation. That's what it is. They twisted
the word of God. They've got a form of godliness
in denying the power thereof. I wanna be accepted in the beloved. I won't like Paul of old to labor
whether present or absent to be accepted of the Lord. Do you? It's not religion I see, it's
life. Life in Christ, lay hold, Paul
said twice, lay hold of eternal life. And I'll tell you, my friend,
eternal life is not in the form. I don't give you a Baptist or
a Catholic or a Methodist or a Presbyterian. You can be just
as lost in one as in the other. Eternal life's not in a form,
it's not in a tradition, it's not in a custom, it's not in
a ritual of religion. Eternal life is in Christ Jesus
the Lord. That's what the Bible says. This
is the record God has given us eternal life and this life is
in his son, not in his church, in his son. Not in his law, in
his son. Not in a mourner's bench, any
son. Not in a profession of faith,
any son. And he that hath the Son hath
life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Thank God the Son of God hath
come and given us an understanding, that in Him, through Him, by
Him, because of Him, for Him, we may know Him that is true,
and we're in Him that is true. Even in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This is the true God. This is eternal life. By his death on the cross, we
have life. By his obedience, we have righteousness. Is that foolishness to you? Or
is it the power of God? The preaching of the cross, the
cross substitution, reconciliation, blood atonement is to them who
are perishing foolishness. but to those who are being saved,
thank God. I'm a sinner saved by grace through
the blood of Christ. It is the power of God. All right, I have this message
on cassette tape. You'd like to share it with someone
else or hear it again, write for it, send $2, and we'll mail
you this message, preaching the cross, and on the back of it,
look unto me and be your savior. Till next week, God bless you,
everyone.