Let's turn to the book of 1 Corinthians
again. There are really two verses that
I would like to share with you for text. First of all, in 1 Corinthians
1.17. Now, this message this morning
may be especially helpful, may answer some questions which you
have. In 1 Corinthians 1.17, Paul said,
For Christ sent me not to baptize. Paul wasn't belittling baptism. He wasn't even insinuating that
baptism was unimportant, insignificant. But he's trying to point out
to us the the main issue, the critical issue. And he said,
this is not why God sent me out to preach, only to baptize. He said, but to preach the gospel,
to preach the gospel. Now look at 1 Corinthians 2,
verse 2. For I determined not to know
anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Now,
most every sermon that is preached from this text takes one direction.
There's not anything wrong with this direction. There's a good
possibility this was exactly what Paul was saying. And that
is that he came to this great city of Corinth, a city of learning,
a city of philosophy, a city of great human wisdom, a city
of professors and teachers and books and learning, and a city
of debaters. debaters of all things. And Paul
is stating plainly here that he was not going to be drawn
into their ways. He was not going to be influenced
by them. He was not going to be influenced
by them to engage in their speculation, in their philosophy, in their
human reason, wisdom, and logic. But he was determined to preach
nothing among them to proclaim nothing among them except Jesus
Christ and him crucified." Now, see if that's what you get. We'll
read verses 1 through 7. And I, brethren, when I came
to you, came to this city, I didn't come with excellency of speech
to fascinate you and to impress you, or wisdom, declaring unto
you the testimony which is the gospel of God. For I determined
This was a determination of my soul and heart not to know anything
among you. I'm not going to engage in your
political business. I'm not going to engage in your
educational process. I'm not going to engage in your
speculation and debates. I determined in my heart not
to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Holy Spirit. And all of
this, that your faith should not stand in a man's clever ways,
in a man's human logic, in a man's wisdom, but that your faith and
confidence and hope might rest might rest in the power of God.
So I'm determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and
him crucified. That's my message. That's what
I've determined here on television, in writings, wherever God opens
the door for me to preach. Brother Mann, do you mean by
that that Paul and your following his pattern that you don't talk
about anything when you're teaching and preaching but the day of
crucifixion? Is that all you're going to talk about? If Paul
only preached the immediate and actual sufferings of Christ on
the tree, Christ and him crucified, and you spend all your messages
and all your time talking about how he was tried and how he bore
his cross out to Golgotha's hill and how when there They put nails
in his hands, some say in his wrists, and in his feet. Some say it was across this way
with a crossbar, and some say it was just a straight-up tree
and that his legs were behind it. And you describe his sufferings
and the blood and all these things that took him down and put him
in a grave, and that's the end of your message. Certainly not. But let me tell
you this, and I'll point out about 7 or 8 or 9 things here.
If we preach Christ and him crucified, in preaching Christ crucified,
we will preach the attributes and the character of God which
gave birth to the cross. In other words, we leave that
cross, not ever really leaving it, not ever really leaving it,
but we go back before the foundation of the world, for he was the
Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. And we take that
cross up there in the purpose and plan of God, and we see in
that cross all the character and attributes of God who determined
to save sinners. Look at verse 24 of chapter 1. But unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God. Christ is
the wisdom of God. When I preach Christ crucified,
I'm preaching God's eternal power and determination to save. I'm
preaching God's righteousness, God's holiness, I'm preaching
God's justice. In order to be just and justify,
Christ must die. If we preach Christ and him crucified,
we not only preach the character of God and the attributes of
God, which include his holiness, his righteousness, his justice,
his love and his mercy, but we preach the sovereignty of God,
his eternal purpose, his eternal covenant, his eternal will. Turn
with me to Acts chapter 4. You can't preach the cross of
Christ without preaching the sovereignty of God. Because his
death was not an accident. His death was ordained, his death
was predestinated, his death was planned, his death was purposed.
Look at Acts 4, verse 27. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to gather together
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
it to be done." When we preach the cross of Christ, we preach
the eternal purpose of God. We preach the glory and sovereignty
of God. We preach that everything is
planned and purposed by God in his eternal decrees and carried
out on the cross of Calvary. If we preach Christ and him crucified,
we preach the eternality and deity and glory of the Son of
God. Turn to John 17. In John 17,
this is the prayer of Christ before he went to Calvary. And
he's talking about this suffering which he will accomplish on the
tree. In John 17, verse 2, listen to it. As thou hast given him
power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that
they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished
the work you gave me to do." How do you preach the cross without
preaching God's justice and holiness and righteousness? How do you
preach the cross without preaching the covenant that devised the
cross? And a sovereign God who purposed
the cross. And how do you preach Christ
crucified without preaching Christ in his eternal deity? For the
death of Christ would be no more than the death of any other criminal
if he were not the God-man. See what I'm saying? Fourthly,
if we preach Christ and him crucified, We preach the electing, unchangeable,
eternal, conquering love of Jehovah to the sheep he's determined
to save. Turn to John 10. Christ Jesus
died not at random. Christ Jesus died not as a martyr. Christ Jesus died not as a reformer. Christ Jesus died not as an example. Christ Jesus died as a substitute. A sin offering. John chapter
10, if you will, verse 14 through 16. I'm the good shepherd. I
know my sheep, and have known of mine. As the Father knoweth
me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. Who gave them to him? The Father did. And other sheep
I have, which are not of this foal. They're mine. They were
given me. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice,
and they shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth
my Father love me, because I lay down my life." You can't preach
an election without preaching a cross. You can't preach God
giving the Son of people without preaching Christ dying for those
people. Turn to Matthew chapter 1. This was the message which
the angel delivered to Joseph when he announced the birth of
Christ. In Matthew 1, verse 21, he said to Joseph, And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, that is,
Savior, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now this
was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child.
and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Immanuel, which is being interpreted, God with us." Now, my friend,
take any of that passage there, take the cross out of it, and
you don't have a message at all. If you take the cross out, if
you try to preach God's character and God's attributes, you can't
preach God's holiness, righteousness, and justice without the cross.
If you talk about a covenant, if you talk about an election,
you can't preach an election without a cross. If you talk
about the redemption of a people and a sheep given to Christ,
it's got to, all of it, be preached around that cross. That's what
Paul is saying. I preach Christ and Him crucified. And in preaching Christ crucified,
I preach God's eternal righteousness and justice and holiness and
covenant and election. All right? If we preach Christ
and him crucified, we preach justification by faith without
works. Turn to John 3, if you will. John 3, justification by faith
without works. In John 3, now listen, you can't
feed works in here at all. You can't feed human deeds and
human effort. Listen to John 3, verse 14. And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him--" Believeth in him how? Lifted up. Believeth in him crucified. How boldly declared that no man
can be saved by believing only in the virgin birth of Christ.
No man can be saved by just believing in the holy life of Christ. Christ
has got to be believed as a Redeemer, as a sacrifice, as a sin offering,
as a substitute. Faith in Christ embraces him
as our Redeemer, as our representative, as our effectual sin offering.
Now in the sixth place. Paul said this in Galatians 2.21.
Turn to Galatians 2.21. I want you to look at this. Galatians
2, verse 21. Galatians 2.21. I do not frustrate
the grace of God. If righteousness, if holiness,
if acceptance with God come by law, then Christ died in vain. See how central the gospel, how
central the cross is? If righteousness come to the
law, then all of that was in vain. Now look at the sixth place. If we preach Christ in him crucified,
we preach the preservation and perseverance of believers. How
can we comprehend all that took place on Calvary? Here the Lord
Jesus was born of a virgin. Well, go back to eternity. God
purposed and planned to send his Son into the world, and every
type and picture and pattern pointed to him. And then, in
that day, the angels came down to the shepherds and said, We
bring you good tidings of great joy unto you is born a Savior,
Christ the Lord. And these angels found him, and
these shepherds found him, and then our Lord lived on this earth.
And then he came to that trial and that agony in the garden,
and he went to the cross, and there the forces of hell converged
upon him. And all of the wrath of men was
poured out upon him. They spit in his face. They drove
nails in his hands. They stood back and laughed at
him while he suffered and mocked him when he said, I thirst. And
then God the Father turned his back upon him The cloud and darkness
of God's wrath fell upon him, and he drank the very bitter
dregs of the cup of God's indignation and wrath, and he died alone,
crying, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? And then all this is over, and the
world is ended, and Christ is there in glory. And he begins
to look for his sheep. And there's a vacant chair and
a vacant chair and a vacant chair and a vacant chair. Where are
my sheep? Well, they fell away. They perished. You mean after all this? After
all this, after all this eternal purpose and planning and suffering
and agony that I died for people that aren't here? Brethren, let
me tell you something. That's foolish. Turn to Isaiah
53. Listen to the word here. Isaiah
53. I don't know who his sheep are,
but I know he said, My sheep, hear my voice, I give them eternal
life, and they'll never perish. I don't know the people over
this world out of every tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue under
heaven for whom Christ died, but I know those for whom he
died will be redeemed. Not one will be lost. He shall
not fail. Listen to Isaiah 53, 10. It pleased
God to bruise him. This cross business is not the
plan of men, it's the plan of God. This death of his son is
not That's not man carrying out his designs. That's man giving
vent to his wrath and hatred, but that's man carrying out God's
designs. Pleased the Lord to bruise him,
he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong
his days of pleasure. The Lord shall prosper in his
hand. He shall see the travail of his
soul and shall be satisfied. And by his knowledge shall my
righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities."
He's not going to fail. When I preach a cross and Christ
crucified, I preach an effectual redemption. a redemption that
redeems, a ransom that ransoms, a salvation that saves. Christ
shall not fail. He shall preserve his people
and they shall persevere. Turn to Jeremiah 32. He's not
going to preserve them against their will, he's going to make
them willing. He's not going to put them in chains, except
chains of love. He's not going to beat them to
heaven with a whip. He's going to write his law in
their hearts. In Jeremiah 32, 38, and they
shall be my people, and I will be their God. I'll give them
one heart and one way. They fear me forever for the
good of them and their children. Now listen, and I'll make an
everlasting covenant with them, and I will not turn away from
them to do them good. But I will put my fear in their
hearts, that they shall not depart from me." It works both ways.
God's not going to desert his people, and they're not going
to desert their God. God's not going to depart from them, and
they're not going to depart from him. God is not going to cease
to bless them, and they're not going to cease to call on him.
John said if they had been of us, they no doubt would have
continued with us. But they went out from us, and it might be
evident that they were not of us. When I preach the cross of
Christ, I am preaching perseverance, I am preaching preservation,
I am preaching God Almighty fulfilling all that he set out to fulfill
in the death of his Son. If we preach Christ in him crucified,
we preach holiness of character and an obedient walk on behalf
of believers, for we have been crucified with Christ, buried
with Christ, and risen with Christ to walk in newness of life. Turn
with me to the book of Romans. That's what he's saying here
in Romans chapter 6. My friends, a believer never justifies his
failures, his sins. He never justifies his rebellion. He wants to glorify God. He wants
to bring glory to the God who called him out of darkness into
his marvelous light. Listen to Paul in Romans 6, beginning,
if you will, with verse 6. Knowing this, that our old man,
our old nature, is crucified with Christ, that the body of
sin might be destroyed. That henceforth we should not
serve sin, we should not live in sin. He that is dead is freed
from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ,
we believe we shall also live with Christ. Knowing that Christ
being, and you see how this holiness of life and character is based
on the death of Christ. Knowing that Christ being raised
from the dead dieth no more, and death hath no more dominion
over him, in that he died, he died under sin, in that he liveth,
he liveth under God. Likewise, reckon ye yourselves
also, just as Christ died under the wrath of God for our sins,
and was buried and rose without sin. Reckon ye yourselves indeed. to be dead unto sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Don't let sin reign
in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in the lust thereof.
Turn to Galatians 5. Galatians 5, verse 19. And I'm saying this as bold as
I know how to say it. People who use salvation by grace
as an excuse for sin do not know what salvation by grace is. People
who use salvation by the death of Christ as an excuse to walk
in rebellion against God and in sin have not even tasted of
the grace of God, because the grace of God makes us new creatures
in Christ. It makes God's people truthful
people, honest people, righteous people, people who walk in the
Spirit and not in the flesh. Listen to Galatians chapter 5,
beginning with verse 19. Now, the works of the flesh are
manifest. Which are these? Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
various emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying,
murder, drunkenness, revelings, and such like of the which I
tell you before as I've told you in times past. that they
which do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. They
that live this kind of life shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
They that walk in this vein reveal that they do not know the grace
of God. They've never been crucified
with Christ and never risen to walk in newness of life. But
here's the fruit of the Spirit. Here's the fruit of a spirit
in dwelt life. Listen to it. joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against
such there is no law. Now, watch this. And, my friends,
all of this is preached in the light of what happened at Calvary.
Look at the next verse. And they that belong to Christ,
they that are Christ's people, have crucified the flesh. When? That's when I died, when
Christ died. I died to the world. I died to
the temptations of this world. I died to the ambitions of this
world. I died to the ways of this world. I died to the companionship of
this world. I died to a worldly attitude
and spirit. When Christ died, I died. The
old man was crucified with Christ. with the affections and the lust.
That's when it took place. But you can't preach holiness
without preaching Christ crucified. People misunderstand this, and
I think they misunderstand it deliberately. I preach God's
holiness and righteousness and demands on believers, but I do
it in the light of the cross. Here's the eighth thing. If we
preach Christ and him crucified, we preach his glorious resurrection
and our resurrection. His interest in the glory is
my interest in the glory. His return is for his own. Turn to John 14. We have no hope of resurrection
if Christ be not raised. We have no hope of sin being
put away if Christ did not die. We have no hope of eternal glory
if Christ does not return. It's all based on his work, his
personal work. John 14. Let not your heart be
troubled, speaking to his disciples. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
dwelling places. That's not mansions in the sense
that you see a big house on a hill with six columns. That's dwelling
places. If it were not so, I would have
told you, and I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you unto myself, that while I am there you may be also." Now then,
how can you preach the return of Christ, even a millennium
or a thousand-year reign or whatever you want to preach about his
return, when he's coming and how he's coming and with whom
he's coming and what he'll do when he comes. How can you preach
all that Christ's coming to effect a glorious kingdom if you don't
preach Christ on the cross purchasing that kingdom? That's what I think. There is the important point.
He cannot bring into effect a kingdom that he does not have. The way
to the crown is by way of the cross. You can't bypass it. So when we preach Christ crucified,
we preach the results of his crucifixion. We preach the reward
of his crucifixion. We preach the glorious accomplishments
of his crucifixion. On the cross he bought us and
he bought that kingdom. Turn to Romans chapter 14. Let
me show you something here. Talking about his Lordship and
his kingship and his deity. Romans 14.9, it says in Romans
14.9, for to this end, to this end, Christ both died and rose
and revived, that he might be Lord of the dead and the living.
He died that he might be Lord of the dead and the living. And
then in the next place, and finally, John 16. Turn over there a minute.
We preach Christ crucified. Christ crucified. John 16. We
preach the work of the Holy Spirit. But you can't preach the work
of the Holy Spirit apart from the cross, because apart from
the cross, the Holy Spirit has no work. He can't reveal a Redeemer
it didn't redeem. And it says here in John 16,
verse 7, listen to this. Nevertheless, I tell you the
truth, it's expedient for you that I go away, and if I go away,
the Comforter, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come.
But if I depart, I'll send him to you, and when he's come, he
will reprove the well of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
Of sin, because they believe not on me. Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father. of judgment, because the Prince
of this world is judged. All conviction of the Holy Spirit
is Christ-related. It's related to Christ in his
death. You see that? The Holy Spirit is going to come
and convince sinners of sin. Of sin, why? The sin of unbelief.
And that's the granddaddy of all sin, because they believe
not on me. What is there about Christ that
we believe? Christ in his redemptive character. He's convincing the
world of righteousness because I go to my Father. The Father
accepted the righteousness that he accomplished. The fact that
Christ has gone to the Father and been admitted into the presence
of the Father is to declare from the Father that his righteousness
is accepted. What righteousness did he accomplish?
He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. You can't preach righteousness
without Christ crucified. And then of judgment, because
the prince of this world is judged. Where was he judged? The seed
of woman shall bruise the serpent's head. When did he bruise the
serpent's head? When the serpent bruised his
heel. on Calvary's cross. That's when he crushed the power
of Satan. The cross, the cross. Read on. Verse 13, "...howbeit
when he is come, the Spirit of truth, when he is come, he will
guide you into all truth, he will not speak of himself." Oh,
how we need to learn this, he'll not speak of himself. He's not
going, Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost. He's going to speak
of me. Whatsoever he shall hear that
shall he speak, he shall show you things to come, he shall
glorify me, he shall receive of mine, and show it unto you."
What's he going to show unto you? Christ crucified. That's
the main thrust of this text. Go back to the text. I'm going
to quit, but I want you to see something here. This is so vital. This is what Paul is saying to
that city of Corinth. The New York of today, or the
Washington, or the Los Angeles, or the Dallas, or the Louisville,
or Lexington, or the Cincinnati, and Paul goes to that city of
all of its prestige, and influence, and power, all of its worldly
effect, and wisdom, and universities, and colleges, and all these things,
and learn people, human logic. He said, I'm determined. I'm
determined to know nothing among you except Christ crucified. But I'll tell you this, in preaching
Christ crucified, brethren, we preach all that God purposed
and planned from before the foundation of the world to what God Almighty
will effect and bring to pass and eternity to come. We preach
God's holiness and righteousness and character. We preach God's
purpose, we preach the elective grace of God, the redemption
of his sheep. We preach the holiness and godliness
of his people. We preach a death to our old
man and a resurrection to walk in newness of life. We preach
his eternal kingdom, his intercession, his mediatorial work, his return. We preach all of those things.
That's the thrust. But here's the question I'm asking
in closing. Look at our text firmly one more
time, just sit and look at it a moment. Paul said, verse 2,
I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ,
him crucified. Now, here's my question. That's
Paul's statement. He believed and loved Christ
crucified, trusted Christ crucified. Now, here's my question. I know
that's what Paul believed. Was that what I believed? Do
I know Christ and Him crucified? Do I know about Him or do I know
Him? Do I know Christ, believe Christ, embrace Christ, rest
in Christ? Have I come to that personal
determination myself? I know that's what the prince
of preachers said. I know that's what the great
apostle said. I know that's what the writer of 13 or 14 books
said. But I want to know, is that what
I say and you say? I am determined. to know nothing,
say, Jesus Christ, him crucified. I can tell you this, two things,
and I'll quit. This knowledge of Christ is the
essence of scripture. I hear a lot of people who say,
well, I know my Bible, I know my Bible, but I'm saying this
to you. A person who does not know Christ
and him crucified really has no understanding of this book.
And you may know it, you may know some clarity, you may know,
like I was talking to somebody last night, you may know where
the middle verse in the Bible is. Some people take great pleasure
in knowing stupid things like that. So I ask one another, you
know the shortest book in the Bible? You know the shortest
verse in the Bible? You know where submarines are
found in the Bible? You know where airplanes are found in
the Bible? You know there weren't three wise men, there were more
than three? I heard two fellas sit for an hour one night and
talk about that. It never says there were three. I know my Bible,
it never says there were three wise men. Let me tell you something. Turn to Luke 24. Luke 24. This is so serious what I'm talking
about here. Luke 24, and I see these television
programs asking questions about the Bible, and they know the
king that was over the ten tribes and the king over the two tribes
and all that sort of thing. Here is understanding the scriptures.
Listen, Luke 24, verse 44. He said to them, These are the
words which I have spake unto you, while I was yet with you.
that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law
of Moses, in the Prophets, in the Psalms concerning me. Then
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the
Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus
it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." That's
the knowledge of the Word, the person. eternity, in his deity,
in his incarnation, in his righteous life, in his crucifixion, in
his burial and resurrection. My friends, in Genesis he's the
seed of woman and the seed of Abraham. In Exodus he's the Passover
lamb slain. In Leviticus he's the scapegoat,
the tabernacle, the priest, the atonement. In Numbers he's the
brazen serpent and the Smitten Rock in Deuteronomy, he's the
city of refuge. In Joshua, he's Rahab's thread. In Ruth, he's the kinsman redeemer.
And you can go right on through the Word. Every application,
every revelation by these men who penned this Word for the
power of the Spirit was to point to Christ crucified. That's so. Now, here's the second thing
I was going to show you. This knowledge of Christ crucified
is the foundation of all spiritual knowledge. Now, turn to 2 Peter
3. I don't know whether I can make
this plain to you or not, but I just know this is so. This
knowledge of Christ crucified, Christ our substitute, Christ
our Redeemer, is the foundation of all spiritual knowledge. Spiritual
knowledge is knowing Christ crucified. I look at 2 Peter 3, verse 18. Growing in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and what? Savior, Jesus Christ. Growing in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are inseparable. Growing
in grace and in the knowledge of Christ are inseparable. You
grow in grace as you grow in the knowledge of Christ. See
what I'm saying, Charlie? Those who have grace have it
in Christ crucified. And those who grow in grace grow
through a better knowledge of Christ crucified. I'll just show
you this briefly. Faith. Job said, I know that
my Redeemer liveth. I know that my Redeemer. I know
him in what character? My Redeemer. Hope. Turn to I
Peter 1. Look at this. Growing in hope,
I Peter 1, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Love. Our Lord tells us in John
15 to love one another as he loved us. Greater love hath no
man than this, that he lay down his life. Comfort and assurance. Romans 8, Paul said, who is he
that condemneth? Christ died. Giving. In 2 Corinthians 8, believers
are exhorted to give. Motivated by what? Christ who
was rich became poor for our sakes. He gave himself. Forgiving. How are we exhorted to forgive
one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, forgave us? This
knowledge of Christ and him crucified is profound and endless. Eternity
itself cannot fully unfold the glory of Christ crucified, for
in heaven they cry, worthy is the Lamb that was slain." That's
their theme. And I'll tell you this, the only soft pillar for a weary
head, when this old journey is over
and when you're tired, The knowledge of this world, all of it, the
wisdom of this world, all of it, the riches of this world,
all of it, the influence of this world, all of it, the popularity
of this world, all of it, can give you no peace. It can't bring you through the
judgment, and it can't give you an entrance into God's Kingdom.
But I'll tell you, if your heart and mind and soul is filled not
with the doctrines of grace, not with all of the Bible knowledge
and theology that you've accumulated through the years, but if your
heart, mind, soul, and everything is filled with an appreciation
for and an understanding of and a love for Christ crucified,
I tell you, that old weary head will lie softly on that pillar. It will lie softly. It'll lie
softly, because that's the whole confidence, faith, expectation
of sinners, is Christ in him crucified. And I know that people misunderstand,
because they don't want to understand. But I still say, I confidently
say, openly say, with the Apostle Paul, I'm determined not to be
sidetracked. I'm going to know Christ and
Him crucified, among you and among whomever, and especially,
Mike, in here, Christ and Him crucified. I once was lost, but
now I'm found, and by God's grace I'm heaven-bound. But my only
hope, my only plea, is when He died, He died for me. That's
my plea. Because Christ was crucified,
we can call Thee our Father, because He died for us, because
He put away our sins, washed them in His own precious blood. We thank Thee for Your Word.
We thank Thee for every precious promise. We thank Thee for the
precious blood. We thank Thee, Lord, for precious
faith. We thank Thee for precious hope. as we have in Christ and
him crucified. Use this message to glorify your
matchless name, for you alone are worthy. Blessed we pray thee
tonight as we assemble around the table once again to set forth
to thee our faith in, to ourselves our rest in, and to our children
instructions in Christ and him crucified. You'll honor those that honor
your son, we claim thy promise. For his glory we pray, amen.