A Return to Plain Preaching

Q: What does the Bible say about plain preaching?

The Bible emphasizes the importance of preaching the gospel plainly, as exemplified by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Paul underscores that he did not rely on eloquence or worldly wisdom when preaching the gospel. Instead, he focused on declaring 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified' to ensure that faith rests not on human persuasion but on the power of God. This calls for a return to plain preaching that communicates the gospel clearly and effectively, making it accessible to all listeners, rather than indulging in intricate arguments that may obscure the message.

Q: How do we know the importance of understanding our need for salvation?

The need for salvation is highlighted in Scripture as humans are inclined to seek God amid the awareness of life, death, judgment, and eternity. Awareness of concepts such as life, death, judgment, and eternity is fundamental in understanding our need for salvation. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in awakening a dead sinner to recognize his need for God's grace. As Paul urges, seeking the Lord while He may be found is a commandment, illustrating the urgency in recognizing our mortality and the reality of divine judgment. Without such awareness, the desire for salvation may remain dormant, and thus, understanding these truths stimulates genuine interest in seeking the Lord.

Q: What leads to a genuine conviction of sin?

Genuine conviction of sin arises from the Holy Spirit's work, the law of God, and an encounter with God's holiness. A true conviction of sin is the result of the Holy Spirit convicting individuals of their sinfulness, the awareness brought by the law of God, and ultimately, an encounter with the holiness of God. When men behold God's holiness, as evidenced in the lives of Isaiah and Job, they recognize their wretchedness and fallible nature. This realization prompts a sincere desire for repentance and forgiveness, leading one to cry out for mercy and grace. Thus, seeing God's holiness illuminates the gravity of sin and fosters deep conviction.

Q: Why is understanding the Scriptures important for faith?

Understanding the Scriptures is essential for faith because they testify of Christ, who is the key to unlocking their meaning. The Scriptures are critical in cultivating and affirming faith in Jesus Christ. They reveal essential truths about God's redemptive plan, centered in Christ. As noted in Luke 24:27, Jesus explained to His disciples how all the Scriptures pointed to Him. True understanding comes not from human effort alone but through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. When Scriptures are understood in the context of Christ, they provide insight into His character, His law, and the way to salvation, thus nurturing genuine faith in believers.

Q: What is the foundation for living a holy life?

The bedrock motive for holiness is love for Christ, which is essential for genuine obedience. While fear of the Lord and adherence to His commandments can influence godliness, the fundamental motive for a holy life is love—love for Christ and for others. This love fulfills the law as stated by Jesus, who emphasized that love for God and neighbor encapsulates the essence of all commandments. A life motivated by love produces genuine kindness and obedience, contrasting sharply with actions stemming from mere obligation or fear. This love is a transformative power that compels individuals towards holiness and righteousness, as expressed in Galatians 5:14.

My subject this morning is a
return to plain preaching. A return to plain preaching. Now, that's been the aim and
goal of this television ministry ever since we've been on this
station. To return to the preaching of the gospel in words that men
and women, at least in their heads, can understand. They may
not believe it. They may not receive it. but
at least in their heads they know what we're saying." Now,
this is what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 2, verses 1 through
5. I want you to listen while I
read the Scripture, if you'd like to. Open your Bible with
me and read 1 Corinthians 2, verses 1 through 5. Paul says,
"...Brethren, when I came to you, I came not with excellency
of speech, or of wisdom, Now he's writing to Corinth, to the
church at Corinth. And you know a little bit about
the city of Corinth. It was a city of philosophers,
a city of so-called wise men, a city of education, a city of
orators. And he says, when I came to you
preaching the gospel, I didn't come preaching the gospel with
excellence of speech, intellectualism, or of wisdom. declaring unto
you the testimony of the gospel of God, for I determined not
to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
human weakness, I was with you 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 Spirit, the Holy Spirit,
and of power, that your faith should not stand in my wisdom,
in my arguments, in my doctrines or logic, but in the power of
God." Now, my friends, I believe the greatest need of the church,
television ministry, of preachers, people, the greatest need of
our day is a return to plain Bible preaching. Preaching that's
true to the scriptures, and preaching that men and women can understand. Answering questions that people
are asking. Not answering questions that
nobody cares about, but dealing with the issues that concern
the people. Now, Paul was conscious of this.
I can see that he's conscious of this need in his day. In our
text, he talks about his own preaching. Listen how he describes
his own preaching. And he's speaking to a city that
greatly appreciated enticing words of man's wisdom, intellectualism. He's talking to people who were
intrigued with these things. And he said, when I came to you
preaching the gospel, I did not come with wisdom of words. I did not use worldly wisdom. I did not come with fine oratory. I didn't come with excellency
of speech. It doesn't matter if my speech
is plain and contemptible. At least you understand what
I'm saying," he said. And I didn't come with enticing
words of man's wisdom. I didn't come arguing and debating. Everybody wants to debate and
argue. But my friends, preaching, the
kind of preaching that God blesses, the kind of preaching that God
uses, the kind of preaching we need to hear, is the preaching
in the power of the Holy Spirit. That's what Paul said. I came
preaching in the Spirit and in the power of God. And the end
of that preaching, notice the last verse, he says that your
faith, your hope should not stand in the wisdom of men. Well, I
believe this because I was just persuaded that it was true by
a certain speaker I heard. He was so persuasive. He was
so convincing. And Paul said, I don't want your
faith to stand in my persuasion or in my arguments. I want your
faith to stand in the power of God. that your faith should not
stand in the wisdom of men. If one man can talk you into
a position, another man can talk you out of that position. If
one man can talk you into a religion, another can come along who's
a better speaker or a little smarter and talk you out of that
position. Those people down in Samaria,
when the Samaritan woman heard the Master, she went down into
the city and she said, come and see a man that told me everything
I've ever done. Is not this the Christ? Is not
this the Messiah? And they went running out and
heard the Master. And then they turned to the woman
and they said, Now we believe. Now we believe. Not because of
your words, but because we have heard Him ourselves. And that's what Paul is saying
here. I didn't come to you with oratory and excellency of speech
and enticing words of man's wisdom and debate and logic argument
and intellectualism. He said, I came to you in the
power of the Spirit, preaching the Word of God, that your faith
should not stand in my wisdom, nor in the arguments of men,
nor in the schemes of men, but that your faith should stand
in the Word and in the power of God. Paul himself said, I
know whom I have believed. I am persuaded he is able to
keep that which I have committed to him. against that day. It's a personal, living, intimate,
vital union with Jesus Christ. That's salvation. Now, return
to plain preaching. I'm going to deal this morning
with five questions. I have five questions I believe
need to be answered. I have five questions I believe
that you're concerned about. I have five questions here dealing
with five important issues faced by every one of us. I'm talking
to myself as well as to you. And let's try to deal with these
issues in such a way that at least when we get through today,
that you won't have to turn to your neighbor and say, well,
what did he say? Well, that was pretty, but what
did he say? I think you're going to know
what I've said when I finish. All right, here's the first question.
Let me give you all five questions, then I'll come back to the first
one. so that you might be interested enough to stay with me through
the whole message. But here are the five questions.
What creates a real interest in salvation? How does a man
get an interest in seeking the Lord? Some of you are interested
and some of you may not be, but what creates a real interest?
Secondly, what promotes true conviction of sin and the need
of forgiveness? Thirdly, what leads to a genuine
faith in Jesus Christ? And then fourthly, how are the
scriptures open to our understanding? How can a man understand the
scriptures? You say, that'll be a dandy if
you can deal with it. I think I can. And then fifthly,
what is the bedrock motive for holiness of character, conversation,
and conduct? Bedrock motive. You men know
what I'm talking about when I say the bedrock. That's the bottom
foundation for holiness of life. We appeal to people for holiness,
holiness, holiness. Well, what's the bedrock foundation?
All right, here's the first question. What creates a genuine interest
in salvation? What will truly lead a man to
seek the Lord? Now, the Scripture commands us
to seek the Lord. It says, seek ye the Lord while
he may be found. Call upon Him while He's near.
We're commanded to seek the Lord. The Scripture says, Seek ye first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added unto you. Our God says, You shall seek
Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Now,
some men do seek the Lord. Some of you are seeking the Lord,
but some do not. So my question is, why do some
men seek the Lord and some do not? What creates this interest
in grace? What creates an interest in salvation? What creates an interest in the
mercy of God? Well, I know this first, it's
the Holy Spirit who awakens a dead sinner to his need, who awakens
him to an interest in God's grace. The scripture says, You have
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. So we allow
that. That's so. It's the Holy Spirit
who makes men alive, who quickens, who regenerates, who gives us
an interest in the saving grace of God. But there are four words
which, if they make the proper impact on you and me, will stimulate
an interest in seeking the Lord. There are four words. if they
make the proper impact. These are powerful words. Powerful
words. They're four words. If they make
the proper impact on you and me, they'll turn us to seek the
Lord. You know what those four words
are? Life, death, judgment, eternity. I have a life to live. What is
life without peace, rest, and joy? What is life without comfort
hope. Death. I have a death to die.
I'm going to die someday. I talked about this last Sunday.
I hope you heard that message. I have a death to die. It's real. It's real. And then the scripture
says, it's appointed unto men once to die, and after that,
judgment. Every man shall give an account
of himself to God. That's what scripture says. We
shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. The Scripture
says, "...the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in it. And all men,
small and great, rich and poor, black and white, old and young,
stand before God, and the books will be opened." And then there's
an eternity to spend. And I'll guarantee you, my friend,
if those words ever make an impact on your mind and heart, you're
going to go to seeking, you're going to want some answers. You're
going to seek the Lord. That's right. It's as simple
as that. It's as plain as that. How dreadful to face death without
God, judgment without a mediator, and eternity without any hope.
And that's what I'm saying. I'm saying that when these words
make an impact on a man's heart and mind, he's going to seek
some answers. Now, he may laugh and joke and
live foolishly and carnally and give no concern and no thought
to eternity. That's what our Lord said about
the rich young man. He said, you're a fool. Tonight
your soul will be required of you. It's as simple as that.
When we become aware of the seriousness of life, of the certainty of
death, of the surety of judgment, and of the length of eternity,
we'll seek Him who alone has the answers and who has the hope. Seek the Lord. Now that's the
foundation there. What leads a man to seek the
Lord? And that man who realizes the
importance of these four words, he's not going to settle for
some foolish answers. He's not going to settle. He's
not going to commit his soul into the hands of somebody who
can't even keep their own souls. He's going to look for a stronger
foundation. He's going to look for a more
certain foundation and hope. All right, here's the second
question. What promotes a true conviction of sin? and the need
for forgiveness. Conviction of sin. What really
promotes a true conviction of sin? When a man cries, like the
publican, what led him to say, Oh God, be merciful to me, the
sinner. What really promotes a true conviction
of sin? What brought the harlot to the
feet of Christ and caused her to bathe his feet with tears
and dry them with the hairs of her head? What really made the
Apostle Peter cry unto the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, depart from
me, I'm a sinful man? Well, I know first of all it's
true the Holy Spirit convinces a man of sin. Scripture tells
us that. Our Lord said, and he, the Spirit,
the Comforter, when he is come, he'll convince the world of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment. I know the Holy Spirit. Secondly,
I know it's the law of God which gives us the knowledge of sin.
By the law is the knowledge of sin. Paul said, I would not have
known sin had not the law said, thou shalt not covet. And then
it's true that conscience convinces men of sin. Our Lord tells us
about the heathen who have not the law, nevertheless do by nature
the things contained in the law, these having not the law, have
a conscience that accuses or excuses them. So the Holy Spirit,
the Word of God, and conscience. But, my friend, a real awareness
of sin, and the depth of sin, and the reality of sin, and the
truth of sin, is only learned and realized when we see and
become conscious of the holiness of God. Now, a man can look into
his own heart and conscience and be convinced to some extent,
to some degree, of the guilt of sin. He can look into a written
law and say, well, this is good as opposed to that. He can look
at the consequences of deeds and acts around him and say,
well, it would have been better if I had done this instead of
that. I was wrong to do this. It would have been better if
I had handled it. But if he wants to understand what sin is, who
sin is against, and the depths of sin, and the wretchedness
and depravity of sin, and the length and breadth of sin. He's
going to have to see it, not in the light of law or conscience
or rules, but in the light of God's holiness. And we'll show
you that in the Scripture. Isaiah, if you'll read the book
of Isaiah, chapter 5, you'll find Isaiah, who was a religious
man, a moral man, a prophet of God, and he was pretty hard on
everybody. In chapter 5 he says, Woe is
them, woe is them, woe is them, woe is them, five times, woe
is them. condemns people in chapter 6 verse 1 it says and when King
Uzziah died I saw the Lord Isaiah speaking I saw the Lord high
and lifted up his train filled the temple the cherubims and
seraphims covered their faces and their mouths they cried in
the presence of God holy holy holy And Isaiah said, when I
saw the holiness, the immaculate, immutable, infinite holiness
of God, I cried, not woe is them, woe is me. I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Take the prophet Job. The prophet
Job was a brilliant man, a man who loved righteousness and hated
evil, a man who defended righteousness, a man upon whom God Himself bragged
to Satan about Job's righteousness, that is, compared with other
men. Job, in chapter 42, said, Lord, God appeared to him out
of the whirlwind and spoke to him and rebuked him. And Job
said, Lord, I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but
now mine eye seeeth thee. I see the Lord. in his glory,
in his holiness. What's his reply? What's his
conclusion? Therefore I hate myself. I abhor myself. I repent in dust
and ashes. Daniel, who purposed in his heart. Daniel, who led a kingdom. Daniel,
who was a man of integrity. Daniel said, when I saw the Lord,
my comeliness, my beauty, my strength melted. into corruption. The prophet, the beloved Apostle
John, who lay on the master's chest at the Lord's table, said
on the Isle of Patmos, when I heard his voice, I turned to see who
was speaking. And he said, I saw him, and I
fell at his feet as a dead man. Yes, sir, that's when a man will
come to knowledge of what sin is, the depth, the length, the
breadth, the width of it, the depravity of it, the wretchedness
of it, the guilt of it, the filth of it, when he sees the holiness
of God. And as he sees the holiness of
God in direct proportion, he'll see the sinfulness of his sin.
The lesser man knows about God, the less he knows about his sins.
David cried, My sin is ever before me. Against thee and thee only
have I sinned. and done this evil in thy sight.
And Paul wrote in Romans 3.23, all have sinned and come short
of the law, of the rules and regulations, of the expectations
of the preacher in the church, of the glory of God. We sin and
come short of the glory of God. Here's a third question. What
leads to a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Genuine faith. What leads a man to faith in
Christ? Now there's some facts that are laid down in the scriptures
which are unchangeable. Facts. Will you listen to these
facts? These are facts. They're unchangeable as the throne
of God. They're unchangeable as the word
of God. Number one, the first fact is
this. The law of God, the holy law of God, must and shall be
honored. That's exactly right. Listen
to this scripture. Who shall stand in his presence? He that
hath clean hands and a pure heart. Listen to the scripture. Curse
it is everyone, curse it is everyone, everyone that continueth not
in all things written in the law to do them, not to admire
them or consent to them to do them. Listen to this, without
holiness, holiness, no man will see the Lord. Listen to Matthew
5.20, our Lord said, except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness, the holiness, of the scribes and Pharisees,
you're not going to enter the kingdom of God. How good does
a man have to be to enter the kingdom of God? Listen to me.
As perfect as God. As good as God. Now that's right. God's law will not be compromised.
It will not be repealed. It will not be destroyed. The
edge will not be taken off of it. It's going to be honored
by every man who enters heaven. It will be honored perfectly.
That's exactly right. Well, you say, how in the world
is a man, any human, going to enter heaven? Only through the
righteousness of another. That law is going to be honored
by you or by your substitute. You see, that's why Christ came
down here and lived 33 and a half years as a man. He was born.
He didn't come to destroy the law. He didn't come to dilute
the law. He didn't come to take the edge
off the law of God. He came to honor it. He came
to obey it. He came to fulfill it, he said.
He was born under the law. He was made under the law. He
was made of a woman to fulfill the law for us that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. Christ is our righteousness. He is the fulfillment of the
law. He honored God's law. By one man's disobedience, we
became sinners. By another man's obedience, we
became righteous. If you and I go to heaven tonight,
if we die tonight and go to heaven, we'll walk into heaven's gates
with a perfect righteousness, with a perfect holiness, with
a perfect record. But it won't be ours, it'll be
our substitutes, our lords, our saviors. His record, his obedience,
his merit, his righteousness. See what I'm saying? His holiness.
All right? That's a fact. Here's another
fact. The justice of God's going to
be satisfied. Scripture says God will in no
wise clear the guilty. God is not going to clear the
guilty. He's not going to look at the guilty and say, well,
I'm going to let you off. The guilty, the soul that sinneth,
is going to die. Every soul that sinneth will
die. The soul that sinneth shall die. Sin, when it's finished,
bringeth forth death. God's justice is going to be
honored. Well, you say, then we're all going to die. We are,
or our sacrifice is. We are, or our substitute is.
We are, or our sin offering is. Yes, somebody's going to die
for your sin. You are, or Christ is. And you
can't bring a basket of flowers to God and say, accept these
for my sin offering. Without the shedding of blood,
there's no forgiveness. There's no remission. That's
what the Scripture says. God says it's the blood that
maketh atonement for the soul. the soul that sinneth shall die.
That's why Christ died. He was wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was
laid upon him, by his stripes we're healed. Here's another fact. 1 Timothy
2.5, there's one God and one mediator between God and men. That's the man, Christ Jesus.
That's what God said. Only one high priest Only one
mediator, only one intercessor. Christ said, I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No man, no man cometh unto the
Father but by me. Now, when these truths are burned
into your souls, and I've stated them as clear as I can state
them, that's plain Bible preaching. God's law will be honored. God's
justice will be satisfied. And there is but one mediator,
one high priest, One righteousness, one holiness, one sin offering.
By one offering, Jesus Christ perfected forever them that are
sanctified. Then you'll have an interest
in Christ. And you'll close with Christ,
and you'll embrace Christ. All right, here's the fourth
question. How are the Scriptures open to a man's understanding?
Now, I know understanding comes by revelation. God reveals them
by His Spirit. I know that understanding can
only be taught of God. Scripture says, No man cometh
unto me, the Saviour saith, except my Father, draw him, and they
shall be all taught of God. He that hath learned of the Father
cometh unto me. I know God uses preachers and
teachers. The Ethiopian eunuch said, How can I understand it
except some man show me? But the key to the Scriptures,
the key to understanding the Scriptures, is Jesus Christ.
Listen to this, Acts 10.43, To him give all the prophets witness. to Christ. John 5, 39, ye search
the scriptures, in them ye think ye have life, there they which
testify of me. Listen, Luke 24, 27, and beginning
at Moses, that is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and all the prophets,
he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself. These are the words that I spake
unto you, Christ said, 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 may understand the Scriptures.
What was the key he used to open their understanding that they
may understand the Scriptures? Himself. He said, these are written
concerning me. In the Old Testament, Christ
is that rock. Christ is our Passover. Christ is Abel's lamb. Christ
is the tabernacle. Christ is the priesthood. Christ
is the sin offering. Christ is the atonement. That's
the key, my friend. You have the key when you have
Christ. The Bible is not just a book
of poetry, or the book of Proverbs, or the book of history, or the
book of science, or the book of beautiful love stories. It's
a book of redemption. How God can be just. and justify the ungodly. How
God can save sinners, not at the expense of His holiness,
not at the expense of His justice, not at the expense of any attribute,
but in keeping with every holy attribute. Last of all, what
is the bedrock motive for holiness of life? I know that by the fear
of the Lord, men depart from evil. That's one. I know that
God's laws and commandments are an influence for godliness of
character. I know that influence and reputation
have a decided effect upon our behavior, but the bedrock motive
for obedience is love. Love for Christ, love for one
another, love for all men, love for the gospel witness, love
for the Word of God, love for the church, love for your neighbor.
They came to our Master one day and he said, Master, which is
the greatest commandment? And our Lord said, The greatest
commandment is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, mind, soul, and strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two hang all the law and the prophets. Galatians 5.14,
For all the law is fulfilled in this word, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself. Pledge cards won't do it. Rules
and regulations won't do it. Discipline committees won't do
it. Appeals won't do it. Love is the bedrock motive. for any act of kindness, grace,
mercy, forgiveness, alms, or anything else. Now, I have two
messages on this tape. What is your life? And plain
preaching. If you want this message, these
messages, this tape, both messages cost two dollars. You write to
me, we'll send it to you. Until next Sunday, God bless
you.

A Return to Plain Preaching

What does the Bible say about plain preaching?

How do we know the importance of understanding our need for salvation?

What leads to a genuine conviction of sin?

Why is understanding the Scriptures important for faith?

What is the foundation for living a holy life?

Sermon Transcript

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A Return to Plain Preaching

What does the Bible say about plain preaching?

How do we know the importance of understanding our need for salvation?

What leads to a genuine conviction of sin?

Why is understanding the Scriptures important for faith?

What is the foundation for living a holy life?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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