We Preach Christ Crucified

I want you to open your Bibles
to the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 23 and 24. My subject today is, We Preach
Christ Crucified. Now listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians
1, 23 and 24. He writes, But we preach Christ
crucified unto the Jew a stumbling block unto the Greeks foolishness
or sheer nonsense, but unto them which are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Now there's
just one of two attitudes that a man can take toward the cross
of Jesus Christ, the cross of substitution, the cross of sacrifice,
the cross of the sin offering, just one of two attitudes. that
any man can take toward the cross of Jesus Christ and all that
it implies. First of all, either it's pure
nonsense, as Paul said, foolishness to the Greek, or else it's the
power and the wisdom of God. Now that's what he said in 1
Corinthians 1.18. For the preaching of the cross
to them who are perishing is foolishness, but unto them which
are being saved It, the preaching of the cross, is the power of
God. Now, I know why the preaching
of the cross of Christ, the cross of substitution, the cross of
sacrifice, the cross of sin offering, I know why it's foolishness to
the unbeliever. I know why it's foolishness to
the man who's perishing. First of all, it's foolishness
to him because it deals with a subject in which he has no
interest. It deals with salvation from
sin. He has no interest in salvation
from sin because he is not convinced that he's a sinner. That's what
they told the master when he was here on the earth. They said,
we be not sinners. And you won't find well people
hanging around the doctor's office. Our Lord said, the well have
no need of the physician. I'm not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. And the reason the cross of substitution
and the cross of shame and the cross of sacrifice is foolishness
to them who are perishing is because they do not see their
need of a cross. They do not see their sins. They're
not convinced that they're sinners, that they're ill-deserving, undeserving,
hell-deserving sinners in the sight of a holy God. So the cross
to them is foolishness. Now the second reason why the
cross is foolishness to them who are perishing is because
the cross does not recognize human merit. But it drags human
merit and human dignity out into the light of God's holy law and
pronounces it guilty. In Romans chapter 3 verse 19
the scripture says, let every mouth be stopped. and all the
world become guilty before God. And the reason the preaching
of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness is
because it does not recognize human merit, but pronounces our
righteousnesses as filthy rags. And my friends, when a man acknowledges
the need of a cross, when he acknowledges the need of a sin
offering, when he acknowledges the need of a sacrifice, He takes
sides with God against himself, against his sins, against all
human righteousness, and he's ready to declare with the Apostle
Paul, there's none righteous, not in the pulpit or the pew,
not in the church or in the world. There's none righteous, no, not
one. There's none that understandeth.
There's none that seeketh after God. They're all together become
unprofitable. The preaching of the cross is
to those who are perishing foolishness because it deals with a subject
in which they have no interest. Salvation from sin. And it denounces
human merit. It drags it out into the light
of the broken law and says, guilty, guilty, guilty. Now another reason
why the preaching of the cross is to those who are perishing
foolishness is because it has to do with It has to do with
declaring the righteousness and holiness of God. Have you ever
asked this question? How can God be just and justify
me? Have you ever asked this question?
How can I, an unclean sinner, be just and righteous in the
eyes of a holy God? If you cannot see the exceeding
sinfulness of sin, If you cannot see the infinite holiness of
God, then you cannot see the need of a cross to justify God's
holiness and justify God's righteousness, and the preaching of the cross
to you is foolishness. There's no need for the cross.
There's no need for the shame of it, or the suffering of it,
or the sin offering of it, or the sacrifice of it. There's
no need for it. Why did Jesus Christ have to
die? To those who are called, now
watch this, the preaching of the cross to those who are perishing,
it's nonsense, sheer nonsense, foolishness. They see no need
of it. They have no need of it. They
don't see the righteousness of God, the holiness of God, God
having a need of it, to be just and justify folks like us. But
to those who are called, now I want to pause right there.
Will you look at your Bible a moment? In 1 Corinthians 1 verse 23,
to those who are called, The scripture says in Romans 8, whom
he foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed to the image
of his son. And whom he predestinated, he
called. And whom he called, he justified. And whom he justified, he glorified. God called somebody. And those
are the people we're talking about here in 1 Corinthians 1,
23 and 24. To those who are perishing, the
cross is foolishness. to those who are being saved
or who have been called of God. Paul identified his conversion
in that way. He said, God call me by his grace. God who separated me from my
mother's womb, and call me by his grace. The old timers used
to talk about a general and an effectual call. Now, the general
call is the warning that goes out to all men. There are many
ways in which the general call is extendedâ€”nature, prophetess,
judgment, the law, the preaching of the gospel. But this effectual
call is accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit, the power
of the new birth, the power of regeneration. This effectual
call, this invincible call, and some say this irresistible call,
is the call of the Holy Spirit to God's sheep. Christ said,
my sheep hear my voice. They hear my voice and they follow
me. And they hear his voice because
he gives them a special, effectual call. And to those who are called,
now to those who are perishing, the cross is foolishness. They
see no need of it. They cannot see their sins, their
guilt, they cannot see God's holiness and righteousness, and
therefore there's no need of a cross. But to those who are
called, the preaching of the cross is the power of God and
the wisdom of God because, first of all, they see their sins.
With this effectual call of the Holy Spirit, with this regenerating
work of the Holy Spirit, with this new birth comes a knowledge
of sin. Listen to some of the great men
of God. David, listen to David, my sins
are ever before me. Listen to Job, I abhor myself,
I repent in sackcloth and ashes. Listen to the Apostle Paul, oh
wretched man that I am. Listen to Daniel, my comeliness
melted into corruption. Listen to Isaiah, I am a man
of unclean lips. Where did these men find this
out? How did they discover their sinfulness? their wretchedness.
How did they discover their guilt before God? With that effectual
call of the Holy Spirit came eyes to see, and ears to hear,
and a heart to understand. The disciples said to our Lord
one day, why do you speak to the multitude in parables? He
said, I speak to them in parables because they've got eyes, but
they cannot see. They've got ears, but they cannot
hear. Hearts they have, but they do
not understand. Blessed are your eyes, they see,
and blessed are your ears, they hear. Flesh and blood did not
reveal this to you, Peter, but my Father which is in heaven.
And when the Holy Spirit quickens a dead sinner, gives life to
a dead sinner, calls one of the sheep of Christ, He gives him
eyes not only to behold the glory of God, but to see his own wretchedness
and his own sinfulness. He gives him ears not only to
hear the voice of God, but he gives him ears to hear the holy
law of God, the holy law of God which condemns him and breaks
his heart and humbles him and brings him down in the dust at
the feet of Christ. With that effectual call comes
the knowledge of sin. If you have not seen sin in its
right relationship to God's law and to God's holiness, and if
you have not been convinced of your sin, not only outward but
inward, not only the sin of commission, but omission. Not only the sins
of your hands, but of your heart. Not only the sins of your acts,
but your attitude. Not only the sins of means, but
motive. If you have not seen that, you
have not been the object of God's effectual call. And not only
comes the knowledge of sin, but a knowledge of God's holiness.
Eli said this over in 1 Samuel, if a man's sin against God Who
shall stand for him? Who shall entreat for him? Those
who are called know one thing, they need a Savior. Those who
are called of God know that they're sinners and they need a ransom.
Job, one of those men said to Job, was it Elihu, Eliab who
said, deliver him from going into the pit, I've found a ransom. That's what a man who's called
of God knows, he needs a ransom. He needs a Redeemer. He needs
a Mediator. Righteousness says, with these
scales of holiness and truth, I have weighed man and found
him wanting. I've tried him and I've found
him lighter than vanity itself. I not only have found man destitute
of all that God requires, But I have found him in full rebellion
and enmity against the holy God. Righteousness says, I say, man
cannot be justified at the expense of the holy law of God. Man cannot
be justified at the expense of the righteousness of God. To
do so would retract all that God has said. God's righteousness
must be honored. God's law must be justified. And those who are called know
this, but they know something else. Listen. But God's love
speaks. Love and mercy answers righteousness. And love and mercy declares,
but O Lord, thou art plenteous in mercy. O Lord, thou art love. Is there not a way? May not a
ransom be found? May not an atonement be offered? Can one be found who can be the
mediator between God and men? Can one be found who is without
sin, whose character is such that he can bear the wrath of
God and satisfy the holiness of God? Is there not one who
can be identified with men, numbered with the transgressors, and at
the same time be identified with God so that he can put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself? and rise from the tomb and live
to plead his wounds and claim his reward? If such a one can
be found, surely his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace." Yes, there's one. Yes,
there's one. His name is Jesus Christ. What
the songwriters say, is there anyone can help us? who can give
the sinner peace when his heart is burdened down with pain and
woe, who can speak a word of pardon that affords a sweet release,
whose blood can wash and make us white as snow. Yes, there's
one, only one, the blessed, blessed Jesus. He's the one when afflictions,
sin, iniquity presses the soul and waves of trouble roll, and
you need a friend to help you, he's the one. Deliver him from
going down into the pit. I have found a ransom." Now,
the preaching of the cross, we preach Christ crucified. That's
what Paul said. I hope that's what we can say.
We don't preach about Christ, we preach Christ. We don't preach
about the gospel, we preach the gospel. We preach Christ crucified
to the unbeliever, to those who are perishing, to the wise and
prudent of this world, it's foolishness. It's foolishness because it deals
with a subject in which they have no interest, salvation from
sin. It discourages and brings down
human righteousness and human merit and puts it in its proper
perspective, guilty, filthy rags, unacceptable by God. It justifies
the holiness of God, the righteousness of God. But to those who are
called, the preaching of the cross of Jesus Christ is the
power of God to cleanse us from our sins and the wisdom of God
to justify his holiness and his righteousness. It is the power
of God and the wisdom of God. We know who died on that cross.
We know why he died on that cross. And I want to give you, in the
closing moments of this message, four reasons why Jesus Christ
died on that cross. You take your Bibles and follow
with me, will you? We preach Christ crucified. To
some, I know it's foolishness. I understand why you believe
it's foolishness. To some, it's the power of God
to remove all sin, of which we are definitely conscious in a
way. It's the wisdom of God to justify
His holiness and His righteousness. And I'll tell you why. The first
reason is this, he died on the cross that the scripture might
be fulfilled. Now you turn first of all to
John 19, verse 28 through 30, and read that, or mark it or
write it down. It says, Jesus, he's on the cross,
knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture
might be fulfilled, said, I thirst. that the scripture might be fulfilled. Here's another one, 1 Corinthians
15, 1 through 3. Paul's talking about the gospel
which he preached. And he said that gospel is this,
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried
and rose again according to the scriptures. What scriptures are
we talking about here? We're not talking about the New
Testament. We're not talking about Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians. Those scriptures were not written
when he spoke these words, that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
He said, I thirst. Those scriptures weren't even
written. We're talking about the Old Testament. Now if you'll
turn to Luke 24, 27. Now some people can't even see
Christ in the Old Testament. And my beloved friends, the Old
Testament is Christ in picture, It's Christ in prophecy, it's
Christ in promise. That rock is Christ, that manor
is Christ, that blazing serpent is Christ, that ark is Christ.
Listen to Luke 24, 27. Listen to this. And beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, that's beginning at Genesis,
Jesus Christ expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself. This trail of blood that ended
at Calvary started in the Garden of Eden. When God Almighty slew
an animal and used its skin to cover the nakedness of Adam and
Eve, that's a picture of God covering our sins and covering
our nakedness with the death of Christ. This trail of blood
that ended at Calvary began in the Garden of Eden and continued
outside that garden when Abel brought the blood sacrifice and
put it on the altar, and God accepted his sacrifice. And this
trail of blood continued on the doorpost in Egypt when they slew
the lamb and put the blood up there on the lintel and the sideposts. And God said, when I see the
blood, I'll pass over you. That animal blood had no power
to cleanse anybody's sins. How can anyone think that the
blood of an animal can justify the soul of a human being? But
that blood represents Christ's blood. That atonement represents
Christ's atonement. And it followed an unbroken line
of atonements and Passover's, an unbroken line of sacrifices
until Christ, our Passover, died on that cross. And he declared
It's finished. It is finished. What's finished? All of these types, all of these
pictures, all of these prophecies, all of these promises. Jesus
knowing that all things were now fulfilled. That the scripture
might be fulfilled said, I thirst. All things were accomplished.
Hebrews chapter 10 verse 14 says, by one offering, He has perfected
forever them that are sanctified. So Jesus Christ died on that
cross to fulfill the scriptures. If you read the Old Testament,
you'll find that the time of his death is prophesied, the
place of his birth in Bethlehem, his disciples, the forsaking
of his disciples, the denial of his disciples, that even the
price for which Judas sold him is in the Old Testament. When
they plucked out his beard, that's in the Old Testament. His cries
from the cross, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, is in Psalm
22. They cast lots for my garment, the soldiers at the foot of the
cross, that's in Psalms 22. The very words that the people
said around the cross is in the Old Testament. It's all right
there. He expounded to them in all the scriptures, beginning
at Moses and going through the prophets, the things concerning
himself. Get acquainted with the Old Testament,
and you'll get acquainted with Christ. Our Lord said to the
Pharisees, you search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have
life, but they are they which testify of me. Now, he wasn't
talking about the New Testament. It wasn't written there. He was
talking about the Old Testament. They testify of me. Moses wrote
of me. To him give all the prophets
witness. All right. Titus chapter 2 verse
14. He died that the scriptures might
be fulfilled. Secondly, he died, it says here
in Titus 2 verse 14, he gave himself that he might redeem
us from all iniquity. Isaiah 53 verse 5 says he was
wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon him. By his stripes
we are healed. 1 John 1 7 says, The blood of
Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. David wrote,
Happy is the man to whom God will not charge sin. Happy is
the man to whom God will not impute sin. Happy is the man
whose sins are forgiven. I know the death of Christ justified
God's holiness. I know the death of Christ honored
God's law. And I thank God for that, and
I rejoice in that. But I'm telling you this, the
thing that makes me happiest is that His blood puts away my
sins. That's right. The Scripture says
they're blotted out. The Scripture says they're cast
into the depths of the sea. The Scripture says God will remember
them no more. Can you think of God forgetting
anything? It seems impossible, doesn't
it? God can't learn anything, because God knows all things,
and God certainly can't forget anything. But God said this,
their sins and their iniquities, I'll remember no more. There's
a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins,
and sinners plunge beneath that flood. Do what? Lose all their
guilty stains. In Christ, there's no judgment,
no condemnation. The scripture says, He will present
you faultless before His throne of glory. In Christ, we are holy,
unblameable, and unreprovable. Know your sins, be a scarlet,
I'll make them as white as snow." Wouldn't you like to hear the
Lord say to you right now, thy sins be forgiven thee? Wouldn't
that be great? Well, that's what he says to
everyone who trusts and believes in and receives Christ, because
by his death and by his blood, it says he redeemed us from all
iniquity. Then the third reason, he died
that he might be Lord. Listen to Romans 14.9. To this
end, Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be
Lord both of the dead and the living. Now, it's true that Jesus
Christ bought the world. Yes, sir, it's his. God Almighty
has turned everything over to Christ. That's right. He is the
heir of all things. He became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted
him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue
confess that he is Lord." He is Lord. But this scripture is
referring to his Lordship over his people, both those who are
living and those who have gone on to glory, both the living
and the dead. He is our prophet. He is our
priest. But he is also our Lord and our
King. And the scripture says, he died
that we should not live unto ourselves, but that we should
live unto him who died and rose again. Now last of all, he died
that he might show the exceeding riches of his grace. That's right.
That in the ages to come, that's in Ephesians chapter 2, that
in the ages to come, he might show, demonstrate, reveal, manifest,
put on display. the exceeding riches of his grace
in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. I'm going to answer
some questions for you right here. Listen to this carefully.
This is the end, or goal, of God permitting man to fall. That's
right. I can't explain all this now,
but I know it's so. This is the goal, this is the
end of God permitting man to fall, that in the ages to come,
He might demonstrate His grace. This is the end of God permitting
the world to continue in rebellion, that He might reveal or demonstrate
the riches of His grace. This is the end of Christ coming
into this world, becoming flesh, dying on a cross, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace.
This is the end of the cross and redemption and the calling
of the Holy Spirit and the saving of the lost that he might show
the exceeding riches of his grace. We are objects of his grace.
God Almighty saved you to the praise of the glory of his grace. I want you to read Ephesians,
the first chapter, the whole chapter. And it tells about the
work of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in redemption.
And when it describes the work of each one, at the conclusion
of that description it says, to the praise of the glory of
his grace. Now, these messages that I preach
to you on television can be obtained by writing to me. There's a small
charge for the message. You get two messages on each
cassette tape. If you write to me, the title
of this message is, We Preach Christ. This Sunday's message
and next Sunday will be on the same tape. Let us hear from you.

We Preach Christ Crucified

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We Preach Christ Crucified

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