The Message of the Cross

I want you to open your Bibles
to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18. My message
today is the message or the word of the cross. What is the message
or the word of the cross? In 1 Corinthians 1 18 Paul says
the message of the cross is to them who are perishing, But to
us who are being saved, it is the power of God. To those who
are perishing, the word of the cross is foolishness. And my
friends, God holds the wisdom of this world in contempt. Paul writes in verse 20, hath
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Canst thou by
searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
under perfection? It is as high as the heavens.
What can you do? It is deeper than hell. What
can you know? Man's wisdom tells him that there
is a way that seems right. But God's word says the end of
that way is destruction. And God says, your thoughts are
not my thoughts. God holds the wisdom of this
world in utter, complete contempt. Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? And then God holds the so-called
morality of this world in utter contempt. He said in Psalms 14,
verse 2, The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children
of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek
God. They are all gone aside, they
are together become healthy. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. And even the world's wealth and
honor is held in utter contempt by our Lord. Where was he born? Not in a mansion, but in a stable. Who were his parents? Not people
recognized, but unknown. He grew up not in a university
or in a state house, but in a carpenter shop. His disciples were not
recognized men, they were unlearned, unknown fishermen. He lived his
life not in splendor and luxury, but in the fields and the mountains.
He died not on the field of honor, but between two thieves. The Lord holds the wisdom, the
honor, the fame, the morality of this world in utter, complete
contempt. Now they tell us today that the
logical way to spread the gospel of Christ is to seek the aid
and the assistance of talent, worldly talent, prestige, famous
people of this world. If you can secure the support
of politicians, movie stars, famous athletes and entertainers,
then people will pay attention to your gospel. But our Lord
did not enlist the support of the arm of flesh, nor did his
disciples court the arm of flesh. But rather our Lord plainly said,
it is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, saith the Lord. And again our Master said, Thou
hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent, but Thou
hast revealed them unto babes. Our Lord holds in contempt the
so-called wisdom of this world. It is foolishness. Our Lord holds
in utter contempt the so-called morality of this world. Our Lord
holds in utter contempt the wealth prestige and honor of this world. And then our Lord holds the religion
of this world in total contempt. Now He picked corn and healed
people on their Sabbath day. He drove the money changers from
the temple, crying, My house shall be called a house of prayer.
You've made it a den of thieves. He called their great leaders,
their great religious leaders, their teachers, hypocrites and
vipers. He shunned their solemn meetings
and preached by the side of the sea." How foolish, how utterly
foolish in the sight of God. Not only is man's wisdom, not
only is man's so-called morality, not only is man's wealth. What
shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and all it has
to offer, and loses his soul? But in utter contempt Our Lord
looks upon man's religion. You think about it. With their
flickering candles, they would help me to see the sun. With
their holy water and baptisms, they would put away our sins. With their paintings and statues,
they would help us to see God the Spirit. With their fleshly
songs, they would have us praise the eternal Redeemer. With their
dead creeds and dead doctrines, they would have us see Him who
is life. With their high-pressure decisions,
they would have us experience a new birth. With their rules
and regulations, they would make us holy. With their competitive
church programs, they would have us serve the living God. With
their sectarianism, they would have us fellowship in the Spirit. Let us clear away man's wisdom
and make room for the wisdom of God, which is the message
of the cross. Let us clear away man's so-called
morality and righteousness and make room for God's righteousness,
which is the message of the cross. Let us clear away man's honor,
prestige, riches, and wealth and make room for heavenly honor,
heavenly glory, heavenly riches, That's the message of the cross.
Let us clear away the false religion of this world and make room for
life which is in Christ Jesus, and that's the message of the
cross. For the message of the cross, the preaching of the cross,
the word of the cross, is to them who are perishing foolishness. But little do they know their
wisdom is really foolishness, and their morality or righteousness
is really foolishness. And their so-called wealth and
honor and fame and prestige is foolishness, and their worldly
religion is foolishness. What is the message of the cross? What is the message of the cross?
I'm talking about the cross of Calvary. I'm talking about the
cross upon which our dear Redeemer died. I'm talking about the cross
which Paul preached, Christ and Him crucified. I'm not talking
about an emblem that people wear about their necks. as a superstitious
good luck piece. I'm talking about the cross of
Calvary. What is the message of the cross? What is the word
that comes to us from Calvary? First of all, the cross says
that God must be just. The cross says that God will
punish sin. The justice of God thunders from
the cross more strongly than it thunders from Mount Sinai.
The voice of justice is heard at the cross. Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, hath taken our sins upon himself, numbered with the
transgressors, therefore God's justice says he must surely die. For the soul that sinneth shall
surely die. The wages of sin is death. God
will in no wise clear the guilty, and the judge of the earth shall
do that which is right. The message of the cross is this,
God will punish sin. The message of the cross is this,
supreme justice can only be satisfied when every sin is punished according
to its just deserts. God spared not his own son. Sin shall be punished even when
it's upon the sacred head of the Son of God. Sin will be punished
even when it's put upon the holy person of his dear son. God will
punish sin. That's what the cross says. The
cross says God must be just. All right? Secondly, what is
the message of the cross? This is true wisdom. This is
true wisdom. What is the message of the cross?
It says God will show mercy. God will not only punish sin,
but God will show mercy. for God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten Son. Having loved his own, he loved
them to the end, even death by the cross. God says, I will be
merciful. The cross says, he will be merciful.
God says, I will be gracious. The cross says, he will be gracious. The Son of Man is come to seek
and to save the lost. Thou shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall save his people from their sin. And this, Paul said,
is a fateful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. Jesus Christ
came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. But God commended his love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What is the message of the cross?
God will punish sin. What is the message of the cross?
God will show mercy. That's what the cross says. Mercy.
Mercy to the chief of sinners. Mercy for the guilty. Mercy for
those who deserve no mercy. And then what does the cross
say? What is the message of the cross? The message of the cross
is there is one sacrifice for sin. Only one. Once in the end
of the world hath he appeared, Paul wrote in Hebrews 9, to put
away sin. by the sacrifice of himself. There is none other name unto
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Other foundation
can no man lay than that which is laid, Christ the Lord. And
Paul said, if any man preach any other gospel, any other way,
let him be accursed even if it's an angel from heaven. Our Lord
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to
the Father but by me. There is but one way of salvation. There is but one offering for
sin. There is but one sacrifice for
the guilty, and that's the blood of Calvary's Lamb. Peter said
in 1 Peter 1 18, we're not redeemed with corruptible things such
as silver and gold from our vain conversation received by tradition
from our fathers, but with the precious blood of Jesus as a
lamb without spot, without lineage. This is the record John wrote.
God has given us eternal life, and that life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son of God hath life. What is the message of
the cross, fourthly? The message of the cross is this.
come sinner, come to Christ and welcome. There's room at the
cross for you. Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream. All the fitness he requires is
to feel your need of healing. This is the word of the cross,
pardon for the guilty. This is the word of the cross,
cleansing for the filth. This is the word of the cross,
salvation for the lost. I'm not come, he said, to call
the righteous, but sinners to repent us. Come ye sinners, poor
and needy, weak and wounded by the fall. Jesus ready stands
to save you, full of pity, love, and power. This is the message
of the cross. This is the message of the cross.
God will be just. God will punish sin. But thank
God the cross says God will show mercy. God Almighty will pardon
the guilty. What is the message of the cross?
There's but one way of salvation. If God be pleased to bruise his
son on the cross of Calvary, you can be sure there's no other
way for a sinner to be saved but by the death and by the sacrifice
and by the blood of his son. And the message of the cross
is this. You're welcome to come. You're welcome to come. Christ
said, you will not come to me that you might have life. I am
the life. I'm the way, the truth, and I am the life. But you won't
come to me that you might have life. You're welcome. Whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely, freely. All right,
notice the second thing now. That's the message of the cross.
What is the message of those who reject the cross? The scripture
says here, for the message of the cross, What is it? I just
told you. The message of the cross, what
I've just preached, is to them who are perishing, foolishness. Foolishness. They call the doctrine
of atonement foolishness. They call the blood of the cross
foolishness. They call the sin offering of
Calvary foolishness. Listen to me. How do I know that?
Listen to me carefully. I do believe you. I will believe
that Jesus died for me, and with his blood, his precious blood,
he shed to set me free." Now, is that a song that an educated
man, a professor, a scientist would sing? Is that a song that
a person high up in prestige and power in this world would
sing? Well, of course not. How simple, how crude. How foolish
to talk about the blood setting us free. How fanatical. Foolishness. Foolishness. Listen to this. Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
and would my Sovereign die, would He devote that sacred head for
such a worm as I? Now I ask you, is that a fit
song for a man of wealth, a man of worldly honor? a man of great
dignity and fame to sing? Why, they say, we're not worms,
we're not wretches, we're men of dignity, we're men of distinction. Would he devote that sacred head
for such a worm as I? Foolishness! How absurd! Listen
to this. In my hands no price I bring,
simply to his cross I cling. Could my tears forever flow?
Could my enthusiasm and my zeal no respite know? These for sin
could never atone. Christ must save His blood alone. Now I ask you, is that a fit
song for a man of religion? For a man of zeal and enthusiasm
and dedication to sing? A man who's given his life to
the ministry and to helping people? Who's given his life to service
in the church, to mankind? What a humbling song, how degrading,
how it destroys human pride. In my hands no price I bring. Sent thee to the cross, I cling. How foolish, that's what he said,
the message of the cross is foolishness, to them will perish. Listen to
this, so far from God I seem to lie. It makes me often weep
and cry. Like one alone I seem to be,
oh, is there anyone like me? My nature so prone to sin, it
makes even my duties so unclean that when I count up all the
cost, if not for his blood, I'd be totally lost. Now I ask you,
is that a song for people who are church members and sanctified
and separated and consecrated as we are to sin? While we go
to church on Sunday and teach Sunday school and pray and give
our tithes and we're born in worldly places and worldly habits
and worldly amusement, we're not like other men. How absurd
to talk about, is there anyone like me? My nature's prone to
sin. It makes my duties seem unto
foolishness. And that's what he said it is.
To them who are perishing, the cross is foolishness. For that cross says God must
punish your sins. That cross says God Almighty
must be just, and God will in no wise clear the guilty, and
we're guilty. That cross says that God will
show mercy to whom He will show mercy. He will be gracious to
whom He will be gracious. That's what that cross says.
That cross says there's no other way, not by church membership,
not by baptism, not by good works, not by good deeds, not by humanitarianism,
not by all these other things, but by his blood we are redeemed. That's what that cross says.
That cross says there's no other way to God except with the blood.
It is the blood that make an atonement for the soul. I've
given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your
soul, and there's no other way. And that's what that cross says,
and the world says, foolishness. To them who are perishing, they
may be perishing in the pulpit or in the pew or in the world,
but they're still perishing. And to them it's foolishness
to think I come as a beggar, to think that I come empty-handed,
to think that I come as one like the publicans in the harlots,
to think that I come like the publican in the temple. God be
merciful to me, a sinner. I can't come that way. The cross
to you is foolishness. Wait, I'm not through. The message
of the cross is to them who are perishing, foolishness. to those
who are being saved, it's the power of God. It's the power. Tell me, you who believe in the
cross of Christ, you who believe in the sufferings of Christ,
what do you say about the incarnation, the word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. What do you say about
God becoming a man? Well, I say it's the power of
God. What do you say about the sacrifice of Calvary, that perfect,
holy, spotless Lamb of the living God, taking our place and our
guilt and our shame and our filth in his body on the tree, and
there bearing the wrath of God in our place? What do you say
about that? Foolishness? Power of God. What do you say
about his blood? which came spurting forth from
the wounds in his hands and in his feet and in his brow and
in his side. What do you say about that precious
crimson flood that flowed from Calvary's cross? What do you
say about that precious blood? What do you say? It's the power
of God. What do you say about his sin
offering? God Almighty cannot be just unless
sin has an offering, a suitable offering, an effectual offering,
an infinite offering. What do you say about it? That
God Almighty can't just overlook sin. It has to be punished. His
justice has to be satisfied. What do you say? It's the power
of God. What do you say about them taking
his dead body down from that tree and wrapping it in a winding
cloth and putting it in a grave, and there it lay for three days,
and on the morning of the third day he came forth? What do you
say? It's the power of God. It's the power of God to give
me life. the power of God to give me life. Paul said in Ephesians
2.1, you hath he quickened, you hath he made alive who were dead,
dead, in trespasses and sin, dead by your representative Adam,
dead by your birth, dead by your nature, dead by your practice,
dead in sin, but God in his power and in his grace through the
sacrifice of his Son made you alive. And I'll tell you this,
That power of God with which he created this world is no greater
than that power of God with which he made you a new creature in
Christ Jesus. The same God who spoke the world
out of nothing brought forth spiritual life in your heart
out of nothing. The new birth is not something
the preacher gives you or the church gives you or you give
yourself. The new birth is something that God gives you. We're born
of God. It's the gift of God. It's the
work of God. It's the operation of the Holy
Spirit. We're born of the Spirit of the living God. Not of the
will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but born of God.
It's the power of God not only to give me life, but it's the
power of God to keep me alive spiritually, to keep me in Christ. I'm persuaded, Paul said. I'm
confident. Neither death nor life, angels
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate me
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. That power by
which God sustains this world and keeps every star in its proper
order and chart and course is no greater than the power with
which he keeps me and you from the evil one and from trial and
from tribulation and from ultimately falling. We are kept by the power
of God through faith, unto him who is able to keep you from
falling, and one day to present you faultless before his throne
with exceeding glory and joy. To him it is his power. It is
the power of God to cleanse me, as a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that
blood lose all their guilty stains. My friends, I am not ashamed
of the gospel. Don't tack names, liberal, conservative,
or anything else. I'm just not ashamed of the gospel.
I'm not ashamed of the blood which Christ shed on Calvary.
I'm not ashamed of what the Word of God says is the way of life.
It's the way of Calvary. I must needs go home by the way
of the cross. There's no other way but this.
I'll never get sight of the gates of life if the way of the cross
I miss. And this is not the way of baptism
and the way of denominationalism and the way of good works. It's
the way of Calvary. And only sinners walk that way.
Needy creatures come by Calvary's cross. It is the power of God
to raise me. I'll tell you, the power to make
a new heaven and a new earth is no greater than the power
by which God Almighty one day will enter the grave and bring
thee forth in the likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ." What
do I think of the cross when I look yonder to Calvary where
the Son of God bled and died, where that great one offering,
one sacrifice for sin was offered on Calvary, the Lamb of God that
died to take away the sin of the world? What do I think about?
You call it foolishness if you want to. But I'm telling you
it's the power and the wisdom of God. I see how God can be
just and justify the ungodly. I see how God can honor his law
and at the same time set the sinner free. I see how God can
punish sin and at the same time let the guilty go free. I see
how God's justice and righteousness can be satisfied and God's mercy
and love also can be satisfied. I see wisdom in that cross. I
see wisdom. And I see the power of God, the
power to give me life. power to sustain that life, power
to cleanse me, and power one day to raise me from the grave.
O Lord, Thou art the sinner's friend. As such, I look to Thee. Now in the covenant of Thy eternal
grace, dear Lord, remember me. Remember Thy pure word of grace,
remember Calvary, remember all Thy dying groans, and dear Lord,
remember me. Thou mighty Advocate with God
I yield myself to thee, while thou art sitting on thy throne,
dear Lord, remember me. I own I'm guilty, I own I'm vile,
and yet thy salvation's free there in all thy abounding grace,
dear Lord, remember me. However forsaken or distressed,
however oppressed I may be, however afflicted here on this earth,
my If, dear Lord, you remember me, and when I close my eyes
in death, and creatures help or fail, then, O my Redeemer
God, I pray you remember me." The preaching of the cross, the
message of the cross, the power of God. Join us next week at
this same time. Until then, Henry Mahan, bidding
you a very pleasant good day.

The Message of the Cross

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The Message of the Cross

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