Sermon Central
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Is Jesus Enough?
Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Sep 26, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: In 1 Corinthians there was an atmosphere of chaos and so the apostle Paul writes a letter. And in that letter he reminds them of the focal point of what he taught them when he was there and that is, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Is that all they need?
Please open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 which we will read in a few minutes.
The church in Corinth in the Bible was filled with problems.
The simple act of communion had been perverted into a feast for the rich to gorge themselves in front of those who were poor and had no food.
The spiritual gift of speaking in unknown languages had been invaded and misused by those who had come out of pagan temples where “spirits” would speak through people in unintelligible utterances.
An incestuous sexual relationship between a man and his step-mother was not only being tolerated but was being bragged about in the church.
There were factions and infighting among the people.
There was bedlam and confusion and people shouting their “prophecies” over the top of one another in their gathers.
And in the middle of all of that what did Paul do? What does he say he did?
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
He preached Jesus the Christ who came and gave His life for our salvation.
When Paul said that he was ignorant of everything spiritual except for the facts that Jesus was the Messiah and that He had been crucified he was not saying he was trying to cut through the garbage and focus on what really mattered?
Paul had a laser-like focus and that focus was aimed directly at Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One of the Old Testament.
And that brings us to the question, “Is Jesus enough?”
What do you mean, “Is Jesus enough?” Jesus is all sufficient. Jesus is God Himself.
How could Jesus be anything less than enough?
What if we came in here this morning and all we had was Jesus?
What if when we came in we didn’t discuss our health or our jobs or the weather or our families but only Jesus?
What if there was no piano and no keyboard and no guitar and no drums or any other musical instruments or singing but only Jesus?
What if there was no projection of the words and no hymnals and no bulletins but only our Bibles and Jesus?
What if during the offering time we just sat in silence and thought about Jesus and His kingdom?
What if instead of music there were only testimonies of praise about what Jesus had done in and through us that week for Him and for His Kingdom on earth?
What if instead of music there were only testimonies of how we had grown in the Lord and testimonies about what we had learned from the Holy Bible?
What if instead of a prayer chorus before the prayer time we confessed the ways we had failed Jesus that week and sought the prayers of brothers and sisters in Christ for strength in the coming week?
What if we spent an extended time in reading the Scriptures to find out how we could be more like Jesus?
What if the sermons always focused on what Jesus wants us to become and what Jesus wants to do in and through us?
What if we spent an extended time in prayer asking Jesus to help us to be what He wants us to be and to help us to do what He would have us to do?
Would we be satisfied with such a service? Would Jesus be enough?
Would people walk away saying, “Well, that was boring” or would we be energized and refreshed by the presence of the Lord God Almighty?
If we were to have such a service it would be a service that would be focused on the most needed thing – salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and growth into mature Christians who can contribute to the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Now we see that in Corinth great destruction came into the church when attitudes and practices from outside the church were brought into the church.
Can a Christ centered worship service remain a faithful Christ centered worship service when we add things to it?
What could we possibly add?
In the Bible music is found in worship.
They would sing songs about the great acts of God and His great deliverances.
They would sing songs of praise as they proceeded to the temple for sacrifices.
Sometimes praise choirs would even lead the army into battle!
And, of course, we see worship music in the greatest worship event of all eternity around the throne of God in heaven.
Well, we could add music.
It would have to be God centered and not just “God” but including songs about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
