SO WE PREACH!
I Corinthians 15:11
These days many churches have differing ideas as to what is of paramount importance. Some put a great deal of focus on the “worship experience”. They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on aesthetics, whether it be smoke machines & light shows, stained-glass windows & chandeliers, or something in between. Some have worship bands, praise teams & loud amplifiers; others have pipe organs & orchestras, and some have pianos & traditional choirs. Regardless of the style, a staggering number of assemblies are convinced that music is what matters most. (This would be a time to point out that music does not always equal worship!)
In the modern church, great emphasis is also placed on events (and in some cases blatant gimmicks) that are designed to draw a crowd. Much time, effort, and expense is spent on certain programs that are intended to attract and entertain people of all ages. Some churches offer book clubs, work out classes, childcare, senior adult activities, soft ball teams, pickle ball tournaments and much more. Tragically, with all of this “activity” quite often the proclamation of the Gospel and Christian discipleship is nowhere to be found. It is heartbreaking to know that in this “age of progress”, the passionate heralding of the Gospel and proper exposition of the scriptures has taken a back seat to things that have no eternal value.
If you ask the average churchgoer what they are looking for in a church, preaching is a subject that is often at the bottom of their list, (if it is even mentioned at all). When the subject of preaching is brought up, the focus is usually on the delivery rather than content. People say that they are looking for preaching that is engaging, inspiring or entertaining. Engaging, inspiring and entertaining preaching is great, as long as it is biblical, uncompromising, and convicting.
John MacArthur said, “Our calling as gospel ministers is to preach the truth, confront sin, and call all men to repentance and obedience to the gospel - the good news that achieves soul conversion and saves sinners from eternal wrath”.
Countless men are standing in pulpits across the land as we speak claiming to be God called ministers of the Gospel, yet Christ is rarely if ever mentioned. In their so-called preaching, holiness is a subject that is avoided, repentance is never called for, obedience is presented as an option, and the true Gospel is never presented. However, ample time is spent on politics, social issues, and current events. Many seek to address how to achieve your hopes and dreams or how to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. Essentially these motivational speeches disguised as sermons are focused on “how to live your best life now”. (I clearly borrowed that phrase from of today’s worst offenders.)
C.H Spurgeon said, “It must not be tolerated that Christ should be unknown through our silence, and sinners unwarned through our negligence.”
The Apostle Paul said in the beginning of this letter to the Christians at Corinth, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:21-25)
With all of their obvious flaws, the Corinthians had heard and received the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the first 10 verses of this chapter Paul has reminded them of the fact they had responded accordingly to the message that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (v4-5). The gospel that Paul preached, and the Corinthians received is the message that the world desperately needs to hear today.
In verses 5-7 Paul references the many people who saw the Lord Jesus after He victoriously rose from the Tomb on Resurrection Sunday. Then in verses 8-10 he shares his testimony concerning own his personal encounter with the Risen Christ. He says “last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me”.
In verse 11 of this chapter Paul says, “Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed”. I would like to use Paul’s declaration “so we preach” as our point of departure today. I want to consider three reasons that we preach (and must continue to preach) the pure unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ. What are these reasons? Number one: we preach because people are perishing. Number two: we preach because we have been called by God. Number three: we preach because there is hope for the lost. Join me as we consider the thought:
SO WE PREACH!
- First of all, let us consider the reality that:
I. PEOPLE ARE PERISHING – SO WE PREACH!
v11a Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach
The “they” that Paul is referring to here is the other Apostles of the Lord Jesus. In the previous verse Paul says, “I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me”. On the surface, this may sound like an arrogant boast. However, it is actually a description of Paul’s personal struggles as he preached the gospel. Because of his place of prominence among the Jews before he met Jesus, Paul endured even greater persecution than the rest of the Apostles. Therefore, he had to work even harder to share the same message.
Paul was in no way competing with Peter, John, Matthew and the others for notoriety or personal glory. In fact, verse 11 proves that it didn’t matter who reached the Brethren with the Gospel for they all preached the same message with the same purpose.
The Apostle was not concerned with who received the credit for the advancement of the Gospel, he just wanted Christ to be exalted and God to be glorified. Furthermore, Paul has already made it clear to the Corinthians that all mortal men had the power to do was plant and water the seeds, it is God’s who gives the increase. When confronting certain divisions that had risen within this specific church, Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
Preaching is not (or should not) be about self-promotion, personal glory, or amassing followers for oneself. Rather, it is about proclaiming the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only message that has the power to change lost men and women spiritually and eternally.
Why were Paul and the other Apostles so intent on preaching this Gospel, even to the point of suffering and death? One reason was because they had a personal encounter with the risen Savior, and they knew the disastrous and eternal consequences for those who had yet to receive the Gospel.
One of the most sobering warnings in scripture concerning the fate of the unbeliever is found in this very letter. Back in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God”.
This description does not just apply to the people in Corinth, it applies to the people in our day as well. Our parents, siblings, children, classmates, coworkers, friends, neighbors, and strangers on the street are lost and headed for Hell. If they do not hear the Gospel they cannot receive it. They are perishing; therefore it is imperative that we preach the Gospel!
Paul said in Romans 10: 13, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
It has often been said (and rightly so) that the Gospel came to us on its way to someone else. Those witnesses of the Resurrection that Paul mentioned in the preceding verses were so excited and transformed by their encounter with Jesus that they could not help but rejoice and share the good news with everyone they came in contact with.
We too were once perishing; we were dead in trespasses and sins and facing eternity separated from God. If we have been born again we have been delivered from that fate because of the amazing grace of God. This was made possible because someone opened the scriptures and shared the gospel with us. In turn, we should be willing to share it with others.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying.
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep or the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide.
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.
Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying.
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
- People are perishing, so we preach! Moving on we will see that:
II. WE HAVE BEEN CALLED BY GOD, SO WE PREACH!
Last week we examined the fact that Paul did not go looking for Jesus, Jesus sought him out, called his name, saved his soul, and changed his life. We also saw that Jesus saved Paul for a specific purpose. The Lord told Ananias that Saul/Paul was a chosen vessel who would bear His name “before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel”. Furthermore, Jesus declared that Paul would suffer many things “for His names sake”.
Of the many things that Paul would be used of God to accomplish, of utmost importance was reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The primary method in this process was preaching.
Preaching in the Greek is the word “keyroxon”, which is a word that means to herald, to publish or to proclaim openly. The idea here is the presentation of the truth of God’s Word (the Bible). God has called certain men to publicly proclaim His Word in a public setting, men who serve as pastors, preachers, teachers, and evangelists. These are special callings that serve specific and important purposes. However, everyone who belongs to the Lord Jesus has the responsibility, calling, and great privilege to share the good news of Jesus Christ in their own specific context.
Evangelism is something that intimidates many people. I think one of the primary reasons is because of the importance of the subject and the fact that eternity is on the line. Many are so terrified that they will “do it wrong” that they avoid sharing the Gospel completely. If you have been born again, then evangelism is as simple as telling others what Jesus has done for you. As someone once said concerning sharing the Gospel, “I am just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”.
Always keep in mind that you do not have the power, ability, or even the responsibility to save lost souls. That is God’s business, as we have already seen “it is God who gives the increase”. All you are expected to do is to scatter the seeds and water them!
I am not implying that scriptural knowledge is unnecessary in the process of evangelism. The Holy scriptures are imperative, but you do not have to be a scholar or theologian to have success in reaching people with the Gospel. With that being said, the scriptures are vital in the salvation process. Our loving Heavenly Father has extended grace to every Christian in this assembly. In every single instance, His Word has been proclaimed in one way or another.
Though there are many Believers gathered together today, none of us have an identical testimony of conversion. Many of you were saved in a Sunday church service or a revival meeting. Others were saved as a result of “mass evangelism” such as a gospel crusade. Some were saved in Vacation Bible School or as a result of Sunday School. Some of you had a faithful coworker or friend who told you about Jesus. Many were blessed to be brought up in a home where you had parents and grandparents who taught you about the Lord. Untold millions have been reached with the gospel though media such as Television, Radio, and the internet. Regardless of the specific details of your conversion, there is no question that the scriptures were somehow involved. I can say this with great confidence because the Bible makes it abundantly clear that one cannot be saved apart from the Word of God!
We have already covered the fact that all around us are people who are perishing. As followers of Christ, we have been called and commissioned to share with them the only news that has the power to transform them eternally. That news is the precious gospel of the Risen Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ!
People are perishing, so we preach! We have been called by God, so we preach! And finally:
III. THERE IS HOPE FOR THE LOST, SO WE PREACH!
v11c so we preach and so you believed.
One of the greatest biblical evidences that there is hope for the lost is the people of Corinth. Before they heard and received the Gospel, they were unrighteous, sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers and more. But after they met Jesus Paul was able to confidently say of them “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”. The same thing applies to each of us who have surrendered to the Savior. Moreover, this same kind of transformation can happen in the lives of our lost loved ones.
If we truly believe the Bible, then we believe what it says about judgment, condemnation, and the wrath of God. The scriptures make it clear that there are devastating and eternal consequences for those who die without Christ. If we possess any compassion whatsoever, then we should seek to tell everyone we know that there is hope, salvation is available, and it is only found in Jesus Christ.
Paul said in Romans 3:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Jesus said in John 5:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
There is no shortage of scriptures that prove that there are severe consequences for those who die lost in their sins. But there is also no shortage of passages that prove that there is hope for those who hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing that hope remains in this day of grace should serve as great motivation for us to do our part and share the Word of God while we have the opportunity.
If I set out to accomplish a certain project, I am usually very determined to reach my goal. In fact, I have a tendency to become almost obsessed until that specific task is complete. However, if I reach a point where it becomes obvious that there is no hope of success, I lose all motivation and quickly walk away; usually dejected, frustrated and angry.
The great news about sharing the Gospel, whether it be through public preaching or personal evangelism is that the scriptures make it clear that there is great hope for success. This does not mean that someone will be saved every time I ascend a pulpit and preach a sermon. Nor does it mean that you will see someone profess faith in Christ after you share the gospel with them. But there is ample evidence in the Bible that proves that God’s grace abounds and there is hope for the conversion of lost sinners.
The Resurrected Savior that Paul writes about here in I Corinthians 15 not only rose from the grave and appeared to many witnesses, He has been making His presence known in the hearts and lives of people all over the world for some 2,000 years, and He is still transforming people today. If you have never surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I pray that you will do so while there is still time. If you know that you belong to Jesus, I pray that you will be faithful to share Him with others, while there is still time to do so. This passage shows us why we should be faithful to proclaim the Gospel.
People Are Perishing, So We Preach!
We Have Been Called By God, So We Preach!
There Is Hope For The Lost, So We Preach!
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