Sermon @ Little Hocking, OH 10/15/2006 a.m.
Mark T. Tonkery
Nothing but Christ
Text: 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
Introduction
A. What does the Christian need to teach? You are sitting in a car and next to you is your teenage child who has never obeyed the Gospel, you know you need to say something about his soul? What do you say? You are sitting down for a cup of coffee with your next door neighbor. She has no understanding of the Bible, no religious beliefs. There you are wanting to share with this person about what makes your life tick. What do you teach her? You sitting in the living room with your husband or wife. He or she has no religious commitment. In fact, any time the topic of religion comes up, things get very quiet. What do you share at times like these that can change a life?
B. The mind boggles us at all the things we as Christians must teach. The Bible. The Church. Commands. Doctrines. Worship. Moral issues. But when we ask the question, “What must the Christian teach first, foremost, fundamentally? There is only one answer. Jesus Christ and Him Crucified! He is our primary message. Do you think it is possible to be and outgoing church, to have programs, Gospel Meetings, Friend Days, Vacation Bible Schools, and Clothing Give a ways but never really confront people with the Jesus Christ and Him Crucified? Do you think it is possible to teach people about the plan of salvation (belief, confession, repentance, baptism, and holy living), the Bible, the Church, Commands, Doctrines, worship, and Moral issues, but never confront our friends with Jesus.
C. Notice how Paul answered this question in 1 Cor. 2:1-2. Notice also how central this message was and is to us as Christians even today:
Body
I. The cross is what Jesus preached.
A. Jesus taught that what he was going to do at the cross was the gospel, the good news for human’s salvation.
1. He taught this to Nicodemus in John 3:13-15.
2. He taught this to the woman at the well John 4:21-24.
3. He taught this in John 6:26-27; 35-40
4. He taught this to His Apostles John 15.
B. We know that the in all these passages He is making reference to His death, burial, resurrection, because he also foretells his own death and resurrection
1. Near Caesarea Philippi in Mat-16:21-28; Mar-8:31-38; Mar-9:1; Luk-9:22-27.
2. In Galilee in Mat-17:22; Mat-17:23; Mar-9:30-32; Luk-9:43-45.
3. In Peraea- Mat-20:17-19; Mar-10:32-34; Luk-18:31-34.
C. Jesus shows through His teachings, and His death, burial, and resurrection that it is the central message to the Christian faith.
1. The cross is the central message to the Christian faith because Jesus taught that salvation does not lie in people’s goodness.
2. Jesus preaches that the cross states that all are sinners and all need Salvation.
3. The cross states clearly that man cannot save himself by his own works or power or goodness. We need a Savior. Jesus is that Savior.
i. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
ii. Acts 4:12, “And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.”
II. The cross is what the Apostles preached.
A. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven Jesus told His Apostles to preach the cross.
1. Matthew 28:18-20
2. Mark 16:15-16
B. This is what they did and in fact the number one thing that the Apostles preached in the Book of Acts was the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
1. Peter and the apostles preached this on the day of Pentecost Acts 2:14-39.
2. Peter again preaches this same message in Acts 3:11-26.
3. Stephen preaches Jesus’ message before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7:1-53.
4. Philip preaches this to Samaria and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8.
5. Paul preaches Jesus is the Messiah who died, was buried, and resurrected in the Jewish synagogues.
6. Paul preaches Jesus died and was resurrected to those in Athens in Acts 17.
7. Five of the great sermons of Paul in the book of Acts centered on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
8. The last words of Paul in the book of Acts chapter 28 verse 31, say that Paul was “preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.”
9. Paul stated, “"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!" (Gal. 6:14)
10. We see in our text today 1 Cor. 2:1-2 and 1 Cor. 15:1-5 that the message of Paul the Apostles was the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
C. Paul and the Apostles of course taught other things in relation to the Gospel, such as the Church, doctrine, morality, and other things that we have recorded in the scriptures.
1. But Paul says in Phili. 3:7-11 compared to knowing Jesus Christ, everything else is worthless.
2. Think about it in comparison to the all the things in this world and what we spend our time with in church some times, what is better than Christ? Jesus surpasses the all things in this world.
3. The Apostles as well as Jesus makes it clear through the Scripture that although there are many things that maybe beneficial for living the Christian life, there is only one thing that is absolutely fundamental and that is the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
III. The cross must be what we preach.
A. Jesus preached the cross. Peter preached the Cross. Stephen preached the Cross. Philip preached the Cross. Paul preached the Cross. What do we preach?
1. There was a study done of the major preachers in the Churches of Christ from 1800-1950 to see how central they preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This was five generations of preachers, at least 15,600 sermons (Sunday morning and evening sermons, not counting Gospel Meetings and other times of preaching).
2. It was found that 2/3 of the sermons never referred to the cross.
3. I didn’t believe this study after all we are the Church of Christ part of our banner is that of Christ. So I did my own survive of what preachers in the Church of Christ are preaching, and I encourage you to do the same by looking at sermon books or going on the internet and looking at the sermons that our preachers post.
4. What I found is that we have not been preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified near enough. We preach about a whole lot of things but come short on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At least we need to have a balance in our teaching and preaching!
B. Each one of us needs to ask ourselves are we teaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Parents, Bible School teachers, those who preach and teach to our friends and family. When we are in those quiet moments with our loved ones who need to obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can we ask them what they believe about Jesus? What they think about Jesus?
1. See church the need for every Christian and congregation is simply Christ.
a. Salvation is to know God and Christ His Son (John 17; Philippians 3; 1 John).
b. Salvation is an acknowledge relationship with Jesus.
c. Christianity is not knowing all the right answers to selected questions or issues. Christianity is Christ.
d. Tragically I am afraid we have preached the church, worship, divorce and remarriage, more than Jesus! (Look at the stats presented earlier).
e. Listen, I am not saying not to preach on these topics or others topics that may arise; but I don’t believe we will understand how to deal with the issues that face the church until we preach, teach, and know the cross, and the gospel of Christ; it will all come alive in Jesus. The method is our message. Bring people to Jesus! Gratitude, humility, reverence, and holiness result. A total dependence upon the righteousness of Jesus comes.
f. We keep people with what we win them with. Issues, programs, personalities, etc. But the moment these things change there goes your people. But if we preach Christ, teach Christ, then we will win people with Christ and keep them until He returns.
C. We need to come to understand that every Scripture in the Bible focuses upon Jesus His coming, when He came, when He died and resurrected, and for mankind to be getting ready for when He comes again.
1. Church we need to be talking Christ to our spouses, children, friends, family, and co-workers for He is what saves people, not the church, God adds people to it, not issues, or great orators but Jesus and Him only.
2. An English theological student was once sent by a professor to hear a noted preacher on the weekend. He came back with the sophisticated disgust that theological students sometimes manifest, and said, Why, that man didn’t do anything but say, “Come to Jesus!” “And did they come?” his professor gently asked. Well, yes, they did, “came his grudging reply. “I want you to go back,” said the professor, “and listen to the man preach again and again, until you can say, “Come to Jesus” as he did.
3. The Gospel of Jesus is not void or invalid today, it just needs to be preached and taught to those who are lost. Are you lost?
4. What does Jesus mean to us? What does hearing what Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Change us? What does following Jesus mean to us?
5. Is it just another stop at Wal-mart? Kroger’s? A menu of a restaurant? Is it a life changing commitment or just another brand choice? What was following Jesus, conversion in the New Testament?
6. For the Apostles, it meant a complete change of their life’s purpose, from catching fish to men. Paul went from persecuting to persecuted. Lydia, switched from selling purple to realizing who was worthy to wear the purple. For John it meant a lonely stay on a deserted Island. For John the Baptist, it meant losing his head.
D. What does Jesus and Him crucified mean to you? Does Jesus just mean, having to get up on Sunday morning and hear someone blab for 30 minutes? Is that all there is to being Jesus’ follower? What about the rest of my Sunday and rest of my week what does Christ and Him crucified mean to us during the week? When I was baptized, what happened? What did you do the next day? How did faith change me? Am I reading my Bible more? What about Bible class on Sunday morning? What about that Wednesday class? Does being converted to Jesus change the way I treat my spouse, children, family, and do my job? What happens when my personal demands aren’t met by the preacher or the congregation? Will I withhold by money? My time? Will I leave to go to another congregation or stay at home? Who is Jesus to me- really? What does He want of me? What does it mean for you and me to preach nothing but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified?
Finally
A. Jesus preached the cross. Peter preached the Cross. Stephen preached the Cross. Philip preached the Cross. Paul preached the Cross.
B. As Christians we must teach and preach Christ and the His cross. It is possible that we may have taught facts, issues, and other things, but never confront our spouse, children, co-worker or others with Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
C. We have assumed that these people in our world know Jesus, that all they need is to be taught the way of God more accurately as Apollos was in Acts 18, but the reality is that most people even in our pews, do not know or understand that the central message of Christianity is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. To change this we must do what Jesus, Peter, Stephen, Philip, Paul did preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I challenge you to ask someone what they think and believe about Jesus this week! Start there and then see what happens.
D. Do you need to respond to Jesus Christ? If so do so now by confessing your faith in Him, repenting of your sins, and be baptized so you can live out your days teaching and preaching the life saving message of Jesus Christ!
