Why we preach the CROSS!

Why we preach the CROSS!

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:23.

“We preach Christ crucified.”

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Where is the wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the disputer of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
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” 1 Corinthians 1:17-23.

Why do we preach Christ crucified?

There are those who say, “Just preach about Jesus.” But that is not enough. The Devil is content with the preacher who proclaims Jesus:

As a good man.

Or even as a miracle worker.

But if the preacher leaves out the CROSS the BLOOD, his message is incomplete and powerless.

So that is why we preach Christ Jesus crucified!

1.    WE PREACH THE CROSS OF CHRIST BECAUSE OF THANKFULNESS.

          If you were told that you had a cancer growth, but there is a willing and gifted surgeon that could remove it in our local hospital. Would we not seek out that surgeon and seek to have this cancer growth removed. I believe after the treatment we would be ever so grateful to that surgeon.

Now, if we knew another person with a similar cancer growth; would we not point them out to the same surgeon? So they also could be saved from certain death!

Well, Christ Jesus, through His death on the CROSS, has provided a remedy for a disease far worse than cancer! No surgeon can remove this disease! For it is called sin! The outcome of this disease is not a cure, but death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.

Not only of the body, but also of the soul of mankind. So out of gratitude to the Great Physician, we want everyone to know about Jesus. We must not rest until they have all been warned of the penalties of sin and of its cure, by the death and the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

2.    WE PREACH THE CROSS BECAUSE IT NEVER GROWS OLD.

          We need to preach a fresh message for this age and this generation today, and guess what? The story of the CROSS is always fresh! Every time you read the Gospels account of the CROSS, your heart is open to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and new truth is revealed. This new truth is not only revealed to you, but new applications will be revealed for your life.

If we want to preach a Gospel that is ever new, then preach the Gospel of the good news of Christ crucified.

3.    WE PREACH THE CROSS TO BRING COMFORT TO THE HEART.

          During times of great need and loss, during times of grief and sadness, what other message than the CROSS can you bring?

For through the CROSS of Christ Jesus you can bring comfort to those in loss, by telling them that God loves and feels for them, for He also experienced the loss of His Son on the CROSS.

4.    WE PREACH THE CROSS BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY MEANS OF SALVATION FROM OUR SINS.

          The night before the Lord Jesus died on the CROSS, He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” Luke 22:42. In other words, He said, “If there be any other possible means by which people may be saved from their sins, then let this bitter cup of crucifixion pass from Me.”

          God the Father answered that prayer the next day when He allowed His Son to die on the CROSS. For evermore it was declared, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:12.

The only way is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is why we preach the CROSS of Christ Jesus. What other message can we tell to a dying world?

CONCLUSION:

          There is the story about a small boy lost in the London fog many years ago, when a policeman came to help him, he asked the policeman to point him to Charing CROSS, the policeman then added that from the CROSS he would find his way home.  This is the message of the CROSS!

For the preaching of the CROSS has guided multitudes through the ages into the safety of the Father's house. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Time to go!

Time to go!

Text: Mark 16:15.

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

          The Gospel message is “Come to Jesus.” But the Bible is also full of a lot of “Goings or GO.” How do you spell the word Gospel? GO-spel! See also Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
          Well, it maybe our time to “GO.” “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” Psalm 126:6. You see, nothing happens until we go! Here are some more verses.

“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life” Acts 5:20.

“But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth” Mark 1:38.

 “However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” Mark 5:19.

“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow” Matthew 13:3.

         All these verses speak about going out with the Gospel message. In most cases the word translated “go” is in what is called the present, progressive tense, it means literally: “as you are going.” Why do we use the term: “I am going soon, I will be going in a minute or two, I will be going in a sec?” It is going time! It is time to stop sitting still and go to work for the Lord!

Sometimes it is hard enough to get some people to come to the house of God or come often. But now the drive is to “go.” Is Christ and His Church a good thing? Well, it is high time we share it with our friends, family, work mates, and community. There must be a balance between caring for the saints, and reaching souls, but to forsake one for the other must be displeasing to the Lord.

1.    LET US GO AND INVITE THEM.

Remember the great wedding feast of Matthew 22? Verse 9 reads: “Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.”

Maybe this is how, the poor like Bartimaeus were reached; the rich like Zacchaeus were reached; religious people like Nicodemus were reached; the woman at the well reached; working people like James and John who were reached by Jesus. The message of the Gospel is “Come to Jesus.” The message of the church is “Go tell the people the Gospel.”

Nowhere does the Bible command the lost to come to church. We are to go and bring them in. Where should we go to invite them? Jesus said, “Into all the world.'”

2.    LET US GO AND INSTRUCT THEM.

Jesus said: “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen” Matthew 28:20. After inviting the lost to Christ, we must then instruct them. Discipleship, training and teaching the ones we have invited in.

This means many of you will be needed to help the new followers of Christ, to lead them to mature. To every new convert to Christ, we need a believer to come along side of them. If God brings in just 52 new people into the Kingdom within a year, we need 52 mature believers to come along side of them.

3.    LET US GO AND INSPIRE THEM.

There is a need for Christians to be alive, alert and awake, because the world is watching for something real.

There is a tremendous need for zeal and inspiration:

The Gospel message is exciting!

The Gospel is life changing!

This is the greatest business in the entire world today, because it is God’s business!  

There is a great need to get people fired up and filled with passion for God. So that many will be saved, and their lives will be changed, and we will be even more excited when that happens! Will YOU lead the way in inspiring many more to become disciples, to get more serious in their faith?

4.    LET US GO AND INVOLVE THEM. 

Once people are invited to come to Christ, instructed in the ways of the Lord, and inspired to do the work of God, it is time to involve them. The more we get involved the better, which means all others will be less stressed and more blessed!

Vision is exciting!

Pray about where God could use you!

Be expecting the great things God has in store. 

No more church as usual, it is a go time!

Conclusion:

Come to the Lord if you need to be saved.

Come back to the Lord if you have fallen.

Then be prepared to “GO.” “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”