The Preaching of The Cross
The cross was the heart and soul of New Testament preaching.
I Cor. 1:17-24
a. Verse 17 – Not with his own hand, but they were baptized. Because of errors, people must be persuaded on baptism, but first need the cross preached to them.
b. Notice the line of thought –
·
Verse 21 – It is preaching that saves.·
Vs. 17 – What we preach is the gospel.·
Vs. 23 – Preaching the gospel means preaching Christ crucified.·
Vs. 18 – Therefore, it is the preaching of the cross that saves.Obviously Paul preached on many things – duty, worship, sin, etc. (As I do) but the foundation, the heart and soul of it all was the preaching of the cross.
This evening I want you to think about the preaching of the cross from the standpoint of five "C’s" (Convicts; Convinces; Converts; Constrains; Condemns).
The preaching of the cross –
Convicts us of sin.
A. "To make aware, bring to realization" - When we hear preaching on the cross it should work on our conscience.
B. It is one thing to say sin is wrong and that you ought not to do it. But it is another thing to show you Jesus on the cross and know that your sins put Him there.
1. Isa. 53:4-6
2. I Cor. 15:3
3. I Pet. 2:24
4. II Cor. 5:21
C. The cross doesn’t touch everyone, as it should.
1. Little boy crying illus. – "Don’t take it so seriously."
2. I Cor. 1:23
a. "Stumbling block" (Scandalon) – scandalous; King? Pride won’t let it happen.
b. "Foolishness" – Because wisdom explains it away.
3. Same today, the cross does not touch us.
a. Some bored rather be elsewhere, I’ll take some blame, but I’m talking about the cross (Lam. 1:12).
b. I beg you to look past my shortcomings and look at the cross, see the six hours of holy agony, see the sweat and the tears, see the blood flow from His back, head hands, feet, and side.
c. Then let us face the fact that our sins did this, we murdered Jesus Christ.
D. We are murderers, we are convicts, and therefore, the preaching of the cross should convict us.
Convinces us of His holy love.
E. Jn. 15:13
1. Rom. 5:6-8
2. I Jn. 4:10
F. Sweetest song – "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.’
1. How does the Bible tell me so?
2. By the word pictures of Calvary.
G. How would an inspired artist paint the scene?
1. He would need a wide canvas because Calvary involved the whole world.
2. He would need a tall canvas, because the cross reached from the sin of the earth to the grace of heaven.
3. What color paint?
a. Brown – to paint a crown of thorns.
b. Dull blue – paint bruises on His beaten back.
c. Black – to paint the blackness of the sins He carried there.
d. Pale white – to paint the pallor of His suffering flesh.
e. No golden yellow – because the sun would not shine on that day.
f. No cheerful colors because it was only a time of sorrow.
g. But yes! Red – to remind us of the fiery hell He tasted for us.
h. And crimson – the color of His blood, which was shed for you and me.
4. But what strokes of the brush would bring tears to my eyes?
a. What lines and what tones would melt my heart?
b. What image, what photograph, would be forever etched in my mind?
5. "Upon that cross of Jesus;
Mine eye at time can see
The very dying form of one
Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess
The wonder of His glorious love,
And my own worthless."
H. Truly, when we hear the preaching of the cross it convinces us of the love of Christ.
Converts us to Christ.
I. I Cor. 1:21 (Why?)
1. Verse 18
2. Rom. 1:16
J. Two examples
1. Acts 8:35-39
2. Acts 18:8 (Mk. 16:16)
K. In The cross there is power to –
1. Cleanse because of the blood (Rev. 1:5).
2. Convince because of the message (Rom. 10:17).
3. Change because of His commands. (Rom. 6:17-18; Rom. 6:3-4)
L. Jn. 12:32
1. Lifted up on the cross to save us from sin.
2. Lifted up from the grave to save us from death.
3. Lifted up into heaven to be our advocate and friend.
4. Lifted up into our hearts to help us live the Christian life.
Constrains us to serve
M. II Cor. 5:14-15
1. I Jn. 4:19
2. Gal. 2:20
N. I fear that with many (myself included) there are times when we profess faith and love but the cross and Christ’s love really has no impact on our life.
1. II Pet. 1:9
2. "Billy goat Psychosis" – I love Jesus, but…
a. It is too much to give!
b. It is too much to attend!
c. It is too much to evangelize!
d. It is too much to love my brother!
e. It is too much to give up sin!
f. It is too much to live like He wants!
O. Our greatest fear should not be that we will go to hell, but that we will break the heart of Jesus.
P. Have you ever been, as I have, at a ball game during the raising of the flag and the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner"? I get "choked up" over scenes like that. I love my country. I have wondered how I might have reacted to seeing Jeus raised up on the cross… Then I remember that I have seen it: in the word pictures of the gospel; in the water of the baptism, in the Lord’s supper; in the beautiful songs of the old rugged cross. And I have sometimes been so ashamed that I had sacrificed so little, that I had complained so much, that worship had sometimes been so meaningless to me, that I had told so few others about Him, that I had done so little in His service, that at times I had been content to let Jesus bear the cross alone.
Condemns the unresponsive.
Q. Heb. 10:28-30
R. The ultimate charge at the throne of judgment will not be, "You told lies… stole… hated your brother… (Though for all sin we must give an account) but the ultimate charge will be – "I gave my Son to die for you and you turned your back on His cross and walked away."
S. "When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through his hands and feet and made a Calvary;
They crowned him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.
When Jesus came to your fair town Winston-Salem, NC, we simply passed Him by,
We never hurt a hair of Him, we only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and we would not give Him pain,
We only passed down the street, and left Him in the pouring rain.
Still Jesus cried, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through;
The crowds went home In Winston-Salem and left the church without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against the church house wall and cried ‘Give me Calvary’."
T. How foolish will our excuses sound for not becoming a Christian, for not living our lives better?
U. "But what was your response to the cross?"
Acts 2:36-41
Jim Pharr
Lenoir, NC