Knowing there is more than what this life is giving is what keeps us living for and seeking to know more of God. We must preach Christ crucified.

View Full Service

If you believe in God you have hope and a steadfastness. We can rejoice when a righteous person goes to be with the Lord. We can be happy they have received their reward and are at the right hand of the Lord. Jesus came to this earth 2.000 years ago. He preached, died, and conquered death after being crucified on a cross. Jesus is the most talked about and the most written about person in history. God intends for us to have eternal life through Jesus Christ. By one man’s disobedience, sin came into the world. By one man’s obedience, forgiveness of sins was achieved. The greatest day in history was the day Jesus died for everyone of us. What we lost in Adam, we regained in Christ at Calvary. We must preach Christ crucified.

A Gospel to be Preached

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Paul expresses he does not need to know anything except what he knows about Jesus and Him crucified.

Luke 9:22-23
²² And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” ²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

To the Jews a Stumblingblock

1 Corinthians 1:23-24
²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

The Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus taught that God had a different way than the laws they had been following since Moses. He preached first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. With the stripes of Jesus, we are healed and set free from the transgressions of our sins.

To the Greeks Foolishness

1 Corinthians 15:11-22
¹¹ Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. ¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

The Greeks had a god to represent any need or want or desire. Jesus came and preached and all wisdom was found in Him. They were confused and wondered at the wisdom with which He preached and taught. This teaching brought confusion and persecution. Teach this, as you have been called to do, and this will bring you persecution and threats.

A Life to be Lived

At some point you must make a choice. Moses told the children of Israel to make a decision. You choose to believe. You choose who’s side you’re on. Jesus died for each of us. Jesus died for the very people who abused and beat and nailed Him to a cross.

Matthew 27:17-22
¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. ¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. ²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. ²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”

 

Pub 4/10/22