Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1, I'll read verses 18 to chapter 2, verse 5. 1 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of 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. 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.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, God has chosen.

And the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God.

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words, of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Amen.

Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for this opportunity to come to the Holy Scripture. We thank you for Lord's Day worship. We thank you for the Church of Christ.

We thank you, most high God, that you are found among your people. We bless you for that glimpse we have in the book of Revelation with Christ standing in the midst of the lampstand. We pray that even now he would cheer our hearts and encourage us and strengthen us with the word. that the Spirit would minister in each one of us, and that You would guide us and direct us as we consider Your Word. We pray now that You would forgive us for all of our sins, that You would wash us afresh in the blood of the Lord Jesus, and God, for any and all who have come here tonight, that are strangers to your grace.

We pray that by your grace and for your glory they would be your friend tonight, that you would save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And it's in his name that we pray. Amen.

Introduction

Well, this past Friday evening and Saturday morning there was a conference here on the story of revival. And continuing that particular theme, I want to take up the place of preaching in biblical revival. The place of preaching in biblical revival. Now preaching isn't the only means that God uses.

We see that after the preaching on the day of Pentecost, when the believers were added to the church, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. Certainly we could have a study on the place of prayer with reference to revival. We could have a study on the place of fellowship with reference to revival. We could have a place with reference to Lord's Supper and revival.

In fact, one of my brothers, one of my friends in Toledo, Ohio says we have revival every time we come to the Lord's table. We are meeting afresh with the Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to focus on that element of they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine. I don't think it takes very much to convince a believer, especially a believer of the reform persuasion, that God is pleased to use preaching in a very special way when it comes to revival, whether it be individually or corporately.

In the book of Acts itself, 3,000 were added to the church on the day of Pentecost. Peter preached powerfully. In the book of Acts, chapter 3, again, Peter preaches the Word of God. And according to the beginning of chapter 4, and then there were 5,000 in the church.

So in Acts 2, 3,000. In Acts 3, 2,000. It's not just a numbers game. I'm just trying to gain your conscience here to appreciate the place of preaching in biblical revival.

We see in the book of Acts, in chapter 14, when the Apostle Paul is on his first missionary journey, it indicates that when they were in Iconium, they so spoke that a great multitude believed. And then we have several texts, several places in the New Testament epistles, which highlight and emphasize the importance of the preaching of God's Word. Now, of course, we mean corporate preaching, we mean from the pulpit, but preaching also takes place in a chariot, for instance. Remember when Philip met that Ethiopian eunuch, and he asked him if he understood what he was reading as he surveyed Isaiah the prophet.

Well, the eunuch said, how can I unless somebody explain it to me? So Philip then preaches Jesus to that particular eunuch. And then in Acts chapter 8, we see that the church is scattered, and they go about the countryside preaching the Word. So it's not just from the pulpit corporately on Sunday wherein preaching occurs, though I do sort of want to focus on that this particular evening.

The preaching of God's Word is very often one of the primary means that he uses in the revival of his people.

Sermon Overview and Two Points

So I want to do two things this evening. First, just briefly consider the necessity of the Word of God, and then secondly, the primacy of preaching. And we'll survey three. particular texts, texts that I'm sure are well known to all of you. But first of all, the necessity of the Word of God.

The Necessity of the Word of God

We study what revelation is and we open our Bible and we ask the Bible, what is revelation?

General and Special Revelation

Well, revelation is not just the last book of the Bible, but revelation is God's revealing himself to his creatures. And we find that there are two primary ways that the Lord God accomplishes this particular task of revelation. The first way is what we'll call general revelation. God reveals himself through the created order to his creatures.

Psalm 19 speaks of this. It says the heavens declare the glory of God. Romans chapter 1, the Apostle Paul says that man knows God exists. God has revealed himself through the created order to his image bearers such that when man denies that, he is without excuse on the day of judgment.

He is without an apologetic. He cannot level an offense before the living and true God as to why He didn't worship Him, why He didn't serve Him, why He didn't honor Him as God. So general revelation. comes to God's image-bearer man through the created order. But secondly, there is special revelation.

Special revelation is God's revealing Himself through His Word. Now, to be sure, in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, God revealed Himself through visions. He revealed Himself through dreams. He revealed Himself in the New Testament through tongues and through prophesying and all those particulars.

But as we speak, of special revelation. Now we mean that body of data collected in the 66 books of Holy Scripture. Paul says elsewhere, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work." Verse 17. So by special revelation, I mean God's revealing Himself through the Old and New Testaments to His people.

The Gospel as Necessary for Salvation

Now, within special revelation, we see a specific necessity that man as sinner hears the gospel in order to be saved. Man, as sinner, must hear the gospel in order to be saved. Romans chapter 1 at verse 16. Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it And I think he is highlighting it alone.

For by it, or for through it, comes the righteousness of God. Let me just start again. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. And if we ask the question, why is that, Paul?

For in it For in that Gospel account, for in that Gospel record, those events concerning Christ's life, death, and resurrection, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, that as it is written, the just shall live by faith. The Gospel is absolutely essential if a sinner is to be saved. Romans 10, 17, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1 to 4, Paul highlights the necessity of the gospel there.

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. He then displays or describes the contents of that gospel message. It is a Christ-centered message. It's about his life.

It's about his death. It's about his resurrection. It has its tap roots in Old Testament revelation. He keeps saying in there, according to the scriptures, according to the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures declared that this would be the way by which Messiah would save his people.

Ephesians chapter 1, verses 13 and 14, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of souls. He indicates as well the importance of the Scripture, the Gospel. Notice in Ephesians 1.13, "...in Him you also, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." You see the instrumentality of the Word. God uses the gospel, God uses means, God uses the proclamation of that truth as the great net whereby He drags His elect to Himself.

James 1.18. James says, of His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth. 1 Peter chapter 1 indicates it is because of the word of God that we have been born again. I hope that you will not dispute the necessity of the gospel message for salvation to God's elect. So that is the necessity of the Word of God.

Let's look at the primacy of preaching. Again, there are other means. Mr. Deschenkolik indicated the coal porters, but again, that was tasked with putting the Word of God out there.

God is pleased to bless the preaching of His Word to the salvation of His people, or to the salvation of sinners, and to the reviving of His people.

The Primacy of Preaching

Let's go first to Romans chapter 10, as we consider the primacy of preaching. Again, I believe this biblical data is familiar to all of us. I think it bears some repetition. I think it bears some emphasis, so that as we consider this doctrine of revival, this idea of revival, we will pray that God will send His Spirit to bless the Word, so that His people may know His presence in fuller power and with more glory.

Notice in Romans chapter 10, beginning in verse 14, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Good question. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? It's already stipulated, he's already said in verse 13, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How does anyone call on the name of the Lord if he doesn't believe? If he is not convinced there is a Lord who saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh to his Father through him. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Now notice, and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?

Now may I suggest an alternate translation in this particular verse. And how shall they believe Him whom they have not heard? I think that's the stress that the Apostle is communicating. I think the emphasis is upon this reality, that as Christ is faithfully preached, people are hearing Christ himself.

If you doubt that interpretation, you can plop your finger in Romans 10, and then look over at Ephesians chapter 2, verse 17. You see, in that section in Ephesians chapter 2, at verse 14, Paul says that Christ is our peace. Isn't that beautiful? When your heart is distressed, when you are troubled, when you're having difficulty, When you're weighed down, when you're burdened, where ought you to go?

Christ our peace. He then says in verse 15 that Christ makes peace. How does Christ make peace? He does it through the blood of His cross.

And then in verse 17, Paul the Apostle makes this powerful statement. He says to the church in Ephesus. He says to believers in a place where Jesus physically, during His earthly ministry, had never gone. Paul says in Ephesians 2.17, He came and preached peace to you.

Those who were afar off, those who have been brought nigh, Christ came and preached peace to you. Well, how could he have done that if he never left the confines of Israel? He did it when Paul the Apostle and his companions came into Ephesus in Acts chapter 19. In other words, when a man faithfully and accurately preaches the truth of God's Holy Word, sinners are hearing from Christ.

It's a beautiful thing. See, I think if we understand the primacy of preaching, we understand what's involved in preaching, it'll affect and change the way we approach preaching. We won't take it as an optional item in our Christian growth. We won't neglect the corporate place.

We won't absent ourselves when the gospel is being proclaimed. I was struck by something that Heinz read yesterday, a letter written by a man to his son serving. I don't know if he was in the north or south in terms of army commitment. Either way, the young man was a believer, so dad writes him a letter.

Dad's exhorting him with spiritual things. Dad's encouraging him with spiritual things. Dad wants him to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. He wants him to resist the temptation of the profane soldier, of the drunken soldier.

He wants him to guard his heart in those things. He enjoins upon him scripture reading and prayer to be sure. And he says, and if there is preaching, avail yourself of it. Don't absent yourself.

You realize that if the Word of God is accurately preached, there's no reflection on the man. We don't say, wow, this guy's great because he channels Jesus. No, that's not it. After we survey the biblical data, I have three confessional quotes, quotes from the confessions.

We don't esteem the man. We esteem the Christ. Paul says it this way, we have this treasure in earthenware vessels so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of men. It's the way it's set up is such that if you are revived, if you are encouraged, if you are strengthened, if you are more conformed to the image of Christ, you don't say, what a great man, C.

H. Spurgeon. You don't say, what a great man, Dr. Jobiki.

You don't say, what a great man, Jim Butler. You say, what a great Christ, that He comes through such feeble means, that He comes through earthenware vessels, that He comes through cracked pots. All glory, all praise, all honor is given to Him alone. Paul says, how shall they believe Him whom they have not heard?

And how shall they hear without a preacher? We sing that hymn in 271. It says, pity the nations, oh our God, and constrain the earth to come. Well, the real genuine way that we voice our pity to the nations is to pray to God to raise up preachers.

Not hipsters, not cool cats, not men who can connect with the populace, but men who have the spirit of the living God, who understand the gospel of saving grace, and who preach. You know, you think about the paradigm of today. We have to be cool. We have to be hip.

I don't see that in Paul. He didn't sort of email ahead to the particular cities and say, which Starbucks does everyone hang out at? What movies are the cool people going to see? How many tattoos satisfies the populace so that I'm included as one of their own?

Where should I get piercings so that they won't think I'm weird or I'm odd? The context of the passage emphasizes what Paul is about in 1 Corinthians 1. We'll get there in just a moment. But we preach Christ crucified.

He's saying in chapter 2, I determine to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That was everything for Paul. That's the kind of men that we need. Men that study to show themselves approved.

It's that man that can connect with everybody. You know what's the most relevant thing the church can do? Is preach the Word. In our attempt to be relevant, we're becoming irrelevant.

Because the only thing we have, or the only thing that is peculiar to the church, is what our culture desperately needs. Right? We're going to put that down so we can connect? We're going to just sit and chat and have coffee together?

No, we preach Christ and Him crucified. How shall they hear and how shall they preach unless they are sent? Yes, I believe this speaks to the whole idea of, you don't ordain yourself. You don't appoint yourself.

There ought to be a church that recognizes that, yes, you understand that body of truth, and yes, you can communicate that truth, and yes, your life is consistent with that truth. That's what the sending process is all about. It is to have church involvement. You don't just come out of your devotional closet one morning and say, I believe the Lord would have me erect a pulpit and preach to every man.

Okay. I realize people do that, but they don't have a biblical warrant. According to the Apostle, there must be a sender. I believe it's the Spirit working through his church.

As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. John Murray, commenting on this section, says the main point is that the saving relation to Christ involved in calling upon his name is not something that can occur in a vacuum. It occurs only in a context created by proclamation of the gospel on the part of those commissioned to proclaim it. Brethren, the argument is not God isn't sovereign, so preachers have to save people.

God is sovereign, absolutely and comprehensively so. God uses means to accomplish his purpose. For instance, there were some young lads and they mocked an old prophet. They called him baldhead.

They scoffed at him. I don't think these were two-year-olds. I don't think these were three-year-olds. I think these were rebellious, probably late teenagers.

God didn't just cause them to fall dead. God didn't just cause them to magically appear mauled. God sent she-bears out to maul them. You see, God uses means.

The means was their destruction, or at least their severe chastisement. God's use of means are the bears that he uses to affect that particular chastisement. You see, God is comprehensively sovereign. God is unarguably, in an unrivaled sense, the sovereign of the universe.

Our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases. The argument is, however, that the sovereign God has been well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1: Three Observations

Turn over to 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1 is an interesting section of scripture, into chapter 2. Let me just give you a brief overview of the lay of the land here. Basically, Paul is contrasting the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of the world is foolishness.

The wisdom of God is wisdom. There's a contrast set up. The wisdom of God is seen in the message of the cross. That's verses 18 to 25.

The wisdom of God is seen in the recipients who are saved. That's verses 26 to 31. It's not many wise, not many noble. Wretches in Corinth are going to go to heaven.

That's not the wisdom of the world. The wisdom of the world would say those wretches in Corinth belong in hell. The wisdom of God says that not many wise, not many noble, not many good people out there are going to come to saving faith in Christ Jesus. And then in chapter 2, verses 1 to 5, the wisdom of God is seen in contrast to the wisdom of the world in the appointment of the Apostle Paul to the preaching ministry.

What does the world do when they want a preacher? They want a confident man, don't they? They want a well-dressed man. They want a polished man.

You know, there's a presidential election going on in the United States. They spend a lot of time and a lot of effort to make these guys look presentable. I guarantee you when they walk out on that debate stage tomorrow night, they don't wear Metallica t-shirts. They don't come out sipping coffee or look like they need a shave.

They're polished. They look like the man for the job. That's the wisdom of the world. You would think the best orators, the best skilled men, the most confident people would be appointed to the preaching task.

It is just the opposite in the wisdom of God. Look at what Paul says. Do you think he'd get a job in our churches today? Do you think he would become the lead pastor or the senior pastor if he wrote the things that he indicates here in chapter 2?

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech. I'm not real good at this oratory thing. I'm not real good at public speaking. I certainly didn't come with wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

Verse 2, for I determined to know nothing among you or anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. So he doesn't have the oratorical gift, he doesn't have the skill, he doesn't have the ability of the gifted speaker, but notice character. Well, as long as he tries hard and he's got confidence, as long as he can project himself as a man, it is to be respected. He says in verse 3, I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

We wouldn't hire him in our churches. We'd refer him to a psychiatrist. You need some help, buddy. You're not firing on all pistons.

You come for a job opportunity, you're going to tell us that? You kidding me? This is Corinth. We need men of grit, men of determination.

We certainly can't have weak men. We can't have fearful men. We can't have men that tremble a lot. He says, my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom.

But you see, what Paul had was what is crucial. But, he says, in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Paul didn't ever want it to be the case that someone walked out of the church and said, wow, Paul is gifted. Wow, Paul is excellent.

Wow, Paul is great. Wow, Paul can bring it. Wow, Paul was off the hook. No, he wanted them to walk out of the church saying, praise God from whom all blessings flow.

That He takes this weak man, that He takes this trembling man, that He takes this fearful man, that He takes this untrained man, and by His Spirit, in a demonstration of power, He comes and He blesses His people. It's beautiful. So go back for just a moment to the message of the cross. Again, this is not the message that the world finds favorable.

The message that God has ordained is offensive to the world. Notice in verse 21, I believe Paul here is summarizing the whole flow of thought. 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. Now, I believe the emphasis falls upon the content of the message preached.

Okay? What is salvific, what is powerful, what is saving is the life and the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is powerful to save to the uttermost is the gospel of Jesus. That's where the emphasis lies.

In the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom. Socrates didn't bring it. Plato didn't bring it. Aristotle didn't bring it.

The whole history of philosophy is subsumed there in verse 21. man on his own, man with his philosophers, man without special revelation, trying to find acceptance with God, the world through wisdom did not know God. It then says, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Again, it is the content. It is the truth.

It is the gospel. However, having said that, it is that message, it is that content, it is that gospel preached. With me? Notice in verse 23, but we preach Christ and Him crucified.

Three observations, and last time I preached this material, Some of the better memories here, we'll remember that this has been modified a little bit. For an Arbca General Assembly, came and preached this with reference to the means of grace. And Tom Lyon, pastor in Tacoma, Washington, preached on the centrality of preaching. And he made these three points with reference to 1 Corinthians 1, 21 to 23.

I don't think I gave him credit the first time. Forgive me, I didn't mean to steal it from him or plagiarize him. I want to give him doubly due credit at this point. Really quite simple points.

Preaching Pleases God

The first is this. Preaching pleases God. Right? 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.

Preaching pleases God. Again, praying, pleases God. Fellowshiping, pleases God. Breaking bread together at the Lord's table, pleases God.

Baptisms, please God. Singing, pleases God. All of these things are true to be sure. In this particular context, however, the emphasis is upon the content, it is upon the gospel message, and it is upon that message preached.

It pleased God. This makes Him happy. There's a section in 2 Corinthians which speaks about the Word having been preached. Let's just turn there for a moment. 2 Corinthians chapter 2.

It pleases God even if sinners aren't saved. Did you ever think about that? Sometimes people engage in a tract ministry, or they invite friends to hear preaching. Or they point them to a website, or they give them, well, I guess they don't give them tapes anymore.

They give them a DVD or a CD, or they tell them where the MP3 can be found. All these acronyms here. You've got to be a brain surgeon to keep up, a rocket scientist to keep up in the 21st century. Do you know, you give out these tracts, or you bring people to sermons, or they go and download and fill up their iPods, and they're not saved, and we can conclude, what a waste of time.

I don't know that we would verbalize it in that way, but our actions at times betray that idea. Do you know, God is glorified in the proclamation. God is glorified when His Word goes out. Whether or not men are saved.

Notice in 2 Corinthians 2 at verse 14. Now, thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ. Remember hearing Albert N.

Martin preach on this, and he said it was as if God had a big nose. No, we know he doesn't. God is spirit. He does not have a body like men.

But the analogy, the metaphor, the language that is being employed by Paul is that God has this nose, and he's sniffing it in as the gospel is preached. It is the fragrance of Christ. It is pleasing to him. You know, the way that you ladies, or the way that you men sprinkle a little bit on your neck, Smells good, it's a fragrance, it's pleasing, right?

You don't spray essence of skunk, you don't spray essence of dirt, you don't spray essence of, you know, gasoline. You get flowers or you get whatever and they grind it up into a liquid and you spray that on there because it's pleasing. Isn't that a beautiful concept? Paul says this.

Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place, for we are to God. You see, that's what's most important in our declaration of the truth. That's what comes first. Even in evangelism, even in the missionary enterprise, it is God first.

So that as Paul preaches, as Silas preaches, as Barnabas preaches, as James or Peter or John, as they proclaim the word, he says, we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved, now notice, and among those who are perishing. So as the gospel goes forth and men reject it, nevertheless, it's a fragrance unto God. Nevertheless, the Lord is pleased in this. You see, we've always thought with reference to evangelism, and with reference to missions, and with reference to church life, we preach Christ crucified and let God do the rest.

It's His business. One sows, another waters, but what does Paul tell us? God gives the increase. We just need to be faithful.

We just need to do it. We just need to go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. We just need to preach. Notice, among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. I think most of the time we take that statement at the end of verse 16, and who is sufficient for these things? It's a grave, serious, horrible thing in many respects.

To be the agent of damnation, you've gone out and you've preached, and that person rejects, that person is perishing. They're going to remember in hell every time that you gave them the gospel. I don't think that's the point. Who is sufficient for these things?

Men filled with the Spirit. Men who speak the truth in love. Men who are not like so many, peddling the Word of God. Men who with sincerity, as from God, speak in the sight of God in Christ.

That is the fitness, that is the sufficiency, that is what God says in terms of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus chapter 1, with reference to the qualification. The first observation, with reference to 1 Corinthians 1, is that preaching pleases God.

Preaching Does Not Please Men

A second observation, again credit to Pastor Tom Lyon, preaching, get this, does not please men. Right? What's Paul say? Jews seek after a sign.

Greeks seek after wisdom. You see, when Paul stood and preached a crucified Messiah in the synagogue, he met with opposition. When Paul preached a crucified Messiah in any Gentile audience, he met with opposition. I have a book in my study by Everett Ferguson.

It's on the early history of the church. There's an actual picture that they found. I don't think it was on a cave wall, but it was on some sort of a wall. Perhaps in a jail, I think it was.

And it's a picture of a man on a cross with a donkey's head. You know what the Greeks thought of a crucified Messiah? It's like a jackass on the cross. I don't mean to be scandalous, but that's what they thought.

Paul uses the word scandal. Stumbling block is a scandal. It is a scandal to consider a crucified Messiah. God is pleased through the foolishness of the message preached.

Man is not. Man doesn't want preaching. Man doesn't want hour-long sermons. Man will take about 15 minutes of a bit of a feel-good pep talk.

Beyond that, forget it, right? You ever told anybody at our church sometimes he goes an hour? An hour? We can be glued to the hockey game for two and a half hours.

Never even think we have to go to the bathroom. What is it with kids? You can sit down and watch something and never have to go to the bathroom. As soon as you walk into this room, it's like a, you know, we need a turnstile.

Control the traffic. I'm not chiding you, I'm not reproving you, I'm not saying don't deal with your bodily needs, but it is an intriguing reality, isn't it? And I know it's not true of all of you kids. Don't go home and say, he picked on me and I don't do that.

I'm sorry, it was a generic sort of out-throwing there. Man doesn't like preaching. Did you when you were unconverted? Oh yeah, I loved the hour long.

I loved when he went hour ten. I really appreciate it if the Spirit, as they said, came on him and he went an hour and twenty. No, man doesn't like that. Jews wanted signs.

Greeks wanted wisdom. Preaching pleases God. Preaching doesn't please man.

Preachers Preach Nevertheless

But thirdly, preachers preach nevertheless. You see, we don't say, well, they don't like it, so let's have puppet shows. They don't like it, so let's trot in the ponies. They don't like it, so let's just have song celebrations.

They don't like it, so let's just put tables out and drink coffee and talk about politics. They don't like it. Paul says that very clearly and very penetratingly. Jews seek signs.

Greeks want wisdom. But, he says, we preach Christ crucified. We don't let the audience tell us what to do. We don't let the ethos of the age tell us what to do.

We don't let culture dictate. We don't let social norms dictate. We don't care if we get likes on Facebook or Twitter. We just don't care.

We preach Christ crucified, he said. To the Jews, a stumbling block, a scandal and an offense. To the Greeks, foolishness. Paul knows this.

Paul understands this. Paul realizes that apart from the Holy Spirit of God working in the heart of a man, it is a scandalous, foolish message to the unregenerate. But Paul says, we preach it to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. It's beautiful.

Beautiful. And then, of course, the last passage, 2 Timothy chapter 4. I think we recently touched on this, so I don't want to spend a lot of time there, because I really don't want you to go, man, he did go an hour 20. What's with that guy?

2 Timothy 4: Preach the Word

2 Timothy chapter 4, last letter Paul wrote before he died. Last letter, 11th hour, final epistle. What's most important? What do you want to convey to Timothy?

What's his emphasis throughout? Sound doctrine. Sound doctrine. Sound doctrine.

And then in chapter 4, he ends this way, I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, you know the text, preach the word. Don't preach yourself. Don't tell stories. Be the most innovative, don't be the most relevant, preach the word.

This makes sense, doesn't it? We took a few moments at the very beginning of the message to highlight the importance of the word, especially the gospel. You see, if men don't hear the gospel, they will be damned. If men don't believe on the Lord Jesus, and again, God is absolutely sovereign, He's ordained preaching as the means by which He calls men out of darkness into marvelous light.

So if we get rid of the means, humanly speaking, we can get rid of the effect, which is salvation. So when we see the emphasis upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it should come as no surprise that that which Paul finally communicated to his young protege was preach the Word He gives two reasons for this command. He gives two reasons why Timothy is to preach the Word. We'll take the second one first.

I know that sounds confusing, but look at verse 6. This is the second reason why he gives the command to preach the Word. He says, For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing." Paul's going to die. That's what that means.

Paul is going the way of all flesh. He's going to die, and he is going to stand and meet his Lord. That's the second reason why he tells Timothy, preach the word. What's the idea there?

Paul is passing the baton to his protege. Paul is passing the baton to a young minister. I am going to die. The gospel mustn't die with me.

Preach the word. The first reason is found in verse 3. Preach the word, he says, and then in verse three, four, the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. Men aren't going to want preaching.

What's the answer? Preach. Men don't like long sermons. Preach.

I'm not saying there's something noble or virtuous in long sermons themselves. That's not my point. Men think there's a lot of different ways that we can achieve the same end. Preach.

Preach the word, Timothy, two reasons. The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. So preach to them that which they will not endure. Psychologically difficult for young Timothy, I would imagine.

Oh, they don't want me to preach to them. What's your response? Preach to them. Dad, I don't know how to dig this hole with this shovel.

What do you want me to do? Dig that hole with that shovel. But you don't get it. It's hard.

Dig the hole. You don't get it. They don't like me. Preach the word.

You don't get it. We live in a debauched society where Starbucks is more effective than the pulpit. Preach the word. You see, he gives the command.

He gives two reasons. Smack dab in the middle of the command and the two reasons, he gives the manner. How is Timothy to preach the Word? Is he to just, you know, go up and put his hand in his pocket and rattle his chain and have a little bit of a change and have a little bit of a chat with people?

Well, you know. No, he says, be ready in season and out of season. In other words, Timothy, you ought to be ready at all times to preach the Word, whether the church wants to hear the Word or whether the church doesn't want to hear the Word. That does not change your current responsibility.

And in the actual act of preaching, Timothy, here's how you're supposed to do it. You're supposed to do something that will really bother people in 21st century North America. You see, that society, they're going to just hate the thought of anything authoritative. They're going to despise any trace of dogmatism.

They're going to call you prejudiced. They're going to call you bigoted. They're going to call you all kinds of names if you come across as actually knowing something more than they do. Convince.

This isn't take it or leave it data. If you're not in Christ tonight, You don't have the option of just saying, well, I don't feel like listening. The God of heaven and earth has spoken through His word. You as a creature, you as an image bearer, ought to pay close attention.

God as Redeemer has spoken of His Son. God as Redeemer has spoken of His dear Son, whom He was pleased to bruise, putting Him to grief. This is the most important thing you can ever hear. This is the most valuable information available.

There is nothing more important than this information. Timothy says, convince. Don't play games. Don't have chats.

Don't be everybody's pal. Don't be the guy everybody can really... Convince them that the truth of God is absolutely crucial. Look at Titus 2.

Look at verse 15. Speak these things. Exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

That doesn't mean we don't like you because you preach long sermon. Let no one despise the message you bring. They don't have the option to wiggle out of this. Paul says convince the hearer to Timothy.

He says rebuke. We're sinners. We're wayward. We're hard.

We're recalcitrant. We're incorrigible. We are dark. We gravitate toward evil.

If we're not being rebuked constantly, what happens? We're even worse. Because if all that wasn't bad enough, we need the rebuke of God's Word to keep us in place. So convince, rebuke, exhort, encourage.

Tell people there is a gospel, there is a cross, there is a Savior, there is a Lord. Tell the believer who is downcast. Tell the believer who is sinning. Tell the believer who is struggling.

There is mercy in God. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. Exhort the people of God. Exhort the unbeliever to flee to the Lord Jesus.

Come to the one alone who has everlasting life. And then Paul adds these elements, with all long-suffering. Be patient, Timothy. Be very patient.

The work of the kingdom is long-term. It's long-haul. You need to be future-oriented. You cannot believe for a moment that the moment you step foot in Ephesus, every unbeliever is going to bow to Christ, and every believer is going to clean up their life.

It's just not going to happen. It's just not. You've got to be long-suffering. You've got to be patient.

You've got to be forbearing, and you've got to be a teacher. With all longsuffering and teaching. See, all teaching is not necessarily preaching. All teaching is not necessarily preaching.

But all preaching must involve teaching. It's the Word of Truth that is the power of God. It is the message of the cross. It is the effects of that message.

It is the implications drawn out. It is the life of sanctification. All preaching must instruct people from the Word of God. We heard reference that in the Second Dutch Reformation, There was conventicles that arose on the side of the church.

Small groups, small gatherings of people. And what Mr. Beeky said is that in some of them, there was a departure from the truth. And then people began to look at their own experience, their own subjectivism, their own navels, and they made that the standard for all that was holy and good.

Nothing can be further from the truth. It is the scriptures that men need. It is the scriptures that Christians need. It is the scriptures and the scriptures alone.

Lloyd-Jones says, what is preaching? got this in connection with the manner here. Actually we're gonna go all night, brethren. This is a very important thing. Just kidding.

Please. What is preaching, he says, logic on fire, eloquent reason. Are these contradictions? Of course they are not.

Reason concerning this truth ought to be mightily eloquent, as you see it in the case of the Apostle Paul and others. Now, this doesn't mean all preaching is loud. Butler's louder than psalm. That doesn't mean they're not doing their job.

God's made men differently. Praise be to God that not every preacher sounds the same. Praise be to God that there's diversity. Praise be to God that he uses different kinds of baits to catch different kinds of fish.

Praise him for that. There's no paradigm. There's no pattern. There's no standard.

Everybody has to sound like Al Martin or they're not a good preacher. Everybody has to sound like Del Ralph Davis or they're not a good preacher. Everybody has to sound like the Apostle Paul or they're not a good preacher. Everybody has to sound like Martin Lloyd-Jones or they're not a good preacher.

That's not the point. Listen to what Lloyd-Jones has to say. He says it is theology on fire, and a theology which does not take fire, I maintain, is defective theology, or at least the man's understanding of it is defective. He says preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire.

A true understanding and experience of the truth must lead to this. He says, I say again that a man who can speak dispassionately has no right whatsoever to be in a pulpit and should never be allowed to enter one. That's pretty powerful. Again, I wouldn't want to press that to the exclusion of a lot of guys that preach in a more monotone tone.

The point is this. If a man has come face to face with the saving power of God Most High and his task is to preach that truth, how does he do it in an unaffected manner? How does he do it without it coming out? How does he do it as if he's discussing paint colors for the living room?

You know, quite frankly, some men present truth as if they're paint colors in the living room. This is eternal. This is weighty. This is heavy.

This is momentous. This is the most important thing. Shame on us when presidential candidates speak with more passion than preachers preaching the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. Foreign policy is important.

The economy is important. But they're nothing compared to heaven and hell. Man gets more fired up about his foreign policy than a preacher does about the gospel? Lloyd-Jones is saying, maybe there's another job you should take or pursue.

Confessional Witness to Preaching

Confessional statements will bypass. I have Didache 4.1, Westminster Larger 155, 2nd Helvetic Confession 1.4. I'll just read the one from the 2nd Helvetic. They say, the preaching of the word of God is the Word of God.

The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. Now, obviously implicit is that it's true preaching. It wouldn't be the Word of God. The man was preaching justification by faith plus words.

That's not the Word of God. But if a man is preaching accurately justification by faith alone, he is preaching the triunity of God, he is preaching the deity of Jesus Christ, he is preaching the personality of the Holy Spirit, he is preaching what it is to be a Christian husband, a Christian wife, a Christian child, a parent, or whatnot. The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. They said, wherefore, when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed and received by the faithful, and that neither any other Word of God is to be invented, nor is to be expected from heaven, and that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, Not the minister that preaches, for even if he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the word of God remains still true and good.

It's powerful. Let me just give you the Didache. The Didache is an early Christian treatise, which has been dated, some date it very early, A.D. 50. I'm not an apostolic church father.

I don't know the specifics, but somewhere probably more toward the beginning of the second century, so the early part of AD 100. A lot of instructions about the Christian life, a lot of quotations from the scripture on how Christians ought to live. Now, I read this not so that you'll do it. I know that's kind of an interesting introduction to this statement, but just to show you and demonstrate how they perceived the word of God.

Says, my child, remember night and day the one who preaches God's word to you and honor him as though he were Lord. Please don't do that. Not that I have trouble getting my wife to honor me. I'm kidding, just kidding, sweetie.

You know, in 1 Peter, Sarah called him Lord. Come on, honey, just call me Lord. No, I don't do that. Listen to the emphasis they put.

My child, remember night and day the one who preaches God's Word to you, and honor him as though he were Lord." Now notice, for wherever the Lord's nature is preached, there the Lord is. You see, if you understand that, and you wrap your mind around it, how ought you to view corporate worship? How ought you to view it if you have a man that does accurately preach the truth? should be there, should listen, should take heed.

Application: Good Preachers and Good Hearers

In conclusion, got other things. I don't want to go late. This would be a wrong night to go late. There is a need for good preachers.

Not every man that preaches is necessarily good at it. And I know that sounds arrogant. I know it sounds proud. I know it sounds like, well, you must think you're good at it.

Not necessarily. There are some guys that are obviously not real good at it. Guys that get it wrong. You know, we want our lawyers to understand tax law.

We want our surgeons to know their way around a knee. We certainly want our mechanics not to treat our carburetor as if it's a tire. And yet men enter pulpits and they can't explain basic Christian truth. Why is that going on?

Why? Why has that taken priority? If a man can't explain basic Christian truth, he certainly shouldn't be preaching. Calvin said it this way, Remember, this is the 16th century.

At the present day, there are many who are well-nigh sickened by the very name of preaching because there are so many stupid, ignorant men who blurt out their worthless brainwaves from the pulpit. We could add in our day, or through their blogs, or through their Twitter account, or through their Facebook. A. W.

Tozer said, one of the most popular current errors, and one out of which brings most of the noisy, blustering religious activity in evangelical churches, is the notion that as times change, the church must change with them. That mentality which mistakes Hollywood for the holy city is too gravely astray to be explained otherwise than as judicial madness visited upon professing Christians for affronts committed against the Spirit of God." J. Gresham Machen said the miserable phrase, sharing Christ, which so sickens those of us who believe that the work of preaching is not that of sharing an experience, but of proclaiming a message. Some preachers are cast into the role of head cheerleader, whose job is simply to rally others for service on the field.

B.B. Warfield commented on this particular strain. If the minister comes to be thought of, for example, fundamentally as merely the head of a social organization from whom may be demanded pleasant manners and executive ability, or as little more than a zealous promoter, the minister's whole function is summed up in these or such things." He says, if the whole function of the minister is inspirational rather than instructional, then no doubt we may dispense with all serious study of the scripture. You see, these men lived a long time ago, in days that we look back and say, wow, those were the glory days.

There's nothing new under the sun. But you know, we often stress the need for good preachers. We ought to stress the need for good hearers. If Spurgeon fell out of heaven and he occupied this pulpit, no one was here to hear him.

It's that old adage, if a tree falls in the forest, does it make any sound? If Spurgeon preaches the glorious truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and no one is there to hear him, then there's responsibility for the hearers, responsibility for people, responsibility for the church. It's not just a one-man show. It's not just a singular or solo activity.

I like the way Albert and Martin describes it. There is that triangle where God the Spirit comes upon the preacher and that goes to the people of God. There's this dynamic that is functioning in the midst of biblical preaching. When you take one of those components out, you've got a mess.

You don't have that dynamic anymore. So if a man is given to study and a man is given to prayer and a man is preaching accurately the Word of God, avail yourself. Be there. Pay attention.

Some of these things go without saying, but you need to take heed. You need to listen. You need to enjoy the ordinary. I'm always afraid that when we highlight revival, or the history of revival, or the story of revival, we might create an ethos in the people where that's what we ought to be seeking.

No, we ought to be seeking the Lord Jesus Christ in the Apostles' Doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. If God, in His mercy and grace, designs to pour out His Spirit in an extraordinary way, praise Him for that. But we don't disdain the ordinary. I was using this illustration this morning.

There's times when my wife and I go out on a date and we have a really great night. Not every day is date night. There's a lot of ordinary. There's bad breath.

There's grumpy tempers. There's friction. Bad breath here, not my beloved. She shines.

She has rose petals. You see, unfortunately at times people make, can I say it, an idol out of revival. We all have revival. We don't have revival.

No! There's something blessed about the ordinary. There's something beautiful about getting up every day next to the same woman, going about your specific tasks, enjoying a bit of communion, enjoying a bit of fellowship, going back to bed and doing that over again for another 40 years. Life isn't a honeymoon.

The Christian life isn't revival always. Don't despise the day of small things. There's one lesson I think we've probably all learned from the prophet Zechariah, it's that. Who will disdain the day of small things?

You may not have known that came from Zechariah 4.10, but I'm sure you've heard it in a prayer, you've heard it in a sermon. That was a legitimate question in the post-exilic age when they rebuilt the temple and it wasn't as glorious as Solomon's. Who will despise the day of small things? Don't do that.

Don't give up on your church because you haven't had revival. Don't give up on your church because God hasn't brought you into honeymoon phase. Be faithful. Continue steadfastly in the Apostles' Doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

T.V. Moore commenting on Zechariah 4.10 says, It is not only unwise, but it is wicked to be disheartened because of the external feebleness of the church. I think this is indicting to our generation. If the church isn't feeding everybody, if it isn't saving everybody, if it isn't doing everything, it's just messed up.

Oh, really? Could it be that that small assembly of believers are being more conformed to the image of Christ? That their worship is God-glorifying? I'm not saying ours necessarily.

I'm not saying that at all. Could there be a group of people that are enjoying the favor and the mercy of God in an ordinary sort of way? It is not only unwise, but it is wicked to be disheartened because of the external feebleness of the church, compared with the work she has to do and the enemies she has to encounter." He says, God is her strength, her glory, and her hope, and to despair of her, he says, is to deny God. It's not wrong to pray for revival.

It's not wrong to say, pity the nations. Oh, our God, and constrain the earth to come. But it's not wrong either. to have an ordinary Lord's Day, to go through the ordinary means, to find some small semblance of extraordinary blessing, even in those feeble attempts. It's a blessing, wonderful thing to be God's people, whether we're in ordinary situations or we're in revival.

Revival, good, but ordinary good. That's really what I wanted to say tonight. It could have saved us a long time, brother, and opened up with that in your introduction.

Call to the Unconverted

I just want to close by one last statement to those who don't know Christ. Look at what God has done in the saving of sinners. It's amazing, isn't it? He not only sends His Son into this world to live, to die, and to rise again, not only stations Him at His right hand, gives Him the reins to the universe in the current session, gives Him the spirit to pour out upon the church, but He also has called men, men who are recognized by the church, men whose task it is to pray and to preach.

All of this, why? Because God is going to save His people. God is going to get glory in the salvation of a great number that no man can number, from every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every nation. If you were here this morning, please take this sermon as another example of God's heart to sinners.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message, that message concerning his life, His death and His resurrection, that blessed gospel account that centers in upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus, all those who believe that message will be saved. It's a beautiful, wonderful, glorious testimony to the heart of our gracious and merciful God.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for preaching, we thank You for the Scripture, we thank You for the Holy Spirit who takes these things and writes it upon our hearts. We pray, God in heaven, that as we pray for revival, as we pray for the missionary enterprise, as we pray for evangelism, that we would pray that You would raise men up and equip them to serve You in this capacity. We pray from our own church, God, that you would equip men, that you would cause them to know and understand the truth of Holy Scripture, to go and to preach the truth.

We pray for more church planting work here in this lower mainland. We long to see more and more churches raised up that testify faithfully to the living and true God. And Lord, for those here that do not know you, we pray that you would do that work which only you are able to do. That you would open their eyes, open their hearts, and cause them to receive the word of truth.

And we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Scripture References

• Zechariah 4:10
• Matthew 28:19
• Acts 2:41-42; 3:12; 4:4; 8:4; 8:26-35; 14:1; 19:1
• Romans 1:16-17; 1:20; 10:13-15; 10:17
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 2:1-5; 3:6; 15:1-4
• 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 4:7
• Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:14-15; 2:17
• James 1:18
• 1 Timothy 3:1
• Titus 1:5; 2:15
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:1-8
• 1 Peter 1:23; 3:6
• Psalm 19:1