Preaching Christ

Preaching Christ – Part II

March 25, 2007

Introduction

Last Sunday, we began our thoughts with Paul’s writing to the church at Corinth, as he said, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:2 NKJV) We also said that, of Phillip, it is said, ”Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” (Acts 8:35 NKJV) Paul also said, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Rom 8:9 NKJV)

In my introduction last Sunday, we asked these questions: How do we “preach Christ”? How do we “know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”? Who is Jesus Christ? What did He teach? How did He live? What does it matter?

Last Sunday, we only touched on two of our questions, “Who is Jesus Christ?” and How did He live? These are very important questions, and we will touch briefly on them.

Body

I. Who is Jesus Christ? -- let us quickly review.

A. It is a question that matters because Jesus asked the question of His apostles.

(Mat 16:13-17 NKJV) When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" {14} So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." {15} He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" {16} Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." {17} Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

1. Others were on the right track, so to speak. – He was a prophet.

2. But the question is a personal one – Who do you say I am?

B. What did Jesus say about Himself?

(Mat 11:28-30 NKJV) "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. {29} "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. {30} "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

He was loving and forgiving.

1. The woman taken in adultery. (John 8:3-11 NKJV)

2. He defended the woman who anointed His head with oil. (Luke 7:37-48)

3. He loved and forgave Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:1-10 NKJV)

II. How did he live?

A. He came to seek and save the lost.

(Luke 19:10) "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

1. He had compassion for the lost.

(Mat 9:36-38 NKJV) But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

B. He lived as a kind and sympathetic man.

1. When Mary and Martha wept, He wept with them. (John 11:35 NKJV) Jesus wept.

2. How many did He heal? How many did He raise from the dead?

3. He raised the widow’s son. (Luke 7:12-16 NKJV)

III. How do we “preach Christ”?

A. We have to know the Shepherd.

(John 10:2-5 NKJV) "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. {3} "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. {4} "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. {5} "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

B. We have to know His Spirit.

(Rom 8:9 NKJV) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

1. What is the Spirit of Christ?

a. It must include the attitude – the Spirit He demonstrated in His life.

b. It may be more than this, but for our lesson today, we will stop here.

c. We do know the spirit it is not.

(Luke 9:54-56 NKJV) And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" {55} But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. {56} "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.

b. He had the spirit of a servant.

(Mat 20:25-28 NKJV) But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. {26} "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. {27} "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; {28} "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

IV. We must know His teaching.

A. We have already studied much of His teaching.

1. He lived what He taught.

2. He also taught the lessons of life for all of us.

3. He also taught about specific situations.

B. His most pointed lessons were to the self righteous.

1. The two men who went to the temple to pray.

(Luke 18:9-14 NKJV) Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: {10} "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. {11} "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. {12} 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' {13} "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a [the] sinner!' {14} "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

2. He condemned the teaching of the Pharisees.

a. Their’s was a religion of hypocrisy.

(Luke 12:1 NKJV) In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

b. It was also a religion of self-righteousness and being judgmental

Conclusion

I. We, like Paul, need to preach Christ and Him crucified.

II. We need to study His life and teaching.

III. We need to strive live as He lived, and to have His Spirit.

IV. If you are here today, and not a Christian, you can become one.

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