For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Co 2:2).
Like many others, these passages reflect Paul's intense focus on the cross of Jesus Christ and the significance of His crucifixion in his own life and ministry. They emphasize the centrality of Christ's sacrifice and its transformative power in the lives of believers.
Galatians 6:14: "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Philippians 3:8-10: "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."
Paul was like a one-sermon wonder; his message was as predictable as a one-hit wonder on repeat. Christ and Him Crucified was his greatest hit, and he couldn't help but sing it every chance he got. He was a walking billboard for the cross, spreading the gospel like a catchy tune you couldn't get out of your head!
After attending church for 45 years, we've experienced sermons that cover all sorts of topics. We thought we had seen everything from unravelling the mysteries of animal choir rehearsals in heaven to tales of miraculous gold dust showers. But then came the sermons so profound in their revelation that we imagined God in heaven, scratching His head and exclaiming, 'Wow, that's deep! I never thought of that before!' We can only hope angels took notes for future reference!
We, as preachers, should take a page out of Paul's playbook. I mean, he had it all figured out! During our sermons, let's ditch the temptation to go on tangents and rabbit trails. Just like Paul, our main act should be preaching Christ and Christ alone. No detours allowed!
For all sermon enthusiasts, let's be discerning listeners. Seek out those sermons that give you the pure, unadulterated dose of Christ, His crucifixion, and the power of God in his subsequent resurrection, for that's where the real power of God is unleashed. Refrain from settling for half-baked Christian self-help sessions or a collection of stories that barely relate to the text.
We want the Holy Spirit to show up and show off, right? Then preaching should focus on Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished, and the focus should not be on us, except as it relates to our response to that message and fact.
So, let's keep our preaching on track, avoid getting lost in irrelevant anecdotes, and stick to the profound truth of Christ and His redeeming work. Because nothing beats a good sermon that leaves you changed, all in the name of Jesus and the real power in his resurrection.
Коментарі