Christ Crucified

[0:00] The Word of God says this in 1 Corinthians 1.23. Paul writes to the Corinthians, he says, When Philip preached, what did he preach?

[0:42] In Acts 8.35, it says, It says, His message was Christ, simply Christ.

[0:56] Not prosperity or holy laughter. Not legalism or tradition or some empty dead theology. He preached life-changing truth. He preached the life-changer, the saviour.

[1:09] And that's the message we have today. It's still the same today as it ever was and ever will be. Christ crucified. And they would not stop preaching Christ.

[1:20] Even though they were threatened at the risk of their lives in Acts 5, it says they daily in every house, in the temple, it says, They ceased not.

[1:30] They didn't stop to teach and to preach Jesus Christ. And this is the emphasis of our church. It's Christ and him crucified. We lift him up.

[1:40] This is our message. It's the same as it ever has been. It's historic Christianity. And this is where the Christian life begins, at the very cross. It's where our salvation happens.

[1:53] Because of Christ. It's our emphasis. It's our priority. It's our focus. It's the same message. The same message. It's almost too simple, but it has to be in bold letters.

[2:06] Jesus Christ that we preach. Because Christ crucified, he is our only hope. He is the world's only hope. And what was the cross for? By the cross we can receive so many wonderful things.

[2:21] Most of all, he commends his love towards us. He shows his great love. God commends his love towards us. In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

[2:34] Christ died for us. It's God's plan. Those few words, Christ died for us. It captures everything that we need to know, doesn't it? And here's how we can know God's peace.

[2:47] The peace of God, it says, which passes all understanding. That peace in our very heart and soul. Peace with God. He makes it happen. And it's through the blood of his cross.

[2:58] He's made peace through the blood of his cross. And he extends God's pardon to us, who will receive it, full forgiveness and grace.

[3:10] Ephesians 1 tells us, in Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

[3:23] There's such enormous riches that he lavishes upon us. Through his grace, we can be recipients of this. Unworthy as we are, all we can bring is our sin and our unworthiness.

[3:37] Yet he shows such mercy. And a transaction is made such that we're purchased. The very church of God is purchased, it says, with his very own blood.

[3:52] He's paid that awesome full payment price. Price. And he owns us. He's paid. We're paid for in full. We're purchased and a transaction has been made that makes us come under his ownership such that we belong to him.

[4:12] The church of God, the assembly of God, the congregation of God is made. His own possession. And it says that we who are afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

[4:27] We that were so far, far away that we were enemies. He's made us friends. He's reconciled us. He's brought us very close to his heart. And we are the reason for Christ crucified.

[4:40] When we think of that, it's quite a gripping thought, really, isn't it? That Christ died for our sins. It was because of us. We are the reason for Christ crucified.

[4:52] It was for our sins that he died according to the scriptures. And it says, His own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by his stripes you were healed.

[5:09] Think of it that back there at Calvary's hill our very sins were there. Our very sins were there in his own body on that very tree. The very piece of word that his hands were nailed to.

[5:26] Our sins were there in his very quivering flesh as it was nailed, as it was torn. And surely he has borne our griefs.

[5:37] He's carried our sorrows. And yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. We can know forgiveness today.

[5:50] That's a very awesome reality that we can personally know God's forgiveness for our sin. He was wounded for our transgressions.

[6:02] He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement or the punishment for our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed.

[6:13] And so Paul says, I determine to not know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. We can know all manner of things. We might know all kinds of theological truths.

[6:27] we can know such that we're puffed up with knowledge and we might parade it around and show it off. But the Bible talks about some highly qualified people ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

[6:43] We can know about him but what matters is that we know him. That we know him. That we can come as a little child would come. We can come into his very presence and personally know him.

[6:58] Paul says, I determine not to know anything. He could have bragged on about what he did know but he said he counted it really as nothing in contrast with this knowledge to know him.

[7:13] To not know anything among you. Save Jesus Christ and him crucified. To not know any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those