We Preach Christ and Him Crucified - 1 Corinthians 1:23
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Act 5:41-42
An old preacher once said, “If you wish to be disappointed, look at others; if you wish to be disheartened, look at yourself; if you wish to be encouraged, look to Jesus Christ.”
Author Unknown
Wisdom from the Proverbs: He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. Proverbs 19:8
Jesus crucified should be the Alpha and Omega of all our preaching and teaching. Woe to the man who makes anything else the subject of his ministry. "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14). Do not tell me you preach sound doctrine, you preach rotten doctrine if you do not preach Christ. Preach nothing up but Christ, and nothing down but sin. Preach Christ; lift Him up high on the pole of the gospel, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and you will accomplish your life’s end, but preach orthodoxy, or any form of doxy, if you have left out Christ, there is no manna from heaven, no water from the rock, no refuge from the storm, no healing for the sick, no life for the dead. If you leave out Christ, you have left the sun out of the day, and the moon out of the night; you have left the waters out of the sea, and the floods out of the river; you have left the harvest out of the year, the soul out of the body; you have left joy out of heaven, yea, you have robbed all of its all. There is no gospel worth thinking of, much less worth proclaiming in Jehovah’s name, if Jesus be forgotten. We must have Jesus, then, as Alpha and Omega in all our ministrations among the sons of men.
C. H. Spurgeon
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land,” (Isaiah 1:18-19).
COME to the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t come to the Preacher, or Church, or Baptism, or some fleshly experience. COME to the Lord Jesus – COME to God by Him. COME with your heart opened to Him. COME sincere and honest with Him. He knows your very thoughts. COME NOW to Him. As you are reading this article COME to the Lord Jesus. He waits now to hear the voice of your heart, begin to speak to Him NOW. COME now and REASON with Him. Not about your goodness, but your badness; not about your obedience, but disobedience, your sins.
Tell Him your sins are exceedingly sinful, more than you could ever comprehend. Tell Him you are worthy to be judged and sent to eternal misery for your sins. Tell Him how red and black and damnable your sins are; tell Him you come TO HIM and if He wills to, He can wash you in that fountain He has opened for sin and uncleanness – the fountain of His blood. Tell Him you come because He has commanded you to come. Tell Him you have not come before now because you have lived such an ungodly rebel against Him. COME NOW and surrender your soul at His feet and don’t leave HIS PRESENCE until He has made you to see – through the eye of your understanding – that all your sins have been taken away in Jesus blood. Remember His final word: If you refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,” (Isaiah 1:20). Will you be saved by Jesus Christ NOW, or will you be judged and damned by Him hereafter? Solemn question! One which must be answered NOW!