1 Cor 1:17-18 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

3. What Does It Mean to
Preach Jesus?
1 Cor 2:1-2 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.

5. What does it mean to preach Jesus?
▪ In 2000 V.P. Black preached a sermon at the
FSOP lectureships with this title, from 2000
following their lectures have been titled “do you
understand?”
▸Now my lesson is much different than his, but
this is a great question!
▪ Some will say, “give me the Man, but not the
plan!” or “I want to hear about the love of God
and not the law of God!”
▸Can it really be one without the other? Or do
these rather go hand & hand together?

6. Was Paul an educated man?
(1 Cor. 2:1-2)
▪ Could speak multiple languages!
(Act. 22:1-2)
▪ Born & raise in a place of learning!
(Act. 22:3)
▪ Brought up at the feet of Gamaliel!
(Act. 22:3 cf. 5:34 “doctor of the law”)
▪ He was a Pharisee! (Act. 26:1-5; Phil 3:5)
▪ Yet, there was something far more important
than all of this!

7. Paul felt very strongly about
preaching Jesus!
(Rom. 1:13-17)
▪ So, what does it mean then to preach
Christ? This is such an important question!
▪ 1 Cor 15:3-4 For I delivered to you first of
all that which I also received: that Christ
died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and
that He rose again the third day according
to the Scriptures.

8. I. Preaching the Counsel!
▪ It doesn’t help to know the Man, if we are
unwilling to trust His plan!
▸2 Th 1:7-8 and to give you who are troubled
rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on those who do not
know God, and on those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
▸Heb 5:9 And having been perfected, He
became the author of eternal salvation to all
who obey Him.

9. Faith + Obedience = Salvation!
▪ Js 2:21-24 Was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he offered Isaac his son
on the altar? Do you see that faith was working
together with his works, and by works faith was
made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled
which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness." And he was
called the friend of God. You see then that a man
is justified by works, and not by faith only.
▪ We do not work to achieve, we work because
we believe!

10. The whole counsel of truth!
Act 20:26-27 “Therefore I testify to you this day
that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I
have not shunned to declare to you the whole
counsel of God.”
▪ As the old saying goes “a half truth is a whole
lie!”
▸Ask Pharaoh & Abimeleck! (Gen. 12 & 20)
▪ Ps. 119:160 “The sum of your word is truth, and
every one of your righteous rules endures
forever.”
▸“Teaching them to observe all things I have
commanded you” (Mt. 28:20)

11. II. Preaching the Character!
▪ There have been many throughout history and
even today that believe the God of the Old
Testament is different than the God of the New
Testament!
▸Old = Hate and horror
▸New = Love and laughter
▪ Has God’s character changed? This is an
important question!
▸One thought to keep in mind is this, “if He has
changed over time, who is to say He will not
change again?”

12. God is unchanging!
▪ Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that He
should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should
repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or
has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
▪ Mal 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I do not
change; Therefore you are not consumed, O
sons of Jacob.”
▪ Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and comes down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning.

13. The Same Every Day!
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever.
▪ This is why it is important to know and
understand both the New & Old Testaments!
▸Rom 15:4 For whatever things were written
before were written for our learning, that we
through the patience and comfort of the
Scriptures might have hope.
▪ If God was faithful in the past, we will be in
the present!

14. III. Preaching the Church!
Mt 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build My church, and the
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
▪ When we preach Jesus, we preach the church that
belongs to Christ!
▪ There are many man made churches, but only one
blood bought church!
▸Ac 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and
to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
God which He purchased with His own blood.”

15. One body = one church!
Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just
as you were called in one hope of your calling.
▪ Eph 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet,
and gave Him to be head over all things to the
church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who
fills all in all.
▪ Col 1:18, 24 And He is the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead, that in all things He may have the
preeminence. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you,
and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions
of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the
church.

16. Conclusion:
▪ What does it mean to preach Jesus?
▸It means we preach, the counsel, the character
and the church!
▪ Are you a member of the New Testament church,
that Jesus built and bought?
▪ If not, then today is the day to obey His plan and
be placed by Him into His church!
▸Act 2:47 praising God and having favor with all
the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.
▸Act 4:42 ...that day about three thousand souls
were added to them.