KJV Sermon Outlines

Preaching Is Foolish To The Lost!

Text: 1 Cor. 1:17,18 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

Introduction: We are living in a day in which folks do not want to hear Biblical preaching. They don't want to hear about the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. They want their ears tickled. They want funny stories, jokes, man's philosophies. They don't want to hear any preaching against sin.

I. Preaching Is A Direct Command
A. 2 Tim. 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
1. Preach the whole council of God!
2. The word “instant” means to “take a stand, to stand upon it or up to it, to carry on, to stick to it” (A.T. Robertson). As Robertson says,
3. Take a stand when it is not popular!
4. reprove -  The word means to stir a person to prove himself; to put a person under conviction; to lead a person to see his sin and to feel guilt over it. It means to put a person under conviction of sin and to lead him to confession and repentance.
5. Rebuke - rebuke - This is a strong word, very strong. It is a “ sharp, severe rebuke with possibly a suggestion in some cases, of impending penalty. “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Tim. 5:20).
6. Exort - It means to beseech, encourage, comfort, and help. It is not enough to reprove and rebuke people. The minister must encourage and comfort, help and carry the person to Christ.
B. Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."


II. Sound Preaching Is Rejected
A. Acts 13:46 "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."
B. By the lost
C. By the saved - backslidden
D. Preach the Word—for the great apostasy is coming.

Even as Paul was writing these words some false teaching had already seeped into the church, and the future was not too bright.

This is a prediction of Scripture; Paul was prophesying that the false teaching was to spread. The day was coming when apostasy was to sweep throughout the church.

The idea is that the apostasy would be great—many would follow after the false teaching and the whole church would be affected.

We know from church history that this is exactly what happened to the churches in Asia. The Asian churches were the very churches who were warned in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:11-3:22). There were seven churches, and out of the seven only one remained faithful to the preaching of the Word—the
Philadelphian church (Rev. 3:7-13).

The other six became apostate; many of the people turned away from the pure preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Why?
What caused the apostasy? What caused so many people and churches to turn away from Christ and from the pure Word of God?

This present passage gives the answer, and remember: it was a prediction. The apostasy had not yet happened. Two clear reasons are given why people turn away from Christ and why churches turn away from the preaching of the pure Word of God.
1.People will not endure sound doctrine. By doctrine, of course, is meant the doctrines, teaching, and instructions of God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures. The place of Scripture in the lives of believers has just been discussed in the previous passage (cp. 2 Tim. 3:14-17). Note the word “sound”. It means
wholesome and healthy doctrine and teaching. The only doctrine and teaching that is sound is that of God’s Word.

The point is this: people turn away from sound doctrine because they do not want to hear the truth. What truth? In all honesty, the truth that none of us enjoys hearing.
We do not enjoy hearing that we are sinful and depraved, dirty and unclean, selfish and immoral, unjust and unworthy, ever failing and always coming up short. No person enjoys hearing this, no matter who
he is. Yet the message is true, and a person is foolish not to be honest and acknowledge it. Why? Because the sin and depravity of our hearts is the very reason we live in such an evil world and die. And being
honest about the fact is the only way the problem of evil and death can ever be solved. Nevertheless, despite all this it is not enjoyable to confess that we are sinners and hopelessly depraved.
We do not enjoy hearing that we can do nothing whatsoever to become acceptable to God. This idea just does not make sense to most people, for there are some good people in the world. It is just not a pleasing
thought to hear that man cannot do enough good to be acceptable to God. Think about it: no matter who the person is—no matter how good and moral he is—no matter how much good he does, he is not
acceptable and cannot make himself acceptable to God. As stated, this is not a pleasant thought, not to any person. Therefore, men do not want to hear such doctrine preached.
Most people do not like hearing that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, the only Mediator, the only way a person can be saved and acceptable to God.

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