PREACHED CHRIST

1. 20 years ago a brilliant commercial appeared on t.v.

2. It was 1984 when three words were burned into many American minds:

3. Where’s the beef?

4. Three older ladies were pictured as having gone to a fast food restaurant.

5. The scene showed a huge, fluffy bun and the women talked about how nice the bun was.

6. Then attention was drawn to the little patty of meat between the nice bread.

7. Several times in this short commercial someone said, Where’s the beef?”

THIS COMMERCIAL WAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THE WENDY’S RESTAURANT CHAIN, AND IT WAS RATED ONE OF THE TOP TEN COMMERCIALS OF ALL TIME. TONIGHT AS WE LOOK AT ACTS 8 WE CAN ASK A SIMILAR QUESTION.

a) In the religious world there is a deficiency.

b) A lot of churches emphasize happiness, entertainment, getting rich, and even weight loss.

c) When we see what is being taught we can rightly ask, “Where’s the Christ?”

2) Even in some congregations of the church, where is the preaching about Jesus, His word, and church?

3) When we look at first century teaching we find Christ.

4) Acts 8:5 says a man went to an area where people were not saved.

5) Luke tells us what this man did. He preached Christ to “multitudes” (verses 5-6).

6) In verse 35 of Acts 8 we have a different set of circumstances.

7) Towards the end of this chapter we are presented with a one-on-one situation.

8) A preacher “preached Jesus” to a single person.

9) The next chapter (9:20) tells us about Paul.

10) After Paul became a Christian he began to preach.

11) What did he say when he stood before people?

12) Acts 9:20 says he “preached Christ.”

13) Since we know what these men did we might ask why they preached Christ.

14) Out of all that could be said and taught, why proclaim Jesus?

15) The Bible tells us.

16) 1 Cor. 1:24 says Jesus is the “power and wisdom of God.”

17) Christ is preached because all spiritual blessings are in Him (Eph. 1:3).

18) Colossians 2:9 says in Christ was “the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

19) Back in Colossians 2:3 Paul said in Christ are all the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.”

20) It is through Jesus that we are “enriched” (1 Cor. 1:5).

21) Heb. 1:1 goes even further.

22) Long ago God spoke to many different men by using many different ways.

23) God used prophets, dreams, and other means to communicate with humanity.

24) Those days are ended; now God speaks to the world through Jesus.

25) Those in the first century preached Christ because He is our only link to heaven.

26) If we do not know about and use the Lord, we are not going to make it.

27) Heb. 1:2 then says Jesus is “heir of all things.”

28) These references tell us that if we are going to preach Christ, we need to use the scriptures.

29) We cannot preach the Lord without using His word.

30) Moments I noted that Acts 8 refers to preaching Jesus two times.

31) Verse 35 is the second time this subject is introduced and I want to read that verse – READ.

32) Jesus was proclaimed, and we are told how it was done.

33) The scriptures were used to tell about the Lord.

34) Here the Old Testament scriptures were used to proclaim Christ.

35) We still have this section of the Bible but we also have the New Testament.

36) Instead of one book about Jesus, we have two.

37) When listening to some of the modern teaching that is done I am absolutely amazed.

38) A lot of what is taught is in no way related to Christ and Christianity.

39) There are messages—often well delivered messages—that are not Bible messages.

40) Yet, many who hear this information lap it up.

41) This type of practice should strike us as absolutely incredible.

42) God has given us a two part book about Christ. We have plenty of material.

43) Yet, many are still looking for something else they consider to be better or more appealing.

44) To these people we might ask, “Where is the Christ of the Bible?”

A TRUE CHRISTIAN AND A TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST (CONGREGATION OF THE LORD’S PEOPLE) WILL PREACH JESUS BY USING THE SCRIPTURES. WHEN I SAY “PREACH JESUS” I HAVE SOME SPECIFIC POINTS IN MIND.

a) Preaching the Lord does not mean we say Jesus is the savior and that’s all.

b) Preaching Christ means proclaiming some of the other central truths in the New Testament.

c) Acts 20:28 makes mention of the church.

d) An inspired person said Jesus “purchased the church with His own blood.”

2) Jesus died for the church.

3) Paul (Eph. 5:23) said Jesus is the “head” of the church He purchased with His blood.

4) How can a person say Jesus is really important but the church He gave His blood for is not?

5) Jesus heads an organization that He paid for by dying on a cruel cross.

6) In view of this information we are compelled to ask this question:

7) Can we preach Christ without preaching the church He died to save?

8) If we are going to preach Christ, we must preach about the church.

9) Christ and His church are inseparable.

10) Preaching Jesus means providing people with a lot of information about the Lord.

11) Consider what Paul said in 2 Cor. 11:1-2.

12) Paul told the Corinthians he wanted to “present them” to the Lord.

13) Paul wanted to present them as a “pure virgin” to Jesus.

14) Paul said the Corinthians were “espoused to a husband.”

15) This is another description of the church.

16) Jesus’ people are compared to a bride; the Lord is likened to bridegroom.

17) This description is not surprising.

18) John 10:11 says Jesus is a “good shepherd” and He has “sheep.”

a) Who are the sheep? They are the same group as the bride in 2 Cor. 11:1-2.

b) The sheep are another designation for the church.

c) John 15:1-2 further elaborates on this line of thought.

d) Jesus said He is the “vine.”

e) “In Him” are “branches” (the bride, church, sheep).

19) Another common designation for this same group is the kingdom.

20) A lot of religious people see this word and have some wild ideas about it.

21) This term is just one more description of the saved.

22) In fact, notice this statement from Acts 8:12 – READ.

23) Jesus and the “kingdom” were both preached.

24) Why? Because the kingdom is another description of the saved.

25) When we proclaim Christ we let people know that Jesus has:

a) A sheepfold, a kingdom, a church, a body of people, a vine, and a bride.

b) We cannot rightly proclaim Christ without teaching about what He heads.

WHEN PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT THE LORD AND THE KINDS OF PLACES I DESCRIBED, MANY WILL SAY, “I WANT TO HAVE A PART IN THAT. I WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH, PART OF THE BRIDE, A BRANCH OF THE LORD, A MEMBER OF JESUS’ BODY, AND A MEMBER OF THE KINGDOM.”

a) We know this will be the result because of God’s word.

b) Acts 8:35 has already been read.

c) There was a man who was preaching Jesus.

d) An unsaved man who was receiving teaching was interested. He was really interested.

e) I am going to again read verse 35 but now include verse 36 – READ.

f) This man heard preaching about Christ and he reacted.

g) His reaction speaks volumes.

2) First century people preached Jesus in such a way that those listening were thinking about water.

3) Acts 8:35-36 provides for us an irrefutable link between preaching Jesus and baptism.

4) Baptism puts us into the kingdom, the church, the body, the bride, and makes us a branch.

5) When someone scoffs at baptism he or she is not preaching the Jesus of the Bible.

6) Even if someone says baptism is important but not required, they are not preaching Christ.

7) When we talk about the church, kingdom, vineyard, Christ’s bride, we are preaching Christ.

8) On the occasions when we discuss baptism, we are also preaching the Lord.

9) Concerning Jesus and baptism, these two items go together for several reasons.

a) Jesus said in Mk. 16:16: the person who believes and is baptized shall be saved.

b) Because of this statement preaching Christ means preaching baptism.

c) John 3 makes reference to the kingdom.

d) To be part a kingdom member Jesus said we must be “born of water.”

e) This is why Acts 8 refers to preaching about the kingdom and people being baptized.

f) Gal. 3:27 says baptism puts us “into Christ.”

g) Acts 8 demonstrates this as well; Christ was preached and people were baptized.

h) 1 Cor. 12:13 states that baptism places us into the “one body.”

i) 1 Cor. 6:9-11 further affirms baptism washes us of sin and justifies us.

10) Beyond these matters a final point may be made about “preaching Christ.”

11) Consider again the images of the church found in the New Testament:

12) A vine, sheep, a kingdom, and a body.

13) All these descriptions imply organization.

14) When we preach Christ people need to at some point be told about the structure of the church.

15) The way the church is governed, its worship, and its mission are all part of preaching the Lord.

16) Even who and who the church cannot fellowship would fall under the heading of “preaching Christ.”

17) Christ must also have a central place in our teaching and life.

18) We hope each one here realizes that and is living in that way.