When Does Preaching Christ Get Old?

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

If you have been a part of Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati for any length of time, you will know that the preaching of Christ and Him crucified is a relentless message for every teaching avenue of the church. That doesn't mean at every teaching opportunity we only stand before people and give the exact same words in flavorless repetition about Jesus dying on a cross and rising again. The riches of the cross are deeper and wider than we can express. It does mean, however, that the riches of Christ and his work for us is the central subject of our church in the way it impacts every aspect of our lives and beyond. Does the preaching of the cross ever get old? In short answer, no. If it does get old for you, we need to preach it all the more.

When you read of Paul going to different cities and preaching to the unconverted, he is always preaching Christ and reasoning with people from the Scriptures so that they may see their only hope of salvation. When Paul is writing to established churches, he is often reminding them of the preaching of the cross that gives their life meaning and transforms their life now and forever. He preaches the gospel to confront sin and seek repentance and change.

Whether it is Corinth or Philippi or Thessalonica, Paul preached the gospel to both establish the church and see the church grow and change in maturity in Christ. We have all of this testimony in the Scriptures from his missionary journeys in Acts to the letters he wrote. He reminded the Corinthian church that he avoided fancy rhetoric and lofty speech. He didn't come with the latest philosophical brilliance from the world or even his own mind. He came with Christ. He came with the message the transforms hearts and refocuses lives. He came to lost sinners under the condemnation of God and showed them how in the impossibility of their state in sin, Christ substituted himself having no sin of his own to endure the cross and the eternal wrath of God in their place. They came to know that Jesus truly rose from the dead having paid it all and cancelling debt forever. Why do some people think this message is only for the unconverted? Why does it get old for some people?

Being reminded of the death and resurrection of Jesus keeps us centered. It reminds us of where we were and where we are now heading. It reminds us of who we were in Adam and who we are now in Christ. It reminds us of where every allegiance lies and where every desire must be directed. It informs, corrects, and shapes our whole existence. It is the extraordinary hope every day for ordinary lives.

Paul says that the gospel he is reminding the Corinthian church about helps them continue to live in faith that trusts in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

So, when you come to church and continually hear messages rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, remember this....You need it...now....and always.