Christ's Death as Preached by the Early Church — Rolfe Barnard

Reconciliation as God's Divine Initiative

2 Corinthians, chapter 5, and I want to speak to you today from verses 18 and 19, that is, these verses will start us off, of the 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians, and I have a subject and I'm very anxious for you to hear it.

The subject for the message this morning is Christ's death, as it was preached that trespass is a subject of reconciliation, being reconciled to God, being restored to favor, and is connected to being reconciled to God, that he is back in the favor of a holy, and the sense of, and then the command, of God, the scriptures mean, is the divine initiative, that is fundamental, all in the early, that matters, repentance and prayer, the attitudes of the soul, to be human.

Even these three, originates in God. Instead of, origin, repentance, originates in God, is in God. What we should pray, God, the spirit of the Bible says, the spirit, itself, listen to the Apostle, understand that the passion and the hunger for God, that some of us have experienced, that that passion and hunger came from God and that God who gave us that passion and hunger these days desperately to believe that man's intelligence and man's heart initiate anything in religion of this life language of Psalms 115 it was and divine is.

And gentlemen I'm a Christian is it grace and just receive the gift which we could never win. Reconciliation being reconciled to God. Reconciliation the peace I have because I believe I'm reconciled to God is connected in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 16 let me quote it and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body the enmity Colossians 1 and 20 me I could not reconcile all Christ's affiliation.

Christ's Death and Resurrection in Apostolic Preaching

It's not the death of Christ's resurrection for the Bible doesn't talk in language like that depends on a man's a living Christ. I had to analyze to be amazed can tell you all thank God you can experience it and the cleansing by the blood who hung on that cross.

And so when we talk about the preaching of the early church about the death of Christ we do not mean that they they divorced his resurrection from his death. They preach the Christ who died and was raised again.

The Apostle Paul for instance said he preached exactly what was preached from the very beginning. He said I delivered unto you the gospel which I also received how that Christ died and so forth he preached that.

But especially when we look into the book of the acts of the Holy Spirit called in our Bible the acts of the Apostles but it's largely the acts of God. The Holy Spirit worked the preaching that we find incorporated in the pages of the book of the acts.

We are right there looking at what the people nearest Christ in the days of his flesh preached. And I wanted this morning to see see with you and the look with you at three various that were struck in the preaching of the death of Christ by his earliest to talk about today was simply this the cross of Christ.

Human Sin Revealed at the Cross

He grunt cross of Christ and saw the blood running down from the brow and the feet and the thigh and the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ that they were looking at sins. And what men did to Christ as they nailed him to that cross according to the early preachers originated in the very slot of the human heart.

For instance one of the early church preachers the Apostle Peter preaching in the book to the people as recorded in Acts 3 verse 4 which is very plain denied the Holy One and the just and desired a granted unto you my that in the picture of the human heart that's a picture of the very slums of the human heart they had a choice and they made it and they made a twofold choice.

They denied the Holy One and the just and they desired a murderer by the name of Barabbas to be granted unto them and that took you. Remember Pilate said whom will you that I release Jesus which is called the Christ of Barabbas.

And they said deliver under us Barabbas and crucify. He says is of the human heart your heart and mind look at the cross. And then in Acts chapter 7 verse 53 Stephen preached some plain preaching. He talked about sin coming from the very slums of the human heart letting the quote that 53rd verse Stephen says which of the prophets have not your father's persecuted just name one.

They couldn't do it and they slain them. Which showed before the coming of the just one every time anybody came along and told about the coming of the Lord Jesus they killed him of whom this just just one of whom he have been now that betrayers and murderers in that a catalog in that a coat of arms your great-granddaddy's prop persecuted all the prophets.

Never one of them that prophesied of the coming of the just one they killed him. And then when the just one came Stephen said you betrayed him and you murdered him. And thus my friends. And we listen to the early church preachers as they part to cross out we see that at the cross sin stood condemned once for all.

And there if you will not turn aside you remember that is your hands that inflicted his and my sin. That is your sin my guilt and your guilt. This truth dawns on the soul the very slums wicked as they are.

God's Sovereign Purpose in Christ's Crucifixion

Then there was a second note sounded by the preachers of the early church and dead. Certainly they knew the gospel better than us they were near its source. And when they preached in the book of acts as their messages are recorded we see not only in the death of Christ sin's crowning horror that shows you what men will do left alone of God but in the second place glory hallelujah.

According to the early church in the cross the hand of God would have seen the hand of men. They took him in with wicked hands killed him. But God was there. To next chapter 2 verse 23 your memorize. This is one of the most cryptic statements in the entire Word of God.

Listen to it. The Apostle Peter preaching says him that's the Lord Jesus Christ has a determinate counsel and for knowledge of God and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. That is your sovereign purpose of God.

And as they all for responsibility and wickedness of men Christ hung on a cross for two reasons. First God put him there. Second men put him there. Christ hung on a cross poured out his precious blood gave his soul unto death according to the determinate counsel and for knowledge of God.

And yet he hung on a cross. Between cause men took him and out of the malice of their heart showing forth in that expression with wicked hands they took him and crucified him and slew him. You say brother Barnard explain that.

I can't explain it but thank God I don't have to. I know that men killed Christ but I also know that God hung him there as his sacrifice and as my substitute. And although I can't explain it thank God I can't believe it.

Praise the Lord. We need to sound that note today behind the apparent tragedy of the Lord of glory hanging on a cross. The Bible says there was a divine purpose at work. The Bible says that the cross was not God's defeat but is God's purpose and God's victory.

Man did his do. They took him with wicked hands the spat in his face that pressed the crown of thorns and mockery upon his brow the purple robe on him. They perforated the atmosphere that saved others himself.

He cannot save it. Thou be the Christ come and save thyself. And all of that. They shot dice for his garments that pierced his body. They mocked him. They showed their hatred of the Holy One and the just one.

Yes man did his do and showed what man will do anytime God will let himself fall into their hands. But that isn't all that took place on the cross. Thank God. Man did his do what God did his do. And he gave his son his son his son there as his sacrifice and my substitute.

Christ's Willing Suffering and the Necessity of the Cross

Hallelujah. And my Lord Jesus Christ didn't go that death driven like a slave but he went marching in the freedom of his own. According to Luke 9 22 necessity had been laid upon him. For he said in that verse of scripture the Son of Man must suffer and be slain.

But thank God it was a necessity not of mortal tyranny and violence but it was the necessity of God's own love for the souls of men. And so glory. Hallelujah as I stand before this microphone. Hallelujah.

When we talk about the death of Christ we mean more than what men did with their wicked hearts and hands. But we point you to God acting there. It was God who was in Christ hanging on that cross. Thank God.

And he is doing it to reconcile a world himself. Thank God in the death of Christ at the cross. And then there's a third note that did by the early church preachers. And that notice this that the death of Christ with the forgiveness of my sins and I hope of yours holy ground is mystery.

Substitutionary Atonement and Forgiveness of Sins

He died. Stand that preacher. No sir. But thank God the scripture teaches it line upon line precept upon precept. And thank God I believed it. And I've experienced that wonderful rest and peace that a person has who's felt the burden and the load of his sin.

If I stand before this microphone now forgiven in the sight of a holy God it's not because God just overlooked my sins. Not because he just forgot him. But thank God. It's because he laid them on his son his sacrifice.

And that son is my substitute hanging there in my stead taking the lash of God's anger against sin in my stead praise the Lord. Let me read you just two scriptures from the book of Acts. I said the early church preachers in the book of Acts talked about how the death of Christ and not the forgiveness of my sins was connected.

The forgiveness of my sin goes out of the death of Christ in Acts 531. Let me read this tremendous scripture. He um that's the Lord Jesus has God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior.

What for for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin. Glory him had God exalted on. Read again. With his right hand God did it to be a prince or a sovereign and a savior. What far. For to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin.

And then in Acts 1043 the same preacher says to him. That's the Lord give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Isn't that wonderful.

How. I don't know. But thank God it's so. Thank God. Christ died for the ungodly. Thank God. Christ gave himself for our sins. Thank God. Christ made our doom his doom and gave his life for our redemption.

The Cross as God's Means of Saving Sinners

Tragedy. To go to hell in a world that was visited by God himself in Christ. Down here in Christ for the express purpose of dying and being raised from the dead so that he might grant repentance to sinful men and forgiveness of their sins.

In Psalms 130 in verse 4 I read this word. Mark iniquity. Bless God. Nobody but God does. Mark iniquity said to this a boy they told him of a God who watched him and knew everything he did and marked it down said he learned to hate that God but praise God.

I am finished the verse. The verse is if thou Lord should smock iniquity who should be able to stand. The answer is nobody but the verse. Verse continues. But there is forgiveness with the Lord that thou mayest be fear.

Thank God. Oh thank God the death of Christ. And it turns out that God because he's upon crime. Save off. You go free. Thy sins are forgiven. They go and sin. No more. Our father as in a moment or two go off the air just to rejoice in our Savior and our justification.

To let the blood of Christ pour into our souls and over our tired hearts one more time. Rejoice that in his death God was reconciling poor old sinners to himself. They did it by putting our sins on Christ so that we might go free.

Our salvation is of the Lord as God that did it. We have a sense of being restored to thy favor. Of course Christ died and we have peace that God gives because we've been justified by looking to him. Yes thank you.

Closing Prayer for Repentance and Faith

Speak to hearts and radio land men and women in the church and out who do not know the forgiveness of sin with them. Do not let them go to hell unworn and unmoved and help us to pray for a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God.

That the old story of Christ died for sinners might not be a commonplace but might be used at God to break hearts and bend wills and bring sinners to himself in Jesus name. We pray and for his sake. Amen.