But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23 and 24)

As the intensity of presidential politics increases in both parties in America, many have stated opinions as to the most needed strategy, policy, or plan to remedy various problems. Each person or group offering a perceived remedy is proposing that which seems good in their own eyes. The real need of the hour, however, is for America to hear the “power of God unto salvation”. The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Church at Rome reveals that God's power unto salvation is the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit moved him to write his first letter to the Church at Corinth, he pinned the words set forth above; “we preach Christ crucified"!

• SOME CURRENT PROBLEMS IN AMERICA

The wisdom of this world pours out its own conclusions, and many engaged in the political process boast of their wisdom, while truly revealing their folly. It is the fool who has said in his heart “there is no God". What is most desperately needed at this very hour is change to the hearts of many in America. We have “allowed” the sacrifice of something close to 60 million little babies at the altar of "freedom of choice". Of course, this is merely a euphemism for murder. We have “allowed” the removal of God's Holy Word and prayer from the public schools of America. We have gone after and sought gods of pleasure, which cannot satisfy, and made other gods before the one true God. These other gods do not have eyes that can see, nor ears that can hear, and cannot save us from our sin, nor any other plague or calamity; we have “allowed” the taking of God's name in vain in all forms of public profanity, including all forms of so-called entertainment; we have profaned and desecrated God's Holy Sabbath and The Lord's day; we are guilty of bearing false witness; we have committed fornication and adultery; we have “allowed” the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah under the name of same-sex marriages; we have elected and appointed judges who have consistently failed to uphold God's law and for one reason or another have “allowed” ungodly laws to stand. Some have committed ungodly acts, committed thievery, and testified falsely publicly. We have children who have been disobedient to parents. Many regularly wonder what is going on in America and why we are having the problems that we are having. The great need of the hour is for God's men who are in positions of authority to shepherd the flock of God, to actually do so. They and we must preach Christ crucified!

The Apostle Paul said in the sixth Chapter of his first letter to the Church at Corinth the following:

    “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God."(1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

They had heard Christ crucified preached and God had caused His mighty power to give them a new heart and made them a new creation in Christ Jesus.

1. EXCLUSIVITY

We live in perilous times amid increasingly rampant ungodliness. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ONLY power of God unto salvation! …..”For there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved!" (Acts 4:12) There is no other remedy and no other hope to save individuals and thus to save this nation. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man, cometh unto the Father but by me"! (John 14:6) He is the exclusive, only way of coming to the Father, which means salvation. Anyone who attempts to come to The Father by any other way is “a thief and a liar”. Jesus, came into this world the sole purpose of saving His people from their sins. He is the only one that can deliver us from the wrath to come. He is the only one who can save us from our sinful record. Our record does not save us. It is our record that we need saving from. The Apostle Paul said in his Epistle to the Church at Rome, “There is none righteous, no, not one.”(Romans 3:10) “There is none that seek after God!"(Romans 3:11) Jesus came into the world not to reveal a philosophy, or a theory, nor to merely be a great moral teacher. Jesus came into the world not to teach us what to do, but to do it for us! Jesus came not to make bad men good, but Jesus came to make dead men live!

Some have said that you don’t have to know God in order to go Heaven. Do not be deceived! Some have said, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, and even good atheists go to Heaven. This is not true according to Holy Scriptures! No man can come to the Father except by Jesus. No one is saved except by Jesus! No man has eternal life but by Jesus! He is our righteousness. Only the righteousness of God protects us from the wrath to come and ultimately brings us to the Father by Christ alone.

Christ is our righteousness. He is the only Savior. He is the Light of the World. We all need light in order to avoid stumbling along in the darkness. He said “I am the Light of the World". Either that's true, or it is extreme arrogance. He has demonstrated that it is true. He needs no help, no assistance, and no other remedy. Jesus and Jesus alone is our only hope. He alone is the Savior of the world.

II.    WHY A STUMBLING BLOCK AND FOOLISHNESS?

Why do men object to the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why does Paul write in his Epistle to the Church at Corinth that Jesus is a stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to the Gentile? Everyone is either a Jew or a Gentile. To those who are called, Jesus is the wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation.

Jesus, Himself, said that He “came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) The world is condemned already. Jesus came to redeem those who were lost and to give them life eternal in Himself. Why do men object to this great gift? Primarily because “they loved darkness more than they love light, for their deeds are evil.” (John 3:19) They have failed to understand the depth of the problem. Most of mankind fails to understand the nature of God because they think that God is like themselves and will never punish anyone, and they also have failed to comprehend and understand the nature of their own fallen sinful self.

It is recorded in the Gospel of John in the 17th chapter that Jesus prays to the Father and says the following:

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Oh righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:24-26)

The world doesn't know God. They don't know the nature of God. They don't know that God is truth. His word is true. He says that the wrath of God is coming and He is going to punish the ungodly and unrighteous who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. This is Truth! The only remedy to escape the wrath of God is Jesus. The only hope for mankind and thus for America is to preach Christ crucified. This is the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only does man not know God, he doesn't even know himself. Man is self-confident. The Apostle Paul said, “have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippines 3:3), that is, your own record. Many men do not know that God's Word says that they are actually dead in their trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) Man is guilty; he is vile; he is polluted; and he is dead! A dead person cannot help himself. But God's Word says, “He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things are becoming new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is the great need of America, indeed for all of mankind. Man needs salvation! 

How can a man be just with God? Not through better advice or more instruction, and not by just cleaning up his act. When one is dead in his trespasses and sins, death reigns in him. Death is on him. That man needs a new nature. He cannot do it for himself, but Jesus can.

Once we realize and know what our true nature is, we can realize and know that we need a savior. Jesus, both man and God, is the only mediator between God and man, and is that Savior. God's Word says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory like unto the only begotten of the Father.” (John 1:14) “He Himself bore our sin in His own body on the cross, that we may be dead unto sin and alive unto righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24) Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The old hymn asks the question “what can make the foulest clean?" And the answer comes back, “nothing but the blood of Jesus"!

It is because of His great love wherewith He loved us and because Jesus came to do the will of the Father, to redeem all those who surrender their will to Him and place their trust in Christ alone for their salvation that we can be saved. It is solely because of His great love wherewith he loved us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Cast yourself upon Christ. Do not let Christ crucified be a stumbling block to you. Do not let Christ crucified be foolishness to you. Cast your whole care upon him for he cares for you. He is the hope of this nation. He is the redeemer of mankind. He is the coming King and Messiah. He has loved you and me with an everlasting love.

“Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all". Yield your life to Him!

CONCLUSION

Now unto Him who was crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected that you might have life, unto Him who is able to keep you from falling or stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty and dominion and power both now and forever more. Amen