INTRO:Every Believer Here Today Can Say That All They Are Or Ever Hope to Be They Owe To

“HE IS MY EVERYTHING!”

1 CORINTHIANS 1:17-31

INTRO:Every believer here today can say that all they are or ever hope to be they owe to our Savior Jesus Christ. The Psalmist David said, it so well in Psalms 40:2, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Without Christ we have no hope!

I want to title the message today, "He is My Everything!" I pray all under the sound of my voice today can say that. Because without Him today you are lost! Jesus and His disciples were on their way to the Garden where Christ would pray “If it be possible let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39).

As they were going Jesus relayed a parable to His disciples of the vine and the branches, He tells them in John 15:6, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." Jesus told them they could do nothing without HIM. Isn't that so true for us? Without Him we are nothing!

The apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Paul says, "I am nothing without Christ!" I can say the same, what about you? All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to Christ Jesus, the LORD. He is everything to me!

In our text, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Paul says that God made Christ to be four things to us, I want us to look today at these four things and see how Christ supplies them in our lives.

CHRIST IS THE SOURCE OF:

(1) MY WISDOM

JOHN 8:12—“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light

of theworld: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but

shallhave the light of life.”

A. HE GIVES LIGHT TO MYSTERIES. Without Him I doommyself to walk in

darkness. We read in Proverbs 4:18-19—“But the path of the just is as the

shining light, that shineth moreand more unto the perfect day. The way of the

wicked is as darkness: they know not at what theystumble.” The path of

the wicked is gloomy,dark, and dangerous; that of the righteous is open,

luminous, andinstructive.(CLARKE’S COMMENTARY OT, VOLUME 3: JOB - SONG OF SOLOMONby

the way of righteous brings light. Christ is our Way and Christ is our Light!

Without Him, the things of the Spirit make no sense. The Bible tells us in 1

Corinthians 2:11-14—“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save

the spirit of manwhich is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man,

butthe Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but

the spiritwhich is of God; that we might know the things that are freely

given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s

wisdomteacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual

things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit

of God:for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because

they are spiritually discerned.” The Bible invites us—“If any of you lack

wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all menliberally, and upbraideth

not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5).

B. HE GIVES LIFE MEANING. He is the way to understanding. Jesussaid in

John 14:6--"I Am the way, the truth, and the life…" WithoutHIM life has no

meaning! Jesus said in John 10:10—“The thief comethnot, but for to steal,

and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they mighthave life, and that they

might have it more abundantly.” The Lord has came that we might have

ABUNDANCE—Abundance of grace, love, life, peace, and salvation! Praise

the name of Jesus! Without Christ life makes no sense. But with Christ life

has meaning.

(2) MY RIGHTEOUSNESS

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21—“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who

knew no sin; that wemight be made the righteousness of God in

him.”

A. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS I POSSESSED BEFORE SALVATION WAS

CORRUPT (Isaiah 64:6). Before the Lord saved me I had my righteousness.

I was filthy, corrupt, sinful, and wicked. I followed the way of the world and

the whim of the Wicked One. I could not please God because I lived

according to the flesh. In Romans 8:8 we read—“So then they that are in the

flesh cannot please God.”

ILLUS: Paul divides people into two categories—those who let themselves be

controlled by their sinful nature and those who follow after the Holy

Spirit. We would be in the first category if Jesus hadn’t offered us a

way out. After we say yes to Jesus, we want to continue following him

because his way brings life and peace. We must consciously choose to

division of FindEx.com, Inc.)

B. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS I POSSESS BECAUSE OF SALVATION IS

BEYOND COMPREHENSION (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). Since the Lord

saved me now I possess His righteousness. It is a righteousness that is

unearned and unequalled. Because of this righteousness I have:

A NEW ASSIGNMENT. I must no longer live solely for myself but to Him

and for Him who died for me and gave Himself for me. I am now an

ambassador for Christ (v20). I have been given the ministry of

reconciliation (v18).

A NEW ASSURANCE. I know He is my RIGHTEOUSNESS and any

righteousness I possess is because of HIM! Listen to Paul’s testimony in

Philippians 3:7-10—“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss

for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of

the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of

all things, and do count them but dung, that I may winChrist, And be found

in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that

which is through the faith of Christ, therighteousness which is of God by

faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the

fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

(3) MY SANCTIFICATION

2 THESSALONIANS 2:13-14—“But we are bound to give thanks

alway to God for you, brethrenbeloved of the Lord, because God

hath from the beginning chosenyou to salvation through

sanctification of the Spirit and belief ofthe truth: Whereunto he

called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord

Jesus Christ.”

A. HE HAS CLEANSED ME (Ephesians 5:23-27). He has made me clean

and continues to wash me by The Word so that I might be holy andwithout

blemish.

ILLUS: Scientists have discovered that every snowflake has a tiny piece of dust

at its core. Yes, every snowflake has a "dirty heart". In the spiritual

realm, when the blood of Christ is applied to the heart of an

unbeliever, it cleanses him from all sin. Not a speck of defilement

remains, for God removes everystain and washes him even whiter

B. HE HAS CHANGED ME (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). I am a NEW CREATURE

in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am a SAINT. ForHe has made me

HOLY! Christians are brand new people. The believer is created anew; his

heart is not merely set right, buta new heart is given him. He is the

workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus untogood works…The man

whoformerly saw no beauty in the Savior that he should desire him, now

loves him above allthings.(MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLECONDENSED

OR).

(4) MY REDEMPTION

EPHESIANS 1:3-7—“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who hathblessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly

places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the

foundation of theworld, that we should be holy and without blame

before him inlove: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of

children by JesusChrist to himself, according to the good pleasure

of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath

made usaccepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption

through his blood, the forgiveness ofsins, according to the riches of

his grace.”

A. ONLY CHRIST’S BLOOD CAN REDEEM US FROM OUR SIN (1 PETER

1:18-21). The hymn writer wrote:

“What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the flow,

That makes me white as snow,

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

ILLUS: It cost more to redeem than to create us. In the creation there was but

“speaking a word;” in redeeming us there was “shedding of blood.”—

THOMAS WATSON.(PEARLS FROM MANY SEASby J. B. McClure, editor. The Master Christian

ILLUS: There's a line in the Old Testament written by Isaiah that tells the

result of God's gamble, Isaiah 53:6: "We all, like sheep, have gone

astray, each of us has turned to his own way." Although God has a

right to own us because he created us, he gave us the option of

freedom, and we all left. We chose sin and did not love him as he

wanted to be loved. In response, he chose to send out his own son to

look for us, to hunt us down, to find and redeem us at a terrible cost—

the cost of his own life.

A shepherd notches the ear of a lamb born to his flock and has rightful

ownership. That lamb deliberately walks away. The shepherd searches

near and far to get that lamb back. A long time later, he finds not a

baby lamb but a grown sheep for sale at an animal auction. The

shepherd recognizes his mark on that sheep's ear. He goes to the

auctioneer and says, "I can see the mark. That sheep is mine." The

auctioneer says, "Listen, you must bid and pay just like anybody else."

The shepherd bids and pays an outrageous price, far above any

reasonable market value in order to get his lamb. He now has a double

right to own this sheep: from birth, from redemption.

God has a right to own us as creator and because he has paid the

blood of his own Son--an outrageous price far above our market value

-in order to redeem us back again. (Leith Anderson, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," Preaching

Today, Tape No. 136).

B. ONLY CHRIST’S BLOOD CAN RELEASE US FROM OUR SIN (Hebrews

9:22b). There is no forgiveness apart from His blood. Paul tells us in

speaking of Christ and His sacrifice for us—“In whom we have redemption

through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his

grace.” (Ephesians 1:7). The Father by grace has bestowed unto us

redemption through the blood of His Son. This redemption means

deliverance and forgiveness of our sins. This means that “sin shall not have

dominion over you: for ye are…under grace.” (Romans 6:14). All of this is

because of “the riches of his grace”.

SO,

(5) CHRIST IS DUE ALL GLORY

1 CORINTHIANS 1:31—“That, according as it is written, He that

glorieth, let him glory in theLord.”

A. BOASTING IS EXCLUDED. All glory belongs to HIM! No one here today

that is saved can say, “I am saved today BECAUSE I did this or that.” Why?

Because all of us that are saved here today are saved because of what HE

DID! Paul speaking of what God through grace has done wrote in 2

Timothy 1:9-10—“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling,

Notaccording to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,

which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made

manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished

death, and hath brought life andimmortality to light through the gospel.”

B. BLESSING SHOULD BE EXUDED (Psalms 34:1-3; Psalms 86). “…He

that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” As Paul wrote these words he

prefaced them by saying, “That, according as it is written,”. The question is

“what was Paul making reference to?” Paul was referring to Jeremiah 9:

23-24 where it says—“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in

his wisdom,neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man

glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he

understandeth andknoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise

lovingkindness,judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things

Idelight, saith the LORD.” In this world of sin and sorrow, ending soon in

death and judgment, howfoolish for men to glory in their knowledge,

health, strength, riches, or in any thing which leaves them under the

dominion of sin and the wrath of God!(MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE

Software. Albany, OR).

CLOSING:If you are saved today, Christ is due all Glory and honor, because

He is your everything. He loved us when we were unlovable. He

strengthened us when we were without strength. He saved us

when all hope was gone, and we thought we were unsaveable. He

is everything to me!!

Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth

me." (Philippians 4:13). I can say, for myself today, "I can't do

anything without Him," for He is everything to me! Is HE your

EVERYTHING today?

PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONT BAPTIST CHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 1, 2009.