We Preach Christ

Guest (Male): Passionately proclaim uncompromising truth. That's what Dr. Michael Youssef is committed to doing across six continents through the expanding ministry arms of Leading the Way. In this episode, hear the final message that Dr. Youssef preached at the church that he founded in Atlanta. This is a cornerstone message. It drove his life and it drives everything he does as an individual, as a husband and father and grandfather, and now as he moves forward as a ministry leader. This is also a message that Dr. Youssef is passionate about sharing with you because it's a biblical call to point the lost to the truth that is only found in Christ. And he's challenging you to increase the passion of declaring Christ openly in your family, in your church, in your workplace, your community, and your nation. Listen with me to Dr. Michael Youssef and his life message, "We Preach Christ."
Dr. Michael Youssef: Turn with me, please, to 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 4 and 5. "The god of this age," talking about Satan, "the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Say that with me. Who is the image of God. "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." Amen. This cannot be just the foundation stone, cannot be just a doctrine that's stuck away in historical books. No, but it has to be preached and practiced day in and day out, again and again and again. Because if you study church history, you'll find that in every generation, our Lord has called upon some men and women, young and old, to stand up and affirm this truth for themselves. To stand up against the spirit of the age. To stand up against those who water down, modify, or otherwise compromise the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To stand up against those who deny the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To stand up against those who seek to rewrite the Gospel and make it palatable to unbelievers. Those who seek to modify the message of Christ to fit the cultural trends. To stand up against those who seek to repaint the portrait of Jesus in order to make him acceptable to rebellious sinners. Those who seek to remove the offense of the Cross. Those who seek to shave the mane of the Lion of Judah. Those who preach that if you believe somewhat and repent to a certain extent, you'll be saved to a certain degree. No, and a million no to that. No, and a million no to that. Now, I remember a number of years ago, a man who had risen into leadership here, including serving on the vestry. He was under pressure to doubt this message, and he began a chain of murmur against me and the preaching of the Word of God. And he kept saying, "What we need to do is to affirm what we are for, not what we are against." I knew where that was coming from, and I immediately confronted him one-on-one. I explained to him that for the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ to be lifted high, we must preach what we are for, but we also what we are against. For we are not like the Islamists who force their religion on people by Jihad, by force, by terrorism. But we lift up Christ, our Christ, so that everyone can make an intelligent decision for or against, to receive Christ or reject him. Declaring clearly and lovingly and thoughtfully that those who receive him as the only Savior and Lord will receive forgiveness of sins, peace, and joy in this life, and be assured of eternity with him in heaven. Those who reject him as their only Savior and Lord, they will spend their forever in an eternity of horror and suffering. And that is why we see in history, again and again and again, that God calls faithful children for 2,000 years now to stand firm, to stand strong, to stand up, and to say with the Apostle Paul, "For we preach Christ and not ourselves, but we, your servants for Jesus' sake." We do not preach our ideas, we preach Christ. We do not preach what makes us popular, we preach Christ. We don't preach what makes us acceptable to this fallen world, we preach Christ. We do not preach the rebranding of Jesus as some people are asking for, nor do we preach surrender to the power of sin, nor do we preach capitulation to the enslavement of sin, nor do we preach surrender to the sexual revolution, nor do we preach pragmatism toward political correctness. No, no, no. We preach Christ, not ourselves. As Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, reminds us that we must always, always, always contend for the faith that once delivered. Not the faith that we want to make it to be, but the faith that once delivered. Even during the apostolic age, the Apostle Paul was confronted by many of his contemporaries who were preaching false gospels, modified gospels, edited gospels, add-to gospels. And he exposed them when he said, "No, we preach who?" Christ! In the Galatian church, he confronted those who want to add to the Gospel and make rituals to be necessary for salvation plus Jesus. And he says, "No, the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone. Christ alone." In Ephesus and in other places, he confronted the Gnostics who preach salvation through knowledge. But he said, "No, we preach who?" Christ! One of the early heretics of the church, in the church, named Marcion, from which we get the Marcion heresy, he taught that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. Yes, yes, yes, it's not new. And therefore, he said that we need to be unhitched from the Old Testament. Old heresies are now being dressed up and look like new, new ideas, new fads, but there's nothing new under the sun. The faithful disciples of Jesus said, "No, without the Old Testament, the New Testament doesn't make sense. Without the foundation, the building cannot stand. Without Abraham, we could not comprehend the seed of Abraham, Jesus. Without David, we cannot comprehend the Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the law, we could never comprehend or appreciate the grace of God." As I said, these various heresies have plagued the church from the very early days, and now they're dressing them up and being preached from many evangelical pulpits today. But I am charging you to remain faithful, to preach Christ. In fact, remind me of what something Dr. Criswell of First Baptist Church of Dallas said years ago. I went to hear him many, many years ago, and he said, "A skunk is a skunk by any name." Heresy is a heresy by any name. There is no use dressing it up, these dressing up these old heresies, because the faithful believers are going to see through it. And Paul said, "Of the devices of the Devil, we are not ignorant." We're alert and we are aware. Please don't ever forget, don't ever forget, don't ever forget that when the early believers said that we preach Christ alone, they were burned alive. They were dipped in boiling tar. They were given to hungry lions. But they were not deterred from preaching Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, in the scripture alone. Glory to God. Then came the Dark Ages where the superstition and witchcraft invaded, it came inside the church itself, including the Vatican. There are some horror stories that I cannot share with you. But God raised up reformers who read the scripture and they realized that we must preach Christ and salvation by faith in him alone. Then about 300 years ago, a man by the name of Arminius, we get the Arminian theology from him. He thought that God is not capable of saving us, we have to save ourselves. But good and godly men like George Whitefield rose up and said, "No, we must preach Christ who alone can save from the guttermost to the uttermost." Today we have universalists, Unitarians, who teach that Christ is the ideal man which we too can be when we obtain a higher self. Scientology teaches that if we know enough, we can survive forever. Not without Jesus you will. Astrology says that the time you're born determines your destiny. The reincarnationists say that life is reincarnated into new life which pays for the misdeeds of the former life. No, because Christ paid all of the wages of sin of everyone who would repent and believe in him and surrender to him as the only Lord and Savior. Then we had the human potential movement in the '60s, and it says that we can create our own identity. No wonder there are so many confused people around us. Today, there are so many called evangelical preachers who are saying that the Bible is like a smorgasbord, or as we say here, a buffet. That you pick what you like, leave what you don't like. In fact, this teaching is more than any other heresy that is a modern-day heresy in many a church. It breaks my heart, and that's exactly what weakened the church, nullified this message, muffled this voice, and confused millions of people, and is going to lead many to eternal damnation. And that is why today, more than any other time in history, we must only preach the Christ of the Bible. The Christ who is God, the God of power and might. The Christ who's the only one who can forgive all of our sins. The Christ who's the only one who can break the power of sin. The Christ, the only one who can restore us to sanity, the only one who can set the captives free. He's the only one who liberates us from the chains of addictions. He's the only one who will one day judge the living and the dead. He's the only one who will one day rule supreme forever and ever. He's the only one to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We preach Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, and ourselves, your servants for Christ's sake. We preach the only Christ who promised by God the Father back in Genesis. We preach the Christ who was born of pure Virgin. We preach only Christ who healed the sick, raised the dead, made the lame to walk, and set the captives free. We preach the only Christ who was crucified on Mount Golgotha, buried for three days, and then on the third day, he and only he, in all of human history, rose from the dead never to die again. We preach the Christ, the only one who can promise eternal life to every repented sinner like me and like you. We preach the only Christ who ascended alive into heaven, now sits on the rim of the universe, on the throne of God. And one day, while he's reigning and ruling now invisibly, one day he's going to come and he will reign and rule. We preach the only Christ who at first coming was born in a manger, but in his second coming, he will rule with an iron scepter. We preach the only Christ for whom and through whom the whole universe was created. The one who left heaven and came to Earth, but in his second coming, he will come with power and great glory. We preach the only Christ who at first coming hung helplessly on the cross of Calvary and yet rose victoriously from the dead. But the second coming, he will sit on the throne of God. We preach the only Christ who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the sin of everyone who believes in him. But when he comes back, he comes as the Lion of Judah. We preach the Christ and not ourselves. Please listen to me, listen to me. We do not preach pop psychology, helpful as that may be to some people. We do not preach self-help, maybe like by some people. We do not preach Band-Aids for temporary relief. No, we preach the only one who can do a total job for the total person. Oh, my beloved friends, my beloved friends, this is not going to come as a surprise to you or many of you, certainly not to my family. I'm a man who is far, far, far, far, far from perfect. And that is why when I sin, I repent of my sin and confess my sin. I don't gloss over my sins. I don't explain away my sins. I don't rationalize my sins. I don't try to blame others for my sins. I confess them to the only one who has taken all of my sins and fast them to the cross. But listen, that is Christianity 101. That's Christianity 101. Bible said if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess, he is faithful and just to forgive us all of our sins. Our sins do not need a parade of pride and taking pride in sin. Our sins need to be broken over, confessed, and repented of. Not to lower the bar of righteousness all the way to the grass, all the way to the grass, so that we might numb the sinners into their sin. Not to paint over our failures, but confess them. For we do not preach ourselves, but we preach Christ who is the image of the invisible God. Far from Jesus Christ being a mere founder of a religion, as this thing preached from many a pulpit, he is the creator God who became man. Far from this newly-fangled idea that he is a way, a truth, and a life, he's the only truth, he's the only way, and he's the only giver of eternal life. Far from the false claims that everyone, whether they believe in Jesus or not, are going to make it to heaven when they die. No, for Jesus himself says "no one," and "no one" means what? No one. "No one" means what? No one. No one will come to the Father but by me. And Jesus is the only one. He is Jesus the only. And that is why from Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is the central focus of the entire Bible. And that is why for 2,000 year period of time, give or take, from about 1800 B.C. all the way to 68 A.D., all the writers in the Old and the New Testament, they basically focused on Jesus. In the Old Testament, they saw him by faith. Jesus said, "Abraham saw my day and rejoiced." That's 1,800 years before Christ. Because they saw him as the beginning and the end and everything in between. They saw him as the Alpha and the Omega and the rest of the alphabet. He is the only true revelation of God the Father. He's the only true revelation of God the Father. You can find him in every book of the Bible if you look closely enough in the scripture. You're going to find that in the book of Genesis, he is the seed of the woman. That in the book of Exodus, he's the Lamb of God. In Leviticus, he's the High Priest. In Numbers, he is the smitten rock. In Deuteronomy, he's the Prophet. In Joshua, he is the Captain of the Lord of Hosts. In Judges, he is the great final judge. In Ruth, he is the heavenly kinsman redeemer. In Samuel, he's the anointed one. In the book of Kings, he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. In Chronicles, he is the glory of the temple of God. In Ezra, he's the teacher that comes from God. In Nehemiah, he is the rebuilder of broken walls and lives. In Esther, he is the protector of his people. In Job, he's the only comforter in times of trouble. In Psalms, he's the good shepherd. In Proverbs, he's the wisdom of God. In Ecclesiastes, he's the preacher of the kingdom of God. In the Song of Songs, he is the bridegroom that comes to his bride, the church. In Isaiah, he is the mighty God, everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. In Jeremiah, he is the potter who shapes the clay of our lives into the image of God. In Lamentations, he is the weeping prophet. In Ezekiel, he is the wheel inside the wheel. In Daniel, he's the Son of Man coming in the clouds of great glory and the fourth man in the fiery furnace. In Hosea, he's the love of God for the backslider. In Joel, he's the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Amos, he's the author of judgment and of mercy. In Obadiah, he is the God of vengeance. In Jonah, he's the salvation of our God. In Micah, he's the great intercessor. In Nahum, he is the stronghold in the day of trouble. In Habakkuk, he is the God of mercy. In Zephaniah, he's the establisher of the kingdom of God upon the earth. In Haggai, he's the desire of all nations. In Zechariah, he's the branch of Jehovah. In Malachi, he's the refiner's fire, the sun, S-U-N, of righteousness that shall rise over all the world with healing in his wings. That is how the Old Testament saw Christ before his glorious coming from heaven on that first Christmas day. Before he was fully revealed to us humans. In the Old Testament, they saw him by faith. They longed for his coming by faith. And they waited for him by faith. And when Jesus finally came from heaven and he declared that he is the I Am, when he said that, every faithful Jew, every faithful Israelite should have remembered that this is how he introduced himself to Moses on the burning bush. When Moses said, "Who do I tell them sent me?" He said, "Tell them I Am sent you, for I Am who I Am." And that is why this I Am, the Lord Jesus Christ, became the total focus of the New Testament. And that is why in Matthew, he's the Messiah King. And in Mark, he's the miracle worker. In Luke, he's the great physician. In John, he's the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. In Acts, he's the risen Lord. In Romans, he is the justifier. In Corinthians, he's the sanctifier. In Galatians, he's the liberation. In Ephesians, he's our perfection. In Philippians, he is our joy. And in Colossians, he is the head of the body, the church. In Thessalonians, he's the coming ruler. In Timothy, he's the judge of all men. In Titus, he's the redeemer of the world. In Philemon, he is the friend that sticks to you closer than a brother. In Hebrews, he's the author and the finisher of our salvation. In James, he is the healer of the nations. In Peter, he's the chief shepherd, the bishop of our souls. In John's epistles, he is the Word of God. In Jude, he is the coming one with tens of thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon the earth. In Revelation, he is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the root of Jesse, the root of David, the Lamb of God, the Word of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We preach Christ and ourselves as servants for Christ's sake.
Guest (Male): Thank you for joining Dr. Michael Youssef for his message, "We Preach Christ."
Dr. Michael Youssef: We stand at a crossroads of history and we can walk through these doors of opportunity that God has opened for us or we can do nothing. We have the choice.
Guest (Male): Leading the Way continues its five-year mission to passionately proclaim the uncompromising truth of Christ in three strategic areas where the need is greatest and the doors are open. In North America, where only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview and where distractions and false religions are gaining a foothold, we are delivering solid biblical teaching through every media platform available. We continue to pray for a spiritual awakening in the Western church, asking the Lord to mobilize believers to stand firm for uncompromising biblical truth in their homes, churches, and communities.
Dr. Michael Youssef: The answer, it is not frustration, but proclamation of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and holding that truth uncompromisingly.
Guest (Male): The Middle East is home to 68% of the world's unreached people groups. We are proclaiming the Gospel in areas with the most need through our Kingdom SAT TV channel, outreach events, audio, printed, and digital content, and our strategically positioned field teams. We must take the Gospel to those who have never heard it. 42% of the world's population lives in remote villages without Gospel truth. Technology and language barriers have cut them off from the message. Your support will help us reach these isolated areas.
Dr. Michael Youssef: I made a vow to God that as long as he gives me a breath, that I will proclaim him and his truth of his Gospel until my dying day. Will you go through it with me?
Guest (Male): Join Dr. Youssef in this bold five-year mission to passionately proclaim uncompromising truth in three strategic areas. It's the Open Door campaign. Learn all of the ways that you can stand with Leading the Way, including the Open Door campaign, when you visit ltw.org or call 866-626-4356. That's ltw.org and 866-626-4356. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth around the world. Learn more at ltw.org.