If you will take with me your Bibles to the book of 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 5. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Let's pray. Father, what a great text is set before us. What a great reminder. God, I pray that we see this. It's declarative this morning and impulsive that we would say, yes, our assurance lies in just what we just sang, blessed assurance that Jesus is mine. Our assurance lies in that Christ came as our mediator. He stood between your enmity, God, and our sin. He interposed himself. We can look to him as one who stands and one who stood in our stead to bear our weight. To bear our sin and the price we owed. But God, I pray that this text would also be impulsive to us this morning. To push us to really believe there is one mediator between God and men, there is one way, there's only one door, there's only one name under heaven that men may be saved. He's been given to us, the church. We would call men to repent and believe on him. God use this text in your church today, in Jesus name I pray, amen. Every year, Caraño, the first sermon of the year, the Primer Sermon del Año. This is actually the second because of Wednesday. Este es el segundo por miércoles, but this is the first Sunday of the year, Primer Domingo del Año. And every year I preach what we call the State of the Church Address. Yo predico lo que llamamos Dirección del estado de la iglesia. And I try to do two things. Trato de hacer dos cosas. As our confession says, that every church is mixed with errors. Como nuestra confesión dice, cada iglesia es mezclado con errores. This is not the exception. Esto no es una excepción. We are mixed with errors. Somos mezclados con errores. And though we strive to do things well, aunque luchamos hacer cosas bien, we have blind spots, tenemos lugares ciegos. And one of the things I try to do in the State of the Church Address, una cosa que trato de hacer en la Dirección de la Estada de la Iglesia every year, cada año, is to point out one of those blind spots, apuntar uno de los puntos ciegos. and to direct us in a direction to correct it. I pray that that would be the case this morning. It is a beautiful text this morning. There's one God. The declaration of Israel. Our God is one. Amen. He's one. And between him and us, there's only one mediator. It doesn't get more profound than that. There's only one place that we are to build our lives. There's only one foundation of the church. We sing of it. The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord. Our whole lives are to be built on this truth. That there's one mediator between God and man. There's one. stood in our place. There's one who took upon Him the wrath that was due to all of us. And He stood where we deserve to stand. Between us and the mighty hand of the Almighty God. Entre nosotros y el mano poderoso de Dios todopoderoso. He came, took on flesh, el vino, tomar carne. He humbled himself, sumilló. He obeyed the whole law, obedeció toda la ley, and he bore our wrath, y cargó nuestra ira. Amen. Amen. And we echo with our confession as we finished it this morning. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen. The truth that Christ is our mediator should be cherished in our hearts. And I want to open this doctrine up this morning. Quiero abrir esta doctrina esta mañana. And I want to ask first this. Quiero hacer la pregunta primero esto. The text says that there's one mediator and that that mediator is Christ. Este texto dice que hay un solo mediador y que este mediador es Cristo. I want to ask, how is Christ a mediator for the church? Como es Cristo un mediador para la iglesia? First, a mediator is one that stands in the middle between two parties. El mediador es alguien que para en medio de dos grupos, of two people in opposition, dos en oposición. It's one that interposes himself. Es alguien que interpone a sí mismo for the purpose of peacemaking, por el propósito de hacer paz. This can be implicit in two ways. Puede ser implícito en dos formas. First, by reconciliation. Primera, por reconciliación. That he takes these two parties in opposition, que tiene los dos que están en oposición, and he brings them together, making peace. Y lo trae junto, haciendo paz. He reconciles. Él reconcile. Second, by intercession, he maintains the peace. That's what Christ did for us and does for us. How is Christ a mediator for us? First, he stands as an arbitrator for us. He stands and he lays his hands on both parties. He goes to the Father on our behalf. Él va a Padre por nosotros. And he pleads his blood for our offenses. Él regue su sangre por nuestros ofensos. He pours out himself that the justice of God would be satisfied. Él derrama a sí mismo para que la justicia de Dios sea satisfecho. Him having humbled himself. Él había humillado a sí mismo. He took on the nature of man. And he stood under the mighty hand of the Father. He paid peace for us. Favor. And he says to the Father. Give them all that is mine. I give them all that is mine. He stands with his hand on the Father. And then he sets his hand on us. And he asks the question. Why are you downcast and why is your soul in turmoil? Why? Poor sinner, you can be justified. He stands and he says, I satisfied the wrath of God. I did it for you. And we are counted righteous. Church, we have an arbitrator. Iglesia, tenemos un arbitro. In Christ, in Cristo, he's our mediator because he stands between. El es nuestro mediador porque para en medio. It's what we sing, es lo que cantamos. He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. El, a rescatarme de peligro, interpuso su propia sangre. Second, segundo. Not only is he an arbitrator, no solamente es un arbitro, he's also an ambassador. También es un embajador. He comes to us from God to impart to us the mind of God. El viene a nosotros de Dios a impartir nosotros a la mente de Dios. Are we not told that we behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? Hebrews says he's the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature. He's an ambassador in that He comes to us and says, behold the glory of God. He's an ambassador in that He comes to us and says, behold the glory of God. But that's not all. He's also an ambassador in that He takes our desires to God. He's an ambassador in that He takes our desires to God. Does He not ask and tell us this? Ask whatever you desire in my name. Does Hebrews not tell us we're about to get there? He stands to make intercession? We ask ourselves, how can an infinite holy God, the one who made the heavens and the earth, how can he hear from me? We have one who intercedes. We have an ambassador. How is Christ a mediator? He's an arbiter. He's an ambassador. And he's a mediator by the way of his mediation. Paul speaks of this in Hebrews. I can't wait till we get there. Chapter seven, we're there. Pablo habla así en Hebreos. No puedo esperar que llegamos ahí. Ya estamos ahí, capítulo siete. In verse 22, en versículo 22, he uses the word in Greek, ugos. Uso la palabra en griego, egus. And it's translated the guarantor or fiador. Está traducido como garantador o fiador. The Puritans used to call this word surety. Los Puritanos antes decían esta palabra, la certeza, that Christ is our surety. Cristo es nuestra seguridad. Paul in chapter 1 of Ephesians, Pablo 1, Ephesians, he's the down payment. El es el enganche, the guarantee, el garantador. The word is one that engaged itself to satisfy another. La palabra es uno que entregó su mismo a satisfacer otro. And Christ has done this by taking on the nature of man. Cristo ha hecho esto tomando naturaleza del hombre and coming under the obligation of the law y sujetando a la obligación de la ley. I can't help but think of things sometimes. Can you imagine when Christ goes to the temple? Here is God incarnate and He can't go behind the veil. He's restricted in the worship of himself. That's humility. He did this in perfect obedience to the whole law while he walked. And he did that actively there. He passively did this at dying in our place. When he bore our wrath from God. Church, would you marvel at the mediation of Christ? He is our mediator. Next, I want to ask this question. What is the implication of his mediation? Well, first it implies enmity between God and man. If there was no enmity, there would be no need for a mediator. And if our enmity wasn't so great. There would not be a need for God to humble himself. To take on flesh. At creation, when he created Adam and Eve. When he put them in this perfect garden. And they are in perfect harmony with God. It was a sweet amity. Between man and God. But that was lost quickly. And quickly the Lord was kindled against man. As Psalm 5 states, it says, you hate all evildoers. So here he is in perfect enmity with Adam. He doesn't fail. He doesn't fracasa. He takes and eat of what God says don't. El tome, come, lo que Dios dice no. And now God hates man. Y ahora Dios aborrece al hombre. Man was filled with hate towards God. El hombre fue encendido aborrecimiento hacia Dios. And God hate towards man. Y Dios aborrecimiento al hombre. God in his infinite goodness, Dios en su bondad infinito, created man, like our catechism says, holy and happy. Creo el hombre, como dice nuestro catechismo, santo y feliz. Yet man, sin embargo el hombre, in a horrible act of ingratitude, en un hecho horrible de ingratitud, sought to be his own sovereign. Busco hacer su propio sobrano. He wanted to be his own king. Quería ser su propio rey. He rebelled and set himself against the Holy God. Se rebeló y puso él mismo en contra de un Dios Santo. In Adam, we're all in need of a mediator. En Adán, todos estamos en necesidad de un mediador. First, what is implied that Christ is our mediator. That there's enmity between God and man. It implies the necessity of the satisfaction of the justice of God. God's not like man. Dios no es como el hombre. That his wrath can be turned away with soft words. Que su ira puede ser volteada con dulces palabras. He's just. Él es justo. And his righteousness and su justicia demand justice or it will satisfy itself upon us. Su justicia demanda justicia or su justicia va a satisfacerse sobre nosotros. It's also true that God is merciful. But he's also immutable. And cannot let vengeance against our sins pass. There's not a way for sinners to be justified. No hay una forma para que los pecadores sean justificados. But through the heart blood of Christ. Excepto por la sangre del corazón de Cristo. In our place condemned. En nuestro lugar condenado. So he must die in the flesh. El tiene que morir en la carne. And he must die as God. Y tiene que morir como Dios. And he must do it in our place. Y tiene que hacerlo en nuestro lugar. Augustine said it so well. Augustino dijo tan bueno. Hear this, escucha esto. He's talking about the cross, Hablano de la Cruz. God neither lost the severity of his justice in the goodness of his mercy, nor the goodness of his mercy in the exactness of his severity. Dios no perdió la severidad de su justicia en la bondad de su misericordia, ni la bondad de su misericordia en la exactitud de su severidad. So here it is, aquí está. God is all merciful and all just. Dios es completamente misericordioso y justo. And he lost none of his mercy. And demanding that Christ pay every mite. And he lost none of his justice. Giving us mercy in Christ. Jesus bore the fullness of the justice of God on the cross for us. Jesus cargó la totalidad de la justicia de Dios por nosotros en la cruz. We just sang. Acabamos de cantar. I didn't even realize we were singing it this morning. No me di cuenta que estamos cantando esta mañana. For God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. Pues Dios el justo aceptó su sacrificio hecho por mí. There is no foundation. No hay un fundamento, even an idea, aun una idea of peace, de paz, without complete satisfaction of the wrath of God. Sin satisfacción completa de Dios. Thirdly, not only does it imply Inmity no solamente implica enemistad. Not only does it imply that justice must be satisfied. No solamente implica que justicia tiene que ser satisfecho. It also implies the infinite value of Christ. También implica el valor infinito de Cristo. Of his person and his work. De su persona y su obra. the person and work of Christ in himself, is sufficient to stop the course of God's justice, to render him not only peaceable, But abundantly satisfied. And well pleased with us. So God in Psalm 5.5, Dios in Psalm 5.5 says, I hate man. However, sin embargo, God in Christ, Dios en Cristo says, look at my treasure. Have you heard the parable? A man finds a pearl of great price. And he goes and sells everything he has to buy the pearl. And there's a treasure buried in a field. He goes and sells all he has and buys the field. The church is the pearl. La iglesia es la perla. And the church is the treasure. La iglesia es el tesoro. Because here's the thing, aquí es la cosa. You and I don't have the money to buy the pearl. Tu y yo no tenemos el dinero para comprar la perla. You and I don't have the money to buy the field. Tu y yo no tenemos el dinero para comprar el terreno. But Christ, Pedro Cristo, what He did, lo que Él hizo, is He bought us. Él nos compró. And He makes us the pearl of great price. Y nos hace la perla de gran precio. We saw this a couple weeks ago. Vemos esto hace unas semanas. He brings all the treasures, gold and silver, into the church. Él trae todo el tesoro, plata y oro, en la iglesia. So not only does he remove enmity between us and God. He makes us the treasure of God. Paul says it like this in Ephesians. He calls us the poemas. The master work of God. Looking at Jesus as the mediator. Looking at the church. What He's done for us. This makes Jesus the desire of all nations. It implies the infinite love and pity that God has to sinners. Implica el amor infinito y gracia que Dios tiene a los pecadores. Christ does not mediate by merely coming to the Father and asking a favor for us. We read of Moses this morning. He went to God asking a favor. That's not what Christ does. He doesn't simply go to the Father and say, please be peaceful to them. No, no, no. But he mediates in the capacity of our surety. He places himself under our obligation. To satisfy our debts. He knew the weight of what it would cost. And he came. because of love for Amor. Fifth, Quinto. It implies not only the disposition of Christ, but his ability. Our text tells us there's one mediator. There's not another. Our text is clear. There's no way a man can be saved outside of Jesus Christ. You must repent and look to him for the fullness of your salvation. There's nothing that you can add. You must trust in the person and work of Christ alone. He's called the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world. The promise in Genesis 3.15, one will come to crush the head. There's none other who's able, church. There's only one mediator and one gospel. Christ shows us here this morning. Christ is our mediator. Christ is our mediator, shows us, nos muestra, that if you don't come to him, si no vienes a el, you're going to die under the eternal wrath of God forever. Vas a morir abajo de la ira de Dios por toda la eternidad. Only Christ can save you from your sins. Solo Cristo puede salvarte de tus pecados. The third question, that's what I say at pregnancy. How do we see Christ as our only mediator? It's Him and Him alone that's revealed as the mediator in Scripture. Our text tells us there is only one and it's Him. The scriptures are our only rule of faith and practice. Los escrituras son nuestra única regla de fe y practica, and they tell us it's Christ. Ellos nos dice que es Cristo. Jesus says, I am the way. Jesucristo dijo, yo soy el camino. Acts 4.12, Hechos 4.12. And there is salvation and no one else, for there's no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. You must either trust in Christ or suffer under the wrath of God. There is no other. Second. He and no other is capable. It is Him that is the only one united, God and man in one person. Our text calls Him the man, Christ Jesus. None other can stand in the place that he stood and do what he did. Nadie mas puede parar donde el paro y hacer lo que el hizo. None other is capable or willing. Nadie mas es capaz ni dispuesto. Number three, number tres. He alone is sufficient to reconcile us to God. El solamente es suficiente a reconciliarnos a Dios. Our confession says the virtue, efficacy, and benefit of the work of Christ reaches back even to Adam. What a great atonement. Hadn't even happened yet. But because it was offered according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. It reaches back, extends, and it reaches forward. That there's only one mediator. And His grace reaches into the future. And there's even a remnant chosen by grace right now. He will save everyone that the Father has given Him. And He'll lose none of them. It's none other than God Himself that could stand in our place. And it's none other than the God-man who it had to be. He alone is sufficient mediator. El solo es el mediador suficiente. Last question. Última pregunta. How did he execute the work of mediation? ¿Cómo ejecutó la obra de mediación? He took on flesh, became man, and died in our place. Tomó carne, hizo hombre, y murió en nuestro lugar. He was obedient to the totality of the law. Fue obediente a la totalidad de la ley. And he bore the wrath and curse of God for us. Y cargó la ira y la maldición de Dios por nosotros. It had to be that way and there was no other way. So how did he execute the work of mediation? He dressed himself in flesh for all eternity. And he stood under the hand of God for the church. Now I know what some of you are thinking. Amen. Amen. We believe that. We know Christ as our mediator. Is that our whole? Is that our blind spot? That Christ is our mediator? That we need to know how he died for us? Is this really a doctrine we struggle with? No. You know it. At least we know it here. The question, why is this the state of the church address? Do we really believe this? Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Yo soy el camino, la verdad, y la vida. No one can come to me, can come to the Father except through me. Nadie puede venir a Padre excepto por mi. Do we really believe that? En realidad lo creemos esta? That the truth of Christ is the door? Que la verdad de Cristo es la puerta? That Christ himself is the door? Que Cristo mismo es la puerta? I think we're a people, creo que somos un pueblo, that we fight to refine this doctrine, que luchamos a refinar esta doctrina, and rightfully so, y justo. I would be somewhat of a happy pastor. Yo sera un pastor feliz. If everyone came to me and said, hey, pastor, guess what? For Christmas I got the glory of Christ. I'm going to read it by John Owen. Si, todos venian a mi y dicen, pastor, por navidad me regalan la gloria de Cristo, but John Owen voy a leerlo. I want to study the doctrine of Christ. Yo quiero estudiar la doctrina de Cristo. I would be happy, sera feliz. I think in this is our blind spot. Listen what we've just confirmed, church. There's only one God. Solo hay un solo Dios. And there's one mediator between that God and us. Y hay un solo mediador entre este Dios y nosotros. And we know who it is. Y lo conocemos quien es. We even believe that he chose some people, aún creemos que él escogió a unos before the foundations of the world, antes de la fundación del mundo, that he would mediate for them, que él media para ellos, that he stood in their place, que él paró en su lugar. We actually believe that there's people in the world, creemos que hay gente en el mundo who their sins were paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet it seems we don't care for them. But it seems we don't care for them. It's kind of like our attitude says this. I'm glad he's my mediator, but you can just go to hell. I've got other things in my life. I have other worries. I've got other things I want to do. And I know that he can save you. But go and ask someone else to tell you. Romans 1.16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of God for salvation. Romans 1.16 says, I am not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of God for salvation. It's powerful to save. It's powerful to save. And we as a church have been ashamed of it. And we as a church have been ashamed of it. Do you understand that we're freer as a church than any other Christians in all of history? We have less repercussions that we face because of the gospel. And we're scared? Church, you're never gonna lose your head in this country right now because you preach the gospel. The world is dying and going to hell. And our text says we have a meter and we know him. Listen to what he's done for us. He took on flesh and stood between us and God. He placed himself between us and the wrath of God. Can we not set ourself between God and man? When you consider the work of Christ, is it not enough to say, please come to Christ? So often, we order our time rightly here. And that's right, it's correcto. We want to be careful at the Lord's table. We want to be careful what we sing and preach. That's right, eso es correcto. But we're missing an aspect. Paul writes to Timothy, Pablo escribe a Timateo, and he says this, I hope this come to you soon, but I'm writing these things to you so that if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church, the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. A pillar and buttress of truth to who? Over the last couple of months, you've heard a couple of sermons on evangelism. En los últimos meses has escuchado unas sermones de evangelismo. You've heard some sermons from the heart on evangelism. Has escuchado unas sermones de corazón de evangelismo. Two weeks ago in Sunday school, the warning, your lamp stand will be removed. Hace dos semanas en la escuela dominical, tu lámpara será quitado. We look at Ephesians now. Mira en Efesios, ahora, there was a church donde había una iglesia. It's a trash dump. Es un basurero. So I ask you, have you made any changes? I don't know about you, but I just like you sat in here convicted in those sermons just like you. But the question we have to ask in ourselves, did it mean anything? Did I change anything? Was it just in one ear and out the other? Did I do anything? I heard of a preacher that went to a church. And after the first night of him being there, he told the church the second night. Just get a rock, paint John 3.16 on it, throw it out in the field. And in that one act, you'll have done more evangelism than you've done in the last 20 years. The sad reality is, we got the gospel right. But the same could be said of us over the last couple of years. Pero mismo puede decir de nosotros durante los últimos dos años. I want you to hear me this morning. Quiero que escuches esta mañana. Don't get mad at me. Get mad with me. No enojas conmigo. Enojas conmigo. We're one body. Somos un cuerpo. It's a reflection of me as it's a reflection of you. Es un reflejo de mí como reflexión de ti. You can say, well, you didn't do this, and this, and this. And I can say, you didn't do this, this, and this. And we can fight about how we're bad in evangelism. Or we can set ourselves before the almighty God this morning. And we can ask for forgiveness. We can say, God, I'm sorry I haven't loved the church enough. I'm sorry I haven't loved lost people enough. I repent. I want to take this truth and I want someone to know it. Let me give you some reasons. Maybe you think it's only for the pastor. You can't support that biblically. You can point fingers. But we're all new creations. And we've all been entrusted with the ministry of the gospel. I think we have a genuine lack of love for lost people. Would we rather this family that looks like us, that believes everything that we do, that's all on board with what we're doing? Queremos más una familia que mira como nosotros, que importa las cosas que importamos, que tiene la misma doctrina que nosotros, y está todo apoyando lo que hacemos? Or would we rather somebody coming in and saying, I just want to know about Christ because I don't know Him? ¿O queremos a alguien que viene diciendo, yo quiero conocer a Cristo porque no lo conoce? Third, maybe we have a fear of man. We don't have a reason to fear men. Jesus says, don't fear man who can kill your body, but fear God who can, after killing your body, throw you into hell. Time and time again, do not fear men in the text. If we do fear men, we need to repent from it. Lastly. And this is maybe the worst. We're just indifferent. We just really don't care. I have other things in my life that are just more important. Question posed to us. How are they going to hear? If they don't have a preacher, how are they going to hear? If someone doesn't teach them, how are they going to believe? I want to be clear with what I'm asking of you this morning. It's two things. First, I want you to cherish Christ in your heart. to such a grade, a tal grado, that causes you to cherish Christ to the world. Que te causa apreciar a Cristo al mundo. That you love him so much in your heart, que lo amas tanto en tu corazón, you say, I want everybody to know him. You say, yo quiero que todos lo conocen. And second, segundo. I want you to have the same attitude that Paul had in 1 Corinthians 9. Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel. Woe is me if I don't take the truth of the gospel and tell someone you can have life. This year we're going to memorize texts pushing us to evangelism. We're starting with the Great Commission. And I want to tell you why I'm happy today. You might ask, well, how can you be happy after such a difficult sermon like that? Because the text says, and I'll be with you to the end of the days. I believe that this is Christ's church, that we're in his hand, he will not let us go. That doesn't mean we don't have to correct things. I want us to be a church that we don't go only out of obligation, but because we desire for men to repent and have life in Christ. I want to invite you this morning, church, examine your heart. Quiero invitarte esta mañana, iglesia, a examinar tu corazón. And just ask a simple question. Hacer una pregunta fácil. What can I do this year in evangelism that I've neglected? ¿Qué puedo hacer este año en evangelismo que he negado? Buy some tracts and just hand them out. Compras unos folletos, solo repartirlos. Make a phone call to a family member. Do something consistent in gospel ministry this year. To the church at Ephesus it said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. If you repent, give you access to the tree of life. Let's repent. And let's enjoy the communion of Christ. And let's be the light of the world. The salt of the earth. And let's not lose our saltiness. Let's pray. Dios, perdónanos por apreciarte en nuestras mentes y muchas veces negarte de corazón. Gracias por mi diador que nos has dado en Cristo. Gracias por mandar a Él a morir en nuestro lugar. Ayúdanos, Dios, a crecer conocimiento de Él Apreciarlo en nuestros corazones, pero tambien apreciarlo al mundo. A en verdad creer que lo has mandado Cristo a buscar y salvar los perdidos. Que en realidad creer que tu has escogido un remanente de gracia a este momento. Y regocijarnos en Cristo y en el mundo. En nombre de Cristo lo oramos. Amen.