WEBVTT 00:00:00.810 --> 00:00:03.229 Today we turn to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 00:00:03.229 --> 00:00:06.450 2, and we're going to be considering the first 00:00:06.450 --> 00:00:11.330 five verses in this series going through the 00:00:11.330 --> 00:00:15.750 book of 1 Corinthians. Hear the word of the Lord. 00:00:16.170 --> 00:00:19.870 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not 00:00:19.870 --> 00:00:22.890 come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, 00:00:22.949 --> 00:00:26.789 declaring to you the testimony of God. For I 00:00:26.789 --> 00:00:30.309 determined not to know anything among you except 00:00:30.309 --> 00:00:34.070 Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was with you 00:00:34.070 --> 00:00:37.189 in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 00:00:37.450 --> 00:00:40.189 And my speech and my preaching were not with 00:00:40.189 --> 00:00:43.810 persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the 00:00:43.810 --> 00:00:47.549 demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your 00:00:47.549 --> 00:00:50.789 faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but 00:00:50.789 --> 00:00:55.439 in the power of God. Let's pray and ask God's 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:58.240 blessing again on this time together. Lord, we 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.119 thank you for this word. It is truly a rich and 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:04.239 wonderful word and it speaks to us. Lord, today 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:06.540 we pray that it would be alive, that it would 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:09.060 be quick and powerful. We pray that you would 00:01:09.060 --> 00:01:11.719 pierce our hearts with the word and that you 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:14.599 would edify us, Lord. I pray, Father, that the 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:18.159 words which are spoken today might be to your 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:21.319 praise and to your glory and not to men. Thank 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:24.150 you, Father. For this time together, we pray 00:01:24.150 --> 00:01:26.269 that you would open it up and grant us the power 00:01:26.269 --> 00:01:29.230 of the Holy Spirit as we preach it and as it 00:01:29.230 --> 00:01:36.969 is heard. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. In 00:01:36.969 --> 00:01:40.030 the ancient world, a public speaker's initial 00:01:40.030 --> 00:01:42.730 visit to a city was critical to establishing 00:01:42.730 --> 00:01:47.040 their reputation. Orators would compete for applause 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:50.260 and offer entertainment to diners in between 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:53.640 courses at the very best banquets. Competitive 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:58.739 showmanship was the order of the day. And indeed, 00:01:59.019 --> 00:02:03.560 this was the case in the city of Corinth. This 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:05.920 is taken from the pillar commentary on this passage. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:09.120 Now in a very different setting, but at the same 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:12.639 time period, any number of Jewish scholars, of 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.909 rabbis, of students, would gather together to 00:02:15.909 --> 00:02:19.150 hear oral and dialogical teaching at the feet 00:02:19.150 --> 00:02:21.750 of a teacher, and then they would engage in debate 00:02:21.750 --> 00:02:24.669 and questioning with a sharp intellectual exchange. 00:02:25.229 --> 00:02:29.590 Study was communal and vocal, with a strong focus 00:02:29.590 --> 00:02:34.969 on purity, tithing, Sabbath observance, and the 00:02:34.969 --> 00:02:39.050 traditions of the fathers, or what we call the 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:43.050 oral law. Now, Paul would have been part of such 00:02:43.050 --> 00:02:46.710 a process, at the feet of Gamaliel, the famous 00:02:46.710 --> 00:02:51.050 rabbi, a Pharisee who is held in very high respect 00:02:51.050 --> 00:02:54.449 in his day. Paul alludes to this in Acts chapter 00:02:54.449 --> 00:02:59.270 22, verse 3. He said, I indeed am a Jew, born 00:02:59.270 --> 00:03:02.629 in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this 00:03:02.629 --> 00:03:06.389 city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according 00:03:06.389 --> 00:03:09.879 to the strictness of the Father's law. of our 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:13.740 Father's law, and was zealous toward God as you 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:18.719 all are today. But when Paul came to a new city, 00:03:18.939 --> 00:03:24.099 he used neither of these methods. He began by 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:28.439 the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:33.060 through the cross. That is the testimony and 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:40.719 the mystery of God. relied on the power of God 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:45.039 by the Holy Spirit to change hearts and minds 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:50.419 and not on human wisdom. Paul's declaration in 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:53.460 this passage is like the angel's revelation to 00:03:53.460 --> 00:03:56.199 the prophet Zechariah during the time of the 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:59.979 rebuilding of the temple by Zerubbabel after 00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:05.080 the Jews were taken into exile. This is the word 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:10.159 of the Lord to Zerubbabel. not by might nor by 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:16.139 power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:19.899 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:22.699 you shall become a plain, and he shall bring 00:04:22.699 --> 00:04:26.740 forth the capstone with shouts of grace, grace 00:04:26.740 --> 00:04:33.319 to it. Zechariah chapter 4, verse 6 and 7. Now 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.639 in verses 1 through 5, Paul declares the method 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:41.500 of his ministry, which is not to argue as the 00:04:41.500 --> 00:04:45.120 Greeks or the Jews did, but to preach the word 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:50.699 of God as a proclamation, as a declaration, in 00:04:50.699 --> 00:04:55.839 demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power. That 00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:00.939 way was anathema to Greek thinking. That a God 00:05:00.939 --> 00:05:05.790 would conquer by dying? Especially a death on 00:05:05.790 --> 00:05:10.009 the cross? To speak enthusiastically of an executed 00:05:10.009 --> 00:05:14.889 deliverer king was an oxymoron. Greeks loved 00:05:14.889 --> 00:05:19.430 debate, but Paul used the declaration of the 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:24.269 truth. He sets forth Christ crucified, the power 00:05:24.269 --> 00:05:28.629 of God. And then, to those who are mature, after 00:05:28.629 --> 00:05:30.649 he has laid the foundation of the simplicity 00:05:30.649 --> 00:05:34.110 of the gospel in Christ crucified, he will then 00:05:34.110 --> 00:05:37.129 go on to speak of the wisdom that is needed, 00:05:37.250 --> 00:05:41.449 that is the heavenly wisdom of Christ, which 00:05:41.449 --> 00:05:44.769 God ordained. And this will be taught in the 00:05:44.769 --> 00:05:47.889 remainder of this chapter, verses 6 through 16, 00:05:48.069 --> 00:05:51.029 which we will look at, Lord willing, next Sunday. 00:05:51.930 --> 00:05:54.170 So now let's take a closer look at Paul's method 00:05:54.170 --> 00:05:57.170 and then seek to apply it to us and to our world. 00:05:58.750 --> 00:06:03.329 So look, number one, Paul did not come with eloquent 00:06:03.329 --> 00:06:08.250 speech or superior wisdom to proclaim the testimony 00:06:08.250 --> 00:06:13.209 of God. We see this in verses one and two. He 00:06:13.209 --> 00:06:16.290 says, and I, brethren, when I came to you, did 00:06:16.290 --> 00:06:20.209 not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom. 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:23.060 declaring to you the testimony of God, for I 00:06:23.060 --> 00:06:26.920 determined not to know anything among you except 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:31.060 Jesus Christ and him crucified. Paul deliberately 00:06:31.060 --> 00:06:34.100 preached the simple message of Christ crucified 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:38.000 when he came to this city. His focus was sharp 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.060 and it was pointed as it was wherever he went 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:44.259 to proclaim that Jesus was the Christ, he was 00:06:44.259 --> 00:06:47.379 the Messiah, and that he died and he rose again 00:06:47.379 --> 00:06:50.339 from the dead. This is the pure and the simple 00:06:50.339 --> 00:06:54.110 gospel. Now, considering the Greeks' love of 00:06:54.110 --> 00:06:57.290 human wisdom and the Jews who stumbled at Christ, 00:06:57.569 --> 00:07:01.269 Paul's method was as he declared back in chapter 00:07:01.269 --> 00:07:05.769 1, verse 17. For Christ did not send me to baptize, 00:07:05.790 --> 00:07:09.610 but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of 00:07:09.610 --> 00:07:12.269 words, lest the cross of Christ should be made 00:07:12.269 --> 00:07:17.350 of no effect. And this he did faithfully, although 00:07:17.350 --> 00:07:24.160 he was short. Of strength. And weak. He says. 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:27.939 I determine not to know anything among you. Except 00:07:27.939 --> 00:07:31.379 Jesus Christ and him crucified. His method was 00:07:31.379 --> 00:07:34.759 not to meet them on their terms. In the established 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:38.800 order of the day. But to preach. With a great 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:43.259 proclamation. The gospel. Jesus Christ and him 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:46.259 crucified. Which ended up. Turning the world 00:07:46.259 --> 00:07:50.370 upside down. He says, I did not come with excellence 00:07:50.370 --> 00:07:54.610 of speech or of wisdom, or as in verse 4, with 00:07:54.610 --> 00:07:58.569 persuasive words of human wisdom. That is, he 00:07:58.569 --> 00:08:01.790 did not use the type of sophistry and elegance 00:08:01.790 --> 00:08:04.670 and sophisticated language as did the Greeks 00:08:04.670 --> 00:08:08.490 or the dialectical and sharp method of the Jews. 00:08:08.750 --> 00:08:12.810 He came with a very simple method, a proclamation 00:08:12.810 --> 00:08:17.069 as a herald of eternal truth that Jesus Christ 00:08:17.069 --> 00:08:21.009 is the Son of God. He is the way and the truth 00:08:21.009 --> 00:08:24.740 and the life as Jesus himself said. And this 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:28.579 Jesus is the look for and long for Messiah. And 00:08:28.579 --> 00:08:31.980 he died in order to forgive sins. And then he 00:08:31.980 --> 00:08:35.720 rose again. Acts 18 verse 5 shows this, which 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.279 is the account of Paul coming to Corinth. It 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:40.879 says, for when he came to Corinth, Paul, it says, 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:45.480 was compelled by the Spirit and testified to 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:50.779 the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. This is the 00:08:50.779 --> 00:08:54.779 testimony of God. This is the unveiled mystery. 00:08:55.220 --> 00:08:58.379 It's not with lofty speech and the type of wisdom 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:01.200 that they were used to, but it was in plain direct 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.440 speech, proclaiming these truths and calling 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:08.059 people to repentance and to eternal life through 00:09:08.059 --> 00:09:11.419 belief in Jesus, whom God ordained and had sent 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:16.639 as a propitiation for man's sin. He says, I determined 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:21.629 to know nothing among you. Except Jesus Christ 00:09:21.629 --> 00:09:26.110 and him crucified. But we must clarify something 00:09:26.110 --> 00:09:29.090 because the question then quickly comes to mind. 00:09:29.230 --> 00:09:34.190 What does Paul mean when he speaks of human wisdom? 00:09:34.870 --> 00:09:38.629 Is he referring to the capability of mankind 00:09:38.629 --> 00:09:42.610 to use what God has created in them and to draw 00:09:42.610 --> 00:09:46.230 inferences and bring conclusions and to use reason 00:09:46.230 --> 00:09:49.950 in our speech? Is that what Paul meant? Are the 00:09:49.950 --> 00:09:53.409 laws of logic, such as the law of non -contradiction, 00:09:53.649 --> 00:09:56.970 are they derived from God or from human reason? 00:09:57.169 --> 00:09:59.929 The law of non -contradiction is simply that 00:09:59.929 --> 00:10:03.250 contradictory propositions cannot both be true 00:10:03.250 --> 00:10:05.830 at the same time and in the same sense. Your 00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:08.190 body cannot be physically dead and physically 00:10:08.190 --> 00:10:13.940 alive. That is a complete contradiction. We must 00:10:13.940 --> 00:10:16.480 understand what Paul is talking about if we're 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:18.700 to get the sense and the full import of this 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:22.860 passage. First of all, Paul is not calling for 00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:26.779 ignorance or illiteracy. Let's get that straight. 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:30.259 He is making a clear distinction between human 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:34.919 reasoning according to man versus reason from 00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:40.899 God's wisdom and God's declared truth. Understand 00:10:40.899 --> 00:10:44.940 this. God is the one who created our minds, and 00:10:44.940 --> 00:10:48.340 he gave us the ability to reason, to think, and 00:10:48.340 --> 00:10:52.139 to employ logic in our speech, to lay a foundation 00:10:52.139 --> 00:10:55.480 and then build on it to prove to the point. God 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:58.639 gave wisdom and required judges to use reason 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:01.720 to carefully question and cross -examine. Back 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:05.919 in Deuteronomy chapter 19, verse 17 to 19, it 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:08.580 brings this out, that if a false witness rises 00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:12.330 against any man to testify, And then he comes 00:11:12.330 --> 00:11:16.690 before in the controversy. Both men shall stand 00:11:16.690 --> 00:11:19.370 before the Lord, before the priests and the judges 00:11:19.370 --> 00:11:21.950 who serve in those days. And the judges shall 00:11:21.950 --> 00:11:25.789 make a careful inquiry. They use the gifts that 00:11:25.789 --> 00:11:28.929 God gave them to determine who is speaking the 00:11:28.929 --> 00:11:31.649 truth. And then if the witness has found a false 00:11:31.649 --> 00:11:34.350 witness who has testified falsely against his 00:11:34.350 --> 00:11:37.769 brother, then. God's word to them is you shall 00:11:37.769 --> 00:11:40.210 do to him as he thought to have done to his brother. 00:11:40.450 --> 00:11:43.110 So you shall put away the evil from among you. 00:11:43.529 --> 00:11:47.549 Good counsel for today, is it not? So reason, 00:11:47.629 --> 00:11:52.190 God gave wisdom and reason is essential to biblical 00:11:52.190 --> 00:11:55.889 interpretation. The Bereans were commended for 00:11:55.889 --> 00:12:00.100 their diligent search. In searching out the scriptures, 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:03.200 Acts 17 and 11, it says they were more noble 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:06.320 -minded than those in Thessalonica. In that, 00:12:06.460 --> 00:12:09.139 they received the word with all readiness, and 00:12:09.139 --> 00:12:12.259 then they searched the scriptures daily to find 00:12:12.259 --> 00:12:15.620 out whether these things were so. Paul explains 00:12:15.620 --> 00:12:18.620 this further in verse 13. He says, These things 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:22.179 we also speak, not in the words which man's wisdom 00:12:22.179 --> 00:12:25.899 teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing 00:12:25.899 --> 00:12:30.210 spiritual things. with spiritual so in order 00:12:30.210 --> 00:12:33.129 to understand the word of God properly we must 00:12:33.129 --> 00:12:36.850 learn to compare scripture with scripture in 00:12:36.850 --> 00:12:39.990 order to fully understand and get the sense of 00:12:39.990 --> 00:12:43.669 what God has revealed and we use our minds that 00:12:43.669 --> 00:12:48.629 God gave us to do so now Jesus also commanded 00:12:48.629 --> 00:12:51.570 us to love the Lord our God with all of our minds 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.840 Matthew 22, verse 37, and Mark 12, verse 30, 00:12:55.960 --> 00:13:01.120 and Luke 10, verse 27. Paul himself used reason 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:04.620 to teach and to preach the gospel and to confound 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:07.139 those who thought they were wise but were not. 00:13:07.629 --> 00:13:11.470 There are a number of examples. Acts 24, this 00:13:11.470 --> 00:13:14.289 is when he stood before the king, Felix, who 00:13:14.289 --> 00:13:16.610 came with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, 00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:20.909 and he sent for Paul. What did Paul do? He reasoned 00:13:20.909 --> 00:13:24.649 about righteousness, self -control, and the judgment 00:13:24.649 --> 00:13:29.870 to come. Acts chapter 17. This is on the way 00:13:29.870 --> 00:13:33.269 to Corinth. He gets to Corinth in chapter 18. 00:13:33.570 --> 00:13:36.250 But in chapter 17, they pass through Amphipolis 00:13:36.250 --> 00:13:39.710 and Apollonia. They came to Thessalonica. There 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:41.690 was a synagogue of the Jews there. So what did 00:13:41.690 --> 00:13:44.429 Paul do? As the custom was, he went to them. 00:13:44.570 --> 00:13:48.009 And for three Sabbaths, he reasoned with them 00:13:48.009 --> 00:13:50.830 from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:53.809 that Christ had to suffer and rise again from 00:13:53.809 --> 00:13:57.409 the dead. Acts chapter 17 again, verse later, 00:13:57.570 --> 00:14:00.909 when Paul was at Athens, he waited for Timothy 00:14:00.909 --> 00:14:04.370 and Silas at Athens and his spirit was so provoked 00:14:04.370 --> 00:14:06.629 within him as he saw the city was given over 00:14:06.629 --> 00:14:09.649 to idols. So what did he do? He reasoned in the 00:14:09.649 --> 00:14:12.450 synagogue with the Jews and the Gentile worshipers. 00:14:12.669 --> 00:14:15.789 And then finally, we see it again in Acts chapter 00:14:15.789 --> 00:14:18.809 18 when he came to Corinth. What did Paul do 00:14:18.809 --> 00:14:22.860 when he came to Corinth? Well, It says here that 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:26.480 he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:30.580 persuaded both Jews and Greeks. So when it comes 00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:33.379 to this portion of scripture before us today, 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:36.960 one wonders when it comes to the preaching of 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:39.519 the gospel and of the crucified Christ, what 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:42.720 is the appropriate means in light of Paul's teaching 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:47.519 and his example? And do the practices of which 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:51.340 we just read in the book of Acts contradict what 00:14:51.340 --> 00:14:54.639 Paul is teaching here. Most assuredly, they do 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:59.799 not contradict. The apostle is not being schizophrenic 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:04.419 or illogical. His ministry was both to Gentiles 00:15:04.419 --> 00:15:07.919 and Greeks and to Jews, and to them both he begins 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.059 with the proper foundation. So in order to understand 00:15:11.059 --> 00:15:13.799 this, on one sense here he talks about human 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:16.899 reason and persuasive words of human wisdom. 00:15:18.059 --> 00:15:22.360 versus the fact that he used reasoning in order 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:27.500 to speak to them, what this means is that in 00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:31.279 this passage, in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, he 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:36.580 is dealing with human wisdom. That is the use 00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:40.480 of the mind that God created, but that is fallen. 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:46.259 It is fallen. This is the mind that is suppressing 00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:52.340 the truth. of god and both the jews and the greeks 00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:56.179 were doing it in different ways we read about 00:15:56.179 --> 00:15:59.860 this in romans chapter 1 verse 20 through 22 00:15:59.860 --> 00:16:03.759 that what did they do after the creation of the 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.820 world when god's invisible attributes were clearly 00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:10.100 seen being understood by the things that are 00:16:10.100 --> 00:16:14.240 made even his eternal power and godhead what 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:18.759 did they do they did not they are They did not 00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:22.860 glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became 00:16:22.860 --> 00:16:26.840 futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:31.879 were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:36.740 fools. Later in verse 28, it says of them, as 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:39.919 they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:43.700 God gave them over to debased mind to do those 00:16:43.700 --> 00:16:47.259 things which are not fitting. All reasoning from 00:16:47.259 --> 00:16:50.019 the premise of the suppression of the truth of 00:16:50.019 --> 00:16:53.960 God will lead one falsely. And this is what Paul 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:58.220 means in using the term human wisdom. In other 00:16:58.220 --> 00:17:02.600 words, wisdom that is after the flesh and the 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:06.420 fallen nature and the suppression of the truth. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:11.859 No one can be a law to themselves, not the Greeks, 00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:16.009 not the Jews. and not us. This is one of the 00:17:16.009 --> 00:17:18.609 big problems of secular humanism that we see 00:17:18.609 --> 00:17:22.589 all around us, and of all argumentation outside 00:17:22.589 --> 00:17:26.769 of bowing before Christ. This applies to all 00:17:26.769 --> 00:17:29.869 false religions and in the context here to the 00:17:29.869 --> 00:17:33.230 Jews and to the Greeks. All human reasoning is 00:17:33.230 --> 00:17:36.329 to be with the presupposition that God our creator 00:17:36.329 --> 00:17:39.910 has made us and is in authority over us. That 00:17:39.910 --> 00:17:43.029 his word is true and that Jesus has been given 00:17:43.029 --> 00:17:47.849 authority, all authority in heaven and on earth. 00:17:48.109 --> 00:17:52.430 His word is true and therefore we are to take 00:17:52.430 --> 00:17:57.200 every thought. That is, every thought that we 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:01.980 have is to be taken into captivity to what? To 00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:07.779 the obedience of Christ. That is the proper use 00:18:07.779 --> 00:18:11.920 of human reason. For human reason must be under 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.819 God's law and subject to Christ's authority. 00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:18.680 Paul speaks about this to the Corinthians further 00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:22.400 in the next book, 2 Corinthians chapter 10. He 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.240 says, for the weapons of our warfare are not 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:30.019 carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down 00:18:30.019 --> 00:18:34.539 of strongholds, casting down arguments, and every 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:37.779 high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge 00:18:37.779 --> 00:18:41.359 of God, bringing every thought into captivity 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:46.579 to the obedience of Christ. Now, Paul, knowing 00:18:46.579 --> 00:18:50.880 what the propensity of The people to whom he 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:54.619 was preaching was to the Jews and to the Greeks, 00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:57.920 especially the Corinthians as he was there. And 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:02.039 so he purposed not to meet them in the same way 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:04.900 that they were expecting, not to start out with 00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:08.160 human reasoning, not to come at it in the method 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.140 that they had desired and would have liked to 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:14.480 see that was lifting them up. But he rather came 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:19.200 first with a premise. God is God. and he sent 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:23.099 the Lord Jesus Christ, and he was crucified for 00:19:23.099 --> 00:19:29.119 our sins. It was a bold and yet very simple proclamation, 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:33.500 and it undercut all of the false reasonings that 00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:38.180 were going on in their city. He goes on then, 00:19:38.259 --> 00:19:41.480 number two, this proclamation of the gospel in 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:46.720 Corinth was done with weakness. Verse 3, weakness, 00:19:46.940 --> 00:19:50.099 he says, I was with you in weakness, in fear, 00:19:50.259 --> 00:19:54.940 and in much trembling. Now, where was Paul just 00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:57.819 before he came to Corinth? Well, if we go back 00:19:57.819 --> 00:20:01.339 to Acts chapter 17 and chapter 18, we can see 00:20:01.339 --> 00:20:05.859 he had been beaten badly and imprisoned in stocks 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:10.299 in Philippi. That was very, very hard and difficult, 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.880 as you can imagine. Socks are no fun, and especially 00:20:13.880 --> 00:20:16.779 if your back has been shredded and you're bleeding 00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:21.700 and there's all these wounds and it's excruciatingly 00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:25.319 painful. That would be what we call today trauma. 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.880 That would be traumatic, wouldn't it? So he had 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:32.039 just experienced that in Philippi. And then after 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:34.619 he was discharged from that, he immediately didn't 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:36.799 have, you know, several weeks of downtime to 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:39.220 rest and recuperate from it all. They had to 00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:42.000 leave the city. And so he traveled to Thessalonica. 00:20:42.059 --> 00:20:44.839 And what happened there? Well, an uproar occurred. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.980 It happened. And so consequently, he couldn't 00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:50.279 stay there. And so he quickly got shifted off 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:53.359 to Berea in order to get out of the anger of 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.700 the people in Thessalonica. But then when he 00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:58.920 was at Berea, the Jews came and they stirred 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:01.420 up the crowds there. They came over from Thessalonica. 00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:04.500 So Paul was sent away again. This time he went 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:07.900 by sea to Athens. He waited there for Silas and 00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:09.500 Timothy. In other words, they got him out of 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:13.180 the way quickly and then sent Silas and Timothy 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:15.779 to him a little bit later. And so then at Athens, 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:18.519 he was there for a short time. He again proclaimed 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:21.740 the gospel there on the Areopagus. And then he 00:21:21.740 --> 00:21:24.690 came to Corinth. It's not exactly a leisurely 00:21:24.690 --> 00:21:27.109 time, a cruise in the seas and tourism on the 00:21:27.109 --> 00:21:30.490 land, is it? Now he still may have been quite 00:21:30.490 --> 00:21:35.329 ill or weak. Is it any wonder that he says that 00:21:35.329 --> 00:21:39.210 I came to you in weakness and in fear and trembling? 00:21:39.690 --> 00:21:42.069 Some of the Corinthians looked down on him because 00:21:42.069 --> 00:21:45.329 of this. He recounts this in 2 Corinthians 10, 00:21:45.529 --> 00:21:48.710 verse 10. Here's what they were saying. His letters... 00:21:49.099 --> 00:21:51.900 are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence 00:21:51.900 --> 00:21:59.400 is weak and his speech contemptible. Later, when 00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:02.380 Paul was on the way back to Jerusalem, he sent 00:22:02.380 --> 00:22:05.779 to the elders from Ephesus to come to Miletus. 00:22:06.259 --> 00:22:09.200 When they had come to him, he said to them, You 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:13.319 know from the first day that I came to Asia in 00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:16.079 what manner I have always lived among you. serving 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:20.180 the Lord with all humility, with many tears and 00:22:20.180 --> 00:22:23.079 trials, which happened to me by the plotting 00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:27.099 of the Jews. It's in Acts chapter 20. It said, 00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:29.920 I kept nothing back that was helpful to you, 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:33.220 but I proclaimed it to you, testifying to Jews 00:22:33.220 --> 00:22:36.099 and to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith 00:22:36.099 --> 00:22:40.859 toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was human. 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:46.849 He had times of great weakness. He faced conflicts. 00:22:46.950 --> 00:22:51.230 He stared down fears, even fears to the point 00:22:51.230 --> 00:22:55.710 of quaking, of trembling. He recounts this in 00:22:55.710 --> 00:22:59.029 2 Corinthians 7, verse 5, briefly. He says, For 00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:01.769 indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies 00:23:01.769 --> 00:23:04.869 had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. 00:23:05.029 --> 00:23:10.529 Outside were conflicts. Inside were fears. Fears? 00:23:10.670 --> 00:23:15.539 The Apostle Paul? Fears? Yes. Yes, weakness and 00:23:15.539 --> 00:23:20.380 fear is how he came to the Corinthians. Now, 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:24.619 the phrase with fear and much trembling can refer 00:23:24.619 --> 00:23:28.460 to a couple of things. It could describe the 00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:31.240 anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely 00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:34.160 to meet all the requirements and still does his 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:37.619 utmost to fulfill his duty. We see an example 00:23:37.619 --> 00:23:41.160 of that later in chapter 4, verse 9. Hear what 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:45.009 Paul says. Again, in the same letter, it says, 00:23:45.210 --> 00:23:47.930 I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, 00:23:48.190 --> 00:23:52.049 last as men condemned to death. For we have been 00:23:52.049 --> 00:23:54.750 made a spectacle to the world, both to angels 00:23:54.750 --> 00:23:57.750 and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but 00:23:57.750 --> 00:24:00.750 you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you 00:24:00.750 --> 00:24:03.769 are strong. You are distinguished, but we are 00:24:03.769 --> 00:24:06.950 dishonored. To the present hour, we both hunger 00:24:06.950 --> 00:24:10.430 and thirst, and we are poorly clothed and beaten 00:24:10.430 --> 00:24:13.779 and homeless. And we labor, working with our 00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:17.319 own hands. Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, 00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:21.339 we endure. Being defamed, we entreat. We have 00:24:21.339 --> 00:24:26.920 been made as the filth of the world. The off 00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:32.279 -scouring of all things until now. This, and 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:35.319 yet, these are human beings and this is painful 00:24:35.319 --> 00:24:38.819 and it's hurtful. And so he comes to them and 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:42.740 he says, I was weak. and in fear and trembling, 00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:46.519 fear of his life, trembling that could have come 00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:51.339 from that weakness and hunger and thirst and 00:24:51.339 --> 00:24:54.980 being poorly clothed and persecution and all 00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:59.079 of those things. However, there's also another 00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:01.160 way to understand this weakness and possibly 00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:05.700 illness. It could also simply mean... Or refer 00:25:05.700 --> 00:25:10.220 to a humble response to the all -inspiring majesty 00:25:10.220 --> 00:25:15.359 of God who had called him. This phrase is used 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:18.440 elsewhere like this in Philippians 2, verse 12. 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:21.519 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:23.819 not as in my presence only, but now much more 00:25:23.819 --> 00:25:26.880 in my absence, work out your own salvation with 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:31.039 fear and trembling. For it is God who works in 00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:33.559 you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. 00:25:34.250 --> 00:25:37.589 Either way, in this weakness, this fear, and 00:25:37.589 --> 00:25:40.869 this trembling, Paul nonetheless declared the 00:25:40.869 --> 00:25:43.509 pure and simple gospel, not in the method of 00:25:43.509 --> 00:25:46.529 the Greeks, not in the self -confident assertions 00:25:46.529 --> 00:25:49.829 of a skilled and accultured orator, and not even 00:25:49.829 --> 00:25:52.210 how some of the arrogant ones in Corinth were 00:25:52.210 --> 00:25:55.819 speaking, as we see in chapter 4, verse 19. But 00:25:55.819 --> 00:25:59.099 in his laying of the foundation of the new temple 00:25:59.099 --> 00:26:03.519 of God in Corinth, Paul's work is how? Not by 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:08.839 might, not by power, but by the Holy Spirit working 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:12.440 through him in this weakness. He is stripped 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:16.299 of his own self -importance, of his pride, and 00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:20.019 of a competitive spirit. And he humbly proclaims 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:27.990 the message of the cross of Jesus. Paul, he comes 00:26:27.990 --> 00:26:32.130 to them in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 00:26:33.529 --> 00:26:37.390 Number three, then, Paul's preaching was a proclamation. 00:26:37.750 --> 00:26:42.769 It was a demonstration of the work of the Holy 00:26:42.769 --> 00:26:48.089 Spirit and power. Verse 4 and 5. And my speech... 00:26:48.430 --> 00:26:51.250 And my preaching were not with persuasive words 00:26:51.250 --> 00:26:54.309 of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the 00:26:54.309 --> 00:26:57.990 Spirit and of power. Why? That your faith should 00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:01.750 not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power 00:27:01.750 --> 00:27:05.630 of God. In addition to the weakness spoken of 00:27:05.630 --> 00:27:09.019 in the prior verse, Paul here says that his speech 00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:11.119 and his preaching were not with persuasive words 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.619 of human wisdom. Both in conversation and in 00:27:14.619 --> 00:27:17.180 the proclamation of God's truth, Paul did not 00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:20.220 use enticing or persuasive reasoning like the 00:27:20.220 --> 00:27:24.059 Greeks so enjoyed and desired. We might say that 00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:27.700 Paul received no applause, no shouts of acclaim 00:27:27.700 --> 00:27:30.480 as he turned to phrases with wit and wisdom. 00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:35.559 He didn't wow the crowd. In this, Paul was in 00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:39.519 good company. For when called by the Lord, Moses 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:42.640 said, O Lord, I am not eloquent, but slow of 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:46.039 speech and slow of tongue. Jeremiah said, Ah, 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:49.319 Lord God, be cold. I cannot speak, for I am a 00:27:49.319 --> 00:27:52.720 youth. And Isaiah said, when confronted with 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:56.019 the glory and the majesty of God, he said, Woe 00:27:56.019 --> 00:28:00.160 is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:03.880 unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people 00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:07.240 of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:10.799 the Lord of hosts. And indeed, Paul was one who 00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:13.880 had seen the King, the Lord of hosts. And so 00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:16.779 this burden was on him, this heavy weight was 00:28:16.779 --> 00:28:20.400 on him, that he was to go and to preach the gospel 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:22.890 in places where it had not been preached before. 00:28:23.210 --> 00:28:27.250 And he had this urgency on him. And so he spoke 00:28:27.250 --> 00:28:31.069 directly, he spoke powerfully, accompanied by 00:28:31.069 --> 00:28:35.490 the Spirit of God. Many times in biblical history 00:28:35.490 --> 00:28:39.750 and in Christian history, God has raised up those 00:28:39.750 --> 00:28:43.569 who sense their unworthiness and their inadequacy 00:28:43.569 --> 00:28:48.630 deeply. Let this truth strip us of our own pride. 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:52.680 As well as any thoughts of inadequacy that God 00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:56.299 can't use me because of my own limitations or 00:28:56.299 --> 00:29:02.799 inability. God delights in using people who are 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:08.579 inadequate and unable. And we see that here. 00:29:09.140 --> 00:29:12.039 In this weakness, this fear and much trembling, 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:14.519 the speaking and the preaching, he says, were 00:29:14.519 --> 00:29:17.549 a demonstration of the spirit and power. This 00:29:17.549 --> 00:29:19.769 demonstration, I believe, is not referring to 00:29:19.769 --> 00:29:21.910 signs and wonders, although we know that that 00:29:21.910 --> 00:29:24.450 happened in places where Paul went, where great 00:29:24.450 --> 00:29:26.630 miracles were done. But I don't think Paul is 00:29:26.630 --> 00:29:28.349 speaking about this here because that's something 00:29:28.349 --> 00:29:31.250 that would have kind of uplifted and maybe won 00:29:31.250 --> 00:29:33.890 some kudos points with the Corinthians. So I 00:29:33.890 --> 00:29:36.890 don't think that's what he's speaking of. I think 00:29:36.890 --> 00:29:40.839 it's referring here to conversions. The changing 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:43.700 of the heart of men and women from a rebellious 00:29:43.700 --> 00:29:47.119 heart of stone, from a heart of pride, of coldness 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:49.599 and indifference, from one that worshiped false 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:52.460 gods and idols and was filled with selfishness 00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:55.440 and indulged freely in all sorts of iniquity 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:59.019 and sexual immorality, changed and converted 00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:02.519 to a new heart, a new and a clean heart with 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:05.720 sins forgiven and right worship restored to the 00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:10.460 triune God. It was a demonstration of the spirit 00:30:10.460 --> 00:30:14.519 and of power in the changing of hearts. I believe 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:16.720 that's what he's speaking about. And he refers 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:20.230 to these conversions in chapter 6. Verse 9, he 00:30:20.230 --> 00:30:23.589 says, Do you not know that the unrighteous will 00:30:23.589 --> 00:30:26.690 not inherit the kingdom of God? He says, Do not 00:30:26.690 --> 00:30:30.269 be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 00:30:30.450 --> 00:30:34.970 nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 00:30:35.029 --> 00:30:39.769 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor 00:30:39.769 --> 00:30:44.170 revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom 00:30:44.170 --> 00:30:47.430 of God. And then he states this phrase, he says, 00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:53.380 were some of you. This is how you were, O Corinthians. 00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:58.500 But now you are washed, you are sanctified, you 00:30:58.500 --> 00:31:01.500 are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and 00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:05.380 by the Spirit of our God. What does it mean that 00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:07.319 the speaking and preaching was a demonstration 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:10.140 of the Spirit and power? It's that there was 00:31:10.140 --> 00:31:13.539 changed lives, that people were converted from 00:31:13.539 --> 00:31:17.799 darkness to light. And this was manifested in 00:31:17.799 --> 00:31:22.079 a great scale in Corinth. Now I use the word 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.359 conversions as is biblically used. It means to 00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:29.200 turn off from the old ways, to put off the old 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:32.400 man, and transform to now worshiping the one 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:35.339 true God and to love and obey him. This is a 00:31:35.339 --> 00:31:37.680 good word, and it's one that we need to make 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:40.460 good use of in the church again. Often we talk 00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:43.180 about someone being saved or someone making a 00:31:43.180 --> 00:31:45.819 profession or somebody, you know, depending on 00:31:45.819 --> 00:31:48.480 where you are, somebody who responded to an altar 00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:50.559 call perhaps or something like that. The word 00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:54.500 converted is a good word. It means a change of 00:31:54.500 --> 00:31:57.599 heart, a change of direction, where then the 00:31:57.599 --> 00:32:01.059 old heart of stone has been cracked to pieces 00:32:01.059 --> 00:32:04.710 and been crushed before Christ. Receive a new 00:32:04.710 --> 00:32:09.309 heart, even as God has prophesied. We need to 00:32:09.309 --> 00:32:12.450 restore this to good and common use in the church. 00:32:13.130 --> 00:32:17.089 Psalm 51, verse 12 and 13. David cries out to 00:32:17.089 --> 00:32:20.029 the Lord and he says, Restore to me the joy of 00:32:20.029 --> 00:32:23.230 your salvation and uphold me by your generous 00:32:23.230 --> 00:32:26.410 spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your 00:32:26.410 --> 00:32:32.170 ways and sinners will be converted to you. Matthew 00:32:32.170 --> 00:32:36.309 18 verse 3, Jesus says, Assuredly, I say to you, 00:32:36.450 --> 00:32:41.589 unless you are converted and become as little 00:32:41.589 --> 00:32:45.630 children, you will by no means enter the kingdom 00:32:45.630 --> 00:32:50.730 of heaven. And Peter preaching in Acts chapter 00:32:50.730 --> 00:32:55.130 3 verse 19, as he proclaims the gospel, he says, 00:32:55.329 --> 00:33:00.160 Repent therefore and be converted. that your 00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:03.559 sins may be blotted out, so that the time of 00:33:03.559 --> 00:33:06.759 refreshing may come from the presence of the 00:33:06.759 --> 00:33:10.759 Lord. Now the conversions that came to the Corinthians, 00:33:11.019 --> 00:33:15.619 it originated not from manipulation, nor from 00:33:15.619 --> 00:33:19.359 the power of rhetoric, and not even from pressing 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:21.839 for a decision that involved manipulation or 00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:25.079 setting the mood. If these conversions would 00:33:25.079 --> 00:33:27.180 have come from soaring rhetoric and impressive 00:33:27.180 --> 00:33:30.339 speech, they could have been overturned by someone 00:33:30.339 --> 00:33:35.359 who could speak even more impressively or with 00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:38.099 greater and better sounding words that would 00:33:38.099 --> 00:33:41.339 tickle the ears and delight the fancies of men. 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:44.940 But no, they came from a miraculous work of God 00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:48.119 in the heart through the preaching of the cross. 00:33:48.460 --> 00:33:51.980 Through the preaching of the cross and a call 00:33:51.980 --> 00:33:56.089 for faith. and repentance. Therefore, conversions 00:33:56.089 --> 00:33:59.509 must come from a demonstration of the Spirit 00:33:59.509 --> 00:34:03.430 and of power. Indeed, we preach, as preachers, 00:34:03.450 --> 00:34:06.029 we preach as dying men to dying men. That's a 00:34:06.029 --> 00:34:09.610 phrase that's often used. As dying men to dying 00:34:09.610 --> 00:34:15.829 men. But we also preach as rescued men to those 00:34:15.829 --> 00:34:20.150 who need to be rescued. To be rescued from their 00:34:20.150 --> 00:34:25.400 sin and from a dead heart. speaks of the holy 00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:28.760 spirit jesus speaks of this in john chapter 16 00:34:28.760 --> 00:34:32.059 and verse 8 what did he say and when he has come 00:34:32.059 --> 00:34:34.599 that is the spirit when the spirit comes he will 00:34:34.599 --> 00:34:37.800 convict the world of sin of righteousness and 00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:42.019 of judgment the holy spirit is at work and through 00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:45.119 the faithful simple preaching of the cross lives 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:51.179 are changed they are converted to christ going 00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:54.909 back now to Our passage here in chapter 2, Paul 00:34:54.909 --> 00:34:58.010 continues, he says, that your faith should not 00:34:58.010 --> 00:35:00.230 be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of 00:35:00.230 --> 00:35:02.309 God. So in other words, it's a demonstration 00:35:02.309 --> 00:35:05.789 of the Spirit in power so that your faith should 00:35:05.789 --> 00:35:09.480 not be in the wisdom of men. Not by well -turned 00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:11.739 phrases, not by some captivating, motivating 00:35:11.739 --> 00:35:14.760 speaker who changes you through the force of 00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:17.320 his words and only at last, of course, as long 00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:20.280 as he's there. No, it is in demonstration of 00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:22.840 the spirit and power so that your faith should 00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:26.380 not be in the wisdom of men, but in God, in the 00:35:26.380 --> 00:35:35.980 power of God. God chooses the weakness of the 00:35:35.980 --> 00:35:39.369 preaching of the cross so that your faith and 00:35:39.369 --> 00:35:42.030 the Corinthians' faith would not be in the wisdom 00:35:42.030 --> 00:35:44.469 of men with the smooth words, the soaring rhetoric, 00:35:44.530 --> 00:35:47.869 or the manipulation of emotions, but in the power 00:35:47.869 --> 00:35:51.269 of God who does this great work. Faith speaks 00:35:51.269 --> 00:35:56.210 of the response to God in belief, in trust, and 00:35:56.210 --> 00:36:00.510 in obedience. This is no mere assent to the truths 00:36:00.510 --> 00:36:03.869 of Christianity, but is a wholehearted response 00:36:03.869 --> 00:36:07.730 to God, believing in Christ who died for our 00:36:07.730 --> 00:36:11.849 sins and was raised for our justification, and 00:36:11.849 --> 00:36:15.610 we place our trust in him and are obedient to 00:36:15.610 --> 00:36:19.090 his ways, his laws, and his commands, even as 00:36:19.090 --> 00:36:21.929 Brother Ty brought out so wonderfully today in 00:36:21.929 --> 00:36:25.489 the time of confession. Faith comes by hearing 00:36:25.489 --> 00:36:28.679 of the word of God. The word of God says in Romans 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:32.019 chapter 10 verse 17, And without faith it is 00:36:32.019 --> 00:36:35.360 impossible to please God. For he who comes to 00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:38.579 God must believe that he is and that he is a 00:36:38.579 --> 00:36:41.820 rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Hebrews 00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:46.119 11 verse 6. Faith is a gift from God, not of 00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:50.239 our own works, lest we should be proud and boast 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:55.360 in our own abilities. Ephesians 2 and verse 8. 00:36:56.090 --> 00:36:59.889 Our faith is not to be in the wisdom of men. 00:37:00.630 --> 00:37:07.289 It is to be in the power of God. With this portion 00:37:07.289 --> 00:37:13.110 of scripture statement, Paul then finishes up 00:37:13.110 --> 00:37:16.969 this section, which began in chapter 1 and verse 00:37:16.969 --> 00:37:21.090 17. Again, he said, Christ did not send me to 00:37:21.090 --> 00:37:26.320 baptize, but to preach the gospel. not with wisdom 00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:29.159 of words, lest the cross of Christ should be 00:37:29.159 --> 00:37:33.119 made of no effect. As we have seen, the gospel 00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:35.539 that Paul preached comes not with human wisdom, 00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:39.900 but is considered by the world as the foolishness 00:37:39.900 --> 00:37:43.619 of God. It is not with the world's power, but 00:37:43.619 --> 00:37:47.239 with weakness. It's not to things that are, but 00:37:47.239 --> 00:37:50.360 to things that are not. and not with a demonstration 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:54.340 of rhetorical skill, but with demonstration of 00:37:54.340 --> 00:37:59.000 the Spirit's power. Again, not by might, not 00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:04.599 by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of 00:38:04.599 --> 00:38:08.719 hosts. Well, let's draw this to a conclusion 00:38:08.719 --> 00:38:12.619 and consider again, what all do we do with this? 00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:15.800 What shall we then do? What can we learn from 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:19.250 this and take away for ourselves? Well, first 00:38:19.250 --> 00:38:24.289 of all, again, as I mentioned last week, focus 00:38:24.289 --> 00:38:27.789 on the cross. Remember the cross. Do not put 00:38:27.789 --> 00:38:31.610 away the cross from your minds and hearts. Even 00:38:31.610 --> 00:38:34.929 as we go on to maturity, even as we look at the 00:38:34.929 --> 00:38:37.309 all things of the word of God, it must still, 00:38:37.409 --> 00:38:41.389 the cross must be central. We must remember the 00:38:41.389 --> 00:38:48.050 cross. Now, we might say then, how then? And 00:38:48.050 --> 00:38:50.849 what part do we have to play in reaching the 00:38:50.849 --> 00:38:54.289 lost? How do we reach them in light of this? 00:38:54.949 --> 00:38:58.650 I have four points here for you to consider as 00:38:58.650 --> 00:39:02.530 you interact with people and you meet someone. 00:39:02.670 --> 00:39:05.969 Focus on the fact, first of all, that God created 00:39:05.969 --> 00:39:11.130 them and that he is holy. And speak to them of 00:39:11.130 --> 00:39:15.989 the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. 00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:19.480 And then secondly, because of the sin of man, 00:39:19.739 --> 00:39:25.500 everyone is under the penalty of sin. And good 00:39:25.500 --> 00:39:29.960 works are not acceptable to pay this debt. Like 00:39:29.960 --> 00:39:32.679 somebody told me, I always thought God would 00:39:32.679 --> 00:39:35.480 grade me on a curve. And then I realized there 00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:38.320 was just too much there. There was just too much 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:43.500 there. I need someone. We need the cross of Christ, 00:39:43.619 --> 00:39:47.559 the atoning work of Jesus. So because of the 00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:51.300 sin of man, first of all, God created you. God 00:39:51.300 --> 00:39:56.699 is holy. And we are not. We are sinful. And because 00:39:56.699 --> 00:39:59.739 of this sin, the wages of this sin is death. 00:39:59.860 --> 00:40:02.639 We are under the penalty of sin. And good works 00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:07.599 will never, ever cover for that debt. Thirdly 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:10.800 then, there is an answer to this dilemma between 00:40:10.800 --> 00:40:14.980 sinful God. I mean between sinful man and a holy 00:40:14.980 --> 00:40:18.760 righteous God. The answer to this dilemma is 00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:22.019 Christ on the cross. It is Christ crucified. 00:40:22.219 --> 00:40:25.280 And so therefore the substitutionary atonement 00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:29.699 must be understood. That Jesus died for my sins. 00:40:30.619 --> 00:40:33.340 Christ on the cross. And this then is proved 00:40:33.340 --> 00:40:36.619 by the resurrection from the dead. And then. 00:40:37.340 --> 00:40:40.699 We call them to repent of their sins and to believe 00:40:40.699 --> 00:40:45.739 the gospel. We call upon God to save us through 00:40:45.739 --> 00:40:49.300 Jesus Christ. This is the message. This is the 00:40:49.300 --> 00:40:54.539 heart of the gospel. And this is how we can reach 00:40:54.539 --> 00:40:59.159 others who do not know God. And then we let the 00:40:59.159 --> 00:41:02.800 results up to God. We cannot convert a man. We 00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:06.159 cannot change a heart of stone into a heart of 00:41:06.159 --> 00:41:10.679 flesh, but God can and God does. And he has chosen 00:41:10.679 --> 00:41:14.840 for his own inscrutable wisdom's sake to do it 00:41:14.840 --> 00:41:18.780 through the preaching of the cross, through the 00:41:18.780 --> 00:41:24.820 testimony of that. Now, we also acknowledge that 00:41:24.820 --> 00:41:27.900 there are some countries where one cannot proclaim 00:41:27.900 --> 00:41:31.139 the gospel in an open way, like Paul could here, 00:41:31.380 --> 00:41:35.579 and like we do here as well. And so therefore, 00:41:35.900 --> 00:41:39.059 we have to figure out ways and means to be able 00:41:39.059 --> 00:41:41.820 to do that. Especially when you're looking at 00:41:41.820 --> 00:41:46.260 predominantly Muslim countries, it can be excruciatingly 00:41:46.260 --> 00:41:49.800 difficult to be able to share the gospel. For 00:41:49.800 --> 00:41:54.079 a period of years, back... In the early 2000s, 00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:58.300 I was working in my business. I was doing something 00:41:58.300 --> 00:42:00.519 called Businesses Mission, where I was attempting 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:04.199 to establish some businesses in foreign countries 00:42:04.199 --> 00:42:06.800 so that would give opportunity for people who 00:42:06.800 --> 00:42:09.039 would work in business to also be able to share 00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:12.780 the gospel. I was not able to continue in that, 00:42:12.940 --> 00:42:17.780 and there was a number of reasons for that. But 00:42:17.780 --> 00:42:21.119 one of the problems was that even then, It was 00:42:21.119 --> 00:42:24.739 still very, very difficult. I remember I was 00:42:24.739 --> 00:42:27.699 working with somebody in Algeria. An American 00:42:27.699 --> 00:42:29.800 couple had gone there and they were seeking to 00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:33.679 establish a tomato drying business south of Algiers. 00:42:33.840 --> 00:42:37.559 And so they went there and they had to be extremely 00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:40.380 careful. They could not hand out Bibles to anybody. 00:42:40.579 --> 00:42:43.380 In fact, somebody would have to ask them a couple 00:42:43.380 --> 00:42:46.300 times. before they would even give them a Bible 00:42:46.300 --> 00:42:49.099 just because the area was that tight and restricted. 00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:52.199 But even in doing that and just working with 00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:55.519 relationships very carefully, something happened 00:42:55.519 --> 00:42:59.900 and I got a phone call and the husband was picked 00:42:59.900 --> 00:43:02.440 up by the prison wagon. He was arrested and he 00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:05.349 was deported out of the country. So it's just, 00:43:05.409 --> 00:43:08.349 it's very, very difficult. And so that's where 00:43:08.349 --> 00:43:11.449 we can be very grateful for radio, for internet, 00:43:11.550 --> 00:43:13.710 to be able to proclaim the gospel, get them into 00:43:13.710 --> 00:43:16.630 places like that. And that is why we pray. We 00:43:16.630 --> 00:43:19.230 pray for the persecuted church, that the Lord 00:43:19.230 --> 00:43:22.309 would open up the doors so that the gospel can 00:43:22.309 --> 00:43:25.489 be proclaimed. But it is true that we have many 00:43:25.489 --> 00:43:28.250 more means of reaching them today than what we 00:43:28.250 --> 00:43:31.960 did even. 20 and 30 years ago and for that we 00:43:31.960 --> 00:43:34.340 give thanks but we need to pray for it that the 00:43:34.340 --> 00:43:39.420 gospel could be proclaimed openly thirdly an 00:43:39.420 --> 00:43:43.380 application is where's the cross is to be central 00:43:43.380 --> 00:43:46.400 it is not the only focus in the christian life 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:48.460 there are many other things that flow out of 00:43:48.460 --> 00:43:51.199 it and this we see in the regular meeting of 00:43:51.199 --> 00:43:53.860 the church when we gather together Part of the 00:43:53.860 --> 00:43:56.340 reason why God gifts the church with pastors 00:43:56.340 --> 00:43:59.360 and teachers is so that the church would grow, 00:43:59.500 --> 00:44:01.559 that they would mature, that they would grow 00:44:01.559 --> 00:44:03.699 in the knowledge of Christ, and that they would 00:44:03.699 --> 00:44:06.300 understand doctrine, that they would be like 00:44:06.300 --> 00:44:09.820 -minded. And so that takes a lot of work and 00:44:09.820 --> 00:44:12.260 exposition and preaching and teaching on many 00:44:12.260 --> 00:44:15.179 different subjects. It's teaching the whole Word 00:44:15.179 --> 00:44:21.239 of God to do as God would have us do. But even 00:44:21.239 --> 00:44:24.699 in that, we must retain the centrality of the 00:44:24.699 --> 00:44:29.059 cross and not neglect it. One of the ways that 00:44:29.059 --> 00:44:32.340 we are privileged to be able to do that is right 00:44:32.340 --> 00:44:36.039 here, where we celebrate the Lord's Supper each 00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:38.940 Lord's Day. Every Sunday as we gather together, 00:44:39.219 --> 00:44:42.360 whatever the subject matter is for the day, in 00:44:42.360 --> 00:44:45.480 expounding on the Word of God, the whole Word 00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:49.489 of God, wherever we are in it, We still are brought 00:44:49.489 --> 00:44:52.489 back to the cross. So when you partake of the 00:44:52.489 --> 00:44:56.230 Lord's Supper. Let that just be a continual reorientation 00:44:56.230 --> 00:44:58.869 to you. No matter what it is that I'm working 00:44:58.869 --> 00:45:00.809 on. Or that God's working on. Or God's teaching 00:45:00.809 --> 00:45:03.510 me in all the word of God. It's the cross. It's 00:45:03.510 --> 00:45:06.550 the cross. The foundation of it is Jesus died 00:45:06.550 --> 00:45:11.989 for my sins. And forgave me. And therefore I 00:45:11.989 --> 00:45:15.809 can live for him. He has changed me. So rejoice 00:45:15.809 --> 00:45:19.380 in the Lord's Supper. every Lord's Day, and rejoice 00:45:19.380 --> 00:45:24.260 in the cross of Christ. The regular meeting is 00:45:24.260 --> 00:45:27.280 not to be an evangelistic service where we continually 00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:30.480 focus just on the basics, but we do that in the 00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:35.480 Lord's Supper. The foundation is the simple message 00:45:35.480 --> 00:45:40.199 of the cross. In our fast -paced, entertainment 00:45:40.199 --> 00:45:45.380 -driven, debate -loving age, Paul's model challenges. 00:45:46.159 --> 00:45:51.679 both preacher and the congregation. He challenges 00:45:51.679 --> 00:45:55.340 preachers. We are to proclaim Christ crucified 00:45:55.340 --> 00:46:01.340 plainly and in dependence and humility upon the 00:46:01.340 --> 00:46:06.019 Spirit, trusting the Spirit that changed lives 00:46:06.019 --> 00:46:10.440 will happen by the work of the Spirit and not 00:46:10.440 --> 00:46:15.199 based on the type. Of words that we speak in 00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:18.679 all sorts of human wisdom. It is God who changes 00:46:18.679 --> 00:46:22.360 the hearts and minds of people. So we must proclaim 00:46:22.360 --> 00:46:25.579 Christ crucified plainly. And it depends on humility. 00:46:25.960 --> 00:46:29.059 We must trust the spirit for changed lives. Not 00:46:29.059 --> 00:46:32.340 clever devices or emotional manipulation. And 00:46:32.340 --> 00:46:34.920 this guards against pride and arrogance. And 00:46:34.920 --> 00:46:38.699 ensures lasting faith in God's power. As with 00:46:38.699 --> 00:46:41.380 the Zerubbabel rebuilding the temple amidst obstacles. 00:46:42.570 --> 00:46:46.469 So also our ministry. May mountains become plains 00:46:46.469 --> 00:46:51.449 by grace. Grace being shouted from the housetops. 00:46:51.449 --> 00:46:55.630 By grace. Let us proclaim the cross boldly in 00:46:55.630 --> 00:46:59.389 weakness and watch the spirit work. And may our 00:46:59.389 --> 00:47:03.210 faith and may the faith of our hearers rest firmly 00:47:03.210 --> 00:47:08.190 in the power of God who saves. We preach Christ 00:47:08.190 --> 00:47:14.139 crucified and risen again. and we shall be with 00:47:14.139 --> 00:47:16.860 him. Thanks be to God. Let's pray.