Paul's preaching - The Christian Message
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Do your words, does your life demonstrate your mission statement? Do you have a mission statement? Today we are looking at the preaching of Paul. We are looking at the Christian message.
Paul’s mission statement was very well known (1Cor2:2; Php3:10)
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
and said the same type of thing to the church at Philippi
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
Question: Do you have a “mission statement?”
Paul’s mission statement was fulfilling the great commission (Act18:1-11; Mt28:18-20)
There is a great parallel in Act18 to Mt28, in brief here it is.
Go (Mt28:19); Paul came to Corinth (Act18:1)
Make disciples (Mt28:19); many heard, believed (Act18:8)
Baptizing them (Mt28:19); And they were baptized (Act18:8)
Teaching them(Mt20:20); Paul taught
Today we are going to look at:
Manner of Paul’s preaching (1Cor2:1-5)
The revelation of God’s wisdom (1Cor2:6-10)
The inspiration and discernment (1Cor2:10-13)
The natural vs. spiritual man (1Cor2:14-16)
(Transition) Remember that Paul is addressing a problem, or problems at Corinth that came to him in letter form and in person and the problem thus far is division. - - - what happened at Corinth, what we have seen thus far only, happens in churches today, mixing philosophy (man’s wisdom) with God’s wisdom (the Christian Message) and it causes confusion and division. Different people had different preaching and interpretations of God’s message, Paul points to the Simplicity of the message, which would bring unity.
Manner of Paul’s preaching
Manner of Paul’s preaching
The gospel centers on the death of Christ, Christ and Christ crucified and that the simplicity of it as well as the foolishness of it. Paul starts to lay out the foolishness of man’s wisdom or God’s the Spirits wisdom demonstrated.
1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
What did you see, what did you notice, what sticks out to you?
Pulling from the scripture
Paul did not come with excellence of superiority of speech, or of wisdom (1Cor2:1; 1Cor1:17))
Paul reminded them of his approach, it was not with superiority of speech (which he had) or the wisdom of man (which he had). He did not depend on the eloquence of speech or of clever arguments like the Philosophers he just left in Athens where they rejected the message.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
He came declaring the testimony of God, then goes on to tell us what that testimony is .
Question: Did Paul rely, depend on his education, his heritage to declare the testimony of God?
(Transition) We too don’t need a special education, a diploma or a degree, you need the blood of Christ and what Paul had, so that leads to the next verse and next question.
Question: According to (1Cor2:2) what was Paul determined to know?
Paul was determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1Cor2:2).
Paul found out that reasoning, debating, arguing and eloquent speech did not work, that relied on man, and he came to Corinth getting out of God’s way and allowing God’s Spirit to do the work not him. Paul was an ambassador of Christ, not a Christian salesman.
Paul came in weakness, fear, trembling, it was not about the words but a demonstration of the Spirit (1Cor2:3-4)
Paul reminded them of his attitude. HE came as a humble servant, though an apostle with authority. He came as nothing so Christ would be everything.
Paul’s preaching was a demonstration not a performance.
The Holy Spirit used Paul’s preaching to change lives, and that was proof that it was about the message not the messenger. Lives were being transformed (1Cor6:9-11)
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
(Transition) May we always rely on the Spirit of God and not the persuasiveness of man, for the Spirit saves not man. Here is a freebie not on your outline
5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
Question: According to 2Cor3:5 where does our adequacy come from?
Paul wanted them to trust, rely on the power of God, not the wisdom of man (1Cor2:5)
Question: How can we rely on the power of God, what does that look like?
The gospel the Christian message does not depend on our arguments or techniques it relies on the power of God
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
(Transition) It is God, the power of God, demonstrated through the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God, for we are but His humble servants, just as Paul was.
Paul did not come with superior words, but with God’s wisdom, did not come with education but with information of CHrist and Him crucified. Paul preached historical facts, the message and pointed to that vs. himself as the messenger. He relied on the power of God unto salvation, and he is reminding the church that for that is a part of the problem they are having, the messenger over the message, it always needs to be about
the message not the messenger. - so If it is the message not the messenger it is the God’s wisdom not mans.
God’s revealed wisdom (God’s eternal plan)
God’s revealed wisdom (God’s eternal plan)
God’s grand plan to save sinful man, God’s scheme of redemption was purchased at the cross by the Son. It was planned in heaven and executed on earth. It is simple but profound message.
While salvation was purchased by the blood of Christ, by the Son, it was God’s grand plan, God the father who purposed it in the first place. Paul makes a shift from the “I” to the “we” from he himself to the wisdom given to the apostles, so let’s look together.
6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Breaking it down:
Question: Who is Paul speaking about (what people) in 1Cor2:6?
Paul is speaking about the wisdom of the believers vs. the wisdom of the world (non-believers) and the rulers of the world. , to them it avails nothing (eternally speaking)
Apostles speak the wisdom of God, in a mystery, established before the world ,that the world does not understand or they would not have crucified the Lord (1Cor2:7-8; Eph1:7-10, 3:8-12)
This is wisdom that comes from God not from man. This is a great reminder to the church of God’s grand plan, God’s eternal plan that started before the world was created.
This wisdom was hidden, hence why called a mystery, to us the mystery has been revealed to the people of God.
I would be very remiss if I did not expand some on the mystery revealed and God’s eternal purpose that was in the mystery revealed.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
We have redemption through His blood (Eph1:7)
That the mystery was Gods will revealed in Christ Jesus the summing up of all things (Eph1:10)
Question: Why was the mystery made known according to (Eph1:9)?
Because He purposed it in Him- that means the Father purposed it in the Son!
The Father works all things according to the counsel of His will, and it is through Him (Jesus) (Eph1:11)
(Transition) I know that on your question sheet, outline there are actually a couple of words that are not scripture words but are important words we should know.
Goes from the kerygma (the announcement) to the Didache (the teaching); from facts to meanings.
Now that brings us to the Didache, the teaching.
Revealing of God’s wisdom (Eph3:2-6): purposed so man can be saved (Rom16:25-26)
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
Question: How was the mystery made known to Paul (Eph3:3)?
4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
to be specific (the known mystery) was that Gentiles are fellow heirs (Eph3:6)
Revealing God’s message (Jn3:15-17)
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Revealing Gods salvation (Act4:12)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Revealing so bring about maturity (Col1:28)
28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
Question: What brings about the wisdom that every man may be complete in Christ (Col1:28)?
The didache - the teaching, the meaning of the word!
Revealing for your protection (Act3:17-18)
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
(Transition) from information (facts) to wisdom (understanding) that leads to our next section
Inspiration and discernment
Inspiration and discernment
Paul now goes on to explain about the deep things of God that can only be made known by the Spirit of God.
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
What did you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
The Spirit teaches the depths (deep things) of God (1Cor2:13)
Spirit gives us everything we need for life and godliness (2Pt1:3-4)
(Transition) now, i need you to stay plugged in with me here. Everything we need is in the Spirit and in the Word.
God gave us the inspired Word (1Tim3:16)
The word gives us discernment of the things of God
The word was given through the apostles (Mt10:19-20; JN14:10; Jn17:20-21)
To the apostles the Holy Spirit would speak through
19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
The Spirit would lead them
10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
Through the inspired words it will bring about belief of others.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
(Be a Berean picture inserted here)
(Transition) Our discernment today, will it is to be like a Berean, to check things out against the Word, to search the scriptures. We need true discernment of spiritual things and that can only come from the Spirit of God through the Spirit inspired words. And that leads to our last section.
The Natural Man
The Natural Man
There is a difference between the spiritual man and the natural man, Paul addresses he natural man now.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
(Natural man vs. Spiritual man picture inserted here)
We more than likely are about out of time, but I want us to still glean from the scripture together or on your own from the outline so be sure to get the outline.
Natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit (1Cor2:14)
Things of the spirit are foolishness to the natural man (1Cor2:14)
The spiritual man judges all things (1Cor2:15)
He judges by the Spirit inspired word
The spiritual man has the mind of Christ (1Cor2:16)
The spiritual man looks to the scripture for the message of God and accepts it. is filled with the Spirit of God and is able to then face tough situations (even like Paul did) with spiritual eyes. The spiritual man knows the difference between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom (revealed through the Word).
To the nature man rejects the message of God, the mystery revealed because it is:
To incredible to believe
To mysterious to perceive
To ridiculous to receive.
(summary to close) Paul came with simple words for simple truth. The revealed mystery recorded for us through the inspired Word. So that we can discern the truth, and when we do that we have unity. The Christian message is important, a unified biblical message that brings unity and crushes division!
(Prayer) prayer (Exit)