Spiritual Truths Are Only Received by Spiritual People
First Letter to Corinth • Sermon • Submitted
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ILLUSTRATION:
A couple of weeks ago while I was working here at the church— all of a sudden my computer stopped connecting to the internet— I’m pretty sure you know what I mean when I say, it’s very frustrating
These days, when you’re off the grid or unable to connect to the internet— it feels like you are unproductive — unable to connect with God will also make us unproductive
Aren’t you wondering why you don’t seem to understand the Sermon?
Aren’t you curious why the Word of God is not making sense to you?
Are you having difficulty grasping the Bible?
These are just some of the many questions that we are hoping to get answers from the Bible today— but first let’s look back to what we have gotten so far from the first letter of Paul to the church in Corinth
First Paul talked about the messengers
Patronizing preachers may result to disagreements in the church— disagreements that could result to divisions— if that happens...
How do we resolve disagreements?
Accept each others weaknesses [Romans 14:1]
Strive for harmony [Romans 14:19]
Appoint wise leaders [Deuteronomy 1:12, 13]
Follow sound doctrines [1 Timothy 1:3-4]
Then he talked about the message— the message of the cross— the symbol of the death & resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
Focus on the message and not on the messenger so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God
The Power of God that saves [Zephaniah 3:17]
The power of God that fulfills His purpose in His peoples’ lives [2 Thessalonians 1:11]
The power of God that gives believers inner strength [Ephesians 3:16-17]
The power of God that completes His works of salvation [1 Peter 1:5]
And today we will see how Paul talked about how to receive [understand] “the” message—how to connect to God’s wifi
HOOVER DAM in Clark County, Nevada [33 miles from Las Vegas]— was built between 1931 to 1936 [Great Depression]— President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated it on September 30, 1935— they spent $49 million to build it— it produces 4 billion kilowatt hours per year, enough to power 1.3 million households — SHOW PHOTO OF HOOVER DAM
Imagine where the power originated— how it was processed, transmitted and received by the consumers
It gives us an optical view of the power & wisdom of God— the source, the power plant, the conduit and the receivers
Think of that body of water as the reservoir [160 thousand acres] of God’s power and wisdom— that power and wisdom was revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 1:24]— it was a mystery that was never revealed before Christ was sent by the Father
Think of the power plant as the visible illustration of the Lord Jesus— before He came everything was a mystery [2 Corinthians 2:7]— you can stare at the reservoir, but without the power plant [that will translate water into power]— how can the household will receive light from this body of water was a great mystery back then
Ok now that we understand the source of power & wisdom— how do we receive them?— Hoover Dam was built— they need a power grid to deliver that electricity to peoples’ homes — think of that power lines as the Apostles, the messengers, preachers and pastors like me who conveys the message of the cross—
But, not unless the household is connected to the power lines— it won’t receive the light— that’s why in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul explained about the source or power [reservoir— God the Father], the representation of that power [power plant— Jesus the Son]— the transmission of that power [the grid— messengers]— and today he will explain to us how we may received that power & wisdom
Not unless the house has an electrical system [wirings, circuit breakers, light switches, light bulbs] installed— it won’t be able to receive that power— and that electrical system represents the Holy Spirit installed [living] in you since when you “truly” received Jesus as your Lord and Savior— SHOW PHOTO OF LIGHT BULBS
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Romans 8:11 (NIV)
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Ok, now I hope that gave you a clear perspective on how to receive the power and wisdom from God— not let me show you real example of houses that doesn’t have electrical system installed— people who do not have the Spirit of God
SHOW VIDEO CLIP— Emilio Ramos Evangelizing at the University of North Texas
BOOK 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
BOOK 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
While you’re turning your Bible to the page where you can find our text today, let me give your some facts that’s surrounds this letter—
WHO— Paul was speaking to Jews and Gentiles believers in Corinth [capital of the Roman province of Achaia— a cosmopolitan city of many classes, religions and cultures]
WHAT— On this portion of his letter, he talked about the wisdom from God
WHY— Because they patronized particular leaders & preachers [human wisdom] that caused divisions in their church
WHERE & WHEN— Paul was in Ephesus when he learned from the household of Chloe [a member of the church in Corinth]. Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth while he was there Ephesus in 53-54 AD
PURPOSE OF WRITING: To identify problems in the church in Corinth and how to instruct believers to live for Christ in a corrupt society
REASON FOR WRITING: Because the church in Corinth are filled with idolatry, immorality, envy, jealousy.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AUDIENCE — The Christians in Corinth were struggling with their environment— Surrounded by corruption and every conceivable sin, they felt the pressure to adapt— they were in constant tension with their society and so as we are today
We are in constant tension because on one hand, we want to honor God and do what He wants. On the other hand, everything in our world is directly opposed to God— sometime we are tempted to respond on this tension by passing judgement— next time you’re enticed to pass judgment on anyone, remember this verse
13 Those who have not shown mercy will not receive mercy when they are judged. To show mercy is better than to judge.
1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (NIV)
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
LOOK
LOOK
“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature”
Why did Paul said that?— Either he was addressing the true believers in the church, or he was being ironic to them who considers themselves to be highly spiritual when in fact they were immature in the faith
They committed to Christ and received the Holy Spirit but they were seeking generic or worldly wisdom rather than God's wisdom
“we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden”
It was hidden before and and until Jesus Christ— because if it was revealed prior to our Lord Jesus, they would not have crucified Him
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”
Paul actually quoted Isaiah 64:4 to assert that people cannot understand the things of God through human faculties or wisdom— they must rely on the Holy Spirit graciously given to believers by God
“things God has revealed to us by his Spirit”
Paul argues that people desiring to know more or have a greater wisdom should seek to walk more closely with Christ
“no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God”
Paul used this phrase to draw contrast between the Spirit of God and the spirit of man— just as people knows their own minds, so the Spirit [pneuma in Greek] of God knows the things of God
“not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit”
People lack the ability to understand the plans or work of God
He wanted the church to see that while they were seeking wisdom in the world, they were missing the wisdom of God within and around them because they were thinking on an earthly plane rather than a spiritual plane
Paul is saying that his preaching of the gospel was not characterized of human wisdom
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit”
Unbelievers are spiritually blind— they do not accept the things from the Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
LOOK FURTHER
LOOK FURTHER
BEING IN THE CHURCH DOESN’T MAKE ONE A BELIEVER
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
As a church do we look like Christ or we look like the world around us?
JESUS SPOKE IN PARABLES BECAUSE OF THE SPIRITUAL DULLNESS OF THE PEOPLE
Matthew 13:13–15 (NIV)
13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
Can a believer who is dwelt by the Holy Spirit still suffers spiritual blindness? YES
THE CAUSE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS IS SIN
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
How can a spiritually blinded Christian see the light of God?
THE REMOVAL OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS
Focus on the face of Messiah and not on the face of the messenger
Rely not on human wisdom, but on the power of God
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS IS THE WRATH OF GOD
Romans 1:18 (NIV)
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
I believe that Paul said all these in the context of his own personal encounter with the Lord— when he himself was blinded— he was exposed in the light of God
In Acts 9 you will see the whole narrative of what happened — take note of the time and place where Paul was between Damascus and Jerusalem — there are few references of where he was, and and how long he’d been there—
Paul didn’t waste any time though— after his vision was restored from both spiritual and physical blindness— he started preaching immediately and fearlessly
Acts 9:20 (NIV)
20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
Acts 9:27 (NIV)
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
Acts 9:25 (NIV)
25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
Galatians 1:18 (NIV)
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.
So, where was Paul during those three years?
Galatians 1:17 (NIV)
17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
What did Paul do while in Arabia?
He spent time with Lord— CORAM DEO— a Latin phrase that means, “spending time with God”
He responded to God’s call not by consulting the Apostles— his preaching was by revelation of the Holy Spirit
Galatians 1:16 (NIV)
16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.
So how can we be sure that our thinking and our worldview is spiritual rather than worldly so we don't make the same mistakes as the Corinthians?
We must focus on our new identity in Christ through the Holy Spirit— we must...
TOOK
TOOK
LEARN TO BE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ALL WE DO
LEARN TO BE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ALL WE DO
Romans 8:14 (NIV)
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Learn more on this by reading Romans 8
QUESTION: How could you say that you’re led by the Holy Spirit in your thinking, speaking and acting?
GROW IN CHRIST BY SPENDING TIME PRAYING AND READING THE BIBLE
GROW IN CHRIST BY SPENDING TIME PRAYING AND READING THE BIBLE
Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Prayers should no be an afterthought for believers, but rather their primary source of strength
The Colossians must stay alert for false teachings that contradicts the gospel message
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
QUESTION: How much time do you spend praying and reading the Bible each day? Do you do it consistently? What time of the day is the best for you to spend quiet time with God?
BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST
BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST
1 John 2:6 (NIV)
6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
What areas of your life is still far from being Christ-like? What can you do about it?
TEACH OTHERS OF WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT GOD
TEACH OTHERS OF WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT GOD
1 Timothy 4:13 (NIV)
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Do you belong to a Life Group? Are your sharing what you know about God to others? If not, why not? What is holding you from teaching what you know about Jesus?