It's that simple
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Personal intro
I just want to express my gratitude to those fo you that are faithfully giving to the Lord through LBC. It’s because of you we are able to keep moving forward with improvements in the facilities and more important reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dismiss Children
Continuing in our series Rethinking church we are going into 1 Corinthians 2.
The last couple weeks we went through the first chapter of 1 Corinthians and I believe have a better understanding of church (ekklesia vs kirche) and unity.
Today we are going to see the Apostle Paul writing to a church that is just 5 years old and full of issues. He wrote this letter to primarily address the problems of Unity between the believers, immorality, and to address a list of questions that they had sent to him.
Here in Chapter 2 he continues his thought on the importance and simplicity of the cross from the first chapter, remember the chapter and verse divisions were not put in by God. They were placed by man.
I have with me here some brain teasers. Have you ever seen these before? Anyone want to take a moment and try to solve one? Let’s get a volunteer up here.
You see this and it looks like it will be difficult but in reality you find that it’s that simple.
That’s really what Paul points out here in this passage. The Gospel and living a life for Christ is that Simple.
Have you found yourself thinking that the Bible is difficult to understand? Maybe you’ve thought that coming to church and hearing the pastor speak your supposed to pick up on some profound knowledge from scripture. Some hidden code in the consensus taken in Numbers. Or if you turn to the 700th page of your bible in the 7th line and the 7th word will be the the Word God has for you to knwo becuase the number 7 is the number of perfection....
Yea…ummm…no.
Let’s seek to increase our understanding of God today and jump into 1 Cor 2
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1 Cor 2:1-5
Exegete:
Paul again tells of the simplicity in which he declared the truth of the gospel. He wanted to know or speak nothing more than the death, burial, and resurreciton of Christ.
He even highlights the weakness of his own body and I believe emotional state. He had been through a lot by the time he had planted Cornith and spent time there. Stoning, being run out of town, and dismissal by the intellectuals of Athens.
verse 4 he highlights the lack of enticing words or persuasive speech and emphasises the spirits power. What is a demonstration of the Holy Spirit an of Power?
Why talk about the difference between the two?
Have you ever had someone tell you something that wasn’t true? I’m just thankful we have fact-checkers online to protect us from false information now...
One of my favorite sayings is “Action speaks louder than words.”
We can say one thing and do another and our words are then void at that point.
Paul can speak of the redemptive nature of the gospel but if the people do not see it demonstrated then it is hard for people to believe and understand.
The word demonstrated here in verse 4 can also be said as manifested. The people needed to see a manifestation of the Spirit and the power of God in the life of someone who beleives in them in order to know that the words are not empty.
Illustrate:
Ever heard the term snake oil salesman?
I happen to have a bottle of snake oil right here with me. I bought it off of amazon and it was drawn from the fangs of an anacoda deep in the amazon. It has healing properties that are not magical, because magic doesn’t exist but extradorinary as it responds to the cells in your body and strengthens them to grow hair, muscle, lose weight, increase vision, and allow you to have millions of dollars.
This extraordinary elixer is not for mortal man. It is only for those who truly desire a better life for themselves and their family. You’ve tried everything else, the It works bands, the work outs, the diets, and none of it has worked. That’s because you’ve been missing this ingredeint that takes your body and your life and transforms it as it works by naturally reacting with your already great nature. Becuasue you are great and....
Yea…Enough of that.
I can say all I want but if I try to sell you an elixer that makes eyesight better while I’m wearing glasses…or that will hep you regrow hair while I have a receeding hairline…probably not going to buy that are you?
Then why should these who are hearing about the death burial and resurrection of Christ and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit have anything to do with Him if they don’t see it?
Argue:
Why would anyone that’s not a Christian desire to trust in Jesus if they see you living like them? I don’t mean in how they dress or what you eat or drink. I’m speaking of your heart.
If your gossipping, backbiting, complaining, and pessimistic about every situation…why would they want what you have?
If your faith in Christ doesn’t transform you from the inside out, I do have some questions about what you believe and who you believe in. As I said last week, there are many that have turned from a god that isn’t in the bible. There are some that are following a Jesus that isn’t in the Bible either.
I don’t say this to make you question your salvation, I say this so that if you are here and profess to believe in Jesus as your Savior, you will ensure you are believing in the Jesus of the Bible and not one you’ve made up. The Jesus of the Bible came so that you may have eternal life. More importantly, He came to glorify the Father. He came with a righteous indignation towards those that would make a mockery of His Father. We saw that when he flipped tables and ran people out of the temple with a whip.
If you are here and you haven’t trusted in Jesus as your Savior I say this for you for two reasons: 1. Don’t alllow the sin of man keep you from the sin cleansing God. We as humans are imperfect. We as Christians are definitely not perfect. We have issues. Don’t allow our imperfection to keep you from seeing the power of God.
2. IWhat’s keeping you from trusting in Jesus? Why can’t you believe that He died on the cross and rose from the dead? If the Bible is true, if your eternal soul relies upon the truths of this collection of 66 books written over 1500 years by 27 different authors, don’t you owe it to yourself to explore it? Give me a call, I’d love to talk with you about it.
Apply:
Paul is writing to the Corinthians here making it plain that their faith is not in the empty words of a man, but is in the finished work of Christ on the Cross. They can know that because of the manifestation of the Spirit in the lives of those who have believed.
What is that manifestiation? Is it extreme emotional reactions? Is it special revelation given in dreams? Is it a communing with the divine nature of God through connecting with your Spirit in mindfulness practices? No, No…and most definitely not.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Gal 5:22-26
The manifestation, the demonstration of the Spirit is not evidenced by an outwardly display of spiritualism. It is by the yielding of our own flesh to the the Lord in these areas.
Your Christinaity will be more apparent by your attitude than your apparel.
Does it mean you will always walk around in this state…doubtful.
Does it mean these traits should describe you overall…yup. How? How can that be?
BY faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor that seems too simple...
I. Words Are Simple, Power is profound
I. Words Are Simple, Power is profound
The Word of God does not return void. The Word of God is powerful. The Word of God is simple. The power of God demonstrated in the life of a believer won’t be seen because of the way they dress, the places they go, and what they drink changing. O sure, there may be some adjustments there. But let me tell you, you can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still pig.
When we overcomplicate the message of the gospel, when we seek profound deep things of God by believing in some confusing theories of scripture, and live as though our hearts are unchanged…then we are truly living as Paul descirbed in Timothy
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 tim 3:5
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Titus 1:16
Form of godliness…they look the part…but there is no power, there is no transformation. there is no repentance or yielding to the Holy Spirit on matters of the heart.
He goes on in
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Cor 2:6-9
Exegete:
Love this passage. If we read it in the right voice it really makes it seem “mysterious”
Read in mystery voice
See…I’m afraid some of us read the Bible in this way. We look at it and thing there are hidden codes and messages in the text.
That would make it really confusing to understand wouldn’t it?
It would make us all look like this trying to figure it out...
However there is something we should know aboout the God of the universe that breathd all scripture into existence.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1 Cor 14:33
So what is this wisdom? What is this mystery of God?
From a study Bible I was reading
The phrase hidden wisdom in a mystery refers to a secret openly revealed by God—the secret being the gospel message that the Lord of glory is truly the Christ crucified.
Tomlinson, F. A. (2017). 1 Corinthians. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1814). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
It’s wisdom becuase of the profound truths wrapped up in the idea that creator God came down as man to die on a cross to fulfill his wrath and make it possible for you and I to be saved and spared the justice we deserve.
Our calvinist friends will jump at the sight of the word Predstined
The wisdom and mystery of the gospel paul speaks of throughout scripture does not give us a right to look at scripture and start making stuff up.
Illustrate:
Here is a quick list of things that are made up of scripture from people trying to “discern the mysterys of the Word”
Bible code: the idea that there are secret codes written in the Old Testament by either identifying a sequence of letters in words or searching for things that aren’t there at first glance.
Numerology: Biblical numerology is the use of numbers in the Bible to convey a meaning outside of the numerical value of the actual number being used. This system is completely an utterly develped by man with no grounds in the bible
The book “The Harbinger” to say that in a secret code in Isaih 9 you ccan find prophecies regarding America and events of the last decade or so
While these are extreme examples, there are more subtle ones as well.
Ones that read a passage and ask “ok, but what does it REALLY mean?”
Or we read the bible and approach it as a pure theological and philosophical book rather than taking the truth of it and adjusting the you they live your life for God based on it.
Another subtle example I woudl call extreme because of the fallacy of it is the idea that beucause you don’t have enough faith you won’t be healed. Because you don’t have enough faith you don’t have money.
Last time I checked I served a God not a Genie.
It’s this type of idiocracy that leads people to not understand who God is or misunderstand who God is.
Apply:
If God wanted you guessing at who He was or what he wanted from you, He never would have had His word written down.
If you are desiring to know God more and understand what it means to life for him, you don’t have to read a book this thick and understand every intricacy about it.
I believe there are people that loved God 2 thousand years ago that never had the discussion about some of the theological topics of today. Let me be clear, I’m not discouraging furthering your understanding of scripture .I’m not saying not to study a book like this and learn from it what you can.
I am telling you that even what is contained in this thick book or the various thick books in the back are not mysterious truths found hidden in the grammatical and numerical nuances of scripture.
If you are wondering why you are having trouble understanding scripture: 1. Faith in Jesus is a requirement to understand the spiritual things of God. We’ll see that highlighted again in a just a moment. 2. You may not be asking God for wisdom. 3. You may be asking for wisdom but seeking foolishness.
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, the reverence for Him. If the wisdom you are seeking doesn’t start with a respect for God and His Word, then you will find foolishness…like I mentioned in the example above
Our biggest problem as believers may have the simplest answer
II. You have not because you ask not
II. You have not because you ask not
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5
Some may think they can’t be saved…have you asked for Jesus to Save you?
Some may think they can’t know Jesus like other people do…Have you asked Him to know Him more?
Some may think they can’t understand parts of the bible....Have you asked God for it?
Can I tell you that the answer may not come through the medium you expect or be the answer you thought you needed.
Following Jesus isn’t rocket science. It’s simple. Faith in Christ, Love God, Serve others. Boom!
Making Jesus important in your life comes by knowing Jesus more not knowing the profound things of scipture more.
I could stand here and debate with you whether or not we are born in sin or with the ability to sin and why it matters or doesn’t matter. However, does that help you love Jesus more? Maybe…however, in my experience, what has helped me grow closer to Jesus, what has helped me love him more is when I’ve lived for Him.
When I have read the bible, llisten to preaching, understood a truth or principle I need to apply to life, and by faith done that believing God knows better than I do so I’ll do it His way, that has led to me being closer to Jesus.
Choosing to make the assembly of Christians more important than little league baseball, choosing to spend time in prayer vs watching tv. Choosing to give when i could have not. Choosing to love and forgive when I could have harbored bitterness.
Am I perfect? Do I make the right decision in these areas every time? Nope. You are listening to an imperfect pastor…hope your okay with that.
Paul is writing about the wisdom that comes from God here and then goes on in v 10
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 cor 2:10-16
Exegete:
This may be 7 verses but it all deals with one concept.
You can’t understand the things of God without the Holy Spirit.
What are the things of God? You know, we can again have discussions surrounding some of the debated doctrines of scripture but I’m just not convinced those things are all that productive.
Why? becuase I beleive faith in Jesus is simple. I believe understanding the bible is simple.
Are there grey areas? Not in the important matters. What are the important matters?
God created the world and put man in it. Man sinned and broke the relationship with God. God required a sacrifice to cover the sins of mankind. Instead of man continually having to work for the relationship with God, God made a way for His wrath to be fulfilled by sending Jesus Christ. Jesus came and lived a perfect life without sin on this earth. He died on a cross and was buried in a tomb. 3 days later He rose again.
If I believe in Jesus’ death burial and resurrection I am saved. Those things are plain in scripture. It’s those truths that the early church lived on and loved God with.
However understanding much of that comes first by confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord.
It’s when we trust in Jesus as our savior that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
Illustrate:
It’s kind of like this puzzle here.
We have a lock and key. Unlocking the truths of scripture isn’t difficult. The wisdom Paul spoke of having it’s hard to obtain.
However when we try to do it the way we think we should or undrsand what God is saying without God’s help, we will be like people trying to solve this puzzle.
What is your first instinct here? Find a way to get the key in and turn it…right? Makes sense...
What if I told you that’s wrong?
You see many want to understand God, many want to know the love of God, they want to show the Love of God, they want to live a life for God…but they want to do it their way.
You’ll never know God if your seeking to know Him according to your own wisdom and understanding. What if you leaned not on your own understanding but instead trusted in Him.
When I hand these tools to you there is somethign insde you that screams…USE THE KEY…USE THEY KEY...
When you are living your life and approach people that have wronged you, see people that are different from you, interact with people that make you angry, there is a natural response that most of us deal with that screams…MAKE IT About you…PROTECT YOURself…get defensive…don’t reconcile…don’t forgive…USE THE KEY...
But when we trust in Jesus…when we seek the simple wisdom of scripture based on our faith in Him., we will trust Him that in those situations in life and when facing difficulty, we trust in Him and His ways...
we realize we don’t need the key…why? Because He said so..
III. Faith comes before understanding
III. Faith comes before understanding
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Without faith it is impossible to understand God.
Your faith, what you believe shapes your worldview. When your faith is in Jesus, your worldview is filtered through that lens.
how does all of this affect us as a church and you as an individual.
As a church, as a person who attends here: Don’t come to church seeking to gain profound knowledge of scripture. Come to church to simply point people to Jesus. Liberty Exists to lead people to Love God, Serve Others, and Make an impact. We do that by connecting to God, Growing Closer to Him and each other, Serving the Community, and Sharing the Gospel.
If a person is doing those 4 things, I believe they are on their growing as a well rounded Christian.
Sunday mornings is our connect to God time if you will.
If your looking to grow deeper in the Word, thats first and foremost a personal journey and secondly a journey that you should share on wedsesday nights in our life groups.
In your personal life: You don’t need ot know everything about the BIble to life for Christ. You just need ot know Jesus. How did people live for Jesus before the Bible was put together? How did tehy grow closer to Him? I believe the spent time praying to Him, I believe they lived according to what they had been taught was His Word, and I believe they told others about Him.
Time of response
Time of response
Announcements
Announcements
Benevolance fund: used to help with funerals and others times we are called on to help. If you’d like to contirbute to that att any time you can do so by indicating beneveolance on the envelope
Next Step Card: use them to sign up for events. Some tell me they don’t like the technology use. You still have the paper option in the back of there chair.
Camp liberty meeting following the service
Life Group sign ups in the back:
Gospel above all
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Is Genesis History
Kids program
SBC info
SBC info
I’m gonna spend a few minutes today speaking about the SBC vote coming up on Wednesday.
First, I want to apologize if my tone last week came across as defensive or antagonistic when I answered the SBC questions. I was thankful for a friend in the church that came to me in an iron sharpening iron conversation where we discussed my countenance. I told him, I agreed and had those thoughts as well. I’m grateful for a gospel ccentered placed like Liberty where we can have these conversations. We got off the phone and are still great friends.
Second, I want to address why I am asking you to come with questions:
Kirche, a system is lead by someone that makes decisions without the input of others. I do not desire to be that. I’m thankful for a lead team that speaks into my life constantly. In fact, that friend that called me said I hate asking you things and bringing stuff up but I notice that whether you like it or not, you implement it. I do that because I could be wrong.
You may have something come to your mind and heart that I haven’t. I’m very close to this situation and understand I could have missed something. Our deacons and staff could have missed something. I don’t want to invalidate your concerns, I want to hear them and address them if I can and take them into consideration.
I was told by one person that their denomination moved their pastor when they were younger. The SBC does not do that. That is why I’ve said we maintain our autonomy and that they are more of a network than a denomination.
When it comes to staff, we are not required to hire SBC pastors, we are not required to have any SBC speakers in, anything and everything we do with the SBC is purely voluntary.
I had the concern of us being affiliated with the SBC affecting the view of those in the community. I asked last week how many of you knew we were independent when you came to Liberty. What I saw was hands were raised across at a diagonal. Many of you that have come within the last few years didn’t appear to know and some of you that had been here awhile.
People that aren’t involved in church, typically don’t know the difference between a Southern, American, Northern, or General Baptist. The fact is the name Baptist is on our sign and that is what people will see…not the name before it.
I was asked last week by a lady who talked about joining the church if she joined the baptist church would she have to stop wearing make up, stop listening to certain music, stop wearing certain clothes, and so on.
She was told that by her Christian friend that believed anyone with the name baptist lived that way.
Truly the only ways a person will know we are SBC affiliated are the following:
I’ve said constitution but I was reviewing it with one of our deacons and we can actually leave it the same. It says...
If we tell them
If a person is here when we take up the offerings for local and national missions
I’m not trying to hide a decision we made but I’m also aware that if this organization ever comes out and affirms unbiblical things, we will write our letter, have our conversation, and severe ties with that organization.
Send Network Accomplishments:
Currently, NAMB/Send Network is involved in more than 500 church starts in the U.S. and Canada annually.
For 20 years, not a single SBC church was planted in the San Juan metro area; but since 2016, Send Network has helped start 16 new congregations.Nearly 50% of all SBC churches in Puerto Rico were either planted or revitalized with NAMB and Send Network’s help since 2010.
These churches account for 40% of the island’s 2019 baptisms.
In 2020, that number increased to 67% of all baptisms on the island.
51.7% of churches in Canada have been planted since 2010.
33.76% of 2018 baptisms in New England come from churches planted since 2010.
We have also made all of our training and assessment materials available to state conventions free of charge to use in their churches’ planting efforts. Many South and many non-South conventions currently use Send Network’s assessment and training, ensuring their churches and planters have access to resources and tools for sustainable, healthy ministry.