Being a disciple who is wise and powerful (part B)

All right, we're going to have our Bible reading now, so if you want to grab out your Bibles and open up to 1 Corinthians.

We'll be reading from chapter 2, starting at verse 1 through 2.16.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling.

And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Yet among the mature, we do impart wisdom.

Although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

None of the rulers of this age understood this.

For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written,

What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him.

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

For who knows a person's thoughts except the Spirit of that person, which is in him?

So also, no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God,

that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit,

interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,

for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them,

because they are spiritually discerned.

The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.

For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

Is it possible?

Is it possible to make our church family division-proof?

We think of all the differences that will have already arisen or will inevitably arise in the future,

and wouldn't it be wonderful, given the history of churches,

if we could say, yep, we can make our church division-proof?

Is it possible to repair already broken relationships,

dysfunctional relationships with fellow believers,

which are an ongoing source of tension, a barrier to fellowship?

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

But it sounds unlikely, doesn't it?

Especially when we examine our own hearts.

And when we examine our own hearts, we find that our fears,

our insecurities, our determination to win an argument,

so often drives us to make self-protection,

self-promotion dominant.

And in turn, that blinds us to what we have in common in Christ.

Last week, I picked up the idea that you may have a genuine desire

to be a useful disciple of Jesus in this church family.

To be Jesus-focused, to be gospel-shaped,

to be wise, to make a significant impact for good as a believer in this church family.

But then, I said last week,

well, how does that happen?

Do I actually have the skills and abilities to make that real,

to deliver on that?

Yes, I would love that to be the case.

But can I actually be that person

in this church family?

What does it look like in practice?

And all that's very hard,

because we know how easily we become rusted on to personalities, don't we?

It's just a plain fact that some people,

we find it much easier to engage with some people over others.

We're more attracted to one type of personality than another.

So how can we have a church family that's not driven by that

as we look into the future?

Well, Paul says in his letter to the church at Corinth,

and remember, it was a pretty dysfunctional church.

All these issues were big issues in the church in Corinth.

But Paul is saying to the church in Corinth,

yes, it is possible.

It's possible that all those things would be true.

It is possible to be division-proof as a church family.

Yes, you do have all the wisdom and power

to be really useful in your interactions with people.

Staying rusted on to Jesus

while getting deeply and generously involved in the lives of others.

Yes, it is possible.

If only you remember who you are in Jesus,

that you have it all in Jesus, chapter 1, verses 1 to 9.

And if you live in the light of that, chapter 1, verses 10 to 31.

Paul said to the church,

look, you're defined individually and as a church family

by relationship with Jesus,

not by people around you.

Your blessing and security is in Jesus,

not in people or how they respond to you.

And then we looked at verse 10, two weeks ago.

Practically, in Jesus we're already,

chapter 1, verse 10, that is,

in Jesus we're already knitted together in unity,

deep unity of status, mind and purpose.

Just like a broken bone has been knit together.

So we're stronger than the original bones.

And Paul says again,

that unity will flourish

in a church family like this.

That unity will flourish when we live,

we build Jesus' empire,

not our own.

It sounds so easy, doesn't it?

Yet so often we find ourselves building our own empire

and being distracted from the core business

of building Jesus' empire.

Paul says it is possible when daily

your old pre-Christian idea of being wise

is replaced with God's wisdom,

God's new way of thinking,

God's new way of evaluating people.

Jesus-shaped attitudes

as you interact with people in this congregation,

this church family.

It's all there for us.

And today, chapter 2, verses 1 to 16,

Paul's saying that sort of deep unity

will flourish as we operate in God's power

rather than the world's power categories.

Paul's point is very simple.

Thinking and actions are inseparably tied.

When hearts are shaped by God's wisdom,

which is a new Jesus-shaped way of thinking

about themselves and about others,

that will overflow,

those hearts will overflow

in a new Jesus-shaped way of behaving

and treating people

and interacting with people in the church family.

And that makes for useful and powerful

involvement in this church family.

Paul pivots from wisdom to power

in chapter 1, verses 30 and 31.

Let me read it to you again.

From last week, we looked at this,

but we'll read it again.

Chapter 1, verse 31.

Talking about Jesus,

God is the source of your life

in Christ Jesus,

whom God made our wisdom

and our righteousness

and sanctification and redemption.

Therefore, as it was written,

let the one who boasts

boast in the Lord.

I think what those verses are saying

is that the gospel shows us

what really matters to the Lord.

It shows us the categories

that are first-order categories.

And those first-order categories

are righteousness.

That is, right standing

and acceptance before God

and relationship with Him.

Sanctification or holiness.

That is about renewing us

from inclination to rebel against God

and giving us increased desire

to live to please God.

Redemption.

Being forgiven.

Being renewed.

Freed from the power of sin

at incredible cost to Jesus

and the Father.

Those are God's first-order categories.

Those are the things that really matter.

The gospel tells us

those are the things

that really matter to God.

And Paul's point is this.

When the believers at Corinth,

as he was writing them to Corinth,

and when we fully understand that,

then actions will passionately overflow

with those very things.

that will be our shape.

That will be our shape.

That will be our shape

individually.

That will be our shape

as a church family.

And that's what we'll boast in

rather than promoting self

and seeking dominance or preeminence.

And Paul presses his point

from two angles in chapter 2.

Verses 1 to 5, first of all,

believers are already equipped

with God's power.

We saw two weeks ago

that word is dynamite.

Believers are already equipped

with God's power

in and through Jesus.

Now, again,

Paul's argument is linked back

into chapter 1, verses 18 to 31.

So if you look back to verse 18,

for the word of the cross

is folly to those who are perishing.

That's the word there

was folly, was moronic.

The word of the cross

is moronic to those

who are perishing.

But to us who are being saved,

it is the power of God.

The wisdom of God.

The message of Christ crucified

displays all of God's wisdom

and power.

That's a pretty incredible statement,

isn't it?

In other words,

there's no more power,

no more wisdom to be revealed.

Verse 23 and 24,

same sort of idea.

For Jews demand signs

and Greeks seek wisdom,

but we preach Christ crucified,

a stumbling block to Jews,

folly to Gentiles,

but to those who are called

both Jews and Greeks,

Christ the power of God

and the wisdom of God.

The spoken word of the gospel

of Jesus crucified

is God's power

to save and renew.

a power that each believer

in Corinth

had already experienced.

A power that each believer here

has already experienced.

When you are converted,

God's power

is now within them,

now within us.

If only they would realize that.

If only they would harness that.

Paul then details

what operating in God's power

means for him

in these first verses

of chapter 2.

Verse 1,

operating in God's power

actually determined

his method.

When I came to you,

brothers,

I did not come

proclaiming to you

the testimony of God

with lofty speech

or wisdom.

In the days of,

Paul was writing to you

in Corinth,

the way to get ahead

as a clever speaker

was to manipulate,

to intimidate,

to use spin or hype.

Paul says,

I refuse to use

any of those things.

I don't need to.

I don't need to use

those things

to get the desired

response to Jesus.

For I decided

to know nothing among you

except Jesus Christ

and him crucified.

And I was with you

in weakness

and in fear

and much trembling.

And my speech

and my message

were not in plausible

words of wisdom

but in the demonstration

of the spirit

and power.

It's not that Paul

didn't try to persuade people.

If we read the back story

of the church

implanted in Corinth,

Acts chapter 18,

Acts 18 · chapter mention

Paul tells us there

that he did work as hard

as to persuade people.

The point is here

that he doesn't think

for a moment

that his choice of words,

the clear logic

of his arguments

or the smoothness

of his presentation

would save anybody.

Verse 2 again,

looking back to that.

Determined his content.

The power of God

determined his content.

The life,

death and resurrection

was always the center

and the substance

of his teaching.

Those things

change everything.

Verse 3,

it determined

his attitude.

Paul was constantly

aware of his physical,

emotional,

and intellectual

inability

to make anybody

believe

or get saved.

On the contrary,

verse 4 and 5,

Paul was confident

that when he speaks

the gospel

of Jesus crucified

and sees a person

changed from the inside out,

then the only plausible

possibility

is it was God's power

at work

in that person's life,

not Paul's cleverness.

Understanding

the power

and wisdom

of God

changes the whole

basis

on which Paul

lives and operates.

And second point

then is that

Paul contrasts

wisdom and power

in the spirit

of the world

and the spirit

of God,

verses 6 through 16.

Now,

these verses

can appear

a bit complicated,

but I think

it's quite simple

if we know

a little bit

of cultural

context

that Paul's

writing into.

So,

it runs like this.

Greek culture,

Greek religion

particularly,

and Greek philosophy

are all permeated

with the idea

of a secret

higher wisdom

and knowledge.

So,

in any one

of the plethora

of religions

that was available

in Corinth,

the standard procedure

would be that you

would have an entry

point set of beliefs,

but then to show

maturity and growth

in that religion

or philosophy

or culture,

then you would have

to move on

and discover

these secret

levels of things,

secret wisdom,

secret power.

and that

was the mark

of maturity.

And many

believers at Corinth

had made the same

assumption

about the Christian

life

and concluded

that to mature

or grow as Christians,

they needed to move

on from the beginning

focus on Christ

and Him crucified

and discover

better,

more exciting,

hidden,

secret,

mysterious

expressions

of wisdom

and power.

Paul's response

in summary,

verse 16,

you have the mind

of Christ,

which is really

a summary

of chapter 1

verses 1 to 9

10 again.

There is no more

to be discovered.

You already have

the mind of Christ.

What more

wisdom and power

can be found?

There is no higher

wisdom,

knowledge,

or power

to discover

or attain.

Verses 6 through 9,

each believer

has already experienced

both the sacred

wisdom of God

and God's secret

power source

in His Holy Spirit.

In the end,

says Paul,

that's the only

explanation

why you believe

and others

still disbelieve.

Others think

the gospel

is moronic.

And says Paul,

verse 10 through

to 16,

it's God's

powerful spirit

working in them

daily,

which enables

them to evaluate

themselves,

to evaluate others,

to form judgments

about what's right

and wrong

and defend those

conclusions before others

and which empowers

them to impart

gospel truth

to others.

You have the mind

of Christ,

says Paul.

So here's the rub

for these Christians

and Corinth.

The daily struggle

is not to discover

some new wisdom,

new source of power,

new aspect

of those things.

the struggle

is to live

increasingly

in the light

of what you

already have,

the mind

of Christ.

The struggle

is to increasingly

express the mind

of Christ

in every relationship,

in every interaction,

in every aspect

of church family life.

And make no mistake,

unless you're

different from me,

I find it

a seriously

hard struggle

to keep

the mind

of Christ,

to be convinced

that the mind

of Christ

is all I need.

Unless you're

very different

from me,

then we so

easily find

ourselves chasing

after the new

next best thing,

new things

to explore.

We get to feel

that ordinary life,

daily life,

is humdrum.

And we certainly

look for new

exciting things,

new spectacular

things.

And we see it

right across

the Christian church.

We tire

of what we have

and we chase

new exciting things

concluding they're

better.

or more

personally,

we're asking

the question,

yes,

I know I'm

a Christian,

yes,

I'm so thankful

that Christ

died for me,

I've been

made new,

but

what new

thing can I

discover to

make me feel

better about

myself?

What is there

I can tap

into that will

make me feel

more whole

as a person,

that will make

me more

attractive to

others around

me,

to make me

more useful

in this church

family?

Those sorts

of thoughts

tell us that

to have the

mind of Christ

as we're

thinking about it,

to have the

mind of Christ

isn't everything,

or it doesn't

seem exciting

or spectacular

enough.

we think

there's

something

just beyond

us,

if only we

can get it

then everything

else will be

right.

Paul pushes

the Corinthian

believers to

say that the

truly useful

disciple is

one who

displays God's

wisdom and

power.

Jesus

shaped,

Jesus

focused,

and that's

in sharp

contrast to

what the

world offers

or considers

wise and

powerful.

Let's just

circle around

then back to

my opening

challenges about

division,

dysfunctional

relationships,

and having the

ability to be

wise, useful

disciples of

Jesus in this

church family.

They're the

takeaway points

for today.

So the first

one is this,

on repeat,

from the past

two weeks.

The gospel

really is a

radical new

worldview, a

new way of

seeing the

world, a

new way of

operating in

the world.

And it's

totally at

odds with

our old

pre-Christian

framework of

thinking about

who and what

is important

in Christ's

church.

And that

new worldview,

that new way

of thinking,

ought to

overflow into

Jesus-shaped

ways of

relating,

engaging in

this church

family.

Now,

Paul repeats

it and repeats

it because

he finds it so

hard to learn

that lesson.

we constantly

think we can

blend what

the world

tells us

and what

the gospel

tells us.

And we

wonder why

we end up

in a total

mess in our

minds.

We're trying

to mix

things that

don't mix.

Trying to

have food in

both camps,

as the old

saying goes.

second thing

is this.

We need to

call out

most division

and factions

in a church

family as

inherently

being about

power struggles.

Now,

that might

sound pretty

negative,

and it is

pretty negative,

but let me

try and defend

it.

If I can't

defend it,

just write me

off as Eeyore,

as you would

normally do.

We recognize

the process,

don't we?

An individual

latches on to

some issue

from the

Bible,

which they

believe is a

really crucial,

fundamental

expression of

what it is to

be a believer,

or what it is

to be a

mature believer.

Then it

easily becomes

a lobby group

where that

person

convinces

others

that

maturity

in Christ

is to

share their

view on

this particular

issue.

Then that

easily becomes

behind the

scenes,

or even

in frontal

assault,

they start

to take

down anybody

else in the

congregation

who don't

share their

views,

or who push

back against

that particular

view.

And finally,

a particular

person who

started it all

makes themselves

and their

view dominant

and preeminent

in the church

family.

Now,

some of you

might think

that's negative,

but I can tell

you now that

people who've

been around

churches for

long enough

will recognize

that only too

well.

people who

have a

view of

the church

and sometimes

those trip

points will

be,

or oftentimes

will be

presented as

a wide

variety of

theological

issues.

But again,

while there may

well be genuine

theological

differences,

behind those

sorts of

things can

just be raw

power struggles.

And the

point I want

to make

here is that

that process

is common

and oftentimes

even convincing

in churches.

But it's not

God's wisdom

or power

if it's driving

a person's

dominance,

if it's not

Jesus-shaped

and gospel-focused,

but person-shaped

and focused

through clever

manipulation.

Brothers and

sisters,

two weeks out

from my

formal ministry

here,

I beg you,

don't fall

into that

trap.

It has

destroyed too

many church

families

throughout

history.

And especially

when you see

things in this

church family

that you wish

were different

and even

perhaps need

to be

different.

By all

means,

speak up.

By all

means,

challenge.

But make

sure that

when you

speak up,

when you

challenge,

you do

so in

the context

of God's

wisdom and

power.

Jesus-shaped

and gospel-focused.

Not self-promotion.

That's a hard

one to do

because inevitably

passions and

emotions get

involved in

those things.

things.

I think,

just wearing that

application myself,

I think Christian

leaders are often

guilty of

exerting this

sort of worldly

power.

It's easy for a

leader like myself

to use

personality or

perhaps a formal

position in the

church.

church.

I'm the

pastor.

And I can use

that or could

use that.

To bulldoze

folk in the

church.

To bulldoze

them into

conformity.

Or again,

it's a real

temptation for

church leaders

like myself to

use a position

to hide behind,

to avoid what

is a right and

proper accountability

to the church

family.

Don't you

challenge me.

I'm the

pastor.

What would you

know?

And again,

I've seen it

all.

And it's

always ugly

and destructive

to God's

people.

Leaders need

to challenge

people and

motivate people,

motivate change

rather, using

the power of

true doctrine,

accurate teaching,

prayer.

In other words,

God's wisdom,

God's power.

The final thing

then is we

need to act

confidently to

repair dysfunctional

relationships,

knowing we have

the wisdom and

power necessary.

See, the

gospel tells us

in Ephesians,

we're told in

Ephesians, that

the gospel was

about creating

one new

humanity in

Christ.

It's about

unity.

All the

dividing categories

in our world

are dismantled

in the gospel.

If that's the

case then,

division and

strife,

which are just

new dividing

categories,

must be the

very opposite

of what God

wants for his

people, and

the opposite of

spirit-controlled

Christians, what

they ought to be

like.

therefore, my

friends, I

say this to

you, to

live with

dysfunctional

relationships

within this

church family

is to live

in denial

of God's

powerful,

renewing spirit

within us.

God's

not serious.

Now, how

could we

possibly settle

for that

when God

has enriched

us with both

wisdom and

power in the

gospel of

reconciliation,

equipping us

therefore to be

reconcilers with

one another?

how could we

possibly settle

for that when

we can, each

of us, both

sides of the

dispute, can

bring to the

table the

mind of

Christ?

Because that's

what we have to

bring to the

table.

We have the

mind of

Christ.

An

extraordinary

equipping,

is it not?

Very simple

final question,

but it's a

profound final

question.

Will we

function in

the reality

of the

mind of

Christ?

Will this

congregation

as a whole,

this church

family as a

whole, will

you individually

and as the

whole congregation,

will you

determine to

be known as

a group and

as an

individual who

operates with

the mind of

Christ?

I'll tell you,

it'll be

powerful stuff

as you guys

step into the

next chapter of

this church

family life,

and I step

out.

Powerful stuff

indeed.

Pray with me.

Lord, it's

such an

indictment on

us that

for us

who are

new in

you in

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

who have

the mind

of Christ,

so often

continue to

act with

a mind of

selfishness

and self

promotion.

Help us

to see the

awfulness of

it, Lord.

Help us to

see that in

Christ it

doesn't have

to be that

way.

And help

us, Lord,

to take

action,

to repair

relationships

that are

strained and

broken,

perhaps some

for years,

to be

confident in

stepping forward

and thrown

our involvement

and commitment

into this

church

practically,

knowing that

we have the

wisdom and

power of

God to

make us the

most useful,

wise,

powerful

disciples possible

in this

place.

Help us to

see that,

help us to

long for it,

and help us to

delight in it.

In Jesus' name

I pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.