1 Cor 2:6-16 Revealed By The Spirits Power

wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing.

No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God

destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it,

for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written,

no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who

love him. But God has revealed it to us by his spirit. The spirit searches all things,

even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the

man's spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the

spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God,

that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us

by human wisdom, but in words taught by the spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God,

for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment.

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks, Thelma.

We're going to pray.

Let's do that now.

we have not received the spirit of the world

but we have received the spirit who is from God

that we may understand what God has freely given us

Father we need your help

we need that transforming changing work of the Holy Spirit

to take these words that are written on this page

so that we do not just understand with our heads

but that we are motivated afresh in our hearts

to love you, follow you and serve you

so please Father be at work among us

and we ask this for the building up of your church

so that we become the holy church that you call us to be

and it's in your name we ask these things

Amen

Well I've been doing some thinking

What we need in this church

is a pastor who's a little bit more educated and qualified

someone who's able to debate with the best

I think we could do with getting in some big name speakers

who are slick in their delivery

successful in their ministry

in fact if we want to see people come to faith

if we're a church that's going to plant another church

then we need to make our message more appealing

we need changes

we need programs that are energetic and dynamic

we need to get ourselves a youth worker

and a worship leader

we need to move out of this old barn that we're in

and get ourselves something more tasteful

something that's going to draw in the crowds

what do you think the church needs

well some of these things may help

but they do not by themselves make people Christians

and they do not cause churches to be planted

in fact Paul has reminded us of how the church in Corinth did start

and how they first became Christians

have a look at chapter 2 verse 4

remember what he said

chapter 2 verse 4

he says when I came to you

my message and my preaching

were not with wise and with persuasive words

but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power

so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom

but on God's power

you see we didn't become Christians

through clever arguments and wise words

this church didn't start because of somebody's skill or technique

it's not about presentation and style

it's all about

in verse 4

you see I think like this church in Corinth

we can fall into this trap of relying on what we call the wisdom of the world

rather than trusting in the power of God

and we can look at our church and we can go

oh that's great

or this has happened

this person has come to faith

wasn't it great what I did

and we can feel a little bit elitist

and a little bit superior than other people

and that's what was happening in the church

they were looking at the things they did

and the things that had happened

and it was well

it was all down to me

and what I could do

but Paul wants to bring a bit of humility back to the church

and we need to remember that our salvation

and the works that we do

never come about through our own efforts

and our own abilities

but look at chapter 2 verse 10

God has revealed it to us by his spirit

Christian faith and church growth does not happen through presentation and style

it's not about programs and status

it happens through a revelation of the Holy Spirit

so let's see how that is true

first

the message of Christ

is revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit

Paul makes this extraordinary claim doesn't he in verse 6

he says we do

he says yes we've been preaching

we've been speaking

but we do however speak a message of wisdom

among the mature

among those who are believing

he claims to have this special word

and he even tells us where he got this message from

verse 6

we 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

my message doesn't come from listening to professors and psychologists

I didn't learn it from scholars

or from scientists

no

look at verse 7

we speak of God's secret wisdom

Paul is making an extraordinary claim that he's heard a message from God

and he is now speaking that same message to other people

he didn't discover it through his own reading or research

he claims to have got this word

this message

directly

from God

look at verse 7 again

we speak of God's secret wisdom

a wisdom

that has been hidden

and that God destined for our glory

before time

began

this message that he was speaking

the message that he's received from God

is the message that's about Jesus Christ

let's remind ourselves of what that is

in chapter 1

verse 23

this is what he keeps coming back to

chapter 1 verse 23

he says

we preach Christ crucified

it's a stumbling block to Jews

because they're looking for the power and the miraculous

it's foolishness to the Gentiles

because they're looking for something new

something they can discover for themselves

but to those whom God has called

to those who God has saved

whether you're Jewish

or Greek

or whatever nationality

Christ is the power of God

and Christ is the wisdom of God

you see the message of Christ and his cross

is God's wisdom

and power to save people

and this is the message he's received

and this is the message he teaches

now I don't know about you

whether you've met anybody

who's ever claimed

to have heard God speak to them

well that is exactly

what Paul is saying here

he claims that God has spoken to him

three

simple things

first the spirit reveals the wisdom of God

let's read verse 7 again

he says we speak of God's secret wisdom

the message of Christ

it's a wisdom that's been hidden

and that God destined

for our glory before time began

the message of Jesus

the message of the cross

was once hidden

no one had discovered it

nobody really knew what it was all about

it existed we are told

look at the end of verse 7

before time began

so it was in God's plan

he knew it

but it remained a hidden secret

but

verse 10

God has revealed it to us

by his spirit

the Holy Spirit

has revealed

the wisdom of God

that message of Christ

Christ

to us

because

secondly

the spirit knows

the mind of God

look at verse 10 again

God has revealed it to us

by his spirit

the spirit searches

all things

even the deep things

of God

let me ask you a question

does anybody know

what I'm thinking

right now

it's a dangerous place

to go into my thoughts

I tell you

hmm

well I don't even know

what you're thinking

look at verse 11

for who

among men

knows the thoughts

of a man

except the man's

spirit within him

only

only I know

what I'm thinking

and only you know

what you're thinking

my wife thinks

she knows

what I'm thinking

but it's actually

not true

only I know

what I'm thinking

let me ask you

another question

what's God thinking

what's he thinking

right now

well look at the rest

of verse 11

in the same way

no one knows

the thoughts

of God

except the spirit

of God

you see

it's only

the Holy Spirit

who knows

the mind

of God

not me

not you

and nobody else

can ever say

this

is what God

is thinking

the spirit

knows the mind

of God

therefore

the spirit

teaches us

the truth

about God

look at verse 13

this is what

we speak

not in words

taught us

by human wisdom

but in words

taught by the

spirit

expressing spiritual

truths

in spiritual

words

Paul's making

it clear

listen guys

that the message

we have here

isn't made up

what we speak

didn't come

from anybody else

God

taught us

his message

by the Holy Spirit

he taught us

and now we are

able to teach you

as he says

at the end

of verse 13

expressing

spiritual truths

in spiritual

words

now let's just

stop there a minute

and get this right

look closely

at verse 13

he says

this is what

we speak

not in words

taught us

now the we

and the us

there

is not

everybody

Paul is referring

to himself

and to the

other apostles

so what was

hidden

and what

was secret

the Holy Spirit

has revealed

to these

chosen people

to the

apostles

and what

was revealed

to them

by the

spirit

they wrote

down

which is

what we

now have

the Bible

let's just

have a look

at this a little

bit closer

you can turn

to 2

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

Peter

chapter 1

2 Peter

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

so keep

your finger

in 1st

Corinthians

and just

go on a

little bit

to 2nd

Peter

I haven't

got a

page number

I'm sorry

2 Peter

2 Peter 1:20

chapter 1

verse 20

have you got a

page there

1222

so Peter

was an apostle

and this is

what he

says

he's saying

the same

kind of

thing

as Paul

so 1

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

Peter

chapter 1

or 2

2 Peter 1:20

Peter

chapter 1

verse 20

above all

he says

you must

understand

that no

prophecy

of scripture

came about

by the

prophet's

own

interpretation

for prophecy

never had

its origin

in the

will of

man

but men

spoke

from God

as they

were carried

along by

the Holy

Spirit

and that's

what Paul

is saying

he's saying

it was

revealed to

us by the

Spirit

and we're

now passing

this on to

you

we've written

it down

and this

is what

we have

and that

process

is now

completed

it's not

ongoing

and it

isn't

repeated

either

the Spirit

does not

speak

anything

new

to us

today

about

Jesus

there's

not a

new

message

out there

that is

undiscovered

that God

somehow forgot

to tell us

and now he's

speaking it

through somebody

else

no

we have

all of

God's

truth

all of

God's

perfect

wisdom

that has

been revealed

to us

has been

written down

and we now

have it

in God's

word

the Bible

so you

see we

don't need

a new

message

to attract

in the

crowds

we don't

need to

be trying

to change

things

we just

need the

simple

message

of Christ

our job

is not to

come up

with something

more appealing

or something

more acceptable

our job

like Paul

and the

other

apostles

is to

preach

to teach

to explain

to talk

to

to share

about

Christ

and his

cross

and God's

power

and wisdom

to save

people

and of course

the problem

is that we do

want to change

it because

well look back

at chapter 1

verse 18

here's the

temptation

we want to

change it

because

chapter 1

verse 18

for the message

of the cross

is foolishness

to those

to those who

are perishing

verse 22

Jews demand

miraculous signs

Greeks

look for

wisdom

but we

preach

Christ

crucified

the only

way people

will become

Christians

the only

way churches

are going

to be planted

the only

way our

hearts are

going to be

changed

and transformed

is through

the simple

message of

Christ

and his

cross

which has

been revealed

by the

Holy Spirit

and has now

been written

down and

recorded for

us in the

words of the

Bible

if we are to

become a

holy church

we need this

message to be

at the centre

of all of our

programs

every teaching

we do

our Sunday

school

the rock

polo

home groups

Sunday mornings

this is what

we need

that's

what's going

to change

lives

so we

need the

message of

Christ

which is

revealed

by the

power of

the Holy

Spirit

second we

see that the

message of

Christ is

understood

by the

power of

the Spirit

look back

at verse

8 so

back to

Corinthians

chapter 2

verse 8

so remember

the background

we have

these

elitist

superior

people

thinking

that they

have it

all

they know

it all

and it's

through their

reasoning

that they

have

understanding

but look

what he

says

verse 8

none of

the rulers

of this

age have

understood

it

for if

they had

they would

not have

crucified

the Lord

of glory

however as

it is

written

no eye

has seen

no ear

has heard

no mind

has conceived

what God

has prepared

for those

who love

him

no one

on this

whole earth

and in the

history of

time is

able to

comprehend

or discern

the message

of Christ

by themselves

no eye

can see it

it doesn't

matter where

you look

no eye

can hear

or no ear

can hear

it no matter

who you

listen to

no mind

can conceive

the wonders

of all that

God has done

no matter

what you

do

we can have

all the

learning

and all

the education

in the

world

but by

itself

we will

never

ever see

what God

has prepared

for you

in Christ

so where

do we get

this understanding

how on earth

do we see

Jesus for

who he

is today

well he

tells us

the spirit

is the one

who enables

us to

understand

have a look

at verse 12

if we are

Christians

verse 12

we have not

received the

spirit of the

world

but the

spirit who

is from

God

that we

may

understand

what God

has freely

given us

you see

the spirit

of the

world

all of

our own

thinking

in our

own minds

and the

thinking

of others

it can't

enable us

to understand

what God's

word means

we can read

it as we're

reading it

now

somebody can

explain it

as I'm

doing now

but we

will never

ever see

our need

of Christ

without the

spirit

we can

have all

the

understanding

intellectually

but we

will never

hear how

it applies

to us

day to

day

without

the

spirit

our

heads

can have

all the

knowledge

but our

hearts

will remain

unchanged

we could

pass an

exam and

get a

hundred

percent

we could

explain

every

single

doctrine

but never

actually

experience

its

truth

you see

the spirit

of God

is the

only one

who enables

us to

hear

and see

and experience

the saving

and transforming

message

of Christ

so the

spirit

enables us

in our

minds

and our

hearts

to understand

he also

moves us

or enables

us to

accept

Christ

and all

that he

has done

have a

look at

verse 14

the person

without the

spirit

does not

accept the

things that

come from

the spirit

of God

why

for they

are foolishness

to him

he cannot

understand

them

because they

are spiritually

discerned

that explains

so much

doesn't it

without the

spirit

the message

of Christ

and his

cross

will be

foolish

to you

that's

why

some

people

believe

and some

people do

not believe

that is why

some people

will hear it

and go

that is

stupid

that Jesus

nothing but a

fraud

an invention

of mankind

but with the

spirit's

enabling

it changes

everything

verse 15

the spiritual

man makes

judgments

about all

things

those who

have the

spirit of

God

are able to

make true

and right

judgments

because their

eyes have been

opened

their ears

have been

unblocked

their minds

have been

informed

so that

they can

make

right

judgments

and see

that this

Jesus

is true

and real

and we can

believe him

and accept

him

and of course

those without

the spirit

will think

that you're

foolish

and deluded

for believing

it

but look at

the rest of

verse 15

but he

himself

that is

the person

with the

spirit

of God

is not

subject

to any

man's

judgment

in other

words

we're not

judged

by the

opinion

of the

world

it doesn't

matter

what people

think

when you

go to

school

or college

tomorrow

and you're

a believer

and perhaps

they're not

it doesn't

matter

what they

think

of you

what matters

is that

we have

accepted

Christ

what counts

is that

the spirit

of God

has invaded

our lives

to help

us see

and to

accept

and cry

out

and say

I need

Jesus

verse 16

for who

has known

the mind

of the

Lord

that he

may instruct

him

what a

what a

daft thing

for us to

think that

we could

tell God

what to

do

or that

we could

say

we don't

need him

if there's

anything

to know

about

God

I can

figure it

all out

by myself

who are

we to

think like

that

but we

have

the mind

of Christ

with our

own minds

we'll never

grasp

we'll never

accept

the Holy

Spirit

is essential

in understanding

Christ

and accepting

Christ

so you

see

we don't

need a

new method

to draw

in the

crowds

we don't

need to

kind of

boost up

our

programs

what we

need is

the power

of the

Holy Spirit

at work

in people's

lives as

they hear

the message

of Christ

and his

cross

let me

try and

give you

a picture

here so

you can

grasp

what we

need the

spirit to

do

if you

picture a

stained

glass

window

with all

the bright

colours and

the images

that there

are

you see

that stained

glass

window at

night and

it's

well it's

all dark

what you

need is for

a light

from the

outside

to shine

through that

stained glass

window

and then you

see all

the colours

and that's

what we

need we

need the

Holy Spirit

to shine

his light

through

onto the

message of

Christ

so that

we see

Jesus

in all

his beauty

in all

his power

and when

we see

him on

the cross

we don't

see foolishness

we see

power

we see

wisdom

we see

God's

saving

king

you see

without the

spirit

these words

on the

page

in this

bible

it's

just ink

on a

page

it's

just a

book

about a

man

apparently

who

lived

2000

years

ago

just

an

interesting

story

it's

kind of

nice

for you

but not

for me

and it

will never

change us

never

transform us

never be

the people

of God

that we're

meant to

be

but ask

God

ask him

for the

power of

his Holy

Spirit

and he

will speak

to you

that doesn't

mean to

say we're

going to

hear an

audible

voice like

you can

hear me

right now

instead the

Spirit takes

the message

of Christ

that he

has revealed

to his

apostles that

they have

written down

and he

takes that

message and

he inspires

our minds

and he

informs our

hearts

so that we

love him

and that we

trust him

what's it

going to

be

for this

church

is it

the wisdom

of the

world

that we

need

or is

it the

power

of God

you see

the problem

is we can

so quickly

rely on the

wisdom of

the world

rather than

trust in the

power of

God

we can

look at

ourselves

our gifts

and our

abilities

and think

I did

that

or my

church

did that

and we

can maybe

feel a little

bit better

and a little

bit superior

but if we

understand the

Spirit's work

it should bring

nothing but

humility

it's not about

presentation and

style

it's not about

the people at

the front or

the status that

they have

it doesn't

matter how

good our

programs are

how great

our pastor

is

it doesn't

matter whether

we are able

to get a

brand new

building and

have all the

latest technology

all of those

things yes they

can be good

they can be

helpful but

by themselves

they will not

make one

person a

Christian and

they will not

plant one

single church

and it will

not change

one heart

what we need

is the power

of the Holy

Spirit to be

at work through

helpless

weak

foolish people

like you and

me who

come before

God with

our open

hands and

we say yes

I do need

help I

desperately need

help I

need you

father God

to work in

my life and

change me I

need you to

work in my

children's life

I need you to

work in my

colleagues life

I need you to

work in my

friends life and

in their families

because I

cannot do it

I can share

the message of

Christ and his

cross and we

can pray for the

Spirit of God to

come in power and

change people's

lives the

wisdom of the

world or the

power of God

hefold

so we

let's pray

let's pray

Thank you.