What The World Doesn't Know-Perseverance Part 5 Series

July 24, 2005

Morning Service

Text: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Subject: Part 5 in the Perseverance Series

Title: What the World Doesn’t Know

We continue today with part 5 of the Perseverance Series. So far we have covered joy, trust and the preaching of the word. Today I want to share with you about how the church perseveres through its particular world-view.

There are two ways of looking at the world and the events that occur in it. First is the view that the world would have us believe. They view the world from the perspective of what seems right to them. 1) Mankind was not created but evolved over a period of billions of years. 2) There is no God, and if there is, He is not concerned with what happens in the world today. 3) If there is a God, and He is really a loving God, then all honest and sincere attempts to reach heaven will be honored. In other words, all roads lead to heaven. That is the secular world-view.

Now there is a different word-view that looks at things from the perspective given in God’s Holy Word. This is the world-view of the true church. 1) We believe that all things were created by God. 2) He not only created but also remains intimately involved with the day-to-day events in the lives of all people. 3) There is only one way to heaven and that is through His Son Jesus Christ.

The world hates that name. Maybe you have noticed that it is common practice for even the most liberal politicians or celebrities to mention God i.e. After the World Trade Center attacks, God bless America became a battle cry. But don’t you dare mention the name of Jesus Christ or else you become labeled a narrow-minded bigot.

We came from a church that taught us that we could never be assured of our eternal destiny until we stood before God and gave account for our lives. Thank God we found out the truth before it was too late.

I want to share with you today the differences the bible gives between the world and church and by doing so show you how the church shall persevere.

I. THE WORLD IS LIMITED IN ITS VISION. (6-9) In writing to the church in Corinth Paul indicates that there is a certain type of wisdom that he is imparting to the church. “We speak wisdom among those who are mature…” Verse 7, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery…” He calls it “hidden wisdom”. It is so difficult for those who are not Christians to understand what we believe to be true. The world just cannot see and understand what the bible says about the most important subject you will ever hear – eternal life. It doesn’t make sense to them because Paul says it is “not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing.” The wisdom of this age would say at the end of your life God places all your good actions on one side of the scale and all your bad on the other and then weighs them. If your good outweighs your bad, you win – you get heaven. Who is Paul speaking of when he talks about the rulers of this age? Since the things he is writing about here concern spiritual matters, he must be speaking of those spiritual entities who have gained control over towns and cities and provinces and countries and those humans that they have influenced by their lies. Verse 8, “which none of the rulers of this age knew, for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory…” Why couldn’t the world see what they were doing when they crucified Christ? Why can’t people see the truth of the gospel message? 2 Corinthians 4:3, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing verse 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded…” That is why Paul prayed for the Church in Ephesus the way he did, “that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling…” Why is the world limited in their vision? Because satan has blinded them. Their understanding is veiled. Verse 9 quotes the prophet Isaiah, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Not we get down to the crux of the matter. The world cannot see because they are anti-God. Now wait a minute. I’m not against God. I know he exists. I try to do the right things. I try to live by the golden rule. How can you say I hate God? Because loving Him involves being in an intimate personal relationship with Him. And that can’t happen unless the veil is lifted.