Revealed Truth of God
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
This morning we are going to continue to be in the series “lessons learned from the Apostle Paul”
Today looking in the book of 1 Corinthians stuck between chapter one- a chapter describing the power and wisdom of God and chapter 3 on how much Christians really need to grow up and be mature is a message that believers really have no idea how much God loves you and have no idea on the extreme measure that God goes too to show us.
Let me set this up- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Paul was not the most eloquent speaker.
He did not claim to be the sharpest tool in the shed of God’s people.
He says the only thing he knew for sure and he bet his life on it is Christ crucified and what that means to them and to us today.
(3) “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling, my message and my preaching was not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
I believe that will preach!
Paul is telling us the people of God that what he does and what he says is a God thing! Not a man thing!
Paul was determined to make Christ the sole subject of his teaching and preaching.
There were counterfeits, there were false teachers, people who would pull God’s people away from the truth, that sounds a lot like today doesn’t it?
There is no provision in the word of God for a preacher to come to the pulpit of God unprepared.
Come with an excuse that he/she is trusting in the Spirit of God to lead them.
Be prepared and not only let the Spirit lead you but also have the option to change it if He desires.
Nothing is more distracting or discouraging to hear a message in a bottle or a message that says I am not prepared.
If it is a God thing, then make sure God is in it. Make sure you have talked to Him ahead of time.
We are not all called to be preachers…. But we are all called to be messengers.
We are not all called to be teachers….but we are all called to be disciples or learners of Jesus.
We are called to be mature believers who everyday grow in their love for God.
Our text this morning is going to show us how to be able to do that.
1 Corinthians 2:6-2:16
The Bible is a book. But it is a book like no other.
What book has over 40 authors, tentmakers, physicians, priests, kings, and shepherds.
Taking 1500 years to write.
How hard would it be to understand a complicated book like that?
Thank God we are not doing that alone.
Jesus promises “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.
He the Holy Spirit of God will guide you into all truth. The Holy Spirit promises to guide believers as they read the word to illuminate their minds, reveal truth, and bring understanding.
Let’s dig into this
Each one of us is called to be mature Christians, called to grow every day in our love for God.
How do we do that? By allowing the Holy Spirit of God to guide us to truth, illuminating God’s word and bringing understanding.
That task is bigger than we are- that is why we need God’s help.
The word here tells us that it is found not in our wisdom but from the revealed Word.
At one time it was God’s secret wisdom- but when Christ came, the crucified risen Christ, the redeemer and savior of mankind, the wisdom of God was revealed through Christ to mankind.
(10) “But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit”-who’s us? His disciples- you and I.
I. God reveals Himself so we can understand how much He loves us.
In fact, he repeats and Old Testament verse here-
No eye has seen,
No ear has heard
No mind can conceive
What God has prepared for those that love Him.
We have no idea how much God loves us;
Don’t let this world tear you down
Don’t let circumstances dictate how you will respond to God.
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive the greatness and love of God.
The world does not understand it.
They cannot see it.
They have not experienced it.
It is foolishness to them.
It don’t sense to them.
But it does not stop it from being the truth of God.
Paul mentions 3 types of people- wise, powerful, wealthy.
The world says go after these people.
Paul tells us to resist the world’s wisdom and seek the wisdom of God.
Foolishness to the lost and wisdom to the redeemed.
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those headed for destruction, but we who are being saved know it is the power of God.”
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
Get this!- God’s word revealed- foolishness to the lost and wisdom for those being saved.
Second way God reveals wisdom to us
II. God reveals truth through His Word
(10) “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”
Who else besides God can discern spiritual things?
We try to find the things of God without God.
The Spirit of God doesn’t search all things because He don’t know them… He searches all things so He can reveal them to us so we can understand the deep things of God.
“Oh, the depth of the riches of wisdom, and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.”
Who has the mind of the Lord?
Who has ever been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God?
The Lord says:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.”
Amen.
“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise, his greatness no one can fathom.”
The man without the Spirit of God does not accept the things that come from God. For they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
And the last one
III. Having the mind of Christ
(16) “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
The only way that we can have the mind of Christ is to belong to Christ.
To have a born again experience
To be regenerated
To be redeemed by Christ
To be a child of God.
Be a disciple of Christ.
To get off the milk and get to the meat of God’s word and to rely on the Holy Spirit that dwells within us to give you the wisdom and knowledge of God
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
This world is evil and corrupt. Be transformed by the power of God working in your life.
Knowing the mind of Christ and working to have the mind of Christ will bring transformation.
It is not ironic that people spend 20 plus years in church and don’t know the things of God.
The Corinthian church had immature Christians pretending to be sanctified believers, assuming that all were filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
The natural man cannot know the things of God.
There must be a transformation.
Christ must do the transforming with the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Closing
This Bible is full of truths- without God’s help you will not understand it.
You try to live your life as a good person- without the Holy Spirit , you will stumble and keep failing.
You want to be a mature Christian, you have to get into the meat of the word.
You want to be a disciple of Christ. You have to spend time with Jesus.
You want to have the mind of Christ- there has to be a transformation.
Make sure you are not listening to the foolishness of men, but trust the truth of God.
The only way you can discern the truth is by the power of the Holy Spirit working in you and through you.
Think about this a moment and be truthful with the Lord
Do you know Jesus?
Do you have a relationship with Him? If not today He wants to establish a relationship with you.
If you do know Jesus-
Do you want to have a closer relationship with Him? Today is the day.
Not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. He is looking to do something amazing this morning.
Liberate and set us free.
Bow your head please-
Our relationship with Christ is spiritual.
It is not book smart, it is not based upon someone else. It is personal.
Body, soul, Spirit- foolishness to some, power of God to others. The Lord is looking for transformation.
Amen.
