DEMONSTRATING YOUR POWER SOURCE—1Corinthians 2:1-5
Attention:
The customer in the Italian restaurant was so pleased that he asked to speak to the chef. The chef proudly appears from the kitchen & introduces himself to the customer.
"Your alfredo is superb," the customer said. "I just spent a month in Italy, & yours is better than any I ever had over there."
"Naturally," the chef said. "Over there, they use domestic cheese. Ours is imported from Italy."
The chef demonstrated that his Power Source was in the special cheese he used!
Paul demonstrated/confirmed the Spirit’s power thru his manner of witness to the church at Corinth.
Christians demonstrate/confirm their power source.
How/When is a Christian’s power source confirmed/demonstrated?
5 confirmations/demonstration of one’s power source.
1—My power source is demonstrated/confirmed when I...
FORGO The SHOW(:1)
Explanation:(:1)
:1—“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.”
Paul refers to the Corinthian church as “brethren.” Therefore, even though there is much he will chide them about in this letter, they are still brothers & sisters in Christ.
Paul’s “coming” to the Corinthians, as the family of God, meant at minimum that he did not approach them because he considered himself a brilliantly wise speaker. He came to them proclaiming that which was God’s “testimony”—Scripture(written word), the spoken word, & thru personal & relational experience.
God’s “testimony” is that which has borne & bears witness to His absolute truth & thus the truth of the Gospel.
God’s testimony is Not about how brilliant you are...
Nor is if about how impressive I am or how impressive my own ability to carry a message is...
But I must be very impressed with the message itself!, i.e., the “testimony” that God is the revelatory God, & the salvific God.
“Excellence/Superiority/Eloquence/Brilliance”—uperoch—1) Elevation, pre-eminence, superiority; 2) metaph.--Excellence. Strong—Prominence, i.e. figuratively--Superiority (in rank or character). Used 2X.
“Speech”(See 4, 6, 13)—logov—1) of speech—1a) A word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea, 1b) What someone has said, 1c) Discourse, 1d) Doctrine, teaching, 1e) Anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative, 1f) Matter under discussion, thing spoken of, affair, a matter in dispute, case, suit at law, 1g) The thing spoken of or talked about; event, deed; 2) its use as respect to the MIND alone—2a) Reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating, 2b) Account, i.e. Regard, consideration, 2c) Account, i.e. Reckoning, score, 2d) Account, i.e. Answer or explanation in reference to judgment, 2e) Relation, i.e. with whom as judge we stand in relation, 2f) Reason, cause, ground; 3) In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ. Strong—Something said(including the thought); by implication--A topic(subject of discourse), also--Reasoning(the mental faculty) or motive; by extension--A computation; specifically(with the article in John)--The Divine Expression(i.e. Christ).
“Wisdom/Superior wisdom”(See :4, 5, 6, 13—Thruout)—sofia—1) Wisdom, broad & full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters—1a) The wisdom which belongs to men, 1b) Supreme intelligence, such as belongs to God. Gnwsiv denotes knowledge by itself, sofia denotes wisdom as exhibited in action, gnwsiv applies chiefly to the apprehension of truths, sofia adds the power of reasoning about them & tracing their relationships. Sofia denotes a "mental excellence of the highest sense", to details. Sofia is certainly the highest word of all these[fronhsiv, gnwsiv, & epignwsiv]. It is properly wisdom. It denotes mental excellence in the highest & fullest sense, expressing an attitude as well as an act of the mind. It comprehends knowledge & implies goodness, including the striving after the highest ends, as well as the using of the best means for their attainment. It is never ascribed to any one but God & good men, except in a plainly ironical sense. Strong—Wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual).
“Declaring/Proclaiming/Announcing”—kataggellw—1) To announce, declare, promulgate, make known; 2) To proclaim publicly, publish; 3) To denounce, report, betray. Strong—To proclaim, promulgate.
“Testimony”—marturion—1) Testimony. Strong—Something evidential, i.e. genitive case--Evidence given or specifically--The Decalogue(in the sacred Tabernacle). A presumed derivative of martuv[a witness].
Argumentation:
Isa 44:13-20—“The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress & the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, & the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it & warm himself; Yes, he kindles it & bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god & worships it; He makes it a carved image, & falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, & is satisfied. He even warms himself & says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it & worships it, Prays to it & says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand. And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat & eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?””
*Ex. 4:10-12—“Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech & slow of tongue.” So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? “Now therefore, go, & I will be with your mouth & teach you what you shall say.””
*Gal. 6:3—“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
*1Cor. 3:18—“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.”
Acts 17:15-34—“So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; & receiving a command for Silas & Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews & with the Gentile worshipers, & in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean & Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus & the resurrection. And they took him & brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” For all the Athenians & the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus & said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; “for as I was passing through & considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world & everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven & earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, & all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, & has determined their preappointed times & the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him & find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live & move & have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art & man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him & believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, & others with them.”
*1Cor. 1:20-21—“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
1Cor. 8:1-3—“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”
*Prov. 26:12—“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Isa. 5:18-21—“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; That say, “Let Him make speed & hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near & come, That we may know it.” Woe to those who call evil good, & good evil; Who put darkness for light, & light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, & sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”
*Rom. 12:16—“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”
Col. 2:1-4—“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you & those in Laodicea, & for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, & attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father & of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.”
Illustration:
Books-Authors/They unashamedly proffer their suppositions in black-&-white/Readily swallowed up by a population hungry for truth but no backbone for it/Yet there are Christians who blatantly ‘go against the flow’ as it were, forming Christian publishing houses specifically to disseminate Christian truth!/FORGO The SHOW
Politicians are infamous for rhetoric proclaiming their persuasions/Some are even recognized for their superior mental prowess, tight reasoning, agreeable philosophies of life extended ‘for the common good’—The people’s candidate/But they must FORGO The SHOW
The only Show in Town is God’s Show!
Application:
? You willingly FORGO The SHOW?
?Your Power Source Confirmed?
2—My power source is demonstrated/confirmed when I...
FOCUS KNOWLEDGE(:2)
Explanation:(:2)Limited
:2—“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ & Him crucified.”
Paul’s “determination” was that the Corinthian church would receive absolutely nothing from him which would interfere with their grasping the overarching significance the “crucified” “Christ” “Jesus.”
“Paul...did not think it fit or his business to know anything for his message beyond this “mystery of God.”—RWP
“Determined/Resolved/Think it ...a good idea”—krinw—1) To separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose; 2) To approve, esteem, to prefer; 3) To be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion; 4) To determine, resolve, decree; 5) To judge—5a) To pronounce an opinion concerning right & wrong, 5b) To pronounce judgment, to subject to censure; 6) To rule, govern—6a) To preside over with the power of giving judicial decisions, because it was the prerogative of kings & rulers to pass judgment; 7) To contend together, of warriors & combatants. Strong—properly--To distinguish, i.e. Decide(mentally or judicially); by implication--To try, condemn, punish.
“Know”(:8—ginwskw, & 9, 11, 14)—eidw—Perfect Active Infinitive—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses, 1c) To perceive, notice, discern, discover, 1d) To see, 1e) To experience any state or condition, 1f) To see i.e. Have an interview with, to visit; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. Get knowledge of, understand, perceive, 2c) To have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to (1Th 5:12). Eidw denotes to see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication(in the perfect only)--To know.
Argumentation:
*2Tim. 4:1-5—“I charge you therefore before God & the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living & the dead at His appearing & His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season & out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering & teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; & they will turn their ears away from the truth, & be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
If Timothy was instructed to Focus his Knowledge upon the Lord, then does it not follow that those he teaches should do the same?
1Cor. 7:32-35—“But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world--how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife & a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body & in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world--how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, & that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”
*Php. 4:6-9—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned & received & heard & saw in me, these do, & the God of peace will be with you.”
*Prov. 3:3-8—“Let not mercy & truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor & high esteem In the sight of God & man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD & depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”
Lk. 3:1-6—“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea & the region of Trachonitis, & Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas & Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain & hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’””
Illustration:
Manufacturer of pizza boxes/Their entire Focus is to design a container which will get a single or many Hunt Brothers pizza(s)(From the local IGA) to the customer’s home, hot & in good condition & cheaply/Their knowledge of containers is coupled with the need of the pizza producer—Their Knowledge becomes Focused/Thus they are approached by any who are in need of such Focused Knowledge/FOCUS KNOWLEDGE
Christians are to be ‘masters’ of one thing—Submission to God in Christ.
Why does the Church meet weekly? Why do they gather? Why is there a priority placed upon teaching?...Upon missions? Why does membership demand behavioral norms?—To FOCUS our KNOWLEDGE upon the God who has revealed Himself to mankind!
Application:
? You willingly FOCUS KNOWLEDGE?
?Your Power Source Confirmed?
3—My power source is demonstrated/confirmed when I...
ENABLE INABILITY(:3) Sense/Feel
Explanation:(:3)
:3—“I was with you in weakness, in fear, & in much trembling.”
Paul lived openly/transparently before the Corinthians. They witnessed his unfeigned “weakness.” A true testimony of Paul would have easily recognized his personal spiritual “fear” of God as well as his personal “fear” of the situations his service to God would bring. That “fear” was manifested in both spiritual & possibly physical(?) “trembling.” Surely Paul’s anxiety was known to those who had opened themselves up to God’s will.
“Weakness”—asyeneia—1) Want of strength, weakness, infirmity—1a) Of the body, 1b) Of the soul. Strong—Feebleness(of mind or body); by implication--Malady; morally--Frailty.
“Fear”—fobov—1) Fear, dread, terror; 2) Reverence for one's husband. Strong—Alarm or fright.
“Much”—poluv—Adj.—1) Many, much, large. Strong— (singular)--Much(in any respect) or (plural)--Many; neuter(singular) as adverbial,--Largely; neuter(plural) as adverb or noun--Often, mostly, largely.
“Trembling”—tromov—1) A trembling or quaking with fear; 2) With fear & trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfill his duty. Strong—A "trembling", i.e. Quaking with fear. Used 5X.
Argumentation:
*Ex. 3:11—“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, & that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?””
Josh. 1:5-9—[YaHWeH to Joshua]““No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong & of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong & very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day & night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, & then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong & of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””
Encouragement for a man who recognized his inability to handle such grave responsibility.
Isa. 40:29-31—“He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint & be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run & not be weary, They shall walk & not faint.”
*2Cor. 10:7-12—“Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification & not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed-- lest I seem to terrify you by letters. “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty & powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, & his speech contemptible.” Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, & comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
2Cor. 3:2-6—“You[Corinthian Church] are our epistle written in our hearts, known & read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
*2Cor. 12:7-10—“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Illustration:
Parasailing(Longboat Key near Sarasota-Bradenton)/I could not possibly get myself into the air/But the boat, crew & special equipment got me there!/ENABLE INABILITY
Application:
? You willingly ENABLE INABILITY?
?Your Power Source Confirmed?
4—My power source is demonstrated/confirmed when I...
INTEGRATE REVELATION(:4)
Explanation:(:4)
:4—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power,”
Paul’s “persuasions” were not born of “false rhetoric & thin thinking”. Thus he never attempted to win & influence by guile thru “plausible pulpiteering”—‘Oprah Winfrey self-help spirituality’ or ‘Humanistic spiritualism’— aimed at the spiritually gullible. He wanted to remind them of his manner in comparison to the ‘bully pulpit’ of others. (RWP)
Paul separates his “preaching” from his “speech.” Evidently Paul’s “speech” is the manner of relating his thoughts outside an official capacity of “preaching.” both of these activities were integrated in a cohesive “demonstration” of God’s empowerment thru the Holy Spirit. Thus Paul did not present the Gospel as a philosophical rhetoric born of “human” reason.
“But”—Comparison, contrast
“How do we participate in the “demonstration of the Spirit & of power”?—By allowing God’s control thru the Holy Spirit in all avenues of our lives.
“Spirit (pneuma) here can be the Holy Spirit or inward spirit as opposed to superficial expression & power(dunamiv) is moral power rather than intellectual acuteness (cf. 1:18).”—RWP
If I find something in Scripture that contradicts my belief system, then I must change is my belief, NOT change the Scripture to fit my current belief.
Only by the “Spirit” of God & God’s “power” can I possibly make a cohesive whole of all my declarations & living.
His “power” is not the power of the miraculous but in the power of a transformed life! “Speech & Words/Message & Words”(See :1, 6, 13)— logov—
“Preaching/Proclamation”—khrugma—1) That which is proclaimed by a herald or public crier, a proclamation by herald; 2) in the NT--The message or proclamation of the heralds of God or Christ. Strong—A proclamation(especially of the gospel; by implication--The gospel itself). Used 8X.
“Persuasive/Enticing”—peiyov—1) Persuasive, enticing. Used 1X.
“Human/Man’s”(TR & Byz)—anyrwpinov—1) Human—1a) Applied to things belonging to men. Used 7X.
“Wisdom/Wise”(See :1, 5, 6, 13—Thruout)—sofia—
“Demonstration”—apodeixiv—1) A making manifest, showing forth; 2) A demonstration, proof. Strong—Manifestation. Used 1X.
“Spirit”(See :4, 11)—pneuma—1) The third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father & the Son; 2) The spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated—2a) The rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides, 2b) The soul; 3) A spirit, i.e. A simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, & possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, & acting; 4) The disposition or influence which fills & governs the soul of any one; 5) A movement of air (a gentle blast). Pneuma when used in its lower meaning to denote wind means simply an ordinary wind, a regularly blowing current of air of considerable force. Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. human--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or superhuman--An angel, demon, or divine--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit.
“Power/Powerful”(See :5)—dunamiv—1) Strength power, ability. Dunamiv is power, natural ability, general & inherent. Strong—Force (literally or figuratively); specially--Miraculous power (usually by implication--A miracle itself).
Argumentation:
Mat. 23:27-28—““Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones & all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy & lawlessness.”
2Pet. 2:1-2, 18-20—“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, & bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”.....“For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them & overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.”
*2Cor. 10:7-18—“Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification & not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed-- lest I seem to terrify you by letters. “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty & powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, & his speech contemptible.” Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, & comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us--a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, & not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”
*1Thes. 1:2-5—“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, & patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God & Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, & in the Holy Spirit & in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”
Ps. 71:1—“In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.”
I1Cor. 14:32-33—“And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Js. 3:16—“For where envy & self-seeking exist, confusion & every evil thing are there.”
Illustration:
Lawyers/Bring testimonies together in order to reveal discrepancies & contradictions that either condemn or exonerate a person’s testimony—Bring out the truth/INTEGRATE REVELATION
Your reasons for Christian belief must not contradict themselves—Otherwise confusion & unbelief results—Therefore you must INTEGRATE REVELATION
*If you were to follow your argument/belief out to its logical conclusion, would it still align with God’s revelation of Himself & His will?
Application:
? You willingly INTEGRATE REVELATION?
?Your Power Source Confirmed?
5—My power source is demonstrated/confirmed when I...
SEGREGATE FAITH(:5)
Explanation:(:5) Isolate/Divide/Dissect
:5—“that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
In this verse “wisdom” is set opposite to “power.”
There is such a great distinction between the two such that the one(“wisdom of men”) can never be the foundational focus of personal Christian “faith,” whereas the other(“power of God”) is the actual & only foundational focus of personal Christian “faith.”
1Cor. 1:18—“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
The mere presence of an ‘unqualified’ “faith” is not God’s version of “faith,” however it is man’s version. ‘Unqualified’ “faith” is fully acceptable to unregenerate man, who sincerely believes, in his own corrupt mind, that his best actions will commend him to God.
Universalism(everything will work out ‘right’ in the end)—basically an ‘a’-theistic stance toward God & His revelation.
Unitarian Universalist churches
However, according to the Word of God,...Not recognizing a distinction between general faith & saving faith is literally damning/condemning! It is NOT recognizing that there is one glaring & deciding element in separating all people to eternal life & from eternal death. It is NOT believing that ‘saving’ faith is entirely segregated from every other thing that you may consider to be ‘faith.’
No wonder our nation sees Homosexuality as a valid lifestyle, Abortion as a right, Marriage as tentative or fluid relationship, Corruption, Prostitution & Human trafficking as valid means of income.
“Faith”—pistiv—1) Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God & divine things, generally with the included idea of trust & holy fervor born of faith & joined with it; 2) Fidelity, faithfulness. Strong—Persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction(of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially--Reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly--Constancy in such profession; by extension--The system of religious(Gospel) truth itself.
Argumentation:
*Heb. 11:1, 6, 13; 12:1-2—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”.....“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, & that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”.....“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them & confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth.”.....“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Job 15:8-13—[Eliphaz the Temanite to Job]—“Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us? Both the gray-haired & the aged are among us, Much older than your father. Are the consolations of God too small for you, And the word spoken gently with you? Why does your heart carry you away, And what do your eyes wink at, That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth?”
1Cor. 10:31-33—“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”
*Eph. 2:4-10—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
*Jn. 1:10-13—“He was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him. He came to His own, & His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Titus 3:3-7—“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts & pleasures, living in malice & envy, hateful & hating one another. But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Rom. 4:24—5:2—“... Jesus our Lord... was delivered up because of our offenses, & was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Illustration:
Back in the bad-old-days when we separated populations based on slavery & thereby, skin color/Based on a faulty premise—that anyone other than ‘white’ people were flawed in some way/America practiced ‘segregation’ so that ‘blacks’ & ‘whites’ could not Attend the same schools, Drink from the same water fountains, Commingle in the same areas of stores, Eat in the same areas of restaurants, Sit in the same areas of the theatre, & even worship in the same areas of the churchhouse!!/
The world thinks it just as detrimental to Segregate Faith!/They do not recognize a difference between “the wisdom of men” & “the power of God”/SEGREGATE FAITH
*There is a difference between the people in prison on ‘death row’ versus those who abide by the laws of the land/The ones in the prison have chosen to willfully disregard the laws of the land interfering in the lives of upstanding citizens/Therefore there is another segment of the population that segregates these into prisons & away from ‘polite society’/SEGREGATE FAITH
Likewise we must segregate saving faith from that which has no power to save(but only power to destroy).
Application:
?You willingly SEGREGATE FAITH?
?Your Power Source Confirmed?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The chef’s Power Source was in the 'special imported' cheese he used!
Action:
My power source is demonstrated/confirmed when I...
1. FORGO The SHOW(:1)
2. FOCUS KNOWLEDGE(:2)
3. ENABLE INABILITY(:3) Sense/Feel
4. INTEGRATE REVELATION(:4)
5. SEGREGATE FAITH(:5)
Presented 02/02/2014am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
