I. Introduction
A. The weaknesses in the church at Corinth
-There can be no doubt that the church in the city of Corinth had issues.
-They were quite the dysfunctional church.
-Paul spent the first chapter laying a foundation for all that he is going to say.
1. All we have and all we are is by the grace of God. (powerpoint)
-We have done nothing to earn our salvation.
2. For a church to be strong it must be unified. (powerpoint)
-Fellowship based on our relationship with Christ.
-Fellowship based upon an agreement in doctrine.
3. Man’s wisdom sees the message of the cross as foolishness. (powerpoint)
-Don’t prioritize what man has to say that is in contrast to the word of God.
-Corinth, as a Greek city, was immersed in philosophy.
-Filled with those who prided themselves in waxing eloquently.
-A city of wordsmiths and thinkers, if you will.
-Paul was well aware of the culture in Corinth.
-He had spent eighteen months starting and strengthening the church just a few years prior to the writing of this letter.
-Paul could have competed with the greatest thinkers Corinth had to offer.
-However, he chose a different route.
-One we ought to consider when proclaiming the gospel to a world that still considers the message of the cross foolishness.
`-Who still doubts God. (title powerpoint)
PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Please turn to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2
II. Paul’s Method of Preaching (V.1,2)
A. Different types/styles of preaching
1. Expository preaching (powerpoint)
-Preaching through a book of the Bible verse-by-verse
2. Topical preaching (powerpoint)
-Most common form of preaching
-Uses scripture from various passages to expound upon a particular topic.
3. Textual preaching (powerpoint)
-Falls between expository and topical messages.
-This is what you would call a sermon series
-Ex. “Veni, Vidi, Vici: The Life of Christ”
-Three week series
-Ex. “Seven Signs of a Sanctified Saint”
-Seven week series on what ought to be noticeable in a faithful follower of Christ.
4. Narrative preaching (powerpoint)
-Storytelling is the main aspect of this style.
B. Within these styles there are various forms of delivery in any setting
1. Extemporaneous Delivery (powerpoint)
-Speakers do not prepare the exact wording of the entire speech ahead of time.
-prepares the ideas that he wants to present and then decides the exact way to present them during the speech.
2. Impromptu Delivery (powerpoint)
-Speakers do not prepare any material in advance.
3. Manuscript Delivery (powerpoint)
-Speaker writes an entire speech in advance.
4. Memorized Delivery (powerpoint)
-The speaker writes out a complete speech manuscript and then commits it to memory word for word.
C. Paul was not concerned with any of the nuances of public speaking
-1 Corinthians 2:1 – “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.”
(powerpoint)
-Paul did not preach to persuade listeners to come to Christ through his oratory skills and vast knowledge.
-According to Acts 2:23 he sat under the teaching of Gamaliel.
-Leader of the Sanhedrin and regarded as one of the greatest Jewish teachers of all time.
-He was originally from Tarsus
-A cultural and intellectual center in ancient Greece.
-Paul was a very learned man.
-Quoted the Greek poet Aratus in Acts 17:28
- Greek poet Epimenides in Titus 1:12.
-Quoted the Greek playwright, Menander, in 1 Cor 15:33.
-Paul knew that just as redemption cannot be obtained through human wisdom,
-It also was not to be presented through human wisdom or tactics.
D. Paul preached only Christ
-Paul reminds the church in Corinth then when he was there starting the church just a few years before that the words, which they believed and received, are not the same as the words that they were longing for now.
-1 Corinthians 2:2 – “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (powerpoint)
-Paul knew that his calling was to preach the gospel.
-Isn’t this what he said in 1:17
-1 Corinthians 1:17-18 – “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 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.” (powerpoint)
-This is what a preacher is called to do.
-Preach the message of the cross.
-Though many consider it foolishness.
-In what is believed to be Paul’s final letter we find his words to a young preacher named Timothy.
***** -2 Timothy 4:1-5
-Paul told Timothy to preach the word!
-To convince, rebuke, exhort, and teach from it.
-Even when the people won’t listen, preach the word.
-It seems today that the response to the lukewarm church is to change the message.
-To water it down.
-The job of any man called to the ministry is to preach the gospel.
-“Preach the word”
-2 Timothy 4:2
-The Greek for “word” is logos.
-This should ring a bell.
-1 Corinthians 1:18
-Paul told Timothy the same thing he is telling us today.
-Preach the message of the cross!
-The world doesn’t need a sermon.
-It needs the message!
-People don’t need to see a flashy messenger.
-They need the message!
-Unfortunately, for too many, their idea of “right” preaching is not sound biblical exposition but interesting observations and suggestions based on the preacher’s personal philosophy.
-Unfortunately, people are not looking for a word from God to believe but a word from man to consider.
-The world does not need sermons; it needs a message. You can go to seminary and learn how to preach sermons, but you will have to go to God to get messages.
(powerpoint)
Oswald J. Smith.
III. Paul’s Mindset When Preaching (v.3)
-1 Corinthians 2:3 – “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.”
(powerpoint)
A. What Paul is not saying.
-Some have mistakenly taken this verse to mean that Paul was being broken by all the persecution and that in spite of his fear of more of the same he preaches Christ.
-Beaten and imprisoned in Philippi.
-Chased out of Berea and Thessalonica.
-Had just been mocked and ridiculed in Athens.
-Though Paul may have felt physically and verbally beaten.
-He was by no means afraid to preach the gospel.
B. What Paul is saying
-Paul was not a physically imposing man.
-The Bible does not give us a good physical description of Paul
-There is an account given though it cannot be verified.
-There is an apocryphal description of the physical appearance of Paul found in a document called “The Acts of Paul and Thecla.”
-This document is uninspired, unauthoritative, and contains teaching contrary to scripture, so we don’t know if this somewhat famous description is pure fiction or based on an eyewitness account.
“A man small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well-built, with eyebrows meeting, rather long-nosed, full of grace. For sometimes he seemed like a man, and sometimes he had the countenance of an angel.” (powerpoint)
-If someone was going to fabricate a physical description, wouldn’t they make Paul sound a little more attractive?
-We do not know from scripture what he looked like.
-But we do know he suffered from health ailments.
-However, I believe Paul was speaking here, in this verse, of his mental approach to preaching the message of the cross.
-“Weakness, fear, much trembling”
-I can think of no greater vocational burden than to stand before a group of people and claim to have a message from God.
-Not a new message.
-But a message from God’s existing word.
-One that the hearer needs to examine and apply if need be.
-My prayer is always that God’s message will meet people right where they are and take them to where God wants them to be.
-That if someone is in our church has never trusted Christ as their Savior, that they would know of God’s love for them.
-Most importantly, that my words would not hide the message of the cross.
-I am ever mindful and fearful that I will get up here and preach my own agenda or desires and use God’s word to back it up.
-If I were ever to do that I am fearful of what the result might be.
-This was also Paul’s concern
-1 Corinthians 9:26-27 – “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (powerpoint)
-Paul also knew that when he was at his weakest he would accomplish the most for God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “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.” (powerpoint)
IV. Paul’s Desire When Preaching (v. 4,5)
-1 Corinthians 2:4-5 – “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (powerpoint)
A. Paul’s desire was not that people would respond to eloquent speech.
-Paul purposed in his heart that the message would be only about Christ
- Verse 2, “For I determined”
-Determined = krino (kree'-no); i.e. decide (mentally or judicially);
-Paul’s did not want people to respond to a message given in the format of man’s wisdom.
-He did not want them to be persuaded by his words.
-He wanted them to respond to the message of the cross.
-Of the Savior, who gave His life for sinful men, that they might be reconciled to God.
B. Holy Spirit is who gives power to the message.
-Changes the life of those who receive the message.
-The effect of receiving God’s message is seen in various ways: (powerpoint)
-(1) In the conversion of sinners to God of all classes, ages, and conditions, when all human means of reforming them was vain. (powerpoint)
(2) In its giving them peace, joy, and happiness; and in its transforming their lives. (powerpoint)
(3) in making them different people-in making the drunkard sober; the thief honest; the immoral pure; the profane reverent; the lazy industrious; the harsh and unkind, gentle and kind; and the miserable happy. (powerpoint)
-The gospel has thus evidenced from age to age that it is from God.
-Every converted sinner furnishes such a demonstration; and every instance where it produces peace, hope, joy, shows that it is from heaven.
V. God’s Wisdom Is What Is Needed (v.6-8)
-1 Corinthians 2:6-8 – “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (powerpoint)
A. Man’s wisdom
-Wars never cease
-The unborn are killed
-Immorality surrounds and often infiltrates our churches and homes.
-People go hungry
-Creation is held in higher esteem that the Creator
B. God’s wisdom
-Not understood by man.
-God has shown us His wisdom.
-Prior to Calvary and the resurrection it was a mystery.
- Colossians 1:26 – “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” (powerpoint)
- "mystery" - commonly used in the sense of that which is beyond comprehension; -Until God chooses to explain them.
-God’s plan to reconcile man to a relationship severed by sin was once a mystery.
-Yet now has been made known.
***** -Romans 16:25-27
-Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that had man been able to understand this without God, they would have never crucified Christ.
-They would have recognized Him as the promised Messiah.
VI. Conclusion (v.9)
-1 Corinthians 2:9 – “But as it is written: "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.” (powerpoint)
A. The wonder of it all.
-Paul quotes here from Isaiah 64:4
-He is stating here that those who respond to the simplicity of the gospel have something coming to them.
-Yet you cannot imagine how wonderful forever will be.
-You have never seen anything so beautiful.
-Heard anything so wonderful.
-The Bible tells us it has never entered your heart the goodness of God that is possible.
-Some take this to refer to heaven.
-And there is a truth to this reasoning.
-Yet in Isaiah, it was a reference to the immediate blessings of those who chose to follow God.
-God wants to bless you beginning right now.
-If you will come to Him.
-I can’t begin to describe to you God’s goodness that I have experienced.
-Answered prayer, joy in the midst of sorrow, assurance of salvation.
-Example of my favorite cake.
-Spice cake with peanut butter icing.
-I can tell you how good it is but until you experience it for yourself you will never know.
-As we close our service I want you to think about God’s goodness.
-That He would choose to come, and eventually die to give each of us the offer of salvation.
-Through faith in His son, Jesus Christ.
-I am in awe of God’s love for me.
PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
