“Where I’m Coming From”
Today is the first Sunday of the year 2002. Happy New Year!
My guess is that you have probably heard those 3 words a lot recently… And I am also sure that you heard those very same words back at the beginning of 2001. Just a few days ago, millions of people gathered in Times square, they gathered in other cities and they gathered around their TV sets to count down the final seconds of the year 2001 and shout “Happy New Year!”
QUESTION – How many people who shouted “Happy New Year” - just 5 1/2 days ago – do you think will really have a happy one? For that matter - how many people do think actually had a happy “old” year?
Though it’s not what I want to talk about in detail today, I do want to share with you some things that will make most definitely increase your odds of having a happy 2002. UNDERSTAND - the key to a happy 2002 – can be summed up in three letters…G.O.D. LISTEN – for a happy 2002 you need to have God at the center of your life…
Last week Ryckie preached a powerful message about drifting away from God. Now I can guarantee you one thing in 2002 - if you ‘choose’ to drift away from God – your new year will be far from happy… BUT on the other hand, if you do the things that cause you to move closer to God… you can be certain that 2002 will be a good one… Like I said I’m not going to spend too much time on this – I just want to tell you 5 things that if you choose to do – will make 2002 an awesome year…
1) Spend more time in God’s word… On January 2nd in our Hang Time devotional guide we read Psalm 1…
“Happy are those…who love the Lord’s teachings and they think about those teachings day and night. They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and it’s leaves don’t die. Everything they do will succeed.” (1-3 NCV)
2) Spend more time in prayer… Check out what Paul writes in Philippians 4;
“Do not worry about anything, but pray about everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace , which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…” (6,7 NCV)
“When a believing person prays great things happen…” (James 5:16 NCV)
3) Spend more time with God’s people…
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching…” Heb 10:25
LISTEN – if bad company corrupts good character and it does (1 Cor 15:33) THEN – what do you think good company would do? Hang out with winners in 2002…
4) Spend more time in obedience (Joshua)
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you, do not turn to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go…” Joshua 1:7
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you DO them” Jn 13:17
5) Spend less time in the world
“Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” 1 Jn 2:15-17 (NLT)
Okay that’s really all I want to say about that – I encourage you to reflect of these 5 things during the next week or so - and decide on whether or not you want to have a good 2002…
LISTEN – when it comes to an awesome 2002 - the choice really is yours – the ball is in your court… (Get it?)
Like I said this is the first Sunday of 2002, It’s the first of about fifty times that I will stand before you and share the word of God. AND - I want you to know up front, that I do not take this responsibility lightly. NOW - since you will spending much of your time in church each Sunday listening to me… I thought it would be good for me to let you know where I’m coming from, to let you know what my approach, my attitude and my aim will be as I proclaim to you the word of God…
My text is 1 Cor 2:1-5
PRAYER….
As we begin let me give you a little background to the passage I just read… Paul went to Corinth during his second missionary journey, after he had left Athens, having presented there his well known sermon on Mars Hill. It was in Corinth that Paul meet up with Aquilla and Pricilla and it was here that Paul worked for a time making tents. Paul stayed in Corinth for about 18 months, establishing and working with the church.
BUT REMEMBER – Paul was a man literally on a mission from God – so he eventually had to leave and move on to other un-reached places. Not that long after he had left Corinth, Paul received a letter from the church, a letter that asked him some questions, told of some serious problems within the church (if you’ve ever read this letter you know what I’m talking about) and this letter also told of how some smooth talkers had come into the church and how they were criticizing both Paul and his message.
So Paul in response to this letter from the Corinthian church wrote the letter we know as 1st Corinthians, somewhere around 56 AD. AND – what Paul is doing in the verses that we are studying today is reminding his brothers and sisters back in Corinth what his ministry was like when he was with him. Basically Paul is telling the church – where he was coming from, when came to his sharing the word of God with them…
In these 5 verses we can clearly see what had been Paul’s approach, his attitude and his aim when he stood before the body in Corinth to share God’s word. AND LISTEN – I want you to know that as I once again assume the responsibility of opening up the word of God each week that it is my desire to follow Paul’s example…
My Approach – Preach Christ
[Read 2:1,2]
Now before we talk about what the proper approach is I think it would be helpful for us to talk about the improper approach to sharing God’s word. And the improper approach is to preach just fancy words
I’m sure most of us here have encountered a slick talking, smooth speaking, silver tongued, soap peddling, spell binding salesman. You know the type, somewhere between the "I’m not interested" and "I’ll take two" something happened and we’re not really sure what.
But when all is said and done we find that we have a new: vacuum cleaner, extended warranty, set of encyclopedia’s, insurance policy, phone service or discount tickets to the beauty parlor for 10 years.
LISTEN - many salesman (note I’m not talking about honest hardworking salesman) but many sales man are trained to speak in such a way that they can convince people to buy things that they don’t need, don’t want, can’t really afford to impress people they don’t really like.
QUESTION – Has that ever happened to you? I heard about a salesman who sold a milking machine to a farmer who only has one cow. And then he took that one cow as a down payment…
LISTEN – things were not that different in Paul’s day. They too had silver tongued politicians and slick talking salesman knocking at their door (especially in Corinth, which was the commercial center of the Roman Empire).
NOW - Public speaking had always been highly valued within the Roman Empire since the days of the republic before the rise of the Caesars. And in those days individuals themselves would argue their cases before the local courts. And politicians would do the same in the legislative assemblies. And because oratory was so important young boys began their training in this art at an early age.
In fact, oratory was called "the mistress of the arts" and it took preeminence over ; science, math, poetry and literature. However, with the rise of dictatorship in the Ceasars this all changed. Caesar now made the political decisions and individuals no longer argued their own cases in court but rather this function was taken over by the professional lawyer.
And the emphasis where once placed on content was now in Paul’s time placed on style and the use of fancy-$50 words. UNDERSTAND - public speakers in Paul’s day had become slick talkers who tried to sway people with their flashy words that were more often then not void of any ‘real’ content.
And not too long after Paul left Corinth some of these people - made their way into the church – attempting to sway people away from the truth with their smooth talk - and with their criticism of Paul.
SO - Paul’s reminds them that his approach was entirely different, as we read earlier in 1 Cor 2:1,2..
I like how the Message Bible words those 2 verses;
"You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s Master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did - Jesus crucified." (Msg)
What Paul is saying is this, "when I came and preached to you brothers and sisters, I did not come using the common method of the today - flowery words and polished speeches based on human wisdom."
NOW UNDERSTAND – that the philosophers of the day had no other recourse but to use such talk. WHY? Because they had run out of ideas, they no longer had any answers. Therefore they used high sounding words to conceal the fact that they really had no message, that they had nothing to say. Their words had become a cheap substitute for the truth – a lot of fluff, BUT no meat….no substance.
But LISTEN - Paul didn’t have to sink to that level (EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NO DOUBT HIGHLY SKILLED IN PUBLIC SPEAKING..) WHY? Because Paul’s message was not empty, it was not meaningless -- his message was the truth. His message was Jesus – who He is – and what He did…Jesus crucified.
UNDERSTAND - MY APPROACH IN MINISTRY IS TO PREACH JESUS (it would be crazy and self-defeating for me to preach anything else)
LET ME TRY TO ILLUSTRATE BEFORE I CAME TO GEORGIA I LIVED IN FLORIDA FOR OVER 10 YEARS (NOW I HAD GROWN UP IN MARYLAND) AND ONE THING THAT I ESPECIALLY MISSED LIVING IN FLORIDA WAS FALL. THE RED, THE GOLD, THE COLORS OF FALL ARE JUST INCREDIBLE. AND DON’T YOU THINK IT WOULD BE SILLY TO PUT LITTLE BOWS & RIBBONS ON THE TREES TO MAKE THEM LOOK PRETTIER. THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS. IT WOULD COVER UP THEIR NATURAL BEAUTY.
Listen - The message Paul had/the message we have is beautiful in and of itself. It’s the message of The Christ - of The Cross, IT’S THE MESSAGE of God’s amazing love for sinful man. It’s the message of His amazing love for you/for me.
Now - the word "crucified" Paul used in verse 2 "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" - is in a tense in Greek that is used to describe a past action that has continuing results. LISTEN – though Christ death on the cross happened in the past it’s results are continuous - reaching up from the blood stain hill of Calvary to this very day in 2002.
Paul simply preached Christ and Him crucified…
BUT UNDERSTAND - this is not to say that Paul did not think through and carefully use his words. Rather it is to say that he did not use fancy words to cover up the fact that he really didn’t have anything to say. LISTEN - Paul had plenty to say: and he had the cross of Christ and the word of God available to him. Therefore Paul determined that when he shared the word of God in Corinth that he would not obscure the cross of Christ with his words - rather that he would use his words to lift up Christ for all to see.
THERE WAS A CHURCH THAT HAD A BEAUTIFUL STAINED GLASS WINDOW JUST BEHIND THE PULPIT. IT DEPICTED JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS. ONE SUNDAY THERE WAS A GUEST SPEAKER WHO WAS SMALLER THEN THE REGULAR PREACHER. A LITTLE GIRL LISTENED FOR A TIME, THEN TURNED TO HER MOTHER AND ASKED, "WHERE IS THE MAN WHO USUALLY STANDS THERE SO WE CAN’T SEE JESUS?"
(sad but many times true)
LISTEN – I want you to know that my approach as I bring you the word in 2002 will not be to preach myself – pop psychology or positive thinking... And though I will carefully choose and hone my words I do not I do not want my words, or myself to obscure the Christ.
Jesus will be at the center of my preaching & teaching...Jesus who is the son of God… Jesus who is the wonderful counselor, mighty God Everlasting father, prince of peace... Jesus who loves us like no other can or would… Jesus Who gave his life that we may live… Jesus whose blood washes away my sin and yours.... Jesus who is with us always to the very end of the age, Jesus who can keep us from falling.
It is my hope that my messages in 2002 - will cause you to think – “what a great Christ...What an awesome Savior!” Like the wild locust eating man in the wilderness I only want to be a voice pointing to him – Jesus is everything and I am nothing. He must increase and I must decrease in 2002…
Preaching Christ was Paul’s approach and it is mine as well. “I resolve to know nothing while I am with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
My Attitude – Dependence on Christ
Read 1 Cor 2:3,4
Again, I’d like to read this from the message bible;
"I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate -I was scared to death, if you want to know the truth of it - and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it."
QUESTION – How did Paul feel? Totally inadequate and afraid…
NOW we need to understand – that Paul had just enter a city of 700,000 people many who were unbelievers and very immoral... How would you feel in his sandals? – I tell you how I would feel – scared and inadequate… Acts 18 contains the record of his time in Corinth.
Read Acts 18:9-11
Do you see the picture here?
Paul was locked up in his hotel room. He was afraid to go out the door. He even ordered his meals in - he hung a please do not disturb sign on the door – he even made his own bed... WHY? because Paul was afraid that if he went out someone would hurt him.
LISTEN - the task just seemed to be too big - the job too hard, the obstacles too many.. It was so overwhelming to Paul that it appears from the text that he was about to give up - that he was about to throw in the towel and stop sharing God’s word - if he hadn’t done so already.
YOU KNOW – it is not too hard for me to picture Paul in desperation by his bed praying to God, "Lord I know you brought me here (at least I think it was you), but it must have been a mistake, maybe I misunderstood you, I can’t do this. I don’t even know where to begin."
I believe that Paul because of his physical weakness and because of the magnitude of the task before him – lost his focus and perspective – and began to believe that it depended on him. And LISTEN - a task that great even made the apostle Paul tremble with fear.
No the apostle Paul did not come riding into Corinth like superman - he came in weakness and with fear and much trembling... But that is not how he stayed. Do you know why? Because Jesus came to Paul in Corinth, he came to Paul in the middle of his fear and inadequacy. THIS is one of the few times in the book of Acts that we see Jesus appearing to his people. And Jesus told Paul not be afraid... to keep on preaching; why? because "I am with you..." (that’s a mighty big I).. It literally reads in the Greek “with you I am”
And another reason Paul didn’t have to fear is because he was not alone (it did not rest solely on your shoulders) Jesus told Paul "for I have many in this city." “Hey Paul you’re not alone – I have plenty of warriors to stand beside you..” And Paul got out of bed took the do not disturb sign off the door and said, “let’s roll…”.
And preach he did and the message did get out... BUT UNDERSTAND - it was not by Paul’s might or by Paul’s power that it did… NO - “God’s spirit and God’s power did it”
And Paul went on to preach 1 1/2 years in Corinth... And He learned many, priceless lessons… He learned about dependence on God:
"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. but this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead..." (2 Cor 1:8,9)
He learned about weakness...
"my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me...for when I am weak then I am strong." (2 Cor 12:9,10)
Let me get a little personal here...
Being a preacher & leader of God’s church at times scares me to death. When I think that 200+ people are looking to me for spiritual guidance and knowledge every week – When I think that I am God’s spokesman – (Almighty God, you know the one who set this whole thing in motion) I feel afraid and inadequate…
And being a leader, a shepherd of the Lord’s church is frightening as well – to know that this church will for the most part not be any more spiritual then I am… to know that I must be able as a leader to say like Paul – follow my example as I follow Christ… PUTS some knocking in these old knees…
LISTEN – as I consider the magnitude of the task before me in 2002 – 50 sermons, hundreds of bible studies…leading Central in times of prayer… helping marriages get stronger, ministering to the hurting, helping people break addictions, protecting the church from the devil’s attacks, leading people to a deeper faith, confronting people when they are drifting, let alone provide leadership in a million + building expansion…
I feel like those words of Paul in 2 Corinthians;
"I am under great pressure, far beyond my ability to endure, at times I despair even of life. Often in my heart I feel the sentence of death, I feel that I am not going to make it. AND when this happens it reminds me that I must not rely on myself but on God who raises the dead..."
LISTEN – I am nothing and Christ is everything… AND one of my goals for 2002 is to depend on Christ more… UNDERSTAND - one of the things I really want to get a hold of is to really rely (I mean really rely) on the one who raises the dead… I want to radically to increase my dependence on Christ.
WHY? Because I know that Just like Gabriel told a teenage girl 2,000 years ago - “nothing is impossible with God…” (Lk 1:37)
Brothers and sisters I am here to tell you today that I am not superman... I like Paul when I consider that magnitude of the task - the great things God wants to do here – and your confidence in me to help Central move forward-- I come before you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling... However I will not remain this way, for God is with me..
NO I am not superman, BUT I serve a Super God, an Almighty God, a powerful God, A God who is with me and who wants to work through me. \
A God wants to work his resurrection power through me – A God who is able to do great things through wooden staffs, donkeys, slings & smooth stones, torches and clay pots, A God who is able to awesome stuff - through ordinary men & women…
The words of Zechariah 4:6 (Z 4-6 baby… are true…) “Not by might, nor by power, BUT by my spirit,” says the Lord Almighty..”
AND – not only that I like Paul know that I am not alone, I know that there are many gospel warriors in this place to stand beside me and help me build Central to the glory of God – even people I have yet to meet….
Listen I want you to know where I am coming from –
My approach – preach Christ
My attitude – depend of Christ
My Aim – Bring Them To Christ
Read 1 Cor 2:4,5
Now we have several hunters at Central (Ray, James, Billy, A.J…..) And though they my differ in hunting skills - I am sure that everyone of them would tell you that in hunting it is very important to know what you are aiming at.
A.J. was telling me about a time when he went hunting – and he had a big deer right in his sights… He took about 20 shots at the deer, and he missed every time, he was getting pretty frustrated. Finally the deer came over to him, gave him a five dollar bill and said, “Here you go buddy, I really hate to see a guy go hungry…”
Then there was another time when A.J. took Joni hunting for the first time. And A’J. warned her, “now Joni if you get a deer make sure that you guard it, because some other hunter might come over and try to it as their deer…”
Well during the excitement of the hunt A.J. and Joni got separated. Now he managed to find her a little later – and when he did she was standing in front of her catch and her gun was pointed at another hunter… A.J. heard Joni say, “This is my deer and you can’t take him from me – I’ll shoot if you try…” The hunter said, “okay lady, he yours but can I at least get my saddle off of him…” (Joni’s favorite movie – They Shoot Horses Don’t They)
You see in hunting, as in life, it is not only important to hit what your aiming at – it is also important to be aiming at the right thing… [get it?]
UNDERSTAND - Paul knew exactly what he was aiming at in his ministry in Corinth, His aim was to bring the people there to a true, deep and lasting faith in God/In Jesus.
Listen to what Paul wrote in Colossians 1:28,29;
"We proclaim Him admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone complete, mature in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me.."
And the reason that this was Paul’s aim was because he knew 2 things; #1 - that Jesus is what the Corinthians needed, and #2 - that Jesus is all they needed.. You see, Paul knew that if they had Jesus, if they really had Jesus then everything else in life would ‘eventually’ work out for the good.
LISTEN - there were a lot of people then and there are still a lot of people today searching for answers, looking for hope, trying to find meaning & purpose for their livers... And there are many smooth talkers out there claiming they have just what they need...
It kills me – to see people…. grabbing crystals, calling the physic network, listening to mentally twisted musicians, watching TV shows like the other side – hoping to find meaning, answers and life…
And LISTEN – in our society people jump from one thing to another in search of those answers, in search of hope and meaning...
BUT LISTEN – just because they recognize the need and jump – doesn’t mean they are any better off…
We could compare this to jumping out of a burning airplane.
Are you safe just because you jumped out? (no there are other important issues)
Does the parachute work?
Is it full of holes?
Now it may be a beautiful parachute but if it doesn’t support you - it’s useless.
[understand many of the things people look to for life are meaningless and useless – they don’t support them]
It however is not enough for the parachute to support you (many philosophies and even some cults "appear" to support people in their lives and in their struggles. But understand it is where you land that makes all the difference in the world.
What if you landed on a frozen mountain top or in the middle of the ocean without a life raft or in the middle of the high way at rush hour?
LISTEN - Paul preached in such a way that when people jumped out of the burning airplanes of troubled and lost lives that they had a parachute that opened and landed them safely in the arms of Jesus.
Paul preached in such a way, that those who heard – were driven, compelled, motivated, to develop faith in Christ – their fortress, their deliverer, their Rock...
Paul’s aim was simple & clear, to get people to grow in their personal relationship with Christ. To get them to have real faith…
LISTEN – I want there to no doubt whatsoever as to what my aim will be as I share God’s word in 2002 -
My aim is for each and everyone here is to help you get to know Jesus Christ a little better.
I want Jesus to become more real to you.
I want to help you improve your personal relationship and time with Him.
I want Jesus to come down from the flannel boards
I want him to come off the pages of your bible
I want Jesus to come out of the songs that you sing – and come into your life….
I don’t just want you to study about Jesus – I want you to walk with him
I don’t just want you to sing about Jesus – I want you to live for him…
I want knowing Jesus to be your #1 pursuit in life…
I want to take you to Jesus....
AND let me tell you as I begin my 5th year at Central – I need Jesus to become more real to me… LISTEN – I am convinced that one reason (and there are many) but one reason ministers average less then 2 years at any church is they don’t grow personally)
LISTEN - I know, not just for 2002 – but for the rest of your life - I know without any doubt whatsoever that Jesus is what you need, and that Jesus is all you need. It’s what Central needs… We need more Jesus… You need more Jesus, “I need more Jesus…”
