(#009) 1 Corinthians 2 - There is No Need to Convince People with the Gospel MessageWe simply help people find what we know is essential.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God. As the Lord He is 100% Deity… He is God the Son…He is also 100% true humanity just like you and me… He is Jesus Christ. God the Son, the Lord, became flesh, Jesus Christ, and tabernacled among us here on earth. He is the uniquely born One…He is the God-Man…He is 100% God and 100% true humanity in One Person forever…He is the Sovereign God of the Universe…He is the Savior of the whole world…and He is the Jewish Messiah.
Barah Ministries makes a difference by teaching the Word of God from the Lord Jesus Christ’s perspective, and not from man’s perspective. Why? Because how God sees things is very different from how people see things. Instead of trusting what man has to say about God, we prefer to search the Scriptures to learn what God has to say, not only about Himself but also about His plan for mankind. In addition, we want you to learn God’s personal plan for you.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - There is No Need to Convince People with the Gospel Message
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Many people see the discipline of selling as art or a science designed to convince people to do something they don’t want to do. It’s almost as if selling is a disease. As an expert in selling, I don’t see it that way at all. As I see it, selling is simply helping people buy. If you are talking to people whose hair is on fire, and you are selling a fire extinguisher…believe me… you don’t have to convince them to buy. If you’re talking to people who need what you’re selling, there is no need to convince them.
So it is with the gospel message. Everyone with whom you share the gospel message NEEDS what you are “selling.” Spiritually dead unbelievers need spiritual life to spend eternity in heaven. The gospel message is the ultimate fire extinguisher! In today’s lesson, we’ll learn that sharing the gospel message involves simply helping people believe, not convincing them to believe.
SONG INTRODUCTION
There are many times in our lives when the battle just seems too big for us. This was true for David when he faced Goliath with only a slingshot. First Samuel, Chapter 17, Verses 45 and 46…
FIRST SAMUEL 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine (Goliath), “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin…but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.”
FIRST SAMUEL 17:46 “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands…and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of you army of the Philistines THIS DAY to the birds of the sky and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel…”
David gave “smack talking” its name because he knew this battle was the Lord’s battle. The Lord considers our problems to be his responsibility. Toby Mac knows it, too, and proclaims it in his song BEYOND ME.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
BEYOND ME Toby Mac OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, we are grateful for everything you do for us…we especially thank you for our tribulations, because we know tribulation brings about perseverance…and perseverance brings about proven character…and proven character brings about hope…a hope through You that does not disappoint… because Your unconditional love has been poured out within our hearts through God the Holy Spirit whom You gave to us…
Let the lessons of the tribulations You give us sink deeply into our hearts…let them cure the sadness we feel when life disappoints us…let us abandon our delusions and learn to see things always through Your eyes…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - There is No Need to Convince People with the Gospel Message
We continue our study of Paul’s first letter to the believers in Christ at Corinth in Chapter 2.
You’ll remember that Corinth is the Las Vegas of the ancient world…it was the party city, a place of commerce where many strangers came together. When someone wanted to escape the consequences of their indiscretions, they’d visit Corinth…the first city to coin the expression, “What happens in Corinth stays in Corinth!" … the same slogan used for tourism in modern-day Las Vegas.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians divides into two parts. In the first six chapters, Paul writes about the problems that have been reported to him by Chloe’s people…in the last ten chapters Paul writes about the divine solutions…the biblical solutions…to these human problems.
If you described the behavior of these people in the Corinthian Church to most Christians in the United States today, they would assure you there is no way these people could be Christians. The truth? What was going on in Corinth is going on in our lives right now.
The church at Corinth is God’s church. It was placed there by God as an oasis in a desert…a God-made organization. Yet “the world” infiltrated the church with its thoughts, just as the world infiltrates our mind with its thoughts. Paul’s first letter the Corinthians is written to get their heads right. First Corinthians is a guide for Christian Conduct for a church gone rogue.
First Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verse 10 to First Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verse 20 deals with rivalries in the church. Let's pick things up in Chapter 2, which has two passages. We'll deal with the first passage today.
PASSAGE 1
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:1 And when I (Paul) came to you, brethren (the believers in the Corinthian Church), I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God (the gospel message) with eloquent speech or with human wisdom (indicative of high social status)...
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ…and Him crucified.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:3 I was (interacting) with you in (my own) weakness and in (my own) fear and in much trembling (the attitude of an obedient slave who is in awe of God)…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:4 …and my message and my preaching were not (delivered) with the persuasive art of words and in human wisdom…but (my message and my preaching were delivered) as a demonstration of the spiritual power of God the Holy Spirit…(in divine) power (providing heavenly proof) …
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:5 …so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but (that your faith would rest) on the (divine) power of God.
God’s wisdom is higher than man’s wisdom.
PASSAGE 2
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature…a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away (those soon to be dethroned) …
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:7 …but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery (the mystery doctrine of the Church Age)…the hidden wisdom which God the Father predestined before the ages to our glory…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:8 …the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age comprehend…for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:9 …but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:10 For to us (believers in Christ), God the Father revealed these things through (the enabling power of God) the (Holy) Spirit…for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God the Father.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:11 For who among humans knows the thoughts of a human except for the spirit of the human which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God the Father no one knows except the (Holy) Spirit of God.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:12 Now we (believers in Christ) have received, not the spirit of the world, but the (Holy) Spirit who is from God the Father, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God the Father…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:13 …the things we speak about, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:14 But a natural man (the unbeliever) does not accept the things of the (Holy) Spirit of God…for they are foolishness to him…and he cannot understand them…because they are spiritually examined.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:15 But he who is spiritual examines all things…yet he himself is examined by no one.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:16 For who has come to know the mind of the Lord? And who will instruct the Lord? But we (believers in Christ) have the mind of Christ (in the Word of God…in the Bible).
When we return from our five-minute break, we’ll take the offering and then we’ll take a look at the first passage of First Corinthians, Chapter 2 verse by verse.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK Unconditional Love Donna Summers
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - There is No Need to Convince People with the Gospel Message
The end of every year in the United States is ushered in by a holiday we call Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving Week to all of you who are hearing this message! The two words that make up the holiday promote the spirit of the season…THANKS and GIVING. First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verse 18 teaches us…
FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:18 …in EVERYTHING give thanks…for this is God’s will for you who are in union with Christ Jesus.
Whether it’s in adversity or prosperity…whether it’s in happiness or in sadness…whether it’s in laughter or in tears…let this be the season of THANKS and GIVING…and when you’re giving, don’t forget about Barah Ministries! Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
GALATIANS 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except to boast in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ …for through the Cross, the world has been crucified to me…and I to the world.
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU David Bauer, Instrumental
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - There is No Need to Convince People with the Gospel Message
SONG INTRODUCTION
The Lord Jesus Christ asks a beautiful rhetorical question…a question that has an obvious answer…in Mark, Chapter 8, Verse 36…
MARK 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his soul?
As believers in Christ, we know that all we need is everything Jesus has to offer. Here is UNSPOKEN to sing about it in their song JUST GIVE ME JESUS.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
JUST GIVE ME JESUS Unspoken
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - There is No Need to Convince People with the Gospel Message
Let’s remember a verse we have already studied before we begin our study of Chapter 2…First Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verse 17…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize…He sent me to preach the gospel…not in smooth, slick speech…so that the Cross of Christ would not be emptied of its effect.
We continue God’s thoughts about the gospel message as communicated by Paul in First Corinthians, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 5…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:1 And when I (Paul) came to you, brethren (the believers in the Corinthian Church), I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony from God (the gospel message) with eloquent speech or with human wisdom (indicative of high social status) ...
Paul was making it clear that he considers himself to be a nothing…he considered himself to be just like everyone else. Paul is not a know it all. Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verse 8…
EPHESIANS 3:8 To me Paul…the very least of all saints (believers in Christ)…this grace was given…to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ…
God selected Paul to be a trustworthy interpreter, guided by God the Holy Spirit, to provide insights to the Corinthians that come from diligent study. Paul’s job is to speak the truth of the gospel message and to use it to establish churches. His job was not to convince people that the gospel message is true.
The Greek term for Paul, and for us as believers in Christ, is doulos…the word describing a slave…someone in twenty-four hour a day, seven days a week subjection to the leadership of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul’s lifestyle and his behavior are to be a guide for what it is like to live a godly life.
Paul knew that using human wisdom to preach the gospel discredits the gospel message and devoids it of its power…the focus of the gospel message is the preachING and not the preachER.
For all Christians, the point of sharing the gospel message is not to convince…it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convince people…John, Chapter 16, Verse 8…
JOHN 16:8 And God the Holy Spirit, when He comes, will convict the world (of its guilt) concerning sin (the refusal to believe in Christ)…and righteousness (that Jesus is righteous and that believing in Him gives a person His righteousness…the admission ticket to heaven)…and judgment (Jesus has the power of evaluation)…
What does it mean to convict? It simply means…
CONVICT To expose people to the truth
God the Holy Spirit exposes EVERYONE…WHOSOEVER…to the truth about what it takes to get to heaven through the gospel message. And God’s truth isn’t found by human beings…it is provided to human beings by God. Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 3 to 7…
LUKE 15:3 Jesus told them this parable, saying…
LUKE 15:4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine sheep in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”
LUKE 15:5 “When he has found the lost sheep, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
LUKE 15:6 “And when the man comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”
LUKE 15:7 “I (the Lord Jesus Christ) tell you that in the same way…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner (an unbeliever) who repents (changes His mind about having a relationship with Jesus Christ) than over ninety-nine righteous persons (believers in Christ) who need no repentance.”
Believers don’t need repentance because they have already repented. God the Holy Spirit provides the gospel message to all mankind so we can repent. John, Chapter 16, Verse 13…
JOHN 16:13 But when He, God the Holy Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into ALL the truth…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:2 For I (Paul) decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
God gives the truth to WHOSOEVER wants a full understanding of the truth. John, Chapter 3, Verse 16…
JOHN 3:16 “For God the Father loved the world unconditionally…and He loved the world so much…that He GAVE His uniquely born Son (the God-man…the Lord Jesus Christ…to be crucified on a Cross) … so that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (the resurrection life).”
To God, every season is the season of giving. To Satan, the enemy of God, every season is the season of taking. Second Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verses 3 and 4…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 4:3 And even if our gospel message is veiled, and it is, it is veiled to those who are perishing (unbelievers)…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 4:4 …in whose case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Paul didn’t change the gospel message to make it “more believable” for those in Corinth (using the persuasive art of words…slick speech) … he simply let the powerful truth of the gospel message stand on its own power. It’s a great thing to remember when we’re evangelizing.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:3 I was (interacting) with you in (my own) weakness and in (my own) fear and in much trembling (the attitude of an obedient slave who is in awe of God)…
Paul was being himself. We know that God works through weak people…not through the “strong.”
Paul was preaching a Christ who is CRUCIFIED…a “weak” Christ in the eyes of the world…remember First Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verse 23…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 1:23 …but we (Paul speaking of himself) … preach about a CRUCIFIED Christ… which to Jewish unbelievers is a stumbling block and to Gentile unbelievers (the Greeks) is foolishness…
Paul had an attitude that was the polar opposite to the rulers in Corinth who saw themselves as gods and who were worshipped as gods…he did not see "self" as important. He did not get his power from the source of himself. From where did Paul derive his power? First Corinthians, Chapter 2, Verse 4 tells us…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:4 …and my message and my preaching were not (delivered) in the persuasive art of words and in human wisdom…but (my message and my preaching were delivered) as a demonstration of the spiritual power of God the Holy Spirit…(in divine) power (providing heavenly proof) …
God’s power compensates for a preacher’s weakness. Second Corinthians, Chapter 12, Verses 9 and 10…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 12:9 And the Lord has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for (divine) power is perfected in (human) weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I (Paul) will rather boast about my weaknesses…so that the (divine) power of Christ may dwell in me.
SECOND CORINTHIANS 12:10 Therefore, I (Paul) am well content with weaknesses…with insults…with distresses…with persecutions…with difficulties…for Christ’s sake…for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Pastors are spokesmen for God’s power…it is God who transforms hearts. Why?
FIRST CORINTHIANS 2:5 …so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men…but (that your faith would rest) on the (divine) power of God.
Divine proof manifests itself in changed lives, and lives are not transformed through motivational speeches. The gospel calls for the proper use of faith. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 8 and 9…
EPHESIANS 2:8 For by God’s grace you have been saved through faith (in Christ for salvation) … and that grace and that faith and that salvation are not from the source of yourselves…it is the gift of God….
EPHESIANS 2:9 …therefore, being saved is not as a result of works (deeds you have done in self-righteousness) … so that no one may boast (about saving himself).
Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 7…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:7 …for we (believers in Christ) walk by faith, not by sight—
For Christians, it's not "I'll believe it when I see it." For Christians, it is, "I'll see it when I believe it."
Faith in God’s wisdom works…faith in man’s wisdom doesn’t work. In Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 24 to 27 the Lord says…
MATTHEW 7:24 "…everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
MATTHEW 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house…and yet the house did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”
MATTHEW 7:26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
MATTHEW 7:27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house…and the house fell—and great was its fall.”
The gospel message is a signpost, pointing to the Rock, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To make a long story short, my life as a Pastor got really easy when I realized that my job was simply to share the gospel message and the Word of God…letting it rest on its own power, rather than having to manufacture titillating messages every week to tickle people’s ears. That’s why at Barah Ministries we don’t have a band…bible study isn’t a concert… we aren't walking up and down the aisles with our hands over our heads in phony proclamation. Instead, we sit in our seats and let the power of God’s thoughts permeate us. And God’s truth never misses its mark. Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verse 11…
ISAIAH 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth…it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
There is no need to convince people with the gospel message. We just need to get out of the way of the gospel message so God can do His work with it.
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
The closing moments of our study are for the benefit of anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that GOD WANTS YOU.
What does God want for you? Two things. First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4 …who desires all men to be saved and for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.
First and foremost, GOD WANTS YOU TO BE SAVED. Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 affirms His intentions for you…
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead He is patient toward you unbelievers…not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
This immutable and irrevocable fact may contradict the thoughts placed in your head by God’s enemy, Satan, who contends that God is always looking for ways to come down on you.
Are you saved?
Second, GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW THE TRUTH. So God provides you with the Bible …which contains the absolute truth…His exact thinking. John, Chapter 20, Verses 30 and 31…
JOHN 20:30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book (the Bible)…
JOHN 20:31 …but these things written here (in the Bible) have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (The Jewish Messiah)…the Son of God in human form…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in His name.
Do you know the truth, especially the truth about who God is and what He has done for you?
Maybe you don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ…maybe you don’t think He is God, and maybe you don’t think the Bible is His exact thinking. Maybe you don’t even think you need to be saved. The Bible says that being saved…salvation…is exactly what ALL humans need from the moment of physical birth. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 1…
EPHESIANS 2:1 At physical birth, all of mankind were born spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…
First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a For all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…
The Bible says all who are spiritually dead need to be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ volunteered for the task of saving you. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 4 and 5 say…
EPHESIANS 2:4 But God the Father…being rich in mercy…because of His great unconditional love with which He loved all of us…
EPHESIANS 2:5 …even when we were spiritually dead in our transgressions…made us believers in Christ spiritually alive in union with Christ…by His grace you have been saved…
When you were spiritually dead, as ungodly, unrighteous unbelievers, here’s what God the Father gifted to you…Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8…
ROMANS 5:8 But God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankind, in that while we were yet sinners (as spiritually dead, ungodly, unrighteous unbelievers), Christ died as a sacrifice for us.
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance what I also received… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…
Because of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, right where you sit right now, you can have eternal life…the resurrection life…by taking the suggestion in Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
You would also do well to heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
If you reject a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, eternity will not go well for you. Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 tells you who saves you…
ACTS 4:12 “…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”
You don’t have to work to be saved…it’s a free gift from a gracious God… Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…
TITUS 3:5 The Lord Jesus Christ saved us…not on the basis of deeds which we have done in self-righteousness…but according to His mercy…by the washing of regeneration and through the renewing by God the Holy Spirit…
There is no excuse for not knowing how to be saved. It’s SO simple. Why? It’s simple because God does the saving for you. All you have to do is invest your gift of faith…a gift you received from a loving God…and place that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. Do it now! There is no time to waste.
SONG INTRODUCTION
Believers in Christ have the righteousness of God credited to their account from the moment of salvation. That’s good news for believers because now that we are a part of the Lord, in union with Christ, He would never consider abandoning us. Second Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 13 says…
SECOND TIMOTHY 2:13 …if we believers in Christ are faithless…the Lord remains faithful…for He cannot EVER (not never…ouk!) deny Himself.
There's going to be a day in heaven when we will be surrounded by souls who can proclaim this song with gusto…here’s June Murphy to sing a song the describes our Lord perfectly…HE’S BEEN FAITHFUL.
CLOSING SONG HE’S BEEN FAITHFUL June Murphy
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
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