October 10, 2010

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 

  Called To Preach....God's "Foolish" Plan  

1 Corinthians

I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God.  As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas." 

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters?  God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense.  Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. 

God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true.  And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense.  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.  This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.  And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus.  For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself.  He is the one who made us acceptable to God.  He made us pure, and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.  As the Scriputres say, " The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done."   

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Thoughts.....

Ladies and gentlemen....we are ALL called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Good morning!  For those who are now squirming in their seats saying to yourselves that you are not called to preach and you are not going to knock on doors and make a fool of yourself......well.....think again.  You ARE called to preach this "foolish" plan.  God has called you.  If you have accepted the salvation message...received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you have a responsibility to not just sit there, but to share that he is, and who he is, and how wonderful he is...and what he can be to others and for others.  Have you figured that out for yourself?  If not, isn't it about time? 

Are you on the road to destruction?  Does the message of the cross sound foolish to you?  Do you know who Jesus is and what he has done for you?  Have you heard the salvation message...that He died for you, so you could be forgiven of your sins and that he has offered you eternal life?  That you can have a future and have a victorious future with him in your life?  Listen closely....once you receive him as your Lord and Savior...you, too, have a responsibility to preach.  To say thank you to him by doing some "foolish" preaching...sharing him with all. 

For those who do believe...does the message of the cross sound foolish to you, too?  Have you laid down your life for him as he has laid down his life for you?  do you merely go to church because you think you should?   Do you go home after church criticizing what you have heard?  Or how I or another presents the message?  Then todays message is for you.  In Isaiah 29: 13-14 it says:  "And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine.  They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away.  And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote."  Because of this, I will do wonders among these hypocrites.  I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding."       

And so, enter the preachers...those persons called....to "use our foolish preaching to save all who believe".  Note that it says 'to save all who believe'.  That would be the people sitting in the churches....you...and you....and you over there....who ever you are and wherever you are.  Those who say you believe in Jesus Christ...or are presumed to believe, as you sit in a place of worship....even in front of your computer right now churching via the web.  But as we see here...not all who sit in honor, deserve that placement...or know...really know...who HE is, or what HE did, or what we should do in thanksgiving.    

Christ was crucified.  To those called by God to salvation, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.  "This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength." 

Who are you?  Are you weak or are you strong?  Are you wealthy or are you poor?  Somewhere in between?  Have you a home, or none at all?  Have you money in the bank, or are you living day to day...sometimes moment to moment?  Are you wise, brilliant, powerful?  Or are you not wise, not brilliant, not powerful?  Does it matter to God?  NO!  You are his child.  Called from before birth to be his....he made you..."You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13  Will you say as the Psalmist, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!"  Will you bow down before him in thanksgiving?  Will you say thank you by preaching God's wise plan?   

Remember what the Scriptures say....few of us are wise, powerful, or wealthy when we are called.  God chooses things the world considers as foolish (lack of wisdom) in order to shame those who think they are wise.  And powerless folks to shame those who are powerful.  Things not worthy by others to become important.  So that we can not boast in the presence of God.  Should not, even if we think we can.   

The last paragraph above says, "God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ".  You may have heard the phrase, "Not by my might nor my power."  "We are weak, but he is strong."  Jesus made us acceptable to God.  Jesus made us pure, and holy when he died on the cross to purchase our freedom.  We were slaves to death, but now we have been freed to live.  Will you accept this sacrifice from Jesus Christ today?  Will you say to the man who died for you to give you a new life...the Savior of the World... "I accept you as my Savior, please be THE LORD of my life today, right now.  Please forgive me of my sins and make me whole, and fill me with your Holy Spirit, so that I may do what you want me to do, go where you want me to go and preach the Gospel in season and out, teaching me all things you need me to know as I go....helping me to listen, so as to grow in you."?  If so, repeat after me, "I accept you as my Savior, please be THE LORD of my life today, right now.  Please forgive me of my sins and make me whole, and fill me with your Holy Spirit, so that I may do what you want me to do, go where you wnat me to go and preach the Gospel in season and out, teaching me all things you need me to know as I go...helping me to listen, so as to grow in you."  And the people said...."Amen."  

Now that you have accepted Jesus as your LORD, act like he is LORD over your life.  Perhaps you have just renewed your vows to him today, you had fallen away.  Either way, do not boast.  "The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done." 

And wait.  Wait on the Holy Spirit to empower you and give you utterance.  In Acts1: 4:-5 Jesus said, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised.  Remember, I have told you about this before.  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

If you have not been baptized with water, and you are not affiliated with a church...go into the shower, the bathtub, the lake, or sprinkle water on your head.  Talk to Jesus...he knows your needs....ask him to forgive you of your sins....be forgiven and cleansed by the Lord...be as white as snow.  Baptism is an outward expression of an inward confession.  If you have no water, do not be alarmed or afraid that you may do something wrong, if you are not baptized.  Jesus forgives you of your sins whether you have water or not, if you have asked him.  This was an action taken in the old church that is still used today to let others know of what you have done...asked forgiveness....so others can come along side you to help you be strong and not sin again.  The latter is not always done unfortunately, but if you have the committment, and you ask God for his strength, more importantly, believe that HE lives and does live in you, you are one with Christ and can be called a 'Promise Child'.  Welcome to the family of God. 

The Holy Spirit may come upon you immediately.  He may even come before you are baptized.  He will give you all the fruits and gifts you need 'to walk with him and talk with him'.  The fruits are outlined predominately in Galatians 5:22.  "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Here there is not conflict with the law." 

The gifts are outlined in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 and read thus:  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, I will write about the special abilities the Holy Sprit gives to each of us, for I must correct your misunderstandings about them.  You know that when you were pagans you were led astray and swept along in worshipping speechless idols.  So I want you to know how to discern what is truly from God:  No one speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one is able to say, "Jesus is Lord, " except by the Holy Spirit.  Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all.  There are different kinds of service in the church, but is it the same Lord we are serving.  There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the works through all of us.  A spritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.  To  one person the Sprit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge.  The Spirit give special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick.  He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy.  He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking.  Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.  It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts.  He alone decides which gift each person should have."  Be not concerned if this is a lot to process....it is meant to be taken in slowly.   

Also, there are times we are not to go preach and times to go preach.  In Acts 16: 6-10 you will see that Holy Spirit guided Paul and Silas where to go and when.  So pray.  Paul says in Philippians 4: 6-9  "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you."                               

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Let Us Pray

 Dear Heavenly Father God, Lord Jesus, and Teacher...Comforter Holy Spirit.  I come to your presence with thanksgiving.  I am blessed to know you love me and that you have given me the opportunity to be forgiven of my sins...if I ask, and receive eternal life, if I live a life of obedience to you with thanksgiving.  Please forgive me of my sins, and instill in me the desire to be a promise child.  Please Holy Spirit, come into my life fully.  Baptise me in your fullness.  Please fill me to overflowing with all those things I need by and of your grace, to be everything I need to be for you, those in the world to whom YOU send me, and for myself.  Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but say the word and I shall be healed.  Now send me forth to do all you have called me to do and be for the people that so desperately need to hear your message...or be reminded.  Help me be encouraged to live the life I have started with you.  Help me to pronounce to the world who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are, and that they can have you in their lives, too.  Help me to bring them to Holy Spirit that he might baptise them with the fullness of your love, your saving grace, your guiding grace.  Let me encourage others...and be encouraged.  Give me and others a new life in you.  I am so grateful that you love me. I bow down to you, God, and Glorious Love....Jesus.  Help me to always be real...be true...be right...be loving. Thank you....and...Amen.         

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More love.... 

  Benediction...Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regulary to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our Current Cause

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member of, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you!   

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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