Tag Power of the Cross

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 – “Proclaiming Christ and Him Crucified”

Jon Beck Leave a comment

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, Nov.14th.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:30 on Facebook at Tabernacle Facebook Page. We also provide the services through YouTube by Sunday afternoon at TAB YouTube.  You can also find our Worship Guides, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List and other resources at our Church Website.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 - [1] And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (ESV

INTRO

  • The church in Corinth had lost their focus.
  • They had begun to give more credit to the wisdom of man and the world rather than to God
  • We too can lose our focus when it comes to our impact in our community and our growth as a church.
  • How can we be faithful in our culture with the Gospel?
    • Seeing our loved ones come to faith in Christ
    • Seeing our community transformed by the power of the Gospel
  • We must keep a close eye on the messenger and on the message we proclaim.

The Messenger of the Gospel

Actively serving the Lord

  • Paul’s ministry in Corinth. Acts 18:1-11

Aware of our limitations

  • In weakness – v. 3.
  • Paul has physical issues.
  • None of us are without limitations.
  • God is not looking for perfection but availability

Walking closely with Lord

  • In fear and trembling – v. 3
  • The one aspect of our salvation that we have the most control is our SANCTIFICATION.  OUR LIVING FOR CHRIST.
  • Our spiritual disciplines.  God’s grace gifts.
    • Word, Prayer, Worship, Ministry

The Message of the Gospel

Not focused on our giftedness or ability

  • Not with lofty speech or wisdom – v. 1
    • Not in the words or ability of the messenger
  • Plausible words of wisdom – v. 4
    • THINKING…The way is how to bring about salvation.
    • The danger of an attractional ministry.
    • The balance of meeting them where they are in order the share the Gospel

Focused on the Cross

  • Jesus Christ and Him crucified – v. 2 (the what)
  • Crucified… the Gospel
    • God is Holy
    • Man is Sinful
    • Jesus is the perfect redeemer
    • We must receive the Gospel

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

  • Demonstration of the Spirit – v. 4
  • The proof of the power of the spirit is our conversion.

CONCLUSION

Here is a freeing thought… GOD DOES THE SAVING. I WILL NOT PREVENT SOMEONE FROM BEING SAVED NOR CAN I SAVE SOMEONE. Yet, my love for the Lord and for the lost should motivate me to share the truth of the Gospel… TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

I need to be an ambassador for Christ and an instrument of the Gospel.

When the messenger is on the same page as the message then we will see true God do glorious things.

So that your faith will not rest in the wisdom of men but the power of God. - v. 5

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 – “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”

Jon Beck Leave a comment

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, Nov.7th.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:30 on Facebook at Tabernacle Facebook Page. We also provide the services through YouTube by Sunday afternoon at TAB YouTube.  You can also find our Worship Guides, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List and other resources at our Church Website.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 - [26] For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; [28] God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, [29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, [31] so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV)

INTRO

  • What does the World offer us?
  • What does the Gospel offer us?
  • Where is true wisdom?
  • 1 Corinthians 1:25 – For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Consider your Calling…. vv. 26a

Consider who you are.  Consider what it means to be born-again.  Consider what it means to be Christ’s.

  • Ephesians 1:15–23 – [15] For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, [16] I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18] having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might [20] that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, [21] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. [22] And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)

Consider your Choosing – vv. 26b-29

The CALL TO SALVATION is not based on wisdom, power, or nobility.

  • Wisdom – the intellectually elite
  • Power/Control – the politically elite
  • Influence/Prominence – the socially elite.

A call to salvation is a call from worldly wisdom and understanding

  • No hope in us
  • No hope in the world
  • All hope in Christ

The world offers nothing – The Gospel offers EVERYTHING

The world says

  • You can
  • You deserve
  • You are

The Gospel says

  • You cannot
  • You deserve nothing
  • You must deny self

SO THAT we have nothing to boast in…except Grace.

  • Eph. 2:8-10 – [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

Questions to consider:

  • Where is the focus and priorities of life?
    • The things of the world or who I am in Christ
  • Where do you find the greatest joys?
    • In what you hope to accomplish in life… ambitions, goals
    • In whom you are Christ.  IN HIM.
  • Who gets the glory in your life?  You or God
    • Some of us boast in us and then try to acknowledge God in the process.
  • What was the basis or your conversion? (this leads to the 3rd point)
    • Believing in Jesus and a desire to go to heaven.
    • OR
    • Realizing the depth of your sin and the saving power of or Jesus Christ.

Consider your Conversion (the Gospel) – vv. 30-31

Righteousness

  • A right standing before God
  • Bearing our sin on Himself – 2 Cor. 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Sanctification

  • Our holiness
  • Making possible our growth in grace.

Redemption

  • Our sin debt
  • He is the one that has delivered us from a life sin and self to a life of truth and trust.


Ephesians 4:1–7 – [1] I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—[5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [7] But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (ESV)