Sermon in Minneapolis 12.04.1981

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Let us read the following words of God, which are found in the second chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians. And the words are in Jesus' name as follows.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor the princes of this world that come to naught. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden mystery, hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Amen.

The Apostle Paul, as we all are well aware, was chosen by God, or rather we would say chosen by our Lord and Savior, to be an apostle of the Gentiles. We understand from Scripture that the Jews had rejected the doctrine of our Lord and Savior, which doctrine the apostles taught. And that doctrine was, or is, the doctrine of life, as it is a true and living doctrine given by God to the Gentiles and empowered by His Spirit.

We remember how Jesus Himself taught when He said that God gave unto Him all things and all power and authority. And as He taught His disciples, He assured them that as God had given unto Him, so He gave unto them.

And as we understand that the gospel has traveled, as according to Scripture, from nation to nation, the time that the Lord had revealed to us as a source of life was the time when He had given unto us in which the Jews rejected, was the time of the Apostle Paul.

In one of his speeches, he declared unto an audience which apparently was of Jews, that since they had rejected this living gospel, that it would now be turned unto the Gentiles.

The power that was bestowed upon the apostles by our Lord and Savior is the same power which we today, in the kingdom of God, have in the preaching of the gospel. The power of God has not lessened or become any smaller than it was even in the day of our Lord and Savior.

The miracles which were performed by him are still performed by the kingdom of God even today. Though in a natural sense, there have not been those who are naturally blind given sight or so forth. But we understand that the miracle which is the translating or the lifting of one who is spiritually blind, spiritually dead, into the way unto life, is the most important and most precious miracle.

Jesus, after performing a natural miracle, spoke unto his disciples and told them that even greater works than this will they do. And the greater work is that through the power of the gospel, a sinner who is dead in trespasses and sins would be raised from death unto life.

This is what the work of the kingdom of God is. This is the most important and most precious work. And it is for this purpose that God has kept his kingdom here on this earth to make known the mystery of salvation unto the penitent sinner.

The Apostle, even as he explained here unto these Corinthian Christians, who were of the Gentiles and who had received the grace of repentance and needed to be uplifted and comforted and directed on the way of faith, were reminded that the salvation which they had received was not of man, but it was of God, through the power of God in the word of the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul, as we know, was a very educated man. But when he had the grace of repentance, he then understood even this great formal education he had was but dung compared to that of the Holy Spirit. A treasure which he had come to know through the forgiveness of his sins. And that treasure is the hope of everlasting life.

And as a worker or as a servant of the Lord and Savior, he then knew also, even as we, brothers and sisters, are given to know, that the power of God is not in the wisdom of man, or is the power of the Gospel in the beauty, the outward beauty of words. But as the Apostle said here, that it was in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

And he himself acknowledged that of himself, he had nothing to offer. And as he said here, that when I came unto you, I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Again, we, brothers and sisters, understand how we are enclosed in a grace kingdom by and through the grace of God. And this has all been accomplished for us through the redemption work of our Lord and Savior.

Even here, the Apostle wished to make sure that there would be no mistake, that the salvation of even these Corinthian Christians, and His own salvation, was completely on the redemption work of Jesus. And to make known the way unto salvation is to preach the Gospel which has been prepared by that redemption work of Jesus.

He said then further that, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

When the hearer of the word of God is listening with ears of faith, the word is a word of power, and it is a word of reconciliation. But if the hearer is listening with natural ears, the preaching of the word of God is, as we heard here in this text, foolishness.

It is very obvious of those who are outside of God's kingdom, for they truly do not accept and believe that salvation can be received or had in this way, through the preaching of this word.

For man has, in his wisdom, attempted to prepare the way unto life. And as a result of this, we have in this world countless doctrines.

Even in the Old Testament time, there are examples of how, from the very beginning, man was determined to prepare his own way unto salvation. But again, Scripture testifies very plainly, that there is only one way unto eternal life.

And that way has been opened and prepared for us through the work which God has done. And the work which God has performed is that He sacrificed and gave His only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins, as the Apostle John writes.

That by Him and through Him and Him alone can one receive this hope.

So therefore, it is so, it is true, that the children of God, who preach this living Gospel, are in weakness and in trembling and in fear. For the old Adam would always be ready to teach or to suggest that which is contrary to what God in His Spirit reveals.

And the old Adam would always be ready to prepare and attempt to choose such words that would be very pleasing to the ear of the listener. But as beautiful and as perfect as those words may be outwardly, if they are not given by God, by the Holy Spirit, they will benefit no one.

But that word, which is in weakness, preached by and through the power of God's Spirit, is the word that is able to bring life unto one who is seeking salvation for his undying soul.

Many there are in this world who have placed their salvation upon the great evangelists and preachers of this world. But they will be as those great mountains on the last day, which shall crumble and fall.

For if the foundation is not based on the Lord Jesus, it will perish. For He is the only true and sure foundation on which life can be, the way unto life can be established.

We also know, brothers and sisters, that the enemy of the soul has very diligently been working even in these last days. And it is so necessary that we be watchful as we are encouraged by the Lord Jesus Himself, to be watching in faith and listening in faith, so that the work of the enemy of the soul can be detected.

And then through the power in which God has given, the warfare can be successful.

For even as we, as weak and poor Christians, are struggling in the way of faith, the temptations of the world are also very present and real, that we would become attached to the words of even a certain speaker, on which we would begin to establish our standing.

But again, we also can be thankful and find assurance that God has placed into His kingdom the many gifts, even as the Apostle Paul explains. And in this kingdom, the gifts are given to discern even the spirits.

And if there should come a wrong spirit, the sound of alarm, the gift to discern and inquire as to what is it that is strange, or what is it that is lacking. And so we are protected by a multitude of saints, into which God has given the many gifts.

And that our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The power of God, as we remembered already, is in His word of the Gospel. And so it is necessary that we understand that it is only those words which God provides by and through His Spirit that are able to feed us or to sustain us in our journey of faith.

And this is the foundation. For as it is recorded in God's word, that even in the beginning, the word was God, and God is that word. And that this word was made flesh.

And that is a picture of our Lord and Savior, who came in the form of sinful flesh into this world, to bring this message of peace and to prepare the way unto life.

So this is the true foundation, the word of God, which is our Lord and Savior. And the power of God in His Spirit gives this hope of life.

For as it is written that without the Spirit there is no life. Or the Spirit quickens.

But then as He, the Apostle further continued here, howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world that come to naught, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew.

For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

As believers, as Christians, when we hear with ears of faith that word which is spoken from the kingdom of God, we are able to receive it and accept it.

But as we heard here, those that are of this world and the princes of this world, which are the many leaders and false prophets and so forth, they are not able to accept and receive this word.

For it is contrary to the law, for it is contrary to the mind of man, or as it says here, it is foolishness unto them.

And so in the wisdom of their own minds, they are continually attempting to prepare or to make ways by which man can receive life.

But in the kingdom of God, the wisdom of God is a mystery unto those outside. And it surely is, even unto our own minds, if we would attempt to determine this, the way in which God has prepared salvation.

But when faith is wholesome, and when the word is preached, it is received with thanksgiving and with joy.

And the very theme or the core of that word is the assurance which comes from heaven in the gospel, that sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and blood.

This is that hidden wisdom of God, which is contained in the gospel, and unto the world or unto the outside, it is a complete mystery.

And as we heard here, it has been ordained by God, even before the world, unto our glory.

So deep are the mysteries of God, and so perfect and complete is the love of God, in that already in eternity He has prepared the salvation for us in His own Son.

And as we heard here then, He has, through His Spirit, revealed unto us even that treasure which we own by faith, through the redemption work of Jesus.

For it says that God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

So it is impossible for carnal beings, for carnal minds to understand or to accept and believe the mystery of salvation which comes through the Gospel.

But when God, in His great love, gives such grace to bring the knowledge of sin, and to cause the sinner to seek grace and forgiveness, and when through the Gospel the assurance of that forgiveness is preached, then the Spirit which God gives is a Spirit of truth, and it is a Spirit that is able to comprehend even this great mystery of God, salvation by and through the Word of the Gospel.

And as we heard here, now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.

Certainly we have much to be thankful for in our temporal lives. Many and great are the blessings, but when we think of the greatest blessing of all, it is that blessing which we have received through the preaching of the Gospel, of the forgiveness of all our sins, in the name and blood of Jesus.

As the psalmist has written, that blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered.

Truly there is no more a blessed condition than one who has the forgiveness of all his sins, and has peace with God, and has the hope of life.

And with that Spirit which is given, there is that knowledge or comprehension that God has given freely of His grace, even the hope of everlasting life, a treasure that is an everlasting treasure.

So it is not what this world has to offer, but it is that which God has given, which is eternal.

And then he says, the apostle says here, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

This is also one of the most important things, and it is one of the fruits of the children of God. And it is inspired by the love of God.

For when God has loved one, and which is the correct order, as Jesus has said, that you have not loved me, but I have loved you, the love has first come, and it is the love of God that has come to you.

And it is the love of God that has come to you, that has first come from God.

And when we have tasted of this love, this love inspires that concern and hope for all mankind.

For the love of God is such that, as it is written, that it is not His will that any should perish, but all should come unto repentance and believe the Gospel.

And so, the things which we have received freely of grace, are those things of which we also speak.

And which we also have received, we also are inspired by that love to freely give. And that is to encourage and reveal unto the ungodly and unto the self-righteous, that in that condition, they will surely perish, and perish forever.

But God's love is yet revealed through His children, through His own, and wishes to teach and to encourage the sinner to repent of his sins, and to believe them forgiven, through the preaching of the foolish gospel, as the Apostle Paul calls it, and receive unto their hearts and souls the peace of God and the hope of life.

And it is truly then so that the Spirit that we have received, which is the Spirit of God, compares spiritual things with spiritual.

In this time of wisdom and high knowledge, we are also very familiar with and very aware how the wisdom of this world is ever attempting to discern and to interpret the scriptures, and how many doctrines and how many interpretations have arisen through the wisdom of man.

But we, brothers and sisters, who have received that Spirit of God, compare spiritual things with spiritual.

And this is by far the most important and the most precious.

For even the many miracles which Jesus performed in His time, where the blind were given sight and the lame walked, and so forth, were truly great miracles.

But those believers who were believing on Him, who had their sins forgiven and had received the Spirit of God, comprehend a far greater miracle than that the natural sight was restored or the temporal bodily diseases were healed, but that a sinner who was spiritually sick and spiritually dead was lifted onto the way of life through that word of the Gospel.

There is especially that one portion which comes to mind concerning the man who was sick of the palsy. And when he was brought unto Jesus, Jesus said first unto him, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee.

And we remember that, and we remember how the Pharisees and the unbelievers were offended or they criticized Jesus for his preaching the Gospel unto Him.

But then Jesus answered and said unto them that, so that you will believe that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins, He told the man to rise up, and take up thy bed and walk. And he did.

That was the purpose of these miracles, to reveal how the power of God had been given unto Him.

But even then we know there were many who did not believe, even as we heard this morning through our dear brother.

And even in other situations, many of them, even though they witnessed the many miracles, the marvelous works of Jesus, yet they did not believe because it was not received in faith.

So it is a very precious grace gift, dear brothers and sisters, which we have received of God, freely of His grace.

And that is first that we have been given to know that under His word and in the light of His word we ourselves are worthy only of death.

But He has loved us, and He has given us grace, and He has through the Gospel forgiven us our many sins, and has given us many spiritual gifts and blessings.

And He has given us of His Spirit by which we are able to discern and compare those precious gifts and blessings which are everlasting, which are eternal.

As we heard then that the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

The Apostle Peter speaks concerning this judgment. And he says that judgment begins at the house of God.

In this same connection Jesus spoke unto the multitudes concerning judgment. And he said, I came not to judge the world, but so that the world through me might be saved.

But he says these words that I speak unto you now, the same shall judge you in the last day.

And so it is with this word that judgment is given. It is not that judgment has been given unto us, and that we of ourselves are able to judge, but that judgment comes through the word.

And it is wishing to reveal unto the self-righteous and unto the unbeliever that this word will judge you on the last day. And it judges unto eternal condemnation.

But now is the time, when this word preached in the time of grace, so that you can be judged with grace and forgiveness.

And this is how we, brothers and sisters, have been judged. We have been judged with that grace and forgiveness in this time of grace.

And there is no fear of that eternal or that judgment of the last day. For we have now been judged with the mercy, grace and forgiveness of God.

When sins are forgiven, there is no fear of that final judgment. But there is a longing and a waiting for that final moment when we can be released from the sorrows and trials of this life and be able to enter into that eternal home of rest.

So therefore, when we remain steadfast in faith, believing our sins forgiven, keeping faith in a good conscience, we cannot be judged of no man. For we have already been judged, as we say, with grace and forgiveness.

For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

How precious it is that we have been given freely and abundantly the spirit and mind of Christ. It is a precious gift.

But it is also very important that we would remain. For we know that we are in warfare and we are battling a threefold enemy. And we are in danger from all sides.

But we can be assured and we can be confident and trust as God has promised that He will not forsake even the smallest and the weakest one.

So how then, brothers and sisters, can we remain in this love and carry the mind of Christ? It is simply in obedience of faith and putting away all sin as it comes upon us in our journey of faith.

And to believe them forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

God has provided a very precious grace privilege. And it is this that we have the freedom to unburden our hearts and consciences of all hindrances, of all sins, of all doubts and of all fears.

And remember that invitation to come freely to that throne of grace to find help in time of need.

And so that invitation is ever new. It is being renewed unto us in each new day of grace.

And the grace of God is an unending stream into which we can enclose ourselves and through which we can be cleansed through the preaching of the Gospel.

So again this afternoon, brothers and sisters, we can find assurance and comfort for our hearts and souls when we accept and believe through faith the preaching of the Gospel, that our sins are forgiven unto us in Jesus' name and precious blood.

In Jesus' name, Amen.