WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Where does revival come from? 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:11.880 Can we have a big pepper rally and maybe get some musicians up here and stir up our emotions and just kind of beat the drum? 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:13.480 Let's have revival. 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:18.920 Let's have revival and get people excited. 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:31.879 And I think a lot of churches function that way in seeking to excite revival, to push revival in some form of external way through emotionalism. 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:48.560 And it can do a, it can seem beneficial during the event Sunday morning when the worship is lively and moving and you can leave thinking, wow, that was wonderful. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:52.140 Kind of like a pepper rally is to a sporting team. 00:00:52.140 --> 00:00:53.140 That was amazing. 00:00:53.140 --> 00:00:55.159 That was fun. 00:00:55.159 --> 00:01:02.039 But 10 minutes after you drive out of the parking lot, nothing's changed. 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:06.920 It was great in the moment, but there was no life changing event. 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:08.799 And you go back to the same sins. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:10.599 You go back to the same lukewarmness. 00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:14.560 You go back and your life is not anymore. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:20.319 In reality, I move towards holiness and to godliness. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:23.640 There's really no change. 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:40.359 And if we think about how, how, how can we have revival and another way of looking at it, if it's not looking for revival is like, how can the church have an impact in the world or gain power in this world or authority? 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:43.519 Where is the authority of the church found? 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:49.599 I mean, churches are looking to be taken seriously in the communities. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:50.879 We want a voice. 00:01:50.879 --> 00:02:00.920 We want to be seen as a viable option for the community to go, look, this is, this is where we need to be. 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:05.959 We need to listen to the church. 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:18.919 And so often churches are given to trying to build authority in the community, build respectability influence upon the community. 00:02:18.919 --> 00:02:23.439 But the church has an inherent problem to overcome. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:30.840 There is a major difficulty in impressing the world. 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:35.680 And a lot of church growth is based upon trying to impress unbelievers. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:37.000 I want to be there. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:44.439 There's something they have to say, but there's an inherent problem that the church has to overcome. 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:51.039 The message it has to give the world is something the world disdain. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:54.919 We have a message of crucifixion and death. 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:59.039 We have a message that teaches that there's none righteous, no, not one. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:07.840 It's a message of humility, a message of man is not good. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:11.560 It's a message that men and women are sinners. 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:16.960 A message of depravity is not a message that the world wants to hear. 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:24.039 We have a message of judgment, hell, wrath. 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:31.159 This doctrine is not what the world thinks is respectable. 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:47.400 So the church has a message that they're called to proclaim, but is a message that the world inherently doesn't want to receive. 00:03:47.400 --> 00:04:09.560 And so the church is tempted to gain respectability and authority in the community, to gain a voice among unbelievers by adopting the same tactics that secular societies and institutions ploy to gain a hearing. 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:13.759 And this was the problem of the church of Corinth. 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:29.680 We've already talked about how they are evaluating preachers, not based upon spiritual credentials, but upon showy credentials, what appeared to be more impressive. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:39.480 They gravitated to the preaching of Apollos because he was an articulate presenter of the gospel. 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:44.839 He was trained speaker. 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:49.000 And they looked at Paul and go, Paul, you're not that good of a speaker. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:05:02.360 And if we're going to impress society, we need those who are impressive, something that can attract hearers if you would. 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:17.959 And so Paul has given arguments, why not to evaluate preaching and in one way, the ministry of the church based upon the evaluation that the world would evaluate a church on. 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:29.399 And he says, you're looking at Paul and Apollos through these lens of who can preach better and who can speak better and who seems to be the more educated among them. 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:33.319 That's what you're evaluating preaching upon. 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:38.560 But actually, that's not where the power is. 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:44.360 And he comes to his third argument and he uses himself as an illustration. 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:46.920 He says, remember when I came to you. 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:50.680 You were converted under my preaching and under my ministry. 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:55.000 Now remember, was I very impressive? 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:57.199 He starts off in verse one of chapter two. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:04.600 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:09.399 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:14.040 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:32.839 And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and a power so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:39.040 See what Paul is doing is explaining where real power comes from. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:46.680 He's really explaining if we want revival, where revival would come from, where power comes from. 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:47.680 What is revival? 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:59.360 Martin, Lord Jones says revival is when the spirit comes in power and unusual way to bring effect on many people at the same time. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:20.079 And would we not want God to work in our day, work in our preaching, work in our church services that would be truly transformational among ourselves, that we would come to church and we would be transformed into the likeness of Christ, that we wouldn't just come and you know, as soon as the sermons over go, hey, I can't wait to eat. 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:29.399 I can go back to my normal life and unbelievers and visitors coming in couldn't just come in and sat down in their life, just be essentially the same. 00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:34.759 Or maybe they learned a couple of true facts about scriptures, but there was no power. 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:36.319 There was no sanctification. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:43.160 There was no humbling of the self and a more exalted view of God in their minds and hearts. 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.720 Do you desire to come to church and be unchanged? 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:51.240 Do you desire to come here and just listen and be entertained? 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:54.800 Or do you want to meet God? 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:59.600 You want to experience God in a real way? 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:06.040 Is this an act of supernatural power in your lives? 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:11.240 Or is it just like every other lecture that the world can offer you? 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:23.560 You know, you've gone to the seminars, you've gone to school, you've said in the classroom, you've learned some things, but learning in of itself will only pop you up and think you're smart. 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:27.040 It won't humble you. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:31.120 Where is the real authority of the church? 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:35.039 Do we need a better musicians and better entertainment? 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:36.399 Do we need fog machines? 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:37.399 Do we need lights? 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:38.480 Do we need schools? 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:41.080 Do we need these things to bring the world in? 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:46.919 And maybe if we get our kids to love the church, maybe we can get teenagers to be, I want to go there. 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:53.360 They've got a fantastic youth ministry and I could really get along with all people there and I can't wait to go to church. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:09:00.159 Is that what we need for the church to have power? 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:05.080 For God to work in our lives? 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:10.519 Well this text tells us where the power comes from. 00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:16.299 First it tells it where it doesn't come from, then it tells us where it does come from. 00:09:16.299 --> 00:09:24.440 First it doesn't come from man, it doesn't come from us. 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:34.080 There's nothing I can do to produce it. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:38.840 I can't speak in a way that you're going to believe. 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:47.120 There's no school that will teach me how to speak or preach in a way that you'll believe. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:50.279 That's humbling. 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:56.259 There's no performance, there's nothing we can do here to save souls. 00:09:56.259 --> 00:10:02.000 It doesn't come from us. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:05.580 It doesn't come from man. 00:10:05.580 --> 00:10:10.960 It doesn't come from our oratory skills or from our wisdom. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.980 First we see it doesn't come from our oratory skills in verse 1. 00:10:14.980 --> 00:10:22.559 You see the world is going to take the, if the world is going to take the church seriously then the church needs winsome spokesmen. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:29.240 I mean think about the marketing firms that are looking for the athlete or the Hollywood star that is articulate. 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:31.700 Good looking and can speak well. 00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:38.840 There's a lot of money that can be made if you have the right spokesmen offering a product. 00:10:38.840 --> 00:10:40.340 We need you to sell our product. 00:10:40.340 --> 00:10:42.659 You can speak well and you look well. 00:10:42.659 --> 00:10:52.600 People know you, you have a platform and then we can sell a lot of stuff if we have you in front of the cameras. 00:10:52.600 --> 00:11:01.279 Maybe the church says maybe if we can get just such people behind the pulpit the world would buy our products. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:03.240 The world would be attracted to our churches. 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:13.200 We don't need poor preaching and humble men and people that can't string a couple words together. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:15.240 We need the right spokesmen. 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:19.120 We need articulate speakers. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:22.279 Those who are trained in the art of speaking. 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:26.320 We need professionals. 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:36.679 We're tempted to think we need professional speakers, spokesmen, those who are trained in oratory skills. 00:11:36.679 --> 00:11:50.799 Google says about oratory a good orator knows how to make an entrance appears as as it appears aspirational and has a commanding presence. 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:54.679 Oratory is the skill of eloquence and persuasion. 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:59.860 You see eloquence is being smooth and fluid in your speech. 00:11:59.860 --> 00:12:04.200 Persuasion is the art if you would of closing the deal. 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.879 We need good salesmen. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:12.639 We need men who know how to persuade. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:23.480 We need such men to get the church to be taken seriously. 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:28.279 You see this was a big deal in ancient Rome. 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:38.200 The Greeks trained not just to know philosophy but they had a whole branch of philosophy called rhetoric. 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:44.399 And Aristotle defined rhetoric as the ability to persuade, to convince. 00:12:44.399 --> 00:13:00.360 And if we just had men who knew how to convince people how to die to the self, to glorify God then we could be successful as a ministry. 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:09.320 Yep Paul says such professional orators is not where the authority is found in the church. 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:10.320 You see look at verse one. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:18.379 When I came to you brothers I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech. 00:13:18.379 --> 00:13:22.759 One translation translates this as eloquence of human wisdom. 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:30.799 The NASB says I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability. 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:35.919 The original has the idea of elevated or high speech. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.440 Speech that seems superior to other speech. 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:46.919 He says there was nothing about my preaching that would mark me as a better speaker than anybody else. 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:55.759 In fact he says you deemed me as my speaking ability as nothing to take note of as a base. 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:57.059 You weren't a great preacher. 00:13:57.059 --> 00:13:58.480 You weren't a great speaker. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.039 Paul says well that wasn't my concern. 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:04.480 When I came to you I wasn't trying to impress you. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:13.279 I wasn't trying to get you to be a follower of Paul because you thought I was a great orator or as a great speaker. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.080 I didn't want you to be impressed with me. 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:18.960 That wasn't my objective. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:30.519 You see Paul's preaching was discounted and looked down upon because he wasn't as eloquent as the Apollos, his friend Apollos. 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.480 You see he wasn't overly gifted. 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:38.440 That's not where power comes from. 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:45.919 You see rhetoric and oratory skills cannot precise sinners to turn from their sins. 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:51.000 Simply it cannot raise people from the dead. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:59.519 If you understand depravity you understand it's not in the preacher. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:01.279 You see look at verse 4 skip down to verse 4. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:05.799 It says my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom. 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:10.480 The USB says my preaching was not in persuasive words. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:14.840 The King James says my preaching was not with enticing words. 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:18.559 You see Paul knew that salesmanship cannot raise the dead. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:23.360 Salesmanship was not sufficient in bringing revival. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:29.320 Salesmanship wasn't sufficient in bringing forth sanctification. 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:31.720 This is why Paul had no confidence in his flesh. 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.840 He had no confidence in his preaching ability. 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:37.320 He wasn't thinking I've been a preacher for many years now. 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:38.399 I know what I'm doing. 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:55.000 I can go and persuade people to follow the Lord and they're going to follow the Lord because I know exactly what to say, when to say it and how to put the emphasis here and I can skillfully move and manipulate people's emotions where they're going to believe what I have to say. 00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:02.120 It's like no. 00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:08.039 It's not found in speaking ability. 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:09.799 Secondly it's not found in learning. 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:16.039 It's not found in man's wisdom. 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:29.480 The church may think to themselves the last thing the world wants is churches that have uneducated hillbillaries as their preachers. 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:40.440 If the world is going to take the church seriously then the church must be taken seriously by education. 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:46.720 We need preachers and pastors who are conversant in the so-called wisdom of the world. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:52.279 We need professional philosophers who are trained in apologetics. 00:16:52.279 --> 00:17:06.160 Those who know all the nuances of the different philosophical systems of the day and able to interwove that philosophy into their theology to show that theology is really congruent with the wisdom of this age. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:19.200 You don't have to look down upon us because we believe that crud created the world out of nothing and just because we believe in Genesis doesn't mean we can't embrace evolution too. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:35.480 If you think we deny evolution, you think we're stupid then we need to somehow take that learning and show how it's compatible with theology if you're going to take us seriously as a voice in this community. 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:43.079 To reach the world we have to impress the world with the wisdom of the world so is the thinking. 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:48.259 Yet this too was not where authority and power is to be found. 00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:52.660 Our message is foolishness to the world. 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:54.940 It's inherently foolish to them. 00:17:54.940 --> 00:17:56.980 The gospel they cannot receive. 00:17:56.980 --> 00:17:58.400 They don't want to receive it. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:17:59.539 They think it's a mockery. 00:17:59.539 --> 00:18:05.079 They think it's ignorant. 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.359 Selma Harris says Christianity is only for the ignorant. 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:14.519 And if you believe in Christianity that makes you ignorant. 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:15.759 That's what they think of us. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.039 Well we've got to change that impression. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:20.960 How are you going to change that impression? 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:27.259 And is that our goal to make the world think that we're smart or we're heavily educated? 00:18:27.259 --> 00:18:31.599 Is that going to change the world? 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:34.400 Paul says it doesn't. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:35.400 Look at verse 1. 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:42.640 When I came to you brothers I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:46.920 He says the same thing in verse 2 in my speech and my message or not in plausible words. 00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:48.799 That's verse 4. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:51.440 Words of wisdom. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:55.759 According to John and Galvin Paul did not aspire after such knowledge. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:02.400 In fact rather Galvin says he despised the learning of this world. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:04.319 In fact he determined to know nothing. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:08.200 See I don't know anything but the gospel. 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:13.359 I come to you I've determined not to know anything but this gospel which you think is foolish. 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:14.920 That's all I have to offer you. 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:15.920 I don't know anything else. 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:20.960 It's not that Paul didn't know anything else but that's all he had to communicate. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:22.920 That's all he had to speak. 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:28.880 That's all that he had to offer them is what they thought was foolish and unlearned. 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:30.039 That's my message. 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.759 That which you are not impressed with that's what I have to deliver. 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:37.359 And he says I'm not ashamed of it. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:38.359 I'm not ashamed of it. 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:40.079 I don't have to fancy it up. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:43.400 I don't have to apologize to God. 00:19:43.400 --> 00:19:49.680 It bothers me whenever you hear a preacher says I don't shoot the messenger and this is not you know this is the Bible. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:55.039 This is not don't apologize for it. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:56.039 This is the word of God. 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:57.039 How are you? 00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:01.000 Who is the philosophers of this world? 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:03.519 Who are they? 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.759 This is the wisdom of God. 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:15.640 Don't be ashamed of the word of God the power of the gospel in the gospel not man's wisdom is where salvation is found. 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:28.039 That's where real power is found and not in fancy speaking not in the education of this world. 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:39.759 God says the wisdom of this world they did not know God and he shows them to use foolish children babes to confound the wise ones of this age. 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:41.880 Don't be ashamed of God's wisdom. 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:45.599 I've come nothing to you. 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:49.039 I've known nothing but the gospel. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:55.519 But the Corinthians viewed Paul's preaching as too simplistic, too elementary. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:08.720 His presentation was not impressive and they were looking for something that could attract the world and impress the world and Paul didn't seem to measure up. 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:14.880 However Paul was not seeking to impress his hearers with his education or with his learning. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:19.440 He was trying to get people to live well that's a smart man. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:28.519 How many preachers would do better if they were just hide their education rather than trying to display it. 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:38.319 The reason why we'll see at the end is because Paul didn't want the faith to rest in him or in his wisdom or in his speaking ability. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:39.319 Look at verse 5. 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:45.079 So that your faith may not rest in the wisdom of man but in the power of God. 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:56.680 If I can convert you to the faith then I can unconvert you. 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:00.960 When we come to Spurgeon says I saw one of your converts drunk at the park. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:08.440 Spurgeon says yeah it must have been my convert. 00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:15.839 If it was God's convert he wouldn't have been drunk in the park. 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:17.400 It's not our goal. 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:19.299 We can't convert anyone. 00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:22.000 We can water and we can plant. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.640 But only one person can give the increase. 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:30.799 Only one person can change your life. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:44.960 He said in verse 17 of chapter 1 Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel not with the wisdom of words lest the cross or Christ should be made of non-effect. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:53.599 You see if we were in sales if the church was a car lot and we're trying to sell cars then let's look for the most professional salesman we can find. 00:22:53.599 --> 00:23:03.519 Let's train men in the art of the sale the art of closing the deal. 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:16.079 If our goal was anything other than raising the dead to new life in Christ we would need we would not need supernatural power. 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:28.160 However we are not trying to grow a church full of unconverted moral people. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:33.640 We are not trying to remove the offense and disdain of the gospel message. 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:50.000 We're not trying to smooth over the offensive doctrines of sin hell and judgment because our goal is nothing less than regeneration from the dead. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:24:02.220 We need power beyond us not in man's oratory skills or in man's wisdom do we need. 00:24:02.220 --> 00:24:07.640 That's not where authority is found and that's why the world is rejecting the church. 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:24.359 It's evaluated the church and no matter how much entertainment they give or how smart or learned they present themselves the world still is not buying it. 00:24:24.359 --> 00:24:27.920 Where is authority found? 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:29.839 Where is power found? 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:31.079 Where is real change found? 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:35.200 Where is revival found? 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.400 Found in two things. 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:41.799 The word of God and the spirit of God. 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:51.400 First we see verse two it's found in the word for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 00:24:51.400 --> 00:25:03.720 Now Paul is not saying he only preached the lie of the death from the resurrection of Jesus Christ that only his message was on those historical realities of the lie of death and resurrection of Christ that he didn't speak up on anything other than that. 00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:05.400 That's not what he's saying. 00:25:05.400 --> 00:25:09.160 You could read first Corinthians and see that he said a lot more than that. 00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:22.440 The second Corinthians and read through his epistles that he wasn't just merely limiting it just to the mere gospel if you would rather he's saying the gospel does not need any addition. 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:24.779 It doesn't need the wisdom of man. 00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:31.279 It doesn't need to be propped it up aided for it to be powerful. 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:38.000 It doesn't need our fancy apologetics to save souls. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:43.519 I've determined that that alone is sufficient. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:56.559 I've come to you with the recognition that the gospel alone to know nothing but that that alone is all I need to preach for the conversion of souls and you may be here say I don't know how to evangelize. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:02.960 So you don't have to go to evangelizing class and know all the philosophies and world religious to be effective evangelists. 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:11.519 All you need is the gospel and that is the power of God into salvation and that alone is the power of God into salvation. 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:19.839 And if you know the gospel which you do then you're sufficient and equipped to preach to others and evangelize others. 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:23.839 Don't minimize where the power is found. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:33.160 Don't trust your ability to talk people into conversion just unleash the gospel. 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:36.359 You see it's the simple gospel that has the power to save sinners. 00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:39.640 This is why Paul says I'm not ashamed of the gospel Romans 1 16. 00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:40.960 I'm not ashamed of it. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:41.960 I'm not embarrassed of it. 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:54.599 I don't have to dance around it and try to make it look better and add the wisdom of this world around it and wrap it with fancy paper where you can receive it and swallow it. 00:26:54.599 --> 00:26:59.960 I can give it to your role and unadulterated your center you're bound to hell. 00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:08.119 Christ is the Savior and if you repent of your sins and believe in Christ Jesus you shall be saved. 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:10.079 That is sufficient. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:11.160 That's good news. 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:12.799 That is wonderful news. 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:14.960 That's the only testimony. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:19.200 That's the only word that will save us from our sins. 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:27.039 It's powerful. 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:31.680 First Corinthians 1 18 for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. 00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:34.039 They're not going to like it. 00:27:34.039 --> 00:27:38.079 You're not going to you're not going to impress everybody. 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:52.880 But I would say the majority of you don't think you're full and if you're interested in trying to not look foolish before the world then you're going to compromise the gospel. 00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:59.160 Right. 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:04.160 They think it's foolish but that's our message and don't be ashamed of it. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:07.799 Let our church not be ashamed of it. 00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:12.200 That is and it alone is the power of God into salvation. 00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:24.960 If you're saved here this morning if you have have passed from death to life if you know the living God it's only because you believe this gospel. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:37.119 He says the message of the cross is foolishness those who are perishing but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God. 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:46.400 No wonder why churches have lost their power or have no authority in today's. 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:57.559 It's because churches are more worried about impressing and entertaining sinners than they are faithfully preaching the word of God. 00:28:57.559 --> 00:29:10.960 I mean we don't need you. 00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:14.319 We don't need you. 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:16.839 We don't need this thing. 00:29:16.839 --> 00:29:22.000 We don't need this. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:26.319 I'm not saying these things are wrong. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:31.640 We don't need. 00:29:31.640 --> 00:29:40.680 It's putting a speaker. 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:44.000 We don't need fancy lights. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:53.400 We don't need a fancy building. 00:29:53.400 --> 00:30:02.039 We don't need a lot of things. 00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:09.160 But we do need the word of God. 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:24.599 You see the word of God according to Paul or according to the author of Hebrews is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword and piercing even the dividing of the soul and spirit above joints and morrow and quick to discern the thoughts and the intent of the heart. 00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:35.160 It's the word of God not not the preacher's words not the persuasion and the selmanship of the of the evangelist. 00:30:35.160 --> 00:30:40.759 It's God's word spoken through the evangelist or this preacher or through the churchman. 00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:42.519 It's his word. 00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:46.799 It's this that begins to correct you. 00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:49.160 You rebuke you. 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:54.119 You begin to judge this and all of a sudden you realize this is judging you. 00:30:54.119 --> 00:30:59.680 And once you see that this word is judging you then you know you're hearing from God. 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:03.160 You're hearing God speak to you and say hey this is this is not right in your life. 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:04.759 This needs to be corrected. 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:05.759 You're a sinner. 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:13.759 This is something that you should be changed or sometimes you need to be encouraged and you don't just need a good pat on the bat back by some churchman. 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:15.880 You need you need the Lord to speak to you. 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:20.759 You need the Lord to lift you up and to minister to your soul. 00:31:20.759 --> 00:31:28.279 And if you're a sheep you hear his voice and it's not just the voice of a stranger but it's the voice of the living God. 00:31:28.279 --> 00:31:36.519 When God has placed the authority and the authority of the church is not inherent in the church. 00:31:36.519 --> 00:31:38.200 The authority of the preacher is not inherent in the preacher. 00:31:38.200 --> 00:31:44.759 The authority of the church is the word of God. 00:31:44.759 --> 00:31:45.759 What does that mean? 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:47.400 Be faithful to this. 00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:48.400 Preach this. 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:50.000 Be accurate with the word of God. 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:52.920 Proclaim its truth. 00:31:52.920 --> 00:32:00.079 Stick to this. 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:07.160 The reason music is wonderful is not because of the musicians and thank God we have them to help us stay on tune. 00:32:07.160 --> 00:32:15.920 I told Leith on the way here it's like when we get to heaven there's a friend of mine named Carson who is very gifted. 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:21.720 I said do you think God's going to give Carson's gift to me and give my gift to him of singing? 00:32:21.720 --> 00:32:29.200 I want to sing really bad. 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:30.200 And I'm thankful. 00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:36.079 I'm thankful for our musicians to help us stay on tune. 00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:41.799 But you know what makes the singing powerful? 00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:42.880 Not well that was pleasant. 00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:43.880 I enjoyed that. 00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:46.359 You know what it makes music powerful? 00:32:46.359 --> 00:32:48.880 It's the word of God in the music. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:58.160 It's the truthfulness of what we're singing complete in the. 00:32:58.160 --> 00:33:01.359 That's powerful because it's true. 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:03.160 That edifies. 00:33:03.160 --> 00:33:05.319 That brings glory to God. 00:33:05.319 --> 00:33:07.359 It's the truth. 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:13.640 You need to be a church that's committed to the word of God committed to truth. 00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:15.000 That changes things. 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:18.839 That's power. 00:33:18.839 --> 00:33:23.599 But secondly it's not just merely the truth. 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:39.799 We don't just need articulate Orthodox teachers who uphold the right confessions and that can properly exegete and apply God's word. 00:33:39.799 --> 00:33:43.200 We don't need dead Orthodoxy. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:51.039 Martin Lloyd Jones says dead Orthodoxy is a smug contentment with confessional adherence. 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:57.960 When we become prideful in our Orthodoxy I know the truth. 00:33:57.960 --> 00:34:02.160 These other denominations or other churches don't. 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:03.400 I'm reformed. 00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:04.400 I'm this. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:05.480 I'm that. 00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:08.280 And I can properly explain this passage. 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:22.199 You know you can properly explain a passage of truth and it doesn't do you or any other person any good in and of itself. 00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:27.239 We need more than just the word. 00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:34.559 We need the word empowered by the spirit. 00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:38.079 The church needs the anointing of the spirit of God. 00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:41.400 The life vitality and power of the church is the Holy Spirit. 00:34:41.400 --> 00:34:46.099 Now we don't need the spirit operates in and by through this the truth. 00:34:46.099 --> 00:34:53.280 So we're not just saying we need emotionalism or we just need the spirit without the word nor we say we need the word without the spirit. 00:34:53.280 --> 00:35:02.639 We need both word and spirit and God has chosen the spirit has chosen to work in and by and through his word. 00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:08.719 But we need that word to have power behind it life behind it. 00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:11.400 Why is our preaching sometimes so lifeless. 00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:17.880 Our prayers are so useless and our witness is often so hopeless. 00:35:17.880 --> 00:35:29.199 You see without the spirit we can do nothing. 00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:43.199 If we can understand this we never get to a point as a church or as ministers of the gospel we never get to a point where we're self sufficient. 00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:56.000 I can lecture so much easier than I can preach. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:36:01.559 Because I understand that preaching is something is incapable of doing. 00:36:01.559 --> 00:36:06.400 There's something that's inherently impossible about preaching. 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:08.400 I can get behind a pulpit and yak. 00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:11.599 I can do that and I can be fairly accurate with the word of God. 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:14.599 I can do that. 00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:18.639 But I recognize my inability to change souls. 00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:27.760 I have in of myself not the ability to persuade you to walk with God. 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:34.679 And this is why I think Paul was himself afraid and why he trembled when he preached. 00:36:34.679 --> 00:36:36.920 Look at verse three. 00:36:36.920 --> 00:36:41.599 I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. 00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:45.679 Now why was Paul scared when he preached when he evangelized. 00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:49.179 What scared him was it was that he was afraid of men. 00:36:49.179 --> 00:36:50.179 You know he was persecuted. 00:36:50.179 --> 00:36:52.360 But do you think he was scared of being persecuted. 00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:55.159 And I think he had to overcome that. 00:36:55.159 --> 00:36:57.079 There was being he was fearful of men. 00:36:57.079 --> 00:37:02.500 I know I'm fearful of men in many ways. 00:37:02.500 --> 00:37:11.159 I don't think it was because he was being persecuted that he preached with such fear and trembling. 00:37:11.159 --> 00:37:14.000 Nor do I think it was because he was afraid of God. 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:16.639 I think he was scared. 00:37:16.639 --> 00:37:17.639 He was right with God. 00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:20.960 He wasn't scared of God. 00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:26.679 I think it was because he was afraid of himself. 00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:45.920 You see I believe it was because he was aware of his own weaknesses and inabilities on this passage John Calvin says the term weakness employees in this passage and also in several places elsewhere in this book. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:38:00.480 It includes everything that can detract from man's favor and dignity in the opinions of others fear and trembling are the effects of Paul's own weakness. 00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:02.000 That seems to be the context. 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:06.079 I was with you in weakness. 00:38:06.079 --> 00:38:12.400 Matthew Henry says few know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers from a deep sense of their own weakness. 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:17.559 They know how insufficient they are and are fearful for themselves. 00:38:17.559 --> 00:38:21.679 Everything but Christ crucified is plainly preached. 00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:30.159 Thus men are brought to believe to the salvation of the souls. 00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:32.400 They need more than the preacher. 00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:43.480 This is why Paul says this message is a saver unto life for some and a saver unto death for others. 00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:45.000 Who is sufficient for these things? 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:47.960 Who is capable of such message? 00:38:47.960 --> 00:38:52.960 I mean think about it put yourself in a position. 00:38:52.960 --> 00:39:07.119 One of you come up here and take my place and say I'm going to preach to lost souls and depending upon what God does and depending on if they believe or not they're going to go to heaven or hell. 00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:08.440 Or I might lose a car sales. 00:39:08.440 --> 00:39:10.800 Oh okay I don't sell a car or I might I lose it. 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:13.840 I might not get this transaction close or I might lose a little money. 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:15.679 Well that it could be overcome. 00:39:15.679 --> 00:39:17.719 We're talking about eternity here. 00:39:17.719 --> 00:39:19.320 We're talking about life and death. 00:39:19.320 --> 00:39:24.360 Who's a bishop or such things? 00:39:24.360 --> 00:39:32.360 The gravity of the message the gravity of what's going on the severity of hell and the glories of heaven. 00:39:32.360 --> 00:39:33.639 These are eternal way. 00:39:33.639 --> 00:39:42.440 These are these are things that no preacher can communicate correctly. 00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:45.559 No wonder Paul was afraid. 00:39:45.559 --> 00:39:52.360 No wonder he trembled. 00:39:52.360 --> 00:40:04.199 See the more we know our need our inabilities the more we don't take confidence in our flesh. 00:40:04.199 --> 00:40:10.400 I think we all need to learn to think less of ourselves. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:16.840 We all need to become more and more dependent so less less self confident. 00:40:16.840 --> 00:40:35.039 You know if a good order is when it comes in with a commanding presence and seems like he's on top of the world and knows what he's talking about he's he's going to persuade you and he seems like he knows everything it we need less of self confidence. 00:40:35.039 --> 00:40:40.559 Paul says if you want me to boast I'm not going to boast in anything but my weaknesses. 00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:46.480 It says that twice in 1 Corinthians and the Lord explained it to him. 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:57.780 It's like unless you become boastful and arrogant and think you're something when you're really nothing I've given you a thorn in the flesh and both the fleece take it away and whatever the sworn was it humbled him. 00:40:57.780 --> 00:40:58.780 It brought him down. 00:40:58.780 --> 00:41:00.639 It made him realize he was weak and feeble. 00:41:00.639 --> 00:41:04.159 It made him realize he was but mere man. 00:41:04.159 --> 00:41:13.980 He said Lord please take this away and Paul says no God said to Paul no I'm not because you need this in order that you can see your own weakness. 00:41:13.980 --> 00:41:15.760 You need this so you become dependent. 00:41:15.760 --> 00:41:23.360 You need this to see that you to keep you humble and then he says my power is perfected in weakness. 00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:37.599 Therefore Paul I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me for the sake of price and I am content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions calamities for when I am weak that I am strong. 00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:41.079 See Paul humbled himself and he preached with fear and trembling. 00:41:41.079 --> 00:41:45.239 He understood his weaknesses in order that he wouldn't be self confident. 00:41:45.239 --> 00:42:01.960 He wouldn't trust in his speaking abilities or in his learning or his education that he would come low and look to another power to aid him. 00:42:01.960 --> 00:42:08.480 This is because Paul was dependent upon the power of the spirit rather than the power of his own flesh. 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:23.760 Verse 3 tells us that I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling in my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. 00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:29.519 See was it just in word alone? 00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:36.079 The spirit demonstrated himself through my preaching. 00:42:36.079 --> 00:42:38.559 God worked through the preaching. 00:42:38.559 --> 00:42:47.639 He demonstrated he the spirit of God in the power of God authenticated my word. 00:42:47.639 --> 00:42:51.679 It was demonstrated not just in weakness but in power. 00:42:51.679 --> 00:42:59.960 Yes you saw my weakness but you saw the power of God so that you didn't look at me as the hope of your faith. 00:42:59.960 --> 00:43:01.800 God alone is your savior. 00:43:01.800 --> 00:43:03.360 You saw Christ lifted up. 00:43:03.360 --> 00:43:09.840 You saw a weak man but a glorious gospel and that is your hope. 00:43:09.840 --> 00:43:18.400 Not in Grace Bible Church or its ministers or its preachers but your hope is in the word of God in the truthfulness of the scriptures. 00:43:18.400 --> 00:43:21.000 But it came to you and I in word only. 00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:25.199 Well you just you heard the word you laugh ago that was entertaining. 00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:28.800 I learned a little bit there but no you were changed. 00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:31.119 You were transformed. 00:43:31.119 --> 00:43:41.599 You went from serving idols to serving the living God. 00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:45.440 That's not just human instruction. 00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:50.440 That's just not merely just the word of God being properly executed to you. 00:43:50.440 --> 00:43:57.960 I mean how many sermons can just properly go through the text and go no that's good. 00:43:57.960 --> 00:44:04.280 But you're not moved you're not broken you're not changed. 00:44:04.280 --> 00:44:11.679 I think about that we only have 52 weeks this year only 52 sermons. 00:44:11.679 --> 00:44:15.119 I don't want one to be wasted. 00:44:15.119 --> 00:44:26.360 I don't want ordinary services. 00:44:26.360 --> 00:44:30.079 I don't want to be content. 00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:38.320 Do you? 00:44:38.320 --> 00:44:41.119 Spurgeon sure didn't. 00:44:41.119 --> 00:44:48.960 He prayed for conversions every Sunday and asked him why do you think God's ministering to you. 00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:53.239 Why do you think God's behind your preaching Jesus because my people pray for me. 00:44:53.239 --> 00:45:05.480 He showed them the showed a group of people into the Metropolitan Tabernacle as a building that holds five thousand people is just you want to see the bowling room in the basement. 00:45:05.480 --> 00:45:07.360 And they said no that's okay. 00:45:07.360 --> 00:45:09.000 We don't need to see the bowling room. 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:10.000 That's okay. 00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:13.199 Because no you got to see it. 00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:24.800 So it leads this tour group down into the basement open the door into the bowling room and it was a it was a as a room full of hundred people praying. 00:45:24.800 --> 00:45:28.679 Says this is with the power of our church. 00:45:28.679 --> 00:45:42.000 This is where the power of the preaching comes from from the bowling room. 00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:47.400 You see is not word alone but the word with power of the spirit. 00:45:47.400 --> 00:45:53.920 First screen is 420 for the kingdom of God does not consist in Paul but in power. 00:45:53.920 --> 00:45:58.800 This is where the confidence of Paul laid. 00:45:58.800 --> 00:46:00.340 This is where it lied. 00:46:00.340 --> 00:46:11.119 Second Corinthians three four and six such as the confidence that we have through Christ towards God not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything is coming from us like I'm not looking at myself. 00:46:11.119 --> 00:46:12.400 I have no self sufficiency. 00:46:12.400 --> 00:46:13.400 I don't have any boast. 00:46:13.400 --> 00:46:39.400 I don't have anything confidence that I could do anything but our sufficiency or our power or confidence is from God who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter here is killed but the spirit gives life our confidence is in the Holy Spirit. 00:46:39.400 --> 00:46:52.920 You see Christ needed to be anointed by the Holy Spirit before he preached fulfilling the prophecy Isaiah says I've been anointed to preach the gospel of good tidings. 00:46:52.920 --> 00:47:00.880 The apostles themselves needed this anointed this Holy Spirit anointing before they went off into their ministry. 00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:12.039 Martin Lloyd Jones says we would have thought these men the apostles were now in a perfect position to go out to preach but according to the Lord's teaching they were not. 00:47:12.039 --> 00:47:18.360 They seem to have all the necessary knowledge but that knowledge is not sufficient. 00:47:18.360 --> 00:47:22.639 Something further is needed indeed is essential. 00:47:22.639 --> 00:47:26.840 The knowledge indeed is vital for you cannot be witnesses without it. 00:47:26.840 --> 00:47:35.780 To be effective witnesses you need the power and the unction and the demonstration of the spirit in addition. 00:47:35.780 --> 00:47:49.079 The assertion of power or if you prefer the effusions upon Christian preachers is not something once for all. 00:47:49.079 --> 00:47:59.559 Rather the baptism with the Holy Spirit is not regeneration the apostles were already regenerate and is not given primarily to promote sanctification. 00:47:59.559 --> 00:48:10.280 It is the baptism of power or baptism of fire a baptism to enable one to witness. 00:48:10.280 --> 00:48:14.320 The old Moody says there is no use in running before you are sent. 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:18.280 There is no use in attempting to do God's work without God's power. 00:48:18.280 --> 00:48:29.679 A man working without this unction a man working without this anointing a man working without ghost upon him is losing. 00:48:29.679 --> 00:48:35.639 You see we need more than just to be educated expositors of God's word. 00:48:35.639 --> 00:48:40.619 We need more than just knowing our Bibles. 00:48:40.619 --> 00:48:42.659 We need the spirit on our lives. 00:48:42.659 --> 00:48:47.320 We need the spirit to work in and by and through the scriptures. 00:48:47.320 --> 00:48:50.519 You see the power of the church is both the word and spirit. 00:48:50.519 --> 00:48:52.519 It's the gospel empowered by the spirit. 00:48:52.519 --> 00:48:58.800 That's why some people believe after hearing the gospel and other people hear the gospel and they're unchanged. 00:48:58.800 --> 00:49:05.719 That's why some of you come to church and one Sunday you get something out of it and the next Sunday you're bored and daydreaming. 00:49:05.719 --> 00:49:07.440 What's the difference? 00:49:07.440 --> 00:49:13.739 The word of God is still being proclaimed. 00:49:13.739 --> 00:49:24.960 Let me close in some applications for us for preachers and for seminary students. 00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:31.199 Preaching is not just faithfully exegeting and having the right homiletical skills. 00:49:31.199 --> 00:49:39.239 You can be puffed up knowing all these things. 00:49:39.239 --> 00:49:44.840 You can have a lot of self confidence because you've been trained correctly. 00:49:44.840 --> 00:49:48.519 Yes, you need to be a faithful exegete. 00:49:48.519 --> 00:49:49.719 You need to know the word of God. 00:49:49.719 --> 00:49:53.159 You need to study to show yourself approved. 00:49:53.159 --> 00:49:55.960 You need to rightly divide the word of truth. 00:49:55.960 --> 00:50:04.079 You need that, but you need to understand it and it takes the Holy Spirit to understand it. 00:50:04.079 --> 00:50:12.440 Not to mentally comprehend it, but for that word to dive deep into your soul and to change your lives. 00:50:12.440 --> 00:50:17.159 It takes the Spirit. 00:50:17.159 --> 00:50:19.679 Lord Lord Jones says we all tend to go to extremes. 00:50:19.679 --> 00:50:23.559 Some rely on their own preparation and look for nothing more. 00:50:23.559 --> 00:50:28.960 Others as I say tend to despise preparation and trust the unction. 00:50:28.960 --> 00:50:36.760 I'm just going to go up there and the unction of the Spirit is going to leave me. 00:50:36.760 --> 00:50:42.800 The anointing in the inspiration of the Spirit alone, but there must be no either or. 00:50:42.800 --> 00:50:44.860 It's always a both and. 00:50:44.860 --> 00:50:50.840 We need to diligently study and properly exegete the passage and understand the word of God. 00:50:50.840 --> 00:50:56.960 That takes time and effort and study, but don't be content with just that much. 00:50:56.960 --> 00:50:59.679 We need God to come with you. 00:50:59.679 --> 00:51:07.079 The Spirit to put to use you. 00:51:07.079 --> 00:51:12.159 If we were to pray in the Spirit, how much more we are to preach in the Spirit. 00:51:12.159 --> 00:51:16.159 We need God's fresh anointing. 00:51:16.159 --> 00:51:22.260 Every time we open the word of God, and this is what you need to be evangelist. 00:51:22.260 --> 00:51:28.840 For church members, couple applications for us. 00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:33.639 It's not just the preaching that needs anointing. 00:51:33.639 --> 00:51:44.880 Your hearing needs to be anointed. 00:51:44.880 --> 00:51:56.539 John 14, 17, the Spirit of truth, the word cannot receive him because it neither sees him nor knows him, but it says in first John 2 20, you have an auction. 00:51:56.539 --> 00:52:01.139 You believers have an auction from the Holy One. 00:52:01.139 --> 00:52:29.239 You have the Spirit anointing you and it tells us why in verse 27, but the annoying thing that you've received from him abides in you and you have no need that anyone should teach you, but as anointing teaches you about everything as it is and is no lie, just as it has taught you about in him, who teaches you the Holy Spirit. 00:52:29.239 --> 00:52:32.960 This anointing is what you have to have to have ears to hear. 00:52:32.960 --> 00:52:35.960 Let young who have ears hear. 00:52:35.960 --> 00:52:38.639 So as you come to church, are you prepared yourself? 00:52:38.639 --> 00:52:40.019 Have you prepared yourself? 00:52:40.019 --> 00:52:43.360 Have you prayed Lord speak to me. 00:52:43.360 --> 00:52:51.719 I mean, I want to treat you like my friends. 00:52:51.719 --> 00:52:59.440 Do you want me, your pastor, to come up dry and dead? 00:52:59.440 --> 00:53:05.719 Or would you prefer that I had spent some time in prayer before I preached? 00:53:05.719 --> 00:53:10.079 What would you prefer from me? 00:53:10.079 --> 00:53:17.199 I want the man of God standing in front of me to have come out of the prayer closet before he preaches to me. 00:53:17.199 --> 00:53:20.159 I want him to know that he's communed with God. 00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:22.400 He's been with God. 00:53:22.400 --> 00:53:24.559 He's with God. 00:53:24.559 --> 00:53:25.960 I want that. 00:53:25.960 --> 00:53:26.960 Okay. 00:53:26.960 --> 00:53:31.400 Is that all that you want that? 00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:33.119 Okay. 00:53:33.119 --> 00:53:35.400 Here's what I want from you. 00:53:35.400 --> 00:53:42.519 I want you to come into this room having been with God. 00:53:42.519 --> 00:53:46.920 I want you to not just come in here and you know, I know what it is. 00:53:46.920 --> 00:53:50.840 You rush to church and especially if you've got kids and hey, don't do this. 00:53:50.840 --> 00:54:02.719 The frazzle of getting here and then the plans afterwards and you come and sit down and you go, well, I don't get much out of that. 00:54:02.719 --> 00:54:08.199 That wasn't that helpful to me or you know, or that was amusing. 00:54:08.199 --> 00:54:23.219 Maybe would you come next week praying that God would speak to you that the spirit would open up your hearts, that you'd be ministered by the word of God. 00:54:23.219 --> 00:54:28.880 Would you pray that I think if you seek the Lord, you will find him. 00:54:28.880 --> 00:54:39.880 I think if you hunger and thirst after the living waters, you will be filled. 00:54:39.880 --> 00:54:48.480 I think we can get the, I think if your heart is right and you're, you're seeking the Lord, we could take the least preacher among us. 00:54:48.480 --> 00:54:53.920 The one who fumbles and mispronounces things and put them right here. 00:54:53.920 --> 00:55:01.480 And I think you would leave enriched spoken to God may not have spoken to the preacher. 00:55:01.480 --> 00:55:15.360 Maybe God hasn't spoken to everybody around you, but do not yourself want to hear from the Lord or pray. 00:55:15.360 --> 00:55:19.599 Hey that God would come. 00:55:19.599 --> 00:55:27.519 I close by saying we're praying for revival and it really doesn't have to be this massive movement. 00:55:27.519 --> 00:55:39.039 It doesn't have to be a repetition of what took place in 1740s and 50s under Jonathan Edwards of George Whitfield, which sweeps America by storm. 00:55:39.039 --> 00:55:44.920 What if it's just a revival in your soul? 00:55:44.920 --> 00:56:08.360 What if it just you ever suddenly become so precious it becomes the most important day of your week and not just Sunday, but the opening up of the scriptures on Monday and Tuesday and that you find that by your new fresh love for Christ and love for the word of God, you find that you're not watching TV as much and you didn't have this legalistic command don't watch TV. 00:56:08.360 --> 00:56:14.519 You find that you're putting your phone down and all that time you're scrolling, you're not got this legalistic rule like oh, this is evil. 00:56:14.519 --> 00:56:15.519 I can't do that. 00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:16.519 No, it's okay. 00:56:16.519 --> 00:56:24.079 Scroll if you want, but you're finding because you're enthralled with scriptures and the word of God that you find you're doing less and less of these things. 00:56:24.079 --> 00:56:29.440 These weights are easily entangle you and you find that you're more enamored with the love of God. 00:56:29.440 --> 00:56:31.559 You can't get enough of Christ. 00:56:31.559 --> 00:56:34.920 You find that it's starting to overflow in your conversation. 00:56:34.920 --> 00:56:44.719 You can't have a conversation with others without it being turned to the Lord and you're never being an encouragement to the saints and they'll say something little and go all that is so wonderful. 00:56:44.719 --> 00:56:45.719 That's so good. 00:56:45.719 --> 00:56:48.239 And then when we sing songs, you're coming to go that it was rich. 00:56:48.239 --> 00:56:59.400 That's what your heart is enriched in and thriving rather than being dead rather than being apathetic. 00:56:59.400 --> 00:57:05.239 Let us not be content. 00:57:05.239 --> 00:57:08.880 May you thirst and hunger for the word of God. 00:57:08.880 --> 00:57:10.639 And let me close. 00:57:10.639 --> 00:57:19.800 Let me close with a word to the unconverted here because I've been joined me saints join me with praying for the unconverted. 00:57:19.800 --> 00:57:32.159 May our hearts be burdened for the unconverted among us and let me say a word to you young men and young women, older men, older women, any of you who don't, you know, you know, in your heart there's something not right. 00:57:32.159 --> 00:57:39.000 You know, you need something and you don't have assurance or you're lacking assurance or you know that you're in sins. 00:57:39.000 --> 00:57:48.960 You know what must you do? 00:57:48.960 --> 00:57:52.840 Let me tell you something glorious. 00:57:52.840 --> 00:58:04.400 There is a man who died on a tree for your place and he says come to me and you'll be forgiven. 00:58:04.400 --> 00:58:07.119 Your conscience will be clear. 00:58:07.119 --> 00:58:10.559 You'll be filled with joy and glory. 00:58:10.559 --> 00:58:17.039 All your sins, all your sins wiped away. 00:58:17.039 --> 00:58:18.039 Come to me. 00:58:18.039 --> 00:58:19.840 Do you believe me? 00:58:19.840 --> 00:58:33.599 If you believe, if you believe what I say is true, run to Christ, look to Christ and I'll give you my word to the word of God. 00:58:33.599 --> 00:58:37.039 You shall be saved. 00:58:37.039 --> 00:58:38.320 Amen. 00:58:38.320 --> 00:58:40.320 Thank you. 00:58:40.320 --> 00:58:50.320 .