Testimony of a Preacher (Part 2 of 2)

The big difference between telling people what they want and sharing with them what they need to hear the apostle Paul understood that. So when he was entrusted to deliver God's word. He refused to water down the message today on Truth for Life. Alastair Beck explains why gospel proclamation must never be compromised were in first Corinthians chapter 2 I not coming to Correnti said I'm trying to dance your children come in and play your game. I decided I wasn't doing and furthermore he said not only did I not not use long. I didn't use the wisdom that they like.

What did he carry with he check three things here and much trembling. What you would call impressive when he says that he was there in fear.

He was trying to preach all the time he was trying to get his head chopped off. Knowing already decided he was going to get his Jenny was afraid of what people say get real. Everybody said nothing more for them to say what he was afraid he was afraid of the fact that when he looked at himself and saw how impoverished he was when he looked at people and saw how great their need was when he looked at God and saw the calling he been given was afraid that he would intrude upon the proclamation in such a way that folks would be attached to God must, and that is why he dumped the banks because he knew that if you give them what they wanted. They made by at that price. Having bought it at a discounted level. It would be an irrelevancy to the face the future. So here is he's running down he's a sorry sight is not the kind of individual that you expect to put face-to-face with people who admired strength and creativity and oratory and philosophy and in we trot this little converted Jews who can neither stand up straight North chooses to take them on their own game.

Ladies and gentlemen, I pray I present to you the apostle Paul. People are said away with this we can.

He's not the kind of thing we give us what we once Paul faced a challenge in his day and we face the challenge in the day. The culture cries out is what we want the challenge of the Scriptures is whether were going to get what the Bible says they need. That was his manner of his message while he tells us he said they made him resolve the word is actually an important word, suggested that his resolve is unique to Corinth, I don't believe that he was doing anything differently except employing the methodology that is a distinction between when you walk down to a group of fishermen by the coast in the northeast of Scotland and you seem to engage them in conversation you're going to approach them in a very different way than you're going to engage in group of people in conversation down on Coventry Avenue in the Heights. If you're smart you are. At any rate, you tell your part. And that's exactly what he was doing when he was into Athens, he implies a strategy for these guys and intellectually grows at their level and he quotes their points, but he doesn't rely upon that strategy.

It's merely a door of opportunity. The difficulty comes when the door of opportunity that we create, by means of our methodology transcends our message. The only reason he swung the door open was so they could say the same thing happens as he was saying was he say he was proclaiming the testimony of God in the NIV says testimony about God is really the testimony of God. It was God's testimony God imparted it to his witnesses and his witnesses were to impart it is he'd given it to be tampered with. One be altered, embellished wasn't a fiddle with with oratory and worldly wisdom was the testimony of God from heaven when he looked down. This is what he said, seeing his son and his baptism. This is my beloved son, listen to him. The testimony of God. Listen to Jesus. That still the testimony of God. Therefore, those of us who have the responsibility in which Paul smaller in Christ of proclaiming the testimony of God. We need to be in any doubt about it what it what to say to men and women. This is Jesus when we get to the essence of who and what Jesus is buying right up against this phrase in Jesus Christ and him crucified. It wasn't you see that Paul just slipped into this.

He made a decision.

The word resolve cleanup means to decide or to determine to employee will to an eventuality that I resolved to know nothing. She is in the mind that we channeled the resources to change the will and he won the battle in his mind he thought it through. He said no I won't do that. I will do this if we don't change in our minds.

Romans 12 one will never change in our lives as he sat and thought it out and said no I'm not going to do that. I notice what they like and want to hear. I know I don't draw a crowd. I know it will be influential. I know all happy, but I'm not going to do's to do is I'm going to proclaim this message, Jesus and him crucified. I refuse to play the game. I refuse to get involved in exciting speculation.

I'm going to stick with the program. Jesus said that I was to bear his name before the Gentiles and that's exactly what I want to do. I want to bear his name. Now he says in verse four, the night of the message he proclaimed. On the way in which he did so were Mark my words that were wise and persuasive. This does not mean that he was foolish and unpersuasive and fight in acts chapter 18 in verse four says that he wrestled around the synagogue try to persuade the Greeks and the Jews office message.

So what is it mean that his preaching was not with wise and persuasive words. It doesn't mean either that he just gave them the message in a kind of take it or leave it approach rather what he saying is this in his message and in his preaching.

He displayed nothing that was calculated to impress and capture you realize how challenging that is if you're going to be a preacher of the gospel to realize how everything in you militates against that strategy. Everything in you as you approach the 700 Sunday of your life or whatever else it is as you come again to the same task. Everything in USA capture the grab use this smarts you can just keep doing that same thing churches can keep going this is the Bible believe the Bible trust in Christ. Follow Christ you can do that you have to do more than that he's been wandering around for that stuff poses no I decided that I wouldn't go for that he was going to rely on what God would do, not on what he might accomplish because he's already made it very plain and he will return to it and underline it in verse 14 of the chapter, the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God for their foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Understand what I versus saying saying that you bring your people to the gas service and they don't give a rip about the message of the gospel. They don't understand they don't appreciate it anything to grab about it. They think is total foolish, so will your alignment, the ability of a man to package it in such a way that will break down the resistance line of approach and angle clever presentation and natural talents of the mind of man so that we achieve what the Bible says is unachievable that Paul was at this piece of the only way that anything ever happens is when the spirit of God does these things and that's why he succeeded in spite of his poor condition physically in spite of his strange methodology. He succeeded, for the very reason that he was throwing aside all human help and relying upon divine assist.

That's what we need in this pool pit and that's what we need in every pool. We must have man relying solely on divine assistance.

We cannot have man will relying on their ability.

They will preach in vain and people will listen and congregations will pray in vain because God will not share his glory with anybody.

So if a man comes to the pool but he says I've got a good one this morning I got them and I'll share them and I'll do this I'll do that God's is short.

Channel 3 or whatever it is it's more nonsense again, more self self self. If a congregation begins to focus on an individual and safe is not a guy who can talk here is the preacher client will have this person, not listen to nothing will is of eternal significance can happen is destined not. That is exactly why Paul did what he did. You think he could he could have jammed every theater in Corinth, don't you think that he can shut down the Acropolis. You think I'm in the Temple of Diana, don't you think that he could have arranged all kinds of marches in the streets secret, but he did's. The question for your mind this morning is this is this an incident of historical significance or is this a description of eternal validity is this descriptive or is it prescriptive, are we supposed to be doing what he's doing statement in verse four, incidentally, does not mean that Paul and his preaching displayed spirit and power when he says that he didn't have wise and persuasive words, but he had a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, as it says in the King James version.

What is that mean it does not mean that in his preaching. He displayed spirit and power in a way that I can get worked up work or I get excited or something wall you know that spirit all our knowledge is not as personality. That's all in this God may choose to play with power, but this is personality. This is why I like this.

I'm sorry but one is not spirit and power and client is not an absence of spirit and power is not that he disdained wise and persuasive words will all spread and pop but rather it was that his leaving the sight of all the skillful archery of the day is leaving the site of the human wisdom is standing there in apparent weakness and it is communicating the truth of Jesus Christ and him crucified this God made a demonstration in the hearts of men and women. That's when the demonstration takes place is not a demonstration made by the preacher is a demonstration that nobody sees is a demonstration in the heart of man, so somebody goes on from this auditorium to get in their car and they cannot shake the Scripture they cannot pay the conviction who's doing that spirit of God's doing that doesn't matter who said not a tall doesn't matter how he said it not ultimately it matters that they said it in such a way to the spirit of God set is a message that I can drive home to the heart of an individual so we don't want to look for some kind of style is an indication of strength and power. We want to look for the eventuality of people's life being transformed by the gospel where the demonstration spirit and pop Jane's life's reconciled husbands and wives, people coming from darkness into light people enslaved by habits be liberated over standing up and proclaiming this Jesus is the price.

My life is it doesn't matter who proclaimed it.

It doesn't matter who shared it. It doesn't matter how they did it doesn't matter if they're loud enough quite a good enough. On the other long short. It only matters that we have the kind of preaching God by his Spirit: and without that this is the most horrible triviality for all concerned. Loveland, I need you to pray to this end. Those of you who are committed members of his congregation. I need you to pray to this last we fall down on the wrong side of this equation and congratulate ourselves and miss the point completely persuasive word you see can never accomplish what God by his spirit is only able to do. The world is greater persuasion accomplishes nothing.

In the end, now let me finish just for the word here in verse five is matter was not eloquence and superior wisdom is actually weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking his message hasn't change the testimony of God, Jesus Christ and him crucified, a testimony which will bring with it a demonstration of the Spirit's power. Other people can look out and say that it is. But in the transformation of life.

Why did he do this.

What was his motivation is very clear. He says I did this for an express purpose so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom because men's wisdom changes all the time and if he simply communicated the wisdom of man and the Corinthians had embraced man's wisdom than the Corinthians would fall follow the next person who came along it was wiser than Paul before and so he says I didn't take that approach because I recognize that your faith if you were to be stabilized and energized must rest on the change was grace of God himself. And so he seeks to minister in such a way that his listeners may have their face resting solidly upon God's power.

See loved ones this morning only as a say God's power can take an indifferent and rebellious heart, and transform it only got parking to that man can take religious ideas and communicate them in such a way as to show the pragmatic validity of the men and women, men and women can understand the pragmatic notions of faith can decide that they like that can commit themselves to a religious journey and remain completely unchanged by the power of God and there is some in our congregation and that is exactly you. You came along to this church and this is exactly where you are. You decided the church to have a place in your life, for whatever reason, the spirit of God is at work within your heart says, get serious so you began to get serious. You've come a long and you decided that there is a measure of pragmatism and what's being said. After all, it gives a piece of mind, and I like peace of mind. After all, it gives me a sense of equilibrium in my week and I like after all, he kind of reinforces family and I'm American. I think families important. It also says to me you know there's purpose out there so embracing the validity of all that you have decided you were English and to commit yourself to religious journey and you're on. But here's the problem.

When you started the journey you are a dreadful swear and you swear just as much as you when you started the journey you are a liar and you live as much as you when you began the program, age, your life was full of bitterness and of envy and of hate and of rebellion and of guilt and you're still on the exact same as you ever where you know it's in your travel plans. I'm here to tell you what the answer is you have simply recognized the wisdom that is contained in a way of life, but you have never come to learn Jesus way to life. So your faith this morning is vacuous is resting on men's wisdom and preaching, such as that.

I just outlined may continue to help you to walk that walk and to talk that talk and may lead you into the very pit of hell.

And that is why Paul to the approach he took. That is why he trembled at the prospect of he trembled at the thought that men and women could miss the point under his ministry as to embrace the shell and miss the substance in growing their journey continually lost. What is this say about the approach that we take to things as well. In terms of what we do here in the church says that we may be as imaginative and creative as we can be in creating a door of opportunity. Once we open the door of opportunity. We dare not modify the gospel to make it more acceptable to our hearers. Paul in these verses offers no legal way to those of us who are tempted to eliminate parts of the gospel in an endeavor to attract and reach more than we might if we told him the whole story, because after all-gospel produces half a Christian and half a Christian is no question at all. What are you this morning you have a Christian almost there present in your seat committed to the ideology interested in the benefits that it brings. That is not it loved ones so that your faith may not rest on men's wisdom, but on the transforming power of the spirit of God Alastair back with a compelling reminder that only God's spirit can change your life. This is Truth for Life.

Alastair will close with prayer in just a minute, so please keep listening. Maybe you been challenged by today's message you'd like to know more about what it means to be transformed by the power of God.

Or maybe you're realizing that your faith is based on worldly wisdom may encourage you to visit the learn more page on our website. There you'll find a brief video from Alastair where he explains the gospel. You can watch an animated presentation that describes God's plan for our salvation and theirs recommended introductory teaching that I think you'll find helpful. It's all online that Truth for Life.org/learn more. We been learning that the apostle Paul was certainly an effective preacher. But that wasn't because of his dynamic personality or his superior wisdom, it's because he relied on the power of God and the new children's book, we are recommending this month called the God contest teaches young children that the God of creation is mighty and powerful. This beautiful hardcover book tells the story of Elijah's challenge to the prophets of bail to see who the real God was bail or Yahweh the end of the largest contest is not the end of the book. Though the story takes us forward to the ultimate God contest between Jesus and death. You'll find the God contest to be a particularly helpful book because it encourages young children to believe in the God of the Bible. If you have young sons or daughters or grandchildren.

You know they face opposition to biblical truth from a very young age reading the God contest together with them is a great way to explain why we can be assured of our faith. There are many wonderful conversation starters in this book, including a direct question at the very end of the book. What will you decide if you haven't already requested your copy of the God contest you want to do so soon. You can tap the book image in the app visit our website Truth for Life.org/donate or call 888-588-7884. If you'd rather mail your donation along with your request for the book the God contest. Write to us at Truth for Life PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139. Now let's join Alastair as he closes with prayer right where we sit this morning. God calls for a response in our hearts.

These messages produce crossroads four is all decisions to be made resolution to face convictions regarding life and faith in family and ministry.

I don't know what God might choose to do in your heart that you do and God does. Are you a Christian this morning you transformed by the power the spirit in you just coming along with your mom and dad and you like it a bit you.

Not sure God is speaking to you these weeks and you go away you get in the car and you try to turn the radio on and think about something else. Change your mind, don't do that, just where you sit this morning acknowledge what is really the case that you lost and you need Christ. Your and swear you said cry out to him cast yourself up on his mercy and those of us who are in Christ and attempted to play the game. God forgive us changes silence my tongue, Lord, for once and for all where there is in violation of the very things that were wrestling with this morning shut the ministry down Evan is rob you of your glory or deny your name or congratulate ourselves and talk about who we are. Father helpless. Today we pray that we might live to the praise of your glory and minute grace which draws us to yourself and maybe the love which fills our life since those forms, and peace which God keeps our hearts and minds rest upon and remain with each one. Believe today all the days of our lives and then forevermore. Amen about the pain sure to listen tomorrow as Alastair considers how the way we live today will affect how will be remembered after were gone, messages titled, what is your legacy. The Bible teaching about your bag is furnished by Truth for Life morning is for living