1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,680 First Corinthians chapter #2 again is where we are in the 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,920 Word of God. I have a question for you this 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,040 evening, and I want you to maybe consider it in your own heart 10 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:34,680 tonight. And that's question, is this 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,040 what makes a sermon? What makes a sermon? 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,960 You know, for me, sermons are, well, it's kind of my life. 13 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,320 You know, at this point, I have preached a little bit over 1400 14 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,440 messages since I have been here at Liberty Baptist Church. 15 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,720 And it makes me tired just thinking about preaching that 16 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,120 many sermons. And I imagine for my wife, it 17 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,840 makes her tired thinking that she's heard that many sermons 18 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,800 over the last. She didn't say anything. 19 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:02,800 All right, that's good. That's. 20 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,360 Yeah. So Can you imagine that's the 21 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,520 case? And and, you know, sermons are 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,640 my life even when the Sunday comes and Sunday is gone. 23 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,440 I preached 2 sermons at 3 sermons if you consider Sunday 24 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,080 school as well. But then Monday comes and guess 25 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:18,600 what? There's another week of sermons 26 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,280 that are coming. It just never stops. 27 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,440 It keeps coming and I'm thankful for that. 28 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,320 It's the calling that God's placed upon my life. 29 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:27,520 I say that's not as a complaint or so that you feel sorry for me 30 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,680 this evening. In fact, don't feel sorry for 31 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:30,880 me. I'm thankful that the Lord has 32 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,440 entrusted me with the ministry to be able to preach the word of 33 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,120 God. But if I was to ask you that, 34 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,920 what is it that makes a sermon? What is it that makes a sermon A 35 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:42,600 sermon? Or or maybe we even put it this 36 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,680 way, what makes an effective sermon if we're and to maybe 37 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,160 drill down on that a little bit, there's a lot of different 38 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,000 things that people could maybe say. 39 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:56,040 A good sermon is made by a good oration just by speaking 40 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,040 eloquently and clearly. There could be some that would 41 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,040 say that's what makes for a great sermon. 42 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,600 A well constructed outline, you know, one that's very easy to 43 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,000 take notes to so that when you're done taking notes, you 44 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,720 can go back and very easily see the structure of the outline. 45 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,320 It's very easy to follow along. That could be something that 46 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,560 people would say, maybe having some sort of presence in the 47 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,920 pulpit, being funny or humorous or something like that. 48 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:23,640 That's what really, you know, makes a sermon, short sermons 49 00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:26,560 that makes a sermon, Amen. Anyone is like, well, like not a 50 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,720 liberty, all right, But you know, maybe the length of it, it 51 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,480 could be somewhere around 20 to 25 minutes, some kind of 52 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,160 inspirational kind of thing where you hear it and you move 53 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,400 on that. What about volume? 54 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,280 It's not real preaching unless the preacher starts hollering, 55 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:42,760 Amen. That's what you say in the South 56 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,120 hollering, you know, maybe that's what a sermon is all 57 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:47,480 about. You know, a lot of people 58 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,000 probably have a lot of different ideas of what really makes a 59 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,800 sermon. But tonight Paul helps us tackle 60 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,280 this issue of what a sermon is all about. 61 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,640 And I want to send these few moments that we have tonight to 62 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:01,800 look at the 1st 5 verses of First Corinthians chapter 2 so 63 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,280 we can answer this question. But I believe if I was to 64 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,160 summarize here at the beginning of the message, what makes a 65 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,480 sermon A sermon, I believe it would be this. 66 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,320 A sermon is just a speech if it doesn't have the power of God on 67 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,240 it. A sermon is just a speech if it 68 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:20,760 doesn't have the power of God on it. 69 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,120 That more important than the outline, more important than the 70 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,560 oration, more important than the humorous antidotes that are 71 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,120 given, more important if it's loud or soft. 72 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,360 And the most important thing is that the power of God is upon 73 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,520 that message and upon that messenger. 74 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,960 Look at what it says here in verse #1 chapter 2. 75 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,800 And it says, I, brethren, when I came unto you, or came to you, 76 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,400 came not with Excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto 77 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,800 you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know 78 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,800 anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 79 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,160 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much 80 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,520 trembling. And my speech and my preaching 81 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,280 was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but a 82 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,200 demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should 83 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,480 not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 84 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,600 Well, Paul is continuing what he was talking about in chapter #1 85 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,880 what is real wisdom? Remember, we had some several 86 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,839 sermons talking about what this issue of real wisdom is. 87 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,680 And it seems like he's continuing that thought here as 88 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,880 we open up chapter #2 And there's several things I want us 89 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,160 to look at about this text here tonight and this issue of what 90 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,400 makes a message a message or what makes a sermon A sermon. 91 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,680 And the 1st is this, I want us to see Paul's preaching. 92 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:39,760 So if you're writing on the back of your prayer bulletin, you can 93 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,560 write #1 Paul's preaching. And he starts in verse number 94 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,040 one with two words. And I, now that tells us, once 95 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,520 again, these small words in the Bible that we're looking at. 96 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,680 It tells us that Paul is continuing the thought that 97 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,840 happened previously, that chapter 2 doesn't necessarily 98 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,040 start a new thought. It's just a continuation of what 99 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,360 has been spoken of in the previous chapter. 100 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,160 Well, what was spoken of in the previous chapter, you might ask, 101 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,720 well, let's go up to verse #31 so just one verse up where it 102 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,360 says chapter 2, go right above that. 103 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,080 And it says this, that according as it is written, he that 104 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,840 glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 105 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:21,880 You remember we ended there last week, this reciting of Jeremiah 106 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,000 Chapter 9, verse 24. That we don't have anything to 107 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,000 boast of. If anything, Buddy has anything 108 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,200 to boast of. That we boast of the Lord and 109 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,880 what He has done in our lives. So with that thought out of the 110 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,080 way, Paul says this and I as meaning well, nobody has 111 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,120 anything to boast of. And it's almost as if he's 112 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,640 saying that includes me. And listen, Paul may have been 113 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,920 an apostle, Paul may have been the writer of the epistles, but 114 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,760 Paul understood who he was. Paul understood that he was no 115 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,120 more than just a humble servant of Jesus Christ where he could 116 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,440 have lifted himself up to a great place. 117 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,240 In fact, Second Corinthians chapter 12 talks a lot about 118 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,440 that, that he was given a thorn in the flesh, so he didn't think 119 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,640 too highly of himself. So they had to rest on the grace 120 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,840 of God and he's saying to them, listen, we have nothing to boast 121 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:08,800 of. And I am included in that as 122 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,360 well. There's a lot of people who 123 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,080 think everyone else should be humble, but it's not them. 124 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,040 And the issue is you need to be humble, but I need to be humble 125 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,760 too. That we all have to have 126 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,920 humility before the Lord and understand that anything that we 127 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,480 have to glory in is of the Lord. First Corinthians chapter 4, 128 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,160 verse 10. We've actually looked at this 129 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,600 before. We are fools for Christ's sake, 130 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,880 but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. 131 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,240 You're honorable, but we are despised. 132 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,520 Paul is saying to the church at Corinth, he says, listen, you 133 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,200 think far too highly of yourselves. 134 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,240 But I've gone to the place where I realized that I am in need of 135 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,880 Christ every day and every hour. I am poor, I am weak, I am 136 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,400 despised. He saw himself for who he was. 137 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,120 Now he shows this thought process in a couple different 138 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,520 ways, and the first is that he presented weakness in his inward 139 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,800 thoughts. He showed his inward thoughts 140 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:08,040 were weak. He didn't in fact go back to 141 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,160 verse #1 it says, and I, brethren, when I came to you, 142 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:15,680 came not with Excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto 143 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,800 you the testimony of God, for I determined not to know anything 144 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,520 among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 145 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,840 He says this, I don't want to think, and therefore I don't 146 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:31,200 want to speak in a way that would give glory to myself 147 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,600 because when I think and when I speak, I want to make sure that 148 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:39,120 all the glory goes to the Lord. Now listen, he's not saying here 149 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:40,760 that he is speaking without thinking. 150 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,320 That's not what he's saying. We're talking about the apostle 151 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,080 Paul here. The apostle Paul was very well 152 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,320 regarded in the sense that he knew much about the Scriptures. 153 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,680 He wasn't just spouting off any time that he gave a message. 154 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:54,480 You know, he was well thought out. 155 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,360 But what he is saying is that he refused to have his preaching 156 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,440 eloquent in words, but light on wisdom. 157 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,760 He's making sure that when people left that they said Wow. 158 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,920 He's a great speaker. He wanted people to say, Wow, 159 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,040 isn't God good? That was Paul's desire. 160 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:12,720 And by the way, that's my desire. 161 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,200 I don't want you to leave here from Liberty Baptist Church on a 162 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,520 Wednesday night or a Sunday morning or Sunday night and say, 163 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,960 wow, pastor was really riled up today. 164 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,040 Wow, Pastor was really funny today. 165 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,080 He ought to comedian, he ought to go to open mic night. 166 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,440 That ought to be not what Simon Says when they leave here. 167 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:29,440 Wow, pastor was really motivational. 168 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,240 Wow, pastor made me cry. Listen, that's not what we're 169 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,360 looking for. I hope and I pray that just 170 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,799 through my personality, that's what preaching is. 171 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,480 It's true through the personality, the preacher is 172 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,960 that when it is given that when you are leaving Liberty Baptist 173 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:45,640 Church, you say this, wow, isn't God good? 174 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,040 Well, I'm so thankful that God spoke to me through His word 175 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,800 applied by the Holy Spirit. That is the goal, and that's 176 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:54,920 what Paul's saying here. I don't want my eloquence to be 177 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,920 that which bleeds over into the minds of the people who are 178 00:08:57,920 --> 00:08:59,720 hearing. I want them, if they get 179 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,000 anything to say. This God is good. 180 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,600 The young preacher, fresh out of seminary, was invited to speak 181 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,080 at a large church. He practices sermon in the 182 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,280 mirror, fine-tuned every word, even had dramatic pauses marked 183 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,760 in his notes. When the day came, he stepped 184 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,600 into the pulpit with confidence and flair, voice booming, 185 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,480 gestures rehearsed and vocabulary polished to a shine. 186 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:28,640 Afterwards, he stepped by the door, shaking hands and waiting 187 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:30,400 for compliments. By the way, that's not why I 188 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,560 stand at the door, all right, waiting for compliments. 189 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,400 An older gentleman came through the line, smiled kindly and 190 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,720 said, Son, that was the most eloquent, nothing I've ever 191 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,000 heard. That was the most eloquent, 192 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,680 nothing I ever heard. Listen, it doesn't matter how 193 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:49,040 silver your tongue is if there's no substance behind it. 194 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:51,440 And that's what Paul is saying here. 195 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:53,960 He said, I don't want it to be about me. 196 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,040 I don't want it to be about what I think the Excellency of speech 197 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,040 or my wisdom. And really that speech that goes 198 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,920 outwardly starts with the wisdom that he had in his mind. 199 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,240 He says, I don't want this to be about my wisdom. 200 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,240 I want it to be about the wisdom of God. 201 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:09,920 And where does the wisdom of God come from? 202 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,960 Well, the word of God, and that's where the authority rests 203 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,200 in the preaching of the word. Now, why is this important? 204 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,400 Well, because Paul knows who he's talking to. 205 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,960 Paul knows who these people are. The people of Corinth, remember, 206 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,560 we've already talked about this in chapter #1 they wanted 207 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:28,120 worldly wisdom. They came from that Greek 208 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,560 culture that looked to like Athens, that they look for 209 00:10:31,560 --> 00:10:34,520 something new and something better, something to tickle 210 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,600 their ears, the commentator William Barclay said of Corinth. 211 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,560 Corinth put a premium on the veneer of false rhetoric and 212 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:46,000 thin thinking, the commentator Barnes says. 213 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,720 To have adorned the gospel with the paint of the Grecian 214 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,760 rhetoric would have obscured its wisdom and simplicity, just as 215 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,000 gilding of a diamond would destroy its brilliancy. 216 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,400 You get that that that metaphor, gilding a diamond? 217 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,040 The idea is, imagine having a beautiful cut diamond and then 218 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,040 overlaying it with gold. It's like, wow, that makes 219 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:11,160 something that's expensive even more expensive, and it's also a 220 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:15,360 waste because it would obscure the beauty of the diamond. 221 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:20,840 And so to take man's wisdom and to overlay it on the wisdom of 222 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:25,160 God is to take something that is beautiful and to obscure it so 223 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,960 that no one understands the true beauty of that which is being 224 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,560 represented. Paul understood this. 225 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,320 I'm an ambassador. I'm not a Christian salesman. 226 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,200 There's a big difference. I'm an ambassador, not a 227 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,760 Christian salesman. Second Corinthians 520 Now then, 228 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,400 we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by 229 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:45,680 us. We pray you. 230 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:48,320 And Christ said, be reconciled to God. 231 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:50,840 He knew that he was an ambassador and that we all are 232 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,760 called to be ambassadors on behalf of Jesus Christ. 233 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,120 But it wasn't just that his preaching was about his inward 234 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,920 thoughts being right, but it was also that his outward traits 235 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,240 need to be right as well. His inward thoughts had to be 236 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,720 right, but his outward traits need to be right as well. 237 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,160 Look at verse #3 And it says, And I was with you in weakness, 238 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,120 and in fear, and in much trembling. 239 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,280 You know, when I think of the apostle Paul, apart from the 240 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,440 word of God in the sense that maybe apart from the epistles 241 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,360 where we get these glimpses of who He is. 242 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,960 When you read his sermons, whether it would be in front of 243 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:34,320 those magistrates, judges and kings, whether it would be in 244 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,360 Ephesus or whether it would be in Ephesus. 245 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,440 In Acts chapter 20, when he was speaking to the church at 246 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,600 Ephesus for the final time, he knew at the end of the third 247 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,360 missionary journey he would never see him again. 248 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,200 The eloquence that comes from that chapter is unbelievable. 249 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,160 Mars Hill, as we've mentioned many times before, Acts chapter 250 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:54,800 17, when we look at the Word of God and see Paul, I just think 251 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:59,000 of this orator, the man who always had it together, the man 252 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,440 who is imposing presence, the man who just stood in the pulpit 253 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,440 and it looked like the pulpit was made for him. 254 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,200 You know what I mean? Like this man is a speaker 255 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,680 extraordinaire, except there's one problem. 256 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:14,480 He never defines himself as that in the Word of God. 257 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:16,640 I mean, did you see what it said? 258 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,080 Verse three, He says, when I came to you, it was in weakness 259 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:25,520 and in fear and in trembling. Could you imagine having a 260 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,600 pastor get behind the pulpit? And of course, I have no doubt 261 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,480 that they didn't have pulpits in the way that we did today in the 262 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,040 first church. But you understand the idea that 263 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:37,120 Paul's coming. You got to hear this guy. 264 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,320 Do you hear about him? He is one of the apostles that 265 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,920 God is using him in a major way, even though he was an apostle, 266 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,000 born at a due time and out of due season. 267 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,120 The word of God says, but he is 1 nonetheless, and he writes 268 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:50,440 these letters. Can you imagine? 269 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,360 And he gets in front of them and his knees are knocking and he's 270 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,760 shaking. That doesn't even seem to fit 271 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,800 with what we think. But this is how Paul describes 272 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:02,720 himself. And it's not just this way here 273 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:06,600 2nd Corinthians 10, verse 10. For his letters, they say, are 274 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:11,600 weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his 275 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,800 speech contemptible. Say this, We read his letters 276 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,320 and we think he's this. And then we see him and hear 277 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,600 him, and he doesn't seem anywhere like the man that we 278 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:27,000 read in those letters. 2nd Corinthians 11, verse 6 But 279 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,200 though I'd be rude in speech and might say rude in speech, that 280 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,400 doesn't mean he was like, you know, rude to everybody. 281 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,280 But the fact that, you know, he was rough in his speech. 282 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,760 But though I'd be rude in speech, yet not knowledge. 283 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,640 But we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all 284 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:43,640 things. He says this. 285 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:45,920 It's almost as if he's saying this. 286 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,280 I know what to say, but by the time they come out of my mouth, 287 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,560 it doesn't seem to always connect with what I'm thinking 288 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,200 and what I'm saying. Does anybody ever feel like 289 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,360 that? There are times I'm standing up 290 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,960 here and I feel like that. It's like I know what's here, I 291 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,680 know what's here, I know what's here, but it's not coming out 292 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,160 here. And Paul says this is the way it 293 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:09,880 is. He says I've got the knowledge, 294 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,000 but my speech sometimes is rude. Early church tradition says that 295 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:19,240 Paul was a man of small stature with crooked legs, but eyes full 296 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:21,920 of fire and benevolence. Now, whether that's true or not, 297 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:23,680 it's found not found in the word of God. 298 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,040 But there does seem to be some traditions that Paul was not a 299 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:31,240 very large man or very imposing man, William Burkett said. 300 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,120 Tradition tells us his stature was low, his body crooked, his 301 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:37,320 head bald. Go in there. 302 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,720 And when it is added that his speech, look, it's just right 303 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,360 here, all right. And when it is added that his 304 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,200 speech was contemptible, it refers rather to some infirmity 305 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,640 or natural impediment. G Campbell Morgan said so great 306 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,480 was his sense of weakness and fear, and so profound his lack 307 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,800 of trust himself, that he quaked, he trembled. 308 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,080 Those are the secrets of strength. 309 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:06,800 In all preaching, the idea was he was not weaker for being 310 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:11,320 weak, he was actually stronger for being weak because he 311 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,640 recognized his weakness and he cast himself fully and totally 312 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,840 upon Jesus Christ. This might be a quick place for 313 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,240 us to take a time out and mention something like this. 314 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,840 You know, God doesn't just use those who are polished of 315 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,440 speech. God doesn't just use those who 316 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,400 are comfortable speaking in front of people that God does 317 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:37,000 use those who may be don't feel as great talking in front of a 318 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,280 crowd that God does use. Those who maybe feel like if 319 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,000 they speak in front of a church, they might throw up in front of 320 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,880 the church, that not only does God use those type of people, 321 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:54,040 but I believe God takes great pleasure in using those types of 322 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,240 people. Why would that be? 323 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,240 Well, because it's very obvious that when they speak, they speak 324 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,599 in such a way that the power of God is the one that's sustaining 325 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:08,880 them and not their own. I've been there before within my 326 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,440 own life. I've shared my testimony with 327 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:12,480 you before that when I was a young person, it's not like I 328 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,440 wanted to speak in front of people or they speaking in front 329 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,119 of people. It was quite the opposite. 330 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,119 Only the Lord through His grace that has allowed me to be able 331 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,520 to speak in front of a crowd because that was not the way 332 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,160 that I was when I was younger. But I will say that if you think 333 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,760 God just uses the eloquent, then you were missing out on what God 334 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,200 may want to do in your life. And I'm not saying everyone, 335 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,320 every man needs to come and and preach a message or that 336 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,640 everyone has to be able to give a testimony in front of everyone 337 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,480 else. But I will say this, if you have 338 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:46,560 just decided you can't, don't give in to that because you have 339 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:51,320 something that God wants to give to someone else and 340 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,840 encouragement and love and help. Think about this. 341 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,600 God has used you in your life to be able to see some things, 342 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,160 experience some things, and learn some things. 343 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,040 And what you've seen and experienced and learn is 344 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,360 different than what I have seen and experienced and learned. 345 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,040 You know, I'm not talking about different types of truth. 346 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,360 There's only one truth, But I'm just talking about live truth 347 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:14,480 that you take in the Word of God. 348 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,480 You've lived it in your own life and you've seen what's happened 349 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,920 when you've applied it, and you've seen what's happened when 350 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:24,120 you've ignored it. Do you realize that you have 351 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:26,600 wisdom that could help someone else? 352 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:29,800 And maybe it's not a crowd, but maybe it's just a group of 353 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,720 people, maybe at a ladies group, at a ladies Bible study. 354 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,880 Hey, a ladies Bible study, how about that at a ladies Bible 355 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,920 study or a men's Bible study or at men's prayer or something 356 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,000 like that? That God, listen, God has given 357 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:49,800 you experience and he will give you the power to be able to. 358 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:55,200 Paul wasn't the order that we think he was, but yet God used 359 00:18:55,200 --> 00:19:00,920 him and God can use you as well. Don't limit what God can do in 360 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,840 your life. Don't limit what God wants to do 361 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,200 in your life. Don't limit the help that you 362 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:09,920 could be to someone else that you can't be to someone else by 363 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,800 not saying that which God has put into your heart. 364 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:18,520 No, he had some inward ideas that were difficulties, but he 365 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,320 also had these outward traits as well. 366 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,240 But this was all part of his preaching is that he knew that 367 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,640 inwardly it all had to be about Christ, and outwardly it all had 368 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,880 to be about Christ as well. And listen, that that doesn't 369 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,280 mean that as a preacher that, you know, I should just say, 370 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:35,640 well, listen, it's all about Christ. 371 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,240 So it really doesn't matter. You know, whatever I say or 372 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,320 however I present it as a preacher, I always want to do 373 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:46,720 better in my presentation. I I work at at my presentation 374 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,840 and there are times I have to listen to my own sermons. 375 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,080 I would tell you this. There are times I just listen to 376 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,840 a sermon and I say, I just want to put out a mass text the whole 377 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,680 church and just say, I'm sorry. All right, because wow, it's 378 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:00,800 like they sat through that. And some of you are thinking. 379 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:02,920 If I left, do you think he would notice? 380 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:07,000 You know, I'm sorry, but it's but I always want to do better. 381 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,440 I do. That's my desire. 382 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,160 I haven't just gotten to this place where it's like, well, 383 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,920 this is the way I preach and I just, you know, I've plateaued, 384 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,880 you know, I want to do better. I want to learn more. 385 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,000 I'm not an expert, but I will say this. 386 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,680 I can't just quote UN quote get better and that means you will 387 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,840 have a better presentation. You know what it's really about. 388 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,400 I need to make sure that I am preaching with the power of God 389 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:32,480 upon my life because that counts more than the style, that counts 390 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:37,360 more than how loud or soft or length or any of those things is 391 00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:40,160 that the Spirit of the Lord is able to work in the service, 392 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,680 just as Paul is saying here. So first we see Paul's 393 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,920 preaching, but #2 I also see this Paul's power. 394 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,600 I see Paul's power. So if his power didn't come from 395 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,920 his inward thoughts or his outward traits, well, where did 396 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,080 it come from? Well, first number four says 397 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,880 that it did not come with the enticing words of man's wisdom, 398 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:04,920 but rather it was in demonstration of the spirit and 399 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,600 of power. In essence, he's saying this 400 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:09,520 when it comes to the issue of preaching. 401 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,480 It's a demonstration, not a performance. 402 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,320 Do you get what I'm saying? That's right there in the verse. 403 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,560 It says in demonstration of the spirit and of power. 404 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:23,640 Preaching is not a performance. This is not a performance art. 405 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,280 We'll have to get up and make sure that I make you laugh at 406 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,280 the right times and cry at the right times and make sure that I 407 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:33,080 have the right sob story at the end to make everyone feel really 408 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,120 sorry for themselves. And so everyone runs at the 409 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:36,840 altar at the same time. Could you imagine what happened 410 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:38,120 if everyone ran to the altar at the same time? 411 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,040 Like, excuse me, Excuse me? Everyone's going to the altar. 412 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:41,560 Yeah, I can't imagine that either. 413 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,240 But anyway. But I could try to craft a 414 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,960 message just like that to to entice you. 415 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,480 But you know what it would be, it would be a performance. 416 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,520 And preaching is not about a performance, but it's about a 417 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:59,880 demonstration, a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 418 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:02,160 First Thessalonians, chapter one, verse 5. 419 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,640 For our gospel came not unto you and Word only, but also in 420 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,080 power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you 421 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,840 know what manner of men were were among you for your sake. 422 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,360 Ephesians 3, seven and eight, whereof I was made a minister 423 00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:19,600 according to the gift of grace of God-given unto me by the 424 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,960 effectual working of His power unto me, who am less than the 425 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,240 least of All Saints is His grace given, that I should preach 426 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,840 among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 427 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,160 Paul says this, It's all about the power of God. 428 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,400 Now listen, I do believe this, that when a preacher preaches, 429 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,800 he ought to look like he believes what he's preaching as 430 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,320 Abraham Lincoln, who says that he liked a preacher who looked 431 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,600 like when he was preaching, they was swatting a swarm of bees 432 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,920 when he was in the pulpit. Now, I don't know about that. 433 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,680 I was thinking about talking to Scott and Lisa about that, 434 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,840 trying that one Wednesday night. But it sounds like that would be 435 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,320 difficult for all of us. But the idea is it's not about 436 00:22:55,320 --> 00:23:00,680 performance, it's about this, that the true conviction of the 437 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:02,920 word of God is within the pastor. 438 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,720 And that's presented in such a way that you would come to 439 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:10,040 believe that I believe it. And if I believe it and I live 440 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,680 it, that you ought to believe it and you ought to live it. 441 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,320 Pastor, that seems like that puts a lot of burden on you. 442 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:19,200 If it's done right, yes. If it's just a speech, no. 443 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,360 Because I can just recite a speech and hopefully make 444 00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:24,000 everyone feel good and leave. And guess what? 445 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,600 Nothing happens and nothing changes. 446 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,280 Or if it works through me first and then goes to you, then God 447 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,480 can truly do something in all of our lives. 448 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,680 And isn't that what being in church and listening to a 449 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:38,520 message all about? Wouldn't it be ashamed to listen 450 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,400 to 40 minute messages? That's what I average around 40 451 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,800 minutes, give or take. I, I, I cut them up every week 452 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,480 in the podcast. So I do know that that's true. 453 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,440 Somewhere around 40 minutes, give or take, that you could 454 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:52,160 have heard dozens and dozens and dozens of hours of preaching 455 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,320 maybe just this year. And if it wasn't given through 456 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:59,360 the power of God that it would fall flat compared to what God 457 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:01,720 intended. That's a heavy burden for me 458 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,960 that preaching is not just about, I got to get this outline 459 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,200 ready. I got to, I got to figure this 460 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:07,120 out. If I don't have something 461 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:08,800 they're going to, they're going to know that they're going to 462 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,640 know I didn't study well. I need to study one to show 463 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,200 myself approved unto God, a Workman that needed not to be 464 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,000 ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, as Paul told 465 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,600 Timothy, the young preacher. But it's that this isn't just 466 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,000 about making sure I have enough content to fill up 40 minutes. 467 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:30,800 It's about am I preaching what God wants me to preach with 468 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:34,200 power and authority that can only come from the Spirit of 469 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,160 God. See, there are those who think 470 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,720 the gospel isn't powerful enough or persuasive enough. 471 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,080 That's what it says that they're, they use enticing words 472 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,560 of man's wisdom instead. It's like there are people that 473 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,880 think the gospel itself isn't enticing and so they have to do 474 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,320 something to add to it. And that's why you have so many 475 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,120 other versions of the gospel out there today. 476 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,040 There's the Prosperity gospel teaches that faith and giving 477 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,560 combined will result in material wealth and physical health. 478 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,400 There's the Social gospel. It emphasizes societal reform 479 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,400 and justice as central to the Christian mission, prioritizing 480 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:14,160 social issues over salvation. There's works based gospel 481 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,600 claims that salvation is earned through good deeds or religious 482 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,320 rituals rather than by grace through faith alone. 483 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,840 There's the Easy Believism gospel, having people pray a 484 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:25,960 little prayer without even understanding what they're 485 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,880 praying, as long as they pray this prayer without even really 486 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,680 giving them the understanding of sin and righteousness in heaven 487 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,160 and hell. There's a universalist gospel. 488 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:38,280 It holds that all people will ultimately be saved regardless 489 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,480 of faith in Christ or their response to the gospel at all. 490 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,440 There's liberation theology views the gospel primarily as a 491 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:50,280 means to liberate the oppressed from socio political injustice. 492 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:54,520 And these are all types of enticing words that are being 493 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:58,760 preached from pulpits today. But none of these are the gospel 494 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,200 because the gospel means good news. 495 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,840 And none of those are the gospel because guess what? 496 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,920 They're fake news. They're not the good news of the 497 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,760 gospel. We don't need to entice. 498 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,760 We don't need more. Listen, we ought to protect it 499 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:18,080 and make sure that we are preaching straight and true. 500 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:23,000 You know, I've never been to France and I've never seen the 501 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,680 Mona Lisa. But if you're like me, you've 502 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,840 probably seen pictures in the Louvre of people going to see 503 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,200 the Mona Lisa. It's incredible. 504 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,800 It's in, it's encased in glass, bulletproof glass. 505 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:41,480 No one can get close to it within probably about 15 or 20 506 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,960 feet. There's a barrier with guards in 507 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,760 between. There's no flash photography. 508 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:52,720 There's 24/7 surveillance, there's vibration and impact 509 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,400 sensors to make sure that nobody touched it. 510 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,800 Why? Because even a fingerprint would 511 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,040 ruin it. It's classic. 512 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,960 Don't touch it. Well, if that's true about the 513 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,440 Mona Lisa, how much more true is that with the Gospel? 514 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:12,240 Listen, don't touch it. Don't mess with it. 515 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:14,280 I mean, don't touch this and don't partake it. 516 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,720 No, don't try to change it into something else that is more 517 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,040 enticing. There is nothing more enticing 518 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,200 in this world than the gospel. So just give it straight and 519 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:26,960 true. That's what preaching is all 520 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,320 about. Just preaching this word as it 521 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:33,480 is to men and women as they are, and let the chips fall where 522 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:34,840 they may. Why? 523 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:40,080 Because the power of it is not in US changing the gospel or 524 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,320 power of it is not in our enticing words of wisdom. 525 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,320 The power is in God and God alone. 526 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,160 Power in and of itself doesn't come from Polish, preparation, 527 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,720 presentation. It comes from the all powerful. 528 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:58,040 1 So we see these things, but also #3 I wanted to see this 529 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,600 this evening, not just Paul's preaching and his power, but 530 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,960 also Paul's purpose. Preaching strategies centered on 531 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,680 the wisdom of men around emotion, entertainment, human 532 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:13,800 personality may yield a response, but not results for 533 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,520 the Kingdom of God. See, it's not just about a 534 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,240 listing a response. Response is good. 535 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:24,160 But response without results for the Kingdom of God means this, 536 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,320 that decisions are made and forgotten just as quickly, 537 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,200 because perhaps they were made out of emotion, because of the 538 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,600 personality of the pastor, because he captivated the 539 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,640 audience but never captivated the heart through the Spirit. 540 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,680 Paul says this. His purpose is singular. 541 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,920 Look at verse #5 What was the purpose? 542 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:50,160 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the 543 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,880 power of God. That your faith should not stand 544 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,320 in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 545 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,840 Now Paul showed this in his own life through the church at 546 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:01,560 Corinth. I want us to look at two 547 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:04,640 different passages very quickly. You don't have to stay in First 548 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,040 Corinthians chapter 2. Turn to Matthew chapter 28. 549 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,720 I want us to look at a very familiar passage of Scripture. 550 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,320 When you think Matthew chapter 28, very likely you are thinking 551 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:16,440 about the Great Commission. Remember that we as a church 552 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:21,600 have been given a Commission to be able to go and make disciples 553 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:26,080 of all nations. So look at verse #18 Matthew 554 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,000 chapter 28. This will be the first stop that 555 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:33,280 we'll make here. Matthew 28, verse 18 it says, 556 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:37,160 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given 557 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:41,000 unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all 558 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,320 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the 559 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,680 Son and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things 560 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,040 whatsoever I've commanded you. And lo, I am with you all way, 561 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,840 even unto the end of the world. Amen. 562 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,920 Now I firmly believe that this Commission was not just given to 563 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,000 the disciples, because it was given to the disciples. 564 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:00,640 It would have died with the disciples. 565 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,840 I do believe that was given to the church that was already 566 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,400 established by Jesus Christ, that first church that was with 567 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,000 the disciples and that was empowered by the Spirit in Acts 568 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,600 chapter 2. And that pre-existing church was 569 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,440 given this Commission. And I do think that's important 570 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,360 because that means the Commission was given to us just 571 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,200 as much as it was given to them. That we are to go and we are to 572 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:27,440 teach all nations of salvation. We're to baptize and then 573 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,600 teaching them to grow. And he says this, lo, I'm with 574 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,440 you all way, even until the end of the world. 575 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:39,600 Now go to Acts chapter #18 you might remember this was a couple 576 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,480 months ago that we preached the very first message of the series 577 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:45,080 out of Acts chapter 18. And the reason why? 578 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,360 It was because we were introducing you to Paul and 579 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,400 Corinth as they came together for the first time in that 18 580 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,440 month period where they were together. 581 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:59,320 But look at what it says in Acts chapter 18 and verse #1 and I 582 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:04,680 want you to see the parallel between Matthew chapter 28 and 583 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:10,600 what Paul does here in Acts chapter #18 Look at verse #1 it 584 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,720 says after these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to 585 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,600 Corinth. And if I was to take verse #1 586 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,800 and match it up with the Great Commission, I could take where 587 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,520 it says go ye. Therefore, what did Paul do? 588 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:25,120 He went. Where did he go? 589 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:30,120 He went to Corinth. Now look at verse #8 it says 590 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,080 this. And Crispus, the chief ruler of 591 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,680 the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house. 592 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,160 And many of the Corinthians heard, believed, and we'll stop 593 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,760 right there. And many of the Corinthians 594 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:45,440 hearing believed. Well, that goes back to that we 595 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,200 were to teach all nations that's back in the great, Great 596 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,960 Commission that we're to teach unto salvation. 597 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,280 Well, that's why they believe, because they were taught, they 598 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,240 were preached to about Jesus Christ. 599 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:58,640 And then what happens in the Great Commission after 600 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:00,880 salvation? Baptism. 601 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:02,480 Well, what's the very next words? 602 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:07,240 They're in verse #8 and we're baptized, and then after that 603 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:10,360 happens, there's discipleship that we're to teach them all 604 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:11,720 things that's in the Great Commission. 605 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,400 So look at verse #11 it says, and he continued there a year 606 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,360 and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 607 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:20,640 And then do you remember the very end of the Great 608 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:22,120 Commission? What did Jesus say? 609 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,520 And lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world. 610 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:30,400 But go back up to verse #10 if you have a red letter Bible, 611 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:31,880 that means that Jesus is speaking here. 612 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:36,440 Remember that for I am, He said, with thee. 613 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,600 Do you see the great parallel between the Great Commission and 614 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,120 what happened in Acts chapter #18 that the Great Commission 615 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,480 was given to the church? And here is Paul and he says 616 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:49,120 this. My purpose is this. 617 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,120 My purpose is just to preach as God has told me to preach. 618 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:55,800 My purpose is to do that which God has called me to do. 619 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:00,000 And as I do it, I know that He will be with me. 620 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,440 So why would I do anything else? Because if you do something 621 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:08,560 else, you have no promise that He will be with you. 622 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,960 And I will tell you, there have been sometimes in this pulpit 623 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,360 that I have felt very, very alone. 624 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,880 And that's not because of those who are listening. 625 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,160 That's because I know that my heart has not been right before 626 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,360 the Lord and I've not properly prepared myself for a message. 627 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,360 And I was giving a presentation, but I wasn't showing a 628 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,840 demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 629 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,560 Hey, pastor, this is a great message. 630 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:36,800 It's too bad it's for none of us. 631 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:41,080 It's it's only for you. And the answer is, well, yeah. 632 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:45,120 I mean, a lot of it does have to do with me being the pastor and 633 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:46,800 looking at Paul and how he preached. 634 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:51,360 Now he presented himself and how I am supposed to preach the word 635 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:53,520 of God. But again, what we read here in 636 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:57,120 First Corinthians chapter 2 is not presented in a vacuum 637 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,200 because remember, Paul is speaking to a local church. 638 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:05,080 He's not just explaining this because he needs to fill up 16 639 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,920 chapters with information. He's like, talk about next. 640 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:10,760 Oh, let me just talk about how my, the way I preach. 641 00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:14,920 No, he's talking about it because he wants the church, the 642 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:16,560 church accord to learn something. 643 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:18,320 And it's important for them to understand. 644 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,239 And we'll see some more of that unfold to us in the next few 645 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,679 weeks as we continue through First Corinthians chapter #2 But 646 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:28,280 verse #5 does give an important spiritual truth. 647 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,800 And I'll read it, for I told you not to stay there, but I'll read 648 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,280 First Corinthians chapter #2 verse 5 for you again. 649 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:36,600 It says that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, 650 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,400 but in the power of God. And this is what's so important 651 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,400 here. He wants them to stand in the 652 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:44,840 power of God. Now, there is an important 653 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,520 spiritual truth that I think it's that we should remember. 654 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:52,719 And it's this, that what's in the root comes out in the fruit. 655 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:59,280 Pastor, what did you just say? What's in the root comes out in 656 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:01,400 the fruit. Jesus put it this way. 657 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,040 Matthew 717. Even so, every good tree 658 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,840 bringeth forth good fruit, and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil 659 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:11,520 fruit. A bad root system does not bring 660 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:15,920 forth a healthy tree. A good and healthy root system 661 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,880 will bring forth a good and healthy tree. 662 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,280 What is in the root is what comes out in the fruit. 663 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:28,240 And so Paul says this If my preaching is based on man's 664 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:34,120 wisdom or on man's power, then the people who hear it can only 665 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:38,240 stand in man's wisdom and in man's power, he says. 666 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:43,400 But if my preaching is based on God's wisdom and God's power, 667 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:47,920 then the people who are listening can stand in God's 668 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:55,440 wisdom and in God's power. It's why emotionalism in 669 00:35:55,440 --> 00:36:01,360 sermonizing doesn't last long. And I'm all about giving sermon 670 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:03,400 illustrations that might tug at the heartstrings. 671 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:08,480 But I will tell you this, that's not what changes hearts is heart 672 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:12,040 wrenching illustrations, heart wrenching stories. 673 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:17,800 It's why we're not giving a Ted talk or a motivational speech 674 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:19,720 here. Something that makes you fired 675 00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:22,680 up when you leave and then 20 minutes later you say, what was 676 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:24,040 that I heard? I don't even remember. 677 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:25,880 I just remember being fired up when I was done. 678 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,920 No, what we have to realize is that if I preach in that manner 679 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:36,240 for emotionalism or for show or for simply motivation, for 680 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:40,200 motivation, say, what ends up happening is whatever I present 681 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:44,320 on my end. That's what you stand on in your 682 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:49,080 own Christian life. And I have to be able to make 683 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,720 sure that I preach in a way that is good and right and pleasing 684 00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:57,560 to God so that you can be who you need to be as believers. 685 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:00,280 See Pastor, will you think it's all up to you? 686 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,360 No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying there is a spiritual 687 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,760 principle here for a pastor that is mighty, mighty important. 688 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:12,080 And it's why our preaching is Bible based and not emotion 689 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,120 based. It's why our preaching is Bible 690 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,240 based and not motivational speaking based. 691 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:23,160 It's because it must be about the wisdom and of the power of 692 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:26,560 God because a sermon is just a speech if it doesn't have the 693 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:30,120 power of God upon it. So I end with this. 694 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:33,440 He said, still this doesn't have anything to do with me. 695 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:41,560 I think it does because the manner in which I preach is the 696 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:43,440 manner in which our church stands. 697 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,280 That's the connection here in verse #5 you. 698 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,400 We can't get away from that. He said, I'm preaching in this 699 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,560 way because I want you to stand in that same way. 700 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,640 And if I preach in that other way, that's not good, not right, 701 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:01,080 Then you will not stand in the ways that are good and right. 702 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:04,160 So here's the application tonight. 703 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,520 Would you pray for your pastor? And I know many of you do. 704 00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:11,160 In fact, oftentimes you tell me that you're praying for me. 705 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,720 But can I ask you to pray for me in some very specific ways as 706 00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:16,400 you think of praying for your pastor? 707 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,640 Could you pray for me in some specific ways? 708 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,360 Pray for me not just in the pulpit when I present a message, 709 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,480 but pray for me even in the construction of those same 710 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:31,200 messages on Wednesday nights. I usually get my Wednesday night 711 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,760 messages ready on Wednesday, and now I'm actually starting on 712 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:35,640 Tuesdays. You could pray on a Tuesday and 713 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,680 a Wednesday that the Lord would help me in sermon preparation. 714 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,360 I start my sermon preparation for Sunday on Thursday. 715 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:45,440 And in both cases, there's changes that are being made all 716 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:49,200 the way up to pretty much I get into the pulpit and my notes 717 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,280 would bear that out because there's 10 marks all over it 718 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,120 every week. Because up until the moment I 719 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,840 preach, I'm still making. Would you pray not just that 720 00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:01,040 it's delivered well, but just that it is constructed well? 721 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,720 Would you pray for my delivery though, that I wouldn't be 722 00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:08,800 distracted, That I'll be able to think clearly that my own 723 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,680 personality wouldn't get in the way of the Word of God? 724 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,160 And I like using humor, I do, but I don't even, I don't want 725 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:19,600 my humor to get in the way of the real serious message of 726 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,240 God's Word. Because listen, we can have a 727 00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:24,800 time where we joke around in the pulpit, but the preaching of the 728 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,320 Word of God is not a joke. It's serious. 729 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:30,480 I take it seriously. And maybe sometimes you wouldn't 730 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,720 think that because of the way that I present myself, but 731 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,040 sometimes I find it's interesting or helpful to 732 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,400 captivate or capture people's attention with humor. 733 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:43,200 But it isn't a comedy set. No, we're talking about life and 734 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:46,360 death issues. And would you put for me in that 735 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:51,240 way, would you pray for me that I rely on God's power and not 736 00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:53,920 just the fact that I've preached messages before. 737 00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:57,200 I've mentioned I've preached over 1400 messages here at 738 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,440 Liberty. And if I'm not careful, I could 739 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,000 get in the pulpit with the idea and the attitude of I've done 740 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,240 this before. But you know, message 14 O1 is 741 00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:10,320 just as important as message one, maybe more so because 742 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,800 almost nobody from message 1 is still here, and thankfully 743 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,960 there's no recording. I don't know how I want to go 744 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:24,040 back and hear it, but message 14 O 1 and beyond it are just as 745 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,040 important as the ones before. Would you, would you pray that I 746 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:31,440 wouldn't get used to that? And would you pray on your end 747 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,040 that God would help you to receive the Word when it's 748 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:36,920 given? That God would give you the 749 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:40,760 grace to look past some of my own personal idiosyncrasies, but 750 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,520 I'm in the pulpit. That you would hear Perhaps not 751 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:47,960 the Hemming and the hawing and the UMS and the stammers and all 752 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:50,440 the other things that when I listened on the podcast, it 753 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:55,000 drives me crazy. But the Lord would lie to look 754 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:59,640 past all of that and look, look to what's most important, and 755 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:03,880 that's Him and His Word, because that's what changes lives. 756 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:08,760 I'll end with Paul's own words to the folks in Thessalonica, 757 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:11,040 Second Thessalonians, chapter 3, verse one. 758 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:15,040 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may 759 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:20,240 have free course and be glorified even as it is with 760 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:22,520 you. Thank you for listening to the 761 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,160 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 762 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,720 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 763 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:31,880 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 764 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:36,760 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 765 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,640 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 766 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,720 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.