Ben O’Grady – Do All for the Glory of God (1 Corinthians) – Class 1 – Let Him Glory In The Lord

1
00:00:00,040 –> 00:00:03,480
The introductory reading which
we have for the study session on

2
00:00:03,480 –> 00:00:10,200
1st Corinthians is from chapter
1 and verses 10 to verse 31.

3
00:00:11,280 –> 00:00:13,960
And could brother Jesse
Parkinson please come and read

4
00:00:13,960 –> 00:00:17,120
that for us?
First Corinthians 1, verses 10

5
00:00:17,120 –> 00:00:24,560
to 31, starting at verse 10.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by

6
00:00:24,560 –> 00:00:28,320
the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that ye all speak the

7
00:00:28,320 –> 00:00:33,520
same thing, and that there be no
divisions among you, but that ye

8
00:00:33,520 –> 00:00:37,640
be perfectly joined together in
the same mind and in the same

9
00:00:37,640 –> 00:00:41,000
judgement.
For it had been declared unto me

10
00:00:41,000 –> 00:00:45,800
of you, my brethren, by them
which are of the House of Chloe,

11
00:00:46,640 –> 00:00:48,160
that there are contentions among
you.

12
00:00:49,160 –> 00:00:56,160
Now this I say that everyone of
you sith I am of Paul, and I

13
00:00:56,160 –> 00:00:59,320
have Apollos, and I have Cephas,
and I have Christ.

14
00:01:00,240 –> 00:01:05,160
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you, or

15
00:01:05,160 –> 00:01:07,560
were we baptized in the name of
Paul?

16
00:01:08,720 –> 00:01:14,840
I thank God that I baptize none
of you but Crispus and Gaius,

17
00:01:15,720 –> 00:01:20,520
lest any should say that I had
baptized in mine own name, and I

18
00:01:20,520 –> 00:01:23,280
baptized also the household of
Stefanus.

19
00:01:25,080 –> 00:01:28,160
Besides, I know not whither I
baptize any other.

20
00:01:28,840 –> 00:01:31,480
For Christ sent me not to
baptize, but to preach the

21
00:01:31,480 –> 00:01:35,680
gospel not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should

22
00:01:35,680 –> 00:01:38,800
be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross

23
00:01:39,000 –> 00:01:43,080
is to them that perish
foolishness, but unto us which

24
00:01:43,080 –> 00:01:45,520
are saved.
It is the power of God.

25
00:01:46,640 –> 00:01:50,360
For it is written, I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise,

26
00:01:51,080 –> 00:01:54,080
and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent.

27
00:01:54,960 –> 00:01:57,880
Where is the wise?
Where is the scribe?

28
00:01:58,400 –> 00:02:00,480
Where is the disputer of this
world?

29
00:02:01,120 –> 00:02:04,400
Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world?

30
00:02:05,280 –> 00:02:11,360
For after that in the wisdom of
God the world by wisdom knew not

31
00:02:11,360 –> 00:02:17,440
God that pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save

32
00:02:17,440 –> 00:02:22,040
them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and

33
00:02:22,040 –> 00:02:26,640
the Greeks seek after wisdom.
But we preach Christ crucified,

34
00:02:26,640 –> 00:02:30,520
crucified unto the Jews a
stumbling block, and unto the

35
00:02:30,520 –> 00:02:33,960
Greeks foolishness.
But unto them which are called

36
00:02:33,960 –> 00:02:38,560
both Jews and Greeks, Christ,
the power of God and the wisdom

37
00:02:38,560 –> 00:02:41,720
of God.
Because the foolishness of God

38
00:02:41,720 –> 00:02:45,960
is wiser than men, and the
weakness of God is stronger than

39
00:02:45,960 –> 00:02:48,440
men.
For you see your calling,

40
00:02:48,440 –> 00:02:53,000
brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many

41
00:02:53,000 –> 00:02:54,920
mighty, not many noble are
called.

42
00:02:55,320 –> 00:02:59,920
But God hath chosen the foolish
things of this world to confound

43
00:02:59,920 –> 00:03:02,320
the wise.
And God hath chosen the weak

44
00:03:02,320 –> 00:03:07,440
things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty and

45
00:03:07,440 –> 00:03:11,120
base things of the world, and
things which are despised, hath

46
00:03:11,120 –> 00:03:14,120
God chosen.
Yeah, and things which are not

47
00:03:14,560 –> 00:03:19,160
to bring to naughty things that
are that no flesh should glory

48
00:03:19,160 –> 00:03:24,160
in His presence, but of Him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God

49
00:03:24,160 –> 00:03:28,000
is made unto us wisdom and
righteousness and sanctification

50
00:03:28,240 –> 00:03:32,000
and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that

51
00:03:32,000 –> 00:03:35,160
glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord.

52
00:03:41,680 –> 00:03:45,800
Thanks, brother Jesse.
Oh, Brother Ben, we’re very much

53
00:03:45,800 –> 00:03:51,320
looking forward to your help and
our understanding of Paul’s

54
00:03:51,320 –> 00:03:55,120
first letter to 1st Corinthians.
It’s under the general theme of

55
00:03:55,200 –> 00:04:00,120
Do All to the Glory of God, and
the subtitle for the first

56
00:04:00,120 –> 00:04:04,360
session is Let Him Glory in the
Lord Other Men.

57
00:04:06,320 –> 00:04:09,360
Well, thanks, Brother Rob.
So good morning, my dear

58
00:04:09,360 –> 00:04:11,920
brothers and sisters in our Lord
Jesus Christ.

59
00:04:11,920 –> 00:04:18,720
And, my dear young people, the
view is breathtaking across the

60
00:04:18,720 –> 00:04:23,560
precipice of the Acropolis or
the rocky outcrop and down to

61
00:04:23,560 –> 00:04:25,640
the new bustling city of
Corinth.

62
00:04:26,600 –> 00:04:30,560
The buildings are fresh
whitewashed and the terracotta

63
00:04:30,560 –> 00:04:33,960
roofs provide a pleasing
contrast to the neat lines of

64
00:04:33,960 –> 00:04:37,240
the temple columns.
The eye follows the wealth of

65
00:04:37,240 –> 00:04:40,160
that place and the busy roads
that lead to the edge of the

66
00:04:40,160 –> 00:04:44,000
city.
We’re a long set of walls, some

67
00:04:44,000 –> 00:04:48,960
2 miles in length, protects the
access to the principal port of

68
00:04:48,960 –> 00:04:53,040
Lykium.
Humming with ships, our view

69
00:04:53,040 –> 00:04:57,400
drifts across the Azure blue
waters of the Corinthian Gulf to

70
00:04:57,400 –> 00:05:01,160
the hills and vales of the
Peloponnesus Peninsula and out

71
00:05:01,160 –> 00:05:07,160
again across the Mediterranean.
Corinth is a beautiful city.

72
00:05:07,760 –> 00:05:11,680
It’s strategically positioned at
a meeting place of sea and land

73
00:05:12,080 –> 00:05:14,880
linking the Peloponnesus
Peninsula that you can see here

74
00:05:16,200 –> 00:05:17,960
here, down in the bottom down
here.

75
00:05:17,960 –> 00:05:19,920
Hopefully you can see the mouse
down here.

76
00:05:20,120 –> 00:05:24,320
This Peloponnesus Peninsula with
the eastern Mediterranean and

77
00:05:24,320 –> 00:05:26,640
through to Italy, Sicily and the
rest of Greece.

78
00:05:27,360 –> 00:05:31,600
And through that city pours the
wealth and the aristocracy of

79
00:05:31,600 –> 00:05:35,040
the region.
The city is perfectly positioned

80
00:05:35,040 –> 00:05:39,600
in this little area in here on a
strategically important isthmus,

81
00:05:40,200 –> 00:05:42,720
allowing ships to avoid the
dangerous passage around the

82
00:05:42,720 –> 00:05:45,360
Peloponnesus Peninsula around
here, and particularly what they

83
00:05:45,360 –> 00:05:48,840
called the fingers that were
renowned for their very violent

84
00:05:48,840 –> 00:05:51,720
storms.
You can see here that there are

85
00:05:51,720 –> 00:05:53,880
actually 2 ports that are
associated with the city.

86
00:05:53,880 –> 00:05:56,080
There’s the main port of Lykium
here, which goes through into

87
00:05:56,080 –> 00:05:58,920
the Gulf of Corinth.
And on the other side there’s

88
00:05:58,920 –> 00:06:03,160
the second port of Saint Crea.
And so strategic was this small

89
00:06:03,160 –> 00:06:06,480
little isthmus connecting the
Corinthian Gulf with the Saronic

90
00:06:06,480 –> 00:06:09,000
Gulf.
That’s centuries before Paul’s

91
00:06:09,000 –> 00:06:11,720
time.
A stone overland ramp had been

92
00:06:11,720 –> 00:06:15,280
built across those kilometres,
known as the dial costs, and

93
00:06:15,280 –> 00:06:17,760
that had been built so that
boats could be ported from one

94
00:06:17,760 –> 00:06:20,960
side to the other.
It was a highly strategic piece

95
00:06:20,960 –> 00:06:24,520
of land.
If we expand the picture a

96
00:06:24,520 –> 00:06:27,680
little, we can see the broadest
strategic value of of Corinth

97
00:06:27,680 –> 00:06:32,480
from here as it flows out across
to to Italy and on to Rome and

98
00:06:32,520 –> 00:06:35,920
through to the island of
Psalicie and to the rest of

99
00:06:35,920 –> 00:06:39,920
Greece.
Because of its positioning, the

100
00:06:39,920 –> 00:06:42,360
city had a history of influence
in the region.

101
00:06:43,280 –> 00:06:47,400
But in 146 BC Corinth was
besieged and captured by the

102
00:06:47,400 –> 00:06:50,920
Roman general Lucius Mummies,
who received afterwards the

103
00:06:50,920 –> 00:06:53,880
title A Caicus.
The title A Caicus as the

104
00:06:53,880 –> 00:06:56,840
Conqueror of a kya, which is
actually this region of the

105
00:06:56,840 –> 00:07:01,000
Palpenesus Penturin, and up into
up into Greece.

106
00:07:01,000 –> 00:07:07,200
Through here, Lucius put the men
to the sword, he sent the woman

107
00:07:07,200 –> 00:07:10,480
and children into slavery before
burning the city to the ground.

108
00:07:11,280 –> 00:07:14,080
And Corinth remained largely
deserted until Julius Caesar

109
00:07:14,080 –> 00:07:18,240
refounded the city in 44 BC,
calling it, as you can imagine

110
00:07:18,240 –> 00:07:22,000
from someone like Julius Caesar,
the colony of Corinth in honour

111
00:07:22,000 –> 00:07:24,760
of Julius.
But unfortunately he was

112
00:07:24,760 –> 00:07:28,880
assassinated lock not long after
and it didn’t do much honour.

113
00:07:30,520 –> 00:07:33,880
Following this time, Corinth was
rebuilt as a major city in the

114
00:07:33,880 –> 00:07:37,560
region of Akaya following its
devastation and it became the

115
00:07:37,560 –> 00:07:42,120
capital city of Greece with a
large population of Romans, of

116
00:07:42,120 –> 00:07:45,640
Greeks and of Jews.
So what?

117
00:07:47,000 –> 00:07:51,240
So all this tells us that in
Paul’s time, less than 100 years

118
00:07:51,240 –> 00:07:57,240
later, Corinth was a new, a
thriving and an influential

119
00:07:57,240 –> 00:08:00,640
city.
It’s not surprising to find that

120
00:08:00,640 –> 00:08:04,120
in a city of such prosperity and
position, the excesses of the

121
00:08:04,120 –> 00:08:06,640
Roman Empire were well ensconced
in the culture.

122
00:08:06,800 –> 00:08:09,960
This here is a picture of the
Temple of Apollos.

123
00:08:10,320 –> 00:08:14,720
It was a magnificent structure,
25 meters by 50 meters, columned

124
00:08:14,760 –> 00:08:18,120
temple to Apollos, who was the
God of just about anything.

125
00:08:18,600 –> 00:08:21,760
He was the God of music, of
poetry, of art, oracles,

126
00:08:21,760 –> 00:08:25,200
archery, plague, medicine,
sunlight and knowledge.

127
00:08:25,320 –> 00:08:28,960
Perhaps we could say in our
terms today he was the God of

128
00:08:28,960 –> 00:08:32,400
recreation.
But if this was not enough, you

129
00:08:32,400 –> 00:08:35,679
can see on the Acropolis behind
the city there.

130
00:08:36,559 –> 00:08:38,919
And if we go in a bit, a bit
closer, you can see it even more

131
00:08:38,919 –> 00:08:42,600
so here on the rocky outcrop
known as the Acracorrent, that

132
00:08:42,600 –> 00:08:46,840
is the upper Corinth, was the
high temple of Epaphroditus, the

133
00:08:46,840 –> 00:08:50,440
goddess of love.
Her vile priestesses were

134
00:08:50,440 –> 00:08:54,240
frequent visitors to the city.
And from every angle of that

135
00:08:54,240 –> 00:09:00,800
city, her temple laid down upon
its people, we find that the

136
00:09:00,800 –> 00:09:05,160
city was surrounded, was
overshadowed, was encompassed by

137
00:09:05,160 –> 00:09:09,200
idolatry, by wealth and
extravagance.

138
00:09:10,640 –> 00:09:14,880
And if we are honest with
ourselves, living then in the

139
00:09:14,880 –> 00:09:19,440
middle of that thriving city of
Corinth was not too dissimilar

140
00:09:19,440 –> 00:09:20,960
to the environment we live in
today.

141
00:09:21,880 –> 00:09:27,560
Wherever we look, whichever way
we turn into the very sanctuary

142
00:09:27,560 –> 00:09:32,400
of our homes, the idols of this
world are emblazoned in flashing

143
00:09:32,400 –> 00:09:36,480
lights, enticing music and
wealth beyond.

144
00:09:36,480 –> 00:09:40,840
Compared to other generations
and the pet, the point is

145
00:09:40,840 –> 00:09:44,440
perhaps more keenly felt when we
realise with shock, as we’ll go

146
00:09:44,440 –> 00:09:48,040
through in the book together,
that the worldly environment of

147
00:09:48,040 –> 00:09:51,800
Corinth had made an impact, in
fact a significant impact, on

148
00:09:51,800 –> 00:09:53,920
the ecclesia of God in that
place.

149
00:09:55,320 –> 00:09:58,800
It is a sad fact of history,
isn’t it, that the environment

150
00:09:58,800 –> 00:10:02,120
we live in so often will impact
on our life in the truth.

151
00:10:03,280 –> 00:10:06,440
And I believe deeply, brothers
and sisters and young people,

152
00:10:07,280 –> 00:10:11,240
that the book of Corinthians has
a startling relevance for us in

153
00:10:11,240 –> 00:10:14,040
surely the last generation
before Christ’s return.

154
00:10:14,960 –> 00:10:17,400
That the issues that that
ecclesia faced, and more

155
00:10:17,400 –> 00:10:19,800
particularly the beautiful way
in which the impossible

156
00:10:20,040 –> 00:10:22,960
transforms their thinking beyond
the reach of this world, of this

157
00:10:22,960 –> 00:10:26,440
world, beyond the particular
issue to the fundamental insight

158
00:10:26,440 –> 00:10:30,160
into into how we can hold on to
the truth until the Lord shall

159
00:10:30,160 –> 00:10:32,200
come.
That that is of particular

160
00:10:32,200 –> 00:10:34,880
relevance to us in these
generations.

161
00:10:36,200 –> 00:10:39,360
Paul is dealing with some
significant issues in the

162
00:10:39,360 –> 00:10:44,120
Corinthian ecclesia, and yet in
in typical Paul fashion, he

163
00:10:44,120 –> 00:10:48,120
deals with them by first
focusing them, their attention

164
00:10:48,120 –> 00:10:51,480
back to the fundamental
principles, the fundamental

165
00:10:51,480 –> 00:10:53,160
principle of the truth that
matters.

166
00:10:53,160 –> 00:10:55,720
That’s that’s being wrecked in
the 1st place.

167
00:10:56,320 –> 00:10:58,680
And Paul is so brilliant at
putting his finger right to the

168
00:10:58,680 –> 00:11:01,560
heart of the issue and at
reverting to the core foundation

169
00:11:01,560 –> 00:11:03,600
point in which the principle has
been lost.

170
00:11:04,800 –> 00:11:08,160
And we find that whenever we
individually have failed in the

171
00:11:08,160 –> 00:11:11,720
truth as individuals, well,
whenever we have failed as

172
00:11:11,720 –> 00:11:17,000
ecclesias, it’s because we have
crept away and lost these godly

173
00:11:17,000 –> 00:11:21,680
foundation principles.
This is Paul’s signature in

174
00:11:21,680 –> 00:11:25,520
every book, whether in Romans or
Hebrews, Thessalonians or

175
00:11:25,520 –> 00:11:29,560
Corinthians, is his incredible
ability to bypass the symptoms

176
00:11:29,840 –> 00:11:33,840
and to focus attention on the
foundation principle that will

177
00:11:33,840 –> 00:11:35,800
restore our relationship with
God.

178
00:11:37,480 –> 00:11:42,840
So often ecclesial matters blow
up or personal, personal failure

179
00:11:42,840 –> 00:11:47,880
occurs because we argue about
the symptoms and miss the core

180
00:11:47,880 –> 00:11:51,640
foundation principle at stake.
And in typical pool fashion, in

181
00:11:51,640 –> 00:11:54,800
this book he transforms the mind
of the ecclesia to take them

182
00:11:54,800 –> 00:11:58,000
back to the fundamental
principles of their relationship

183
00:11:58,560 –> 00:12:02,320
in God.
It is interesting to note, as I

184
00:12:02,320 –> 00:12:06,320
said in the opening night, that
this that this book is quite

185
00:12:06,320 –> 00:12:08,880
different than some of the other
epistles of Paul.

186
00:12:09,720 –> 00:12:11,800
While there are clear
references, and we’ll see many

187
00:12:11,800 –> 00:12:15,040
of them and links to the Old
Testament, it’s not so much a

188
00:12:15,040 –> 00:12:17,600
book of exposition of Old
Testament themes.

189
00:12:18,400 –> 00:12:23,000
It’s a simpler book.
It’s a logical book, but with a

190
00:12:23,000 –> 00:12:26,760
clear theme and a key, a key for
us that is developed at the

191
00:12:26,760 –> 00:12:29,040
start and progresses throughout
the book.

192
00:12:29,960 –> 00:12:34,960
It’s catering to the Greek mind
and it’s valuable for us because

193
00:12:34,960 –> 00:12:38,640
it focuses us on the
fundamentals of the truth in

194
00:12:38,640 –> 00:12:41,480
order to overcome the issues
that arise.

195
00:12:42,560 –> 00:12:46,560
And so we pick up the story in
First Corinthians chapter 1 and

196
00:12:46,680 –> 00:12:57,300
in verse one, Paul, and just see
if you can pick up the the focus

197
00:12:57,300 –> 00:13:00,220
of the attention that the
apostle gives in these verses,

198
00:13:00,220 –> 00:13:02,780
in his opening verses.
This is Paul’s traditional

199
00:13:02,780 –> 00:13:04,340
opening salutation that he
gives.

200
00:13:04,840 –> 00:13:08,640
Paul called to be an apostle of
Jesus Christ through the will of

201
00:13:08,640 –> 00:13:11,640
God and Sosthenes our brother
unto the ecclesia of God, which

202
00:13:11,640 –> 00:13:14,040
is at Corinth.
To them that are sanctified in

203
00:13:14,040 –> 00:13:17,600
Christ Jesus called to be
Saints, with all that in every

204
00:13:17,600 –> 00:13:21,360
place, call upon the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord, both

205
00:13:21,360 –> 00:13:24,080
theirs and ours.
Grace be unto you in peace from

206
00:13:24,080 –> 00:13:26,960
God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.

207
00:13:27,640 –> 00:13:30,680
I thank my God always on your
behalf for the grace of God,

208
00:13:30,840 –> 00:13:33,000
which is given you by Jesus
Christ.

209
00:13:33,640 –> 00:13:36,000
Can you see the focus that Paul
is giving to this book right

210
00:13:36,000 –> 00:13:38,080
from the beginning?
In other salutations, he

211
00:13:38,080 –> 00:13:41,240
introduces himself and and gives
greetings to them.

212
00:13:41,480 –> 00:13:43,640
In this book.
You’ve probably noticed that his

213
00:13:43,640 –> 00:13:47,120
focus is immediately on the Lord
Jesus Christ.

214
00:13:49,760 –> 00:13:53,320
His focus is on God and
particularly the work of the

215
00:13:53,320 –> 00:13:57,480
Lord Jesus Christ. 10 times in
these opening verses he refers

216
00:13:57,480 –> 00:14:01,240
to Jesus Christ even as he gives
his traditional greeting, even

217
00:14:01,240 –> 00:14:03,400
before he talks about the issues
of that ecclesia.

218
00:14:03,840 –> 00:14:07,520
And here, more than in any other
epistle, he focuses their

219
00:14:07,520 –> 00:14:09,640
attention on the work of the
Lord Jesus Christ.

220
00:14:09,680 –> 00:14:12,800
And right from the start he’s
telling them that is the answer

221
00:14:12,880 –> 00:14:17,400
to their issues to come back to,
to understand the focus on the

222
00:14:17,400 –> 00:14:19,760
Lord Jesus Christ right from the
beginning.

223
00:14:20,320 –> 00:14:23,880
The ultimate answer for that
ecclesia, as it is for us today,

224
00:14:24,720 –> 00:14:29,400
is to focus back on the work of
God with our Lord Jesus Christ.

225
00:14:30,720 –> 00:14:33,960
Verse one, I’m called to be an
apostle of Jesus Christ.

226
00:14:34,080 –> 00:14:36,880
Verse 2, you are sanctified in
Jesus Christ.

227
00:14:37,640 –> 00:14:40,280
He’s telling the ecclesia at
Corinth that everything they

228
00:14:40,280 –> 00:14:43,200
have, their salvation is because
of the Lord Jesus Christ.

229
00:14:43,840 –> 00:14:47,480
He’s called to be an apostle of
Jesus Christ, that there isn’t

230
00:14:47,680 –> 00:14:50,640
an ecclesia because they are
sanctified in Jesus Christ.

231
00:14:50,840 –> 00:14:52,280
And not just in Corinth, he
says.

232
00:14:52,280 –> 00:14:56,280
But in every ecclesia across the
world, there are those who call

233
00:14:56,280 –> 00:14:58,600
upon the name of the Lord, both
theirs and ours.

234
00:14:59,360 –> 00:15:03,200
He is our Lord, But he says He’s
also the Lord to all our

235
00:15:03,200 –> 00:15:08,000
brothers and sisters in every
ecclesia, and He is the Lord

236
00:15:08,280 –> 00:15:11,800
Jesus Christ.
And so we pick it up in verse

237
00:15:11,800 –> 00:15:13,640
four.
I think my God always on your

238
00:15:13,640 –> 00:15:16,240
behalf for the grace of God,
which is given you by Jesus

239
00:15:16,240 –> 00:15:20,200
Christ, that in everything you
are enriched by him in all

240
00:15:20,200 –> 00:15:23,360
utterance and in all knowledge.
Even as the testimony of Christ

241
00:15:23,360 –> 00:15:26,720
was confirmed in you, so that
you come behind in no gift,

242
00:15:26,880 –> 00:15:30,160
waiting for the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall

243
00:15:30,160 –> 00:15:33,280
also confirm you unto the end
that you may be blameless in the

244
00:15:33,280 –> 00:15:36,280
day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can you just see the way that

245
00:15:36,280 –> 00:15:39,680
that that focus on the work and
the contribution of the Lord

246
00:15:39,680 –> 00:15:44,440
Jesus Christ just pause out.
It’s focused on him and the work

247
00:15:44,480 –> 00:15:48,360
that he has accomplished.
It’s the calling that he he has

248
00:15:48,360 –> 00:15:50,800
in Christ.
It’s the work of salvation of

249
00:15:50,800 –> 00:15:53,320
Christ, the sanctification
provided through Christ.

250
00:15:53,560 –> 00:15:56,600
There are others brought into
that sanctification, grace and

251
00:15:56,600 –> 00:15:59,760
peace through Jesus Christ.
It’s the testimony of Jesus

252
00:15:59,760 –> 00:16:01,560
Christ.
It’s the future hope of the

253
00:16:01,560 –> 00:16:05,040
coming of Jesus Christ.
It’s the day of our Lord Jesus

254
00:16:05,040 –> 00:16:10,640
Christ.
Every component of our faith is

255
00:16:10,640 –> 00:16:12,960
utterly dependent on the work of
Jesus Christ.

256
00:16:14,280 –> 00:16:17,240
And then he pulls it together so
perfectly in verse 9.

257
00:16:18,480 –> 00:16:24,640
God is faithful by whom you were
called unto the fellowship of

258
00:16:24,640 –> 00:16:31,760
His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Our whole being, our whole

259
00:16:31,760 –> 00:16:38,080
purpose, our whole focus in life
is that we become part of the

260
00:16:38,080 –> 00:16:41,960
fellowship, the bringing
together of so many diverse

261
00:16:41,960 –> 00:16:47,280
individuals into one in Christ.
That is the theme of this

262
00:16:47,280 –> 00:16:50,360
wonderful book.
It is Christ’s work, it’s

263
00:16:50,360 –> 00:16:53,800
Christ’s calling, it’s Christ’s
sanctification, it is the

264
00:16:53,800 –> 00:16:56,120
extension of God’s grace through
Christ.

265
00:16:56,760 –> 00:17:00,040
It is the hope of Christ’s
coming that binds us together as

266
00:17:00,040 –> 00:17:04,000
brothers and sisters in
fellowship, bound together in

267
00:17:04,000 –> 00:17:08,760
his Son Jesus Christ.
Note in passing just also that

268
00:17:08,760 –> 00:17:12,240
concept of being called out
verse one Paul who is called to

269
00:17:12,240 –> 00:17:16,560
be an apostle in verse one, but
in verse 2 unto the ecclesia of

270
00:17:16,560 –> 00:17:19,200
God at Corinth to them that are
sanctified in Christ Jesus

271
00:17:19,400 –> 00:17:22,200
called to be Saints.
So in the same way that the

272
00:17:22,200 –> 00:17:26,000
apostle was called to to be an
apostle, in the same way we are

273
00:17:26,000 –> 00:17:30,120
called also to be to be Saints.
It’s God’s work who has called

274
00:17:30,120 –> 00:17:33,560
us together.
And in verse 9, God is faithful

275
00:17:33,560 –> 00:17:36,360
by whom ye were called unto the
fellowship.

276
00:17:37,280 –> 00:17:40,080
We’re bound together because of
his calling.

277
00:17:41,000 –> 00:17:43,600
It binds us together in the
fellowship of his Son.

278
00:17:45,360 –> 00:17:48,480
So why does Paul focus such
attention at the beginning of

279
00:17:48,480 –> 00:17:51,760
his of of this epistle more than
any other, as I say, on this

280
00:17:51,760 –> 00:17:54,160
concept of unity, on the
fellowship that binds us

281
00:17:54,160 –> 00:17:57,280
together in the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ and calls us

282
00:17:57,280 –> 00:18:01,440
together in one in Christ.
Well, we don’t need to get far

283
00:18:01,440 –> 00:18:05,280
into the book before we learn
the reason in verse 10.

284
00:18:06,200 –> 00:18:10,040
I beseech you, brethren, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

285
00:18:10,040 –> 00:18:13,600
that ye all speak the same
thing, that there be no

286
00:18:13,600 –> 00:18:17,120
divisions among you, but that ye
be perfectly joined together in

287
00:18:17,120 –> 00:18:19,480
the same mind and in the same
judgement.

288
00:18:20,200 –> 00:18:23,120
For it hath been declared unto
me of you, my brethren, by them

289
00:18:23,120 –> 00:18:26,600
which are of the House of Chloe,
that there are contentions among

290
00:18:26,600 –> 00:18:28,080
you.
And so having given this

291
00:18:28,080 –> 00:18:31,520
introduction to focus them upon
thee, their calling as one

292
00:18:31,520 –> 00:18:35,880
united body in Christ, he now
raises the issue which is at the

293
00:18:35,880 –> 00:18:39,320
real heart of of this ecclesial
problem, and that is the issue

294
00:18:39,320 –> 00:18:43,160
of contentions of divisions and
schisms that there were amongst

295
00:18:43,320 –> 00:18:48,400
that ecclesia.
He’s pleading, isn’t he?

296
00:18:48,520 –> 00:18:51,600
See that language there?
Now I beseech you, he says, I

297
00:18:51,600 –> 00:18:57,640
beseech you by the work of
sorry, I beseech you in the name

298
00:18:57,640 –> 00:19:01,040
of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye
speak the same thing.

299
00:19:03,560 –> 00:19:06,840
The issue when and what is that
issue?

300
00:19:06,840 –> 00:19:09,440
Why is he pleading?
Why does he plead in such a way?

301
00:19:09,880 –> 00:19:13,640
Verse 12 Now this I say that
everyone of you says I’m of

302
00:19:13,640 –> 00:19:15,880
Paul.
I have Apollos and and I have

303
00:19:15,880 –> 00:19:21,040
Cephas and I of Christ.
So here is the issue in Corinth.

304
00:19:21,600 –> 00:19:24,560
Here’s this ecclesia that’s
bound together in Christ.

305
00:19:25,040 –> 00:19:27,720
But there were some who said,
actually, I’m a follower of

306
00:19:27,720 –> 00:19:30,120
Paul.
Paul preached to me.

307
00:19:30,760 –> 00:19:33,240
I was there when he first came.
I’m a Paul man.

308
00:19:34,600 –> 00:19:36,800
And there are others who said,
well, what about Apollos?

309
00:19:36,880 –> 00:19:40,200
Paul wasn’t a patch on him.
The man was an orator.

310
00:19:40,200 –> 00:19:42,200
He could expound the word like
you couldn’t believe.

311
00:19:42,240 –> 00:19:44,320
I follow his approach.
I follow Apollos.

312
00:19:45,240 –> 00:19:47,040
And someone else said, you think
that’s good?

313
00:19:47,520 –> 00:19:49,880
Well, I follow Peter because he
was there in the time of the

314
00:19:49,880 –> 00:19:52,200
Lord’s ministry.
He’s the rock upon which I

315
00:19:52,200 –> 00:19:56,720
stand.
And others say, well, well,

316
00:19:57,000 –> 00:20:00,360
those are just men.
I’m of Christ, which may have

317
00:20:00,360 –> 00:20:03,320
been the right answer.
But in this circumstance is

318
00:20:03,320 –> 00:20:06,080
being used in entirely the wrong
spirit.

319
00:20:07,720 –> 00:20:11,160
We’re being told that the
ecclesia at Corinth was ripping

320
00:20:11,160 –> 00:20:15,000
itself to pieces because it had
pushed itself into different

321
00:20:15,000 –> 00:20:17,880
groups based on different
personalities.

322
00:20:19,880 –> 00:20:22,760
And Paul’s answer to all of
these issues of all of that

323
00:20:22,760 –> 00:20:25,440
division is to say you forget
all of that.

324
00:20:26,120 –> 00:20:28,560
You come back to the
fundamentals of our life in

325
00:20:28,560 –> 00:20:33,320
Christ to understand that Christ
is the centre and the heart and

326
00:20:33,320 –> 00:20:37,160
the soul of every component of
our life, that we have no

327
00:20:37,160 –> 00:20:40,320
calling, no sanctification, no
gift of grace from God.

328
00:20:40,440 –> 00:20:43,880
We have not the hope of His
coming if we do not focus on

329
00:20:43,880 –> 00:20:47,720
Christ and the fellowship in Him
that binds us together.

330
00:20:49,200 –> 00:20:51,320
To answer their schisms.
He takes their mind and He

331
00:20:51,320 –> 00:20:54,520
transforms their thinking to
understanding the power of

332
00:20:54,520 –> 00:20:57,960
salvation, the foundation
principle of salvation and unity

333
00:20:57,960 –> 00:21:01,120
in Christ.
And it will work just as

334
00:21:01,120 –> 00:21:04,440
perfectly for us brothers and
sisters and young people if we

335
00:21:04,440 –> 00:21:06,960
can do that in our ecclesia
today.

336
00:21:14,420 –> 00:21:17,620
So what is it that the ecclesia
sorry, what is it that the

337
00:21:18,300 –> 00:21:20,820
sorry, I’ve got my notes messed
up in order here.

338
00:21:31,400 –> 00:21:34,680
What is it that the apostle is
is asking the ecclesia to do

339
00:21:36,760 –> 00:21:39,880
here in in verse 10?
I beseech you, brethren, by the

340
00:21:39,880 –> 00:21:42,960
name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you speak the same thing,

341
00:21:43,240 –> 00:21:46,080
that there be no divisions among
you, but that ye be perfectly

342
00:21:46,080 –> 00:21:50,400
joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgement.

343
00:21:51,160 –> 00:21:55,120
Just stop for a moment and look
at the power of what the apostle

344
00:21:55,360 –> 00:21:59,040
is asking this ecclesia to do.
I beseech you.

345
00:21:59,040 –> 00:22:03,000
He says he’s pleading to that
ecclesia by the name of our Lord

346
00:22:03,000 –> 00:22:06,880
Jesus Christ that you speak the
same thing.

347
00:22:07,960 –> 00:22:10,440
Just just pause for a moment and
consider what he’s asking the

348
00:22:10,440 –> 00:22:12,160
ecclesia to do there.
That’s that.

349
00:22:12,160 –> 00:22:16,120
When one member of an ecclesia
speaks and then someone else in

350
00:22:16,120 –> 00:22:18,920
that ecclesia speaks, that they
are actually saying the same

351
00:22:18,920 –> 00:22:21,520
thing.
More than that, he says that

352
00:22:21,520 –> 00:22:24,800
there’d be no divisions among
you, but you’d be perfectly

353
00:22:24,960 –> 00:22:28,240
joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgement.

354
00:22:28,240 –> 00:22:29,920
Can you see the emphasis that
he’s giving here?

355
00:22:29,920 –> 00:22:33,520
He’s not just saying think the
same way, he’s saying I want you

356
00:22:33,520 –> 00:22:36,480
to speak the same thing.
I want you to be perfectly

357
00:22:36,480 –> 00:22:40,280
joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgement.

358
00:22:40,280 –> 00:22:43,240
That’s powerful, isn’t it?
And what he’s asking that

359
00:22:43,240 –> 00:22:47,080
Ecclesia to do is to actually
see that they need to think the

360
00:22:47,080 –> 00:22:50,960
same as all their brothers and
sisters to be perfectly joined

361
00:22:51,200 –> 00:22:56,000
together in the same mind.
That idea of the same, the the

362
00:22:56,000 –> 00:22:59,080
same mind is used extensively
through the New Testament, and

363
00:22:59,080 –> 00:23:01,880
it’s used to denote a self, an
individual.

364
00:23:02,800 –> 00:23:05,880
In other words, he’s asking that
Ecclesia to think as if they

365
00:23:05,880 –> 00:23:10,440
were one person.
He’s asking them to think like

366
00:23:10,440 –> 00:23:13,840
they were one individual.
I’ve got on the screen here 3

367
00:23:13,840 –> 00:23:16,760
quotes out of Philippians which
pick up exactly the same idea

368
00:23:16,760 –> 00:23:18,880
and the same emphasis that that
Paul gives.

369
00:23:19,080 –> 00:23:22,800
Fulfilling my joy that you’d be
like minded having the same love

370
00:23:22,800 –> 00:23:25,160
being of 1 accord of one mind.
And you can see again the

371
00:23:25,160 –> 00:23:28,880
emphasis Philippians 3
nevertheless whereto we have

372
00:23:28,880 –> 00:23:31,480
already attained.
Let us walk by the same rule.

373
00:23:31,880 –> 00:23:36,600
Let us mind the same thing or
Philippians 4 dealing with a

374
00:23:36,600 –> 00:23:39,440
particular issue.
I beseech Yodius and Sintiki

375
00:23:39,440 –> 00:23:42,280
that they be of the same mind in
the Lord.

376
00:23:42,720 –> 00:23:45,320
And so his message to the
Philippines is exactly the same.

377
00:23:45,600 –> 00:23:50,120
It’s that concept, isn’t it,
that an ecclesia has this real

378
00:23:50,120 –> 00:23:55,680
sense of unity in how they think
what the Apostle is asking

379
00:23:55,920 –> 00:24:04,880
Araclesia to do?
What the apostle is asking our

380
00:24:04,880 –> 00:24:08,120
ecclesia to do is to sit down
together and talk through these

381
00:24:08,120 –> 00:24:13,200
issues and humility together.
He’s asking us to understand and

382
00:24:13,200 –> 00:24:14,680
agree on things together.
Isn’t he?

383
00:24:15,400 –> 00:24:19,120
That when one of us speaks, it’s
as if all the mind of us all is

384
00:24:19,120 –> 00:24:21,120
is being opened up and all of us
talking.

385
00:24:22,160 –> 00:24:25,920
He’s not saying here to hold on
to our differences, but to live

386
00:24:25,920 –> 00:24:28,000
life pretending they’re not
there.

387
00:24:28,840 –> 00:24:33,160
He’s saying to us, and this is a
powerful message, if we want

388
00:24:33,600 –> 00:24:38,520
fellowship in Christ.
It is about creating the mind of

389
00:24:38,520 –> 00:24:44,360
Christ together in each one of
us in a United Way.

390
00:24:45,320 –> 00:24:47,760
It’s not to paper up our
differences and to leave the

391
00:24:47,760 –> 00:24:50,960
chasms lying under it.
It’s not just saying saying to

392
00:24:50,960 –> 00:24:53,320
accept that we have a difference
of view and to paper them up.

393
00:24:53,320 –> 00:24:56,840
He’s saying if you understand
the power of fellowship in Jesus

394
00:24:56,840 –> 00:24:58,640
Christ, then speak the same
thing.

395
00:24:58,640 –> 00:25:03,480
To be of the same mind is the
picture that he’s giving us when

396
00:25:03,480 –> 00:25:05,480
you talk.
What comes out of the mouth

397
00:25:05,480 –> 00:25:08,520
needs to be the same
consistently within our

398
00:25:08,520 –> 00:25:12,560
ecclesia.
Can you just pause for a moment,

399
00:25:12,560 –> 00:25:16,800
brothers and sisters and young
people, and understand the power

400
00:25:17,520 –> 00:25:23,040
of that concept?
Because that concept is the key

401
00:25:23,040 –> 00:25:30,720
to ecclesial harmony.
But how can we attain this?

402
00:25:31,720 –> 00:25:36,520
What about our diversity?
How can we ever be perfectly

403
00:25:36,520 –> 00:25:39,480
joined together in the same
mind, thinking the same way?

404
00:25:41,080 –> 00:25:44,520
Well, Paul does deal with
diversity beautifully later on

405
00:25:44,520 –> 00:25:46,800
in the book.
We have diversity, absolutely.

406
00:25:48,160 –> 00:25:50,720
But let’s not miss the point
here that he’s giving us, which

407
00:25:50,720 –> 00:25:55,320
is there is only one answer.
And that answer becomes the core

408
00:25:55,320 –> 00:26:00,720
theme to this book, that our own
mind, our own will, is

409
00:26:00,720 –> 00:26:05,240
crucified, and we live as the
mind of Christ.

410
00:26:06,400 –> 00:26:09,240
That we are not our own, but
purchased with the precious

411
00:26:09,240 –> 00:26:15,520
blood of Christ, and being his
together we become of one

412
00:26:15,520 –> 00:26:25,470
united, harmonious mind.
So what was the particular issue

413
00:26:25,830 –> 00:26:29,630
in the Corinthian Ecclesia?
Love phrased it?

414
00:26:29,630 –> 00:26:32,430
The particular burden that that
ecclesia bore was the eye

415
00:26:32,510 –> 00:26:40,840
brigade.
Verse 12 Now this I say that

416
00:26:40,840 –> 00:26:46,880
everyone of you saith I am of
Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of

417
00:26:46,880 –> 00:26:53,040
Cephas, and I of Christ.
They were pretending to stand

418
00:26:53,040 –> 00:26:57,520
behind the banner of Paul, or of
Peter, or of Christ.

419
00:26:58,680 –> 00:27:02,040
But in reality, Paul says it was
their own egos at play.

420
00:27:02,760 –> 00:27:07,120
I am of was the particular issue
and burden of that ecclesia.

421
00:27:08,080 –> 00:27:10,880
It wasn’t actually the Paul
brigade or the Apollos brigade,

422
00:27:11,080 –> 00:27:15,240
but it was about me, about I and
the I brigade that they belong

423
00:27:15,240 –> 00:27:17,160
to.
Their focus was upon themselves.

424
00:27:17,160 –> 00:27:18,560
And Paul gets right to that
issue.

425
00:27:18,600 –> 00:27:21,240
You’re not standing behind Paul.
You’re actually talking about

426
00:27:21,240 –> 00:27:25,920
yourself and your own ego.
And Paul’s message again is to

427
00:27:25,920 –> 00:27:27,960
come back to the fellowship in
Christ.

428
00:27:28,360 –> 00:27:31,160
It’s not about you, it’s about
the mind of Christ.

429
00:27:31,160 –> 00:27:33,560
And he gives this brilliant
response here in verse 13.

430
00:27:34,800 –> 00:27:37,240
So here’s some saying I’m of
Paul, I’m of Cephas, I’m of

431
00:27:37,240 –> 00:27:40,400
Apollos, I’m of Christ.
Oh, he says, really?

432
00:27:40,400 –> 00:27:43,960
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you or

433
00:27:43,960 –> 00:27:46,360
were ye baptized in the name of
Paul?

434
00:27:47,320 –> 00:27:50,160
It’s a brilliant response here.
There’s some saying I’m of Paul,

435
00:27:50,160 –> 00:27:53,080
and Paul himself says really,
you’re of me.

436
00:27:53,800 –> 00:27:57,800
Oh, so I was the one crucified
for you, was I am I the one

437
00:27:57,800 –> 00:27:59,680
who’s provided the way of
salvation for you?

438
00:27:59,680 –> 00:28:03,720
Was I or were you actually
baptised into my name?

439
00:28:03,720 –> 00:28:06,560
Were you?
Is that the basis of salvation?

440
00:28:06,560 –> 00:28:10,720
He says he answers their
division so brilliant by by

441
00:28:10,720 –> 00:28:13,400
saying that’s that’s a nothing.
It cannot be true.

442
00:28:13,400 –> 00:28:16,240
It’s complete rubbish.
It’s not about the individuals.

443
00:28:16,240 –> 00:28:19,480
It’s about 1:00 work.
It’s about the way of salvation

444
00:28:20,120 –> 00:28:22,160
that has been opened unto us in
Christ.

445
00:28:23,320 –> 00:28:26,920
And then he carries on to give
by his own example his fact that

446
00:28:26,920 –> 00:28:30,160
it’s not about him.
Verse 14 I thank God that I

447
00:28:30,160 –> 00:28:33,680
baptized none of you but Crispus
and Gaius this any of you should

448
00:28:33,680 –> 00:28:36,760
say that I have baptized in my
own name.

449
00:28:36,760 –> 00:28:39,280
He says it’s not about me.
I don’t want groups of people

450
00:28:39,280 –> 00:28:41,680
behind my banner.
He’s saying this is about

451
00:28:41,680 –> 00:28:44,440
Christ.
It’s about a fellowship with a

452
00:28:44,440 –> 00:28:47,160
single minded devotion to the
things of Christ together.

453
00:28:48,400 –> 00:28:50,400
Because we are not followers of
men.

454
00:28:54,320 –> 00:29:00,000
It is easy to look at the
Corinthian ecclesia and to see

455
00:29:00,000 –> 00:29:01,480
the madness of what they were
doing.

456
00:29:02,400 –> 00:29:07,160
That they should be followers of
Paul and lose Christ.

457
00:29:08,880 –> 00:29:12,560
That they should love the
rhetoric of Apollos and ignore

458
00:29:12,560 –> 00:29:14,800
the power of salvation in
Christ.

459
00:29:16,680 –> 00:29:19,960
But the reality is, brothers and
sisters and young people, that

460
00:29:20,040 –> 00:29:25,240
every difficulty that occurs in
ecclesial life and also for

461
00:29:25,240 –> 00:29:29,360
ourselves as individuals is
because we forget this

462
00:29:29,360 –> 00:29:31,120
fundamental principle of the
truth.

463
00:29:31,960 –> 00:29:34,520
We forget this foundation
principle from God.

464
00:29:34,680 –> 00:29:38,440
That it is not about us.
It is about the work of

465
00:29:38,440 –> 00:29:41,560
salvation that God has
accomplished through His Son,

466
00:29:42,000 –> 00:29:45,600
Jesus Christ.
If we could only understand this

467
00:29:45,600 –> 00:29:48,720
as individuals and ecclesias
together, we would move so much

468
00:29:48,720 –> 00:29:52,000
beyond the difficulties and the
struggles of life to the real

469
00:29:52,000 –> 00:29:56,280
power and the fabulous riches of
fellowship that can be available

470
00:29:56,440 –> 00:29:58,480
in ecclesial life together in
Christ.

471
00:29:58,480 –> 00:30:00,640
It’s not about you.
It’s not about me as

472
00:30:00,640 –> 00:30:03,120
individuals.
It’s about the work of salvation

473
00:30:03,760 –> 00:30:06,040
that Christ has accomplished
with his Father.

474
00:30:07,000 –> 00:30:11,480
Verse 17 For Christ sent me not
to baptize, but to preach the

475
00:30:11,480 –> 00:30:15,360
gospel, not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ

476
00:30:15,360 –> 00:30:19,000
should be made of none effect.
His point is clear.

477
00:30:19,000 –> 00:30:20,560
It’s not about me choosing to do
this.

478
00:30:20,560 –> 00:30:23,760
He says Christ has sent me.
I am called by him to do this

479
00:30:23,760 –> 00:30:26,520
work, but interestingly, not
what his work is.

480
00:30:26,520 –> 00:30:29,720
He says it’s not to baptize, but
to preach the gospel.

481
00:30:30,680 –> 00:30:33,360
And it’s an interesting focus
even in our preaching, isn’t it?

482
00:30:33,360 –> 00:30:36,320
To just contemplate for a moment
or even with our children

483
00:30:36,320 –> 00:30:39,920
perhaps that are in focus is so
often on baptism, on getting

484
00:30:39,920 –> 00:30:42,880
them as being a member of the
Christadelphian community, as if

485
00:30:43,040 –> 00:30:47,520
baptism is the the fundamental
thing to be become part of the

486
00:30:47,520 –> 00:30:50,760
ecclesial environment.
Paul’s point, and I say this

487
00:30:50,760 –> 00:30:55,440
carefully, Paul’s point here in
this verse is the baptism itself

488
00:30:55,440 –> 00:30:58,400
was irrelevant.
Now I say that carefully because

489
00:30:58,400 –> 00:31:01,200
I understand and and I agree
that clearly baptism is a

490
00:31:01,200 –> 00:31:03,600
fundamental part of the process
of salvation.

491
00:31:04,200 –> 00:31:07,320
But Paul’s focus, he is saying,
is not on how many people he can

492
00:31:07,320 –> 00:31:09,040
tick off as having been
baptized.

493
00:31:09,640 –> 00:31:12,280
He says, I haven’t been given a
quota by the Lord Jesus Christ

494
00:31:12,280 –> 00:31:14,320
to have baptized 78 people this
year.

495
00:31:15,240 –> 00:31:18,720
It’s not my work.
It’s the work that Christ has

496
00:31:18,720 –> 00:31:21,280
given me.
And he’s given me the gospel and

497
00:31:21,280 –> 00:31:24,400
I will preach the gospel as his
servant.

498
00:31:25,240 –> 00:31:28,120
And then it becomes the work of
Christ to accomplish salvation.

499
00:31:28,120 –> 00:31:32,120
For those who respond, we begin
the work, as we shall find in a

500
00:31:32,120 –> 00:31:35,240
later chapter.
But God accomplishes the work.

501
00:31:36,920 –> 00:31:39,440
It’s not just baptism that Paul
is focused on.

502
00:31:40,760 –> 00:31:43,840
He’s focused on the growth of a
group of people who are in

503
00:31:43,840 –> 00:31:47,920
fellowship with Christ.
It’s not the point of baptism,

504
00:31:48,800 –> 00:31:51,920
but the focus on creating a
group of people who are united

505
00:31:51,920 –> 00:31:55,480
together.
That is his work, and therefore

506
00:31:55,480 –> 00:31:59,520
Paul says that the focus on his
work is nothing about himself.

507
00:32:00,560 –> 00:32:04,080
He says it’s not with wisdom of
man’s words.

508
00:32:04,080 –> 00:32:07,720
He says he’s not out there with
any of his own oratory skills

509
00:32:07,720 –> 00:32:11,840
showing how intelligent he is.
The point is, it’s not about me.

510
00:32:12,280 –> 00:32:14,840
It’s about the work of cross, of
the cross of Christ.

511
00:32:15,800 –> 00:32:18,760
In fact, he says, if I’m
standing up there spouting in my

512
00:32:18,760 –> 00:32:23,240
own wisdom, I’m actually making
the cross of Christ of non

513
00:32:23,240 –> 00:32:25,360
effect.
If I’m there is a man standing

514
00:32:25,360 –> 00:32:28,320
out there because I think I can
give my own wisdom to you, I’ve

515
00:32:28,320 –> 00:32:31,240
destroyed the power of the cross
of Christ.

516
00:32:32,520 –> 00:32:36,000
I wasn’t sent to baptize, but to
preach the gospel, to open the

517
00:32:36,000 –> 00:32:40,360
power of God’s word so that
Christ could live in the

518
00:32:40,360 –> 00:32:43,800
individuals who heard it.
I’m not doing it in my own

519
00:32:43,800 –> 00:32:46,880
strength, he says, or my own
power, but it’s shedding forth

520
00:32:46,880 –> 00:32:49,600
the gospel of Christ so that the
cross of Christ can work its own

521
00:32:49,600 –> 00:32:55,360
power.
The salvation and sacrifice of

522
00:32:55,360 –> 00:32:59,400
Christ can accomplish salvation
if we allow the word to be

523
00:32:59,400 –> 00:33:02,440
opened up.
But if we put ourselves in the

524
00:33:02,440 –> 00:33:07,520
way, if we make this an issue
about ourselves, then we make

525
00:33:07,560 –> 00:33:10,200
the cross of Christ of none
effect.

526
00:33:11,440 –> 00:33:15,440
It’s about losing ourselves.
It’s about forsaking ourselves

527
00:33:16,440 –> 00:33:20,040
because it becomes God’s work
and Christ’s work are not our

528
00:33:20,040 –> 00:33:24,360
own.
So then in verse 18 to verse

529
00:33:24,360 –> 00:33:27,560
right through to verse 29, Paul
moves into this brilliant

530
00:33:27,680 –> 00:33:30,880
section, this quite astonishing
section really on how God has

531
00:33:30,880 –> 00:33:35,280
positioned his work and and what
a remarkable work that it is.

532
00:33:35,800 –> 00:33:38,240
So here in verse 18.
For the preaching of the cross

533
00:33:38,240 –> 00:33:43,800
is to them that perish
foolishness, but unto them US

534
00:33:43,800 –> 00:33:46,880
which are saved, it is the power
of God.

535
00:33:48,440 –> 00:33:51,000
It’s a simple picture that Paul
gives and one that we are very

536
00:33:51,000 –> 00:33:53,520
familiar with, but it is
incredibly powerful.

537
00:33:53,520 –> 00:33:55,480
Hopefully you can you can see
that up there, right?

538
00:33:57,720 –> 00:34:01,680
God, he says verse, verse 18,
the preaching of the cross is to

539
00:34:01,680 –> 00:34:05,440
them that perish foolishness,
but unto us which are saved, it

540
00:34:05,440 –> 00:34:10,159
is the power of God.
The point is that God has used

541
00:34:10,360 –> 00:34:13,719
preaching and, as He says, the
foolishness of preaching later

542
00:34:14,040 –> 00:34:17,520
as the mechanism by which He
will teach others of His ways.

543
00:34:18,440 –> 00:34:20,960
But the reality is that as
individuals we then have a

544
00:34:20,960 –> 00:34:24,960
choice to make.
Both of us have the ability to

545
00:34:24,960 –> 00:34:30,000
listen and to hear that.
But for some of us and for the

546
00:34:30,000 –> 00:34:34,480
world in general, he says we can
choose to see it as foolishness.

547
00:34:35,440 –> 00:34:38,520
It’s the wise, the scribe, the
the disputer of this world.

548
00:34:38,520 –> 00:34:41,080
He says later, who, who?
Look at that in verse verse 20.

549
00:34:41,159 –> 00:34:42,679
Where is the wise?
Where is the scribe?

550
00:34:42,679 –> 00:34:44,080
Where is the disputer of this
world?

551
00:34:44,159 –> 00:34:46,679
Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world?

552
00:34:47,360 –> 00:34:51,400
And so it’s possible for us to
come in our wisdom and to see

553
00:34:52,239 –> 00:34:55,480
what God has presented to us
through the gospel and to say

554
00:34:55,520 –> 00:34:57,240
it’s foolishness.
It doesn’t make sense.

555
00:34:57,240 –> 00:35:00,320
It it can’t work properly.
This is, this is foolish from

556
00:35:00,320 –> 00:35:04,080
human reasoning, from human
perspective, it is foolishness.

557
00:35:04,840 –> 00:35:07,760
And the end result of that, he
says, is that you will perish.

558
00:35:08,720 –> 00:35:14,720
If we come to God’s gospel, if
we come to the truth, seeing it

559
00:35:15,280 –> 00:35:20,720
from man’s wisdom, then it will
be foolishness and we will

560
00:35:20,720 –> 00:35:24,040
perish.
But if, on the other hand, he

561
00:35:24,040 –> 00:35:27,800
says not many wise, not many
mighty, not many noble are

562
00:35:27,800 –> 00:35:31,720
called, if we come to see the
real power of God that is

563
00:35:31,720 –> 00:35:34,840
hidden, hidden there, then it
becomes salvation for us,

564
00:35:34,840 –> 00:35:36,840
doesn’t it?
You might just notice that one’s

565
00:35:36,840 –> 00:35:38,640
slightly wider and one’s
slightly narrower.

566
00:35:38,960 –> 00:35:41,960
That’s a reference back, of
course, to the borders, the way

567
00:35:42,520 –> 00:35:44,920
which leads to destruction and
and narrow being the way as

568
00:35:44,920 –> 00:35:47,040
well.
It’s, that’s a real echo of, of

569
00:35:47,040 –> 00:35:50,720
the sense, isn’t it?
If we come to the truth from

570
00:35:50,720 –> 00:35:54,720
man’s wisdom, from man’s
perspective, then we are going

571
00:35:54,720 –> 00:35:58,160
to lose an, an awareness of the
salvation that’s available.

572
00:35:58,160 –> 00:36:01,120
We’ll see it as foolishness and
the end result of that is is

573
00:36:01,120 –> 00:36:03,000
perishing.
But if we come to an

574
00:36:03,000 –> 00:36:06,880
understanding that this is the
power of God, then it gives us

575
00:36:06,880 –> 00:36:14,600
salvation.
This so God has laid out through

576
00:36:14,600 –> 00:36:16,720
preaching the gospel of His
salvation.

577
00:36:17,480 –> 00:36:19,320
For those who are going to
perish, they see it as

578
00:36:19,320 –> 00:36:22,400
foolishness, but for those who
are saved, it becomes the power

579
00:36:22,400 –> 00:36:27,200
of God.
And verse 19 he quotes out of

580
00:36:27,200 –> 00:36:29,000
Isaiah.
It is written, I will destroy

581
00:36:29,000 –> 00:36:32,240
the wisdom of the wise and bring
to nothing the understanding of

582
00:36:32,240 –> 00:36:34,080
the prudent.
Let’s just hold your hand there

583
00:36:34,080 –> 00:36:37,640
and come back to Isaiah 29
because it is a perfect context,

584
00:36:37,640 –> 00:36:39,200
as you can imagine with the
apostle Paul.

585
00:36:39,400 –> 00:36:43,120
He, he’s, he quotes this in a
perfect context out of Isaiah

586
00:36:43,120 –> 00:37:01,120
29, Isaiah 29, and and verse 13.
Wherefore the Lord said, For as

587
00:37:01,120 –> 00:37:04,000
much as this people draw near me
with their mouth and with their

588
00:37:04,000 –> 00:37:08,040
lips to honour me, but have
removed their heart far from me,

589
00:37:08,400 –> 00:37:11,080
and their fear toward me is
taught by the precept of men.

590
00:37:11,280 –> 00:37:14,080
Therefore, behold, I will
proceed to do a marvellous work

591
00:37:14,080 –> 00:37:16,800
among this people, even a
marvellous work, and a wonder.

592
00:37:17,000 –> 00:37:20,840
For the wisdom of their wise men
shall perish, and the

593
00:37:20,840 –> 00:37:23,040
understanding of their prudent
men shall be hid.

594
00:37:23,480 –> 00:37:25,840
So Paul picks up and quotes out
of Isaiah here, doesn’t he?

595
00:37:25,840 –> 00:37:29,480
That last section, the wisdom of
their wise men shall perish in

596
00:37:29,480 –> 00:37:31,040
the understanding of their
prudent head.

597
00:37:31,360 –> 00:37:35,040
But what is the context telling
us as to why their wisdom will

598
00:37:35,040 –> 00:37:38,240
perish?
The context is telling us that

599
00:37:38,240 –> 00:37:41,840
it’s because they draw nigh to
God on the outer, as if they are

600
00:37:41,840 –> 00:37:47,960
worshipping God, but inside
their heart is far removed and

601
00:37:47,960 –> 00:37:50,760
their fear towards God is taught
by the precept of men.

602
00:37:51,720 –> 00:37:55,520
The apostles point in picking up
this quote out of Isaiah is

603
00:37:55,840 –> 00:37:59,600
Isaiah’s telling us that if we
get the precept of man, the

604
00:37:59,600 –> 00:38:06,280
wisdom of men in the way, then
we will not understand the

605
00:38:06,280 –> 00:38:10,080
wisdom of God.
We come to it on on our lips, on

606
00:38:10,080 –> 00:38:13,320
the outer honouring God, but if
we come to it with our own

607
00:38:13,320 –> 00:38:16,160
wisdom with our heart far
removed from God and and

608
00:38:16,160 –> 00:38:19,120
teaching instead, the precepts
of men will never understand.

609
00:38:19,120 –> 00:38:22,760
And in fact, in verse 14, God’s
response to that.

610
00:38:22,760 –> 00:38:26,560
If we do that, if we come with
an attitude that says I’m

611
00:38:26,560 –> 00:38:28,640
actually going to bring my own
wisdom to this and teach the

612
00:38:28,640 –> 00:38:32,080
precepts of men, he says in
verse 14, I will proceed to do a

613
00:38:32,080 –> 00:38:35,560
marvellous work among this
people, even a marvellous work

614
00:38:35,560 –> 00:38:38,720
and a wonder because the wisdom
of the wise will perish and the

615
00:38:38,720 –> 00:38:40,440
understanding of the prudence
shall be lost.

616
00:38:40,720 –> 00:38:43,560
And I think what he’s telling us
here in Isaiah is if you come

617
00:38:43,960 –> 00:38:46,920
believing that your own wisdom
is the basis on which you can

618
00:38:46,920 –> 00:38:50,960
understand God, then God has
deliberately put a mechanism in

619
00:38:50,960 –> 00:38:52,360
the way that will mean you trip
up.

620
00:38:53,160 –> 00:38:56,120
If you come saying, here’s my
wisdom and I’m coming in my own

621
00:38:56,120 –> 00:38:59,240
wisdom, then God is going to do
a marvellous work.

622
00:38:59,920 –> 00:39:03,480
But that marvellous work will
cause the wise men to perish.

623
00:39:03,680 –> 00:39:07,000
So what is that marvellous work?
We’ll come back to first of

624
00:39:07,000 –> 00:39:10,000
Corinthians again.
What is that marvellous work?

625
00:39:15,040 –> 00:39:21,560
Verse 18 For the preaching of
the cross is to them that perish

626
00:39:21,600 –> 00:39:26,240
foolishness, but unto us which
are saved, it is the power of

627
00:39:26,240 –> 00:39:28,920
God.
And that God deliberately

628
00:39:28,920 –> 00:39:32,400
allowed his Son to go through
the process of crucifixion on

629
00:39:32,400 –> 00:39:37,440
the cross to create a mechanism
whereby the wonder and the power

630
00:39:37,440 –> 00:39:41,360
of his salvation could be shown
to others, the glory of his of

631
00:39:41,640 –> 00:39:45,040
his work of salvation.
But that in doing so there was a

632
00:39:45,040 –> 00:39:48,240
mechanism, mechanism which said
if men come to it in their own

633
00:39:48,240 –> 00:39:51,000
strength and look at the cross,
they’ll say it doesn’t make

634
00:39:51,000 –> 00:39:52,440
sense.
Why would God do that?

635
00:39:53,360 –> 00:39:58,040
And that process of the cross
will will trip them up in

636
00:39:58,040 –> 00:40:02,080
itself.
God created the marvelous work

637
00:40:02,080 –> 00:40:06,800
of crucifixion so that the wise
man’s wisdom would perish.

638
00:40:11,360 –> 00:40:15,440
So in verse 19 through to verse
21, God shows us that that this

639
00:40:15,440 –> 00:40:18,480
work, that God’s work becomes
actually a work of

640
00:40:18,480 –> 00:40:22,320
differentiating between the
wisdom of this world and the

641
00:40:22,320 –> 00:40:25,600
wisdom of of God.
Or really, between wisdom and

642
00:40:25,600 –> 00:40:31,920
foolishness.
It’s interesting to note that

643
00:40:31,920 –> 00:40:36,520
the world has positioned itself
as wise, but that God is

644
00:40:36,520 –> 00:40:40,680
deliberately using foolishness
in the world’s view to create

645
00:40:41,320 –> 00:40:47,400
the wisdom of God.
So we come to verse 21.

646
00:40:47,440 –> 00:40:51,040
For after that in the wisdom of
God, the world by wisdom knew

647
00:40:51,040 –> 00:40:55,200
not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save

648
00:40:55,200 –> 00:40:57,400
them that believe.
Now this is quite a difficult

649
00:40:57,400 –> 00:41:00,040
verse, isn’t it?
What is it saying after that in

650
00:41:00,040 –> 00:41:02,640
the wisdom of God, the world by
wisdom knew not God.

651
00:41:02,640 –> 00:41:05,800
It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save

652
00:41:05,800 –> 00:41:07,920
them that belief.
Well, I think he’s picking up

653
00:41:07,920 –> 00:41:12,080
exactly that concept out of
Isaiah, that God has has created

654
00:41:12,080 –> 00:41:15,040
his way of salvation in a way
that says if we are coming to it

655
00:41:15,040 –> 00:41:20,640
in our own wisdom, the world by
wisdom, knowing not God, then in

656
00:41:20,640 –> 00:41:23,320
God’s wisdom he has created a
mechanism which will trip that

657
00:41:23,320 –> 00:41:26,840
up.
But instead, rather than just

658
00:41:26,840 –> 00:41:28,320
doing that and saying right,
you’re tripped up.

659
00:41:28,320 –> 00:41:31,960
He has then created a mechanism
which is the foolishness of

660
00:41:31,960 –> 00:41:35,840
preaching.
He has created the mechanism of

661
00:41:35,840 –> 00:41:41,720
salvation that essentially is is
1 of foolishness in the world’s

662
00:41:41,720 –> 00:41:46,040
view.
God has specifically designed

663
00:41:46,040 –> 00:41:50,520
his creation in just such a way.
He could have created or chosen

664
00:41:50,520 –> 00:41:54,240
a mechanism of salvation that
ticked the boxes of the wisdom

665
00:41:54,240 –> 00:41:57,360
of the wise.
If we had wanted to, He could

666
00:41:57,360 –> 00:42:00,120
have created a Greek
philosophical way of approach to

667
00:42:00,120 –> 00:42:03,520
salvation that would have
absolutely transfixed the the

668
00:42:03,520 –> 00:42:07,360
Greeks in their brilliance and
far surpassed the mental and

669
00:42:07,360 –> 00:42:09,880
academic stimulation they were
after.

670
00:42:10,040 –> 00:42:15,800
God could have done that easily.
But Paul’s point is that

671
00:42:15,800 –> 00:42:19,560
instead, God has deliberately
and specifically created the

672
00:42:19,560 –> 00:42:21,560
mechanism of salvation in
Christ.

673
00:42:22,880 –> 00:42:26,320
That salvation is done in such a
way that if we bring our own ego

674
00:42:26,320 –> 00:42:29,080
and our wisdom to it, then it
comes to nothing.

675
00:42:30,080 –> 00:42:35,520
That God’s wisdom cannot be
obtained when we approach this

676
00:42:35,520 –> 00:42:44,520
salvation with the pride of man.
Verse 21 This concept of

677
00:42:44,520 –> 00:42:48,080
preaching, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save

678
00:42:48,080 –> 00:42:56,760
them that belief, as I notes in
Isaiah 61, that the work of

679
00:42:56,760 –> 00:43:00,880
Messiah would be to preach good
tidings, to preach good tidings

680
00:43:01,200 –> 00:43:05,760
unto the meek.
It’s exactly the same concept

681
00:43:06,160 –> 00:43:10,440
that the use or the mechanism of
preaching was a basis by which

682
00:43:10,440 –> 00:43:14,440
God would preach to the meek,
but which the wise of this world

683
00:43:14,440 –> 00:43:20,240
would not understand.
It’s a brilliant plan from God.

684
00:43:20,960 –> 00:43:24,120
It’s not responding to the
greatness or the wisdom of man,

685
00:43:24,120 –> 00:43:26,920
but to the true wonder of
salvation in Christ.

686
00:43:27,120 –> 00:43:30,880
It’s saying there that he would
say, see the end of verse 21.

687
00:43:30,880 –> 00:43:34,520
It please God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them, that

688
00:43:34,520 –> 00:43:39,720
belief that God established A
mechanism by which salvation

689
00:43:39,920 –> 00:43:44,720
would come to those who were in
simple belief able to accept the

690
00:43:44,720 –> 00:43:48,920
gospel of God.
But just think about the cross

691
00:43:48,920 –> 00:43:52,120
for the moment.
You think of salvation through a

692
00:43:52,120 –> 00:43:56,800
mechanism of a man who dies in
agonising death, of the hero who

693
00:43:56,800 –> 00:44:00,000
dies in agonising death on the
cross in meekness.

694
00:44:01,160 –> 00:44:04,720
And you can see it’s foolishness
from man’s perspective or the

695
00:44:04,720 –> 00:44:08,640
concept of preaching and of us
preaching as a way of showing

696
00:44:08,640 –> 00:44:11,440
God’s glory is of is of itself
foolishness, isn’t it?

697
00:44:11,440 –> 00:44:13,320
You just think of it from a
man’s perspective.

698
00:44:13,560 –> 00:44:16,680
He’s God in his wisdom, who’s
the the creator of everything,

699
00:44:16,760 –> 00:44:18,600
all powerful with complete
wisdom.

700
00:44:19,360 –> 00:44:24,320
And he’s created a mechanism by
which the world in its wisdom

701
00:44:24,320 –> 00:44:29,040
cannot understand God, but
instead whereby he takes us in

702
00:44:29,040 –> 00:44:34,360
our weakness and our
foolishness, and he uses us to

703
00:44:34,360 –> 00:44:36,400
reveal the glory and the power
of God.

704
00:44:36,400 –> 00:44:38,440
That’s the foolishness of
preaching, isn’t it?

705
00:44:38,440 –> 00:44:41,760
What a, what a from a, from a
worldly perspective, what a mad

706
00:44:41,760 –> 00:44:43,880
way of God showing forth his
glory.

707
00:44:44,600 –> 00:44:48,280
But we shall find in our studies
together that this is absolutely

708
00:44:48,280 –> 00:44:50,840
the glory of God, that he is
able to take us in our weakness

709
00:44:50,840 –> 00:44:54,040
and to turn us instead into the
vessels of his glory.

710
00:44:55,160 –> 00:44:58,400
From the world’s perspective,
it’s foolishness, but it’s

711
00:44:58,400 –> 00:45:01,520
brilliant wisdom.
When we come to understand the

712
00:45:01,520 –> 00:45:10,520
mind of God from the wisdom of
the world, it is madness.

713
00:45:12,200 –> 00:45:16,120
Why would such an incredibly
powerful Creator take the

714
00:45:16,120 –> 00:45:19,000
fullness of His glory and reveal
it to individuals who are weak

715
00:45:19,040 –> 00:45:26,200
and fail?
Verse 27 God hath chosen the

716
00:45:26,200 –> 00:45:29,640
foolish things of the world to
confound the wise, and God hath

717
00:45:29,800 –> 00:45:32,320
chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things

718
00:45:32,320 –> 00:45:34,880
which are mighty and base things
of the world and things which

719
00:45:34,880 –> 00:45:36,680
are despised.
Hath God chosen?

720
00:45:36,880 –> 00:45:40,000
Yeah, and things which are not
to bring to naughty things that

721
00:45:40,000 –> 00:45:43,680
are.
God has specifically chosen

722
00:45:43,680 –> 00:45:46,760
things which are foolishness to
this world as the basis upon

723
00:45:46,760 –> 00:45:48,240
which he achieves His grand
work.

724
00:45:48,920 –> 00:45:52,240
He’s specifically chosen His way
of salvation to confound those

725
00:45:52,240 –> 00:45:54,680
who come in their own wisdom
with their own ego.

726
00:45:56,000 –> 00:45:58,520
He’s chosen the weak things to
confound what is mighty and

727
00:45:58,520 –> 00:46:01,960
strong in the sense of this
world base things which are

728
00:46:01,960 –> 00:46:03,480
despised.
God has chosen.

729
00:46:04,320 –> 00:46:07,200
And what is the point?
Well, he pulls it together so

730
00:46:07,200 –> 00:46:12,280
beautifully here in verse 29
that no flesh should glory in

731
00:46:12,280 –> 00:46:16,400
His presence.
This is the fundamental

732
00:46:16,400 –> 00:46:19,400
principle that Paul has been
building up to in this chapter.

733
00:46:20,200 –> 00:46:23,400
No flesh can glory in God’s
presence.

734
00:46:23,560 –> 00:46:29,320
Why is God doing this this way?
It’s the foundation principle of

735
00:46:29,320 –> 00:46:34,160
coming to understand God and His
work in our lives that God will

736
00:46:34,160 –> 00:46:38,400
not have in His presence any
component of the flesh that

737
00:46:38,400 –> 00:46:43,000
glories in itself.
God’s work is a work that is

738
00:46:43,000 –> 00:46:46,040
done without the power and the
wisdom of this world.

739
00:46:46,040 –> 00:46:48,080
Just come across to Isaiah
chapter 40.

740
00:46:54,520 –> 00:47:04,230
As I have 40 in verse 5.
And the glory of Yahweh shall be

741
00:47:04,230 –> 00:47:06,430
revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together.

742
00:47:06,430 –> 00:47:10,030
For the mouth of Yahweh hath
spoken it, So here is Yahweh

743
00:47:10,030 –> 00:47:12,710
that’s going to be revealed, and
all flesh we’re told is going to

744
00:47:12,710 –> 00:47:15,350
see it.
And the voice said, cry.

745
00:47:16,190 –> 00:47:22,960
And he said, What shall I cry?
All flesh is grass, and all the

746
00:47:22,960 –> 00:47:26,120
goodliness thereof is as the
flower of the field.

747
00:47:27,680 –> 00:47:31,760
The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth because the spirit of

748
00:47:31,760 –> 00:47:35,320
Yahweh bloweth upon it.
Surely the people is grass.

749
00:47:35,640 –> 00:47:39,560
The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth.

750
00:47:41,200 –> 00:47:44,240
God’s glory is going to be
revealed and it’s brilliance is

751
00:47:44,240 –> 00:47:47,080
revealed and we’re we’re there
like a field of of withered

752
00:47:47,080 –> 00:47:50,360
grass before it.
We cannot handle the glory of

753
00:47:50,360 –> 00:47:53,840
Yahweh that blows down upon our
flesh and we wither and we

754
00:47:53,840 –> 00:47:56,040
perish.
And the flesh is completely done

755
00:47:56,040 –> 00:47:59,280
in the presence of Yahweh’s
glory, in the face of God’s

756
00:47:59,280 –> 00:48:03,520
presence, we wither and perish.
No flesh or glory in his

757
00:48:03,520 –> 00:48:06,440
presence.
We’re just like a little piece

758
00:48:06,440 –> 00:48:11,400
of grass in a paddock that can’t
stand the Canterbury nor Norwest

759
00:48:11,400 –> 00:48:17,080
wind as it comes up and it fades
away and Withers and dies.

760
00:48:19,760 –> 00:48:23,920
But God does not leave us there
because the rest of verse 8 then

761
00:48:23,920 –> 00:48:27,760
gives us the hope, doesn’t it?
But the Word of our God shall

762
00:48:27,760 –> 00:48:31,840
stand forever.
And here is Yahweh’s glory

763
00:48:31,840 –> 00:48:34,440
revealed.
It Withers our flesh, but the

764
00:48:34,440 –> 00:48:39,040
Word of God stands forever.
It’s telling us if there is in

765
00:48:39,040 –> 00:48:42,400
our hearts any little component
of the Word of God that is

766
00:48:42,400 –> 00:48:46,720
living and abiding, then as the
flesh is stripped away, the Word

767
00:48:46,720 –> 00:48:51,480
of God is left to stand upright
and that will stand forever.

768
00:48:51,480 –> 00:48:55,320
We’re told that is God’s work
that He is accomplishing, that

769
00:48:55,320 –> 00:48:57,400
no flesh will glory in His
presence.

770
00:48:57,640 –> 00:49:00,880
The Spirit of Yahweh blows upon
us and we wither away, become

771
00:49:00,880 –> 00:49:04,600
nothing except that His Word
lifts us up, abiding in our

772
00:49:04,600 –> 00:49:06,840
hearts.
And that’s exactly the concept

773
00:49:06,840 –> 00:49:09,520
that we have back here in One
Corinthians chapter 1.

774
00:49:10,480 –> 00:49:13,080
What is God’s focus in One
Corinthians?

775
00:49:13,400 –> 00:49:16,040
That no flesh would glory in his
presence.

776
00:49:17,320 –> 00:49:19,440
What does it mean by the
presence of God?

777
00:49:19,440 –> 00:49:21,560
How?
How do we mean the presence of

778
00:49:21,560 –> 00:49:24,160
God?
You probably know that the Greek

779
00:49:24,160 –> 00:49:26,920
word there means his face.
That is, we stand in the

780
00:49:26,920 –> 00:49:29,480
presence or before the face of
God.

781
00:49:30,600 –> 00:49:33,640
It’s a concept of presence that
we often associate with worship

782
00:49:33,880 –> 00:49:36,480
because it’s a phrase that’s
used in the Old Testament to

783
00:49:36,720 –> 00:49:39,840
refer to the priest who’s
standing in the presence of God

784
00:49:40,000 –> 00:49:43,960
is an intercessor between God
and man, to see the face of God

785
00:49:43,960 –> 00:49:47,400
and to stand between US.
And therefore, we often

786
00:49:47,640 –> 00:49:50,760
attribute this concept of the
presence of God to worship.

787
00:49:51,000 –> 00:49:53,880
No flesh can glory in the
presence of God as we come to

788
00:49:53,880 –> 00:49:59,760
worship him.
And that is exactly the case as

789
00:49:59,760 –> 00:50:01,280
we are gathered here at the
school.

790
00:50:01,280 –> 00:50:03,640
Together we are in the presence
of God.

791
00:50:04,600 –> 00:50:08,720
God is part of us and with us.
We are in front of the face of

792
00:50:08,720 –> 00:50:14,360
God as we are here this morning.
It’s interesting also to note in

793
00:50:14,360 –> 00:50:18,520
passing that that that word is
also comes up in Romans 3 and

794
00:50:18,520 –> 00:50:20,720
verse 20.
By the deeds of the law in our

795
00:50:20,720 –> 00:50:24,600
own strength, no flesh will be
justified in the sight of God,

796
00:50:24,600 –> 00:50:28,520
in the presence of God.
So that God is is watching over

797
00:50:28,520 –> 00:50:30,240
us and and seeing our actions,
isn’t it?

798
00:50:30,800 –> 00:50:33,600
And we’re starting to get the
sense that that presence perhaps

799
00:50:33,600 –> 00:50:36,680
delves, delves more deeply than
just the concept of our of our

800
00:50:36,680 –> 00:50:45,800
worship before God.
There’s no boasting, there’s no

801
00:50:45,800 –> 00:50:48,680
glory that we can bring as we
approach the presence of God.

802
00:50:49,640 –> 00:50:51,880
We can’t be justified by our own
deeds.

803
00:50:53,640 –> 00:50:55,920
But we haven’t yet quite
answered the question, have we?

804
00:50:56,200 –> 00:50:59,040
What does it mean that no flesh
will glory in his presence?

805
00:51:00,560 –> 00:51:03,160
The concept of presence also
comes up frequently in the New

806
00:51:03,160 –> 00:51:06,160
Testament, interestingly,
particularly in Luke and in the

807
00:51:06,160 –> 00:51:10,720
Acts.
And the concept there is the is

808
00:51:10,720 –> 00:51:13,520
the idea of standing in the face
or the presence of an individual

809
00:51:13,520 –> 00:51:18,480
time and time again.
But Psalm 139, which I’ll just

810
00:51:18,480 –> 00:51:23,200
read to you, Psalm 139, starts
to open this concept of the

811
00:51:23,200 –> 00:51:25,400
presence of God a little more
for us.

812
00:51:27,520 –> 00:51:34,000
Psalm 139 And in verse 7.
Whither shall I go from Thy

813
00:51:34,000 –> 00:51:38,640
spirit, or whither shall I flee
from Thy presence?

814
00:51:39,520 –> 00:51:42,640
If I send up into heaven Thou
out there, If I make my bed in

815
00:51:42,640 –> 00:51:43,800
the grave, behold Thou out
there.

816
00:51:43,800 –> 00:51:45,720
If I take the wings of the
morning and dwell in the

817
00:51:45,720 –> 00:51:49,000
uttermost parts of the sea, even
there shall Thy hand lead me,

818
00:51:49,200 –> 00:51:50,840
and Thy right hand shall hold me
up.

819
00:51:52,960 –> 00:51:57,640
We’re told that we cannot hide
from the presence of God

820
00:51:57,640 –> 00:52:00,960
wherever we go, to the deepest,
darkest night or the depths of

821
00:52:00,960 –> 00:52:03,760
the sea.
Wherever I am, God’s presence is

822
00:52:03,760 –> 00:52:05,760
there, and He is able to see and
to know us.

823
00:52:06,960 –> 00:52:11,680
In verse one of that sum, O
Yahweh, thou hast searched me

824
00:52:12,880 –> 00:52:16,480
and known me.
Thou knowest my down sitting and

825
00:52:16,480 –> 00:52:19,480
mine uprising.
Thou understandest my thought

826
00:52:19,480 –> 00:52:22,240
afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my

827
00:52:22,240 –> 00:52:24,360
lying down.
An art acquainted with all my

828
00:52:24,360 –> 00:52:27,440
ways.
For there is not a word in my

829
00:52:27,440 –> 00:52:31,760
tongue.
But lo, O Yahweh, thou knowest

830
00:52:31,760 –> 00:52:37,640
it altogether.
The presence of Yahweh is

831
00:52:37,640 –> 00:52:41,440
everywhere.
Our life is not just in the

832
00:52:41,440 –> 00:52:43,360
presence of God on a Sunday
morning.

833
00:52:44,640 –> 00:52:49,480
In every moment of our life,
every thought we take, every

834
00:52:49,480 –> 00:52:53,600
breath we take is done in the
presence of Yahweh Himself.

835
00:52:54,680 –> 00:52:57,760
And therefore, when Paul says in
Corinthians that no flesh will

836
00:52:57,760 –> 00:53:00,480
glory in his presence, he is
talking about far more than just

837
00:53:00,480 –> 00:53:02,280
our attitude as we approach the
Sunday meeting.

838
00:53:02,520 –> 00:53:06,240
He’s talking about every moment
and every component of our life

839
00:53:06,480 –> 00:53:09,840
that the Father’s looking at our
attitude to sit and he wants to

840
00:53:09,840 –> 00:53:12,400
see us developing, to see.
It’s not about me.

841
00:53:13,040 –> 00:53:15,040
I’m prepared to put myself to
one side.

842
00:53:16,000 –> 00:53:19,000
I understand that my salvation
is having been sanctified in

843
00:53:19,000 –> 00:53:22,160
Christ, called in Christ, that
we’ve received grace through

844
00:53:22,160 –> 00:53:25,760
Christ, and our hope of
salvation is on His coming

845
00:53:25,760 –> 00:53:28,680
alone.
And therefore we’re prepared to

846
00:53:28,680 –> 00:53:32,320
put our ego aside, to not think
about what we want to

847
00:53:32,320 –> 00:53:36,120
accomplish, but to understand
that every moment of our life is

848
00:53:36,120 –> 00:53:38,000
lived in the presence of God
Himself.

849
00:53:39,240 –> 00:53:43,520
God wants to know that there is
no component of our flesh that

850
00:53:43,520 –> 00:53:48,400
glories in itself while He is
with us on a constant, daily

851
00:53:48,400 –> 00:53:50,760
basis.
That’s perfection, isn’t it?

852
00:53:51,760 –> 00:53:54,120
We’ll struggle, brothers and
sisters and young people, to

853
00:53:54,120 –> 00:53:57,400
ever get anywhere near that.
But that’s the reality of what

854
00:53:57,400 –> 00:54:00,840
Paul is telling us when he says
no flesh or glory in his

855
00:54:00,840 –> 00:54:04,200
presence.
That God is working in our lives

856
00:54:05,000 –> 00:54:08,480
to bring us to a point where we
understand that we are nothing

857
00:54:08,520 –> 00:54:12,920
before him.
But see, Paul does not just

858
00:54:12,920 –> 00:54:15,320
leave us there, does he?
Broken and smashed down like

859
00:54:15,320 –> 00:54:19,080
that, having understood that no
flesh will glory in his

860
00:54:19,080 –> 00:54:20,800
presence, he then lifts us up
again.

861
00:54:20,800 –> 00:54:26,640
In one Corinthians 1, Paul takes
us in his final concluding

862
00:54:26,640 –> 00:54:29,920
comments into such a beautiful
space.

863
00:54:29,960 –> 00:54:33,320
And verse 30 Of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God has

864
00:54:33,320 –> 00:54:36,480
made unto us wisdom and
righteousness and sanctification

865
00:54:36,480 –> 00:54:40,040
and redemption?
Of him are ye in Christ Jesus,

866
00:54:40,360 –> 00:54:43,360
who of God has made unto us
wisdom and righteousness and

867
00:54:43,360 –> 00:54:46,440
sanctification and redemption.
If we are prepared to lose

868
00:54:46,440 –> 00:54:51,040
ourself, to put aside the wisdom
of this world, then God is able

869
00:54:51,040 –> 00:54:55,760
to elevate us incredibly in
Christ and give us wisdom, and

870
00:54:55,760 –> 00:54:59,680
not just wisdom, not just
wisdom, but righteousness and

871
00:54:59,680 –> 00:55:04,760
sanctification and redemption.
God will accept no flesh glory

872
00:55:04,760 –> 00:55:07,600
in his presence.
But once we have understood that

873
00:55:07,600 –> 00:55:11,400
he, he lifts us up with this
incredible revelation.

874
00:55:11,400 –> 00:55:14,320
He gives us in verse 31 that
according as it is written, he

875
00:55:14,320 –> 00:55:16,920
that glorieth let him glory in
the Lord.

876
00:55:21,000 –> 00:55:26,400
Paul’s telling us that we we can
become part of the glory of God

877
00:55:26,800 –> 00:55:32,000
ourselves.
There is the world focused in

878
00:55:32,000 –> 00:55:36,720
their own wisdom and saying
God’s foolishness and in reality

879
00:55:36,720 –> 00:55:40,880
God’s looking at them saying
they’ve got it all wrong because

880
00:55:40,880 –> 00:55:42,480
I’ll show you that the flesh is
nothing.

881
00:55:43,800 –> 00:55:47,800
But if we can accept that we are
nothing in foolishness, that we

882
00:55:47,800 –> 00:55:53,880
need salvation in Christ, then
God will lift us up to give us

883
00:55:54,240 –> 00:55:58,280
true wisdom and righteousness
and wisdom and sanctification

884
00:55:59,000 –> 00:56:08,040
and redemption in Him.
We have the ability to gain true

885
00:56:08,040 –> 00:56:10,920
wisdom.
We have the ability to be made

886
00:56:10,920 –> 00:56:15,560
righteous, to be sanctified,
made holy, and given the basis

887
00:56:15,560 –> 00:56:22,000
of redemption.
And he shows us that while we

888
00:56:22,000 –> 00:56:26,400
have no glory of ourselves, we
can never glory in the presence

889
00:56:26,400 –> 00:56:31,360
of God because of our weakness,
that in him, our way of Christ,

890
00:56:31,360 –> 00:56:34,560
we are made righteousness and
sanctification and redemption,

891
00:56:34,880 –> 00:56:37,440
and therefore let him glory in
the Lord.

892
00:56:38,120 –> 00:56:42,360
So we are being told that we can
glory, that whilst no flesh will

893
00:56:42,360 –> 00:56:45,160
glory in His presence, we do
have the ability, brothers and

894
00:56:45,160 –> 00:56:48,400
sisters and young people, to
glory in God.

895
00:56:48,920 –> 00:56:51,920
That we can glory in something
in the presence of God.

896
00:56:53,000 –> 00:56:55,960
That we are able to stand in the
presence of God both in daily

897
00:56:55,960 –> 00:56:59,240
life and in our worship, knowing
that we have glory with Him.

898
00:56:59,880 –> 00:57:02,960
To rejoice in the glory that we
share in, but to do so knowing

899
00:57:03,160 –> 00:57:06,280
that it’s nothing of ourselves
because it’s God’s glory alone.

900
00:57:08,000 –> 00:57:12,640
Just briefly, Paul quotes here
out of Jeremiah Chapter 9.

901
00:57:12,920 –> 00:57:15,280
We won’t go back and and have a
look at that whole section

902
00:57:15,280 –> 00:57:18,520
there, but what we find is that
this whole section that he’s

903
00:57:18,520 –> 00:57:21,080
been working through is actually
an expansion of the ideas of

904
00:57:21,080 –> 00:57:24,800
Jeremiah 9.
Thus saith Yahweh, let not the

905
00:57:24,800 –> 00:57:27,680
wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory

906
00:57:27,680 –> 00:57:29,760
in his might.
Let not the rich man glory in

907
00:57:29,760 –> 00:57:31,760
his riches.
He says, but let him that

908
00:57:31,760 –> 00:57:34,840
glorieth glory in this that he
understandeth and knoweth me

909
00:57:35,360 –> 00:57:38,240
that I’m Yahweh, which exercise
loving kindness, judgment and

910
00:57:38,240 –> 00:57:41,880
righteousness in the earth from
those things I delight saith

911
00:57:41,880 –> 00:57:45,480
Yahweh and Paul just picks up
with that little phrase he that

912
00:57:45,680 –> 00:57:50,120
glorieth led him glory in the in
the in the Lord to show us that

913
00:57:50,120 –> 00:57:52,920
this whole concept has been
taken out of Jeremiah and

914
00:57:52,920 –> 00:57:55,560
Chapter 9.
You can see here the the echoes

915
00:57:55,560 –> 00:57:59,040
3 verse 26 as he just starts to
introduce the concepts of the

916
00:57:59,040 –> 00:58:02,280
wise and the mighty and the
noble who who won’t stand in the

917
00:58:02,280 –> 00:58:07,440
presence of God, and then pulls
it together in 27 and 28 and

918
00:58:07,440 –> 00:58:13,840
through to verse 31.
But we find that the context of

919
00:58:13,840 –> 00:58:19,680
Jeremiah is a horrific picture
of a nation who had sank to the

920
00:58:19,680 –> 00:58:22,840
lowest depths, who were told
that their carcasses would be

921
00:58:22,840 –> 00:58:27,720
left like dung upon the open
field of a nation that had come

922
00:58:27,720 –> 00:58:33,560
to complete devastation.
Jeremiah’s pointers.

923
00:58:35,000 –> 00:58:37,840
There is no wise man who can say
they’ve done anything special.

924
00:58:38,720 –> 00:58:41,440
There is no powerfully strong
man who can ever say that

925
00:58:41,440 –> 00:58:44,480
they’ve got strength to stand in
the presence of God.

926
00:58:45,880 –> 00:58:51,360
There is no wealthy man who can
say that they have the ability

927
00:58:52,160 –> 00:58:57,760
to look after themselves.
There is a glory that we can

928
00:58:57,760 –> 00:59:01,000
have, Jeremiah says.
And we are to look at this

929
00:59:01,000 –> 00:59:03,800
subject of the glory through
Corinthians in more detail in

930
00:59:03,800 –> 00:59:09,240
one of our latest sections.
But just see the point that Paul

931
00:59:09,240 –> 00:59:12,600
is picking up here.
What is the glory that we have?

932
00:59:12,960 –> 00:59:16,080
It’s not just to rejoice in the
fact that God himself is

933
00:59:16,080 –> 00:59:20,640
glorious.
It’s to glory in the Lord, he

934
00:59:20,640 –> 00:59:24,480
says, but let him that glorieth
glory in this that he understand

935
00:59:24,480 –> 00:59:29,640
and knoweth me, and who is the
me that I am Yahweh, which

936
00:59:29,640 –> 00:59:32,680
exercise loving kindness,
judgement and righteousness in

937
00:59:32,680 –> 00:59:34,440
the earth.
What’s the point?

938
00:59:36,240 –> 00:59:43,360
What is Yahweh but an
explanation of God’s purpose to

939
00:59:43,360 –> 00:59:47,960
reveal Himself in a multitude of
people who are like Him in every

940
00:59:47,960 –> 00:59:52,960
way?
The point is, there is no glory

941
00:59:52,960 –> 00:59:57,400
that we can have of ourselves.
But when we understand the work

942
00:59:57,400 –> 01:00:01,760
of God, when we come to see the
glory of God’s work, we realise

943
01:00:01,760 –> 01:00:06,200
that He is able to lift us up
and to transform us beyond our

944
01:00:06,200 –> 01:00:09,960
weakness.
Into the glory of God himself.

945
01:00:11,360 –> 01:00:13,000
You can see there, can’t you?
I am Yahweh.

946
01:00:13,000 –> 01:00:15,480
I’ve got this purpose of
bringing in a group of people

947
01:00:15,480 –> 01:00:19,760
like me, and to that end I
exercise loving kindness and

948
01:00:19,760 –> 01:00:21,520
judgement and righteousness in
the earth.

949
01:00:21,880 –> 01:00:26,200
That God’s whole work is to take
us and to transform us into His

950
01:00:26,200 –> 01:00:30,800
glory.
We’ve been told that we can

951
01:00:30,840 –> 01:00:34,280
glory in Yahweh when we come to
know by experience the power of

952
01:00:34,280 –> 01:00:37,000
His loving kindness and the
judgement and the wonder of

953
01:00:37,000 –> 01:00:38,480
God’s righteousness in the
earth.

954
01:00:39,080 –> 01:00:42,640
He is Yahweh, whose glory will
be revealed in a group of mighty

955
01:00:42,640 –> 01:00:49,760
ones who have His glory, who
have His character, because they

956
01:00:49,760 –> 01:00:52,840
have come to understand the
power of Him working in their

957
01:00:52,840 –> 01:00:56,080
lives, of His loving kindness,
of His judgement, and of His

958
01:00:56,080 –> 01:00:58,560
righteousness upon the earth.
They know that Yahweh delights

959
01:00:58,560 –> 01:01:02,840
in these things, and they share
that delight together with Him.

960
01:01:05,000 –> 01:01:09,240
I’ll just conclude in Second
Corinthians chapter 4, where

961
01:01:09,240 –> 01:01:12,320
Paul in a later letter to this
ecclesia, picks up these ideas

962
01:01:12,320 –> 01:01:14,120
and expands them so, so
beautifully.

963
01:01:14,120 –> 01:01:16,480
Second Corinthians chapter 4 and
verse 6.

964
01:01:16,640 –> 01:01:20,280
For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, hath

965
01:01:20,280 –> 01:01:24,080
shined into our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of

966
01:01:24,080 –> 01:01:27,560
the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.

967
01:01:27,560 –> 01:01:32,360
We’ve come to see that light, to
see the glory of God, of the

968
01:01:32,360 –> 01:01:35,960
purpose and power of His
character as revealed unto us in

969
01:01:35,960 –> 01:01:40,480
the face of Jesus Christ.
He’s become the heart, the

970
01:01:40,480 –> 01:01:44,600
centre of all our focus.
And God shines with that light

971
01:01:44,600 –> 01:01:51,120
out of our heart in verse 7.
But we have this treasure in

972
01:01:51,120 –> 01:01:56,120
urban vessels, that the
Excellency of the power may be

973
01:01:56,120 –> 01:01:58,880
of God and not of us.