The LOCAL CHURCH: The HUB of TRUE SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE!
Our Blueprint for a New Testament Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
The local church is a called-out assembly of true believers. They are called to evangelize the world. They are called to exhort each other to spiritual growth. They are called to minister before God. They are called to worship and glorify Him. Thus, the local church becomes the center, the hub, the focal point of all things that are truly spiritual. In fact, our text today teaches that only the “spiritual” can know and understand the spiritual One – the Triune God who is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
For this reason, the local church is of great importance to God. A fact we already know from Ephesian 5 where we read…
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Thus, we, as believer and as members of this local church are truly special in the eyes of God. And, as we have learned already, God has entrusted us with a very special message. A message that we are to share with all those around us. It is the message that centers on His Son, Jesus Christ, and the fact that Christ came to seek and to save the lost. At the heart of that message is Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. A message that is so important that every single person’s eternal future rests upon it.
Unfortunately, many local churches tend to stray away from proclaiming this message. The local church in Corinth did. They were a church filled with division, sin, and selfishness. As a result, the preaching of the cross and Christ was put on the back burner and forgotten. That is why the Holy Spirit spends so much time on these first two chapters reminding them of what is important.
Already we have learned that we must be unified in our commitment to Christ and to the message of the cross. It is a message the confounds this world. The way of the cross and the wisdom of the cross is “foolishness” to them “that perish.”
Last week, we concluded with 1 Corinthians 2:8 which says…
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Even when Christ walked among men, the wisest and mightiest of men did not even know Who stood before them. Had they known, the Holy Spirit testifies that “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” This verse reminds me of the opening of John’s Gospel where we read...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
If you skip down to verses 9-11 you find...
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
The fact that unsaved men and women cannot know or comprehend the things of God becomes now the focal point of our text today.
Look with me in your Bibles at 1 Corinthians 2 and verses 9-16.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The title of today’s message is...
The Local Church: The HUB of TRUE SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE!
I will bring us back to that title at the end of today’s message.
For now, let’s go to the text and see what the Holy Spirit is teaching us.
First, we find...
THE NATURAL MAN CANNOT KNOW THE THINGS OF GOD!
THE NATURAL MAN CANNOT KNOW THE THINGS OF GOD!
As we continue our study today and even next week, we are going to discover three terms used by the Holy Spirit to describe the condition of men in their relationship to God. The three terms are...
The Natural Man
The Spiritual Man
The Carnal Man
The natural man is a term specifically used in verse 14 but is implied throughout our entire text. Verse 14 says...
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Here we find the natural man “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” The Holy Spirit reveals the reason they cannot receive them is because the things of God are things that “are spiritually discerned.”
Back in verse 9, we read...
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The natural man as we know from Scripture is the unsaved man. This is the person who has not yet received Christ as their own personal Savior. They are the ones who are still living under the condemnation of God. They are still living according to their own natural sinful self.
The Holy Spirit gives us further insight on this in 1 Corinthians 15. Note what is written in...
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The context of this chapter is the topic of resurrection and specifically the implications of Christ’s resurrection. In these verses, the case is being made that we are all created naturally or physically. All us are sitting here in our physical form. It is the same physical form given to Adam. It is our natural state. All of us are created the same. Just as Adam was made a living soul, each us as we were formed in our mother’s wombs were made a living soul. However, we are flawed. Adam’s original sin in the Garden marred us. In fact, Scripture is quite clear that we are all born physically alive, but we are spiritually dead.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Now, you know as well as a I do that a person who is dead can do nothing. They can’t think. They can’t reason. They can’t eat. They can’t feel. They can’t love. They are dead.
By that same token, every person born into this world is born already spiritually dead. Thus, they cannot as our text says “discern” spiritual things. The word “discern” means to evaluate by forming an opinion of something through examination or scrutiny. Well, if you are dead, you have no ability to examine, to evaluate, or to even form an opinion. Thus, the unsaved person cannot know the things of God. They have eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear. They have no ability to comprehend even in the slightest the things of God.
Now, this doesn’t mean they cannot read the Bible and understand some things. For instance, anyone who can read can understand. All us understand that when the Bible says “Thou shalt not kill!” that means we should not commit murder. When we read the stories of the Bibles, all of us easily understand what is said, what is done, and how it impacted others in the story. In fact, all people of this world often view the Bible as a wonderful book of wonderful stories, great myths, and even some practical truth. But therein lies the problem, the Bible is more than just a book of wonderful stories. It most certainly is not a book of myths. Instead, it is TRUTH. And it is truth that ascends beyond just practical truth. Yet, the unsaved person cannot understand that. Thus, it is foolishness. It is a mystery. It is HIDDEN wisdom.
This brings us to the next point this morning. Which is this!
It is only...
THE SPIRITUAL MAN THAT CAN KNOW THE SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD
THE SPIRITUAL MAN THAT CAN KNOW THE SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD
Look with me again at our text and at verses 10-12.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
In these verses, the Holy Spirit now teaches us something very important. He shows us how God has REVEALED His Word to men. He then shows us how God ILLUMINATES the minds of believers.
The source of revelation and illumination is the Holy Spirit.
Note that “God hath revealed them (“the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” in verse 9) unto us BY HIS SPIRIT.” (v. 10a) The Holy Spirit then illustrates this. Verse 11 states what we all know. There is no one person here who knows the innermost thoughts of another person here. Which, by the way, is a good thing! I really do not want to know what your innermost thoughts. However, each person here does know their own innermost thoughts (aka the things of a man) because that person’s own spirit knows them. In the same way, no man or being knows the innermost thoughts (aka things) of God except God’s own Spirit. Thus, for that reason, only the Holy Spirit is capable of revealing what is in the heart and mind of God.
Now, God used the Holy Spirit to reveal those things to us through God’s Word. Over in 2 Peter we read...
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
This morning as we read God’s Word we are reading the very revelation of God and the very words of the Holy Spirit. In fact, you might notice that many times I will say that the Holy Spirit is teaching us this or that as we read from God’s Word. I do that intentionally. I must alway keep before me the fact that this is wonderful book is the very Word of God given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. It is not man’s words. It is not man’s wisdom. It is the wisdom and things directly from God. It is God’s.
Now, back to our text, and notice again verse 12.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Note the pronoun “we.” Remember the Holy Spirit is moving upon Paul to pen these words. Thus, the Holy Spirit as speaking through Paul to the local church of Corinth. Again, let me remind you that a local church consists of truly born-again believers. Therefore, the “we” of this verses are those who have truly believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for their salvation. It is only those who have spiritually born anew that have God’s Spirit in their hearts and life. This is a fact verified again in the next chapter where we read...
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
God states this fact again in...
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
You see the moment a person confess their sin, repents of their sinful lifestyle, believes all that Christ did for them on the cross (death, burial, and resurrection), calls out to Him for salvation as the believe in their heart is the moment the Holy Spirit of God moves in. A believer’s body then become the Holy Spirit’s temple, tabernacle, or dwelling place. As a result, the natural man then becomes the spiritual man. Remember...
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
These verse describe the process, the change, and the miracle that takes place at the moment of salvation. The old man becomes the new man. The natural body is made a quickening spirit. For this reasons, it is only THOSE WHO ARE TRULY SPIRITUAL that can understand the spiritual. Look again at our text.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Note the phrase “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” As I was studying this week, that phrase jumped out at me. I saw that and asked myself, “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual what??” You see the Holy Spirit uses the adjective “spiritual” but it almost seems as if there no noun to pair with it. However, as I studied further, I found the answer in the context of these verses. Who is the One that God uses to reveal Himself to man? Who is the true Author of the Scripture? Who is the only One Who knows the innermost thoughts of God? It is the Holy Spirit. If you look at verse 15 we find further evidence that the “spiritual” is the Holy Spirit.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
There is only One Who is Judge of all things. There is only One Who cannot be judged of man. That One is God, in our context, God the Holy Spirit. Thus, those who are spiritual (aka born-again, saved, true believers) are able to know the things of God as they compare the spiritual things (aka the Word of God) to the spiritual One (aka the Holy Spirit).
Now, in theology, we have a word we use for this process. It is called ILLUMINATION. Essentially, the idea of illumination is that as a true believer in Christ begins to study God’s Word which is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit who now resides in the true believers illuminates the mind of the believer helping them know and understand the things of God.
Let me illustrate this way. How many of you who are truly born again have been reading through the Bible and all of sudden you get what it was saying? Perhaps it was a passage that you had read many times, but this time, at the moment, it is like someone turned on a light bulb and now you get it. Have you had that happen before? If so, then that was the Holy Spirit illuminating your mind. It was an “AHA” moment. You know what I mean. It was “Aha, now it get it!” It is a wonderful feeling.
Now, let me begin to wrap this all up and finish bringing back to my main thought for today.
We have learned that...
The Natural Man (the Unsaved) Cannot in ANY Way, Shape, or Form Truly Understand the Spiritual Things of God. They might know some basic moral rights and wrongs. However, until they have confessed, repented, and believed, they are spiritually dead and unable to comprehend.
The Spiritual Man (the true believer) is the ONLY PERSON who can know the things of God. Why? At the moment of salvation, God’s Spirit takes up residency in their body. Thus, the Spirit of God is able then to ILLUMINATE their minds to the things of God as they read and study God’s Word.
Which brings us back to this thought and we close.
It is the local church which becomes the...
HUB OF ALL THINGS TRULY SPIRITUAL
HUB OF ALL THINGS TRULY SPIRITUAL
I use the word “hub” for a reason. Let me illustrate it this way.
When I first went to college, I needed a job. So, not far from the college I attended was UPS Packaging warehouse. UPS was always in need of workers. In fact, it was pretty much the ideal place to work for a college student. It was part time. You came in in the afternoons and worked for about 4-5 hours either unloading UPS trailers or loading them. This particular plan was the UPS Hub for all of Virginia that networked with other hubs around the nation. It was a massive place. It could easily fit 4-5 football fields within the building itself. It was a busy place. You had one side of the building was incoming trailers. The other sides of the building were all outgoing trailers. Every UPS package in the state flowed through this building. There were conveyors and sorters that took all the incoming packages sorting them and sending them to all the different outgoing bays around the building. I worked as a loader loading all the outgoing trailers. I remember loading trailers for packages going to Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. I loaded trailers that were for Utah, Californian, and other states out west. It was an amazing place. When it was working correctly, packages were flowing all over that plant coming in and going out. Everyone had their jobs to do. The unloaders had to quickly get the packages on the belts feeding the sorters. The sorters had to work quickly sorting the packages to the different shoots that fed the packages to their different bays. As the packages came down the belts into the trucks going out, the loaders had to work effectively and efficiently. When it was all working correctly, it was an amazing thing to behold. However, when something went wrong, it could easily turn into chaos shutting the whole plant together. Nevertheless, this massive hub was all about getting packages from one place to the next as quickly and efficiently as possible.
This is what I think the Holy Spirit is conveying to us about the local church. The local church is the hub of all things spiritual. Think about it like this.
Remember that the book of Corinthians is actually a letter from the Holy Spirit to a local church. Thus, the overriding purpose of this letter is to reveal what is right for a local church, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. Already, we have learned these things...
A true, New Testament local church is group of true believers in Christ as Savior who are set apart (aka called out) by God for a purpose. Remember it Christ that builds the church. He is the foundation upon which we are to build.
Each local New Testament church is to unified around the main message of God’s Word. The main message is Christ and Him crucified. We are to be united (not divided) in our efforts to proclaim the preaching of the Cross.
Each local New Testament church consists mainly of those who are counted by the world as base, despised, and nothing. It is what God chooses to use to confound the wise, the might, and the noble of this world.
Each local New Testament church along with its message will never be understood by the world. Our message, as long is remains true to God’s Word, is foolishness to the world. It is a message that seems like a mystery to them or as hidden wisdom. However, to us, it is power and it is true wisdom.
Now, take all those things, and combine them with this thought. A true, New Testament local church is the hub of all things spiritual. What do I mean? It is comprised of spiritual people who are made spiritual by the transforming grace of God. We are spiritual because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Thus, as a church, we are the ones who can know and truly understand the spiritual things of God because we hold within our hands the spiritual Word of God and have in our hearts the spiritual One Who illuminates our minds. There is no other institution in this world that possesses what we possess. There is no other institution in this world that is truly spiritual like a true New Testament local church. Thus, we become the beacon, the hub, the center of all things truly spiritual. We are something special to God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ banded together locally here in Bedford VA to be used of Him. We are His church. We are the apple of His eye. We are the thing that Christ loved and gave Himself for.
The more I read and study this wonderful book the more I begin to understand just how truly special Calvary Baptist Church is. I also find myself desiring more than ever to be a part of this church and striving even more to serve Him through this church. And, I also find myself perplexed as to why anyone wouldn’t want to be a part of a local church that is striving to live for Him and serve Him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Perhaps you are here this morning and not part of a local church. If that is true, then may I invite you to become part of Calvary Baptist Church. I invite you to become part of God’s church. That is who we are. We are His. We belong to Him. He is the One Who is working in us.
How do you become part of God’s local church?
First, you must be born again! Remember a local church consists only of those who have truly accepted Christ as Savior. To do that, you must...
Confess that you are indeed a sinner.
Repent of your sinful lifestyle by leaving that life of sin and turning to God.
Believe (have faith) that Christ with His death, burial, and resurrection paid for the penalty of man’s sin with His own blood and then was victorious over sin, death, and hell by raising Himself up from the grave.
Call out to Him with your mouth accepting all that He has done and determined to live for Him.
Second, if have already done this, then Scripture says you must be baptized. Baptism is a public identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Nothing say more about the true belief of a person in Christ than when they step into a pool water and put under and back out. Just as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, so going under the water and out publically proclaims “I believe.” So, if you have never been properly baptized, then I would encourage you come forward making yourself a candidate for baptism.
Third, you might be here as a true believer having been baptized by the proper method but you are not part of a local church. All I can say is why wouldn’t want to be part of something that Christ loves? Come on down and join up with us! Come be a part of something truly spiritual!