1COR05 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 & Communion
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Call to worship (voice recorder)
Call to worship (voice recorder)
SONG: To God be the glory 4min
SONG: To God be the glory 4min
Song: The power of His love
Song: The power of His love
RECORDING
RECORDING
Reading and Sermon
Reading and Sermon
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
9
These verses are often quoted by Christians and it is not surprising as we often take verse 9 all on its own and take comfort of what Heaven is going to be like for believers. And, there is an element of truth in that, we do not know all that the future will hold for believers in Heaven. It will be greater than any of our imaginations but, with that said, this verse is not saying any of that at all!
Paul is speaking of the world’s wisdom and it not being able to understand the things of God. Read carefully for verse 9 is about the natural man, the person who has not yet come to Christ but is still an unbeliever. No eye has seen, nor ear heard. These are the two senses with which we take in the world around us, but what is it that the eye cannot sea or ear hear? We gain all sorts of knowledge looking, through reading, through listening and that is normal.
But what it is saying here is that this person can look all they want and listen and not perceive or understand because they are trying to do so through their senses. The world declares there is a creator for that is what we see but it cannot see God and cannot hear him no matter how much TV, radio, lecture and internet they see and hear - God is not revealed in these ways. And to confirm this Jesus said to the Pharisees:
John 5:37b (ESV)
His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen
The heart or mind of man can think and do so much in the areas of technology, in science and so on and through it may get echoes of God but not God Himself. None of these things answers the ultimate questions of life; of why we are here? is there an afterlife? what is the point? And what is it that God has prepared for those who love Him? It is clear that you cannot perceive these things as an outsider, an unbeliever. What has God prepared but forgiveness and eternal life, fellowship with God, and fellowship with one another, the Holy Spirit as our helper, and so on.
10-13
Who are the people who understand these things? This is answered in verse 10. We can. It is the Holy Spirit who has revealed these things. How? Through the Scriptures primarily but first through the prophets and apostles. We are told in:
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
This is called revelation. The Holy Spirit has revealed to us God, who He is, what He has done and what He expects of us. He has revealed the thoughts and words of God. And we are told that this is not worldly wisdom for unless God reveals things to us they remain hidden for our natural senses and minds cannot fully comprehend.
We say often that the more you know the more you don’t know. Things that are thought to be known have to be changed in the light of new discoveries… we become more aware of more questions than answers, there is a realisation that we are still limited even with all the knowledge we have and yet with what we have we still do not discover God. Those with true humility will realise that a greater Knowledge, a greater Power exists but it still does not reveal God’s nature as revealed to Moses in this last week’s readings:
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
14-15
And even though many read the Scriptures they do not understand, and I have had people tell me this who are not yet believers... and we could turn back to John 5:39 where Jesus says: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. But we have to be illumined by the Holy Spirit to truly understand spiritual things. When we come to faith in Christ we still may not understand all the Scriptures but they become more understandable. What is the difference? The Holy Spirit has come to reside in you and now you are beginning to comprehend the mind of God. And as we pray the most simple person can grasp spiritual truths that intelligent and worldly-wise people are completely oblivious to.
16
If we are in Christ, we have the mind of Christ. If we have the mind of Christ why then is there so much division in the Church between members of a Church or between Churches – why do we not have unity? We do have unity, just not uniformity.
So, what do you think? Do I have the mind of Christ? Do you? When I think about this I wonder whether I do not have the mind of Christ. I certainly do not think that I think the thoughts of Christ after Him. Otherwise surely everything I do, everything I think, would be perfect. So then, if I do not have the mind of Christ and nor do you, how can I think the thoughts that I should think?
But note that the sentence is in the plural: ‘we’.
If it is ‘we’ who think the thoughts of Christ who is the ‘we’ referring to? It must be the body of Christ. And it must mean that collectively as His body we can think the thoughts of Christ. It is in the body that we can find out the will of God. On our own you or I can go off half-cocked, and do what you or I think is the right thing. As Scripture-believing Christians we believe in the priesthood of all believers and decisions are made in the fellowship together about the right way forward. This is right – as the body of believers here we seek God’s will through the consensus of the congregation as we all have our portion of what is the mind of Christ and together we can see the way forward for our fellowship.
Does it make it impossible then for each of us to know the mind of Christ individually in our own situations? Of course not! We have to look at and study His Word, allow the words to sink into us so that they become part of us. We would not normally go to the Church for every decision we personally make – we need to ask God – you can ask others to pray too, and ask for wisdom. Some will be able to advise you – but I caution you to look to God first and seek confirmation from God in the thing that you want to do. First, we need to read and do what the Scriptures tell us; faith and deeds, hear and do. Finding the mind of Christ then starts with the basics - and this is necessary for us to find God’s will together: The will of God is not that hard to find out if we put into our lives simple spiritual disciplines.
But what if it is not just that – how about the way we live? What is the mind of Christ for that? We have not only the mind of Christ but the Divine power to live for Christ. God has filled us with His Spirit to live for Him. Habits may be hard to break but to break they must. We are called to be transformed:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are not to lead natural-minded lives but to act as Christ, to be unselfish, to love others, to give up personal rights and even to suffer.
Having the mind of Christ means that we are concentrated upon God’s Kingdom and will. To b consumed with daily living can choke the life out of us as Christians.
Our Christian Life means that we live for God’s Kingdom and to live in a godly way. To seek God for solutions to our problems – but whatever our daily problems we know that God is our help – and more than that, we should see things in perspective – we are here in the world for a very short time in comparison to eternity – on top of that, there are many in this world who are in a far worse-off situation who do not complain about their lot but are concerned more about how to survive day-to-day.
The mind of Christ is more than simply knowing what Christ would have us do or how we are led. The mind of Christ has a much higher purpose than all of this. The mind of Christ is given to us for our very purpose of living – and that is fellowship with God; to know God; to be in unity with God; to abide with God. The Trinity is about fellowship within the Godhead. The Father loves the Son, Gives the Son, Gives the Spirit who gives glory to the Son and the Father and the Son glorifies the Father and the Father glorifies the Son. They are in perfect unity and fellowship with each other. It is into this that we are called – into a relationship, a community of peace.
Further to this, the mind of Christ is given us so that we can walk in perfect unity fulfilling our humanity, doing His will and enjoying God forever – this is the Kingdom of God at work – we pledge allegiance to our King. We are all princes in the Kingdom; children of the King. And one day we will reign with Him.
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.
No matter that this not strictly about Heaven, it is still true about God preparing:
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
We have been given the mind of Christ and so much has been revealed to us but there is so much more to discover. I love this quote:
"At three things I shall wonder in heaven: first, that I shall not find many there of whom I was certain; second, that I shall find many there whom I was sure I wouldn't find; but lastly, and most wonderful of all, that I am actually there myself."
Let us commit to some things today
Understand not just to know more about our Christian faith but to know Jesus – talk with Him, listen to Him, walk with Him.
All we have to do to get the mind of Christ is to soak in the Word of God, have fellowship with God and with Christians regularly.
And look forward to that day when we will spend eternity with our Lord and King.
No one knows the day or hour when the Son of Man will return and He will come at an hour when no one expects Him.
John Newton, who was dying, called upon his secretary to write a letter to a friend. "I continue to be in the land of the living," his secretary wrote in her desire to help him. But he corrected her. Instead, he instructed her to write, "I am still found in the land of the dying, but soon I shall be found in the land of the living."
Now, that is having the mind of Christ!
Song: Nothing but the blood
Song: Nothing but the blood
Communion
Communion
We can find more on the mind of Christ in another passage which is appropriate for this service:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Benediction
Benediction
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Vang, P. (2014). 1 Corinthians. (M. L. Strauss, Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.