Would you turn back to 1 Corinthians
chapter 2? While you're turning there, we're
going to have a baptism tonight. Zach Robinette is going to confess
Christ in believers baptism. And if anyone else wants to be
baptized, let me know after the service. And we're also going
to observe the Lord's table together. So I think it's such a blessing
to be able to observe both the ordinances in one service. Let
me read verse 7 again. 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2. But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery. I've entitled this message, Preaching
the Gospel as a Mystery. preaching the gospel as a mystery. Now, what is a mystery in the
Bible? It's not the way we use the word. A mystery is not truth
concealed, but truth revealed. But it's something that we could
not have known unless God was pleased to reveal it. A mystery
is that which cannot be understood with merely human understanding. A mystery is that which is so
profoundly mysterious that it cannot be explained, only believed
and proclaimed. Paul, look over in chapter four,
verse one. Paul says, let a man so account
of us, the apostles, as of ministers of Christ and stewards of the
what? The mysteries. The mysteries
of God, those things which could not be known unless God was pleased
to make them. Those things which you can't
figure out, which I can't figure out with human understanding,
God's going to have to be my teacher. Those things which cannot
be explained, only believed and proclaimed. Paul spoke in 1 Timothy
3, 9 of holding the mystery of the faith. Now, God is and He
has revealed his isness in this book. 2 Timothy 3.16 says, all
scripture is given by inspiration of God. Can I prove that? No. Do I believe it? With all my heart. Can I explain that? No, but I
can proclaim it. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. God is eternal. He never began
to be. He dwells in the eternal present. He has no past. He has no future. He's in the eternal now. Can I explain that? No. Do I believe it? Yes, I do. In the Scripture, God is presented
as one God in three distinct persons. God the Father, God
the Son, God the Holy Spirit. One God. Here, O Israel, the
Lord thy God is one God, yet revealed in three distinct persons. Can I wrap my head around that?
No. Can I explain it? No. Do I believe it? Absolutely. And I can proclaim it. God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God became flesh. Paul said in 1 Timothy 3.16,
Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. Can I explain that? No. How did God became flesh? But he did. I believe it. And I proclaim it. God became
And in this One who became flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal
Son of God, became flesh, and the Scripture says that all the
fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in Him. In this One who is flesh,
all the fullness of sovereignty, all the fullness of power, all
the fullness of God's wisdom, all the fullness of God's justice,
all the fullness of everything that God is dwells. in the body
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can I explain that? No! You'd be an idiot to try. But
I believe it. And I proclaim it. Before time
began, God the Father chose or selected a people. He chose these
people to be saved. Now, how do you know that? Because
it's what the Bible teaches. That's how I know. It's a revelation
from God. And here's the great mystery
of this. These people that God chose are eternally united to
the Lord Jesus Christ. They always have been. There's
never been a time when they weren't. Remember where Paul said in Ephesians
5, 31, he said, I speak of great mystery, but I speak concerning
Christ and the church. The two shall be made one flesh.
The two one. I've always been united to Christ.
I've always had personality before God. My birthday is 9-9-59, but
my being is in the Lord Jesus Christ eternally. Can I explain
that? No. But I believe it. It's what the word
of God teaches. And these people that are united
to Christ will be raised in perfect conformity to His image. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15,
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed. You see, we preach the wisdom
of God in a mystery. And look in verse 6 of 1 Corinthians
2. Paul says in verse 6, we speak
wisdom among them that are perfect. Somebody says, well, I'm not
perfect. I am. I am. Every believer is perfect in
Christ Jesus. You see, a perfect sacrifice
makes a perfect saint. When he describes those who are
perfect, he's talking about everybody in Christ Jesus. Now, my perfection
is not in me. My perfection is in my Lord Jesus
Christ, and I'm in him. If he's perfect, I am. He says,
we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom
of this world. nor of the princes of this world
that come to naught, they look at it as foolishness. But we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of
the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they wouldn't
have crucified the Lord of glory. When they crucified him, they
didn't know he was God. They didn't believe he was God.
They didn't believe he was the eternal son of God, the Messiah.
They wouldn't have been scared to death of him. They would have
been afraid of what would happen to him. It doesn't mean they wouldn't. If
they knew they would have loved him, no, but they would have
been afraid. Verse nine, but as it's written, and that's the
bottom line. Is it written? Is it written? As it's written, I have not seen,
nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him." These are things
a natural man could never know. But, he says in verse 10, God
hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth
all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now, the only way you
and I are going to know God is if He reveals Himself. We're
totally in His hands. It's up to Him as to whether
or not we're going to know Him. Dependent on revelation. Now,
by education, you can't figure this thing out. The only way
you and I are ever going to know the living God is if He is pleased
to make Himself known. Let's go on reading, verse 11.
For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? Now, who knows what's going on
in my mind right now? Only one person. You know who
that is? Me. You can't tell what's going on.
You can guess. You might even guess right, but you don't know.
The only one who knows what's going on in my mind is me. Lynn's looking at me thinking,
I know what's going on in your mind. She actually does. She can read my thoughts. She gets mad at me for things
I'm thinking, you know. I think... But... Rough being married sometimes. But... The fact of the matter is, the
only one who truly knows is me. The only one who truly knows
who's going on in the mind of God, what's going on in his mind
is God himself. And the only way we can know
his mind is if he makes it known. The spirit of revelation. Verse 11, For who knoweth the
things of man, save the spirit of man that 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. Now, this is what it is
to be born of the Spirit, by His Spirit. You know the things
that are freely given. And I love that word freely.
That means without a cause. God gives me grace, and He doesn't
have to find a reason for me to do it. God loves me, and He
doesn't have to find a reason for me to do it. God justifies
me, and He doesn't have to find a reason in me to do it. Oh,
the things that are freely, without a cause in us, given to us by
God. Oh, I love the things that are
freely given to me. If they weren't freely given, I wouldn't have
them. But thank God for the things that are freely given. Now, we've
received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is
of God, that we may know the things that are freely given
to us of God, which things also we speak. justification, sanctification,
redemption, forgiveness. We don't hide these things, we
speak them, we declare them. Which things also we speak. Not
in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost
teaches. Comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. We don't use human philosophy
and ability and reasoning to prove these things. You see,
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God. We don't rely on our ability
to explain. You know, I believe. I know I'm
telling you the truth. And I'm willing to tell you the
truth and step back and leave it alone. I'm not trying to convince
you of anything. I'm relying on God, the Holy Spirit, to do
his work. If you ever believe it'll be
because God, by his spirit, causes you to and sees you to. And I
just tell you the truth and Leave it alone from there. Which things
also we speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which
the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
We use one of spiritual words, spiritual scriptures that come
from the Lord Himself. Verse 14, But the natural man,
that's what we are by nature, the nature we're born with, but
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God
for their foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, he
lacks the ability to know them because they're spiritually discerned.
Now, for me to understand the gospel, let me back back. When Adam died
in the garden, remember in the day you eat thereof, you shall
surely die. When he died in the garden, he didn't die physically.
His soul didn't die, but his spirit died. His spirit died. And when someone's born again,
born from above, they're given this spiritual nature. You know,
only believers have a spiritual nature. Everybody else has a
body and soul, physical soul, but only a believer has this
new nature that understands spiritually. Things are spiritually discerned.
A natural man, he can't understand the gospel because he doesn't
have the spiritual nature to apprehend it. No man knows the
things of God, but the one who God reveals it to, He gives him
a spirit to understand. Look at verse 14. The natural
man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for their foolishness
unto him, neither indeed can he know them because they're
spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual discerns
all things. Yet he himself is judged or discerned
of no man. Now, I have a spiritual nature where
I discern. I discern. I hear the Word of
God. When I hear that man is evil,
completely, totally depraved and sinful, I see it in the Scriptures,
but I also discern it. I understand it because it's
the truth regarding me. I know this by experience. Not
only do I know it from the Scriptures, but I know it by experience.
For instance, when I hear that a believer has two separate natures,
I see it in the Scripture, I see it in Scripture, but I discern
it. You know, if you only have one nature, you can't discern
it. You don't understand that. But if you're spiritual, if you
have a spiritual nature, you discern the things of God. Does
that mean you have a full comprehension of everything? No. I've already
said you don't explain these things, but you discern. You
hear the truth and you know it's the truth. You know it. There's
a discernment. Verse 16, For who hath known
the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him, but we have?
The mind of Christ, and that's why we receive these mysteries. Preaching the gospel in the mystery.
Now look in chapter one verse 17. First Corinthians chapter
one verse 17. Paul says for Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
Now, Paul's not saying baptism is unimportant. Oh, I rejoice
to have a baptism tonight. I rejoice when people confess
Christ and believers baptism. He's not saying that's not important.
Here's what he's saying. Christ didn't send you to baptize.
It's not about results, but it's to declare. It's to preach the
gospel, to declare it, not to explain it away, but to declare
it, to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words. stating
the mystery of the gospel, not trying to explain it away, not
with wisdom of words. Look, here's what wisdom of words
is. Look in chapter 2, verse 1. And I, brethren, when I came
to you, I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring
unto you the testimony of God. I wasn't trying to wow you with
my powers of oratory and rhetoric and my philosophy. He says in
verse 2, for I determined not to know anything among you Save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's my only subject. And I
was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
fearing lest I misrepresent God. And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words, persuadable words of man's wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but the power of God. Paul says we declare the mysteries
of the gospel. We preach the gospel not with
wisdom of words. Wisdom of words is man's attempt
to make the gospel understandable. It's trying to make the gospel
acceptable to men. It's packaging the gospel so
as to remove the offense and make it more appealing and more
likely to be received. Now here's an example of the
wisdom of words. Peter is before the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter
4. And they asked him this question. He's in trouble. And they say,
by what name? By what power? By what authority
do you do this? When you kill this man who was
lame, by what name, by what power, by what authority do you do this? If he would have said, by the
name, power and authority of Jehovah, the God of Israel, he's
the one who made this man walk. Would it have been true? Yeah. Would it have been compromising
the truth in order to save his skin? Exactly. That's the wisdom of words. He said true words, but he said
it in such a way as to save his own skin, to make what he was
saying more palatable. And that's what the wisdom of
words is. It's trying to make the gospel
more palatable to the natural man. Now, let's go on reading.
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, that's
declaring the mysteries of God, not with the wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Do you
know when I use the wisdom of words, I neuter the gospel? It
can't bring life. It can't bring life. It's of
none effect. Four, verse 18. The preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
it's the power of God, the preaching, the doctrine of the cross, the
message of the cross. What is it? What is the message
of the cross? Whatever it is to those that
are perishing, it's foolishness. But unto those who are called,
it's the power of God. What is the message or the preaching
or the doctrine of the cross? Now, please listen to me carefully.
The cross is the whole counsel of God. It's God's eternal purpose. Christ
is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. The cross is God's eternal purpose. The cross is the declaration
of who God is. Now, do you want to know who
God is? Do you really? The cross tells you who He is. Every attribute of God is displayed
in the cross. Is God holy? Look at when He pours His wrath
upon His Son when sin is found on Him. Yeah, God's holy. Is
God just? Look at the cross. God will not
let sin go unpunished. Is God sovereign? This is God's
purpose being done. Is God all-powerful? He's putting
away sin. Every attribute that God is pleased
to make known is made known in the cross. The cross tells us,
this is the message of the cross, it's who God is. The cross tells
me who man is. Now, I dare say, everybody in
here has some idea that you're not perfect. You know, we're
seeing, doesn't everybody? We do bad things, and maybe real
bad things. But you know, that doesn't give
the truth regarding you and I. Not the bad things you do. If you
want to find out what you really are, look to the cross. If God left you to yourself,
if he left me to myself, I would have been a ringleader in driving
nails in the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I
realize that people say, no, people don't become angry and
people don't dislike the weak Jesus that's preached in our
day, whose hands are tied, who can't do what he wants to unless
we let him. Actually, our will has control
over his. That Jesus nobody's mad at. Everybody's
fine with that Jesus. But I'm talking about the Lord
Jesus Christ who has absolute control. That Christ is the one
that men naturally say will not have this man to reign over us.
And if you want to know what you're really like, don't look
within your heart. Don't look at the things you
do. You look at the cross and you'll find that if God left
you to yourself, if he took away the restraints, that's what you'd
be. That's what I'd be. The cross tells the truth about
man. And thank God the cross tells
the truth regarding salvation. Salvation accomplished by what
He did on the cross. When He said, it is finished,
my salvation was finished. That's good news. That's the gospel. The cross
is the whole counsel of God. It's His eternal purpose. It's
who He is, it tells who we are, it tells salvation accomplished
by what our Lord did on the cross. For the preaching of the cross,
that to those that perish, it's foolishness, but unto us which
are saved, it, the message of the cross, is the power of God. And I love this, the power of
God. Now, you think of the power of God. All other power is derived from
Him, but the power of God is seen most clearly in creation. He made something from nothing. That takes power, doesn't it?
And the power of God only can make something be nothing. Now they say matter cannot be
destroyed. It may change, it may go from
wood to ashes to fire, the energies, you know, but matter, the matter
that's in the universe can not be destroyed. But God on the
cross made something that is to be nothing. Now, what are
you talking about? Okay, just as he created the
universe by his power. He made something from nothing.
He makes this nothing into something. He makes me the holiness of God
through the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes me the righteousness
of God. He made this nothing into something. I'm a son of
God. Every believer is a son of God. That's what he accomplished
on the cross by his power. And he made something to be nothing. What's that? My sin, which is
most real. which is most real, most grievous. He made that sin on the cross
to be no more. By His power, He made something
to be nothing. Christ, the power of God. And to us which are saved, it's
the power of God. Verse 19, for it's written, I
will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will bring to nothing
the understanding of the proof." And this is 1 Corinthians 119,
and it's a quotation from Isaiah 29, verse 14. He says, where
is the wise? Where is the scribe, the academic? Where is the disputer, the arguer
of this world? Hath not God made foolish The
wisdom of this world under the guise of philosophy, they use
false reasoning to explain away the truth, dispute the truth.
Well, that couldn't be because if that was this way, this would
be all the reasonings and so on. God has made foolish the
wisdom of this world. Verse 21, For after that in the
wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God.
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Simply declaring the mysteries
of God. Doing what we're doing right
now. The foolishness of preaching. A fool like me. Declaring God's
truth. And that's what God uses to beget
life in His people. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. Verse 22. 4. The Jews require a sign, and
the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness,
but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ,
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. The Jews require a sign. Now, this is the religious people.
This is the religious people. They need a sign to verify it
as being true. Now, if you're really telling
the truth, perform some kind of miracle and prove it to me.
Show me that God's blessing is upon you. I need to see a miracle.
I need to see a sign. Now, if I tell you something
that's true and you say, I need a sign to verify it, what are
you doing? You're saying I don't believe you. I need more proof. I need more evidence. I do not
believe what you're saying. Now that is what a religionist's
desire for a sign is made of. They don't really believe the
gospel. They require a sign. The Jews
require a sign. The Greeks, that's the worldly
wise. The intellectuals, they seek
after wisdom. They want to see how by their
own wisdom they figured this thing out. They seek after wisdom. But, Paul says, We preach Christ
crucified. We preach who he is. We preach
what he did. Who is he? He's the God-man.
What did he do? He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Where is he right now? Seated at the right hand of the
Father, ruling and reigning. We preach Christ crucified, what
he accomplished by that crucifixion, the complete salvation of all
the elect. That's what he did. He saved his people from their
sin. We preach. We declare. We don't
explain away. We declare Christ crucified. Now, unto the Jews, this is a
scandal. What about good works? You mean
you're saved by what somebody else did? Absolutely. Without
any good works on your part? You're saved completely by what?
Why, that's scandalous. That'll lead me into sin to preach
something like that. Well, we can't have that. And
the Greeks hear this message and they say, you expect me to
believe the Bible's the Word of God? Well, that's foolishness.
Do you expect me to believe that Jesus Christ, His righteousness
is the only righteousness there is? And if you're saved, you'll
be by? I can't. I can't. That's foolishness.
The Jews see it as scandalous. The Greeks' foolishness, verse
24, but unto them which are called. Is everybody called? No. But
unto them which are. Christ, the power of God. Christ, the wisdom of God. In the Lord Jesus Christ, I see
the power of God to salvation. What mighty power He demonstrated
when He said, It is finished, and the salvation of everybody
He died for was accomplished. Their sin was actually obliterated
and put away. What power! What wisdom! God
has made a way to be just, absolutely just, and yet justify somebody
who is not just. How can that be? Oh, the wisdom
of God in the gospel. We unto them which are called
both Jews and Greeks, Christ. You know, the Lord does save
Jews. He saves religious people. He does save Greeks. Christ,
the power of God and the wisdom of God. Look what it says in
verse 25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men. What men call foolishness, oh,
it's divine wisdom. And the weakness of God is stronger
than men. What's the weakness of God? Is
He weak anywhere? Here's what this is a reference
to. When Christ was nailed to that
cross, He was nailed to that cross in weakness. And that act of weakness is the
act of the mightiest power of God. The weakness of God is stronger
than men. Verse 26. He says, For you see,
your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble, are called. Do you see any folks
like that here? I don't see any painless people here. The entertainers,
the famous athletes, politicians, all the wise of this world. You know, the Lord calls them
sometimes. I mean, one of the queens said,
I'm so thankful for the word M, or the letter M, because it
doesn't say not any of these people are called, but not many.
But it's true. Not many are called. Well, who does he call? Let's
go on reading. Verse 27. Now this is a description
of God's elect. This is a description of the
people that God chooses. This is a description of the
people that God saves. See where you fit in. Verse 27. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are
despised have God chosen, yea, and things which are not, nothing,
to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should
glory. in his presence. Now here is
a five-fold description of God's elect. Foolish. Foolish. Powerless. Weak. Powerless is what the word means. Base. Born in the house of Adam. Despised. You know what that
means? A nobody. A nobody. Nothings. They don't have one
thing to recommend themselves to God. Nothings. What is nothing? You can't even describe it because
it's nothing. Nothing. This is who God chooses. This
is who God saves. God has chosen these things,
these people, that no flesh should glory in His presence. It ain't
going to happen. He will not allow it. But, but, verse 30, of Him are you
in Christ Jesus. You who are foolish, you who
are powerless, you who are lowborn, You who are nobodies, you who
are nothings with nothing to recommend you to God, but of
Him are you in Christ Jesus. That's where God's salvation
is. It's in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not in you. It's not in
your works. It's not in your understanding. It's not in your
belief. It is in the Lord Jesus Christ. But of him are you in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. Now, I just talked about what
we are in ourselves. Foolish, powerless, all those
descriptions. But this is what I am in Christ
Jesus. I'm the wisdom of God. That's a strong statement, isn't
it? Christ has made unto me wisdom, and I'm the wisdom of God in
that sense. That's every believer. Do you know, child of God, that
you have in you that which God desires to have communion with? Isn't that amazing? The wisdom of God. He's made
unto us righteousness. Every believer is the very righteousness
of God. 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, For
he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made what? The righteousness of God in him. He said their
righteousness is of me. I have a righteousness that God
is well pleased with. He's made unto us sanctification,
holiness. He is my holiness. I am holy. He's my holiness. He's made that
to me. He's made unto us redemption,
complete deliverance. He's made unto us redemption. But of him, verse 30, are you
in Christ Jesus? This is a mystery, isn't it? Just believe it. I declare it,
I can't explain it. Are you saying that you're the
wisdom of God? Are you saying that you're the righteousness
of God? Are you saying that you're the sanctified holiness? Yeah. That's what this book declares. Can I explain it? No, but I can
sure enough proclaim it. Of him are you in Christ Jesus?
I tell you, he put you there. Who of God is made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Verse 31, that
according as it is written, he that glorieth, you're going to
glory in something. You're going to glory in something.
You're going to glory in your ability. You're going to glory
in your experience. You're going to glory in the
good things you've done. You're going to glory in the
things that you think you haven't done. Everybody's going to glory
in something. But those are false lies, if
that's what you're glorying in. There's only one thing to glory
in, that he that glorieth, let him glory. Let him have confidence
in, let him rejoice in the Lord. Paul put it this way in Galatians
6.14, God forbid that I should glory, have confidence in, rejoice
in anything save the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1.30 is a mystery,
isn't it? I'm going to declare it and believe
it and receive it. And I'm not going to try to use
wisdom of words to mess it up and explain it. He's made into
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. And by his grace,
I'm glorying in the Lord. Let's pray together.