This week’s devotionals are from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
‘So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.’ (1 Corinthians 2:5)
Here, Paul expresses the reason that he is honest about his weaknesses and emphasises the clear teaching of the gospel in a plain fashion; he wants people to come to a genuine Spirit-empowered salvation. Leaders and churches will let you down and you will let them down also! Faith built on ‘human wisdom’ is like the game of Jenga: you will fall down when the thing that you built your faith on other than Jesus lets you down! Paul is very concerned that they don’t follow him because of a worldly and attractive message and presentation that costs us nothing to embrace.
In Romans, we read,
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Do you see that one becomes a Christian by ‘hearing the message’? It’s the message and not the messenger that is to take precedence. He wants their faith to ‘rest’ on God’s power alone. We read of the power of God through the message of God in 1 Thessalonians,
“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6).
Oftentimes our faith can rest on ‘human wisdom’. We believe and follow Jesus for the sorts of reasons someone might stick with their sports club or job. Does your faith rest on an encounter with God’s love and power or does it rest on inspirational messages, charismatic leaders, routine, pressure from others etc?
Does our faith rest on God’s power? Do you think of your salvation as the work of the Holy Spirit? Do you follow Jesus and are you devoted to your church family because God has changed your heart by the Spirit?
OVER TO YOU - PRAY AND WORSHIP OUT OF THE BIBLE
I’ve made a few comments. However, it’s more important that you engage with the text yourself. Take a moment to pray and listen to God’s voice out of today’s text.
‘So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.’ (1 Corinthians 2:5)
Use the following questions which are based upon The Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).
1. Praise - What does this text teach me about God? What can I praise Him for?
2. Petitions - What does this teach me about His will for me and others? What could I pray for from this text? This is a good time to pray for our non-believing. friends. It’s good to ask, Is the Holy Spirit leading me in any specific response?
3. Peace-making - Is the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin for which I need forgiveness? Do I need to forgive others?
4. Protection - Ask for God’s protection generally and for any specific areas of vulnerability. Am I believing lies regarding the truths in this text?
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Let's be praying and actively preparing to invite friends to our carol service on 5th December. Please make sure this is in your diary
2. Icebreaker
How has God spoken to you from the Bible this week?
3. Recap of Sunday's message - please share in your group
Running up to our carol service on the 5th December we would like you to spend more time on the SIV (Serving, Invest and Invite) aspect of our time together. Therefore, there will only be fewer questions each week on the Sunday message so as to give plenty of time for praying and sharing about our mission.
On Sunday, we continued with our series in 1 Corinthians looking at 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
‘And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.’ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
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