Part 4 // Living a Life that Matters // Stuart Greaves, A Biblical Overview of Eternal Rewards

good evening the Turing balls with me to first Corinthians chapter 3 first Corinthians chapter 3 is want to talk to us this evening about building our lives upon the foundation was continuing with the the subject of eternal rewards the judgment seat of Christ the 1st Corinthians chapter 3 let's pray father we come before your throne of grace father thank you for who you are thank you for sending your son to die on the cross for us Lord that we might have access to your kingdom we can dwell with you and reign with you in the age to come and live in love before you and before one another father I ask you that you would increase upon our hearts upon our minds the spirit of wisdom and revelation psalm 119 verse 18 Lord that you would open up our eyes to your law we may see glorious wonderful beautiful thing is concerning you in Jesus name Amen in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 we're not going to turn there we're going to look at first Corinthians chapter 3 but a second currency scepter 5 the Apostle Paul he makes a very powerful statement and he says that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ I personally love this subject I don't look at it enough that's not good and and as the Mica's have been talking about is the last couple weeks I just find my heart challenged inspired to look in this subject in a her way and one of the things that happens when we look at the subject is we begin to find out that the judgment seat of Christ is the throne of grace and the throne of grace is the judgment seat of Christ in other words this the judge that we will stand before at the end of our life at the end of this journey he is the king of glory full of grace and full of truth and the reason why this is important is that in Matthew 25 it talks about the the parable of the talents as you remember and it talks about those who buried their talents and the other ones who invested their talents and the ones who buried their talent the reason why they buried their talent is because they had a wrong perspective of their master they actually thought that he was harsh he was mean he was out to get them they didn't realize that their little investment would actually result in great reward it would it would yield great dividends and so as we are looking at this subject it's very important that we continue to grow in the understanding of God's personality and its power and his love towards us and what we begin to find is we begin to experience a fear of the Lord in the subject but we begin to experience a tenderizing of the heart all at the same time we look at first Corinthians chapter 3 for those of you look I'm going to look at verses 10 to 20 we're gonna kind of try to go under the line upon line what you find in 1st Corinthians 3 spall really lays out of my finger probably wanted to clear it is one of the clearest places where he lays out a very clear theology a very clear premise about this truth of of the the judgment seat of Christ for those of you who would like to study it more in-depth I encourage you to look at first Corinthians chapter one on to first in chapter 4 that those four chapters they are like a bookend those four chapters they go together in a very very powerful way as it relates to the subject of God's eternal judgment what happens in first grade December 3 as Paul is addressing two very powerful things one he's addressing the kind of ministry that the Lord values number one and number two he's addressing the kind of personal life that got values and you see Paul kind of weaving back and forth between these two concepts a life that God values a life that has built upon the foundation of Christ that is revealed by fire when he's sent when we stand before his throne on that day as well as the impact of our life and what is important to understand about the subject of eternal judge of the eternal eternal rewards is that it's about it's not about salvation it's a it's about usefulness it's not about salvation Paul makes it very clear that there will be those who will be saved but as though by fire in other words they will suffer loss but it will still be saved what Paul is talking about he's talking about usefulness that we can have an impact in this life that yields eternal debbye dividends but eight times in the gospel and eight times in the book of Revelation Jesus gives a very powerful exhortation he says this he that has an ear let him hear and about 15 out of those 16 times Jesus is about to say something about the subject of eternity when he says he doesn't ear he says pay very close attention to what I'm about to say pay very close attention I'm about to say this any being to talk about the subject of eternity the subject of eternal rewards the subject of eternity or the ages to come is very very very important Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 11 it tells us that god has put eternity in our hearts in other words the the battery of our heart it only functions properly when it is Canoe that was an eternal perspective when our hearts are disconnected from the eternal perspective the eternal promises the eternal benefits of God awards us people are hard actually don't function properly because God has put eternity in our hearts we are hardwired we are we are designed by God to have our hearts connected with his eternal promises with the things that he has in store for us that we would be wowed that we will be fascinated and we would be inspired that we will be motivated to go forth and to serve the Lord with all our heart with the emphasis in the time in which we live the emphasis on calling and in an expression self expression 1st Corinthians chapter 3 is critical because it calls us to a life of servanthood and humility and love calling it if the thing that is that is trumpeted so much in these days that the subject of self fulfillment and self-expression and self exaltation and self preservation and self-reliance is completely the opposite of what it is that Paul is talking about here in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 what he's addressing in verse 3 is go there first and verse 3 he's addressing the issue of self interest verse 3 he talks about for a few are still carnal he says for where there is envy strife and divisions among you are you not carnal and behaving like mere men and so he's addressing the issue of self interests in the Church of Corinth and he's calling them to a greater vision he's called him to a life of love a life of servanthood a life of humility that yields great dividends he says look the things that you clamoring and fighting for in this life if you stay in that course he goes you will suffer great loss when you stand before him though you are saved let us go by fire what he's calling as he's calling us to the interest of agenda to build the church as opposed to our own enters our our own purpose building our status and our perception before men rather than God's perception of us and so one of the things that makes the judgment seem so terrifying is that the way that we live regardless of what people think it will be made plain on that day in the way that we live we will eat it we will either gain much reward or we will suffer great loss are we living a life of building the kingdom or are we living a life of building our own Kingdom or are we living a life as Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 he's as living alive that when others see the way that we live they glorify our God and our Father his Divine Will is primarily defined in the scripture as wholehearted obedient love towards God and the servant love towards one another that's really the life that matters the life that we built upon the foundation of Christ it's this life of wholehearted obedient love towards God and what I mean by obedient love towards God I mean the obedience that he calls us to according to the Scriptures is very main and very very very plain I had a very interesting experience several years ago about this subject and it's a Fleiss attack suffice it to say I was standing in front of this man and I and I asked him I said how did I do and he says I don't know but I do know this you will be evaluated based upon your thought life and I remembered that the fear of the Lord that that gripped me in that very moment beloved we're talking about our inner life we're talking about the place that the father sees in secret I believe them and Jesus talks about closing the door behind us yet we can go and have a physical doorway I think he saw us under far more profound and going behind the physical door he's talking about the door for we're the father season secret and so we're talking about a life that is build upon the foundation life that matters we're talking about the obedience of the scripture we're talking about our thought life we're talking about our speech we're talking about our time our energy our money the way that we relate with those with our enemies the way that we respond towards them and and and and the way that we spend our strength in the grace of God first Wendy scepter 3 verse 10 Paul says according to the grace of God which was given to me as a wise master builder he goes I've laid the foundation and another built on it but let each one take heed how he built and that's the burden of this passage that we would take heed on how it is that we build upon the foundation that is laid in our lives and when Paul talks about being a wise master builder I believe he's pointing back to something that Jesus said in Matthew chapter 16 verse 17 he says that that he said that I will build my church in other words Paul says I'm a wise master builder and a reason wise wise is because he's building in accordance to God's purpose he's building in accordance to God's divine strategy in God's mission he is on God's program that is the wisdom Nepal is not caught up in his own agenda but rather he got lost in the very agenda of the Son of God which is to build the church his jesus primary strategy in the nations is to build a church system half a people in whom his glory has power his humility his love is expressed in full to the nations of the earth and so when he talks about having laid this foundation it tells it what tells us this that it said he said that the foundation is Jesus Christ in other words we need to have a proper understanding of Jesus and his kingdom to even begin to appreciate the subject of rewards one of the things I was thinking about was you know here in the United Sates for America - I think it's called the somebody help me out here I think it's called the the medal of freedoms that was called it's the hutt is the highest civilian metal that has given by the present United States to a US citizen and it's given to a US citizen who has lifted an exemplary life and in accordance to the American standards are given this medal of freedom that's what I think I want to think about these rewards that's it they're given to those who have lived in an abandoned way as it pertains to the value system of the kingdom that you and I are a part of the idea of building it connotates this idea of building one another he's not just talking about that the building he's talking about he's talking about building the church he's talking about building the people of God and in other words the way that we serve one another through good deeds and in love and kindness that is the building that I believe that Paul is talking about building one another up through the works of service Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 and 12 Paul talks about edifying one another building one another up through the works of service until every joint and ligament is supplying the Grace and the love and the humility of God towards one another and we're talking about building no tama being wise builders are living a life that matters we're simply talking about loving Christ and loving his people Paul continues in verse 11 he says for no other foundation can anyone lay that which is laid which is Jesus Christ I love that because again if we seek to move forward on the subject of eternal rewards without connecting it with the person of Christ then we are minutes away from turning the subject into something god never intended it to be it is a sudden it was intended to empower us to inspire us to motivate us yes to produce the fear Lord in us that we would run diligently after the Lord but it starts with having a proper foundation this proper foundation I believe means three things number one it is a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ the born-again experience is given to us freely number one number two I believe it refers to the intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ that we actually go on to know the Lord it's not enough just to say yes at a salvation experiment living in life of cultivating intimacy with the Lord cultivating our relation with the Lord we're going to go back to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 in just a moment but turn of me to 1st 2nd Peter the 2nd Peter chapter 1 second Peter chapter one when I think about this foundation that is laid I think of second Peter chapter one verses three to four actually verse two to four Peter says Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ that that as we grow in knowing who God is our hearts grow continuing to grow in the truth of who he is he tells us that grace and peace is multiplied in our lives verse three as his divine power has given to us all things that we need that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his glory in virtue and so the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the intimate knowing Jesus Christ Peter tells us that there's divine power that is released upon our hearts and upon our minds verse 4 by which we have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust and so second Peter chapter 1 verses 3 to 4 he's talking about the foundation of our intimacy with the Lord the saving knowledge of God and the intimate knowing of God but in verses 5 to 6 he begins to talk to us about how we build upon that knowledge and so when Paul in 1st Corinthians 3 talks about the foundation he's talking about our intimate relation with the Lord but when he saw about building upon it is what Peter here highlights in 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 6 to 8 he says this verse 5 but also for this very reason give all diligence and add to your faith virtue to your virtue knowledge to your knowledge self-control self-control perseverance the perseverance Lina's godless brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love so against it when we're talking about eternal rewards it's very easy to actually complicate our thought process in terms of what it is that he's after what the Loras after in my life and what he's after in your life is simply that we would be wholehearted in our obedience to him as we see it in the Word of God time energy money attitude speech etc etc so the first thing just go back to first Corinthians 3 and the foundation is number one it's the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ number two it is the intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ and number three it is having the proper understanding of who Jesus is to me if we have a wrong understanding of Jesus that we will have a wrong understanding of rewards so it's necessary that we have a proper foundation a proper understanding of who Jesus is and Paul gave us this understanding in the chapter before in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 as I mentioned earlier first here interceptor 1 before they go together in a very very powerful way for those of you kind of want to dig in deeper into the subject but here's what Paul tells us about Jesus first we intercepted 2 verse 2 he says I am determined to not know anything among you but Christ and I'm crucified Christ and him crucified that is the foundation that Paul is talking about Jesus Christ the servant king who is the king of kings but also is the servant of rulers of the kings of the earth Paul laid a foundation to the Church of Corinth in which the fundamental idea and premise of Jesus Christ was this that he was crucified that he is the God who humbled himself he was obedient even unto death in first grade each chapter to verse 6 Paul calls that the hidden wisdom of God it was a listen that no one even be that no one could understand no one could proceed in fact Paul says that if the kings of the earth had understood that killing Jesus meant they would lose their jobs they would have never killed him because the Lamb says this in essence he says if you kill me because I will conquer you the very death of Jesus Christ on the cross that was the demise of all the kings of the earth Kings don't rule by dying at the hands of their enemies that's not how you run a country that's not how you do politics that's not the wisdom of this world he had the king of all kings he lived a life in such a way that revealed the depth of the humility of the father fully put on display on that cross and when he said it is finished Paul says that was the hidden wisdom of God put on display and had the kings of the earth understood the Lord of glory they would not have crucified him and that's the wisdom that he calls us to and so we were talking about living a life that matters are talking about living a life that embraces the value systems of Christ and him crucified living a secret life before the Lord obeying him when only one eye is upon us the eye of the great serpent came to Lord Jesus the way that we spent money the way that we spent our time the way that we direct our hearts you know what are the things that is a couple years ago I had an intern ask me this question and they said hey they said if God is a person why is it so difficult to get to know him and I said well one of the reasons this is because part of what makes a relationship work is having shared values and we have nothing in common with them at all I'll give you an example imagine Jesus comes to you in a dream tonight says hey I'm gonna appear I'm gonna appear to you tomorrow at a coffee shop and we're gonna talk when I get to know one another like oh man this is great here you are at the coffee shop sitting before the Lord he looks at you you look at him you don't know what to say cuz how do you talk to someone who knows everything it's kind of weird and he knows that we're nervous so he starts the conversation and he starts by saying something like this you go Dino don't you agree that for our relationship to have great enjoyment we need to have shared values and things in common you go that totally makes sense and then he goes like this he goes don't you just love it to find ways of how to make the life of your enemies better for them don't you just just get giddy on the inside thinking about ways of how to bless your enemies I mean isn't that what you do when someone annoys you you're actually up all night scheming planning ways of how to maximize blessings in their life isn't that what you do you know it the thing is that the Bible said that God doesn't just have mercy it says that he delights in mercy he actually likes it he enjoys that he gets great pleasure out of extending mercy to his people and invites us to sharing that value and you're like hey that's okay here's another one he goes don't you think it's like the coolest thing to know that you are the most gifted the most powerful person in the room and you treat others as though they are the most power most good to people there isn't that the most amazing thing we heart have anything in common with him that's the hidden wisdom of Christ crucified that Paul is talking about that we are invited into so that that life is the life that will be evaluated on that day and will give great esteem to Jesus as we stand before him so having a proper foundation the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ the intimate knowledge of Jesus and the proper premise the actual understanding of the truth of who he is there's no other foundation that can be laid except for the foundation has been laid that is Christ and him crucified the understanding of rewards is based upon our understanding of Jesus the understanding of his kingdom beloved the truth of our citizenship that we are citizens of another Kingdom the kingdom to most of us is an analogy but the Lord is going to lead the earth into such a place where we realize wow we really truly are a part of another kingdom the proper understanding Jesus came the proper understanding of Jesus and his demands the things that our King insists upon very clear things that Jesus insists upon that his people walk these things out and he will empower us to walk those things out and then thirdly that he rewards the faithful those who've been faithful in pursuing the things that he requires of his people first twenty chapter three verse 11 for no other foundation can anyone lay that as well laid which is Jesus Christ the foundation is not an idea it's a person the foundation is not an idea to person it's a person who lives inside of us he dwells in us by the holy spirit and he seeks to be formed in us and then to be expressed through us my pain one of the most powerful things that Paul said was Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 he says I've been crucified with Christ therefore I Paul no longer live but the life I now live I lived through the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me my life is lived out in such a way that the Christ whose in me may live in me and through me and Paul later on in Galatians chapter 4 verse 19 he says o Galatians he says I am Intervale he says I'm in deep intercession I'm in childbirth again concerning you until Christ is formed in you and so what we're talking about this foundation as they we're talking about the the indwelling spirit Christ in us living in us number one or number two and the building of her life is living in such a way that this Christ that Jesus would have his full expression in us and through us that others may glorify our God and Father verse 12 he says now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold silver and precious stones wood hay or straw as a hare Paul but it begins to give he beans to show us that there is value to our works and he uses these objects gold silver and precious stone other words these materials that are very costly gold very costly silver costly precious stones costly speaking of lies that have been lived out by making costly decisions to obey or lives of wood hay and straw objects that are not very costly in other words a life that has lived where costly decisions were not made to obey the Lord you and I are called to build upon the foundation as I read earlier recall to build upon the knowledge of Christ the intimate and saving knowledge of Christ you and I are called and invited to to build our lives upon that reality in other words it's singing great songs like we did tonight and obeying him when we walk out of those doors where we we sing the songs or are in the prayer room we are interacting with Jesus and we walk out that door and we're in the conversation and were tempted to say something that we know we are not and we restrain and the Lord knows that was gold to me so this evening we're talking about real simple obedience to God's Word but the amazing thing is is that he will empower us to go as far as we want to go in so far as obeying him according to the scriptures in other words there are realms of discovery in the heart of God when we say yes to obeying him according to his word there are realms of discovery that we have when we obey Him with our finances we start out with a little and he goes man that is so precious to me and as we begin to exercise that muscle 10 20 30 years later we are operating in a whole different realm of obedience when it comes to our finances in other words we can go as far as we want to go when it comes to blessing our enemies he will take us seriously we say Lord Lord I want to grow I want to go as far you know that song that mrs. sends how far will you let me go how abandoned really let me be it's about the obedience of the word of God the way that we think the way that we act the way that we think our inner life before the Lord gold silver these are decisions that cost us costly obedience to God's Word also known as wholeheartedness a phrase that we use here an investment of our time or energy or money love of service to God and to his people it is choosing to build on the foundation is Christ expressed in and through our lives and resource and because it is Christ expressed in our lives that's why when we stand before him on that day when he gives us that crown revelation 4:10 we cast our crowns down because we acknowledge that it was his power in us and through us it's amazing verse 13 each work will become clear for today will declare it because it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test east each one's work of what sword it is each one's work will become clear nice I mentioned earlier he's he's talking about really two types of words he's talking about Christ being formed in us because of the way that we live and he's talking about Christ being formed in others because of the way that we ministered to them in other words the works that Jesus will test is the formation of gold and silver in our own lives and the formation of gold silver in the lives of those that we've ministered to that we minister and preach a message that calls people to the very determination that Paul had and said in first Corinthians 2:2 that that that the listeners themself walk away with the resolve to determine not to know anything but Christ and him crucified Paul says for the day we'll declare it in other words there's a day there's a there's a there's an eschatological day if I can use that phrase there's a there's a day at the end of natural history and that day we'll make it very very clear how it is that we lived and the true nature of our ministry as we lived on this as we live in it as we lived on this side of eternity several years ago I did a wedding for this young couple and the husband he had been in the military and he you know he had for his wedding he had the whole the formal and all the medals and everything I'd never seen something like that you know up close and personal so I was really intrigued by all the medals and stuff that was on his chest and I saw before the the ceremony started I asked him I said hey it says so tell me about these medals and he goes oh this one over here this is when I was in Afghanistan and then this happened that happened and this happened and that happened and this happened in that having this and then they go what about that because oh this one was because into some infantry thing and and I began to realize very quickly that each medal had a story each medal had a story and I remember thinking I bet if I were to ask him a year from now he'd tell me the same story again but I would discover things about that story I didn't discover the last time he told me that story and I'm gonna realize that is how the rewards work we're gonna be there you know a million years from now we're gonna meet someone from the 1500s someone who never met they loved Jesus and they got that garment like man he goes that is an intense garment he goes tell me about that Garban he goes oh man 15:49 let me Ted that was a rough year oh that was a rough year he goes man this happened I lost this and people lied to me and lied about me and Amanda the temptation to be bitter was overwhelming and people would talk to me about those people and I wanted to slam them so bad and and I think I did a little bit but then asked the Lord to forgive me and when I stood before him he gave me a garment for that year it's like wait a minute because I honestly I remembered a year was horrible I didn't think I did that great but I mean I I messed up but I asked to forgive me and I went back in the will and somehow he told me that it was very important to him we're gonna meet each other man June 23 2007 teen we sure looked happy well I would happen and we'd begin to talk about what it was that we were going through on that year and how Jesus draw near draw near to us and how we touched us and how we empowered us and we actually will grow in the knowledge of him in that conversation it will be made very clear how it is that we lived in this life that day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire it's worth its impact did it produce Christ in us and did it produce Christ in others there's another verse that I just love about the subject it's a it's a first Thessalonians 2:19 pol talks to the church at Thessalonica he says this today was his look he says he says don't you know that you are our crowd you are our joy you are our reward in that day but but what I love about the subject is that we get to run the race as hard as we can in the grace of God so that we can get the greatest reward but part of the running of that race is calling those around us to run the race with us I don't want to be mayor over some city without you guys I don't want to be mayor or some city without my wife or without my family without those that are close friends for me it is very easy to have an individualistic perspective there's no Paul says though this thing goes both ways he says look not only do I want to be in the front lines he goes I want everyone that I've been responsible for and have touched and I've been in people relationship with I want them there under front lines with me working laboring together for God's kingdom forever and ever and ever you are our crown you are our joy Paul says in that day it is an amazing subject entire generations will well like like in the book of Revelation isn't it interesting that each church has a unique reward that is given to them the church the legacy has one reward the Church of Sardis is another reward it is given to that entire group if they were if they were to say yes to the grace of God and run wholeheartedly after him you know you know I imagine Church of Kansas said in 2017 will you please stand up you know we that connect kind of thing you know we truly are in this thing together it gets us I guess it gets a whole new meaning to how it is that we fight for one another's calling we can fight for our calling in this life or we can fight for one another's calling in the age to come and Paul was connected with that reality when he's talking to the church at thessalonica it will be revealed on that day Jesus will give commentary on our life's choices verse 14 if anyone to work if anyone's work which has which he has built on it indoors he will receive a reward and what I think is meant by endorse underwears will Jesus give a well-done commentary on the works that we have or will he declare you know what he goes I love you I'm in you but you have wasted your like you've nothing to show for good works endure in result in rewards and bad works they burned resulting in loss now verse sixteen will an energist few moments verse 16 Paul seems to switch subjects but he's not he's still on the same subject verse 16 it turned there for a second he says do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God that dwells in you I'm not a Greek scholar but the the theologians say that the word there for you there in verse 16 is y'all don't you know that y'all are the temple of God in 1st Corinthians 6 verse 19 that verse is individual first greatest 6:19 is individual who donate your body is the temple of Holy Spirit but here in verse in chapter 3 verse 16 he's talking about the corporate people to whom he's writing to don't you know that you as a corporate people are the temple of God and what Paul is about to talk about he's about to talk about God's zeal for his dwelling place that his dwelling place would be would grow up into all things that God would have his full expression through the people in whom he loves because that's the idea of the temple the idea of the temple was a place where God would come and dwell and then express who he is to the nations of the earth and Palhares talking about God's zeal for the church to become the fullness of the expression of him verse 17 he says if anyone defiles the temple of God God will destroy him for the temple of God is holy which temple y'all are this is a really intense chapter here very intense statement what are you talking about well Paul is most likely referring to ministries that are that are driven by self-interest and thus they are producing that kind of self-interest in the hearts of the people ministries that are driven by self-interest produce self interests in the heart of the hearers and what is interesting is that Paul actually calls that defilement he's referring back to verse 3 Envy striving divisions Envy is most simply defined as a deep and passionate committal to self and that commitment to self is what produces strife and that's strike this what produces division and Paul calls that defilement Paul says no we want to live according to Christ we want to know nothing but Christ and him crucified and it produces the fragrance of humility and love and servanthood the God that exists within a godhead now I get to gets formed into people and it gets expressed to be with to one another in the way that they relate to one another in love and Paul gets warning to the ministries that are producing this kind of a self-interest that their instruction does not produce humility in the hearts of the people now we don't have time to get into this but I want to make a quick advertisement for Matthew chapter 16 because Matthew 16 actually goes together with what Paul is talking about Matthew 16 is the passage where Jesus says I will build my church remember remember that yeah I want to build my church and it gets what Jesus does he reveals himself as Christ crucified he says oh by the way I'm gonna die next week and Peter goes no you're not and Jesus some very shocking things to say to Peter he says they'll get behind me Satan bears but here's the phrase he says you are only interested in the things of man not the things of God in other words you are consumed with self-interest Peter you have bought into the value system of the culture that is around you and that value system is that is that a value system that defiles a church that Paul's talking about here in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 the problem with the wisdom of the world in other words the wisdom that is driven by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition as James does in James chapter 3 the problem is is that the ingredients they actually masquerade themselves with such subtlety that it actually seems like it's wise it's very very very very very subtle I have it you have it my friends have it I'll say stuff sometimes that people like man that's so good and I walk away and glory and then I read my Bible too next I'm like it is so subtle the value system of this world the wisdom of the world is simply this it is wisdom that's devoid of the cross it's council its ideas that don't drive us to the cross because Jesus later on says imagine 16 he said if any man wants to come after me he must deny himself take up his cross and follow me and it is that's the life it's the life of denying ourselves and taking up a cross that's the life that produces the gold silver and precious stone I'm gonna be done in just a moment not because I'm so sensitive about your time but because I'm talking myself into my own misery what do I mean by the cross the cross is the life of divine humility or servanthood is the essence of true wisdom again Paul calls it the hidden wisdom of God as I mentioned earlier let's look at verse 19 and we're done verse 19 Paul says this he says okay he says for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God he's going back to chapter 1 in Chapter 1 where he says the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God and the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world in fact the word that literally means this moronic it's stupid in it's idiotic he says the way said the thing that it's wise from God's counsel when it comes to the world they think it's dumb and it's stupid when your enemies insults you you don't speak well of them that's the hardest thing works you have to respond in Kaunas Jesus does know because that's the wisdom of the world yeah but if you don't respond and kind they're gonna trash your reputation that's not how you grow in getting a great personality profile but I thought you were in it for me I am in free we just thought by doing personality profile oops that's right hmm the wisdom of this world doesn't call us to give in order to receive that is not the fundamental mindset of of this age so when Paul talks about the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God in other words God thinks it's stupid in idiotic therefore Church of Corinth don't live according to the wisdom to work because God does not esteem it he esteems his way as he's laid it out according to the Word of God but here's the point I want to make it says in verse 19 for it is written he catches the wise in their own craftiness and what's interesting is that every time when Paul talks about craftiness you can look up a New Testament every time he talks about craftiness he's pointing back to Genesis chapter 3 when there was a serpent that was cunning and crafty in other words Paul is being a little more elaborate in what Jesus was very direct about when he talked to Peter he says Peter he says get behind me says you have been seduced by the serpent this cunning crafty serpent and Paul on four occasions he warns the church about teachers and preachers that are cunning and crafty in what they communicate meaning their communication does not produce the humility of Christ within the heart of the listeners 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 2 he talks about the crappy thoughts about this craftiness second Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3 he talks about this craftiness so second-greatest for two you can look it up 2nd corinthians 11:3 he talks about this craftiness as well and in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 14 he talks about the crafting he talks about he says that he says he wants Paul said I want the church to grow up so that seas no longer tossed to and fro by every latest tweet and post book Facebook post and YouTube deal this tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine sup just get thrown into a frenzy by anything that is set with energy in social media that is devoid of the gospel he says he says I want a church to grow up so she's no longer tossed to and fro and no longer distracted by by the cunning but excreted by the cunning craftiness and trickery of men he's talking about teaching and ministry that does not point people to Christ and produces the humility in their heart that when they stand before him in that day it will be tested by fire and they can actually in do and actually have their works endure so Jesus says something very very powerful and Mark chapter 4 verse 23 he says this be careful what you hear mark 4:23 he's just be careful what you hear because the one that has more will be given and the one that does not have will be taken away in other words he says be very careful not to listen to a message that doesn't drive you headlong into the revelation of Christ and him crucified and the life of self-denial and taking up your cross Jesus be very very careful he says because if you listen to that stuff he says if you actually suffer loss in the end said the worship team come up eight times in the gospel and Jesus says he who has an ear let him hear why because the ear gate is the Gateway to faith that a hearing of the word is what produces faith so be careful what you listen to because what we hear will actually produce reader resolved in our hearts to run after him with all her heart muscle and strength or it will cause us to coast in our resolves so Jesus be careful what you hear number one number two eight times in the gospel he says he that has an ear let him hear and in eight times in the book of Revelation he says that he that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches the thing that we want to give ourselves to in this hour again it's it's always it's always the hour you know - it's to give ourselves to the Word of God to actually read the word and pray psalm 119 verse 18 Lord would you open up my eyes to your law to behold glorious and marvelous things because when he opens up the scripture faith is what's awakened in our hearts resolve is what is awakened in our hearts amen let's stand you know in Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 you know Jesus he said he says behold I stand at the door and knock you know there's some of you you know you've been you've been experiencing just that knock of the Lord upon your heart you know he's knocking on the door you harden in some ways he is saying hey ah he goes bring me in deeper into your heart - some of you saying hey bring me back into place where we once were where you weren't hesitant to be abandoned life happens setbacks happen challenges come disappointment our own failure - failures of others they the combination of those things over time they can produce a hesitation to be abandoned as we were in the days gone by in Jeremiah chapter 2 the Lord speaks in the nation of Israel and he says this he says I remember the betrothal of your youth in other words I remember you're a young tender love where to was no hesitation in your heart you say yes to me and the Lord is knocking on the door of our hearts saying let me in you to let me in again therefore some of you saying would you let me in deeper if that's you going up one invite to come to the front want to pray for you [Music] it's not a rebuke it's it's I don't sense that in my heart it's but it's the it's the it's the tender rest of the beckoning of the Lord upon her heart saying hey let's go deeper and to suddenly say hey let's go back to where we used to be and beyond he wants to address the hesitation that's what's in her heart desert ation to be abandoned in our finances the hesitation to be abandoned in our in our time speech you all know the way cuz you've been on that path and he's just knocking on the door say hey let me in its just worship the Lord together for a moment [Music] stay before your kids steady I wanna live before you I wanna stay before your game just keep you steady release of presence Lord [Music] stay before just keep me steady release of presence Lord increased even out [Music] be one beef understand [Music] I wanna be found wanna be fast [Music] militia presence Lord I wanna stay before just keep me steady [Music] just keep it steady [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] be my [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] my [Music] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] we love you [Music] [Applause] [Music] coming hard [Music] [Applause] [Music] we're one thing Lord [Music] people [Music] there is these eye [Music] there is only one thing I see you [Music] there is only one thing my design [Music] there is only one thing my knee [Music] jeez someone [Music] your ball trash Stood Still the wanna gaze on [Music] go [Music] in fact once again [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] you oh god oh my [Music] [Music] the God [Music] you are holy Oh God you are holy Oh Lord there is no beautiful guy [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we are yours Lord [Music] [Applause] [Music] you're my [Music] [Music] Jesus we are yours [Music] you might want for you one [Music] [Music] [Music] there's a song in my produce and only you can see [Music] just like the rhythm [Music] and my life is so upside you people are God [Music] you keep on [Music] you're my [Music] you're my [Music] you're my [Music] you might want [Music] you're my [Music] you are [Music] you're my [Music] you buy one [Music] you [Music] more precious than sea [Music] yes you [Music] more coarsely then [Music] you [Music] more beautiful by design compare Smith [Music] you [Music] precious Vance [Music] you [Music] you more beautiful [Music] nothing I desire come we [Music] you more precious than [Music] you are [Music] cost me No [Music] for you more beautiful [Music] and nothing the fake IDs nothing nothing nothing [Music] nothing I [Music] yeah [Music] nothing [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] come [Music] yes [Music] holy [Applause] god [Music] [Applause] Jesus we are yours [Music] [Music] [Music] we [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh 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Channel: Mike Bickle Official

Views: 2,158

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: ihopkc, International House of Prayer, Mike Bickle, Stuart Greaves, Eternal Rewards, Eternity, Christianity, Christian, Jesus, Worship, Prayer, Prayer Room, Life, Meaning of LIfe, The Bible, Religion

Id: YDLSP4tTJxo

Length: 85min 49sec (5149 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 20 2017