“That your faith stand not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God”.
Last Sunday I honoured a preaching engagement in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire that took me away from my home church. It’s not something I do often for being at home on a Sunday is very important to me but this particular church invites me to minister to them at least once a year which I am not always able to accept. So, having accepted the invitation at the start of the year, the date of which I had to change once, I could not fail to honour the promise.
The church was an Indian Tamil church which has grown well over the past 10 years or so to up to 200 regular attendees. I had to preach through and interpreter.
The message I preached which is the title of this blog is taken from 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 5.
The chapter begins with the Apostle Paul making it very clear that their salvation was not because he was an excellent speaker. How good a speaker Paul was is unknown and even if we think he was a good speaker based on a few verses in the book of Acts and in the epistles his point was their faith must not be based on good oratory or the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
As Corinthians they would have been very used to good oratory and speech making from their politicians, philosophers and religious leaders.
In this blog I want to cover some of the things I said in my message last Sunday morning.
Our faith is very important. What we believe and who we believe can make us free, blessed and happy or ensnare us or make us very unhappy. History tells us that people are influenced by the written but even more so, the spoken words of others.
People put their faith in politicians, in science and in false gods. People kill for what they believe and are willing to die for what they believe.
Apostle Paul in writing to the Corinthians wanted them to know that the gospel that he preached was not another philosophy or another religion but was the power of God. Furthermore, that the God in whose name he preached was able and willing to confirm what was said through demonstration. Not through sleight of hands, through deception or conjuring but through irrefutable acts.
It was this power that Moses demonstrated in Egypt against great odds for what he did at first was matched by Egyptian sorcery but in the end Moses prevailed because his power was greater.
All religions demands faith and commitment. Politicians want us to believe and trust them. Bosses want the workers to listen and accept what they say. With Information Technology these same people are able to bombard us with their philosophies, ideas and wisdom.
Recently a new president was elected in France and even more recently his political party won a majority in parliament. The party in question En Marche has been in existence for one year. This was made possible because he was able to use modern methods of communication. Will President Macron succeed in France? Well time will tell. However, based on history its unlikely that he will deliver on his promises to the majority in France for he will soon find out that speeches, promises and philosophies new or old are not enough its what you do or accomplish that matters.
Moreover, it’s more easy to check whether promises made are actually delivered whereas in the past this was more difficult due to media control.
In the message I gave five benefits of having our faith in Jesus Christ.
Number one: salvation. The gospel of Jesus Christ, wrote Apostle Paul, is the power of God unto salvation. He ought to know, given his former life. His hatred of Christians, his willingness to abuse, terrorise and have them arrested and even to oversee their murder. But Stephen, the first Christian martyr whom he had stoned to death prayed for Paul with these words:“lay not this sin to their charge”. God answered the prayer of Stephen by offering salvation to Paul, which he wisely took.
Paul would write much about salvation in his letters for he knew first hand its reality. Any philosophy that preaches hate or violence is not of God. Any person who does the same is also not of God but the devil. This same Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Number 2: true blessings and in the end everlasting life. One day Peter who had left his profession as a fisherman (his livelihood, his business, the means by which he took care of his family) asked Jesus what will they get in return for following him. He asked the question after Jesus spoke about how difficult it was for men to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus responded by enumerating the many blessings that will be received and in the end everlasting life. Look at the blessings promised by The Lord:
“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life”. (Matthew 19: 29).
Number 3: a God who hears and answers prayer. This is the one thing that every religion demands and religious people do, namely pray. The practitioners of one religion asks its followers to pray five times a day. Another does so via meditation. Some religions demands ritual cleansing with water before prayer and one has a dedicated wall where adherents wail and present their petitions to God. Even in my faith there are some who pray to images of Mary and saints, this same group even prays direct to Mary.
If you were to ask them if their prayers are answered most will tell you no. In fact most don’t expect an answer. Prayer to them is a ritual, proof to others they are pious and a true believer.
It’s not the words we use in prayer (spontaneous or formulaic) that matters but the reality of the God to whom we pray. Some are impressed with lovely words and some with the externalities of prayer (loud, musical chanting and posture) but none of these truly matter. What matters is the one to whom we pray.
At the meeting last Sunday people came for me to pray for them at the end of the service because they remembered me from before. About five years ago at the same church I was asked to pray for a couple that could not have a child. I did and they brought the child who is now about four years old to me that I may know that the God in whose name I prayed heard my prayer and gave them a daughter. I also met a woman who had suffered intense migraine for a long time whom I prayed for last year when I visited them. She came up to me at the end of the service to tell me she no longer suffers from migraine.
Number 4: a faith that overcomes the world. It’s not easy to swim against the tide, its hard work and people are inclined to mock.
The faith we have enables us to overcome: the ungodly styles and fashions of this world. Even grandmothers dress inappropriately. Married women whose skirts are too short or their dress too tight. Men who deface their skins with tattoos and get drunk for fun or take drugs as a lifestyle. Faith in the power of God overcomes all these and more. Men are like sheep, easy to lead astray and into dangers but Jesus is the good shepherd who came to seek and to save the lost.
Number 5: a real heaven. Heaven is a real place. There is life after death. Jesus through the resurrection was the proof of life after death. Most religions believe in life after death and a heaven. A few teach reincarnation but most including Christianity believe in heaven. Even the non religious want to go to heaven.
The secular humanists, atheists and agnostics have done well to convince an increasing number of people that there is no God and that death means death. Yet even secular humanists are hopeful that when they die they go to heaven.
Moses had a preview of the promised land when he stood up on mount Pisgah. Elijah was escorted to heaven by angelic chariots. Our Lord visibly ascended to heaven in full view of up to five hundred people. Heaven is real.
In conclusion
Why is faith so important to God? Let me give the reader four reasons.
Firstly, it’s the great equaliser (intelligence, wealth, status) are irrelevant. In fact, the poor has the edge when it comes to salvation because the rich struggles.
Secondly, true faith is of the heart, not rituals, creeds and dogmas. Sound doctrine or teaching is however, imperative.
Thirdly, its simple and uncomplicated. Men are inclined to over complicate things but the faith that God recognise is simple. Jesus once said to please God one must have the faith of a child.
Fourthly, its responding to what is written, told or said no need for us to create or invent anything. Simply believe.
Our platform is the world and our congregation the people.
The Lord’s servant
Lloyd Denny