A Sure Foundation
Pastor Don Carpenter / General
Growing Pains: The Struggles of a Culturally Relevant Church / Authority; Truth; Wisdom; Philosophy / 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
A Nation of Bible Illiterates
George Barna wrote The State of the Church in 2002. Barna conducted a survey of self-pronounced Christians and here’s what he found about their knowledge of the Bible. These are Christians.
• 48% could not name the four Gospels.
• 52% cannot identify more than two or three of Jesus’ disciples.
• 60% of American Christians can’t name even five of the 10 Commandments.
• 61% of American Christians think the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham.
• 71% of American Christians think “God helps those who help themselves” is a Bible verse.
George Barna said, “Americans revere the Bible, but by and large they don’t know what it says. And because they don’t know it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.”
Just as the people in this Barna poll are woefully biblical illiterate, Christians are far too ignorant of the Word of God. No wonder 21st century Christians are failing to finish their marathon race. No wonder Christians by the thousands are falling prey to the false teachers of our day. They are being feed junk food and don’t feed themselves on the Word of God. They are desperately in need of a solid diet of good food, Scripture. We need to get into “spiritual shape”.
One of the things that trips us churches and causes divisions is placing one’s anchor on the wrong source of truth. Rather than basing one’s life on a constant study and discovery of truths from God’s perfect Word, the Bible, folks often trust personalities, associations, or denominations as filter for the scriptures, rather than letting scriptures be the filter for their associations.
The Corinthian church had a problem with unity. The problem is that folks were uniting under different men rather than uniting under the same Bible. In our passage we will see how the Apostle Paul is careful to teach them not to anchor their faith to him or any other man. They were to anchor their faith in the Word of God that demonstrates the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God is the Sure Foundation.
Don’t Anchor Your Faith to Your Pastor.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
The anchor is not in clever speech.
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Authority
3. huperoche (???????, 5247), primarily, “a projection, eminence,” as a mountain peak, hence, metaphorically, “pre-eminence, superiority, excellency,” is once rendered “authority,” 1 Tim. 2:2, KJV (marg., “eminent place”), RV, “high place,” of the position of magistrates; in 1 Cor. 2:1, “excellency” (of speech). Cf. huperecho, “to surpass.” See EXCELLENCY.¶
*Translation wheel**
The Anchor is the Testimony (Word) of God.
John 17:17 KJV
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
A Good Pastor Will Put the Focus on Jesus, not Himself.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
John 3:30 KJV
He must increase, but I must decrease.
Don’t Anchor Your Faith to Any Other Man’s Wisdom.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
Colossians 2:8 KJV
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Never Quit Evaluating Every Word Preached With The Bible.
Acts 17:10–12 KJV
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Anchor Your Faith to The Sword of the Spirit.
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
The Bible is what has the power to convert the lost.
Romans 10:17 KJV
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The Bible is what has the power to change a believer.
Hebrews 4:12 KJV
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 12:46 PM February 29, 2020.