“My message and my preaching were very plain.”

Tuesday 11-8-2016  City of Rosario, National Assemblies of God Conference    

Today we read Job 33 and 1 Cor 1 - 2

S.  1 Cor 2:1-5 Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message. For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. I came to you in weakness — timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you. I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom. NLT

O.  Yesterday’s devotional text explained to the Galatians the absolute sufficiency of Christ accomplishment on the cross.  Today Paul tells us how he preached exclusively this very same message to the Corinthians.  Paul had just come from Athens where he waxed eloquent preaching to the elite philosophers of his day.  He used lofty terms while preaching the same message, but with limited results. Now in Corinth he used no fancy eloquence.  He just gave them Jesus Christ and Him crucified and resurrected.  There is no reference of a successful church plant in Athens.  He was not going to allow himself to get complicated now in Corinth.  He just gave them the core of the Gospel with no frills, but backed by a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s miracle working power.

P.  Lord Jesus, You received me when I was only 5 years old. I understood, since I had been exposed to hundreds of sermons, Bible verses, Sunday School classes and home devotionals.  Thank you for “revealing these things to babes.”  (Matt. 11:25) The core of the Gospel message can be understood even by a little child.  I wept my way into the heart of Jesus’ loving arms and arose singing, “Oh! How I love Jesus… because He first loved me!” I sang it with all my heart and all day long… along with another song, “I can, I will, I do believe that Jesus saves me now.”  I did not understand everything, but I trusted You with the details.  Amen. 

Ralph

Matt 11:25 I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. KJV