Laying A Solid Foundation For Growth - 2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Laying A Solid Foundation For Growth - 2</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id250.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Laying A Solid Foundation For Growth 1"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id255.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Facing a Building Inspection"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Laying a Solid Foundation for Growth -  2, Berean Bible Church, January 27, 2002am</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>Where do you go when you need answers? Dummies books, magazines, a professional, the internet, a mentor, television (Oprah and Dr. Phil)? We need for answers, guidance about what makes life and our spiritual lives work. What is my life supposed to look like as a follower of Christ? How am I supposed to treat people? How do I handle conflict in my home, job, or church? How do I help my kids do what is right? How do I win the battle over a temptation that keeps beating me? How do I do everything I think I need to do and still have time to talk to God and listen to him? What do I do when my whole world falls apart because of an unexpected tragedy? What is the right way / best way to handle my finances? For answers to the basic questions of life, we need God’s wisdom. It takes precedence over any other source of guidance.</div> <div> <I>     </I>Our spiritual growth is built up on foundation consisting of grace, unity, humility (1 Cor 1), and God’s wisdom. If we are going to follow Christ and grow, we need his answers, his wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:1-16).</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. God’s Wisdom for spiritual growth is available to God’s people.</B> Three facts:</div> <div> A. 1 Cor 2:1-5: <U>God’s Wisdom is simple and true, not impressive and false.</U></div> <div>      Paul’s concern was not to impress people or gather his own following (unlike some Christians at Corinth).</div> <div>      “Agape International Spiritual Center in suburban Los Angeles has some 7,000 members. It is a growing church, very much like the hundreds of megachurches throughout the country. But intermixed with the Christian praise songs are the "Oms" of Eastern meditation. In the obligatory bookstore, the Bible shares space with books by gurus, self-proclaimed goddesses, and mystical pop psychologists. Agape calls itself a "church," but it makes no pretension of being Christian at all. Rather, as its pastor, Michael Beckwith, explains, it is "'new thought' combined with ancient wisdom." " We don’t believe you are born into sin," he explained. "We are born into blessings. While some seek salvation, we call it “self-elevation.” Agape calls itself "trans-denominational," but it is really transreligion. "Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, young, old, rich, poor-we cut across all lines," said Rev. Beckwith, to reach what is true."” (Gene Veith, World Mag, Dec 15, 2001). That is called <B>selling out the truth</B>. Paul spoke the truth.</div> <div>      Kevin Max of the Christian rock band DCTalk said, "This whole (DC Talk) experience has taught me that I can't make Christ cool. Ultimately Christ is cool to people or He's not. Christ speaks for Himself.  . . . His power is so overwhelming that people will come to Him with or without me or anybody. Nothing I can do (will) add to or take away from Him." Paul gave the message of Christ and he let it speak for itself.</div> <div> B. 1 Cor 2:6-10a: <U>Knowing God’s Wisdom is possible only because God has revealed it.</U> It does no good to go searching for God’s wisdom apart from what he has revealed. </div> <div> C. 1 Cor 2:10b-16: <U>Understanding and accepting God’s Wisdom is only possible for those who have the Spirit.</U> “Spirituality” apart from having Holy Spirit is foolish. The Holy Spirit enables us to accept what God has revealed in his word, the Bible.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Pursue God’s Wisdom</B></div> <div> A. Spend time reading and understanding God’s Word – with prayer (dependance on God) <I>and</I> skill.</div> <div> B. Let the Bible shape your basic core values. Not “The most important thing in life is to be happy.” Not  “The most important person in the world is me.” <I>Instead</I>, “You shall love the Lord your God; and your neighbor as yourself.” The Weather Channel says “Live by it.” Instead, live by the word of God. Let the Word of God provide a grid through which you evaluate all so-called wisdom. The Bible is not “anti-intellectual.” But the Bible, properly understood, has priority over other sources of knowledge.</div> <div> C. Accept spiritual wisdom from other believers. We need the community of believers to accept and practice God’s wisdom in his word.</div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>Our spiritual lives as Christians are built on a foundation of grace, unity, humility, and God’s wisdom. God has made his wisdom available to you. Pursue it and live your life by it. A man went to his forty-year high school reunion and was greatly saddened at how people hadn’t changed. They got different jobs, gained weight, changed clothes, etc., but they hadn’t really changed. When he got home, he said to his friend, “I never, never want that to be said of me. Life is too precious, too sacred, too important. If you ever see me go stagnant like that, I hope you give me a quick, swift kick where I need it – for Christ’s sake. I hope you’ll love me enough to challenge me to keep growing.” (<I>Holy Sweat</I>, Tim Hansel, 1987, Word Books Publisher, pp. 54-55). Don’t be content to be the same as your were a year ago. Keep growing in Christ.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2002, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>