We Have the Mind of Christ
First B Jackson
2014-07-27

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

----
Good to see you guys. We're glad that you're here. You know what we get to do this morning? We get to praise our resurrected lord. Is that good news or what?

The reason that we're here today is because Jesus is risen from death. Shall we sing about it? Amen. Alright. I think we need to wake up here.

Let's stand up and sing. Alright. Low in the grave. Good news or what?

He rose hallelujah Christ rose

Yes? Amen. Alright.

I've got a few announcements this morning. Actually, they're weird. I told y'all that during the summertime, things kind of the programs kind of tend to stop and weird things start. So, one weird thing this week was the fair. Most of y'all know that and if you can, today, bless a carny on their way out of town, alright?

We actually put a little budgetary line item in to help the Carneys out a couple of years ago and it's a just a different culture, completely different culture. So, right down there at the fairgrounds, if you're going to pick things up or get that last thing of overpriced lemonade. Yes. So, this is the fair. That happened this week and that was kind of a blessing and when I think of the fair, I think of pig wrestling because you know, it's close and dear and dear to my heart and when I think of pig wrestling, look at this hog.

Look at that thing. That is a 46 inch, 51 pound lake trout. That's ridiculous and that's Paul, my brother-in-law. So, if you aren't looking for somebody to shake hands with, he's here this morning. He's right there but.

51 pounder, Jackson Lake. There she goes. That to me was just great this week. That's an encouraging. 51 pound fish.

That's crazy. The connect hour is between services. It's kind of from tenish to elevenish and we have a new guy here. I told y'all last week that he came last Sunday and last Monday, he cooked supper for the the Monday nighters and this week, he sent me this picture and said, I'm making a cheese tray for the connect hour between service He's a chef and he's also deaf. He's not here in this service.

He usually comes to the second service but we're looking for an American sign language interpreter. If you are one or if you know somebody, would you talk to me? That would be great but Steve has joined in in service and he's feeding us. That's his main way of service. So, there are the crackers too but an ASL interpreter is needed.

Please pass along any information to me. That would be best. Tanya and I were at a deaf school for a long time. I remember zilch, almost none. And we also learned Mexican sign language which is different from American sign language.

But if you're an ASL interpreter or no one, please tell me about it. Monday nights at first b are happening. On Monday nights at first b, meal, music, and message, 06:15 in the evenings, great time, good music. We have a good time together. Carl's doing a great job going through Matthew, dealing with some difficult passages.

Wednesday morning prayer time is at 07:30 every Wednesday morning. It's usually in my office or in the fellowship hall one but they're both on the same end of the building down there and then Carl has an announcement. The family Sunday follow-up.

Yep. Yep. Just what it says up there for family ideas versus of encouragement, YouTube video links, articles of marriage and family. If you have your phone right now and you said, I I want that. I I wanna get those little things right there.

I will text them to you. So there's my phone number right there. No advertisements, please. And and give me a text. I'll send you links.

Alright. And I think that's all of the announcements except for this. We are glad that you're here. Would you stand up and greet one another the band will bring you back together with a song.

Let's bless the Lord this morning. Worship your holy name. The sun comes up. It's a new day dawning. It's time to sing your song again.

Whatever may pass down, whatever dies before, let me be sang when the evening come. In love and slow to anger. Your name is great and your heart is kind. Boy, your goodness, I will keep Worship his holy name. It seemed like never before.

Woah, my soul. I worship your holy name. My soul has seen your praise on any name. I'm ten thousand years in men forevermore. But bless the Lord on my soul.

Oh, my soul. Worship his holy name. It seemed like never before. Oh, my soul. Your your You're higher than the mountains that I face and stronger than the power of the gray.

And constant in the trial and the shame, this one thing remains.

Let's repeat that again.

You're higher than the mountains that I face, stronger than the power of the grave. Never fails and gives up, never love never fails and never gives up, never rolls out on me. And your love never fails, it never gives up, never runs out on me. Your love. And on and on and on.

And on and on and on and on, they go. It overwhelms and satisfies my soul. Yes. One thing remains. Your love never fails and never gives up, never rolls out on me.

Your love never fails and never gives up. Never runs out on me. Your love never fails. It never gives up. Never runs out on me.

Your love. And then day up in life, I'm comforted and covered by the fire of your great love. And my death is pain. There's nothing that can separate my heart from your great love

God, we thank you this morning. Just for the privilege of being able to come here together and worship you. I I thank you God for the resurrection. I'm just, let it, if we're going to boast about anything, let us boast about how you have the power over sin and death, that you have the power to free us and that you love us. We just thank you God for that great love this morning and we sing of it.

We sing of it. Amen. How deep the father's love.

Deep the father's love for us. Thank you, Jesus.

You may be seated and I'm gonna invite the frontline team to come up as we participate here in the worship of giving. And I just... As we sing these songs, I mean, they are they are they are so powerful, aren't they? I mean, speaking of the resurrection, new life in Christ that his wounds, what he did on the cross has paid our sin in full. Past, present, and future, and that is really good news and that...

That's why we're here today. That's why we're worshiping. And this right here, the worship of giving is an another small expression of worship and... Let's pray together. Let's give thanks.

God, we do give you thanks. You've created us. You you sustain us. You've given your life for us. You live for us.

You live in us. And how can we respond, God? We can respond in many ways. This is just one, but I pray that really our response would be that of thankfulness all the time. That we give you thanks in all circumstances, whether it's good or bad.

But we just wanna pause for a moment here and give you thanks. Amen. Would you sing this song right here? The lyrics are gonna be on the screen.

And Lord, I come and I confess my weak here have fallen my burdens. And without you, I fall apart. You're the one that guides my heart. And, Lord, I need you. Oh, I need you.

Every hour I need you. My warm defense, my righteousness, oh God, of I need. Need. Where sin runs deep, your grace is more. Where grace is found is where we are.

And where you are, Lord, I am free of holiness. He's Christ in me. Yes. Where you are, Lord, I am free. Holy nails is Christ in me.

Defense, my righteousness, oh, God, I need. So teach my song. So teach my soul to rise to you. Oh, when some T shirt comes my way, when I cannot stand off on you. Jesus, you're my hope and stay.

And, Lord, I need you. Oh, I need you.

Amen. I kinda wanna keep singing. But not because the message is not what I wanna say but that was just great. Well, last week, we talked about the message of the cross and that's big surprise. It's a baptist church, message of the cross.

But that is our message. That is the central part of all that we do, all that we say, just like Carl was saying this morning. It's all about Christ rising. The message of the cross is what we have and that's what we have to share with the world and I I met several missionaries actually this morning from all over. It's it's awesome to see folks from Africa and India and all parts.

Is Anders back somewhere? Anders, he's over here just back fresh from Panama and I just want to thank God that he is still extending that message of the cross through obedient servants and it's fantastic. Amen. So, I hope that the clicker works this morning. It threw me off last week.

We'll see. It's going. Hey, good. This is fantastic. First Corinthians two six through 16.

If you'll remember back two weeks ago, we talked about this. This is one of the slides. I was transitioning between the Thessalonian church and the Corinthian church. The Thessalonian church, we said, was fertile ground. There was no sin mentioned.

It was they trusted Paul's authority. They were sincere, not pretentious but the Corinthian church, my goodness, the sins listed, there are tons of em and it's weeds mostly. It's a lot of weeds. It's not the same church but Paul, when he starts off, he starts off like this. In the second verse of both second Thessalonians and first Corinthians, he says, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ and I believe he meant it.

It's not just a how how do you do. He meant it. Grace to you and peace because that's the center point of the message of the cross. His grace is extended and peace comes with that. So, he addresses them the same way.

Very different churches but the church, capital C church is Christians. So, when Paul is speaking to him, he addresses them the same way. They're both Christians. Now, do they look the same? The churches don't look anything alike.

The the areas don't really look anything alike but Paul addresses them the same way and I'm going to continue with this kind of theme today because I think Paul does. So, last week, we went the message of the cross and this was the diagram. To those who are perishing, it is foolishness. We talked about philosophies of the world and whatever, wherever they land, they consider the cross to be foolishness. Wherever the greatest wisdom of men sees the power of God and the message of the cross as foolishness.

But they're perishing. It's an active verb to those who are perishing. They are involved in it. They're involved in their own demise by not accepting the truth. So, to those who are perishing, it's foolishness but to those who are being saved, that's a passive verb.

It's a divine passive. God is the one that's doing the saving and they are being saved. For them, it's the power of God. We talked about the power of God being what transforms our lives. That's what changes us from old creature to new creature, from dead to life.

So, that's the message across and that was last week. I'm going to take this slide and add to it today because I think Paul continues this thought. It was really nice and clean last week. Really clean. It's going to be messy before the end of the day but we're going take that slide and go with it.

This week, I want you to see that Paul is teaching against division in the church by giving our common ground. This is interesting because from this point on in chapter three, he'll start saying that some Christians are spiritual and some are fleshly but in this chapter, where he's talking right here, I'm pretty sure that he's talking to all Christians still and so we're going to and he even extends it to us. It's still today, okay? So, Paul is teaching against division in the church by giving our common ground. So, let's start right there and first Corinthians six through eight says, however, we speak wisdom.

Now, last week, I was saying he went about the wisdom of man, wisdom of man, and he blasted it. Philosophy, Philo, Sophie. Philosophy is the love of Sophie is wisdom. The love of knowledge and he kind of blasted all of man's wisdom last week and so that's where the however comes in. The the wisdom of man, wisdom of man, wisdom of man is useless, really.

Unless it directs you towards the kingdom and you will never come to it by pure wisdom alone, by your IQ, by your power, or by your riches. You'll never come to the cross. However, he says, we speak wisdom among those who are mature. Yet, not the wisdom of this age nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing or coming to naught but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.

When he says that we speak wisdom to those who are mature, I want to clear up a common misconception because there are words like to the mature and it's hidden wisdom and it's mystery. When we hear that, people have taken that over the years various ways especially people in this position. Wanting to keep this position, claiming a greater authority than the authority of the cross. What we have is the message. That's what it has to be centered on.

Some people will say, well, there are hidden mysteries that you don't know about but I do and I will share those with you a little at a time. I'll meter them to you and that's just not good but in an effort to clear up a common misconception based upon poor interpretation, this is not about, I mean, this section is about Christians and non Christians. It's not about junior varsity and varsity Christians. That make sense? There are couple of different ways that this can be taken.

I I don't mean for it to be a veiled reference to towards Pentecostalism. It's not veiled. It is that. It's the overflow of that though. There is a center point which is the gospel and the Holy Spirit works but because of this section's emphasis and because of the mystery and the hidden wisdom.

Imma try to untangle some of the grammar and and work on what it says. It is when he says to the mature, he's talking about all Christians, not just the mature Christians. Now, next chapter, he will split off and say, some of you are spiritual and some of you are fleshly. You all have access. That's what this week is about.

All of us as Christians have access to this hidden mystery, okay? So, that's to the message of the cross. The message of the cross, like I said, it's going to get messy. To those who are mature, those are the ones who have taken their circumstances, seeking whatever they have found that the only way out is through the cross. Those are the mature ones that Paul is talking to and it backs it up later on.

I'll try to call back to the mature part when we get further down but those who are perishing, he says, the wisdom of this age is coming to naught. It is perishing and the rulers of this age are coming to naught. They are perishing. They consider this foolishness but to those who are being saved, those who are mature, they see that it's the power of God. God is the one who is doing the maturing.

So, on from there, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. I have a mystery highlighted. The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory and I'll go on to that. Mysterion, this Greek word, Mysterion means mystery and I I actually answered a test question one time when I was in seminary with the word musterion and kept moving. I don't know the answer to that question.

Mysterion. One day, it might be revealed to me but I don't know. The professor took the points. He took the points but I still think he's wrong about that. I don't think anybody knows the answer to that question.

Musterion. It is something that can be known, but at this point has not been shown to be the case. Does that make sense? It's something that can be known. I'm gonna look at it this way.

Do you all know mystery? Masterpiece mystery? Hercule? Nobody does. Nobody does.

Y'all spend too much time hiking. Anyway, Hercule Poirot, miss Marples, all of those great detectives that are looking for clues to try to figure out the mystery, or go back a little further. How about Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie, Or what's the latest mystery person? I don't know. I don't keep up with mysteries so much but mystery books are carefully constructed so that they reveal until the end the the who did it.

Right? Usually, it's who done it. It's who who done it. But it's a carefully concealed thing where you get a little information along and the further you get, the more information you get, you start formulating opinions and sometimes they're red herring. Sometimes it's like, nope, that's not a real important clue.

That's just to throw me off but you don't know which ones are which. Imagine yourself being in the Old Testament days when you have the prophets there that are giving you pieces of information on the front side that are going to be very very important but you don't know where they are pointing. You don't know where they're going. Mystery occurs 28 times in the New Testament. I'm going to read selections more or less at random.

Matthew thirteen eleven, Jesus was speaking to his disciples and he said, he answered and said to them, because it has been given to you, another passive, it's been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it has not yet been given or has not been given and he said to them, to you, it has been given. This is Mark four eleven. To know the mystery of the kingdom of God but to those who are outside, all things come in parables so that seeing they might see but they might not understand. Like, it's kind of like the Paschal quote I used last week where there's enough light for him who wants to see it but there's enough obscurity for the one who does not want to see it. It's veiled.

To you, it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God and to the rest that's given in parables that seeing they may not see and hearing, they may not understand. Romans eleven twenty five, for I do not desire brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, the wisdom of man. That blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Maybe I'm not reading them in. I'm just going read them in order.

Romans sixteen twenty five. Now, to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation, the revealing of the mystery that has been kept secret since the world began. It's a mystery. We have an author. He's the author and finisher of our faith.

He knows what happened. He is revealing it progressively through the ages. He has been and when it came to this New Testament time when Paul was talking, I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom declaring to you the mystery of God. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. Do you hear that it's always about revealing the mystery?

It's not some mystical hoodoo. It's not some strange something that's out there in the ether that you have to pray just right or move in just such a way or give a certain amount or do something. It's not that. It is a mystery that has been revealed. I've said this several times and y'all have said it back to me many times.

The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. The revelation is there. It is the message of the cross. There are still things prophesied that are out there that we don't know. From the front side of prophecy, it's hard to tell exactly what it's going look like but the message of the cross is very very clear.

So, out of those 28 occurrences in the New Testament, there they are. See if there's any. How about from every wedding you've ever been to and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could move mountains if I have not love. I'm nothing. All of these mysteries, it's always about the revealing but right there in first Corinthians 13 says, if I did understand all the mysteries, if I did, he's not even claiming to know it all, everything.

Mystery, Musterion. There is an answer. It is being revealed and as you will look to God, he will reveal to you the mystery. It's in the New Testament. It's right there and Paul will go further than that.

Say, he illumines the New Testament and he illumines his word by his spirit. That's what we're getting to. So, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. The hidden wisdom of God which God ordained before the ages for our glory which none of the rulers of this age knew for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Is that true?

In a spiritual way, yes, we all crucified Christ in a spiritual way but in a physical way, if they had believed in Christ, they would not have crucified him. The rulers of this age which which be the sadducees, the pharisees, the scribes, teachers of the law, Pilate, and all of those, the rulers of this age. They were coming to nothing, it says. So, that's enough. I wanna go back and highlight on a positive phrase.

It wouldn't be a sermon without a grammar lesson. So, here we go. Carl Clemmer, the amazingly talented worship leader at first b, went to the fair with his family. Now, the pink section there is an appositive phrase. It is a restatement of the noun in more clarifying terms.

So Carl Clemmer, the amazingly talented worship leader at first b, that separates him from all other Carl Clemmers on Facebook. Okay? This sentence, the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. That is an impositive phrase. The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory is the mystery.

So, because it says mystery and because it says hidden, people take advantage of that and I don't want to do that. I want you to know that the what is the hidden wisdom which was ordained before the ages for our glory is the message of the cross. That is what it is. Which none of the rulers of this age knew for had they known, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory. Can you see God's orchestrating hand in people who do not want to listen crucifying Jesus and that being the salvation for all of those who are willing to listen.

Even the ones who did that, even the ones who crucified him, if they came to believe. One of the soldiers that's by tradition, one of the soldiers came to believe and said, this man truly is the Christ and you know what? If that's true, it's by tradition. If that's true, then, we'll see that joker in heaven. Don't matter that he literally had the spear, literally cut aside.

We all spiritually have crucified Christ, everyone of us. Next verse nine says, but as it is written, I has not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. That is a loose quote from the Old Testament. It's kind of like Isaiah 64 but I think Paul summarizes things. He's saying that the natural man has never seen nor heard nor has ever entered into the heart of man like the wisdom of man.

It's never made contact the things which God has prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed them to us through his spirit. Now, you could take that as a small us, Paul and the apostles or you could take it as a larger us, meaning us. Those who have believed. I'm going to put it up there that he has revealed them to us because he's given the New Testament through those who believe through the small us, they gave us this, the New Testament.

So, he's extended that to us, the bigger picture. Peter's confession of Christ Jesus was asking his disciples and he said to them, but who do you say that I am? Who do people say that I am? He said, John the Baptist, Elijah, some people say this, some people say that but he directly asked the question in Matthew sixteen fifteen to the group of disciples. He said, but who do you say that I am?

And Simon Peter answered, he's a leader, right? First one out of the box. You are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. Who did?

Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you. God has revealed these things to us through his spirit. Does that make sense? God is doing this. Now, this is a section that can get a little dicey too.

This is a little bit like who's on first. If you read it out loud and somebody's listening to you, they can get really confused. I highlighted only the capital S's and the small S's up there. For the capital S spirit, that's the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit searches all things.

Yes, the deep things of God. Does that make sense? Take it one sentence at a time. Who's on first? Alright?

Who is the name of the guy that's on first? Capital S spirit. The Holy Spirit searches all things. Yes, the deep things of God and then, after that, to explain that further, he says, for what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him. Do I know what Peter Stalker is thinking right now?

Not exactly. I do see a smile on his face so that's good but I don't know what he's thinking right now. I cannot know but does his spirit know? Absolutely, it does. This is what he's saying.

God's spirit knows what God is thinking. The Holy Spirit knows what God is thinking. He is part of God just like Peter's spirit is part of Peter. Even so, just like this, no one knows the things of God except the capital S, Holy Spirit of God. No natural man knows the things of God except the Holy Spirit of God.

Now, we, another one of those us, we, it could be taken to be the smaller, just P Paul and his apostle, I mean, Jesus's apostles or it could be the larger being the whole body of Christ throughout all ages. The church triumphant, the capital C church. Now, we have received not the spirit of the world but the Holy Spirit who is from God, capital S, the spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. The things that have been freely given to us by God. My professor that y'all are praying for for a long time, we went through Acts.

We used his book kind of as a as a background. Doctor Larkin, he has since passed. He died of pancreatic cancer but he used to call it salvation blessings. The salvation blessings are the things that are available to us in Christ Jesus through his spirit here on Earth and our hope incorruptible heaven forevermore. That we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

These things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Now, this one, if you're looking at the King James or you're looking at the New King James, which is this version, that is confusing. That line right there is confusing. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual. That word for comparing can also be interpreted interpreting and I think that that is probably the better.

This is the revised standard version. This is not the Red McDaniel version. The revised standard is and we impart this. Paul says, we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Holy Spirit. Interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the spirit.

So, in that case, the we is pretty certain that it is Paul and the apostles and the folks who wrote the New Testament. We are imparting this in words taught by human wisdom. This is propositional truth. Propositional truth right here in the New Testament. We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the spirit.

Is the Bible divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit? Yes. That's what we have multiple verses on it. Timothy, second Timothy three sixteen says that it is. Peter says that it is a couple of different times.

They didn't do this on their own but they were carried along by the Holy Spirit to write these things. Interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the spirit. So, but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God. What is it to the natural man? It's foolishness.

That's all they they can recognize it as is foolishness and their philosophy, their love of wisdom, they have rejected it. God has chosen simple things to confound the wise. But the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God for their foolishness to him nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. So, the message of the cross slide again. To those who are perishing, the immature, the natural man, to those who are being saved, those who are mature, but he who is spiritual judges all things.

Those are the things that he just mentioned. Yet, he himself is rightly judged by no one. This one is a little sticky wicket. When you get to this place, you could say, wait a second, in two chapters or three chapters, Paul's going be saying, we should judge our we should judge one another. As Christians, we should be judging and spurring each other along.

We should be judging one another. So, you know that he's not talking about that. He who is spiritual judges all things. Yet, he himself is rightly judged by no one, no natural man. For who has the known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him.

That's another Old Testament quote from Isaiah also. I think it's forty thirteen. Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? Are y'all with me still? It's getting quieter in here.

I'm seeing less movement. You're at least you're not riding in the seats. That's good. But he who is spiritual judges all things yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. If you look at this slide again, he who is spiritual, I pulled that straight from he who is spiritual.

To those who are being saved, those who are mature, he who is spiritual, it is the power of God and it is revealing the things of the spirit of God and he can judge and discern rightly but the natural man cannot rightly judge nor discern without accepting this free gift. He cannot rightly judge. Now, there's a way that seems right to man. Proverbs tells us but in the end, it's the way of destruction. He cannot know the things of God because they're spiritually discerned and he's not willing to take a step of faith into the unknown.

But he who is spiritual judges all things yet he himself is rightly judged by no one For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? And then he follows it up but we have the mind of Christ. We do. We have it available. If you go to Philippians and he says, is there any consolation in love?

Is there any comfort in fellowship? Is there any comfort in the spirit? Then, make my joy complete by having the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. This is the ground for unity. There is one Holy Spirit.

He does not speak out of both sides of his mouth. It is our limitation and not his when we don't get along with one another to whatever measure one of us is not understanding him correctly. Usually, it has something to do with fleshly pursuits or pride. That gets in the way. It limits our ability to be able to understand.

If we come together as Christians and disagree and this is what Paul is going for here. He does not want for divisions to exist. He's saying, come together around the central message of the cross. What did Christ do that was so great? He humbled himself.

Being in very nature, God did not consider equality with God, being right all the time. He was right all the time but he did not consider being right. Something to be grasped. It was about humility and obedience but we have the mind of Christ. Not we, again, could be those limited guys that wrote the New Testament or it could be the transference of that knowledge to us.

If we have accepted it and we do have access to the mind of Christ through the cross. Not that we can boast. It's by grace we've been saved through faith. Not that anyone should boast. So, here we go.

This is the messy slide again. To those who are being saved, those who are mature, he who is spiritual, you can put a she in there too. The power of God, the things of the spirit of God that can judge and discern rightly and that's we. That's not a us and them like, we win, we win, we win. It's we have the truth.

Please, can we share it with you? Can we extend this message of God's love and forgiveness to you? Will you step away from yourself in order to win yourself? Will you lose your way to get his way? We have the mind of Christ.

We have access to it through the spirit. It is against division in the church. I like this. I don't know. Didn't know exactly where to put it but it seemed like the right place.

Harold Mayer in the expositors Bible Bible Comedy said, let the philosophers of Greece and the Jews and their sign seeking, jeer, and mock. We could say, let the ones wise in their own eyes today, jeer and mock that it is but foolishness. They cannot really judge the message of Paul which is the message of Christ everywhere he went. He never strayed far from it. Who has the mind of Christ because they do not have the mind of Christ and they cannot judge spiritual truths.

So, the message across, clean all that other stuff away. It is still the offer. The message of the cross is this, Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, a sinless life, and because he had a sinless life to present to God. He did not have to die but he chose for our sake to die. He gave his life an atonement, a substitution, a payment for anyone who would accept it.

All throughout the gospel of John, he says it is about what you believe about me, about what I've done. So, it is the power of God to those who are being saved but you have to accept it. God has made the way available but he's not going to force you to do it. So, that's the very real invitation and I think it's the last slide and so I'm gonna invite Carl and Eugene up. Hey, for all those times that I ran long, I've run short this week.

Alright. Would you all stand with us as we sing? And we're gonna be singing praises to God but if you have any kind of questions and you want to walk up this aisle, I'll put down that base and turn off this microphone and talk to you. I'm here most of the week anyway. We have elders here.

We have tons of people here who have accepted this message of the cross and the priesthood, the concept of the priesthood of the believer is you can interpret these things. You can. You can. Incorporate worship. You're just listening to me but you can take this Bible and open it up and you can get this.

Pray that the Holy Spirit would illumine and that you would be growing in Christ. In Jesus name, amen.

I love the Lord your God for your heart, on your soul, for your mind with all their strength. I love the Lord your God for your heart, for your soul, for your mind with all your strength. With all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. You love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, with all your strength. And I'm serving the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength.

And I'm serving the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength, with all my heart, with all my soul, all my mind, with my strength. And I've served the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength. With all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength. I will love you, Lord, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength. I will love you, Lord, with all my heart, all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength.

With all my heart, all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength

Amen. Now, to him who is able to establish you according to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. According to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest and by the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations according to the commandment of the everlasting God for obedience to the faith. To God who alone is wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.