Sermon Central
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What God Has Prepared For Us
Contributed by Duane Smith on Aug 9, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: This message was preached on a special Sunday of giving to pay off the debt on land. It was meant to be an encouragement to move forward in God’s plans for His Church according to His wisdom and will.
WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US
INTRODUCTION:
A. Let’s take a trip back in history - back to 681 B.C.
1. The nation of Judah had fallen away from God, big time.
2. So God had raised up a man, a prophet by the name of Isaiah, to proclaim a message – it was a message of
a. The imminent judgment of God against sin
b. A call for the nations repentance towards God
c. And the promise of God’s deliverance through the Messiah
3. All of this is written in a scroll, known as the Book of Isaiah
4. And near the end of this prophets ministry he writes, For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Isaiah 64:4
5. In other words, man just did not understand what God had for him; if only they could.
B. Now move with me up to about 33 A.D.
1. A man known as Jesus: a lunatic in the eyes of some, a liar in the eyes of others; had arrived on the scene.
2. The kingdoms of this world did not want him around
a. The political kingdom sees Him as a threat
b. The religious kingdom sees as a imposter
3. And so he dies upon a cross
4. The words of Isaiah still echo, For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
5. Again, man just did not understand what God had for him; if only they could.
C. Move now with me to about 55 A.D.
1. The apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul, writes a letter to a church that is struggling.
2. All sorts of sin abound in this church: division, immorality, greed, gluttony, suing, misuse of spiritual gifts, and more.
3. And in the very beginning of this lengthy letter he reminisces about a passage in Isaiah, But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor. 2:9
4. Once again, man just did not understand what God had for him; if only they could.
D. Fast forward to today, we read But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor 2:9
1. OH, if we could – if we could just see, hear and know.
2. Folks, we can!
3. And this is where the message of blindness, deafness and lack of understanding from Isaiah becomes a message of hope for us.
4. This morning I want to bring you a message of hope and anticipation
a. First we will look at this passage in the context of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians
b. And then I want us to see how this could be an encouragement for us in the future.
5. May God bless us as we seek His will for us.
PRAY
We will begin this morning by taking a look at this passage
I. IN CONTEXT OF PAUL’S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, 1 Cor 2:1-16
A. Here Paul continues his rebuke of their disunity spoken of in Chapter one: Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; 1 Cor 1:10
1. People were choosing up sides: I am following this apostle, this deacon, or this man.
2. They were basing their decision on speech abilities, augmentation styles, sound of their voices, you get the picture.
3. And so Paul says this is not wise and division does not come from God.
4. This must have been the case because he begins chapter two with, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 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. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 1 Cor. 2:1-4
B. Paul was saying that he came not with the charisma or eloquence of some god, but, rather, that he was speaking by the Spirit and in His power.
1. He was not speaking with or of man’s wisdom – he was speaking the wisdom of God!
