Why We are Failing the Great Commission
Chapter twenty-six
God has Ordained the Foolishness of Preaching
Transforming Transfusion
Preaching
“The gospel” to which the epistle
refers is all that the death, burial, and resurrection/glorification of Jesus
accomplishes for the believing sinner. This
extends far beyond salvation from Hell.
Included in this salvation is the salvation of the believer’s life from
waste through practical sanctification.
The future glorification of the believer’s body is also included in this
good news. Much of what the first
epistle to the Corinthians addresses will be lost if we do not understand that
the good news extends into all three of these aspects of a believer’s
salvation.
I Corinthians 1:17 immediately divides the hearers
of the good news into two distinctly different apposing
categories (appose:
to place something in proximity to or juxtaposition with something else). To the understanding and believing sinner
these accomplishments are truly good news resulting in the manifestation
of the creative power of God in the regeneration of a lost sinner. To the unbelieving sinner these
accomplishments are just “foolishness.” The
preacher of the good news may not understand to which category of hearers
he is preaching until they respond to the preaching. The vast majority of the epistle is addressed
to those who view Paul’s preaching on practical sanctification as “foolishness.” This is the aspect of the “gospel” that the
Corinthians were rejecting. This is
the primary in a series of appositions.
Paul is beginning to develop a presentation
of ideas that attempt to bring the intangible realities of the invisible dimension
of the spiritual into sight through a faith understanding of that invisible reality.
Within the invisible spiritual dimension, known only through faith and
the teaching of the Spirit (I Corinthians 2:9-16), there are no grey areas
between righteousness and unrighteousness. Within the invisible spiritual dimension there
is just darkness and light. Everything is just black and white with
no confusion about right and wrong.
This is the discerning understanding of the spiritual dimension that God
wants His Spirit to teach all believers.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). Spirit filled preaching and Spirit-filled
hearing of that preaching is to bring the believer into a full understanding of
all things spiritual in both apposition and opposition to the carnal. Carnality always begins with misunderstandings of the spiritual
existence. Life transfusion
preaching will ALWAYS be life transformation preaching.
Another differentiation in the first chapter of first
Corinthians is the apposition between the “wisdom of God” and worldly wisdom
(“wisdom of words,” (I Corinthians 1:17).
The “wisdom of God” is a purely spiritual thing defined as the
communication of the heart and mind of God. In this kind of preaching, the purpose is not
so much about merely communicating God’s truths, but rather the spiritual transfer
and integration of the heart and mind of God from a Spirit-filled communicator
to a Spirit-filled receptacle in another person whose heart is prepared to
receive the transfusion. A
Spirit-filled receptacle has open ears and an open heart.
This is a transfusion rather than a mere transference
because when the transfusion of the heart and mind takes place, that transfusion
transforms the life into which the heart and mind of God is transfused. This transforming transfusion of the heart
and mind of God (“the wisdom of God”) is the purpose and goal in true
spiritual preaching of God’s Word.
For preaching to be spiritually effective it must
be spiritually infective. Preaching is much more than the
transference of mere intelligentsia (facts). Only a believer can prepare himself to be the
spiritual receptacle for this transforming transfusion. This miracle of transfusion can never
happen against the believer’s will. In
other words, this transfusion cannot be forced down another person’s throat. This spiritual dynamic of teaching/preaching
is to what Paul speaks in the first two chapters of his first epistle to the
Corinthians. Trying to fill a receptacle
without ensuring that the receptacle is opened is an operation in futility. Be very careful it is not your carnal spirit
and your bad attitude that closes the receptacle of deposit.
“17 For Christ sent me not
to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the
cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it {‘the preaching of the cross’} is the power of
God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the
disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because
the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger
than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his
presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord” (I Corinthians 1:17-31).
In I Corinthians 1:17, we are immediately confronted with
a harsh apposition between mere ritualism and the transference of real
spiritual life through truth communication (transforming transfusion preaching).
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to
preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect.” The
ritual of water baptism transfers NOTHING to the believing participant in the
ritual. It is complete foolishness to
think that there is a spiritual pill we can take or some magical
ritual in which we can participate that will transfigure us from the carnal
into the spiritual. Yet, this is exactly
how the legalist thinks.
Paul is addressing the great fallacy of the magic pill
philosophy to become spiritual proposed by the legalist.
This nonsense proposes that there is some transference of spirituality,
conversion, or forgiveness through participation in some religious ritual as
proposed in the idea of Sacramentalism. If
ritual baptism was the magic pill that could accomplish transference of
spirituality, conversion, or forgiveness then Paul would have been preaching
water baptism. He did not!
Paul preached and taught “the gospel” of salvation from
Hell through the propitiation of God’s wrath upon sin in Christ upon “the cross
of Christ.” Paul preached and taught “the gospel” of
salvation from Hell through the impartation of God-kind righteousness to the
repentant believing sinner through the indwelling Spirit of Christ
(justification). Paul preached and
taught “the gospel” of salvation of a believing sinner’s life through yielding
to the indwelling Spirit of Christ in obedience to God’s will to live a
sanctified life before God. Paul preached
and taught “the gospel” of salvation unto the ultimate glorification of the
believer’s body and deliverance from the very presence of sin.
The “gospel” Paul preached and taught involved specific
details defining the spiritual operations of God in all three aspects of a
believer’s salvation. None of these three aspects of a believer’s
salvation could ever be viewed as anything but precious and powerful. Such a view of preaching brought incredible
delight to those whose ears were opened spiritually and whose hearts were a
readied receptacle for what God offered.
They certainly would not be treated as “foolishness.”
All three aspects of a believer’s salvation are carefully
defined and explained (“preaching of the cross”) in the sixteen chapters of the
first epistle to the Corinthians. I
Corinthians 1:17-31 is foundational to the unfolding of all of this. If we miss this foundational understanding of
transforming transfusion preaching in the first two chapters of
this epistle, we will also miss the spiritual transfusion of the heart
and mind of God intended for us through such careful explanation/preaching. For the true believer, the believer that
believes every Word of the Bible is inspired of God, God’s ordination of
preaching His Word is to spiritually transform the believer from the heart to
the feet. This outcome is what defines transforming
transfusion preaching. If spiritual
transformation is never achieved, transforming transfusion preaching
is not accomplishing its purpose due to some form of shutdown in that believer’s
communication and reception of truth processing. There must be a compulsive desire for
spiritual transfiguration that begins in the heart of the believer thereby
opening the receptacles of the mind to the Spirit of God’s teaching ministry.
Necessities for Transforming Transfusion Preaching
1.
Real Faith
Real faith believes deeply in the reality of God and His
love for us. Real faith understands that
God has communicated His will for His “born again” children solely through His inspired
Bible. Therefore, real faith loves
faithful preaching, teaching, and thorough explanation of the Bible. Loving faithful preaching, teaching, and
thorough explanation of the Bible is the first manifestation of a person’s
genuine love for God because it is ONLY through studying God’s Word can we know
God’s will, what God loves, what God hates, and what God’s plans are for us and
our lives. Real faith hates anything
that corrupts true knowledge of God.
“103 How sweet are thy
words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104
Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every
false way” (Psalm 119:103-104).
“126 It is
time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy
law. 127Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 128 Therefore
I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be
right; and I hate every false way. 129 Thy
testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep
them. 130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding
unto the simple. 131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I
longed for thy commandments” (Psalm 119:126-130).
Unfortunately, most of what many call faith these
days is really not faith at all because it is not solely sourced in orthodoxy
coming from a right understanding of the Word of God. When faith is real, transforming
transfusion will take place through any type of genuine devotional
interaction with the Word of God. Real
faith does not require someone to plead with you to read your Bible, to attend
the services of your local church, or to long for the preaching of the Word of
God. All of these things are what define
and manifest real faith. Without the
reality of these compulsion, faith is artificial.
“1 Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For
by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which
are seen were not made of things which do appear. . . 6 But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:1-2 and 6).
2.
Real Faith generates Real Love
Real faith and real love for God want what God wants more
than anything else in this world. Real faith wants
to live in “fellowship” with God and become part of His redemptive purposes
through the “work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Real faith generates a compulsion to talk
with God (prayer) and to hear from God by reading His Word and passionately
listening to His Word taught and explained.
Real love for God wants fellowship with God. Real love is consumed with knowing God
personally and intimately. In really loving
God there is an inner compulsion to walk with God, worship God, live with Him
in the minutia of life wanting every aspect of our being to be filled with all
that God is. Real love of God is
ALWAYS defined and manifested by being consumed with FAITHFULNESS to Him and to
His Word.
“162 I rejoice at thy word, as one
that findeth great spoil. 163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy
law do I love. 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy
righteous judgments. 165 Great peace have they which love thy law:
and nothing shall offend them. 166 LORD, I have hoped for thy
salvation, and done thy commandments. 167 My soul hath kept thy
testimonies; and I love them exceedingly. 168 I have kept thy
precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee” (Psalm
119:162-168).
“15 If ye love me, keep my
commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be
in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to
you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but
ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye
shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is {this
reality is he} that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved
of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him {doctrine
of spiritual reciprocity manifested in transforming transfusion}” (John
14:15-21).
3.
Real Faith plus Real Love results in Real Ministry
Real faith and real love ALWAYS result in spiritual “works”! It is these spiritual “works” that define
true faithfulness. Real faith and real
love ALWAYS overflow “unto good works,” the “work of the ministry.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them” (Ephesians 2:10). Real faith and
real love understand that the believer has an obligation in a vocational
calling of real ministry.
“26 For ye see your
calling, brethren {the holy and royal priesthood of all Church Age believers;
I Peter 1:9}, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the
foolish things {morally headless; moral blockheads} of the world to
confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things {morally weak because
they are morally ignorant} of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; 28 And base things {without kin; of unknown descent}
of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29
That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye {priests}
in Christ Jesus {the believer’s eternal High Priest}, who of God is
made unto us {positionally} wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written,
He that glorieth {rejoices in something}, let him glory {rejoice}
in the Lord {being able to serve as part of the New Creation ‘in Christ’}”
(I Corinthians 1:26-31).
Paul’s first rebuke to these “saints” (sanctified priests)
is found in I Corinthians 1:10-13. This
is the springboard for the next fourteen chapters of rebukes and reproofs (corrections).
“10 Now I beseech you
{parakaléō; pleading}, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no
divisions {schisms creating different elitist prejudicial sects
according to who baptized them} among you; but that ye be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For
it hath been declared unto me of you {apparently not by the pastors, one of
which was Apollos; vs.12}, my brethren, by them which are of the house
of Chloe {either this information came to him from someone from this
household or most likely the problem was sourced in this one family where this
spirit of contention and elitist prejudice was being produced}, that
there are contentions {arguments, quarrels, debates } among you
{Why didn’t the rest of the congregation put a stop to this nonsense?}. 12
Now this I say, that every one of you saith {the wicked and carnal elitism
generated out of a false belief about having a superior baptism based upon who baptized
someone now permeated the whole congregation} I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is
Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name
of Paul” (I Corinthians 1:10-13)?
This rebuke of I Corinthians 1:10-13 is quite a statement
considering Paul’s introductory salutation defining the commonality of all
believers “in Christ” as representative priests before God.
In I Corinthians 1:2-9, Paul establishes the communion (commonality) of
all Church Age believers “in Christ” as believer-priest and their common supply
of enabling grace for servanthood ministry.
Understanding what is being communicated in I Corinthians 1:2-9 is
critical to understanding the context of everything else said in the first
epistle to the Corinthians.
“2 Unto the church of
God {an assembly of believer-priests} which is at Corinth, to them
that are sanctified {this is the outcome of perfect, complete sanctification
before God by justification and the impartation of the righteousness of Christ
through the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ} in Christ Jesus {the
New Creation through Spirit baptism}, called to be saints {sanctified
ones; referring to their ministry as priests before God}, with all that in
every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord {as all
believers’ High Priest in the literal Holy of Holies in Heaven; refers to the
believer-priests praying to the Father in the Name of Jesus}, both theirs
and ours: 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God
always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus
Christ {this is their common potential for righteousness, illumination,
and spiritual power in the enabling grace given to every believer priest in the
indwelling Spirit}; 5 That in every thing {commonality
in every spiritual aspect of potential through the enabling of the
indwelling Spirit} ye {plural; everyone}are enriched {enabling
grace; spiritual wealth of unlimited spiritual resources} by him, in
all utterance {includes thinking, reasoning, resulting in right
doctrine and the communication/explanation of right doctrine}, and in
all knowledge {based upon the trustworthiness of their common
Teacher/Illuminator; I Corinthians 2:9-16}; 6 {verses 6-9 provide
a list of commonalities that belong to every believer-priest} Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed
in you {plural; everyone}: 7 So that ye {plural; everyone}
come behind in no gift {there is commonality in the gift of the
Spirit, but there are ‘diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit,’ I Cor. 12:4;
‘differences of administrations, but the same Lord,’ I Cor. 12:5; and ‘diversities
of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all,’ I Cor. 12:6};
waiting for the {second coming; the rapture first and then returning
with Jesus to rule the Kingdom Age} coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8
Who shall also confirm {future, active, indicative; the final and complete
stabilization of the believers in their glorification and eradication of their
sin natures}you {plural; everyone} unto the end {until the
end of theChurch Age}, that ye may be blameless {not to be
called into account for failures} in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ
{referring to the Judgment Seat of Christ; II Cor. 5:10}. 9 God
is faithful {God will always do what He promises}, by whom
ye {plural; everyone} were called unto the fellowship {the
‘fellowship of the mystery,’ Ephesians 3:9, in the priesthood of all believers
as ‘workers together with God,’ II Cor. 6:1} of his Son Jesus Christ our
Lord {within and under the Sovereignty of the Lordship of Jesus}”
(I Corinthians 1:2-9).
It is not the preacher’s responsibility to make you love the
Word of God or even to make you love preaching.
That is totally on you. Loving the Word of God and
loving the preaching/teaching/explanation/application of the Word of God is a
choice. That choice is dependent almost
totally upon the reality of your worship of God and the value you give to intimately
knowing Him and His will for your life.
If the three necessities for transforming transfusion preaching
are not genuine then transformation will not take place: real faith, real love,
real passion to change lives (passion and compulsion to do the “work of the
ministry”). If these three necessities are not real, nothing about the professing
Christian will be real either, for these three necessities define real
Christianity. Any thing LESS is just pretense!
“3 We give thanks to
God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye
have to all the saints, 5 For the hope which is laid up for
you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6
Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth
fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and
knew the grace of God in truth: 7 As ye also learned of Epaphras
our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; 8
Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this
cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,
and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might,
according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with
joyfulness” (Colossians 1:9-11).
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Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at: http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/
Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 50 years.
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