Bulletins - St. Luke's Church Faribault

- - Acts 9:1–22NIV2011
  - 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5NIV2011
How Great Thou Art
Peace Like a River
So tell me, “What’s your Story?” Where does it begin? On a farm? In a small town? In the city, in a studio apartment? Maybe it began up north, or in a house in the suburbs?
Where does it go from there? School? How long? Where? Did you finish High School? Sports? Music, shy kid?
Then what? College or trade School? Work? Marriage, Military? Dad’s business? Factory Job? Out in the streets?Marriage? Kids, Family?
What is your story? Everyone has a story?Some are filled with happiness, and good times, or pain and heartbreak? Most are a mixture.
Everyone has a story. Our stories are as varied as there are people. No one else has your story, it is all yours. Your story is what makes you....you.
So we may ask one another, “What’s your story?” This tells us about them, we learn a bit about they see the world.
In our first scripture reading this morning, we read a bit about Paul’s story. His story was one of privilege. He was well educated in religion and was very powerful. He was absolutely certain he had the right view of God. His story was going to play out a certain way, but as it was being written, it changed drastically.
He encountered Jesus on the road, and he became a new man. His story was radically changed, and it was nothing like he intended. The Bible is full of people’s stories. They were one way, then God did something, and then they were another.
What’s your story? Your story is still being written, what will it look like?
Let’s turn to our Scripture from 1 Corinthians chapter 1 as we begin...
Pray
1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5 NIV
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Two weeks ago, we talked about verse 26-as Paul wrote
1 Corinthians 1:26 NIV
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
Think about what you wee when you were called—This was who you were before you encountered Jesus. That is the Part of Paul’s story before we pick up Acts chapter 9. For Paul he was religious, yet a murderer.
It is the part of the life of the woman at well, before she met Jesus. She was divorced 5 times, then she met Jesus.
We have our before in our story. Maybe it is not a drastic as Paul. Maybe we weren’t a murder or a 5 time divorced person. Maybe we have a before that includes, lying or cheating, or addiction, or pride, it really doesn’t matter, because when you meet Jesus then you have the after of verse 30.
1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Your after includes these things that Jesus has become FOR us. Jesus has become for us WISDOM from God.
Perhaps, we don’t know what, “wisdom from God” is so Paul clarifies, we know that by this phrase----that is---. that means He is going to explain what that means. Wisdom from God means that Jesus is
Our Righteousness
We were unrighteous-He is righteous.
Before Christ we were sinners, we were doing things that were not right-But now-by the the gospel we are righteous, or according with God.
Romans 8:1 NIV
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Also before when we were not holy now Jesus is our holiness.
Our Holiness
We were unholy-Jesus is our holiness
We are being made holy-
Hebrews 10:14 NIV
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Jesus makes us holy he supplies the strength we need.
Thirdly Jesus is our Redemption
Our -Redemption
We are bought or redeemed redeemed from what? Redeemed from sin purchased You were once slaves to sin but now you are redeemed purchased out of slavery
Your story was one thing-you encountered Christ, now your story is being written differently. It includes these terms like Righteous and Holy and redeemed.
Maybe, you don’t know that story-Maybe you don’t know Righteousness or Holiness or redemption Your story is still being written.
Now, you may think that this Christ encounter is just a blurb on the screen. Your story is going in one direction, then you have this encounter, and off you go once again back on track.
That is not what happens. This power from God that changed us at the moment of redemption continues onward in the Christian experience.
By looking back to who we were when we were called, we are reminded of this power that continues on.
Paul leans on this in the final part of this section.
1 Corinthians 2:1 NIV
1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
As so it was with me he just-Just like you, in conversion so it carries on in my Christian experience. When I came to you-even post conversion-walking in my own power-Paul did not seem very wise or very eloquent.
But.. still..He “Proclaimed to you the testimony about God-OR to stay it another way preached the gospel.
So Paul is saying-just like your conversion-where God took something that was less than special, and made it special-SO it was when I was preaching. It wasn’t anything good. but...
1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Paul resolved or was determined to know NOTHING among you- That of course is hyperbole, but he says it that way to emphasize just HOW important the gospel is- I resolved to know nothing-except Jesus Christ and Him crucified-everything else is rubbish as he says in Phil
Philippians 3:8 NIV
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
The Gospel is of such monumental importance to Paul-That he resolved to know nothing, except Jesus and Him crucified.
See, if the gospel story is not your story, then it is just a story…But is the gospel story is your story-than it is so important that it becomes the only story.
Something real happens at conversion-When you encounter Jesus there is a supernatural experience that leaves you different, your stroy is’nt the same-Just as you weren’t the same after your High School graduation, or at your wedding day.
Imagine a love story movie. , We are introduced to a young man who encounters a a young woman, and he falls in love with her. The rest of movie he is resolving to know more about her and get invloved in her life.
Paul is trying to remind the church of this power that is contained in the gospel and demonstrated by our encounter with Jesus. Here is the proof
1 Corinthians 2:3 NIV
3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.
He came in without wisdom or eloquence, in fact weak, with fear and even trembling....This happened
1 Corinthians 2:4 NIV
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
But… the preaching came with a demonstration of the SPirit’s power.
Something happens, for this real encounter to take place, for the gospel message to be effective, God’s power must be involved. The Holy Spirit is the agent or the person God the Father uses to bring people to the sacrifice of God the Son.
John 6:44 NIV
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
No one- That is NO person can come to Jesus UNLESS God the Father draws them.
There has to be a movement of God-the power of God.
In Titus 3.5 we see that that action by God the Father is from God the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5 NIV
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
There is this movement of God the Holy Spirit that happens when the Gospel is preached, that causes a sinner to repent. It brings the one dead in sin to life- It cause the one blinded by the world to see the light of God. The Holy Spirit of God makes the unrighteous-righteous-He makes the unHoly-holy He redeems those enslaved to sin and makes them Children of God.
This is widely different than the efforts wielded by men, It is by the power of God.
This is what the gifting of the Holy Spirit looks like. It is the power of God working by the Holy Spirit of God, doing what man cannot do.
Paul will go on in this letter to talk more about the Holy Spirit working through people in Churches.
This is the problem in so many churches today is that the power of God is not there. When churches are trying to do it on their own through their own power they look to the next great speaker, or the next program, or the coffee, yet the whole time the power of God is absent.
Churches that seek that direction do not have anything to offer the world does not already offer and sometimes better. A preacher without the The Holy Spirit of God acting to convert lives is no different than a motivational speaker. A church seeking to grow in faith through coffee and donuts is not different than a Caribou coffee shop. So the solution is not to bring in better coffee and donuts, but to bring in the power of God through the Holy Spirit of God.
The power of God in the gospel is real and must be present and visible. A churches heart must be broken not over the missing programs but over the missing Holy Spirit. A church with a heart that desires God, that relentlessly pursues Him with a passion prays for His intervention in every activity. Pleads with Him to show them how to reach more souls for the gospel and begs Him for mercy and grace and the gifts of the Spirit to transform them.
Is that OUR story? Do we need God to be part of the next chapter of the story of this church?
I think we do. I think we need to plead with God, I think we need to pray-as a Church for the power of God to be here for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to work through us, to transform the hearts of people in our families, our communities and in our congregation.
When we do that, and rely on God then anything that happens means that Glory goes to God. It is not us. We cannot brag about what a great church we are, instead we brag about what a great God we serve and what a great God we have.

1 Corinthians 2:5 NIV
5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Again, this happened to show you that it is the power of God. SO that all Glory goes to God for as it is written God will share his glory with no man.
So. I’ll ask you again what is your story> What is our Story? t is still being written and God is writing it. If you need the power of God moving of God moving in your life or in our Church then we must pray, beg plead for God to pour out his Spirit here in this place.
- - 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 1:26NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 1:30NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 1:30NIV2011
- - Hebrews 10:14NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 2:1NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 2:2NIV2011
- - Philippians 3:8NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 2:3NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 2:4NIV2011
- - John 6:44NIV2011
- - Titus 3:5NIV2011
- - 1 Corinthians 2:5NIV2011
Rock Of Ages