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Welcome
Worship
Word
Please read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16
Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16
The apostle Paul has been speaking about the difference between this world’s wisdom and the wisdom of God shown supremely:
The message of the cross [which] is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Cor. 1:18
Such reveals the foolish thinking of the rulers of this age who did not understand it,
For if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Cor 2:8
He ends this particular section with the words in our text: “We have the mind of Christ.” It’s a fact to be taken by faith, “We have the mind of Christ!”
When we first came to faith, we repented, which literally means a change of mind, i.e. regarding our old way of life and our new thinking to Jesus, resulting in us now following Him. We agreed with Jesus on issues of wrong thinking, changing it to His ways and the power of the Spirit that accompanied such a change of thinking. But it’s one thing to know we have the mind of Christ and another to maintain a life consistent with that.
We here phrases such as “the mind is a battlefield” and it is. The Pandemic has resulted in numerous people having mental health issues worldwide. Just prior to telling us that we have the mind of Christ the apostle teaches us that we have the Spirit,
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
1 Cor. 2:12
(cf. Rom. 8:9). So it’s a case of living in the Spirit. How? As an introduction to this vast subject here’s a starter:
Forgive everyone – the Spirit is God’s Presence in our lives
and if we want to maintain this we have to forgive everyone
(cf. Matt. 6:14-15 see Verse below) – so let’s loose them from our bitterness and judgment and give them over to Jesus who can sort them out far better than we can! Oh, and let’s pray the Lord blesses them as well. In a passage in which Paul teaches us to …
… be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Rom. 12:2
He ends it,
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Rom. 12:18-21:
We might be tempted to give them something to eat and then pray “Okay Lord now heap the burning coals on them.” I don’t think this would be in the Spirit, or in agreement with the mind of Christ. Let’s remember His prayer whilst being brutally treated by His enemies,
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Luke 23:34
Rather let’s pray the Spirit would help us to pray like this from our hearts and that they also might come to know Jesus, Amen!
Verse of the week
If you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matt. 6:14-15
Quote of the week
“It is now fairly common knowledge, even among secular counsellors, that people need to forgive others. If they do not forgive, it eventually eats away at their health.”
Bill Johnson
Let’s Pray
Lord God, you are our loving heavenly Father, but you are also a consuming fire. Help us to be thankful and worship you in reverence and awe. Help us to imitate Jesus, who gave Himself up for us, and empower us by Your Spirit to live a life of love, being compassionate and kind to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ You forgave us, for His namesake, Amen.