#472 (2/11/21) NO EYES HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD, NO MIND CONCEIVED... (1 COR. 2:9)

This week our devotions are based on 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

CHRISTIANS LOVE GOD

If we have truly been born again of the Spirit, we ‘love Him’. We are saved by faith in Christ, but if we don’t love Him, we are not Christians. Love means that we want to please God. Love means that we want to know Him. Love means that we want to spend time with Him. Love does not take unfaithfulness lightly!

UNSEARCHABLE THINGS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD

Paul promises that if we love Him, God has unsearchable things prepared for us. We are told that the Holy Spirit reveals this great future to us. The great hope that the Spirit wants to assure you of is that you have eternal glory with God ahead of you. You need to have this vision that the Spirit wants to give to you. Without it, you will live for this world and its short-term glory!

THE SPRIT REVEALS WONDERFUL THINGS IN HIS WORD

This text teaches that God speaks and reveals. Principally the Spirit speaks and reveals as we read His word. We, like Paul here, should be able to say, ‘as it is written…’.

If we want to be people of hope, vision, faith, joy, compassion… we need to read God’s word prayerfully.

In response, let’s read scripture with great faith that God wants to speak about great things to us. Let’s ask the Spirit to reveal things that we need to hear. Ask Him to feed our minds and souls.

OVER TO YOU - PRAY AND WORSHIP OUT OF THE BIBLE

I’ve made a few comments. However, it’s more important that you engage with the text yourself. Take a moment to pray and listen to God’s voice out of today’s text.

Use the following questions which are based upon The Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).

1. Praise - What does this text teach me about God? What can I praise Him for?

2. Petitions - What does this teach me about His will for me and others? What could I pray for from this text? This is a good time to pray for our non-believing. friends. It’s good to ask, Is the Holy Spirit leading me in any specific response?

3. Peace-making - Is the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin for which I need forgiveness? Do I need to forgive others?

4. Protection - Ask for God’s protection generally and for any specific areas of vulnerability. Am I believing lies regarding the truths in this text?

COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

1. Let's be praying and actively preparing to invite friends to our carol service on 5th December. Please make sure this is in your diary.

2. Don't forget to come along and invite your friends to our Christmas Pudding making event on 20th November. Go to the website to book tickets.

3. We have our next gift days on the 14th, 21st November. Let's be praying for How the Father wants us to get involved.

2. Icebreaker

How has God spoken to you from the Bible this week?

3. Recap of Sunday's message - please share in your group

Running up to our carol service on the 5th December we would like you to spend more time on the SIV (Serving, Invest and Invite) aspect of our time together. Therefore, there will only be fewer questions each week on the Sunday message so as to give plenty of time for praying and sharing about our mission.

On Sunday, we continued with our series in 1 Corinthians.

Please read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

I wonder how we might define wisdom and maturity? This text portrays wisdom as the message of 'Christ crucified' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). The gospel is God's wisdom and power.

To be mature is to listen and receive God's wisdom in the gospel. To be mature is to build our lives on Jesus. To be mature is also to listen to God's voice in all of scripture.

In summary, we can define the mature: 'The mature are those who listen to God'.

Discussion questions

1. How does Paul define God's wisdom in the first 2 chapters of 1 Corinthians? (1:18, 1:21, 1:24-25, 1:30, 2:1-2)

2. Please read 1 Corinthians 2:9-14. What does this teach about who the Spirit is? What does it teach about his role in our understanding the gospel and the Bible more broadly?

2. How do you listen to God's voice in scripture each day, or how would you like to develop in this?

3. How has God spoken to you from this text or Sunday’s message?

4. SIV - Do you have any encouraging stories or any plans in this regard?

5. SIV - Who are you planning to invite to the carol service on 5th December?

6. Prayer - Let's spend some time in prayer regarding this week's message and anything else that you would like to pray about.