Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 2.
Let's read from verse 1 to 13.
I will read in Mandarin first and we
will read in English later.
And I, when I came to you brethren,
came not in excellency of words or wisdom,
announcing to you the testimony of God.
For I did not judge well to know
anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified.
And I was with you in weakness and
in fear and in much trembling.
And my word and my preaching, not in
persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of
the theory and of power.
That your faith may not stand in man's
wisdom, but in God's power.
For we seek wisdom among the perfect, but
wisdom not of this world, nor of the
rulers of this world, who come to naught.
But we seek God's wisdom in a mystery,
that hidden wisdom which God had predetermined before
the ages for our glory.
Which none of the princes of this age
knew, for had they known, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory.
But according as it is written, things which
eyes have not seen, the ears have not
heard, and which have not come into man's
heart.
Which God has prepared for them that love
Him.
For God has revealed to us by His
Spirit, for the Spirit searched all things, even
the death of God.
For who of men has known the things
of a man, except the Spirit of the
man which is in him?
Sought also the things of God, no one
except the Spirit of God.
But we have received not the Spirit of
the world, but the Spirit which is of
God.
That we may know the things which have
been freely given to us of God.
Which also we speak, not in the words
taught by human wisdom, but in those taught
by the Spirit.
Communicating spiritual things by spiritual means.
Let's bow our head and pray.
Our Lord, our God, we rest upon Your
Word.
We pray that Your Holy Spirit will make
real of Your Word to us.
So we may understand what is in Your
heart through Your Word.
Deliver us from old limitation of heart.
Help us to come into the fullness of
You.
We confess unless Your Holy Spirit is doing
His work.
All the Word of man is in vain.
So we look to You with one accord.
We pray that tonight You will give us
the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
So we may truly know You.
We give all the glory to You.
In Jesus' name.
The theme of this conference is Christ, God
and the Church.
This is summed up in 1 Corinthians by
the Apostle Paul.
When Apostle Paul went to Corinth to preach
the Gospel, he was determined in his heart
that as he came to the midst of
the Corinthians, he knew nothing but Jesus Christ
and Him crucified.
Because Christ and Him crucified is the center
of the Gospel.
We know Christ is the center of God's
will.
He is the center of all things.
And the cross is the means by which
God uses to attain that purpose.
As a result, Jesus Christ and Him crucified
must be preached to all the nations.
Because this is the foundation of the Gospel.
But Paul also says that we preach wisdom
among the perfect.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the foundation
of the Gospel.
After the foundation has been laid, Paul is
going to build a superstructure upon that foundation.
That's the reason he said among the perfect
we speak also the wisdom.
We know here the wisdom Paul mentioned is
referred to the Church.
Because the Church was built upon the foundation
of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
If there is no foundation, there is no
structure.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified must be preached
to all nations.
But the Church is not to preach to
all the people.
Because the people did not have the foundation.
Paul did not preach the Church to all
the people.
Paul did not preach the wisdom even to
those who were babies in Christ.
He only speaks to the perfect.
Because those who were babies in Christ cannot
comprehend the teaching of the Church.
They even consider it a folly.
Because they do not have the power to
discern.
So when Paul was among the Corinthians, even
though he said among the perfect we are
also talking about wisdom, this wisdom is not
worldly wisdom.
Not the wisdom of the world.
This wisdom is that which was hidden within
the man.
This was prepared by God for those who
loved Him before the foundation of the world.
Even though Paul said among the perfect we
talk about this wisdom, but to the Corinthian
believer he did not mention the name of
wisdom of God, which is the Church.
Because the Corinthian believer are babies in Christ.
They cannot see the Church as the wisdom
of God.
They cannot appreciate the glorious wisdom of God.
If you reveal the Church to those
babies in Christ too early, while they still
live in their flesh, they make something with
their hands.
What they made is not the Church according
to God's purpose.
It can be said that they will turn
it into something that does not look like
the Church.
So Paul did not explicitly point out his
faith in Corinth.
He only explained this wisdom there.
He only described that wisdom of God.
He did not point out what exactly is
this mystery.
Of course we know the mystery Paul mentioned
is referred to the Church.
Who are among those who are perfect?
It is not to mention about perfection.
There is only one perfect who is nothing.
Who is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Other than Him there is no one perfect.
The perfect in the Bible refer to the
maturity.
For those grown up.
In other words, those who had the foundation
laid.
Those people who knew Christ and the cross.
Because they knew Jesus Christ and Him is
the divine.
In their heart they had a foundation.
Therefore they can comprehend the mystery of God's
wisdom.
That is why when Paul wrote the epistle
to Ephesians.
He can point out the mystery of this
wisdom clearly.
But he wrote in Corinth.
He only described it in all aspects.
But he did not point it out.
Why is that?
Because in Paul's heart this secret wisdom is
a very precious thing.
In other words, this is the most precious
thing in Paul's heart.
He longed to share this treasure, this revelation
to the children of God.
He longed to share this with the Corinthian
believers.
However the condition of the Corinthian believers restricted
him from telling all this truth.
So when we read about the first Corinthian
chapter 2.
In John the Perfect we talk about wisdom
also.
He is trying to tell of this wisdom.
However he cannot tell this to the faith
in Christ.
Because it is in vain to tell them.
If he tells them, it may cause a
lot of difficulties.
But his heart is so eager.
Therefore he used eight descriptions to describe this
wisdom.
By using these descriptions, Paul can touch the
hearts of the Corinthian believers.
He hopes that through those descriptions, the hearts
of the Corinthian believers may be moved.
So that they will have a heart longing
for God.
So they can pursue spiritual things.
So they can grow.
So that they may receive the treasure.
So we would like to look at those
eight descriptions.
Paul tells us among the perfect we talk
about wisdom.
We know in the first chapter Paul tells
us.
For example he tells us in verse 17.
For Christ has not sent me to baptize,
but to preach glad tidings, not in wisdom
of the world, that the cross of Christ
may not be made vain.
For example in verse 19.
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and set aside the understanding of the understanding
one.
In verse 25.
Because the foolishness of God is
stronger than man.
In chapter 2 he also said.
In verse 4.
And my word and my preaching, not in
persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of
the spirit and of power.
That your faith may not stand in man's
wisdom, but in God's power.
So how you see Paul in the first
chapter mentioning about the wisdom of man and
set them aside.
He considers it stands in the way of
God's word.
It hinders the God's word.
So he put aside this wisdom.
On the other hand he also mentioned about
the wisdom he will speak to the perfect.
Therefore we see two different types of wisdom.
One kind of wisdom is wisdom of man.
Another type of wisdom is the wisdom of
God.
In Gen chapter 3.
In Gen chapter 3 verse 15.
Here he tells us that this type of
wisdom is the wisdom of man.
It is not from above.
It is from the ground, from the clouds,
from the devil.
Here we see that the wisdom of man
is not from above.
Actually it belongs to the devil.
This type of wisdom brought in striving and
jealousy.
This type of wisdom will create disorder and
every evil thing.
But thanks God.
There is another type of wisdom described
in verse 17.
What is the wisdom from above?
First is the pure.
The pure is the simplicity.
Then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and
good fruits, and questioning and thanks.
So we can see this wisdom is totally
different than man's wisdom.
Then what is the wisdom of God?
What is God?
As we read the Bible we all know
that.
The church is the wisdom of God.
The church is not the wisdom of man.
In other words, using man's wisdom to secure
a church is impossible.
In man's mind there is no concept.
In man's concept
there is no church.
Because this wisdom is from God.
The church has really come out of the
wisdom of God.
It is totally irrelevant to man's wisdom.
Let me illustrate it.
We know in the Old Testament.
In God's wisdom He gave the temple to
Israel.
God gave them a temple.
Listen.
The Jews were captive to
Babylon.
Because of the sin.
So they were in Babylon.
The temple was destroyed.
When they were in Babylon.
Because they were there as a slave.
The idol worship.
In Babylon.
There is no way for them to make
their way back to Jerusalem.
As a result man's wisdom is gone.
The religious concept is gone.
Since we cannot go back to Jerusalem to
worship God in the temple.
Then what method can we adapt?
So they invented a very genius method.
In the middle we see that thing.
That is the system of the church.
At that time they invented the system of
the church.
If you have ten Jewish men.
The so-called men of leisure.
They have a little bit of free time.
They can do some so-called religious work.
So long as the so-called men of
leisure have some time to do some religious
activities.
Then you can organize a synagogue.
And you can do anything in the synagogue.
You can read the Pentecost.
You can read a prophetic book.
You can sing songs.
You can pray.
In the synagogue you can teach so long
as you have the words to exhort people.
In such an atmosphere it is very easy
to worship.
They do not have to walk very far.
If they have a certain issue.
They can arrange another synagogue so long as
they have another ten men.
They can worship God according to their method.
It is so convenient.
God bless them.
Today let us see among the Christendom.
Something very similar to the synagogue.
This is a product of men's wisdom.
It is not God's wisdom.
It can not be from the wisdom of
God.
Today in Christianity the men's wisdom has substituted
the God's wisdom.
Now the question is where is the God's
Church?
When we see many things in the church,
are those from the wisdom of God?
This is the mystery of God's wisdom.
This is the wisdom hidden in God.
What is the mystery?
Mystery is not something you can...
It is too mysterious to understand.
The mystery is something hidden in God.
Before God revealed that hidden treasure.
Because God has not revealed it yet.
So no one can know it.
God has a secret.
He knows how to keep a secret.
You know in the Old Testament.
Even though we can find many clues.
But here God is trying very best to
reveal that mystery.
However, because you don't know.
Until Christ came.
God revealed this history to the apostles and
the prophets.
He used the apostles and the prophets in
the New Testament to reveal this secret.
So what is the secret he revealed?
We know this is the Church.
So you have to see the mystery of
the Church in God.
He used the apostles and the prophets to
reveal it to us.
And it is through the apostles and the
prophets revealed it to us.
When we talk about a Church.
Do you think it is a secret?
Is this a mystery God needs to reveal
to us?
If you don't think this way you cannot.
Maybe think there is no mystery of God's
Church.
When you walk on the street you see
some magnificent building.
There is a cathedral ceiling.
There is a sign of the cross.
You say here is the Church.
Is there any mystery there?
Even the people say here is the Church.
We didn't see any secret there.
The Bible says the Church is the mystery
of God.
The revelation is absolute and necessary.
Now we know what we know.
The Church is the mystery of God.
The third.
This mystery is predetermined by God before the
ages.
This mystery is predetermined by God
before the ages.
If we want to know the Church.
We cannot know it with the eyes of
history.
If we want to know the Church.
We have to look at it with the
eyes of history.
Don't look at the Church with the eyes
of today.
Even if you look at the Church with
the eyes of 2,000 years.
You cannot see it correctly.
Because the Church is not a product of
history.
Before the Church began to ask questions.
Before the world's foundation.
Before the world has been created.
In God there is the Church.
Church is before time.
This is the Church.
We often hear the people tell us.
When you read the New Testament.
When you read the Book of Acts.
When you see the history of the apostolic
era in the Acts.
This is the Acts.
From the Acts to now there is much
time.
Until AD 60.
From that time until now.
People say that within those 2,000 years.
The Church is having its evolution.
The Church in that period is in a
bionic stage.
And over those 2,000 years.
The Church was developed in the stage of
today.
This is how we see the Church through
the historical viewpoint.
The Church in the period of F is
just a small sample.
Now today is a big huge tree.
This is the improvement of the Church.
This is how we see the Church.
Thanks to the historical viewpoint.
But this is it.
If we really want to know the Church.
We need to go before the time.
We need to come to God.
We need to get into God's mystery.
Then you will never see the Church.
The fourth point.
He says that this is before death.
It is predetermined before the ages.
It is for our glory.
Here he tells us.
Which is the Church.
God's wisdom.
It is for our glory.
Church gives us the glory.
What is the glory?
The glory is very difficult to describe.
Glory is the pinnacle of everything.
Glory is the fullness.
God dwells in the glory.
Not only dwells in the glory.
Here we will see what the Church is.
In God's wisdom.
What He predetermines for us is glory.
Today we are brushing our teeth.
If I don't go to hell, I can
go to heaven.
In God's wisdom.
God wants to do the work to the
point that He will forgive our sins.
We are satisfied.
But He is not satisfied.
So the goal that God set for us
is glory.
Not just for every Christian.
For the whole Church is glory.
All those knew by God His hope.
So we may be conformed to the image
of His Son.
All called by Him.
He justifies them.
Whom He justifies.
He makes them holy.
You will see that He will
lead many tongues into the glory one day.
He will work in us of this glory.
So we will be transformed from glory to
glory.
Conformed into the image of His beloved Son.
This is the will of God.
We know God's purpose is to cooperate.
He wants to receive a glorious Church.
He loves the Church.
He gave Himself for that.
He washed the Church.
So He can present the Church as a
glorious Church.
No flaws.
Dear brothers and sisters.
You see here that God's purpose for the
Church is glory.
Glory is presented in the Church.
God's own glory is presented in the Church.
The Church we know today is it a
glorious Church?
Is the Church glorious or repulsive?
The Church we glorify God or we put
His name to shame.
Where is God's Church?
Fifth.
Sins which I have not seen and ears
have not heard and which have not come
into man's heart which God has prepared for
them that love Him.
God prepared for those who love Him.
What?
Sins which I have not seen and ears
have not heard and which have not come
into man's heart and which have not come
into man's heart We know that God prepared
for those who love Him.
Isn't it the eyes can see?
Isn't it ears can hear?
Even our heart can understand.
The Church is what the eyes cannot see
and ears cannot hear.
Only when you love Him you can see
this and hear this Brother
Narcissus if we not truly love God you
cannot see the Church you cannot hear the
Church and you cannot understand in your heart
what you can see is not what you
can hear is not what you can understand
is not The qualification to know
is to love God But
God has revealed to us
by His Spirit The mystery of God must
be revealed by the Spirit Only God's Spirit
can comprehend the death of God The Church
is The Church is the mystery very deep
in God The mystery must be revealed by
the Holy Spirit Anything we can know without
the Holy Spirit the revelation is not the
Church We know the Holy Spirit has revealed
everything in the Bible We know
the Holy Spirit has revealed again what has
been asked It's
only the Word The letter is death So
we require the Holy Spirit to reveal it
again so that we may truly know the
Church Anything that does not require revelation is
not the Church Not mentioning the Church is
so All the spiritual things are alike Everything
is the revelation of the Holy Spirit We
thank God that He willingly revealed His Son
in us Seventh In verse 12 But
we have received another Spirit of God as
we may This
is the pure grace Grace
is something freely given to us Grace is
what God's doing Grace
is God finishing everything and freely giving it
to us This is the grace Brother and
sister Church is the pure grace All was
accomplished by God The Lord Jesus said I
will build my Church The gates of cities
cannot prevail against us Abraham just looked to
that city with a foundation That city was
God's management If there is any need of
a human to work we know Grace nor
is the Church Eighth Thirteenth In verse 13
Could you also with speak not in words
taught by human wisdom but in those taught
by the Spirit Not only this
wisdom needs to be revealed by the Holy
Spirit To explain this mystery Paul
prayed for the utterance so he can make
known the mystery of God If we don't
have the utterance we cannot explain the mystery
of God Dear brother and sister We can
see these eight All of those eight points
describe those churches in God's mind If we
view the Church we just described against what
we see today Can we say the Church
we see If it is not What
is the Church Where can we find this
Church How can we live the Church life
Brother and sister God wants the Church For
his son he needs a bride to prepare
the body for his beloved son This is
very precious in God's mind It's not something
not having any importance But when we see
the Church today Can we say the
Church we see We need to be part
of it But to solve the
problem There is one theory among the
Christians There are two churches according to this
theory One church you can see There is
another church invisible The visible church This
is the easiest way to justify the Church
The Church today we see is not like
the Church God has imagined But we can
comfort ourselves and we say There is this
visible Church This justifies
the visible Church This is it But
when we read the Bible There is no
two churches Two, there is something visible something
invisible But there is only one Church Visible
and invisible As
far as the work of the Holy Spirit
within us it is invisible Because the Holy
Spirit is working As far as our testimony
is concerned it is visible As far as
the work of the Holy Spirit within His
children is concerned it is going to reveal
and testify Those
visible is to testify the invisible So we
can know that there is only one Church
All the principles we see the universal
nature of the Church There is only one
Church However,
we cannot see it Because we are too
insignificant But we know where it is We
see it Because
in each locality there are believers They practice
all the spiritual principles The reality
of the brotherly love On
one hand we cannot see the brotherly love
Because we love all the brothers and the
sisters We love Paul and we love Peter
We lost the brotherly love
But we can see your
brother and sister serve the Lord together in
each locality Then whether we love one another
or not will be revealed I love the
believers in Jerusalem This
just shows there is no love So this
invisible will be manifested through the visible It
is not to say that there are two
churches There is only one Church To
manifest what God has in mind about the
Church Until one day when we are all
gathered together before the Lord Then there is
no limitation of the space In Christ we
all will practice the principles of the Lord
We will practice every spiritual principle there Today
I would like to lay the foundation today
I hope that the brother and the sister
go back to the Lord To find out
whether we really know the Church Whether we
truly know the Church Maybe what we know
is not the Church Then we should search
truly what the Church is If what you
understand is unlimited You
need God's grace to bring you out So
he can carry you in the Church This
is what we need to pursue before the
Lord Because our Lord is coming soon He
will come and offer to himself the glorious
Church May God have mercy on us Let's
bow our head Our
Lord, our God We bow our head in
worship Because you prepare for those who love
you It's beyond what we can comprehend What
you prepare is according to your glory It's
compatible with your true nature Our Lord, we
pray that you will open the eyes of
our spiritual So we can discern what is
from you and what is not So that
we can live in the reality and not
in vanity Lord, the day of your coming
is approaching We cannot waste our time on
this earth any longer We need to be
walking in the circle We want to do
things according to your heart So that we
can hasten your coming Lord, do the work
among your people Now just for us Lord,
let the Lord do the work May your
Holy Spirit do the work in our hearts
Remove those doubts that you have Bring us
into the very truth