Sermon: The foremost contention (1 Cor 2:9)

WHAT IS FOREMOST?
The Foremost Contention (1 Cor 2:9)
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)

Whenever opinionated people get together, there is potential for argument, and the challenge is deciding whether or not the disagreement is worth the debate, especially when the future may hold something quite different.

Three hunters were walking through the woods when they came upon a set of tracks. The first man said, "These are deer tracks." The second man said, "No, these are elk tracks." The third man said, "You're both wrong; these are moose tracks." The three men were still arguing...when the train hit them.

Whether in the woods or in the church, the challenge is deciding whether or not the disagreement is worth the debate, especially when the future may hold something quite different. That is Paul's concern as he tries to focus his readers' attention on their future as God presents it in The Foremost Contention.

Paul opens his first letter to the Corinthian church, as he does others, with an expression of gratitude for what God has done among the believers there.¹

1 Cor.1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

The apostle commends and encourages his readers, reminding them how they have benefited.

1 Cor 1:5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.... 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

Then Paul explains the reason for his missive.

1 Cor 1:11 My brothers, some...have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

It seems that several of the Corinthian believers are claiming to have a superior understanding of God's program, but their supposed spiritual wisdom is little different from worldly wisdom, which stands in stark contrast to the message Paul conveys, a message those in power elsewhere do not comprehend.

1 Cor 2:7 ...we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

It is a message with roots in the distant past and, as Paul notes, a message with significant implications for the future. In fact, as a plan for what lies ahead, it is...

* LIX The Foremost Contention

...of what God envisions for His people and how that vision reveals...

• The pledge of God (1 Cor 2:9)

...as He prepares for their future. Please turn to...

1 Cor 2:9 ...as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

This paraphrases a passage from Isaiah,² in which the prophet affirms to those of God's people in exile that the Lord is not finished with them.³ We read in...

Isa 64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Both Isaiah—writing to the exiles in Babylon who are wondering if God's plan for them is still on track—and Paul-writing to the believers in Corinth who are also wondering if God's plan for them is still on track—both men assure their readers, including you, that what God has in store for His people is not only on track; it is on a trajectory that is out of this world.

1. Your future will be beyond anything you ever experienced.

Nothing you have seen or heard even approaches it.

Everyone here can point to events that were especially significant because they changed life for the better, bringing hope or joy or sense of accomplishment. Perhaps for you it was...

• Getting married
• Having children
• Graduating with your (my) terminal degree (as my wife terms it)
• Completing your magnum opus
• Taking that long-awaited trip you planned
• Moving to Australia
• Finding your dream home
• Getting a promotion at work
• Finally retiring from work
• Going skydiving or bungee jumping
• Hearing especially good news from the doctor
• Receiving forgiveness for all your sins

As you look back over your own list of life-changing events, which three would you identify as the most hopeful or joyful or satisfying? ...However significant, however life-changing they were—and there is no denying that they were important—however they altered your life for the better, Isaiah and Paul say that none of what you have seen will be as significant as what you will see. Think about that.... Your future will be beyond anything you ever experienced.
In fact, the prophet and the apostle take it one step further...

2. Your future will be beyond anything you ever imagined.

Nothing you have dreamt about even approximates it.

Of the various movie genre—comedy, documentary, romance, drama—the kind Linda and I enjoy most is science fiction, in part, because of the way it stretches the imagination about what is possible in the future, often the distant future. Most science fiction deals with advances in technology, like Star Trek, which imagines what space travel will be like some day. It raises questions like...

• Will we ever be sending manned spacecraft to distant galaxies? ...Maybe.

• Are there other life forms out there with whom we will interact? ...Perhaps.

Shows like Star Trek are the product of man's creative speculation, and they are entertaining, but they are still speculation. They are also restricted by man's finite nature and plagued by man's fallen nature. That is, the characters in those shows face many of the same problems we face, because no matter how far we push our outer limits, we are still restrained by our inner limits. One day, God will eliminate those restraints and will elevate us to a level that is far beyond our current realm.⁴

Consider how different that realm will be. Here is some of how the Bible describes your future state.⁵

• It will be free from your finite limitations.⁶

• You will receive eternal life.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

• You will receive eternal glory.

2 Cor 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

• You will receive an eternal home.

2 Cor 5:1b ...we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

• You will receive an eternal inheritance.

Heb 9:15 ...Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance....

In ways like these, your future state will be free from your finite limitations, enabling you to enjoy a host of eternal benefits.

Moreover...

• It will be free from your fallen limitations.⁷

• You will receive perfect knowledge.

1 Cor 13:12b Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

• You will receive a perfect body.

Phil 3:21 [Jesus] will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

• You will receive a perfect nature.

2 Pet 1:4b ...you [will] participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

• You will receive a perfect resolution.

Rev 21:4b There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

In ways like these, your future state will be free from your fallen limitations, enabling you to enjoy a host of perfect upgrades.

No matter how far your mind can project into the future, as you attempt to divine what that future holds, you get just so far. What God has planned for you is "more than all [you can] ask or imagine" (Eph 3:20). As the title of the hit song (1974) by Bachman-Turner Overdrive so eloquently phrased it: "You ain't seen nothing yet." Your future will be beyond anything you ever imagined.

In Paul's letter to the believers at Corinth, he attempts to direct their attention beyond their present problems to The Foremost Contention of what God envisions for their future. It is also what God envisions for your future.

1 Cor 2:9 ..."No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

The only question for you is: Do you love Him?⁸

Having considered The Foremost Contention, we will look next at The Foremost Conformation, which shows the power of God, in Phil 3:21.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.

(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)