December 1
2 Corinthians 11:1-13:13; Acts 20:7-12
"They said", "I read", "Everyone believes", etc. These are the statements that are used to claim authority. During the pandemic, Anthony Fauci, went so far as to claim that, he was science. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV), "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The Bible and the Holy Spirit will lead you into truth. They are the keys to authority. They enable you to discern. Without them you will be grasping in the dark. Pontius Pilate, when standing before Jesus Christ, could not see Him for who He was, the embodiment of truth, when he asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). If you follow the world's logic and experts you would have sided with the religious authorities, not Jesus. You would have sided with the city leaders, not Paul. You would have sided with the majority of the Israelites, not Moses. You would have sided with King Saul, not David. In short, each and every time you would have been on the wrong side of history. The same holds true now in our rapidly changing world. God has given us what we need to discern. The question is what authority and which voices are you listening to?
We read in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, "But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed." Paul was God's anointed apostle sent to the Gentiles, but he was always the minority point of view. We read in 11:13-15, "These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve." The people willingly allowed themselves to be led astray, as we read in 11:19-20, " After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face." As opposed to their position of power and majority, Paul appeared weak and taken advantage of by the majority as he describes some of what he went through in 11:23-26. Paul's power was not in himself, but in Jesus Christ, as he states in 12:9-10, "Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
We read in Romans 3:4, "Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” There is no shortage of opinions. There is no shortage of "knowledge". Everyone states what they believe are "facts". People point to the "data", as though this data was somehow sacred and purely objective. Some will state with everything happening in so many directions, they don't know who or what to believe. We read in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." There is one source of truth. There is one God of science, God of climate, God of history, God of prophecy. This is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the Person of Jesus Christ. God and God alone is the authority. So, when you find yourselves confused with our ever changing world, set your eyes and ears towards God. If you seek human counsel, discern what they use as their source of authority. I don't care who that person is and what position they might hold, if they are not seeking the God of the Bible, then question the veracity of the counsel. God is truth. It really is that simple.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: