Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,514
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV)
I live in the United States of America. Here we have many prominent preachers who I believe use “lofty speech” to get across their messages. For their teachings and their teaching styles are patterned after the flesh of humans and not of the Spirit of God. They know how to speak to attract large crowds of people, and they can be very winsome, but they are following some training manual or some marketing scheme on how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” to their gatherings. So they say what people want to hear, not necessarily what people need to hear.
Some of this is according to church denominations, too. Now these will be stereotypes, but these characteristic traits appear to be consistent, from what I have been able to ascertain. But things could have changed, too. Typically Baptist preachers will begin a sermon with a joke, then tell funny stories to illustrate biblical truth, and will conclude with a “tearjerker” story at the end to stir up people’s emotions towards some kind of decision making, possibly to get them to join “the church” or to get baptized, etc.
Charismatic preachers will (or did) typically begin softly and gently, and then they will begin to pump up the volume and perhaps begin to stomp their feet and then they will end up yelling and screaming and use a certain inflection in their voices which sounds something like “and uh.” Their sermons are very passionate and emotionally based which are also intended to stir up people’s emotions, and for perhaps some of the same reasons, to get them to make some kind of decision about their lives or the church or whatever.
Lately I have listened to several more modern preachers, and I am finding a newer pattern of preaching that exists, but which is a little harder for me to describe, for it is not as passionate and emotional based as the others. It is feelings oriented, too, but with a softer touch, I think. It is coming down to where the people are and connecting with them on their level so that the people can feel as though the preacher is identifying with them. But from preacher to preacher they are following the same style, for it carries over from one to the next. All this comes across as human created.
And now I am not saying that all preachers use some kind of gimmick to try to manipulate the emotions of the people in a particular direction, but a lot of them do, maybe even the majority of them do. I believe the majority of them today are largely being influenced by marketing schemes and gimmicks which teach them what to say and how to say it in order to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” to their gatherings, so that the world will feel at home in these “churches,” and will want to come back.
So, what Paul was expressing here is that he did not use any kind of gimmickry or flattery or lofty speech of any sort to try to manipulate human emotions. He was what I call a “straight shooter.” He just said it like it was. I don’t think he was harsh or mean, but he didn’t sugar coat the messages to make them less offensive to human flesh, and he didn’t soften them in order to not hurt people’s feelings or so that people would like him and so that he would have a huge following. He was concerned for people’s souls that they end up in heaven and not in hell, and that they live for God, not for self.
And we need more preachers like that today who are preaching the pure word of the gospel as Jesus taught it and as his New Testament apostles taught it (in context), which is intended to turn hearts and minds to Jesus Christ, to die with him to sin, and to now follow him in obedience to his commands, from now to eternity. We need them to teach it in truth and in righteousness and to not compromise the truth in order to win people to themselves or to their businesses (their “churches”). For it is the truth which saves, not the lies which tickle itching ears and appease human consciences.
So, the gospel that Jesus taught and that Paul and the other New Testament apostles taught teaches us that faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and is not of our own doing, will result in us denying self, dying with Christ to sin daily, and us walking (in conduct, with purpose, in practice) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in holy living. Sin will no longer be what we practice. Obedience to the Lord will be our practice. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we will not have life in God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
No Lofty Speech or Wisdom
An Original Work / February 2, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
I live in the United States of America. Here we have many prominent preachers who I believe use “lofty speech” to get across their messages. For their teachings and their teaching styles are patterned after the flesh of humans and not of the Spirit of God. They know how to speak to attract large crowds of people, and they can be very winsome, but they are following some training manual or some marketing scheme on how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” to their gatherings. So they say what people want to hear, not necessarily what people need to hear.
Some of this is according to church denominations, too. Now these will be stereotypes, but these characteristic traits appear to be consistent, from what I have been able to ascertain. But things could have changed, too. Typically Baptist preachers will begin a sermon with a joke, then tell funny stories to illustrate biblical truth, and will conclude with a “tearjerker” story at the end to stir up people’s emotions towards some kind of decision making, possibly to get them to join “the church” or to get baptized, etc.
Charismatic preachers will (or did) typically begin softly and gently, and then they will begin to pump up the volume and perhaps begin to stomp their feet and then they will end up yelling and screaming and use a certain inflection in their voices which sounds something like “and uh.” Their sermons are very passionate and emotionally based which are also intended to stir up people’s emotions, and for perhaps some of the same reasons, to get them to make some kind of decision about their lives or the church or whatever.
Lately I have listened to several more modern preachers, and I am finding a newer pattern of preaching that exists, but which is a little harder for me to describe, for it is not as passionate and emotional based as the others. It is feelings oriented, too, but with a softer touch, I think. It is coming down to where the people are and connecting with them on their level so that the people can feel as though the preacher is identifying with them. But from preacher to preacher they are following the same style, for it carries over from one to the next. All this comes across as human created.
And now I am not saying that all preachers use some kind of gimmick to try to manipulate the emotions of the people in a particular direction, but a lot of them do, maybe even the majority of them do. I believe the majority of them today are largely being influenced by marketing schemes and gimmicks which teach them what to say and how to say it in order to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” to their gatherings, so that the world will feel at home in these “churches,” and will want to come back.
So, what Paul was expressing here is that he did not use any kind of gimmickry or flattery or lofty speech of any sort to try to manipulate human emotions. He was what I call a “straight shooter.” He just said it like it was. I don’t think he was harsh or mean, but he didn’t sugar coat the messages to make them less offensive to human flesh, and he didn’t soften them in order to not hurt people’s feelings or so that people would like him and so that he would have a huge following. He was concerned for people’s souls that they end up in heaven and not in hell, and that they live for God, not for self.
And we need more preachers like that today who are preaching the pure word of the gospel as Jesus taught it and as his New Testament apostles taught it (in context), which is intended to turn hearts and minds to Jesus Christ, to die with him to sin, and to now follow him in obedience to his commands, from now to eternity. We need them to teach it in truth and in righteousness and to not compromise the truth in order to win people to themselves or to their businesses (their “churches”). For it is the truth which saves, not the lies which tickle itching ears and appease human consciences.
So, the gospel that Jesus taught and that Paul and the other New Testament apostles taught teaches us that faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and is not of our own doing, will result in us denying self, dying with Christ to sin daily, and us walking (in conduct, with purpose, in practice) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands in holy living. Sin will no longer be what we practice. Obedience to the Lord will be our practice. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we will not have life in God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
No Lofty Speech or Wisdom
An Original Work / February 2, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
