The
Mission
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
When Paul went to Athens, his mission was not
very successful. Few people came over to Christ. After his failures, he wrote this
letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:3 ESV
[3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear
and much trembling,
Paul had attempted to use his strength of eloquence
and knowledge. He had failed and he acknowledged that he needed to rely on God's
strength and not his own.
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 ESV
[1] And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not
come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For
I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
If we spend too much time preparing and rely on
our resources, we will miss the opportunity to see God act. We will not experience
God's miracles and works if we do everything on our own strength.
God cares for everyone. Missions are about God's
heart. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can be led to use our strengths
to do God's work on the mission field.
Jonah 4:11 ESV
[11] And should not I pity Nineveh, that great
city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand
from their left, and also much cattle?”
The true power of Missions comes not from our
resources and abilities but our obedience to the Holy Spirit. It will only be through the Holy Spirit that God can work perfectly.
