In this episode of Classic Christianity Radio, Bob George delves into the profound teachings found in the letters of Apostle Paul, focusing on the church of Corinth’s challenges and their perceived wisdom over the apostles. Explore the cultural and spiritual implications of a society rich in wealth and moral decay, and the lessons that Paul imparted as he admonished the church for their self-sufficiency and lack of humility. Bob draws parallels to contemporary interpretations of the gospel, particularly addressing the fallacy of the prosperity gospel that has infiltrated modern Christian discourse.
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George. Bob’s clear, timeless teachings on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ will transform your life as you learn about God’s amazing grace. Let’s join Bob as he teaches us from God’s Word.
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Already you’ve become rich. Now, folks, he’s dealing here with the Corinth Church. This was probably the most carnal, sinful church that was ever on the face of the earth. Everything under the sun was taking place in Corinth. You can go there today and still see. You had women walking in the street with signs on their ankles saying, follow me. Guess where they were going? You had temple prostitution. You had open baths. You had every kind of sin under the sun. And what did God do? Sent Paul right into the midst of that city and said, go preach the gospel. But he said, you guys have become rich. You know, it probably was a rich city too. You guys have become more knowledgeable than us as apostles. You become kings, and that without us. You didn’t need us. You didn’t think you needed anybody. Self-sufficient sinners. How I wish that you had really become kings so that we might become kings with you. You’ve just become so much better than us. Now, folks, these are the men whom God hand-picked. They weren’t people who went to cemetery. They were people that God hand-picked. They were not the eloquent of the world. They were not the highfalutin of the world. They were common fishermen. They were just normal people. That’s why Paul said, when I came to you, I didn’t come to you with lofty words and brilliant ideas. Because I wanted your faith to stand in Him, not in us. But he said, here, now… The tail seems to be wagging the dog. You seem to have grown smarter and more knowledgeable than those who brought the message to you. You seem to have lost respect, as he said, of regarding the people who brought this message to you as those entrusted with the things of God. God-given. And look what he says. It seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession. It was kind of like with prisoners where they had put them in these cages and wheeled them in at the back of the procession for everybody to make fun and throw rocks at and to make fun of them. And he says, it seems to me that that’s where you’ve put us. At the back of the procession. Like men condemned to die in the arena. We’ve been made a spectacle to the whole universe. To angels as well as to men. We are fools. For Christ. But you are so wise. In Christ. We are weak. But you’re strong. You are honored. But we’re dishonored. To this very hour, we go hungry and thirsty. We are in rags. We are brutally treated. We are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure it. When we are slandered… We answer kindly. And up to this moment, we have become, by them, the scum of the earth, the refuge of the world. The next time one of our staff asks for a raise… This is the passage that I’m going to give to you. Now, guys, I want us to turn over for a moment to the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy because Paul talks about in a moment that I’m going to send you Timothy. I want you to turn over to the sixth chapter, beginning in verse 3. You all got it? You all got it? Okay. Okay. If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited, understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy and strife and malicious talk, evil suspicions. And constant friction between men of a corrupt mind who have been robbed of the truth. And who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. The prosperity gospel. Is it biblical? Does this sound like men who are the recipients of the prosperity gospel? Name it and claim it. Blab it and grab it. God wants everybody to be rich. What happened to the apostles? They were made a spectacle. Fools. You’re wise. We’re not. We’re weak. You’re strong. You’re honored. We’re dishonored. To this very day we go hungry. Does that sound like a prosperity gospel to you? We’re in rags. Does that sound like a prosperity gospel to you? Although I am somewhat amazed when you go into the store and you see these blue jeans that have holes in them and they’re supposed to be new. Dumb and dumber. Dumber. We’re brutally treated. Does that sound like prosperity? We’re homeless. How about that? Is that it, a homeless rich person? We’re cursed. We’re persecuted. We’re slandered with the scum of the earth, the refuge of the world. What in the world are people? How can people read that? and teach a prosperity gospel that is prevalent, totally prevalent in certain segments of Christendom today. Is it not? Think and grow rich. It doesn’t sound to me like they must not have been doing much thinking. It says that people who teach that, because this is not realistic, this is not real, are people who have been robbed of the truth. That’s why I don’t listen to them. They have nothing to say to me. I don’t care even if what they’re saying may be true, the little bit that they might teach truth in order to suck you in. I don’t listen to them. I turn them off. Why? Because I know something about them that if you don’t know what the Scripture is, you don’t know about them. Here’s what you know about them from the Scripture. They’ve been robbed of the truth. And they teach that godliness is a means to financial gain. If you’re obedient to God, he’ll bless you financially. Really? Boy, these apostles must have been some rebellious dudes. Wouldn’t they? Must have really been some rebels. Disobedient guys. That’s why God made them apostles. That’s why God handpicked them was because they were so disobedient. Sound like prosperity gospel to you? I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Now, that’s why he says there that I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. That is just one example, my friends, of what is going on in Christendom today. And with television, every time you turn on television, you got someone teaching blab it and grab it. And people follow them by the thousands and dump millions of dollars into their coffer so that they can teach more error. My friends, don’t let someone add to this book. Prosperity gospel is not here. That’s made up, man-made stuff. And the only ones that are prospering by it are the ones teaching it. Okay. He says, And he will remind you of my way of life in Christ, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Some of you have become so arrogant as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, he said, if the Lord is willing. Now guys, what is it? that causes man to be so blase in regard to following the teachings of Christ. I think, quite frankly, it starts with kids not listening to the teaching of their parents. I think that’s where it starts. I think it starts with The natural inclination that young people have, they get to a certain age and all of a sudden they’re the smartest things in the world. You know, you’ve heard that and you’ve all experienced that. We’re all old enough, most of us in this room, to experience that of how when we were teenagers we thought our parents were idiots. And it’s amazing how smart dad became when I got older. He must have studied or something. He got smarter. Do you all relate to that, the truth of that? But we have that tendency, and I ask sometimes, do you ever just listen? Look at the mistakes you make with kids, as kids, by just plain being rebellious. I remember when I was a kid, before I was 16, and… I didn’t know how to drive. My dad was a lawyer. And, brother, he was down to, I mean, it was down to the law. And I’m not even going to teach you how to drive until you’re 16. So there isn’t going to be any of this me in the car with you at 15. I’m going to get in the car with you when you’re 16 because that’s what the law says. And so I had no driving instructions at all. Didn’t know how to drive a car at all. And I remember one night my mom and dad had been picked up with some friends and went over to some other friend’s house, drove over with them to play cards. And a bunch of my buddies, at least three of them, came over and we were playing cards and stuff in the basement of our house. And it just started raining cats and dogs. It was just a big, big storm, just really raining. And it got late, and my buddies had to go home. And so here I was, and I thought, well, I’ll just drive you home. Now, I didn’t know how to drive. Shows you how brilliant we are. I didn’t know how to drive at all. But I got in the car because it was there, and Mom and Dad wasn’t. They had told me, don’t ever try to drive until you’re old enough, and I’ll teach you. Did I listen? No, I’m going to take you home. I’m going to be a big dog. I’m going to take you home, take my buddies home.
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SPEAKER 01 :
So I got in the car with my buddies and we drove down to the end of the court that we lived in. And I turned right on Main Street. And then I turned down an alley. And then I turned on another street. And I started to turn left. And a car, when I turned left, I pulled in front of a car. And it smashed right into me and just smashed my poor dad’s car to smithereens. You would have thought the Titanic was sinking here. with how quickly my buddies bailed out of the car and i was by myself escaping from the guy who hit me now why i was doing that i don’t know but i was scared and i probably drove four or five blocks with him chasing me not knowing how to drive finally he was able to pull me over called the police homer sprinkle the policeman came out friend of the families, everybody knew dad because he’s a lawyer, knew me, knew my dog, know everybody in the town. Homer came out, Bobby, think you’re in trouble. Me too. I’ll drive you home. You know where your mom and dad are? Yeah, I’ll drive you home and then I’ll go over and get them. So I got home scared to death. My dad had the fastest belt in the Midwest. And I knew I was going to get it. So I went into the laundry basket and got some dirty clothes and stuffed them in my rear end back in the back. Because I knew I was going to get blistered really good. And then mom and dad came home. I can get whipped. I can get whipped. remember my mom and dad sat there and cried and i still remember my mom’s statement at that time is franklin what did we do wrong and i knew what she meant what we do wrong to have such a kid as this and i tried to say i don’t know must have done something wrong i spent the next eight years paying dad back and I didn’t know that when I was paying him back, he was putting back aside for me. But I paid him back for that car. What happened? Didn’t pay attention to him. You see, you would think, wouldn’t you, that even at a young age, you would be able to think through that if you have parents and every bite that you put in your mouth, they have paid for. And the roof that you have over your head and the bed that you sleep in and the clothes that you wear, all are provided for you by your parents. And that if you get out of high school and don’t go to college, you are on your own. And if you go to college, they’re going to pay for that. And then they’re going to pay for your meals and they’re going to pay for your housing and they’re going to pay for your college. Wouldn’t you think that you would sit back and say, wouldn’t it make sense that I at least acknowledged that maybe what they have to say has some merit to it? Instead of this rebellion that we have is that mom and dad don’t know what they talk about. I know how to drive. I don’t know how to drive. Wouldn’t you just get an idea that maybe something they said is worthwhile listening? I feel like sometimes going up to kids and say, kids, your parents know what they’re talking about. Do you ever remember with your kids, brother, ever saying something to them to make them hurt? I mean, I’m going to give you some advice to kind of make you get killed. No, you’re not going to do that. I feel like it sometimes. You see, those kids in that car… They didn’t pay for the car. They bailed. Your friends will laugh you into hell, but they won’t laugh you out of it. And I feel with children, especially with kids, I want to raise my kids to be good adults, not to be good kids. Because they’re going to be an adult all their life. You have very few years to you young people, some of you more than others, but to your young people, you have very few years of being a kid. And you’re going to live as an adult all your life, and you better start listening to what adults say. If kids say, oh, you look good looking with your pants hanging down below your, you know what? Well, your kids may say that, but I guarantee adults don’t. You’re never going to get hired looking like that. And you better start learning how to dress and how to look that’s going to appeal to the people who are someday going to be hiring you. Because if you don’t, you’re going to be a rebel all your life. I say what we have today in our Congress and Senate are hippies with suits on. But at least they learned to get a suit on. You see, my friends, how would you like to What would you rather do? Would you rather go to a doctor who had experience or a doctor who had no experience? Would you rather go to a lawyer with experience or a lawyer without any experience? Would you rather have a coach, your football coach, who knew football or one who didn’t know football? A teacher, a teacher that knows or one that’s just brand new? You see, there’s a reason that God gave youth parents. They have experience. And a kid has no basis of appreciation for experience because they’ve never had any. So you don’t have appreciation for it. But I think it’s time that we as parents begin to go to our children. And to try to get them to see the logic is we’re not your enemy. We’re your friends. And we’re not going to be giving you advice that’s going to hurt you. But we’ve had enough experience to know what will hurt you. And so, folks, when you’re dealing with this, it seems like it’s a process that we have to go through on a human level. But it seems to me that that rebellion that we have against God starts as a kid. Because it’s the same thing. Why should I live in a God? Why should I live in what Jesus said? He lived a long time ago. He’s not politically correct. And we kind of get that attitude. Well, think about it, guys. This Jesus and this Paul… who’s teaching what Jesus taught him. These are people that are taught by God and Jesus who was God. And when he’s saying these things to us, he doesn’t want us to respond with arrogance. What’s dad know? What’s mom know? They’re just old fogies. They’re just kind of out of touch. And he says you become arrogant. But he says the issue is that think it through. Are they worthy to listen to? Yes, they are. Growing up, every bite of food I had in my mouth, every roof I had over my head, every piece of clothing I ever had on, all came from mom and dad. Were they worthy to listen to? Yes, they were. Did I always do it? No. Just gave you an example. One time I didn’t. Costly ones. And many times we enter in to our relationship with Jesus in the same way. And that’s why Jesus says, guys, if you hear my voice, listen to it. Listen to it. Listen to it. Listen to it. I’m giving you advice to keep you out of trouble. Listen to it. Ponder these truths in your heart and let God deepen them. Into your being. Let’s pray together. The apostle Paul said. The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. But of power. We have too much talking going on. And very few actions. Teach his father to be sensitive to who’s giving us advice. And when it’s coming from God, recognize the truth that everything we have comes from God. And we wouldn’t have anything if it wasn’t for him. He’s the one who made this universe. He’s wise. And we’re not. We can gain wisdom from you, but we can’t gain it from the world because there isn’t any wisdom in this world. Teach us to get rid of the pride that says, I don’t need good advice from people. Consider who’s giving instructions to us. as he said, of the apostles to regard them as servants, people who are entrusted with the secret things of God. Parents, you’ve been entrusted with raising your children, with giving them advice, punishing where punishment is necessary, always with love. So, Father, I… pray that as we’ve had an opportunity of just reconsidering some of these things, that we as young people might reconsider maybe some of our attitudes that we’ve had toward discipline and instruction. But all of us, young and adults, to get rid of this attitude of arrogance when it comes to what God tells us to do. And to recognize that when God says it, it’s for our good. And we’re going to thank you for that, Lord Jesus, in your name and for your sake.
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Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another, and praise the Lord. Amen.
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Put Jesus first in your life and turn your life around.
