'... Made Void by Man's wisdom.'
Human wisdom can make the preaching of the cross and missions powerless, and rob God of his due, highlighting the need for revival through intercession and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Andrew Murray emphasizes that the preaching of the cross and the work of missions can be rendered ineffective by human wisdom, which undermines the power of God. He calls for a deep understanding of the true state of the church, urging intercessors to recognize and confess the sins that hinder revival. Murray stresses the importance of honoring the Holy Spirit in teaching, as neglecting this leads to the commands of God being powerless. He challenges believers to prepare their hearts and remove obstacles to invite God's Spirit for true revival. The sermon highlights the necessity of aligning faith with divine power rather than human intellect.
Text
Of all preaching of the cross, of missions, of the entire consecration to God and his work that is in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ has said:
"made void by man's wisdom."
The faith which comes by such speaking stands with wisdom of men, and not in the power of God. And the fruit is according to the root. What a work opens up before us as we speak of prayer for revival. God asks those who intercede to take knowledge of what the real state of his church is. If they are to feel the burden, to confess the sin, to point out the evil to others, to prepare the way of the Lord in doing their part to show God's people what they must ask God's Spirit to do, what they must be ready to part with and put away before he comes, they need a deep clear conviction that here indeed is one of the great hindrances of blessing.
Because the Holy Spirit is not honored in his teaching, the clearest commands of God's Word fall powerless, and God is robbed of his due.
(Excerpted from The Coming Revival, by Andrew Murray , pg. 24)
Sermon Outline
- The Power of the Holy Spirit in Preaching
- The Limitation of Human Wisdom
- The Need for Revival
- Prayer for Revival
- The Burden of Sin
- Preparing the Way of the Lord
Key Quotes
“Of all preaching of the cross, of missions, of the entire consecration to God and his work that is in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ has said: 'made void by man's wisdom.'” — Andrew Murray
Application Points
- We must recognize the limitations of human wisdom in preaching and seek the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Intercession is crucial in revival, and we must take knowledge of the real state of God's church and prepare the way of the Lord.
- We must be willing to part with and put away our own sinful ways before the Lord comes.