Derek Prince - How We Get The Holy Spirit Involved In Ministry
This is an excerpt from: The Cross At The Center - Part 2
We have to go on. The next reason why we need the cross in the center is because it's the door to God's secret, hidden wisdom. We'll go back to 1 Corinthians 2. Paul has said we don't deal in the wisdom of this world. But in verse 6 he begins to talk about a different sort of wisdom. And it's the New English Bible in its translation that uses the phrase 'a secret, hidden wisdom of God.' Because of my background in philosophy, that's exactly what I was looking for, a secret, hidden wisdom. I didn't find it in Christianity as I knew it, I didn't find it in philosophy. I looked for it in yoga, I looked for it in all sorts of improbable places, and didn't find it. And then I discovered there's a door. The door is shaped like a cross.
If you go through the cross, on the other side is the secret, hidden wisdom of God. If you have the kind of nature I have you'll thrill at that statement. To me it's exciting to have access to God's secret, hidden wisdom. Let's read here in 1 Corinthians 2:6 and following: However we speak wisdom among those who are mature; yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing; but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the ages for our glory If that doesn't excite you, you never understood it. God has prepared a secret, hidden wisdom and the reason for that wisdom is to bring us to glory. Is that exciting?
God had from eternity a plan to get us to glory. The plan is contained in His secret, hidden wisdom. The doorway is the cross. If you go through the cross you'll start into the secret, hidden wisdom of God. Paul goes on: which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory You see, the cross is the way. but as it is written, 'EYE HAS NOT SEEN NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.' So, we do not discover this with the senses, we do not discover this with the reason, we do not discover this with the imagination. How do we discover it?
Paul tells us: For God has revealed them to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. So, when we come through the door of the cross the Holy Spirit begins to reveal to us what we can never find out by reasoning, by imagination, by speculation; only by revelation. And you remember what I said before? The only thing the Holy Spirit honors is the cross. You can come on any other basis, and He's not interested. But when you make the cross central He says, 'That's a person I'm interested in.'
Do you know one of the things I like to do is attract the Holy Spirit. I find when the Holy Spirit is there, things go well. I've discovered to attract the Holy Spirit we need to exalt Jesus, and preach Christ crucified. And when we do that the Holy Spirit says, 'I like those people. I feel at home with them. I'll go share that meeting because that's what makes me happy is when Jesus crucified is exalted.'