Look To The Cross Series

Ever heard of a “Gumpism”? For example , “Blue clear sky”. Not clear blue sky. That was the theme of a George Strait song, but the movie , “Forrest Gump”, has several fascinating features. Remember when he returned from the war to start the Bubba - Gump shrimp company? “Shrimp cocktail, shrimp stew, shrimp creole, shrimp k- bob, shrimp salad, shrimp soup…” The way he became successful was by “riding out” the storm. All the other shrimp boats were tied to the pier and were smashed by the storm against the shore. But Forrest Gump was out on the water and he was the only boat left after the storm.

Max Lucado tells a story about when he was in college his dorm room was a small house boat that he shared with three other college guys in Florida. A storm came up and the weatherman warned of a hurricane that was about to arrive. So the three inexperienced students tied their humble abode to the dock as best they could. He said it looked like a spider web with all the rope around it. But an experienced seaman came by to check on them and told them the only hope their boat had to survive was to move away from everything it could be thrown against, and anchor out in the water and say a prayer. They anchored deep with four anchors leaving just enough slack to keep the ropes from being ripped off. The little boat survived the storm, because hurricane David never hit Florida. But not everyone is so lucky.

Forrest Gump kept his nose into the waves or the storm would have turned his boat over or ripped it apart.

Do you feel like that sometimes? Like your life is in the middle of a storm and you are not sure if you are able to handle it.

1 Cor. 1: 18-31

I. The cross of Christ is Power for Living. V. 18-23 “ dunamis = dynamite”

A. Power to live confidently. (cross confidence ) because of destroyed worldly wisdom v.19-20

1. Not - Human (worldly) wisdom = humanism = to mechanically explain life - definition - a modern non-theistic rationalist movement that holds that humanity is capable of self - fulfillment, ethical conduct without recourse to supernaturalism. To them moronic,senceless = foolishness - root word from mystery

THERE CAN BE NO CONFIDENCE IN MAN - WE MAKE TO MANY MISTAKES!

2. Not - Modernity - any of several movements variously attempting to redefine Biblical and Christian dogma and traditional teachings in the light of modern science…

THERE CAN BE NO CONFIDENCE IN SCIENCE - IT TOO MAKES MISTAKES!

a. God made fools of this philosophy already. “destroy, bring to nothing”

b. If you try to have life all figured out it will never make sense!!!

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

B The power to live correctly v. 21-23

The first step to correct living is salvation

1. A salvation that pleases God - by faith in His work on the cross!!! Read John 19:17-30

a. It pleases God to provide for us. Saving faith & keeping faith!!

But God gives us confidence in His N.W.O. .> New World Order v. 21

b. But - a Simple Salvation = foolishness of preaching the cross. V.21

The second step to correct living is selflessness

2. Powerful Christian living is not selfishly seeking something from God. V. 22 Jews- sign

a. Simple gospel - death of Christ, burial, resurrection

b. Simple faith (Eph 2:8 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Eph 2:9 KJV) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.