THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE GOSPEL
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
INTRO: Paul, in continuing his letter now talks about their unspiritual state by exalting human wisdom which is foolishness in the things of God.
I. THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING.
A. God used the foolishness of preaching:
1. To save the lost.
2. To provide wisdom to the saved.
B. It was a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the
Greeks.
1. Christianity is not a theory about Christ. It is Christ! It
is a living organism! Take Christ out of Christianity, and
it would not survive!
2. The Jews would have quickly followed Jesus if He had been
the deliverer they expected.
3. The Jews cou1d not accept the cross — they wanted a mighty
deliverer, not a suffering Savior.
2. The Greeks could not accept a crucified king.
II. THE FOOLISHNESS OF SERVICE.
A. God chose the foolish things to confound the wise.
1. God uses weakness for his strength.
2. He uses despised things to bring him glory.
3. This shows the kind of people who made up the early Church.
B. We are to glory in God, not man.
1. No flesh should glory in His presence.
2. You are all in Christ glory in Him.
3. The cross represents a way of divine grace for man the
sinner.
4. This is devastating to human pride!
CONC: Paul shows them the foolishness of their wisdom, and shows them that God uses the foolish things of this world to reveal himself to mankind. He closes by telling them to glory in God and not in human flesh.
Many people are willing to be religious, so long as they can be religious on their own terms. This is making man the potter and God the clay.
ILLUS: Toscanini was very precise while conducting Beethoven’s 9th sym
phony. Some of the members of the orchestra began to complain. In response to their complaints, Toscanini said: "I am nothing. You are nothing. But Beethoven is everything!"
