1 Corinthians 1:18-31
September 1, 2002
Piggott Christian Church
D.T.: In view of the Cross the standards for this world changed.
TITLE: ¡§God did it HIS way¡¨
My job this morning is to speak to you¡Kyour job is to listen. If you get finished before I do, let me know.
Intro: Ask them to forget about the Bible ¡V for just a moment. Pretend for just a moment that you are God and you have the desire to save the world and bring to the people of the world knowledge of you. How do you do it? How do you show people that you care and are willing to do anything to make yourself known?
Do you hang up banners?
Set up a 1-800 # (Direct line to God) ¡V 24 hour service no hold time
Do you write a book, instead of using men, you write it yourself ¡V shouldn¡¦t take you long.
Do you bring all the powerful leaders and have a conference ¡V you¡¦d be the president of course.
How do you make yourself known?
What about a political campaign? Shake hands with people, kiss the heads of babies. You could have TV ads that tell how wonderful you are.
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (read)
This text is saying: In view of the Cross the standards for this world changed.
Discussion:
Isaiah 29:14 ¡V ¡§Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.¡¨
I have been told that before I attempt to pastor a church I should go to seminary and get 3 or 4 letters behind my name ¡V Then I will truly be able to pastor the correct way. I guess that¡¦s one way to do it.
In view of the Cross the standards for this world changed. The wisdom that we seek has no value, the knowledge that we long for has no value, this is God saying, ¡§I DID THIS MY WAY.¡¨ -- Perhaps you thought that was original with Frank Santra¡Khe copied it from GOD.
Disclaimer: I am not knocking human knowledge or wisdom, there is NOTHING wrong with degrees or being scholarly in your work. There is a problem however, of that ¡§work¡¨ replacing knowledge of GOD.
3 Reasons God did it his way:
I. Standards are different for God than they are for us
a. Our standards say that we should think on our own
i. Paul didn¡¦t have a problem with education
1. He had a problem with that education taking the place of knowledge or need for God
Goes back to Genesis Chapter 3:5 --- ¡§you will not surely die,¡¨ the serpent said to the woman ¡§For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,¡¨ knowing good and evil.
2. This is a lie Satan has been telling mankind from the beginning ¡V you DON¡¦T NEED GOD.
3. Paul¡¦s Questions: vs. 20 ¡V Where is the wise man? (of this age) Where is the Scholar? (of this age) Where is the Philosopher/debater of this age?
4. Paul¡¦s answer: Show me your wise man and I will show you someone who needs God. Show me your Scholar and I will show you someone who needs God. Show me your Philosopher/Debater and I will show you someone who needs God ¡V Not only God, but the work of God through the cross!
In view of the Cross the standards for this world changed.
b. We Are Lost Without Knowledge of God
i. We might not understand how much we are lost
ii. But it doesn¡¦t change the fact that we are lost
Story of being lost ¡V so many junctions took 10 hours to make a 5 hour trip
iii. God is there if the world believes he¡¦s there or not! Your belief in God doesn¡¦t make him there. Someone¡¦s unbelief doesn¡¦t make him go away.
The word ¡§Atheist¡¨ means I am against something I don¡¦t believe exist.
Another Reason God did it his way:
II. The Message was Different
A. Christianity isn¡¦t the best way to God that would be bragging. It¡¦s the ONLY WAY TO GOD.
a. Last part of vs. 21 ¡V God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
i. Not only is the message different, but the messenger is different!
In view of the Cross the standards for this world changed.
ii. Our message is different and our delivery is different too.
1. God somehow uses preaching
2. Sounds foolish at first
Billy Sunday ¡V ¡§preach the gospel, and if you have to use words¡¨
Allow me to poke some fun at preaching
The longest sermon on record was preached by Clinton Lacy of West Richland, Washington in February of 1955. It took 48 hours and 18 minutes to deliver it. Small wonder someone proposed the adoption of a new Beatitude: "Blessed is the preacher whose train of thought has a caboose."
Don’t unsay with your life what you say with your tongue.
After a long, dry sermon, the minister announced that he wished to meet with the church board following the close of the service. The first man to arrive was a stranger. "You misunderstood my announcement. This is a meeting of the board," said the minister. "I know," said the man, "but if there is anyone here more bored than I am, I’d like to meet him."
A man went to see his doctor for advice about being cured of snoring. The doctor asked, "Does your snoring disturb your wife?"
The patient replied, "Does it disturb my wife? Why it disturbs the entire congregation."
iii. Yet in God¡¦s wisdom he uses preaching to teach others about himself. Something that seems foolish to man is the wisdom of GOD.
b. Paul says the cross could be a ¡§stumbling block to the Jews¡¨ ¡V how could a convict be a son of GOD? And foolishness to the Gentiles/Greeks ¡V because of their worldly education.
In view of the Cross the standards for this world changed.
i. Vs. 25 ¡V ¡§For the foolishness of God is wiser than man¡¦s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man¡¦s strength.¡¨
ii. If there is something weak about God¡¦s plan ¡V It¡¦s stronger than what man could have come up with.
iii. One of the proofs of the Bible ¡V this is not something we would have come up with. I would delete parts of the Bible if it were up to me. Do I really need to know that a man after God¡¦s own heart was a worthless leader? Do I really need to know that Jesus called, not the leaders of the community, or the religious leaders, he called fishermen, and tax collectors? We didn¡¦t create the Bible, it¡¦s God¡¦s wisdom.
The third reason God did it his way:
III. To show us His Power
a. It¡¦s not by our design
b. We don¡¦t have a right to boast in Salvation because we didn¡¦t do anything to get salvation ¡V it¡¦s a gift.
c. Paul says, Think of what you were when you were called ¡V
i. Not wise by human standards
ii. Not influential
iii. Not of noble birth
d. God chose you anyway ¡V BUT WHY?
e. To show us his Power!
i. He Chose
1. The foolish things „³ to shame the wise
2. The weak things „³ to shame the strong
3. The lowly things
4. The despised things
5. and the ¡§Things that are not¡¨ „³ to nullify the things that are
f. WHY would he do that?
i. To show us his power
In view of the cross the standards of this world changed.
ii. To show us Jesus ¡V Paul calls Jesus the wisdom from God
1. Righteousness
2. Holiness
3. Our Redemption
iii. So that we would not become prideful and boast but we can boast in the Lord.
Conclusion:
Poems
In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopp’d my wild career:
I saw One hanging on a Tree
In agonies and blood,
Who fix’d His languid eyes on me.
As near His Cross I stood.
Sure never till my latest breath,
Can I forget that look:
It seem’d to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke:
My conscience felt and own’d the guilt,
And plunged me in despair:
I saw my sins His Blood had spilt,
And help’d to nail Him there.
Alas! I knew not what I did!
But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain!
A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou may’st live."
Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
My spirit now if fill’d,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by Him I kill’d!
John Newton, 1725-1807.
Oswald Chambers says:
All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning.
Don¡¦t ignore the meaning of the cross this morning. If you haven¡¦t accepted Jesus Christ as Lord or want to recommit your life, please come as we sing.
