Sunday Night-The Wisdom Of The Cross

Paul did not water down what he was preaching. Verse 21 says God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

This does not mean what he was preaching was foolish. He was preaching wisdom. He was not preaching the Jesus of the manger, the Jesus of the temple, or the Jesus of the marketplace. No, Paul was preaching the Jesus of the cross. It was in the death of Jesus that God revealed the foolishness of man and the true weakness of man’s power.

When we are baptized and join in unity with Christ we also gain the power and yes wisdom of the cross.

Our text today shows how difficult it is to bring people to the gospel. To so many today it still seems foolish. Yes there would be great successes to come.

Acts 2.1-41 and the Day of Pentecost.

Or how about 1 Thess. 1.4-10. 4 Read. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. 6 You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Successes will still happen. I pray it continues to be like this at BLCC. The thing we must watch is to never try to remove the foolishness of the cross from the “foolishness” and wisdom of the cross.

Any attempt to make the cross more palatable to those listening to our message distorts the message to the point it carries no power.

Sadly, many will still reject God outright. (V.21) they are too wise to accept the foolishness.

Some will look in the wrong places expecting miracles and signs from God still today. Jesus was clear on that.

Some will simply try to make God into their own image of who they want him to be. Not possible. He is God our creator. We are the creation.

We are to follow Him and His Son.

God may give us signs but he will not do it on demand.

John 20.29-31, 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Conclusion: We as the church must be careful to preach nothing less then cross-centered truth. We must include every bit of its foolishness.

We must point out that human sin and human accountability can only be dealt with through the cross. No other way.