The Foolishness Of God

"The Foolishness of God"

Text: 1st Corinthians 1:18-31

Introduction-

I’m preaching today from my favorite passage of

Scripture in all of the Word of God. As Paul said

in Galatians 6:14-"But God forbid that I should

glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto

the world." The Apostle Paul was a man with one

message, and that was "Christ crucified." Opinions

of the Apostle Paul varied. Some said that he was-

n’t much to look at. Some said that he could not

speak well, that his speech was contemptible. Some

even insisted that Paul had no right to be an Apos-

tle, because he had not been one of the original

twelve Apostles of Jesus. All these opinions did

not deter Paul from declaring his message of

Christ crucified. He kept right on faithfully

proclaiming God’s truth. Paul once said that he

deliberately did not try to speak with enticing

words of men’s wisdom, lest any should overlook

the message of the cross. He would be a simple

preacher, with a simple message. And, that mess-

age would revolutionize his world, because there

was power in the preaching of the simple message

of the cross. Paul also did not want the unbeliev-

ing world to think that he was some kind of glori-

fied con-artist who captivated people by his

personality and persuasive abilities. He would

stick to the preaching of the cross. That was

what God was going to bless, and use to convert

the masses to Jesus.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he was writing

to a troubled, divided church. It had about four

splinter groups in its membership. Someone once

said that the message of the cross is the only

answer to a divided church. The cross of Jesus

is the great unifier of men’s hearts and passions.

The cross leads men to experience peace with God,

and with man.

Let’s think this morning a little while about why

the cross is the central message of Christianity.

I. First, the cross is the central message of the

Christian faith, BECAUSE IT UNVEILS THE PLAN OF

GOD.

This is the only means that God has ordained to

forever settle man’s sin problem, deveat Satan,

destroy human pride and human wisdom, glorify

His Son, and provide salvation for fallen man.

Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of

the world. It was no afterthought with God. It

was a deliberate, pre-destined plan.

His Son would come into the world, and die for

the sins of mankind by offering Himself in the

sinner’s stead on the cross.

II.Secondly, the cross is the central message of the

Christian faith, BECAUSE IT UNLEASHES THE POWER OF

GOD.

1st Corinthians 1:18 says-

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that

perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved

it is the power of God."

No other message can so altar the character of

man, or the condition of the world. When the

Gospel is declared, the light of God breaks

forth, expelling the darkness of evil and sin.

1. To the Greeks it was foolishness, because

of its simplicity. How could the death of

a Jew on a cross bring salvation? They just

couldn’t accept it.

2. To the Jews it was a stumblingblock, because

it was hard for them to accept a suffering

Messiah. They wanted a conquerer, not a

crucified King.

III.Thirdly, the message of the cross is the central

message of Christianity BECAUSE IT UNMASKS THE

PERSON OF GOD.

We don’t have to wonder what kind of God that

God is anymore, because the cross reveals that

He is a God of compassion and love.

When we read that "God spared not His own Son,

but delivered Him up for us all..." then our

hearts are touched, and our lives are trans-

formed by the love of God shown to unworthy

sinners, deserving of Hell.

The cross is diametrically opposed to the

wisdom of this world. It springs from a differ-

ent source. It follows a different course, and

it arrives at a different conclusion. It reveals

the wisdom of God.

IV. Fourthly, the cross is the central message of

Christianity BECAUSE IT UNINHIBITS THE PRAISE OF

GOD.

God alone is to be glorified by the cross. It

was His love alone that made salvation possible,

and provided it by grace.

We will spend an eternity trying to learn why

God would love us so, and why He is so Good.

When salvation is seen as a work of man, then

man is praised, but when salvation is seen as

the work of God, then God alone is praised.

V. Fifthly, the cross of Christ is the central

message of Christianity BECAUSE IT UNFOLDS THE