God's Wisdom Equals Worldly Folly

Good morning and welcome to CCC we are so glad each and everyone of you are here with us both in person and online via our website. This week was such a blessing. On Tuesday I was invited to bring the Word at the Schell City Baptist Church’s revival. What an evening that was. God is so good.

I survived my first parent teacher conferences as a principal and we had Friday off. The weather is how I like it and God is still good and still loves me what more can a guy ask for?

Lets Pray

START OBS

We are continuing on with our series in I Corinthians We are the church. I pray that God has been growing you through this series so far and I pray He will continue to grow you and that you are truly seeking Him and truly seeking to grow closer to Him and gain a deeper understanding of the Bible

I pray that it goes beyond that and that you have a desire to apply God’s Word to your life and to live a life of action in response to God and His Word.

I Corinthians 1:18-31

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18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent., 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one may boast in his presence. 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption 31 —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.,

God is opposite of the world......

Godly wisdom equals worldly foolishness

God takes what the world rejects as nothing and through Christ makes them something!

What a glorious passage of scripture that must have eternal significance to you and me as Christians.

If you truly believe and apply this scripture to your life it will cost you worldly relationships and things and status

Let’s dive in shall we?

I Corinthians 1:18

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“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.”

What does saved mean?

Heaven.

Forgiveness

But what else?

The power of the cross......

The power of Christ’s death......

The power of Christ’s resurrection

What is that power.....it is Christ’s power through his work on the cross, He became sin.....his physical death…a payment for that sin.....his resurrection which defeated death.

This means that for those being saved sin and death have no power over them.

Sin and death are still present but they have no power over Christians.

Christians give them power when they choose to live in the foolishness of the world and not the truth of the Gospel but sin and death are completely powerless in a Christians life who is standing on the rock of Jesus!

Most Christians willingly submit to a powerless enemy.

In Christ sin and death have zero....nada..zilch power over you

You have the power in Jesus to tell every temptation and sin to kick rocks and get on down the road

There are those here this morning, who are choosing to live in the bondage of sin

Now pastor Josh I would quit this sin in a heartbeat if i could

You are right you cannot quit that sin if you are trying to do it on your own.

Jesus already defeated that sin and if you are saved you have the power to leave that sin this instant

If you have yet to accept Jesus you can do that this morning and the power that sin has over you will be broken and you can leave here completely free this morning!!

You choose sin

Sin is always a choice

Being free from sin is always a choice

When you sin you choose to surrender to that sin

When you live in and from Christ’s freedom you choose to surrender to Christ

I don’t care what your stronghold is or what the world calls it

The sin of addiction called a disease by the world

The sin of abortion called woman's health by the world

The sin of homosexuality called alternative lifestyle by the world

The sin of gender confusion called your choice by the world

The sin of pornography called sexual expression by the world

The sin of pre-marital sex called harmless by the world

There are many, many more things and ways of living called sin by God and celebrated by the world

The point is God calls those things sin and so must you.

God, through Jesus can and will set you free from all of those things and if you are a Christian you are free from them already

If you struggle with a stronghold it is your choice.

Proverbs 26:11

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“As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.”

If you keep returning to a stronghold you are the dog chewing down on its vomit!

I ate my vomit of pornography for 20+ years! It had no power all along but I choose to give it power

John 16:33

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“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.””

This is straight facts!

God gave us His Word to truly know Him and to truly know understand believe and apply the power of Jesus in our lives!

Jesus is peace.

Are you lacking peace?

Your lacking Jesus!

God gives you His Word so you will have peace.

Lack of peace is again a choice.

God has given you a way to be at pure peace in this world.

Jesus.

Jesus already conquered the world so why are you letting it beat you up Christian?

Here’s the thing.....in this world you will have suffering....Absolutely!

This world wants to do nothing else but steal from you…kill you and destroy you.

Steal you joy and peace.

Kill your physical body

Destroy your eternity

That is the devils only mission and he will succeed in your life without Jesus

I Corinthians 1:19-25

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“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”

You and I see this everyday.

The more I grow and mature in Christ the clearer the line between wisdom and foolishness becomes

What you are seeing played out in the world and our own country today is this scripture

I agree we need to pray for our country but in a biblical way

Father bring those leaders who do not know you into a true relationship with you through your Son Jesus Christ

Those who do know you may they truly put you 1st and build your kingdom not their kingdom or my kingdom

As you proclaim the Gospel

As you talk about what God has done for you

As you tell people about Jesus

you will face push back

You will face rejection

You will face anger

You will face rudeness

You will face evil

When that happens keep in mind the words of Jesus

Luke 10:16

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“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.””

God told Samuel the same thing

I Samuel 8:7

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“But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.”

People, unfortunately, will reject Jesus

It will feel like they are rejecting you

Melody can tell you that I, actually both of us, struggled with this and still do at times

As a pastor and pastor’s wife it is hard not to take people leaving this church personally.

Sure they are leaving the church but the are also leaving us as the pastor and pastor’s wife of the church

Even those who just show up here and there

Those who are hurting but don’t show up

Those who are called to serve but refuse to serve

All of those hurt me

I still feel all of those things and they hurt but my prayer has changed.

I used to pray for God to show me how to bring them back

Now I pray they find what they are looking for and what they are looking for is Jesus

I still do and always will evaluate what I could have done better or differently as that is what leaders do but ultimately it is up to God

We will proclaim the Gospel

We will evangelize

We will do things and have ministries to reach the community and the lost

We will do those things but we realize the power is in Christ.....the power is from Christ

Until God calls them they will stay lost.

I pray you live every day in a manner that shines the light of Jesus into this dark world but until God calls they will not be saved!

Before we move on I feel led to go here for a minute

Evaluate your life.

Evaluate how you interpret the Bible

There are so many who proclaim to be Christians

Who fully expect to hear well done good and faithful servant when they meet Jesus but will really hear, away from Me I never knew you

Why

because God’s Word is foolishness to them

They read the Word.

They hear the Word proclaimed.

They sing worship songs about the Word.

They may even teach and preach the Word but it is foolishness to them because it is all lip service

They never change.

They never grow.

They don’t take serious the things God takes serious

They are comfortable with sin

They are comfortable with the world

They are comfortable missing church

They are comfortable missing their secret place

They are comfortable only talking to God when they need something

They are of the world and the things of God are foolishness,

not necessary,

not important to them

The fruit they are producing is not the fruit of the Spirit but God is love and therefore it will be okay, right?

There are some that are here this morning that this is where you live your life and I would challenge you to ask God to evaluate your heart and show you your heart and seek desperately if you are truly saved

Ask God to inspect your fruit and show you if your fruit is of this world or of the Holy Spirit

If you live from the world but claim to live from Jesus you are a liar and headed to hell

I Corinthians 1:26-31

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“Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

I love this section of scripture

Look at who God calls

Not many were wise from a humanly perspective.....

Not many were powerful....

Not many of noble birth......

Praise God that God calls those the world rejects

“God has chosen what is foolish in the world”

That is you

That is me

That is us

Praise God for that!

Verse 28 “God has chose what is insignificant and despised in the world”

Do you ever feel like you are not enough

That you don’t matter

That everyone hates you

Good....that is who God calls

II Corinthians 5:17

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

If you are a Christian here this morning you have a new identity......CHRIST.....the new creation is in and from Christ

It doesn’t matter what the world says or thinks about you

It doesn’t matter what the world does to you

What matters is you belong to Christ

He called you,

you heard and received and

you are a new creature

God’s plan is so amazing

“to bring nothing what is viewed as something

God has plans for you

God wants to use you

God wants to take you from nothing into something

Praise God for His love and mercy and grace and provision

The things is you and I are still humans

We have a tendency to boast about what we have done!

I pray God reminds us daily that we are nothing

That we are despised

That we are rejected

That the only thing good in us is Christ so that we will only boast in Him

Christian unity....brother and sister hood requires us to live here

Putting God 1st and others second

Loving and living like Jesus

Leading others like Jesus leads us

Worshiping God biblically

Romans 12:1

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“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

That is the Word of God.

To most of the world and in fact to a large percentage of Christians that is foolishness

God doesn’t really want me to deny myself

God doesn’t really want me to die to myself

God wants to bless me beyond measure

God wants my cup to run over

You are seeing the Word of God as foolishness if you think or believe any of those things I just said

God doesn’t want you to deny yourself He demands and expects it

God doesn’t want you do die to yourself He demands and expects it

God does want to bless you beyond measure but not in worldly things but in spiritual things and mostly bless you with His Son Jesus

God does want your cup to run over with Him and His Spirit so the lost may find Him and those who know Him may grow in maturity in Christ!

People are dying

People are broken

People are hurting

People are lost and need you to be a true worshiper

They need God’s word to be wisdom in and through you!

Here is what Paul understood and I believe is trying to get the Corinthians and us to understand here this morning

The power is in the cross

The power is in Christ willingly mounting the cross

Willingly becoming our sin even though He was perfect and had never sinned

Willingly dying in your place so that your sin could be paid for and to offer you forgiveness

Willingly going into hell to lead the captives out of captivity

Willingly enduring all that He endured just to offer you the chance of forgiveness and eternity in heaven

That is where the power lies

Not in sermons

Not in worship songs

Not in ministries

Not in smoke and lights and emotionally charged events

There is nothing wrong with those in theory but when you believe and live like you believe the power is in those things you are lost!

I can’t wait for Sunday, so I can be refilled

I can’t wait for worship because I feel so close to God during worship

I can’t wait to help serve lunch to the homeless or minister to those in jail or help with children’s church or free in Him

Again I love Sundays, I look forward to Sundays, once we leave here this afternoon I can’t wait to get back but not so I can be refilled. Do I get refilled on Sundays absolutely but I get refilled every morning I report to the secret place

If you are only getting refilled on Sundays you see church as something you consume.

Something you buy

Something you do to feel better

You don’t see the power of Jesus on display, the power of the cross to unite people from all walks of life

all from different backgrounds and experiences

The power is not in religion which is what you seek but in the cross.

In Jesus

In the simplicity of the Gospel

I want this altar full every Sunday

Many will say well your invitations are not moving enough to get the altar full

Your service needs more emotion to convict people

You need this

You need that

I don’t and you don’t need any of those things

The cross is foolishness to the world.

The world needs signs, smoke and lights and emotionally charged worship

The world needs things to make sense to them in worldly terms

The world is lost

This altar should be full every Sunday because Jesus mounted that cross for you

Jesus became your sin

Jesus paid your price

Jesus offered you forgiveness and eternity in heaven with Him

Jesus did all of that when you and I didn’t deserve it

This altar should be full because despite all of that you fail

You live for you not from Jesus

You sin

You curse

You enjoy things of this world

You look out for yourself not your neighbor

You miss church

You miss bible studies

You blame God for your sinful lifestyle

You blame others for your sinful lifestyle

You live in your sin

Every one in this building and listening to this message online sinned yesterday, today and will sin tomorrow.

Many of us sinned during this message either in thought or deed

The fact of the matter is we are wretched, sinful humans doomed to hell

God sent Jesus so that none should perish but all should come to repentance

Jesus mounted the cross

Became your sin

Died for to pay for your sin

Rose from the grave to defeat the power of death in your life

That is why this altar should be full every Sunday morning

Invitation

I ask as this song plays you get real with God

I pray you are as sick and tired of living in bondage as I am and that you will come and get right with God so that you can live from Jesus when you leave.

Live in the freedom of Christ from this moment on