The Backwards Gospel, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
Legal bureaucracies and red tape that make paperwork and legal processes to take forever.
Backwards things about Argentina:
The stoplights also have a yellow light between red to green.
You have to drive aggressively to get anywhere.
Not saying “thank you” when you’re given a mate (the national drink, a green tea), but saying “thank you” when you don’t want anymore.
When offered something, you’re expected to say no until the one offering insists for you to take it. It is considered rude to refuse altogether.
Expecting people to come over uninvited, but getting a little upset that they come over unannounced.
In the text today, Paul explains that the core message of the Gospel is not what you would naturally expect. It is essentially backwards from all human rationale.
That’s not to say that Gospel is ineffective or untrue, or that you have to check your brain at the door before coming in, but that it impacts most powerfully and directly in our lives because it flies in the face of all our human rationale and expectation.
We won’t be diving deep into text 1 Cor. 1:18-31, because there is so much there. However, we’ll see here some reasons why the Backwards Gospel makes so much sense for us to embrace because of how it can impact our lives and the rest of the world, including that of the Argentine people. Let’s read....
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
The Backwards Gospel makes so much sense to embrace because it exposes our human vanity, vs: 18-24.
The Backwards Gospel makes so much sense to embrace because it exposes our human vanity, vs: 18-24.
Human vanity creates divisions.
The previous context of our passage shows that one of the problems plaguing the Corinthian church was its divisions.
These divisions were the natural result of their vanity, puffing themselves up and considering themselves superior to others in the church.
Due to the natural differences between the Jewish and Greek cultures of the day, each one puffed up in their own right; and added to that, different parties favoring certain teachers over others, this resulted in conflicting divisiveness in the church.
Paul has to explain to them that being in Christ cuts through the natural divisions and makes all things equal.
“The ground is level at the foot of the cross. There's no room for us to feel any sense of superiority above anyone else, but it also means anyone can come to the cross.”— unknown
The gospel actually crosses those human divisions, 1 Cor. 1:23-24.
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Homan vanity loses the Gospel message.
Later in the book (1 Cor. 8:1), Paul explains that our human wisdom only puffs up, but what edifies is true biblical love for one another.
1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
The Jewish and Greek cultures of Paul’s day in Corinth was not so different from our contemporary self-centeredness and self-righteousness that pushes a pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps mentality and morality.
The thought that anything less could work to gain favor with God or find value in life was complete foolishness to them.
The message of a crucified Savior flew in the face of both the herculean heroes of Greek legend and the Jewish expectation of a Liberator to deliver them from the oppression of Roman rule.
Illustration: Because it corrects our human vanity.
The Argentine dream is to live a good life, a “tranquil” or calm, peaceful life.
In terms of relationships with others, this creates a division between them and anyone else who would be different, or who would potentially cause a conflict, whether it be people from other countries, or different socio-economic backgrounds (Argentines are notoriously prejudicial to other nationalities and between social classes).
In terms of a relationship with God, it means they have to work really hard to gain His favor through good works.
It also means that when things are bad and their life is not tranquilo (“tranquil”), they don’t feel at peace, and have to seek out a “spiritual” experience to give them that good feeling.
This results in the Argentine people being deceived into pursuing that peace through the emotionalism of so-called spiritual experiences; or working really hard to earn and keep their favor with God through prayers, pilgrimages, mass, and good moral behavior; or buckling down in their own effort and self-made success with no thought of God. But when life happens, that all comes crashing down...
A couple in our church lost their adult daughter to cancer this past December, and at the graveside service when there were no human words to say to attempt to comfort these devastated parents, the mother started singing “When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast. When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast”. Then those of us who grieve with hope in Christ sang together “He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast, For my Saviour loves me so, He will hold me fast.” How is that possible? It doesn’t makes human sense to sing praise to God at your daughter’s graveside…
But we preach Christ crucified.
The Backwards Gospel makes so much sense to embrace because it focuses our human wisdom, vs: 25-26.
The Backwards Gospel makes so much sense to embrace because it focuses our human wisdom, vs: 25-26.
The expectation of human wisdom.
The culture of Corinth put high value on dynamic speaking, clever logic, and higher knowledge. In fact, the father’s of modern day philosophy came from this culture.
With this focus, they believed the way to God had to be consistent with that human reasoning.
Naturally, man has always sought after God in such a way as seems right to him, but that does not mean it is God’s way. This human wisdom actually obscures God’s will and the message of the Gospel.
In fact, God’s way is often completely opposite man’s ways. Whereas God’s way may seem foolish to man, and weaker than human strength, the Gospel message of Christ crucified is true wisdom and true strength.
The practice of human wisdom.
We practice human wisdom when we seek to live life our way instead of God’s way.
God tells us to lean on Him and not our own understanding, Prov. 3:5-6.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Man cannot even trust his own heart, because it is naturally bent toward evil and deceitful, Jer. 17:9.
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
That is why we must trust God, who is the only One who knows us completely, Jer. 17:10.
10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Illustration: Because it confuses our human wisdom.
In the US, we say “there only two certainties in life.. death and taxes”. In Argentina, there is a similar saying, but those two certainties are death… and infidelity (expect they use a much more crude word than that). That is the human expectation in Argentine families. So, when one spouse is unfaithful, the other one gets to be unfaithful also. Seems to makes sense, human sense.
But we preach Christ crucified… we follow God’s sense. He calls for repentance and forgiveness. When that happens, he restores broken families. You saw in our video the testimony of one such family… Martin and Carolina. He came to Christ first when they had separated and had been living their separate lives for several months. He told me “I don’t want to have anything with her” (makes human sense), but he was willing to obey the Lord no matter where it led him.
He started changing, and due to the interactions they had to have regarding their shared children, she started noticing that change. She started asking about it, and he shared what had happened to him. She realized she was missing something very important in her life… and it Christ, whom she came to accept as her Savior.
Through months of growth and following God’s Word into their lives, they decided to get back together and make their marriage work. They got a lot of blow back and ridicule from their family and friends, because it simply didn’t make sense to them. Fast forward three years and this couple is a living breathing testimony to the power of the Gospel to heal and restore. They are now part of our youth leadership team.
How does something like this happen?…
Because we preach Christ crucified.
The Backwards Gospel makes so much sense to embrace because it strengthens our human weakness.
The Backwards Gospel makes so much sense to embrace because it strengthens our human weakness.
Paul’s weakness, 1 Cor. 2:1-5.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Paul is very clear that it is not his clever oratory skills or strong reasoning capabilities that makes him an effective minister of God.
What makes the Gospel effective is not the preacher, but the power of the Word. The power of the Gospel itself, the message of Christ crucified.
Our weakness.
I have to confess to you today… missionaries are not some sort of superhero Christian. We are ordinary servants whom the Lord has placed in unordinary circumstances.
Our kids at times misbehave and have bad attitudes because they learned it from their own parents. There are things I have to confess and repent of before I teach our people, because I am a fallen man. God’s Word has to hit my life first before I can appropriately teach it to others each week.
There are burdens that we sometimes carry that make us want to just quit, or not serve the people God has put in our charge. I use to have brown hair all over my head: and what I haven’t lost, I keep short because I start looking like a malnourished Santa Claus. Your pastors understand this, that’s why they’re mostly gray-headed or just bald.
There are services and events that despite our most excellent efforts don’t result in what we would like to see. We invest time and effort into people and still see some forsake the faith. I’m sure you could write on my tombstone “Mistakes were made”. Just being real with you.
But we preach Christ crucified… All God needs is our willingness to obey Him and faithfulness to follow Him. Put in the work, and leave the results up to Him.
He’s in charge, it’s His Word, it’s His work. He takes our fallenness, our lack of skills, human wisdom and experience, mixes it with His power and grace… and changes lives.
Because it strengthens our human weakness.
I am one to almost fully manuscript my sermons in preparation for Sunday, to help me stay on track, keep focused and clear. However, more than once when, due to unforeseen circumstances and life interruptions, that hasn’t taken place, God reminds me that He’s in charge, He’s got it.
Many may think the sharper the missionary in his preparation and presentation, the more effective and successful said missionary will be on the field. However, if you go Argentina today, some of the most effective and cherished missionaries you will find are what the world would qualify as unskilled and dull. Yet they have been there faithfully serving and loving people to Christ for 40-50 years.
How does something like this happen?…
By preaching Christ crucified with our words and lives.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
I don’t know where you are today…
If you are here and don’t know Christ as your Savior,
the thought that Christ dying on the cross in your place, paying for your sin debt may not make much human sense, but it is God’s plan that cuts through any self-righteousness you may have and points to the Only One who is perfectly righteous to stand before God in your place.
That is how you can be forgiven, how you can have an eternal relationship with God.
That takes renouncing your way of thinking and living and humbly following Christ. Don’t leave here without talking to someone about that.
If you here and have placed your faith in Christ,
but maybe you’re struggling with a hard situation in your life, a difficult relationship, a sinful habit, a tough circumstance; and what makes most human sense is to give up, fight back, or just bury it all in empty pleasures.
Please stop doing what makes human sense, and start doing what makes God sense.
That will cause you to obey Him and trust Him with the result.
When that happens, there’s no limit to the work of God in and through your life.
Start today by identifying an area of your life you need to surrender to the Lord.
Maybe you are here and you think, “how could God use someone like me, I’m nothing special.”
You’ll never be alone in that thought.
God has a habit of using people that the world doesn’t find that attractive or successful.
He loves doing that because it showcases the power of the Gospel of Christ.
It’s scary and exciting at the same time because you get to go along for the ride.
Just be faithful and willing to step forward in obedience to whatever or wherever He is leading you.