The Power of the Cross

In a Foolish World

Have you ever felt like an outsider? The last one to be picked on the playground, the last one that anyone calls, maybe you feel like you just do not fit in, even in church is seems like no one talks to you very often and pass you by. We as Christian's know this to be a reality when it comes to modern society, to hold to biblical values, to believe every word of the Bible to be breathed out by God (1 Timothy 3:16), to believe that God created the world in just 6 days, that marriage is between one man and one woman, that all life is precious and begins at conception, is valuable until the day we take our last breath and each and every person is worth value in the sight of God, no matter how they look, or where they come from, that from the beginning God made them male and female He created them in His image and likeness. All of this is certain to run counter to everything being taught in our culture of the day, and so we stand apart, even in cases mocked and shunned, made fun of, and today the narrative is getting even more twisted as the medias new narrative is a term being labeled as "Christian Nationalism." If you are to vote based on conscience, or truth or values based upon Christian ethics, then they are labeling us Christian Nationalist. This though is to be expected when we read God's Word, we are told in this world we will have troubles. In this world we will be hated because it hates Jesus.

The world see as power, money, political offices, fame, fortune, notoriety, or status seem like the way to get ahead, yet it is these very things that fail to even compare to the power of the cross, on which Jesus gave up his very life upon. Weakness is made power and power is made weakness in the paradox of faith, that we call Christianity. We will see how this all comes about as we dive into our passage today from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

I. The Foolishness of the Cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Paul starts off with a profound statement, and one that I have always found interesting. For those who know my background, when I was a kid my dad’s family was involved with a cult and one emphasis that I always noticed about them was the absence of a cross. It is because they teach that the cross was not supposed to happen that Jesus wasn’t supposed to die like that and so we should not honor this instrument of death.

They miss the whole point of the cross and this verse only proves that and so for me this has always been a very meaningful passage. To me it explained a whole lot in just one sentence, that the word or message of the Cross is folly, or foolishness to those who are perishing, hint hint there, they are perishing by denying this message that the Cross is necessary for our salvation. Then it also says to use who are being saved it is the power of God.

Oh the depth and riches of scripture, can you imagine God, who is so powerful that He created all of the universe, the earth, the sun the moon the stars, everything that is in the earth, everything we see, touch, taste, feel experience. A God so powerful that He created it all with just a word, speaking it all into existence, within the span of just six days. Chooses the cross of all things to the power by which He chose to save mankind, yes to the world, to those who do not understand this message it seems like foolishness, for they fail to see the power of God is perfected in weakness.

For us who are being saved, God chose the the things that seem foolish to the world as the very thing that makes us right with him. 1 Corinthians 1:19 “For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”” a quotation from Isaiah 29:14 “therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”” From this is where Paul begins to explain how this plays out in our world today.

1 Corinthians 1:20 “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Should we debate with those who claim to be wise by worldly standards? We had this discussion in our Bible study Tuesday morning, for John writes in 2 John that we should not even entertain or allow into our homes those who teach false teachings, those who will try and sway us away from the faith. I believe this would apply here as well should we engage those who claim to have knowledge to be wise by worldly standards, those who are even hostile to the faith and are thoroughly convinced int heir minds that Christianity, or belief in God for that matter is foolishness?

Paul is saying that we should take the higher road here, there is nothing to debate, the war has been won already, for God has already shown that He has made foolish the wisdom of this world.

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

God has turned the worlds wisdom on its head, He has made that which by worldly standards seem as foolishness, for the world does not know God, or the things of God and yet it is those things which are of most value to us as Christians, the cross of Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection. The message of the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:22–23 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,”

This is what it means then for those who are religious, so to speak, those who claim to have knowledge about spiritual things, those who say they are spiritual but not religious, no matter how you want to spin this one, they are like the Jews of Paul’s day, where they are full of head knowledge, great understanding of theology, yet they have no heart knowledge about Jesus. Jesus then becomes a stumbling block for these, for they see Jesus as some sort of free spirited hippy that just taught us how to love, if we just love one another, all will be good. The problem is that we do not love one another, not in the way Jesus did by dying on the cross, by giving up his life.

I am sure everyone either has seen or heard about the super bowl commercials, the “He Gets Us.” They are trying to convey this idea, but they miss the whole point of Jesus, dying, suffering, and yet rising again from the dead, all for you and for the forgiveness of your sins, that makes this message of the cross so powerful.

Thus on the other side, the non-religious, the militant atheist, the agnostic who denies God, doubts Jesus, this all seems like foolishness to them. For they see faith as weakness or a crutch that we as Christians fall on. They do not understand for they have been blinded by materialism, which says that unless they can see it for themselves, touch it, or hold onto it then they will not believe.

1 Corinthians 1:24 “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

For us who have been redeemed, whom the Holy Spirit has come into our lives, has opened our ears to hear this good news message that you have been forgiven in Christ Jesus, you are being saved by His work on the cross, whether we came from a religious background, whether we are Jewish, or Gentile (Greeks) the same power, the same message of the cross, the same Jesus has saved us all, and this is the wisdom of God, the He alone saves us not by works that we have done, but solely on this word that became flesh and dwelt among us, the word that was with God, that word that is God, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

1 Corinthians 1:25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

There it is summed up, the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men, what then can the world do to us? They can mock us, hates us, spit upon us, and maybe even kill us, but it is all in vain for them for our hope does not rest in the things of this world, but on the power of God, through the message of the Cross, by which we are saved, by which we are being saved ad by which daily he forgiveness, renews us and gives us strength to overcome this world.

II. God's Choice and Human Boasting (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

1 Corinthians 1:26 “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.”

This brings us back to our introduction, to consider our calling. Consider your calling, why has God called you, why, when, how did the Holy Spirit come into your life, open your ears, your heart, your minds to hear this gospel message? Maybe that Holy Spirit is still working, maybe you are holding onto something that is keeping you from really listening, really letting go, really hearing the good hews that your sins are forgiven not by something you have done, but by what Jesus did on the cross for you.

Is it because you want to remain in control, what then are you seeking to find? Something that will make you rich, powerful by human standards? All of us are weak, and were even dead, as we talked about last week, that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. While we are in our weakness, or at our weakest point, when we have failed when we have doubted, and when we are even the last one anyone would ever pick, that God has called you, sanctified you, made you clean, baptized you and called you his own. This too is the message of the Cross.

By human standards not many of us were powerful, or of noble birth, or even ever worthy of being called by God, yet here you are, a baptized child of God for by which Jesus has died.

I have told this before I know but I was the least person anyone would have ever thought would be a pastor. I was quite, shy avoided people, and sometimes still want to, but it was only by the grace of God, that he called me, kept encouraging me, mostly through my wife, through different experiences in my life, and 100% by the gospel that I even stand before you today.

1 Corinthians 1:27–28 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,”

Each and everyone of us are a testimony to this truth, in some way or another we all fit into that category of undeserving sinner, and yet it is that weakness, that while we were still dead in our sins and trespasses that Jesus Christ died for us. Doing what we could not do, raising us from the dead, making us alive in him, and called us to be his own. Even as a testimony to the world around us, that we shine a light, we love like Jesus loved, because He first loved us, and died for us, and rose again for us, and is preparing a place for us, to once again come and call us home to be with him forever.

God chose the things that are weak and foolish, that is you and I to shame, in our weakness, do shame what the world deems are strength.

1 Corinthians 1:29 “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

A repeated of Ephesians 2:9 “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”Right here is perhaps answers the most important question of all, the why, why would God choose that which seems foolish to the world, to shame the wise and learned, it is this so that no one can boast. No one can say of themselves I don’t it, I was perfect and earned eternal life by all the good that I have done. Anyone who thinks they have, or that they can is only fooling themselves as 1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

It makes the whole idea of works, of obtaining righteousness by our own merit and impossibility, for it is the message of the cross alone, that can save us. Therefore we have nothing to boast about, except Christ alone, his death, his burial and his resurrection. Again to the world this seems like foolishness, but to us who are being saved, those to whom the Holy Spirit has revealed, it is the power of God. This is the meaning of grace, we get what we do not deserve and we do not get what did deserve all for the sake of Jesus Christ alone.

III. Christ, Our Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)

This is exactly what Paul says next 1 Corinthians 1:30–31 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”” We can only boast about Jesus, we look to the cross, it is the symbol of our salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, for you and then we can only see that it is the power of God unto salvation, for there is no other way, no other name, no wisdom of this world, no power of man, only Jesus crucified and risen for you.

What the world see as foolishness God has made the power of salvation, this word that no matter how hard the world tries cannot even compare to, the world cannot overcome it, it does not understand it, and yet it is the very foundation of what we believe, teach and confess. That Jesus Christ, was crucified, died, was buried and then three days later resurrected all so that our sins could be forgiven, the penalty paid and the hope of eternal life is promised, so that whoever believes this word, and is baptized is saved, being saved and will be saved for all eternity. Amen.