Reset: Week 4

Resetting Power

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 NRSV

18 For the message about 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 the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 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? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 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; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

This is the word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

After their respective presidencies, rivals John Adams and Thomas Jefferson began corresponding with each other, developing a long-distance friendship that lasted till their deaths. In one such letter, Adams writes:

Power always sincerely, conscientiously, [very candidly], believes itself right.

Power always thinks it has a great soul, and vast views, beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God service, when it is violating all his laws.

In reflecting upon this quote from John Adams, I wonder what prompted him to write these words about power.

I wonder if he reflected upon the highs and lows of his presidency.

I wonder if he was reflecting upon the presidency of one of his successors.

Nevertheless, Adams in this writing whether it is intentional or unintentional, causes the reader to reflect upon power and the consequences of power.

To begin the new year, I had the pleasure of worshipping at my good friend, Emily Sanford’s church.

On this particular day, she preached a sermon on “Star Words.”

And this is something that we did here at Leavell Woods last year during Epiphany Sunday.

Those “star words” help to realign us or give us focus on our relationship with God during the new year.

Guess what my word is for the year….you guessed it, power.

And as I drew this word, I quickly thought to myself, what in the world is God trying to tell me in assigning me this word for the upcoming year?

What does this word, power mean to the Christian?

Instantly when I think about this word, I immediately think of God’s power.

That is, I think of how God is infinite and power and might.

I mean think about how majestic, sovereign, and powerful God is.

God created all of this that we see in creation out of nothing.

God established time and space.

God created us from the mud and breathe into us the breath of life.

Then if we look at God’s power throughout the Biblical Narrative, especially those stories in Israel’s history.

We see God destroy an entire city.

We see God take down a mighty ancient empire through plagues.

We see God parting an entire sea.

We see him topple city walls that seemed unbreachable.

If we read the first eight books of our Bibles, we see God’s power over and over and over again.

But what if the power that truly lies with God is just underneath the surface of those storie that we know so well.

My goal for the new year was to read 30 different books by December 31.

I want to really lean into fiction and y’all it’s not going so well, I’m behind because I’m really taking my time reading.

One of the books that I am reading is one C.S. Lewis’ most famous works; “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

We all are familiar with these series of books where C.S. Lewis uses fictional tales about a place called Narnia to give the reader a different perspective of God.

One of the most fascinating characters in the story is Aslan the great lion.

In The Chronicles of Narnia, the children are preparing to meet the great lion Aslan. Susan asks the question all of us want answered when it comes to power: “Is he safe?”

And Mr. Beaver responds, “Safe? Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

That line resets everything.

Because most of us have been trained—by culture, history, and sometimes even church—to believe that real power must be harsh to be effective.

That power proves itself by dominance.

By force.

By fear.

If someone is truly powerful, we assume they will eventually hurt someone.

But Paul says in 1 Corinthians that God’s power doesn’t show up where we expect it.

“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.” (v.18)

Here’s the problem: We keep looking for God’s power in lions who roar to destroy, while God shows up as a lamb who lays down His life.

So often when we think about God, we refer to God as the lion and the lamb.

I wonder why we see God as more lion than lamb?

In other words, I wonder do we truly see God as a lamb even though John continues to reference God as the lamb throughout Revelation.

I can’t speak for you but for me, sometimes it’s difficult to see God as truly a lamb.

Sometimes I don’t wish to see God as anything other than a lion.

Why?

….because a lion represents strength.

It represents what we consider power.

Nothing in a lion’s natural habitat can prey on it.

As a matter of fact, think about the nickname or montra we gave lions.

We call them “king of the jungle.”

Why? because the lion controls the ecosystem where they reside.

The lion is the apex predator with no other organism challenging it for the top spot.

The lion roams on the savannah basically with an all you can eat buffet.

Disney made an entire movie portraying the lion as the royal court of the African savannah.

Does the description of the lion not describe our God.

Then you have the lamb.

A sheep.

An animal who has many predators and is often led to slaughter.

There’s nothing amazing about a lamb.

As a matter of fact, GiGi is getting ready to do Easter mini photos with a lamb.

This is something we do every year and every year I feel bad for the lamb.

The power lamb sits there and gets beaten on by the kids.

Guess what the lamb does.

They just lay there in their own world.

They don’t try to bite.

They don’t try and kick.

As a matter of fact, the lamb even leans in closer to it’s abuser which are a bunch 2,3,4, and 5 year olds for more affection.

They’re vulnerable creatures.

And describing God as a lamb just doesn’t sit right with me.

It bothers me.

Why God, must you describe yourself as a lamb?

Think about what I told you about the lamb.

Now think about why it could be difficult for the Christian to think of God as the lamb.

If I’m honest with myself, I believe the reason why it is difficult for me to see God as the laamb also, is due to my own perception of what power truly is.

Power doesn’t play by our rules.

Aslan is dangerous. He could tear Narnia apart if he wanted to. But his danger is never directed toward domination—it’s directed toward deliverance.

That’s what makes him good.

God is powerful.

God is majestic.

But God is also gracious.

And I think that it is important for us to remember that the true power of God lies in the restraint that he gives us.

In two weeks we will be in the season of Lent.

We will be journeying to Calvary and then to the empty tomb.

We will truly experience the true power of God.

We will experience God’s restraint.

As humanity, since the beginning of time, we have been like those 2,3,4, and 5 year olds.

We have just abused God during our mini Easter sessions but even when we’ve done God wrong, I feel that God has leaned in closer.

Not to do us harm but to give us more affection.

To the point where he is led like a lamb to slaughter for us.

Y’all the greatest truth our faith, is that we serve a crucified God.

Paul tells the Corinthian church this truth:

God chose what is foolish to shame the wise

God chose what is weak to shame the strong

God chose what is low and despised to bring down what the world worships

In other words, God doesn’t lack power— God refuses to use power the way we expect.

The cross is not God running out of strength. The cross is God redefining strength.

Some within the church in Corinth sought to rewrite Jesus’ story because it didn’t exude strength in their eyes.

Jesus in their eyes didn’t die as hero’s death like Achilles.

His death didn’t mirror that of Hercules.

They couldn’t wrap their heads around a God who would die for his people’s sins.

They couldn’t reconcile God being a lamb.

Then if we look at the Jews, they were still looking for a sign from God of the coming Messiah.

They didn’t realize that the Messiah had already come.

There’s no way that Jesus could have really been the Christ. The Son of David. The chosen Messiah because he was hung on a tree.

He died a shameful death.

Paul reminds them and us that while it’s foolish to you, it’s strength to us.

For us to have life eternal.

For the work of restoring God’s creation.

For Jesus to overcome our shame, our guilt, our sin, our brokenness for us.

I believe that he had to die in the manner in which he did.

The cross is strength.

Again, we serve a God who was crucified.

A God who showed enough restraint and willingly died for us.

That’s power!

And because we serve a crucified God, God’s power showed radiate from us.

Think about what that means for a moment.

Think about how Jesus lived his life.

Think about those who truly followed him.

Jesus was born in the most meager of ways.

He lived in the most meager of ways.

He died in the most shameful way one could day.

What might Jesus being saying to us about who he is and what he expects from his followers?

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.