1 COR. 1:18-25

Foolish Wisdom

XI.         Intro: We’re not as smart as we think we are.

Spouse either. Honey, get out of bed, someone else in it!

XII.      Segway: If we aren’t even as smart as we think we are, and our own knowledge can even get in the way, where do you go for answers!?!

XIII.      Scripture: 1Co 1:18-24  READ

XIV. Context:  Per last week, partisan division, leader focused, (judging by eloquence)  1 Body, 1 Savior &…

One Foolish Cross

We need to be Xst centered, not party centered

Wise men have been trying to answer life’s big questions since time began.  None so well that others aren’t still trying

1.                    Paul asks – where are the… vs.20

B.  This season of politics.  Division!

C.  What are the biggest Q’s?  Peace, contentment, eternal life!

1.                    Have politicians, economists or scientist (Wise men) found abundant life and salvation?  The many varied, sometimes self-destructive pursuits of those we know would suggest not, right?

God’s answer has been prepared from the beginning-Garden.

2.                    God’s plan, our problem, God’s provision

3.                    How do we respond to this foolish cross?

XV.     Three Responses

Stumbling: Jews looked for a sign, or experience.

Jews had signs, man born blind, but refused to accept the testimony.

There are & have been signs, but if God won’t dance to our tune, we use that as an excuse not to yield to foolish cross.

Church has often denied God’s power in practice, giving rise again to new age, experiential.  Some streams of church elevate experience over revelation.

God gives sufficient power demos, but leaves belief a choice

Foolishness: Greeks looked for wisdom, or logical proofs.

A.   Athenians had wisdom, but rejected resurrection out of hand.

B.  Ken rejects super-natural a-priori.  Can’t even be in t/ pool.    We don’t really want to consider it.  “suppress t/truth”

C.   Science has its roots in Genrl Rev. leading to greater faith, but when you flip your priority of authority you lose your faith.  Romans 1.  BUT, Genrl Rev insufficient

D.  Man’s wisdom is not permanent.  Flat earth.

E.   Evolution was fact.  It’s being proven wrong.  Microbiology: DNA & RNA chirality, and big bang time limit yield 10121 chance, when scientists take 1050 as line of impossibility.

F.    Geophysics: Precise creation beyond all odds.

G.  No monotheism yet, no writing, so JEDP, but wrong!  Sumerian library and monotheism proven to predate Moses

H.  God planned that attempts to find Him w/o special revelation would fail.

Faith: Xians look for sufficient evidence of a power to change.

I.       We take every thought captive, but with sufficient evidence leading to faith, not total evidence.

J.      Confessions under duress are not valid.

K.  Faith under the duress of seeing God face-to-face would not be faith.  At that point, every knee will bow.

L.    READ vs.23-25, a sufficient demo of power and wisdom.

M. Our response to the Cross is faith and repentance.

XVI. Your Response

Do You REALLY BELIEVE?  You can have back burner doubts, but do you trust?  Do you have appropriate priority of authority?

Are you bold and prepared?

XVII.                      INVITE: