IV. Intro:

Corinthian church condition compared to a faltering marriage

Ellen & I so in love, everybody can tell we’re honeymooners. It wears off, and we begin to wear thin on each other. We consider separation/divorce. We decide to trust God’s Word and plan and work back to joy & contentment.

- The path of that young couple is very similar to the path of this young church that Paul writes to. The church of Corinth, is only about 5 or 6 years old. Old enough to be out of the honeymoon stage, and it was beginning to show. They had started off with great hope and excitement, but like that young couple, somewhere along the way they became distracted. Fighting and division, immorality and indifference. Surely they must have asked if they, collectively/individually, could make it and make a difference. Then in chapter 1, verse 11, we read that a certain family told Paul all that was happening in the church, and with great concern, Paul writes..

V. Scripture: 1Co 1:26 - 2:5 READ

Illustrations:

Too Stubborn to Admit I Need a Savior

- Men can be pretty stubborn when it comes to driving. Most of us could be an hour late and completely lost, but consider that better than stopping and asking for directions. We confidently believe we know where we’re going, but after many wrong turns, it becomes abundantly clear to all that we were lost. Then, instead of stopping and asking for directions, that male stubborness keeps us driving, and making wrong turns, till the others in our car start heckling and making fun of us, but we keep driving, refusing to stop and admit we’re lost.

- And that’s the way we approach our salvation. We refuse to admit that we don’t have all the answers, that we are need of a Savior. And we say to God, "Don’t worry God, I’ll take care of my own life. I’ve got things under control, I don’t need any directions. I’m doing just fine on my own." And God patiently waits, and he waits, and he waits for us to know Him. For us to know that he has provided a way. And that way is Jesus Christ.

VIII. God works thru “fools”

A. God is not calling those who are pure and right w/Him, He is redeeming those who are not, purifying them, and making them right with Him, through the blood of Jesus!

B. God chose mostly:

· Not wise, but foolish

· Not powerful (influential), but weak (money/power)

· Not esteemed (well-born), but lowly (low-born) and belittled

· Those who would serve, then, need not past pedigree, but present cleansing and willingness to live for Xst in the future.

· Fully a third of the pages, as well as a third of the books are written by or about murderers that became God’s chosen servants.

C. Jesus gives us the power and wisdom we need to serve.

· When I boast of my seminary training and acquired knowledge, my experience in many settings and acquired wisdom, and my connections and acquired power, I am in grave danger. God loves to humble the proud, and I will be unfruitful since I do not have what it takes to produce life change and salvation.

· He does all this for His own praise, and to reveal Himself as the fixer.

· If I have any success in the past, and hope for any in the future, it will be of Xst, and so I should only boast in Jesus.

X. proclaiming foolish wisdom

A. Paul intended that Corinthians’ faith rested on Jesus and His power, not his wise words.

· Paul was clearly intelligent and learned, and at many times used that to debate others, and said in Scripture that he strove to take every thought captive to Xst. What he did not want was for those skills and actions to become the basis of the faith of others. At Corinth he was led to take particular care in this regard.

Illustration:

Trying to Power A Lamp plugged into me, life not plugged into Xst.

Plug it into my fingers, blow hard with plug in mouth, plug into nose.

“Daddy, I do it!!”

B. Why Xst & Him crucified?

· The ultimate miracle our souls long for is to be free from our guilt and pointless existence and to become right with God. It is only the power of the Christ, displayed in resurrection that can accomplish this.

· Christ crucified is also the demonstration of God’s wisdom, where He brought together His perfect justice in judging sin, and His perfect love in redeeming all who would come to Him and have that cure applied to their lives.

· Christ crucified also show power in weakness, a seeming failure the pivotal success.

C. Not PoMo Rhetoric

Illustration:

Slick Salesman can sell anything. God is calling us to proclaim, more than sell.

Ice to an Eskimo

Milking machine to man with one cow, who pays with the cow!

Waterless cookware.

· I wondered this week how often have I caused the faith of others to rest on my reasoning from the Scriptures, or tried to? Is it not possible to see the logic of the cross, without seeing the Jesus of the cross?

· It is the cross, sin and repentance, and the love of God that is important. Neither the legal equation, nor the love displayed is enough. It must return to Christ crucified and a personal response of repentance and surrender.

· You don’t need to win the PoMo Rhetoric battles.

· You can claim that

· You can proclaim that.

XI. INVITE:Music:Look what you’ve done (mp3)

A. Tree 63, God, through the foolishness of the cross has saved us, what can we do for Him? Give Him our lives and become servants of His foolish wisdom.