The Word of the Cross

FIRST: What is Expository Preaching?

INTRO:

“You have everything you need…now… be the church

Being the Church takes FOCUS

1) Focus on what’s important (vv. 10-17)

Stop living in the past

get out of your box, the weights of the past

stop letting others keep you there

Live for Christ NOW

because of what He’s done!

Paul’s mission (urgent, present)

PREACH CHRIST - not to baptize first

ASIDE: Baptism always follows salvation

Repent and (then) be baptized

Believe and (then) be baptized

“Repent (decide to be clean) and then put on new self (show people baptism)

THEM (Corinth) - Big on baptism and status of the baptizer

(not so much on the life in Christ!)

SO, NOW - get back to truth (or start there), and stop making up reasons to argue and/or divide

2) Focus on God’s Wisdom

Problems arise when we follow the world’s wisdom (what makes sense to us, fallible)

Salvation - people thinking their own way end up in Hell, while people following God’s wisdom join His family!

Verse 18 - His wisdom seen in the “word of the cross”

The cross: we smile, light it up - to THEM, “foolish that a cross could make us happy

TRUTH - the cross, we measure time before and after

Crucifixion - disgusting, embarrassing, humiliating (compared to USA ‘humane’)

Two Kinds of People

Those who belong to “this age”, this world

Those who belong to the age to come, with Christ

Two Groups, “On the Way”

On the way to ruin, apart from repentance and faith

On the way to glory - “not yet arrived”

On the way to ruin - if no change, that’s the end, this world is the best it will get

On the way with Christ - saved with work to do

WORK TO DO for BOTH

Lost - repent, faith, be saved

Saved - grow, transform, show it = “one being saved” - (present ACTIVE Gk)

The Power to the Saved ()

Not talk, but POWER!

So…the cross…Power to 1) make God known, 2) accomplish salvation, 3) transform lives

ALL THIS is GOD’s PROMISE! His wisdom, compared to man’s foolishness

Corinthians wanted an “easier” or “prettier” picture of salvation

We often want a simple, “conflict-free” life in Christ - SORRY!

3) Focus on God’s Word (and know that it never changes!)

Declares - “It is written” “according to Scriptures” - God will destroy man’s wisdom!

(, )

Rhetorical Q’s: Where is the wise man....

They don’t see His plan, hidden from them, based on them relying on their own wisdom

God shows His plan to children, literally and “child-like” - THEY BELIEVE!

Always a CHOICE - Faith OR Human Wisdom, God’s strength or self-sufficiency

Paul accurately describes the world around us

Bible-rejecters, Q: “How do we expect the lost to live?”

People say they want signs, miracles, “proof”

THE CROSS, THE EMPTY TOMB, THAT’S THE PROOF (That and the Holy Spirit)

THE CROSS

Stumbling block to Jews, Foolishness to Gentiles - ALL need to accept Christ/cross

4) Focus on NOW!

From human perspective, God saving HIS way = “foolishness of God”

Man thinks he’s so wise and strong

Isaiah 40:12 NASB95

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?

Verse 26 - opposed to the past

What you “were”

We are all from various backgrounds

NOW, if you have trusted Christ - we are all “being saved” - all things in common (Acts)

Corinth - mostly Gentile converts (like us)

needed to be reminded of God’s plan for their lives (like us)

PLAN- trust Christ, live for Him ()

Something to think about

Who were you when you heard, and received, the word of the cross?

Do you recall/remember? There can be no doubt!

FINAL WORD

Boast in the Lord!

Stuff of this world - God will shame it

He chose the weak things

Greek lesson - The foolish things God chose, the weak God chose, the lowly things God chose

WE - are weak - admitting we need His strength

WE - are foolish - because we trust in Christ, the cross, His Word!

That’s how the world sees us.

Very tempting to be the wise, influential, someone of importance - NO!

The “poor” in the world’s view will be rich in faith, inherit the Kingdom

God’s foolish plan - we call grace

The power to those of us who “are being saved”

Is the word of the cross your power, your strength?

Have you trusted Christ? Are you being saved?

For those of us who have, and are, God has great plans for us, no matter who we were, where we came from, what we’ve done.

We get to live for Him. We get to BE THE CHURCH