1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31 // LAST PLACE WISDOM

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LAST WEEK

We began our study of the first letter to the Corinthians

We learned about the origins of this city

We learned about the cultural and spiritual atmosphere of this city

We quickly learned about some of the things that were hindering the Church in Corinth.

Paul spent little time confronting the Corinthians on their exaltation of certain individuals and certain practices

We are going to finish the first chapter.

Paul had confronted the corinthians on their exaltation of certain individuals.

They had forgotten what they had in common and began to focus on their differences.

They had forgotten what they had in common and began to focus on their differences.

Paul finishes verse 17 by restating what he was called to do

He didn’t come to baptize people, but to preach the gospel, not in wisdom of words, but in a way that values the Cross above everything else.

THIS WEEK

Paul will continue that thought and speak to the under rated power of the Cross

Question:

But for those who are perishing,

If there was one thing you could biblically glory in, what would it be?

Is it wise for us to glory and boast inn the things we accomplish?

If there was one thing you could boast about, what would it be?

Is it our careers?

Is it our marriages?

Is it our finances?

Is it your position in the church?

What would you glory in?

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 NKJV

18 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. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

PRAY

1 COr 1:18-

1 Corinthians 1:18–19 NKJV

18 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. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Friends, as we represent Jesus to this lost and dying world

We must keep one thing in mind

“To those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness”

To those who don’t know the Lord

The Work of the Cross is foolishness

It is worthless

It doesn’t make sense

It isn’t an investment worth buying into

Think about it:

To the Roman, Greek, and the Jew the Cross and the Message of the Cross didn’t make sense

The Cross and the Message of the Cross didn’t make sense

In the Roman Mindset, one would ask themselves this:

Why would God humiliate himself?

Ceasar would never do such a thing

Why would God allow himself to be beaten beyond recognition?

Why would he come to this world in such a humble costume?

Our king is arrayed in earthly glory

Within the Greek mindset, one would ask themselves this:

If He was truly God, why did He die? He was supposed to be immortal.

Our gods are eternal.

If He was truly God, why didn’t he fight back? He was supposed to be all powerful.

Our gods, though they can be crippled, they never die.

Within the Jewish mindset, one would have told themselves:

Our Messiah would have set up the Kingdom right

Our Messiah would have put Rome in its Place

Our Messiah wouldn’t have taken on the shame of the cross

Cursed is the one who hangs on the tree

What Jesus did on the cross as both Savior and King has an effect on those who hear the story, but it has the greatest effect on those that embrace it.

Those who hear it are blown away and a bit perplexed

While those who embrace it, are humbled that anyone would do this on their behalf.

People with great degrees, who have created life changing products, don’t know what to do with the story of Jesus because their is none like it.

People with great degrees, who have created life changing products, don’t know what to do with the story of Jesus because there is none like it.

They say great things about Jesus

But the call to come and die is too much for their reputation.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE

THE PEOPLE OF GOD, WHO HAVE CHOSEN HUMILITY, WHO HAVE CHOSEN SELFLESSNESS

THESE PEOPLE ARE A SPECIAL PEOPLE

CHURCH, WE ARE SUCH A UNIQUE GROUP OF PEOPLE

"No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life." Albert Einstein

A PEOPLE GROUP WHO HAVE FOUND THEIR VALUE IN WHAT OTHERS CALL “FOOLISH”

FOR US, WHO ARE BEING SAVED, THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS THE POWER OF GOD PENETRATING OUR VERY SOULS.

This power though seen as foolish, puts to shame the wisdom of the wise.

It brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

PAUL CONTINUES . . .

1 Corinthians 1:20–25 NKJV

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

PAUL BEGINS TO CALL OUT ON THOSE WHO ARE SO-CALLED WISE

HE CALLS OUT THE SCRIBES WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER

THOSE WHO LIVE TO ARGUE WITH PEOPLE OF FAITH

HE SAYS: “HAS GOD NOT MADE FOOLISH THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD?”

Has God not flipped the script on the cultural norm?

Has God not blown our minds concerning our value?

Has God not deepened the meaning of love?

In regards to Wisdom

In regards to Wisdom

In regards to Power

In regards to Love

In regards to Glory

THE WORLD HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF IT’S THRONE BY THE POWER OF THE CROSS

God has relegated the wisdom of this world to the minor leagues

It is no longer a major player on this planet when it comes to Wisdom, Power, Love, and Glory.

Why?

God knew that the wisdom of this world was not populating Heaven

God created man with the ability to make decisions on his own

This gift created a unique relationship

A relationship that wasn’t forced

A relationship unlike any other

God knew that in giving us free will, creativity, curiosity, and a brain fueled by desire

That this gift may go south

Man was willing to trade his relationship with God for the knowledge of Good and Evil

Sad part was that man was willing to trade his relationship with God for the knowledge of Good and Evil

Man was willing to trade his relationship with the Father for a season of pleasure

Man had this drive to know it all, but at what cost?

Because of this reality, God chose to put to shame the wisdom of man, in order for them to search for a deeper purpose.

It pleased God to put to shame the wisdom of this world

He knew what the outcome would be

To proclaim

If this world could not satisfy it’s occupants, maybe one day they would realize they were not made for this world, but for something better.

THE JEWS WERE LOOKING FOR A SIGN

GREEKS WERE LOOKING FOR WISDOM

AND WHAT SATISFIED BOTH HUNGERS WAS THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

Though it satisfied both hungers

The Majority of Jews saw it as a stumbling block

The Majority of Greeks thought it was foolish

But there was a remnant

A group within those two groups

That God called out in the midst of stumbling and foolishness

And to them, Christ stood out as the Icon of God’s Power and God’s Wisdom

Though some saw it as foolishness

God’s foolishness was proven to be wiser than man’s

Though some saw the Cross as weak

There was a people group who saw it as stronger than anything man could ever accomplish.

PAUL THEN SPEAKS PERSONALLY TO THESE

HE NARROWS THE CONVERSATION TO THE JEW AND THE GREEK WHO HAD CHOSEN TO FOLLOW JESUS.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NLT

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

FRIENDS THE WORLD WILL NEVER AGREE WITH OUR LIFESTYLE

WHEN WE CHOOSE TO LIVE FOR JESUS,

WHEN WE CHOOSE THE HUMBLE SELFLESS QUIET LIFE THAGT THE GOSPEL ENCOURAGES

It will stump the world

We will be seen as the foolish ones

When God called us

We were wise, but in our own eyes

We were powerful, but only in our little world

We were wealthy according to this world

But in God’s eyes

We were unwise, weak, and impoverished spiritually speaking

God chose, to take those who are weak, unwise, and poor

To bring to shame the powerful

To relegate the wise

To wake up the rich

God chose humility, selflessness, and servitude

To bring to nothing the things that the world values

He chose Jesus, the Humble Servant King

To bring to nothing the things that the world cherished

In doing so, God stripped humanity from the permission to glory in itself

No more can it say,

“Look what we have built for ourselves”

“Look at the marvelous works of man”

“We have no need for God”

However, In Christ, there is another narrative

A Narrative that speaks to what God can do for the sinner and the prideful

In this narrative, the sinner, the failure, the unfaithful can find rest

Rest in a wisdom that comes from above

Rest in a wisdom that comes in the person of Jesus Christ

Rest in the reality that now,

In Christ

We are righteous

We are being sanctified

We will be redeemed

In Christ, we can boast

But only in Christ