The Spiritual Message of the Cross

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INTRODUCTION

This morning as we begin, turn in your Bibles or scroll on your device to . We’re continuing in the book of I Corinthians with a series we are calling Wild Times in Corinth. If you were with us last week, you’ll recall that Paul explained how the wisdom of God in the way He provided for salvation is considered foolishness by those of the world. In today’s passage, Paul is going to continue this line of thought while delving into the message of the cross and the way he was on mission to communicate it.

Before we turn to the Word, let’s pray and ask God to speak through His Word.

Prayer

Read Scripture

1 Corinthians 2 ESV

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Warren Wiersbe was a Bible teacher and author who influenced millions for the Gospel. I read an account of a time when he was riding with his wife in a car. She was driving and he was reading page proofs for another author’s book that he had been asked to review.

He wrote, “Occasionally I would utter a grunt, and then a groan, and finally I shook my head and said, “Oh, no! I can’t believe it!”

Occasionally I would utter a grunt, and then a groan, and finally I shook my head and said, “Oh, no! I can’t believe it!”

“I take it you don’t like the book,” she said. “Something wrong with it?”

He wrote, “ Occasionally I would utter a grunt, and then a groan, and finally I shook my head and said, “Oh, no! I can’t believe it!”

“You bet there is!” I replied. “Just about everything is wrong with it, because this man does not know what the message of the Gospel really is!”

There was a time, however, when that author had been faithful to the Gospel. But over the years, he had begun to take a philosophical (and, I fear, political) approach to the Gospel. The result was a hybrid message that was no Gospel at all.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 572.

In Corinth, there was a thing happening that is also happening in churches today. Men are mixing philosophy, or psychology, or moralism, man’s wisdom with God’s revealed message. Famous preachers on the internet have their own “interpretation” of God’s message, even to the point of inventing their own vocabulary. You’ll hear them start with the Bible, maybe, but then go into all of this logical, philosophical justification that makes it seem like God would operate the same way we would… or the way we think He should operate. This is error. Why do we think we need change the message or justify the message or do anything other than teaching the glorious truth of the message of the cross. What these folks seem to either not know or simply have forgotten is that:

I. The message of the cross is not of this world. (verses 1-6)

Occasionally I would utter a grunt, and then a groan, and finally I shook my head and said, “Oh, no! I can’t believe it!”

“I take it you don’t like the book,” she said. “Something wrong with it?”

“You bet there is!” I replied. “Just about everything is wrong with it, because this man does not know what the message of the Gospel really is!”

There was a time, however, when that author had been faithful to the Gospel. But over the years, he had begun to take a philosophical (and, I fear, political) approach to the Gospel. The result was a hybrid message that was no Gospel at all.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 572.I. The message of the cross is not of this world. (verses 1-6)

At some point, you have to recognize that this message of the cross did not come from us. It’s not of this world and it will not be bound up by our human reasoning or wise explanations. We must regain an understanding of the supernaturality of the Gospel. I’m not talking about getting all mystical and weird. But I am telling you flat out that we often look for human logic in the way the Lord works. We like to confirm that we believe that His ways are not our ways but then we expect that He will act like we would.

A few years ago, apologetics experienced a massive growth in interest from well meaning Christians. Apologetics is the defense of the faith. In other words, giving a reasoned defense of the faith. Now, I have studied these things and they are good to study. However, there are some brothers out there who believe they can argue someone into the kingdom of heaven. Please understand. The message of the cross is not of this world. It is of God. And God tells us in His word that the only way someone comes to Him is because He reveals Himself to them. So, yes apologetics is great, but we must share, teach, preach, and live understanding that it is God alone that saves and the message is not enhanced by our good presentation. The message is powerful to save. God is good to save and He uses weak vessels like us to share this good news.

a. The Apostle’s Resolve

A. The Apostle’s Resolve

Compare how Paul followed the Lord Jesus’s commission when he had been in Corinth. and Matthew 28:18-20

Paul reminds them of his approach… the centeredness of the gospel on the death of Christ

Paul didn’t come to start a fan club.

What he determines not to do: Not depend on eloquence or education in his preaching.

There’s a bit of an echo in verses 3-5 of

Zechariah 4:6 ESV

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Zec

What he determines to do: He will depend completely on the power of the Spirit

Paul’s humble demeanor suited his message.

b. The apostle’s reason (5-6): He will do this so their faith will rest on God’s Word and not on Paul’s wisdom.

b

II. The message of the cross was ordained before this World. (7-8)

a. Handcrafted for the saved. (7)

this involves God’s wise plan to bring believers into the glories of heaven.

b. Hidden from the unsaved. (8)

Had they known the truth they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

III. The message of the cross was reserved for the heirs of this world. (9-16)

a. Concealed from the human spirit. (9)

No mortal can ever see, hear, or even imagine what wonderful things God has prepared for those who love him.

b. Revealed by the Holy Spirit (10-16)

What he does (10-12)

He reveals to us God’s deepest secrets.

ii. How he does it (13-16)

This is accomplished through the Scriptures.

Conclusion