Foolishness to Some. Power of God to Those who are being saved.

Introduction

God is the hero! If I had to pick a favorite super hero mine would be Superman. There’s a scene I like from one of the Superman movies Super man and Louis Lane are talking and Louis tells Superman the world doesn’t need a savior. Superman then takes Louis up high above metropolis and tells her you say the world doesn’t need a savior, but all I can hear are people crying out for one.

Brothers and Sisters the world groans for a savior, thanks be to God he sent one who’s name is Jesus Christ. God is the hero!

Most religions of the world have certain checklist items that you can control whether you check them off or not and arrive safely into the next life. Islam has 5 pillars, Judaism has the law of Moses and other religions have their ways of measuring how far up the ladder you’ve climbed. It is based on how you have lived. Other religions make you the hero of your own story. As we learned last week God is the hero.

The problem with that is this, as human beings no matter how hard we try on our own to be the hero the more we fail to live as God calls us to live. That’s why the world needs a savior. That’s why God in his love and mercy sent Jesus Christ.

Most other religions tell you, you can achieve the goal on your own. For those of us who are being saved Jesus Christ achieved the goal for us so we can follow him to that goal. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

The message God has for us today what others may view as foolish, is the very power of God through which God has saved, is saving and will one day ultimately save all of creation.

Why Foolishness?

Why is the message of the cross foolish to those heading towards destruction?

1 The cross was a horrific symbol of crime, death and execution. Yet Christ’s ressurection transformed it into a symbol of life.

-If Christ were to come in our time now, the message of salvation would probably be through and electric chair.

2 In the pagan world the message of the cross broke into most sought out their god for favor in this life, through sacrifices, keeping commands, doing things to appease the gods.People tried desperately, did anything to please the gods.

3 It would have been considered foolish to suggest that someone else has won God’s favor for you. It would have been even more foolish to proclaim that this person was God himself. Caesar looked at as a god, the cross was a symbol of Roman, Caesar’s ultimate authority over life.

Human wisdom and arrogance

documentary on the historical Jesus

BUT WE WHO ARE BEING SAVED KNOW IT IS THE VERY POWER OF GOD!

God is the hero! The cross of Christ is the very power of God at work for those who are being saved!

Romans 3:21–27 NLT

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

I love how Paul captures salvation as an ongoing journey. When Christ returns or calls us home then that journey is complete. The saving part of the journey is growing in Christlikeness.

Human wisdom and understanding will try to tell us we can live like Christ on our own. Just follow these commandments. Do this don’t do that.

Brothers and sisters if we could do this through keeping the law there would have been no point for Christ to die.

Through the shed blood of Christ God has saved me. Through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit God is saving me. That salvation will be complete when Christ returns or calls me home.

The World Still Needs a Savior

To add an exclamation point to Pastor Al’s message last week God is the Hero of the story. The message of the cross is the superpower through which God has saved, is saving and will save creation.

The world needs a savior. The world still cries out for a savior. God has heard those cries and sent Jesus Christ to live and die as one of us. God became like us that we may live like Christ.

May the transforming power of God through the cross of Christ continue to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NRSV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.