Fools for Christ's Sake

When I was in college, I inherited, for my college apartment, my old family recliner. Now in its time, it was a nice Lazy-boy recliner. It had seen better days, but it was still comfortable to sit in and relax.

Now, in those days, I was a pretty large guy. I weighed in somewhere around 300lbs give or take 30 pounds, mostly give. That recliner didn’t hold up too long, but I found a way to “prop” it up. I used the “yellow pages.” Anyone remember phone books? Yeah, that’s what I used. And it worked for a while, but eventually the chair had to be discarded into the rubbish. As useful and resourceful as it was, that phone book was not designed to prop up my recliner.

There are many people, places, social or cultural norms, customs that we can use to prop up our “Christian life” or even our “Church”. Some would even call it “wisdom.” These “props” are no better than that old phone book I used to prop up my recliner because these are just substitutes, imposters to the foolishness of God.

So too, people, places, social or cultural norms, customs, what “they” are saying, what the media continues to push, cancel culture, societal pressure, our status, or even the busyness of the church calendar and programming to keep folks entertained can be used to prop up who we are in Christ. Rather than abiding in Christ, we find a replacement for Him and stake our claim there.

If we are following what society says, if we bend to social pressure, then the church is trying to prop itself up on a populist model, wanting to avoid being canceled. But Paul in our text today calls us to be fools for Christ’s sake.

The Corinthian church had a problem. They were divided because they gave allegiance to men rather than Christ. This was a case of, “I follow Paul” or “I follow Apollos” or “I follow Jim Bob” because they were thinking these men are the ones who propped up their standing in Christ, in the church, thinking it made them look wise, which was important to the Corinthian.

Because they were following man, Paul found divisions amongst them…factions which ought not be in the church. Paul’s main concern with Corinth is that they were NOT following Jesus.

Friend, if you’re going to claim to follow Jesus, you have to be willing to look foolish to the world. You might even have to become a bit undignified. Here’s what Paul had to say...

The Message of the Cross is the Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 CSB

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

There is a difference in how believers and unbelievers see the world. Now that may take you by surprise, but it really shouldn’t. Perhaps an even bigger issue is that often times there are NO differences in how a Christian and an unbeliever view the world. There are times in culture, especially the last 70 years of our own nation, where this difference is seen. The sexual revolution of the 60’s really culminating in Roe v. Wade, leading eventually to the Obergefell v Hodges decision of 2015 where the Supreme Court decided to change the Biblical definition of marriage…well they tried…can’t change the Word of God.

It is the wisdom of the ages, the wisdom of culture, the wisdom of society that is absolutely destroyed by the Power of God through the Cross of Christ.

Look at verse 18 - The Word of the Cross is foolishness…listen…when you decide to follow Jesus, and live a “Yes, Lord” life, people will look at you kind of funny, maybe a bit different even.

We cannot prop up our lives of following Jesus based on the wisdom of the world. It will NOT work.

Here is the BIG difference between the world and the church.

The world lives according to standards of sinful human wisdom.

They seek selfish desires, live in the flesh, carry out the desires of the flesh.

They might do some good, and they’ll love all the things the world, cultural and political, say to love…they’re most likely woke.

The Church, in Christ & changed by the Holy Spirit, following Christ perceives that the CROSS is not foolishness, but rather the POWER OF GOD.

The Church is different. The church now sees life through the lens of Scripture, the truth of God’s Word as the Spirit of God leads/guides us into the truth.

We carry out our lives where the fruit of the Spirit is evident.

Paul stresses this truth, as you continue to read, so that by this radical difference between the outlook of the Church vs the unbelieving world we will understand that the way of Christ does NOT depend on sinful human wisdom.

1 Cor 1:19 Paul quotes from Isaiah when he warned Judah that God would destroy human wisdom.

The people of God would come to God during their temple worship with flowery speeches and external praise, but the real situation in their hearts was they were far from God. Their love and trust were far from Him.

It was false piety, superficial praise. Going through the motions!

This was supposed to be a time of heart felt worship, praise, and joy to be in God’s presence. But this is not what God saw in the people.

Yet God will act again to cause a marvelous thing to happen.

Although you’d think God will just His people due to their stubborn sinful living, God rather, acts in a totally unexpected way.

We do not see God act in 29:14, but if this references back to 29:5-7, then we see God act in divine grace to confound the King’s “wise” advisors who guided the king. These wise guys acted contrary to God’s wisdom.

But in every age, God’s ways are marvelous and beyond our human reasoning.

Yet, God’s Word gives it to us plainly…if we’d just listen to the Word of God.

Friend, the CROSS is that Word. It is the framework for Christian living, not human wisdom. This is why I will preach Christ crucified, because the cross of Christ is sufficient.

Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me…there my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary.

1 Cor 1:20, Paul continues to question where is the wise man? The teacher of the law? the debater of the age?

All referencing Isaiah here

The wise man - mocking the Egyptian wise men who couldn’t figure out the ways of God.

The Scholar - The Assyrian scholars for their arrogance in the assumption they’d be victorious over God (Is 33:18)

The debater/philosopher - This is directed more for Paul’s time.

God has indeed made the world’s wisdom foolish. Not just in Isaiah’s day, but on a larger and more important scale, the foolishness of human wisdom.

Human wisdom would never lead anyone to believe that God would send His Son, and allow His Only Son to be crucified to mankind.

God’s actions, according to human wisdom, is foolish, but through His actions, God frustrated human wisdom.

1 Cor 1:21 - Here is how He accomplished it!

The world’s wisdom does not lead to Christ, but God saved those who believe the foolishness of what is preached.

1 Cor 1:22-23 - Competing Voices - Mixed Messages

The world, the Jews, and the Greeks, wanted different proofs.

The Jews wanted signs - Here’s the problem…Even when God worked the signs, or Jesus worked the signs…they failed to be convinced. Which leads one to believe they only wanted the miracle, and not a relationship with God who worked the miracle.

The Greeks - They wanted knowledge. Their standards were a bit higher than miracles and signs. They exalted their teachers and philosophers. They’re so smart they must be right. So what happened then is they subject themselves to a fallen standard.

In contrast, Paul simply preached Christ crucified.

A church that is united is a church that preaches Christ crucified.

Yet even the church today sends out mixed messages. Some preach self-help, other preach about how to get along with other people and there is absolutely no mention of how we must surrender to Christ. Listen, you can live your best life now, you can be woke if you want to, friend hell ain’t no joke. I’m a firm believer that if a gathering will not present the message of Christ crucified, then should stop calling themselves a church, and be a coffee house, or a self-help clinic or whatever else you want to be.

Even though the world thinks this is the most ridiculous story they probably have ever heard, to those who are being saved, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God. These are the people whom God had called to Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor 1:24-25 - When the grace of God touches your life, the veil is lifted from your heart, you begin to understand that this is not human wisdom, but rather the power of God changing your life.

This is how the drunkard never touches another bottle, the crackhead never snorts again, the pornographer never dials up that website, the murdered fights to save lives rather than take them, the thief gives back that which he took, the liar tells the truth, the gossipers shuts their mouth…this is the power of God to change lives.

The Message of the Church Boasts in Christ

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 CSB

Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

One message you will hear often repeated in Scripture is the call to “REMEMBER”. Paul says to “consider your calling...”

In the OT, it was a call for the Israelites to remember how God intervened on their behalf multiple times. Egypt, the Red Sea, manna, Esther, the time of the Judges…over and over again.

In the Psalm of King David’s repentance, Ps 51, he prays, “Lord restore to me the joy of my salvation...” Why…because he remembered the joy he once had but had lost.

Here, Paul is asking the Corinthians to remember their condition when God first called them. From the world’s perspective, they were fools for believing in Christ.

Notice - their status in life was not why they were called. They were not wise by human standards, they were not influential or of noble/ruling class.

The wise, powerful, and sophisticated of the world tend to boast that they became Christians because they deserve to be the people of God. The elect become elite.

The Corinthians were doing the same thing by saying, “I’m of Paul” or “I’m of Apollos...” Let us never forget, that WE DO NOT DESERVE ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY SALVATION. IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON OUR MERIT.

In other words - The wise, powerful, and sophisticated think it is because they are wise, powerful, and sophisticated that God must have saved them. That is completely wrong.

So God chose what was weak, to the shame those who would put their merit of human wisdom, the merit of human power, the merit of wealth, the merit of sophistication, the merit of nobility as the reason they were “saved.”

1 Cor 1:30 - Underline this verse, especially the first phrase, “It is from Him that you are in Christ...” Friend, you are not saved because of you, but rather salvation is of and from God. Why?

Because left to ourselves, we cannot be righteous, sanctified, or redeemed. That could only come through the Cross of Christ. In fact He IS our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. SO THAT, WE CANNOT BOAST ABOUT OURSELVES, BUT ONLY BOAST IN CHRIST.

Listen, the message of the church must always boast in Christ. We boast about a lot of things...

Our church does this ministry.

We reach this demographic.

We have a dynamic worship leader.

We have a ok preacher.

We have a pre-school…we have a great location…we have the best vision statement…we have the best this or that...

It’s no different than the Corinthians boasting in following Paul, or Apollos.

But how refreshing it is to hear the church boast in Christ Jesus.

The Faith of the Church is Based in God’s Power

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 CSB

1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

Paul argued that he did not present the gospel according to the world’s wisdom. He simply focused his attention on the central message of Christ’s death.

He simply came and announced, proclaimed, and preached the mystery about God which is Christ crucified.

He fulfilled what God had called him to do with the Corinthians.

He proclaimed all that God accomplished in Jesus Christ.

Now, if Paul had come with eloquent speeches, flashy sophistication, there might have been some swayed by Paul’s announcement.

But the problem with that is simply this, they would not have been stirred by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was the center of his teaching. Nothing else.

1 Cor 2:4-5 - The demonstration is a legal term that describes irrefutable evidence offered in court. So Paul’s preaching had the support and power of the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in the Corinthians lives. That is the KEY! His preaching wasn’t powerful because of his wisdom or sophistication, but rather because the Holy Spirit was at work.

This is why the faith of the church is based on God’s power. It isn’t the pastor, the staff, or any thing other thing than the power of God.

I’ve mentioned, because Paul does, the power of God. The term “power” here has to do with the effectiveness of the cross to make God known, to accomplish salvation, and to transform lives.

We boast in the Lord because our faith rests in God’s power, not our own. The power of the Gospel, brought through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, is the foundation of UABC’s Christian faith.

As you move forward praying and searching for your next pastor, I encourage you to always make sure UABC is propped up on the foolishness of the Cross of Christ, not propped up on the wisdom of the world. Hold tight, as fools to the power of Gospel message. It isn’t a broken record, it is the power of God to change lives. Ultimately and totally, you don’t follow Paul, nor Apollos, nor Chris or any man who stands in this pulpit, nor any minister of this church … I implore you to “fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”