December 11 - 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 - "Silly Season #1"

MPC 11th December 2016.

Dan Wilton

We're well and truly into December now - only 14 days to go until Christmas.

And I don't know if you've experienced it but people seem to go a little crazy this time of year - it's almost as if we enter some sort of red, white and green twilight zone.

People are running around buying excess amount of food (that probably won't all be eaten) and feel the pressure of dishing up meals that would rival the Masterchef kitchen. We compete for the grandest Christmas light display on the street - some people not satisfied unless your house can be seen from space! And for some reason we're compelled to pose for those awful family Christmas photos (I mean who thought that was a good idea?!)

And that's all in the midst of family events, kids presentation nights, work Christmas parties, and all the other end of year commitments.

It's no wonder we call it the silly season!

But in the midst of all this craziness that we can so easily be swept up in, we have a message to preach. A Message that appears foolish to the world around us - but that brings true life and peace to a crazy world.

And it's what we see here in this passage from 1 Corinthians - a foolish message, a foolish people and foolish preachers.

A FOOLISH MESSAGE

Paul's writing to a group of Christians in a city not unlike Brisbane - a bustling city, caught up in the craziness of everyday life, with little regard for the man Jesus Christ.

Look with me at verse 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.

The message of the cross it's not simply the statement that Jesus Christ was killed on a cross - it's more than the historical event. The message of the cross is: that God became a man; he walked among us, and died on a cross, taking our place, taking the punishment we deserve - offering salvation for all who believe.

And can you see here in verse 18 - there are two groups of people. Both hear the same message, but come to completely different conclusions. To those being saved - this message is good news - they've understood it is the power of God to save!

To the other group - those who are perishing, it's silly; it's crazy; it's foolish.

And it's nothing new. For centuries the message of Christ has been seen as foolishness. Have a look at this graffiti from the second century.

It's a picture of Christ on the cross, but with the head of a donkey, and a man worshipping him, with the inscription, "Alexamenos worships his God".

Even in the second century, the message of the cross was considered foolish; those who believed it were mocked. Christianity has never been cool!

And to be honest, the message of the cross is crazy - God Almighty would be born as a baby, that the eternal God would die, crucified on a cross - taking the place of those who have rebelled against him - the sinless one punished, that the sinful might be set free.

The message of the cross is foolishness in every age, and every culture - there has never been a culture where the message of the cross sits comfortably, it's always foolishness - Jesus came not to CONform, but to TRANSform every culture.

It's the nature of the cross. Have a look at how Paul puts it in verse 22:

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews - it looks weak - and foolishness to Gentiles - it looks stupid.

The Jews are impressed by the miraculous and acts of power - and Paul comes along talking about a guy who rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, where he's arrested, beaten, hung on a cross, stripped naked and left there to die.

And this is your God that you want me to give up my life for?! The Jews say show me a miracle, show me power and then I will be impressed.

The Greeks are impressed by big brains, high IQ - clever words, said in clever ways. And the message of the gospel is so simple that a my 4-year-old niece could explain it.

And we're no different. We're drawn to power, seek wisdom, long for success.

But then Jesus pops his head up in human history - he comes in weakness, appears foolish, and is far from successful - he ends up dying on a cross; humiliated.

And it's foolish in the eyes of the world.

Let me put it like this:

If the gospel was a shop it would would be the Reject Shop, not Myers.

If the Gospel was an actor, it would be Danny Davito, not Brad Pitt.

If the Gospel was a rugby team it would likely be the current Wallabies team, not the All Blacks.

Paul then invites those who think they're intelligent to speak up - in verse 20:

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

He's saying - give me you brightest and your biggest and your best and I'll show them up.

Now don't get me wrong, the wisdom of the world can be impressive - an expression of God's blessing.

It can put a man on the moon - but it can't put a man in the new creation.

The wisdom of the world can transplant a heart - but it can't transform a heart.

It can build sky-scrapers that reach to the heavens - but it can't take us into heaven itself.

Verse 19:

For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Our world is impressed by people who can split atoms - but God's far more interested in splitting hearts with the message of the cross.

Paul says don't be fooled. Just because the cross appears foolish, doesn't mean it IS foolish.

Between Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and every other person who has jumped on the band-wagon to say why there is no God... they have a message, and it sounds convincing, and it appeals to the intellect... it looks wise and powerful. But in the end it has no power, and there's no wisdom in it. It does not give hope, it brings despair. It does not give meaning and truth, it brings confusion and doubt.

While the crucified Messiah may not sound like much - verse 25 - the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

The cross of Christ alone - God in our place - is so wise it actually turns guilty sinners into adopted forgiven saints. The cross of Christ alone.

Christ the wisdom and the power of God.

And when you believe in this message - the cross gives us what we could never do - Verse 30:

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God [it may not be deemed wise in the world - but let me tell you how wise it is - it was actually able to give us righteousness - that is we've been made right with God; holiness - we're set apart for God; and redemption - we're set free to serve God.

Who would of thought a dead, naked Jew who hung on a cross 2000 years ago could have achieved all that?!

Crazy! The foolish message of the cross!

A FOOLISH PEOPLE

It is a weak message, it's a foolish message in the eyes of the world, and if the cross is unimpressive then so too are the Christians who believe it.

If you're willing to have a reality check, then read with me from verse 26:

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify - that is to cancel - the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Here's God's sense of humour - God says: When I called you to myself - what were you like?

Words like ordinary come to mind; average; not so special - that's what you were - take a long hard look at yourself - not many of you have made it to the top.

It's not surprising really, that when the message of the cross is foolishness in the eyes of the world, then so too, those who follow this message are seen as foolish.

If God's wisdom was the same as the world's - he probably would go to Hollywood or Oxford. Search out the people you might find in the Forbes' rich list, or those who grace the front page of celebrity tabloids.

Instead God chooses the ordinary; the not so impressive; He turns the world's values on their head.

FOOLISH PREACHERS

The message of the cross seems foolishness to the world, but it's powerful. Christians look foolish in the eyes of the world, trusting in a crucified saviour; and the ones who preach it look foolish - it's a trifecta!

You know when Paul himself came to the Corinthians, it wasn't with the wit of a stand up comedian, or the slick spiel of an Obama Presidential address - he really wasn't a very good speaker.

The Corinthians were a tough crowd - public speaking was an art form for them, and the bar was set pretty high. But Paul didn't make the cut.

In fact he describes what he was like when he came to them. Chapter 2, verse 1:

When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power

I came in WEAKNESS, and with great FEAR and TREMBLING.

This is the great Apostle, who witnessed the resurrected Jesus, and here he is - not so impressive. Paul's terrified of speaking - just like most of us.

But here's the thing, there are no great preachers - only a great saviour with a great message; for great sinners. And the message of the cross is just as powerful from your lips as it was from the lips of Paul. When any of us speak of Jesus Christ and him crucified, to our family, to our friends, to our colleagues - we are preaching the message of the cross. The power of the message is the message itself and the God behind it - not in the skill of the preacher.

It's so tempting for Christians, that when we talk to other people about it, we emphasise those things that seem acceptable or the common ground we might hold. It's something I struggle with all the time - when I even manage to pluck up the courage to talk with others about Jesus, I downplay those things that seem a bit awkward, a bit difficult to swallow, that seem foolish - things that people might laugh at; things that people might mock - like the cross.

Instead we might talk up Jesus' teaching - about what we can be like: treat others as you would like to be treated; how society should be like: care for the weak, do good to others - but avoid the cross.

They're good things, but without the cross, Christianity is just another noble idea, or an excuse for a public holiday.

It's only in the foolishness of the cross that anyone can be saved.

BOASTING IN CHRIST - THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD

So what can we do in response to the foolish message of the cross?

I don't know if you noticed it as we worked our way through the passage, but Paul gives us the answer there in verse 31. It's simple - don't boast in yourself - boast in the Lord!

There is nothing that any of us can do to bring or do. If anything the cross demonstrates our powerlessness - even our best can't achieve what God's foolishness has done.

But it's got nothing to do with our success (or our failure) that we boast - we boast in the Lord.

Look at verse 30 again.

It's because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. A crucified Messiah who has become our wisdom. Our right-standing with God. Our holy life before God. Our redemption into God's family.

So what's there to boast in?

That you saved yourself? Not likely.

That you worked out salvation on your own? Don't think so.

That you were the exception and were saved because you were good? Hardly.

The only boast anyone can make is from the one who has been saved by God.

And that's so liberating isn't it? It's not us who make the Gospel great, it's Jesus. It isn't us that transforms people, it's Jesus. It isn't us that engages the heart, it's Jesus. You see the beauty of what Paul has just shared is that it doesn't become about us but Him. Our boast is in God.

So don't be ashamed of the gospel - resist the urge to go silent because you don't want to look like a fool in the eyes of the world.

Take confidence in what you have to offer. The world thinks the gospel is foolish. Very few of us are amazing speakers or know the answer to every question asked. The world thinks Christians have little to offer. But the crucified Christ who has made us who we are, is the salvation and hope for the world - Even if they don't yet know it.

So why not use this silly season to talk to a friend, a family member, a work colleague about Jesus - not just about the manger and the three wise men - but about the cross. That only through Jesus can any one find real peace and enduring life.

Trust in the power of the crucified Christ. Endure in the face of those who laugh. Hold true to the thing that has saved you and will save them, because to alter the message of Christ is to have men's faith rest on men's wisdom, and not on the power of God. For the message of the cross is the power and wisdom of God.

Table of Contents

A FOOLISH MESSAGE

A FOOLISH PEOPLE

FOOLISH PREACHERS

BOASTING IN CHRIST - THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD