God's Wisdom
Hey, man, are deacons have some cards for you. We passed them out last week. There were two one is a prayer card. And if you'd like a prayer card or an invitation card for these meetings coming up with Thai Spa Club, please just raise your hand as a Deacon's move back toward the back of the sanctuary and let's be praying every day. Right every day that God would impress us with someone somewhere when we can invite that he would move in a mighty way in our city and our town to bring about a great blessing for the kingdom of God. So pause just for a moment and pray as we start our study together Father in heaven. We pray now that you would not only Speak through ties part 11 do a mighty work in our midst when he comes here and in March, but it still speak to us today that you'll move in our own hearts for your kingdom and For Your Glory and for our Salvation is our prayer in Jesus name. amen A website named Fast Times posed the question that I'd like to start with today. What's the greatest logo or what's the greatest brand message of all time? They say that every day the average person gets bombarded with upwards upwards of 5,000 Brands everyday and every brand as you know how to make an impression. He wants something to be tapped in your soul to make a connection there. Then here's our here's a few that they say are among the greatest. Here's the Nike Swoosh. Are you may know that this logo is it kind of feels like speed and power and acceleration of his actually done by a graphic design student that was getting paid $2 an hour and was paid $35 for this logo.
And this is Amazon's logo this logos, you know often times logos have hidden meanings. If you look carefully that line goes from A to Z. And that's what you can order from Amazon anything from A to Z and it's also a smile so then they have you ever noticed that inside the FedEx logo. There is an arrow and that Arrow represents speed to see if there between the E and the X I never noticed that before but that's a good thing for a delivery Enterprise. To have movement speed with accuracy Logistics. And then this one Baskin-Robbins has 31 wonderful flavors and in the b r u c it 31. I never even noticed that before but there's a 31 Flavors right there and the next one doesn't even have a name attached with it. But what would happen if all of these places all around the world we're closed tomorrow?
It would be withdrawal.
And this one McDonald's golden arches that depicts with style the letter M. And by the way, the Business Insider says that this is the most recognizable logo in all the world McDonald's golden arches and Google what Google is just Google you may be noticed that but they do change it every day when you go on to do a search and see what's an ever-changing daily Logan an apple. There's a bite out of that and that denotes the spread of knowledge according to Apple. a good logo It's not just memorable. Is compelling a good logo is one that makes you want to say I've got to have that I've got to do that. I've got to be a part of that. That's what the logo is supposed to do. So I want to ask you this morning. What is the greatest logo ever of all time?
And that question brings us to a critical observation and a start of our study today. We are in a serious as you know, we've been in the book of Corinthians and for three or four 2000 years, the primary image associated with the Jesus movement is the cross the cross.
two pieces of wood fasten together the kill slaves and criminals the cross Is a Christian logo? That's our brand. It's kind of strange is not think of it just for a moment other religions have much more inviting kindly your logos than ours the Star of David the Crescent Moon the lotus flower. These images are lights and beauty and and nature charged with designing a symbol to attract people's attention men and women around the world to be part of a movement. Do you imagine that any marketing expert would recommend the means of execution as that logo?
It's become so familiar then in our day, we don't even think of it anymore. We've sort of becomes desensitized to the fact of what a shocking image. It actually is. This is Stick of Truth for a moment. What if Pacific Power or maybe Columbia area shows an electric chair for their Lego out for their logo and they put this phrase on it. The power is on. That wouldn't go with it. Okay, not at all.
How likely is it that artist would make paintings sir cups or refrigerator magnets with Guillotines on them? strange how strange even more strange that Graves across the world are marked by crosses more than anything else across. And it's Unthinkable. The graves would be marked by anything else. Can you imagine them any other form of execution like Gallows or knives or or guns? Can you imagine a grave being marked that way?
But this did not happen by accident. From the beginning of time God knew that this would be the foremost the most powerful image in human history.
the cross
so the obvious question is why why would God do such a cross? That's where we're going to look at this morning and our study we've been in the book for 4 weeks is our 4th and 1st Corinthians. We started a month ago. And as you recalled Corinth was a powerful City it was is it was a powerful business Hub in a central a cultural center in and a hub of Commerce and trade of a store like this as we've said the Silicon Valley of the ancient world. It was culturally religiously, ethnically very diverse and people living there or obsessed. with status
and if you think a cross is strange to us, it would have been exceptionally strange to them across. The cross is something that marks Christian faith and it's utterly unique among the world's religions. The cross Ivan blazing in this commentary was a former teacher of mine at the Seminary has a book on 1st Corinthians in this is what he says even Blaze and the conception of God and his salvation as revealed in the story of Christ and the cross Is totally unique. Not only that but from a worldly wise point of view, it's downright foolish. salvation by believing in a crucified Messiah ridiculous
until the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No one in the history of human imagination had conceived of such a thing as the worship of a crucified human. never but God Father Son and Holy Spirit from the beginning of time before sin before creation before this whole thing was conceived from time immemorial. They conceived this plan. That would be the only way that they could save. Humankind Jesus like it says in the Book of Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 8. He was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
from before before human time It was Jesus who made the cross the expression of deep lostness of human Brokenness. He made it the expression of the death of humanity. And he also made the cross the measureless self-sacrificing suffering. Love of God all in the cross. And this is the paradoxical expression. This is a paradoxical Pathway to life of victory in satisfaction and purpose and meaning and abundance. It goes far beyond that anything that Nike or McDonald's or Amazon could give you even the remotest taste of the cross.
And I have to tell you until now by Red parts of Corinthians. And especially this verse 1st Corinthians 2:9 with his reference to what human beings have not seen or heard and or conceived and I've always thought that this was a reference to the glory that we will experience in heaven and our inability to comprehend its beauty and magnificence. I don't know what you thought when you looked at this first before what no eye has seen no ear has heard what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love us Paul isn't talking about heaven here. I always thought he was I've courted it before as as an expression of what we're looking forward to put the contacts is not that glorious place. The context is the way we get to Glory. Paul is saying that he is absolutely captivated by the cross the cross of Jesus Christ. and it is that which is beyond our wildest imagination what it means it's the significance of it for us Lookout Paul speaks to the church in Corinth and 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 1 and 2 and so it was with me brothers and sisters when I came to you I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I Proclaim to the testimony about God for our resolve to know nothing while I was with you except Say it with me. Jesus Christ and him crucified Christianity Christianity and its Essence is Jesus Christ crucified.
Christianity is about dr. Debates. Christianity is not about theological margins. Christianity is Jesus Christ crucified. This is the center of the Gospel. This is as 1 commentary said this Jesus identity is stamped in the cross.
the cross wasn't canceled by the resurrection as important as that was the cross wasn't canceled by Jesus victory over death as important as at the cross wasn't canceled by his Ascension. The Cross isn't canceled by Christ and strowman and Ministry in heaven his intercessory Ministry for us. All of it is integral. to the cross the cross
Pause own personal effort in Corinth is mirrored in this focus on the cross. He worked among them preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ not like the esteemed and confident Greek orders did in Corinth. That wasn't Paul notice what he said in 1st Corinthians 2 3 and 4. I came to you and weakness with great fear and trembling my message in my preaching. We're not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the spirits power Paul didn't work among them like other orders Paul didn't fit into the current model. He wasn't a dynamic orator. He wasn't about impressing his listeners or swaying crowds. He wasn't playing games of plot of power and prestige. He wasn't about The Superficial packaging that was so rampant. His speech is actions his life. His ministry would all aligned with the gospel. And that is Jesus Christ and him crucified is it that's what I'm all about Jesus Christ and him crucified crucifixion in those days. By the way was the most horrible the most revolting so degrading that you would never even mention it in polite Society. Here's how 1 Bible commentary n t Wright put it about this verse in 1st Corinthians. He said imagine somebody at a fashionable dinner party going on a loud going on in a loud voice about how he'd seen rats in the body of a dead dog in the street. That's kind of impression you'd make by standing up in public and talking about someone being crucified.
Change the world knew a lot about execution. They know how to do it. They know how to execute people quickly one Fell Swoop would do it.
Crucifixion however, was not merely a means of execution. That's not why they used it. They could actually could have people in a much more simple and cost-effective way. Crucifixion was used because it maximized the pain. Crucifixion took hours and sometimes days for a person to die. Crucifixion was a public spectacle of torture and Shane. The victim was first flogged nearly to death. So that is Flash was torn away from his bones and showing his even his organs they say and then the criminal was paraded to the place of execution through the most crowded streets of the so that everyone could see you before it was done from Maximum attention, and then the man was stripped. completely Spike's to wooden beam and crossbars and hung there before the Gaze of the curious and scoffers that was crucifixion.
That was crucifixion.
A Roman writer name is Seneca who live around Paul's time said this any self-respecting man would commit suicide before ever allowing himself to be crucified.
room use crucifixion Not to execute. but humiliate and to terrify it was for slaves. It was for Rebels. It's for people who were conspiring against the government. Jesus was a rebel.
The pole didn't attempt to minimize.
Jesus a parent failure cuz that's what they would have thought in Corinth. Jesus crucified he was a failure. In fact, just the opposite Paul highlighted Christ crucifixion. He said in 1st Corinthians. 1:22 Jews demand signs Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach imagine it. Christ crucified a stumbling block. Yes influences. Yes, but we preach Christ crucified. It was an oxymoron. We talked about that little bit last week Christman anointed one crucified Matthew were nobody you were ashamed and defeated the two together just didn't make sense.
It would be one thing to preach Jesus the Messiah the anointed leader the wise teacher the noble character, but Paul says we don't teach Christ Alone. We teach we preach Christ crucified. Christ failed shamed defeated humiliated executed 1st Corinthians 2:2 for I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Why why Paul? Christ crucified Christ crucified to the crowds in Corinth meant that Jesus had been tried and he been found wanting. It meant that he couldn't give enough signs of his power to Rally his own people to overthrow their oppressors invented. He couldn't plead his case with sufficient wisdom and eloquence to persuade the Roman Justice invented he tried and he failed and he died and they lost.
but the Paul the cross wasn't failure.
Cross was a redefinition of meaning. a purpose in life
DePaul the cross was the way to human flourishing.
And that's why he was so passionate about it at the cross. I lay down my life at the cross. I confess my sins at the cross. I receive his life. and his forgiveness
that's what the cross is about. and if you never done that before
I'm going to invite you to do that this sabbath. I'm going to bite you to do that. At the cross to give up your time. To give up your money to give up your habits to give up your old self. And to receive a new one in Jesus Christ. I'm going to invite you to do that. Jesus was the master Image Maker. He told us himself that he would use this. He said in Matthew 16:24 before he was crucified. He said whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves. Take up their cross Jesus knew it was coming. Follow me for whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me will find it Jesus chose the way of the cross. He named way of the cross. as his image before he died.
Everything that is truth about God's kingdom runs through the cross. It's more than just. a ticket to heaven the cross
it's more than that. It's it's about the reality of God's kingdom. It's about the fact that those two become servants are Greatest Hits about the first becoming last that's what the cross is. That's about it's more blessed to give than to receive. That's what the cross is. Let's at the cross is about those who seek their life will lose the most will lose their life who died to themselves will receive life and I just life but eternal life. That's what the cross is about. Jesus turned the cross into a weapon intended to kill God.
two weapon that God would use through Jesus to kill death
by dying himself on the cross.
You know every day every day. It happens. 2 as it happened every days of human existence almost to Everyday 105 a minute. 56 million year people died today. They die every way imaginable by violence and disaster. They die of old age. They died of sickness and disease last year. I read that 154 people died of selfie related accidents if you can imagine it.
but one day one day a man died for you a good man What is a good man the best man? The best man died for you. He died a hard. He died the worst death. He died out of love for you.
A very great love for you.
Jesus insisted that the crucifixion was not something that somebody was doing to him.
but rather it was something that he himself chose chose he did. All four gospels give us that impression. Jesus said this and John 10 18 and 19. No one takes my life from me. But I lay it down on my own accord. I have the authority to let down and it's all ready to take it up this command. I received from my father. So the cross at first glance it look like disaster and Cellular in humiliation. It looked at the end but instead. It was sort of like the missing piece of the puzzle. If you know what I mean, everything came together. It pulled everything together and made sense of everything all of the sudden the cross.
in Jesus own life and teaching
He might be called. the great reversal He changed the cross and it changed life. He said he's a blessed are those. Who the world thinks are unblessed? Jesus said the least are the most he said the poor are the rich. He said the first of the last he said you must die in order to live. He said weakness is strength. He said serving his greatness and know his cross. becomes the ultimate Great Exchange It becomes a place where the reversal happens.
I come to the cross and I exchange my guilt. for his innocence my woundedness for his healing my weakness for his strength my Brokenness for his holness my dad for his life That's what happens at the cross.
at the cross top of the morning a few years ago a long time ago as a matter of fact back in the days when I used to travel between two churches and preach at 1 in the morning go to the next one for a second service and there was a lot of Country Road between those two churches and I was probably going a little bit more faster than I should have and I was passing through a ghost town. That was the name of it, but it was pretty much that and and I passed through the center of town and I began to accelerate as they made a 90-degree turn out of what I thought was the end of the town because I was just passing Rosa vacant grain bins and empty gravel lots for egg chemical plants. And all the sudden I saw a blue light behind me.
I quickly pulled over and rolled down my window and got out my license cuz I was in a hurry. I was already late you see. I had the Tennessee then and I still struggling with it. Breaching a little bit too long. And so I was but I didn't have any margin at all. And this Interruption was going to cause too much delay. And so I considered speed speeding up the process by getting out of my car and helping the officer by going up to his car.
But I didn't I didn't do that. I chose wisely and I stayed put but the minutes ticked by and I wondered if my guilt would be doubled because I was driving a Chevy citation. I was they stop making those years ago for good reason.
Who win the kindly officer stuff to my window I could tell he was committed to making a point. Despite the fact that I told them that I just talked about Jesus and I was going to another place where I was going to talk about Jesus again.
He handed me a ticket. describing that my driving infraction and find ameliorate my guilt Guilty, he said guilty.
the cross says There's something wrong with this world. That's what the process there's something wrong with. This place across says I'm guilty. That's what it says. I'm guilty of something bigger than a traffic violation. That's the process. It says that It says that only God can do it. And it does it strangely. in a cross
That's how he takes care of my guilt. Here then is the message here. Then is the meaning of the cross at the cross. Our guilt is declared pardoned. at the cross we are set free. Jesus Friend Peter Who by the way he knew all about guilt and All About the Cross said this about the crucifixion. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross get this so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness for by his wounds. You have been healed the cross. message of the cross Is there something wrong with this world and it needs to be set right? We know that don't we we know there's something wrong. But it's something more than outside ourselves. We like to say it's outside ourselves. We like to say it's something to do with economically like to say it's something to do with politics or ideology or technology or file as you read. I'd like to say that some of those things we will fix it, but it's not on the crosses. It's not about an intellectual idea. The cross is not about a speculative system. The cross is about a wrongness an ill will a moral failure not out there, but in here
it's about deceit It's about turning a blind eye to Justice. It's about bad parenting. It's about cruelty. It's about lust it's about judgmentalism. It's about racial Injustice. It's about hate and it's not out there. It's in here. a mean and you
the message of the Cross is that God did something about that. You did something about that and he did what no one could have ever expected or imagined. That's what the followers of Jesus came to believe about the cross.
When Jesus died on the cross everybody was guilty think of it just for a moment. Everyone was guilty pilot was guilty. He was guilty of great Injustice. The Pharisees were guilty. They were guilty of Envy. The soldiers were guilty. They were guilty of Cruelty the crowds they were guilty of mockery. Even the disciples they were guilty weren't they course, they were cowardice and betrayal. Everybody was guilty guilty guilty guilty.
Jesus was the only one that was innocent.
And he went to the cross.
And allowed himself to be judged guilty. So that blow would fall on him. That's the cross.
And if you come to the cross. And make this Great Exchange. That I'm inviting you to do today. You don't have to go through your life anymore. worrying about death
bring about flashing lights. in the rearview mirror or any other flashing lights
Jesus Friend John wrote these words, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son purifies us from all sin. The blood of Jesus that kind of a strange picture is not I mean, we're so immune to blood these days. We don't like blood we remove it from us as far as possible. But the writer of Hebrews says without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness Hebrews 9:22. We live our our world is a bloodless world, right? Some people when they look at this whole thing find the whole thing gruesome and distasteful. That's what some people think.
But the ancient world was different ancient world was a bloody place. It was a bloody place people in the ancient world were vividly aware that through death through the eating of some animal that was sacrificed or some food. dead plants that were given that life would come. These animals and plants given up in death. We're Life Giving they thought they knew that's what basically all world religions believe. That was the practice of offering sacrifices of dead animals and plants and it was Universal basically Universal in the world. Everybody didn't
but there was a striking teaching that came through Israel. to her profits after Christianity and it was this that ritual sacrifice is not what God really wanted from the human race.
Like the psalmist said Lord, you don't desire sacrifice, or I would give it you don't Delight in burnt offerings. The sacrifice of God are a broken Spirit of broken and contrite heart these or the Lord. You will not despise. That's what Jesus did on the cross. He gave his life when he shed his blood. That's what he did. He gave his life. He had offered the sacrifice that would end all sacrifices and it did.
On the cross he became the lamb that was slain Revelation 5 or 6.
On the cross one man died for you.
When he shed his blood he gave his life and he offered to sacrifice that would end all sacrifices and this is the message of the cross. That's true. The cross the grave is overthrowing. The cross is a place. Across is a place where all the great destructive powers. of the universe all the great destructive powers of sin and guilt and death all those Powers sought the crush Jesus Christ and all that is good with cruelty and hate but they didn't realize that Jesus that Carpenter that Rabbi that God in human flesh would absorb. the Haight and Triumph by loving and forgiving
there are forces in this world too powerful for you. too powerful for any individual their political system is broken cultures and rampant addiction spiritual forces that are real but hard to get in there are forces there and then get people to throw away their lives in the most trivial way those horses. Do they get people to just waste away life in front of the TV they get people to do use p***. They get people to name themselves with drink, they could people to worship money on tolerate deception those forces get people to cherish bitterness and live cynically and all until they died. I just a shadow of what God wanted them to be.
But Paul says it in the cross those forces those Powers met their match. in the cross
in the cross Jesus Christ absorbed that suffering and still loved with a love stronger than the power to inflict hatred and pain. That's the cross. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 2 verse 8. None of the rulers of this age understood it or if they had they would not have crucified the Lord Of Glory. They didn't understand what was going on. They would never have crucified him.
They can't stop his lungs from breathing. But they couldn't stop his heart from loving.
They didn't know that. on the cross death. I'd hate died sin died. And loved one. on the cross So that's what I'm asking you to do today exchange The Great Exchange. All my defeats all your your defeats for one great victory. Jesus victory for you
one of the thing about the cross and Jesus death there. It always brings us to a decision. That's why I'm asking you today. For decision. The cross is a cross roads, isn't it? It is a Crossroads like no other death nor the death in human history has been like this but it is in Christ and a face. That's what the decision what am I going to do? What am I going to do about the cross of Jesus Christ?
Some people reject it and say it's just a message of folly some people procrastinating and find ways to distract themselves, but some people Some people say yes. That's what I want you to do today. Say yes. Some people come to the cross and they bend their knee and they give their heart. I don't want you to do that today. was you would you? To make that great exchange his life for yours. Paul said it I've cruised I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me and the life. I now live in the body. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
This can be this sabbath can be your crucifixion with Jesus day. How about it, huh? I am crucified with Christ. How about saying that with me? Would you say that with me? I am crucified with Christ. Say it again. I am crucified with Christ we are I'm no longer in charge of my life. I have given my identity my purpose my hoe. It's all found in Jesus and ask him to forgive Me to the Cross and become my guide my companion my friend My Savior My Advocate you can do that today. Now you may have already done that so you don't need to do it again because accepting Christ is sorta like marriage you only need to do it once. But if you want to renew your commitment. If you want to renew your devotion renew your love that did good. That's good to do that over and over. But it may be that you've never in your life made that great Exchange.
Today is your day. Today is your day.
I'm crucified with Christ. Let's pray Father in heaven. Today in the quietness of the sanctuary or whatever wherever we are as we worship you. We're saying to you. Yes. Yes.
We are accepting that amazing gift. You've given that us through Jesus Christ on the cross that great exchange work. Our sins are taken by him or death our guilt or pain all our suffering everything that we deserve he took for us and we're accepting Lord today. Your salvation your mercy your grace. In the quietness of the sanctuary with every head bowed. every eye closed Would you like to say to your lord whether you're doing it again? Or for the first time? Would you like to say yes to the cross of Jesus Christ today, raise your hand if you like to say that. You see the hands and hearts of every person here in this place. And as we worship you Lord, so Lord take our lives.
Use them For Your Glory. And your purpose and we will give you all the praise in Jesus name. Amen.