Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 1:18-20

November 18, 2001

 

Intro: We saw in Verse 12 that part of the problem of division, that

         existed in the church at Corinth, was people had become

         respecters of men and not God.

A-  The problem is that the message of the cross is getting lost or diluted in this practice.

1-   Do you go to any service to hear a person or the word of God.

a-   When you hear a message that inspires you do you come away thinking:

-         What an awesome teacher

OR

-         What an awesome God that, that teacher has.

Some years ago a gentleman living in a country town in England went to London and while there heard some renowned preachers.

Writing home to hi wife, he said, “Last Sunday I went in the morning to hear Dr. so-and-so (A very eloquent speaker) and in the evening I went to the Metropolitan Tabernacle to listen to Charles Spurgeon.

I was quite impressed by both of them.

Dr.

so-and-so is certainly a great preacher, but Mr. Spurgeon has a great Savior.”

1 Corinthians 11:1, Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2, Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

B-  As we have opportunity with an unbeliever does he need what I have to offer OR what Jesus has to offer.

(eternal ramifications)

1-   Are we to offer comfort to him in the state that He is in.

a-   Seeker friendly (plain crash)

2-   Do we analyzed and offer empty excuses.

a-   In O.T. God was emphatic about right and wrong

3-   Anything that comes from me, apart from the Spirit is the wisdom of man.

a-   And it makes the message of the cross of no effect.

Turn to Matthew 15:1-9

2 Corinthians 6:2, Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Acts 4:12,  “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

C-  Corinth is about 30+ miles from Athens

1-   Athens = the center for humans wisdom (Berkley)

a-   The influence of man’s perception of what is right and true is going to be great in this area.

-         The advantage of the Jews (O.T.)

-         The disadvantage of the Greeks (wisdom)

1 Corinthians 1:17-18,  For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words (logos), lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

18 For the message (logos) of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

A-  Paul’s point is on the play on the word “Logos” that YOU HAVE 2 WAYS TO GO WHAT MAN SAYS AND WHAT GOD SAYS.

1-   It was the practice of the Greek to Frankenstein their philosophies.

(Burger King religion)

Read Acts 17:16-21

a-   Terry and over-diluting juice.

-         What happens when you take the place where God was crucified in the flesh and add human flesh .

-         What happens when you dilute the blood of Christ with mans.

·        V:17b, “The cross of Christ is made of no effect.

Galatians 5:1-6

2 Timothy 4:3-4,  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2-   How have we diluted God’s word with ours

a-   Evolution & Creation

-Theistic evolution, gap theories

·        Dilutes the power of God

b- Psychology VS Biblical counseling 

-         Psychology looks for the good in man and tries to get him back to that point.

-         Biblical counseling tells us that “good” point never existed in our lives but you can obtain it through the blood of the lamb.

·        Any combination of the 2 dilutes the power of God.

b-   The basis of all sin is when man places his judgements over God’s (in the place of God)

1 Corinthians 1:18,  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.

A-  The word of the cross, THAT WHICH THE CROSS SAYS TO MANKIND is foolishness to those who are lost.

1-   Void of the wisdom of man, which the world seeks after.

a-   Foolishness = Gk: moria = moron

Acts 17:32,  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”

2-   Peter did not understand until the Holy Spirit was sent.

Matthew 16:21-22

John 18:10-11

Acts 2:23-24, 3:13-15

1 Peter 2:24

a-    Peter came to an understanding of that which seemed foolish.

l- How is the message of the cross the wisdom of God

Read verses 19-20

A-  It has always been God’s plan for man to realize his inability and humble himself before a Sovran God who would provide in a hopeless situation.

1-   Paul illustrates by a past example as he quotes Isaiah 29.14.

a-   Assyria is coming to attack Jerusalem and King Hezekiah will not be able to withstand the attack.

-         God has brought them to this point that they would see the helplessness of their wisdom.

-         A point where only He can deliver them.

Read 2 Kings 19:20-36

Turn to James 3:13-18

ll- How is the message of the cross the wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1:20,  Where is the wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the disputer of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

A-  What has the wisdom of man ever accomplished through out the ages.

1-   World hunger (stealing food), disease (aids),  what do we do with the sinful nature of man.

Paul looks at the WISE MAN, SCRIBE, THE DISPUTER.

THE WISE MAN:

2 Timothy 3:8-9,  Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

A-  Look what happened when these “WISE MEN” contended with God.

1-   In Exodus 7, God = blood, They made more.

a-   God  = frogs, They made more

Exodus 8:18-19,  Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not.

So there were lice on man and beast.19

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”

But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

Exodus 9:11,  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

2-   Where is Solomon today (the wisest man)

a-   John Lennon, Timothy Leery

-         Though love and peace could come through drugs.

·        Look at the fruit of that deception today.

THE SCRIBE

Isaiah 33:18,  Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is the scribe?