Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Closing Illustration: Hebridees Revival of 1949

In the late 1940’s two elderly sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith began to pray for revival on the little Isle of Lewis about 50 miles off the coast of Scotland.

One of these sisters was blind, and the other was hunchd over so badly she could barely walk.

But they loved Jesus.

They were for Jesus to work a miracle.

They began hosting people in their home for prayer and worship.

People started to come.

They called their local pastor, a man named Duncan Campbell, one day to interview him.

A strong man, a stronger preacher.

But they weren’t interested in either of those things.

They had one question for him, “Are you a man of prayer.”

He said, “I believe so.”

They began to pray for revival.

And through the prayers of those two little old ladies, one of the most famous revivals in human history swept across the Hebrides, thousands coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

It all started with a little old blind lady and her older hunchbacked sister committed to prayer.

Personal

God so often uses that which the world sees as weak to shame the strong.

He uses that which the world sees as foolish to shame the wise.

As Christians we must see beyond what the world sees.

We must train ourselves to see the power revival to who little old ladies.

Contextual

We continue today in our sermon series on 1 Corinthians.

The theme I will be preaching on is that of Power Dynamics in the Kingdom of God.

Last week we introduced the letter by studying his greeting in the first few verses.

And what we saw was that before Paul jumped into the issues that 1 Corinthians will ultimately deal with, he first rooted them in their identity in Christ.

We saw that every Christian, no matter your background or story, has a new primary in Christ.

You are sanctified (that is made holy), and you are a saints (that is a holy one) because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

And in verse 10-17 last week we saw that Paul introduced his first major problem in the Corinthian Church, that of internal divisions and politics.

1 Corinthians 1:11-12 “11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.

12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.””

In chapter 3 Paul is going to hit the issues of Divisions in the Church head on.

But today he continues to lay the infrastructure that is needed to have that conversation.

The issue, and the reason for these political factions in the Church, was that each group favored one leader over another.

Some loved Apollos who was a brilliant orator and were certain that is where the power lies.

Some loved Paul who was a brilliant church planter, and were certain that is where the power lies.

Some loved Cephas (the Apostle Peter) who was Jesus’s closest disciple and were certain that is where the power lies.

The divisions were power struggles.

Who was right?

So today, Paul eviscerates their concept of power and possibility.

He’ll teach us that there is strength in weakness & weakness in strength.

His main idea is ‘The Way of the Cross is the Antithesis of the Way of the World.’

Idea 1: The Offense of the Cross

First, let us look at the offense of God’s wisdom.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 “18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the debater of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Two Types of People (18)

Verse 18 begins with God’s vision of humanity.

There are two, and only two, categories of people.

There are those who are perishing.

And there are those who are being saved.

Paul begains his entire conversation here, and it is the correct place to begin, for until we understand this we will never understand the world around us or the people around us.

Those who are being saved are those who have repented of their sin before a Holy God and have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Those who are perishing, are those who have never made the decision to trust in Jesus Christ.

They are perishing because unless they repent and trust in Jesus, they will incur a judgment of eternal separation from God in Hell.

The Word of the Cross (The Gospel)

Paul says that, “for those who are perishing, the word of cross, is foolish.”

At the center of this passage is the idea that the primary message of the Christianity is foolish and weak in the eyes of the world.

But let’s get this straight.

What is the word of the cross.

The word of the cross is the message thatt here is salvation in no other name but Jesus Christ.

The word of the cross is the most important thing you are going to hear this morning.

It is the message that each and every person in here has sinned and is guilty before a holy God.

Every single person has broken God’s commands.

If God were to leave us on our own, if God were to not pursue us, ours would be a story of compounding sin in this life, and separation from God forever in hell in the next life.

That’s how bad our sin is.

But God in his mercy sent Jesus, God in the flesh, on a mission for us.

He became a willing substitute underneath the wrath of God.

On the cross the justice of God is satisfied in full, as one man takes our place underneath the penalty of sin.

The message of the cross is one of forgiveness, of turning from our foolish humanist ways, repenting of our sin, and choosing to make Jesus truly the Lord of our life!

That’s the word of the cross!

Paul Quotes Isaiah 29

Paul then quotes from Isaiah 29 in the Old Testament to support this point.

This is Paul’s way of saying, “We ought not be surprised when learned minds and capable people think Christianity is foolish because this is exactly how God has been functioning all through history, even in the days of Isaiah.”

The Jews of the Old Testament days didn’t build their empire on strength.

They were virtually outnumbered in battle.

It was in their weakness where God always brought victory.

Jews & Greeks

In the rest of these verses Paul develops the idea that the message of cross, the central message of Christianity is absolute foolishness to the world.

He brings up two different types of people that think its foolish.

The Jew (Who represents religiously oriented people) and the Greek (who represents secular minded people).

1 Corinthians 1:22-23 “22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,”

Stumbling Block to the Jews

A crucified savior was a stumbling to the Jews of Paul’s day as it is to the Jews of our day.

Why? Have you ever wondered why many Jews of our day don’t recognize Jesus as their Messiah?

It’s because the cross is a stumbling block to them.

They believe when the Messiah comes he will bring about political revolution.

He will come in human forms of power.

He will come on a war horse, not a donkey.

He will build the temple, not prophesy of its destruction.

He will have a conquering army, not a persecuted Church.

He will be a King ona

Throne, on a servant on his knees.

They wanted visible signs that aligned with their concept of God’s power.