The Power of the Cross
By
John C. Orlando, Jr.
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Abilene TX
20 Feb 2005
Text:
1 Cor 1:18-24
Intro
In 1st Corinthians, we discover a church that had been
presented the glorious truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yet, in time, divisions sprang up among them.
And it is clear when we read through the 1 Corinthians, that one of
the problems that resulted in the divisions was that there were some who were
denying the truth of the Gospel of Christ, even going so far as to deny the
Bodily Resurrection of Christ, in favor of other worldviews that ultimately
viewed the Gospel of Christ as either a stumbling block, or just mere
foolishness.
As
we come to our passage this morning, Paul draws our attention to the very heart
of:
I.
The Message
A. It’s not about the
preacher! Prior
to verse 18, Paul tells us of the divisions that were occurring in the church,
and in v. 11-12, he notes that
people were exalting their favorite teachers over and against the others. But
the Gospel isn’t about the preacher, as Paul would say in 1 Cor 3:4-6 (read),
and in verse 17 Paul cuts to the heart of the matter (read). All of the
divisions, all of the immorality, and all of the false teaching occurring in
this church could be traced to the fact that the Corinthians had abandoned the
clear preaching of the gospel in favor of worldly wisdom and high sounding
rhetoric, and had in effect made the cross void.
B. It is all about the Cross of Christ! “18 For the word of the cross…” What
is the word of the cross? The New Testament teaches us that the word of the cross; the message of the cross, is the amazing message that the infinite God-Man, the Prince of Peace, humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, lived a life of perfect obedience to God’s Law that we never could, and then laid down His life on the cross where He became sin and bore the full penalty for sin that our law-breaking required. It was there, on the cross, Christ became a curse for us, and in doing so He succeeded in actually, not potentially, redeeming all those that the Father had given Him by His substitutionary atonement on their behalf. Christ did not merely make men savable, He actually saved them by His shed blood alone on the cross. And, it is because of the finished work of Christ, that those who rest in Christ have been delivered and declared righteous in God's sight by virtue of having the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to them.
We will have more to say about the cross, but for now we see Paul draws our attention to:
II.
Two Groups of People:
Those who are perishing, and those who are saved.
A. The Perishing: Verse
18a cont'd “…is foolishness to those who are
perishing,”
The perishing are those who are headed for hell. They consider the message of the cross as foolishness.
The word “foolishness” here is the Greek word “moraine” which is
a derivative of the word “moros” which means “silly, stupid” and is the
word from which the English word “moron” is derived.
That’s what the word of the cross is to those who are perishing:
it is silly, stupid, and in a word, mornic!
Illustration: I’ll never forget the time I witnessed to a guy that I was in a
car pool with. After he had put
forward some objections, which I answered, I then began to present the Gospel to
him. For about 20 minutes during
the ride I told him of the glory of the Gospel, of how God so loved the world
that He sent His Son to die on the cross for sins, and that everyone who calls
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved because of what Jesus did on the cross.
As we approached his office, I felt like I had made some headway, and I
told him that he could pray to receive Christ anytime and place, and if he would
like, I would always be available to lead him in a prayer along those lines if
he so desired. At that point I was
expecting a response of “wow John, you know, that is something, and I will
definitely consider it, etc.” Instead
though, after I had finished talking, he just looked at me with a wry smirk, and
said words that I will never forget, “Yeah, right.” And then he turned
around and walked into his office! I
stood there dumbfounded! You
see, to me the Gospel was (and is) something altogether wonderful and glorious!
The word of the cross is my very life!
But to my friend Verne, everything that I said was utter foolishness!
While this may be utter foolishness to those who are perishing, Paul
nevertheless says:
B. V. 18b “…to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 3 things to notice:
1. First is the word
“us” – Who is the “us” that Paul is referring to? It is very
important to remember that whenever we see the word “us” in the Scriptures,
we must understand who it is that is in view in context.
For some, every time the word “us” appears, some read it to mean all
people without exception. A similar
thing is done with the word “world.” However,
if we adopted that method of Biblical interpretation, we would turn the
Scriptures into one volume of contradictory nonsense.
Clearly the “us” spoken of here cannot refer to all people without
exception, for a very obvious reason: Paul has just told us about those who are
perishing! Therefore, the “us”
that is spoken of here, refers, as it always does in other passages that speak
of redemption, to those whom Paul is writing the letter; namely, to God’s
covenant people, the elect of God. It
is this “us” that is being referred to, and it is this “us” that Paul
says are:
2. “Being saved” – Christ is saving His sheep! Christ came
to accomplish all of His Father’s will, which was for Him to come to earth to
redeem those who were chosen in Christ from all eternity. It is not that God
simply made salvation possible, and then went off to read the newspaper
somewhere while we are left to ourselves to either accept or reject the Gospel.
No! Salvation is of the
Lord, and the Lord God Almighty is acting in space and time, through the agency
of His Holy Spirit, to apply and bring to pass the redemption that was
predestined from all eternity within the Counsel of the Trinity, and then
accomplished on the cross; which Paul says is:
3. “The power of God” – The preaching of the cross is the power of God that brings
about our salvation, not our works of righteousness and merits (as if we could
ever have any in the presence of an absolutely Holy God), and not our “free
will” decision (after all, the only thing a sinner can freely choose is that
which is according to his nature: sin! Jesus said that we are slaves
of; in our fallen and unregenerate state, we are in bondage to our sinful
nature).
We are powerless, and the only power that can bring about our salvation
is that which flows from the Throne of Omnipotence.
The only power in the universe that can raise one to spiritual life who
is dead in their trespasses and sin is the power of God, and it is the cross of
Christ that is the power of God because it is there, on that horrible torturous
tree that the Prince of Glory conquered death, hell, and the grave.
It was there, at the cross, that the perfect Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world has made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all
of our trespasses, and having wiped out the hand-writing of requirements that
was against us and was contrary to us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to
the cross.
It was there, on Golgotha’s Hill, where our great God and King forever
disarmed the principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them and
triumphing over them by His infallible work on the cross!
And, it is here, in the glorious work of Christ on the cross whereby God
is going to exalt His glorious grace and wisdom, and stop the mouths of the
scoffers for all eternity, as Paul says in verse 19 quoting the prophet Isaiah
(read verse 19). Turn to Isa 29:13-15.
God is rebuking Israel because they were, among other things, honoring
God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.
Even today this is the case in the church, where the wheat and the chaff
grow together. But please note, God
will not be mocked. You can fool
some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool the Holy God of the
universe.
Paul
now is going to contrast:
III.
God’s Wisdom Versus Worldly Wisdom
In
doing this, Paul makes reference to three groups of people, which I believe,
broadly speaking, categorizes all unbelievers.
Paul does this by asking rhetorical questions. First, he asks:
A. “20 Where is the
wise man?” – This not only
describes ancient Greeks, it also describes, in the final analysis, every
unbeliever. These are the ones
today who say just live your life the best you can.
Be a good moral person, do unto others as you would have done unto you,
and when you die, if there is a God, He’ll surely let you into Heaven. Next Paul asks:
B. “Where is the scribe?” (Religious experts): The scribe refers to the Jewish scholars who were professionally trained in the teaching and application of the Mosaic Law. They, along with the Pharisees, would be described by Jesus as blind guides who though they searched the Scriptures, nevertheless failed to grasp that they testified of Christ, and that Moses actually wrote about Jesus! And if that is the case, and Jesus has now come in the flesh, fulfilled the Law in all of its demands, was crucified, died, buried, risen, and ascended, where does that leave the scribe? Where does that leave the one who lifts up the Law of Moses as the means for attaining right standing before God? Paul tells us the answer in Galatians 3:10-13 (read). There is only one power that can save; the cross of Christ. Third, Paul asks:
C.
“Where is the debater of this age?” The
reference is to the Greek philosophers, who would engage in long and tedious
disputes. Today the "debaters" manifest
themselves in those who not only construct their intricate philosophies in an
effort to explain away the existence of God (and if they don’t do that, to at
least explain away the relevance of any notion of God), but also by those,
again, who may not even be aware of any kind of philosophical systems, yet find
any and every excuse not to submit to God. Regardless of which debater it is,
the charges are always the same: The Bible isn’t true, There is no
Hell, What about all the other religions, All Christians are just hypocrites,
Unless I see God I won’t believe, I'm OK you're OK, etc.
As
a matter of fact, I saw one of the best examples of a "debate of this
age" one evening as I was watching Scarborough Country on MSNBC.
Joe Scarborough, who is the host of the show and is himself a believer in
Christ, was interviewing Bill Maher, the host of the recently cancelled show
“Politically Incorrect.” Maher is known for his sharp wit and intellectual musings,
and is fond of taking pot shots at Republicans and Conservatives, and is
extremely critical of Religion in general, and Evangelicals in particular.
When the issue of religion came up, and the influence that so-called
Evangelicals evidently had on the recent Presidential election, Maher began to
comment on how ridiculous religion is.
He spoke of how Evangelicals and their ilk have more or less buried their
heads in the sand and completely ignore modern science, and as a result of their
influence our culture has become more “Puritanical.”
And then Maher stated that the primary problem is that those, like
Evangelicals, who would believe in God the way they do have, and I quote, "a
neurological disorder."
As Bill Maher was speaking, I could almost hear every secularist in our culture
crying out “Amen! Preach it
brother!” I could hear the
majority of secular college professors chanting “Go Bill, Go Bill, you’re
our hero, you’re our hero!” You
see, Mr. Maher simply articulated what most secular people believe, and while I
disagree profoundly with Mr. Maher, I appreciate the fact that he just stated
what he believed, why he believed it, and said what most people are simply
afraid to say. He was an apt
apologist for the cause of the skeptic.
The
question though for all those like Bill Maher, who would dare poke their puny
fingers in the face of God and scoff, is…where is the debater of this age?
Oh, you have a lot to say, but in the final analysis, who cares?
What does it matter? What
meaning is there to what you say, and why should anyone give a hoot about what
you say? Do you think God is up in Heaven ringing His hands and saying,
“Oh my…Bill Maher and those smart people have problems with Me …Oh me oh
my…what I am I going to do?” What
God has done is the very thing they hate…He has sent forth His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins by dieing on a cross and rising from the dead!
And in light of the debaters rank blasphemy, God, the Psalmist writes,
“sits in Heaven and laughs and hold them in derision” (Psalm 2, 53, etc.),
and, as Paul says:
B.
“Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
There
is an empty tomb that stands as the perpetual reminder to all that our Redeemer
lives, and because He lives, all other belief systems, no matter how
good-sounding, and no matter how enticing, are shown for what they really are:
the vain and foolish imaginations of sinful men who will stand one day
before a holy God to give an account for all of their foolishness. Paul now
shows us:
IV.
God’s Means of Salvation:
A. Read verse 21:
First, it is:Not through the wisdom of the world:
While
man is without excuse before a holy God because he can clearly see that a holy
and infinite God exists by what has been made, man nevertheless cannot ascend
into Heaven through the power of his naked and fallen intellect.
This is something that must come by special revelation, which itself
speaks of the sovereign nature and design of salvation.
And notice, this isn’t by accident, rather, Paul says it is in the
“wisdom of God” that it so, and it is something that is well pleasing to
God! The means of salvation is,
Paul says:
B. “Through the foolishness of the message preached” – Obviously,
Paul is speaking ironically…the message that is preached is not really
foolish, it is only foolish to those who are perishing, and it is Not what
people want to hear!
1. “22 For indeed
Jews ask for signs” –
The Jews were famous for demanding miraculous signs before they would believe
something. The great irony, of course, is that when they were the direct
recipients and eyewitnesses to some of the most spectacular miracles in recorded
history, such as the parting of the Red Sea, and the pillar of cloud by day and
the pillar of fire by night, Israel nevertheless, and in quick time, turned from
the one True and Living God and erected their golden calf and worshipped it
instead of God.
In Matt 16:1-4 we see some Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to see a sign
from Jesus (never mind the fact that Jesus was constantly being rebuked by them
for performing incredible miracles of healing on the Sabbath!).
Jesus rebukes them for not being able to discern the sign of the times,
tells them that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and that
no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah, a reference
to the fact that Jesus would die, be buried, and then rise from the grave.
That in itself is an incredible sign, yet even that would not be enough
to convince them of the truth that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of the world!
The asking for a sign was done in unbelief, and as Jesus told them, they
could not discern the signs of the times. What
“signs” of the times? As
prophesied all throughout the Old Testament, this was clearly the time of
Messiah, and Jesus had clearly demonstrated that He was Messiah.
As a matter of fact, He is the only person in history who could possibly
be the Messiah! He was born at the
right, in the right place, was from the right lineage, performed the miracles
that only the Messiah could perform, and many other things that time simply does
not permit. Yet, the Jewish leaders
still refused to acknowledge Christ.
Lest we look down on them for being so spiritually dull, let us keep in
mind that they are but a microcosm of how we all really are deep down inside.
As a matter of fact, the church is filled with people who are constantly
seeking one spiritual high after another, and one miraculous event after
another. All of this, and the words
of Jesus ring just as true today as they did 2,000 years:
it is a wicked and adulterous generation that asks for a sign.
We must walk by faith, and not by sight, looking to the only sign that
God has been pleased to give us; the sign of Jonah.
And as we look at that sign through the eyes of faith, what is that we
see but the all-powerful, all-sufficient and effectual work of a perfect God and
Savior who was crucified, died, buried, raised, and ascended, and who ever lives
to make intercession for His people! What
an awesome “sign” that is! What
a powerful sign that is! It is the
only thing that can give us life, and it is only the thing that can sustain from
day to day.
2. “and Greeks search for
wisdom;” – For the Greeks, it wasn’t really a
search for truth, which would be found in true wisdom.
Rather, they were constantly looking for the new provocative and
interesting take on ultimate reality and life that would be stimulate their
intellects and tickle their itching ears. Instead of these things, Paul drives us home to:
V.
The Essence of Biblical Christianity
The
essence of Biblical Christianity isn’t preaching about signs, or in words of
worldly wisdom. It isn’t doing as
the scribes, and pointing people to a system of empty rituals and things that
have been made obsolete. Rather,
Paul says:
A. “23 but we preach
Christ crucified,”
It is interesting that Paul does not say, “we preach sermins that will make
you feel good about yourself…” or “we preach the principles on how you can
learn to love God more,” etc. He
says that we preach Christ crucified.
Paul would not be moved from the cross of Christ.
While this is great news for us, we see this was :
1. “to Jews a stumbling
block”-
What was it about the cross of Christ, that was considered a stumbling block to
Jews? Well, for one thing, the idea
of a suffering Messiah completely went counter to what they thought the Messiah
would. For most Jews, the Messiah
would not come to suffer and die the shameful death of crucifixion!
The Messiah would come in glory and power and defeat all of the enemies
of God’s chosen people, and usher in an age of perpetual social and political
perfection and peace that would never end. The Messiah was the hero of the Jews
who would right every wrong ever foisted against the Jews.
But now we see this Jesus, from, of all places Nazareth!
Can anything good come from Nazareth!
Oh yes, we see Him do mighty works, works that really only the Messiah
Himself would be able to do, but then, inexplicably, we hear Him saying things
like, “The Son of Man must be handed over to the Gentiles and be
crucified…” We see Him flogged
within an inch of His life, the flesh hanging from His bones as He stands before
the people, and the people cry out “crucify Him!”
This was scandalous, that is, morally repugnant and outrageous to the
Jews.
2. “and to Gentiles
foolishness,” What
is it about the cross of Christ that could possibly be considered foolish to
Gentiles? Everything!
From the fact that the Bible teaches that man is totally depraved, to the
absolutely sovereignty of God, to the fact that the Bible teaches such a
primitive and barbaric view that this pie in the sky divine Father figure would
need to be appeased, and the way He is appeased is by offering His One and only
Son to be murdered, you can just hear these purveyors of so-called wisdom
laughing hysterically.
3. “24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God.” If Jews consider the cross a stumbling block, and Gentiles think it is foolishness, who in the world then will ever believe? Or to put it another way, why is that one person comes to love and cherish Christ, while another person does not? The answer is provided for us here. The difference is the calling. The calling here is the effectual calling of God that is bestowed upon all those whom God had unconditionally chosen for redemption before time began. The only difference between those who consider the cross a stumbling block or foolishness, and those who rejoice in the glory of it and cling to it as their only hope of salvation is the sovereign grace of God. We see a direct link between the effectual calling of God that always results in salvation, and Christ who is the power and wisdom of God. Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are the called by His perfect life and perfect work of atonement on the cross, and secured everything that is related to the salvation of the elect.
VI. Conclusion
So, what does this all mean for us this morning? Four things:
A. We must be vigilant. We are constantly being bombarded, both from within and without, by “wisdom” so-called that either explicitly denies the Gospel of Christ, or implicitly undermines it. Yet, Paul points us to Christ, who he says is: the power and wisdom of God.
B. We must understand that the world does not like what we have to say. However, He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world, and we must not be ashamed of to proclaim to the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for all who believe.
C. We must be consumed with The Glory of the Cross. We must, as Paul says “preach Christ and Him crucified.” —That which represented the most hideous form of execution and cursing now became the ultimate instrument of glory and blessing. It is at the cross of Christ where:
1. The full penalty for sin--past, present, and future--was paid.
2. I have been made a new creation, and given power to live a holy life
3. I have been saved to the uttermost, which will result in my ultimate glorification and deliverance from the very presence of sin itself.
D.
We Must Look to Christ
- In light of the glorious message of the ccross, we should then ever rest our
gaze upon the One who is the power and wisdom of God, Jesus Christ.
Many
people scoff at the notion that we would simply do that. Why don’t we talk about other things? Why don’t we talk about how to please God more, or love God
more? Because, if we are preaching
Christ and Him crucified, what else is there?
Paul
said I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified! Beloved, let us exalt
and rest in the power of the cross! You
want to please God more? Then flee
to His cross and do not move from there! You
want to love God more? Then flee to
His cross and do not move from there!
It is here, at the cross, that the hymn writer says, “sinners of a humble frame may taste his grace, and learn His name; may read, in characters of blood, the wisdom, power, and grace of God.” “Our hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. We dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ Name!” Amen