Throwing a Raw Potato Against the Wall
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
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22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Some things in this world just do not make sense.
God will take things, He will use people that we never will understand why he used them
He will use things that we think to ourselves God will never take and use.
The people in the Bible never understood why God would take a cross and have His Son die upon it for our sins.
Spiritual things cannot be discerned by unredeemed people, but that does not matter. The Cross must be preached about just the same.
The Cross and Christ crucified and risen from the dead, overcoming death, hell, and the grave must be proclaimed.
In verse 19, it says “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent”.
That is recorded in Isaiah 29:14.
Verse 19 speaks to those who are wise in their own eyes which in effect they have forsaken the ways of the Lord.
In verse 20 it says, “Where is the wise?” This presents the first of 3 taught people who lived in that day.
Then it says, “Where is the Scribe?” This pertained to the Jewish Theologians of that day.
Then it says, “Where is the disputer of this world?” This is speaking of the Greeks who were seekers of mystical and metaphysical interpretations.
Then it goes on to say, “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
This is speaking of what God did in sending His Son to the Cross to redeem fallen man.
He did this by the cross and this was something that all the wisdom of the world could not do.
1 Corinthians 1:21
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
What this is saying is that mans puny wisdom, even the best that it has to offer, cannot come to know God in any manner.
This, in general,is talking again about the preaching of the cross.
Verse 22 says that the Jews require a sign, and that sign is the Messiah setting up His earthly Kingdom and defeating their enemies.
They want the Messiah to take the throne and make Israel a great nation again.
The Greeks were seeking after wisdom; they thought that wisdom would solve their problems they faced, if it did than why were they seeking after more wisdom?
1 Corinthians 1:23
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
When we preach Christ, crucified, it is the foundation of the Word of God and Salvation.
To the Jews, the stumbling block was the cross; it was foolishness unto the Greeks because they found it difficult to accept God as a dead man hanging on a cross.
1 Corinthians 1:24
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
This is referring to those that accept the call of God.
It does not matter if we are Jew, Greek, and Gentile the call is for everyone who will listen and apply His message.
Christ is the power of God and He is the wisdom that we need in our walks.
Verse25 is saying that the foolishness of God is wiser than man.
God will achieve the mightiest ends by the humblest means.
In verse 25 when it says, “and the weakness of God is stronger than man”, it is not saying that God has any weak areas.
This is referring to what man thinks is weak, but actually is not.
This is referring again to the cross of Christ!
It is not by the wisdom of the flesh that we will ever understand the calling of God.
Now we are getting to the part of the Scripture that I want to really emphasize.
1 Corinthians 1:27
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
God will take things that we don’t understand, things that people will consider to be foolish to confound people who are wise in there own eyes.
God will take weak things in the world’s estimation to confound the supposed to be wise.
I have entitled this:
Throwing a Raw Potato Against the Wall:
Here’s the reason why:
Dream 2-29-08
I dreamed that I was being trained to pitch by a major league pitching coach. He told me to use a raw potato and to practice throwing it against the wall. I knew that this did not make sense, but I knew that he knew what he was doing. I took the potato and threw it really hard against the wall. I smashed the potato. He told me to throw the potato real easy against the wall. I did exactly what he said to do. Somehow the potato was all right. I knew that the instructor knew how to get me in shape.
Interpretation
1 Corinthians 1:27
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
The major league pitching coach would represent the highest form of training for a pitcher.
Jesus would be my instructor.
He told me to use a raw potato and practice throwing it against the wall.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;
I knew that it did not make sense but I knew that the instructor knew what he was doing.
I am sure when God told Joshua to march around Jericho 7 times and not to say a word, that he might not have thought it made sense.
He listened to God and marched 7 times around the city, once each day, and then they let out the shout because God did what He said that He would.
Remember when Elisha told Naaman to dip 7 times in the Jordon River and his leprosy would be cleansed?
Naaman didn’t understood why he had to do what the prophet said, he ended up listening and God literally confounded the wise.
In the dream I took the potato and threw it against the wall way too hard.
Maybe God is telling me that I am trying to hard, He might be telling me just to listen to what He says to do.
It might look crazy, but I know what to do.
I need to learn to be gentle with what God has given me, and the same thing goes for you.
Be gentle with what God has revealed to you, you have a great trainer who can and will bring to pass what He has spoken, just be obedient to the Word that He speaks.
Church our instructor knows how to get us in shape.
It takes me back to another dream:
2-21-08
I dreamed that something looked dead, but I knew that it was still alive. Someone wanted to put the subject to rest, but I knew that there was still hope. I knew that what looked dead was a miracle that was about to happen. I saw the miracle literally come to life. I literally saw the power of God move upon what seemed dead and brought it to life.
Sometimes this church looks like the promises that God has made to different people, will not happen.
This church is going to fill up in Jesus’ name, I am standing upon the promises that He has made.
Some people, who do not understand, might want to put the subject to rest, but I know that God is about to do a Supernatural Miracle within the Work of this church.
God is going to move upon this church and we will grow.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Church we need the meat of the Gospel of Christ.
Do you know what goes good with meat? How about potatoes?
What we need is the power of God to move in our lives.
Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Are you ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?
It really is the power of God unto salvation.
Are you throwing a raw potato at the wall too hard this morning?
Maybe it’s time to let our pinching instructor teach us how to pitch.
The pitcher in the dream represents me; the instructor represents Jesus Christ this morning.
A pitcher controls the game of baseball, but the pitching instructor teaches him how to get the job done.
Jesus shows me through the Word how to get the job done.
Closing
Do we believe that God can take weak vessels and make them strong?
He has with me, how about you?
