THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
* The story is told of a little girl who was seen wearing a beautiful gold cross around her neck. One day a Man walked up to her and said, “Young lady, I don’t believe the cross that Jesus died on was that pretty.” Her response, “I know, but everything Jesus touches, no Matter how ugly, becomes beautiful.” What a message for us, for our culture, and for everybody!
* To read this letter (1 Corinthians) is to see an entire church body who has lost their way. Divisions, immorality, theological chaos, and even power struggle/leadership issues are in full bloom leaving church crippled and unable to fulfill her purpose in the city. Candidly, while a great deal of activity continued, it is obvious that the spiritual temperature was somewhere between tepid and downright cold.
* When the spiritual temperature of a congregation cools off one of the first fatalities is losing sight of the cross. Losing sight of the cross results in losing sight of God’s grace, gift, and love. In our text Paul writes that 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.”
* Tonight I want to remind us of the Cross of Jesus, of Calvary, of Shame, of Suffering, and of Salvation. How long has it been since you took a fresh look at the cross? How long since you spiritually knelt and looked into the face of Jesus? How long since your heart was deeply stirred by the price Jesus paid for you? Together, let’s consider 4 actions which Calvary gives.
1. DIVIDES – We all like to “think” that the cross pulls everything together and ultimately it does. But make no mistake, initially it divides. We see the hint of this is verse 18 where we read the cross is foolishness to some and power to others. At the risk of being offensive, how does it impact you to hear a message about the cross? Does it sound foolish, simply, or a waste of time OR does it empower you and renew your commitment?
a. People – All we have to do is look around us and we will discover that people are divided by the cross and its message. Right now I can take you to a First Baptist Church in the buckle of the Bible belt who refused the offer of placing a cross in their worship center. Their reasoning? It was offensive and the money could be used in other ways.
* Since the first century people have been divided about the cross beginning with the two thieves crucified with Jesus. Verse 18 reminds us that there are basically 2 groups of people in this world, those who are condemned and those being conformed, those who are of the norm and those being transformed. It’s a reminder of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7.
* The 2 ways, gates, or roads are a clear indication that the cross divides all things. Before we get put together correctly, we must be divided rightly. One man looks at the cross and thinks, “How foolish.” A believer looks on Calvary and says, “What power and love!”
b. Philosophies – Paul asks the question, “Where are the philosophers, scholars, and debaters?” That is, where are these people who ‘think’ they know more than God? While these are rhetorical questions because he knows where they are and what they believe; Paul clearly understands that every philosophy of mankind is wiped out by the cross of Jesus. There is not one philosophy which can stand the scrutiny of Calvary. Philosophies seem to speak in relativistic terms while the cross makes a definitive statement. Paul knows this because he is one of the most highly educated men of his day. Can we simply understand this from the culture of today? There are those whose philosophies are attempting to shape our culture in ways that are contrary to what God teaches us in His word. A sad truth is that many who “claim” to know Jesus are tacitly approving of these philosophies. One of the reasons for this acceptance is that we fail to remember the power of Calvary.
c. PLANS – (Hear this out before your tune me out) When you and I come to the cross, we make a decision which, in effect, makes our plans for tomorrow and beyond. The old hymn, “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light.” What light was that? It was the light at the end of the darkness which pointed us to a better WAY, LIFE, and Place. This comes back to the question which has been answered by people throughout the centuries, “What will you do with Jesus?” It is the answer to this question which divides people, philosophies, and plans. This question comes into full view when gazing upon the cross.
2. DISPLAYS – Think about how public the cross was and is. It was on a hill for all to see with the cross member being approximately 8’ off the ground. This physical cross has all the earmarks of public humiliation for the victim. Yet, in the case of Jesus, it displays the humiliation of mankind in 3 ways;
a. The Wisdom of Man – Paul quotes Isaiah 29 by saying, “I will destroy (or frustrate) the wisdom of the wise. You see, we like to think that we are pretty smart and so we have a tendency to say, “Lord, I have a handle on this.” It reminds me of Christy and Piper, “Me do it myself!” Generally, when we try to do what we should leave to God, we (like our children) get messed up pretty quickly. In our wisdom we have demanded signs (Jews), sought for answers (Greeks), and have come to the place of over-developed minds and underdeveloped spirits. That’s the wisdom of man.
b. The Weakness of Man – Verse 25 speaks to both the wisdom and weakness of man when it says, “He stronger and smarter.” While we may say “Amen” or nod our affirmation of this truth, it is equally true that the way we live our lives tends to say the opposite. I submit that Paul’s message is “remember where you came from and what God has done for you. You were nothing compare to Him, nothing to offer, and nothing to give.” Does this offend you? Just remember that God took nothing and created the universe from it. The display of the cross tells us that in our weakness He is strong.
c. The Wants of Man – What is it that you and I genuinely want? Some will say, “To love and serve Jesus’ and while this SHOULD BE our answer; we might want to come clean about our wants. Many (if not most) want to brag, boast, and build themselves up. Historically, men have been proficient at this. Presently in this culture, the ladies are catching up. Allow me to offer you a word of positive reinforcement; “It’s okay to brag.” You like that? But here is the qualifier, “You must brag on Jesus.” Quite honestly, HE is the only one worth bragging on. The display of the cross gives us a picture of why we brag on HIM. It is only because of the cross that we can sing songs of joy like; “I once was lost, but not am found, was blind but now I see” or “I’m forgiven because you were forsaken. I’m accepted, you were condemned.” And the list goes on.
3. DEMONSTRATES –When we were on the MS Gulf Coast, the coliseum would have weekend “shows” which offered vendors demonstrating their wares. I love to see the demonstration of the knives because it always showed some great things these knives could accomplish. The same thing is true about the Cross. Think about this;
a. Plan of God – God has chosen to both confuse and confound the world by working in ways which are opposite to the ways of this world. Think about it, He uses the foolish, the weak, the lowly, and even the despised (namely the cross) to perform the greatest miracle in creation. God takes the broken, makes repairs, and then ultimately restores for reuse. You see, God is all about using that which is broken. In Judges 7, Gideon broke 300 pitchers and God used them to win the battle. When 4 men brought the lame man to Jesus, they broke the roof. The cross demonstrates take the broken and doing something wonderful with it.
b. Pleasure of God – To demonstrate the desire and even the superiority of Him, God uses things which man considers foolish to make a difference in life. In God’s good pleasure, He uses preaching, the cross, me, and he even uses you to bring people to salvation.
c. Power of God – Think about the power of God; how can anyone take a cross, abuse, suffering, shame, and death to produce life. Honestly, not just like, but abundant life here on earth and eternal life beyond the grave. God at His dumbest is smarter that we are at our wisest, and at His weakest is stronger than we are at our strongest. Know what this means? The cross clearly demonstrates that God, at His worst, is better than man at this best.
* Do you know what all of this mean or is for? Listen to the last one.
4. DIRECTS – There is an old hymn which tells us “The way of the cross leads home.” Yes, Jesus is the way, truth and life—and no one comes to the Father except through Him. There is also an old musical which contains the song, “Day by day.” The words are, “Day by day, Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray” and those things are directed by the cross.
a. To See More Clearly – It is only through the cross that we can see the plan, pleasure, and power of God at work in our lives. How long since you have taken a look at Jesus and the cross?
b. To Love More Dearly – When we see the cross and the “Christ of the Cross”, our hearts are impacted in ways which are life changing. When we see more clearly see Jesus on the cross and realize He’s hanging there for us, and then we will choose to love Him more dearly. And like Him, we will love others and desire to the point of action of others receiving Jesus. Can you think of someone who needs Jesus?
c. To Follow More Nearly – The cross leads us to a path that we would never follow without Jesus in our lives. Following Jesus means going and doing what we could never do in the natural life.
* Some people don’t care to believe in the Bible. In fact, 30 or more years ago a man said to me, “I don’t believe in the entire Bible because there are some things I’m uncomfortable with.” WHAT? “I don’t like what the Bible says about women, sexuality, hell, and virgin birth.” My response was, “I don’t like some things in the Bible. I don’t like the cross. I don’t like Jesus had to die for me to be saved from hell.”
* Here is the final question; “The cross, power or foolishness for you?”
