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Sermon Summary              Sunday 2^nd February 2020            1 Corinthians 1:18-31

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Can you remember when you first believed? It was an encounter with the Holy spirit.

THE CORINTHIAN CULTURE – A world full of debate; philosophy– it was confusing the Christians there THEREFORE PAUL WAS BRINGING THEM BACK TO THE FOUNDATIONS OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE

Corinth is a Greek city, there were many Jews. THERE WERE BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS IN THE CHURCH IN CORINTH. The cross of Christ seemed like foolishness both to the Jews, who expected a powerful Messiah—and to the Greeks, who placed a high value on human wisdom. To the Jews, the cross appeared to be weakness, not strength. To the Greeks, the cross appeared to be foolishness, not wisdom. Paul addresses both of these perceptions in these verses.

1 Corinthians 1:18a

Paul is comparing the wisdom of the world (human wisdom) with the wisdom of God, HE IS TALKING TO THE CHURCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD EXPLAINING WHY THE CROSS WAS SO DIFFICULT FOR SOME TO ACCEPT and the wisdom of god is expressed or shown in the apparent foolishness of the cross of Christ.

1 Corinthians 18b

The Christians in Corinth were getting distracted with all the debate and philosophy. Paul is telling them to remember AND to PRIORITIZE DEEPLY THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST. Without a personal encounter with the risen Saviour (the wisdom of God), people CANNOT HAVE THE conviction through intellectual means. GOD HAS TO REVEAL HIS MYSTERY

WITHOUT THE ENCOUNTER GOD’S WAYS SEEM STUPID!!

1 Corinthians 1:19

THIS IS A QUOTE FROM ISAIAH

so is wisdom all bad? no, we need to realise that human wisdom has given us great things. medicine transport education, many comforts that make life so much easier have come from, human wisdom.

Paul is saying that wisdom cannot save you. Human wisdom is FINITE – it has limitations. AND IT CANNOT GIVE US ANSWERS TO THE VERY QUESTIONS WE NEED ANSWERING

1 Corinthians 1:20-21a

In his wisdom, God did not structure things so we can know him through our wisdom. We can know him only by revelation. It is only as God chooses to reveal himself to us that we can know him.

1 Corinthians 1:21b

THE CONTENT OF THE MESSAGE IS THE INPORTANT THING

The PREACHING is centred on the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. It is by those actions that God has chosen to redeem the world. you cannot save yourself. the cross of Christ seems like foolishness to those who refuse to believe.

• why would god send his son to die on a cross?
• why not send him as the head of a mighty army?
• why not send him with magical powers to set everything straight?

The answer, of course, is that while god wants to save the world, he wants to do it by wooing and winning people rather than by coercing them. he wants us to be free to choose.

1 Corinthians 1:22-23

Demanding signs is actually one form of idolatry. if we demand a sign, we are insisting that God prove himself. We want to know. Jesus wants us to believe.

1 Corinthians 1:24-25

The cross is wise and powerful because it is God’s initiative. God is both wise and powerful, so any initiative of God’s will proceed out of wisdom and will have a powerful effect. That is not true of human schemes, because human schemes proceed out of our limited understanding and often fail to accomplish what they are intended to do.

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 GOD CHOSE THE FOOLISH THINGS TO SHAME THE WISE

WHAT A WITNESS! TO SEE THE HAND OF GOD WORKING IN THE ONES WHO WERE NOT NOBLE OR WISE. They were ordinary people like you and me. If something good happens in their lives, people will give God the glory—and be drawn to the God who does marvellous things with such ordinary people.

1 Corinthians 1:28-30

Nobody likes a puffed-up person. God agrees.  Jesus, told us that the first would be last and the last would be first (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30)—and “Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be bondservant of all” (Mark 10:44). This is ANOTHER Great Reversal. “Lasts become firsts by grace; firsts become lasts by excessive pride”

1 Corinthians 1:31

OUR WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, SANCTIFICATION, AND REDEMPTION ARE THE PRODUCTS OF CHRIST’S WORK, NOT OURS.

THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER

The death of Jesus on a Roman Empire cross did not convince or persuade the philosophical world of the 4th century, and neither does it convince the 21st-century world. However, to those who have come to have a personal encounter with Jesus, the death of Jesus on the cross is indeed good news, especially to those who have testimonies to share with others.