1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16, Power to Change

The Power of the Cross and the Folly of Human Wisdom

First Corinthians chapter 1 starting in verse 18. Be reading through chapter 2. Hear the Word of the Lord. 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.

For it is written. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning. I will thwart. Where is the one who is wise? Where's the scribe? Where's the debater of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world.

But since 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. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.

But to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling brothers now many of you are wise according to worldly standards now many were powerful.

Now many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despise in the world even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are.

So that no human being might boast in the presence of God and because of him you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Excuse me. So that as it is written that the one who boasts boasts in the Lord.

And I when I came to you brothers Did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ. And him crucified and I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling and my speech and my message were not implausible words of wisdom.

But in demonstration of the Spirit and a power that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men. But in the power of God yet among the mature we do impart wisdom. Although it is not a wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away.

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this for if they had they would have not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But but as it is written what no eye has seen nor ear heard nor the heart of man. Imagine what God has prepared for those who love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit for the Spirit churches everything even the depths of God.

For who knows a person's thoughts. Except the spirit of that person which is in him. So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world.

But the spirit that who is from God that we might understand the things freely given us by God and we impart this. In words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit. Interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.

For they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one. For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ.

Why the Gospel Offends Human Pride

And the Lord had his blessings to the reading of his word what the mind can conceive the body can achieve. Believe that. That was one of the motivational slogans. We were told running track in college.

We had the power. The power to run faster that was always supposed to be within us. It was there the potential. We just had to have the will to use it. I remember when I was a freshman a friend. And a roommate and fellow track athlete who had been in the army.

Yelling at me during a workout like a drill sergeant, you know, come on carpenter. My grandmother could run faster than that. Something like that egging me on, you know, assuming that the power is in me I just have to want it enough.

I you ever heard that you gotta want it. We're told that all the time now that the power is within. That we can do anything we set our minds to it's just a matter of mustering the willpower. So the drill sergeant the coach the cheerleaders the fans and the stands, you know, they're trying to motivate you.

To assuming that the power is within you, you know, push it you can do it dig deep. Now as though that's where it is the ability to do what you want to do. It's down there. Go get it or maybe they'll provoke you.

My grandmother is faster than that. Now in some sports we have the phenomenon called bulletin board material ever heard of that. Maybe someone on the other team Says something, you know insulting in the days before the big game about your team.

So the coach takes that quote That the other guy on the other team said, you know My grandmother can play basketball or football or whatever better than those guys and puts it on the bulletin board. So the whole team's, you know puts a little bullet there in the locker room and the whole team sees how disrespected they are.

Feels insulted so that they'll be provoked To push themselves dig deep to find the power within to win after all. That's where the power is, isn't it within? Or is it? Do you have the power? You have that most elusive power of all the power to change to love what you used to hate to hate what you used to Love just as an athletics.

We're taught that if we can find it within ourselves. We have the power to Do better to dig deep and push ourselves to be better to find new potential out of ourselves. But here in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 and 2 we see that naturally the power Is not in us.

We cannot be provoked or Incentivized or encouraged To love the things of God. We are dependent on a power to come from outside of us here in this passage. We see first What brings the power? Second who gets the power and third how the power comes?

So what who and how? Do you have the power. When Paul already told us in chapter 1 verse 17 the last verse we looked at last week that he was sent by Christ to preach The gospel and not with eloquent words.

He said last the cross of Christ be emptied of its power so eloquence Would empty the cross of power. It is the gospel the gospel that has the power not a presentation of it. Not a style of communication.

Not personalities or gimmicks, but the simple gospel itself the word of the cross. Do you have? That power. Notice that in verse 18 this simple message is received in two very different ways by two different kinds of people to those who are perishing.

It is foolishness. It's ridiculous. The philosophers of that day like an Athens where Paul preached at the Aeropagus Scoffed why would God even want to become a man now the resurrection? That's ridiculous.

That made no sense to them. So sure were they that spirit would not even want to enter into flesh. People today will scoff at it for different reasons in our culture. It's a little different. Why why would God be so uptight?

You know that he would require a sacrifice. That's not the God I know it's what people kind of thing people say today, that's not the God I know. Why would he be so unforgiving as to take sin that seriously?

He requires a sacrifice for it. Why would he be so brutal? As for it to be as it says in Isaiah 53 the Lord's will to crush him. Sacrifice makes no sense in to our day of indulgence and a domesticated God that we created in our image.

To those who are perishing those who are not Christ's people. They just scoff at that. What are you talking about? This is the simple message of the cross. God requires that why? Notice the way Paul puts it those who are perishing.

It's present continuous other words right now. Even as they live they are going their way to destruction. Perishing is the result of where their life is heading. They they aren't completely there yet.

They may in many ways be leading decent lives. They may be disciplined. They may be religious. They may be moral. They may be good neighbors and co-workers, but it's it's it's not so much. Where they're at?

But where they're heading they're heading. Toward destruction they're perishing and as they keep on that way content with their morality over the religion. They scoff at the idea that they even they me.

Why would I need a sacrifice for my sins that they are not that they're so far gone that only God can save them by Bearing their guilt of the cross that they don't have the power within them To save themselves.

They think well, no I can do it. Meanwhile those who are being saved and again notice the grammar there they are being saved. They are again present continuous. Being saved they're in the process of being saved.

You know, you know, this is passive being saved by who? They're not it doesn't say they are saving themselves. Do they there they are being Saved by God. God is the one who was saving them. He is doing that now despite all their problems their latent sins.

They're continuing struggles. They are yet still despite all that heading toward Salvation, they know that the power to change is not in their morality or their religion or their self-discipline. It's not like dieting, you know.

Just got to have the willpower to say no to Dairy Queen and cakes. That kind of thing is maybe great for dieting, but that's not how salvation works. It is the power of God. Because of that power they are heading toward Salvation to those who are being saved.

Not by their willpower, but by God. This is why the plain preaching of the gospel provokes two completely different kinds of reactions by different kinds of people those who are perishing. That's the way they're going.

They hear of the gospel. They despise it. They reject it. They ignore it. Maybe they're just bored by it. It reminds them of their sin. It reminds them that they can't say themselves that the power is not in them that they need to trust in something outside of themselves.

They will say that they want to hear more positive messages, you know, why is it to downer? When you try to present the gospel to them and they think they think it's discouraging. They want to hear something more positive they say.

About how they have the ability within themselves. They can do whatever they set their mind to how they can master their problems. They want to be inspired. They want to be cheered on what they can do.

And so they won't preachers who are like cheerleaders. They want to be told the power is within them while those who are being saved. That's where they're heading. They're being saved by God. They hear the gospel.

They cherish it. They cling to it because it reminds them Of what God is doing in their lives that they are being right now saved. Now in that day the Jews wanted Signs of power, I don't think here he means necessarily miracles.

They wanted a Messiah who would free them a Messiah who would have power. Over the Romans lead them to overthrow Roman rule particularly political power. The power to lead armies and win battles. Establish a new glorious Empire.

Their own. They wanted real power not this. It's talk. Empty talk from their point of view about being poor in spirit about being blessed when you are persecuted. No, they wanted the power to take the wealth of the world.

So they would have to be so they don't have to worry about being poor in any way. They wanted the power to be too strong. So that no one could persecute them. In our day people seek what they think is real power.

Maybe maybe political power. The power of the government. The power of cash. You know if you have enough money, you can make the demons grind your rice. They say or the power of big numbers the power of popularity.

You're someone to be listened to. You're someone popular important something they can see and count. Not not all this talk about Sin and God's wrath. God's love grace our salvation changed hearts for perishing people.

Who can't save themselves and you tell them you're dependent on God. That makes no sense. But for those whose faith enables them to see who are being saved they see in that message Christ the power of God.

The Greeks then they wanted Wisdom what they thought of his wisdom. They were proud of their philosophers. You know their Plato's their Aristotle's and they thought the way to happiness to having some power over this life was was to understand it.

To do careful reasoning do their philosophy what they called wisdom. Now are they to people think the way to overcome the depressing circumstances of our life is is through the mind through science. Through mastering the techniques of nature so that we can live longer.

Be happier and healthier. You know you want science to give you the longest possible life. But it will never be able to give you. Finally in the end a life that goes on forever. And it's helpful as great a blessings of science can be as modern medicine is the true gift from God.

Sure. Still all its knowledge at its best. Can only delay a certain death. There is no salvation in it. No salvation in our medicine. Wisdom tells us in verse 21. But the old philosophy of the Greeks of the new science of our modern world sure it's it's it's good and yet God has in his wisdom.

Kept philosophy and kept science kept even medicine from being avenues to salvation. You cannot get to life through them. The only way to life to have that power to be on the way to salvation is by Christ the crucified Lord.

Do you have? that power. Well who gets power? Paul asked them in verse 26 to consider their calling. In other words think about. How they came to Christ how they started on their way to salvation. It's an invitation to us think about why you are saved.

Why are you? Say think about it. That's what Paul is telling us here. What was it about you? They made you eligible to be given this power by God. Here he says to them, you know, think about it. Corinthians think about your salvation.

Not many of you are wise by worldly standards now in other words not many PhDs. Now many of the master's degrees that is not many of them were philosophers. Their esteem lectures on esoteric matters of metaphysics.

Explaining in flowery rhetoric the meaning of life. Oh a few might be well trained in rhetoric and philosophy. A few might be well educated but not many. Not many were powerful people that is able to command soldiers to impose laws to sit in judgment over others.

Not many were from the aristocrats. Not a few people perhaps but not a lot to critics of Christianity. This was a matter of shame. It's something to be ashamed of. Look at that riffraff. It beats in that church.

Look at the kind of people who come to Christ. They're just they're just common people. This was evidence of Christianity for them is was for the dogs. I know some people. I know at least that one person.

It was writing Anseville goes all the way to Durham to go to church because there's professional people there. Educated people there. You don't want to go to church in Yancey Ville with a bunch of Hicks.

But to Paul this was something. Consider your calling. Not to be hidden. Let's try to just try to dress nice and at least try to sound like we're educated. No, don't even worry about that. Consider consider your calling.

Consider why you are saved. What is it about you that caused you to be saved? What is it? Think about it. What is the fact that you were called to Christ show? About who gets this power. The power of salvation.

Is it something about you? He wasn't because you were smarter. Is it the smarter people elsewhere. It's not because you're nobler. It's not because you're more powerful and impressive more moral. To be more religious.

What is it? No, it's not about you at all. At the beginning of verse 27 he tells us it's not you. God chose in the middle of that verse. Verse 27. God chose at the beginning of verse 28. Third time. Get it through our heads.

God chose. Who gets the power to change those whom God in his amazing grace his unexplainable mercy? Whom he chooses. Because we made the right choice. It's because he made the choice for us. He chooses so that no one can boast.

No one can say I was of such good character. I was so lovable. There was just something about me. I was wise enough. I knew this was true. I was a such a character that I knew a Reality, I knew what was right when I heard it.

And so I responded and these other people they're just too trapped in their sins. They they unlike me I rose above it. They didn't know it's not me at all. God chose. He chose the foolish and the weak.

That's us. He's talking about the low to despise in case we think we're so clever. Well, I don't know what. I'm gonna stay foolish. I'm gonna stay weak or low, you know, I'm gonna stay a uneducated pick.

Just a gimmick that that's what it takes. I'll do that to get God's attention. That'll save me right by staying dumb. Did work that way. He did choose a few who were wise and educated and noble and powerful just so we'd know not to boast.

Our lack of education or our low position or our poverty as though it was not having those things that earned God's favor. You know like I'm a simple man. So don't bother me with theology or asking me to think no.

It was only and completely because God Chose there is absolutely nothing about us that we can point to and say there. That's what it is. You know, I was in the right family. It was a night country. Well, that's what made me worthy of the power of God for salvation.

I made the right choices. I was smart enough to say the right prayer. I was noble enough to know the truth when I heard it. I was tender-hearted enough to Respond to the invitation when it was given.

I was desperate enough. I was I was ignorant a poor so I provoked God's mercy. No I've heard him preachers and I just despise this. They'll say look what the cross shows how much you're worth that you were worth dying for it.

No, the cross shows God's mercy what he was willing to do. It's not does it show our worth. It shows God's grace in his abundance his love. There's nothing about us. There's nothing in us that deserves even the smallest part of the credit.

So all the credit all the boasting all the glory belongs to God. It's why there's that wonderful picture in the book of Revelation. The people are around the throne worshiping the Lamb and they take off these crowns and they have been given.

There's rewards for their holy life and they throw them before the Lamb. Worthy are you? Whatever I did I did because of you. It's not us God chose. Who gets the power? Those whom God chooses. Those whom he chooses in verse 30 are in Christ.

Verse 30 says verse 30 is important. They're all important. The verse 30 says it's because of him. It's interesting notice that oh just this week. I noticed I never noticed this before. This is one of these little phrases that answers a important question.

It says it's because of him because of the God who chooses. That we are in Christ Jesus. You know me you may think okay, what's the point? Well one very popular way. Of some today to try to get around particular those verses in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 4 and 5 where it says that God Chose us a actually Ephesians.

He uses the same word shoes as is here in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 same word. But in Ephesians says God chose us in him to be predestined. All right. Sounds very strong sound like a strong statement on predestination, but some people will say look God chose us in him.

Because we chose to be in him. That's the way this argument goes. It says that he chose us in him. They say is to say they say that we chose to be in him and Since first we made that choice to be in him.

Then God responds to our prior choice our choice to be in him. God's God sees that we chose to be in him and by when he sees that he he's looking forward. He sees that we chose to be in him. And so he then predestines us.

Okay, you know to be to be safe never mind that that actually makes nonsense out of the word predestined. Because you know, that would be actually post destiny. You know, how does he sees our choice and then responds to us by predestined that doesn't make any that makes nothing up to now.

Up to this week that's always been kind of my response to that that makes nonsense of predestined. But here in verse in verse 30 chapter 1 verse 30 that that question is directly answered. Verse 30 it tells us why we were in Christ.

Why are we in him as it says in Ephesians 1? Why here are we in Christ? Verse 30 and because of him. You are in Christ Jesus. We're in him. We're in Christ Because of him because God chose us. He chose for us to be in him and For Christ to be our wisdom.

We have an understanding this from God now. We can understand things we could not before we could at least accept them or our righteousness. God sees us as in Christ. And so we are seen as as in just a good Relationship with with him with the father as was as is Christ himself.

I was we have a perfect relationship with the father now because we're in Christ and we are set apart. He is our sanctification that is we're set apart from the world and that we are God's people what Peter calls a holy nation.

And Christ is our redemption. That we are redeemed that is we are bought back From our sin and our self our pride and so those four things wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Are what we have?

Not in ourselves but in Christ and he chose For us to be in Christ. Well, there's a good discovery this week. Well, do you have that power? Well, you might ask. Okay now I see I do not have it. So, how do I get it?

How does the power come. And this is what most of chapter 2 is about how the power comes. Paul writes in verse 1 that he intentionally avoided presenting the gospel in a way That's just so polished and so eloquent that people didn't understand the substance because of the style.

You just hear an order that. Wow, you know her speakers. They're just so impressive and you're impressed with them. If he had wanted to Paul could easily have held his own against the best of the Greek philosophers.

He could have out debated them and matched their rhetoric. But he said he chose not to do that for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ in him. Crucified. Oh is that is what you should be impressed by this simple message that God came in human flesh lived among us obeyed.

Perfectly for us. He died with us rose again as as as the first from the dead of us. The message should not be obscured by too much attention to style to showmanship to sophistication. You know, you just you need a fog machine and laser lights or whatever too many Greek words.

That's the sort of the that's the reformed version of trying to impress with rhetoric a lot of Greek verbs and parsing Parsing them and fancy theological terms, you know. Infralapsarianism. Wow that he can say that so he so he presented it plain.

Even if it meant he was scoffed at for being simplistic. We have over the last we I mean Christians in America Particularly have often over the last 100 years been trying to present the gospel in a way that draws people to it with the presentation with the style rapping and informs that people will like a Generation or two ago is maybe the gospel sing.

Done with the hopes that people would come they would hear the gospel music and perhaps accept the gospel along the way now. We'll have the contemporary Concerts or maybe the film. Many sincere Christians seek for the newest gimmick to get people's attention.

To finally break through the walls of resistance that they find to the gospel. Still today. We have many earnest Christian people and they're serious and they're trying hard who think that if they can finally answer all the questions.

Impress the secular world with their with their learning and their sophistication their their philosophy that they'll convince the skeptics. And they'll win them to believe with that. But it doesn't work for if the simple message of Jesus Christ and him crucified does not soften hearts and loosen stiff necks.

Then no technique will. Paul centered his message on Jesus who came to die for our sins and he sought to back up that message with his life showing that he too came with suffering and weakness. You can't convince others that you believe in a servant King if you live in a million-dollar mansion and drive a Rolls-Royce.

It's not gonna work. You might convince you might get their attention. But you probably get their attention and thinking. I can get that too if I don't follow his steps to success. The world doesn't need nor will it listen to a so-called prophet in an Armani suit.

So Paul in verses 3 and 4 showed his weakness his own fears. He was open about that his needs his power was not orchestrated impressiveness of personal charisma a spellbinding speaking ability, but in the power of the Spirit of God and That's what I think he means by the demonstration of the Spirit and a power in verse 4.

It's probably not miracles, you know signs and wonders performed could be but I don't think so. To be performed to authenticate the message after all he had just been arguing the Jews they seek signs.

They want miracles to convince them that the message is from God. Instead here Paul is giving them a story of how their Messiah rather than doing the miracle of calling legions of angels to free him and defeat the Romans submitted to death.

You know the natural person the people out there in the world right now. They want power from God. They want the power to avoid things like being crucified. Christ offers us the power to endure crucifixion.

He has been saying that instead of the the earthly power they craved he has been showing them a different kind of power the power to change. Change from being a rebel against God to being submissive to God.

So the power of God that our faith is to rest in in verse 5 is not the power to heal the sick. But the power to say with the content heart. Your will be done that Takes power. Do you have that power. If so, there is wisdom for you.

Something that the people of this age that is the natural psyche. They could not understand the rulers in verse 6 those with the earthly power people like Pontius Pilate with the power to order Crucify him they could not understand this wisdom.

Now you could see he's a king but you know Paul Pontius Pilate would ask, you know, don't you understand who I am? I can order you to be crucified. Jesus wasn't impressed with that power instead. There is the wisdom of the gospel of God's Word.

That God himself decreed it says in verse 7 before the ages before the creation of of space and time. He he decreed it before it all. God set down exactly what he would do. Who he would say and how he would save them in verse 7 God destined our glory.

Talking to Christians here. He's destined it before the ages began that. The the who the the what the how of the power of the gospel was established solid as concrete before the world ever came to be but the natural person.

Person without the spirit. They can't see it. They can't hear it in verse 9. They just don't perceive it. It didn't make any sense to them. He can't hear the spirit speaking to him. His mind can't conceive of the gospel.

Now that didn't mean he may understand that he may understand the arguments and be able to recite it back to you. Sure, but he can't really receive it in his life in his heart. He might be a genius. But without the spirit, he can't really fathom it.

I've seen some what we call them liberal but really there's unbelieving. Theologians have an enormous amount of learning about the Bible about the New Testament some of the greatest of Their liberals and they can tell you what the gospel did Paul preached.

But they for whatever reason. They can't accept it. Because the spirit hasn't given to it them that to them yet such people can't understand why God has prepared for his people whom he loves but to us.

Those he's called he has revealed. We can see and hear and understand we've been given that mind the mind of Christ not because we're smarter. But because he but because he gave us the power the spirit.

How does the power come? Through incentives. You know cheering us on. Mustering up the resources we have inside us. Provocations maybe that motivate us. You don't straight up you're going to hell. Is that how.

By having our true potential tap maybe it's something we have within us. No through the Holy Spirit. That is the only the only way that truth saving faith can come. A faith which is derived from a church or inherited from a Family or based on well-reasoned arguments and as great as those can be God can use them.

But a faith founded upon that and nothing else will have no power. No power to change your life to enable you to say no when you are tempted. No power to be sanctified to be separate from the world to flee lust youthful lust.

No power to choose to be alone and right with God instead of involved in a relationship. You shouldn't be no power to give you a real knowledge of Christ without the Holy Spirit. The Problem with many people even you know, they may call themselves Christians many so-called Christians.

Isn't that they aren't trying hard enough. That's what a lot of people think they didn't even try harder. No, it's not the major problem. But they need more of an incentive. You need to see if you do that's in you're going to hell.

Maybe but if they don't have the spirit. They still won't be able to keep them from the sin or if they do build this hide and become a hypocrite. That they that they need to the problem is it that people need to dig deeper and find it in them.

They may be doing their best. They just don't have the power to do any better they are natural people. What Paul calls them here natural people in verse 14? They who do not have a spirit and so it's natural people that they cannot that is they are unable To accept the things of the Holy Spirit.

They don't have the capacity. So to them the things of God. Strike them is boring. They can hardly pay attention because it's just not something they're at all interested in. Maybe you strike them as discouraging all that talk about sin and and judgment and our need for repentance.

It's just so repulsive. It's a primitive. It's what you know, whatever they call it. They just don't get it. They can't accept it. They cannot in verse 14 understand the things of the Spirit. That is the gospel.

They don't have that power within them. That they lack the capacity to know God no amount of cajoling or of nagging of threatening of encouraging of shouting a provoking. Will give them that power only God's Spirit the Holy Spirit.

Can do that. He knows God and those who have been chosen by God and are on their way to salvation. Who are being saved those who have been given the Holy Spirit in verse 12? He says we have not received the Spirit of the world.

Doesn't come from the world has come from within ourselves, but the Spirit who is from God. It is that great gift. That enables us to understand the ways of God to understand particularly the gospel to accept the wisdom of God.

To really thirst for God to cry out as in Psalm 19 your word. Oh God is more precious than gold. So we seek it. More than we seek money or wealth, you know business success. The Holy Spirit in us Calls us to causes us to cry out to the father for more of you more love more power more of you in my life.

The natural person though person that's the person who's not been changed he is now as he was when he was born. The condition he's his condition is still just as fallen as sinful as he was born in he may be more.

Sure, he may be even religious. But he's still natural. He's not in other words. He's not supernatural. He does not have the Holy Spirit and that kind of person Cannot accept the things of God again in verse 14.

It's not as though there's some force outside of himself. Is keeping him from accepting God's Word, you know, it's not as it. He's trying to be saved and something outside of him is keeping him when he really wants to know.

It's that simply simply by nature the nature of the kind of person who he is by nature. He has nothing in him or her that wants to follow Christ. He may want to be religious. He doesn't want to follow Christ though.

Certainly not Jesus Christ crucified. They may be religious, but they aren't able to accept Christ unless the Holy Spirit gives them that power. It's not outward compulsion that keeps them from God. It's inward corruption.

He is not able it says in verse 14 to understand things that are from God. Accepting the gospel then it is not something is not not like going on the diet. And it's something you actually have the power to do if you can just get the incentive get in the right attitude.