The Foolish Message that Saves Lives!

THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE HEADING FOR DESTRUCTION.
By Pr Atukwatse Onesmus 11th July, 2010.

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18 – “The Foolishness of the Cross”

Introduction

A disciple of Jesus, congregation, has to accept the cross of Jesus. We can’t sanitize the cross and make it into something clean and sterile. We can’t whitewash it and take off the blood and the suffering. We can’t pad it and make it into something comfortable and non-threatening. As Paul put it, “I preach Christ crucified.”

The twentieth century has forgotten how cruel and hideous crucifixion really was. We have perhaps unwisely and sometimes unconsciously glamorized the cross. Jewelry and steeple alike are often ornamental and attractive but carry nothing of the real story of the crucifixion. It was the most painful method of public death in the first century.

The victim was placed on a wooden cross. Nails, undoubtedly wooden, were driven into the wrists and ankles of the victim, and then the crosspiece was lifted and jarred into the upright, tearing the flesh of the crucified and racking his body with excruciating pain. Historians remind us that even the soldiers could not get used to the horrible sight, and often took strong drink to numb their senses.

Jesus endured 6 hours of such anguish, just for us so that we might be forgiven of all our sin! That’s the message of the cross. “I preach Christ crucified.”

George MacLeod wrote a poem that helps put the cross into perspective:

I simply argue that the cross be raised again
at the center of the market place
as well as on the steeple of the church,
I am recovering the claim that
Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral
between two candles:
But on a cross between two thieves;
on a town garbage heap;
At a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan
that they had to write His title
in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek…
At the kind of place where cynics talk smut,
and thieves curse and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died,
and that is what He died about.
And that is where Christ’s men ought to be,
and what church people ought to shout.

On this Lord’s Supper Sunday we want to spend some time looking at the cross of Christ. Paul tells us this morning that the message of the cross means either salvation, strength and wisdom or damnation, weakness and foolishness to those who hear it.

I.  Salvation or Damnation

A.  “I preach Christ crucified.”

First, this message of the cross means salvation “to us who are being saved.” That’s the message that is found throughout the New Testament. Think of the Philippian jailer. After an earthquake the prison doors flew open and he was scared his prisoners had escaped. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself. After Paul stopped him he asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)  They preached “Christ crucified” to the jailer.

For those who believe, the message of the cross means salvation. These people are on the way to glory (2:7). They can look forward to being clothed with the imperishable and with immortality (15:53). In fact, what awaits us who believe the message of the cross is so glorious, so awesome, so wonderful, that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

Paul tells us about the time he was caught up to paradise, what he also calls the third heaven. At that time “he heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.” (2 Cor 12:4).

B. Second, the message of the cross also means damnation. It means damnation “to those who are perishing.”

This message too is found throughout the Bible.  Paul reminds us that those who reject the message of the cross “are coming to nothing.” (2:6) They will not “inherit the kingdom of God.” (6:10)  Hebrews says that those who reject the message of the cross have “only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Heb 10:26)  Anyone “who has trampled the Son of God under foot … deserves to be punished.” (Heb 10:29) We are reminded that “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:31)

Perhaps the best description of what happens to the unbelieving is found in a famous sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards. In very vivid terms he spoke of hell and hell’s misery and how awful it is:

That world of misery, that cake of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take hold of, there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

II.  Strength or Weakness

A. “I preach Christ crucified.”

This message of the cross also means either strength or weakness to those who hear it. Paul says that “to us who are being saved … the message of the cross … is the power of God. “And, Paul can speak of “Christ the power of God.” (vs 24)

Why does the message of the cross mean power? Because it is able to do what nothing else is able to do: it is able to save and cleanse and redeem; it makes holy; it makes righteous; it makes eternally blessed.

Think of the time Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin. In his defense Peter preached about Christ and said,  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Only the power of the cross, of “Christ crucified,” can save souls.

B. For those who don’t believe, the message of the cross shouts weakness.

What can look weaker and more helpless than someone hanging upon a cross? How can such a One be our Savior? “Impossible!” says the world.

We are reminded that God often uses what is weak to accomplish His purposes and to carry out His decrees. As Paul puts it in the verses following our Scripture reading:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Cor 1:27-29)

The Old and New Testaments are filled with instances of this sort of thing. God used sick, weakly, scheming Jacob rather than strong, healthy Esau to carry on the covenant. God used Tamar the adulteress, Rahab the prostitute, Ruth the Moabitess, and Bathsheba another adulteress in the family tree of Jesus. God used Gideon and 300 men rather than Gideon and 30,000 men to defeat the Midianites. And, God used a virgin from Nazareth in the conception and birth of His only Son.

God does this deliberately so it is obvious to all that salvation is not by human might, human reason, or human effort but only by the power of God, by “Christ crucified.” That way no one may boast about themselves but only about the Lord and what He has done (vs 29,31).

III. Wisdom or Foolishness

A. “I preach Christ crucified.”

Finally, this message of the cross also means either wisdom or foolishness to those who hear it. In our text Paul says “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.” Paul mentions both Jews and Gentiles. To the Jews the message of the cross was a contradiction: upon the Messiah could rest only divine blessing, whereas on a crucified man could rest only divine curse; so how could the Messiah be crucified? To the Gentiles the message of the cross was also folly: how could anyone accept as Lord and Savior a man who could not save himself from as ghastly a death as crucifixion?

But to those who are being saved the message of the cross is the “wisdom of God” (vs 24). For God in His wisdom is able to accomplish what is now being done – the saving of many souls (Gen 50:20). Again, it isn’t human wisdom, human philosophy, or human scholarship that is able to do this. Rather, souls are saved only by the cross of Jesus, by “Christ crucified.”

B. In the eyes of the world it isn’t only the message of the cross, but also the message from the Savior of the cross that is foolishness.

The city of Corinth was a center for the worship of Aphrodite. Her temple was staffed by 1,000 female prostitutes. Everyone in Corinth enjoyed this kind of worship. Was it foolishness or wisdom that warned the Christians not to indulge (1 Cor 6:18f)?

Everyone knows that in disputes you go to court and sue. Was it foolishness or wisdom that warned Christians to settle disputes among themselves (1 Cor 6:1f)?

It is normal to divide into camps, to have divisions and tensions, to form parties of like-minded brethren. Was it foolishness or wisdom that urged love and unity (1 Cor 1:10f; 3:1f)?

In Corinth you could marry anyone you set your heart upon and could divorce when you find someone better. Was it foolishness or wisdom that urged Christians to marry only believers (2 Cor 6:14f) and to stay married to that person (1 Cor 7:10f)?

Many in Corinth were stingy and miserly and gave only begrudgingly to the less fortunate. Was it foolishness or wisdom that urged Christians to be generous (2 Cor 8:1f)?

It is a rough world out there, a dog eat dog society; you have to look after yourself; and, if necessary, you have to trample over the weak. Was it foolishness or wisdom that urged Christians to do what is best for weaker brothers and sisters (1 Cor 8:1f)?

In all of these things the wisdom of the world is directly opposed to the wisdom from the cross. What is wisdom to one is foolishness to the other.

Conclusion

“I preach Christ crucified.” On this Lord’s Supper Sunday, what do you think, how do you think, of this message of the cross?

In the final analysis it depends upon the grace of God. If God has called you, chosen you, elected you as one of His children (vs 26-31), you recognize the cross for what it is: salvation, strength, and wisdom. If so, then you as a believing member of the church, are welcome to take the Lord’s Supper.

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Praising in the Prison!

THE POWER OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP  –  By Pr Atukwatse Onesmus.

Acts 16:23-26 –  “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
“Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

This Bible story begins the unjust arrest of Paul and Silas.  Because they had cast a spirit of divination out of a girl, the local Philippian authorities beat them and then threw them into a jail cell. Besides the trauma of the severe beating, they were fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile position, causing cramps and loss of circulation.

The atmosphere there was depressing. According to the standards of that day, a prison was more like the resemblance of a dungeon. A dark, damp, stench-ridden place, with no facility for waste or comforts of any kind.

Yet, in spite of the throbbing pain in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! What a strange sound this must have been to the other prisoners, who were used to only hearing the groans or cursings of those who had been beaten.

Then suddenly, there was an earthquake that shook the prison! The doors flung open, and amazingly, the bonds of Paul, Silas, and every other prisoner were released! What caused this mighty discharge of power?

Praise Elevates us into God’s Presence and Power

Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3).  In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence – Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).

This corresponds with Jesus’ teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). A “gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assemblage. He must be the one preached about, sung about — the one praised and worshiped. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of gathering.

Have you ever noticed when “gifts of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship and praise. Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit moves upon them. However, it’s the other way around. God’s presence responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow in our midst.

What is Praise?

Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify.” For the Christian, praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God — it magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union with the most high God. Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural and into the power of God. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalms 89:15).

There are many actions involved with praise to God — verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing, playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping our hands. But true praise is not “merely” going through these motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not from the heart. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Genuine praise to God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within.

Unpretentious praise and worship pleases the Lord. He delights in the love and devotion of His children. According to the scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst. “…the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).

Praise to God is a Lifestyle

All too often, praise to God is something that many people leave at church, an event that happens only when they come together with other Christians. However, praise should be a part of a believers lifestyle, inter-mingled as a part of their daily prayer-life. At work, in the car, at home in bed, or anywhere; praise to the Lord brings the refreshing of the Lord’s presence, along with His power and anointing. “…I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

Praise is an expression of faith, and a declaration of victory! It declares that we believe God is with us and is in control of the outcome of all our circumstances (Romans 8:28). Praise is a “sacrifice,” something that we offer to God sacrificially, not just because we feel like it, but because we believe in Him and wish to please Him. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Praise Sends the Enemy Running

Since praise manifests God’s presence, we also realize that praise repels the presence of the enemy, Satan. An atmosphere which is filled with sincere worship and praise to God by humble and contrite hearts is disgusting to the Devil. He fears the power in the name of Jesus, and flees from the Lord’s habitation in praise. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God” (Psalms 50:23).

When the children of Judah found themselves outnumbered by the hostile armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, King Jehoshophat and all the people sought the Lord for His help. The Lord assured the people that this would be His battle. He told them to go out against them, and He would do the fighting for them. So what did the children of Judah do? Being the people of “praise” (Judah actually means Praise), and knowing that God manifests His power through praise, they sent their army against their enemies, led by the praisers!

So on they went, ahead of the army declaring, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever!” And the scripture says, “…when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2 Chronicles 20:22).

When God’s people begin to praise His name, it sends the enemy running! I challenge you to become a person of praise, and you will experience the release of the power of God!

Some Biblical Expressions of Praise

Declaring of thanks (Heb. 13:15)
Clapping hands and shouting (Psalms 47:1)
Musical instruments and dancing (Psm. 150:4)
Singing praise songs (Psalms 9:11)
Psalms, hymns, & spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19-20)
Making a joyful noise (Psalms 98:4)
By lifting our hands (Psalms 134:2)
By being still (Psalms 4:3-5, 46:10)
By being loud (Psalms 33:3, 95:1-6)

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Here are 3 simple ways you can support this ministry and keep Pastor Onesmus online:

1. Share this message with at least 5 friends (and even 5 enemies?).
2. Make a one-time DONATION. May God shower His blessings on you!
3. Become a MINISTRY PARTNER.

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