Gospel Power 1 Corinthians 1v18-2v5

Chapter 1, starting at verse 18.

For 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.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

the intelligence of the intelligent, I will frustrate.

Where is the wise person?

Where is the teacher of the law?

Where is the philosopher of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him,

God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached,

to save those who believe.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom.

But we preach Christ crucified,

a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,

Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,

and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards.

Not many of you were influential.

Not many were of noble birth.

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.

God 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.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,

who has become for us wisdom from God,

that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

Therefore, as it is written,

let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

And so it is with me.

So it is with me, brothers and sisters.

When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom

as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you

except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

I came to you in weakness, with great fear and trembling.

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,

but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,

so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom,

but on God's power.

Let me just pray first, and then Michael is going to come and speak.

Father, we need your wisdom today,

and you have provided that in your word, your truth.

And we pray that by your Holy Spirit

would speak into our hearts and lives,

and that you, by your power,

would change us and transform us,

making us into the kind of people you call us to be.

Help Michael now,

and may he know your Spirit working in him and through him.

And may we all be blessed together.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, it's nice to be with you again here in Carragalline.

Last day of the year,

so as I won't be this part tomorrow,

wish you all a very happy and blessed new year.

The very fact that we're here today on the last day of the year

is an indication, isn't it, of God's faithfulness to us.

The psalmist reminds us that our times are in his hands.

And as you get older, the year passes by so very, very quickly, doesn't it?

But as we go through the years,

we have our ups, we have our downs.

Different things happen to us.

But through it all, we can acknowledge the faithfulness of our God

and say, great is your faithfulness.

And I want us this morning to look at the Apostle Paul

and particularly his coming to Corinth

and all the things that happened to him there

and the success of the gospel as he arrives in this particular city.

How did he keep going?

He was a man who knew what it was to suffer.

But he tells us in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 13

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

that he can only continue and do what he does

through Christ who gives him the strength.

So let's look at Paul in Corinth.

By way of introduction, that's how we're going to start.

Paul in Corinth.

Now what do we know about first century Corinth?

Well, it was known as the Vanity Fair of the ancient world.

It was an extremely evil city.

There were two ports.

Sailors who had spent months at sea

were well catered for when they came ashore.

Everything was there for them

to suit the desires of their hearts.

It was provided by people who were ready to give them what they wanted to have.

It was an evil city.

In this city was the temple of Aphrodite,

the goddess of love.

And so the city became known as a city of immorality

because there were the temple prostitutes,

both male and female.

You wouldn't want to let your daughter out

alone in first century Corinth.

But Paul comes to this city

and we ask ourselves,

what brought him there?

Well, first of all, we can say this.

It was the command of the Lord.

Although Paul hadn't been present

in the upper room

when the Lord sends his disciples

out into the world.

He would have known

that the Lord commanded his church

to go into all the world

and to make disciples

of all nations.

So Paul arrives at Corinth

to make known this gospel.

He can't do anything else.

He wants to make known

the Lord Jesus Christ,

his death and his resurrection.

The Lord had commanded him.

I am, he says in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 16,

compelled to preach.

So he's there because of the command of God,

the command of the Lord

to preach the gospel in the world.

But he's there also

because of the call of the Lord.

Remember, here was a man

who was totally opposed to the gospel.

He hated anyone

who followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

But he was confronted

by the risen Christ

on the road to Damascus.

And as he lies on the ground,

the risen Lord speaks to him

and says,

go into the city

and you will be told

what you must do.

And eventually,

a man by the name of Ananias

is sent to him.

And what does Ananias say?

What does Ananias say

when he goes to the Apostle Paul?

Well, he tells him

that he is a chosen instrument

to carry the name,

his name,

the name of the Lord Jesus

before the Gentiles

and before kings

and before the people of Israel.

So there's not only the command of God,

there's a specific call

of the Apostle

to go into the world.

And when he stands

and when he stands

later on

before King Agrippa,

he is able to say,

I was not disobedient

to the vision

from heaven.

He's going to suffer,

but there's this call

he must make known.

So the command of God

was there.

The specific call

was there.

And he knew

that he must get on

with the work.

That's why he's in Corinth.

Because God had caught him.

But he's also there

for a third reason.

Paul was well versed

in the Old Testament Scriptures.

And he would have known

the promises of God.

He knew the command of God.

He knew the call of God.

But because he was steeped

in the Old Testament Scriptures,

he would have been

very aware

of the Old Testament promises

concerning the spread

of the Gospel

in the world.

It wasn't to be confined

to Jerusalem

or to Samaria.

It was to go

to the uttermost bounds

of the earth.

He would have known

verses like Isaiah 60

and verse 3

Nations

will come

to your light

and kings

to the brightness

of your dawn.

Not just this promise

but many other promises.

How then

could he

be silent?

God had

caught him.

The word of God

had gripped him.

The wicked city

of Corinth

in Greece

was no barrier

to the purposes

of God.

God.

If nations

were to come

to the light,

they had to hear

of Jesus Christ.

So as he arrives

in the city,

he's recognizing

that he's had

the command.

He recognizes

the call of the Lord.

He sees the promise

of God

and he has

great confidence.

How be it?

as we shall discover,

he's nervous.

But perhaps

the words

of the Lord

came to him

even as he began

his ministry there.

I will

build

my church

and the gates

of Hades

will not

overcome it.

The church

going into

the world

and nothing

could stop

the purposes

of God

being worked

out.

Because God

is faithful.

And of course

there's an

application

for you

and for me

this morning.

The command

still stands.

We are to go

into all the world

to preach

the gospel.

Some

will be

called

specifically

to give up

their time,

to give up

their normal

jobs,

to go out

into the world.

We too

have the promises

of God,

the Old Testament

and New Testament

promises.

And God

has placed

you and I,

or at least

you,

not me,

but you

in Karagaline.

Is it easy

to bring

the message

of the gospel

to our friends,

to our families,

to our neighbors,

to our colleagues,

to our fellow

students?

No?

But God

has saved

us.

And while

He hasn't

called us

to be

an apostle,

He has

called each

one of us

to be

His

witnesses.

And He's

called us

to pray

to Him,

the Lord

of the harvest,

that He will

thrust out

laborers

into

the harvest

field.

And He's

given us

many promises

to hold

on to.

And the

one who

commands,

the one who

calls,

and the one

who promises

will be

faithful.

One great

missionary

said this,

God's work

done in

God's way

will never

lack

God's

supply.

That's Paul

in Corinth.

You're in

carigaline.

Let us

go forward

into the

coming year

to make

known the

glorious

gospel to

the people

around and

about us.

But the

second thing

I want us

to notice

is Paul's

listeners

in Corinth.

What do

we know

about them?

Who were

they?

What were

they like?

Well,

certainly

we know

that some

of them

were Jews.

When Paul

arrives in

Corinth,

we read

about it

in Acts

Acts 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18,

we are

told that

Paul went

into the

synagogue,

and every

Sabbath he

reasoned in

the synagogue.

He took

the Old

Testament

scriptures

and showed

them the

Lord Jesus

Christ in

his death

and in

his

resurrection.

Did many

of the Jews

like what

he had to

say?

No.

We are

told that

they opposed

Paul,

and they

became very

abusive.

They didn't

make his

life easy.

There was

court action.

The majority

turned their

backs on

what he was

saying.

Didn't they

have the

law?

Weren't they

religious?

Didn't they

have those

Old Testament

scriptures?

They were

all right.

Weren't they

ancestors of

Abraham?

But they

turned their

back upon

the message

of salvation,

of faith

in the

Lord Jesus

Christ,

and what

he had

done upon

the cross

of Calvary.

They were

the people

that listened

to the

apostle Paul,

but rejected

what he

had to

say.

But also

some were

Gentiles,

for were

told that

when the

Jews

rejected,

Paul shook

out his

clothes in

protest,

and said to

them,

your blood

be upon

your own

heads.

I am

clear of

my

responsibility.

From now

on,

I will

go to

the

Gentiles.

Gentiles.

And who

were these

Gentiles that

he began to

bring the

message of

the gospel

to?

Well, we're

told in

1 Corinthians

1 and

verse 26,

that not

many of

them were

wise by

human

standards.

They didn't

have an

education.

There was

no third

level for

them.

Not many

of them

were influential.

They didn't

have the

top jobs.

They had

no clout

in society.

Nobody would

listen to

them.

They weren't

of noble

birth.

They were

not rulers

over others.

But they

became

Paul's

listeners.

They were

foolish.

They were

weak.

They were

lowly.

And by

many they

were

despised.

But they

were Gentiles

who

listened.

So there

were Jews

that listened.

There were

Gentiles

who listened.

But all

of these

people could

be summed

up under

one heading.

Jew,

Gentile,

they were

sinners.

Whether they

were rich,

whether they

were poor,

whether they

were educated

or uneducated,

whether they

were foolish,

whether they

were weak,

whether they

were lowly

or despised,

they were all

united in

this fact,

that they

were sinners

in the sight

of God.

God.

Later on

in his

letter,

in chapter

1,

in the

first letter

in chapter

6 and

verse 9,

he says

this,

Do you

not know

that the

wicked will

not inherit

the kingdom

of God?

Do not

be deceived,

neither the

sexually immoral,

nor

idolaters,

nor adulterers,

nor male

prostitutes,

nor homosexual

offenders,

nor thieves,

nor the greedy,

nor drunkards,

nor slanderers,

nor swindlers,

will inherit

the kingdom

of God.

And that

is what

some of you

were.

They were

the listeners.

They heard

what the

apostle Paul

had to say.

But the

message came

to them

in the power

of the Holy

Spirit,

and they had

a change

of life,

a change

of direction.

They became

part of

the church,

a church

of saved

sinners.

And again,

there's application

for you

and I.

We're

surrounded

by different

kinds

of people,

different

cultures,

different

religious

backgrounds.

We're

surrounded

by an

increasingly

secular

society.

A society

that doesn't

even recognize

sin as

sin.

A post-modern

society

where it's

almost impossible

to sin.

What's to be

done?

Do we

stay in a

holy huddle?

in 2018?

Or do we

remember that

God is

faithful?

Do we

remember that

we have a

message to

proclaim?

And God

can take

that message

and change

people,

whether they're

religious or

non-religious.

Whether they're

well-educated

or no

education.

Whether they're

rich or

whether they're

poor.

those are

our listeners.

But we

go out

knowing

that God

is faithful.

As Paul

puts it

when he

writes to

the Romans

in chapter

5 and

verse 20,

that where

sin

increases,

grace

increases

all the

more.

So there's

hope for

Karageline.

There's

hope for

our families.

There's

hope for

our friends.

There's

hope for

our

neighbors.

There's

hope for

our

work

colleagues.

If we're

Christians this

morning,

we are

saved

sinners.

sinners.

And we

bring the

message of

salvation to

those who

are still

at the

present time

in darkness.

But we do

know that a

God of grace

and mercy

and love

saves sinners

in Corinth.

And he can

save sinners

today.

He can save

sinners

tomorrow.

He can

save sinners

during

2018.

Because he

is faithful.

He will

gather a

people to

himself.

The devil

will not

win the

day.

So we

see Paul

in Corinth.

We see his

listeners in

Corinth.

But thirdly,

we see

Paul's

message in

Corinth.

Now when

Paul arrives

in this

city, he

has a

message.

And he

gives himself

wholeheartedly

in delivering

that message.

Now what

is his

message?

What would

you have

done if

you arrived

in first

century

Corinth?

What would

you bring

before the

people?

Well, Paul

makes his

number one

priority,

the cross

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

He tells

us in

1 Corinthians

15 and

verse 3,

I

deliver to

you that

which was

of first

importance,

that Christ

died for

our sins

according to

the scriptures.

What scriptures,

Paul?

Well, according

to the Old

Testament

scriptures,

that he

was buried

and that he

was raised

the third

day according

to the

scriptures.

This was

my message,

a crucified

and a

risen

Lord.

So, in

other words,

when he

came before

Jews, he

preached

Christ

crucified

risen.

When he

came before

Gentiles, he

preached

Jesus Christ

crucified

risen.

When he

met with

sinners, he

preached

Jesus Christ

crucified

and risen.

there was

no compromise

to Jewish

thinking.

If you

look at

verses 22

and 23,

you read

there these

words,

Jews demand

miraculous

signs and

Greeks look

for wisdom.

But we

preach Christ

crucified, a

stumbling block

to Jews and

foolishness to

Gentiles.

promise.

But Paul

didn't

compromise

his message.

The Jews

said, give

us a sign.

That was

always their

way of

thinking.

Jesus was

asked to

work signs

and wonders

again and

again while

he was here

upon earth

before his

death and

resurrection.

Even when

he hung

upon the

cross, they

said, come

down if

you are

the Christ.

And they

mocked him

as he

hung there.

He saved

others.

He cannot

save himself.

Give us

a sign.

Come

down.

But he

didn't come

down.

Though the

Jews asked

for a

sign.

You see,

a crucified

Savior proved

proved to

be a

stumbling

block to

the Jews.

They

adopted a

teaching

which said

something like

this.

That the

Messiah would

come as a

mighty ruler.

That he would

get rid of the

yoke of the

Romans.

That if they

kept the law,

they would

eventually get

to heaven.

all they

had to do

was live

their lives

in purity.

But they

failed and

they failed

miserably.

And the

apostle Paul

comes to

them and

says, I

want to

point you

to the

cross.

Because that

is the way

of salvation.

Salvation

will never be

found in

keeping the

law.

Because it's

impossible to

keep the

law.

I want

you to

look to

Christ who

hung there

and took

the wrath

of God

upon himself

in your

place and

died in

your place.

Look to

Christ and

be saved.

That's what

you must do.

And although

he could have

tried other

methods, he

didn't.

He said

there's only

salvation through

faith.

in what

Jesus Christ

did upon

the cross.

For there

he died

for sinners.

There he

died that

people might

be clean.

Some years

ago, I

was in

Poland near

the city

of Wucz.

Wucz.

The second

largest city

in Poland

and quite

near there.

there was

a memorial

to the

many Jews

who were

sent to

the gas

chambers

at

Auschwitz.

It was a

very moving

memorial.

It was you

went in at

one end

and you went

down a long

tunnel.

And as you

went down

the tunnel,

so the names

of the people

that had been

transported from

which appeared

and when they

were sent.

And when you

got to the

end of this

memorial,

this long

tunnel,

there was no

way out.

And you

looked up and

you were in

a chimney.

family.

It was

showing the

end of

so many

people that

were sent

from those

parts that

they ended

up cremated

at Auschwitz.

But God

in His

mercy

has saved

a number

of Polish

people,

even in

Auschwitz

itself.

What had

happened?

Well,

somebody had

betrayed a

number of

Christians and

said that they

were anti-Nazi.

And so they

were thrown

into Auschwitz.

They were

Christians and

they witnessed

to many,

many Jews.

And although

the story

hasn't been

told, it is

out there.

There are

papers available

collected by

a friend of

mine.

And it

says that

many,

many Jews

turn to

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

As they

heard the

message of

salvation in

such terrible

circumstances,

they turn to

the Savior.

They had one

message to

give to these

people as

they faced

death.

And all of

us face

death.

The one

message is

Jesus Christ

and Him

crucified.

No

compromise.

faith in

Him and

in Him

alone.

But there's

no compromise

to Gentile

thinking either.

You see,

the Greeks,

well, they

had their

philosophies.

And here was

Paul.

And what was

he doing?

Was he

elevating their

philosophies and

their philosophers?

No.

He was

preaching about

a man who

lived a

perfect life,

who was

nailed to

a cross.

And the

Greeks said,

foolishness,

ridiculous.

How can

someone dying

a gruesome

death like

that save

people?

It doesn't

make sense.

God's

love.

So Paul

changed

track.

Not for

a single

moment.

He sought

to prove

from the

Old Testament

Scriptures

that Christ

had to die.

That He

had to

shed

His

blood

upon the

cross.

He took

people back

to those

Old Testament

Scriptures

which said

He was

wounded

for our

transgressions.

He was

bruised

for our

iniquities.

The

chastisement

that brought

us peace

was upon

Him and

with His

stripes

we are

healed.

He

pointed

them to

a

crucified,

risen

Christ.

And as

He says

in this

passage

in verse

21

for

since

in the

wisdom

of God

the world

through its

wisdom

did not

know Him

God

was

pleased

through the

foolishness

of what

was preached

to save

those

who

believed.

The

message

of the

cross

have you

accepted

it?

Do you

believe it

that there

is only

salvation in

Christ

and in

Him

alone?

You see

we live in a

different age

but nothing

has changed

salvation.

And you

and I

must go

out into

this world

and point

people

to the

same

Savior.

And why

do we

point to

the same

Savior?

Well

sin had

to be

punished

didn't

it?

God

had to

be

just

and God

provided

a

substitute

a perfect

substitute

a perfect

sacrifice

in the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

And if

the people

of the

community

of

Carigaline

would know

forgiveness

of sin

they must

come

to the

foot

of the

cross.

There's

an old

hymn

which says

there lies

beneath

its shadow

that is

the shadow

of the

cross.

There lies

beneath

its shadow

but on

the

further

side

the

darkness

of an

awful

grave

that

gapes

both

deep

and wide

and there

between us

stands

the cross

to arms

outstretched

to save

like a

watchman

set to

guard

the way

from that

eternal

grave.

So the

people of

Carigaline

need to

come to

the foot

of the

cross

as they

are

as

sinners

and to

quote

another

hymn

just as I

am

without

one plea

but that

your blood

was shed

for me

and that

you bid

me

come

to me

O

Lamb

of God

I

come

as a

sinner

there

is

no

other

way

but I

can tell

you this

if people

do

come

as they

listen to

the message

of the

cross

and the

resurrection

of the

Lord

Jesus

if they

come

will he

save

yes he

will

because he

is faithful

1

Corinthians

1

and verse

18

says

for 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

Paul at

Corinth

Paul's

listeners

in Corinth

Paul's

message

in Corinth

and finally

Paul's

power

in Corinth

what was

it that

caused

sinners

to respond

to what

Paul was

saying

what power

was at work

that caused

people to

be changed

to become

new creations

to have

a complete

change

of direction

what was

it that

turned

people

round

well let's

first of all

put it

negatively

a power

was at work

but it

wasn't a

natural

power

Paul tells

us

he

he

arrives

at the

city

and he's

nervous

and the

Lord speaks

to him

in Acts

18

and verse

9

it says

do not

be afraid

keep on

speaking

do not

be silent

for I

am with

you

and no

one is

going to

attack

or harm

you

because I

have many

people

in this

city

here's

the great

apostle

but he's

afraid

he naturally

wants to

stay quiet

he suffered

persecution

as he made

his way

down through

Europe

of that

day

and his

fear is

perfectly

understandable

and he

speaks about

it in the

passage that

was read

to us

earlier on

1

corinthians 2

and verse

1

when I

came to

you brothers

I did

not come

with eloquence

or superior

wisdom

and he

goes on

to say

I came

to you

in weakness

and fear

and with

much

trembling

my message

and my

preaching

were not

with wise

or persuasive

words

no it

didn't lie

in me

said the

apostle Paul

it's not

me that

caused people

to change

their lifestyles

it wasn't

my eloquence

it wasn't

my well

crafted

sermon

no it

wasn't

a power

that I

naturally

possessed

I've been

obedient to

the command

of God

I've received

the call

of God

I know

the promises

of God

I sowed

the seed

I've watered

the seed

and some

Jews

and Gentiles

listened

and rejected

and others

heard

and believed

no it

wasn't

me

and he

tells us

elsewhere

it wasn't

Apollos

and it

wasn't

Peter

it's not

their power

it's not

my power

it's not

my wisdom

so what

was it

Paul

well he

says

something

happened

there was

a power

at work

that was

supernatural

there was

the very

power

of God

the spirit

of the

living God

this is how

it's put

in 1 Corinthians

2

and the latter

part of

verse 4

it was

a demonstration

of the spirit's

power

so that your

faith might not

rest on men's

wisdom

but on

God's

power

so Paul

preached

about

the cross

he pointed

to the Lord

Jesus Christ

as the only

saviour

he showed the

people that there

was no salvation

apart from

faith in him

and God

by the power

of his spirit

took his

word

and implanted

it deep

in the hearts

of his

listeners

and they were

changed

dramatically

it was the

very power

of God

isn't that

what he says

in 1 Corinthians

1 and

verse 18

for 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

and in

1 Corinthians

1 and

verse 24

he says

to those

whom God

has called

both Jews

and Greeks

Christ

the power

of God

and the

wisdom

of God

and it

was the

power

of God

that broke

down people's

natural

resistance

to the

message

of the

cross

and the

resurrection

of the

Lord Jesus

Christ

the power

of God

caused them

to change

completely

they were

born again

from above

they saw

that there was

no other

way

and it was

as though

the cross

drew them

so that they

could do

nothing else

but bow

before the

Lord

now that's

a work

of God

that's the

almighty

power

of the

Holy

Spirit

and you

and I

should be

praying

as we go

out and

witness

that we

will be

empowered

and that

God will

take our

weak words

that God

will take

our fears

and transform

them

so that we

are ready

to proclaim

and we

may sow

and we

may water

and God

by his

power

will bring

about

the

increase

so that

when people

are converted

it won't

be because

of you

but it

will be

because of

the power

of God

and that's

what is

needed

I've been

reading

recently

a book

about the

days of

Whitfield

and Wesley

and I was

reading about

a funeral

service

of someone

who has

died

and 10,000

people

attended

that funeral

service

and because

the spirit

of God

was so

at work

they had

to erect

three platforms

for different

preachers

and preaching

went on

all day

and hundreds

were brought

into the

kingdom