United by the cross of Christ: 1 Corinthians 1v10-25

1144.

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that all of you agree with one another,

so that there may be no divisions among you,

and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

My brothers, some from Chloe's household,

have informed me that there are quarrels amongst you.

What I mean is this.

One of you says, I follow Paul.

Another, I follow Apollos.

Another, I follow Cephas.

Still another, I follow Christ.

Is Christ divided?

Was Paul crucified for you?

Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.

Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas.

Beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.

Not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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 man?

Where is the scholar?

Where is the philosopher of his 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 miraculous signs,

and Greeks look for wisdom.

But we preach Christ crucified,

a stumbling block to Jews,

and foolishness to Gentiles,

but to those who 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 the man's wisdom,

and the weakness of God

is stronger than the man's strength.

Thank you very much, Maria.

Well, if you were here last week,

you'll know that we started our new series,

our new studies,

in 1 Corinthians,

Messy Church, Holy Church.

And if you haven't yet got a copy of this,

which I'm holding up here,

there's some more on the table,

which is just a little overview,

and helps you to get a big picture idea

of what the letter is all about,

and what we'll be looking at

over the coming Sundays.

Well, we need God's help, as always,

when we look at his word,

and so we're going to pray for God's help.

Now, let's do that.

Our Father God, we thank you

for this letter of 1 Corinthians

written centuries ago,

but a word which comes from you

to us today

by your Holy Spirit

speaking into our lives

and into our context.

Father, we do not want

the wisdom of the world.

Rather, we want the wisdom of God.

And we want your power

to change us

because we are powerless

to change ourselves.

So, as we look at your word together,

would you please do that work amongst us

and bring us closer

to an understanding

of what it is to be

a united church

because of the cross of Christ.

Christ.

We pray this

in his name.

Amen.

Well, this church in Corinth

was a real mess.

Sinful attitudes,

immoral behaviours

were not being dealt with

and so the church

was beginning to

fragment

and fall apart.

Have a look at verse 11

from our reading this morning.

My brothers and sister,

some from Chloe's household,

so this is a family

within the church,

he says,

have informed me

that there are quarrels,

that there is arguments

among you.

What I mean is this,

one of you

or one group

is saying,

I follow Paul.

He's a great speaker.

I love the way

he puts his arguments.

He's brilliant.

Another group is saying,

well, I follow Apollos.

He's much easier

to understand.

He's simple.

I like him.

Still another group

are saying,

we follow Cephas

or Peter.

He's direct

and straight

to the point.

People, you see,

were fighting

over which leader

and speaker

was better.

So instead of

one united church,

they were one

unholy mess.

In fact,

some of them

even thought

that they were

far superior

to these other

divided groups.

Look at the end

of verse 12.

It's like,

you know,

we don't follow

Peter or Paul

or Apollos.

We're much better

than that.

We follow Christ.

The problem is,

they've all become

personality focused,

not spiritually

focused.

instead of being

united by gathering

around Christ

and his cross,

they have divided

by gathering

around people

and their status.

Now,

this kind of behaviour

that we see

in the church

then

is not a million

miles away

today.

I mean,

have you heard

about that new

pastor in town?

Apparently,

he's got an amazing

gift at speaking.

Brilliant.

I think I'll start

going there.

All the students

think he's wonderful

and they've got

a great band

as well.

Or have you heard

about the church

down the road?

The amount of people

that are going

to that church,

it's incredible.

There are hundreds

going.

And they've got

a brilliant children's

programme in creche.

My kids are going

to love that.

I think I'll go there.

Or did you catch

that online ministry?

The lady

who speaks there,

she registered

over 200,000

downloads last week

and that was

just on one talk.

I get much more

out of that

than I ever do

at church.

You see,

the danger is

we can become

personality-focused

rather than

spiritually-focused.

Instead of us

gathering around

Christ and

his cross,

we gather

around people

and their

status.

But perhaps

we don't get

sucked in by

popularity and

programmes.

We think of

ourselves much

too spiritual

to be kind of

led down that

road.

We just like to

say, oh,

I follow Christ.

Me and Jesus,

we get along

fine.

I don't need

the church

or its leaders.

I can just

stay at home,

me and

Jesus.

Oh, it all

appears to be

spiritual,

but in reality,

like all these

other groupies,

it causes

unholy

division.

So how do we

maintain

our unity?

unity?

Well, we need

to go back

to where

it all

began.

Have a look

at verse

10.

I appeal

to you,

I plead

with you,

I love

and I

care for

you so

much,

brothers and

sisters,

in the name

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ,

that all

of you

agree with

one another

so that

there may

be no

divisions among

you and

that you

may be

perfectly

united

in mind

and thought.

Now,

perfectly

united

is not

the name

of the

local

soccer team.

It's what

God's holy

church should

look like

to a

watching world.

Literally,

being perfectly

united means

to knit

together or

to mesh

together.

together.

So you

think of

a wire

mesh the

way it's

all integrated

and locked

together.

So instead

of being

ripped apart,

they are

tied together,

bound and

strong.

And what

ties and

unites this

church together

is the

cross of

Christ.

It is the

common thread,

that common

piece of wire,

if you like,

that holds

everything together.

Have a look

down at

verse 13.

Here we're

asked a

series of

questions.

They may

seem odd

at first,

but it

gets to

the heart

of what

it is to

be united

in the

cross of

Christ.

He asked

us,

is Christ

divided?

I mean,

can you

split Christ

up into

lots of

different

little parts

and still

call him

Christ?

No,

of course

not.

You can't

do that.

So just

as Christ

is one

and just

as you

cannot

divide

Christ,

so the

church,

the people

are one

and cannot

be divided.

He actually

gets back to

this a little

bit later on.

If you jump

forward to

chapter 12,

I think this

very helpfully

illustrates what

he's getting

at or what

he introduces

at the very

beginning.

So chapter

12 and

verse 12.

chapter 12

and verse

12.

Here he's

talking about

the body,

the physical

body,

and he uses

it as an

illustration

to talk

about the

church.

So do you

see it there,

chapter 12

verse 12?

He says the

body,

he's talking

there about

the physical

body is a

unit,

it's one,

though it is

made up of

many parts.

So a body

has arms

and legs

and eyes

and ears

and different

parts.

And though

all its parts

are many,

they form

just one

body.

So you

are one

unit,

you're not

all different

pieces,

you are one,

I'm one.

So it

is with

Christ.

Now look

at verse

27 of the

same chapter.

What does

it tell us

we are?

Now you

are the

body of

Christ.

Christ.

And each

one of

you is a

part of

it.

So the

church,

that is the

people who

have entrusted

their lives

to Jesus,

we are the

body of

Christ.

There's many

parts to

that body,

but together

we form one

united body.

So just as

Christ is

one,

we the

church are

one.

Back to

chapter

one.

one.

So this

unity,

this gathering

around

Christ,

is not

something that's

humanly

manufactured.

It isn't

coming from

our ideas

or our

design.

It is a

supernatural

work of

God.

And it

happens in

two ways.

Firstly,

through the

death of

Christ.

So he

goes on

with his

questioning in

chapter one

verse 13.

He says,

is Christ

divided?

No,

he's not.

Was Paul

crucified for

you?

What a silly

question, but

he's trying to

make a point.

Did some

church leader

take the

punishment that

you deserve

for your

sins?

I mean,

Ralph is

sitting over

there.

Did he die

for you?

No,

Christ died

for you.

He alone

takes the

blame for

our sin so

that we

might be

incorporated

into his

body.

through

Christ's

death we

are now

included,

brothers and

sisters of

the Lord

Jesus and

of each

other.

He goes

on with a

third question.

Was Christ

divided?

Or is

Christ

divided?

Was Paul

crucified for

you?

Were you

baptized into

the name of

Paul?

When you

got baptized,

if you were

baptized,

did somebody

say, I

baptize you in

the name of

the Father

and of

Johnny Grant

and of

the Holy

Spirit?

Well, it

sounds a bit

crazy, doesn't

it?

We're

baptized into

the name

of Christ,

symbolizing

our being

united to

Christ and

being united

to his

church.

That's what

baptism is a

symbol of.

You see,

what Christ

has united,

we cannot

divide.

If Christ

has died

for you,

if you

have been

baptized into

Christ,

then we

are one

in Christ,

whether we

behave like

it or

not.

That's why

Paul has

been crystal

clear in

his task.

In verses

14 and

15, he

talks about,

he says,

yes, I

baptized

certain people

in the

church when

I was

there.

There were

some people

I didn't.

But that

wasn't the

real reason.

I'm not

wanting

followers of

Paul.

No, he's

something much

more important

that he's

about.

Look at

verse 17.

For Christ

did not

send me to

baptize,

but to

preach the

gospel,

to preach

the message

of the

cross,

not with

words of

human wisdom,

not by

telling jokes

and little

stories,

not that

they're

wrong,

but just

that,

or clever

little

arguments

and little

asides.

No, I

just want

to preach

simply the

plain and

simple message

of Jesus.

Lest the

cross of

Christ be

emptied of

its power,

because that's

where the

power is,

in the

message.

So Paul

is saying,

when I

preach,

I'm not

looking for

more likes

on Facebook.

I'm not

interested in

more followers

on my blog

or checking

how many

downloaded

my sermon.

No, I

want people

to know

Christ,

because through

Christ we're

saved and

we're brought

into the

family of

the church.

That's how

we're united.

So church

is not about

finding the

most popular

preacher.

Or maybe

you're a

student here,

and you're

thinking,

well, I'm

going to be

leaving soon,

and I'm

going to be

getting a

job somewhere

else, or

whatever the

case may

be.

When you're

looking for

a church,

it's not

about how

many people

go, or

how cool

the music

is.

It's not

even how

dynamic and

how energetic

their programs

are.

It's not

about clever

arguments or

slick

presentations.

It's all

about the

cross of

Christ.

Christ.

That is

what brings

us, and

that is

what unites

us together,

and that's

what we

should look

for when

we are

looking for

a church.

Is the

message always

about Christ

and his

cross?

Now, there

are two

reasons why

we need to

unite around

the cross of

Christ, why

it is so

important that

we keep it

central, and

he goes on to

explain the

reasons why.

Here's the

first one.

The cross of

Christ is

God's wisdom

to save.

You see, for

some people, and

maybe you're a

person here today

who thinks like

this, they see

the cross of

Christ as

absolute

nonsense,

silly, not

important.

Look 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 those who've

rejected Christ

and have turned

away from him,

and their

eternal destiny is

separation from

God, hell

itself, for

them the message

of the cross is

absolutely stupid,

a complete waste

of time.

There's some

very clever

people around.

One clever

person, he's

just recently

passed away,

was the

scholar

Christopher

Hitchens.

He wrote a

book called

God is

Dead.

A very, very

clever and

intelligent man,

an amazing

debater.

God is

a

God is

a wonderful

mind, but

this is what he

thought.

He said, I

find something

repulsive about

the idea of

vicarious redemption.

That's just a

technical way of

talking about the

cross of Christ.

This impossible

action of a

Jesus dying

robs us of

individual

responsibility.

So the

whole apparatus

of absolution

and forgiveness

strikes me as

positively

immoral.

Or take

another person,

Professor Richard

Dawkins.

He's a world

leader in

science.

Again, a very

capable and

very intellectual

man.

But here's what

he said,

you cannot

be an

intelligent

scientific

thinker

and still

hold to

religious

beliefs.

In other

words, you

can't say

you're an

educated

person and

still believe

in the

cross.

Now these

are world

thinkers who've

written many

things and

people listen

to what they

have to say

and they're

telling everybody

the cross is

foolish, it's

silly, it's

a nonsense.

We don't need

anybody to

save us, we

can save

ourselves.

Salvation for

humanity is

found in the

wisdom of

learning and

of understanding.

That's how

we're going to

better the

world and

better humanity.

But listen to

what God has

to say.

Verse 19.

He says,

for it is

written,

I will

destroy the

wisdom of

the wise.

the

intelligence of

the intelligent,

I will

frustrate.

So the

very thing

that the

world counts

as foolish,

that's the

message of

the cross.

God says,

I'm going to

take the

message of

the cross

and it is

going to be

the means of

salvation for

the world.

So look at

verse 20.

Again, he

asks a whole

load of

questions.

Where's the

wise man?

Where's the

scholar?

Where's the

philosopher of

this age?

In other

words, what

has all this

learning done

for the

world?

All the

great minds

that have

ever lived,

the great

intellects that

there have

been down

through the

centuries,

what has it

all led to

for the

world?

Well, there's

been some

great things,

hasn't there?

There's been the

advancement in

science, which

means we all

live a little

bit longer

than before

and there's

now more

cures for

illnesses.

That's a good

thing because

of learning.

Yes, our

understanding of

physics means we

can go further

into space and

maybe somebody

one day is

going to live

on planet

Mars.

Who knows?

We might

need to.

Yes, our

application of

mathematics means

we have better

technology and

communication

systems.

That's all

great things.

But with

all this

learning and

all this

advancement and

all the wisdom

of the world

down through

the centuries,

the human

heart is

still the

same.

We are

still broken

and sinful.

By nature,

we specialize

in unholy

division.

I mean,

look around

the world.

How many

nations are

fighting and

at war today?

Look at the

pictures on

our TVs.

As thousands

upon thousands

of people are

leaving countries

because they're

all fighting.

Or look at our

communities.

We've seen it

again in the

news this week

in Northern

Ireland.

A community

again falling

apart.

Look at our

own individual

families.

How many of

them can we

all say are

so nicely

together?

The reality

is so much

is broken and

falling apart.

What about

our friendships?

How many

of us have

lost friends

because of

things we've

said or

done or

because of

something they've

said or

done?

The reality

is we

specialize in

unholy

division.

We divide.

We fall

out.

We quarrel.

Look at the

end of verse

20.

Has not

God made

foolish the

wisdom of the

world?

God made

the wisdom of

God.

God made

the world

through its

wisdom did

not know

him.

God was

pleased through

the foolishness

of what was

preached to

save those

who believe.

The world's

wisdom says

this.

We can go

it alone.

We don't

need God.

We don't

need a cross.

Don't talk

to me about

a cross.

That's nonsense.

It's foolish.

It's silly.

The world

thinks it can

save itself and

save humanity

along with it.

But God in

his wisdom

comes along

and says

what the

world thinks

is foolish

and stupid,

what the

world laughs

at,

I will use

that to

save the

world and

save people.

That's what

he's saying

at the end

of verse

21.

That God

was pleased

through the

foolishness

of what was

preached to

save those

who believe.

In the

first century

there was

a piece

of graffiti

that was

found on

a wall

and it's

a little

picture,

it's just

kind of like

a chalk

kind of

drawing and

there's a

picture of

a man

spread like

this as

if he's

on a

cross.

But for

a head

is a

donkey,

an ass.

And there's

a little

caption underneath

and it

says,

Alex

Amenos

worships

his

God.

So

obviously

in the

first century

there was

a little

guy called

Alex,

a Christian

who had

heard the

message of

the cross

he'd come

to believe

and other

people thought

it was

stupid.

Maybe a

neighbour,

maybe one

of his

mates in

school,

who knows,

but they

draw a

little picture

and say,

what a

stupid

boy to

follow

that.

And maybe

that's what

people think

of you

and me.

Why would

you follow

such a

simple and

stupid

message?

A man

dying on

the cross,

how utterly

pathetic.

But that

is God's

wisdom,

to take

something the

world thinks

is foolish,

to save

people like

you and

me.

Let me

try and

apply this

through to

some situations

today.

Look for

example at

Northern Ireland.

We've seen

it on the

news,

the Northern

Ireland

Assembly.

The world

in its

wisdom has

put in

millions of

dollars into

that.

There's been

thousands of

hours around

the negotiating

table.

The world's

brightest and

most talented

politicians of

lawyers have

been employed.

Nothing has

been spared to

make it work.

But where are

we at again

this week?

Division,

brokenness,

distrust,

falling apart.

What if I

were to go to

them or

somebody else

and say,

why don't we

sit them all

down round

the table and

we'll preach

them the

message of

the cross?

What kind

of response

would you

get?

Don't be

so foolish.

Don't be

so stupid.

What an

ignorant and

uneducated idea

to do that.

But I could

take you to

churches today

where the

cross of

Christ has

been preached,

the message

has been

proclaimed,

and in

those churches

are people

from either

side,

nationalist

and unionist.

I even

think if

you were

to dig

around here

you would

find people

on different

sides.

I could

take you

to churches

where there

are people

from a

Jewish

background

and a

Palestinian

background

united

together,

Muslim

backgrounds

united

together.

Why?

Because they

have come

to hear the

message of

the cross

and they

have been

saved because

they've

trusted in

Jesus,

they've been

forgiven of

all their

sin and

they are

now together

as one

people.

the cross

of Christ

is God's

wisdom

to save.

So that's

what he

says to

the church.

Guys,

if you're

going to

be perfectly

united,

it's got

to be

the cross

of Christ.

The second

big thing

he says

is this,

the cross

of Christ

is God's

power to

unite.

You see,

those God

saves,

he doesn't

just save

individually

and say

there you

are all

on your

own.

He saves

to bring

them into

a community,

into a

family,

into a

church.

There's no

such thing

as an

individual

Christian.

You are

brought in.

So let's

have a look

at how

this works

out.

Verse 22.

Jews

demand

miraculous

signs and

Greeks

look for

wisdom.

So some

people are

like Jews

and they

look for

proof of

God's

power.

So they

say something

like this

to God

or to

the church

or to

the teacher.

Do some

miracles.

Go on,

heal somebody,

raise somebody

from the

dead,

change my

circumstances

and get me

a job.

If you do

all of this

then I'll

believe in

God's

power.

Then there's

another group

of people

like the

Greeks

and they

look for

proof in

clever

arguments

and they

say give

us something

deep and

philosophical,

something that

we've never

heard before,

some new

kind of

teaching.

Tell us

something

different that

we've never

ever heard

before.

Then I

will believe

in God.

But look

at the

answer,

verse 23.

We don't

do those

things,

Paul says.

We preach

Christ

crucified,

a stumbling

block to

Jews and

foolishness to

Gentiles.

Instead of

just throwing

them miraculous

healings,

instead of

just firing

out new

philosophies and

new teaching,

God says,

here's what I

give you.

I give you

my crucified

son.

If you

want to

see the

power of

God at

work,

if you

want to

see the

greatest

display of

God's

power that

the world

has ever

seen,

then I

want you

to look

at the

cross.

And look

carefully at

the cross.

Look at

this broken

God

man.

beaten,

crushed,

naked,

hanging on

a cross

to die.

Look at

those nails

that have

been driven

through his

hands and

feet,

ripping and

tearing flesh

apart.

Look at

the crown

of thorns

as it is

crushed into

his skull,

blood

pouring down,

blinding his

eyes and

dripping from

his side.

Hear the

cries of

agony and

pain,

the grasping

for breath

as his

life edges

away.

Listen to

his shouts

from the

cross,

my God,

my God,

why have

you forsaken

me?

Watch the

scene around

the cross

as the

crowds jeer

and taunt

and they

spit and

laugh and

the so-called

followers all

run away in

the other

direction.

Look at

the cross

of Christ.

It's a

picture of

weakness.

It's a

bloody mess,

foolish,

stupid and

pathetic.

verse 24.

But to

those whom

God has

called,

both Jews

and Greeks,

Christ the

power of

God and

the wisdom

of God.

He is

saying for

those who

would dare

to look at

the cross

and dare

to listen

to its

message,

for those

who would

believe that

this God

man crucified

on the

cross that

looks foolish

and stupid

to everybody

else,

is God's

means for

taking the

sin of the

world on

himself,

punishing it

and judging

it so that

messy, sinful

people like you

and me can be

forgiven of all

of our sin and

united together.

Paul knew that

he had a hard

job to try and

pull this church

together,

the Jews and

the Greeks.

Well, trying to

get them together

was like trying to

get Sinn Féin and

DUP to talk.

It would be like

the GAA trying to

join forces with

the IRFU.

It's like trying

to make Russia

and Ukraine

one.

It's impossible

from a human

point of view.

Jews and

Greeks, they just

didn't get on

with each other.

They didn't fit.

And here they are

now clumped

together in this

church.

But through the

cross of Christ,

every barrier has

been broken down.

Every division has

been healed because

their every sin has

been forgiven.

And that's how

God united them

together as his

church.

Not in miraculous

healings, not

through clever

arguments, but

through the simple

preaching of the

cross of Christ.

Because that is

God's power and

the only power to

unite the people

of God.

As I look out on

this church, the

people who trust

in Jesus, as

we're gathered here

this morning, I

see, myself

included, people

of different

backgrounds and

cultures.

But we're a

diverse, motley

crew, aren't

we?

Different ages.

Some are single,

some are married.

We speak different

languages.

Even the colour of

our skin can be

different.

Our incomes and

our jobs are

different.

We've got different

hobbies and

different interests.

We're at

different stages of

life, with kids,

without kids,

looking for work,

retired from work.

But we're all kinds

of different people.

And if we were to

meet each other

walking down the

street, there might

be not one thing

that would have

anything in common

that would connect

us to each other.

Nothing.

We just pass each

other as we pass

by lots of other

people.

So what are we

doing here?

This mixed bunch

that we are.

Why do we meet

each other with

each other here

on a Sunday and

Wednesdays?

Why do we gather

together?

Why do we love

and care?

What's brought us

all together?

From all our vast

backgrounds.

The cross of Christ.

Because what the

world sees as foolish,

we have come to see

as incredibly wise.

What the world sees

as weak, we have come

to see as power.

Look at verse 25.

For the foolishness

of God is wiser

than man's wisdom,

and the weakness

of God is stronger

than man's strength.

In Christ, we have

been saved from all

our sin, and in Christ

we have been united

together.

So how do we remain

perfectly united to a

watching world?

not by gathering

around people and

their status, not by

running here and

there to different

things and other

situations, but by

gathering around

Christ and his

cross and pointing

each other to there

every single day.

Let's pray together.

our Father God, we

come to you with a

confession and in

repentance for thinking

that our ways are better

than your ways, or

thinking that we know

and we know how to do

things and how to save

and how to unite.

But we humbly come

before you and we

stand at the cross and

we look at the cross and

we listen to its message

and we say thank you God

for your amazing power,

for your great wisdom

to send your son to us