1 Corinthians 1:17-18 The Centrality Of The Cross (Part 2)

Who would have thought the cross up as a way to save the world?

 Byron mentioned this image during his message as an illustration of the mentality of those perishing. The cross is foolishness to the lost world. {This graffitio, scratched into the plaster on the side of a building in Rome, dates from about 250 AD. The hastily made image (probably by a teenager in those days) shows a crucifix with a donkey's head, seen from behind and dressed in a short tunic. To the left stands a young man with the same clothes and his arm raised. Between the two figures are the words in Greek: "Alexamenos sebete theon" ("Alexamenos worships his god"). Apparently, the author of the drawing is making fun of a Christian, Alexamenos, who is praying to a crucified god with a donkey's head.}

 "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." 1 Corinthians 1:18

The cross of Christ splits mankind into two categories: fools and the wise. The fools however are the ones that are being saved and the wise are the ones perishing. The graffiti above so aptly portrays the lost world's view of the cross. I guess today it would be like walking around saying that some prophet was executed in an electric chair in some remote prison to pay for your sins. In our natural minds we would hear this and scoff with ridicule. Even though the cross is offensive and one of the most despicable visuals of the Roman world, that is not what makes the cross of Christ so offensive. The cross is offensive because it is the best, most honest assessment of the sinful condition of mankind. The evoked question should and usually is, "why would God do that to His son?" Answer: we are a brutal, savage people who kill babies calling it a mother's choice and murder people in our hearts everyday! It shows the cost required to pay for the sins of man. "The cross is the brutal truth about me."
The implications of this message:

• my mission field is populated with perishing people who hate the cross because they are quite happy with self salvation. They have it covered and don't need my help or anyone's help.
• The cross is shameful as an actual, historical image but also it's implications to the sinner. When is the last time I bore the shame of the cross for His name and glory? When is the next time I get the chance?
• When I shy away from being a shamed fool for Christ I negate the cross, denying its power alone to save.

Finally, was anyone else's heart racing at the saved prostitute story/ conclusion? Wow, that was the best ending of a sermon that I have experienced in a long time. It really made me think about grace and the power of the cross to change a life! I had no idea if he was serious or delving into the hypothetical. It was brilliant and totally arrested my attention. Hopefully I will stay arrested by God's Word all this week.

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1 Corinthians 1:17 The Centrality Of The Cross

Click on this link to find the audio to this sermon if you missed it.

http://audio.cbcnashville.org/index.php/site/listen/275


Here is the main verse for the sermon from 02/21/2010

1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Here are a few thoughts I jotted down so we can get the discussion started:

We have church wrong:

* man pleasing is a major problem in our lives
* We must think about what God thinks about us more than what man thinks
* Paul was liberated from the fear of men
* Being bold for the Gospel is not a license to be an angry prophet jerk
* We are choking and exhausted by worrying about what others think of us.

The singular ministry of the church:

* The message of fulfilled happiness is not the Christian faith
* Unhappiness results from pursuing happiness
* Desire to be popular strips the Gospel of its power in our lives and ministry
* Christianity is content based not feeling based
* How did we make the Gospel into a self improvement remedy?
* The power of the cross is it's power to offend
* If I offer the lost something other than the substitutionary work of Christ in the Gospel I will damn them.
* Stop looking for evangelism openings or angles in conversations because they are always there in every conversation.

What was most meaningful for you and your main takeaway for a Cross centered life this week?

For me, the pursuit of personal happiness in my life is robbing all the power of the Gospel in my witness. What witness, actually! My happiness is in the way of the Gospel.

What say you?

First Corinthians

Community Bible Church Nashville, TN with Pastor Byron Yawn just entered week two, the second sermon, of 1 Corinthians. If history serves as a guide to the future, this series should take about 6 to 10 years to get through. This blog site will serve as a place to come and extend learning and fellowship around the word of God as it pertains to this sermon series on First Corinthians.