Choosing the Cross- 1 Cor 1:18

Woody Rimes

The Church • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

1 Corinthians 1:18

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1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV 1900

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

READ

Have you ever wondered what it would look like to “fully embrace” the Cross? It would be “foolishness”! We don’t like the sound of that because who wants to look foolish?

To nullify the cross is to nullify the Gospel. The “word” of the Cross is the statement or doctrine by which the cross of Christ is set before our hearts so that we may believe and accept it in trust.

Yet, many look at the Cross with the eyes of their human wisdom and deem is foolishness! They see no sense in it! How could the power of a “crucified” man—the epitome of weakness—make sense?

NOTE—That which is “foolishness” is always Powerless and cannot save those who are perishing.

No other message has this “dynamite” of God!! only the Cross!

In the Cross

we find our “sufficiency” but also there are “deeper” implications to what the Cross really means.

READ —

Matthew 16:24 KJV 1900

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Deny-

Deny-Luke 9:23

Luke 9:23 KJV 1900

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

Cross-

Luke 14:27 KJV 1900

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Cross-

Follow—

Matthew 4:19 KJV 1900

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Follow—

Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice for many and He calls us to walk a similar path. The Corinthian church refused to follow this path. However, to give ones self for others is utter foolishness to those on the pathway to spiritual death.

Could it be that we have the tendency to look at only ONE side of the Cross? The Way of The Cross is not “foolishness”, but “every man for himself” is foolishness.

Adam and Eve—READ

Genesis 3:1 KJV 1900

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:4–5 KJV 1900

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Satan tells Eve that if she does it his way, her deepest needs will be met. You don’t need to listen to God! Go for the gusto! Do it your way.

As we all know, Adam and Eve succumbed to the enemy—READ

Genesis 3:7 KJV 1900

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Why live a life so restricted? Why be out of touch with this generation? In answering these questions, Adam and Eve experienced spiritual bankruptcy.

Explain the Way of the Cross—

Disciples Cross

We must bear our Cross daily and this is what it looks like:

1- Christ must be in the Center-

John 15:5 KJV 1900

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

2- The Lower Part—“Living in the Word”-

John 8:31–32 KJV 1900

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The Word is food for us-

John 15:10 KJV 1900

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

— continue in the Word means to Obey

3- Upper- Prayer-

John 15:7 KJV 1900

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:7

4- Right—Fellowship-

John 13:34–35 KJV 1900

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

5- Left- Witness-

John 15:8 KJV 1900

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Bearing Fruit

1- Living in the Word leads to teaching/preaching

2- Praying in faith leads to a ministry of worship or intercession

3- Fellowshipping with believers leads to the ministry of nurture to members

4- Witnessing to the world leads to a ministry of evangelism

Ministry of Service—

John 15:13 KJV 1900

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

—covers it all!

Why do we have such difficulty living out the Disciples Cross?

The cross is not about “self-centeredness” but Christ centered! For many professing believers, this doesn’t fit our “vision” of what we expected out of life.

When Mother Teresa was passing through a crowd in Detroit, a woman remarked, “Her secret is that she is free to be nothing”. Therefore, God can use her for anything.

The litmus test for obedience and pleasing God is not placed on education, money, prestige or anything in our flesh. Rather, God chooses to use men, women, boys and girls who are willing to DENY themselves, take up their CROSS and FOLLOW Him.

1 Corinthians 1:26–28 KJV 1900

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

God doesn’t want our strength or our wisdom! God has not called us to figure it all out! Our earthly qualifications and abilities are irrelevant in God’s eyes.

So, What is He Looking for? READ

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV 1900

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Have you FORSAKEN the Cross?

Do you remember the day He saved you? You committed to “following Him”—

What would your life look like if you were “committed to the Cross?”

Live in Power—you receive the power of God in exchange for your weakness

Live with Wisdom- the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of the world. The Lord will open your understanding .

Live in Righteousness- when you walk selflessly in Him, you gain the understanding that there is no longer any condemnation.

Live in fullness of your redemption- When you move toward total surrender, you will experience the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through you.

When we “take up our cross”, it implies:

-true holiness of heart

-deadness to the influence of appetite, to the influence of the world, and to reputation.

-true faith or confidence in Christ

-such an attachment to Christ as to be willing to suffer shame.

-a state of mind that is ready to forsake all things, endure all things, for His sake.

Where do you begin?

-Spend Time with the Master

-Live in the Word

-Pray in Faith

-Fellowship with Believers

-Witness to the World

-Minister to Others

Deny yourself—admit to God that you are His!

Take up your Cross—live in Obedience to God’s call on your life

Follow Him—walk by faith, following God wherever He leads.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote--”When Christ calls a man, he bid him come and die”.