Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Co 1:3). Amen.
It can happen that the pronoun “we” does not include everyone. It is not “you” and “I” and that equals “we.” Does that make sense?
I will share an example to clarify. This is the time of year when I was growing up that my dad would walk into the bedroom early in the morning and say to my brothers and me, “We have a lot of snow to shovel before you head to school.” I will translate that for you. “You three better get up and get the driveway shoveled before I go to work.” The “we” was really “you.” There was no “I.” He was going to put on a sharp suit and tie while we put on our snowmobile suit and boots. (I am aware that he is not here to defend himself and there might be a bit of preacher’s embellishment.)
The message of Jesus is not for a certain group or a select few. It is for all—even as the apostle Paul talks about his work in the city of Corinth. It is not, “Pastor, that is your message.” Nor is it, “People, this is your message.” We have a message. It is a pointed message. It is a powerful message. We read from …
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ crucified,
I doubt that you track the actual statistic. But you probably average more than one conversation per day.
In line at the grocery store, it might be about the weather: “What do you think about the cold?”
Around the supper table, it might be about school: “When do you think you will get at your homework?”
During work this past week, it might be about a game: “Who do you think will win the Superbowl?” (Perhaps the commercials are a bigger deal.)
And that is fine. But we have more to mention than the temperatures on a thermometer, the grades in a class, or the teams on a field. When we open our mouths, …
We Have a Message
1. It is a pointed message (1,2)
2. It is a powerful message (3-5)
1. It is a pointed message (1,2)
There are some who like to dance and others who like to be direct when it comes to chats—even when it is simple like if you have something on the side of your mouth at supper. It could be: “Napkins sure come in handy when you don’t fit all the food in our mouth.” (That really might not be a time for a philosophical discussion about paper products.) Or “wipe your mouth. I tired of looking at spare food.” I don’t think that we have to debate which one is better. It could depend on the situation or circumstance. Either way, we have a message. It is a pointed one.
The apostle Paul took the fast track. As he pens this epistle to the Christians in Corinth, he takes them back to his days among them. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom” (1 Co 2:1). He gives himself his own evaluation. Usually at work the boss or manager does that. And Paul is not being overly critical of himself. But it is openly candid. He didn’t pull into town with high-sounding words or happy worldly smarts. He didn’t peddle the latest and greatest thought on the streets. That is what the Greeks liked—a dazzling debater or a polished presenter. They were willing to shell out some good drachmas to listen to those eloquent or articulate men. But Paul wanted to touch their souls, not tickle their ears.
Don’t misunderstand that as somehow Paul was not very educated or sophisticated. He was. He sat at the feet of some greats in school (Acts 22:3). He was quickly advancing through the ranks. But Jesus set him straight on his trek to Damascus. His other 12 letters to churches and individuals demonstrate his ability and insight. He was sharp, not slow.
The manner in which he made his appearance was this: “I proclaimed to you the testimony about God” (1 Co 2:1). Paul had something from God—salvation from God. It was unknown to them on their own, but made clear to them by their God through Paul.
It seems like January 1st is a distant memory. (February 1st might be too.) That is the time when individuals make up their mind to do something or not—like spend less, save more. The apostle didn’t need a new calendar for that. “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Co 2:2). He made that conscious decision. Christ crucified. That was critical. And that is what he conveyed. The Corinthians were to fix their attention on Jesus the Savior, not Paul the orator. It was always about the great message, not the good messenger.
What kind of expectations do others have of us? There are different things to address—social issues or certain injustices. But that is not the main thing. Perhaps many would prefer if pastors and people—you or I—didn’t touch a guilty conscience because of their refusal to respect the Lord or one another. It is hard to admit that I have gone against God—this talk of sin. It hurts. But that is definite.
But there is something else that is deliberate—“Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Co 2:2). Jesus—Savior from sin, Christ—selected by God, and this one crucified, nailed to a cross. That is because of who the Lord is. The psalmist spelled it out: “The LORD is gracious and compassionate. … He has provided redemption for his people” (Ps 111:4,9). Like a compass always indicates north when facing that direction, no matter what the conditions or position, we highlight that the sinless One took on our sin. It is not who is proclaiming; it is what is proclaimed.
That kind of conversation is not crude. It is key. Jesus paid for all of our sins to set us free as God poured out his anger on him. He substitutes himself for us. That is why we keep that in front of us—a cross above our altar, on our walls, around our necks. Jesus’ death means our life because Jesus also rose. We have a message. It is a pointed one—Jesus and only Jesus.
2. It is a powerful message (3-5)
When we put letters together to form words, they have a lot of potential—good and bad. They can tear down or build up—to mock or make better (even with how you look at the dinner table). What about God’s Word? It is always helpful and only beneficial. We have a message. It is a powerful one.
Once again Paul takes his readers back to his arrival in Corinth. “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Co 2:3). It may be hard to envision Paul with palms sweating and stomach churning. You have felt that perhaps when you have done any kind of speaking in public. Imagine a pastor with butterflies or any other insect poking around in his body. Paul had recently come from Athens. The reception to his work was not entirely warm (Acts 17:16ff.). What would it be like now in a city known for its immorality and idolatry? What comfort that the Lord came to him one night in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you … I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9,10). God doesn’t guarantee the outcome for us. But he gives his promise of his presence when we convey his message of Christ crucified.
Once more Paul reminds them: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words” (1 Co 2:4). It was not with flashy rhetoric or flamboyant reasoning. “But with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Co 2:4). And why? “So that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Co 2:5). It was not the apostle Paul; it was the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit opened closed hearts. He made them see God’s wisdom in Christ crucified. It is that good news that is the power of salvation to everyone who believes (Ro 1:16). It didn’t depend on Paul’s skill, but the Spirit’s strength.
Water has power to provide electricity. Diesel has power to propel vehicles. As impressive as that is when we turn on a lamp or look at a semi, it doesn’t compare to the powerful message of Christ crucified. If you doubt that, look around this morning—ahead of you, behind you, beside you. That is the Holy Spirit’s power on display. That we can state: “Jesus is Lord” (1 Co 12:3). Because we cannot by our own choosing believe in him, the Holy Spirit has brought us to faith—from babies to elderly and every age in between—and now builds us up in that faith. We have a message. It is a powerful one.
Pastors and people don’t have to rely on their IQ when they converse with others. Someone may just have one that is higher. It is not a matter of titles before our names or initials after. Many have more. But yet we have a powerful message—Jesus Christ and this one crucified. That is the confidence that we have when we open our mouths.
So that is what we will do. And we have the assurance that we don’t have to earn God’s blessing with our grand efforts. We already have it. When we call out to the Lord, as Isaiah recalls for us, he will respond: “Here am I” (Is 58:9). And as Jesus instructed, it is not that we should be or could be, may be or might be, salt and light (Mt 5:13,14). We are. Then be it—salt preserving a corrupt world and light shining in a dark world. That way others will see the Father and praise him (Mt 5:16). We have a message. It is a powerful one to bring people from the darkness of sin to the light of life (Jn 8:12).
It is not “we” like this: some watch and others work—from shoveling snow to proclaiming Christ. We all have Christ crucified and we all herald Christ crucified. It is a pointed message because it is our priority. It is a powerful message because it is our privilege. We preach Christ crucified. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (1 Co 16:23). Amen.
February 5, 2017
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