March 28th, 2004, Sunday Morning

"Wisdom and Power of the Cross"
Knowledge and power come from Christ--not from man


OPENING: 1 Corinthians 1:18-24

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• INTRODUCTION: Is it the Gospel (Bible)--not the money, power or influence of this world that "turns lives upside down"; Consider this testimony:
  
  
  • 1600 years ago, a spiritually lost 16 year old boy was kidnapped, sold as a slave, across the seas to another land
  • During his time in captivity, the boy came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour; he became saved
  • At age 22, the boy was able to return home (and you can imagine the joy of the family)
  • The boy felt the Lord was calling him to duty in the same land he was sold to
    his family tried to dissuade him, even with gifts, but to no avail

    At age 30, the boy finished his spiritual training and was ordained; He returned to that country where he planted his first church

    As a result, he was robbed, beaten, tortured and made a slave for a second time

    There were twelve attempts on his life and murder, fraud and captivity became a daily expectation for him

    Whenever he converted a lost person to Christ, that convert was executed

    Regardless of the world against him, his ministry survived from the 1630s-1670's, where he led thousands to Christ

    The boy converted the lost from the religion of the druids to Christianity, in Ireland

    His name: St. Patrick -- the man for whom St. Patrick's day honors

    Why was the Gospel--and not worldly power and popularity--St. Patrick's motivation? Because he declared his greatest gift and joy to be serving Christ

    St. Patrick knew of the Bible's teachings that this world is temporary but that Heaven is forever and that when bad things happen as a result of serving Christ, God translates them into future blessings and riches stored in Heaven, awaiting that person
  
  
• This same promulgation of the Gospel is needed again, globally, today
  
  
  • Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ," is not only breaking attendance (and monetary) records, worldwide, but actually causing people to change from within
    
    
    • IT CAUSES PEOPLE TO CONFESS: Dan Leach of Houston, Texas, admitted to killing his pregnant girlfriend only after watching Gibson's movie; Had he not, the her death would've been ruled a suicide because of how meticulously Leach conducted the murder (REFERENCE: 3-26-04, CNN.com, "'Passion' prompts man to admit murder")
      
      
    • IT IS RECOGNIZED BY ITS ENEMIES: In the Middle East, of all places, where Israel is opposed, "The Passion of the Christ" was declared "a hit" in Beirut and Damascus, where even Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat declared it, "moving"; A place where Arabic belief is that Jesus escaped the cross ( (REFERENCE: 3-27-04, Yahoo-UK-Ireland news, "'The Passion of the Christ' a hit in Beirut, Damascus")
      
      
    • IT'S RECOGNIZED BY SECULARISTS: The movie is even positively affecting countries that are overwhelmingly non-Christian or secular; Zagreb, Croatia, is reporting "a new record" as the country's "most-watched movie" (REFERENCE: 4-8-04, Salon.com news, "Gibson's 'Passion' sets record in Croatia")
    
    
  • CONCLUSION: It's not money or "megachurches" or being the most popular preacher in the world that changes people--it's simply the hearing or reading of the Gospel (Bible) by the lost
    
    
    • Romans 10:17: Faith and change come only by "the word of God" (aka the Bible)--nothing else
  
  
• 1 Corinthians 1:24: To the saved, Christ is seen as the source of power and wisdom; to the world, man is seen as the source and power of wisdom whereas Christ is seen as foolishness and a lie
  
  
  • This is evidenced by the world's conception of "an inner god within each human being" that we each must mature and release
    
    
  • Jim Caviezel, the man who played Jesus in "Passion of the Christ" said that when people met him at pre-screenings of the movie, they would bow down to him and call him Jesus
    
    
  • Acts 14:8-19: This is nothing new; In Biblical times, the people (of Lycaonia, in this case,) declared Paul as god when Paul healed a life-long cripple (and when Paul declared he wasn't, the people stoned him!...but not to death)
    
    
  • Philippians 4:7: The world requires scientific and logical explanations to all things (i.e., the universe came to be with the 'Big Bang' theory) whereas God declares His peace and motives can never be fully understood by man; Therefore, believe in God's power and capability without seeing--which is faith
    
    
    • Genesis 1:3: Like when God spoke the sun into existence
    • Genesis 7:16-17: Or when the flood that covered the earth hit Noah's ark only the moment Noah shut the ark door
    • Genesis 11:6-9: Or when God invented all the foreign languages of this world the moment he perceived man as "nothing will be restrained from them"
    • Genesis 21:5: Or when God allowed Abraham's son, Isaac, to be born when Abraham was 100 and his wife, Sarah, 90
    • Isaiah 38:8: Or when God caused time to go backwards for Hezekiah, king of Judah
    • Joshua 10:12-14: Or when God caused the sun to stand in the sky for "a whole day" simply because Joshua asked God to do it
      
      
    • How can it be understood how God holds the universe in place--with the sun the perfect distance from earth? Even man has admitted that earth, inches closer or farther from the sun, would render the environment too hot or cold, respectively, for living
  
  
• Proverbs 21:1: It is not leaders and presidents that shape countries and world events but God's influence on each of their hearts
  
  
• Jesus Christ is the only power who can change hate into love
  
  
  • What you did last year or last week or how bad or good a person you think you are does not dictate the kind of person you will grow into tomorrow or what your maximum potential in life can be
    
    
  • Acts 9:1-22: Paul (formerly Saul), one of the greatest Christian persecutors, was chosen by God to become one of the greatest mouthpieces of the Gospel and disciples of Christ
    
    
  • Matthew 5:11-12: St. Patrick was beaten and imprisoned but he didn't quit because he understood God's love and therefore loved and successfully communicated with those who hated him
  
  
• HOW TO DIRECT THE POWER OF THE CROSS
  
  
  • In Christ (meaning you're saved), you will find the power to successfully manage your life, family, job, etc. and reconciling with those who hate you
    
    
  • Matthew 5:13-14: You are to be the "salt and light" of the earth--to stand out of the ordinary so men may "see your light" and know about your proclamation of the Gospel (the Bible) that Jesus has commissioned you to promulgate to the world (Matthew 28:19-20)
    
    
  • Job 38-42:3: Job thought he was living life well, on his own accord (just like man, today,) until God reminded him with many questions about Who it is that holds the elements of the universe and earth together
    
    
    • In other words, man cannot sustain himself, daily, with his own strength; God's power and strength is required each of your life
    
    
  • 2 Timothy 2:15: Continue reading your Bible "to shew thyself approved unto God"
    
    
  • Matthew 22:36-39: By loving God ("great commandment #1") and your neighbor as yourself ("great commandment #2"), you obey all the Bible's commandments and will subsequently lead a successful life
    
    
    • Because to love someone means to obey them and to obey God should be your core ideal
  
  
  CLOSER

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• John 10:11: Jesus willingly died so that you may not only have life but live it "more abundantly" than even you could want and then live in Heaven eternally, thereafter
  
  
• The power and wisdom of the Cross compel you to live a moral, ethical life, according to God's rules, no matter the opposition
  
  
  • TESTIMONY: Cicero, a Roman orator, statesman and philosopher, who lived from 106-43 BC, studied law and when he refused to immorally "throw a case" against an accused, he successfully "won over" an already-bribed jury!
  
  
• Therefore:
  
  
  • Be the "Salt and light" the earth so you may be recognized as one of Christ's saved
  • Have the morals and ethics of Cicero
  • Have the love and desire to spread Christianity like St. Patrick
  
  
• Why? Because of the declaration that a life spent in Christian service is a satisfying, joyous, unbelievable privilege--a reward in-and-of itself to carry out
  
  
• Use and rely on the power and wisdom of the Cross: it will impact the person next to you