THE FOOLISHNESS AND WEAKNESS OF GOD

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Read I Corinthians 1:18-25.

1. Abraham and Sarah – Would we choose them to build a nation? Aren’t these two too old and unqualified?

2. Moses – Would he be our spokesman and representative for God? He is a reluctant man who stutters and has a criminal record in Egypt.

3. David – Who would bet on David in the battle against Goliath?

4. Esther – There is a threat of genocide. Is our only plan a young woman who is part of the King’s harem? Is there a backup?

5. Christ – Expectations of Messiah/Salvation/ Submission to Death

These all seem foolish to us and they do not fit our standard categories of wise, powerful, and strong, but the foolishness of God is wiser that our wisdom and the weakness of God is greater than our strength.

Are we really comfortable with the foolishness and weakness of God?

• Or do we insist on signs and wisdom?
• We are always tempted to make our faith sensible and credible. And that sort of pressure might make it seem to conform to the wisdom of the age or appeal to our desire for power and control.
• ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Every leader in this congregation is able to lead and serve only as God empowers us.

This church cannot be involved in the mission of God to make disciples if we are focused on our own ability to succeed. For that always tempts us to hide our weaknesses and to cover up the truth. ...

²⁶Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

We are always tempted to work by our own strength and our own know-how.

• This is the challenge for me and for you
• God doesn’t need our strength and our resources
• We don’t give God our success, he gives us grace
• God can use our weaknesses and our limitations. He can redeem them and demonstrate his grace.
• Don’t just surrender your strength and wisdom to God – give him your weakness & foolishness . . .
• And then we will experience the sustaining power of God’s grace.

Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Morning Sermon, 3 December 2006

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