Take your Bibles with me and turn to 1 Corinthians 1. We are going to be looking at verses 18 all the way to verse 5 of chapter 2 tonight. And we are going to be talking about one subject - the cross.

If it seems like we talk about the cross all the time around here - well, there is a reason for that. Because the cross is the theme of the Bible. If I give you anything else, and I don't give you the cross - all I am giving you is good advice. But nothing but the grace that is found in the cross can give you life.

Danny Akin put it this way:

Christianity is a Jesus Christ religion. It is a cross religion. Without the cross of Christ, there is no Christianity. And without a biblical understanding of the cross, there is no authentic Christianity.

And here is the thing about being the cross and the gospel of salvation by grace - it absolutely removes all glory from man, it takes away all bragging rights. We, being human, want to have bragging rights - we want some glory - so we have a tendency to try to replace the cross as the center of our faith.

• Maybe we replace it with moralism. We turn the message of the gospel into a bunch of dos and don'ts, because at least when you are preaching a todo list, you can pat yourself on the back when you check things off.
• Maybe we replace the cross with traditionalism. We turn the message of the cross into "well that's just the way we've always done it." And again, we aren't worshipping Jesus - we are worshipping ourself.
• Maybe we replace the cross with intellectualism. We can then make a brag about how smart we are and how ignorant others are. Again - we are worshipping ourselves.
• Maybe we replace the cross with respectability. Don't you think there are churches where "respectability" is really what it is all about. We aren't worshipping Christ, we are worshipping ourselves as the good respectable people who aren't like them.
• Maybe we replace the cross with sensationalism. The cross takes a back seat so some sensational emotion. Yelling and screaming.
• Maybe we replace the cross with pragmatism. We worship what works. We worship what grows a big church.
• Maybe we replace the cross with greed. We would have to be subtle about this - but what it is really about is lining our pockets.
• Maybe we replace the cross with politics. We make everything about our team winning and their team losing. Our savior becomes a politician.
• Maybe we replace the cross with leader worship. We can worship a man of God and put him on so high a pedestal that Christ gets in the way.

But do you know what every one of those things has in common? They are all a form of self-worship and self-salvation. And I want to tell you that the cross of Christ cuts to the very heart of that, that it is truly different message and the only message that saves.

This tendency to replace the cross isn’t new—it’s exactly what was happening in Corinth. In the Corinthian church - they had a big problem with pride and factionalism - they also had a big problem with seeking human wisdom.

Those two things were related - their roots were in this sort of intellectual philosophizing where they identified with different philosophers. They wore their allegiance to Plato or Aristotle in the same way people today where Coach or carry an apple laptop. It was a source of their pride and identity. And they were bringing that into the church.

In the section we are about to read, Paul takes a flamethrower to the whole thing - showing that the cross and human philosophy cannot go together and that the heart of the Christian message and the source of our power needs to be the cross and nothing else.

Let's go ahead and read 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - KJV 18. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27. 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; 28. 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: 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 - KJV

1. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

In Corinth, people were chasing after philosophy and worldly wisdom - that was their substitute - but in these verses Paul shows us two ways that the cross of Christ is is far superior to anything else. Then in the first part of chapter 2, Paul gives us an important implication of those truths in our ministry.

So our message tonight is going to be:

1. The message of the cross works.
2. The message of the cross destroys pride.
3. The message of the cross should be the heart of christian ministry.

Look at verse 18 again:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 1:18 - KJV 18. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1. The message of the cross works. (18-25)

At the end of the day - there are only two categories of people: there are those who are saved and there are those who perish. Everyone you meet is either a perishing person or a saved person.

What makes the difference? The thing that makes the difference is the people who are saved have heard the preaching of the cross and trusted in Christ. It is the preaching of the cross that is effectual in their lives.

[!bible] Romans 10:13-14 - KJV 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

People are saved by believing and calling on the name of the Lord - but they need the preaching of the cross to get them there. That may seem like foolishness to a lost world - but to the saved it is the power of God.

So the message of the cross of Christ seems like foolishness to the world, but it is God's power.

Now, the lost world has their own counterfeit salvation. They have their own counterfeit wisdom. And when a man truly understands the power of the cross - that wisdom is completely destroyed. It is completely powerless.

When I was in high school, I visited Mexico for the first time, and in the street fair there they were selling very cheap "rolexes." So I bought one - not because it kept good time, but because it looked impressive.

Now, I've actually held some real rolexes, I've seen the way they work, I've felt the weight of them - and forever those fake ones will feel like a cheap imitation. Because that is what they are.

That is what the gospel does to the world's fake wisdom. It exposes it by showing us something infinitely better.

Now look at verses 22-23.

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 1:22-23 - KJV 22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

Not everyone is going to accept the gospel. Not everyone is going to accept the cross. The cross is actually a very hard thing to get your mind around if you are wed to worldly wisdom.

Think about it - the jews were looking for a conquering Messiah - someone who would establish their kingdom and defeat their foes. They got the cross. A man literally murdered in a cursed way by the adversaries they hoped to conquer.

Do you understand how much of a tripping hazard that is? Do you know how hard that would be for them to accept?

You go to the gentiles and you tell them God came as the humblest of men and died and they think that is foolishness. They think it is mockable.

But what about Christians? Verse 24 says:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 1:24 - KJV 24. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

To us who rest our hopes on the cross - the cross shows us the power of God and shows us the wisdom of God. It is the height of wisdom and the height of God's power.

So the first thing Paul is saying to us here is that the message of the cross works.

The second reason why the message of the cross is central to our Christian faith is..

2. The message of the cross removes pride. (26-31)

Look at verse 26 again:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 1:26 - KJV 26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

Do you know what Paul was doing here? He was gently reminding the Corinthian church that outside of Christ - they were a bunch of nobodies. God had not seen fit to save the whose who of Corinth, but a bunch of people who didn't have what the world was looking for.

That is very much how God usually works - yes there are men like C.T. Studd and William Borden who are saved who are very wealthy and popular - but the vast majority of Christians are the worlds nobodies.

And one of the reasons for that is that the message of the cross doesn't give pride any place to live. You come to the cross in humility and you accept salvation. You come away and your only plea is that you are a sinner saved by grace. There is no chest beating. There is no sizing up. It is all grace - and so there is no pride.

Look at verses 29-31 again:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 - KJV 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

One of God's purposes with the gospel is to completly remove human bragging. That means if you can brag about your salvation - then it isn't gospel salvation. You don't truly understand it.

Because in the economy of the cross - Christ get's all of the glory.

• Christ is our wisdom. It's not about how smart and wise you are. It's not about your intellectual achievements. It is about receiving the wisdom of Christ.
• Christ is our righteousness. We have nothing to brag on there. We wear the robes of Christ. We have exchanged our righteousness for His righteousness.
• Christ is our sanctification. We don't even get to brag about how we are sanctified - it's all Christ.
• Christ is our redemption. He is the one who bought us with His blood on the cross.

So how foolish is it for us to brag? When we understand the cross and have Christ in His proper place - boasting is excluded. All the glory goes to Christ.

So Paul has shown us that the message of the cross works - it is effectual. He has shown us that the message of the cross destroys human pride. (Which is one reason why our flesh despises it.)

In chapter 2 - Paul shows us through His own example the implications of the message of our cross to the ministry.

3. The message of the cross should be prominent in our ministry. (2:1-5)

Look at verses 1-2 again:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 - KJV

1. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Do you understand what Paul is saying? He is saying when I came to you - I didn't come as some guru. I didn't come as some amazing public speaker who had all of the wisdom. IN fact, the only thing I wanted you to know that I knew was Jesus Christ - He was my one subject. I was a one string banjo - and that string was "Christ and Christ crucified."

Now, why would Paul take that approach? I mean, Paul was no dummy. Why would he be so focused on Christ and Christ alone?

The answer is in verse 5.

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 2:5 - KJV 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Here is the implication of the cross - because the cross is what works, because the cross is so counter to our human pride - we must make sure that the cross is at the center of all of our ministry.

Paul wanted the cross to take central stage - not his own charisma and not his own intellect. He wanted to make sure that the heart of the message was the gospel.

In one of Warren Weirsbe's commentaries he told about a church that had a beautiful stained glass window behind the pulpit with a picture of Jesus on it. And that church asked a special speaker to come in who was much shorter than their usual pastor.

As this short preacher was preaching, a little boy in the congregation leaned over to his mother and asked "Momma, where is the man who gets in the way of Jesus?"

Church, I don't want anything to get in the way of Jesus.

Conclusion

So here’s my challenge for you this week: Make the cross your one-string banjo.

• Share it boldly—tell someone about Jesus’ love and sacrifice, even if they think it’s foolish.
• Live it humbly—let go of pride and boast only in Christ, knowing you’re a nobody saved by grace.
• Trust it fully—build your faith on the cross, not the world’s flimsy wisdom.

Whether you’re at work, home, or church, don’t let anything get in the way of Jesus. He’s our hope, our power, our everything.

Let's stand for prayer.