If the world calls you foolish, you're likely on the right track!
1 Corinthians 1:21-25 (NIV)
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
3 - The Preaching of the Gospel
In order that people may be brought to faith,Â
God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful messageÂ
to the peopleÂ
and at the time He wills.Â
By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified.
Summary
Sometimes it's easy to think of ancient people like Paul as being simplistic and ignorant since they didn't have the technology and sophistication that we associate with our modern ages, but in many ways, the wisdom and philosophy of the world had already reached its zenith long before Paul wrote these words. But despite all of the world class thinkers who'd already had come and gone, their thinking had a huge deficit: they did not know God.
All though thick books, erudite debates and philosophical contemplations play an important and significant role in shaping our world, and even fulfilling our mandate to exercise dominion over God's creation, God choose a much humbler method to save those who believe: He choose preaching.
In many ways, preaching isn't all that different from what the great orators who traveled throughout the Roman empire did, speaking to large assemblies in amphitheaters in every city. It's the message being proclaimed that's so different. The proclamation of a crucified Savior who has risen to rule all things seems like pure foolishness to the 'wise' of this world.
But, as Paul reminds us, the 'foolishness' of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the 'weakness' of God is stronger than human strength!
Dig Deeper
Listening well to a preacher involves much more than just sitting there; you need to listen, watch, read along, think deeply and then apply the preached Word to your life. This is hard work! But it's also a key reason that God utilizes preaching as the primary way He conveys grace to people.
There are lots of ways to short circuit this process, and lots of churches try to do so often to make it an easier and more entertaining experience, and many of their innovations really seem to make sense. After all, anything that makes it easier for people to understand the gospel seems like it ought to be a good thing, right?
But yet our God, who spoke the universe into existence, opened the ocean for His people to walk through, and sent fire from heaven to demonstrate His power when pitted against idols didn't ordain any sort of flashy show to communicate His grace.
It is through preaching that God saves those who believe, and as we'll see more and more this year that it's through this same process that God preserves people in this salvation. That's why it's so critical that you train yourself and your children to do the hard work of listening to God's preached Word each Lord's Day.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose Son is the power of God and the wisdom of God;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire and ability to listen well to God's preached Word as He uses it to preserve you in His grace;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 12