November 18
Acts 18:24-19:20; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3:23
The other day after leaving the hospital after doing a surgery, on the way to the parking lot I passed a mother walking hand in hand with her son to school. I smiled when I saw the mother walking steadily, but her son was focused on the sidewalk and was walking in an irregular fashion as he attempted not to step on any of the cracks on the sidewalk. I remembered doing the same thing as a child. This is simplicity, and this is the mindset that is open to receiving the message of Jesus Christ. As a physician I know many men and women who are highly educated, you could call them people of letters (MD, PhD, etc). Not many of them are open to the things of God, because many are impressed with their own achievements and their own level of human wisdom and their perceived level of knowledge. Contrast this with my friend of over ten years who went to be with the Lord last year, who I met in the Same Day Surgical Suite. He often described himself as uneducated, and aside from the Bible, which never leaves his side, he stated that he didn’t like to read much. He worked in housekeeping. With eyes off of himself, without ever trying to bring attention to himself, without trying to impress others with his knowledge, he was a one man evangelistic machine. Nothing deterred him. He loves Jesus. He knew that others will perish unless they also love Jesus. Yes, it is really that simple. He often started very to the point with, "Jesus loves you". Within a couple of minutes he was in the middle of the gospel message, and often left with prayer. His children stated that no matter which store they went to with him: Stop and Shop, Home Depot, etc. up and down the aisles he approached strangers. I loved this man and told him this frequently. He was my friend and I'm proud to tell others this. He loved Jesus and so do I. When all is said and done, that bond is stronger than anything else that distinguishes people.
We read in 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, "The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." Paul then goes into detail explaining the difference in how one approaches the simple gospel message, and concludes in 1:25-29, "This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God." Paul, a former member of the Sanhedrin, was brilliant. Yet, see how he approached the people in Corinth in 2:3-5, "I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God." He continues with this theme in 3:18-19, " Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”"
So, what is it that you pride yourself in? What many see as their blessings are in reality their curses. Things such as intelligence, beauty, position, wealth are desired and sought after in the world. But in the pursuit of attaining these, in being consumed by these, you learn to put your confidence in these. If your trust is in them, if your goals is in attaining them, then they are not in God. This does not mean that you have to be poor or uneducated or unkept. It means that you must get the focus off of yourself and off of the world if you are going to get them on Him, and have your minds and heart open to the simple gospel message. Simply put in our strength, in our own goodness, in our wisdom, without Jesus, we are hell-bound. That is what our sins deserve, no matter how gifted we think ourselves to be. Sin is wrong and God cannot overlook it. So He offered one remedy. Yes, only one. He offered His Son. Jesus, was not killed, He willingly offered Himself up on the cross as our sacrifice. By His death and resurrection He paid, once and for all for the sins of humanity. This one act broke the bondage of humanity to sin and death. All those who repent of their sins and believe on His Name and accept His free offer will be saved and one day enjoy eternity in heaven. Yes, it really is that simple.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: