God's Immutability

(Message Preached November 9th, 2008 at the Community Bible Church - Eagle River, WI)

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer. 

          It sure is neat to go home.  I love to see the Northwoods.  For my kids this is a trip someplace new, but for me, it’s kind of a coming home.  But WOW has everything changed!  I heard about a lot of the changes over the years, yet to see them…   It’s takes you back a bit.  I know some of the changes aren’t changes at all, for example, the size of the streets and number of houses on them haven’t changed.  But my remembering of them was faulty.  They all seem smaller & shorter than I remember them. 

          For those of you who haven’t really gotten to know me, I grew up all over northern Wisconsin & the UP, but the lions’ share of it was right here in ER.  We moved to the area when I was in 6^th grade. We stayed for 6 years, moved away to the UP for 4 years and then moved back for a number of years.  My brother & I became friends with the Bagwell boys and so began attending here. 

          In 1980 Pastor Len led me to the Lord. Every Sunday after his message (Rev. Len never gave a Sermon, he called them messages) he would ask to pray for anyone who was not really sure where they would go if they were to die.  I always raised my hand.  So at some point in the summer of 1980, after church Pastor asked me to stay awhile to talk to me. It was then that Pastor led me to Jesus.  I remember after that, racing home on my bike and hurrying inside to get all my money.  I only had $7.00, but I hurried back to church with it, and asked to buy a Bible if I could.  I remember reading of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31, and also picked one of my favorite verses, Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

In 1983 I was confirmed in the faith by Pastor Len.  I still remember the things I shared during the promotion service.  Then we moved to the UP.  But I was already straying.  During my 4 years away I moved out of the house twice and would end up falling into many sins.  Praise the Lord for his steady hand with me.  I remember praying twice during that time, once for my brother, who had a medical problem, and once when I became overwhelmed by amphetamines. 

          In God’s providence, I began seeking to rid myself of these newly acquired bad habits.  After 3 years of drinking and drugging, I wanted to leave that lifestyle.  So during the last year in the UP (1987) I would in my own strength seek to quit.  It was a process I had to repeat a number of times.  But I knew I needed to get out of this lifestyle.  It was during this last year in the UP that I became friends with my Dad.  He was no longer my father only, now I could seek advice and friendship with him!  But I was still not reconciled to God. 

          I remember one man, Ron Hefner, during my escapade who in his tremendously gentle spirit, witnessed silently to me.  On my Birthday in ’86 he bought me a small pocket Bible.  He had known I was a reader, and used this opportunity for the Lord.  I remember how he wrote in the front cover, that the Bible was a book of drama & adventure.  He had no idea how that both encouraged and convicted me!

          Then we moved back to ER in 1988.  I felt sooo guilty walking in Sunday morning three days after moving back.  No one seemed to notice my extreme guilt.  They were so glad to see me again.  But I knew it wasn’t right.  I needed to make it right with God, and just because the church didn’t know, I couldn’t hide it.  So that Sunday I asked Pastor Len to come over after church.  I did so the next Sunday and the next.  Finally he came by 3 weeks afterward.  And with my parents, and 2 of my siblings he led me to reconciliation and them to our glorious Lord!

          The next year was one of the most wonderful times of growth I ever had.  I was going to Nicolet College and Dave & I would carpool to Rhinelander 2-3 days a week.  Our talks on those rides were part of the strong foundation which was laid in me.  Then in 1989 I went on to the Moody Bible Institute.

          So what specifically have I been doing since moving away?  In 1991 Julie and I were married.  We joined our church, the Forest Glen Baptist church of Chicago.  In 1992 we moved in to an apartment in the home of Art & Sue Eggen, an older Christian couple who we became close friends with.  They were in their 80’s and yet were so active you’d have thought they were in their 60’s.  For a time my wife and I were raising support for the mission field, which for us was Mexico.  But God’s plan was different. We put ourselves to work in a local Hispanic church plant.  While working there, we began attending a Plymouth Brethren congregation.   In 1995 I began working for many years in a large Chicago law firm.  While working there we started our family.  I Graduated MBI in 1996.  By 1997 we acknowledged God’s will not to go to the mission field.  We returned to Forest Glen Baptist church. 

          Our family was growing so fast we had to move, so in 1999 we moved to the middle apartment in a 3 flat owned by Augie & Thelma Mosco, a couple from our church.  It was at this time that my parents moved to Galesburg, IL and all our family ties to ER were severed.  In 2002 I got a much better paying job and left the law firm.  In 2003 we we’re fortunate to be able to purchase a home, so we moved from Chicago to Woodstock, Il.  Due to this change, we also changed churches.  For those who don’t know Illinois geography, Woodstock is 53 miles from the northwest side of Chicago.   After 3 months we felt that we had found the church, Grace Fellowship Church. 

          In 2004 my Mom died. I had such overwhelming grief.  I cried for 1^st time in years.  I hurt so bad I discovered the difference between crying and wailing.  I wailed.  In fact, after the funeral at home that evening, with my Dad & brothers & sisters, I got drunk for the 1^st time in 14 years.  I was in a crisis for some time after that.   In 2005 I lost 37 lbs. in an effort to both change my lazy lifestyle, and to win a weight loss contest.  I began running again.  I was interested in running as a younger man but didn’t pursue it.  So in 2006 I ran my 1^st Marathon.   I’ve run several other races and love to compete.  My oldest loves to run also.  Ask him about his longest races…

          And so here we are.  Back to visit after all these years.  So I wanted to share all this for 2 reasons.  One is to simply inform you all of our whereabouts as well as to introduce myself and my family to those of you who are new, but secondarily, to show how God is merciful and steadfast.

          There are several ways Scripture teaches of God’s immutability.  Immutability is simply a word to describe how God does not change.  I like to use the word steadfast to describe God.  God’s immutability is described for us in various ways in the Scriptures. 

          He does not change:  Job 23:13, “But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does”.  In Mal 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”  In Psalm 102:27 we read, “But You are the same, And Your years will have no end”.  James tells us this in chapter 1 verse 17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  And one of my favorites is written on the back wall of the Moody Church in Chicago, Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

God’s Promises are sure.  We read this in many places in the Scriptures, but is best illustrated in his relation to David.  Please turn to Psalm 89:24.  I’ll read to verse 37:

 ²⁴     “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.

²⁵     Also I will set his hand over the sea, And his right hand over the rivers.
²⁶     He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
²⁷     Also I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.
²⁸     My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
²⁹     His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
³⁰     “If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments,
³¹     If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments,
³²     Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.
³³     Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
³⁴     My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
³⁵     Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David:
³⁶     His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me;
³⁷   It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.”

          Though he may chastise or punish us, it’s always a corrective action.  He never changes.   God declares his promise, and then strongly assures us he will not change!  Look at verse 33-37 again.  One of the greatest encouragements is God’s firm stand on his promise.  We are not so.  When wronged, we seek to break fellowship, move away, or change in some way as a result.  God does not fail in respect to his promises toward us.  Look at Ecc. 3:14, “I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.” 

          His calling is irrevocable.  We read this plainly in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”  We should not fear that though we fail him, he will likewise turn from us.   He will never turn from us.

          His Word does not pass away.  Jesus tells us this in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” 

          He is not a man.  This is the boldest of contrasts.  And I think that here is where we frequently fail in our understanding.  The mere fact of his using this contrast shows us how easily we fall into the trap of thinking that he is like us.  We simply cannot get our heads around this idea.  Look at Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”  It is this idea that somehow we can understand Him that gets in the way of truly believing this.  If we really could understand Him in the fullness of who He really is, would he be God?  Job in chapter 9, verse 32 said, “For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. 

          This contrast of God & man does have some difficulties however.  Look at 1 Sam. 15:28-9, “So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.””  Now  look at Jonah 3:10, “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”  Some of you have it written differently in your Bibles.  The King James states, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”  So we have a seeming contradiction here, does God repent, or does He not?  How should I answer this? 

The Hebrew word is nacham and is translated 41 times as repent in the KJV and 57 times as comfort (or be sorry, to have compassion) .  I looked it up in 13 different translations, and 4 of them had repented.  Four other times it was translated relented.  In the English, the difference is apparent.  To relent is to be less severe.  To repent, is usually in respect of sin, to turn from it and also a change of mind about it.  Since God has nothing to do with sin, we have to look elsewhere for resolution.  The Hebrew definitions are the place to look.  There are 2 choices, that is for God to have pity and change his mind, or to have God repent.  As I see it, we have a seeming contradiction that we cannot easily understand.

          I can soften the contradiction some, but I cannot thoroughly explain it.  I have no problem with this idea of an unexplainable contradiction, however, because earlier I stated that God is not a man.  If He was completely within our grasp, would He be God?  Or stated otherwise, is our desire to understand Him motivated by a desire to know Him, or to say we have conquered this intellectual battle and we understand God?  Have we not then simply made Him in our image contrary to the commandment?!  

I simply state that God in His character does not change.  His promises do not fail.  His plans are sure and sound.  Does this mean that he might not be able to change his mind?  Remember how Abraham bargained with God over Sodom & Gomorrah and his nephew Lot…  Did God change his plan?  What if there would have been 15 righteous in the city…  Would God have changed his mind about it’s destruction?  The Scriptures clearly state so.  Yet we cannot argue in “what if’s” What is written is written.  Let’s turn now to man.

Part of our great comfort in knowing God does not change, is our state of constant change.  Mankind is in a frenzy of change worldwide.  We as individuals are changing all the time.  Sometimes for the better.  Sometimes for the worse.  How is it that for us to repent and turn to God is a blessing, but for God to repent strikes us as odd or difficult? For 1 reason.  We sin.  God is perfect and holy and in His holiness he does not change. For us, to become more holy is a good thing.  God cannot become more holy.  He is already in perfect holiness and has always been so.  Let’s look at some passages on our propensity to change.

          In James 1:5-8 we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  Here we are encouraged to pray in faith.  We need to trust in our faithful God and He will answer, according to the good plan of His will toward us.  Heb. 13:9 says, “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.”  We are so easily swayed from the truth.  Is it not a blessing that God’s word is true steadfast and unchanging?! 

          Paul shares much with us in the new testament about our condition.   He tells us in Ephesians, “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting”  Without His word we will be tossed and driven into shipwreck.  In Galatians He says, “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?”  Here we have an example of a whole assembly of people who were taught by the apostle himself, falling into bondage once again.   Paul was surprised at this.

In Galatians 1:6-7 we read, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”  Sometimes it’s not us who change but someone among us.  We can easily be convinced contrary to the truth.  What measure do we take to examine something taught?  How does it stand against God’s Holy Word.  What does His revealed will say to the matter.  Sure, we may not have all understanding, but God’s character does not change.  His promises are not new.  They are from of old. 

Here are a few more passages to chew on.  Jer 2:36, “Why do you gad (go) about so much to change your way?”  Proverbs 24:21, “My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change.”  In 1^st Kings 18:21 we read of the challenge Elijah placed before the people, “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”” 

          Let me place a challenge to you.  Everyone of us is a sinner.  We all need to change daily toward God.  Not one of us ever gets there.  It’s not as though we will ever arrive, while we live on in this world.  We change.  We all need to change.  Some of us more than others.  Some of you know areas of your life that you have not yielded over to the Lord.  Some of you know what you need to do right now.  Turn from that sin.  Turn from that rebellious attitude.  Seek again to serve God with a whole heart.

          Let me also say this.  It may be that someone here has never turned their life over to God.  All I have shared about God’s steadfastness and his promises are true.  And if you do not know Him, they ought to scare you, because he will not bend to change toward you. Will God tolerate sin?  How could He?  Yet his patience is toward you, that you turn toward Him in contrition.  Repent of your sins and turn to God before it is too late.

Here is a challenge for all of us found in Psalm 15: 

¹    Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
     Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
²     He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
³     He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
⁴     In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
   He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵     He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
     He who does these things shall never be moved.

And as a benediction let me read 2^nd Peter 3:14-18, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Fools For Christ

(Message Preached August 21, 2005 at Grace Fellowship Church - Woodstock, IL)
Listen Here: http://youtu.be/eKYnRDx8RMQ

Let me read today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,  and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

 Albert Einstein was one of the most intelligent men ever to live.  What is the difference between intelligence (intellectual ability) & wisdom (knowledge insight & judgment^[1] )?

The world esteems wisdom.  We look for conventional wisdom, we study the wisdom of others.  Listen to some comments on wisdom by people over the ages:

Mohandas K. Gandhi:  It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

Pierre Abelard: The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.

Lin Yutang: Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.

Cicero: The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.

Stephen Hawking  [E]ver since the dawn of civilization, people have not been content to see events as unconnected and inexplicable. They have craved an understanding of the underlying order in the world. Today we still yearn to know why we are here and where we came from. Humanity’s deepest desire for knowledge is justification enough for our continuing quest. And our goal is nothing less than a complete description of the universe we live in.

Solomon The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.^[2]

Helen Keller I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace.

A lot has been written about wisdom, but God has some things to say about foolishness.

OUTLINE

Thesis: For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

How could the message that our Savior died be good?  It is that idea that the world finds impossible to comprehend.  Yet I wonder how many of us who take the title of Christian really understand this ourselves?  How is the crucifixion of Jesus the power of God  to us?  Trying to understand this with human wisdom & philosophy will only bankrupt you spiritually.  Listen to this:

 19 For it is written, (In Isaiah 29:14) “ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,  and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

By human wisdom it is foolish to believe the savior of the world would be killed as a lowdown criminal on a cross!  Paul helps us to understand this by speaking of the mystery of the church.  The church was not an entity referred to by the prophets, or Moses or any other OT source.  Yet we can see through the OT God’s lovingkindness to the foreigner.  Rahab the Harlot, though a foreigner and a sinner whose reputation was known to all has her name included in the genealogical line of Christ.  Ruth, also a foreigner not only has her name in Christ’s line but also a book of the Bible named for her. This is what Paul says in Ephesians:

Paul in Ephesians said, “To bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord”^[3]

Where are we to turn for God’s manifold wisdom?  The church!  The wisdom of the world, while of some value, pertains only to this physical place.  If you want wisdom that surpasses this world, you need the Wisdom of God.  Look at what Solomon says on this matter:

Solomon  What gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.^[4]

Did you notice that bit about eternity?  he has put eternity into man’s heart We desire to know that which is beyond our sphere of knowledge.  But Solomon takes it further,  yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. God has limited our field of knowledge.  He has limited what we can learn of Him & His plans.  Only by His Spirit can we know more of Him than is manifest in the world.  All of us, all of us in the human race, Christian’s & non-believers alike can only learn so much of Him and His works.  But by His Spirit we can know much more. 

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1. Humanly speaking:
How was salvation effected among the Jews?  Obey The Law.  The Christ was to conquer the Romans and become King!  His purpose was not to save them Spiritually, They had that wrapped up in the Law.  He was to save them nationally. When He came into Jerusalem on a donkey, that was to symbolize (in their eyes) a conquering King.  Instead He let them crucify Him!  As Paul speaks, Christ crucified is a stumbling Block to the Jews.  They could not reconcile this humble lamb-like person as a conquering King!  Paul also quotes from Isaiah, They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”^[5]  As a matter of fact, they weren’t all wrong about Christ coming as a conquering King..  They will see Christ as a conquering King, but not until the 2^nd coming.

a.       How was salvation effected among the Greeks?  Believe in something.  Paul demonstrates this and the reasoning the Greeks had in an encounter with some Greeks at Athens.  Listen to this:

Paul to the Greeks Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said,  “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new..…[GOD] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”  ³² Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” ^[6]

Why do the Greeks want to believe in something, in anything?   For that matter why do we today like to believe in something?  Be cause of that “God shaped void” spoken of by Solomon when he speaks of eternity in our hearts.  Human wisdom is trapped by God’s desire that we can’t know everything from beginning to the end.

b.      How is salvation effected in America today?  Save Yourself. 

Relationships can save you:    Desperate Housewives, Friends, Sex in the City

Sex can save you:                    The Porn industry has grown immensely since the internet.

Money can save you:              Easy credit is the answer to all our troubles-Just charge it!

Stuff can save you:                 Everything consumers can think of is available for a price.

Serve yourself:                        You deserve a break today; Have it your way;

What is the Gospel?  Is it recognizing you’re a sinner & God has a wonderful plan for your life?  No!!!   It is the message of the cross!  That our sins are nailed to the Cross with Christ is the greatest news anyone could hear.  Did you ever notice that we like to celebrate Easter, but not Good Friday.  Why do you suppose that is?  Of course we pay lip service to Good Friday, and most of us know why we call Good Friday good, but Easter only validates the sacrifice on Friday was effective for all, since only God could raise himself from the dead.  Jesus death on the cross is the good news because now our sins could be forgiven.  Why are we so squeamish about the Cross?  Listen to Paul:

 Paul  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.^[7]

Is it simply the shame of the cross we shrink from?  Perhaps it is only when we are broken that God’s wisdom can break through our thick skulls?!  David spoke of His desiring a broken & contrite heart above a sacrifice.  Sometimes I think it is easier to give a few dollars in the plate than to let my spirit be broken in humility.  Listen to Paul again,

Paul  O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? ^[8]

They knew the crucifixion was real and the reason was forgiveness of our sins, yet the works of the law were so much easier!  It’s much harder to live by principal than by law.  We should live by the principals of Loving God & Loving our neighbor.  For our sanctification, our holy living, we need to stand by principals as well as the rules of society. 

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  

2. Examine yourselves.  Are you Wise, Powerful, from Noble Birth?  How does this affect your acceptance of Christ?  Who are we, to appear before the God of the universe? 

Yesterday, James MacDonald shared with us men that we are ordinary.  We are not that different from one another.  In fact, he looked at someone who most of us would look at as extraordinary, King David.  The man Scripture records as being after God’s own heart.  This man, David, was an ordinary man.  James MacDonald tested us on it , asking us what miracle David did?  David’s fame came not from his extraordinariness,  but from his connectedness to God’s Spirit. Samuel took the horn of oil  and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.^[9]  We are important only through Him!  We have no special qualities beyond our other brothers & sisters!  By the Cross we can come unhindered to Him who frees us from the penalty of our sins.  We can not only come to Him, but do so unashamed knowing our sins are forgiven.  Our petitions will be heard and we can know that God really does take interest in us! Listen to the way Jesus esteems children:

Jesus  At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”^[10]

Children have a special place in God’s economy.  Why? Because they simply believe God.  Something innocent in the heart of a child has God’s heart. I believe that something is humility.  When have you seen a child boast in himself?  He boasts in his Dad or His Mom.  His strength come from another.  I have a funny story to share with you about my son Benjamin.  When he was 4 years old we were visiting my folks.  My brother took him and his cousin Jacob, 6 at the time, to the park.  As fate would have it there were some older boys, 10-12 years old playing there also.  But the older kids were not so innocent, they were putting sand on the slides and just generally being mischievous.  Benjamin was indignant.  He found a 6 foot tall stick.  This became his staff.  With Jacob at his side he confronted the older boys,  “You guys have bad souls” My brother Scott told me the story.  Apparently Ben had no fear.  He was going to straighten these boys out. Fortunately, Scott took the staff away and confronted the boys himself. I often wonder if Bens boldness was his simple trust in God.

Sometimes I think our human wisdom gets in the way of trusting in the Lord.  Listen to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah  ⁸“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?^[11]

Rejecting the word of God removes the blessing of God’s Spirit, thus His wisdom, from the life of the rejecter.  Are you rejecting God’s Word?

30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Jesus is our wisdom.  Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus is our sanctification. Jesus is our redemption.  Jesus is our all in all.  Without Christ where would we be?  There but for the grace of God go I.   Chris Rice has a song you may have heard, The face of Christ. Listen to these lyrics:

He shares a room outside with a dozen other guys And the only roof he knows is that sometimes starry sky A tattered sleeping bag on a concrete slab is his bed

And it’s too cold to talk tonight So I just sit with him instead and think

How did I find myself in a better place I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face ‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing With the face of Christ

3. Are you willing to go to the lengths of the Cross to show it?  And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.^[12]

Surrender to His will.  Deny yourself those things which interfere with God’s purposes for you and in humility take the path He has laid out for you.  When you do this, God’s purposes take off and wonderful things begin. All successes can be laid at the feet of Jesus to whom they are due.  Then your boasting will be not it yourself, but in the Lord!  Listen to this passage in Jeremiah on boasting in our God:

Jeremiah ²³ Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”^[13]

Earlier I shared a number of statements of wisdom given through the ages.  I want to examine again one by Helen Keller:

Helen Keller I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace.

All this talk today causes me to think, are we to shelve our brains and just believe?  Is Helen right in what she states?  I think there is a wisdom that comes from trusting God in humility which doesn’t require our shelving our mental faculties.  It really is a matter of trust. "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…31 Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Let’s close by singing 2 verses of I have decided to follow Jesus.  The 2^nd verse pertains to this message, the world behind me, the Cross before me.

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^[1]Merriam-Webster, I. (1996, c1993). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (10th ed.). Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster.

^[2]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Pr 1:7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[3]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Eph 3:9-11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[4]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001  Emphasis added (Ec 3:9-13). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[5]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ro 9:32-33). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[6]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ac 17:16-21; 31-32). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[7]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ro 1:16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[8]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ga 3:1-2). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[9]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Sa 16:13). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[10]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 11:25-30). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[11]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Je 8:8-9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[12]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Lk 9:23). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[13]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Je 9:23-24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.