THE FOOLISHNESS OF
PREACHING
1 Corinthians 1:18 - 31
1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1:20 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?
1:21 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.
1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1:27 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;
1:28 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:
1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
When the Apostles of Christ set out to fulfill the commission of Christ to “preach the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people”, they were so filled with the Holy Spirit given them on the Day of Pentecost that it seems they never gave much thought to the enormity of the challenge before them.
Christ’s own nation of Israel had rejected and crucified their Saviour. Very few of the Jews had accepted Christ by the time the Disciples began to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. How could a few, fishermen and tax collectors, who had accepted Christ as the promised Saviour ever hope to reach the vast numbers of heathen people that surrounded the tiny nation of Israel.
How did they do it?
They claimed the promises of God and went forward in faith, believing that
God would do exactly as He had promised!
Zechariah 4 : 6
“This is the Word of The Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith The Lord of hosts.”
Not in their own wisdom, not in their own strength, not by their own power, but they went forward in the wisdom, in the strength, and by the power of the Mighty Creator of the universe, Jesus Christ The Righteous!
Just think of the condition of the people to whom they were to preach the Gospel of Christ. For instance: what was it like in Corinth a city of the Greeks? A well qualified writer explains the situation in this heathen city.
“During the first century of the Christian Era, Corinth was one of the leading cities, not only of Greece, but of the world. Greeks, Jews, and Romans, with travelers from every land, thronged its streets, eagerly intent on business and pleasure. A great commercial center, situated within easy access of all parts of the Roman Empire, it was an important place in which to establish memorials for God and His truth. AA 243
Among the Jews who had taken up their residence in Corinth were Aquila and Priscilla, who afterward became distinguished as earnest workers for Christ. Becoming acquainted with the character of these persons, Paul "abode with them."
AA 243
At the very beginning of his labors in this thoroughfare of travel, Paul saw on every hand serious obstacles to the progress of his work. The city was almost wholly given up to idolatry. Venus was the favorite goddess, and with the
worship of Venus were connected many demoralizing rites and ceremonies. The Corinthians had become conspicuous, even among the heathen, for their gross immorality. They seemed to have little thought or care beyond the pleasures and gaieties of the hour. AA 243
In preaching the gospel in Corinth, the apostle followed a course different from that which had marked his labors at Athens. While in the latter place, he had sought to adapt his style to the character of his audience; he had met logic with logic, science with science, philosophy with philosophy. As he thought of the time thus spent, and realized that his teaching in Athens had been productive of but little fruit, he decided to follow another plan of labor in Corinth in his efforts to arrest the attention of the careless and the indifferent. He determined to avoid elaborate arguments and discussions, and "not to know anything" among the Corinthians "save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." He would preach to them "not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." 1 Corinthians 2:2, 4. AA 244
Jesus, whom Paul was about to present before the Greeks in Corinth as the Christ, was a Jew of lowly origin, reared in a town proverbial for its wickedness. He had been rejected by His own nation and at last crucified as a malefactor. The Greeks believed that there was need of elevating the human race, but they regarded the study of philosophy and science as the only means of attaining to true elevation and honor. Could Paul lead them to believe that faith in the power of this obscure Jew would uplift and ennoble every power of the being?
AA 244
To the minds of multitudes living at the present time, the cross of Calvary is surrounded by sacred memories. Hallowed associations are connected with the scenes of the crucifixion. But in Paul's day the cross was regarded with feelings of repulsion and horror. To uphold as the Saviour of mankind one who had met death on the cross, would naturally call forth ridicule and opposition. AA 245
Paul well knew how his message would be regarded by both the Jews and the Greeks of Corinth. "We preach Christ crucified," he admitted, "unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness." 1 Corinthians 1:23. Among his Jewish hearers there were many who would be angered by the message he was about to proclaim. In the estimation of the Greeks his words would be absurd folly. He would be looked upon as weak-minded for attempting to show how the cross could have any connection with the elevation of the race or the salvation of mankind.
AA 245
But to Paul the cross was the one object of supreme interest. Ever since he had been arrested in his career of persecution against the followers of the crucified Nazarene he had never ceased to glory in the cross. At that time there had been given him a revelation of the infinite love of God, as revealed in the death of Christ; and a marvelous transformation had been wrought in his life, bringing all his plans and purposes into harmony with heaven. From that hour he had been a new man in Christ. He knew by personal experience that when a sinner once beholds the love of the Father, as seen in the sacrifice of His Son, and yields to the divine influence, a change of heart takes place, and henceforth Christ is all and in all.
So successful was the preaching of the Apostles that Paul said it had been preached to “every creature under heaven”
Colossians 1 : 23
“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;…”
Who preached the very first sermon after the fall of Adam and Eve?
Genesis 4 : 6, 7
“And The Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen ?
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted ? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”
And what was the message?
A warning against sin.
What is sin?
1 John 3:4
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also The Law : for sin is the transgression of The Law.”
From the transgression of Adam and Eve, sin has been the enemy of man. And from the time Christ preached that first sermon to Cain, He has sent preachers to warn men and women of the consequences of sin to their immediate and eternal happiness.
The message has always been a message of warning and a message of hope and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God.
The Message is not a smooth message.
It very often cuts across the carnal nature of man and people get angry with the preachers and with God. So angry that millions have been put to death by those who do not like to be reminded of their sins. Jesus, was crucified because The Jews did not like to be told they were sinners and in danger of eternal damnation and were even worse than the heathen!
People haven’t changed, they still do not like to be reminded of their sins, God commanded the prophet to write in a book as recorded in Isaiah 30 : 9 – 11.
“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
30:9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear The Law of The Lord:
30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
30:11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.”
God certainly did not have a smooth message for the People of Israel in Isaiah’s day, did He? They claimed to be “the church”. They said there was no salvation outside of “the church”! The Gentiles were worse than dogs and without hope.
Of course “Modern Israel” – Seventh Day Adventists are not like that, are they?
Seventh Day Adventist are not :
a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear The Law of The Lord:
Well, are they? The Spirit of God says:
“I was pointed back to the years 1843 and 1844. There was a spirit of consecration then that there is not now. What has come over the professed peculiar people of God? I saw the conformity to the world, the unwillingness to suffer for the truth's sake. I saw a great lack of submission to the will of God. …. Said the angel, "Ye have done worse than they."
Christian Experience p. 158
Then in 1903, The Spirit warned:
"Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself. When she resists the evil and chooses the good, when she seeks God with all humility and reaches her high calling in Christ, standing on the platform of eternal truth and by faith laying hold upon the attainments prepared for her, she will be healed. She will appear in her God-given simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements, showing that The Truth has made her free indeed. Then her members will indeed be the chosen of God, His representatives.
8T 247-251 (April 21, 1903). LDE 60
So in 1903, The organization which calls itself; The Seventh Day Adventist Church,
was in a backslidden, rebellious condition of conformity to the world, involved in earthly entanglements and had stepped off the platform of eternal truth. For this reason she could not be the representatives of Christ.”
She was in Apostasy and no longer
The Church of Jesus Christ ! The gates of hell were prevailing against her! The gates of hell can not prevail against The Church of Jesus Christ for He is The Leader and He said in Matthew 16 : 18.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon This Rock, I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Christ is still waiting for The Seventh Day Adventist People to repent and turn to God. Their condition has grown worse until today, instead of repentance and turning to God, there is even greater, “conformity to the world”, earthly entanglements and a “returning” to direct fellowship with the “man of sin” the “Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth’’, The Roman Catholic Church !
Modern Israel have lost their bearings and are adrift in a sinking ship without chart or compass. Their leaders have deceived them into thinking that the Seventh Day Adventist Organization is “the church” and they trust these , “godly men”, instead of all the warnings and reproofs from the Word of God !
Isaiah 9:16 “For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.”
James 4:4
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God ? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Amazing picture in the light of this text. The G.C in this picture from the Review declares that they are the “friend” of John Paul ii.
Exactly who is this man called “the pope” of the Catholic Church. Who is standing beside John Paul but is invisible to human eyes ? The Devil is standing right there with his “vicar”!
So the General Conference of the “professed” Seventh Day Adventist Church boasts to all its members and to the whole world that they are “the friend” of the devil and his visible vicar!
Totally ignoring God’s warning that:
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
OK!
All you people who say you are members of this organization posing as God’s Seventh Day Adventist Church ! Do you really want to be a “friend” of the devil?
If you remain connected with this corrupt organization you are just as guilty as the leaders who have committed TREASON against The Lord God of Heaven!
