The Offense and Power of the Gospel
Summary
In our time together, we delved into the profound and often misunderstood nature of the gospel, particularly focusing on the inherent challenges and "shame" associated with the message of the cross. The gospel, in its true form, is not designed to be palatable or easy to accept. It confronts human pride, challenges our intellect, and demands a recognition of our sinful state. The cross, with its shameful stigma, simplicity, singularity, and sentence, stands as a stark reminder of the cost of redemption and the depth of human sinfulness.
The world often seeks to make the gospel more acceptable, attempting to remove its offense to attract more followers. However, this approach dilutes the truth and power of the gospel. The reality is that the gospel is hard to believe because it requires a complete surrender and acknowledgment of our spiritual bankruptcy. It is not about self-esteem or self-worth but about recognizing our need for a Savior.
We explored the shameful sentence of the cross, which reveals the judgment and wrath of God against sin. The cross is a rescue mission for the perishing, highlighting the substitutionary atonement of Christ, who bore our sins so that we might be treated as righteous. This message is not popular because it demands an acknowledgment of guilt and the need for repentance.
Furthermore, we examined the shameful society of the cross, where God chooses the foolish, weak, and despised to carry His message. This divine strategy ensures that no human can boast in their own strength or wisdom. The gospel is carried by "clay pots," ordinary and often overlooked individuals, to demonstrate that the power and glory belong to God alone.
Finally, we touched on the shameful sovereignty of the cross, where salvation is entirely a work of God's choosing. This doctrine, though often criticized, is the only hope for humanity. It underscores that salvation is not based on human effort but on God's sovereign grace.
Key Takeaways:
- The gospel's inherent offense lies in its demand for total surrender and acknowledgment of our sinful state. It is not about self-improvement but about recognizing our need for a Savior. This truth challenges the prevalent myth that the gospel must be made acceptable to attract followers. [01:08]
- The shameful sentence of the cross reveals God's judgment against sin and the necessity of substitutionary atonement. Christ's sacrifice is the only means of salvation, highlighting the seriousness of sin and the depth of God's love. [03:41]
- God chooses the weak and despised to carry His message, ensuring that no human can boast in their own strength or wisdom. This divine strategy demonstrates that the power and glory belong to God alone, not to human effort or status. [24:45]
- The sovereignty of the cross is a doctrine often criticized but is the only hope for humanity. Salvation is entirely a work of God's choosing, emphasizing that it is not based on human effort but on God's sovereign grace. [43:29]
- Our role is to faithfully proclaim the true gospel, trusting in God's power to bring about salvation. We are "clay pots," ordinary vessels carrying the extraordinary message of Christ, and our faithfulness in proclamation is what God uses to bear fruit. [52:01]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - The Myth of an Acceptable Gospel
[01:43] - The Shameful Stigma of the Cross
[03:02] - The Sentence of the Cross
[05:47] - Encounter on the Airplane
[07:54] - Critique of Self-Esteem Theology
[10:17] - Jesus' Rejection in Nazareth
[12:40] - Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy
[14:33] - The Offense of the Gospel
[16:09] - The Demand for Signs
[18:08] - Lessons from Elijah and Elisha
[20:07] - Spiritual Poverty and the Gospel
[23:02] - The Society of the Cross
[27:31] - God's Choice of the Lowly
[31:26] - Treasure in Earthen Vessels
[39:03] - The Apostles as Scum and Dregs
[43:29] - The Sovereignty of the Cross
[52:01] - Faithful Proclamation of the Gospel
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
2. 2 Corinthians 4:5-7
3. Luke 4:16-30
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Observation Questions:
1. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, what does Paul say about the message of the cross to those who are perishing? How does this relate to the concept of the "shameful sentence of the cross"? [03:02]
2. According to 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, what types of people does God choose to carry His message, and why is this significant? [24:45]
3. In Luke 4:16-30, how did the people of Nazareth react to Jesus' proclamation in the synagogue, and what does this reveal about their spiritual condition? [14:33]
4. How does 2 Corinthians 4:7 describe the vessels that carry the gospel, and what is the purpose of using such vessels? [31:26]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does the "shameful sentence of the cross" reveal about God's judgment and the necessity of substitutionary atonement? How does this challenge modern perceptions of the gospel? [03:41]
2. How does the choice of "foolish" and "weak" individuals to carry the gospel message demonstrate God's power and glory? What does this imply about human efforts in salvation? [24:45]
3. In what ways does the reaction of the people in Nazareth to Jesus' message illustrate the difficulty of accepting the gospel? How does this relate to the idea of spiritual poverty? [20:07]
4. How does the concept of being "clay pots" in 2 Corinthians 4:7 affect the way believers should view their role in sharing the gospel? [31:26]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the need to make the gospel more "acceptable" to others. How can you remain faithful to the true message of the cross in future conversations? [01:08]
2. The sermon emphasizes the need for total surrender and acknowledgment of our sinful state. What steps can you take this week to deepen your understanding of your need for a Savior? [01:08]
3. Consider the people God has placed in your life. How can you encourage someone who feels "weak" or "despised" to see their value in God's plan? [24:45]
4. Jesus' message in Nazareth was met with hostility. How can you prepare yourself to face rejection or misunderstanding when sharing your faith? [14:33]
5. Identify an area in your life where you struggle with pride or self-reliance. How can you practice humility and reliance on God's strength this week? [28:23]
6. The sermon discusses the sovereignty of God in salvation. How does this doctrine impact your approach to evangelism and prayer for others? [43:29]
7. As "clay pots," believers carry the extraordinary message of Christ. What practical steps can you take to ensure that your life reflects the glory of God in your daily interactions? [31:26]
Devotional
Day 1: The Gospel's Call to Surrender
The gospel challenges us to confront our pride and acknowledge our sinful state. It is not a message of self-improvement or self-worth but a call to recognize our need for a Savior. This truth is often offensive because it demands total surrender and a recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy. Many attempt to make the gospel more palatable by removing its offense, but this dilutes its truth and power. The gospel's inherent offense lies in its demand for a complete acknowledgment of our need for redemption. [01:08]
"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." (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 2: The Cross as a Rescue Mission
The cross reveals God's judgment against sin and the necessity of substitutionary atonement. Christ's sacrifice is the only means of salvation, highlighting the seriousness of sin and the depth of God's love. The shameful sentence of the cross is a rescue mission for the perishing, where Christ bore our sins so that we might be treated as righteous. This message is not popular because it demands an acknowledgment of guilt and the need for repentance. [03:41]
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a specific sin or guilt you have been carrying. How can you bring this to the cross today and accept the forgiveness and healing that Christ offers?
Day 3: God's Choice of the Lowly
God chooses the weak and despised to carry His message, ensuring that no human can boast in their own strength or wisdom. This divine strategy demonstrates that the power and glory belong to God alone, not to human effort or status. The gospel is carried by "clay pots," ordinary and often overlooked individuals, to show that the extraordinary message of Christ is not dependent on human ability. [24:45]
"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." (1 Corinthians 1:27, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt inadequate or overlooked. How can you embrace your role as a "clay pot" and trust God to use you for His glory?
Day 4: The Sovereignty of Salvation
The sovereignty of the cross is a doctrine often criticized but is the only hope for humanity. Salvation is entirely a work of God's choosing, emphasizing that it is not based on human effort but on God's sovereign grace. This truth underscores the reality that our salvation is not something we can earn or achieve, but a gift from God. [43:29]
"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." (Ephesians 1:11, ESV)
Reflection: How does understanding God's sovereignty in salvation change your perspective on your own faith journey and the way you view others?
Day 5: Faithful Proclamation of the Gospel
Our role is to faithfully proclaim the true gospel, trusting in God's power to bring about salvation. We are "clay pots," ordinary vessels carrying the extraordinary message of Christ, and our faithfulness in proclamation is what God uses to bear fruit. It is not our eloquence or strength that brings about change, but God's power working through us. [52:01]
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)
Reflection: Who is someone in your life that needs to hear the gospel? How can you take a step today to share the message of Christ with them, trusting in God's power to work through you?
Quotes
"The myth is that this will result in more people being converted to Christ -- a noble desire, but cannot happen without the presentation of the absolute truth of the gospel. No way to present the true gospel and make it easy to believe. It is hard to believe, and sooner or later the truth must come forward." [00:01:03]
"The cross, after all, is to rescue the perishing. How does it do that? Verse 21, Paul says, 'We preach Christ crucified.' It is again that substitutionary atonement where the Lord Jesus takes on our guilt, is punished by God as if He had committed all the sins of all the people who would ever believe, though in fact he committed no sin ever." [00:03:47]
"Christ was crucified for sinners, and so as we proclaim the gospel, at its very outset we must address the issue of sin. That must be, in fact, that must be the formidable foundation of all gospel presentation, an inescapable indictment of guilt, of damning guilt, of eternally damning guilt that rests upon every human being." [00:04:44]
"The message that Jesus is giving them is very simple. God has never been able to do in Israel what He would do because you will not repent, because you will not acknowledge your bankrupt condition. He had to go to find a widow among Baal worshippers. He had to go to find an enemy of Israel, a terrorist, a pagan named Naaman to find someone with a penitent and believing heart." [00:19:22]
"Those who know they are spiritually bankrupt, that they are prisoners to their sin and to judgment. They are blind to spiritual reality, and they bear an immense, intolerable weight of guilt. That was the message, and He says to them the gospel comes to those people, but with you it's always been the same." [00:21:21]
"God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, that that He may nullify the things that are." [00:24:45]
"Here you have a message that's hard to believe, and if you're dead in trespasses and sins, it's actually impossible to believe, and it's not given to those who somehow can gain our attention and perhaps be more convincing of its truth, but rather it's put in the hands of the nobodies." [00:28:53]
"There never should be a human explanation for any effective advance of the gospel. There cannot be a human explanation because we are nothing but earthen vessels. I want to camp on that. The glory of the gospel is indicated in verse 6, light shining out of darkness, the light of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ, this immense concept, and we carry this immensity in clay pots." [00:31:44]
"The early preachers of the gospel were not the elite intellectuals of Egypt or Greece or Rome or even Israel. The greatest scholars they tell us may have been in Egypt. The greatest library was in Alexandria, and that perhaps was why. The most distinguished philosophers were in Athens, the powerful were in Rome, the biblical scholars were in Jerusalem, and God disdained all of them for privy pots." [00:35:43]
"Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse -- this is another really helpful passage, if you want to see how Paul viewed himself. 1 Corinthians 4, verse 6: 'Now these things I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you will become arrogant on behalf of one against the other.'" [00:37:28]
"Listen folks, if God doesn't determine in His will, as the God of the universe, to save sinners, nobody would be saved. If God doesn't save the sinner, the sinner is doomed. The shameful sovereignty of the cross, and yet that's the only hope, the only hope. Not apart from faith, but through faith." [00:49:45]
"Father, we thank You for the clarification that Your Word brings to everything and certainly of course to those matters which are related to Your kingdom. We only could desire one thing knowing the truth, and that is to be faithful to proclaim it, unwaveringly faithful, and behind that proclamation to live a life that supports what we say." [00:52:01]
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