Fools: Wise or Otherwise? | Part 1

Would the world consider you wise or otherwise listen to Adrian Rogers, our new little Lord Jesus Christ you believe the gospel you go to be looked upon as a fool by this world and for that reason, Solomon tried to tone down the gospel a little bit because they don't seem so foolish and I tried to accommodate the gospel that is worth a dear friend. You can never do is make up your mind that if you live in the Lord Jesus Christ are going to be thought a fool by the people of this world.

What God calls wisdom the world calls was and what the world calls wisdom God calls whose disease, disease, and West is West and their claim shall be welcome to love worth finding, pastor, teacher and author Adrian Rogers said the gospel is so radically different starts at a different source follows a different course and ends in a different conclusion. We don't need to make it compatible the cross of Jesus Christ is the measurement of a man's foolishness or his wisdom. If you have your Bible turned out first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18. Adrian Rogers begins. Part one of this insightful message.

Fools wise or otherwise). This chapter 1 verse 18 for the preaching of the cross is foolishness to us which are saved it is the power of God for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of where is the Y wears describe where is the spirit of this world have not God made foolish the wisdom of this world 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.

For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. We preach Christ crucified under the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but under them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Now when you live for the Lord Jesus Christ you believe the gospel. You get to be looked upon as a fool by this world as a matter fact anybody who really believes this Bible who let's go the world with both hands and takes hold of Jesus Christ with both hands is going to be adjudicated by this world and for that reason, Solomon tried to tone down the gospel a little bit because they don't seem so foolish and I tried to accommodate the gospel to this world but, dear friend, you can never do it. The gospel is so radically different starts at a different source of thousand different course. It ends at a different conclusion. And so we don't need to make it compatible with this worldview is make up your mind that if you live for the Lord Jesus Christ. You are going to be thought a fool by the people of this world. What God calls wisdom the world calls foolishness and what the world calls wisdom God calls foolishness. East is East and West is West and their claim shall meet now be the hallmark the measuring rod of the standard by which we can see where the person is a fool, wise or otherwise is to see what his reaction is to the gospel now which side of the cross your own. If we believe the cross except the cross embrace the cross. Believe across the world is going to call us food. We believe that without the cross. They indeed are going to perish in their foolishness.

How we got to know whether a person is a true fool or not.

The measurement is across one man said to his wife. I was a fool when I married you.

She said yes but I did notice it. The now how are we going to know how we had a family. Notice how we are to be able to tell who is who and who is not a food. Well the preaching of the gospel preaching of the cross is to them which perish foolishness. Now the Lord preaching in preaching the cross literally means the word of the cross what the cross says that is not what we say about the cross. But what the cross says to us. I want us to pay attention to what I want to call today, the word of the cross and I want you to see three things as we look at our Scripture that I read to you today thing about those lies or otherwise, and the first thing I want to see concerning the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the measurement of the man's foolishness of the measurement of man's wisdom according to how he relates to the cross very first thing is this, I want you to see that God speaks through the cross, God speaks through the cross.

Now God has revealed himself and shown himself in many ways but you will never know the heart and mind of God until you understand the cross God speaks through the cross. He will in verse 22 people always been seeking after God and wanting to know what God is like and who the true Messiah is in all of this and so verse 22 explains it fully. Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom.

Now Paul is writing to the people of Corinth in a car. There was a great contingent of Jews and Greeks that lived there in car and the Jews. They had a particular idea what God out to be like in how the missile to reveal himself and so they sought after a sign that is the word sign means a miracle of great power. They were always asking the Lord Jesus to give them a sign they were seeking some great miracle because they had confidence in the Messiah who would come would be strong and powerful, and political and he would just blow away his enemies, and he would set up the kingdom of God upon earth and and the Jews would reign supreme, and so forth and so they were waiting for this kind of a Maasai.

They did not like the idea of a meek and mild and lonely Messiah like the Lord Jesus Christ was a Jesus rebuked them for seeking a sign, let me just jot these three scriptures down in your margin by verse 22 John four verse 48 then said Jesus unto them, except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe Jesus and diagnose them well. They were a group of people looking for signs and wonders and then look at Luke 11 in verse 29 and when the people were gathered together, he began to say this is an evil generation basic assignments and by the way, when you ask God to prove himself to you when you ask God to perform a miracle that you might understand into my believe in him.

You might think that is good, different. God called an evil.

This is an evil generation ye see a sign and then he said, and there shall no sign be given it with the sign of Jonas the prophet what was the sign of Jonah as well as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, even the Son of Man to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth that is the sign of Jonah's one, the resurrection, all right. And then again in Matthew chapter 12 in verse 39 and he answered and said, and then an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign initial no sign be given it again, he says, but the sign of the prophet Jonah evil people seek after sign and I don't believe it's probably not anybody in this building would not a one time another's eyes got so by doing some beer when I write. Well got to really do this God is a real event in my writing. That's human nature will make me feel all of those identities I mean not in my goodness. We we've all done that we sent out God to show yourself to me. Work assigned prove yourself to me is what the Jews were the Jews were looking for a God who would demonstrate himself that way without another Greeks were not that way the Greeks were little more sophisticated grades were little more intellectual Greeks sought after wisdom to know what the Greeks were looking for was something that they can do intellectual gymnastics with the Messiah. The Greeks were looking for would be sort of a double Socrates. He would be some grand intellect who would help them to take all all of the divine mysteries of life. That's what they were looking for and so they thought.

What if God speaks to Jews and God speech is going to speak through miracles and that the Greeks have God speak he's going to speak through intellectualism and philosophy they saw after wisdom. But here's one God. It is what it is almost as though the apostle Paul could read her mind and likely will, in verse 23 he says and that is in contradiction in contradistinction to verse 22 but we preach Christ crucified not just Christ, but Christ crucified, it would've been one thing of you preach Christ but my dentist to preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block under the Greeks foolishness.

The word stumbling block your main scandal. They were scandalized why you mean we're looking for mighty miracle working powerful Messiah and your preaching. One of dies upon why that scandal is that the stumbling block we can never ever accept the Messiah like that. What power is there and dying upon the cross and Greeks and why. Not only is it a stumbling block is absolutely ludicrous. It's it's published. Here's a Maasai demigod died upon the cross of a man who is the son of God dying arriving upon a cross. You mean to tell us that God's answer this world. That's the way God speaks to this world absolutely absurdity that is foolishness. The Greeks say but now want to go on to those who been saved, knows what happens in verse 24. But under them, which I call that is called by God called out of this world, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Now how is Christ crucified, the power of God. Wisdom of God. Remember now the Jews want power and the Greeks.

One was also okay, you will wisdom you will power out they were power is on table wisdom is is in Christ crucified what how is Christ crucified power God brings you know that the greatest demonstration of power is not when God made these worlds in the universe is in everything. The greatest demonstration of power. Are you listening is the salvation of the soul.

You may not believe that you may sell us critical. I tell you ladies don't. The greatest power on earth is the power that can save a soul balsamic ice recently about the posts and I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

Christ great as well.

Power of God to salvation the power of God on the salvation of all one mighty working miracle power when God made these worlds. He made them he created worlds with the word that's only just spoke, but in order to save the soul. He had to hang his darling son upon a tree up on the cross. Therefore, and I tell you there is no greater power than the power that can transform a life submit when a barbershop arguing about the miracles of the Bible and one mention I don't believe that miracle about the turning water into wine.

Another man said I'd show you big miracle night you come to my house. I'll show you where he turn whiskey in the furniture what he meant by that is he had been saving been born again, and God had transformed it and not only you see is the cross, the power of God. The cross is also the wisdom of God. You see through the cross. You going to know the heart of God through the cross.

You know the mind of God through the cross. God is revealed.

How can we know that is a God of infinite mercy and a God of grace. I God who cares how can we know friend it will never have to doubt the love of God the mind of God again when we see the cross. All God displaces mighty wisdom and this lease is not the wisdom of this world with the princes of this world noted they would not crucified the Lord of glory and the Bible says God by wisdom softer than the world by wisdom knew not God, what is that mean it means that you guys are the high intellectual videos you intellectual talk will review PhD's and the rest of you will have a head start. You have any head start the world by wisdom knows not God in the wisdom of God, a little child you know God, no. That's real wisdom of wisdom that a child can know wisdom that anybody can know the common person can know what is revealed in the cross. What I'm trying to say to you listen to me different. God speaks through the cross.

You will never understand the heart, the mind, the life of God, the power God of the wisdom of God.

We preach Christ crucified to the Jews is coming back to the Greeks foolishness, but to those of us were safe, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, power, and the salvation was so wisdom is revealed in the cross of Calvary.

For that, but I was. Not only does God speak through the cross. But God also saves the girls I look again.

First read this chapter 1 verse 18 Paul, the preaching of the cross is to them which parish foolishness, but unto us who are see it is the power of God to those of us who are saved.

God saves the cross. Now the world is not like the idea of salvation through the cross. The world as a minority music world is a mine stained-glass windows. The world is in mind, good works, the world doesn't mind platitudes in Morrow living but the world resents the gospel of a blood cross. Did you know that.

Did you know that when you preach that the cross is God's way of salvation that is an offense that is a scandal to some people again. I want to read to you what the Bible says in verse 21 for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it please God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe all the Jews require a sign of the Greeks seek after wisdom, that we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block and Greeks foolishness is still the same way today Fran I want take something I've been preaching long enough to know this is not mere rhetoric.

The world lasted the idea of salvation by the blood and the world is incensed by the idea of the gospel of no other name they don't like you standing appointments that you come by blood cross, and you will come at all.

You will be saved by the shipment of the Lord Jesus, you will not be saved all the world thinks that I'm an American. If I don't put my arms around everybody shoulder and say your related mind, Fran, I want to tell you that Jesus Christ crucified is the only way to heaven, and if there's some other way other than Jesus Christ crucified, I would want to meet God in a dark alley because I would trust that, God let his son dial the cross in agony in blood when there was some other way. I tell you there is no other way. God is powerless to save apart from the cross.

And if you're not saved by the shed by the Lord Jesus, you might be saying the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 22 without shedding of blood is no remission of sin. Now the liberals modern sophisticated preachers today is stop preaching the blood. Many of the cross.

Many of God. A Billy Graham said that when he was a young man preaching he preached at a certain resort one time and a priest on the cross and after a brief stay. A former professor at Cornell University came up to him and said young man you have a lot of gifts you have a lot of ability. You can go places in the religious world they said young managers will be giving some advice.

Leave that blood stuff out. Graham said he made up his mind. He preached more the blood of Jesus than ever raise cut for that all hate you can go to many churches today and I'm not trying to make a be chauvinistic about many churches across the land, and you will never hear the blood across reached that the Lord Jesus Christ gave his blood. A ransom for many. But there is power, wonderworking power, and the precious blood of the Lamb. Years ago I read a story something like this. There was a minister. He was a liberal minister. He was not saved just as lost as he could be even educated in one of the liberal theological seminaries. He did not believe in the book in the blood in the blessed hope, but he was as men go very good and kind and considerate man.

He was in a study they came a knock on the door. He went to the door and there was a little girl there dressed and ride this preachers ministry was in the inner-city and a girl dressed in rags and he said the little lady come in.

What can I do for you and she said to him, please are when you come and help get mommy in. He thought her mother was drunk and he said perhaps you need a policeman to get your mother in no she said I don't need a policeman mother sent me to get a preacher onto a minister. My mother is dying and she says she doesn't want to go to hell she wants to go to heaven and she wanted me to find a preacher to help get her in. So this kind minister who was unsaved and lost guys have got his coat little girl took him by the hand and led into the alleyways of that city into a run down bedraggled filthy apart and they are on a dirty mattress was a woman with her gray hair spread out on the pillow and her eyes sunk back in her head in a lie that had been marked by St. Martin and and debilitated and degraded her body and she was dying of mobile disease.

The preacher looked at his heart of love went out to her and he was moved with pity as he saw. She looked at him and she said please. I know that I'm dying and I mean hell I waited in the vile life. Here man of God.

I need help from God. Can God do something for me.

This preacher started to try to minister to any talk to her about love any talk to her about the goodness any talk to her about forgiveness any talk to her about good deeds and kindness and all these things all platitudes high sounding phrases that he knew but her countenance never change.

There was no joy, no peace, no release recent matter, does this mean anything to you. She said sorry you don't understand all that may be well and good for people like you, but not for person like me don't you understand I'm not that kind of life I can't leave that timeline will I am dying with a look on her face. She said preacher don't you have a message for sinful woman like Iran and he thought he realized for the first time he did not have a message for woman like that and you remember the story. His mother told of Christ to God.

"And with his shed blood paid for our sin and by repentance and faith.

Our sins can be forgiven if we could be born again and made over a new shed blood in the power of the cross, and though he did not believe the story he began to tell it to her. Not believing it just told it to her because psychologically he thought it would help her cancel.

He told her about Christ died on the cross and how the shed blood of the Lord Jesus tones % of our sin be as God officially white as snow, and through faith in his shed blood. We could be forgiven.

Save and redeem as he told her that story the power of God in the spirit of God took those words from the mouth of an unbelieving preacher and brought them home to her apartment and she heard the message true whether he believed it or not, it was still true. As she opened her heart and receive Christ as her personal savior and her countenance changed and the spirit of God came into our heart and bore witness with that poor pitiful woman that she was a child of God and with tears of gratitude. She said thank you, thank you for telling me. Thank you for helping me to get in the way we know about that story is this, that same liberal preacher went around telling a story.

Everywhere he went. When he got to the end. He said ladies and gentlemen, not only did that poor woman get in but that night this preacher God and also has he saw the power of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tell me the whole story of Jesus and his love friend listen God speaks to the cross. You know the power of God know the wisdom of God. Do you understand the cross God saves by the cross.

I will say one last thing God sanctifies by the cross look again if you will, in verse 18.

Look at Cisco the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But under those of us who are see it is the power of God, but unto us which are saved now look at the phrase which are saying that literally means which are being say, which are being say now and I want to tell you something that not only have you been saved, you are being say I want to learn something.

Pay attention. Our salvation is in three tenses.

I have been saved. I am being saved and I shall be say now that doesn't mean that I'm not on my way to heaven right now when I tell you I'm being say, doesn't mean that there's any chance that I could ever again be lost. But salvation is in three tenses. I have been saved.

I been saved from the penalty of sin hallelujah not going to hail a man I you know between some people in hell. The only thing between some of you in hell is a heartbeat.

Did you know that between me and hell is a cross of Jesus's own now. I have been saved from the penalty of sin. I am being saved from the power of sin. I am now being saved.

He saves me daily from the power sin, so that's a process that is going on and I shall be saved from the presence of sin. When the rapture comes I'll be caught up to meet my Lord in their never again in the you know the is no sin going into that place.

So salvation is a crisis that is followed by process that you need understand that that I am now being say Eve right now and that's what this verse says you see little phones. That's an encouragement to me. I would really be disappointed. This is all saved on the coming up tomorrow will report to this important message. Maybe today you have questions about who Jesus is what he means to you. How to begin a relationship with God through Christ.

Go to her discover Jesus page@lwf.org/radio to find resources and materials there that will answer questions you may have about your faith again go to LWF.org/radio and click discover Jesus if you like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety. Call us at 1877 love God and mention the title fools wise or otherwise. You can also go online and order it LWF.org/radio or rightists are addresses love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183.

Thanks so much for studying in God's word with us today if you'd like to start receiving daily devotions and links to our program sign-up for our daily heartbeat. Go to LWF.org/radio and join us tomorrow for part two wise right unless I find a friend from Ghana, West Africa sent a message recently said this. I been watching and listening to love worth finding for the past two years. Pastor Rogers words of wisdom, inspire, motivate, crumble, humble and judge the thoughts and attitudes of my heart I feel restless whenever I listen, which is a good thing. We are honored to share the profound truth gospel around the world through the practical messages of Adrian Rogers, especially at such a time as this. This is why love worth finding is proud to present a new documentary, nothing but the truth in partnership with the films producers when you donate to the ministry. Right now we want to send you a DVD copy.

Pastor Adrian Rogers is prominently featured in the film is a lifelong defender of truth warning about the continuing erosion of truth in our culture request the DVD nothing but the truth when you call with the gift: 1877 love or you can give online it LWF.org/radio