Foolish Things

Foolish Things 2021 10 03

1 Corinthians 1:26 – 2:2

A movie was made on the Sunshine Coast a few years ago, called “Needful Things.”  It wasn’t a great movie, but it did kind of emphasize man’s focus on foolish things – things that we decide we need, or are right, or are good, by our own wisdom.

There are a lot of things you can know, and a lot of skills you can perhaps gain that will gain you the approval of men.  Knowledge is something that impresses a lot of people, and a lot of knowledge impresses a lot of people a lot.  But God our Creator is not impressed with the knowledge of man, and in fact has things to say to those who think they know it all.

1 Corinthians 1:26 – 2:2

Here is an amazing fact:  Many who are wise according to human judgment – after the flesh – are not wise at all.  Many who are mighty and powerful in the eyes of man are very weak, and many to whom the world gives great honour are not noble, at all, and often we hear of them being found to be living disgusting lives under cover of their fame.  Only God is truly wise, because only God is perfect, all-powerful, everywhere present, and all-knowing.  “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”  Jude 1:25. What we need, in every situation, is not our own terribly sin-flawed wisdom, but the wisdom of God. Most of all, we need His way of salvation, for: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

I. We Do Not Impress Our Creator

  1. We have not created ourselves and therefore have nothing that God needs! If we think we’re really special by our skills and efforts, it’s time to get over ourselves!  We are special only because our Creator made us that way and loves us!
  2. God says that He is not impressed with the wisdom of the world but has often chosen things that seem foolish in the world to show the foolishness of man’s wisdom, and the weak things in the world to show the weakness of man’s strength and the lowest things of this world to show that no flesh should seek its own glory.
    1. But God has made Jesus Christ our wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.
    2. Jesus Christ, who was crucified, is our wisdom.
    3. Jesus Christ, whom the world thought foolish, dead and buried is our wisdom.
    4. This is so foolish to the world, but to us, our risen Saviour is Wisdom!

II. The World Can’t See

  1. The Bible tells us that the whole world sits in darkness.“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”  I John 5:19, 20
  2. To the world, the death of Christ is foolish, a terrible defeat.
    1. To us, it is a great gift, the wisdom of God, by whose Son our debt was paid, who paid it with His life!
    2. No other solution was sufficient. The Bible says that the life is in the blood.  We forfeited that life when we rebelled against God our Creator.
    3. But “… the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin!” 1 John 1:7
    4. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 Our life was redeemed by the life of Christ when His perfect blood was shed for us at the cross.

 III.  All Glory Be to God our Creator

  1. Because every good thing that we have is a gift from our Creator, we glory in the Lord, not in our own wisdom.
    1. Even more, because God has done what could not do, having paid for our sins Himself and given us eternal life, we glory in Him.
  2. We do not try to lead others to eternal life with glowing speech, great knowledge and skill
    1. Instead, we determine not to know anything, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified
    2. To the world, these are foolish things!
    3. To us, they are the wisdom of God who created us. Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves and He knows exactly what we need.

 IV. Foolish and Futile Debate

  1. But some in foolishness determine instead to strive in long debate on the fine points of obscure doctrine, rather than in preaching Christ crucified and risen from the dead, which is the gospel.
    1. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
  2. Turn to 2 Timothy 2:24 – 26 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
    1. Do not get all caught up in all the fine points of splitting hairs, which come mainly out of our own vanity and pride. The servant of the Lord must not strive.

V. Doctrine Matters!

  1. This isn’t telling us that doctrine does not matter!
    1. While this teaching from 2 Timothy says not to strive, but to be gentle in your dealings with all men, it also instructs us to be able to teach, but with patience, gently and humbly instructing the lost, because perhaps God will help them to repent and recognize the truth, so that they will escape the snare of the devil that they have allowed themselves to become entangled in and get out from under the oppression of the devil.
    2. We need to remember that we were once the same until our loving Creator sent someone to gently tell us the truth.
  2. Doctrine matters, but not all the fine points of foolishness of what we might perceive so strongly as so crucial we would be willing to separate over it!
    1. Paul said, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (verse 2)
  3. Get the gospel message down straight!
    1. Understand salvation and know it!
    2. Stand strong on the majors, like the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation by grace, the death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the authority of scripture, the Biblical account of creation and many other solid, essential doctrines that are clearly and very specifically taught in scripture. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 2:9
    3. But be very careful on the minors, such as how long a woman’s hair ought to be, or whether a man should wear shorts or long pants only! 2 Timothy 2:23 says, “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.”
      1. And Hebrews 13:9., “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”
    4. Make sure the doctrine you defend most fervently is the doctrine that saves people from hell, and not the kind of vain foolishness that helps people into hell!
      1. When people see those who claim to belong to Christ separating over difficult doctrines that are very difficult to or even impossible to clearly prove and not essential to salvation, they rightly see a problem and easily miss Jesus Christ, and Him crucified!
      2. Never compromise. When you are convinced by the scriptures on a point of doctrine, do not give it up or say it doesn’t matter for the sake of unity.  That’s ecumenism and is a slippery slope that can lead to serious compromise.
        1. You can still put aside minor differences in doctrine to avoid strife or fighting without compromise.
        2. Work gently to teach these truths to those in the church with the hope that God will use it to lead them to further freedom.
      3. But do not fight or separate over these fine points of doctrine, lest they become fine points of foolishness that harm rather than help. The servant of God must NOT fight, but meekly and patiently instruct with gentleness.
        1. None of us knows it all or has it all 100% correct. The finer the point we are trying to hone in on, the more opportunity there is for us to be off even a little bit. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12

Conclusion

The greatest, the clearest and the most perfect thing is that love that comes only from God and which comes in the person of Jesus Christ.  Love one another in Christ and avoid fighting over fine points of foolishness.  Determine instead to know nothing save Jesus Christ and Him crucified!  This is the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  The rest, teach with meekness to believers, that they might become more effective in their own ministry.  But do not make it a fine point of foolishness that causes an even bigger problem.  God is still in control and is working in the lives of all his children, including those we do not always or completely agree with.