In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he emphasizes the immense power of Jesus’ Cross. This can be found in verse seventeen of chapter one. Moving on to verse eighteen, Paul mentions the significance of the ‘word of the Cross’ and its superiority over the word of the world. It’s clear that this message will resonate with many. Interestingly, an illustrator has praised Pittsburgh’s airport, stating that it is among the largest and most well-equipped in the entire nation.Two seconds in flying time from the airport and in direct line with one of its busiest runways is the steeple of Union Church. “Ever since the terminal opened,” said the pastor, William R. Ruschaput, “planes have buzzed the belfry [a belfry is the part of the steeple that houses the bell] — planes have buzzed the belfry like bees after honey. It got so bad that low-flying jets turned our Sunday evening services into sudden prayer meetings.” Reluctant to have their steeple carried away by some careless and unwary pilot, the church topped it with an eight-foot neon-lighted cross. The church is on the highest point near the airport and planes can see at night the lighted cross all the way from the Ohio border. One pilot made this interesting comment regarding the lighted cross: “Most of us are using it as a guide to the field.”¹ The focus of this week’s podcast is the Cross as a guide and why having total confidence in it leads to ultimate wisdom — That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

The Jesus follower must understand the Cross of Jesus and its place in the life of a believer.

Join the Conversation

Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: What does the Cross of Jesus Christ mean to you? Share your story in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

1. Why Possessing Patience Is A Powerful Step to A Faith Filled Life [Podcast]
2. Why Praying in Faith Means to Believe You Receive [Encore Podcast]
3. How You Can Demonstrate Powerful Faith in God [Podcast]
4. Why Taking the Forgiveness Test Helps Your Faith in God [Podcast]
5. Faith and Prayer: Important Lessons to Know [Podcast]
6. Why It’s Important to Flow in Faith’s Domain [Podcast]
7. Scriptures to Feed Your Faith and Combat Fear [Podcast]

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

1. #S11-012: Why a Spirit of Division is Not Your Way [Podcast]
2. #S11-011:Why Moving In Strife Means You Need To Grow [Podcast]
3. #S11-010:How To Find Your Ultimate Calling for Your Life [Podcast]
4. #S11-009:How to Live a Sustained and Guilt-Free Life [Podcast]
5. #S11-008: What It Means to Be Really Mature in God [Podcast]
6. #S11-007: What You Need to Know about Knowing God [Podcast]
7. #S11-006: How to Impact an Immoral City: Lessons from Corinth [Podcast]
8. #S11-005: Why You Can Overcome Weariness With God’s Amazing Grace [Podcast]
9. #S11-004: Why God’s Thoughts On Discipline Are Superior To Yours [Podcast]
10. #S11-003: Why God’s Love and Direction Are a Match Made in Heaven [Podcast]
11. #S11-002:Why You Need God’s Protection in a World Gone Nuts [Podcast]
12. #S11-001: Why Growing in Faith Brings Amazing Results [Podcast]
13. #S10-052: Why Powerful Prayer to Advance the Gospel Is Right [Podcast]
14. #S10-51: Reasons Why People Fail to Receive From God [Podcast]
15. #S10-50: Why You Shouldn’t Be Quickly Shaken by Prophetic Happenings [Podcast]
16. #S10-049: Why Jesus Proven Second Coming Produces Ironclad Hope
17. #S10-048: Why God’s Amazing Dynamic Deliverance Is Coming Your Way [Podcast]
18. #S10-047: What Does a Spiritually Healthy Jesus Follower Look Like to God? [Podcast]
19. #S10-046: Why Repetition Is a Vital Need for Godly Spiritual Growth [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 47 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 42 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

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Prayer

Podcast Notes

• Well again, welcome.
• Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you for your goodness and your mercies. We thank you for the wisdom of God — it is the highest wisdom there is — nothing can compare. We thank you for helping us to understand the vitalness of the Cross of Jesus Christ in preaching the gospel. We give you all the praise and glory in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Gospel is the Preaching of the Cross.

1 Corinthians 1:17–19 (ESV) — 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 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.”

• The Jesus follower must understand the Cross of Jesus and its place in the life of a believer.
• The Roman cross was an instrument of physical death.
• And, with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.
• This quote comes from A. W. Tozer.
• He said.

The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective.² The cross of old Roman times knew no compromise. By killing its opponent and silencing him for good, it won all its arguments. It spared not Christ, but slew Him the same as the rest. He was alive when they hung Him on that cross and completely dead when they took Him down six hours later. That was the cross the first time it appeared in Christian history. The Cross of Christ is the most revolutionary thing ever to appear among men. ³

• Now that’s several Tozer quotes stitched together.
• These quotes illustrate the cross symbolizes death rather than life.
• The cross was for criminals.
• Think about that.

The Cross Is About A Debt Owed

• Why was Jesus crucified on a cross?
• Someone had to pay for man’s cosmic treason.[that’s what R.C. Sproul called sin.]
• Sin is a debt.

Luke 11:1–4 (ESV) — 11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

• Luke says ‘forgive us our sins.’
• The Greek word for ‘sins’ is the word ‘hamartia’ the normal word for sin or sinfulness in the New Testament.
• Now, Matthew’s gospel has ‘Forgive us our debts as we forgive as we forgive our debtors.’

Matthew 6:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

• So, Luke ‘forgive us our sins’ — Matthew ‘forgive us our debts.’
• Sins and debts are equivalent.
• Sin incurs a debt that must be paid.
• The meaning of the Greek word ‘debts’ has two senses.
• First, that which is owed in a financial sense, a debt or one’s due.
• The second sense of meaning for the word ‘debt’ is an obligation in a moral sense ⁴.
• Again, remember that debt is equivalent to sin.
• So, these parallel gospel passages show that sin is a debt we owe.

The Cross and Substitution

• But, not anymore.
• Jesus paid this debt for us.
• He paid it in full — there’s no interest due.
• The amount it took to clear your debt and balance the account was His death.
• This legal transaction took place on the Cross.
• It was all a substitutionary thing.
• Instead of you paying the debt obligation with your death, [I know that’s a tongue twister. Hopefully, it will help you remember it though.] He stepped in and assumed the obligation.
• Jesus paid it — so quit trying to pay it with guilt.
• This practice of assuming another’s debt is called substitution.
• And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

Let me paint the biblical picture by use of the following scenario. Imagine that I go to a friend and say: “Don, I’m in trouble. I need to borrow $10,000. Would you lend me $10,000?” And Don says, “Sure.” He lends me $10,000 and I understand that I now owe him $10,000. We have a perfectly legal, perfectly ethical arrangement. Unfortunately, I wake up one morning and I find out I can’t pay the $10,000. Now I’m in big trouble. However, my sister says: “Don’t worry about it. I’ll pay the $10,000.” So she pays Don the $10,000 that I owe. Now I owe Don nothing. My debt has been canceled 100 percent. In fact, he must receive that $10,000 legal tender in payment for the debt because the only responsibility I have to him is to pay the money. That’s the way a debt is.⁵

• In our case, we wronged God the Father.
• We stole the glory that only goes to Him.
• Jesus stepped in and paid the debt, but there’s other side.

God the Father Accepted the Cross

• God, the Father, accepted Jesus’ sacrifice.
• That’s good news.
• God did this representatively for all men — in all generations — in every corner of the planet.
• One sacrifice wiped out the criminal element.
• Only by accepting the deal, like God the Father has with Jesus’ sacrifice, can anyone go to heaven.
• Appropriating the deal is your part of Calvary.
• This is the best deal and have to the only deal mankind is going to get.
• The Cross is it.
• You must accept the deal.
• You must receive the record of the events as they took place.
• Now, you’ve heard the stories of the individual who the district attorney offers a deal to and refuses to take it.
• The lawyer tells this guy, ‘This is the best deal you’re gonna get. You better take it.’
• But, this man is proud and arrogant.
• He’s used to getting over.
• Used to getting his way — accustomed to beating the system.
• So, he refuses to take the deal.
• He thinks he’s gonna beat these charges laid against him.
• He’s been doing things his own way his whole life and he refuses to answer to any man.
• I mean the guy is guilty as all get out and everybody knows it.
• But, he thinks he’s going to beat the system, walk free and still make heaven his own way.
• I’m telling you if this is you, you got another thing coming.
• It’s not happening.
• Accepting Calvary’s Cross is the only way for man to get to God, period.
• There are no exceptions — there are no special circumstances.
• If you don’t receive what Jesus did for you, the deal is off, and receiving the penalty is the only recourse.
• Now, that makes no sense at all.
• Jesus paid the price so you don’t have to go to hell and if you don’t have to go why go?
• Everybody must accept the deal — and God means everybody.
• Now, don’t get mad with me I didn’t write it.
• This is not my plan.
• Every man, woman, and child of the age of accountability must receive Jesus as Lord.
• Deal or no deal, that’s the great question that confronts every breathing person.
• And, I say breathing because once you quit breathing, it is over — there are no second chances on the other side.
• That’s what the saying ‘you need to come to the Cross’ means.

The Cross Is About Faith Not Feelings

• Coming to the Cross doesn’t mean feeling bad about what happened to the man on the Cross.
• Let’s get that out of the way.
• This is not about feelings — this is about faith.
• This is about, ‘I believe that the debt for my sin is paid in full.’
• Here’s what I’m saying.
• Acknowledge the death aspect of the Cross.
• Understand what it means — know the why of the Cross.
• Receive heaven’s transaction and act like the free man that you now are.
• Are you getting this?

Move Past the Cross

• Now, here is what you shouldn’t do, and I want you to get this.
• Once you accept God’s plan, you need to move forward.
• The deal is a done deal — it’s credited to your name.
• There’s no double indemnity because there is no more crime to begin with.
• It’s gone — totally gone — like you never sinned a day in your life.
• People sing the song ‘Keep me near the Cross.’
• Why would you want to stay near the Cross?
• The Cross is a place of death — the Cross was an instrument of death.
• Jesus came so that you might have life, not be shrouded in death.
• He came that you might have life.
• Instead of camping at the Cross, you need to trek forward to Pentecost.

Romans 6:8–11 (ESV) — 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

• If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
• Get to living.
• Enjoy life in the Spirit — with the Spirit — listening to God in your spirit.
• Move past the Cross and run towards the will of God for your life.
• The Cross is the starting line of your life’s race.
• You haven’t even begun your real life yet — I don’t care how many business deals you’ve done or how successful you might be.
• You haven’t even begun your life yet if you haven’t come by the Cross.
• But staying near it doesn’t work either.
• The cross is 2000 years in your rearview mirror.
• Quit looking backwards. — Jesus is not there.
• He rose from the dead, glory to God.
• He’s not on the Cross, or by the Cross.
• Jesus ascended on high into heaven’s glory.

Acts 7:55–56 (ESV) 55 But he [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

• That’s just one witness.
• Here’s a few more.

Acts 1:9–11 (ESV) — 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

• Look up, not back.
• If you are clinging to the Cross, you’re going to be there by yourself because Jesus is not there — He’s at the right hand of the Father.
• Keep me near the Throne is what we should sing, not keep me near the Cross.
• Camping at the Cross keeps you from moving forward and enjoying the fellowship you can have with Jesus.
• You know, men have memorialized the Cross.
• They made jewelry out of it and wear it proudly and all the while, it means nothing to them.
• You won’t go to Heaven because you wear a Cross.
• You won’t go to heaven because you don’t wear one.
• The Cross is a heart thing, not a neck thing.
• Tozer said.

Men have fashioned a golden cross with a graving tool, and before it they sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play.

• He’s right.
• How much adultery has been committed by gold and silver cross wearers?
• I’m just asking a plain question here.
• How much sin has been committed by those who have tatooed colorful crosses on some part of their body?
• All men should know and respect what happened on Golgotha’s hill that dark and ominous day Jesus died.
• But, they should also know what happened three days later and live in the reality of that.

The Wisdom of the Cross

• Let’s go on to the rest of verse eighteen and nineteen.

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.”

• Now, this ‘cross’ piece is wisdom is for those of us who have received Jesus as Lord.
• What Paul is saying in his letter is that the word of the Cross is what he preached to the Corinthians in their lost state.
• Paul didn’t preach ‘feel good’ messages designed to uplift sinners who were having a bad day.
• Sinners aren’t just having a bad day — their whole life is wrong.
• No, Paul preached the cCoss as the cure.
• He preached it to Gentiles particularly, who had no clue about Jesus or what He had done.
• Now, there were other kinds of messages that Paul could have preached on.
• There was a substantial amount of philosophy floating around in Corinth.
• After all, it was a Greek city and the Greeks were known for this philosophy stuff.
• That’s not what Paul did and you shouldn’t do it either.
• Philosophy is not the gospel.
• You know what the definition of philosophy is, right?
• Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality or existence.
• Paul didn’t preach human knowledge.
• Philosophy is also the study’s of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge.
• That wouldn’t have worked either — a theory is a supposition based on ignorance of the subject under discussion.
• Why preach theoretical ignorance when you have the solid facts of God’s word at your disposal?
• I’ll tell you what else Paul didn’t do.
• Paul didn’t use elegant flowery flowing speech either.
• You know $500.00 words to coin a fifty cent thought.
• There was a lot of that floating around among the Greeks as well — oratorical brilliance was valued in that day.
• Paul knew it but Paul by passed it even though he was a highly educated man and could have partook.
• Instead, he stuck with the plain message of the Cross knowing that there were people in that city who thought he was a fool for preaching such things because he didn’t want the Cross to be emptied of its power.

The Cross and Sophia

• Now allow me to jump back to verse 17 again for a moment.
• There’s something there that we need to get: the phrase ‘words of eloquent wisdom.’

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom…

• The word’s eloquent wisdom’ is one word in the Greek.
• It’s the word ‘sophia’ and it is the one we want to know and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• The Greek word ‘sophia’ or ‘eloquent wisdom’ means the capacity to understand and function accordingly.
• It’s used of natural wisdom that belongs to this world in contrast to the wisdom that comes only from God.
• Now that definition comes from BDAG.
• A plain ‘Cross of Christ’ message is what you heard from Paul.
• Not words of worldly wisdom — words of the Cross.

…preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom… For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing

• So, you have ‘words of eloquent wisdom’ compared with ‘word of the Cross.’
• If you have trouble with this, look at it in your Bible and you’ll see how distinctly Paul said this.
• Notice in both cases, ‘word’ or words comes first: words of wisdom — word of the Cross.
• So, there is word-wisdom and there is word-Cross wisdom, if we could say it that way.
• Paul puts man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom in stark contrast.
• Paul says, ‘I didn’t share word-wisdom with you because no matter how beautifully you package it up — it’s still worldly wisdom.’
• If you take a spoiled piece of meat and put it on a gold plate, and decorate it with all kinds of foo-foo pretty looking garnishes like they do on the Food Network — it may look beautiful and full of eye appeal but when you’re done, it’s still bad food.
• Don’t preach philosophy — preach the Cross, that’s the point here.
• Don’t lighten the message.
• You know some people are uncomfortable saying Jesus is the only way.
• It sounds too harsh or unfair to them.
• But, it’s not unfair — its the gospel.
• It’s not too harsh — it’s the truth of God’s Word and you don’t have to apologize for it.
• Jesus is the only way to God — He’s the only way to get to heaven.
• Preach the Cross.
• Paul shared Cross-wisdom, instead of word-wisdom.
• The message of Jesus is simple.
• God takes foolish, humble, and weak people and gives them the wisdom and power of Christ.
• Jesus didn’t look powerful or sound very eloquent in His life, in His death, or in His resurrection from the dead.
• He was meek and lowly of heart all the way through.
• The Jews saw his death as a scandal — no Messiah would ever let this happen to him.
• The Greeks saw his death as ridiculous — not at all godlike –⁶
• But, Jesus death really turned out to be was the absolute wisdom of God.
• That’s why you don’t have to be innovative when it comes to the message of the Cross.
• God’s way is the smartest way ever.
• Don’t submit to your feelings.
• You can’t get any wiser than agreeing with the way God does a thing.
• The Cross is the wisdom of God and its power source.

18 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.

• The Greek word ‘folly’ means foolishness, silliness, absurdity or nonsense.
• The word appears five times in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 3:19 (ESV) — 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”

• Folly is the direct opposite of the wisdom of God.
• The fool is the direct opposite of the Jesus believing wise person.
• In the first century, the preaching of the Cross was a stupid thing to some.
• In the twenty-first century, that hasn’t changed.
• Stick with God — stay with message — His message and be fearless in proclaiming it.
• Jesus is Lord.
• I trust you got something out of this podcast.

Now, Father, God thank you for your Holy wisdom. It is superior — it is right — you are always right. Thank you for the wisdom of the Cross — thank you for the resurrection of Jesus. You are truly the only wise and Awesome God. We bless your Holy Name in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.

• Why Total Confidence in the Cross Means Ultimate Wisdom.
• You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

How Jesus Being Lifted Up Impacts Your Life

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