Prevail: 1 Corinthians Week 3 The Wisdom of the Cross Focus: A heartfelt letter from Paul to the church in Corinth that was caught in conflicts, questions, problems, divisions, and difficulties. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to deepen their understanding of Christ and live out their new faith, allowing Jesus to shape their whole lives. Study by: Carol and Des Joyce Sermons can be viewed on the Hope Valley Church YouTube Channel 1. Sharing Our Journey Praise, Thanks, and Reflection Worship song - Power by Chris Tomlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ghypOJ6XW8 Share something that you are thankful for in the past week. Where have you seen God at work? Care and Prayer In prayer, capture the things you have shared above after also inviting people to share any personal needs for prayer or support. 2. Opening God’s Word Setting the Scene: First Corinthians 1:18–31 highlights the perceived foolishness of the gospel in the world's eyes. In blunt terms, Paul is saying that to the unsaved world, those who preach the gospel look like uneducated fools. Those who see themselves as wise in the world's eyes think believers and their faith is simplistic nonsense. Both Jews and Greeks rejected the idea of Christ crucified. Any god who would die on a Roman cross, especially as a sacrifice for human sinfulness, would be seen by worldly eyes as a weak and foolish deity. God, though, will shame the wise and strong by giving the ability to believe in the cross of Christ mostly to the weak and foolish of the world, in human terms. Studying Paul's instruction to the Corinthian Christians provides guidance for us still today as we seek to worship and live well together in community within a world that thinks very differently. Paul urges us to be unified instead of divided, to stop defining our faith by the teacher we prefer, including himself. Christ is not divided so how can his body the church be? Paul emphasizes the importance of unity among Church members. He warns members against sexual immorality, teaches that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and encourages self-discipline. Ice-breakers Describe a time when you may have felt foolish. Describe a situation in which you were thought of as being wise. Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Choose two different translations. The book of Proverbs is known as part of the “wisdom” literature of the Bible. In Proverbs 1:20 wisdom is spoken of as a person, and in Proverbs 18:4 “wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook”. Read 1 Cor 1:24 again and reflect on Christ the wisdom of God. Share your thoughts with the group. Quote: One day, students in one of Albert Einstein’s classes were saying they had decided that there was no God. Einstein asked them how much of all the knowledge in the world they had amongst themselves collectively, as a class. The students discussed it for a while and decided they had 5% of all human knowledge amongst themselves. Einstein thought that their estimate was a little generous, but he replied: “Is it possible that God exists in the 95% that you don’t know?” Why do you think the “worldly wise” so often miss the significance of Christ and the cross? Share. Story: Let every pulpit rightly say, “we preach Christ crucified!” A strong church once inscribed these words on an archway leading to the churchyard. Over time, two things happened: the church lost its passion for Jesus and His gospel, and ivy began to grow on the archway. The growth of the ivy, covering the message, showed the spiritual decline. Originally it said strongly, we preach Christ crucified. But as the ivy grew, one could only read “we preach Christ”, and the church also started preaching “Jesus the Great Man” and “Jesus the Moral Example” instead of Christ crucified. The ivy kept growing, and one could soon only read, “we preach”. The church also had even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. Finally, one could only read “we”, and the church also just became another social gathering place, all about we and not about God. How did Paul’s ministry demonstrate the distinction between the wisdom and power of the world and that of Christ crucified? In verse 19 Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14, and shows that in spiritual matters, God opposes the wisdom of man. God’s wisdom is not man’s wisdom multiplied to the highest degree. It is wisdom of a different order altogether. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) What do you think that Paul is saying in regard to learning and education when it comes to spiritual wisdom? Can you think of any situation today where God uses the foolish, the weak, the lowly, or the despised to build his kingdom? Explain your answer. How has God demonstrated his wisdom and power in your life recently? And how does that make you feel? Conclusion: Salvation is not the achievement of human wisdom; it is the embrace of God’s dramatic, unexpected act of love at Calvary. 3. Living out the Heart of God Is God speaking to you about your part in the local church family in relation to God’s manifestation of his wisdom and power? Share any insights. How can you personally show God’s power and wisdom in your everyday living? Prayer for each other Break into 2s or 3s to pray Pray for each other for any commitment you have made to live out what you have learned. As a group, pray for God’s power to be evident in the members of your group. Pray for your 5 on your relational map Contacts If you would like more information or further help please contact: scott.button@hopevalleychurch.com.au