The Message of the Cross
Easter Sunday
AV First
Pastor Ed Carlson
3/31/24

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (NLT)
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”

Our world has lost

Easter is the moment that HOPE came alive

Our world is Broken because we have rejected the Cross

1. Educators have rejected the Cross in exchange for earthly

.

21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.

2. Politicians have rejected the Cross in exchange for earthly

and

Reveal Answer

.

19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

3. The Wealthy have rejected the Cross in exchange for the riches of this

.

Matthew 19:23-24 (NLT)
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

4. The Famous have rejected the Cross in exchange for earthly

and

Reveal Answer

.

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

5. Religion has rejected the Cross in exchange for their own man-made

and _Regulation_s that they believe will get them to heaven.

18a The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

18b But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

The Cross is not just a central event in Biblical theology…it is the pivotal event in all of human history.

2 Corinthians 2:1-3 (NLT)
When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.

3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

To Show Us The Gravity of Our

and the

Reveal Answer

on Mankind.

To Provide Public and Undeniable

that the Sacrifice for Our Sins Had Been Paid.

The Message of Easter…The Message of Hope today…is the Cross!