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The Power of the Cross

The Power of the Cross
Words of Faith 4-27-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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1 Corinthians 2
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

Paul illustrated the futility of human wisdom, compared with the power and wisdom of God with a description of his own ministry. The manner of Paul's ministry was not to compete with the world's way. Rather than attempting to be more eloquent or brilliant than the philosophers of the day, Paul came with a sense of weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
This may sound a bit strange given that Paul is clearly the most formidable missionary voice in all of history. We imagine Paul as a powerful voice and fearless pioneer for Christ. Paul later wrote to his young protege, Timothy... "for God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7). Paul was clearly a powerful personality! So what is this weakness, fear, and trembling about?
What Paul was talking about here was not a "spirit of fear" in response to enemies of the Gospel, but rather an absolute reverence before the Lord. Paul always exhibited a spirit of absolute dependence and subjection to God's authority.
In God, Paul was exceedingly confident. Paul was confident that God would protect him. Paul was confident that the Lord's message would go forth and be fruitful. Paul was confident that God would always finish exactly what He had started.
Paul did not lean on the eloquence of his preaching and he readily admitted this. Paul later wrote to the Corinthians-- For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing" (2 Cor. 10:10). What Paul presented had the strength of Truth from God. This truth did not need embellishment or polish from a human source.
Paul actually used his lack of verbal eloquence to argue the strength and power of the Gospel. His preaching was not marked by brilliant rhetoric or persuasive words such as traveling philosophical teachers of that day. Instead, Paul preached the unembellished message of a crucified Christ as the only means of salvation. The faith of the Corinthians was the result of Spirit's power and was not a product of human ingenuity or rhetorical flourish. Paul wanted to be sure their faith would not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
Little has changed in 2000 years. People are often drawn to style over substance, and as a result, they miss the most important message the world has ever known. Our task is to get out of the way of the power of the Cross so that it may impact those that God is drawing and saving.

Father God, help me to hear clearly the truth of the Cross and preach Christ crucified. Demonstrate the power of Your Spirit so that our faith may rest not on men's wisdom but on Your power. In Jesus' name.