1. Corinthians Gone Wild Power Windows

2. Occasional Letters - Response to a report from Choe's household (1:11) and from a letter (7:1) - Founding Pastor- Apostle Paul

3. - City of 600,000 (400,000 slaves) - Crossroads of commerce- north to south and east to west Corinth

4. - Temple prostitution, false gods, every kind of sexual immorality - Instead of influencing their world for Jesus, they became influenced by that world and lost their power and authority to proclaim truth Corinth

5. Corinth The church should be in the world - Go and make disciples - I am sending you out as sheep - Salt and light

6. Corinth The church should be in the world - Go and make disciples - I am sending you out as sheep - Salt and light With a purpose!

7. Corinth The church should be in the world - Go and make disciples - I am sending you out as sheep - Salt and light The church should not become the world

8. C h u r c h a t t h e

9. Man-made Religion Philosophy Debate Jewish Religion and Traditions

10. Man-made Religion Philosophy Debate Jewish Religion and Traditions Intersect with The Faith

11. 1 Corinthians 1:17-30

12. 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. 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.

13. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

14. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?

15. Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

16. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

17. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

18. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

19. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

20. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

21. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

22. In a world without: Widespread literacy Mass-produced books Learned population

23. Geeks: The Rockstars Of Ancient Greece

24. Those who (claim) to know Hold sway over those who don't

25. "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

26. Why?

27. Why? For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools - Romans 1

28. "The power of our intellect, our learning, our religion… will save us, make our lives better, make us gods…" Rome= Great reason to be proud

29. "The power of our intellect, our learning, our religion… will save us, make our lives better, make us gods…" Rome= Will fall

30. The Enlightenment: "The power of our intellect, our learning, our religion… will save us, make our lives better, make us gods…"

31. Every cure causes another malady Every pill needs another pill for the side-effects Every technology has an unintended consequence

32. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Wise= philosopher Scribe= teacher of religious law Debater= Sits around and ponders the nature of life, gods, the world

33. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? POWER "Show me just one of these guys Who can do What the message of Christ Is doing right now…"

34. - Unified Jews and Greeks - Samaritans and Jews together in worship - Law-abiding citizens who serve well - Slaves who aren't bitter - Changed lives

35. - He used to get blindingly drunk and beat her senseless - She believed she was worth nothing and gave her body away to every guy she met just to try to feel loved - He was a doctor with a heroin habit - He was a moralistic jerk headed to hell

36. - I grew up racist and self-destructive - Their marriage was breaking-up because she couldn't stop cheating - He wanted to kill his ex, then himself - They couldn't have any children and thought it meant life would never be fulfilling

37. "Show me just one of these guys Who can do What the message of Christ Is doing right now…"

38. They debate it back and forth They wax eloquent about the nature of life The make religious rules to bring about external morality

39. They transform… no hearts, no lives, no one

40. All of it was/is attractive None of it actually Has power

41. Magic Show

42. …to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. "If I talk you into a religion Or a philosophy There will be no power To change your life"

43. My Dad cried…

44. I said "Yes" And was baptized…

45. …it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. Folly= foolishness, stupidity "Outdated fairy tales from a work of fiction"

46. Folly= foolishness, stupidity "Outdated fairy tales from a work of fiction" It powerfully changes lives, Transforms hearts, Gives Hope and Peace

47. …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 gospel is not something I believed and now I can move on It is something I need today- God's power

48. Righteousness when I feel condemned How I treat those who hurt me Where I get my sense of self My purpose

49. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom…

50. but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles Jews- the liberator was killed by the enemy Gentiles- Gods don't become flesh and die

51. …but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God (signs) and the wisdom of God. When we open our eyes, he becomes everything we say we seek instead of him

52. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. The smallest act of God is greater than the greatest act of man

53. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

54. We all just wanna be big rockstars Living in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars…

55. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world,

56. When I seek approval According to the standards of my world I say God doesn't know What he's doing

57. When I say God saved me to give me What this world values I say God is shallow And no different than any other Philosophy or religion

58. When I say God saved me to give me What this world values I say that I've missed the gospel And accepted A false religion

59. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

60. "He's a nothing little wimp…" "Yeah, but he has peace and purpose in his life"

61. "She could do so much with her looks…" "Yeah, but the guys she gets treat her so well"

62. "He could move up in the company if he'd just apply himself" "Sure, but he hasn't been through three divorces and his son isn't in rehab…"

63. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

64. Whose approval Are we seeking?

65. Philosophers who don't follow Jesus Have no great wisdom to share Religion without Jesus Produces no righteousness Redemption Is found in the Gospel exclusively

66. Why am I seeking to make The Faith Acceptable? To make Jesus Cool?

67. not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power

68. To the degree that I seek after the Rockstars of this age and their values I miss the power of Jesus' Transforming love and grace