Who do you trust? God or the world?

March 8, 2015 Year B 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Who do you trust? God or the World? Third Sunday of Lent Lent is journey to cross We have to be reminded that lent is our journey to the cross and its power to change our lives. We have to be reminded that lent is our reminder that it is time for a serious change in our lives. But in order to truly change what is wrong with our lives, we have to truly face it, understand its affect on us, and come to terms with the fact that things don’t change because we want, but because of the power of the cross. Before we can live in the light, we have to face to the darkness in our lives. That is the journey of lent. We are all sinners, we are all in need of salvation, and the cross is the only thing that can transform the world. The cross is a very powerful symbol in our lives. The power of the cross There was a catholic priest who went to do some missionary work on a tropical island. He preached to them many times about the power of the Christ. One native man refused to listen to the priest and the message of the cross. When he heard the priest preach, he ran into a tree. Not to be defeated the priest followed him out of the church and started to pray for him under the tree. After the prayer, the priest looked up at the man and made the sign of the cross, as catholics are taught to do. The man immediately ran down from the tree and said that he would follow Jesus. The priest was excited and said that his prayers worked. The man said no, it was not the prayer but the sign he made. The sign of the cross, yeah said the man, as he made the sign of the cross. You told me to come down from the tree – or you would cut my head off. The cross is a powerful sign, and it brings about powerful changes in our lives. The cross is our call to action – the cross challenges us all to come down out of our trees of complacency and to step into the life of Christ. The sense of the world Lent is a time to remind us that if we are not careful, if we are not intentional about our relationship with God, that it can be easy to start to make sense of the things that we see in the world. I am amazed at how much money Mcdonald’s will spend on lent commercials. They photograph that fish filet sandwich just right, so that it looks so good, that we can be fooled into thinking that honoring lent is about going out to spend money at Mcdonald’s to buy the perfect fish sandwich. Or lent is about watching finding Jesus on CNN and not about finding Jesus in the word of God. The world knows that we as humans have an incessant need to make sense of the world. And they play on our need to make sense in order to put money in their pocket. Lent is our reminder that sometimes we have to unplug from the world in order to truly make sense of the world. Riddles Let me test your need to make sense by asking you some questions. Smith and Jones had an oyster eating contest, to see who could eat the most oysters. Smith at 90 and Jones ate 101, how many more oysters did Jones eat? Here is another one – There are16 earsof corn in a barrel. A rabbit carried 3 ears off each night, how many nights did it take him to empty the barrel. If you make sense of what I said. – when I said that jones at 101 you heard a number. You did not hear me say Jones ate 100 and won – won. And when you heard me say the rabbit carried 3 ears, you forgot that the bunny carries two ears on his head all of the time, so he would only carry one ear of corn in a night. Just like we get caught up in riddles, we get caught up in the reasoning of the world. Until we come to understand that God does not make sense, things will never change. The world we live in teaches us to make sense. The cross teaches us that the actions of God – don’t make sense. You see when Paul is talking to the Corinthians, he tells them that what is foolishness for the world, is wisdom for God. And what is wisdom in God’s – is foolishness to the world. To the world the cross was foolishness. Only a criminal who was a menace to society would be crucified on the cross. If you had a family member who died on the cross – your family lived in shame. Even the bible says that those who die on a tree are cursed. To the world, the cross does not make sense. In order to know what the cross really represents you have to know the power of God. God turns the world upside down First comes Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice his human life for eternal life. First comes the gift of weakness that overwhelms the “human” power of wisdom and strength. First comes “we” rather than “me.” This is the Christ “meta-narrative” — the BIG Christ story — the story of love and sacrifice that over-trumps the “me-only” soliloquy — the separate, solo tale that so many of us live by. The BIG Christ story, the ridiculous road that Paul offered by proclaiming a Savior who was weak enough to be crucified and yet strong enough to redeem all who follow The Way, offered strange, “nutty” directions: The way up is down The way in is out The way first is last The way of success is service The way of attainment is relinquishment. The way of strength is weakness The way of security is vulnerability The way of protection is forgiveness The way of life is the way of death. Taken from Leonard Sweet’s sermon “The Outlandishness of Lent” NUTS for God The truth is, God’s invitation for those of us, who take the cross seriously is for us to be nuts in the eyes of the world. Nuts are those who never underestimate the spirit. Corinthians reminds us that the foolishness of God is wiser them human wisdom, and that the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. The cross is a reminders that the divine was willing to take on human flesh, human problems, human sin. In order to give us a chance to a better life. Things don’t change, until we stop trying to make sense of the world, and accept God’s amazing grace for our life. Paul says that the message of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. This lent, let the cross be your call to action. The Cross—A Call to Action “And they crucified him.… And sitting down they watched him there” (Matt. 27:35–36). Like those Roman soldiers, many of us merely lapse into inaction. But the cross of Christ is infinitely more than a showcase, an exhibit to arouse curiousity. It is a clarion call to action, commitment, and discipleship. Confession andPardon Amen. Children’s Sermon…… A Green Couch For God by King Duncan Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5 • Lectionary: Lent 3 Item 10 of 28 | Back to Results Object: Two colorful socks that don't match Boys and girls,Choosing Christ at the Crossroads, #2 What do I have here? I have two socks, don't I? Notice that I did not say I have a pair of socks. These socks don't match, do they? One is green and one is red. I started to wear these two socks to church, but I was afraid someone might see them and I would feel very foolish if I people saw me with two socks that don't match. Our Bible lesson tells us that God did something that many people think is foolish. God sent Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world. To people who don't know God, that sounds like a very silly thing to do. But we know it is not foolish. God wanted to rescue us from the power of sin and this was the only way it could be done. So what seems like foolishness to many people is very important to us. It reminds us that God loves us enough to look silly to the world. Extra Illustrations Text Illustration: Knowledge is exploding at such a rate—more than 2000 pages a minute—that even Einstein couldn’t keep up. In fact, if you read 24 hours a day, from age 21 to 70, and retained all you read, you would be one and a half million years behind when you finished. How can it be, in a world where half the things a man knows at 20 are no longer true at 40—and half the things he knows at 40 hadn’t been discovered when he was 20? (Campus Life, Feb., 1979). "Maybe it’s time we reconsider what it means to be intelligent,” says David Brooks of the Weekly Standard. After being questioned about his experience and smarts for the job as President, George W. Bush has amazed us during these troubled times. Experts are confounded. “Why is George W. Bush, the ‘simple-minded president’ getting everything right? He’s got something the pointy-heads don’t understand. “ It’s his Faith--his faith has made the man. His faith brings confidence--"God has chosen me for this moment in time.” His faith brings humility--he can be a good judge of character because he is not absorbed with himself. His faith provides good judgment—he has a standard by which to weigh right and wrong. So if faith seems un-intellectual to you-- if you believe faith is un-necessary and obtrusive in the government of America-- think again. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” SOURCE: SermonCentral Staff. Citation: 1 Corinthians 1: 25, AND David Brooks. “You Gotta Have Faith.” 3/01/2002. http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/ Priorities To know and to serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth, that, like the nose on your face, is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard. But a little faith will see you through. What else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time? When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word. What is the last word, then? Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids - all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through. Garrison Keillor, We Are Still Married, New York: Viking, 1989. From the essay: The Meaning of Life. __________________________ 1996 One Thing God Can’t Do A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God’s omnipotence. She asked, “Is there anything God can’t do?” There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson’s point had been missed, asked resignedly, “Well, just what is it that God can’t do?” “Well,” replied the boy, “He can’t please everybody.” —Together 1996 One Thing God Can’t Do A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God’s omnipotence. She asked, “Is there anything God can’t do?” There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson’s point had been missed, asked resignedly, “Well, just what is it that God can’t do?” “Well,” replied the boy, “He can’t please everybody.” —Together The Cross—A Call to Action “And they crucified him.… And sitting down they watched him there” (Matt. 27:35–36). Like those Roman soldiers, many of us merely lapse into inaction. But the cross of Christ is infinitely more than a showcase, an exhibit to arouse curiousity. It is a clarion call to action, commitment, and discipleship.