CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Opening Illustration - Britain’s King George V, reigned from 1910 to

1936, was to give the opening address at a special disarmament
conference, with the speech relayed by radio to the U.S. As the
broadcast was about to begin, a cable broke in the New York radio
station, and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A
junior control operator in the station, Harold Vivien, solved the
problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of
electricity to pass through him. As he stood there holding the two wires
electrical charges shook his body, convulsing him from head to foot
and causing him considerable pain. But he didn’t let go. He held on to
the cable so the people could hear the king. He was the living link
that allowed the king’s message to get through.

We are called to be the “living link” that allows the king’s message to
get through.

We are called to preach the Cross and preach Christ crucified (1:18 &
23).

In First Corinthians 2, Paul recounts how he had arrived at Corinth and

his approach to ministry and witnessing there as a living link to the
King's message.

Proposition - As we look at the apostle Paul's testimony, it is a

tremendous example as we share the gospel, and we find three simple
principles to remember as we share the gospel.

1. The Manner Principle.

“Be yourself otherwise you are a fake.”

v. 1 - Paul says he didn’t come excellency of speech or of wisdom.

Excellency - ὑπεροχή hyperochē - superiority, pre-eminence

Paul said I did not put on “airs” when I came to you.

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

A. Paul’s simple arrival. V. 1 “when I came to you”

Paul’s first visit to Corinth is recorded in Acts 18.

Act 18:1 KJV - After these things Paul departed from Athens, and
came to Corinth;
Act 18:2 KJV - And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in
Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that
Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came
unto them.
Act 18:3 KJV - And because he was of the same craft, he abode
with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were
tentmakers.
Act 18:4 KJV - And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath,
and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Paul arrived without fanfare and flourish. The day he walked into
the city of Corinth, no one noticed and really no one cared. He
was just another transient among hundreds in this hustling and
bustling shipping canal city.

What did he do? Stand out side the Temple of Diana and picket it
and rail at those entering the Temple. No. He simply walked past
the Temple of Diana and walked to the tentmaker shop owned by
Aquila and got a job!

A simple arrival. Paul was a bi-vocational preacher for the time he

was in Corinth. No private boats for Paul. No entourage following
him. Paul rarely preached in the theatre’s of his day - but in the
marketplace of the city. Why? Because of his…

B. Paul’s single announcement. V. 1 “declaring unto you the

testimony of God”

Paul was constantly speaking of what God had done. Paul was
sharing God’s testimony. Not his testimony -- but God’s

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

testimony.

What is God’s testimony in your life? If I were to ask you what

God has done in your life would be able to stand and declare God’s
testimony from you life.

C. Paul’s stunning anxiety. V. 3

Spoke with weakness - frailty

Spoke in fear - fear
Spoke with trembling - τρόμος tromos
Strong’s Concordance - used to describe the anxiety of one who
distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but
religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty.

What fueled Paul’s anxiety…frailty and fear of failure.

Paul did not allow his frailty and fears and possibility of failure to
keep him on the sidelines. He did what God called him to do.

But why was Paul so insecure? Because of his past rejections and
seeming failures. Just in this missionary journey he…

came to Philippi was thrown in jail, went to Thessalonica and was

run out of town. Went to Berea and was chased out of town.
Came to Athens and debated the philosphors of his day and
wassummarily rejected. Now he is in Corinth.

Frailty, Fear and Failure are clouding his mind.

Illustration - Failures take on a life of their own because the brain

remembers incomplete tasks or failures longer than success or
completed activity. That is called the "Zeigarnik effect." When a
project or a thought is completed, the brain places it in a special
memory. The brain no longer gives the project priority or active

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

working status, and bits and pieces of the achieved situation begin
to decay.

But failures have no closure. The brain continues to spin the

memory, trying to come up with ways to fix the mess and move it
from active to inactive status.

Paul was truthful and said I came to you humbled and hurting.
He knew God had given him the Macedonian call, but now he was
doubting his ability to fulfill it.

Paul says, I was just myself when I was with you. I was fearful
and humbled, but I did what God called me to do and God used me
as I was.

Illustration - “Just as I am” is a great invitation hymn, but it really is

a life’s song. I am “Just As I Am.”

Just be who you are otherwise you are a fake.

1. The Manner Principle.

“Be yourself otherwise you are a fake.”
2. The Message Principle.
“Speak the truth and nothing but the truth.”

v. 2 - Paul says he was determined…the tense gives the idea of an

advance decision. He determined to only experience sharing Christ
and His crucifixion with them.

The truth of the Gospel….

Jn 1:17
The testimony of John concerning Christ
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ.

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jn 4:24
Christ talks with a woman of Samaria, and reveals Himself to her
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jn 8:32
He reveals Himself
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jn 14:6
Christ comforts His disciples…
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

A. Determine to speak the truth only. V.

Paul did not speak of the philosophies of the day in Corinth.

He simply spoke the truth about Christ and his crucifixion.

Read - 1 Corinthians 1:17 - "not with wisdom of words"

When sharing Christ you cannot delete or redact the Cross.

Preachers love to preach of His birth
Preachers love to preach of His resurrection
But it is difficult to preach the Cross.

B. Determine to speak the truth fully. V. 2

Illustration - When you are a witness in a court hearing, you are

sworn under oath to "tell the whole truth and nothing but the
truth."

Alan Dershowitz, professor at Harvard Law School, “"On the basis

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

of my academic and professional experience, I believe that no

felony is committed more frequently in this country than crimes of
perjury and false statements,"

How many times has the truth of the Gospel turned into a lie in the
pulpits of America? Countless times.

Read - 1 Corinthians 1:18 "preaching of the cross...is the power of

God."

The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish so

there is a water downed message of Christ’s Cross. And the cross
is made of none-effect!

Illustration - In 2001, a Kansas City pharmacist was charged with

diluting the cancer treatment drugs Taxol and Gemzar to make a
profit. After pleading guilty, the pharmacist, Robert Courtney, was
sentenced to thirty years in prison.
Judge Ortrie D. Smith told the man, "Your crimes are a shock to
the civilized conscience." Judge Smith also ordered Courtney to pay
$10.4 million in restitution and a $25,000 fine. In his plea
agreement, Courtney admitted diluting drugs for profit since 1992,
affecting as many as 4,200 patients.
This man held life-saving power in his hands and for the sake of
greed and personal gain diluted it to the point where it could not
help people. We can do the same with God’s life-saving truth.

We must speak the truth fully - no watered down, diluted message!

It is still the Cross of Christ that saves!

1. The Manner Principle.

“Be yourself otherwise you are a fake.”
2. The Message Principle.
“Speak the truth and nothing but the truth.”
3. The Manipulation Principle.
“Man’s persuasion brings temporal human reformation, but God’s

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

power brings eternal transformation."

Paul admits he was in no place to manipulate anyone into a decision.

He was fearful and frail, but God’s power was evident through his
ministry.

Read - Vv. 4,5

With that in mind, Paul’s example reminds us that we should:

A. Completely shun the persuasion of the words of man. V. 4a

“not with enticing words”

When you share the Gospel with someone you are not a smooth
talking salesman. You don’t have to pitch the Gospel. You
don’t sale the gospel.

By the way you don’t sale something that is free anyhow. The
gospel is free to everyone.

We have a lot of smooth talking salesmen of salvation.

Anything one person can talk you into, another can talk you out
of. -- Enticing words do not last.

B. Confidently seek the proof of the work of God. V. 4d

“demonstration of spirit and power”

What is demonstration of spirit and power - not his ability to

preach but the lasting eternal results.

You see when God’s spirit speaks into a man’s life it is lasting.

Inward salvation results in outward demonstration.

The hidden root of repentance results in a the evident fruit of

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

righteous living.
The inward belief effects the outward behavior.
The internal man is revealed in the external man.

1Jo 2:19 KJV - They went out from us, but they were not of us;
for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued
with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that
they were not all of us.

C. Cause strength in other’s personal walk with God. V. 5a

“your faith should stand…in the power of God”

Everything I do I pray increases your faith in the power of God.

And you need to turn around to replicate that message to others.

That’s why we preach the cross. As unpopular and out of fashion as it

may be -- it is the preaching of the cross that is power of God unto
those us being saved. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Never be ashamed of the
Cross!

Closing Illustration - Author Max Lucado was at Disney World and

he and his family sought a place to rest in Cinderella's castle.
Unfortunately, so did everyone else. The place was packed with kids
and parents. Suddenly all the children rushed to one side of the
building. Cinderella had entered. Cinderella, the pristine princess; a
gorgeous young girl with each hair in place, flawless skin, and a
beaming smile. She stood waist-deep in a throng of kids, each wanting
to touch and be touched.

Meanwhile, the other side of the castle was now vacant of children
except for one little boy maybe seven or eight years old. His age was
hard to determine because of the disfigurement of his body Dwarfed in
height, face deformed, he stood watching quietly the other children. He
wanted to be over there with them. He longed to be in the middle of the
kids reaching for Cinderella, calling her name. But he was afraid –

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 CROSS CULTURE - PRINCIPLES FOR PROCLAIMING THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

afraid of yet another rejection. Fear of being taunted and mocked again.
But guess what? Cinderella noticed the little boy and immediately
began walking in his direction. Politely but firmly inching her way
through the crowd of children. She finally got to him, knelt at eye level
with the stunned little boy, and placed a kiss on his face.

The story reminds us what happened with another royal figure. The
names are different, but the story is almost the same. Rather than a
princess of Disney, this guy is known as the Prince of Peace. Rather
than a boy in a castle, this story is about you and me. In both cases a
gift was given. In both cases love was shared. In both cases the lovely
one performed a gesture beyond words. But Jesus did more than
Cinderella, much more. Cinderella gave only a kiss. When she stood to
leave, she took her beauty with her. The boy was still deformed. But
Jesus assumed our disfigurement on the Cross and gave us his beauty in
salvation.

1 Corinthians 1:18 - The preaching of the cross is to them that perish

foolishness, but unto to us which are saved it is the power of God.

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