The “Backward” Wisdom of God

The “Backward” Wisdom of God “26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

The “Backward” Wisdom of God “God has said to me, „My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.‟ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:9,10

Power and Weakness THE LOGIC OF GOD’S WISDOM

Christ’s Power

Dependence on Christ

Realization of Our Weakness

Difficulties

Power and Weakness Mark Galli states:

"We Christians of the closing years of the

twentieth century have a lot to complain about.

We long for political leaders who identify

themselves as Christians and try to live by their

convictions. Yet there was a time when this was

so. We complain that our society has gone

secular, and we yearn and pray that Christian

values (rather than hedonism, lust, and

consumerism) be represented in television,

movies, and popular magazines. Yet there was a

time when popular culture was Christian."

Power and Weakness 586 BC:

King Nebuchadnezzar

Power and Weakness 30 AD:

Jesus

Power and Weakness Acts 2:42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching

and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to

prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many

wonders and miraculous signs were done by the

apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had

everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions

and goods, they gave to anyone as he had

need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in

the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes

and ate together with glad and sincere

hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the

people. And the Lord added to their number daily

those who were being saved.

Power and Weakness Acts 8:1,4

1 On that day a great persecution broke

out against the church at Jerusalem, and

all except the apostles were scattered

throughout Judea and Samaria.

4 Those who had been scattered preached

the word wherever they went.

Power and Weakness Early Church:

Paul

Power and Weakness Letter to Diognetus (130 AD)

"For the Christians are distinguished from other men

neither by country, nor language, nor the customs

which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of

their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor

lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. . . .

following the customs of the natives in respect to

clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct,

they display to us their wonderful and confessedly

striking method of life. They dwell in their own

countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they

share in all things with others, and yet endure all

things as if foreigners. . . ."

Power and Weakness Letter to Diognetus (130 AD)

”Every foreign land is to them their native country, and

every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They

marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they

do not destroy their offspring. They have a common

table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but

they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on

earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the

prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the

laws by their lives. They love all men, and are

persecuted by all. . . ."

Power and Weakness 312 AD:

Constantine

Power and Weakness

The Three C’s:

○ Canon

○ Creeds

○ Clergy

Power and Weakness

The Holy Roman Empire

Power and Weakness

The Crusades

Power and Weakness 16th Century:

Martin Luther

Power and Weakness

The Age of Enlightenment

Power and Weakness

The Modern Age

Power and Weakness

What is the Church?

Why are we here?