Christ Crucified – Pt 1

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NASB 1995)

2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

1. Christ crucified is God’s plan for you to know him.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (NLT)

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

2. Christ crucified reveals three things about God:

–  God’s wisdom will look foolish to human understanding.

– God’s power will look weak to human strength.

– God’s plan is to use the things that look foolish and weak to humble those who think they are wise and strong.

3. Knowing Christ crucified reveals three things about you:

– You cannot know God through human wisdom.

– Once you truly know Jesus, you can’t un-know him.

– God wants you to know him, not just do stuff for him.

Philippians 3:5-11 (NLT)

5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

COMMUNITY GROUP MEETING OUTLINE

Where your faith intersects with real life!

Reconnect:

Each person shares a recent high and low from their life.

Explore:

Review the message notes.

Big Idea: Jesus Christ crucified is God’s plan for you to know him.

Consider:

Choose one or two questions for your Group to discuss as time allows.

▶ Read 1 Corinthians 2:2. Which of the three things Christ crucified reveals about God is the most significant to you at this time? (See front side for list.)

▶ Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 with the following in mind and then share your thoughts. What are the differences between what the world thinks wisdom and power are and what God says they are?

Activate:

Spend a moment in silence to consider your response, then share your decision with the Group.

Read Philippians 3:5-11. In what ways could you lean on your own strength? How could you choose to lean on the power and wisdom that come from God?

Prayer:

Thank God  for the highs and lift up the lows.

Ask God to start putting one person on people’s hearts to invite to the Easter service.

Want to go deeper?:

Try the Pause App. It will give you a one-minute prompt to redirect your thoughts whenever you want it to do so.