The Foolishness of the Message Preached

Phil Johnson and I seem to be on the same page far too often =). For those of you not familiar with the Pyromaniac (Phil), he is the director of Grace to You (the radio ministry of Johnny Mac (aka John MacArthur)) and an elder at Grace Community Church in CA. Phil is also an editor and a gifted author. He is often involved with Alpha and Omega Ministries, and have had the pleasure of chilling with him on two of AOMin's cruises.

Phil’s March 1st entry was incredible. I highly, highly recommend reading it. He describes a few of the trends and movements that have plagued Evangelicalism over the past decade: (1) the pragmatism of the church growth movement, (2) the anti-intellectualism that dominates large segments of the charismatic movement, (3) the neo-ecumenism of groups like Promise Keepers, (4) the intense pressure to lay aside our doctrinal distinctives in order to forge a political coalition, (5) various campaigns to redefine the doctrine of justification in Protestant circles, and (6) an infatuation with postmodern ways of thinking, which is flourishing in the Emerging Church movement.

While reading Phil’s post, I found myself nodding in agreement, laughing aloud, and even pulled a Napoleon Dynamite: “Yesssss!” It is encouraging to know that there are others out there who agree with me on the latest trends and movements plaguing our churches. Not only have I encountered every single one of these movements in real life, but I also receive emails through AOMin from folks asking about them on a regular basis. They are a big deal, and we need to have a ready response. All these new theological fads that lessen the importance of doctrine (Biblical teaching) and leave no compromise unturned by incorporating postmodernism into the church would do well to read 1 Corinthians 1:18-29:

“18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." 20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29so that no man may boast before God.” (NASB).

Did you catch the second clause of verse 21? “…God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” The message of the gospel is foolishness to the unregenerate. What’s more – the means to communicate that message (through preaching) is foolishness to them. Yet, God is pleased to use this foolish means to save His elect. What this means is that we need not worry about pleasing the world. The churches of Christ should not conform to this world by attempting to incorporate the world’s culture into the church (as the Emerging/Emergent Church Movement does so very well). We shouldn’t edit out parts of the gospel because they aren’t attractive. Our concern should never be about getting a big church for the sake of having a big church (disclaimer: big churches are not inherently wrong, I recognize this =)). What modern Evangelicalism needs is the guts to stand by the gospel, unashamedly, without doubting the power of God. We need to trust the Lord that although preaching is foolishness to the world, it is the means by which He saves sinners. O that we, as God’s people, would be found faithful to this simple calling, even though it means looking like fools to our unbelieving world.

Foolish for Christ,
Casey