Tonight’s family service looked at the subject of ‘fools for Christ’ (bearing in mind 1st April in the UK is known as April Fools’ Day, a chance to play practical jokes on people up to 12 noon!)
Dave spoke from 1 Cor 1:18-25, reminding us that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but is the power of God to those who are being saved. Corinth was a cosmopolitan, wealthy, materialistic city which valued learning and philosophy and which was used to debating about religion. To hear about a God who came to earth as a humble carpenter and who was arrested, tortured and crucified made no sense to the Corinthians… but then it makes no sense to anyone! Only by faith can we accept that this is the way of salvation.
The cross is really a scandal, a stumbling-block to many, for Jesus is either who He claimed to be or He is a liar or a madman. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and we can only be saved through this apparently foolish way of the cross. We’ve all experienced embarrassment, moments when we wish the floor would open up and swallow us! For us to be saved, however, we have to be willing to rock the boat for Christ, to be counted as a fool. The reward is eternal life. It’s worth it.