The Foolishness God Desires Laurie L. DeWitt Today we continue to talk about God's Foolish Church. 1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; 1 Cor 4:9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! First quickly addressing two areas of foolishness from the negative. Foolish because will not let the Holy Spirit work in our lives. Foolish because we do not accept the gift of victorious living that God offers. God wants us to be foolish for Him. Last week we saw how our salvation was completely outside of anything that we can accomplish. Not one bit of our own works involved. No if's and's or but's. This week we will look at another of Jesus' famous parables, and perhaps see it in a somewhat different light than before. 10 virgins. Matthew 25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' What made wise, what made foolish? Holy Spirit. Did any of them NOT have some of the Holy Spirit? NO! Then what was the difference? We sing this little light of mine, I'm going to make it shine???? NO! I'm going to let it shine. So even in our song, the shining is not from us. BUT IT CAN BE STOPPED BY US!!! In the parable of the good sower, all types of ground receive good seed. It is not the seed that is different. The things that causes the seed to be unfruitful are, in Jesus' words, the cares of life, the deceitfulness of riches, tribulation, persecution. What happens to seed cast on good ground? It bears fruit. John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. Now exactly what is it that makes the difference between the life of righteousness, and the life of sin? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We so often apply this text to things like healings, and overcoming difficulties that are tangible. Perhaps we need to look at this in a spiritual sense today. What would this text say to us if we were applying it to our spiritual lives? Faith is the substance of things hoped for..... What do you hope for? A new car? To pay off your debts? How many of you hope for a closer walk with God? How many of you hope to have your thoughts brought into alignment with the will of God? How many of you are hoping for a more gentle temperament? The evidence of things not seen..... Do you see evidence of God moving quietly in your life to bring about changes that you have been unable to make on your own? Are you beginning to find joy in things that you never appreciated before? You see the third area of foolishness that the church is experiencing is that they we are not taking advantage of the many gifts, and the incredible power to live changed lives that is offered through the Holy Spirit. Instead we are comfortable with merely having a doctrine that is different from other people, or having a lifestyle that makes us look different. God wants us to be fools for Him. And that brings us in direct opposition to what the nominal Christians and the non-Christians do and believe. 1 Corinthians 2:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption; 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. There is power in the cross. At a point in a man's life which he seems the most unable to accomplish, we find power. The spirit of the world in the church teaches us that influence and prestige are factors in selecting leaders for the church, the spirit of the cross instructs us that those who do not seek position are often most qualified to fill. It teaches us that power is not rulership, but servanthood. This is the foolishness of the Christian life. All that God asks us to do is: Achieve the unachievable Believe in the unbelievable Change the unchangeable Do the undoable. Enjoy the unnjoyable Heal the unhealable Love the unlovable Move the unmovable Reach out to the unreachable Teach the unteachable We are to do this to bring glory to our Father in Heaven. And do it all without using our own strength. That sounds like foolishness to most. But to me, that sounds like the wisdom of God at work. That way, along with Paul, we can demonstrate the power of God, the wisdom of God, the power of the cross to a world that is lost, wandering, seeking for all types of knowledge, but has not a clue. The power of the cross is a power that changes hearts and lives. Service is a powerful tool for God. And our Lord demonstrated this well. When we as individuals seek to glorify God in our lives more than we do to make our life easier, we will have changes that we never imagined happen. When we as a church, learn the foolishness of the Christian life, we will see things take place that we could only dream of. And the Holy Spirit has already planted the seed in your heart, in our church so that can be accomplished. What are we waiting for? Ten virgins waited for the coming of the bridegroom. Nothing from their appearances divided them. But unnoticed to the crowd, 5 had invested in a power from outside of themselves. They had let the Holy Spirit work in them to prepare them for the coming. And when the time came, they were ready. How foolish are you for God today? Are you ready to experience the foolishness of a powerful Christian life? There's no other path to the kingdom.