“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.” 1 Corinthians 1:17
Have you ever been to Niagra Falls? What an incredible display of power… Niagra Falls are actually three distinct falls that flow with a volume of 150,000 gallons per second.
Now, the GOSPEL that Paul is speaking to the Corinthian church about is spiritually speaking… MORE POWERFUL THAN THIS. It is the message of God that He “gave up His only Son.” Why did He give up His Son? For you, for me, Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross for your sins and for mine. The Gospel was brutal, bloody and filled with our betrayal but when Jesus’ death on the cross was accomplished and He was buried in the tomb three days later He accomplished the forgiveness of our sins and in turn our eternal redemption.
Paul is saying, this act, this event, this work of God is objectively where the power flows from. He is saying the gospel is not his story but it is His story and when anyone starts playing around with that… The power in the gospel to CHANGE A LIFE gets lost.
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. “Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?” he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. “I have no right to keep that to myself,” he exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”
May God give you today the revelation of just how much power flows from the simple message of the Good News. May you or I never be ashamed of it again…
By His Spirit,
Pastor Bill