1 Corinthians 4:6-13 - Pastor Brett Landry | November 17, 2024

In this sermon, we dive deep into the transformative truths of 1 Corinthians 4:6-13, as Paul challenges the church in Corinth—and us—to reconsider how we live out our faith. Drawing from Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, we explore two contrasting ways of understanding God: the theology of glory and the theology of the cross.

• The Theology of Glory relies on human strength, success, and worldly triumph. It views suffering as an anomaly and aligns God with cultural ideals of power and achievement.
• The Theology of the Cross flips human expectations, revealing God most fully in the suffering and apparent weakness of Christ crucified. It calls us to a life marked by humility, servanthood, and self-denial.

Paul's life provides a vivid example of this theology of the cross. Far from seeking worldly status, Paul embraces humility, rejects worldly values, and walks in the way of Jesus, reflecting the upside-down nature of God's kingdom. His sarcastic rebuke of the Corinthians highlights their misplaced boasting in worldly wisdom and status, exposing their drift into what we call "Christian worldliness."

Key takeaways include:

1. Embracing Humility: Recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and allowing the gospel to transform our hearts, not just our behavior.
2. Rejecting Worldliness: Resisting the temptation to align God with cultural definitions of power and success, instead grounding our faith in Scripture.
3. Following the Way of Jesus: Living a cross-shaped life that values surrender over power, service over self-promotion, and dependence on God over self-sufficiency.

Ultimately, Paul’s message reminds us that the Christian life isn’t about seeking the crown without the cross. It’s through humility, suffering, and dependence on God that His power is made perfect. The paradox of the gospel is clear: victory comes through surrender, and life comes through death.

Tune in as we explore how this truth challenges us to realign our theology, reshape our lives, and embrace the radical call of Jesus to take up our cross and follow Him.