The Blessed Foolishness Of Preaching
by David J. Stewart | June 2015
1st Corinthians 1:20-21, “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
What an amazing passage of Scripture. Salvation cannot be
obtained through education or enlightenment. The Holy Bible says
it is the foolishness (i.e., foolish to the lost world) of
preaching that saves them that believe. The truth of the Gospel
(Good News) of God's only begotten Son, dying on the cross for
the world's sins, is a fairytale to many people. But to us who
believe it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).
Gene Roddenberry
I could quote you umpteen examples of people who consider the Gospel utter nonsense. In fact, here's one from the creator of the iconic Star Trek series, Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991), who was sadly also a devout atheist. ...
“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.” —Gene Roddenberry
That man is a complete fool. Let me give everyone some really, really, good advice... don't bet against God, because you'll be the big loser! God never loses!!! Gene Roddenberry expressed his contempt for religion, which unfortunately in his own mind included Biblical Christianity. ...
“For most people, religion is nothing more than a substitute for a malfunctioning brain. If people need religion, ignore them and maybe they will ignore you, and you can go on with your life. It wasn't until I was beginning to do Star Trek that the subject of religion arose. What brought it up was that people were saying that I would have a chaplain on board the Enterprise. I replied, "No, we don't.” —Gene Roddenberry
Isn't that sad? In a God-fearing Christian community, it would not be offensive or strange to request to have a chaplain available onboard a starship for thousands of personnel. The StarTrek series included bar lounges, restaurants and exercise rooms for the make-believe crew. Truthfully, having a religious chaplain didn't fit the show's agenda of portraying Captain Kirk (aka, William Shatner) as a whoremonger. In the 3 season StarTrek series which debuted in 1966, Captain Kirk was filmed caressing and kissing (suck face) several dozen women (too many to count). This is wickedness!!! In every episode of StarTrek, female crew members wore lewd and immodest miniskirts, low-cut blouses and see-thru negligee-type bedroom attire. This is very evil and seductive, leading a generation of men and women into the dirty Hugh Hefner Playboy philosophy.
Although religion is not the way to Heaven, and most religion is 100% false religion, Roddenberry obviously disregarded the Gospel of Jesus Christ along with religion. Anything (like Star Trek) that leads people's minds into a world that alienates them from the GOD OF THE BIBLE, that person and their works are of the Devil. Religion is man's perspective of God's truth. Religion wants to fit us with glasses, but the Lord Jesus Christ wants to open our eyes.
Hugh Hefner
In this disturbing interview with Hugh Hefner, we read that “When Hef prays, which he admits is not with any regularity, he says his conversation with the Creator usually goes something like this: 'Thank you, Lord.'”
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (1926-present) is listed as an atheist online. Isn't that something—atheists who pray! (Matthew 6:7-8). Hefner adamantly rejects the God of the Holy Bible, but says just possibly that a God does exist who approves of fornication, adultery, homosexuality and his view of the universe. Mr. Hefner has done what innumerable people have done, which is to recreate God in man's own image, instead of worshipping God Who created mankind in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Hefner's problem is that He is ever searching, but never able to come to the knowledge of THE TRUTH (2nd Timothy 3:5). Once a man rejects the Gospel, he has fallen from grace, passing up his only bus ride to the pearly gates of the heavenly city. Jesus plainly said in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Hugh Hefner is looking for God in all the wrong places, because he has rejected the Biblical Gospel.
In the January 2000 issue of his own shameful Playboy magazine, Mr. Hefner stated in an interview. ...
PLAYBOY: What do you believe happens after death?
HEFNER: I haven't a clue. I'm always struck by the people who think they do have a clue. It's perfectly clear to me that religion is a myth. It's something we have invented to explain the inexplicable. My religion and the spiritual side of my life come from a sense of connection to the humankind and nature on this planet and in the universe. I am in overwhelming awe of it all: It is so fantastic, so complex, so beyond comprehension. What does it all mean -- if it has any meaning at all? But how can it all exist if it doesn't have some kind of meaning? I think anyone who suggests that they have the answer is motivated by the need to invent answers, because we have no such answers.SOURCE: Playboy, January 2000 issue
Also, for some interesting nightmare devilish theology, read the article: Hugh Hefner: Man Of God?
You've just read Gene Roddenberry and Hugh Hefner share their worldly wisdom about God, eternity and religion. They speak as fools, because they are unsaved Christ-rejecters, hellbound in unbelief and love for sin. They are fools! Now please read once again our text passages of Scriptures. ...
1st Corinthians 1:20-21, “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
Amen. God has chosen to use the foolishness of preaching to save them that BELIEVE. To the unbelieving world, the whole idea of an omni-benevolent (all-loving) God, Who sent His only begotten Son into the world, born of a virgin, to die for our sins on the cross, seems like a foolish contrived story. I've met umpteen people who think that rich men concocted religion to control the masses. That claim is not true at all. The truth is that God Himself is the divine Author of the Holy Scriptures. God used approximately 40 different writers to pen the Holy Bible, but He is the sole Author, Whose Holy Spirit moved upon holy men of old as they wrote the Scriptures. Amen and amen.
I have shared just two famous, wealthy, worldly-wise men with you, who spoke foolishly concerning God, life and eternity. Hugh Hefner is now 89-years-old and ready to perish from this life into eternity. Gene Roddenberry has passed on into his eternal dwelling places. The Bible says all Christ-rejecters are burning in Hell. It breaks my heart. It is very true that either the Holy Bible will keep men from sin, or else sin will keep men from the Holy Bible. Thank God for the foolishness of preaching the Gospel, by which men are saved if they simply believe.
Are you blind my friend? Has Satan, the god of this world, brainwashed your mind with darkness, effectively hindering you from seeing the truth of the imputed righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus? You need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! Amen. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay. Christ took our sins upon Himself. That's true love! Now He offers His righteousness to you, all for free, if you'll simply receive His sacrifice on the cross as full-payment for your sins, believing that He is bodily risen from the dead!!! Believe and the work is done! John 11:25, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
It is really sad that so many ministers and churches have entered solely into the Christian school business, or the pro-life business, or the evolution-refuting business, or the music business, or the religious news business, or selling religious books and Bibles; but they no longer prioritize the foolishness of preaching the Gospel. God's method of getting lost sinners saved is the foolishness of PREACHING!!! WE NEED A LOT MORE FOOLISHNESS IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY!!! Any Christian who in any capacity is not preaching the Gospel is NOT serving God effectively. In the parable of the Sower and the Seed (Luke 8:5-15) the “seed” is God's Word and the “sower” is the Christian who's commanded to win souls (Proverbs 11:30; Mathew 28:19-20).
The purpose of the parable is to teach Christians not to get side-tracked by persecution, or the cares and riches and pleasures of this world, so that we may bear MUCH FRUIT (souls saved). We're not just talking about the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit here, but souls saved! Matthew 13:8, “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” Amen, some believers won 30 people, others 60, and still others 100. Hallelujah!!! Tragically, most believers haven't won more converts to the Lord in the past several years than atheist U.S. President, Barack Obama. Since Obama rejects Jesus Christ as the Messiah, that effectively makes him a devout atheist. Have you ever won another soul to Jesus? It is through the foolishness of preaching the Gospel by which men are saved (Romans 1:16). You're not going to sing songs to lead them to Jesus Christ! That's not God's way. You're not going to draw in worldly youth with worldly entertainment, Rock bands and same-sex friendly churches and win anybody to the Lord Jesus Christ. They're coming to the world in the churches, not Jesus Christ. No one ever got saved who didn't know that he is a sinner!
And may I say, soul-winning is not a method, it is God's command for every believer. Philippians 2:16, “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” I don't care what you think you may be doing to serve God, if you are not preaching the Gospel to get people saved, you are labouring completely in vain and will receive little or no rewards in eternity. Winning souls to Jesus is what it's all about people! The average church is a mere social club. It's all about socializing with chili suppers, golf tournaments, youth night, ladies breakfast, barbequing Sunday afternoon, church picnics, trips to unholy Israel, et cetera; but the Gospel takes a backseat to all the activities.
That's why the queen of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) Amy Grant says she's a singer and not a preacher, not trying to get anybody saved. That's why The Four Galileans said on their record that they didn't have time to take 60 seconds to preach the Gospel. That's why the Salvation Army has become more army than salvation. That's why you cannot find the Gospel on nearly every religious website today for CCM singers, money-making parachurch ministries, et cetera. America is plagued with an epidemic of false religion. Everyone has the plan of salvation wrong these days, with few exceptions. I'd love for just once to hear someone on a religious radio station get the plan of salvation 100% correct, but they haven't yet, and I've been listening for years. END
