1 Corinthians 1:18–20 | Why Unbelievers Won’t Listen (Pastor Rod Gomez)

You want your neighbor to hear the gospel, so you round off the hard edges. Hell doesn't come up. Neither does the part where your Savior hung naked on a cross. That feels like wisdom. Paul calls it emptying the cross of its power.

The Corinthians had the same instinct. They wanted Paul to dress the message up for people who prized eloquence, to give them something closer to a TED Talk. He told them he couldn't do it, and his reason runs counter to most of what we assume about persuading anyone of anything. Two errors are at play, and a sincere Christian can commit both out of love. One is about what quietly embarrasses you. The other is about what quietly impresses you.

00:00 Introduction: A Shaping Experience

05:03 Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:17–20

07:15 You should not be ashamed of the gospel because it's God's power

18:38 The gospel is effective to save the lost

27:46 Don't be impressed by the world

33:50 The world's wisdom is transient

40:05 Closing: Spurgeon's Conversion