The Art of Public Speaking
TED (Technology, Entertainment,
Design) is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the
form of short, powerful talks. The TED conference has been held annually since
1990. Some of the most-watched TED Talks presenters have some 22 million video
views. American Psychological Association gives us 10 tips for powerful public
speaking like a TED Talk pro as follows:
1. Know your audience.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Emphasize connection over content.
4. Be authentic.
5. Diversify your delivery.
6. Shake it up.
7. Stick to your points.
8. Know the setup.
9. Don’t lecture the whole time.
10. Leave time for questions.
The Message of the Cross
If we evaluate Paul’s public
speaking according to the TED talk guidelines, probably his preaching would not
be convincing, attractive, powerful enough. He would not have that many video
views. At the center of what Paul preaches is the bloody, criminal, scandalous
cross of Jesus Christ. That is the heart of his message. Christ was mocked,
insulted, beaten, spat on, and then hung up like the worst criminal for hours
for all to see and speared to see if it was done. Verse 18 says the message
about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved, it is the power of God.
That is how God saves us. God saves us, not through miraculous demonstrations or philosophical wisdom, but through the gospel – the message of the cross. Paul says,
“… God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation (NRSV; of preaching KJV) to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs (power) and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (vv. 21b-24).
God still saves his people through
the foolishness of preaching today. When we preach the message of the cross, the
same thing happens that happened when Paul preached. Some are offended. Some
say it is foolishness. But still, some respond and say, “This Christ is the
true power of God and the true wisdom of God.” And they believe and are saved.
Chosen, Called, United
In today’s passage Paul tells us
not only about the method of God’s
salvation (through preaching the message of the cross), but also the steps of salvation on how God loves us
and powerfully draws us to his salvation. In sum, they are: (1) God chose us;
(2) God called us; (3) God united us with Christ.
First, God chose us. Verses 27-28 say, “But God chose what is foolish in the world… God chose what is weak in the world… God chose what is low and despised in the world…” The only other place this word “choose” is used in Paul is Ephesians 1:4–5: “[God] chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ.” So what Paul is saying here is that before we were born, before the world began, God loved us and chose us and decided in advance to adopt us into his family.
Second, God called us. In verse 26 Paul says, “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters.” What is Paul referring to? Their vocation? Their job? No. Here Paul is referring to the work of God in calling them to himself out of darkness into light, out of death into life. In other words, it is a spiritual wake-up call. This wake-up call is God’s supernatural work that opens our eyes to see our spiritual reality – wretched, poor, blind, and our ears to hear the voice, saying, “Wake up! Turn! Come!”
Third, God united us with Christ. Verse 30 says, “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus.” This verse literally means, “From him, or of him, are you in Christ Jesus.” God chose us. Then God called us, and we came to realize that we cannot save ourselves and need a savior. Not only that, God specifically led us to Christ and united us with Christ. And our eyes were open to see Christ as powerful and wise and compelling so that we receive him for salvation. In other words, Jesus has become for us everything we need. Christ made us right with God (righteousness); he made us pure and holy (sanctification), and he freed us from sin (redemption).
Testimony
If you are a Christian today, that is how you got saved. That is God’s
plan of salvation. God chose us. God called us. God united us with Christ. That’s
exactly what happened to Paul. He shares his faith journey with us this way:
You know what I was like when I followed the
Jewish religion – how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to
destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of
my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called
me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so
that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles (Gal 1:13-16
NLT).
Paul was a pure-blooded Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin. He was a member of the Pharisees, a strict and devout adherent to God’s law. He was a man of power and a man of wisdom in people’s eyes. Then he heard about Jesus of Nazareth who claimed to be the Messiah and died on the cross. He was furious. He knew God’s law so well saying, “Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse” (Dt 21:23). So for him, Jesus who died on the cross (the cursed one) couldn’t be the Messiah (the blessed one). That’s why he persecuted Christians and destroyed the church. But then on the way to Damascus, God called him. He encountered the risen Christ saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). Then his eyes were open to see how wretched and blind he was. He realized that God vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead. He also realized that Jesus’ death on the cross was not because of his own sins, but because of someone else’s. All the scripture began to fall into place. “But he [Messiah] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa 53:5, NIV). Then Jesus has become everything to him. God chose Paul, God called Paul, God united Paul with Christ.
Recently, I had a chance to hear a story of one pastor’s faith story. He grew up in the church but remained uninterested in Christianity. He believed he could be a good person without embracing the supernatural claims of the Bible. He believed all religions were heading for the same glorious summit. Then, he joined the Boston Resistance, a student group promoting nonviolent opposition to the draft and the Vietnam War. In 1970, he left school to join a commune in Oregon. He became a hippie. During his summer there, he hiked, camped, and enjoyed many deep discussions the meaning of life with others. But life in the commune was deeply demoralizing. It washed away his naïve confidence in the inherent goodness of humanity. He witnessed the depths of depravity. Then he returned home in Boston, still wandering, still searching for the meaning of life. He was powerless and hopeless. One day while he was sitting despairingly in his room, he looked at a picture of Jesus he had received from a friend in the commune. The picture showed Jesus smiling benignly. But his bleeding heart reminded him of the Crucifixion. Then all of sudden, he came to realize, “Jesus had died for sinners just like me.” Almost immediately, he grabbed his Bible and turned to the book of Jonah. He saw himself in Jonah’s story. Then, he turned, he repented, he believed the good news of Jesus Christ. This pastor concludes his story this way: “Sixties revolutionary fervor did nothing but plunge me into despair. Now, thanks to Christ, my hope is built on solid rock, not sinking sand.”[1]
Each of us in this room has our unique faith story to tell. But if we are
Christians, our stories have always three or four things in common: in love God
chose us, God called us, God united us with Christ. And Christ became everything
to us. This is every Christian’s love story.
Paul invites the Corinthians (and us!) to think about how God advances the good news, saying, “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters!” When did you hear the call? When did you receive the gospel? When did Jesus become precious to you? It does happen when we are poor in spirit, when we are weak and lowly, when we are broken and wounded. Still today, God chooses and calls the foolish, the weak, the lowly, the despised, the brokenhearted. And through them God advances the good news to this broken world.
As I close, let me share the story of Makoto Fujimura, Japanese Christian artist. He describes his work in kintsugi – the Japanese art of mending broken ceramics by pouring gold between the shattered pieces. Taking something that appears ruined and making it more beautiful and more valuable than the original, unbroken vessel. In the work of Kintsugi the places of healing are important, and the scars are to be celebrated, not to be hidden. Mako also describes the trauma of confronting the 9/11 terrorist attacks up close as a New York City resident. He describes how that trauma transformed his painting in a creative, redemptive way.
It’s a mystery how God saves us and makes us whole. But before you leave this room today, I want you to know this. In love God chose you before you were made. God called you. And he is still calling you today, if you haven’t recognized it yet. God is calling you to come to a holy ground that allows you to journey into your faith, your doubts, your traumas. So come and believe the good news of Jesus Christ. God will make everything beautiful in Christ. And Christ will become for you everything you need. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment