Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and bestselling author Dr. Paul David Tripp

connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. We shouldn't be surprised when the

world mocks the church of Jesus Christ. In today's episode, we'll listen to another sermon from Paul Tripp.

In it, he explains why the cross is folly to those who are perishing

and how Christians can engage culture with its power.

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Now here's Paul with this message from First Corinthians.

I was thinking this week as I thought about the task that God has called us to in this great city of Philadelphia.

And I wondered if we really knew what we were dealing with, would our response be different?

It's so easy to be passive.

To be thankful that you have a good church to go to where you're going to get sound preaching,

to put your money in the plate hoping that it will pay for people to do effective ministry. It's very easy to slide into a sort of consumerist Christianity,

shopping for the kind of church that will meet your felt needs.

It's very easy to slide into what I would call ecclesiastical Macy's.

And I want to look with you at this very radical passage of Scripture. It's there in your order of worship.

It's there in 1 Corinthians 18, 1, 18 through 25.

But before you look there, I want to read for you a couple quotes.

These quotes really depict what we are dealing with as we seek to minister to our city,

to our nation, to our culture, to our world.

Here's one well-known American speaking about the Gospels.

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