Message summary: Let us give thanks for the simple truth of the Gospel of Christ that even a young child can understand. Let us all, both young and old, live our lives to please the Lord! It's not complicated.

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"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-30). “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Yesterday afternoon I met my older brother Pat in Reading PA where we shared a meal together. Reading (pronounced Redding) is about half way between us and we often meet there. At times it's just the two of us but more often we meet with our wives as well.

On one of these trips Pat and Laverne brought along their young granddaughter , Grace , who was three years old at the time. As we waited for our meal Grace informed us that she wanted to sing a song she had just learned and proceeded to sing aloud expressing her faith in Christ.

She spelled the name J-E-S-U-S to the jingle tune of B-I-N-G-O, and finished with “And Jesus was His name-o”! The server came to take our order but Grace wasn’t done and without hesitation continued until the little song was complete. What a delight little children bring to life! She was expressing the simplicity of the Gospel.

Years ago there was a series of "It’s Not Complicated" commercials sponsored by the AT&T cell phone company that claimed superiority over their competition (of course). In one of them a man is seated with several little children around a table and he asks, “What's Better: Faster or Slower?” The man asks, "What's slow" and a little boy answers that his Grandma is slow! (Video link below) This was used to assert the decision to choose AT&T as a mobile service provider was not complicated.

Moving onto more critical, eternal matters let us consider the wonder of the Christmas story and the overall simplicity of the Gospel message. It’s not complicated and even a little child can understand the core truths.

Today’s first text was written by the apostle Paul. He urges his readers, initially the Corinthian church, to “consider your calling”. We often consider the calling in regard to specific vocational ministry such as being called of God to be a missionary. But in this context he is referring to the calling we all have. The glorious calling to believe in and follow Christ.

“Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards”. The key phrase is “wise according to worldly standards”. Actually so many who are wise according to worldly standards reject the truth of Christ! So many, although they claim to be wise, became fools. (see Romans 1:22) Consider the bastions of academia where supposedly the brightest excel. So often they are also havens of unbelief and skepticism.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.” It’s so important to realize that the text is not saying the Gospel is foolish but rather it is deemed foolish by human standards of wisdom. This is similar to Paul’s classic text in 1:18, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

The world has always ridiculed the core truths of the Christian faith; the Creation account, the virgin birth, the miracles of Christ, His atoning death on the Cross, His glorious resurrection, His ascension and promised second coming. This ridicule is increasing as predicted in the Bible, “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking” (2 Peter 2:3).

In our second daily text Paul writes of the “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” that characterized the Corinthian believers. Let us give thanks for the simple truth of the Gospel of Christ and renew our resolve to live in a way that pleases the Lord! It's not complicated.

B e encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13