Sermon Central
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The Most Excellent Way
Contributed by David Owens on Mar 31, 2008 (message contributor)
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1. Paul And Corinth
Contributed on Mar 31, 2008
This lesson is an introduction to a series of sermons on 1 Corinthians.
Introduction: A. Imagine, with me, a church wracked by divisions. 1. Powerful leaders promote themselves against each other, each with his band of loyal followers. 2. Someone in the congregation, maybe one of the leaders, is having an affair with his stepmother, but instead of disciplining him, ...read more
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2. How To Split A Church
Contributed on Apr 14, 2008
To split a church all we have to do is forget who died for us, to whom we belong, and what is our purpose and mission.
Introduction: A. The story is told of a preacher who was delivering a children’s sermon about the need for unity. 1. He looked at the children and said emphatically, “God wants us to be one!” 2. On four year-old started to cry and protested, “I’ve already been one, I want to be ...read more
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3. The Message Of The Cross
Contributed on Apr 14, 2008
The remedy for division rooted in pride is the proper appreciation for the Cross.
Introduction: A. I love the story of the two men were digging a ditch on a very hot day. 1. One said to the other, “Why are we down in this hole digging a ditch when our boss is standing up there in the shade of a tree?” 2. “I don’t know,” responded the other. “I’ll ask him.” 3. So he ...read more
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4. The Hidden Depths Of God
Contributed on Apr 21, 2008
Christians have the Holy Spirit, which should cause them to have the mind of Christ, which should lead to humility and unity, rather than pride and division.
Introduction: A. Kids do say the darndest things! Listen to a few conversations between teachers and their students. 1. You be the judge if its wisecracks or wisdom. 2. TEACHER: How old were you on your last birthday? STUDENT: Seven. a. TEACHER: How old will you be on your next birthday? ...read more
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5. Right Perspectives For Healing Division
Contributed on Apr 29, 2008
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul answers two questions - what divides a church, and what brings unity.
Introduction: A. How many of you know what this is a picture of? Right – the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 1. It is the freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. 2. Construction began in 1173, and although the tower was intended to stand vertically straight, it began ...read more
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6. The Apostolic Ministry
Contributed on May 7, 2008
In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul brings to a conclusion the arguments he has been making since chapter one, as he seeks to bring unity to the divided church at Corinth.
Introduction: A. There’s an old fable that goes like this… 1. A servant had two large water pots that he carried on either end of a pole slung across his shoulders. 2. One of the pots had a crack in it, so every day as he carried water to his master’s house, he arrived with one full pot and one ...read more
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7. How To Handle A Scandal
Contributed on May 20, 2008
In this lesson we discover the necessity of church discipline for both the individual and the congregation.
Introduction: A. I’m told that Willie Nelson (the country singer) apparently at one time owned a golf course. 1. He said the great thing about owning a golf course was that he could decide what is par for each hole. 2. For you non-golfers, par is the number of hits of the ball you are allowed ...read more
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8. To Sue Or Not To Sue
Contributed on May 27, 2008
In this sermon we seek to understand what Paul taught about lawsuits among believers and how the text applies to us today.
A. One Sunday a preacher was addressing the children during his children’s sermon. 1. He wanted to help the children think about Jesus as their friend and helper. 2. So he began with a question – “Who would you go to if you had a problem?” 3. One child said that he would go to his grandma. ...read more
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9. My Body And Me
Contributed on Jun 3, 2008
In this sermon we look at Paul’s arguments in 1 Corinthians 6 about the damaging effects of sexual sin. Then we discuss how to overcome sexual temptation and sin.
Introduction: A. One Sunday morning, the preacher began his sermon by telling the congregation that he was going to say a series of words, and he wanted them to sing the song that came to mind when he said each word. 1. The first word he said was "rock" They immediately started singing "Rock of ...read more
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10. Spiritual Counsel About Marriage
Contributed on Jun 11, 2008
Paul gave some important advice about singleness and marriage for the Corinthian’s and their time that also applies to us and our time.
Introduction: A. Today we want to talk about the spiritual counsel about marriage given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. 1. Before we get into the text, let’s lay a little ground work. B. Some questions about love and marriage were posed to kids ages 5 to 10 and here are a few ...read more
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11. Should Your Hang-Ups Limit My Freedom?
Contributed on Jun 24, 2008
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul teaches us how to keep from causing others to stumble by limiting the use of our freedoms and rights.
Introduction: A. All my life I’ve been told how dangerous tripping is. 1. As a child my parents taught me to never trip my sisters and brothers. 2. It was certainly a lesson I had to be taught, because I had a fun-loving, devious side. 3. All organized sports have rules against tripping ...read more
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12. What Could Be More Important Than My Rights?
Contributed on Jun 24, 2008
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul defends his rights, gives up his rights, and shows how he lives without his rights. In doing so he becomes a great example for us in our dealings with the church and the world.
Introduction: A. Several years ago the Public Library in a certain town had a service called "Dial-A-Tale." 1. Anytime a young child wanted to hear a fairy tale, he or she could call the number and listen to a pre-recorded reading of a short fairy tale. 2. Unfortunately, however, the telephone ...read more
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13. Idolatry - Then And Now
Contributed on Jul 9, 2008
Paul gives a strong warning from Israel’s history about avoiding idols. Will we heed the warning?
Introduction: A. I want to begin with a very helpful warning – Here are the top 10 things not to say to a police officer if he or she pulls you over. #10 – Was I speeding? Sorry, I can’t see anything without my glasses. #9 – Was I speeding? Sorry, I didn’t realize my radar detector wasn’t ...read more
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14. Respecting God's Order Of Things
Contributed on Jul 9, 2008
As Paul addresses the problems at Corinth, he now begins to address the problems in their worship.
Introduction: A. You know, funny things happen in church from time to time. 1. Whether it be the collection that gets dropped and the coins that roll around. 2. Or the fussy child that has to be taken out of the auditorium and shouts on the way out, “I don’t want to go out…somebody help ...read more
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15. One Head, One Body, Many Parts
Contributed on Jul 16, 2008
As Paul continues to address the problems in the church at Corinth, he now turns to the issue of spiritual gifts and how the church is supposed to function like a human body.
Introduction: A. Many of you know how much I love the Peanuts comic strip. 1. In one of the strips, Snoopy, the lovable beagle, was pictured with his left leg broken. 2. Snoopy philosophized about his plight one day while perched on top of his doghouse. 3. He thought, “My body blames my foot ...read more
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16. Love - The Greatest Of All
Contributed on Jul 21, 2008
To really understand the "love chapter," a person has to read it in context. All the problems the Corinthians were facing in the church could be corrected by love.
Introduction: A. One day an elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright freckles, spent the day at the zoo. 1. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their face painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws. 2. A girl in line turned to ...read more
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17. The Significance Of The Resurrection
Contributed on Sep 8, 2008
The resurrection of Jesus is the last of the major issues addressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians. Our future resurrection is predicated on Jesus’ resurrection and should give us great hope.
Introduction: A. The story is told of an old man named Fred who had been a faithful Christian and was in the hospital, near death. 1. The family called their preacher to come stand with them. 2. As the preacher stood next to the bed, Ol’ Fred’s condition appeared to deteriorate and he motioned ...read more
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18. Charismatic Confusion
Contributed on Sep 8, 2008
Paul gives the Corinthians and us some important guidelines for propriety in worship.
Introduction: A. One Sunday, a Sunday school teacher asked the children a question just before she dismissed them to go to church, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” 1. Little Johnny replied, “Because people are sleeping.” B. I think it is ironic and humorous that parents of ...read more
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19. Closing Words, Important Truths
Contributed on Sep 23, 2008
This sermon completes the series on 1 Corinthians. It addresses some issues of discipleship.
Introduction: A. If you were Paul, how would you close this letter you had written to the Corinthian church? 1. As we have seen, it was a troubled and struggling church. 2. There were doctrinal problems and glaring moral failures. 3. And even though it appears that this was Paul’s second ...read more