Chronos - 1 Corinthians 3 Series

This week we continue our series called Chronos. A term which means time. We have decided to study the scriptures this year in the order they were published. It gives us a very unique insight into the early church and the struggles of a growing movement. This review of history is important because The Center’s leadership believes we are on the cuspid of a great awakening in America. An awakening that will challenge the status quo of the current Christian industrial complex. An institution more concerned with Attendance, Buildings and Cash than the Gospel, Grace and Growth of the kingdom.

This week we continue in the book of the first Corinthians. It’s another book written by Paul around 25 years after Jesus' earthly ministry. Corinth is the original sin city. It was a transitional city and as such there was a lot of anonymity. As a Coastal town people were always coming and going. Some for vacation, most for business. The community was know for their worship of the goddess of sex. They had one of the largest temples devoted to her and the idea of fertility. You can see why when you called somebody a corinthian back then, you were saying they were living without morality. After his 1 ½ years planting the church, Paul left behind Apollos who was an amazing preacher/teacher and yet, we can see from this book the people still had questions. The immorality of the culture was so rampant that Paul had to address everything from why church potlucks should not turn into drunken frat parties and worship to the one true God like kids first birthday party at chuck e cheese restaurant.

Last Sunday, we dove head first into the book. We learned what it meant to have the “mind of Christ '' and were challenged to examine our waking hours for a demonstration of this new way of thinking. Paul continues this letter by re-emphasizing unity and wisdom while reminding them of whose “name” we all represent.

This building once housed a group who called themselves the Evangelical Church, Bethany Evangelical Church. After a few years it became Bethany United Brethren Church. A few years later, it became Bethany United Methodist Church. A few years after that it became Bethany Center. And now, it’s The Center. All the while, it has claimed Jesus Christ as the head of the church.

Along the way, there have been faithful souls who took care of the day to day activities including taking care of the facility. However, none of those people were any more or less important to the mission Jesus started some 2000 years ago. Paul emphasizes this idea as we pick up his diatribe in the third chapter verse five.

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

The truth will always be that it's Christ’s name on the door of our fellowship. Many may claim ownership. Local churches rename themselves to strike an identity, a central theme and declare a version of Christianity they are partial to. However, in the end, the only name that matters is Jesus. Verse Nine sums it up beautifully. We are co-workers in God’s service. Please note we are not owners. Just dedicated workers given assignments and directions. As we go about His business we are subtly changed. Like a blade of grass that grows unseen by the rest of the world, we grow through His Spirit giving us what is most needed. As we grow, the Kingdom grows in and around us.

Paul continues:

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.