Doing The Lord's Word Series

INTRODUCTION

Please take God's Word and turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 16

We are close to concluding our study in this wonderful book

Today we're looking at verses 5-12

Read 1 Corinthians 16:5-12

There are two ministries the church has been commissioned to: evangelism and edification

We are to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

We are to teach those who are saved "all things that I have commanded you" (Mat.28:20)

In the words of Colossians 1:28-29, "(28) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. (29) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

This was Paul's purpose with every church

He wanted to preach the Gospel to the unsaved and teach the word to mature the saved

That is clearly seen in 1 Corinthians

In chapter 15 as he talked about the Gospel, he said he "preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain."

That is always the concern for the pastor

He is concerned that those who say they are saved are truly saved

So he will preach Christ and Him crucified and resurrected

He will also systematically teach the Word of God so the saved will grow "in the grace of knowledge of Jesus Christ."

As we saw in our last two times together, Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand the principles of giving

It's to be "on the first day of every week" (v.2)

It is to be "as [they] may prosper, so that no collections be made when [he] come" (v.2)

His desire was to meet the needs of the saints in Jerusalem and wanted the Corinthians to do the same

Now he is writing to assure them that he is planning to come back to Corinth to be with them

If you will notice in this text, he gives 3 insights into ministry that you and I can glean from in our ministry

Notice in verses 5-7 that...

LESSON

I. PAUL WAS A PLANNER (vv.5-7)

He was specific (v.5)"But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia"

3 times in this letter he planned to come to them

1 Corinthians 4:19, "But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power."

1 Corinthians 11:34, "If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come."

1 Corinthians 16:5, "But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia."

He did go 3 times

First was when he founded the church

He stayed 18 months

Acts 18:11 says, "And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them."

It was also during this time that he met Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:2)

Because they all shared the same trade as tent-makers, he stayed and worked with them (Acts 18:3)

His second visit was a "sad" or "hard" visit

He wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4, "(1) But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. (2) For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? (3) This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all. (4) For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you."

 This visit followed the letter we know as 1 Corinthians (which was really his second letter to them). Apparently, things were not getting any better, so Paul went in-person to address some of the problems (probably dealing with the "sinful man" mentioned in 1 Cor. 5).

His third visit is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 13:1, "This is the third time I am coming to you. EVERY FACT IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES."

This was was after he wrote the letter we know as 2 Corinthians

He returned on one of his last missionary journeys and remained there for another three months (Acts 20:3) at which time he wrote "Romans" (c. A.D. 55).