Endless Faithfulness

Turn Your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Title: Endless Faithfulness

Theme: Grasping Our Resources in Christ Jesus

Introduction: The name of Jesus Christ is mentioned ten times in the first ten verses. The Apostle Paul wanted the minds of the Corinthians and all who are Christians today to keep their focus upon Jesus Christ. With Him as their reason for living Christians will enjoy all the benefits of being children of God. Today’s passages of Scripture put in the foreground all the hope and cause for our praise.

Listen as I read 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, “I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge--because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” Let us Pray!

Proposition: I would propose to you that faithful Christians can live a life of confidence as long as they are living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the written Word of God. Obedient Christians walk in the grace of God, enjoy the gifts of His Holy Spirit, enjoy the call of God upon their lives and know the faithfulness of God.

Interrogative Sentence: Just how do these great resources affect the life of the child?

Transitional Sentence: Grasping our resources begins with understanding just what grace was given to us in Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul said, “…he always [thanked] God for [Christians] because of His grace given… in Christ Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 1:4)

The Corinthian church was a body of believers that had a lot of spiritual immaturity. There was misuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and division in the church over who followed who. This was a troubled church and the Apostle Paul was thankful to God for have calling them to Christ and to have the privilege to give them spiritual teaching and direction.

The church is made up of people who have been “sanctified,” (hagiazo) set apart for God, whom He has made holy simply because they have accepted Jesus’ sacrificial death for them.

The New Testament “church” (ekkesia) of the redeemed is; first, a church worldwide of all times made up of those who are called by God to Christ in fellowship of His salvation. Second, it is a group of Christians made up of individuals who seek to follow Christ and join together to exercise gifts given of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Body of Christ. A form of this Greek word for “church” (ekklateo) means to call out. It was common in Paul’s day for a congregation (ekketoi) to be referred to as “the called people.”

It is important to note, Paul’s thankfulness was because of God’s faithfulness to call a people out of this sin darkened world unto Christ. Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44)

If you know Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, it is because God, on the behalf of Christ sent the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your need for Christ and it is He who enabled you to accept Jesus into your heart and life. Even if you are not a born again Christian and you are around the things of God, it is God drawing you to Christ.

Pastor Paul Rees told the true story related to him from a Christian nurse who attended the church he oversaw for the Lord. One night the police brought a woman to the emergency room. After the doctor’s examination they said “Just leave her alone, she is going to die soon.” The Christian nurse who sat under the spiritual guidance of Pastor Rees chose not to leave the dying girl, but stayed by her bedside.

There was a drawing of this girl to ask the nurse, “Does God care about someone like me?” She went on to share with the Christian nurse about her sinful lifestyle. The nurse told her about how God loved her so much that He sent His one and only son to die on the cross for the sins of the world. All who would look to Christ for forgiveness would receive Him and be forgiven. The nurse went on to share the story in John chapter 8 of the woman who was caught in adultery and was granted forgiveness and a chance to leave her sinful lifestyle. (John 8:2-11) The young lady accepted Christ.