Honey, We've Got Problems Series

1 Corinthians Sermon Series Part One

Hello Dear, We've Got Problems

1 Corinthians 1: 1-17

Introduction

This Letter Written By The Apostle Paul To The Corinthian Church Was Written Somewhere Around A.D. 54 To 56, From Ephesus During Paul's Third Missionary Journey. This church had three well-known pastors in its early days they were Paul, Apollos and Peter. This church consisted of members from all levels of society, but mostly they were people who were neither rich, wise, or of noble birth.

This is a letter that we would call an occasional letter, because it was written in response to reports that the apostle Paul received about the conditions in the Corinthian church. Paul wrote this letter to correct some problems he saw in the Corinthian church, but also he included praises for certain things that the church was doing well.

In this in this study of first Corinthians that were beginning tonight, there are some doctrinal themes that were going to learn at the end of this series, we will learn about the nature of the church, the importance of unity in Christ and the implications of our unity in Christ, we will learn about proper worship, the Lord's supper, spiritual gifts, and about the resurrection of the dead.

As we open up this book and read the first few verses of this chapter 1, it's as if Paul is saying to the Corinthian church hello dear, we have problems. Many of us in our communication with our wives are children or someone we know will often approach the subject or the issue the same way the apostle Paul has with the Corinthians. He first gives his salutations and brief opening remarks, much like we do it is an issue at home we may call our wives or husbands and begin to say hello dear how's everything, how's the children how was your day today and it will say something like, well honey we go talk. That is how this book of first Corinthians opens up for us. Tonight let’s learn the praise for the Corinthian church, the things that were right, but also learn the problems of the Corinthian church, the things they got wrong.

Read Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 1:1-17

I. Hello dear, The high praise for the Corinthians

A. The high praise of God's grace

Vs. 4 “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ”

Grace as you know is the undeserved favor and blessing of God. We do not deserve God looking on us with favor nor blessing us with his favor. The Corinthian church new and experienced the grace of God. They knew what he was to receive favor and blessing of God.

The grace of God was evident in the church, by the apparent blessings of God. Question for us tonight is the grace of God evident in our lives.

B. The high praise of the enrichment of God

Vs. 5-7 “that in everything you are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that you come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:"

God's grace enriched the Corinthian church "in every way", they experienced the favor of God in every area of life and were actually blessed with all the gifts and blessings of God spirit. The apostle Paul points out to areas where they were specifically enriched by the Spirit of God, they were speaking and knowledge.

1. Speaking: all the spiritual gifts involving speech, which would include gifts of prophecy, teaching, and tongues.

2. Knowledge: this is the spiritual gift of understanding spiritual truth and doctrine and having unusual insight into the nature of God and his call and mission in the world.

This enrichment really makes the problems of the church at Corinth even worse, because they knew or had special insight into the nature of God yet the church experienced more problems than praise.

My prayer for our churches that as we understand our own spiritual giftedness and the gifts that God gives the church that we would use it in a proper way to bring us into a greater unity and to accomplish the great commission of reaching the lost with the gospel.

C. The high praise of the security of each believer

Vs. 8 “who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Because of the evidence of the grace of God in the lives of the Corinthian believers Paul assured the believers there they God would confirm them are established them "unto the end". The apostle Paul is saying that, because of the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that they received, they would be blameless before God.