How Pride Destroys A Church Series

Text: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

OPEN WITH PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING

Now we've been in 1 Corinthians for a while, and we've seen Paul address a few of the issues that were going on in that Church. And I don't know about all you, but I'm thankful that God chose to add this book to the canon of Scripture, because if He hadn't, we might be under the assumption that churches are places where everything is all rosy, and wonderful, and perfect. Rather than places full of sinners who have been saved by grace and who are now being sanctified by the truth.

The Church is BEING PERFECTED, but won't get there this side of eternity. WHY? Because God is saving people who have been bound by sin, controlled by their sin nature, living lives of immorality and wickedness, and making them new creations in Christ.

And that's one of the great things about this book... it shows us how God does this... it shows us the means by which He operates and effects our sanctification.

So we're in 1 Corinthians 5 today, and we're going to read verses 1-13 (READ 1 Cor. 5:1-13).

So Paul is addressing issues within this local congregation in the city of Corinth, and what he does here is work his way through those issues one at a time, probably in the order that he was made aware of them (either by a letter or by a report). But we've also go to remember what he's already addressed. He's already called these Corinthians out for their immaturity in the faith. He told them they were babies who still needed milk. Then he called them out for the divisions. Remember, some said they followed Paul, some Apollos, some Peter, and some - who were trying to appear super-spiritual said, "Well we're just following Jesus", and Paul exposed them and said to them, "Actually, what you are is puffed up with pride." And then he told them... and this is some of the best advice we can ever get... he told them, "Stick to the Word, and don't go beyond what is written."

Now why is that such good advice... Because the Word, THE HOLY BIBLE, is God's fullest revelation of Himself to humanity. So when someone says to you, "I have a word to you from the Lord." Our first response should be, "Awesome, let's see how it lines up to THE WORD He's already given me."

So there's this issue of pride and division, and then Paul comes to this next issue... I'm going to try to be tactful here without compromising what the Scripture says... So there's this gross immorality - of a sort that isn't even happening among the pagans... now that word "Pagans" is the Greek word "ethnos"... it literally means, "The Nations", but it's referring to "Gentiles"... now what's interesting here is that most of the people in the church at Corinth, were ethnically Gentile, not Jew. So why does Paul use this language?

Well... it's a teaching in and of itself, but I'll whet your whistle and Lord willing we'll come back to it at some point. In Romans 2:28-29 Paul says, "For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God." And in Galatians 3:7 says, "Those of faith are the sons of Abraham." Verse 16, "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say "offsprings," referring to many, but referring to One, "And to your Offspring", who is Christ." And finally verse 29, "If you are in Christ then you are Abraham's offspring, and a heir according to the promise." And then if you go back to Romans, Paul says that, "Not all Israel is Israel... and that the wild figs have been grafted into the tree." The tree is Christ - and Gentiles were placed into Him. Jew, nor Greek (or Gentile), slave nor free, male nor female... it doesn't matter - what matters is Jesus. Are you in Christ? Have you been baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit? That's what matters.

So in verse 1 he says, "I'm hearing that there's this terrible immorality taking place among you." And then in verse 2 he says to them, "Are you arrogant?" Now we've seen that word before, it's that Greek word "physio", and again it means to be puffed up with pride, and to think of yourself more highly than you are. So he says, "Are you puffed up with pride? You ought to be mourning here."

Now that gives us a great deal of insight into something that I want to camp out on for a minute or two. So let's think this through together. Why didn't these folks at Corinth, deal with this sin? Why aren't they mourning over this member of their church who is involved in such a grievous, immoral sin? Let that marinate for a minute while I ask you this: How is it that churches, and entire denominations can say things like, "We're going to perform same sex weddings?" Or, "We're going to ordain homosexuals as pastors?" How can entire denominations say, "We're going to now use godless, anti-Christian, Marxism as the lens with which to interpret Scripture?" How can they do that? It didn't just happen over night. How does that happen? Look at verse 6 - "A little leaven leaven's the whole lump."