ntro: While we were in Myrtle Beach SC my wife of course wanted to go shopping. So I could spend time with here I went and actually found something that would be useful for us to think about as we begin the New Year. A little sign said cherish yesterday, dream for tomorrow, but live for today. That is what we as the church should do. However, often we live for yesterday, dread tomorrow, and forget today. Learning from the early church we can establish principles to live for today. We are not promised tomorrow so we plan and dream with God about a great future but don’t allow that to distract us from what is before us at this present moment.
As we study the first letter to the Corinthians we find that they were a church like many today, they were a church with cracks. Paul tells them he had heard of their quarrels and factions and rampant immorality that was fracturing the churches unity and mission. From this letter to the Corinthians we learn that the early church was by no means perfect. We also learn that a lack of perfection is no excuse for fractions, divisions, or disunity, lack of discipline or disrespect for one another. Paul also addresses their misunderstanding of a previous letter. 1 Corinthians 5.9 alludes to this letter. He had told the church to not associate with immoral people. The church assumed Paul meant immoral non-believers. However, Paul had intended for them to discontinue fellowship with professed believers living an ongoing immoral unrepentant lifestyle. He desired what Jesus desired for the Church to be in the world but not of the world. What we see especially as Paul describes in Chapter 12-13 with the exercise of gifts that their disunity was marked by recurring arrogance and immaturity.
NIV commentary “As is so often the case, the most immature often think they are quite mature.” We must guard against arrogance, pride and false humility which are flip sides of the same coin called spiritual immaturity.
I. The city where the church was assembling
Corinth was a cosmopolitan city. That simply means that it was very diverse in its citizens and culture. It was renowned for its temple to Aphrodite. As Athena was the goddess of the mind which the city of Athens was named after Aphrodite was the Goddess of the body. Her priestess’ were glorified prostitutes housed in her famous temple.
Barclay says Corinth “was a by-word for evil and immoral living. In fact in the Greek of the day to say Corinthianize “to live like a Corinthian” meant to live drunken and [immorally].” The city was intellectually alert, materially prosperous but morally corrupt. The ideal of the Corinthian was the reckless development of the individual. The merchant who made his gain by all and every means, the man or woman of pleasure surrendering himself to every lust, the athlete steeled to every bodily exercise proud in his physical strength, are the true Corinthian types: in a word a man or woman who recognized no superior and no law but his own desires. (Tyndale Commentary)
In our lives what drives us and our desires will reveal our closeness or distance from God.
Paul planted a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and His call on the lives of the Christians and church at Corinth. This letter is written to that church. But this letter is also written to this church. He gives some strong words to these worldly Christians at Corinth. He also gives practical teaching to some of the questions raised in their letter to him in Ephesus. These strong words and practical principles were not just penned for them but for us as well.
II. The Christians calling that Paul was reminding
A) Paul’s authority (before Paul can address who they are he reminds them who he is.)
Paul begins by reminding the believers at Corinth about His apostolic authority. It was by his calling and mission as God’s ambassador that he was able to share the strong words, and severe criticism, and practical principles in this letter. The only way anyone has the authority to teach, lead, preach, etc is by way of God given authority. It is not because of personality or ability, but calling!
Paul is gently reasserting his authority as given by God in order to lovingly yet powerfully address the cracks in the church at Corinth.
B) The Church’s appointment
Paul calls the immoral, carnal Christians in Corinth the Church of God! This clearly speaks of their appointment to the grace spoken of in 1.3. The Greek word is ekklesia. It can mean the called out of God. It was a normal every day word used to speak of any assembly in the Roman empire. In Acts 19.32 there is a riot in Ephesus because of Paul’s preaching and the word is translated assembly. This word came to be the name that the Christians referred to themselves as. This was no new religious group. This was God’s assembly. This is those that have responded to the calling of God to salvation in Jesus Christ. They become set apart to be God’s people for His purposes, His promises, His place to dwell.
1) They were called out of sin
2) They were called out of the world system
3) They were called into a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ.
4) They were called into a personal, vital relationship with other believers.
This word spoke of the uniqueness of the assembly of God.
Their appointment is ours. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, crucified for you sins, risen from the dead and follow Him as Lord you are appointed in Christ.
Paul also calls them the sanctified by Christ.
This is in the perfect passive tense. It means that at specific point in time you met Christ and he placed His righteousness on you, your right standing with God. Jesus placed His righteousness on your account when you trusted Him as your savior. However, that never ceases to be the case. It is just like you would say I have closed the door. The action resulted in a closed door that continues to stay closed. Jesus’ righteousness has forever been credited to you heavenly account. Its also passive. Jesus said on the cross said it is finished. There is nothing more to do. You can’t earn it, you can’t buy it, you can however benefit from it. An important question for all of us to ask as we study this letter is have I trusted Jesus Christ. Was there a point in time I placed my faith in Him and His righteousness is forever credited to me? (invite people to Christ if Lord leads me)
Paul also calls them saints by calling
There are two types of people in the world saints and aints. Saints are people who have responded to the call of God. Sometimes you say that you have responded to the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit. Through the teaching, the preaching, or living out of God’s word an overwhelming sense of His holiness and your sinfulness will lead you to trust Jesus. Because you respond to that calling you are a saint.
We will see that the Corinthians are saints because of their calling not because of their conduct. However, we will also see that Paul never allows an excuse for immoral or ungodly conduct that brings dishonor to Jesus Christ’s name.
In God’s eyes we are cleansed, set apart to be His uniquely marked by His Holy Spirit. (because we are marked we should be aware of the need to surrender to the Holy Spirit as He modifies our behavior)
Chuck Swindoll
“It’s hard for all of us who wrestle with sin, who give in to temptation over and over again, to think of ourselves as pure and holy – especially in the eyes of a holy God. But that’s the amazing thing about His grace. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we are clothed in His righteousness. And when God looks at us, that’s what He sees – the pure, spotless robes of Jesus. Take heart, struggling saint. Rest in your position in Jesus. And let this truth motivate you to be worthy of Him who has so lavishly clothed you.” (see Romans 6.1-7)
These saints gathered in Corinth. However it is not about a particular place, a particular preacher, a particular name over the door or on the sign. All saints everywhere Paul says. Our identity is with Jesus not a place preacher or otherwise. 9 Times in verse 1-9 Paul names Jesus, it is the foundation for unity, purpose and power of the church and of your life as a Christ follower.
III. The Christians riches that Paul was emphasizing
A) Genuinely saved (1 Corinthians 1.4)
They were called saints by Paul because of their experiencing the grace of God. Grace is the engine that powers the car of thankfulness. True and genuine gratefulness grows from the living water of God’s grace. Paul was thanking God for the grace given to the Corinthians.
B) Generously enriched (1 Corinthians 1.5)
The Corinthian’s were enriched in Him but how? Paul and Apollos and their teaching. The church that gathered at Corinth was enriched by learning more of their savior. 1.6 says that the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them. More literally the testimony of Christ was established in you.
Has the testimony of Christ taken root or established itself in you?
C) Spiritually gifted (1.7)
According to Paul the Corinthian believers lacked no spiritual gift. But as you read through this letter gifting is not enough. There must be a humility centered on Christ. Philippians 2.3-4 tells us to not look out for our own interests but in humility consider others as better than ourselves. Our gifting is not for the purpose of rights but of responsibility.
D) Prophetically alert (1.7)
Something that seems to have died in the church of today is the anticipation of Jesus’ return. In fact I hear on a monthly if not weekly basis a professing Christian say, “well it’s better than the alternative.” Really to live is Christ to die is gain. I can’t decide which is better to remain or to go and be with Christ. Some foolish man has said “I hope I don’t get so heavenly minded that I’ll be of no earthly good.” We are at any moment one heart beat from eternity.
Are we in a day when people even the assembly of God thinks that Jesus is not returning soon. Good, then that means His return is even closer.
What is the source of our riches? 1 Corinthians 1.9 God who called us into fellowship with His Son is faithful. Wait minute faithful in what? He is faithful to finish the work He started in us. He is faithful in everything He calls us to. Relationships, loss, riches, poverty, ministry, pain, life, death, trial, triumph. Our God is faithful. You can count on the living God.
Conclusion: So what bill, that was all nice and great but what now?
We must realize that we are just like the Corinthians. We are elected, enriched, established in Christ. We can learn from this church with cracks because we are just like them. We all have cracks, we all can mature and grow in our relationship to Christ and each other. However immaturity is no excuse for immorality.
1) No wrongs or weaknesses should take away from our gratitude for others.
All of us are cracked or flawed. Instead of rejecting each other because of weaknesses, we need to be thankful for each other. Remember – The Lord Jesus is at work in us all removing our imperfections until one day we will stand spotless before Him.
2) The source of any praiseworthy thing we have or do is grace
The Corinthians were rich only because of what God had done in their lives. The same is true of each of us, grace and grace alone has brought us to this point. Paul even said 1 Corinthians 15.10 “I am what I am by the grace of God.” How this should humble each of us.
3) A rich impressive beginning is no guarantee of the same kind of ending.
This saying is old but true. The bigger they are the harder they fall. Satan has a similar motto the bigger they think they are the harder they fall. Proverbs 16.18 The Corinthians let their spiritual health go to their heads and were knocked down because of pride. As believers graciously and greatly endowed with good gifts, we need to guard our hearts from pride, always seeking to give God the glory.
Know this glory hounds are not heaven bound.
4) No degree of carnality or failure can ever remove our blameless acceptance in God’s presence.
Even after rampant immorality the Corinthian believers remained blameless in God’s eyes because of His grace. However, you can miss out on the richness of fellowship with Christ and His blessings if you continue to follow your desires and not His direction.
As you listened this morning did God reveal your cracks? Have you ever responded to the call of Christ to salvation?
