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.
Do you understand the security that you have as a believer? You already have eternal life as a believer, we stand before a holy God "blameless" in his sight, not because of what we have done, but because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
D. The high praise of their relationship with Christ
Vs. 9 “God is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord."
When you fellowship with someone you're being personal with that person. The apostle Paul is praising them because of the Fellowship that they have with the Lord Jesus Christ. They have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, are you and Fellowship with him?
These were the high praises that were included in Paul's introductory remarks to the Corinthians, he now goes on into the problems of the church. As we look at the problems as outlined in this first few verses of chapter 1 Corinthians, and as we go deeper into the book and in the weeks to come each and every problem that Paul breaks down in the upcoming chapters can be related back to one of these problems listed here in this opening chapter. Notice the four main problems of the Church at Corinth.
II. We've Got Problems, The Problems Of The Corinthian Church
A. The problem of rejected authority
Vs. 1 “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,"
First one is not a typical way that an author would have began a letter, now he would've stated his name but he would not have defended his title as Paul did in verse one, stating that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
In fact on many occasions in this book Paul defends his apostleship, specifically in Chapter 9:1 "am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?"
One of the problems of the Corinthian church is the problem of rejected authority, they rejected the authority of the apostle Paul, the one who started or planted the church. What a church begins to reject the authority of the pastor, or the authority of the Word of God, the church then opens the door for a multitude of issues and problems. For a great number of the problems that are found in the church at Corinth can be traced back to this issue of rejected authority.
But isn't that the root issue of many of our problems in the church today, we reject the authority of the God called pastor of the church, are we reject the authority of the word of God over the church. Many of the issues in the modern day church can be traced back to this root issue of rejected authority.
Now I'm not saying that I as a pastor am infallible that I'm not capable of mistake that I should never be questioned in fact I would say that it is healthy to question whether it be a doctrinal question or ethical question, and if I failed to answer in a biblical way then there is cause for concern for me as a pastor, however if the answers to the questions or biblical and there is no biblical reason for doubting my leadership in the church, it is then that the church may be guilty of rejecting its God-given authority.
B. The Problem Of Disunity
Vs. 10-11 “now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there or contentions among you."
Not only were they guilty of rejecting the God-given authority in the church, but they were also guilty of disunity. Not only could they not get along with the leadership but they could get along with themselves.
Paul is saying "Honey we've got problems" you guys can get along, you are fighting amongst yourselves. There is no greater harm to the witness of the Church of Jesus Christ, then when there is contentions or quarrels within the church. Because as much as we want to keep it in the church, it never happens, before long those outside of the church will hear of the quarrels or contentions within the church.
Paul is saying it's so important that as a church we be of the same mind, having the mind of Christ, having the judgment of Christ. When there are decisions that need to be made, when there are issues that need to be resolved our personal preferences should never, ever come into play, but only "what is the heart of Christ on this issue?"
C. The problem of superior spirituality
Vs. 12 “now this I say, that every one of you say I am of Paul; and I am of Apollos; and I am of Cephas (which is the apostle Peter), and I of Christ."
Notice how this verse is phrased, "every one of you say". Everyone in the church at Corinth was exalting some former minister of the church. The few who were not, while on the surface may seem spiritual or correct in reality, they will probably fed up with the other two groups so what they were saying is we are not under the authority of any man but of Christ, by that statement they were saying we reject any earthly authority in the church including the pastor.
And each group claimed superiority over the other group, here's the problem with these groups of people which included everyone in the church they set themselves up as the judge of others, they took God's authority and granted it to themselves.
This is a great problem in the church, when we think that somehow we are more spiritually superior that others either by a position or some spiritual gift or talent are teaching ability or preaching ability, it creates an atmosphere of disunity, none of us are greater than the other, we are all on equal footing at the cross, it took just as much of Jesus's blood to forgive my sin, as it did to forgive your sins. It took just as much of Jesus's blood to forgive your sins, as it did to forgive my sins.
D. The problem of cliques
Vs. 13-17 “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or you baptize in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Chrispus and Gaius; lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name. And I baptized also the household of Stefanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any of you. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
The problem with cliques in the church, is that each group always thinks they are correct, each group or click once its way no matter the cost to the overall church.
One of the things in my ministry that I strive to avoid is to be seen as a part of a clique. Because it creates the question of acceptance by others who were not in the clique. It gives the appearance that one group is favored more than another.
Cliques can destroy the outreach of the church, because the lost will look in and say that I can never be a part or be accepted by that group.
Conclusion
When problems overtake the church much like the Corinthian church, that is exactly what happens “the cross of Christ is made of none affect”. No longer are we focused on reaching the lost and dying world with the gospel of Jesus Christ we become more concerned with settling disputes and problems and issues within the church. The message of the cross is not a priority and therefore it is of none effect.
That's why we should go to great lengths to keep the unity of the church and to avoid problems and issues so that we can keep our focus on what is really important, and that's reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
