Sermon Brief
Date Written: January 31, 2012
Date Preached: February, 2012
Where Preached: OPBC (AM)
Sermon Details:
Series Title: A Series from 1 Corinthians
Sermon Title: A Message from a Friend
Sermon Text: 1 Cor 1:1-17 [ESV] – Read – v1-3 here
1Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Introduction:
For the next several weeks we are going to be looking at the letter to the church in Corinth and this morning we are going to focus on the basis for this letter…
Many believe that this letter was a harsh rebuke from Paul, and while there are several accounts in the letter where Paul is rebuking certain behavior… overall this letter is a letter from a friend and co-laborer in Christ… sent to uplift, encourage and sharpen the believers at Corinth.
Let me ask you a question, “Have you ever had a really good friend?” you know the kind of friend who was willing to say things that needed to be said…
A friend who will stick by you when things are hard…
A friend who will be there for you when all others are against you…
A friend who is willing to sacrifice to make your life better…
Do you have a friend like that?
What about the type of friend who is willing to speak up when you are out of line… a friend who is willing to say the hard things, even when you don’t want to hear them!
You see a friend like that is a true friend… a friend like that is one who keeps us going in the right direction and keeps us from doing further damage to ourselves and to others. A TRUE friend will tell you when you are wrong… and in our passage of Scripture this morning we find Paul doing just that…
This letter can seem harsh in many places and it MAY seem as if Paul is throwing these believers under the bus…but the fact of the matter is that Paul is A FRIEND of these people…
He had been with them since the beginning and if you read Acts 18 you can read an account of how this church was planted by Paul on his 2nd missionary journey. Paul had established some really close relationships in the 18 months he had stayed with these people! Paul’s letter was NOT out of anger, but out of love and a desire to see his friends be what God wanted them to be.
Paul had received 2 reports: One was a letter from some believers about things that were going on that were NOT godly and Christ-like! The other was a letter with many questions about doctrine and how to live as a believer. This letter was Paul’s response to those 2 letters he had received.
Paul had heard that:
There was division within the church, infighting about who was in control (ch 3)
There were believers taking each other to court… a court that was NOT governed by believers, and allowing judgment of their settlements by unbelievers (ch 6)
There were reports of gross sexual immorality even to the point of an incestuous relationship (ch 5)
The questions that were posed to Paul were sent by a group of men from the church led by Stephanus and they asked questions about:
Marriage (ch 7)
Christian liberty (ch 8-11)
Worship (ch11)
Lord’s Supper (ch11)
About Spiritual Gifts (ch12-14)
These were difficult questions to answer but Paul being the great friend in the faith that he was… answers them faithfully and truthfully… not pulling any punches! Some of his answers may sound harsh, but his focus was from his love for these believers and his desire to see them be all God wanted them to be…
This morning as we look at this opening part of this letter, I want us to focus on Paul as a FRIEND responding to a very difficult situation. A situation that required him to be honest and direct… but Paul understood that love trumped all and that love must be his focus, so let’s explore how Paul begins his letter to this body of believers!
In this first part of this first chapter I can see a man who cared for this church, a man willing to speak the truth in love to ensure that they knew what God expected… I see a true message of love from Paul to the church in Corinth… In our passage this morning I see 3 responses from Paul to the believers of this church:
I see Paul giving a warm and loving reception in v1-3
I see Paul giving a reassuring ratification of their faith in v4-9
Finally I see Paul giving recommendations that rejected what was happening and laid groundwork for what God wanted
First I want us to look at this warm and loving reception Paul gives…
Reception from a loving friend [v.1-3]
It was a personal response [read v1]
1Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
Paul wanted the believers in Corinth to know that this letter was from the man they had known and trusted when he was there with them… when he was there leading them… when he was there helping to start this church!
Paul’s heart was breaking over what he was hearing and it was his desire to see these friends of his do the right thing… that they would serve God as God desired of them!
Paul puts his name to this letter out of love for this group. You know when you are speaking to your friend and you are trying to get a point across to them sometimes you will use the phrase, “Hey, this is ME, you know ME, you know I love you, you know I care about you, you know I would do NOTHING to hurt or harm you… but I have to tell you this…”
This lets you know that your friend is serious, but coming to you in love and that they believe this is for your best… even if it is news/words you do NOT want to hear!
Paul also mentions a close friend of his from Corinth a man named Sosthenes. In Acts 18 you can see that Sosthenes was the leader of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth and he had been saved and was severely persecuted by the Jews while Paul was in Corinth. Paul wanted these people to know that Sosthenes loved them as well and would want what was best for them too…
So often we get caught up in what we WANT to do, that we lose sight of what God has called us to do! The ministry of the Kingdom is not about the pastor, it’s not about the staff, it’s not about ANY one group within the church but it’s about Christ & sharing Him with the world around us.
Paul wanted these people to know God had called him as a pastor/leader to the Gentiles & that God set a direction for him & for them THRU His ministry… Paul was their physical leader, but Paul wants them to know that His words, His advice, His leadership did not come from his desire for them, but it was the calling of God for them as a fellowship!
But not only did Paul make it personal, we can also see…
It was a directed response [read v2]
2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Paul did not beat around the bush… Paul response to all the issues that were presented to him led him direct his responses toward the problems and not the people!
The people were special to Paul… he did not take all these accusations and reports and simply throw the people under the bus! Look what he says about this church:
He calls them the church of God! Now after all these complaints sent to him, this one phrase lets them know that Paul is NOT being judgmental, but is coming to them in love!
He calls them ‘those sanctified in Christ Jesus’ and what this reveals is that even when we come to know Christ and Christ redeems our hearts…we can still stumble and fall away from God’s calling on our lives!
He calls them ‘saints together’ which meant that even though they were an individual church in Corinth that they were a part of a greater whole… the body of Christ!
The believer in Corinth have long been derided by believers today for being a den of sinners… but I want us to know that this WAS a church of people who had been redeemed by Christ and they were part of the body of Christ!
NO… they were NOT perfect…
NO they had NOT been acting like the church of God…
BUT the message Paul gives us here is that even when those redeemed in Christ fail and fall in our walk with God… that God does NOT abandon them!
INSTEAD we can see that God provides a means by which His redeemed will be picked up, dusted off and set back on the right track for His kingdom!
We are a fellowship of imperfect leaders and lay people… we have failures and we fall short constantly, but what we can hold strong to is the fact that our redemption is Christ is NOT based on our success rate, but rather based on HIS grace and mercy!
We cannot allow our frailty to limit our view of God’s grace… this is because when we limit our view of God’s grace, our witness to the lost and to this world suffers!
Paul did not want the witness of this fellowship to suffer because of what they may THINK God was thinking about them! So he wanted to encourage them in his letter to them… His reception of these believers was personal and direct, but we can also see that…
It was a godly response [read v3]
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you… is Paul expressing his desire that God’s grace be showered over this fellowship. This was Paul’s standard greeting, but Paul used this greeting because we know that Paul desired all to experience the grace of God that he had experienced!
God had saved HIM from his life of murder and mayhem as he was persecuting the church… God not only saved him and redeemed him but showered him with grace and called Him to do Kingdom work!
These believers were NOT living as they should and MANY people want to write off the church in Corinth as a reprobate church, but what we must understand here is that God had NOT written them off… Paul had not written them off… Paul understood God’s grace and knew that it was only that by the grace of God these people would be able to live out a godly life!
He wishes God’s grace upon them but he also wishes God’s peace upon them… From the outside looking in, the church at Corinth was a total mess, there was disunity and dysfunction running rampant and I can imagine there was a great deal of upheaval and chaos… Here Paul wishes for God’s peace upon these believers!
God’s peace is described by Paul in Phil 4 when he describes it as the ‘peace that passes human understanding’ – in other words a peace that comes about when all else seems like it is losing control. Jesus speaks of a peace that he can bring… a peace that this world does not have… a peace that only God can give… THIS is the peace that Paul is wishing upon this fellowship!
God’s grace of deliverance and redemption and God’s peace that calms the soul in times of desperation and chaos… Paul prays this for these believers! And Paul lets them know that it comes directly from God!
People let me REITERATE what is being said here and try to make it personal for YOU! You are a sinner at your very core and it is ONLY thru God’s grace that you know redemption!
You are going to fail God… You are going to let Him down by not living as He has called you to live! BUT because of His grace and mercy, You will NOT be forgotten or abandoned! God is there! God will not abandon us…
Paul’s ‘reception’ of these believers was personal, direct and from God, but we can also see that the message that Paul had for them did not stop at a greeting… the 2nd response we see from Paul in regards to the letters he had rec’d was a…
Ratification from a loving friend [v.4-9]
It was an affirming confirmation of their faith [v4]
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
In this letter to these believers Paul had already called them redeemed believers but in v4 he reaffirms their position in Christ! He offers up a prayer of thanks for God’s wonderful grace of redemption that had been bestowed upon them…
and let me affirm in YOU this morning that if you have rec’d Christ as Savior… God’s grace abides in you and you are redeemed! REJOICE in the fact that God’s grace covers you! This is a great privilege we have in Christ!
Paul affirms their calling in Christ but he also emboldens it as well, look at v5-6 with me:
It was a confident confirmation of their faith [v5-6]
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
Paul tells them that in EVERY WAY God has blessed them and redeemed them! They are the church… they have been CALLED by God to serve! They had served in the past and there had been a great testimony to their service to God in the past and Paul is calling on them to turn BACK to that testimony…to have confidence in the grace God provides!
So often we know that we fail and we see ourselves as failures… but God never sees us as that… When we fail God wants to remind us of His love and grace that has delivered us from an eternity without Him. When we fail we have a tendency to look at ourselves and NOT at the God who has redeemed us… Paul wanted to change the focus of view for these believers… Paul response to these believers was affirming and confident, but it was also--
It was a functional confirmation of their faith [7-8]
7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here Paul was directing his response to the practical… What Paul was saying here was, “Hey guys, God has redeemed you thru His grace and love… he has given you His peace… He has given you the gifts and tools you need… so don’t sit around and let what God has done go to waste!”
He was telling them that they were NOT lacking in any gift… God has equipped you for all things! Look as you wait for Jesus to come back… use the gifts and tools He has provided to BE His witnesses! To be HIS church!
You are the church God has called so FUNCTION as God has called you to function… He has equipped you and has given you leadership… so begin to live out what God has called you to…
Affirming, confident and functional, but Paul also was
It was a reassuring confirmation of their faith [v9]
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
YES you are called to BE the church… Yes God expects you to serve Him and be the church He desires, but God has NOT left you to do this on your own… HE IS THERE… HE EMPOWERS YOU!
Paul reassures these believers that the same God who redeemed them is a faithful God who wants to see them succeed as a fellowship! A fellowship that came together because of Jesus! Once again Paul uses a reaffirming approach by reminding them that they were CALLED into this fellowship…
Believers we cannot allow the Enemy to convince us that we don’t belong… that we are not good enough… that we fail and God is going abandon us because of our frailties! People, we WILL always fail but God is always faithful and what He has redeemed… He will not abandon! In Jesus all things are possible and Paul wanted these Corinthian believers to understand that God had NOT abandoned them… that HE was and still is faithful…
So Paul is speaking to the church in Corinth and his first 2 responses are reminders of God’s faithfulness and their eternal condition because of God’s grace… however the 3rd response may seem a bit harsh, but here is where Paul proves that he is DEFINITELY their friend and Christian Brother!
Recommendations from a loving friend [v.10-17]
It was an overall call 2 reject division & embrace Unity [v10-11]
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
Here Paul relates to these people from a human and equal level… He calls them brothers in the faith and he challenges them to take division out of their conversation and instead focus on being united of mind and judgment!
Paul tells them that he has heard all the stories and all the talk and he wants them to know he is not interested in pointing finger of blame, but calls for them to put aside their petty differences and work together for the Lord!
Paul calls the people 2 reject division within leadership [v12-13]
12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Some were claiming that they followed Paul…
Some were claiming that they followed Apollos…
Others were claiming that they were following Christ…
But Paul clears up that we cannot be divided by such things, but that we should ALL understand that we are part of the whole…we simply CANNOT be divided in our loyalties and attitudes.
Look what Paul says here… Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? The point he is making is that as Christians we are ALL followers of Christ and Jesus is the head… the leader… the One we seek to follow! We cannot divide ourselves with things of this world, but must seek to be united by the One who is eternal and who has redeemed our soul by His sacrifice!
That same mentality must prevail in the church today! We cannot allow the things of this world to separate or divide us… it doesn’t matter WHAT it is, we must be unified for Christ!
Paul then goes on to try to give his perspective on what leadership is all about in the church:
Paul reveals his perspective what leadership reflect [v14-15]
14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
Paul knew he was a called leader for Christ… Christ had personally called him while on the Road to Damascus and so Paul understood he was a leader in the church… BUT here is what Paul understood about leadership! Leaders who divide…don’t succeed!
Paul’s confidence as a leader was NOT a prideful thing, but rather a humble submission to God’s calling! Leaders who believe they are leading because of their talent or ability can lose sight of this calling… Paul did NOT!
In this verse we find Paul sharing that he was glad that he had not baptized any of these believers because he did not want any of them holding Him above Christ! He wanted NO special attention… He did not want to be the stumbling stone to keep someone from becoming all God wanted them to become…
When I read this and studied it this week I asked myself, “How often have I done this?” How often have I ‘led’ and have taken people along for a journey only to be a stumbling block for them! My prayer is that my leadership comes directly from God and that it be evident in my life and in my heart!
How often have YOU done this? You may not be a pastor, but pastor or no pastor there are many of you here today who are leaders in this church whether you think you are or not! Have any of your decisions or actions as a leader become a stumbling block to those around you.
Here Paul is calling them to be unified and seek the kingdom good and to NOT be focused on their own personal agendas… The same goes for us here at Oak Park! We must be focused on kingdom good and NOT our own personal goals or desires!
To focus this sharp… to lay down our own desires and seek the desires of Christ and the good of the kingdom… this just doesn’t happen overnight, Paul understood it takes having the right focus [v17]
Paul calls on them to have the correct focus [v17]
17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Here Paul reveals the true nature of his service and ultimately the true nature of all of us as we serve God. We are called to ‘go therefore and make disciples’ we are called to baptize… but more importantly we are called to share our faith… to preach the Gospel of Christ!
Here is where Paul makes it personal for YOU! He tells us that we are NOT to preach the gospel with words of eloquence or with eloquent wisdom…
He tells us this because if I am able to ‘convince’ you with flowery words that Jesus is for you… you are deceived! Flowery words do NOT save a person! We are called to share the gospel in faith, but to do it in a manner that honors God and gives Him all the glory!
Honor God by tearing down the spiritual and physical walls with whomever you come across…
The main thing to take from this verse is that the focus we must have as a body of believers is a focus on seeing souls saved and discipled to send them back out to save some more!
Our focus has to be ON Christ and it must be resolved in our hearts to NOT leave or abandon him just to satisfy our desires! We are called to have focus in our walk with God! Do YOU have focus this morning?
We have looked at how Paul received this awful news and how he responded to them… in love!
We have look at how Paul ratified this church’s pedigree and standing with God… in Christ!
We have also looked at how Paul recommended steps for them to take to avoid…steps that would lead them to a right relationship with God.
What we can conclude from the opening part of this letter this morning?
We can know that although the church in Corinth had many troubles…they were STILL part of God’s family
We can also know that tho’ the church in Corinth had tremendous flaws…Paul still gave thanks for Gods grace in their lives…
Another thing we can conclude is that although the church at Corinth had a very difficult track record… Paul taught them that God had not given up on them but was INSTEAD equipping them to serve Him!
Finally we can surmise that although this fellowship seemed bent on division, Paul believed it was worth saving if possible & with the proper focus on Christ it could be saved!
What truths can we discover and/or take away from this time with God?
We understand that God loves us regardless of what we do? There is complete redemption for the believer who places all trust in Christ.
We understand that our focus must be on God’s grace/love… that He does not dwell on our bad choices but reveals His grace.
God IS equipping the saints to serve! So this morning, if you are not serving as part of a ministry here at Oak Park, I want you to know that God is calling you to serve!!
So preacher, what can I take & apply into my life that will make me a better believer? I believe Paul lays it out pretty clear and he tells us that:
You must trust in God’s love and His mercy…
You must know/beleive that God’s grace is greater that YOUR failure
You must understand that God has equipped you for service and you are called to USE the gifts God has given you!
You must stop settling for the dividing wall that separates us.
You must start seeking to unify the church!
You must stop building a dividing wall between your life and your faith… instead start seeking a unifying path to break down the barriers we build!
