This week we continue our series called Chronos. A term which means time. We have decided to study the scriptures this year in the order they were published. It gives us a very unique insight into the early church and the struggles of a growing movement. This review of history is important because The Center’s leadership believes we are on the cuspid of a great awakening in America. An awakening that will challenge the status quo of the current Christian industrial complex. An institution more concerned with Attendance, Buildings and Cash than the Gospel, Grace and Growth of the kingdom.
This week we also continue in the book of the first Corinthians. It’s another book written by Paul around 25 years after Jesus' earthly ministry. Corinth is the original sin city. It was a transitional city and as such there was a lot of anonymity. As a Coastal town people were always coming and going. Some for vacation, most for business. The community was know for their worship of the goddess of sex. They had one of the largest temples devoted to her and the idea of fertility. You can see why when you called somebody a corinthian back then, you were saying they were living without morality. After his 1 ½ years planting the church, Paul left behind Apollos who was an amazing preacher/teacher and yet, we can see from this book the people still had questions. The immorality of the culture was so rampant that Paul had to address everything from why church potlucks should not turn into drunken frat parties and worship to the one true God like kids first birthday party at chuck e cheese restaurant.
Last Sunday, we dove head first into the book. Last week Paul encouraged us to remember any amount of sin can become corrosive to the individual, the community of faith and the mission Jesus died for.
Paul continues this letter by emphasizing his love for and his hope for the early church in Corinth by addressing their unwillingness to address the tough issues. Before we jump into this week’s issue, let me tell you a personal story.
A little over 25 years ago, I was in a play it again sports store. It was Diane, our 3 or 4 year old son and I. We were there looking for some weightlifting equipment. As we looked around, our son was all over the store. As we were checking out, we heard a blood curdling scream. It was my son. He had been running through the store when he tripped and fell. He had hit the corner of one of the display racks and punctured his upper lip. It went clear through to the bone. I could see it. We
immediately picked him up and ran him to the hospital emergency room. They had me hold him as they put him in a small straight jacket and asked me to hold his head as they did the stitching. It really was awful. The next week we were at a party and I was telling the story again. When I finished the person I was telling the story to asked if I was going to sue the store after all, it sounded like a college education amount of money. I replied, I just can’t because life happens. The person shrugged and commented that I might want to rethink that. And I did for a little while. I may had a right but my sense of justice and love for small business owners wouldn't let me.
We all have rights in this life and sometimes our rights and our mission collide. Paul addresses this at the beginning of this chapter by letting the church know his view on their willingness to sue one another when life doesn’t go as planned. Take a listen…
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
Much like today people sue one another in the courts to get what they think they deserve. Their “rights” have been violated so sue them and grab some cash. Afterall, everyone is doing it.
A right according to the dictionary is:
1. That which is morally correct, just, or honorable.
2. A moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.
These rights are often categorized as both natural and legal rights. Legal rights are bestowed upon an individual or a society by the system that monitors justice for the society. The second type of right is called natural or human rights. They are the universal rights of human beings that can not be repealed or restrained because they are resident in each person.
The United Nations agreed to the definition of Human Rights in 1948 in a 30 article document. The first article of the Human Rights appeal outlines the intent of the rest of the articles. It states:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Those words “a spirit of brotherhood” tell us even the United Nations understands the worth of human life as well as the downside of ignoring such inalienable rights on both the leadership and the reputation of groups who ignore the facts.
It’s the same point that Paul was trying to get across this same message across to the Christians in Corinth when he said,
4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.
Paul was concerned because of three tragedies that take place when we fight for our individual rights over and above our duty to the Christian mission:
When believers sue one another they offer a poor witness to the rest of the world of our ability to live in a real brotherhood. Did you know that in the US there are 1.3 million lawyers and over 40 million civil cases filed every year? That’s pretty incredible for a country that claims to have 150 million Christians.
The second tragedy of our witness happens when others see our inability to handle problems wisely, even though we claim to represent the wonderful counselor and just judge.
The third tragedy happens when the Christian filing the lawsuit (whether won or lost) realizes the lawsuit is a measuring device detailing a person’s level of trust and belief in God.
Please hear this: We are not saying you shouldn’t stand up for yourself if you have been harmed. We are saying it's best to avoid the courts by honestly assessing every situation and determining how Christ would be best honored in every case.
Paul highlights this and their covetous attitude when he continues in verse 9:
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul is clear. There is only one example of what our attitude and subsequent actions should be as people who claim to follow Jesus. His entire life on earth was about surrendering His rights for the benefit of others. As Christians, we have a duty to follow in Christ’s example and abandon our rights for the betterment of the rest of society. His example gave people pause to take notice of the one true God. Paul would go on to write a treatise on this topic of rights for Christians in 1 Cor 9:4-27. My favorite line comes in verse 17 where Paul states:
“If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.”
Do you believe you have a trust committed to you? Each of us has a trust that has been committed to us in the moment we came to believe and commit our lives to Jesus. We will use all we have to further the mission regardless of the consequences to ourselves personally.
The point being the mission is always greater than a right for a Christian because in the foregoing our human /natural rights, we show our trust in the Lord’s love to the surrounding culture and therefore gives our lives eternal meaning and the mission.
When Jesus went to the table on that final night, he could have claimed his right as God but yet he didn’t. He did almost everything possible to make sure the boys and the entourage witnessed the greater mission. …. communion
Reference: Warren Wiersbe Commentary 587-588, https://short-facts.com/how-many-lawsuits-are-filed-in-the-us-every-year/
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