Sometime we will see a sign that reads…
• Columbia Baptist Temple
• Cayce First Baptist Church
• Lake Murray Baptist Church
• Lexington First Baptist Church
• Lykesland First Baptist Church
These churches were named after the community in which they dwell.
But you will never see on a church sign that says, First Corinthian Baptist Church.
This church was so corrupt no church would want to name their church after the Corinthian church.
Illus: This would be equivalent to having a little girl and naming her Jezebel!!!
Who would do such a thing to a child!!!
This church was so corrupt if you wanted to insult someone you would call them a CORINTHIAN!!!
Paul deeply cared for the Corinthian Church. However, no church that Paul had founded gave him so much cause for concern as this one.
Here are some of the reasons that troubled the apostle Paul:
1-False Prophets
2- Church’s Division
3- The Presence of the Immoral Member
4-The Church’s Failure to Discipline
5-Members Going to Pagan Courts to Settle Disputes
6-Members Defiling the Lord’s Supper
7-False Zeal for Spiritual Gifts
Paul in this passage of scripture is writing to this corrupt church in Corinth.
It is obvious in his writing he had some concerns if they were really saved or not.
Let us look at…
I. A SOLEMN CONCERN
For example, this passage of scripture starts off by asking a question, and I might say a very alarming question.
• Look at the question in verse 9; do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
• Also notice, after asking the question we read, do not be deceived.
The Lord tells us in these verse two things:
1) First, the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
2) Secondly, do not be deceived (Evidently, they were, or else Paul would not be writing to them about this letter)
WHAT IS ALARMING ABOUT THIS QUESTION?
This question that Paul is writing to these Corinthians it is possible to be DECEIVED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY ARE GOING TO HEAVEN.
There are other scriptures in the Bible teaches us this also.
This makes me think of Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Notice the word few. This tells us MANY THINKS THEY ARE GOING TO HEAVEN BUT THEY ARE DECEIVING THEMSELVES. BUT ONLY A FEW ARE GOING TO BE SAVED.
Illus: If the rapture of the church was to take place in some churches you would be surprised WHO IS RAPTURED ANDWHO IS LEFT BEHIND!!!
None of us like to be deceived about anything. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SALVATION WHERE I AM GOING TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN OR HELL WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO BE DECEIVED.
God’s Word TELL US WHO WILL BE THERE AND ALSO IT TELLS US WHO WILL NOT BE THERE!
Look at I Corinthian 6:9, we read, know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
If you fall into one of these categories I just read to you, you do not have to wonder anymore about whether or not you are going to heaven. GOD SAYS THE UNRIGHTOUS WILL NOT BE IN HEAVEN.
And He names who they are.
If God’s Word is true, AND IT IS, you have a serious problem if you are one of these on this list.
Illus: Suppose I come to you and say, I want you to do me a favor, I know of someone in need, and they need a place to stay for a few days, and I want you to take this individual into your home and let them live with you.
But I need to tell you about this person:
• He is a fornicator,
• He is an Idolaters,
• He is a Homosexual
• He is Immoral
• He is a reviler
• He is an extortioner
• He is covetous
• He is a Thief
• He is a Liar
Will you allow this individual to live in your house for a few days?
I am certain, you would say, Preacher, have you lost your mind, and you want me to take this individual in my home…NO WAY!!!
I would not let such a person stay in my home!!! Nor would you!!!
But why do some people think God is so dumb He would want such people in His heaven.
Listen, God does not want you to go to hell; He died on that cross to keep you from going there.
But if you are on this list that is living in sin, GOD DOES NO WANT YOU IN HIS HEAVEN.
In this passage of scripture God makes it clear…NO WAY WILL THESE ENTER MY HEAVEN.
• You might find a deceive friend who will tell you that everybody is going to heaven
• You might find some backslidden preacher to preach your funeral telling everyone in attendance you have gone to heaven.
But God is not going to deceive you about heaven and you are not getting in His heaven UNTIL YOU DO SOME REPENTING OF YOUR SINS AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU FOR LIVING SUCH A WICKED LIFE!!!
Paul is writing to a church that was filled with sin.
• These Corinthians had legalized every sin in the book and they were so DECEIVED they thought they could live in sin and go to heaven.
• But Paul is writing to them to tell them they are deceived!!!
Now before I go any further I need to EXPLAIN SOMETHING about the sins of sinners and the sins of a Christian!!!
That is, these same sins that sinners commit you will also find in the life of some Christian who has been saved by the grace of God.
Does that mean these Christians have lost their salvation and now headed for a devil’s hell?
Sin is sin no matter who commits it, saved person or a sinner.
But there is a difference between a sinner and Christian committing sin.
Those belong to God make a practice of living righteously.
Look at I John 2:29 we read, "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him"
The Greek grammar of this sentence refers to someone who has accepted the Lord as their Savior and righteousness is a part of their daily lives.
Thus, in order to please God, the righteous work to remove sin from their lives.
We read in I John 3:2-3 "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
In contrast, sinners make a practice of lawlessness.
Sin is a part of their daily lives.
We read in I John 3:4, we read, "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness"
These passages do not say that a child of God never sins, but that he does not daily practice sin.
In fact, every saint sins at times.
We read in I John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us".
• However, his occasional sins do not make him a sinner.
• In contrast, the sinner doesn’t care about God’s laws and does what he desires, often violating the commandments of God. The sinner tends to stay in sin because sin doesn't bother him.
As a Christian I can slack up on my daily prayer life, daily Bible reading and church attendance I will become weak as a Christian and I then become subject to FALLING INTO SIN.
Fall implies when we fall, it is not purposely, it is accidental.
Illus: I can accidently fall into a mud hole, BUT I AM NOT GOING TO STAY THERE.
And the only reason I was in that mud hole…I fell accidently, not purposely!
God gives us A SOLEMN WARNING that the unrighteous is not going to heaven.
Now let us look at…
II. A SOUND SOLUTION
So far in this sermon we have heard NOTHING BUT BAD NEWS.
Let me share with you some GOOD NEWS.
Evidently these Corinthians recognize they were not saved, and they were not going to heaven…REPENTED!
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
Because after Paul gives us a list of the sinners, he tells them SUCH WERE YOU!!!
Some feel justified in their lifestyle by saying; I am not really a bad person! I DO NOT COMMIT ANY BIG SINS.
Show me in the Bible where God talks about BIG SINS AND LITTLE SINS?
Sin is sin!
The word for sin is MISSING THE MARK!
Illus: Play dart and you throw the dart the idea is to hit BULLS EYE!
But we all have missed the BULLS-EYE.
Illus: Sin is not like playing HORSESHOE. That is when you throw the horseshoe, and you miss the IRON STOB what matters who comes the closest to the horseshoe stob.
When it comes to being saved close isn’t good enough.
Illus: Like Bill, who ordered a cord of firewood to be delivered for $100 dollars.
• When the firewood was delivered, Bill got upset.
• “That’s not a full cord of wood,” Bill objected.
• “That’s what I call a cord,” the man answered firmly.
• Bill fished around in his pocket and thrust some bills into the man’s hand.
• “Hey, wait a minute,” the woodsman complained after counting the money. “You only gave me $70!’
• Bill shrugged his shoulders and replied, “That’s what I call $100!”
Sin is missing the MARK and What God calls sin is sin!!!
And now these Corinthian have MISSED THE MARK, REPENTED OF THEIR SINS AND NOW PAUL SAYS, SUCH WERE YOU.
That is, you are no longer living in sin; God has saved you from your sinful lifestyle.
Now Paul says to those who were deceived about sin,
NOW…
(1)YE ARE WASHED
Illus: Song – OH THE BLOOD OF JESUS
Romans 3:25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.
Today we have those who are saying I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH A BLOODY GOSPEL.
The Bible tells us WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF THE BLOOD THERE IS NO REMISSION OF SIN.
The only way you can be saved is through the BLOOD OF JESUS.
It is not ONE OF THE WAYS, IT IS THE ONLY WAY!!!
Illus: Song – WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SINS, NOTING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
These sinful Deceived Corinthians had their eyes open to their sinful condition and now PAUL SAYS YE ARE WASHED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
(2) YE ARE SANCTIFIED
Sanctified means now that you saved by the BLOOD OF CHRIST you are set aside to live a holy life.
Illus: Just like that piano over there, it is set aside for one purpose to play godly music.
Does that mean when we are Christians that we will never again sin?
No, I have already explained to you there is a difference between the sins of sinner and the sins of a child of God.
Sanctification comes in three stages.
A. When we are saved, we are sanctified we have been forgiven of all our sins. We are 100% free from sin.
B. We are progressively being sanctified.
After we are saved and we fall into sin, we repent of our sins as a child of God, and we progressively become more and more like Him.
That is, you should be a better Christian today than you were a year ago.
C. We are eternally sanctified.
When the Lord returns for His church, we will receive our glorified body, and sin will have no attraction to us whatsoever.
(3) YE ARE JUSTIFIED
When the Lord washes away our sins we will stand before God LIKE WE HAVE NEVER SIN…WE ARE JUSTIFIED MADE RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.
Let me explain…
Illus: Suppose you bump into my car and bend the finder on my car.
And you jump out of your car and tell me you are sorry for bending my finder.
But I say to you I am glad you are sorry, but what am I going to do about my bent fender?
You say, well, I want you to take it to a body shop and have it fix and when they get through with it they will put you on a new finder and when they are finished it will be like I never bent your fender.
This is what the Lord Jesus, HE TOOK CARE OF MY SINS THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
AND NOW I STAND BEFORE GOD LIKE I HAVE NEVER SIN BEFORE.
I love you folks, but if you are living a sinful deceived life you need to come to the Lord and REPENT and ask HIM TO MAKE YOU A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST JESUS.
Because you do not want to stand before Him thinking you are saved when you are not.
• You are not going to hell because God does not love you!
• You are not going to hell because you have been predestined to go to hell
• You are not going to hell because you are a fornicator, liar or a drunkard
• You are going to hell because you have chosen sin above righteousness
• You are going to hell because you chose hell over heaven.
AND MOST OF ALL YOU ARE GONG TO HELL BECAUSE YOU WOULD NOT COME TO THE LORD JESUS TO SAVE YOU.
Conclusion:
I. A SOLEMN WARNING
II. A SOUND CURE
YOUTUBE – BILL & GLORIA GAITHER - O, THE BLOOD OF JESUS // NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS // NEAR THE CROSS
