Bible In A Year - 1 Corinthians

Paul’s Missionary Preaching in Corinth

Father once again, we thank you for the opportunity to be able to be gathered together. We thank you for the wonder of Just yourself being our true and living God. We're thankful that we serve a risen Savior.

We're grateful that Upon the throne sits one who cares for our very souls Lord you showed that and demonstrated it so marvelously in giving of your son. Even while we were yet your enemies when we were fighting against you Lord when we were lost and undone helpless and hopeless and graceless and Christless and and yet you came and You rescued us.

You've given to us the wonderful and precious gift of not only your son, but through him we have Redemption we have forgiveness of all of our sins and we have become the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ and We know that it is all of you all of your grace, and we are amazed this morning.

And so we come to to gather together to worship Lord. We would lift up first and foremost our souls unto you with grateful praise. We ask that you'd please teach us. We so desire to learn to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord to be instructed so that we might be able to What's important to you and to think as Christ would think to be a biblical Loving people the people who love the word, but also of people who would love to walk in and to run in the way of the Lord.

So we ask for the Holy Spirit to teach us this morning for the glory of Christ. We ask in his name. Amen. As we come to first Corinthians I'd first ask you to turn to the book of Acts so that we can see historically what had taken place To where this church it came about in Acts chapter 18.

We have part of the account of the second missionary trip of the Apostle Paul in Acts 18 and in verse 1. After these things Paul departed from Athens and he came to Corinth. So he comes to the to the city of Corinth and there he fine found a certain Jew named Aquila born of Pontus lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla.

So he meets Aquila the husband Priscilla the wife and it says and he came to them verse 3 and because He was of the same craft. He abode with them in rot. He worked he labored with his hands. He works at a trade and the trade that they are All acquainted with is the occupation of being tent makers.

Verse 4 he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks and as his Paul's method was He first went to the Jews. He first went to the to the synagogue to preach the gospel this gospel of this new way, which had captured him.

Remember Paul was a fighter Against and opposed to the gospel of Jesus Until God saved him and when God saved him. What is his method was in his ministry was to go to the Jews first to preach the gospel and if they refuse to hear it as we're gonna see here also notice as he goes to them in verse 4 and verse 5 and when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia Macedonia Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

So there's the gospel going to them. Jesus is the Messiah and when they opposed themselves and blasphemed. Of course, they totally Refudiated this message of course saying that this is blasphemy. There's only one God of course as they would look and their religious ceremonial practices and the law and all that keeping of that.

It just didn't fit with this message about there only being salvation through this this person this carpenters Son this Jesus of Nazareth. There's just just no way as they opposed it. Always Paul shakes his clothing and says your blood be upon your own heads.

I am clean from henceforth I will go into the Gentiles. He's he's Discharged his duty. He's been a good steward of the gospel. He's given it to to the Jews and they've not wanted to hear it. So he goes on to the Gentiles and he departed from thence and he entered into a certain man's house Justices house when I worshiped God whose house was close to the synagogue and Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians here we go many of the Corinthians Hearing hearing what the gospel hearing this message about Jesus Christ about salvation through him and him only they believed.

And they were baptized this this first expression of outward obedience to inwardly what has taken place with the salvation of the soul is baptism and Notice this interesting vision or this this message that Paul gets directly from the Lord.

I mean, can you think of this as you're ministering in your ministry here in at BBC? And if if the Lord were to assure you in this way What confidence you would have notice what he says to Paul the Lord spoke in a night vision by a vision to Paul be not Afraid but speak and hold out your peace.

For I am with you and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in This city what a comforting message from the Lord not only not to fear Paul would be protected divine presence divine protection but also the divine promise of the Lord that God had People in that city and and really if we think about it, the Lord said he would not forsake us when we're ministering.

Go into all the world and and to preach the gospel to baptize to do this to do the same thing to make Disciples and lo I am with you always the Lord is with us to his presence is with us at here at at BBC and God is for us.

God is going to protect us and don't we have to think that in the area that we're ministering at where God has placed us. That there's much people. There's people that need to hear the message and people that that are such in a needy way that that they need the salvation which comes only through Jesus Christ and we can kind of.

And we can kind of glean from this and be comforted from this also that the Lord will work Wonders in the midst of us to as he did with the Apostle Paul and establish a church and that's what's taking place here in Corinth he continues there a year and a half.

Verse 11 Teaching the Word of God among them and here he is in Corinth. Corinth the city in southern Greece. It is of the Roman province of a ki. It's about 45 miles west of Athens a city that was in a great area where it was to be in the trade route and the trade traffic a Prosperous city one that grew it was but it was also not only with not only Economically, it was prosperous but in a negative way it was prosperous or in it would in the in the opposite way of the influence of culture and of the influence of the thinking and the philosophy of the day of the of the self.

Focus as far as on on knowledge in the in the Greek culture in the way that they thought and also. Here we see because of the religious practices with in this town in the city. There's the temple of Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love.

And in that temple and in the city was employed more than a thousand priestesses who were religious prostitutes. So this city is famous for its depravity and because of the way that they supposedly worshiped God the way that they practice their religious their religion pagans to the core Morally corrupt and so much so that the name Corinth became synonymous with debauchery and moral Depravity.

And you'll notice if we turn to the book of first Corinthians go with me, please if you would to chapter 6 and you will see Some of the of the life the behavior the debauchery the lifestyle that they were saved.

The Gospel’s Power to Save and Transform

From what was their pattern of living? Before the gospel came to them. And Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 6 and in verse 9 He says no you not don't you know that the unrighteous? Shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

And of course Paul is teaching in the context here of this idea where there's litigation going on that that Christians are suing Christians and they're not not to be and What he's saying here is is that that you as believers are putting yourself on?

Display before a lost world so that they can judge what's going on in the church and Paul basically says that Person who's the least in the church ought to be the one who can judge amongst you because because really because you're believers you're family and you ought to care for one another and really there is a theme that I See and it kind of just it threads right through when it comes to all the issues and the problems that are in this church.

You can boil it down to this that Definitely there was a lack of love in this church because if you look at every single issue that they have. If they truly loved each other they would not demonstrate There they would not have the relationships of the problems that they had if they truly loved each other.

And here. How can a Christian who say that he loves another brother who says that you know? As we learn with this the classes from when pretty poor is teaching that how can we say? that we love God whom we've not seen if we don't love our brother who we have seen and In this case here, they're not showing that they love each other because they are taking each other To into court to suffer the injustice before a pagan world.

What a poor testimony that is and he says don't you know? That the unrighteous these people that you are going in before shall not inherit the king. Inherit the kingdom of God don't be deceived. Verse 9 6 chapter 6 verse 9 neither fornicators.

Nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind so you have you have Sexual immorality here of all sorts homosexuality sex worship thieves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners or swindlers these people shall not inherit the kingdom of God and He's kind of just saying you're going before them.

And you ought not to do this. You ought to take care of your own business if you truly love each other in the church you ought to be taking care Of the things the injustices that you say that you have and and deal with them within the church.

When he after he lists all these things he says and such were some of you. That's you used to live this way. This was your pattern of behavior. This is the life that you that you once lived before the gospel came to you.

And doesn't that tell you something about the power of the gospel? How it changes lives? I mean can't you just plug yourself into some of these? Phrases some of these words as you look down through here and say yes, I was a I was a thief.

I was one who was wrapped up in in covetousness. I was a drunkard. Never mind. I was I was an alcoholic. I was somebody who had a Chemical dependency, I mean just call it for what it is the Bible says it's drunkenness.

It's not a disease. It's not a problem. It's not it's not a problem. It's sin and sin was the problem in in Corinth and Paul when he was sent here. This is the type of people that he dealt with and he said but you.

And such were some of you. But really when you think of that that statement such were some of you. But we're not that way anymore because of God's work. We're not that way anymore because of the gospel because as He says in and you hold your place there.

But as he says in chapter 1 when he when he kicks off this this book. And he speaks about what Christ had sent him to do to preach the gospel. He says in verse 118 for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.

Of course it is. Doesn't make any sense. It doesn't allow me to maintain my my pride or to to maintain my Self my self effort and for for it to look at me or or it doesn't make any sense when it comes to our Practices as far as the Jews go because they want to be able to do something.

They want to be able to hold on to that which is important to them. He says foolishness to those that are perishing but unto us which are saved or thus which are being saved. Because we are being saved.

We haven't just been saved. We are being saved we have been saved from the power from the penalty of sin and We are being saved in our lifetime from the from the power of sin over us and God giving us the victory through Jesus Christ as we heard last week in Romans and one day will be Delivered from the presence of sin when our salvation is complete or Paul I think Peter might have put it this way, you know.

He says that you have been saved you are being saved and you well will yet be saved. It is an ongoing thing that God does in our lives. He's keeping us. We're kept by the the power of God and God is working and I'm not saying that we're saved over and over and over and over.

Again, we lose it get it lose and get it. No, we're once saved always saved but God is always doing a work in the life of his people. He is continually conforming us to the image of Christ. God is not through with us.

He doesn't just leave, you know, save us and leave us alone. God is working in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure and Paul says here in in chapter 1 that this message the preaching of the cross is the power of God that it's it's Unto us which are saved.

It is the power of God. It is what God has has so ordained. The message is is through the the person in the work of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone that we shall be saved. And it's through God's work that we come to know that we're sinners and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's what happened in Corinth. This was a this was a messy place. This was a this is a den of Iniquity and Paul as he's as he talks there in chapter 6. He says you were this way, but he says but you are washed you are sanctified.

You are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. You notice he didn't say there such were some of you. But you pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps and you did something about your life.

You turned over a new leaf and the problem when you turn over the new leaf. It's as rotten on the other side as it is on the front side. So it won't it won't help it needs to be a Total complete work of God and that's what the gospel is.

And when Paul let me let me show it to you in chapter 15 1st Corinthians 15 notice what he says about the gospel here. It's very important. Paul did not have his. Have his series of seminar topics that he was going to come in and do self-help.

You know pull yourself up get it all together type things. He knew that it needed to be a radical work of God just like in his own life. He was totally opposed to the gospel totally opposed to Christ.

He was he was fighting against God as When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, he said Paul. Paul, you know, why are you persecuting me direct? Rebellion and persecution against Christians, but but Jesus said it's against me.

Why are you kicking against the goads? Paul was a rebellious one. But he had been subdued by Christ and when he when he speaks to them in 1st Corinthians 15 He says moreover brethren. I declare unto you the gospel which I preach to you.

Which which you've also received and wherein you stand so this gospel is something that Paul preached. They had received it the work of the Holy Spirit because they received the gospel. They received Christ as we heard in chapter in Acts chapter 18, and they're standing in it.

He says by which also you have been saved. The only way to be saved is through the through the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he says by which also you are saved in verse 2 if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain there is a there is a vein or an empty or a or a Useless faith.

People can believe Upon Christ they can believe that he died. They can believe that he was buried and they can believe that he rose from the dead that he's the Savior of the world. They can believe all that and still be lost.

Because you can intellectually believe on Christ and he says here you've been saved by the gospel that I preached. And he talks and he's talking about a steadfastness there. He's talking about a perseverance if you keep in memory what I preached on you unless you've believed in vain.

Because Paul also understands, and he's that's what his whole letter is all about. Look if you say that you're a Christian. And if you say that you're one who has has been saved by the gospel which I have been called to preach.

And I'm an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then your lifestyle should be different. It should be something that captivates you it should be something that Permeates your your very soul in your life, and you become a new creature in Christ.

He says and he goes on and he tells what this gospel is verse 3 and 4 kind of a great Summation of the gospel for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according To the scriptures and then he was seen of Cephas or Peter then of the twelve and after that he was seen of about 500 brethren at once in Verse 7 after that he was seen of James then of all the Apostles in verse 8 and last of all he was seen of me Also as one born out of due time.

For I am the least of the Apostles verse 9 that I am not meet or I'm not fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God and Paul gives the right credit where the credit is due in the honor for his life-changing This life-changing work.

He says in verse 10, but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. But I labored more abundantly than they all yet not I. But the grace of God which was with me and Paul gives himself in his example here and if you look back in chapter 4 he gives himself as an example of of one to follow because he realized by the by the revelation of Jesus Christ to him that the the the faith that comes to us as a gift of God, yes and Salvation is a gift of God.

It is a work of God, but the salvation that comes to the sinner does not come alone. Titus chapter 2 it says that it's the grace of God That teaches us to Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and justly in this present world.

Grace the grace of God teaches us to say no to sin and it teaches us to submit to God. It teaches us to be people who are obedient and desire to be holy and desire a life change and Paul understood that and that's What he's teaching and he's and he's warning them.

I mean in this book Paul uses every literary device to help this church. And the reason why he's doing it is because he is going to stand in the gap for these people. He loves them so much that he's going to tell them the truth.

He's going to tell them exactly what they need to hear so that they can be corrected so they can be Disciplined to get back where they need to be as a glorious Spotless testimony of the grace of God because God's grace is to transform the life and they weren't there.

Unfortunately as I have in the notes on the second page on the back if you if you want to just take a look under the section of observations Number one it says what factors made it difficult for the gospel to take root in a healthy way in the city of Corinth.

While the mindset of the Corinthians Made it almost impossible for the church to fully break with the surrounding culture. The congregation continually behaved in a factional way we're going to look at that a little bit showing its carnality and immaturity and The gift that Apollos had ministered in the church for a while some You know they had a click and they were following him.

Another group were loyal to Paul another group had an allegiance to Peter and Still another says you know that Oh Peter nothing Paul Nothing Apollos great speaker nothing, but we're of Christ. We're the followers of Jesus.

We we've got that badge on us. You know we're more. We're definitely more spiritual and notice this phrase that I enlarged and I emboldened instead of the church. Having a significant impact on the city the city had too much of an impact upon the church.

And that is one of the greatest warnings that to me comes out of this book is a we going to be impacted by the culture. By the lifestyle by the society by the thinking in our world around us. So that it creeps into the church or ought it to be the other way that that there is such a powerful Testimony that God has done something at BBC that when we live in this community and in the communities where we go home to Reside in where where our houses are and when we desire to do something in the community.

Is it that we have an impact? Upon the day in which we live and upon the society in which we live that we as it says in the book of Jude. That we make a difference. That that we Have so so much of a powerful testimony of what God is doing in us.

That we don't allow the world to creep in but we have every desire to push out the message of the gospel. And for it to affect the community in which we live and the day in which we live and for for us to be trophies of grace.

Put on display before the world to say that this is something that that God has done. Well, you know It's true that the gospel came to Corinth and It's also do you know some people I've heard people think about the book of Corinthians and say my what a mess.

But a big mess I mean you just you just think about about this church and I've listed in different places in the you know. There's different places where I list some of the things that Paul had to deal with and we won't get to get to all of them, but I mean there was Factionalism as we talked about our divisions or cliques there there's envy there's strife there's immorality there's the lack of even exercising proper biblical church discipline.

There's ignorance and misuse of spiritual gifts. There's carnality. There's questioning of Paul's Apostleship in his authority there's Uncharitable nests at the Lord's table and really if you think about all of the things that took place I mean just think of there being factions and in these schisms this in chapter 1, you know where it's I am of Paul.

I am a Paulist I am of Christ and Paul says is Christ divided 113 was Paul crucified for you. He uses Paul uses every literary device. He uses logic he uses Sarcasm entreaty scolding poetry Exposition narration and throughout this whole book everything.

He's throwing all the guns out and and doing everything within his power to reason with these people to scold these people to To desire to discipline them and to get them to wake up if you ever read the book think of them in the King James.

It's it's uh, no you not or don't you understand or don't you know? That you're like this you're bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are his. He says don't you know that you're of Christ?

Don't you know that you're different that you're to live above the world that you're that you're you're not as you were before. Don't you understand don't go to court with the young with the lost because the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God go with.

Those who are going to inherit the kingdom of God then understand what God has done in their life that have the mind of Christ that have a love and ought to have a love for you and go before them and get your your disagreements taken care of within the church.

When it comes to the factional parties that they have I mean you got this group this click over here and this group when this click over here following different leaders. And we look at the church and we say with all the issues that they have what a mess I mean, they're they're really in bad shape and of course here comes here comes a brother Dave.

You know hit it. You know, let us let us hear it because we do need to we do need to hear it. I mean really are we any different if you think about it in the day in which we live do we not have problems in our churches also and we struggle with sin and and Factionalism or a lack of charity for for other people.

I mean of are we are we so Proud that we would think that that these things do not take place in in a local New Testament Church today. Well, they do we we we know that and maybe not to the degree of the things that that happened here in the church in the church at Corinth.

But it ought to really just humble us and for us to be able to take the warning that's here for us. Because as an as we consider some of these examples of the things that they went through. It ought to cause us just to look at ourselves individually and to look at ourselves at a church that this ought not to be the way that we want to live and this is Not the testimony that we desire to have when when we serve Christ in the day in which we live we want to be a people who are a People who give no offense in anything.

That we don't put a blight upon the name of Jesus Christ that we would so love him and so want to honor him that we would live in such a way as as Paul said when he wrote to the Colossians and we may look at that that the verse when we get there.

But he says he says beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world are not after Christ. He said there's a there's a thinking in the world.

There is a there is a thinking that is so opposed to God. It is so so self-promoting. It is so self-aggrandizing. Aggrandizing. My aren't we great and in the in the pursuits that we have, you know, the Bible says this but Let's live this way and let's do it that way whatever the teaching whatever the philosophy is the Corinth the Corinthians opened the door and they allowed it to come into the church and What we ought to do at every moment all of the time is to guard ourselves and beware.

That we're not taken captive that we're not infiltrated that we're not so influenced by the world that as somebody once shared with me it used to be it used to be if if if the if the standard of the church was here and The world is here.

I've I've heard it say that well, you know what from the church in order for us to reach the world. We've got to lower our standards. So that we'll be closer and be able to identify with the world and we'd be able to speak on the same terms and go to the same places that they go to and listen to the same things that they listen to so that we can talk turkey and So that we can really have a powerful Influence upon them so that we can kind of get on some type of ground with them.

Well, what happens there is as the as the church lowers its standard and as then the world standards continue to lower. I mean look over the decades that if you've been alive more than 20 years 30 years.

You've seen it's such a radical change and what's allowable today. What has come out of the closet and what what people speak of just I remember when I was a kid. There were things that as Paul said in first Corinthians 5 you're committing sin that don't even the Gentiles not even the the the pagan world Frowns upon is inside the church at Corinth.

It's horrible. Well as the world drops its standards. What's the church saying that it's going to do it's going to drop its standards to to keep up with the world and what happens. Was when the when the church when the world was here and the church eventually gets weird to the place where the world was.

And what's the difference? Where the impact comes really brethren when it comes? This way in in first Corinthians chapter 14, I'll just read a verse to you that it just so always Amazes me that this ought to be something that ought to be our prayer when it comes to the church life and the church testimony.

Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 14 where this church had a an issue. Of course with the abuse and the lack of understanding of spiritual gifts, and he says to them Here it is down near verse 23 if if the whole car if the whole church become together in one place and All speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers.

Will they not say that you are mad? I mean everybody speaking in tongues and nobody interpreting. He says won't won't they think that it's madness. It's disorderly. It's just it doesn't make any sense they can't understand it, but and Paul of course here in this chapter is speaking of at the beginning of it the the superiority of preaching or the prophesying as.

Because the Corinthians had too much of an effort too much of an emphasis on tongues. And Paul says but if all prophesy in verse 24 in their coming one that believeth not Of an unbeliever comes in a one that is unlearned it comes in and he is convinced of all he is judged of all.

There's this conviction of sin verse 25 and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and So falling down on his face. He will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth. Isn't that a testimony that we ought to desire in a church when it when it comes to ministry when it comes to?

Opening our doors and what it is that we're all about not to open our doors and to have Programs or death and I'm not saying that that's what we're doing here. I mean we see this in Christendom today in churches today have programs that are on the same level of the world to have to have skits and to have musicals and to have sermonettes to have just to water down the gospel so that the world will come in and With the world comes the world that's the that's the danger here with the world comes the world's influence and Paul says no.

What we ought to be is orderly. What we ought to be is do it as God has designed it and what we ought to be is a holy people and hold the Standard high and as he which has called you is holy. Peter said so be you holy in all manner of conversation.

Or in all ways of your behavior and everything that we do Central the preaching of the of the Word of God and hold it up as a standard and don't worry about. I mean not worry About how long it's so difficult pastor Steve and those that go to other churches.

When you when you're asked to preach and they say you got 34 minutes 34 minutes I can't barely get the c5a off the runway in 30 34 minutes. You're just starting to you're just starting to get warmed up, but you know or 25 minutes.

It's like oh boy. You know I'm gonna get. I got five-point message. I think I'll do one. You know it's it's this Watching of the clock it's got to be done by 12 o 'clock. You know and I'm talking about in Christian churches.

I mean Who cares about the time? We're meeting with the Lord and the desire ought to be to be a pure people a desire. Desiring to lift up and exalt Jesus Christ, and that's Paul's desire for the Corinthian Church.

He wants them to be a people who honor the Lord and are a great and in wonderful testimony. But it's not there and There are disorders in the church. There's conflict. There's pride there's social evils there's immorality and really if I Didn't I never saw this until this week when I was looking at this that if you take every single one of the issues that Are in this church, and you apply two things to it one?

Bring everything back to Jesus Christ. Bring everything back to the end of chapter the end of chapter 1 where he says but of him are you in Jesus Christ? Who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that glories.

Let him glory in the Lord. If everything that we do and every motive and we examine everything that we do in the church and Paul Saying that to them to get them back on track. He says let it be let your boast be of God.

That's the first thing and secondly is if you would truly love each other. And that's why I believe one of the central chapters and one of the focuses in this book is 1st Corinthians 13 this whole idea of What love really is because if you really loved each other you would not have the divisions.

You would not sue each other in the court of the of the pagans. You would you would not have if you really loved that brother. Who was committing that gross sin if you truly loved him Paul basically said you would have dealt with him now.

And and I have to do it here. I'm telling you what you need to do. For the sake of the gospel for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the sake of the soul of this. This one you call brother love him enough to tell him the truth and discipline and do it in a loving way do it and speak the truth in love, but any any of the the issues that were in the church when it when it come to the Uncharitable nests that they had in 1st Corinthians 11 where he dealt had to deal with that at the Lord's table some of them came.

And they were they were well off. They had food and others were poor and they didn't have anything and the ones who had food were Rebanqueting and eating in front of in front of the others. And there was just and not caring for them and not and not reaching out to them and giving them and then coming to the Table together as brethren and here we are we're to love each other.