Week of Meetings 1970-05 1'st Corinthians — Stan Ford

I wonder if this morning we may turn, please, to the Epistles of the Corinthians, the first letter of all to the Church of Corinth, and we will read, if we may, just a verse or two out of the first chapter.

Reading First Corinthians as a Whole

One Corinthians, chapter one. I have in my heart this morning that we might look together at this Epistle and the Epistles. Not just a verse from it, not just a portion from it. You know, I'm persuaded of this.

And they have seized this letter. I'm persuaded that they didn't sort of look at it and say, well, let's take a little word here and a little word there. I'm persuaded they read it as a book. Or later they went back to it and they said, this is important, let's read this again.

This is difficult. Why do you understand to say that? This is difficult. Let us ponder it again. But when they read it, they read it first as a book. Most days I receive a spot on it. I read it through.

I don't put it out, but I keep them anyway. And here the Apostle writes to the Church of Corinth to deter. I get deterred that I meet some folks who know so much about so little. So if you were to ask them to give an exposition of the 13th of 1 Corinthians, they would let you.

It's not quite so readily. The answer is yes. So I want us to look at the book. Now I'm not just telling you this morning, I was taught when first I was converted. The work of God and with which I am finished.

I read my week in our Bible readings. And the elders and the bricklayers. All we had was a professional man, he was a dead man. He was always on to me about giving up fighting. I used to ask him how he got his living.

But still. You know, I remember it so well. The Baal Gathers. And these men taught us. They taught us the Word of God. So I love you, Ben. I bought when you said 15 bucks for a little print. It's entire message.

You'll never be able to bring to your memory the general theme of it. I'm going to ask you to read with me this morning. The closing verses of the first chapter. Verse 28 to 29 says. No flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus. Who of God is made unto us. Wisdom and righteousness. And according as it is written. He that glorious. Let him glory in the Lord. May I read that verse again. Of him in Christ Jesus.

Who of God is made unto us. Wisdom and righteousness. And sanctification and redemption. That according as it is written. He that glorious. Let him glory in the Lord. Now the Lord will add his blessing, I'm sure, to the reading of this verse.

It was an American author. I know that's his. Corinthians. And to look at and see. There is. And see a ship. As there it sails by. But there is. She's not the ship in the sea. From the grave. He's in Israel.

There's something thrilling, don't you? Thrilling. Being a church. In Carleton. Wicked. Vile. Wretched city. And it was all there. In the center of Corinth. It makes you feel that you want to say a phrase.

In the words of the Lord. There's something wonderful about seeing Carleton. It all was written. Not because there was a church in Corinth. But because there was Corinth in a church. That somehow the world was happening in Corinth.

And by the way. It's right at the beginning of the book. We have something brought before us. That the Christian church is at the beginning. But it's there. This great letter. When he brings before them.

The great answer. To all their problems. Who wrote to him. About the difficulties. But when a man lays his criticism against another. That man must demand. To take it back. The one that said it. You see.

I think that the work of God is too large. To have any light about this. Because quite frequently. When people criticize another. And I say to them. Oh brother. Come on. We can't put this out. Right. They look at me and they say.

Well you know. I heard it. How is it? This is important. In the light of some of the things. Now you all know. That this book divides itself into four parts.

Disunity, Disorder, Disagreement, and Disbelief

You are all aware of the fact. I'm only telling you what you've learned. In your Sunday schools and Bible classes.

That first of all. There is in the church of God. Disunity. There is in the church of God. Disunity. There is in the church of God. Disorder. There is in the church of God. Disagreement. Strange as it may seem.

There is in the church of God. Disbelief. When we open those first four chapters. Of this wonderful epistle. You will remember. That we have brought before us. Disunity. Disunity has come. Because of person.

There are those that stand up and say. I of Paul. And I of Apollos. And I of Cephas. And if you please. Some of them say. I of Christ. There is disunity because of person. Then there is disunity. Disunity concerning power.

Why the Jews require a sign. And the Greeks seek after wisdom. They say if we are going to progress. In the things of God. Then we must go after the wisdom. Of this thing. If we are going to progress.

In the things of God. Then we must have signs. We must have miraculous things. In our church order. Disunity not only concerning persons. And not only concerning power. But there was disunity. Concerning position.

When the apostle writes his fourth chapter. He speaks of some. And he says. Some of you apostles. Who dare to say. Now listen. We are the leaders here. It's that there is not only disunity. But there was disorder.

In chapter five. And chapter six. Christians. We find first in chapter five. Moses. His brother taking his brother to war. Not only disunity. But there is disorder. In the very church of God. The portion of this very wonderful epistle.

As you know. Commencing in verse. Or chapter seven. And running right through the seven chapters. To chapter fourteen. We find disagreement. Sister. Don't come to me. And tell me the bible is an old fashioned book.

As I read the epistles of the Corinthians. I would think that it was written yesterday. Really I. I see all the disagreement. That was found in the church at Collins. I say with sorrow in my heart. And yet I must say it.

Because praise God that the lancers do it. I want to say that all the disagreements that are found. From chapter seven to fourteen. I see them in the world today. And I go through them very quickly. Chapter seven is the tremendous disagreement.

Concerning marriage. Is the tremendous disagreement. Concerning meat. Whether one should eat that which has been offered to idols. Chapter nine. Is the tremendous disagreement. Concerning maintenance.

I don't know whether the man that preaches the gospel. Should live by the gospel. I don't know whether the oxen should be muscled. When it cut out the corn. When we come to chapter ten. It's the tremendous disagreement.

That causes murmuring. And there in that great tenth verse. This is what the apostle says. Leader murmur ye. As we come to chapter eleven. Of course it's the great chapter. Of the memorial feast. Right through the avenue of time.

There's been disagreement concerning this. We don't need to go into it. This very day. Is divided. Right from the matter of the memorial. We come indeed to chapter twelve. It is a matter of membership.

Agreement for those who are members of the body of Christ. And when they became members of the body of Christ. And is it possible having been a member. To lose that membership. When we come to chapter thirteen.

There's very little disagreement here. And yet surely the whole chapter tells us there is. It is the disagreement concerning motives. I speak with the tongues of men and of angels. And have not seen the poor.

And have not loved. I give my body to the poor. And have not loved. It is not our actions. Chapter fourteen. As you know it is the disagreement. As indeed to the ministry in the church. And when he ministers.

And what he ministers. You would almost think that the epistle to the Corinthians was written yesterday. Come to chapter fifteen. And with your permission I am going to omit chapter fifteen. Because chapter fifteen is the final exhortation.

And the greetings and salutation. That sent to those that he knew. While of course there is great truth. There is truth concerning the collection of the saints. On the first day of the week. There is truth concerning our attitude to others.

The whole chapter mainly deals with final exhortation and salutation. But the final message of the epistle to the Corinthians. Is found in chapter fifteen. And it is not disunity or disorder or disagreement.

But the tragedy of this disbelief.

For you will remember in that great verse. He dareth to say. How say some among you. On the day. Those who deny the resurrection. Members of the church. If you had any like that here. I have got a feeling that you would read them out.

But they were there. There was disbelief in the church. I say. It is not disunity or disorder or disagreement. It is a rather. It is a rather sober. It would be if there wasn't enough. In the verse that we were taught.

Was the key verse to the entire epistle. Is God's answer to this. For our disunity. Christ is made unto us. Wisdom. Christ is made unto us. Disagreement. Christ is made unto us redemption. We shall receive the redemption.

As in all things. His body. That the church has the power to present Christ. That is the only desire. I want to say this. That for every one of us that has come to know. That the Saviour would say. Christ is made unto us.

He is made unto us. Wisdom. He has been made unto us. He has been made unto us. Redemption. In Christ. In the blood. In Christ. And the apostle wakes to the church of Corinth. And says if that was your particular Christ.

What is your condition. There was disunity in the church. And I pointed out to you. That this disunity. Came first of all. Through customs. You see what had happened was this. Very simply. There had come to the city of Corinth.

Paul, Apollos, and the Problem of Divided Loyalties

This man that we call Saul. Saul. University of his day. Without the supply. He enjoyed from Old Testament. The things of God. Was to march. Into the city of Corinth. And there he stands. And he preaches.

The verse indeed from Galatians. Where he praises them. That they would pull out their eyes. Who have felt. That it was not blindness. But a form of epilepsy. The imprisonment. The torture that he had to endure.

And he could wonderfully speak. But he said. And he comes to. And said ah. Yes. Paul's alright you know. But the difficulty is. He goes down to the. He puts his arms around his head. No. The scripture says.

That he was an eloquent. Why he had a voice like music. You know he never got to the ages. Never put them on the wrong train. People were slaves. Trying to read or write. And they listened to Apollos.

And they said. Swallowed the dictionary.

Communicating the Gospel with Simple Words

He found those long words. Inviting to his church on vacation. His theological professors.

Using very long words. And so the young minister said. You're not very clever. You will use simple words won't you. Great volume. I would like to give you a summary. Of what we read. It is an abbreviated synopsis.

He made simple summaries. Into abbreviated synopsis. And if you don't want Apollos. He uses too many big words. And then suddenly there came. You know he must have laughed the water over sometimes. He shouted a wee bit.

And of course he managed to say it. You can see he believes what he talks about. Why that's the man for me. The conspect of realising. That whether it was Paul. Or nothing for everyone. They began to divide.

I am Apollos. And I am Christ. It was not someone you know. Who was sort of. Some people in common. Who didn't obey God's virtues. There were some people in common. Who in the day of despair. Have heard Christ.

They heard him. And they said listen. What do we want to have a ministry for. We don't want to listen to Paul. We don't want to listen to Apollos. We don't want to listen to Cephas. We don't want to listen to the Lord.

They called the whole body in one church. You will notice that. Not just one minister over a church. But you will notice they came. Paul and Apollos and Cephas. They all came to the church. And they divided about man.

So write and say listen. Christ is made unto you. Wisdom would be wise enough to realise. That all are yours. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas. Things present. Things to come. Life, death, all of it.

The only thing that doesn't belong to you is yourself. You are Christ. Oh brothers and sisters. May I ask. Is it not a fact. That you and I need to realise. That God has ministry for us. For all sorts of things.

Wouldn't it be glorious. Wouldn't it be a bit uncomfortable. But nevertheless it's good when you have it. You come that you might listen to Father Stone. Or you come to listen to what the Lord has to say.

One or the other. Oil. Oil. From every part of the Christian church. Oil. Oil. That's something I love about our morning meeting book. I'm not very familiar with yours. I'm more familiar maybe with the little flock or believers.

But one of the things that thrills me about our morning meeting. You see the names of the authors. Some there who wrote a chapter. Oil. Oil is all yours. Since present things to come. Life. Do you know early this morning I was thinking about that.

Death belonging. I felt like saying Lord you can have it back. Far from dying in the land. And in different places. Mostly rags in the country. Away from areas of vast population. You would see a barbed wire entanglement.

A prison camp. Now we didn't want it. We haven't seen it. But listen. We would rather have it belong to us. Than where they could purchase. They couldn't purchase what they would enter. Death belongs to a Christian.

Like a prisoner of war belongs to those that capture him. We don't want death. You remember the lovely story of Bishop Moore. You remember. The great Bishop went to see his doctor. The doctor looked at him.

He said doctor. Bishop then was. He was born. I don't know. Just as a prisoner of war. Belongs to those that capture him. And he cannot choose a person that he doesn't want. So I pray God. Death can't do us any harm.

It will only take us into his presence. Or yours. For the fall or the wonder of it. Why is it that there's disunity about persons? Why is it we can't see that God has for us. In the assembly of his people.

God has for us. Such a rich. Mixed ministry. Ordinary things of life. I'll let you into a secret. I'm trying to lose a little weight. I'm very harsh. But I'll let you into a secret. If you gave me eggs and bacon.

For breakfast, dinner, eating supper. Every day for a month. But in the church of God. God over the years. Some of the most elegant. The most gentlemanly. Some of the most crude. And yet from all of them.

A voice. Wise enough to receive. From himself. To the hand of whosoever he will. What he has for us. Then of course there is disagreement.

Spiritual Power and the Limits of Human Wisdom

Not only about persons. But about power. We face this today in the church, don't we? Isn't that true?

Face this today in the church. For there are those that say. Why the Greeks seek after wisdom. And the Jews seek after a point.

Is not this just what's happened today?

They're trying to introduce into evangelism. All sorts.

But I must say as an evangelist. That sometimes you take.

If this is what he says. That this is the source of all power. We preach. We have nothing else. It's the way of glory and blessing. You must forgive. You must forgive my story being English. Is that no problem?

Just a great granite memory. Seven covenanters were crowned today. When they had friends in Galapagos. I'll say that again. I'll fetch a policeman. And he's not going to tell the truth. To the tears there came a smile.

A dirty old granite memory. That he knew his way home. The Christian faith. Is thunder. But when it comes to this unity about position. Oh dear. The apostle writes back to the church. And he speaks the bones of another.

Sometimes we say to our shame. Sometimes we say that this is true. Isn't it? I've never been to a church where anyone never quarreled about who was going to sweep it out. What is he doing? Well never once.

But sometimes in the church of God they quarrel about who's first. He that rarely recommends it. In position. Desire of the offers of a bishop and elder. Desire of the goods. Work. Work.

Church Discipline and Conflicts Among Believers

Disunity in the opening. Four chapters. When we come to chapter five and chapter six. It's the story of disorder.

The moral sin of chapter five. I've nothing to say about it. I may have something to say about it. I'll just say this. When I arrive home. I've been sleeping away so long. I might have a lip job to be done.

And when sometimes your hands are sort of made for love hammers and six inch nails. Well sometimes you hit your thumb. I've got a thumb. In my own country. In the politics in which I move. What happens in discipline is because of politics.

That's in the twenty-eight years of gospel preaching. You feel you can go and crawl out of the carpet. You feel you've got to pray God to give you a family life. When that's done. This is made under operation.

This chapter tells us what happens in the church of God. The fifth chapter is not there to tell us what will happen. What we shall do if this happens. The fifth chapter is there to tell us that Christ is made unto us.

When we come to the sixth chapter. It's material. And his brother taking butter from the oven. And he would not let his brother do as it tells what we should do. That no brother should ever have to put his brother in the position where he couldn't.

I would never let myself passing through a little town where I had a very, very brother who owned the garage. Garage. I went in to see my brother and I walked into his business.

In a Christian church some mile away from his little town.

When I came some mile my brother knew that he was a personal friend of the boss. At the end of the day the account was sent in. The account was sent in. This man had not suddenly gone into difficulty.

This man had the money to pay. It was just that he was living on someone else's credit. Did you know that this letter had been sent out? He said personally I did not know. The man in charge of my office speaks to this.

He's my sales manager. He's in charge of my office. But I don't know what happened although I personally did not know what had been sent out. I have no knowledge of what was sent out. Why did I answer the letter?

I'll be very clear. Dear son, your letter has been transferred to the hands of the usual instructions. I've contacted the officials of the Corinthians saying brother must not take brother to law. You will abide by it.

He said brother must not take brother to law. He said he mustn't take brother to law because the church doesn't allow it. He's got to check whether he's heard of us. Freedom to us. Righteousness. Brethren it's no good you saying.

I trusted Jesus. I accepted him as my saviour.

I made righteous in saying that. Righteous life. A gal who said let me die the death of the righteous. You don't understand. Here was a man.

Who had never learned or. I said first of all that there was disunity. I said there was disorder.

Marriage, Sanctification, and Christian Liberty

Now of course we come to the great chapters that speak of disagreement. Oh I haven't got time to take you right through them. We'd be here all the morning and afternoon. But let's get a general idea of what it's about.

Christ is made unto us. Stratification. Christ is the answer to disunity. Christ is the answer to disorder. Christ is the answer to disagreement. There were those that were disagreeing about marriage.

Should you be married? Should you not be married? What is the position in the church? I said it's quite modern isn't it? Don't you every now and then open the newspaper and see that in the church of Rome they're arguing about this very thing.

Don't we find even today this great question is being raised again and again the matter of marriage. Christ is made unto us Stratification. Now don't let me fight with that word Stratification. You know what it means.

It simply means that it's set apart for the glory of God. It's made unto you Stratification. In Christ you glory of God. There are brethren here today who would say like I could not be where I am. I could not do what I do.

I want you to write a nice flattering word about it. In the work that we both believe God has called me to. I couldn't do it if she didn't agree with me. Twenty years ago she came and well she was 22.

She had a girl. She didn't want anyone to take her away. She came and asked me if I think she should have been married. I said no. She said Daddy I don't believe you've got a wife for her. I said what do you mean I haven't got a wife.

You've had it. The tears were running down her face when she saw Daddy and she said what does it mean to be in the work of God? Is it a waste of your time? I couldn't be where I am if it wasn't for my wife.

She's been father and mother and she had to take both places. I thank God for the glory of God. Set apart for his glory. Lord when it comes to the most intimate things of life nothing could be more intimate than fellowship in marriage between a man and a woman.

Is it great? Do we say Lord I'm set aside for your glory. It's not my desire or my wish. It's what you want. That's the answer. That's the answer to the seventh chapter of Corinthians. The eighth chapter is meets offering that which has been offered to eating that which has been offered to idols.

What can we do? Here is meat it's been offered to idols. Can a Christian have it? Is it lawful for him to have it? Christ is made under you sanctification and if eating meat causes thy brother to stumble we're set apart for God's glory and God's glory is seen in the blessing of our fellow brethren and sisters in that.

Not in the upsetting but in the blessing if it causes thy brother to stumble. Therefore I won't eat meat. When we come to chapter nine it's the matter of maintenance. The great such they want things to talk to them.

John X and Rosary. 28 years we've trusted the Lord to provide our needs. You know I stand here to tell you one of them.