series: being the body

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was give you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4

Paul’s closing words remind us of our calling as a church. We are a family that acts in love for one another and shares in the Lord’s work. We serve one another and the Lord as One community that has been marked by the love of Christ as we wait for the Lord’s return.

In light of the reality of the resurrection, we must ask ourselves, do we long for heaven and our own resurrected bodies? Paul's clinical explanation of how the resurrection works should create in us a longing and anticipation for that day when Christ returns.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Remember the gospel. No other thing matters. No other thing can bring us together. And no other thing can transform our lives and the lives of those around us. The gospel is central to our lives and experience as a church. To remember the gospel is to recognize its role in forming us individually and corporately as a body. If we believe the gospel, who we are and what we do will be rooted in our confession.

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. I Corinthians 14:33a

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. I Corinthians 14:12

1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most beautiful and familiar chapters in the Bible. It is typically read at weddings. This, of course, was never the original intent. Instead, Paul was rebuking the Corinthian church for its abuse of spiritual gifts. This background info is often ignored. We become so familiar with a Scripture passage that we no longer think about what the passage means. If we ignore the context of this chapter, we are in danger of missing its major point.

Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for its divisions, specifically for the way they are practicing the Lord's Supper. The Church fails to properly consider the implications of remembering Christ as He is proclaimed in the Supper. Paul even says that their meetings do more harm than good. The primary division was the favoritism towards the rich over the poor.

Welcome to Good News Bible Church. We're a faith community focused on knowing God better and serving Him as a result. We pray our weekly messages provide encouragement & insights for living.

We see two histories at play in this passage: Israelite history and Corinthian history: Both histories are examples of common human experience: idolatry. Both were delivered by God – the Israelites from Egypt & the Corinthians from sin & death. Both histories communicate that God had sustained them – Israel by spiritual (& literal) food & drink, the Corinthians by spiritual food & drink (Lord’s Supper). Both histories also speak of a people, who despite deliverance & provision, were drawn to other gods. Both histories also confront people who claim to believe one thing while doing something contrary to their beliefs.

I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22b

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 1 John 3:16

...yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. This is my rule in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 8:6

All things being equal many of us believe Christian marriage is the ideal. So our activities, programs, interactions lead us to believe that if we aren't married we are not yet blessed by God or even useful to God. So what are we to do if we are single? Can we be used by God? Or are we relegated to the sidelines of the church, waiting for marriage? God's vision for all of us is one of service and devotion to him. Whatever our status, we are each called to honor God with our lives.

Whether we are single or married, God’s calling is critical in our lives. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we make some radical changes in our life. In relationship to the issues of singleness and marriage, Paul stresses that we are not to rush to change our marital status. Marriage was not the problem.

Sex isn't really something we are used to talking about at church. Some might say the church is for spiritual things not... Sex. Others might ask, why should the church have anything to say about what I do with my body? Yet we find that our scriptures instruct us, the church on sexual practices. According to the scriptures our bodies are not meant to gratify our sexual desires, our bodies are meant to glorify God.

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. 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 3 reflection questions from the sermon conclusion: * Am I cultivating an eternal perspective, seeing big things as big and small things as small? * How am I preserving my witness of Jesus Christ? Am I shining and loving? * Am I caught up with the things of this world, and by the grace of God, need a clean break?

Paul writes to a church that is in the emergency room! He has diagnosed the problem: CANCER. He sees SIN as a CANCER that will destroy the body of Christ. He urges the church at Corinth to remove the cancer- to purge itself of sin… to remove the member who is involved in incest! The church will either stand together or fall based on this action.

The proud have no place in the Church of God. If the Gospel of the crucified Christ teaches us anything it is that the church belongs to those who consider themselves humble servants and boast in Christ rather than themselves. In God’s Church up is down and those with little are those with plenty