Download Sermon Notes GCF Central Dear church… I Cor. 1:1

Sermon Notes
GCF Central
Dear church…
I Cor. 1:1-3
March 5, 2017
There is no such thing as a perfect church.
A.
B.
C.
D.
But there are healthy churches and unhealthy churches. (better/worse)
Thom Rainer: research on “7 Great and 7 bad experiences of first-time guests.”
Every church makes mistakes….I’m sorry…
It could be so much worse. We could be members of this first century church in
Corinth.
We are beginning a new series this morning in the book of I Corinthians, centering on this local
church in the city of Corinth in AD 50.
A. I read ahead (1&2 Corinthians) and have two conclusions. First, I would not want to
be a pastor at this church. Second, you would not want to be a member of this
church.
B. Here is the normal in Corinthian church…(division; self-promotion; prostitution;
church members suing; theological controversies; communion issues….)
C. Would any of you come to a new members class in Corinth?
D. Given that, how’s your Sunday here at GCF really going?
E. This church in Corinth was in great need. They did not need an adult S.S. class on
relational wisdom. They needed relational rescue!
F. This is what God is doing, mediated through this letter from the apostle Paul.
G. Consider this sermon a “Dear church in Corinth” letter. In three parts.
Dear Church, this is me. (Paul’s identity, V1)
Dear Church, this is you. (church’s identity, V2-3)
Dear GCF, this is us. (application for us today)
Dear church, this is me. (V1)
A. Paul knew this church personally. Acts 18 background…
B. Paul was in Ephesus when he received word that there was trouble in the church in
Corinth. At the same time, a letter from Corinth was sent to Paul asking for his
clarifications on a number of practical questions.
C. This is the letter to I Corinthians.
D. Acts 18:8; V 9.
E. Sosthenes: one of the rulers of the synagogue who came to Christ and took a
beating for it. (Acts 18:17)
F. Come to Christ. Hang out with Paul. Take a beating.
G. Notice the first thing Paul does in this letter is to remind the Corinthian church of
who he is. His identity.
H. Two markers: I am called by the will of God. I am called to be an apostle.
I. This is heavy stuff. Paul is saying it was Jesus who called him from his sin and
rebellion. (Damascus road)
J. It was then Jesus who “sent him.” (apostle means “sent one.”)
K. Paul is reminding this church in Corinth that he is one who is living under
submission, total surrender to Christ. He does not approach them on his own
authority but as one who is sent to represent Jesus Christ.
L. Paul is establishing his ministry credentials. Why the need?
M. Main problem in church in Corinth was that everybody was their own authority.
They all did what was right in their own eyes.
N. Dear church….pay attention!
Dear church, this is you. (identity as people of God, V 2-3)
A. Every church has its own culture or identity and way of doing things, stated or
unstated.
B. In Corinth, it was not Christian, it was Corinthian.
C. The church culture was dysfunctional. Sinful. Worldly. Selfish. Self-indulgent.
D. It was more Corinthian than Christian.
E. When Paul planted this church, the population of Corinth was around 700,000.
F. It was epicenter of first century business and commerce, as a port city.
G. Corinth was a city of extremes. Great wealth, immense poverty. Beauty yet
degradation.
H. Gordon Fee: “Corinth was a mixture of LA/NY/Vegas all mixed into one.”
I. This is what the word “corinthianize” came to mean: a cultural byword for
perversion and immorality.
J. This Corinthian culture – self-indulgence, self-rule, self-absorption – infected this
local church. This is why Paul reminds them of their true identity.
Notice what Paul says about their identity, their true identity.
A. You are sanctified in Christ Jesus…you are saints, together with all the other saints…
B. Dear church: You belong to God. (Set apart to live a holy life)
C. Dear church: You belong to each other. (they were not living as holy people but
declared saints by God.)
D. Paul’s point: Have you so quickly forgotten who you really are? You are in Christ. You
are sanctified in Christ. You belong to Christ. You belong to the body of Christ. You
must bear the character of Christ.
E. Be who you are in Christ!
F. Our daily “identity crises”….
Don’t miss the huge heart of Paul for this wayward church.
A. Paul pronounces a blessing upon them. (Grace and peace)
B. This church had trampled on the grace of God and made a mockery of the peace of
God.
C. Paul knows what this church really needs: God’s grace. God’s peace. God’s rescue.
We exist as a local church in a culture that is more and more resembling the culture of Corinth.
What lessons can we learn…what reminders for us?
Consider this a “Dear GCF letter” from my heart to yours…
Dear GCF, heed the warning from this church in Corinth.
A. It is a cautionary tale.
B. Outwardly, church in Corinth had many desirable qualities. (wealth, wisdom, gifts,
servants)
C. They also had some huge blind spots, as we have noted.
D. This is what happens when a church neglects/assumes/abandons the gospel.
E. When the good news of the gospel – all the saving work of Jesus Christ – is no longer
the central point of reference and the dominant agenda of the church, then all hell
really does break loose.
F. I wish we did not have so much in common with this Corinthian church.
G. War of desires and impulses of our hearts. We all have blind spots.
H. Consider: What kind of church would we have if every member of GCF were exactly
like you?
I. Left to ourselves, we can behave just like these Corinthians and we can become just
like this church in Corinth.
J. Simple prayer: “Lord, help me not to be sinful. Lord, help me not to be stupid.”
K. Here is where we need to help each other. None of us need help falling into sin. We
do that naturally. We need help living a holy life, living with integrity, living in a way
that reflects the character of Christ.
L. It would be absolutely foolish – stupid – for any of us to think that we can mature in
Christ on our own terms, in the way we want, apart from God’s people.
M. Make every effort to be in corporate worship, home group etc…
Dear GCF, make much of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A. The Christian life from beginning to end is a testimony to the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul recognized this. (opening of I Cor, end of 2 Cor 13:14)
B. Paul made much of the grace of Jesus Christ in the lives of these Corinthians because
they were making much of everything else. (their wisdom, wealth, etc…)
C. A church that makes much of the grace of Jesus Christ is free to confess sins, walk in
repentance, serve sacrificially, die to self, suffer for the truth. In other words, HOLY!
D. It’s not normal – its supernatural. You know what is normal: the crazy Corinthians!
E. Paul in I Cor. 15:10
Dear GCF, remember Jesus loves his church. This is his church.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Paul in Ephesians 5:25….
Great comfort and encouragement for us as a church.
Church in Corinth looked bleak. Hopeless. Dark.
Jesus does his best work in the darkest of times. (the cross!)
Jesus will always win the day!
However bleak and dark the situation might get for us a church, Jesus still loves us,
still rules and reigns.
G. Think of some of the challenging and troubling situations you are facing. A troubled
marriage? Loneliness? Fears? Addictions? Sinful habits? Compromise?
H. Add up all the things that you think will derail God’s plan to bless you.
I. The gospel assures us that in Christ Jesus, your fears, worries, anxieties, weaknesses
or even sins cannot derail God’s good plan for your life.