1 Corinthians 1
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
History of Corinth:
Southern Part of Greece
Was a Rich and populous city
One of the Greates commercial trade cities of the ancient world
A lot of ships stopped an ported there as they were on their journey
North to South travel into Sparta had to pass through it
It was a booming and popular town
Popular doesn’t necessarily mean correct and it’s usually the opposite
Corinth:
Had a reputation for commercial prosperity
Kor-IN-thia-zees-thai: To live like a Corinth had become a part of the Greek language/ to live with Drunken, immoral debauchery - it was their version of Keep Portland weird!
Corinthian men were wealthy men who indulged in riotous living
In Paul’s day it became synonymous with debauchery
People lived hedonistic lifestyles
In the Hill of Acropolus stood the temple of Aphrodite (the goddess of love)
1,000 if “priestess”/prostitutes
Daily they would come down to the city at night and work their trades
It became synonomous with wealth, luxury but also filth
Eventually sin will steal the beauty of everything it inhabits
IN this hotbed of vices and most unlikely place in all the Greek World:
God does some of His best work through Paul
Paul’s time in Corinth:
Paul spends 18 months in Corinth
Acts 18:1-17 we see through Luke’s depiction
Paul preaches in the synagogue with great success
Then Timothy and Silas show up and they go on a rampage for Jesus
They get kicked out of the Synagogue
They establish the Corinthian Church
The context of the first Letter to Corinth Paul writes from Ephesus:
Paul hears while in Ephesus that the church is letting the culture of the day start to creep into the church
See the Church that once was established in principles start to make compromises
This is a lesson for the church today and I believe especially seasonal for the area that we inhabit
The letter to the Corinthians lets us see how messy a thriving popular church can be
I believe that church is supposed to be a mess, we’re catching and cleaning fish
It gets stinky and messy and you get cut sometimes
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
YOU the church have to be washed in the Word of God!
In order for us to remain WE have to Be steadfast
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
-Churches start to wane when the world steals their purpose cause it starts to take on the purpose of the world
We see Paul’s ups and downs in “the care of all the churches”
We see the heartbreak and joys, the much needed correction
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the first 3 vs he says Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ 4 times
IN the first 10 verses his says it 10 times
This was going to be a difficult letter for Paul to write
It was going to be dealing with difficult situations
Sometimes in difficult situations we tend to lean on human justice or own power or intellect
Here Paul is reminding himself that everything has to be done in light of the cross
If you think about it Paul has experience with the church
Paul is well versed in how things are supposed to run from his old life as a Pharisee
He doesn’t lean on that though, He leans on His revelation of Jesus Christ
That’s not easy to do, you mind needs an answer, but your faith says to trust
Selling our house
When God gives you a word you don’t settle for an ounce of compromise
We’re entering a day now that the word Of God will Have to be delivered by men and woman who are soldiers for him
People who don’t compromise to their own understanding but God’s word
What has God told you that you’ve let the enemy make you step backwards on?
What have you been believing for that you think is foolish?
House story
Do not compromise
Don’t compromise to sin or unbelief, don’t compromise your promise land for treaties with your reasoning
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Hagiazo: That word sanctified or consecrated there means to set a place apart for God, to make it holy, by the offering of a sacrifice upon it.
The value of and item is determined by what someone is willing to pay for it
The value that God puts on His church is His only Sons life
What would trade you kid for?
He didn’t pay such a high price so that you could feel unworthy of it
We belong to God now!
The root idea for that word is holy, saintly, separated
People who are different:
Seperated from the ordinary run of things in order to specially belong to God
The jews use the word Hagious Laos (HOLY PEOPLE)
The difference is that us as Christians are to be marked, not by a withdrawal or shunning the world
But showing the world there’s a quality that marks us out
Do you understand Jesus changed the game up when He said ON earth as it is in heaven
Our prayers now reach heavenly places
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
CAN WE JUST PRAY
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”