Thankful for Grace and God's Faithfulness

CHURCH 9-1-1 SERMON 2

THANKFUL FOR GRACE

INTRODUCTION:

AS WE CONTINUE IN THE BOOK OF 1 CORINTHIANS, WE FIND THE APOSTLE PAUL IN THIS NEXT SECTION OF HIS LETTER EXPRESSING HIS THANKFULNESS FOR THESE BELIEVERS.

WHEN I READ THIS SECTION, I’M REMINDED OF WHAT OUR MOTHERS USED TO TELL US ABOUT MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

THEY WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS – IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING NICE…

I THINK THE CHURCH NEEDS TO RELEARN THIS MOTHERLY ADVICE.

PAUL PUTS THIS ATTITUDE ON DISPLAY HERE IN VERSES 4 THROUGH 9.

THIS SECTION CAN BE CAPTURED BY TWO TRUTHS…ONE RELATED TO THE GRACE OF GOD, AND THE OTHER RELATED TO FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

SO LET’S GET INTO IT AND LOOK AT HOW PAUL EXPRESSES HIS THANKFULNESS.

HERE’S THE FIRST THING I WANT TO POINT OUT TO YOU…

IT’S PAUL’S EXPRESSION OF THANKFULNESS BASED ON THE GRACE OF GOD…

1. HE SAYS, WHEN I THINK OF YOU, I THINK OF GRACE.

a. PAUL WAS THANKFUL THAT GOD’S GRACE IS GIVEN, EVEN WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE ARE LESS THAN PLEASING TO HIM.

1. I NEED TO REMIND YOU AGAIN THAT THIS WRITING THAT WE REFER TO AS A “BOOK,” IS ACTUALLY A LETTER WRITTEN BY PAUL, UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO THE BELIEVERS WHO LIVED IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF CORINTH.

2. PAUL, AT THIS POINT IN HIS LETTER, IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH INTO A DISCUSSION OF MANY POINTS OF DISAGREEMENT HE HAD WITH THE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS.

ii. BUT EVEN THOUGH HE DISAGREED WITH MUCH OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE CHURCH AT CORINTH, HE WAS STILL THANKFUL FOR THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WAS EVIDENT IN THEIR LIVES.

b. I ALWAYS THANK GOD FOR YOU BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE GIVEN YOU IN CHRIST JESUS.

i. THERE IS A GREAT LESSON HERE FOR US AS WE READ THESE WORDS.

1. THE LESSON IS THAT DISAGREEMENT DOES NOT HAVE TO LEAD TO DIVISION.

ii. PAUL WILL, IN JUST A FEW LINES, POINT OUT THAT THERE IS DIVISION IN THE CHURCH, BUT HE WANTED TO FIRST ESTABLISH THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH HE DISAGREED WITH SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CORINTHIANS, HE STILL WAS GRATEFUL FOR GOD’S GRACE IN THEIR LIVES.

iii. GORDON FEE, WRITING ABOUT THIS THANKFULNESS OF PAUL, SAYS, “TO DELIGHT IN GOD FOR HIS WORKING IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS, EVEN IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WITH WHOM ONE FEELS COMPELLED TO DISAGREE, IS SURE EVIDENCE OF ONE’S OWN AWARENESS OF BEING THE RECIPIENT OF GOD’S MERCIES.”

c. MAYBE IT’S TIME THAT WE START LOOKING AT PEOPLE AS RECIPIENTS OF GOD’S GRACE, RATHER THAN ADVERSARIES.

d. PAUL CONTINUES BY POINTING OUT THAT GOD’S GRACE IS EVIDENT IN THEIR LIVES IN THREE SPECIFIC WAYS.

i. – 5 – FOR IN HIM YOU HAVE BEEN ENRICHED IN EVERY WAY—IN ALL YOUR SPEAKING AND IN ALL YOUR KNOWLEDGE— BECAUSE OUR TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST WAS CONFIRMED IN YOU.

ii. HE SAYS, GOD’S GRACE IS EVIDENT IN YOUR SPEECH.

1. YOU SAY SOME THINGS ABOUT CHRIST.

iii. HE ALSO SAYS THAT GOD’S GRACE IS EVIDENT IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

1. YOU KNOW SOME THINGS ABOUT CHRIST.

iv. GOD’S GRACE IS EVIDENT IN YOUR TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST.

1. THEY WERE TELLING OTHERS ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

e. AND THEN, PAUL EXPRESSES HIS THANKFULNESS THAT THROUGH GOD’S GRACE, THEY WERE GIFTED AND SEALED UNTIL THE RETURN OF CHRIST.

i. – 7 SO THAT YOU ARE NOT LACKING IN ANY GIFT, AS YOU WAIT FOR THE REVEALING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, 8 WHO WILL SUSTAIN YOU TO THE END, GUILTLESS IN THE DAY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

2. GOD IS FAITHFUL TO YOU.

a. ALTHOUGH THE WORD “FAITHFUL” OCCURS LAST IN THE NIV RENDERING OF 1:9, IN GREEK IT IS IN THE EMPHATIC POSITION, DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE CHARACTER OF GOD AS ONE WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISES.

b. GOD’S GRACE IS EVIDENT.

c. THAT SAME GRACE RESULTS IN A CALLING TO FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS.

i. – GOD, WHO HAS CALLED YOU INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, IS FAITHFUL.

ii. THE GRACE OF GOD CALLS BELIEVERS INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.

1. PAUL IS HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF FELLOWSHIP, BECAUSE HE IS LEADING THE BELIEVERS IN CORINTH TO THE NEXT POINT…THAT THERE ARE DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH.

2. PAUL IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF FELLOWSHIP IN CHRIST, BECAUSE FELLOWSHIP IN CHRIST ASSUMES FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER.

3. A DIVIDED CHURCH IS A WEAK CHURCH.

a. AND A CHURCH THAT IS NOT IN FELLOWSHIP WITH EACH OTHER IS A CHURCH THAT IS NOT IN FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.

4. DIVISION RESULTS IN A CHURCH’S INABILITY TO CARRY OUT ITS PURPOSE, BECAUSE DIVISION IS AN INDICATOR OF A PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.

5. AND THEREFORE, ARE OUT OF STEP WITH HIS PURPOSES.

d. SO HERE IS A SECOND LESSON FROM THIS PASSAGE.

i. GRACE SHOULD LEAD TO FELLOWSHIP.

ii. THE GRACE THAT GIFTED THESE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS IN SPEECH AND KNOWLEDGE…

iii. THE GRACE THAT SAVED, SEALED, AND KEPT THESE BELIEVERS…

iv. THE GRACE THAT WAS EVIDENT AMONG THEM, AND CELEBRATED BY PAUL…

e. SHOULD MANIFEST ITSELF IN FELLOWSHIP, UNDER THE BANNER OF FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

i. IT IS OK TO DISAGREE, IT IS NOT OK TO DIVIDE.

ii. IT IS OK TO PREFER DIFFERENT METHODS OR STYLES, IT IS NOT OK TO ACT LIKE A CHILD AND TAKE YOUR TOYS AND GO HOME.

iii. WHEN YOUR PREFERENCES MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE OK WITH ANYTHING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THOSE PREFERENCES…

1. FRIEND, I HATE TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT IT IS YOU WHO HAS THE PROBLEM, NOT EVERYONE ELSE.

iv. WE HAVE ONE SINGLE PURPOSE, AND THAT IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

f. SO INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT ALL THE POLICY AND PROCEDURAL ISSUES, HOW ABOUT WE BEGIN BY BECOMING MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOSTNESS THAT IS ALL AROUND US.

g. PAUL IS ABOUT TO POINT OUT TO THIS CHURCH THAT THERE DIVISIVE ATTITUDE WAS AFFECTING THE ABILITY OF THE CHURCH TO CARRY OUT ITS MISSION.

h. AND THE SAME WILL BE TRUE IN THE CHURCH TODAY IF WE TAKE OUR EYE OFF THE BALL AND FOCUS ON ALL THE WRONG THINGS.

CONCLUSION:

WE HAVE GOT TO GET BACK TO BEING THE CHURCH THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE MISSION.

TO MAKE MATURE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

WHATEVER IT TAKES, AND WHATEVER IT MAY LOOK LIKE.

AND KNOW THIS CHURCH, IT WILL BE MESSY, BUT IT WILL BE GOOD.