1 Corinthians 16
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
This morning is the last Sunday of 2019. I was praying and thinking of where we should go this morning in God’s word. I had several thoughts and one of those thoughts was to finish out the book of 1 Corinthians. This year we journeyed through this book. We made it all the way through chapter 15 before we began the advent season.
I started to study chapter 16 and I think this is a very fitting way for us to finish out this year and to finish out the book of 1 Corinthians. The more I studied this chapter the more I fell in love with it.
Read with me from 1 Corinthians 16
1 Corinthians 16:1-
1 Now about the collection for the saints: You should do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches.
2 On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.
3 When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.
4 If it is suitable for me to go as well, they can travel with me.
5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia —for I will be traveling through Macedonia—
6 and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go.
7 I don’t want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
9 because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me —yet many oppose me.
10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear from you, because he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am.
11 Therefore, no one should look down on him. Send him on his way in peace so he can come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
12 About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.
14 Your every action must be done with love.
15 Brothers, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you
16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them.
17 I am pleased to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence.
18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.
19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.
20 All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 This greeting is in my own hand —Paul.
22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Marana tha that is, Lord, come!
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.
Pray
It has been several Sunday’s since we have been in 1 Corinthians so let me refresh you with where we left off.
is a beautiful chapter of the resurrection. Some in Corinth did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Paul used their arguments to prove that their is resurrection of the dead and Christ has indeed been risen from the dead.
finishes with this verse
50 Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption.
51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality.
54 When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?
56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
In the original manuscripts this was not separated by chapters. This was a letter.
Paul finishes this thought by saying be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain, then he moves into the next topic of...
Money
Money
1 Now about the collection for the saints: You should do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches.
2 On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.
3 When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.
4 If it is suitable for me to go as well, they can travel with me.
This collection was for the Saints in Jerusalem. That is this offering is for the physically poor believers in Jerusalem. Paul preached the Gospel but he also strived to assist those with physical and material need.
1 Corinthians 16:1-
It is likely that many of these believers in Jerusalem were there at Pentecost when they heard the Word and were saved. This meant they were strangers in Jerusalem, without employment and the church would need to care for them.
This offering also helped to unite Jewish and Gentile believers.
Giving is an act of worship
The first day of the week is significant. What else happened on the first day of the week? The resurrection and so there is significance as we meet here on Sunday which is the first day of the week. The day of the resurrection. Giving is an act of worship. We come with our gifts to worship Jesus and remember the hope we have through the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus owns everything. He does not need our finances but we desperately need him. Giving reminds us of our desperate need for Jesus and that everything is his. Giving should be an act of worship to the resurrected and ascended Savior.
Giving should be systematic
There is a system listed here in the scripture. Each person should set aside his offering at home and then bring it to the assembly on the first day. You should plan ahead before offering time on what you should give. Have a plan. Giving should be systematic.
Giving was personal and individual
Paul expected each member to share in the offering, the rich and poor alike. Anyone who had an income was privileged to share and to help those in need.
Giving is to be proportionate
Save to the extent that he prospers. Giving should be in proportion to what you make. Believers who have more should give more. As the Lord gives us more, we should plan to give more. This is not the trend of the church of today.
I have been doing some reading on this topic lately and the less people have the more percent they give from their income. As incomes increase, the percentage of giving goes down.
Warren Wiersby:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Thirteen: Be Wise about … Christian Stewardship (1 Corinthians 16)
The trouble is, too many saints, as they earn more, involve themselves in more and more financial obligations; and then they do not have more to give to the Lord. Instead of finding a suitable “level” and remaining there, they keep trying to “go higher,” and their income is spent rather than invested. As the old saying goes, “When your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep is your downfall
In our community, it is important for us to learn that giving is proportionate. I have seen in the past where those living on the margins give away 90% of their income and then call on others to help. This is not the call of scripture. We all give but it is in proportion to your income. I like 10% as a good place to start.
Money is to be handled honestly
Paul has a plan so that he can’t be accused of anything. He tells them to recommend some people to carry this offering to Jerusalem and if Paul is available he will travel as well.
You should know that we have accounting procedures in place here at Bridge of Faith to ensure that we can’t be accused falsely or put ourselves in bad situations.
Some examples:
I never touch the offering. Counting team handles this. I don’t sign checks nor does our accountant. I can approve check request but I don’t sign checks. Our leadership team signs the checks.
Opportunities
Opportunities
Opportunities
5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia —for I will be traveling through Macedonia—
6 and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go.
7 I don’t want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
9 because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me —yet many oppose me.
1 Corinthians 16:5-
Verse 6
Paul says perhaps or that is if it is the Lord’s will. Paul longs to see them and spend time with them but He is obligated to the Will of the Lord.
Verse 7
If the Lord allows
I often struggle to share vision pieces with others because I believe these things will happen only if the Lord wills and in his timing.
Verse 8 and 9 are so unique and I just love them.
A wide door for effective ministry has opened for me!
yet many oppose me.
Acts 19:11-
11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands,
12 so that even facecloths or work aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.
Acts 19:17-
17 This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices,
19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver.
20 In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed.
Acts 19:23-
23 During that time there was a major disturbance about the Way.
24 For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen.
25 When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said: “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business.
26 You both see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods!
27 So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world adore.”
28 When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
30 Though Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him.
31 Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to take a chance by going into the amphitheater.
32 Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.
33 Then some of the crowd gave Alexander advice when the Jews pushed him to the front. So motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people.
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a united cry went up from all of them for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Opportunities are present but they often come with opposition. Instead of complaining about the obstacles we must take advantage of the opportunities and leave the results to the Lord.
Relationships
Relationships
10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear from you, because he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am.
11 Therefore, no one should look down on him. Send him on his way in peace so he can come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
12 About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.
14 Your every action must be done with love.
15 Brothers, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you
16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them.
17 I am pleased to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence.
18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.
19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.
20 All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 This greeting is in my own hand —Paul.
22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Marana tha that is, Lord, come!
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 16:10-
Timothy
Appollos
Stephanas
1 Corinthians 1:
16 I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t know if I baptized anyone else.