1 Corinthians 1:4-9 The church focused Part 1

Encouraged. A lot of discussions this week where sensitivity to relational issues arose. I sense a real effort to begin to be careful in relationships / talking.

And the issue of talking to someone rather than about someone has arisen as well. And some have taken me up on acting as mediator as well. This is great. If you are asked to engage in the difficult task of working out issues with someone, see it as a great opportunity. I know it will be hard.

In fact, someone tried this out on me. They had a concern about something I said last week. Instead of rushing to start rumors, they approached me directly. We had the opportunity then to talk frankly and totally resolved the issue. This is the way it should work.

And the follow on is to make sure no one else was confused about what I said. So let me clarify what I said after the invitation last Sunday. I indicated that we should be accepting to anyone who wants to come to this worship time. And I mean that. No matter what the background or what type of behavior people are engaging in we need to reach out and show grace.

Last week I mentioned specifically homosexual relationships. We should make them welcome to come here and engage in this service. However, I did not intend to say that those engaged in unaddressed sin can become members. They cannot. In the case of a homosexual couple, they would need to renounce their behavior and no longer be practicing homosexuals in order to become members. That would apply to other forms of significant sin as well.

The Christian life and membership in His church means one renounces their old life style. And if they do, they would be welcome as members of this church, regardless of their background. But only if they turn from that behavior.

We won’t always spend so much time having family talks. But I have felt that the last couple of weeks have required that.

Let’s now transition to this week’s sermon. Don’t worry, we will stop when we run out of time assuming we don’t get through the entire sermon this week.

Light is all around us

Flashlight focuses a certain amount of light with mirrors

But if you use certain types of gems and crystals things change.

Red laser – create a light in a lit room

Green laser – create a stream of lit in a dark night – blind an airline pilot from a couple of miles away

Wood cut – penetrate and precisely burn wood

Metal – cut metal

Missile intercept – bring down a missile in flight

Focus is an awesome thing

The gem provides no power, it is the light that produces the power, The gems only allow that full power of the light to be demonstrated.

So it is with the church

If we are a hundred individuals scattered a hundred ways we accomplish little

Yet if we align properly, the light of the gospel takes focus. We don’t really provide any power, but the message of the gospel is truly powerful.

The church focused is a powerful tool that could unleash the power of the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 The church focused

.

I. A message to our church: We are empowered by Christ

Last week

God’s people in a lost work – His community but infected

But a supernatural body – more than human folks with human issues

A supernatural body And God enables this body to be all that it is intended to b

A. Based in God’s grace

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 1 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—

1. Never about me / my abilities / the value I bring / my goodness in itself

2. Always about the unmerited grace that God gives

B. Rich in every way

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 1 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—

1. Have all you need / rich in Him / Sufficient in Him

a. In wisdom

b. In action

c. In demonstration

2. A proof of your standing – your testimony among others confirms that you are really in Christ

C. Gifted to serve

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 1 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1. Supernaturally enabled

2. Uniquely enabled

3. Enabled for the benefit of others

D. Sustained by Christ

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 1 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.

1. Implies difficulty – waiting for Him to come

2. Able to persevere by Him

3. Looking to ultimately declared guiltless on that day

E. Resting in God’s faithfulness

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 1 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1. God will do it – He is faithful – will do what He says