The Basis of Our Response

1 Corinthians 1:1–9 NASB95

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Last week we did some song writing… curious- does anyone want to share their song?

INTRO: Every day, we encounter messaging. Advertisements, social media posts, news outlets… we have friends, co-workers, teachers, etc. who are constantly signalling to us what we should think, how to live, etc. Some of it is good, and some of it is not. The New Year brings a whole new level of ‘oughts’.

So, how do you determine your response to these? Most of us have a series of filters we run this messaging through. For me:

I need to know what kind of credibility or authority the message comes from. Do they have any basis to tell others what to do?

I also consider my relationship with the one putting forth the message. Do they have my best interests in mind?

Finally, I consider how feasible it is to act upon this message. Is it realistic or possible?

We could explore a number of possible reasons for our response (or lack thereof) to teaching, rules, or advice that comes from the world around us. But what about our response to God’s Word? I mean… it’s God’s word, not man’s after all.

If you think back over the last year, could you give examples of your specific responses to the teaching of God’s Word?

This is our focus this morning as we begin a new sermon series through the book of 1 Corinthians. This letter was written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. Allow me to give you a little background to this letter.

Paul planted this church on his second missionary journey (See map). We read about this in Acts 18. Paul began here with a couple who made tents and taught in the Jewish synagogues and changed his focus to non-Jews. He stayed there about a year and a half before going on to Ephesus.

Corinth was a city with a reputation… Eugene Peterson introduced the Corinthians this way:

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language 1 Corinthians

When people become Christians, they don’t at the same moment become nice. This always comes as something of a surprise. Conversion to Christ and his ways doesn’t automatically furnish a person with impeccable manners and suitable morals.

The people of Corinth had a reputation in the ancient world as an unruly, hard-drinking, sexually promiscuous bunch of people. When Paul arrived with the Message and many of them became believers in Jesus, they brought their reputations with them right into the church.

Knowing this, it is no surprise that this letter from Paul to the church is a letter that offers correction as Paul had received reports of brokenness within the church. It also is a letter that answers many questions that came up in the life of the church.

Yet, before Paul enters into his discourse, he demonstrates his own understanding of humanity in that he establishes the basis upon which the Corinthian Church is to hear and respond to this correction and teaching. This is often overlooked as a simple greeting and introduction, but there is much more to it than empty words that lead to the important stuff. No, this is vital, for if this we skip this, we might never truly respond! And, since that is where this letter begins, it is where we will spend our time this morning.

If you picked up a bulletin on your way in, you can use the enclosed sermon guide to follow along as we learn together. The sermon is entitled “The Basis of Our Response”. We will observe 3 factors that enable us to apply the teaching of God’s Word to our lives and act upon it appropriately.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in. The first factor that Paul demonstrates is

The Authority of God (1)

In every letter Paul writes, he begins in a similar way. (READ v.1)

He does this in order to establish the source of authority for that which follows. Paul does not say, “Listen up people! I am Paul, the great learned one. I hold 3 PhDs and I am way smarter than you, so you need to take note of what I’m saying!”

No. Paul does not attempt to bolster himself. Rather, he immediately defers to the Supreme Authority, that of God. Let’s break this down.

First, Paul says he is “called as an apostle of Jesus Christ”

This is not a self-designation. To be called is to be set apart, named, summoned to a work. Paul is not acting upon his own merit, but rather the appointment he was given.

Further, to be an apostle is to be personally commissioned by Christ and given His authority to speak on His behalf. This is why we don’t have apostles in this sense today, because Jesus only commissioned the 12.

Paul is speaking in this letter on behalf of Jesus, in the authority of the Lord.

Finally, Paul acknowledges that this calling was by the will of God. In other words, it was God’s decision and plan that Paul be called as an apostle of Jesus. Paul did not earn this honor.

Here is what we need to understand: For the Corinthian church, they were receiving instruction through the apostle Paul by the will of God. Similarly, you and I have been given God’s Word to then take and digest and apply to our lives.

When I stand to preach or when your Sunday School teacher stands to teach, we do not do so on our own accord. It is not by the authority of my education that I preach. The call that God has placed on my life is to faithfully shepherd His people, pointing us to His Word as our guide.

The Bible is wholly authoritative for us as Christians. Everything that we are a a church is rooted in Scripture… or it better be. It is by God’s authority that we accept the instructions given to us. For us to be able to respond to the teaching and preaching of God’s word, we must first recognize the authority of God in His Word. If it is clear in Scripture, then there should be no question as to it’s merit.

Thus, as we hear people who claim to be teachers and preachers, we have to ask, “On what authority do you say these things?”

If preachers preach a gospel different than what is confessed in the Word of God, then they are a false prophet, attempting to place themselves on the same level of authority as God. If preachers refuse to teach the whole of God’s Word, then they are calling God a liar by omitting or not acknowledging God’s authority.

For example, some people do not like that God teaches that humanity is created male and female, so they omit that part. Others twist Scripture around to try and justify sexual immorality. Still others preach that in order for God to answer your prayer, you have to give a certain amount of money or that God will make you rich if you do these things. Friends, God is not a liar. God does not change. His holiness and perfection has not waned. He does not base his standard on what Hollywood or Washington deems good.

You and I should find ourselves responding to God with greater zeal than we do the culture around us. We ought to echo the words of Peter in Acts 5:29, telling the Pharisees that when it comes to obeying God or Culture, they choose God!

When we consider our response to the teaching of God’s Word, we must first acknowledge the authority of God, and respond not as we might to a mere text book or professor, but as to the Supreme God of All.

Discuss: When you read or hear God’s Word, do you consider the authority that undergirds it? What implications does this have?

Paul readied his readers to hear from God by announcing the authority by which he spoke. But of course, just because we know that God is powerful and holy and authoritative, does not mean that we respond appropriately. Oftentimes we are rebellious or we fail to see a clear picture of who we are. That’s why Paul walks the Corinthians through the second factor that enables us to respond to God’s Word. This factor is

The Identity of the Church (2)

Have you ever asked, “Why be a part of a local church?” or “Why is it important to attend church meetings?”

The word for ‘church’ literally means ‘gathering’. If we re-read v.2 with this in mind it says, “To the gathering of God which is at Corinth...”

In other words, to those who God has gathered together for His purposes in the city of Corinth. Folks, it’s hard to be a gathering if you aren’t coming together regularly. If at all possible, we must come together each week and walk this Christian life side by side. We must have relationships with one another that are honest and encouraging.

But coming together is simply the physical response to our identity as Paul describes in the second part of v. 2.

Let’s read that again and then we’ll unpack it a bit. (Read 2b)

To those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus. That is, those who have been washed clean by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God. Those set apart for God’s glory and kingdom. Those who bear the name of Jesus, who are sealed by Him forever and who are victors because of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. You who are free from the bonds of sin and shame!

Saints by calling. Would you look at that? Saints by calling. If you are in Christ this morning, you are a saint! Let me just hear you say it- Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! Listen, you are not a saint because your life is filled with worthy deeds. You are not a saint because some pastor or pope says so. You are a saint because God has called you to be His! You are a saint because God’s kingdom requires it and God supplied it!

With all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours; That is, you are part of the big “C” Church. The bride of Christ made up of every believer (past, present, and future) who has trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Folks, we are not just part of a small baptist church, we are part of the Church which has no denomination. In the kingdom of God, there are people from Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist traditions. I’ve even met some Catholics and Episcopals who have placed their hope and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

Here is what we must grasp: We are God’s church. We are His people, gathered together in Little River in order to glorify our God, to exalt the name of Jesus.

We have been placed in the family of God, under His authority. That being the case, our response to His Word should be reflective of our relationship with Him. If we can trust Him for eternity, we can certainly trust His Word also.

Discuss: What does it mean to be part of God’s church? Why is it important?

Our basis for response is rooted in God’s Authority and our Identity as His church. Finally, Paul points us to the 3rd factor that enables our response to God’s Word. That is,

The Grace of Jesus Christ (4-9)

(READ) Paul speaks to his own gratitude for the grace of God given through Jesus Christ to the Corinthian church. (v. 4)

You see, without God’s grace through Jesus, we could not respond as we ought to God’s Word. There are two distinct demonstrations of this Grace that Paul points to:

1. Because of Christ, we are rich in everything that matters (v.5) It’s not just that we are ok or that we get by, but we are made rich in Christ. Paul isn’t talking money. Rather, he is saying that, as believers, the Corinthian church has been given abundant teaching and ability to understand the whole Gospel. They have responded to the Gospel and have been given the Holy Spirit to guide them, empower them, and strengthen the church.

The response to God’s Word is possible because through God’s grace, He gave us His Holy Spirit to help us. We are confirmed as children of God by the Holy Spirit, and as Paul declared to the Galatians, it is no longer I who live, but Christ in me through the Holy Spirit.

The grace of God through Jesus is demonstrated in the Gospel- that God would put on humanity, live perfectly, paying the penalty for my sins and your sins on the cross, raise from the dead and ascend to His throne.

2. Further, this grace is demonstrated in the promise of Christ’s return. Because Christ is returning to gather His church, we live in the reality that there is hope. Hope of eternal peace and joy. Hope of perfect union with our Lord.

This grace allows for us to respond in urgency to God’s Word. Because Christ is returning, our hope can be realized by others. There is something better than this world is offering. Solomon testifies that the pleasures of this world are fleeting. And every day people are dying without experiencing God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

Our response to God’s Word is through grace. Because of the grace of God through Christ, we have been redeemed, set apart, made new. We have been placed in God’s family for His glory. And so, it is because of this that we can respond in joyful obedience to the truth of God’s Word.

The Corinthian Church received this letter in order to respond to it. Likewise, you and I have been given God’s Word so that we would respond… James says

James 1:22–25 NASB95

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Let me close with this:

In the OT, we see several examples of how God’s people chose to respond to His Word. In 2 Chron. 33, we are introduced to a king named Manasseh. In one verse we see how he and all of Judah chose to respond to God’s Word.

2 Chronicles 33:10 NASB95

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

Let us not be like the generations who paid no attention to God’s Word. We cannot afford to ignore God. His Word is truth.

IF Jesus is not the Lord of your life, then you will find it difficult to truly respond to His Word. Perhaps you’ve been looking for God to speak to you… friends, His Word speaks. Perhaps you need to respond to the call to believe in Jesus this morning… to enter into fellowship with Him.

IF we are saints- redeemed by the blood of Lamb of God, then we see God’s Word as authoritative and our response is obedience through the grace of Jesus and strength of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:9 NASB95

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

How will you respond to God’s Word in this New Year?

Discuss: How does God’s grace inspire urgency in your response to His Word?