I.    Leadership- Read Ch. 1-2 Central Propositions: Follow Jesus, not a man. Men always fall, Jesus will never fail.  

A.  Style over substance-Opening Image

1.         Presidential elections

a)         Obama/McCain-Nixon/Kennedy-Clinton/Bush

B.  The issues of the church in Corinth are not between the church and Paul but between him and the leaders. There is some congregational but he comes after leaders.

1.         Why did they have to go to Paul to get an answer on what to do with a guy who is having sexual relations with his father’s wife? Ch. 5.

a)          Paul has to with it because the leaders are not taking care of business.

b)         Leadership was not oblivious. This is not incompetence. This was willful.

c)         They were present during the crazy disorganized worship services.

d)        Best book on leadership in the church is 1 Corinthians.  

C.  1 Corinthians Ch.’s  1-4 Paul gives correction to the leaders at Corinth.

1.         Core values. 

a)         Core values are like DNA. Everything in the churches DNA, and in your own DNA, should surround the core values of Jesus Christ.

(1)            They should be the same.

(2)          The leadership should carry the DNA of the church leaders.

(3)          Core values should direct all decisions that leadership makes.

(a)       If the head is healthy the body is healthy.

(4)          Unhealthy core values in leaders seep out into the congregation.

b)         Core values either help the church or kill the church.

2.         The purpose driven church is OK but it is said wrong. The label is wrong.

a)          Leaves open the question of utilitarianism.

b)         For the Church the means to the end is more important than the end. God holds the ends.

c)         For church leaders it is most important how things are done than the degree of success.

d)        We can become goal oriented to a fault. No compromise on core values. Core values are where the means start.

3.          Mission has to harmonize with core values.

a)         Doing always comes first from being.

D.  Pagan core values

1.         Greco-Roman value of intellect.

a)         The cultivation of intellect through culture.

(1)          Greek culture loves philosophy. The most revered people in Greek culture were the philosophers.

(2)          The content of Greek philosophy was not from God. It largely tainted by sin and paganism. But not totally.

(3)          It appeared to be wise if you applied it to the world because it worked.

(4)          Thus the ability to rise to the level of thinking of the philosophers displayed ones intellectual ability. Intellectual ability is a core value.

b)        Intelligence is not a core value of God

(1)          No. It is only one ability, not the only or highest ability.

(2)          Paul says intellect actually gets in the way at times if your assumptions are wrong.

(3)          Paul is not advocating lack of intelligence.

2.         Eloquence. The desire to be entertained was a core value.

a)         Rhetoric-

(1)          The great speaker or actor, the ability to captivate the audience with a performance.

(2)          They believed that eloquent words allow them to escape their world and touch some degree of spirituality.

b)         Corinth attacked Paul on his eloquence.

(1)          He was not an actor.

(2)          Not able to entertain.

(3)          His letters are weighty but his performances were weak. Therefore he can’t possibly be an apostle. A man sent from God.

c)         For a Jewish rabbi, rhetoric was not that important.

(1)          Paul was from Harvard. He was a Roman citizen by birth. He was from the elite. Educated at the feet of Gamaliele.

(2)          Apollos was an eloquent Alexandrian educated scholar. Gentile from Oxford.

d)        Eloquence is a skill it is not a core value.

(1)          Should not be something that the church makes a core value. Marketing, entertainment, relevant, contextual, can be a disguise for entertainment.

(2)          Corinth has replaced marketing for core values and they think that growth is God’s blessing.

3.         Beauty and athleticism.

a)         If one was athletic looking in build and good looking in the cultural standards, smart, and articulate then they were blessed

(1)          There is a significant pagan reference here to the Greco-Roman gods.

(2)          Beauty and virility was a sign of divine blessing.

b)         Nothing has changed in our culture either.

(1)          Nothing intrinsically wrong with athleticism or beauty.

c)         But it cannot be a core value. This is the first four chapters. Paul takes in on directly.

E.  All of the above forms what we call the “The Personality Cult.”

1.         The gods boasted. It was considered to be a gift to be able to boast in one’s own giftedness of rhetoric and philosophical wisdom and entertaining talks and good looks.

2.         The leaders were fostering this.

3.         Caused separatism.

a)         Handling disagreements in court. Ch. 6. Leadership is not trying to foster unity.  

4.          CH. 3 developing factions around there own personalities.

a)         quarreling because they think the person who baptized you is the one you follow.

b)         I am Peter’s, I am Appollos, and I am Christ’s. How can you divide Jesus?

(1)          They want to develop followers that are not required to follow Christ.

(2)          We find out later it wasn’t about following Jesus, it was about following a person.

II. I wonder if this has happened in Mt. Vernon

A.  The first time I came here I was told by numerous people how churches get hot in Mt. Vernon.

1.         There are personality cult created by the pastors and leaders today.

a)         Many are unaware

b)         Many of their churches are unaware.

2.         Starts with questions like

a)         Who has the bigger church? Who’s anointed? Where is the spirit moving?

3.         Grows with statements like

a)         The preacher can really bring it! The music is really hopping, the anointing has really fallen on this place or that.

b)         They just finished building a beautiful new building.

c)         Oh that pastor has such a beautiful family.

4.         Where you going to church?

a)         Oh that place, yeah I hear they’ve really got it going. They are really growing. Their pastor is really dynamic.

b)         Oh really I hear they are really struggling. People are leaving….

5.         Paul’s perspective was that we was a city pastor

a)         He has a mentality for the town, not his church.

B.  Do you hear the core values of the Greeks?

1.         It is all about the personalities in positions of authority/leadership

a)         Who they are? What they have done? How big or entertaining are their services

b)         How new and sparkling is their theatre where they perform? their sanctuary?

C.  What does Paul say is the result of those core values?

1.         Division

2.         Arrogance and conceit

3.         Ignorance

4.         Childish immaturity

5.         This is not the Spirit. Ch. 3:1 I could not address you as spiritual people.

D.  Paul’s conclusion

1.         Grow up

2.         3:18 stop lying to yourselves

3.         God will test your core values

a)         IF they are solid, if they are Christ like and biblical they will stand

b)         If they are not, they will burn up.

4.         It’s never about the pastor.

a)         Never boast in men. You are the temple of God. His spirit dwells in you.

b)         You, Church on the loop, cannot delegate your responsibility to a pastor who is willing to receive your worship as the leader of a personality cult.

c)         We plant, we water, God brings the miracle of growth. That is all we do.

III.             Application

A.  Two weeks ago God spoke to this church two specific things

1.         Put me at the center and Don’t put be in a box

B.  This week it is just as simple

1.         God is saying My core values are not your core values

2.         Don’t put any human being on a pedestal. Especially one desiring a pedestal.

C.  Here is the important part.

1.         Is Jesus and Jesus alone the one you follow? Is Jesus and Jesus alone the one you serve? Is he your leader? Is he your only leader?

2.         Are you willing to let God redefine your core values?

3.         Substance over Style. God chooses to use what we think is worthless and lowly in the world. Just so we can’t take credit. So no one can boast.

4.         All we can do is point back to Him.  Point to his amazing grace.

5.         It is not about you or me. It is not about this church. It’s all about him.