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Scripture - Ps 57:7-11

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Last week we begin a study through 1 Corinthians, a Church full of saints who are compromising with their sinful culture - a Beautiful Mess.

And despite the fact that this was written 2000 years ago to a totally different culture, we will see much of US in THEM.

And like them, we will be individually and collectively challenged to be conformed into the image of Jesus.

Today we will see that Paul has to address some of the MESS among these people that Jesus has made BEAUTIFUL.

You’ll remember that how Paul began his letters, reminding these people WHO they are by reminding them of WHOSE they are.

1 Corinthians 1:1–3 (NIV)

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people [saints], together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul reminds them of their BEAUTY - WHO they ARE in Christ Jesus.

These people are the church of God in Corinth.

As most of you know, the Greek term Ekklēsia is what we translate as “church” - a term meaning a gathering or “assembly”.

It never refers to a building, but to the Body of Christ (a phrase Paul will use in this letter - 1 Cor 12:27).

This assembly/church is sanctified - meaning, set apart for service to God,1 His holy people - often simply translated as “saints”.

This Greek term (hagios)

1 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 537.

Now Paul has to address the MESS that he has heard is going on within this church, and he must remind them of The Message of the Cross.

PRAY

1 Corinthians 1:10–11 (NIV)

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

I know you’ve probably never heard about divisions quarrels happening among church folks, but it does.

Sadly, it often happens over stuff that really doesn’t matter that much, all because we lose sight over what matters most.

Sort of like a family from New York who bought a ranch out West, intending to raise cattle.

When their friends visited and inquired about the ranch’s name, the would be rancher replied: “I wanted to name it the Bar-J.

My wife favored Suzy-Q, one of our sons wanted the Flying-W, and the other liked the Lazy-Y.

So we’re calling it the BAr-J-Suzy-Q-Flying-W-Lazy-Y.”

The friends looked around and noticed something strange about the cattle ranch, so they asked the obvious question: “But where are all your cattle?”

“Oh, yeah....well you see, we had a little problem because…none of the cows survived the branding.”

When churches fight over stuff that doesn’t matter that much, we lose sight over what matters the most.

And that’s why Paul spills the most amount of ink on this issue - division within the church.

Paul wanted them to agree with one another in what you say, which literally means “to speak the same”.

They are to be perfectly united in mind and thought - they are to act like a TEAM.

Stephen T. Um, 1 Corinthians: The Word of the Cross, ed.

R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 24.

But a team where players are speaking against coaches and other players is team that is in trouble in the locker room and on the field.

And they won’t be a team for long.

And that’s exactly what concerns Paul about this church, because even though he is over 200 miles away (by boat) in Ephesus, he has heard about the divisions and quarrels in Corinth through Chloe’s household.

And of all things, this church was showing its immaturity as they argued over which Christian leader they liked the best.

1 Corinthians 1:12–13 (NIV)

What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided?

Was Paul crucified for you?

Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Some of the fighting going on in the church of Corinth had to do with which leaders they liked the best.

Regardless of the fact that they brought the same gospel message, but these people put more hope in the messenger than they did in the message.

Who was the better orator, philosopher, story teller, communicator, or care-giver?

Some were voting for Paul, after all, he planted the church in the first place.

Others were voting for Apollos - the highly educated Jewish man whom Aquila and Priscilla helped to better understand the gospel (Acts 18:24–28).

And when Paul left Corinth for Ephesus, Apollos was in Corinth (1 Cor 16:12, Acts 19:1).

Paul mentions Apollos multiple times in this writing: 1 Cor 1:12; 3:4–6, 22; 4:6; 16:12.

Others were voting for Cephas (pr.

K-fas) - Aramaic for “Peter”.

It certainly seems that the Corinthian church held him in high esteem along with Paul & Apollos.

Paul mentions him 3 other times in this same writing (1 Cor 3:22, 9:5, 15:5).

Others were rightly saying “I follow Christ”, but could have consisted of those who claiming to be on the side of Jesus while not fully following what He commands.

I’ve met many who refuse to abuse and distort the Scriptures while also claiming, “I follow the Bible.”

Note that of the 3 people mentioned, Paul likely would NOT have been voted in as the pastor of the Church in Corinth - the church HE started.

Evidently, many were pinning their spiritual hopes on the leaders who taught and baptized them: Paul, Apollos, and likely Cephas (Simon Peter) all baptized people in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 1:14–16 (NIV)

I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)

Last week we learned about Crispus, the former synagogue ruler who believed Paul’s teaching about Jesus and whose entire family was baptized in following Him (Acts 18:8).

Paul had baptized him.

Gaius is probably the man who hosted Paul in his own home when Paul wrote to the Roman Church (Rom 16:23).

Stephanas is mentioned later in the same letter (1 Cor 16:17).

Paul likely had others he delegated to baptize many other people (Acts 18:8) while he was in Corinth.

Side Note: WHO baptizes you isn’t nearly as important as WHY you are baptized.

The Bible never prescribes who is to baptize, although it should clearly be someone who follows Jesus and has been baptized themselves.

Paul continues...

1 Corinthians 1:17–18 (NIV)

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What’s Paul’s point?

BIG TRUTH: The message of the Cross is more important than the messenger.

Let’s keep the main thing…the main thing.

Many moons ago, when Steve - our former pastor, gave me the privilege of letting me teach on Sunday 50% of the time, some people didn’t like it.

They liked Steve better…I LIKED STEVE BETTER TOO! Steve was and is a WONDERFUL PASTOR who cares for the sheep much better than I have.

When Steve left and my position transitioned from Student Pastor to Lead Pastor, many people who liked Steve more than me, left too.

That’s all water under the bridge and most of those folks and I love each other very much!

But they had done the same thing that the Corinthian church had done - picked favorites - and were in danger of making the messenger more important than the MESSAGE.

Years ago, when I would have TJ or Justin teach, many of you would say, “Jackie, you better be careful, because people are going to want to hear them more than you.”

My response?

No one wants them to succeed and communicate the Scriptures well more than me!

I want to be their greatest cheerleaders!

When Tom has taught here, and when our future Student Pastor shows up, the same will be true because…

The message of the Cross is more important than the messenger.

What IS that MESSAGE that is foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God to us who believe it?

Here it is in 5 words:

GOD, MAN, SIN, JESUS, JUDGEMENT.

God created MAN(kind) in His image, but we have sinned against God and marred that image.

Jesus is God-in-skin who came to live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death to make payment for our sin.

Judgement is coming on every person, based on what they have done with the message of the cross.