Sermon: Foolishness of the Corinthians

1Cor. 1:26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
1Cor. 1:27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
1Cor. 1:28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
1Cor. 1:29 so that no man may boast before God.
1Cor. 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
1Cor. 1:31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

This Sunday we are going to discuss......boasting. Even the most humble folks in our midst brag about something, whether it is their children, car, home, spouse, job, etc... We are proud about something and like others to know it.

But there is something we need to be very careful about when it comes to boasting, and that is related to our salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul warns the Corinthians about this, and it is a warning we should take seriously as well.

Back on the Blogging Trail

As I am sure many of you were doing, I spent a good deal of my Thanksgiving on the road. We spent a couple days in Western PA with family and friends and it was a fun trip.

My being on the road has kept me off the blogging trail, so I hope to improve my posting now that the holiday season is over.

RUF Suspended at Brown University

I need to investigate this further, but for now here is an article from the Associated Press.

For those who do not know, RUF is a college ministry arm of the PCA.

Sermon: Foolishness of the Cross

We are back tracking a bit in 1 Corinthians by going back to Chapter 1 and picking up this theme of foolishness and wisdom. Paul is very concerned about the Corinthian Church and their view of wisdom.

It is my hope that this passage will remind us that the cross is a very important part of who we are.

18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19For it is written,
"I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

22For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;

23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

What is faith?

Recently I have been asked a question about faith. How do you increase your faith? More specifically, how does a minister of the gospel help a congregation increase its faith?

The Bible is certainly not silent on the issue of faith. Faith is central to the message of the gospel.

How about you? Do you have a strong faith?

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17

Sermon: Lawsuits in the church

1Cor. 6:1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?
1Cor. 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
1Cor. 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
1Cor. 6:4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
1Cor. 6:5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,
1Cor. 6:6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
1Cor. 6:7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?
1Cor. 6:8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.
1Cor. 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
1Cor. 6:10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
1Cor. 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

In this passage, Paul is very frustrated with the church, and it can be seen by the number of questions he has on their behavior. We will briefly look at Roman Law, as well as why Paul is so frustrated. The fact that we live in a lawsuit happy culture should provide numerous application for us in the 21st Century.

Jonathan Edward's Quotes

Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.

The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted.

The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.

Movie Recommendations

Not that I am a real movie buff, but I do enjoy a thought provoking movie from time to time.....

Since it is Friday, I thought I would list a few movies that are out that I thought look interesting. To be honest, I have not seen one of these movies. Comments are welcome.

Deliver Us from Evil by Amy Berg

I will be mentioning this movie in the Sermon this Sunday. A disturbing documentary on a RCC priest and his victims.
Jesus Camp
It is also a documentary on a movement in evangelical churches to raise children to "fight" for Jesus. I am not exactly sure what is going on, but it is mentions in the film they are trying to counter the terrorist camps in the Middle East. Not sure what to think of that...

Fast Food Nation

This is a spoof on the fast food industry in North America. If you saw the movie, Supersize Me, also a movie critical of the fast food influence on America you will probably like this film.

Sermon: The Case of the Incestuous Man

For some reason I have been a bum about blogging this week. Sorry about that.

This Sunday we have one of the "hot topics" to cover in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. I think it will be an interesting sermon and one with lots of application. The exegetical work on this passage was very interesting. We need to understand such phrases as...

"absent in body, but present in spirit"
"deliver such one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh"
"Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump"

These phrases as well as the whole text are important for us to interpret and apply to our lives today. Always remember, the Word of God is not mere information on a page, but living waters that can transform a human heart.

1Cor. 5:1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
1Cor. 5:2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
1Cor. 5:3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
1Cor. 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
1Cor. 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Cor. 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
1Cor. 5:7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
1Cor. 5:8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1Cor. 5:9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
1Cor. 5:10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
1Cor. 5:11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
1Cor. 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
1Cor. 5:13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

Why Worship?

“ It is an honoring and glorifying of God by gratefully offering back to Him all the good gifts, and the knowledge of his greatness and graciousness, that he has given. It involves praising him for what he is, thanking him for what he has done.” - JI Packer, Concise Theology

“Worship is the supremacy of God in the affections of His people.” - John Piper

There are many people, Christians, who feel that corporate worship is not that important. Personal Worship or simply time with God is enough to give honor to who God is and what He is doing in your life.

Personal Worship is important, do not get me wrong. But God's design is also that the people of God gather to worship. This is evident through out the Bible, Old and New Testaments. God's people gathering together for worship of their creator, sustainer and redeemer.

Is that important to you? To gather with other believers for worship? I hope so....

Psa. 86:9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.

Rev. 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
Rev. 7:10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 4:10-21

1Cor. 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
1Cor. 4:11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;
1Cor. 4:12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
1Cor. 4:13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
1Cor. 4:14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
1Cor. 4:15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
1Cor. 4:16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.
1Cor. 4:17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
1Cor. 4:18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.
1Cor. 4:19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power.
1Cor. 4:20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.
1Cor. 4:21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?