Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

OPENING ILLUSTRATION - During

VBS one year, a pastor’s wife had an
experience with her primary class that
can teach us a great lesson. About an
hour before dismissal one evening, a
new student was brought into the
room. The little boy had one arm
Cross Culture missing, and since the class was almost
“The preaching of the cross…is the power of God”
over, the teacher had no opportunity to
learn the details of his situation, but she was nervous that one of the
other children would say something insensitive to him, so she preceded
cautiously with the lesson.
As the class time came to a close, she asked the children to join her in
their usual closing ceremony. “Let’s make our churches” she said,
putting her hands together, to form the “church.”
“Here’s the church and here’s the steeple, open the doors and…”
Suddenly the awful truth struck her. The very thing she had feared that
the children would do, she had done.
As she stood there speechless, the little girl sitting next to the boy
reached over with her left hand and placed it up to his right hand and
said, “Josh, let’s make the church together.”

That is Paul’s instruction to the church of Corinth.

Read - v. 9 “fellowship” make church together

It is our worship that reveals the mystical union of oneness with
Christ. It is our fellowship the reveals the majestic unity of the
Church.

When Paul addresses this letter it is not just to the church of Corinith
but every church.

Read - v. 2

The Corinthians were proud of their church and thought they were the
only church in many respects. However, Paul reminds them there are
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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

other believers in other churches. Baptists are much like Corinthians

in that respect. And we need to be reminded there are believers in the
Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church, Nazarene Church, and Church
of God.

After Paul’s specific and general greeting, he gets to the meat of the
message. “Let’s make the church together.” He begins with a word of
Thanksgiving. V. 4

Thanksgiving is not offered for the church, but the grace of God given
to the church.

Thank God For Grace! There are different kinds of grace.

 Saving grace - Ephesians 2:8
 Standing grace - Romans 5:2
 Singing grace - Colossians 3:16
 Serving grace - Hebrews 12:28
 Sufficient grace - 2 Corinthians 12:9
Saving grace - Ephesians 2:8
Eph 2:8 KJV - For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it
is] the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 KJV - Not of works, lest any man
should boast.

Standing grace - Romans 5:2

Rom 5:2 KJV - By whom also we have access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Singing grace - Colossians 3:16

Col 3:16 KJV - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Serving grace - Hebrews 12:28

Hbr 12:28 KJV - Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be
moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear:

Sufficient grace - 2 Corinthians 12:9

2Cr 12:9 KJV - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will

I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.

And that just the tip of the iceberg in respect to the resources we have
in God’s storehouse of grace.

Proposition - Paul reminds the Church in vv. 5-8 of three blessings of

grace that God is faithful in providing.

1. God is faithful in giving enriching grace.

God is faithful in giving
enriching grace
 Declaration – “utterance”
 Discernment – “knowledge”
 Demonstration – “testimony”
Read - v. 5
“enriched” - πλουτίζω ploutizō - not rich, but
made rich
It doesn’t happen instantly, but over time.
It is not spiritual mega millions Lottery. It
happened by God’s investment.

What has God by his grace invested into the church….

A. Declaration. “utterance” λόγος logos

The living word - “the word became flesh”
- What Christ became for the Church
The Written Word - “For the word of God is quick , and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…”
- What Christ gave to the Church
The Spoken Word - “In all utterance”
- What Christ expects of the Church.

B. Discernment. “knowledge” γνῶσις gnōsis

This is not general knowledge - but full understanding.
It is not retention of facts - but application of facts.

It is possible to come to church, hear the preached word, and

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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

walk out with knowledge but no discernment. To be

overflowing with information, but not be able to apply it to the
daily life.

Paul says the Church is abounding with discernment - not just

information, but application.

C. Demonstration. V. 7 “testimony” μαρτύριον martyrion

The Greek word is where we get our English word Martyr. The
idea of a testimony is not that we are a “witness” in a court
case, but the “evidence” for the court of public opinion to
review.

What is that evidence?

Gal 2:20 KJV - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet

not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me.

1. God is faithful in giving enriching grace.

2. God is faithful in giving empowering grace.

God is faithful in giving Read - v. 7 “not lag behind in any gift” -

empowering grace You are empowered.
 The conditions of spiritual gifts.
• Only believers have spiritual gifts.
• Every Christian has at least one gift.
• No one receives all the gifts. Gift - χάρισμα charisma from χάρισ or grace
• You can't earn a spiritual gift.
• It's sin to waste the spiritual gifts. This is a “grace gift” - a Spiritual gift. Paul
• Gifts are not for my benefit, but others.
normally refers to them as πνευματικός
pneumatikos

Paul is going to deal extensively with Spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians

12 & 14.

Paul uses the term “grace gift” to remind us our gift was something
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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

given not because we deserve it but out of God’s grace.

A. The conditions of spiritual gifts.

1.) Only believers have spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 2:14 - "the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God..."
2.) Every Christian has at least one gift.
1 Corinthians 7:7 - "But every man hath his proper gift of God,
one after this manner, and another after that. "
3.) No one receives all the gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:27-30 - "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are
all teachers? are all workers of miracles?"
4.) You can't earn a spiritual gift.
Ephesians 4:7- "But unto every one of us is given grace
according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
5.) It's sin to waste the spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 - "Moreover it is required in stewards, that
a man be found faithful."
6.) Gifts are not for my benefit, but others.
1 Peter 4:10 - "As every man hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. "

B. The categories of spiritual gifts.

There are a number of Scriptures that teach on Spiritual Gifts.
1 Corinthians 12 & 14; Ephesians 4; Romans 12. There are
seven basic spiritual gifts found in Scripture, and they can be
divided into basic headings found in Romans 12.
Read - Romans 12:4

God is faithful in giving 1. Edifying

empowering grace
The categories of spiritual gifts. PROCLAIMING: Prophesy - Preaching
Edifying Gifts Equipping Gifts
 Proclaiming – “prophesy”  Serving – “ministry”

 Teaching  Giving

 Exhortation – “encourage”  Leadership – “ruleth” TEACHING: Researcher/Instructor

 Compassion – “mercy”

EXHORTATION: Encourager/Advisor -
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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

2. Equipping
SERVING - Ministry - Helper/Provider -

GIVING: Contributor/Supporter -

LEADERSHIP: Leader/Organizer

COMPASSION: Mercy - Comforter/Empathizer -

Paul’s conclusion in 1 Corinthians 1:7 is that the church is not

lagging behind in any of these gifts but God has given his
empowering grace.

1. God is faithful in giving enriching grace.

2. God is faithful in giving empowering grace.
3. God is faithful in giving ending grace.
God is faithful in giving
ending grace The success of the Christian life is not
 The process – “confirm you unto the end”
 The presentation – “blameless…” measured by our starting the race, but how
we end the race.

Read - v. 7b-8

A. The process. - “confirm you unto the end”

“confirm” - βεβαιόω bebaioō - Establish, make sure

Not confirm you at the end.

It is a process of confirmation. Not confirmation to be saved,

but confirmation you are saved.

As God invests more of His grace into the Church it is

confirmation of God’s love and blessing for the Church.

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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

B. The presentation.

Read - v. 8

“blameless” - ἀνέγκλητος anegklētos

Paul put it his way in….

Col 1:22 KJV - In the body of his flesh through death, to
present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his
sight:

Paul used the example of…

Eph 5:25 KJV - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 KJV - That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 KJV - That he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that
it should be holy and without blemish.

Illustration - I have done many weddings in my days of ministry.

I have never seen an ugly bride. (I have had some close calls,
but I have never seen an ugly bride). However, I have set in
counseling sessions and looked at the potential bride and looked
at the prospective groom and thought -- "Man you can do
better than this. Look at her with her hair all tussled around
and no make-up -- she needs to cover up that big zit on her
chin. Look at her in that baggy old T-shirt and ratty looking
jeans. Young man find you another bride - you can do better
than this. "

But on the day of the wedding her hair isn’t tussled, but it is all
up in flowers. And she isn’t wearing an old ratty t-shirt and
worn out blue jeans, but a beautiful wife gown with pearls and
lace. And that zit on her chin. Well I can’t even see it.

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 Cross Culture - God is Faithful To The Church 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

And there stands that young man looking down the long aisle of
the church as his bride is being presented to him.

Oh what I couldn’t see in her - he sure did, and it was worth the
wait!

Listen -- the church is much the same way. As a body we have

our hair tussled everywhere, we are robed in ratty clothes of our
self-righteous works, and we have a huge zit of hypocrisy on
our face. But Jesus the faithful groom just waits as we are
prepared for the wedding day.

And one the trumpet will sound, and the processional will
begin, and we will be presented to Him “blameless” and
“without spot, or wrinkle” but “holy and without blemish.”

Do you believe Jesus is coming soon for his Bride?

Well then we need to be getting ready!

Conclusion - We need to be using the Enriching and Empowering gifts

of grace he has given us to prepare to enjoy his Ending grace.

Here’s the church…

Here’s the steeple…
Open it up and see the people.

“Let’s make church together!”

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