Seven Vital Lessons from the Book of 1 Corinthians

Well, brother, the city of Corinth was the largest and most important city in Greece at the time that Paul wrote the two epistles that we have recorded in the Bible. Ancient Corinth was a port city that was 48 miles southwest of Athens. It was totally destroyed by earthquakes and only ruins exist today, except for a museum that was built and filled with fascinating ancient artifacts, which reflected the pagan culture extant in ancient Corinth at the time of Paul. In fact, my wife and I were able to visit ancient Corinth back in 1989 when we went on a Mediterranean cruise that the church was offering at the time, the worldwide Church of God. It was really a wonderful experience. We were able to visit a number of Greek islands. We were able to go to Turkey, to Ephesus, to Istanbul, and Corinth. Corinth was one of our favorite spots. It was a really very interesting city. Of course, in ruins. But they had this amazing museum that had all these artifacts from the time of Paul, before the time of Paul and somewhat after the time of Paul. It was really quite fascinating indeed, and it reflected just how pagan the culture was at the time.

Back at the time of Paul, the city of Corinth hosted the Istvian games, which were second only to the Olympic games, very popular games at the time.

The city of Corinth had been destroyed back in 146 BC by Rome.

Julius Caesar re-founded the city of Corinth in 44 BC as a Roman colony.

The Corinth of the New Testament was considered one of the most beautiful cities of the Greco-Roman world. It was a center for trade. It was also a center for a Roman administrative center.

And also, as I mentioned, a very pagan culture. In fact, the temple of Aphrodite employed about a thousand temple prostitutes, according to tradition and various sources. There were other temples there. There was a temple to Poseidon, the god of the sea. There was a temple to Isis, a goddess in Egypt. And there were other temples of goddesses of Greek fertility cults.

This was, again, a very wealthy city, but it was pagan to the core, and some of that is reflected in the book of Corinth.

Paul taught many valuable lessons to the brethren at Corinth. Today we're going to consider seven vital lessons from 1 Corinthians, a letter most likely written during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Now, we're not that far removed from the Days of Unleavened Bread, so I'm going to keep you in the spirit of the Holy Days just a little bit longer, as we talk about seven lessons from Corinth. And these lessons, actually, I gave this sermon on the last day of Unleavened Bread, but since I knew you weren't there, I could get away with giving it today.

So let's begin with point number one. By the way, Paul was in Corinth between 50 and 52 AD, or thereabouts. He visited there on his second missionary journey. He was there with Aquila and Priscilla for two years. He went to Ephesus for about three years, and I think this is where he had written this first epistle to Corinthians that we have in the Bible, written from Ephesus.

So let's consider the first lesson, and that is, God grants all of us spiritual gifts. That includes you, all of us who are a part of the body of Christ. He grants all of us spiritual gifts. It's up to us to discover what those gifts are, and it's also up to us to use them for the benefit of the Church.

Paul taught that the Church at Corinth was the body of Christ, and everyone a part of a larger family. We certainly teach the same theme today. We are a body, and we must care for, honor, and value each other as integral members of the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, let's go there, and we'll begin at the beginning of 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and sausages our brother, to the Church of God, which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints. Now, these people were considered saints, so you are also considered saints, as you are a part of the body of Christ, just as much as the members in Corinth.

Called to be saints with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours, and we certainly all call upon Christ today. 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 to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him, in all utterance, in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift.

Eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we are all also waiting eagerly for the revealing of our Savior Jesus Christ for His second coming.

God has also given us spiritual gifts, and we need to be using those spiritual gifts. Verse 8, who will also confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. We worship the same God as Paul, as those in Corinth did. These words apply to us today. So we must realize that, and we must apply these verses in our own lives. God has given us spiritual gifts.

We'll go to what is considered the spiritual gift chapter in 1 Corinthians 12 now.

Paul has a lot to say about gifts in this particular chapter.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about spiritual gifts and how we all have spiritual gifts through the same spirit, the spirit of God.

He shows that we are to use those gifts for unity. Let's read verse 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. Given to each for the profit of all. So if you're not sharing your gift, you're not doing your part. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same spirit, to another working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. So it is God's decision in terms of the gifts that he does dole out to his people what he gives us.

As I said, we need to discover what gifts we have, and we need to be using those to the benefit of one another.

He goes on in chapter 12 to talk about how we're all one body, but there are many members in the body. When I look around, I see one body of believers here, but I see many members. You're all individuals, you're different members. So Paul uses a wonderful analogy, and he talks about the human body. He says in verse 18, But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased. And he talks again about how important it is that all of our bodies have arms and legs and ears and noses, so we can smell, so we can see, so we can hear. It's important that we have all of our body parts, and that we are able to use those body parts. And the same thing is true in the body of Christ. Everyone is an important member of the body. So don't ever discount what God is giving you and what you can do to help the Church of God, and what you can do to share your gift with others.

So it is God who puts us in the body as he pleases, so we shouldn't compare ourselves among ourselves, because God is the one that gets the credit for whatever gifts he gives us. It's nothing that we've done of and by ourselves. We don't deserve particular gifts, but if God chooses to give us a gift, we have to yield to him, and then we have to allow him to work in us so that that gift can be utilized for the benefit of everyone. And one part of the body is no better than another part. Every part is essential. Every part needs to work together. Sometimes we put too much emphasis on the visible parts of the body. Those who get up here and speak, I'm no more important than any of you. You all have an integral part in the body of Christ. I've been given the opportunity to speak, to pastor, and it's just a part that God has given me to do, and he's given you jobs as well. And we all need to share these jobs with one another and be willing to step up and do our part. So, continuing on, he says in verse 19, And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now, indeed, there are many members yet one body. If the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor, again, the head to the foot, I have no need of you, know much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. That God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism or division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And I think in the recent trouble that we've had in the Church, we do realize that everyone is important in the body of Christ.

Everyone has to make their own decisions on what they're going to do, and how they're going to be a part of the body of Christ. So it is important that we realize that and that we do our part to unify the body of Christ, to build the body of Christ, and not tear it down.

Verse 26, if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. We're not to be jealous or envious of each other, but we should be grateful that a person is able to accomplish something worthwhile, and we should rejoice with them and not be envious or jealous of them.

However, humanly, that's our tendency to be envious, to be jealous, so we have to fight that tendency, and we have to humble ourselves and learn to walk in the Spirit instead of walking in the flesh. Because when we walk in envy and we walk in jealousy and we walk in strife, then we're walking in the flesh, not in the Spirit.

So, brethren, I would encourage you to use your gifts, to consider what they may be. Some of you may have a gift of encouragement. You're naturally able to encourage people to lift people's spirits. By all means, share that, because we all need to be encouraged. We all need to be lifted up.

Some have a gift of faith. Some people just have more faith. They just naturally have more faith. Faith is a gift that God gives, and God has given some a gift of faith. So, we're encouraged by those who have faith, those who trust and believe and are not so doubting. But some person who doubts may have a gift of hospitality. They may be very generous people.

They may really open their doors wide to help one another and to really be of benefit to each other. So, whatever it is, seek to find your gifts. Talk to your husband. Talk to your wife. Talk to your friends. See if you can figure out what it is that you might be better at than other things.

Accentuate those gifts. If you have a gift of hospitality, then by all means use it.

We can all have a gift of hospitality to some degree or another, but some are more naturally that way. They thrive on being able to fellowship with one another.

Some people, it wears them out. They're stressed. They can't function for a week when they try to be hospitable. It's not easy for them. But for some people, they have certain temperaments and personalities. It's easier for them. So, by all means, if they want to be hospitable, then we should all allow them to be as well.

I'd like to read a paragraph from a book written by Max Lucado. He said, Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, so they both lead to the same result, healing. Now, we know that God is the great healer, but when you're sick and you go to a hospital, and the people know what they're doing, and they actually help you, it is a blessing to be able to get that kind of help. I mean, I have great respect for the doctors and nurses and people that I've had contact with that really are very dedicated. And they really spend themselves in trying to help others. Some of them are just that way. They really do care about their patients.

They spend many, many hours with patients working tirelessly, trying to help them get over whatever it is that they're facing.

Getting back to what Lucado says, When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message, You matter to me and to God. You may think you are saying, Come over for a visit, but what your guest hears is, I'm worth the effort. If someone bothers to invite you over and spend time with you, then they're saying that you're worth the effort. You're worth them stepping out and going through perhaps a lot of work to entertain and to help you feel just having an enjoyable time.

Now, there are other gifts. Some of you may have a gift, maybe musically or gifted. I've always wanted to be gifted musically, but sometimes just because you want it doesn't necessarily mean it happens. I've always desired a gift of singing, because I am inspired by great singing, beautiful singing. I'm inspired by that, so I thought it would be nice to be able to share that with others. I'm still waiting on God to give me that gift. I must admit, my singing is not all that special.

If you can ask my wife, she will confirm that. We call it special music, and I'm afraid if I gave special music, it might not be so special. We may want certain gifts, but if we don't get them, that's okay. We need to be grateful for whatever gifts we do receive. Some people are very generous, and God may have blessed them financially, so they're able to help with tithes and offerings. That's also a gift if someone is good business-wise and very successful.

That's another important part that can be played in the Church of God. Some people can read music, and they just pick it up. Some people have gifts that way. Some are gifted speakers, and they can inspire people with their messages. Some have gifts of administration or organization. We're still working on that. Just kidding. I don't claim to have the gift of administration or organization.

That's another gift I'm waiting on. Some have gifts in running sound equipment, or working with computers and websites. If it were up to some of us, we wouldn't have any sound, period. We wouldn't be able to get it to work. Some have gifts in interpreting languages. My wife is a sign for the deaf. I think she's gifted in that. At least compared to me, she's gifted. I took some sign language classes, but she took through it. She had the desire, the tenacity. I really didn't have the time to devote to it. Even if I had, I doubt whether I would.

In fact, my instructor told my wife that I was sign language challenged. That's just not my gift. I've got to face it. It doesn't mean I can't work a little bit to learn some things, so that people will at least know I'm trying. My wife's worked very hard at being an interpreter. It hasn't really come that easy for her. She's had to work very hard at it. But some gifts come more naturally than others. Some things we have to work at harder, but we can actually develop a gift that God has given us as well. It is very important that we do share our gifts in God's Church.

Recently, I was reading an article. See, this was actually about a book called The Outliers. O-U-T-L-I-E-R-S. It was written by Malcolm Gladwell. In his book, Outliers is a scientific term to describe things or phenomenon that lie outside normal experiences. Malcolm Gladwell tells the strange story of Christopher Langan, a genius with a staggering IQ of 195. Is there anyone here that has that kind of an IQ? Please reveal yourself. At this time. 195. For some perspective, Einstein's IQ was 150. So this guy had a 195. During high school, Langan could ace any foreign language test by skimming the textbook two to three minutes before the exam. He got a perfect score on his SAT, even though at one point he fell asleep.

Langan failed to use his exceptional gifts, and he ended up working on a horse farm. That doesn't mean working in horse farms could be very challenging, could be very helpful. I wouldn't mind working on a horse farm. This one happened to be in rural Missouri or Arkansas, either one. But the point this man is making, he says, according to Gladwell, Langan never had a community to help him capitalize on his gifts. In other words, he was all alone.

He didn't have a group of people to help him capitalize on his gifts. Gladwell summarizes the story of Langan in one sentence. Langan had to make his way alone. And no one, not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses, ever make it alone. The point is, you're not alone. We have each other in the church.

And we should share our gifts one with another, that we might become a church without spot or wrinkle. And obviously, that's talking primarily spiritually. The most important gifts are the spiritual gifts. Learning to submit to God, to his truth and way of life, being faithful and obedient. Walking in the spirit, setting a good example for one another.

Those are the real spiritual gifts that we all need to really be producing. That's the kind of fruit that we need to produce, the fruit of God's Spirit. So be content with the gifts that God has given you, the place that he's put you within the body of Christ. Again, don't covet other people's gifts. Covetousness is a sin. We shouldn't covet what other people have, but we should be grateful for the gifts that God gives others.

And as I said, sometimes we put too much emphasis on more visible responsibilities in the church. We know that even those who are gifted speakers don't always last. They don't always stick with it. They don't always continue with the truth. They may be gifted speakers. They might be able to inspire a crowd or a group of people. But their personal example is not good. And that detracts on what they say and brings reproach to Christ. So we need to honor and put priority on the spiritual gifts that we can share one with another.

The people who impact our lives the most are not generally the speakers, not usually, but it's the strong Christ-like example, the people that we really get to know. I mean, I come here once every five or six weeks. You see each other all the time. You get to know each other better than you'll get to know me.

It's just the nature of things. So oftentimes it's those strong Christ-like examples that help us the most. Those who believed in us and God's power in us and were there to help us through trials, through weaknesses. You guys were here to help each other through what's happened recently. I'm sure that's brought some of you closer together.

Just naturally you've had more in common. You've seen things the same way and you've responded in the same way. And that's brought you closer together. When we get to know someone, the real person, then we can help them more. People who are willing to forgive our weaknesses and our problems, who know us the best and still love us and care for us. Those are the ones that we can learn the most from and get the most encouragement from. So again, I would encourage you to share your gifts one with another.

Don't think that everyone has to have the same gifts that you have or the same strengths that you have. God made us different. We all have different responsibilities. God wants all of us to be round pegs in round holes and fitting well in being able to serve in that way. Don't try to force yourself or someone into your place in the body or vice versa. Again, do your part. Share your gifts. Help each other share theirs. For me personally, I wasn't ordained into the ministry right away.

I graduated in 1978 and it wasn't until 1985 that I was ordained and I wasn't hired right out of college. I worked for companies. I started my own business. I started not in the ministry, but I started as a member. We all started members. We're all members. God calls some of us to the ministry. Others, obviously, he doesn't. But we all have a very important role to play. So that's point number one. Discover your spiritual gifts and use them. Number two, God desires unity and not division. He does desire unity and not division. This is a very important principle. Going back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 10.

1 Corinthians 1 verse 10. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, no schisms or dissensions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Now that is clearly God's will. This verse is clearly God's will. That we should all have the mind of Christ. And if we all had the mind of Christ and we were all exemplifying the mind of Christ and treating each other the way Christ treated the church and gave himself for it, then we wouldn't have the problems and the schisms and the divisions within the church.

So it's important that we understand God's will. And when we fall short of God's will, then we're the ones that are having the problem. God's not the problem, but it's again the people who are having the problems. Paul goes on to say, For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ.

Notice that people, members, are picking out leaders. And they're emphasizing certain leaders. We need to learn to look past human beings to Christ. Christ is the head of the church.

We do follow others as they follow Christ, but to put too much emphasis on individuals is a mistake. That is a mistake, and it's proven to be a mistake many, many times in God's church. Verse 13 is, Christ divided was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul? The obvious question is saying, he's trying to put their minds on Christ, who is the head of the church. Christ is our Savior, no man. The Scripture says, put not your trust in mortals, for in them is no help. They'll eventually let you down one way or the other.

We're all far less than perfect. Human beings are not perfect, but Christ is perfect. He's the one that we need to look to, and people let us down. That shouldn't throw us so much. In fact, that should be expected. To some degree, it should be expected, and we should keep our hearts and minds on Christ. Verse 14, I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.

Yes, I also baptized a household of Stephanus. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other, for Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. So again, the point is, we should have unity within the body of Christ. There should be no divisions. We should all speak the same thing, be of the same mind and the same judgment. That should always be our goal, and when we fall short of that, that's the time when we need to get on our knees and pray for God's guidance and direction and also repentance, that we might be forgiven, whatever it is, that our vanity, our pride, whatever is getting in the way.

And if everyone would do that, then we wouldn't have the schisms that we have in the church. But obviously, we don't always practice what we preach over the years. This isn't the first time you've heard that, right? You've heard people say this before. But if we don't practice what we preach, then what good is it? Actually, it's a detriment. So members had their favorite leaders.

Paul taught that Christ needs to be the supreme and only leader, that we really look to for guidance. Follow man again only as they follow Christ. Christ isn't divided. He is unified in His laws and in the Spirit of God and in the principles of God. Remember, God is not the author of confusion. God was not the author of all the confusion that was going on in the church. God allows things to happen because we're free moral agents.

He doesn't force us to make the right choices and the right decisions. So we reap what we sow. So hopefully we're learning lessons from the things that we've gone through in the past. Only Christ was crucified for you. No man was crucified only Christ.

I mean, others died, but none of them were crucified for you. Others were crucified, but none were crucified for you. Because no one was perfect except Christ, and He's the one that made it possible for your sins to be forgiven, for you to have eternal life. So how committed are we to putting Christ first in our lives? That's a question we should continually ask ourselves. We should never hitch our wagons to any man. I've heard people say, so-and-so would never leave me astray.

Speaking of a minister, they would never leave me astray. They would never, you know... those are dangerous words. We really shouldn't use those kind of words, because human beings are frail. Human beings are... you know, they're all capable of sinning and of letting people down and leading people astray. So those kind of comments really don't reflect the mind of Christ. Don't hitch your wagon to any man, only to Christ. Christ is really the head of the church. He is our leader. We look to Him. We follow His example of love, His example of humility, His example of submission, of obedience, of unity, and of faithfulness. If we use Him as our example, we will not...

we won't ever fail if we always follow His example. We should not follow men who seek to divide and split asunder. In my notes, I say, we should not follow men who seek to divide and split asunder. That which is good, not perfect, but good. The United Church of God is not perfect, but there are many good aspects about the United Church of God. So anyone who contributes to sowing discord and division within the body of Christ is going to be held accountable, but we're all going to be held accountable for our sins.

So we shouldn't look at others self-righteously, look down on others for what we believe were wrong decisions. We all reap what we sow, and we're all going to be held accountable. And God's going to have to be merciful with all others. In 1 Corinthians 3, this whole chapter really talks about the importance of unity and working together and respecting one another's contribution. He talks about how Paul planted Apollo's water. God is the one, however, that gives the increase.

Again, we all have a role to play, but God is the ultimate one that we look to. He's the one that's going to get things done the way they need to be done.

He talks about the foundation that we build upon, and that should always be Christ. Verse 12. Verse 11. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus, or Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clearer, for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved. Yet so is through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? So, it just shows that divisions are carnal. Back to verse 3. Paul says, For you are still carnal. Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, I am a Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal or fleshly? Certainly that's the case. Envy, jealousy, strife, and division equals carnality, and we see way too much of that. We see it in ourselves. We see it in others. So, the second point is to seek unity, not division. Another problem that they were having in Corinth, and this is still part of the second one about unity and not division, but people were judging and comparing their spiritual condition based on who their leaders were. They were focusing on the leaders, not themselves. And in a way, this had become a source of pride. Again, hitching their wagon to a certain group of men or people. We need to be careful that we don't think that all we have to do is pick the right organization or pick the right leaders, and we're going to have it made. It doesn't work that way. It is who we are that is important to God. Our leaders' spiritual accomplishments and failures do not dictate our relationship with God. But what we do personally is what matters most. You have to have a personal relationship with God and with Jesus Christ, and that's what you're going to be judged on. And how you react to anything that comes along, the decisions that you make. Hopefully, we weren't so distracted by the trouble that we've had in the United Church of God that we didn't focus on our own spiritual condition during the Days of Unleavened Bread, during the time of Passover. Hopefully, we weren't spending our energies pointing the finger at others and blaming others, and we were considering our own frailties, our own weaknesses, and seeking repentance for those. We should always be concerned with the piece of Unleavened Bread that we are bringing to the Body of Christ, that it be unified and not divisive. We shouldn't worry about matters out of our control. There are some things that we just can't control. Sitting here in Springdale, Arkansas, you have limited power over lots of things. I have limited power over many things. There are just some things that are out of our control. We have to be content with that. Certainly, pray about it. Pray about issues that we see, but have faith that God will intervene to sort it out. We need to be patient while that's happening. Don't try to take matters into our own hands that we really can't handle in the first place. Let's go on to a third principle, a third vital lesson. We are to choose the power and wisdom of God, not the weakness and the foolishness of the world. It seems that too often we put our emphasis on this world and what the world has to offer us, rather than choosing the power and the wisdom of God. In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 18, it talks about the power of God, and it also talks about the foolishness of this world.

1 Corinthians 1, verse 18, 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. Now, we know that God's plan of salvation makes perfect sense, because God's opened our mind to understand that. That makes perfect sense. There is power in God's plan of salvation for mankind. So when we hear the message of the cross, of Christ crucified for all of us, that isn't foolishness, but there are many people that scoff at the plan of God, many people who don't believe in God, who don't believe in Christ as their Savior, but we do believe in God, and we believe in Christ. And we need to focus on the power of God and the wisdom of God, and not be distracted by this world, or distracted by this world. The world has many distractions. It goes on to say in verse 19, For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disfeuder of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Now, there are many brilliant people who write a lot of foolish things. They put them in books, book after book after book, and it's a lot of foolishness, but a lot of people put a lot of stock in a lot of foolishness. Obviously, we need to look to the truth of God revealed in God's Word. God is real. God does exist. He reveals Himself in many ways. His plan of salvation is revealed in the Word of God, and that's where we need to put our focus. We do need to come out of this world. Again, we need to focus on the power of God and the plan of God for each and every one of us. You can take the time to read through the rest of this. We know that it says God has called the weak and the foolish of the world, that He might confound the mighty.

No doubt there will be many surprised people who come up in a resurrection. They'll be flesh and will be spirit, and they will be certainly confounded by that, I'm sure.

Because God has chosen the weak and the foolish of the world to put the shame to things which are mighty. Again, God gets the credit and the glory for anything that He accomplishes in each and every one of us. So the second point, again, is place your faith in the power of God. Chapter 2 also talks about spiritual wisdom, how it comes from the Spirit of God. It's God's Spirit that reveals to us the truth of why this world is the way it is, and why there's so much suffering, why there's so much heartache.

You know, we have the answers, and the answers are revealed in the Bible. And those things are revealed through the Spirit of God. Again, it's not that we're smarter than billions and billions of people on earth. It's that God has chosen us so that we might confound the mighty. And those who will yield to God, those who will endure to the end and stay faithful to the truth of God, there will be a very few that will actually be firstfruits. Out of the billions and billions of people who have walked this earth, a very small fraction will be firstfruits.

The Scripture also says, many are called, but few are chosen. God calls many, but not many are chosen because many don't respond. Only a few really respond, and only a few stay faithful to the end. It's not good enough to be here today. We need to be here at Christ's return. And we need to be continuing faithfully to the end.

The Scripture says that all the righteousness that a man does is worth nothing if he turns from that righteousness. You know, the Scripture is clear. We must endure to the end and remain faithful to the end. So, brethren, choose the power and the wisdom of God, not the weakness and the foolishness of the world. 1 Corinthians chapter 8 shows that people were puffed up by their knowledge. Isn't that true today that so many people are puffed up by the knowledge that they have? They become vain thinking they know more.

Chapter 8 verse 1, now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. I mean, compared to what we really ought to know, none of us know much of anything. God reveals a great deal that we just don't pick up on.

We miss a lot of things. If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. I mean, that ought to humble us a little bit. I mean, if you think you know quite a bit, and frankly, it's easy to think, well, you know, God has revealed so much to me. He's given me this truth. And it is a wonderful plan of salvation, but God says, if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

That's a little bit humbling. So again, the third point is choose the power and the wisdom of God, not the foolishness of the world. Knowledge without humility in the spirit of God is a very dangerous mixture. And there's an awful lot of that in the world. Knowledge without humility in the spirit of God is a dangerous mixture. And there's a whole lot of that kind of foolishness in the world. A fourth vital lesson. Hi there. I'm having a meeting. Okay, I could have invited him in, but I really don't think he wanted to come. You might want to lock in.

Okay, let's go on to a fourth vital principle, a lesson from Corinth. Seek purity and don't fellowship with unrighteousness. Seek purity. Don't fellowship with unrighteousness. This is a very, very important lesson that God wants us to learn from the book of Corinth, that we need to seek purity.

And we do need to be careful not to fellowship with unrighteousness. And primarily, he's talking about those among us who are living unrighteous lives and examples, and we're allowing that to go on within the church. That is a problem that we have to be willing to do the right thing. And let's see that in 1 Corinthians 5, there was an incident that was going on. Sexual immorality was something that was being allowed within the body of Christ.

Verse 1 of chapter 5, it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, speaking about those in the church at Corinth, among you in such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his father's wife. So this would be a stepmother. And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

Obviously, this man wasn't repentant. He hadn't repented of this sin. It was something that was ongoing. But the people at Corinth, the church at Corinth, was allowing this to go on. They were tolerating it.

Therefore, purge out the old leaven. Obviously, he is saying purge out that person who is unrepentant. A little leaven leavened the whole lump. If something like that were allowed in this church, it wouldn't take long before it would really scar everyone's mind. Spiritually, it obviously would do great detriment.

He says, Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Verse 9, I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people, yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

I think one of you worked with adulterers and adulteresses, and you probably worked with people like that. You know it goes on. You can't really do anything about it. You can't run their lives for them. You can't make them change. You can't fire them, maybe if you're the boss, but then you even get in trouble if you fire them for things that you can't really fire people over. So he's not talking about in the world, but he's saying among the body of Christ, this is a blight on the body of Christ, this kind of blatant immorality. This was a blatant sin that was going on, and it was being tolerated, and there is no place for that in the body of Christ.

For example, if I visit with someone and find out that they're living together, they're not married, then I tell them, well, you're going to have to make this right before you're allowed to come to church. You can't come to church until you straighten this out because the Scripture is clear that this is immorality. It's fornication, and it's something that you need to repent, make right. Then, of course, you'd be welcome to attend, but we can't allow that kind of blatant type of sin to go on, otherwise it leavens the whole lump, and we become tolerant of sin, and God doesn't want us to be tolerant of sin.

We need to seek purity and fellowship, and do not fellowship with unrighteousness. It's an important lesson of the book of Corinth. Paul emphasized that, obviously, to the people, and thankfully they did repent of this, and this person actually repented, too, and was restored to fellowship, and 2 Corinthians talks about that. We cannot peacefully coexist with grievous sin in our midst.

Uncleanness will spread, and so we can't allow that to go on. Unleavened bread is that of righteous judgment and purging sin out. We must have the wisdom and spiritual discernment to know what to tolerate, and what not to tolerate. And, again, it comes down to a repentant attitude. There are certain things that just can't be tolerated.

There are other things that, obviously, you have to be patient. People have to grow and understand. They'll make changes as time goes on. But there are certain blatant things that, obviously, we can't allow to go on within the body of Christ. The people at Corinth were puffed up by their tolerance of grievous sin in the body. Perhaps they were allowing it because it made them feel better about themselves.

Maybe they seemed better because they weren't doing anything that bad. But they allowed something that should have never been tolerated in the first place. God isn't soft on sin, and we shouldn't be soft on sin. Sin is the transgression of God's law.

It is what required the death of the Son of God. In 1 Corinthians 6, verse 8, Do you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren? Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived. Neither cornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. So there were some sitting in the church at Corinth who were involved in some of these grievous sins that it describes here, but they had repented. Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. So God is very merciful to those who are repentance. But when they're not repentance, then they need to be put out until they become repentance.

Let's go on to a fifth principle. Number four was to seek purity. Do not fellowship with unrighteousness. Number five is to choose to exercise godly judgment. Not worldly judgment, but godly judgment. This is a lesson of Corinth. They were too involved in making worldly judgments and not exercising godly judgment. They were actually taking people to court, people within their own midst in the church.

In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul shows that God is our final judge, and we always have to remember that. 1 Corinthians 4, verse 1, Let a man so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this. Just because we may not be aware of our sins doesn't mean we're not guilty of sin. That's basically what Paul is saying here. Sometimes we're ignorant of things that we're doing. We may not realize it. Verse 4, For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.

Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. Again, choose to exercise godly judgment. There are some things that we just have to reserve for God's judgment, some things we certainly can't condemn others. God looks on their heart, but we can't see in their hearts. Sometimes we misjudge things.

We see partial circumstances, but we don't see everything. So it's very dangerous to make condemnations. For one thing, who are we to condemn anyone? We shouldn't at all condemn others. In fact, the Bible says that we will be forgiven in the same manner that we forgive others. If we're condemning someone, then what's going to happen to us? In 1 Corinthians 6, this is where it talks about suing the brethren. Verse 1, Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints.

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more are things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? These things should be handled within the church of God.

Disputes within the body of Christ. We all know that from time to time some people work for other people in the church. It happens. Inevitably, there's got to be some kind of a dispute, some type down the line.

Well, those things need to be handled within the body of Christ, and they need to be handled in a Christlike manner. It shouldn't get out of hand. It shouldn't get ugly. If we're all yielded to Christ, then we should be able to resolve these issues. Again, that's if everyone is going to yield. But when we're stiff-necked and stubborn and carnal, that's when Paul has to write things like this. The brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

Now, therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourself be cheated? There are times when you have to take it on the chin for the body of Christ. There are times when you have to suffer for the body of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 11, verse 31, it brings out an important principle about judging. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 31, For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. There are certain things that we need to judge regarding ourselves. We need to look within ourselves and admit when we sin.

When we've done something that's wrong, we need to be willing to admit that we've done something wrong, and we should seek forgiveness. If we wrong another person, we should seek their forgiveness, go to them and apologize for it. If we sinned against God, then we need to seek His forgiveness. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. This was talked about in the context of the Passover. Some of them were getting out of hand when it came to even keeping the Passover properly. Paul had to correct them for that. So the church at Corinth, even though they're called saints and they are saints, they still had their problems, didn't they? They had their carnal issues that needed to be addressed. So I think sometimes we can be maybe... I mean, to me, we shouldn't have all the problems that we have in the church. And yet, it happened back then, and it's going to happen today. So it's certainly nothing to lose our faith over. That's the key. It's not something to lose our faith over. Some people just decide... they look at the problems within the church of God and they say, well, that can't be God's church. Well, look, this was God's church, and they could have easily drawn that conclusion here. So we have to have faith. We have to continue to carry on. I've said before, people who are looking for excuses will find them. And when there's times of upheaval and conflict in the church, that's oftentimes when they'll find those excuses, and they won't continue faithfully. They'll use an excuse to withdraw. And that's a dangerous thing to do. So the fifth point is to choose to exercise godly judgment, not worldly judgment. Number six, sixth vital lesson from Corinth is always exercise the power of love. The greatest gift of all. Always exercise the power of love. If we would do this, we wouldn't have near the problems that we have. But the problem is we don't exercise the power of love oftentimes. Instead, we do just the opposite. Let's read chapter 13, part of it, and consider the power of love. Paul says, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. Paul is just emphasizing how important love is, and he uses some very powerful words to do this. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. It's just showing that we can do many things out of duty, out of responsibility, out of a number of misguided motivations, but if we're not doing it out of love, it profits us nothing. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. Love is not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely. It does not seek its own. It does not provoke. Now think about the practicality of all this, what I've just read. Love suffers long. Love is patient. Love is kind. If someone's railing at you, and you sit there taking it patiently and kindly, and that's to your credit. On the other hand, if you respond in kind, in the same way, not kindly, but in kind, in other words, you rise up against the person who's castigating you, then obviously you've failed the test. Love, you're not relying on the power of love, because love is patient, it is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. It is not puffed up. It does not behave rudely. It does not seek its own. It is not provoked. It thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but it rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. Love endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

So the important point here is that love never fails. So if you believe that, if you exercise love, you can't fail. I mean, even if someone doesn't take kindly to love, you still haven't failed because God sees how you responded, and that's a victory.

So the greatest gift of all is love. And if we exercise the power of love, then we don't need to worry about our relationship or our status with God and with Christ. Lack of love and division was obvious in the Church of Corinth. There was a lack of love. Otherwise, Paul wouldn't have written these things, for one thing.

He needed to emphasize it for obvious reasons. There were divisions because people didn't love each other enough to work out their issues and their problems. It was obvious in how they were keeping the Passover. They were eating in an unworthy manner. Some were exalting themselves above others.

They weren't being patient with others. They weren't waiting on others. They were abusing one another.

So they were eating in an unworthy manner, partly due to how they were treating each other.

There was even selfishness. There was even drunkenness that was going on at that time in the Church of Corinth. So it did bring a reproach upon Christ and His sacrifice. Paul addresses the subject. If these people had all responded with the power of love, then these things would not have happened.

It is interesting that Paul put the subject of love as the greatest gift in a Days of Unleavened Bread letter, along with correction for divisions, along with admonishment about spiritual gifts, about righteous judgment, about purging out the sinner who needs to repent of his sins, and also being a unified body.

Love was the greatest gift among all these things. All of this fits within the framework of the power of love. So, brethren, I would just encourage you to remember that you are to respond in a loving manner at all times.

Sometimes love is tough, and sometimes you have to speak clearly, perhaps with some passion, but always with love. And if you'll do that, then you will do well. Let's go on to our last point, number seven, seventh lesson.

As firstfruits, we are faithful to these principles that we've discussed already from Corinth. We shall rise as Christ and shall meet Him face to face at His return. Now, this is something that we need to have faith in. We need to believe in the resurrection. That was a problem in Corinth.

There was teaching that the resurrection was not valid.

Paul obviously attacks those who would believe such a heresy in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. There's much that we know about the resurrection because of 1 Corinthians 15. If we didn't have 1 Corinthians 15, we would really be lacking in our understanding of what the resurrection is all about.

Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15 verse 15.

We are firstfruits, and we need to be faithful to these principles that we read in 1 Corinthians 15. We need to have confidence and faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in our resurrection. Because we are going to be resurrected in the same manner that Christ was resurrected. In verse 50 of chapter 15, Christ was mortal, but he put on immortality when he was resurrected.

He was changed from physical to spirit.

Verse 54, So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? This is something that we read at funerals.

Because we have victory over death because of Christ's sacrifice and because of his resurrection to life.

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

The sting of death is sin because sin is the transgression of God's law, and the wages of sin is death.

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, be immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

So Paul's words are very encouraging to us that we need to keep on keeping on, keeping on doing the right things, staying steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain.

So we should give thanks, God, always for our calling, for allowing us to be among the firstfruits, those who will rise at Christ's return, or those who will be changed if we happen to be alive at Christ's return.

So let me just summarize these seven lessons once again as we conclude the sermon today.

First of all, God grants all of us spiritual gifts.

Believe in that. Know that God has given you spiritual gifts.

You are to use those gifts for the benefit of the Church.

Secondly, God desires unity, not division.

Thirdly, we are to choose the power and wisdom of God, not the weakness and the foolishness of the world.

So where are your priorities?

Are you choosing the power and wisdom of God every day?

Or are you being distracted by the weakness and the foolishness of the world?

Number four, seek purity and do not fellowship with unrighteousness.

Seek purity with all your heart and soul and mind.

Be you holy even as I am holy, says the Eternal.

Seek purity, don't fellowship with unrighteousness.

Stand up for that which is right and good.

Number five, choose to exercise godly judgment, not worldly judgment.

Choose to exercise godly judgment.

Realizing that God is the ultimate judge.

There are some things we're not called to judge.

There are other things that we do need to judge now.

We need to judge righteous judgment.

We need to be able to know the difference between right and wrong. If someone is sinning, we should be able to recognize that.

First of all, in ourselves.

That's where we look first, isn't it?

You have to look within yourself and repent of your own sins.

Get rid of the planks, the beings that are in your own eyes so you can help others overcome.

So choose to exercise godly judgment, not worldly judgment.

I believe that was also a part of the problems that we've had recently in the church, is not exercising godly judgment.

People were making a lot of worldly judgments, and it did not keep them in good stead.

Number six is exercise the power of love, the greatest gift of all, in all your relationships with one another, at work, at home, in your families, at church, exercise the power of love.

God is love, and God gives us the principles that we are to follow in His word.

And lastly, number seven, as firstfruits who are faithful to these principles that we've discussed today, have faith that you will rise as Christ.

You will meet Him face to face at His return.

These are lessons from Corinth. This was an important city called the Old Testament.

It did a lot of great work in Corinth. Many people were converted.

People would come out of some horrible lifestyles in a very wicked city.

Their lives were changed.

So, brethren, take these seven lessons from Corinth.

Learn them well. More importantly, live by them every day of your lives as you eagerly wait for the return of your Savior, Jesus Christ. So, let's again practice these seven lessons from the City of Corinth.