1 Corinthians (Program #9) – The Fellowship of Christ

A superficial reading of 1 Corinthians often leads to the conclusion that is a book focus mostly on outward problems and situations. Actually this book is one of the riches in the New Testament with marvelous passages touching the profound aspects of Christ, the Spirit and the church. The first 3 chapters are particularly profound with a number of unique and significant terms employ by the apostle Paul as he ministered the riches of Christ to a church that surely was in need of an infusion of the divine life. Such a ministry is found in verse  1:9, where Paul says “God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.“

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1 Corinthians (Program #8) – Christ, Our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption

In our human society we typically have a high regard for the wise and the well born among us and conversely we tend to despise even to disregard the poor and the lowly ones. Yet in God salvation there is no room for man to boast in himself. So God in His wisdom renders all our human wisdom mere folly in Christ. Well at the same time He Himself becomes wisdom and strength and status to all those who had been called. Listen to Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians chapter 1

“For consider your calling, brothers, that there are not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many wellborn.  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame those who are wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the things that are strong, And the lowborn things of the world and the despised things God has chosen, things which are not, that He might bring to nought the things which are, So that no flesh may boast before God.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #7) – Christ Crucified, God’s Power and God’s Wisdom (2)

When you consider the power of God, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?   Well, this is a hard question because one can rightful name so many things. Creation, certainly creation of all the things including the universe, all the creatures even man himself may be at the top of a lot of these lists. Others might say God miraculous power and certainly God does has the power to accomplish miracles.

But I wonder how many of us would give the answer that the Bible gives?  Because when the Bible speaks of the power of God as it does in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 it mentions none of these things. Listen

1: 23 “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #6) – Christ Crucified, God’s Power and God’s Wisdom (1)

The city of Corinth during the time of the apostle was the center of Greek culture and philosophy. These were the things that were most valued and esteemed by the citizens of the city. Yet it was here that the apostle Paul, who is also a man of culture and well trained philosophy went to announced the gospel of Christ, but not in a way of philosophical words of wisdom or lofty speech. But through even to use his own phrase, word of foolishness. What was this foolishness that Paul proclaimed? It was not the resurrection of Christ but it was the cross of Christ. The unique solution to the many problems of the church in Corinth was the crucified Christ and the application of His cross to those who believed.

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Exodus (Program #116) – The Priestly Garments (1)

Of all the major items presented to man in the Bible, perhaps none is as misunderstood and mysterious as the church.  Of course, to most people, the church is quite simple; it’s the building on the street corner.  Others though have seen more, that the church is not the physical building at all but is really composed of all the believers, the people of God.  But the revelation doesn’t stop here.  We are going to see a clear and wonderful picture of the church, God’s building.

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1 Corinthians (Program #5) – Christ Not Divided

In 1 Corinthians Paul deals with one of the most perplexing and damaging conditions or problems that can exist in the church, the problem of division. Even in the 1st century the church in different places began to form sects, identifying with one gifted person or another. Throughout history this pattern has been repeated again and again. And the result is the confusing situation that exists among God’s born again people today.  Yet in the 1sty century look how quickly and how definitely the apostle Paul addresses this problem in the very first chapter of 1 Corinthians. Listen verses 10-12 :

“Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion. For it has been made clear to me concerning you, my brothers, by those of the household of Chloe, that there are strifes among you. Now I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #4) – Christ and His Cross the Unique Solution (1 & 2)

The Bible reveals that all believers have been called by God. If we were not for this calling we were never be saved. Salvation is not something we can stumbled into on our own

But what we have been called into? 1 Corinthians chapter 1 tells us  “God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Our calling is into the fellowship of His Son. But 1 Corinthians also tells us that the greatest frustration to that fellowship is division. Division became the problem in the 1st century church. And look today how great this problem is to the fellowship that should be our day by day enjoyment and experience. A fellowship that is in Christ and that should be universal among all the members of His one Body. The fellowship of His Son is our topic today.

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1 Corinthians (Program #3) – Introduction (3)

Many new believers shortly after receiving Christ as their Savior and experiencing a wonderful and dynamic salvation, go through a period of doubting and questioning. It seems that the new life they found in Christ to somehow evaporated. At such a time it’s common to question whether or not we are really saved. But to the Corinthian believers, Paul pointed out that we all receive two initial gifts when we received Christ.  First, we received eternal life, that’s the uncreated divine life of God. And we also received the Holy Spirit.  Based upon the word of God and these two indisputable gifts we have an outward assurance and the inward confirmation that he who has the Son has the life.

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1 Corinthians (Program #2) – Introduction (2)

When you hear the word “saint”, what comes to mind? Well, most of us draw a pretty vivid mental portrait of the genuine saint of God. But you know in the Bible the word saint is used to describe every single member of the Lord’s Body, the church.

Yes, even the smallest most seemingly insignificant of the believers is a saint in the Father’s eyes. We find this in 1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours:”

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1 Corinthians (Program #1) – Introduction (1)

Every detail of the Bible is under the sovereign arrangement of God. Not only the words themselves have God as their source even the arrangement of the Bible is significant.

Romans for example gives us a full and complete sketch of both the Christians life and the church life. Then immediately following Romans we  1 Corinthians. What we have is the illustration of the same church life in the Christians life. What Romans reveals 1 Corinthians illustrates.

As we begin the life study of 1 Corinthians, a book that on the surface seems to be mainly focus on the problems of this 1st century gentile church in the city of Corinth but actually we will come to appreciate there is a very positive message in this book that is critical in God’s economy.

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