Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000924.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part I: Being Edified By God's Encouragements Of The Believer's Future Blamelessness
(1 Corinthians 1:1-9)
  1. Introduction
    1. When we see the spiritual weakness or sin within our own lives, or even within the lives of those we seek to disciple, we may be tempted to be discouraged against trying to live for God or serve Him.
    2. 1 Corinthians was written to a church with many serious problems that indicate it was experientially unholy. Yet, Paul's introduction to the church abounds with optimism. We can gain encouragement and motivation when faced with unnerving carnality or weakness in or around us believers as follows:
  2. Being Edified By God's Encouragements Of The Believer's Future Blamelessness, 1 Cor. 1:1-9.
    1. The Corinthian Church was guilty of many serious spiritual problems: (1) They had divisions in the body (chs. 1-4), (2) moral disorders with inadequate discipline for gross immorality (chs. 5-6), (3) marital disorders (ch. 7), (4) the abuse of Christian liberties (chs. 8-11) and (5) abuses in public worship functions involving the misuse of the Biblical gift of tongues and insubordination to church leaders (chs. 11-14).
    2. Yet, regardless of these various and serious problems, the Corinthians had much going FOR them as far as achieving God's blamelessness in the FINAL analysis, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9:
      1. They enjoyed the ministry of an Apostle in Paul whose very existence as an apostle itself is a witness of God's great power to overcome blamelessness, 1 Cor. 1:1a in light of 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
      2. They had Sosthenes writing with Paul to encourage them: this man had apparently converted to Christ when beaten for stirring up a fuss against Paul before the Roman authorities (Acts 18:1-17)! This man's testimony would also act to encourage them of God's hope for overcoming sin!
      3. Though the Corinthians had their many carnal problems experientially, Paul said that they were "sanctified if Christ Jesus" positionally! Incidentally, this fact is a great witness to the eternal security of the believer, that THOUGH carnal, a believer in Christ is STILL saved, 1 Cor. 1:2a.
      4. Though these Corinthian Christians were less mature than believers at Colossae and at Philippi, Paul includes these Corinthians along WITH the Colossians as God's "saints" (a very exciting title to those of us with Roman Catholic backgrounds!), 1 Corinthians 1:2b.
      5. Paul expressed thanksgiving to God for the presence of communication and knowledge spiritual gifts present in the Corinthian body, 1 Corinthians 1:4-5. Though these brethren were abusing these gifts, they were nevertheless possessing them by God's grace!
      6. Paul confirmed the fact that God would continue to confirm the Corinthians and work in their lives until the rapture of the Church, 1 Corinthians 1:6-8 with 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. God's faithfulness was the criteria for this hope of ultimate experiential sanctification, or BLAMELESSNESS, 1:9.
Lesson: In view of their great and upsetting problems of immaturity and carnality, the Corinthians had been surrounded by God's unmerited favor. This grace supplied them the OPPORTUNITY, ENCOURAGEMENT, EQUIPPING and MOTIVATION to overcome such problems!

Application: If we are dismayed or upset by our own lack of experiential holiness, or by that of those who are professing believers around us, we should take heart: (a) God's grace supplies us EXAMPLES of overcomers of such carnality or immaturity that discourages us in the leaders He assigns or sends our way as ENCOURAGEMENTS that such problems we face CAN be overcome by faith! We should thus USE these examples as beacons of HOPE for OURSELVES or others around us, and keep on keeping on for the Lord! (b) God wants us to know that His GRACE has supplied us and every other believer around us with a wealth of access to practical holiness by way of our POSITION in Christ. We should use this and encourage others to use this for victory. (c) God's GRACE often supplies our church body with spiritually gifted people who can equip us for encouragement and insight into practical growth in holiness, making it easier for us to look to God for victory in our weaknesses or discouragements. (d) God's GRACE has supplied us promises that we WILL be experientially holy in the Lord in the end, encouraging and admonishing us to overcome NOW for God's blessing.