Last Sunday, our church began a new journey through the Book of 1 Corinthians. And in a way, the Apostle Paul picks up right where the Apostle John left off in his Gospel. The recurring theme of John was “Believe in Christ!” (John 20:31), and in 1 Corinthians, we see what the fruit of that belief should look like.

In fact, the struggle of the Corinthians could be summed up by Jesus’ own prayer in John 17:15-18, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” Paul writes 1 Corinthians to a church struggling to be in the world, yet not of the world. To carry out Christ’s mission in the world without becoming totally corrupted by it.

1. The church of Corinth (1 Cor. 1:1-2). We began with some historical background on the city of Corinth. This was a wealthy city, located at a major crossroads of both land and sea. It was full of idolatry and immorality, to such a degree that to “Corinthianize” has become a byword for every kind of lewdness and debauchery. The Corinthians were saved from this lifestyle (1 Cor. 6:9-11), but as we will see in coming weeks, they were losing their battle against sin. In our increasingly post-Christian world, the culture is beginning to look more and more like Corinth. We must be wary that our church does not look more and more like the the Corinthian church. 
2. A message of hope (1 Cor. 1:2-3). Found within Paul’s greeting is an incredible message of hope. Despite their grievous sins, Paul does not write off this church, but views them as “sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling.” Just like the people of Israel were to be a holy nation, set apart from the pagan nations, so the church is called to be holy and set apart from the world. God is a holy God, and we are to reflect the holiness of the One who saved us. This is already our present position through the gospel (Heb. 10:10). But it is also what we are to become in our behavior (1 Pet. 1:15-16).

Questions for thought and discussion:

• Have I trusted in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life? Can it truly be said that I am “sanctified in Christ Jesus?”
• What does it mean to be “sanctified” and a “saint”? Do these words accurately describe my life? 
• What corrupting influences fight against my holiness?
• How could 1 Corinthians 1:2 bring hope to someone who feels so guilty that they are beyond Christ’s reach?
• Paul says that all who “call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” are saints by calling. What do you think this phrase means? Cf. Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:12.
• Paul writes this letter to encourage and admonish his fellow Christians in Corinth. In a day when writing letters has fallen out of style, is there someone I need to take time to write or call and encourage in holiness?

Sunday’s sermon is now available for free download on our podcast.


Photo credit: Todd Bolen

Dylan took a lot of interest yesterday in a couple yo-yos we have at the house. As he held the string high up in the air and watched the yo-yo spin around, he would say with excitement, “Look Daddy, a trick!” Maybe he will be the next yo-yo man.

Here’s a great act by the Smothers Brothers going back to the 1980s. Feel the yo.

Yesterday, I posted some of my favorite quotes from last week’s Shepherd’s Conference. Here are the rest…

“Don’t just teach principles to apply. Teach the Savior we are to follow” — Carey Hardy

“Preaching is calling people to live out who you are” — Carey Hardy

” The more heavenly minded we are, the more earthly good we can be” — Carey Hardy

“Legalism is a cheap substitute for true spirituality” — Carey Hardy

“The greater we want to be used by God, the greater we must be willing to suffer for Him” — Steve Lawson

“The taller we stand, the more we will draw the enemy’s fire” — Steve Lawson

“I believe in the devil, because I did battle with him this morning…Even the devil is God’s devil. God will draw a straight line with a crooked stick” — Martin Luther, quoted by Steve Lawson

“Job doesn’t need to understand why. He only needs to understand who.” — Steve Lawson

“I make the sovereignty of God the pillow on which I lay my head at night” — Charles Spurgeon quoted by Steve Lawson

“The greatest demonstration of the compassion of God is the incarnation of Christ” — John MacArthur

“The funeral is not the end of our responsibility to bear people’s grief” — John MacArthur

“Jesus could not be defiled. He was like a rainbow in a dump” — John MacArthur

“How does this bring us (1) to God in Christ (2) together? These two questions could be asked for every element of a worship service.” — Andy Snider

And lastly, though I don’t have any pithy “quotes” from Michael Vlach, his lecture on dispensationalism was clear and compelling, and one of the highlights of the conference for me.

Here’s part 1 of some of my favorite quotes from the main sessions and breakout seminars of last week’s Shepherds’ Conference:

“God embraces those who separate themselves [from the world]” — John MacArthur

“God chose a foolish message, method, and messengers to demolish all human pride” — Tom Pennington

“Preachers, you can’t be clever, and Christ be mighty to save” — James Denny, quoted by Tom Pennington

“Do not think that Jesus did the same thing on the cross for all those who are in hell as for all those who are in heaven…Unless we’re universalists, we all believe in limited atonement. The only question is whether we limit it, or God limits it” — John MacArthur

“Christ’s aim is not to keep His soldiers from danger, but to equip them for it” — Rick Holland

“Hypocrisy is hiding your sins from the faithful, or hiding your faith from sinners” — Rick Holland

“Hell is truth learned too late” — cited by Rick Holland

“Satan is not the captain of hell. He is the chief captive of hell” — Rick Holland

“There are no little people, no little places, and no little sermons” — Al Mohler

“There is only one ‘faith.’ Theology is not lego bricks we can tear apart and put together when we get tired” — Phil Johnson

Today’s evangelicals favor feminine themes. ‘Let’s talk about our emotional hurts. Our personal relationships. Our felt needs. We’re hurting people.’ And the church has begun to look weak and effeminate, frightened, sissified, like a bunch of fops and milksops. And we’re supposed to be soldiers. We are told relentlessly that we have to be “always agreeable no matter what,” you know? Seeker sensitive. Gender neutral. Effervescent. Transparent. Sentimental. And delicate in everything we say and do. Those sound like rules for figure skaters, not warriors.” — Phil Johnson

Part 2 of this post will appear on Friday.

This has just been announced by California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief…

We want to put together two more teams to serve in Haiti.

First Team:  Medical team: 2 MDs, 2 RNs, 1 pharmacist, one chaplain (CISM), and 2 others (LVNs, paramedics, or more RNs)
Dates needed:   April 14-20

Second Team:  Demolition: (Does not need DR training) 5 strong men (be able to swing a sledge with no problem), 1 chaplain (CISM), 1 EMT or nurse. This team must go in totally self-contained (tent for rainy weather, sleep bag or sheets, heater meals and snacks, Water bottle, hand towel for showering under a bucket, two changes of clothes, and heavy work boots. It is to plan to go back-packing for 7 days. Don Hargis will be the team leader for this team
Dates needed:  April 17-24. 

To volunteer for one of these teams, please contact Judi Cook, our Off-site coordinator by e-mailing disasterrelief@csbc.com