Thank you for being the church this weekend. Over the last few days hundreds of Christ Fellowship people joined people from other churches to go and be the church all over our community. We painted, cleaned, cooked and blessed thousands of people. Thank you. All the honor goes to God. We are people helping people find and follow Christ.

As people who follow Christ and help others find and follow him, we are all about the Bible, God’s word to us. We are in series called Give It Up! The series is a study in First Corinthians chapters nine to eleven, spiritual wisdom for a foolish world. Giving up carries both the meanings of praise – as in give it up for the latest superstar and give it up in the sense of surrender. Today we will dig into First Corinthians chapter ten where Paul talks about “Giving it Up” in terms of doing whatever it takes to flee from sin. Are we willing to give up our dark desires? Are willing to walk away from powerful temptations?

Last week we used Twitter and we are going to do it again. During the message, send in Tweets with the hashtag #giveitup. Today we are going to ask: What do you think are the most powerful temptations today?

Some background will help you understand what’s going on in First Corinthians chapter ten. Corinth was a trade city with two harbors so it was a cultural and religious melting pot. There were multiple temples representing various gods. Business and religion were intertwined with entertainment. So a huge party might take place as a religious festival that included a massive banquet, erotic dancing and prostitutes where business relationships were built. Temptations are the same then and now.

The old saying is true: people who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The Bible calls us to remember – we remember who God is and we remember the mistakes his people have made. This chapter takes us back to Israel’s history to see four huge mistakes they made.
Temptations can be incredibly powerful. We have all failed. We have all given into temptations. We have all fallen. Even little kids know the power of temptation.

How can we resist eating the marshmallow? What would motivate us enough to flee from sin? In First Corinthians ten Paul gives us powerful motivations to flee from idolatry and any sin against God. The chapter comes in two sections: verse 1-13 and then 14-22. Twice Paul says, “I do not want you…”. Look at verse 1: “I do not want you to be ignorant;” that line sets up the first section in verses 1-13. Then look at verse 20 for the punch line of the second section: “I do not want you to be participants with demons.” These lines form the titles of the two main points you can see in the sermon outline in your program or on-line.

In the first section Paul takes us to Israel’s history to warn us from their bad example. He reminds us of who God is. Then in the second section he takes us to our history with Christ to remember who we are. When you know who God is, who you are and a little about sin, you will find powerful motivation to flee from sin.

Open your Bible to First Corinthians chapter ten. Follow with me starting in verse one as we read part one:

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 (NIV)

That opening line must have jarred the proud Corinthians who bragged about their knowledge. “For I do not want you to be ignorant.” What about us? Are we ignorant of important spiritual truth? What are you doing to learn biblical truth? Do you really know God? Paul will show us two very important truths about God. He is saying do not be ignorant: God judges and is faithful.

Do not be ignorant: God judges and he is faithful 1-13

Of course, the problem of ignorance is often deeper than factual. You may know the bare fact that God judges and is faithful, but have you internalized that knowledge? Do you live that truth or do your actions show that you must be ignorant of who God is, because if you really knew that God judges sin and is faithful to help you, why are you sinning? Why are you giving in to temptation? Why are trials knocking you out of the spiritual race? The first point Paul makes in the opening five verses is that God provides and he is not pleased.

God provides and is not pleased 1-5

Our forefathers, the Israelites, were under the cloud and passed through the sea. Do you know the story he is recalling? This is the Exodus. God guided Israel with a cloud and he delivered them through the Red Sea to save them from slavery in Egypt.

Israel was delivered by cloud and sea

The cloud guided them across the desert and they walked through walls of water in what was like a baptism. Paul points out how God saved Israel through water; that foreshadows Christian baptism in water, symbolizing our salvation through Jesus Christ, the greater Moses, the ultimate Deliverer. Secondly Israel had spiritual food and drink.

Israel had spiritual food and drink

Not only did God save Israel, but he also provided for them. The spiritual food was manna and the spiritual drink was water that God provided multiple times from a rock. Much as passing through the sea foreshadowed baptism, so the manna and water foreshadow the Lord’s Supper. We too have food to eat and a cup to drink. God provides for us through Christ who strengthens us for daily living in the wilderness of this world.

By delivering them and providing for them, God gave Israel the opportunity to be his own special people. In light of God’s amazing gracious provision, certainly his people should be loyal to him, but they were not. And neither were the Corinthians and sadly neither are we. We must gain fresh motivation to flee sin so we do not fall into the same sins that Israel did and risk similar consequences.

Verses one to four from one long sentence in Greek in which verse five stands in sharp contrast: “Nevertheless God was not pleased.” The second line in verse five presents a morbid, gross image – “their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” The picture is corpses strewn across the dessert. We want God to be pleased with us. We do not want to tick him off. Here’s the point: flee sin because God does not play games. He judges sin, including the sin of his own people. We are in grave danger of repeating Israel’s serious sins, and thus experiencing similar horrible consequences. So let’s not be ignorant. What were their mistakes? What were the consequences? Paul lays out four examples to warn us.

Warning: God judges sin 6-11

All four of these example sins were also problems in Corinth. And they are problems among us. The four examples are idolatry, sexual immorality, testing Christ and grumbling. Paul summarizes all four as “setting our hearts on evil things,” which is what they did. This phrase is a way of expressing rebellion against God by turning to desires for anything against God, sins of the flesh or pride, grumbling and idolatry. Let’s look briefly at each of the four.

Idolatry – by eating, drinking, “partying”

Of the four warnings, this is the only one without an explicit consequence, including instead examples of the sin. Interestingly, Paul does not focus on the explicit worship of an idol, but rather eating, drinking and “indulging in revelry.” The original words for revelry carry erotic implications. There were sexual shenanigans going on. Wild pagan religious festivals often included feasts, alcohol and sex. It’s not a far leap to clubs today and parties where people eat, drink and hook up. Gluttony, drunkenness and sex often go together. If you are partying, what will motivate you to flee from it? How will you avoid the temptation? This first example leads directly to the second one, sexual immorality.

Sexual immorality – 23,000 died

Paul is very direct: do not engage in sexual immorality as they did and in one day 23,000 died. That’s serious. They died, in one day. God does not play. He judges sin. Do not mock God. What you sow, you reap. You may remember First Corinthians chapter six where Paul said, “flee sexual immorality”. How are we engaged in sexual immorality today? Students, you now have access to the Internet through so many devices from your phone to your hand-held game systems. How are you going to avoid sexually immoral YouTube videos that pop up to the right of the video you are watching? What about the comments below the video? Wives and husbands, let me be very direct, I am sick, sick of hearing about your adultery. It grieves me to see the devastation to your marriage, your children, your families, your church and the cause of Christ. God judges! Do not be ignorant. 23,000 died in one day. Flee, for God’s sake, flee. By sexually uniting with another person in rebellion against God, you are testing Christ, which is the third example.

Testing Christ – killed by snakes

As you can tell, the examples overlap. All sin is a form of testing Christ. In addition to sexual immorality, the people were demanding that God do this or that, give them meat or take them back to Egypt.

Once again the consequence is horrifying, especially to me. Sorry to you snake lovers, but I hate snakes. Picture the image of deadly vipers striking victims causing painful deaths. Don’t test God. Don’t act as if you know better than he does, demanding that he do this or that. God judges sin. The fourth example is related to testing Christ. When we don’t like what’s happening in our lives, we are tempted to grumble.

Grumble – killed by destroying angel

This was a persistent problem for Israel in the desert. They griped and complained against God over and over. These were beyond petty complaints, they quarreled with God for bringing them into the desert, for not giving them meat. They wanted to go back to Egypt. Basically they saw themselves as victims and blamed God for everything hard or bad in their lives. When they were hungry or thirsty, they grumbled rather that trust God. When he provided manna, they complained about it. This kind of grumbling is rebellion against God. So God sent a destroyer to kill them. God is serious. We had better flee from sin because God judges it. Do not be ignorant.

What do we grumble about today? How do we grumble against God? This is a major problem in suburban America where we feel entitled to just about everything. We feel entitled to our comfort and security. If life is not perfect, we grumble against God. If we are sick, out of work, or having a hard time, we are tempted to grumble. According to verse eleven all four examples were written down as warnings for us. We must not be ignorant, but know that God judges sin, severely. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of Israel. A second truth about God that motivates us to flee sin is found in verses twelve and thirteen. We have a promise that God is faithful.

Promise: God is faithful 12-13

Do not be ignorant of this truth. God is faithful. Several really important truths are packed into these two verses. Verse twelve says: 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! We cannot stand against temptations to sin on our own. Pride comes before a fall. If you think you will never commit that sin, be very careful. Self-confidence is a liability in the fight against sin. Many people are overly nonchalant about sin, assuming they will not fall into it. Few people who commit adultery thought they would ever do that.

Verse thirteen adds three fundamental truths of which we dare not be ignorant. Paul says in verse thirteen: 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. The first truth is that all temptations are common to humanity.

All temptations are common to humanity

Depending on context, the Greek word translated temptation can have the nuance either of temptation or trial; often a trial can lead to being tempted. Be assured that temptations you face have also been faced by billions of other people through history. External circumstances may change, but the spiritual dynamics remain the same. This means that there can be no special pleading. There is a human propensity to see “my problem” as different or worse that what anyone else has experienced. Don’t tell me that you sinned because you were facing some unique set of circumstances that no one else has ever faced. Don’t play the victim by blaming your sin on circumstances or others around you. The second truth is that in his faithfulness God will never allow you to bear too much.

God will never allow you to bear too much

You are weak, but God is not. In his power you can bear whatever difficulties you are facing without sinning. No one and nothing makes you sin. You have the power and the freedom to flee temptation. God will not allow you to face something you can’t handle as you are relying on his strength, his Spirit. Yes, Israel got hungry and thirsty in the dessert, but God eventually provided for them. Do not be ignorant of this truth along with those who say the devil made me do it. I could not help myself. Or they made me do it. The third truth in verse thirteen is that in his faithfulness God will give you a way out of sinning.

God will give you a way out of sinning

This way out is not an escape hatch from difficulties in life. Rather it is his power that enables us to endure the temptations and trials. Whether you can see it or not, there is a way out of sinning in every situation no matter how intense, complex or difficult. Sometimes in a temptation I can sense the Spirit say, “don’t go there, stop, shut your mouth” (that was the way out early in the temptation). When I have not taken it, then it was too late and I messed up.

So what is Paul saying in this first section? Flee idolatry and all sin because God judges and he is faithful. Do not be ignorant, but remember the warning that God takes sin very seriously. He judges severely. Just look at Israel’s history. Secondly, do not be ignorant of the promise that God is faithful. Don’t be overconfident, but careful, knowing that all temptations are common to humanity. God will not give you too much and he will give you a way out of sinning. From Paul’s great desire that we not be ignorant, he turns in the second section to his great desire that we not associate with demons. His big point is that we should flee idolatry and all sin because God unites you to Christ.

Do not associate with demons: God unites you to Christ 14-22

Open your Bible to First Corinthians ten, verses 14-22 where Paul contrasts our union with Christ against association with demons. Listen to more powerful motivations why we must flee from idolatry and any sin. Follow with me starting in verse fourteen:

14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. 18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Corinthians 10:14–22

Those last two questions are the exclamation marks of the passage, echoing back to the sad fact that Israel displeased God and that did not have good results. Verse fourteen opens this section with the clear, absolute command: “my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” Paul is using idolatry as his lens through which to talk about all serious sin, because as is idolatry, all sin is a form of disloyalty. God’s people should follow his laws, his ways. We should have nothing to do with the enemy. In Paul’s day there were many physical idols in Corinth carved from stone, metals and wood and people worshipped them as many still do today. But open your mind to a wider concept of idols. Idols can be not only metal, but also mental. An idol is something that takes the place of God in your heart. It can even be something good, such as your children. Where are you looking for your meaning in life, your security? Where does your deepest joy, satisfaction and comfort come from? What matters more to you than anything? We can make an idol out of anything, our work, our hobby, our money, our relationships, our yard, our home or even our bodies. What gets your best thoughts, your dreams, your financial investment, your tears?

Paul insists on exclusive loyalty to Christ. This was an uncommon idea in pagan Corinth where people were used to many gods from many religions. Some believed there was safety in numbers so they honored many gods in hopes that one of them might give them success. Today in a postmodern culture we also are told that all religions are equally true, just don’t argue that only one way is right and the others are wrong. Yet, while radical in our time, that is what Paul is saying. Paul builds from the Lord’s Supper to make the point that we cannot go to any religious festivals we want. Worshipping Jesus Christ is utterly incompatible with worship of anyone or anything else. His first point is that God unites you to Christ and his body.

God unites you to Christ and his body 14-17

The cup of thanksgiving is a participation in the blood of Christ and the bread we eat is a participation in the body of Christ. The Lord’s Supper or Communion teaches us that we are united to Christ and his body.

The English word “participation” translates an important Greek word used multiple times in these verses: koinōnia. Koinōnia means fellowship in a deep sense of communion, being a shareholder, a participant. The point is much deeper than simply a casual connection or membership in a club. We share in the life of Christ. He lives in us and through us. We have become sons of God, co-heirs with Christ, members of his body. So our union is not only vertical with Christ, but also horizontal with other believers. Participation in the body of Christ carries two senses: both the physical body of Christ and his church. Our identity is fundamentally shaped by our union with Christ. We are Christ-ians. Our solidarity with Christ and others in the body forbids any other association, especially with a competing force or power. So his point is that we must flee idolatry and all sin because we are united with Christ.

The next point flows directly from the first. Paul warns that idolatry and other similar sin associates you with demons.

Warning: Idolatry (sin) associates you with demons 18-21

What might be confusing is that earlier Paul had said an idol is nothing and food offered to idols can be eaten because there is nothing wrong with the food itself. Yet now he seems to be saying something different. The new point is not that idols have reality or that the food itself is spiritually poisoned, but that taking part in a religious worship festival for an idol violates our union with Christ.

Paul puts the stinger in verse twenty by saying that while idols are nothing, the sacrifices are actually made to demons that are real. I do not want you to be participants with demons. Whoa! My guess is that no one here wants to associate with demons, which is the next major motivation for fleeing sin. Sin associates you with demons and you do not want that association. If you are united with Christ, you do not go over the other side and get involved in their business. The problem here is not having lunch with a pagan person, but becoming partners with demons. These religious festivals cannot be dismissed as simply meaningless affairs. You cannot participate.

We do not live in a morally neutral world. Demons are real. We are involved in a spiritual war with unseen forces. We must not have any connections with demonic forces. Partying is not neutral, more than alcohol spirits are involved. Our fundamental allegiance is to Jesus Christ. So we must flee from idolatry and all sin because it connects us with the enemy. Paul’s final charge in verse twenty-three drives the point home. He asks two probing questions: 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Charge: God is jealous and powerful 22

The charge is that God is jealous and powerful. In fact, God is all-powerful. Sin is a way of saying we know better than God. How ignorant and arrogant. Sinning is a way of associating with the enemy – do we really want to provoke God to jealousy? If you are married, do you really want to have dinner date with an old girlfriend or boyfriend? That is a very bad plan. Notice Paul does not warn about the power of the demons, but about the righteous jealousy of God. He is the one we should fear, not the demons. Sin is flirting with demons, the old-boyfriend. Why associate with the losing side?

When you realize who God is, who you are in Christ and who sin associates you with, you get powerfully motivated to flee sin. Temptations are powerful. It is hard not to eat the marshmallow. So how does Paul increase our motivation to flee sin? Do not be ignorant. Remember the warning and the promise. Know that God judges sin and he is faithful to give us a way out. Do not associate with demons. God unites you to Jesus Christ and his body. At Christ Fellowship, with fresh powerful motivation let’s flee sin in our lives from sexual immorality to grumbling. God is our judge. God is faithful. God is all-powerful and God is rightly jealous. Flee sin.

At Christ Fellowship we are committed to reaching all kinds of people in our culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ, including using whatever technology God enables humanity to create. The gospel message never changes, but culture is always changing. We are committed to do whatever it takes to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today we continue our new series “Give It Up”, a study in First Corinthians chapters nine to eleven where we are discovering spiritual wisdom for a foolish world. The Apostle Paul wrote to a culture of people much like us today: focused on personal happiness, sports competition and having fun. Because Corinth was the connection point between Italy and Asia, it was a melting pot of cultures from the East and the West.

We will dig into First Corinthians chapter nine where Paul talks about Giving it Up in two contexts: cultural differences and training for sports. Giving up carries both the meanings of praise – as in give it up for the latest musical superstar and give it up in the sense of surrender. For Paul, the gospel of Jesus Christ drives his life choices. For him, it is worth giving up anything to see more people saved. Begin to think about your own life as you prayerfully anticipate this message from God in 1 Corinthians nine. What culture are you part of? What cultures are difficult for you to enter?

Last week we used Twitter and we are going to do it again. To help each other apply the Scripture you can tweet in ideas using Twitter. During the message, send in Tweets with the hashtag #giveitup. We are going to ask two questions tied to the two parts of the chapter. Here’s the first question: What could you do to identify with someone from a different culture? Someone who lives differently than you do? How could you alter your life to identify with different sub-cultures– from baseball culture to fishing to video-gaming to bowling to tech-nerds to gardeners?

Each of Paul’s two big sections includes the idea of being a slave; that’s a harsh concept. Today, slavery has almost no positive connotations. No one wants to be a slave, but Paul chose to enslave himself in two ways. Open your Bible to First Corinthians chapter nine. We are digging into the second half of the chapter, verses nineteen to twenty-seven. Notice the use of slavery in the first and last verses, verse nineteen and verse twenty-seven. In verse nineteen Paul says, “I have made myself a slave to everyone.” In Greek this is an active verb, literally, “I enslave myself to everyone.” Then in verse twenty-seven he says, “I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave.” Once again, this is an active verb, literally, “I enslave my body.” I would say that making yourself a slave is a form of giving it up, wouldn’t you? What drives all of Paul’s life is the goal of winning others to Christ. Brace yourself to be challenged by what God says in this biblical text. Paul’s model is intense. Are you ready to step up your game for Jesus Christ? Are you ready to Give It Up at the next level? Ask God to help you hear his word for you today.

In the first half of our passage, Paul addresses culture. Five times he uses the word “win” in listing different groups he wants to win for Christ. He repeats his main point at the beginning and the end. He does it all for the sake of the gospel. Follow me as we read 1 Corinthians nine, verses nineteen to twenty-three.

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:19–23

Paul again affirms that he is free. He is free in Christ with no necessity to follow the Old Testament law; he is not under the law. He does not belong to anyone so he does not have to conform to what some other person thinks he needs to eat or wear. In America we love our personal freedom: we are free to say what we think; free to put any slogan on our tee-shirt, free to live any legal life-style we choose. The opening line makes total sense to us, but Paul spins our minds in the second line where he says, I have made myself a slave to everyone. In America we do not want to be anyone’s “boy.” We don’t even want anyone to tell us what we can or can’t do. Yet Paul chooses to enslave himself to everyone. Why? Paul is following the model of our Savior Jesus Christ. As God himself, Jesus has ultimate freedom and ultimate power, yet he chooses to accept the limitations of a human body. Paul chooses to restrict himself for others. In our society the preferred trajectory is upward to more money, more power. But Paul chooses the downward path of Jesus Christ, to choose to be a slave of others rather than try to be a king over others. Why? Why would anyone do this? Paul tells us in the third line of verse one: to win as many as possible for Jesus.

To save as many people as possible for Jesus

This is the key point that Paul repeats at the end of the section in verse twenty-two and three: I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel. Paul enslaves himself to others to win them, to see them be saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to “win” them, the word used five times? In Greek the word usually means, “to gain, make profit.” Paul echoes back to his comments about financial pay from earlier in the chapter. In this context what Paul wins or gains are human lives that are saved from God’s judgment. The point is to be part of seeing people find hope and healing in the gospel of Jesus, to see people find real life now and forever.

So if winning as many people as possible is Paul’s driving passion, and should be ours as well, how do we do it? How can we live in such a way as to save as many as possible for Jesus? The point of this passage is to share two important ways we can save as many as possible. Both involve giving up: enslaving ourselves to others and enslaving our bodies. The first point in the opening section we have read is that we can save as many as possible for Jesus by radically identifying with others.

Radically identify with others (19-23)

Paul altered his lifestyle to identify with different kinds of people. To the Jews he was kosher, but with the Gentiles he ate bacon. This is true love, to change your preferences and adjust your lifestyle for the sake of others. I like to eat dinner at 6:30 and don’t like to eat after about 9:00, but in Mexico City we went to dinner at 10 pm; but that’s ok. Of course Paul never changes his fundamental convictions. He always preaches the true gospel without compromise, but he radically adjusts his life to identify with others, no matter what his preferences. He refused to let cultural differences stand in the way of people being saved. As we walk through Paul’s four examples, be thinking of ways you could identify with others. One of our neighbors loves bird-watching; that’s a culture I’ve never entered, but want to. They have multiple birdhouses, birdbaths, and buy massive amounts of bird food. They have an awesome porch from which to watch with binoculars and books to help identify the kinds of birds. So I hope to join them in bird watching.

While Paul does not mention bird watching, his first example comes from his old culture that he left. He says he became like a Jew to win Jews. When you realize that Paul was a Jew, this statement sounds odd. But think about it. He used to live as a religious Jew keeping all the old laws and festivals, part of the whole Jewish sub-culture, but now he has left that for Jesus Christ. However, he is willing to enslave himself to that culture again to see Jewish people saved. What about you? What culture have you come from before you were a Christian? Could you go back to your video-gamers, your book-club, your Harley buddies, your “whoever” and re-enter that culture to win them for Christ? Just be careful that you are strong enough to re-enter that culture without harming yourself spiritually.

Secondly Paul mentions a related group: those under the law. Paul is clear that he personally is free; he is not under the law, but he will adjust. He will avoid pork and celebrate Passover. He will keep the Sabbath and pray in the synagogue, not because he must, but because he chooses to do so to win those under the law. He will restrict his freedom for the gospel out of love.

Thirdly Paul will identify with the opposite group who are not under the law. With this crowd Paul will eat whatever food is put before him. In Uganda and China I’ve eaten all sorts of things and still don’t know what they were. Now he clarifies that this does not mean he will be lawless. While he is free from the Torah, he will be loyal to Jesus Christ. In other words, he will not become a drunk to reach drunkards or gossip to reach gossipers. What about us? We have the freedom to identify with aspects of cultures that do not follow religious codes, as long as we are not violating Christ. For example, you have freedom to part of a skateboard culture, a wine-tasting culture or a marathon-running culture, even when the race is on Sunday morning, for the sake of winning people to Jesus.

Finally Paul gives a fourth example: the weak. As you can read in your Study Guide, this is not a reference to the weak Christians described in chapter eight, but rather to non-Christians who Paul hopes to save through the gospel. The Greek term can refer to the socially lower. Paul chose to do manual labor making tents. The term can refer to vulnerable people, not just the “winners” of the world. Jesus has a special heart for orphans, widows, children, and prisoners. Who are the weak today? The poor, the mentally ill, and the chronically ill. The story of the Gospel is about the Son of God taking on weakness to save us. Paul is willing to identify with the weak of this world to save them, as Jesus did. What about us? Do you only want to hang out with winners, with the up and coming, the beautiful, the powerful? Are you willing to enslave yourself to the weak or to alter your life to identify with the sick, the troubled?

Paul wraps up his first main point in the classic stirring line in verse twenty-two:

I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Cor 9:22.

Here is the heart of Paul, his deep motivation. Paul is willing to do anything that does not violate the will of God to save people from eternal judgment in hell. In America we are hardly willing to give up anything. Be serious, in the last week have you had one conversation with a non-Christian that touched on Jesus and the gospel? What about the last month? The last year? Paul gave his life for the sake of the gospel to become all things to all people to by all possible means save some, to win as many as possible.

I can’t help but recall the famous scene from the movie Shindler’s List, recently listed eight on the list of the top 100 American movies of all time. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, in Poland during World War II, greedy German businessman Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis in the Holocaust. Schindler feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews, saving over 1,100 from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Whoever saves one life, saves the world entirely. Oskar Schindler enslaved himself to the Jews to save them. I don’t want to end my life regretting that I could have done more. How much more should we be devoted as Paul was to save as many people as possible? Think of what Jesus Christ gave up to save us? Jesus Christ took on the likeness of sinful flesh. He became human to be one of us so he could save all of us by dying in our place on the cross. If you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, I invite you to be saved. I urge you to give up your life to Christ. He did what it takes to save you. Your response is to accept his gift, to bow your knee to him in faith, trusting in him as your Savior and Lord. Will you do that? If so, you are saved. If you are not ready, come talk to me or someone here or someone online. We will do whatever we can to help you.

Paul’s point here is that he will make himself a slave to everyone so he can save as many as possible. In so doing, Paul is following the example of Jesus. What are you willing to do? What could we do? Tweet in examples of how we could identify with people today to win them for Jesus.

In the last line of this section in verse twenty-three Paul gives his motivation: 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. The gospel directs Paul’s life. He wants to share in it. More literally Paul says, “That I may become a partner in it.” There is inherent blessing in being part of the gospel work, in seeing people saved. The concept is close to being a teammate. Paul does all this to be a teammate with God, partnering in the work of the Gospel transforming lives, bringing hope, peace, healing and life. The joy of being part of God’s gospel work is simply beyond words.

Contemporary Jewish Christianity helpfully incorporates Sabbath (Saturday) worship, Christianized versions of the major Jewish festivals, folk music and dance, use of key Hebrew terms, and so on, in ways designed to make Christianity seem less Gentile and more true to its Jewish roots.

Contemporary Palestinian and Arab Christianity increasingly recognize the legitimacy of praying at times and in postures common to Islam, using houses of worship that resemble mosques in appearance, and stressing regular times of reflection and devotion over and against the frenetic activity that so often characterizes Western faith and missions. …Ministries to the outcasts and marginalized of our day—the unwed mothers, inner city and ethnic minorities, prisoners, prostitutes, homosexuals, and AIDS victims.
Hunters, tea drinkers in China, Opera, book club, Hudson Taylor, shave head, grow beard and long pony tail in China.

From culture in the first part of our passage Paul moves in the second part to athletics. Here he gives us the second way we can save as many people as possible. Not only can we give it up by radically identifying with others, but also you can give it up by rigorously disciplining yourself.

Rigorously discipline yourself (24-27)

In the sports-crazed culture of Corinth Paul draws images from athletics to help us see how we could give it up for something much more valuable than winning the 100 meter dash. Follow with me as we read, starting in verse twenty-four.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:14–27

Whether as an individual or on a team, have you ever competed in any physical competition? Most of us have or we have seen one. The Corinthians hosted the biennial Isthmian Games, which were second in popularity only to the Olympics, drawing huge crowds to Corinth. Most likely Paul was there during one of the Isthmian competitions in the Spring of AD 49 or 51. Much as we hear during the Olympics, the people of Corinth would hear the behind the scenes, back-stories of the athletes, including the rigorous training regime they endured to get ready to compete, with intense workouts and special diets.

What is the connection between this section of chapter nine and the first one about culture? Paul is saying to effectively be a partner in the gospel work, doing the hard work of enslaving yourself to others, you have to get ready. You must enslave your body by rigorously disciplining yourself spiritually so you are ready to get in the game, to play on the team, to win. The cost of spiritual blessing is spiritual discipline.

Here is the second Twitter question. How might you spiritually discipline yourself to win the prize? How might you enslave your body so you are not disqualified? Of what might you deprive yourself, abstain from? We are not talking about just avoiding immoral stuff, but for the sake of being in spiritual shape for the gospel race, what could you do to rigorously discipline yourself?

The central point of Paul’s sports analogy is in verse twenty-five: “strict training.” The point is not to be the one person who wins the race, because spiritually we can all win and really our point is to win people to Jesus. The point is not competition, but discipline. In ancient Greece, it was required for athletes to commit to ten months of strict training or they were subject to disqualification.

What is “strict training”? The Greek term refers to self-control, including voluntarily abstaining. An athlete abstains from hot fudge sundaes for a greater prize. The best athletes show amazing self-restraint to be in the best shape to compete in their event. They cut out of their life everything that does not aid them in reaching their goal. When you think about classic sports movies, where a guy does what it takes to win, which iconic movies come to mind? I could only pick one. I had to choose between two “R titles”

What are you willing to do to discipline yourself spiritually? How rigorous are you willing to be? We are right back at our central theme: how will you give it up so you are ready to compete in the gospel race? If you are out of shape, you will not be effective for Jesus Christ.

To sharpen the point Paul contrasts the prizes involved. An athlete wins a trophy. In those days it was a wreath that quickly faded; all that rigorous discipline for a pathetic wreath. And yet we run for an eternal crown that never fades. What’s at stake is the eternity of another person. Our reward is that we get to be partners in the gospel with God himself. We get to see God use us to change a person’s life forever.

So what does Paul do to win the prize? He sets an incredible model with four parallel short statements: I run, not aimlessly; I box, not just hitting the air, I pummel my body; I enslave my body. He is serious about being in spiritual shape. As a runner he does not get distracted, but keeps his eye on the finish line and stays in his lane. As a boxer he lands his right cross. The Greek behind the line, “I strike a blow to my body” means to give a black eye. Paul is willing to treat his body roughly to make it serve his purposes for the gospel and not disqualify himself. If in the process of living for the gospel, he gets a black eye, that’s ok. Paul pays any price to win as many as possible for Christ. He knocks out bodily desires for comfort, food, sleep or whatever is necessary. He enslaves his body so he has the spiritual strength to radically identify with others, all for the sake of the gospel, to save as many as possible.

Paul dreads the thought of disqualifying himself, meaning becoming useless in the gospel work. He does not want to be disqualified from the gospel race so that he is ineffective, so that he cannot be a teammate in the great gospel enterprise of God. You see the stakes in this race are so much higher than any sports event.

So let’s get concrete. How might you spiritually discipline yourself to win the prize? How might you enslave your body so you are not disqualified? Of what might you deprive yourself, abstain from? What could you do to rigorously discipline yourself?

Examples: prayer, reading the Word – the whole Bible, fasting, journaling, hour of prayer, denying media, reducing obsession with fitness in the gym, time on video games, playing around, obsession with your landscape, hobby, sports, literally physical shape. Reading spiritual books, group, Church – four practices. Go and Be.

Paul’s point is that although you are free, you can win as many as possible for Christ by identifying with people in all kinds of cultures and by rigorously disciplining your life as an athlete. Then you will share in eternal rewards. Too many Christians are running aimlessly, if they are even running at all. Are you even aware that you are a spiritual athlete? Is the gospel a concern of yours? Why does Paul enslave himself to others and enslave his body? To win as many as possible for Jesus. Does that goal drive you? Are you living for the sake of the gospel? What could you do to save as many people as possible for Jesus? God lays out for us two big steps we can take to save as many people as possible: radically identify with others and rigorously discipline yourself. What are you going to do? How is the Spirit of God convicting you?

Imagine what would happen through Christ Fellowship if we really “Give It Up” for Jesus Christ. Imagine what might happen if we the people of Christ Fellowship really took both of these big steps. What if we radically identify with people in all kinds of culture, as Jesus did? What if we would rigorously discipline ourselves spiritually? My friends, in the power of God, we can change the world, one life at time – save one life, save the world.

David and his men returned to Ziklag where they had left their wives and children in camp, only to discover that the Amalekites had raised them, burning down the town and kidnapping their families. The men wept loudly until they had no strength. In their bitter anger they talked about stoning David. In this extremely difficult place dealing with both his own grief and anger (because his family was kidnapped, too) as well as the anger of his men, David “found strength in the Lord his God.” (30:6).

No matter what we are facing, we too find strength in the Lord our God. David sought God’s direction. The Lord led him to pursue the Amalekites and rescue the women and children. In the strength of the Lord they recovered every person and all their possessions as well. God is there for us when we sincerely seek his help in prayer.

This day no matter what challenges we face, how we are attacked, how angry we get, how much anger we face from others, our strength is in the Lord who is more than able to overcome every difficulty.

Today we begin our new series, Give it up! If you are back from Easter for two weeks in a row, I owe you a high five that I promised last week. Come up after the service and I will give you your high five for two weeks in a row.

We are returning to our study of the book of Corinth. Before Easter we completed the first eight chapters, so today we open chapter nine. Our text faces us with the issue of rights. In America we stand on our rights and we stand for our rights, but the Bible radically suggests that at times the higher calling is to give up rights, even rights that are legitimately ours to claim.

Come on a journey with me to ancient Corinth, a place of materialism, sexuality and new wealth, a place of privilege and claiming rights, much like us today. Come discover God’s spiritual wisdom for how to live for Christ in a foolish world. The Corinthian Christians wanted to follow Christ, but they were caught up in their culture. What they thought was wise, ends up being foolish. They thought they were mature, but in fact they were spiritual babies. We will find spiritual wisdom that overturns commonly accepted “wisdom” in our culture. We will see that giving up our rights can bring a better life than standing for our rights.

To understand the book, it will help you if know some history about Corinth. The city of Corinth was ideally situated on the narrow land bridge with two harbors: one led straight to Asia, and the other led straight to Italy. A four-mile road connected the two ports, enabling cargo and even small ships to be hauled across the isthmus. Corinth controlled both the commercial land and sea travel between Italy and Asia.

Although the city has an ancient history, it was totally destroyed in 146 BC, then it was refounded in 44 B. C. by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony. So the Corinth of Paul was a new city. A building boom occurred between the reigns of Augustus and Nero, making Corinth “arguably the most dazzling and modern of Greek cities” (Savage 1996: 36). It was the hot place economically. New Testament scholar Gordon Fee says, “Paul’s Corinth was at once the New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas of the ancient world.” Another author summarizes, “It was full of people who wanted to make money and have fun.” That sounds a lot like…

In the next few weeks we will walk through First Corinthians chapters nine to eleven where the Scripture calls us to give it up for the gospel of Jesus Christ. What’s worth giving it up? In our culture people “give it up” for amazing performances or personalities. Biblically we are to give it up for Jesus Christ whose glory is worth living “all in” by giving up everything for him. “Giving up” also carries the idea of surrender. In our day, people fight for their rights to most everything. For what would we give up anything, or even everything? In 1 Corinthians 9-11, Paul says the Gospel of Jesus Christ has that value. Come discover a life worth giving it all up for, a life in which we give it up in praise and in sacrifice to the one who is worth it all, Jesus Christ.

In the previous section, in chapter eight, Paul presses home two points in his discussion of food offered to idols: (1) You know idols do not exist. Therefore, you have the freedom and right to eat idol food. (2) Your responsibility to love other believers may require you to set that right aside. In chapter nine Paul applies this principle to his own life and by extension to us today.

In the first fourteen verses Paul builds a case for his rights and then in the last few verses he gives up the right he claims that he has. Paul builds his case with a barrage of rhetorical questions, sixteen of them. In Paul’s day traveling teachers such as himself were supported in four different ways: by charging fees, by patronage of wealthy people, by begging or by working. Paul argues for his right to financial support, but then in the end he surrenders that right. He presents himself as a model of giving up legitimate rights for the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I have prepared for the message this week, I’ve found application of the main point to be the most difficult, so I am asking you to help me.

During the sermon think about legitimate rights that you have the authority to claim but you could give up for the gospel in the appropriate circumstances. To help each other apply the Scripture you can tweet in your ideas using Twitter. During the message, send in Tweets to: #giveitup. Tweet a legitimate right that you or others have, especially one that a person could give up for the sake of the gospel. The point of our text today in First Corinthians nine is that we should recognize rights that are legitimately ours to freely claim, then freely give them up for the gospel. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word in 1 Corinthians 9:1–18. Listen for how Paul builds his case and then in the end gives up his rights for a higher cause.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:1–18

Paul builds a powerful case for his right to financial support with seven arguments and then refuses to use this right, but gives it up for the gospel, a greater reward. Be thinking about what legitimate rights you have and how you might surrender them for the gospel. Let’s start with the case Paul makes that he has the right to financial support.

Paul has the right to financial support.

How does Paul start this chapter? Am I not free? This sounds so American? Paul was free in Christ and we are free. As Americans we tout our freedom from tyranny. We stand on our freedoms granted in the Bill of Rights. Paul says secondly, “Am I not an Apostle?” Not only does he have freedom, but also authority, legitimately. We too have authority and legal rights as American citizens and we have authority as children of God, spiritually. Paul moves into the first point of his argument in verse two.

he ministered to them personally as an apostle

All of these rhetorical questions are written in a form to expect a positive answer. The questions could be paraphrased: “As you well know, I certainly have seen the Lord.” “As you well know, you are my work in the Lord.” Notice he does not claim glory for himself, but gives it to the Lord. Paul knows that he is the one who plants and waters, but God is the only one who gives life. He makes anything grow. Paul has the right to financial support because he has personally ministered to the Corinthians as an apostle. Secondly, other ministers have this right so Paul should as well.

other ministers have this right

Paul writes in verses four to six, 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living ? Often people would feed traveling teachers. Paul says don’t we have the right to be fed as others are. Part of their support often came from people taking care of their meals. Many of the other apostles took along a wife who was also financially supported. Since other similar workers have the right not to work but be financially supported so Paul should have that right as well. In his third point Paul argues from normal life. Just as other people are paid for their work, so should he be.

other people are paid for their work

Paul gives three common examples in verse seven; 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Many of the people who settled the reconstructed city of Corinth were veterans of the Roman army. So they would understand that a solider does not provide his own rations and he expects to receive a salary. Vineyards were common in Corinth as were shepherds. In fact all three of these images are used for Christians. We are soldiers in Christ’s army, working in God’s vineyard and shepherding God’s sheep. How about you? Are you paid for the work that you do? Does your company compensate you? That is your right. If you are in a position to pay others, you should do so fairly. From common examples in life, Paul moves to the Scripture. His next argument comes from the Old Testament law.

the law says workers should be paid

In verse eight Paul quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 to support his point that he deserves financial support. Paul says, 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. In those ancient times, a muzzle would prevent an ox from eating which would weaken the animal, so you should allow an ox to eat from the grain he is treading out. The point applies far beyond oxen. A modern parallel would be the adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, which applies to more than dogs. Paul applies the law about oxen to us today. People who work deserve to be compensated. If you employ someone, you should pay them appropriately. We have labor laws that ensure this happens. Most recently laws about interns have been tightened because some companies were taking advantage of a loop hole and paying interns below minimum wage. In verse eleven we will see Paul apply this general principle more specifically.

spiritual labor naturally yields material support

Paul writes, 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? This is the basic principle of reciprocity. If Paul has ministered spiritually, surely it would not be too much to expect some material support. This just makes sense. Then in the second half of verse twelve Paul previews his big reversal in verse fifteen. He says, “But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.” Before we develop this point, let’s follow Paul as he gives two more reasons why it is his legitimate right to receive financial support. In verse thirteen Paul points to people who serve in the temple

people who serve in the temple receive support

Paul writes in verse thirteen: 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? Now Paul’s example comes not from common everyday work, but from religious work. The Corinthians would have known this example from the Jewish temple and from Greco-Roman pagan temples as well. Paul caps off his argument with his seventh reason in verse fourteen.

the Lord commanded it

In verse fourteen Paul references Jesus when he writes: 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. Likely Paul is thinking of what Jesus said in Luke 10:7 in his instructions to his disciples when he sent them out on mission: 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Luke 10:7. Since Jesus said a worker deserves his wages, then certainly Paul has the right to receive financial support. These seven reasons build a very strong case that Paul has the legitimate right to receive financial support.

We have legitimate rights we can freely claim.

We too have legitimate rights that we can freely claim. What are some legitimate rights that we have the authority to claim? We have legal rights. We have rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let me invite you again to tweet in examples of legitimate rights that we could claim, but that we might give up for the gospel.

Let me jump-start your mind. Personally, as a pastor I have the right to keep income from books I write and from speaking at conferences. What rights do we have? The right to a day off. The right to keep money we earn. The right to enjoy the lifestyle we can afford: to drive any car, live in any size house, eat at any price restaurant, go on any style vacation. The right to retire. The right to an empty nest. The right to peace and quiet. The right to wear whatever clothes we want as long as they are not obscene. The right to pierce and tattoo our body. Adults and students, what about the right to lifestyle choices such as drinking alcohol, watching whatever movies, smoking, listening to any kind of music and playing any kind of video games. Right to privacy. What specific rights can you think of? Tweet in examples of rights that we might at times give up for the gospel.

Because now in verse fifteen Paul gives up the very right he has argued that he has the authority to claim.

Paul gave up his right to financial support. (15-18)

Paul gave up his right to financial support. Let’s go back to verse 12b and then skip to verse fifteen:

But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. . . . . 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:1–18

Paul sets asides his own clearly legitimate rights for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He puts others first. Benefiting the spiritual good of others trumps his rights. Rather than insisting on his rights, Paul freely gives them up for the spiritual benefit of others.
Paul gives three basic reasons why it makes sense to give up his right to financial support. First he does not want to hinder the gospel.

he does not want to hinder the gospel

The word “hinder” means to put up a barrier. How could receiving financial support hinder the gospel? Paul does not tell us precisely, but knowing the historical background and human nature we can make intelligent assumptions. He may have wanted to be sure that no person thought he was preaching the gospel to get money from them. There are no strings attached to the gospel. Today people wonder if a religious teacher wants them to join their church or organization to get their money. Sadly some do. That’s a second possibility. Paul may have wanted to clearly distinguish himself from spiritual hucksters, out for money. Another concern may have been patronage. In those days it was common for a rich person to cover a teacher’s expenses and thus be their patron. A patron expected influence in return. Paul did not want to be anyone’s puppet or feel obligation to a wealthy donor. No pastor should be obligated to a wealthy donor. Finally Paul may have simply wanted to demonstrate the truth of the gospel. That God offers us life freely and so he will preach the gospel freely as a gift. He also clarifies that in no way are these words a subtle way of asking for financial support.

Each one of us should consider our rights to see if any of them could hinder the gospel for a certain person or group of people. What right would you be willing to give up if it hinders the gospel? Paul’s second reason why he gives up his right to financial support is that he is compelled to preach the gospel.

he is compelled to preach the gospel

Jesus Christ appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road. After a dramatic conversion to follow Jesus, Paul gave his life to preaching the gospel. From his point of view, this is not a task he chose, but a divine calling. In fact in view of God’s grace, how could he do otherwise? He is simply discharging the trust given to him by God. A trust is a stewardship, an obligation, or even commission. Paul says he would rather die than hinder the gospel. He will boast in the Lord alone. He will receive reward from God.

What about us today? Have you received God’s grace? Have you been saved by trusting in Jesus Christ? Then are you not also called to be Christ’s witness? Are you not also commissioned to represent Christ in the world? Then would you not also give up some of your rights for the sake of the gospel? What are you willing to give up since you too are compelled to share and live the gospel?

Paul’s final reason why he gave up his right for financial support from the Corinthians is that preaching the gospel as a free gift is its own reward.

preaching the gospel as a free gift is its own reward

The word “reward” can also refer to a wage, so in a bit of a word play, Paul is saying that preaching without pay is its own pay. Paul’s reward comes in his freedom to preach the gospel without concern for reward from humans. By surrendering his right to financial support, Paul finds greater reward in offering the Gospel as a free gift.

Paradoxically, this reward appears to be the sacrificial life itself. reward for what he was doing is built into the doing of it. Sharing the gospel and giving away your rights for the gospel carries an inherent spiritual blessing or reward. Countless volunteers can testify to this incredible reality. Serving others carries its own reward. This the way God designed life. You find incredible fulfillment in doing what God has called us to do.

Over Easter many of you got to taste the joy and reward of serving, serving our children in Promiseland, serving guests as a greeter and in the parking lot. You gave up your right to “enjoy” Easter with your family Sunday morning and instead served. You found the greater reward. I’ve heard amazing stories of volunteers sacrificing. Teachers for first and second graders putting in hours of extra preparation for a special lesson. Vocalists calling their own extra rehearsal. Each one found joy and reward in the time invested. As Jesus said, it is in giving up that we find real life. It is in giving that we receive.

Yes, at times Paul accepted money. He did not give up this right in every circumstance, but he never demanded it. When the gospel might be at stake, he gladly gave up his rights and found reward from God in doing it. We can have the same awesome experience. What’s the implication for our lives?

We should freely give up our rights for the gospel.

We should follow Paul’s example in freely giving up our legitimate rights for the sake of the gospel. The mission of Jesus should so dominate our lives that it inspires us to willingly sacrifice our rights for others’ sake. Although, like Paul we are free and have the authority to claim our rights, we voluntarily relinquish them to promote the gospel and avoid creating any hindrance. When your single passion is the gospel, rights become easier to give up.

Could you imagine giving up financial pay for the gospel? Many of you know Garland Beasley from our baptisms. Few of you know another part of his story.

I’ll never forget the conversation with Garland in my office when I offered to compensate him and he said, “I promised God if he ever let me serve again on a church staff, I would never take a dime”. And Garland never has, even though he gives hours and hours for the gospel. Here is a man who knows the grace of God. Garland wants no attention to go to him, but he wants it all to go to Jesus.

How about you? What rights could you give up for the gospel?
Tweet in your examples. How does this Scripture apply to your life?
OPTIONAL stories, pending TWEETING.

In my life, I have made a voluntary choice in regard to my books. God has used me to write three books. It is my right to have the income from those books. To guard my soul, I chose to make God the majority partner in my writing. I have chosen to give 60% of any profits to the Lord’s work. In regard to any outside speaking, it is my right to use my time outside the church freely, but I have chosen to submit to our Elders. Each quarter I give them a full accounting of any outside ministry and any funds received and then invitations pending. I submit to their direction as to which to take and which to turn down.

By the way, some people wonder how staff members are paid at Christ Fellowship. All salaries and benefits are determined by the Elders. They do an extensive research of comparable roles at other similar churches and other similar roles in our area outside the church to develop appropriate ranges for compensation. They set my salary and benefits and I appreciate the Elders care for our staff.

Paul’s point is that we should recognize rights that are legitimately ours to freely claim, then freely give them up for the gospel. When there comes a choice between our rights and helping someone encounter the gospel, there is no choice. In chapter eight Paul said he would never eat meat again if it hinders the gospel. When you understand what God has done in your life, when you know what’s at stake in other’s lives, when you know the commission God has given to you, how can you not do whatever it takes to advance the gospel including giving up rights that are legitimately yours to claim? How will you readjust your life for the sake of the gospel? What rights will you give up for the gospel?

Forgetting can be disastrous, even for helping us to remember the little things. Have you ever sent yourself a text to remember something? Have you ever written a phone number on your hand to be sure you remember to make the call? Early in my marriage I was bad about forgetting to take out the trash, a small thing to me, but obviously important to my wife, Tamara, as she clearly explained to me multiple times since I forgot a lot. It’s important to remember bigger things. One year was the worst for me. I forgot our wedding anniversary, . . . then four days later, I forgot Tamara’s birthday. I am still so sorry. Believe me. I have never done that again! The scars are finally healing.

There are even more important things to remember and worst things to forget. Jesus told us to remember him, to remember the gospel. He gave us symbols in the bread and the wine. On Friday night before Easter Sunday the Bible records that Jesus had his last supper with his disciples.

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Remember the gospel. We remember when we partake in communion, the Lord’s Supper. We have that opportunity later in the service.

Easter is a time to remember, to remember the most important truth to remember Jesus. The Apostle Paul is very direct when he writes in 2 Timothy two: eight;
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 2 Timothy 2:8.

What is the Gospel? It’s about Jesus of course, but what is the essence of the gospel? Could you explain the gospel to someone today?

One of the clearest and briefest descriptions of the gospel comes in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. In the whole Bible, it is the primary chapter on the resurrection. At Christ Fellowship we are all about Jesus and all about the Bible, his book, so in our services we speak from the Bible. Today we are going to look at the first eleven verses of 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul describes the gospel that we are to remember.

Because of its balanced poetic form, many scholars believe this text comes from an ancient Christian creed. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Just before we read the biblical text, let’s pray asking God to open your eyes to his truth. First Corinthians, chapter fifteen, verse one.

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Paul says he wants to remind us of the gospel. The Greek word for remind means to recall to one’s mind what was once known, but has been forgotten or obscured. While on the surface Paul is referring to remembering the historical facts of the gospel, below the surface, he is calling us to remember much more than a litany of facts. He reminds us of the implications of the historical facts, the meaning of the gospel. The gospel is a message of God’s grace, that God has acted decisively to save us through Jesus Christ. We all need to remember the gospel.

Look at verse two where Paul says, “2 By this gospel you are saved.” This is the power of the gospel. It saves. What does it mean to be saved? If you are in danger, we know what it means to be saved from a flood, fire, or tornado. We know what it means for your job to be saved from a layoff. But what does the Bible mean when God says that by the gospel you are saved? Consider the dangers from which we are saved? Every human being faces the very real danger of God’s judgment, the danger of death, the danger of meaninglessness in life, and the ultimate danger of hell. The gospel can save us from all of these. You are saved from death, from divine judgment that we each deserve apart from Jesus Christ. And then consider what we are saved to. We are saved to life, to forgiveness, to heaven, to peace and purpose. The Bible says Jesus came to give us life to the full. This is the promise and power of the gospel that we are to remember.

And yet in verse two there is a serious qualifying clause that begins with “if.” The Scripture says in verse two, By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. Is it possible to think you are saved and not really be saved? Yes it is. First, you could falsely think you are saved by missing the true content of the gospel, the word Paul preached. If you believe that you are saved by the Jolly Green Giant, you are not saved because that is not the true gospel. If you believe you are saved by a general belief in God and living a good life, you are not saved because that is not the gospel. It is very important to know the facts of the gospel. Faith does not save you. It is the object of faith that saves; so misplaced faith does not save.

Secondly, you could falsely think you are saved because you said a prayer or walked down an aisle in a church years ago. If you were not sincere, your so-called faith is in vain. The gospel is not a magical formula, but true belief in Jesus Christ. If you are not sure you are saved, it is worth asking the question. If you wonder if your house is on fire, you run home to check it out. Your eternal salvation is at least as urgent and important as your house being on fire. You may have gone through the motions, but was it a real decision of your will informed by truth you understood? Was it a sincere act of faith in the true gospel?

Some of the Corinthians may have trusted in a false gospel because they had the content wrong and some may have simply gone through the motions without making a sincere decision. A superficial or confused faith does not save. So today, I urge you prayerfully consider the facts of the Gospel and examine yourself, asking if you have sincerely trusted in Jesus Christ.

What is the essence of the gospel? Take a look at the next few verses of 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen where Paul reminds us of the simple gospel. In verse three, he says of first importance is that Christ died for our sins. The gospel is that Christ died. He did not merely faint; he died. The Son of God died. His death proves his humanity. And his death was not a mistake. God did not say oops. No, Jesus died for a huge purpose.

Jesus died for our sins. The Greek word translated “for” is huper, which can mean instead of, in our place, on our behalf. On the cross Jesus paid our penalty. The penalty for sin is death. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Every human, apart from the gospel, deserves the divine death penalty. We have sinned against the holy God. Jesus died because of our sins as our substitute.

Paul says this was according to the Scriptures. The Scriptures before Jesus, the Old Testament, foretold the gospel. If you are familiar with the Bible, you may know the Passover story where the blood of lambs was put on the door so the angel of death would pass by that home. The entire old sacrificial system involved offering lambs and other animals to cover sin. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate substitute, the lamb of God. The great prophet Isaiah, seven hundred years before Christ, said of the coming Messiah;

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6

The Gospel is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. He paid the penalty we owed. Remember Jesus died for your sins. When you find yourself filled with regret over previous sins or drowning in guilt, remember that Jesus died for your sins. The reality of his death is proved by his burial. He was in the ground wrapped up in burial clothes. If the gospel is not true, then people could have produced Jesus’ body, but no one did.

Why? Because it is an historical fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. The resurrection is the center of the gospel. Without the resurrection Paul says our faith means nothing. The gospel is rooted in historical fact. If the gospel is simply mythology, it holds no power to save. If the gospel is simply an inspiring story of a wise teacher who heroically suffered as a victim of injustice, it has no power to save.

Paul proves the point from three directions: first, Jesus rose according to the Scripture; second, Jesus appeared to hundreds of people; and third, Jesus changed Paul’s life. Multiple Old Testament passages and symbols anticipate the resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Historically, the appearances are strong evidence for the reality of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. From even a casual reading of the Gospel it is clear the disciples did not expect the resurrection to take place. At first they saw nothing but crushing defeat in the cross. They were confused, scared. They ran away and went into hiding. At first they did not believe the news that he had risen. They had to be convinced. These are not gullible witnesses who are testifying to what they had hoped would happen. Rather, they had to be convinced by the hard evidence. Paul lists six different sets of witnesses.
These eyewitnesses did not glimpse a mirage; rather, Christ encountered them. These were not merely visions or dreams. Jesus appeared to people in flesh and blood. They did not just see him, but touched him, talked with him and even eat with him. The number of witnesses and numerous occasions on which Christ appeared leads credible historians to recognize the absurdity of proposed alternatives to the resurrection: the fainting theory, the stolen body or wrong tomb, mass hallucination, and so on. Honestly, these theories are nonsense: (1) The disciples were nowhere close to being in a psychological mood favorable to belief in a resurrection, (2) Without a genuinely empty tomb, it is incredible that Christians never came to venerate a holy site in which their founder was supposedly buried, as did most other religions (3) Early on, Jesus’ Jewish disciples stopped worshipping on the Sabbath (Saturday) in favor of Sunday . (4) All the disciples faced torture and death for their belief in the resurrection. Would you die for a lie? None of these make sense unless the resurrection is an historical fact.

This historical basis in the cross and empty tomb is what sets the gospel apart from nearly every other religion. Other faiths do not claim deity or resurrection for their originators, such as Mohammed in Islam or Joseph Smith in Mormonism. Eastern religions do not even require the actual historical existence of their founders. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are more philosophies of life. But Christianity lives or dies with the truth of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Without historical facts, how could we discriminate among the competing claims of parallel subjective personal experiences? Mormons, Buddhists, and Christians all testify to some strong feeling that “confirms” the truth of their faith. But only Christianity stands on the historical facts of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even if you do not believe that Jesus rose, you cannot deny that Jesus’ followers were convinced that he did. Most of them died for their faith in Jesus’ resurrection. Would you really die for a lie? That reality is very hard to explain apart from the simple fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Remember the resurrection. Remember the resurrection when times are hard, when you face death. Last Friday, two days ago, I did the funeral for an infant. The confidence of that family is in the resurrection. The dad told me he had never understood why it is called Good Friday as deeply as he does now because Jesus rose from the dead.

To the testimony of Scripture and eyewitnesses, Paul adds one more piece of evidence: his own story. He has himself personally experienced the life-changing power of the gospel of grace. Look at verses eight to ten. Speaking with honest transparency, Paul confesses that he was like one abnormally born. Paul says he was the least of the apostles and did not even deserve to be one. He knows he does not deserve God’s grace. In fact, he admits that he had hated Christians. He persecuted the church of God. Maybe you clearly know that you do not deserve God’s grace. That’s great. That’s the first step to being saved; recognize your need for a Savior.

I love verse ten which begins, “but.” In spite of all Paul did, the grace of God has transformed his identity and purpose. Three times in verse ten he mentions the grace of God. God’s undeserved grace made Paul who he is and gave him a life worth living. He affirms, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” He remembers the gospel. It forms his identity. It gives him his life purpose. How about you? Do you remember the gospel? Does it form your identity? Does it give you your life purpose? When people criticize you or you are down on yourself, remember who you are in Christ by God’s grace.

Our last verse, verse eleven, takes us to the crucial point of response. Paul says this is the gospel he and all the others preach. And this is the true gospel you believe. Belief is the crucial response. Have you examined yourself in terms of the IF in verse two? The gospel has the power to save you, but only if you believe in the true gospel, not a distorted one and only if you firmly decide to trust in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead. There is a big difference between “belief that” and “belief in.” You can believe that metal can fly when it is formed into an airplane, but it is another thing altogether to get on the plane. I am urging you to get into the plane. If you have never done so, this Easter, will you trust in Jesus Christ to save you, to save you from hopelessness, from sin, from divine judgment, to save you to full life today, to forgiveness and to eternal life?

On that dark Friday as he has hanging on the cross, two other men hung on crosses beside Jesus. One wanted nothing to do with Jesus, then the Bible tells us in Luke;

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:40–42

Have you asked Jesus to remember you? On your Care Card inside your program or online there is a place to indicate you are trusting in Jesus Christ or recommitting your life to him or wanting to be baptized. I urge you to respond to Jesus. At the start you prayed for God to speak to you. Respond to his work in your heart. Maybe for you it is a deep remembering of this core truth.

This Easter, remember the gospel, not just the facts, but the deep meaning and implications of the truth that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. Remembering is no much more than simple recall of facts, but a soul-deep grasping of who Jesus is and what he has done that transforms our lives. The Bible commands: remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead. Remember the gospel. Never forget! Jesus died for your sins! Jesus rose from the dead! He is risen! Don’t let Jesus’ death and resurrection fade into a greeting card sentiment or a reason for a day off. To forget is to lose the power, to retreat into defeat when you have victory. The Son has risen. Remember. And remind each other. Ask God to remind you. Father, remind us when it’s dark; remind us when we’re confused and sad; remind us you won the victory. Remind us Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. Remember the gospel. Remember the gospel. He is risen!

Whether you are trusting in Jesus for the first time with true content and real sincerity or you are recommitting to Christ or you are remembering, in your own heart pray with me a prayer of faith in the gospel. Easter is a great time to renew your faith. “Dear God, I admit with Paul that I do not deserve your grace. Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins. Thank you for rising from the dead. I trust in you Jesus to save me. Thank you for the gospel. Lord God, help me to never forget. Remind me again of your amazing Gospel. Help me to remember what Easter really means. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Two words dominate the biblical passage we will study today: sexual sin and body. Our culture is desperately confused and distorted about our bodies and sexuality. We wildly swing from obsession over bodies to neglect of our bodies, from anorexia to obesity. We indulge our bodies and abuse them. Healthy appetites quickly degenerate into destructive addictions. How should we view our bodies? How does God view them? Paul gives us great insight in 1 Corinthians chapter six.

Our bodily confusion leads to sexual distortion. The issues in First Corinthians apply directly to our culture. None of you needs me to explain the degree of sexual immorality in our world today. From pornography to sex trafficking to adultery to romance novels to the Secret Life of American Teenagers, we can’t get away from it. It affects our children at younger and younger ages. Let’s be real: we know about sexual sin because if you are past puberty, you have dealt with it in your own life. This topic always exposes guilt and shame. As you hear the Bible explain why sexual sin is terrible, you cry out in your head, “What if I have already failed?” And you think you’re alone, but nearly every person is thinking the same thing. Thankfully, God’s grace is amazing and we desperately need it. We have sinned and dishonored God with our bodies. After the message I will lead us in a time of confession and receiving all over again the healing grace of God that washes us clean.

Today, rather than giving statistics and stories about sexual sin, I want to share some history so we understand the Corinthians a bit better. Prostitution was legal. The famous Roman author, Plutarch, said no shame was attached to satisfying one’s passion. He (Mor. 140B) argues that a wife should not be angry with her husband if he has sex with a prostitute or maidservant: “She should reason that it is respect for her which leads him to share his debauchery . . . . with another woman.”

There was enormous social pressure to participate in eating and drinking at banquets. These were business, social and civic obligations where there was unbridled gluttony, drinking and sex. Philo of Alexandria recorded that special tables were reserved for ‘the drinking bouts which followed as part of “the after-dinners”, as they called them . Plutarch describes a huge meal followed by raucous music and shameless sex, where the host provided prostitutes. When a young man turned eighteen he received a special toga which gave him the right to accept invitations to these parties as he was considered mature enough to cope with sexual advances. Not surprisingly, ancient writers warned of this persistent danger for young men. Just as Corinth was a sexually immoral place, so is our culture today.

We are studying Paul’s letter to Christians in ancient Corinth in which he addresses hot potato issues to show us how to find spiritual wisdom in a foolish world. Today we consider sexual sin and how to view our bodies. What Paul has to say is not in any public school curriculum on sexuality. It’s interesting to see what Paul does not say. He does not attack sexual immorality because it can cause STDs or unwanted pregnancies. Rather than addressing external behavior, Paul confronts the distorted thinking on which the behaved is excused. He helps us gain a biblical view our bodies and the triune God. We do not just have bodies; we are embodied persons. At a deep level it is an understanding of the gospel in terms of our new identity that shapes our behavior. When you understand your bodily identity in relation to the triune God, then you see sex differently. It’s not simply sexual ethics that are at stake, but the gospel itself. The Bible presents sexual union as much more than simply a biological function. It is an intimate communication and commitment involving whole persons, which can be wonderful in marriage.

As we prepare to read First Corinthians chapter six, let me give you a few handles. In Paul’s day, it was common to pose objections from an imaginary opponent and then answer them. In this chapter Paul counters three Corinthian slogans. Ancient pithy sayings were recorded on inscriptions and displayed publicly like billboards. You find the first one in verse twelve, “I have the right to do anything.” Then in verse thirteen, “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” Then in verse eighteen, “All sins a person commits are outside the body.” The Bible does not endorse any of these three, but sets them up as distorted thinking to be corrected. As we read the text, look for what I call a Trinitarian theology of the body which should compel us to flee sexual sin in order to honor God with our bodies. Look for the two commands in the passage. Let’s stand for the reading of God’s Word beginning in First Corinthians six, verse twelve.

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
Did you see the two commands? One negative and one positive, they are related. We are to flee and to honor. Flee sexual sin to honor God with your body. That is the clear point of this passage.

Flee sexual sin to honor God with your body.

What’s powerful is the radical and compelling rationale why we should flee sexual sin to honor God with our bodies. Did you see the trinity? As a believer in Christ with your new identity, your physical body is directly associated with each member of the divine Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let’s dive into what God is saying to us, unpacking the text line by line.

In verse 12 Paul quotes the first Corinthian slogan twice, “I have the right to do anything.” This was a common idea particularly popular with people of status, wealth and power who had the means to do whatever they wanted. What kinds of slogans do we have today? What do you see on tee-shirts or bumper stickers? If it feels good, do it. God made me this way. It’s natural. I can’t help it. I have needs. Anything goes. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What people do in private is their own business. It’s not against the law. Friends with benefits. It’s my life. You can’t tell me what to do with my body.

Paul gives two counters to Corinthian slogans. First he turns the question on its head. The issue is not whether an action is lawful or right, but is it good? Is it beneficial? Simply because a behavior is not illegal, does not make it good. Is this use of my body beneficial to me or another person? This is a much higher standard. It might not be illegal for you to watch that movie, but is it beneficial? Teenagers, you may be old enough to legally see things that are not beneficial to you. What choices will you make?

Secondly, with a twist of irony, Paul uses a word play in Greek that could be approximated in English by translating, “All things are in my power, but I shall not be overpowered by anything.” Be warned, what you think you have the power to do, may take power over you. We call it addiction. You think you are in control of your drinking or sexual activity and then it controls you. Even if it is not illegal or wrong, is it dominating you? If you are being dominated by a sin, I encourage you to check out Celebrate Recovery, CR, which is for dealing with hurts, hang-ups and addictions. Teens, we have CR for you called The Landing.

After this amazing introduction, Paul turns to his first radical rationale why we should flee sexual sin to honor God with our bodies. Our first Trinitarian connection is with God the Father. By the way, this truth in verses thirteen and fourteen is an incredibly radical counter to most of western and eastern philosophy back to Plato in the West and Buddha in the East. It is the truth of bodily resurrection.

Resurrection: God will raise your body
–what you do bodily matters forever

Physical resurrection means your body is eternal. Paul is countering the immortality of the soul. In eternity we will not be disembodied spirits floating around. We will live in bodies whether we are in heaven or hell. They are physical places that we will inhabit in physical bodies. Let’s review his point in verses thirteen and fourteen where he quotes a second Corinthian slogan. Notice the striking parallelism in his counter:

13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 1 Corinthians 6:13-14

Let me highlight the parallelism so you can see that Paul creates a counter slogan to defeat their slogan:

Food Body
Food is for the stomach The body is for the Lord
The stomach is for food The Lord is for the body
God-destroys the stomach God-raised the Lord
God-destroys food God-will raise us (our bodies)
What’s the point of the Corinthian slogan? Since all bodily appetites are pretty much alike, that means that just as we need to eat, so we need to have sex and after all God will destroy the physical so it does not really matter. It’s not a spiritual issue. The word for stomach can mean digestive system. You eat food and it passes through. You have sex and life goes on. No big deal. What you do with your body has nothing to do with your soul. “I feel hungry—I eat. I feel sexual desire—I engage in sex.” One young man protested in a small group, “If I get hungry I drop by McDonald’s for a quarterpounder with cheese, and if I feel the need for sex I get a date with a girl who is willing or go the Internet for cyber sex. Now, what’s wrong with that?”

Paul objects to the dehumanizing of sex that takes place when it is reduced to bodily pleasure parallel to eating food. How does Paul counter? He makes a massive point. The body is for the Lord. And the Lord is for the body, proved by the fact that the body is not destined for destruction, but for resurrection. Who is the Lord? Jesus Christ. So your body is for Jesus and Jesus is for your body. What does this mean? Paul does not just command: don’t sin sexually. He is telling us to live as who we are. We belong to Christ and are destined to live with him forever. But what’s even more radical is that he is specifically speaking of our physical bodies. God created our body and we bear responsibility to use our bodies for the Lord. What we do with our bodies should be for the Lord. Obedience finds visible expression in our bodily obedience. Are you using your hands and feet, your muscles and mind for the Lord?

The big rationale is the resurrection. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead bodily, so he will raise you. Salvation includes our bodies, which are an intrinsic aspect of who we are. We are not saved from our bodies; our bodies are saved. We do not just have bodies; we are bodies. The body is not an outer shell or an earth-suit we will discard. We will be embodied forever. Frankly the immortality of the soul is a pagan idea that has invaded too much Christian thought. We must reject it. God did not design our bodies simply for this earth, but for eternity. They have an eternal purpose. We are not simply animals with biological functions. So that means the resurrection of our bodies is determinative for how we behave sexually in this life. We must handle our bodies today in keeping with our resurrection life. Our first Trinitarian connection is God the Father’s resurrection of our eternal body to be with him forever. Sexual sin violates your eternal body. Since God will raise your body, flee sexual sin to honor God. The second Trinitarian rationale comes in the connection of our bodies to Jesus Christ in union with him.

Union: Christ is united to your body
- what you do bodily you do to Christ

Once again Paul takes us to a deep place to transform our fundamental thinking because he knows if our minds are transformed, then our behavior will be as well. Let’s review his second main point in verses fifteen to seventeen:

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:15–17

What does it mean to be a member of Christ? It has nothing to do with membership in an organization. Paul is using physical language. Your legs and lungs are members of your body. Paul is talking about physical limbs and organs. So metaphorically my hands are the hands of Jesus offering fresh water to the thirsty. My ears are Jesus’ ears listening to the cries of the hurting. Paul speaks somewhat graphically when he says, “Shall I take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute. Never!” Since your body is united with Christ, what you do with your body, you do with Christ.
Notice the word “union” is used twice, in a sexual way and in a spiritual way. It is a bit shocking to see Paul parallel union with a prostitute through sex and union with Christ in spirit. The Greek word means to join, to bond, to glue, to bind indissolubly, so in our context it means to unite in intimacy. (Thiselton). The Corinthians have totally misunderstood and minimized the nature of sexual intercourse and of their new identity in Christ. Being “united” with the Lord” reflects Old Testament imagery of God’s “marriage” to Israel. More than a physical coupling happens when a person has sex. Boldly Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 applying the one-flesh union created in a marriage to the seemingly casual sexual union with a prostitute (Countryman 1988: 204). The assumption is that every sexual act between a man and woman, whether married or not, fuses the partners together into one flesh. There is no such thing as casual sex that has no enduring consequences, even when the partners have no intention of forming a mutual attachment. They may regard their sexual union as only a temporary encounter—but it is more entangling than that; neither is free from the other when they part company. Sexual intimacy cannot be separated from emotional intimacy that involves the whole person. Years later a person often seeks out a counselor to heal the scars of causal sex. Memories, emotions and attachments stay with us for life. What happens to our souls is much more damaging that any disease we might get.

Paul’s’ main point is that these two unions are mutually exclusive. To unite with a person who is not your spouse is to contaminate your union with Christ. Your body is united with Christ so you are one with him, thus if you sexually unite with a prostitute, you are taking Christ into that encounter. Never! Teenagers, you do not want to take Christ into the proverbial back seat of the car. Our culture’s slogan: “Friends with benefits” horribly misunderstands sexuality. Singles, there is no such thing. In that club, at that party, remember what you do with your body, you do with Jesus.

We are to represent Christ with our bodies. In Christ we are new creations. Christ literally lives through our bodies that are the limbs and organs of Christ. Sexual sin violates Christ. Flee sexual sin to honor God with your body because Christ is united to your body. The third Trinitarian rationale comes from our body’s connection to the Holy Spirit. He is present in our body.

Presence: The Holy Spirit lives in your body
–bodily sins are against the Spirit

Since the Holy Spirit lives in your body, bodily sins are against the Spirit. In these verses we find a third Corinthian quotation, but the NIV translation does not point it out. Let’s look at Paul’s third main point in verses eighteen and nineteen where we find our first command.

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:18–19

Paul’s command is pretty clear: flee! Notice that he does not say to endure temptation to sexual sin. We endure trials and we flee from temptation. In other words, if someone is flirting with you, you do not sit there and try to endure; you walk away. If you are watching a show and its turns nasty, you do not try to keep looking without lusting; you change the channel. You run away. If you know the story of Joseph with Potipher’s wife; picture that image of him running. She seduces Joseph to the point of grabbing his jacket and begging him to go to bed with her. But he runs away, leaving the jacket in her hands. I had a Joseph moment. Once in my life as a teenager, a girl moved in next door for the summer. Yes, there was pathetic summer love. Late one summer night, she offered herself to saying, “Take me.” Paul’s advice is not to endure, but to flee. Thankfully I fled. I ran out of their house back to my house. If I had not run, I could have regretted that night for the rest of my life. Run. Leave the party. Flee. On a business trip, if the group is going to a club where you don’t want to go, flee. Sometimes you need to flee an entire place. If you keep seeing him or her there, don’t go back to that restaurant. Change gyms, even change jobs.

In our digital world there are two tools you can use to flee: the mouse and the remote control. When the image pops on your screen, don’t stare, click the mouse. When the movie turns nasty, change the channel or fast-forward at rapid speed. When something bad comes on your computer, click the mouse to exit. Flee sexual sin. Parents, help your kids in this area. Put on software. Allow no computers in bedrooms, whatever fits your family. And when you catch your kids seeing something nasty, don’t freak out. Talk about it openly.

Paul now quotes a third Corinthian slogan: “all sins a person commits are outside the body.” If you noticed, I dropped out the word “other” which the NIV adds because they do not see this line as a Corinthian slogan. I believe it is a Corinthian slogan arguing that sin is spiritual so it does not matter what you do with your body. Paul counters strongly by arguing that sexual sin is against your own body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The word for against can also mean into. Sexual sin invades the body in the most intimate way. No other sin is so bodily intimate.

The big point is not just that you sin against your own body, but that you sin against the Spirit who lives in your body, another amazing truth. Many people think that the Spirit indwells your soul or your spirit, but Paul explicitly says that your body is the temple of the Spirit. A temple is a holy place. As a redeemed person your body is a holy place where the Holy Spirit lives. He is in you as a gift you have received from God. So, if you sin sexually, you are not only violating Christ, but you are also violating the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to argue that you could do something with your body that does not involve the Spirit. What are you doing with the temple? Flee sexual sin to honor God with your body because the Holy Spirit lives in your body.

Paul wraps up his argument with one more powerful closing exclamation to top off his Trinitarian rationale. Not only will God raise your body eternally and Christ is united to your body and the Spirit lives in your body, but also you are not your own. You were bought with a price, a high price. Sexual sin is against your own body which ironically is not your own, but God’s. In verse twenty the concept of being bought with a price draws on the imagery of a slavery auction familiar to the Corinthians. Interestingly Paul does not use the Greek word most common in legal contracts for buying a slave’s freedom. Instead he uses a word that refers to the sale of a slave by one owner to another owner. We belong to a new owner who has bought us at a price to serve him. The price has not bought our freedom, but changed owners. Thus our bodies are not their own to do with as we please, but God’s to do with as God pleases.

Now all of this is true only if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior. You are not united to Christ nor does the Spirit live in you, if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ to be your new owner. Jesus paid the high price on the cross, but it does not apply to you until you receive the gift that God offers in his grace to be your Master, your Father. Trust in him.

Then the last line of the chapter makes sense, the second command in the text: honor God with your bodies. The word honor can also be translated glorify. This is the only conclusion if you have gasped the Trinitarian rationale. If God the Father will raise your body and Christ is united to your body and the Spirit lives in your body, how could you not do everything possible to honor God with your body? In the book of Romans Paul talks about offering the members of your body as instruments of righteousness and offering your body as a living sacrifice of worship to God. How can you use your body to honor God? Use your body to bless others. Serve them. Love your spouse with your body. Keep your body pure and holy.

At Christ Fellowship we are all Bible, people guided by the Word, so what do we learn from First Corinthians chapter six? Let’s embrace God’s high view of our bodies. They are imminently spiritual in the sense of being crucial to spiritual maturity. Our bodies are part of our core identity. They are eternal. As the people of Christ Fellowship what we do with our body matters to God. Since our bodies are eternal and members of Christ and temples of the Spirit, that means that sexual sin is an eternal body-violation, a violation of Christ and a violation of the Holy Spirit. So flee sexual sin to honor God with our amazing bodies.

Sexuality is so much more than merely a biological function like eating. Sexual union is a rich and deep act that unites you to another person. A biblical understanding of sexuality is profoundly humanizing, because it treats people with the care and dignity we deserve as people made in God’s image. Realize that the divine trinity is involved in your sexuality. The point of God’s Word today is plain: You should flee sexual sin to honor God with your body because the Father will raise your body, Christ is united to your body and the Spirit lives in your body.

This truth helps in looking forward to avoid sexual sin, but what if you are currently in sexual sin? If you are currently involved in sexual sin, I have one word for you: flee. Run away. Whatever it takes, whatever that means for you, flee.

What if in the past you have been involved in tremendous sexual sin? We are about to enter a time of confession and restoration. God’s grace is amazing. He covers all our sin with the blood of Jesus that washes us white as snow. In a moment a song will begin: Search me and know me. It’s a prayer using words from the Psalms asking God to cleanse me; to wash away my guilty stains. Use this as a time of confession of sexual sin or any sin. You can stay where you are or come to the front and use the kneelers. The gospel is a message of liberation. We are not here as perfect people, but as very imperfect people forgiven by the power of the cross in the grace of God. Receive again the amazing grace of God that he pours out on you. Receive his forgiveness for all your sin.

I’ve changed the names and a few facts of the stories that you will hear today. Bill sounded incredibly upset and shocked on the phone. He told me he returned from vacation to find he was locked out of his own company. The man with whom he was forming an agreement, Victor, literally changed the locks on the doors and took over the company. Bill is a member of Christ Fellowship and Victor was a member of a church in Plano. Bill appealed to no avail. He could have sued the man, but instead he asked me if the elders could help. Bill and Victor agreed to submit to the decision of a team composed of two elders from Victor’s church and one elder from Christ Fellowship.. After evaluating the data, the three-member elder team concluded that Victor had wronged Bill. They gave Victor a few options to make it right. He refused. The elders appealed to him. I personally called and emailed Victor appealing to him before God to do what is right for the sake of the gospel and his own soul. He stubbornly refused. Bill lost his company and a large amount of money he was owed. He could have gotten a lawyer and sued on multiple grounds. Bill chose instead to be wronged and walk away. He lived out 1 Corinthians chapter six.

In such cases most Christians sue the heck out of each other, demanding their rights and fighting for what they are due. We live in a massively litigious society; so was ancient Corinth. Even our TV shows are filled with people going to court with each other from Judge Judy to The People’s Court. How should we handle disputes, especially between brothers in Christ? We are studying Paul’s letter to Christians in ancient Corinth, in which he addresses hot potato issues to show us how to find spiritual wisdom in a foolish world. Today we look at how to handle the hot potato of legal disputes between Christians.
What was the situation in Corinth? Paul addressed a very specific problem, but as we will see, his advice has broader application. Take a look at First Corinthians chapter six, verse one to see the problem:

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 1 Cor 6:1.

The phrase translated “has a dispute” is a technical term for a lawsuit, or legal action. Someone in the Church had the gall to haul a brother Christian to court to be judged by unbelievers. Paul is horrified. In the previous chapter, he confronted the Corinthian Christians for failing to judge sin in their midst; he now confronts them for bringing their disputes in the family before secular courts. The sharp incongruity between who they are in Christ and what they are doing boggles Paul’s mind. He literally says in verse five that he writes this chapter to shame them. With nine rhetorical questions he tries to shock them out of acting like the rest of the people in Corinth. In Paul’s analysis the problem arose not just from bad behavior, but from bad theology. So Paul takes us to four deep realities which form the foundation for how to think well about disputes between family members in the church. Paul’s one big point is quite clear. Don’t sue your brother.

Don’t sue your brother.

Most of the chapter explains why we should not sue our brother in light of these four deeper realities. But objections usually jump into people’s minds. “But in business I sign contracts all the time that have clauses about legal resolution. Should I not sign the contract? What if I do not know whether the other person is a Christian? Is it ok to sue a nonbeliever? What about suing a company or another entity that is not a person? What if you are a lawyer and a believer wants to hire you against another believer? What do you do if another person sues you? Should you get a lawyer and fight the matter in court? What about divorce? Should a believer use a lawyer and go to court in a divorce? What if another person who claims to be a Christian is hurting lots of people and needs to be stopped legally?”

We will discover that chapter six is like most of the Bible. It gives us divine principles, but not case law. Rather than speaking to specific cases, the Bible gives solid principles that we apply with wisdom by the Spirit to specific cases. My hope is to help you grasp the four deep realities of your destiny, mission, values and identity, which will guide you in how to handle disputes with fellow Christians.

Paul makes a clear point in First Corinthians chapter six: Don’t sue your brother. Don’t sue your brother in light of four deep realities: your destiny, mission, values and identity. I will read all eleven verses and then let’s break it down line by line to hear what God is saying to us. Follow with me as we read First Corinthians chapter six, verses one to eleven:

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:1–11

Paul thunders his indignation: how dare you do this! The first word in Greek is “dare.” You Corinthians have so much upside down. You think you are wise, but you are foolish. In chapter five we saw they are not to judge those outside, but only those inside. Now we see they are taking inside disputes to be judged by those outside. What are they thinking?! Paul’s opening point is that they should handle such disputes in the church among believers. Then in verse two he shares the first of the four deep realities. The deep reality of our destiny in Christ argues that we should not sue our brother. Don’t sue your brother because you have significant future responsibilities.

DESTINY: You have significant future responsibilities. 1 Cor. 6:1-3

You Corinthians who claim to be so knowledgeable, so wise and spiritual, do you not know these deep realities? This first one is the most difficult for me to grasp because Paul points to the future, which we can’t see yet. And yet our certain future should impact how we act today. Paul says in verses two and three:

2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 1 Cor 6:2-3

Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. If you are going to judge the world and angels, then surely you can judge ordinary matters in this life. Our future destiny impacts our present perspective. What does it mean that we will judge the world and judge angels? Honestly, I don’t know and no scholar I read knows. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who judges the world and since we are in Christ we will participate in his kingly reign. In Christ we will share in his rule, including judging the world and angels. Paul’s purpose here is not to give us a clear picture of the future, but to point out a disturbing inconsistency between their glorious destiny and how they were handling small disputes over ordinary life issues. Sarcastically he asks: Are you not competent for matters in this life? The phrase “trivial cases” refers to common, ordinary issues in everyday life. They might be serious in the frame of this world, but in view of our destiny they are all trivial.

Paul’s argument from greater to lesser is like saying: you have been picked to serve as a juror in a Federal Case, to decide a very serious matter, but you are unwilling to judge an elementary school science fair? You have been picked to referee the Super Bowl, and you won’t referee a middle school football game? For Christians to take their legal battles to the courts contradicts their destiny, conveying that they don’t have the wisdom to settle ordinary issues among themselves. How absurd for those who will judge the world to take their disputes to those who they will judge one day.

We need to grasp the deep reality of our destiny in Christ. Our identity is shaped by our sure future. In light of our destiny in Christ, we should not sue our brothers. So turn this into a question: How does reflecting on your destiny impact how you view your dispute and how to handle it? The second deep reality we need to grasp comes in verses four to six where Paul turns to our mission. He makes the point that you should not sue your brother because you will wreck your witness in the world.

You will wreck your witness in the world. 1 Cor. 6:4-6

Even though they did not have media as we do today, a public legal dispute between church members wrecked their witness before the world of Corinth. Paul says starting in verse four,

4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 1 Cor 6:4-6

Today the media pounces on stories where Christians are fighting each other. We bring shame on the name of Christ. Paul shames them, sarcastically asking: Is there not one wise person among you who can judge the dispute? You Corinthians who claim to be so wise, is there no brother wise enough to handle this? By implication he is saying: You are demonstrating in public that you are fools because you have to go to secular courts to find a wise person to judge between you.
Just in the last few months in the Dallas media we have had to hear about a Methodist Pastor resigning over legal allegations of sexual misconduct. A few church members have filed lawsuits against him and the lawyer is also a church member. Then a few months ago, a major television ministry faced a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging moral and financial misconduct. It is all so embarrassing and damaging to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul pushes the point of how bad this is for the family of Christ by using the Greek word for “brother” three times in verses five and six. Family should not file lawsuits against family – that is shameful. This compromises our witness and brings ridicule to the gospel. While most of us are not famous enough to be talked about in the media, what message do you send to those who know you when you sue a brother in Christ? Lawsuits are notoriously ugly because it is a legal battle. The process is dehumanizing and combative. So many times I’ve seen a couple on decent terms even as a marriage dissolves until the divorce gets legal and the lawyers start filing motions. It can get dirty as two church members fight over property, children, and rights. In my extended family, a lawsuit was filed over the estate of a relative who died after a long illness that consumed most of his estate. Another relative was his primary care giver. His children wrongly attacked that relative for supposedly misusing the funds in caring for their dad. This tore up the family members involved and wrecked relationships. Needless to say, we won’t be sharing Thanksgiving dinner together next year. And how does this look to those watching who are not Christians?

I am not saying that you should never hire a lawyer or never go to court. What is more important than specific behavior are the deep realities guiding our actions. We must grasp the deep reality of our mission. In whatever dispute you find yourself, ask if your actions hurt or help the gospel? Will how you handle this dispute aid your witness or damage your witness for Christ?

The third deep reality that shines light on disputes between brothers is our values. Paul says it is better to suffer loss than to lose.

VALUES: It is better to suffer loss than to lose. 1 Cor. 6:7-10

This sounds a bit cryptic. Paul plays with the idea of loss. What is a higher value to you? What you rather be defeated in your witness for Christ or be defeated in a lawsuit? What is more important, your personal gain or the gospel? Listen closely to Paul starting in verse seven;

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:7-10

The fact that they have lawsuits against each other means they are defeated already. The Greek word for defeated means to lose. Whether a person wins or loses the lawsuit, the fact that they are suing a fellow brother in Christ is itself a loss. How is it a loss? Look back to verse six. It is a loss for the Gospel. It is a loss for unity in the family. It is a loss for the honor of God.

So it becomes a question of values: what do you value more, your personal gain in the lawsuit or the gain for the gospel? Which loss is more painful to you, losing a lawsuit or losing influence for the gospel? Paul boldly asks: why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? He is saying it is better to be wronged than to hurt the mission of Jesus Christ. This is a hard one for me.

Most people in American culture, including me, are so ingrained with the value of personal rights that the thought of allowing yourself to be cheated seems crazy. Bill did it. He allowed himself to be wronged without fighting back in court because of his greater value for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know what rises up in us: “But you don’t know what he did to me. It is not fair. I stand to lose a lot of money. I will not let anyone walk over me. Payback is . . . “

This is not the way of the cross, the way of Christ, to endure unjust suffering. Jesus teaches us to turn the cheek. By enduring unjust suffering we participate in the sufferings of Christ and honor God. On the cross Jesus showed us the ultimate example of giving up rights and suffering unjustly. In our day this is a hard teaching that does not fit with the machismo of the tough guy who will get revenge at all costs from old westerners to newer revenge thrillers. Men pop their chest out snarling, “You don’t want to mess with me.”

That is not how Christ lived and died. We need to grasp the deep reality of Christ-shaped values; to value the gospel over personal gain; to prefer being cheated over diminishing our witness for Jesus.

Before we move to the fourth deep reality, I want to clarify two debated points from verses nine and ten. One has to do with the security of our salvation and the other with homosexuality. Paul says, Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Then he lists ten sins, saying those who live in such ways will not inherit the kingdom of God. Does this mean a person who is a believer could lose their salvation if they steal something, or commit adultery or get drunk or are greedy? The answer is no. A true believer’s salvation is secure because it never depended on them in the first place. Salvation is based on what Jesus did, not what we do. It is by grace received by faith apart from works.

However, if a person truly trusts in Christ, we would rightly expect their life to be transformed. Paul is saying that if a person habitually engages in one of these kinds of sins, it raises a question as to whether they are really saved. Logically, one would not think that a person who has the Spirit in them would consistently engage in such behavior without deep remorse and repentance. Those who are cheating others whether in the courts or outside them, may need to examine their hearts to see if they are really new people in Christ.

The second issue relates to two Greek words used to describe homosexual behavior. In our day, homosexuality is a super-charged issue, including in the church. The danger of my being misunderstood on this issue is sky-high. I’ve had people attack me for being too gracious to people dealing with same-sex issues. I was asked, “Do you know there is a homosexual agenda?” When I say we have open arms for everyone, I was asked if that meant homosexuals were welcome here. Yes! Jesus has open arms for everyone and so do we. We are all welcome – people of grace. If you are involved in or tempted with same sex attraction, you are welcome. I am thrilled you are here. Conservative Christians have too long treated this as some horrible sin worse than any other. Let’s confess that there is ungodly homophobia in many evangelical churches. There is real discrimination against the gay community. And it is wrong.

Please review the list of ten equal sins in verses nine and ten. Men who have sex with men is not highlighted in some way different from adulterers, the greedy or slanderers. Ironically, conservative Christians have been guilty of slander against gay men in particular and so are painted by Paul with the same brush as those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. All of these sins represent some form of self-gratification and or abuse of another’s rights.

Let me remind you that I am not sharing my opinion. At Christ Fellowship we are all-Bible, people guided by the Word. I did not write the Book and I refuse to edit it. My role is making it clear. We must be careful not to single out one sin over another. Remember, we are not to judge those outside. Those involved in a gay lifestyle are not to be feared, ridiculed, or hated. As with each person, they can have forgiveness in Christ, and their lives can be transformed. My prayer is for Christ Fellowship to be a haven of forgiveness and healing for all people, including those wrestling with same sex issues and relationships; including those who show prejudice and slander toward people involved in homosexuality. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope and healing for all people through the death and resurrection of the Son of God.

This truth leads to the fourth deep reality that must shape how we deal with disputes in the family. It is the deep reality of our identity in Christ. Paul says you should not sue a brother because you are a new person in Jesus by the Spirit of God.

IDENTITY: You are a new person in Jesus by the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. 6:11

Verse eleven is filled with rich truth that forms our identity. Paul uses three terms to give a theological basis for whom God has made us to be. Notice how the whole trinity is involved. Verse eleven,
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:11

By saying that is what some of you were, Paul refers back to his list of the ten sins, meaning there were men from a homosexual background in the church in addition to adulterers, thieves and drunkards. I love the past tense: you were, not you are. This truth is in some tension with the modern position such as in Alcoholics Anonymous that for life I affirm, “I am an alcoholic.” Their point is to stress that we remain always tempted to sin, which is a biblical principle: be careful because if you think you stand, you will fall. However, at a deep identity level, biblically, we do not remain identified by our sin, but by our salvation. We are washed clean, set apart as holy and justified as innocent. The power of God transforms us in Christ by the Spirit.

Did you see each member of the trinity? You were washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Spirit who is of God. God frees us from addictions to sin in Jesus by the Spirit. In Greek there is a powerful three-fold repetition of the word, “but.” And that is what some of you were, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified. We have been made new people in Jesus.

This is the Gospel. If you will trust in Jesus Christ, you can be washed clean of all your dirty sin. You can be sanctified; in other words made holy and you can be justified, legally innocent before God, righteous. If you have never trusted in Jesus, I urge you to do so. The three words: washed, sanctified and justified refer the same reality of salvation from different angles. All this can be yours in Christ.

Then as new people in Jesus by the Spirit, live that way. Live out your identity; become who you are. So ask yourself, in a dispute with a brother, how can I handle this dispute in a way that is true to my identity as one washed, sanctified and justified? When you grasp the deep reality of your identity, it affects how you handle disputes with brothers in the church.

So, how are we to respond to the truth in First Corinthians chapter six, verses one to eleven? Paul’s point is clear: do not sue your brother, in light of four deep realities: your destiny, mission, values and identity. It is these four deep realities that guide our decisions about how to handle disputes with brothers and sisters. Clearly Paul tells us that we should avoid bringing disputes to secular courts and instead bring them to fellow believers. Secondly we should choose to be wronged rather than hurt the mission of the gospel. In our day, there are alternatives. The Christian Legal Society and other groups have alternatives to filing lawsuits. You can write arbitration agreements into contracts that commit to resolution outside courtrooms.

In all of the complex, specific situations with their turns and twists, consider how you handle disputes in light of these four deep, powerful realities. The Corinthians did not understand who they were in Christ and did not have sufficient concern for the mission to value it over their personal gain. Here in Christ Fellowship, in considering how to handle any dispute ask, does this reflect my destiny? Will this help or hinder the mission? Am I more concerned about loss to the gospel or to myself? Is this true to my identity in Christ? Here at Christ Fellowship, let’s be people who grasp our destiny: that we have significant future responsibility which puts into perspective ordinary issues of this life. Let’s grasp our mission to witness to Jesus and value it above suffering personal loss. Finally, let’s grasp our identity as new people in Jesus by the Spirit. Then when disputes come, how we handle them will show the love and light of our God.

I’ve wrestled with two different and opposing intuitions. I’m talking about when you see a friend making a big mistake that could really hurt them and others. Have you ever felt a nudging that you were supposed to say something? Then on the other side, have you heard that voice in your head saying, “It’s not my business. Who am I to judge anyway?” The issue gets much tougher in a family or on a team. Have you ever been in a position where you knew that an athlete was dragging down the whole team by his bad behavior? In a classroom, when do you remove a student who consistently disrupts the whole class? Have you worked with someone on the job who should have been removed, but was not? When do you vote someone off the island?

Churches face a similar dilemma. Churches are to be full of grace, welcoming to all people, regardless of how sinful they are. And yet the church is to be a holy people, standing for righteousness. At
Christ Fellowship we are both all welcome, people of grace and we are all-in, people who hold nothing back in terms of obeying God.
How can a church be both accepting of all sinners and at the same time a holy people? At each extreme lies danger. On one end, the church ignores sin and becomes indistinguishable from the world.
On the other end the church becomes harsh and judgmental. Then there is the obvious problem: if we removed all people who sin, there would be no one left.

Our text today, First Corinthians chapter five, addresses this hot potato: How does a church deal with sexual immorality in the church? Why should a church ever remove someone from the fellowship? We are studying Paul’s letter to Christians in ancient
Corinth, in which he addresses hot potato issues to show us how to find spiritual wisdom in a foolish world. Fundamentally we are to live out our identity in Christ.

So what was the specific issue in the church in Corinth? Take a look at First Corinthians chapter five, verse one. Paul names the issue. He says in chapter five, verse one, It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.

Culturally it was common for Romans at that time to marry younger wives later in life so a stepmother could be in the age range of older sons from a previous marriage, much like us today. A man in the church was having sex with his stepmother. The Greek phrase indicates it is an on-going relationship, not a one-time affair. It was a crime of incest according to Roman law. The Greeks would likely have been familiar with the tale of Oedipus, who unknowingly married his mother and destroyed his family. How can the church tolerate what even the pagan society condemns as deviant? Based on this text and others we can assume this man is a believer involved in the church and that the church has appealed to him to repent.

What’s striking is that the man himself is never directly addressed.
Rather Paul’s concern is with how the church is mishandling the situation by ignoring it. The burden of chapter five is to explain why the church should remove the immoral person from their fellowship.
In four different ways through the chapter Paul makes this same basic point: we should remove an immoral person from our fellowship. Why? Why should we take such drastic action? In our day we really need to understand the “why” because for most of us this is a very challenging command not because it is hard to understand what it means, but because it is hard to understand the value of doing it.

Comparing the issue with similar situations in other contexts helps me to get it. Picture a family living room, a school classroom, a team locker room, and a work conference room. Years ago, my wife Tamara and I had to exercise tough love with our oldest son. We set clear guidelines for staying in our home which if broken would mean he had chosen to leave. At eighteen years old, a green trash sack in our living room overflowing with beer cans marked the moment that he had to go. We cried many tears. On one of the hardest days of my life, in another green trash sack, our oldest son carried his clothes out the door. It was incredibly painful, but it was the right decision.

As a teacher, perhaps you have had to remove a student from a classroom. Sometimes their behavior is so disruptive the rest of the class suffers until he or she leaves. Maybe you played on a sports team, where one person’s bad behavior wrecked the chemistry of the whole team; sometimes it happens with the most talented player on the team. Or in a work environment, have you endured a co-worker whose negativity or immorality made you not even want to go to work? There are times when an employee needs to be fired; a player released from the team, a student removed from the classroom, and even a child removed from the home. In the church there are times when an immoral member needs to be removed from the fellowship.
This chapter tells us why.

You will have more questions, not all of which this text addresses.
For instance, what about legal implications? If we remove someone, could they sue us? Yes. But we must do what is right before God regardless of consequences. We must be wise legally, but never let fear of consequences keep us from doing what is right. Is this text talking about what some call “church discipline”? The phrase “church discipline” is not in the Bible, but provides a title under which to arrange the Bible’s teaching on how churches should handle serious sin. I find the phrase unhelpful and distorting because it conjures in our minds the legal process of a formal organization.
Fundamentally the church is people and the New Testament is describing not an organizational policy with legal overtones, but a relational dynamic among close friends in small home churches.

Open your Bible to First Corinthians chapter five so we can walk through the text line by line discovering three compelling reasons why we should remove an immoral person from our fellowship. The first reason is for him, because it may save him.

FOR HIM – because it may save him

The first reason we should remove this person is for his own benefit.
Our aim is to help him. It is for his good. Follow with me.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit.
As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord
Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians
5:1–5

Paul is shocked not only at the sin but also at the attitude of the church. They are proud. What sense does this make? What are they proud of? Are they proud of the sin? That hardly makes sense because it was a criminal offense under Roman law and condemned by the Romans, Greeks and Jews. Go back to the first four chapters where Paul has already commented on their pride. They think they are mature and really spiritual. Paul is saying, “You are tolerating serious sin in your church and you are proud of your spirituality?”
Are you kidding?! How could they think they are so spiritually mature when they are ignoring serious sin?

There is also one other option that connects to pride and a possible reason why they were not addressing the incest. Remember status was very important to the Corinthians. It is possible that this man was wealthy. Let me be blunt. You do not want to tick off a wealthy donor. Maybe this man hosted the church in his large home and was an influential person in the city. They may have excused their inaction much like we do today by saying: everyone is doing it, or what’s done is private is no one’s business, or we all have our own sins, or grace covers all sin. Because of who he was they may have been slow to address the embarrassing situation that would shame a powerful, wealthy person. This happens on athletic teams. You hesitate to release the superstar. In work environments, it might be the super-smart engineer. In a classroom, it is the daughter of the principal.

Instead of being proud, they should have mourned. Mourning implies not just feeling, but actions. Rather than saying, “we’re fine, we’re great,” they should have faced the sin, filled with anguish over what the man was doing and how it was hurting the church. That mourning should have led them to put the man out of their fellowship. The recent debacle at Penn State is a poignant reminder of what happens when you ignore sin. That was not a church, but college football.

Look at verse three where Paul says he has already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a clear case to him and the church needs to move on it now in the authority of the Lord Jesus in whose name they exist. So in verse four he instructs them to do this when they assemble. They are not to act in their own strength or name, but in the name and power of the Lord Jesus. Notice the repetition of the title, “Lord.” They take this action with Jesus’ authority.

Notice this is not a decision Paul makes alone nor do the leaders act alone, but as a gathered fellowship. It is important to see the communal context of this action. Think about a family. Sometimes when one family member is in serious sin, the whole family and friends will come together for an intervention. An intervention is not a legal decision, but an act of love by those who are closest to a person and love them the most. I’ve been involved in several interventions that have literally saved someone’s life. A man in our church has thanked me over and over for loving him enough to meet with his family and friends to confront his alcohol and drug abuse that was killing him and destroying his family. It is powerful when a whole team together confronts a teammate over his bad behavior and says it must quit or you are off the team.

Take a look at verse five to see the clear statement of the first compelling reason why we should remove an immoral person. Paul says, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. We should remove an immoral person for his benefit, so he may be saved. While the overall redemptive point is clear, what does it mean to hand a person over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh? That sounds really scary, and it is. The point is not that a person is being given to Satan, but that they are being put out of the church back into the world, Satan’s realm, unprotected by the fellowship of believers. The phrase to hand him over to Satan is another way of stating the main point: remove him from your fellowship.

This handing over to Satan’s realm is part of the redemptive process with the hope that the destruction of his flesh will draw the man to repentance. So what does “the destruction of his flesh” mean? It does not mean that he will die or else how could he be saved? The flesh here does not mean his physical body, but rather the sin-bent, self- oriented person. In Paul’s thinking “flesh” and “spirit” often refer to the whole person looked at through a different lens. Flesh is the person oriented away from God and spirit is the person oriented to God. So the hope is that being removed from the fellowship, a person will hit rock bottom, and then return to the Lord and the church. What Paul hopes will be destroyed is the selfish, self-sufficiency of the person.

I can remember how scary it was to walk my son out the door because I know how tough the world is. I knew how safe our home is and how hard it might be out there away from home and our loving protection and support. Our hearts were broken; we prayed and cried. Like the father of the prodigal son, Tamara and I hoped and prayed that facing life outside our home would cause him to wake up and return, repentant. Some months later he did return.

As Paul says, the reason to remove him is that he will be saved on the day of the Lord. We do not know if any person is saved or not. Only
God makes that determination, but open, public, continual sin is not a good sign. Some people profess to be Christians when they really are not. Our prayer is for the person to be saved, so that on that final day before the Lord, they will pass into eternal life, not eternal death.
The purpose of our action is redemptive and restorative, not vengeful or vindictive. We hope he comes to his senses, sees what he is doing and repents.

The first of the three compelling reasons to remove an immoral person from the fellowship is for him, for his benefit, because it may save him. The second compelling reason is for the fellowship, because he will damage the group so the group must act.

FOR THE FELLOWSHIP: because he will damage the group

Paul uses metaphors from the Old Testament to express the second reason. He pictures the church as the purified house from which the old leaven has been cleansed, and as the new batch of dough. Follow in verse six;

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6–8

Once again he points out that their spiritual boasting is ridiculous.
They need to drop the pride and deal with sin in their midst. The image is vivid. A very small amount of yeast leavens the whole batch of dough, so the sin of one person negatively affects the whole group.
We say one bad apple spoils the whole barrel. The mold on one apple will spread to the rest. A common faulty idea is that my sin only affects me. Our sin always negatively impacts those around us.

Paul’s metaphor here looks back to Israel’s Passover celebration. Each year before Passover they were to remove all leaven from their homes. Once again Paul expresses his main point with metaphoric language: get rid of the old yeast. In other words, remove the immoral person. The second reason is so that the whole group is not damaged or contaminated. They are a new batch of unleavened bread through Jesus Christ so they should live as new people. Jesus frees us from sin, so we are to become who we already are. The imperative is built on the indicative: because of what Jesus Christ has already done for us, we can live Christ-like lives.

In fact, Jesus Christ is at the center of this chapter in a beautiful image that prepares our hearts for communion. In verse seven Paul writes,
For Christ our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. In our study of Exodus last fall we learned that the Jews put the blood of a lamb on their doors so that the angel of death would pass them by. Hundreds of years later during Passover season, Jesus put his blood on a cross so that we could be saved from death. It is through the sacrificial blood of Jesus that any person is saved. You are saved by trusting in Jesus Christ that he died for you. If you trust in Jesus Christ you will be saved on the day of the Lord. In communion we eat and drink to remember his blood, the blood of the Lamb. Christ gave his life for us not just to give us passage to heaven, but to re-create us in his image personally and as his body, the church. We represent him by how we live. We are to live transformed lives, to become what we have been made to be in Christ: unleavened bread, living holy lives.

So the second compelling reason to remove an immoral person from our fellowship is that he will damage the group. Some people caught in sin object “it’s my private life and none of your business, none of the church’s business.” If you are part of the spiritual family, then it is the family’s concern. In terms of the church, the whole group will be less holy and honoring to God, the whole group’s testimony to a watching world is damaged. Others in the group can be tempted to sin. We can see a similar dynamic in other groups. In a classroom, when an incredibly disruptive student is allowed to remain, the education of the rest of the students is damaged. The teacher is frazzled, unable to help other students because she is consumed with the one bad apple. This also happens on teams in work environments. One person can torpedo an entire team, board or committee. This is especially painful in a family when mom or dad realizes that one child is hurting all the rest, putting them in danger, or at least diverting so much attention that the rest are being neglected. In all those cases, once a person has been removed, I’ve seen the entire feeling of a workplace, home or classroom change.
Usually the group had no idea what a heavy cloud laid over them until the person is removed and everyone feels lighter. They laugh more easily and smile more often.

Paul’s third and final compelling reason comes in verses 9-13 that close this section by clarifying an apparent misunderstanding, or possibly even a deliberate misrepresentation, of Paul’s previous letter. Not only are we to act for the person’s sake and for the group’s sake, but also for God’s sake, for his honor. God tells us to judge those inside.

FOR GOD: because you are to judge those inside

Paul says in verse nine;

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:9–13

Paul’s point has nothing to do with people outside the church, but only with those inside. Your relationship with your own kids is very different from your relationship with the kids down the street. You are responsible to discipline your own kids. In fact, Paul explicitly says that it is not our business to judge those outside the Church.
God will do that. Our responsibility is to love those outside the church, to serve them with the gospel of Jesus, to share his love and hope. Our mandate is not to press biblical morality on those outside the church. While we are to be strict inside the church so our lives do not contradict the gospel, we are to refuse to judge anyone outside the church. Our problem is that we do the opposite; too often we are lenient with ourselves and judgmental to those outside the church.
Paul is only talking about judging those believers involved in the church. We are not to judge those outside the family.

He says we must not associate with one who claims to be a “brother,” but engages in serious sin. What does it mean to not associate?
Remember this is one more way Paul is making his one main charge: to remove the immoral person from your fellowship. Of course the church is not a building or an organization, or a worship service, but a community of people. You are the church, so removal must involve not associating. This does not mean you do not say “hi” to a person you meet in the store. Rather it refers to associating in a close way, joining with another person.

Paul clarifies what he means when he says we are not even to eat with such a person. In the culture of that day eating together formed a social bond. It conveyed that you are part of our group, sort of like lunch tables in high school. If you sit at certain tables, you are associated with that group. At the least Paul is referring to eating communion, the Lord’ Supper, together.

For what sins should we take this drastic action to remove a person from our fellowship? In verse eleven Paul lists sexual immorality, but then adds five more sins: greedy, idolater, slander, drunkard and swindler. Several of these might be surprising. Our culture turns a blind eye to greed, but Paul lists it right next to sexual immorality. Greedy people are driven by self-interest, getting an edge over others that often leads to swindling. In another church setting I had to confront a man who was selling illegal investments to people in the church. How often have you heard in the media about some financial scheme that runs through a church where people are taken advantage of? A slander or gossiper mocks spiritual leaders and engages in verbal abuse. What about drunkards? Don’t we have Celebrate Recovery and often hope for alcoholics? Yes, of course. But if an alcoholic will not admit their problem and work on it, at times they must be confronted and removed. This happens in a family intervention. Years ago in our church, a friend came to Christ at Christ Fellowship, but fell off the wagon back into drunkenness and then refused help. His Life Group became aware and tried everything to intervene, but he never took the necessary steps for full healing. Eventually removed from his friends, out on his own, he died from alcohol abuse. Sadly he never repented and returned. Sins related to money and the tongue can also destroy a church, as well as idolatry with false doctrine.

Paul concludes the chapter with his clear action for us: “expel the wicked person from among you.” This line quotes the book of Deuteronomy where Israel was given similar instruction for God’s holy people back then. For God’s sake we are to judge those inside the church. This is our delegated responsibility from the Lord. God will judge those outside, but we are to take responsibility for sin in the family. Think of your own kids verses others’ kids.

So what are we to do given what God tells us in First Corinthians chapter five? Remember the case is a professed believer involved in the church who has not repented after multiple appeals. We are to remove an immoral person from our fellowship for three compelling reasons, for him because it may save him, for the fellowship because he will damage the group and for God because we are to judge those inside. We remove the person for their sake, the sake of our group and for God’s sake. Our heart must be to help the person and for the good of the group. Ultimately we do it for God, for his honor before a watching world.

So how would this actually happen? Remember Paul is describing a relational dynamic among close friends in a small home church, not an organizational policy or legal process. You can see Matthew 18 for specific steps from Jesus. In your group or Bible Study, when you are aware of serious sin among of the people in your group, you should talk to the person about it. Then a few of you might talk to the person together, expressing your love and concern for them. Only after a long time of appealing to person with no change do we get to the point of removing a person from our group. This is a last resort of tough love with the purpose of redemption.

Since we all sin, for what sins should we take this action? Think through the reasons Paul gave. Is this sin destroying the person? Is this sin damaging the group? Is it harming the reputation of Christ? (This often happens when the sin becomes public). Is the person unrepentant, unwilling to confess it as sin and repent of it? Only then do we consider the final step of removing a person.

Let’s be the kind of church that takes sin seriously because we take Jesus seriously. We know that he died for our sins, so we want to live as the holy people he has made us to be by his Spirit. We welcome all people as people of grace. At the same time we take sin seriously. We have the courage to show tough love because we love we love our brother, we love our fellowship and most of all we love Jesus. We are committed to being holy people for Jesus.

Most American Christians are soft. Our crosses are pretty jewelry, not instruments of brutal death. They warmly decorate our houses rather than warning of suffering. Particularly in the suburban Bible Belt, our versions of Christianity depict sanitized pictures of the American success story. We see good Christians as well-educated, smart, economically upper-middle class, and well-regarded in the community. Certainly we would expect these traits of church leaders. In fact, in many circles, the Pastor is expected to exemplify such traits: to be a pillar of the community, to drive a nice car (but not too nice), to dress well, to be educated and respected. Some groups put The Pastor on a pedestal as God’s anointed, a spiritual super-star to be admired and honored. In our passage today Paul sarcastically shreds this un-Christlike view of leadership. If you thought Paul was tough in chapter three when he called the Corinthians, “spiritual babies,” tighten your seat belt, because in chapter four he harshly lampoons them with biting, sarcastic irony.

We are studying Paul’s letter to Christians in ancient Corinth, a place of materialism, sexuality and conflicting religious traditions, much like us today. What they thought was wise, ends up being foolish. Paul takes us to deep roots of our faith to show us how to live for Christ in a corrupt culture. Fundamentally we are to live out our identity in Christ.

The problems they faced, we face in our lives today. Their city valued wealth and status, and the church followed its culture. Secular standards of leadership and success overshadow biblical ones. We grow up learning to take credit for and even advertise our accomplishments in education and employment through resumes and job evaluations. Not surprisingly, such advertisements carry over, consciously and unconsciously, to the Christian life, as we take pride in spiritual accomplishments. Churches boast about their size, their buildings, their programs or presence of Christian celebrities; which is itself a bit of an oxymoron. I’m not sure the concept of “celebrity” fits with a cross-shaped life. We all recognize the trappings of personal or organizational success. However nicely it was done, the Corinthians were bragging about their favorite leader and saw themselves as spiritually successful.

Strap on your seat belts, your views of leadership and spiritual success may be challenged. What we are about to see in 1 Corinthians chapter four directly counters most perspectives on success, including some “Christian” views. Remember Paul is writing to the churches in Corinth to correct their distorted views of maturity and spiritual leadership.

Open your Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter four. In applying this text, I encourage you to identify both with Paul as a leader and with the Corinthians. Do not let the word “leader” take you off the hook as if these biblical truths do not apply to you. They do. In the chapter Paul paints three images of spiritual leaders. His point is that we can view spiritual leadership as God does by seeing leaders in three vivid images: as stewards for God, as fools for Christ and as spiritual fathers. In the first image Paul paints, we are stewards of God.

Stewards for God

Follow with me as we read in chapter four verse one. Please note the use of the words “entrust” and “trust” which refer to stewardship. Paul ended chapter three saying no more boasting about human leaders; now he shares the right way to view leaders.

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.

Biblically, leaders are to be servants of Christ. This word for servant originally described slaves who rowed in the lower tier of a ship. It came to designate anyone in a serving position, thus the word conveys humility.

Notice an important clarification: Paul is not the servant of the Corinthians, but of Christ. He is God’s servant. In your life, remember that you ultimately work for Christ. Yes, you may work for TorchMark or Toyota, but above the company, you serve Christ. As a mother you serve your children, but deeper, you serve Christ. As a leader of a Life Group, you serve the members, but more importantly you serve Christ. Although you pay my salary at Christ Fellowship, I do not ultimately work for you, but for Christ. Of course, this means that each of us must answer to Christ for how we are serving.

The second image in verse one is the dominant one: we are stewards. Paul says we have been entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed and those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. The words “entrust” and “trust” come from the Greek words for steward and stewardship. In those days, a steward carried delegated authority and responsibility for overseeing a household or business by generally running it, but only within guidelines agreed by the employer or the head of the house. We have been entrusted by God with the authority and responsibility for the “mysteries revealed.” What are those? This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, his cross and resurrection, not foreseen in earlier times. Thus, the image of a steward conveys delegated responsibility and accountability. We have the authority and responsibility to live and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. A leader is a steward for God, specifically of the gospel entrusted to us. By implication a steward must prove faithful.

so be faithful

The implication Paul draws is quite clear: so be faithful. It’s important to note that Paul does not say the steward must be successful, but rather faithful. The word for faithful includes the ideas of trustworthy and reliable. And to what or to whom are we to be faithful? Ask yourself what we have been entrusted with. The Gospel. We must be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ: to live it, to speak it, to be formed by it. Notice all the typical measures of leadership success that are not mentioned: how big is your Life Group? Business? Bank account? House? How many followers do you have on Twitter? How many friends on Facebook? Now, how do you know if someone else is being faithful? Do you know all the circumstances in their life? Do you know their heart? So naturally, Paul draws the implication: so don’t judge.

so don’t judge

Verse three is one of Paul’s most liberating statements. He says I care very little if you are judging me. I don’t even judge myself. The point is not that he does not pay attention, but that in comparison with what God thinks about him, the opinion of other people does not matter. Even his own opinion of himself is not so important compared to God’s opinion.

We must be careful not to take Paul’s point to an illogical conclusion. We are to be discerning today. His point is that we should not declare a final definitive verdict on another servant of Christ in terms of how faithful a servant they are. This does not mean that we are to make no judgments. In the next chapter Paul will say we should judge those inside and in chapter six that we are to judge disputes in the family. The point is to avoid the fault-finding judgmentalism that assumes you know as much as God knows, especially about matters of the heart. You do not know anyone’s motives. We are not to be critical fault-finders or judgmental. When we do exercise discernment about a leader, we must be aware that our view is limited and fallible. Only God knows all the circumstances and the motives. We are not to judge who is the more faithful servant of Christ. For instance, once I was accused of not having Christlike love and of being self-serving. Those are motive issues that only God can really know. The only judgment that counts is the final one. We do not need to judge because the Lord will judge one day.

because the Lord will judge one day

And in this verse, who is the Lord? The Lord is Christ who is coming back. When he returns he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and expose the motives of hearts. Then all the facts will be known and all motives revealed. God knows the hidden motives of our heart even more than we do. On that day we will each receive praise from God for our faithfulness to his gospel that he has entrusted to us as servant-stewards.

In some churches, there are people constantly examining the pastors and often on the wrong grounds, usually on more secular standards: how they speak, dress, how professional they are, too polished or not polished enough. The Corinthians wanted charismatic leaders who were impressive. God says what matters is being faithful to the gospel and he will judge that. So ask yourself, are you judgmental? Are you being faithful?

Who are you? You are a steward of God, that’s the first image Paul paints. The second image comes in verses six to thirteen where Paul shocks us with his biting, sarcastic irony. I find this section the most challenging to me personally. Not only are we stewards for God, but we are also fools for Christ.

Fools for Christ

Frankly, I do not aspire to be a fool; in fact, just the opposite. Brace yourself for this section. Are you ready? Let’s start in verse six.

6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment. 1 Corinthians 4:6–13.

Let’s walk through the text a line at a time. In verse six Paul indicates the problem: that they are getting puffed up and for wrong reasons. In verse seven he skewers them with three rhetorical questions, making the point that God gave you everything you have received so don’t boast and compare.

God gave you everything you have received
So don’t boast and compare

The three questions anticipate the answers “no one,” “nothing,” and “no good reason.” Who makes you different from anyone else? In English we might say, “Who in the world do you think you are, anyway? If the first question marks the Corinthians as presumptuous, the second marks them as ungrateful. What do you have that you did not receive? Nothing. So why you do you boast is if you did not receive it as a gift? Instead of offering humble thanksgiving for gifts God gave them, the Corinthians have allowed the gifts to become a sign of status and a source of dissension.

This is an invitation to experience one of those rare, unguarded moments of total honesty, Why in the world would you get puffed up like the proverbial frog in Aesop’s Fables over gifts you were given? All is from God’s grace. Nothing is deserved, nothing earned. When we understand grace we can live from a posture of unbounded gratitude. As a parent, it makes you sad or mad when you give a gift to your child in hopes it will bring them joy, and then you see them use your gift to gloat over their brothers or sisters. Look what I have. Mine is better than yours. The Corinthians’ boasting and comparing are sure signs that they have missed the gospel of grace. When we understand the gospel it has a leveling and humbling effect. When we understand the gospel of grace we are emptied of pride and filled with gratitude. No one has a reason to boast in anything except the Lord himself. From verse eight to verse thirteen Paul turns the heat up to full blast. The bottom line question is this: Are you rich kings who have it all or poor scum who suffer?

Rich kings who have it all or poor scum who suffer?

Should spiritual leaders aspire to be rich kings who have it all or to be poor scum who suffer? Honestly which would you rather have? And how do we evaluate leaders? This is an admittedly difficult text to hear well in the contemporary church, especially in Western cultures. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you hear what God is saying.

Dripping with ironic sarcasm Paul says in verse eight: you have all you want already! Good for you! You are rich. You are kings. I wish we could be kings with you! Paul attacks not just their pride, but also their distorted view of spirituality. Just as they thought they were mature, but were spiritual babies, just they thought they were wise, but were really foolish, so now Paul says you think you have all you want, when you should hunger for God. You think you are rich kings when you are like the foolish king in the children’s tale of the emperor’s new clothes, who paraded around naked without even being aware of it. This text reminds me of the letter Jesus wrote to the church in Laodicea where he said:

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3:17.

They have twisted God’s gifts into causes for pride. They think they are so spiritually advanced for wrong reasons. Too often we glamorize following Christ. We glamorize Christian celebrities. Material wealth does not indicate spiritual maturity. Being respected, a clever speaker and having lots of followers does not mean you are faithful to the gospel. A lack of suffering does not mean you are on the right path; in fact, it is potentially just the opposite.

Verses nine and following are shocking. Paul contrasts the Corinthians misplaced boasting in their relatively prosperous conditions that they think reflect God’s blessing in comparison with suffering for the Gospel as a more accurate measure of faithfulness. Which picture better fits with Jesus’ own life?

The Christian life is not a fast track to glorious success, but a slow path through difficult suffering. Difficulties in this life are not a detour for Christ-follower, but the main highway. Paul sharply contrasts a theology of success with a theology of suffering, a theology of pride with a theology of the cross. Paul says in Philippians 3:10 that he wants to know Christ and the fellowship of his sufferings.

In verse nine Paul paints a contrasting and gruesome picture. He and the other leaders are on display as prisoners of war, dragged through the city as defeated and disgraced losers, who at the end are executed in the arena in front of a jeering crowd as a pathetic spectacle. Then he makes three vivid contrasts that recall his discussion in the first three chapters. Paul says: we are fools, but you are wise; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored! From these three contrasts, Paul lists six difficulties that the stewards of the Gospel suffer: we go hungry and thirsty, we’re in rags, brutally treated, homeless, and must work hard in manual labor. Jesus ended his life thirsty, in rags and beaten. What a massive contrast to the Corinthians who are supposedly well fed, rich and reigning as kings. This is the way of Jesus: to suffer.

Finally Paul concludes with the earthy language. Imagine an ancient city with dirt streets and animals everywhere without sanitation systems where street scum stuck to the bottom of shoes. Paul says we are the scum of the earth, the filth that you scrape off your shoe. We are the garbage of the world. If I were on a men’s retreat, I might elaborate.

That is not what I aspire to be. Paul took seriously that he was to share in the sufferings of Christ and he welcomed it. While I want to identify with Paul, I find myself more much like the Corinthians. As people living in wealthy suburban Collin County, are we not much more like the Corinthians than we dare admit? We are rich and successful on any global measure of material prosperity. And we mistake that for God’s blessing; worse we mistake that for spiritual maturity. People even preach health and wealth gospels that teach that if you faithfully follow God, he will make you rich.

Another pastor named Kenneth Chafin wrote in reflection on this passage. “As I read Paul’s description of his sufferings, I wondered how many people would be faithful to Christ today if there were the possibility of that cost. Then I remembered that in many parts of the world today there are Christians who can identify with what Paul experienced. When these modern fools for Christ’s sake visit the United States, they are sometimes offended by both the materialism and the spiritual pride they observe. They want to say to us, “What do you have that you did not receive?” As Jon Ewton said last week, we have seen pastors in Uganda who come much closer to what Paul describes than any pastor I have ever meet in America. My first response is to under-estimate an uneducated, black Ugandan man with one set of torn clothes, with dirt on his body from working in the fields to scrape out a living, and thick scars on his arms. Then I find out that he is a pastor who has led hundreds to Christ under very difficult circumstances. I shut my mouth and confess my shame, realizing I am the weak fool and he is the strong, Christ-like man.

Think about how we evaluate spiritual leaders. I suspect that all too often we evaluate using Corinthian, not Pauline, criteria. In doing so, we, too, have bought into the world’s view of what it means to be wise, powerful, and respectable, and, like the Corinthians, ignored the cross. Until we learn what it means to be empty of pride and full of Christ, we will continue to misread leadership to be status, power, and intelligence. Until then, Christians will continue to play the game of power politics, an all too Corinthian game.

Thankfully, in his third section Paul tones down the heat. His sarcasm gives way to gentleness as he paints the third image of spiritual leaders. Not only are we stewards for God and fools for Christ, but we are also spiritual fathers.

Spiritual Fathers

Let’s read the final paragraph starting in verse fourteen.

14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? 1 Corinthians 4:14–21.

The very fact that he has to say he is not shaming them shows that he is clearly aware of the force of his words. Paul’s heart is to warn them as a loving dad, giving correction as a caring father. Paul emphasizes that he alone is their dad. In our day we might say you have hundreds of teachers in your life, but only one dad. Because Paul started the church you can imagine his love for them. He was deeply invested. I can relate. His tough words are motivated by the love a good dad has for his kids. Paul’s top concern is the gospel, his singular passion. The gospel is the message of life in Jesus Christ. It is also my top concern. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? He is the way to life now and forever. If you have not trusted in Jesus, I urge you to do so today. Then Paul wants the Corinthians to live the gospel, to follow Jesus. So he says to imitate him, remembering the ways of Jesus that he showed them.

So imitate, remembering the ways of Jesus shown to you

Paul tried to exemplify Christ by his life, not just by his teaching. A good dad does that for his kids, to be a model and an example of what it means to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Corinthians are to follow Paul as he follows Christ. This means they are to drop their search for status and instead embrace the way of the cross, which may look foolish, weak and dishonorable in this world. They should be faithful as servant-stewards of God, avoiding judging others, but waiting for the Lord’s judgment. They should recognize that everything they have comes from God’s grace, so they should give up pride for gratitude. They should be fools for Christ, accepting suffering as the way of the cross. This is a high bar. Can you confidently ask people to imitate you? Would you want your kids to imitate you? Your co-workers? Can you say to people in your Life Group, that they could take their cues from your life? The point is not to be perfect, but generally speaking, are you living a life that is faithful to Jesus? Are there others in Christ Fellowship who you want to imitate? Paul concludes with a final warning. He says shall I come with a rod or in gentleness?

Warning: shall I come with a rod or in gentleness?

The choice of how he comes to them, he warns, is theirs. Some of the trouble-makers have been talking big. Paul says some of you have been arrogant as if I were not coming. Dad is coming. Moms, have you ever said that to your kids? Your dad’s coming home. You better get it together.

Paul will find out if they are just full of hot air or if they really are spiritually mature. Are they showing the power of the Spirit who transforms lives or are they just talking a big game? Talk is cheap. In the Bible Belt lots of people talk a lot about faith, but that’s all it is—talk. They may know all the right words to say, but their lives don’t reflect God’s power. Paul says that the Kingdom of God is not just spiritual talk, it is to be lived. There is a big difference between knowing the right words and living them.

Paul’s final words are once again strong and fatherly: What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? Must I come as a father who has to discipline? Or will you allow this letter and Timothy’s coming to correct your thinking and your behavior? For us, Christ is coming back. Will we remain immature or will we grow in Christ? Paul wants to come in gentleness, but if must bring a rod of correction, he will, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is at stake. We can view spiritual leadership as God does by seeing ourselves in three vivid images: as stewards for God, as fools for Christ and as spiritual fathers. Spiritual leaders are to be faithful stewards for God, suffering fools for Christ and loving spiritual fathers, so we are to not judge them, but to suffer with them (rather than boasting), and to imitate them as they follow the ways of Christ (so they do not need to discipline us). Today, what is the Spirit of God saying to you through his Word? As we have considered deep roots of our faith, how is God growing you? How could you be a fool for Christ?

For those of you who are new, we are in a series called Spiritual Wisdom in a Foolish World, looking at deep roots of our faith. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in ancient Corinth in Greece. The churches there were filled with immature people divided into different factions. We are the same today. Christians divide into different groups based on some personality, practice, label, or doctrinal distinctive. Then some churches compete with each other to get people to come to their deal that they think is better that what other good churches are doing.

In Corinth, what they thought was wise ends up being foolish. Paul takes us back to deep roots of our faith to show us how to live for Christ in a corrupt culture. He urges us to live Christ-like lives by the power of the Spirit as a unified church. We’ve looked at our spiritual identity, power and discernment. Today we look into spiritual maturity. What is mature and what is not? While you could answer that question in many ways, in this chapter Paul says that jealousy and quarrelling are evident marks of immaturity.

Open your Bibles to First Corinthians chapter three. For the first time in the letter Paul criticizes the church directly and sharply, but he cushions his rebuke by addressing them as brothers and sisters (cf. 1:26, 2:1). He will confront them for dividing over human leaders instead of unifying on the triune God

Apparently the Corinthians were lining up with human teachers like fans or groupies. Then they were arguing that their group or their teacher was better than some other one. This kind of behavior has sadly hurt the church through the centuries. It is the absolutely wrong focus. When a leader tries to build a personal following and personal empire, it distracts from the gospel bringing glory to Christ.

In First Corinthians chapter three, God addresses this issue with a serious warning that we dare not take lightly. Paul’s point is that we should focus on the triune God, not on human leaders. As you scan chapter three you will see the logical divisions represented on your sermon outline. After describing the problem, Paul uses three images to make his point: a field, a building and temple. Each image is connected most directly with a different member of the Trinity from God to Jesus to the Spirit. We will work through the text a paragraph at a time. The point of our text is that we should stop foolishly dividing over human leaders for three powerful reasons, each tied to the Triune God. Follow with me as we look at verses one to four where Paul describes the problem, which is that they are unspiritual babies.

The Problem: you are unspiritual babies 1-4

Brace yourself as we begin in chapter three, verse one.

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”are you not mere human beings? 1 Corinthians 3:1–4

Essentially Paul is saying; you are a bunch of spiritual babies. The Greek word for “infants” was almost always used in a negative way much like when we say in English, you are acting like baby! Like babies they were being self-centered, competing with each other. Can you imagine God saying to you or to your Life Group or to Christ Fellowship: “I wish I could address you as spiritually mature people, but you are being childish, acting like spiritual babies.” Ouch.

Then Paul adds some color when he says, “I gave you milk not solid food because you were not ready for it and still are not.” You could only handle baby food. Hang with me for a minute as I make a distinction. In the past I have misread this passage along with many others. I wrongly saw the text to be saying that the Corinthians could only handle elementary truths so Paul could not give them more advanced truths. But that is not what Paul is saying. Paul is not saying they are babies who need to grow into adults, but that they are adults who are acting childishly. The point is not about their diet but about their perspective. Did Paul intend to start them off with the message of the cross and then, after they grasped it, advance to deeper things? No. By considering Paul’s teaching “milk for babies” they show that they are “mere infants;” they have abandoned the gospel for something that may look like “solid food” but is without nutritional value.

Over the years I’ve had people say to me that they want what they call “deeper” teaching in my sermons. This is a common complaint that most of my pastor friends hear in their churches too. The point seems to be that a person wants to hear something “new” that they have never heard before. That can be dangerous. For Paul the gospel of the crucified one is both “milk” and “solid food.” The gospel includes all that Christ has done for us and that the Spirit enables us to understand: grace, adoption, redemption, reconciliation, hope, our identity, sonship, freedom, resurrection, inheritance and eternal life. New Testament scholar Morna Hooker wrote the classic article explaining this passage that most other scholars follow today. As Hooker nicely puts it: “Yet while he uses their language [The Corinthians may have said “give us more meat”], the fundamental contrast in Paul’s mind is not between two quite different diets which he has to offer, but between the true food of the Gospel with which he has fed them (whether milk or meat) and the synthetic substitutes which the Corinthians have preferred.” Paul wants to shift them from their fascination with what they think is “wisdom” back to the true wisdom and power of the gospel of Christ crucified. The point is not to progress into deeper teaching from the basic teaching of the gospel, but to grow in understanding the depth of the gospel itself. If Paul’s message looks like milk to them, it discloses that they are not as mature or spiritual as they think. In fact, their discord proves their immaturity. The Gospel teaches us to live by grace. Have you mastered grace, so you no longer live in guilt? Do you show grace to the clerk who makes a mistake in the store? Do you know how to live sacrificially, giving up your favorite show to serve your family or a stranger? We grow in the Gospel over our lifetimes.

The practical point for us today is that maturity comes not in some “new” teaching, but through a deeper grasp of the cross of Christ. We can so easily get distracted by the clever speaking of the latest Christian celebrity or by the latest teaching that claims to have the answer to life’s problems.

Not only does Paul call the Corinthians spiritual babies, but he also says they are “worldly.” What evidence does Paul see that the Corinthians are behaving as worldly spiritual babies? Take a look at verses three and four. In summary he says, you are full of jealously and quarrelling over human factions and then splinter into factions over minor differences.

You are full of jealousy and quarrelling over human factions

Both jealousy and quarrelling are concerned with advancing a person’s claims and interests. Jealously is to want what someone else has, their status, possessions or honor. In church worlds, we want their nice building, their publicity, or their crowd. We all know what quarrelling is. In the church world, this is fighting over a point of view by dissing some other pastor or group and arguing why our deal is better, when we are on the same team or should be.

Some Christians leaders maneuver to advance their personal status, to get more followers and often thus more money or at least more notoriety. When leaders are anxious to make a name for themselves, they hurt the cause of Christ. If a Christian teacher is driven by personal advancement, they are being worldly. Paul says the Corinthians were defining themselves by a personality: “I follow Paul.” Or “I follow Apollos.” When you define yourself by a personality or label, you divide the church. Christians have become fans of Christian personalities. You look at the Facebook Fan pages for well-known Christian leaders. Look at their number of fans who like their page; whether that leader is trying to be a celebrity or not, people want to be fans. Do some soul-searching. Are you doing this? Do you identify yourself by who you follow whether Joel Osteen, John Piper, John MacArthur or John Calvin? Divisions over human personalities reveals that we have forgotten that we are all servants the one Lord who alone changes lives. It is his cause in which we are all working.

After laying out the problem, Paul turns in verse five to begin solving it. He will paint three pictures: a field, a building and a temple. With each image Paul shifts our focus from human beings to the triune God. We should unify on the triune God and not divide over human leaders. His first image in verses five to nine is a field and the main point is that God is the grower.

God is the Grower 5-9

Paul shifts our focus from the ones who work in the field, to the one whose field it is and who makes living things grow. Verse five begins with two rhetorical questions.

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

What are Apollos and Paul? They are servants and any success they have comes from God. So spiritual leaders should not use their positions to further their own interests and seek fame. Nor should anyone follow a field-hand as if they were the big deal, when it is God who is the big deal. Planters only scatter the seed supplied to them by God (2 Cor. 9:10) and put it in contact with the soil created by God. Those who water only keep the soil moist for growth by using rainwater supplied by God. In Corinth this is a crushing picture, slamming their cultural pattern of seeking status by association with a famous public leader. If God is the grower, then what are the leaders? Paul says you are field hands in God’s field.

You are field hands in God’s field

Then as well as now, the people who work in the fields are socially viewed as lower. Even today many fields in America are picked by transient immigrant workers paid the lowest wages.

Paul is inverting their cultural values by lowering the status of the spiritual superstars to servants. He says he himself is a manual laborer working the field. In some Christian circles today the pastor is treated like a god-figure, not to be questioned, but nearly to be worshipped. That’s wrong.

The big point of the text is to shift our focus from humans to God. But human beings do have a role to play. We are to be people who help other people find and follow Christ. As servants Paul says that each of us has an equal and different role for the same cause. Look at verses six to eight.

Each has an equal and different role for the same cause

Paul planted and Apollos watered. They have different roles, but each role is equally important. They were not in competition with each other, but were partners in a common venture. They have one and the same purpose: to grow a crop. For there to be rivalry between a planter and a waterer is absurd. They are fellow workers, not leaders of competing parties vying for influence and power. Sometimes we wrongly value one role over another. We rally around the planter or the waterer as if one were better than the other. So we rally around an Evangelist such as Billy Graham or a theologian such as Tim Keller or an activist such as Mother Theresa, arguing that one is better that the other. We each have a role to play.

So what is your role? Each of us are servants working in the field. Your role is just as important as someone else’s role. I love how this paragraph ends with a clear God-focus. In Greek the emphasis is even clearer because the word, “God” starts each line; literally it might read: “God’s we are, being fellow workers; God’s field, God’s building.” We are servants, each with our own task and reward; but everything is God’s –the field, the workers, and the growth of crops. God is the grower, not good planting techniques or shrewd watering. So we should focus on him.

From the field image Paul moves in the next paragraph to the building image. Paul’s point in the second paragraph is that Jesus is the foundation and God is the judge.

Jesus is the foundation and God is the Judge 9-15

From God the Father as the one who owns the field and makes things grow, Paul shifts to a building whose foundation is Jesus Christ. God will judge the quality of each one’s work on his building, which is the church. Paul writes starting in verse eight,

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

While the church has a variety of builders, it has only one foundation and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our one foundation. A classic hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation,” was written in 1866 by Samuel Stone as a direct response to some unorthodox teaching in the mid 1800’s, which created division in the church in South Africa. The first verse says, “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.” Paul tells the Corinthians that no other foundation can be laid other than Jesus Christ. When groups shift the foundation, they leave Christianity. This has happened with Mormons and Jehovah’s Witness that are pseudo-Christian groups built on a different foundation than Jesus Christ. So they are not biblical Christians. We must be on guard against any group that moves away from the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. They are not truly Christian in a biblical sense.

On the foundation Paul says that we must build carefully. If Jesus is the foundation, what are we? We are construction workers. Once again the focus is on God, but we have an important role.

You are construction workers on God’s building

Notice the building is God’s and it is God who gives Paul the grace to do his work on the building. God is the clear focus. The building is the church, not individual Christians. The question is how we are doing at building each other up? How are we helping people find and follow Christ?

We use materials that fit the foundation and follow the plans of the architect who is God. God warns that we must build with imperishable materials because they are going to be tested with fire. The list of gold, silver and costly stones contrasts with the second set of wood, hay, or straw, which are all consumed by fire. The imperishable materials are compatible with the foundation of Jesus Christ. They fit him. The other materials are human wisdom, likely involving self-interest, applause, or financial gain. One day it will be quite evident what materials we have built with because Paul says your work’s quality will be tested by fire, resulting in reward or loss.

Your work’s quality will be tested by fire resulting in reward or loss

The dread of fire sweeping through a dry Mediterranean city would have resonated deeply with the Corinthians. You see, Corinth was destroyed by fire in 146 BC when the Romans conquered it. When the city was rebuilt anything built out of wood was gone, but structures made of stones may have remained. This image is a vivid parable for the Corinthians.

Against the Corinthians’ obsession with comparing and evaluating ministries, Paul says God will do the evaluation. It is too early to evaluate faulty building materials that might be hidden under a coat of plaster or paint, but on that final Day of Judgment all will be revealed. The fire will test the quality and reveal whether it survives or is burned up.

The point is that the fire will reveal whether a builder receives reward or suffers loss. Ministry done for self will likely burn up. We do not know the nature of the reward or the loss. Will the reward simply be the joy of knowing what we did counted and the loss be the grief of seeing our work dissolve in flames? The warning is that today we need to be asking ourselves if what we are doing carries eternal value. Are we building on Christ by the Spirit and focused on the gospel? Or, are we building a name for ourselves, padding our spiritual resume, building our own empire? Of course, it is important for Paul to clarify that even if a person builds poorly the person is still saved based on what Jesus Christ did who is the foundation. Our salvation is not based on the quality of our work, but on Jesus Christ. A person is saved by God’s grace received by trusting in Jesus Christ. On that salvation we build by God’s grace.

From the images of a field and a building, Paul moves to his third picture, a temple. The field is God’s; the foundation is Jesus Christ and now we learn the Spirit lives in the building, which is a temple. In verses sixteen and seventeen, Paul’s point is that the Spirit lives in you as God’s holy temple.

The Spirit lives in you as God’s holy temple 16-17

Middle Easterners take their sacred spaces and their sacred buildings very seriously, and they always have. The temple was a powerful image in Corinth which was filled with pagan temples. Paul says in verse sixteen;

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

The “you” here is plural. Paul is talking not about individual Christians, but about the church in Corinth. It is a startling declaration to identify the community in Corinth gathered in their small house churches as the temple of God. Compared to the grand temples in Corinth and the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, they appear rather tiny. But this is the amazing truth:

You are God’s temple

Hear this for us today. This rag tag group at Christ Fellowship of sinners who have been saved and made holy by Christ is God’s temple. Of course, we are not talking about a physical building, but rather a human community. Your Life Group is a holy temple where God lives. As immature as they were, still the Corinthians were God’s temple where the Spirit dwells. On the basis of that truth God gives one of his strongest warnings. My mentor, Gene Getz, called this verse one of the scariest in the Bible. Look at verse seventeen. The point is that;

If you destroy God’s church, he will destroy you

God is very serious about his church. It is his temple and his bride. You do not want to mess with God’s church. The imagery is of destroying a house. This is now beyond just using poor building material that will burn up. If you are tearing down the community of people who form God’s temple, God will tear you down. I don’t know about you, but of all the people, forces or powers that could possibly be against me, the last one I want coming against me is the most powerful being in the universe, God.

Let me warn you as plainly as I can: do NOT hurt God’s church. In this chapter, that looks like jealousy and quarrelling. This is gossip and criticizing a leader behind his back. If you have a problem here at Christ Fellowship or your home church and you cannot resolve it in a healthy way, walk away. We want to help you resolve any issue, but if it cannot be resolved, do not stay and sour the church. Do not stir up trouble. Do not create divisions. God considers it sacrilege against his holy place where his Spirit lives. If you hurt God’s church, he will hurt you. That’s how important the church is to God.

So with three images Paul has painted his point: you should unify on the triune God, not divide over human leaders. God is the grower; Jesus is the foundation and the Spirit lives in the temple. You are field-hands, construction workers who form the holy community in which the Spirit lives. Finally in verses eighteen to twenty-three, Paul wraps it all up in a grand conclusion: that we have it all in Christ.

The wrap up: you have it all in Christ! 18-23

Follow with me starting in verse eighteen. Paul comes back to the theme of wisdom and foolishness, circles back to the names of leaders, then ends with a Christ-centered crescendo.

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Cor. 18:23

The coming of Christ has turned the world upside down so don’t deceive yourself with the world’s wisdom. In fact, become a fool to be wise.

Be a fool to be wise

Now Paul reverses what he said earlier. The world may think the gospel is foolishness, but God sees the world’s wisdom for what it is: foolish. God’s wisdom runs counter to self-promotion and competition among spiritual leaders. So we become fools to be wise. It takes humility, like learning a foreign language as an adult. Paul concludes: so do not boast about human leaders. There is nothing to boast about. Earlier Paul said, 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” Focus on all you are in Christ.

Focus on all you are in Christ

In the last few lines Paul moves to a dramatic conclusion. The Corinthians have been bragging about which group they belong to, but Paul says all things are yours. You have it all in Christ. He takes our breath away with the grandeur of the last lines, all grounded in Christ. Paul says;

All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

The future is no cause for panic; it is already theirs. In light of such expansive realities, how can the Corinthians say, “I am of Paul, or Apollos”? That is too narrow, to constricted a view. How can we say, “ I am of the Presbyterians,” or “of the Pentecostals,” or “of the Roman Catholics.” Or “I am of the liberals,” or “of the evangelicals,” The divisions in the church then and now pale in the bright light of such a comprehensive worldview. It is worth being a fool to gain it all. The last word of the chapter is theos, God. The central focus is the triune God. He is the grower, the foundation, and the judge. So stop foolishly fighting and dividing over human leaders. Because God is the grower. You are field hands in God’s field. Because Jesus is the foundation and God will judge you. You are construction workers on God’s building. Because the Spirit lives in you as God’s holy temple. If you destroy God’s church, he will destroy you. Because you have it all in Christ! So focus on the triune God!