First Baptist Church of Clark

Imagine if First Baptist Church was known by Clark's judge and court officers as the church who is always fighting, suing each other, and taking their disputes to court. Such was the situation of the church at Corinth. Paul reproves them for this spectacle they've made of their disputes, and suggests a more Christ-like response to injustice. 

As Paul closes out chapter four, he gives some final thoughts regarding division. In contrast to the many “instructors” in the Corinthian church, who are rich, full, and “reigning as kings,” he reminds them of what leadership has looked like for the apostles—a path of suffering, humility, and reproach. Unmistakably, a path walked by Jesus Himself.

How should we regard those who serve in ministry? What kind of a position should they hold in our minds? Paul answers these important questions in the first six verses of 1 Corinthians 4.

Are you sailing through a storm in your life? Have you felt alone, afraid, and overwhelmed? Are you wondering where God is and whether or not He sees you struggling?  In Matthew 14, the disciples are caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee (a storm that Jesus had sent them into). And as Jesus comes to their aid—in the fourth watch of the night—we see some valuable lessons we can learn in the storm. 

How does truly believing and living out the truth of the gospel change our carnality and divisions? In the paragraph that we look at today, as Paul wraps up several of his thoughts concerning factions in the Corinthian Church, we see how the truth of the gospel transforms our mess in regard to divisions, cliques, and exalting men. 

What does a grace-empowered generosity look like? How does the gospel change our motivation for giving? Today, we took a break from our series in 1 Corinthians to examine the Biblical model for New Testament church giving. Here's a link to the video that was shown: https://youtu.be/62CliEkRCso.

What we build spiritually and as a church matters. Will it endure? Will it abide the fire? This is the eighth message from our series through the book of 1 Corinthians, “How the Gospel Transforms our Mess.”