I.                   Introduction

Bill Hybels writes, “When I was first learning how to sail my dad’s sailboat out of Lake Michigan, he would often say to me, ‘Go ahead and take the boat out, but take a friend with you.’

“A 42-foot sailboat on a body of water the size of Lake Michigan is a big responsibility.  But always up for a challenge, I’d find a junior high friend to accompany me, and we’d sail past the breakwater, hoist the sails, and head out to open water.  But as soon as I’d see any cloud formation coming our way or the wind seemed to be piping up, I’d head back towards the shore, take the sails down, and regain my normal breathing pattern only when we were safely tied up in the slip.  Most of the time, it was fun having a friend along, but in a storm I knew this kid wouldn’t be much help.

“Other times, however, my dad would come home from work and we’d go out together.  When I was sailing with my dad, I’d actually look for cloud formations and hope for heavy air.  I loved the feel of the strong winds and huge waves.

“My dad had sailed across the Atlantic Ocean.  He had endured five days of sailing through a hurricane.  He was a veteran, and I was confident that he would be able to handle anything Lake Michigan could throw at us.  Everything changed when my dad was on board.” (The God You’re Looking For, Thomas Nelson, 1997)

In the same way, we’re going to see that Paul is confident in his Heavenly Father, and specifically Christ Jesus to navigate the stormy water that is the Corinthian church.

II.                Greeting (1:1-3)

1 Corinthians 1:1-3  Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,  (2)  To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:  (3)  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s opening is typical first century letter.  It’s reminiscent of the way we make phone calls, “Hi, this is Lance, etc. etc. etc…”  Paul immediately begins to establish his authority, seemingly because some were challenging it (we see that especially in 2 Corinthians), by stating that he was called to be an apostle of Christ by the will of God. 

Paul is accomplishing a couple of different things with this statement.  The first thing that he is doing is letting the Corinthian church know that the authority with which he writes is a divine authority.  He is chosen by God to be an apostle.  In essence Paul is saying that not heeding his words are the same as not heeding the words of God. 

Second, as I mentioned briefly above he is making the point that there is nothing in him alone that gives him authority.  It is a designated authority; one that comes from God alone. 

That is how all church leaders stand before the congregations.  The elders of this church biblically have authority in your lives.  Our authority, however, is not because of something in us but rather a designated authority from God. 

This plays into the next statement as well.  Paul recognizes that this is not his church, even though he founded it and was the first apostle to bring the gospel to Corinth.  He states that it is God’s church.  This is something that we all need to keep in mind as we head through this letter.  This is a key phrase here in the opening because what Paul is about to do is really lay out for the Corinthians, and for us, what God desires His church to look like.  This is a great statement. 

What Paul does next absolutely fascinates me.  He lays out in a couple of brief sentences what a Christian looks like.  What sort of characteristics will mark those who are actually Christians? Paul tells us:

1.     Those sanctified in Christ Jesus

The term church above is the Greek word ecclesia which means “called out ones.”  This word was used in common Greek for any assembly, secular or religious.  So that is Paul sees the need here to further explain that he is talking about the ecclesia of God and what characteristics define them. 

First and foremost they are sanctified in Christ Jesus.  The called out ones of God are those whom acknowledge their own sinfulness and thus rely on the redemptive work of Christ for their righteousness before God.  They are thus holy, or sanctified, in the sight of God.

2.     Called to be saints

This one builds off the first one.  I have a professor at school who really helped me revolutionize my thinking on this.  So often I hear the term, and in the past have used the term, we’re all sinners saved by grace.  That was a true statement when we originally got saved.  But we have to understand that now our identity is not in our flesh (i.e. a sinner) but in Christ (i.e. a saint).  So don’t view yourself as a sinner who is saved, but as a saint who sins.  Your position before God is saint.  That’s what Paul calls the Corinthians and that is what God would call you.

We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are included in this statement of being saints because Paul says, “together with all those in every place who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.”

Paul’s final words here in these first three verses are a very common theme in his writings, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

I don’t want to spend too much time on this phrase but I don’t want to just skip over it, either.  I think there is definitely something to the order of this blessing.  In all of his letters Paul puts grace before peace.  It is very likely that he does that intentionally to teach that peace cannot come without grace first being present.  We will never feel any real peace in life until we have received the grace of God and put ourselves in a reconciled relationship with Him.  That’s why it’s always grace and peace from God and Christ.  That’s where true grace and true peace come from.

III.             Thanksgiving (1:4-9)

1 Corinthians 1:4-9  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,  (5)  that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge--  (6)  even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you--  (7)  so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (8)  who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (9)  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

As messed up as the Corinthian church was it is interesting to note that Paul points to their “in Christ”ness.  We are so quick to point out the faults and weaknesses of the Corinthian church as most of us are aware of their problems.  James did a nice job outlining those problems for us last week.  But the truth is that in many American churches today, in fact, I would say in all American churches today, there is at least some resemblance to the Corinthian church.  That’s what makes this letter so relevant, that’s what causes many modern scholars to call this letter 1 Californians!

We all have sin issues in our lives that we hopefully work through and come out stronger for it.  During those times, times when you’re down, depressed, angry, confused, whatever the emotion is that you’re feeling it is vital to remember your worth and value in Christ.  For the next 15 ½ chapters Paul is going to address major sin issues of the Corinthian church, but the place that he starts is with their position of receiving grace “in Christ Jesus.”

Let’s take a moment and examine some of the characteristics that Paul points out about the Corinthian church.

1.     The church is fully equipped with all the gifts of God’s grace (vv. 4-7)

The qualities that we discussed above were individual characteristics of God’s people. The qualities that we are discussing here are characteristics of God’s church; His called out ones that assemble together in a certain gathering.

If we are to understand the fullness of God’s gifts of grace, if we are to understand and experience all His blessings which are ours in Christ it has to be done in fellowship.  Gathering together as God’s people allows us to see God’s grace in each person’s life and the blessings that He has poured out.

God has not blessed you for you.  He has blessed you so that you will make His name great to others.  God has not saved you for you, He has saved you and given His grace so that you will tell others about it.  We see this most accurately portrayed by joining with God’s people to worship Him.

Then Paul speaks of being enriched in Christ in every way, but he specifically focuses in on two ways that they were enriched, namely, speech and knowledge.  The reason he singles out these two gifts is because those seem to be the ones that the Corinthians valued most.  You’re going to notice that he’s going to address the issues of speech and knowledge at various points throughout the letter. 

The term speech here has the idea of speaking God’s truth.  Paul is encouraging the Corinthians, and us, to speak the truth of God because God has enriched us to do so!  No more excuses! 

You can’t say that you don’t know what to say, because God has enriched us with all the knowledge we need to share the Gospel.  You may not be able to answer every question any person has, but you have the knowledge to share the Gospel. Share your experience of how you came to know Christ.  Share about His sacrifice on the cross.  If someone asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, tell them you don’t know but you’ll do some research and get back to them. Don’t waste opportunities!

Now Paul broadens the scope a bit and says that they are not lacking any spiritual gift.  This does not necessarily mean that this gathering of believers has every gift that is imaginable but that it does not lack any gift that is needed for it to accomplish the work that God has planned for it.  I do not believe that every church is supposed to accomplish the same tasks.  I think God has different roles for different churches and He sends those who are appropriately gifted to each individual church to help them accomplish the task that He has for them.

In context, Paul is addressing the church as a whole but this principle can be applied to individual lives as well.  God has given you the spiritual giftedness that you need to accomplish the tasks that He has for you.  We will look at this more in depth later in the book of 1 Corinthians (Ch. 12-14) but I just wanted to mention that briefly here, as well.

Notice when they are supposed to be accomplishing that work.  While they wait with anticipation for the return of Christ!  Context drives us to understand that this is not a dormant waiting.  It is not that we are to go outside with our black robes and our Nike’s and lay on our roofs so we don’t miss the rapture!  We need to be busy about the work that God has given us to accomplish while we’re here, but all the while eagerly anticipating the Lord’s return.

Do you long for the return of Christ?  One of my most passionate prayers as your pastor is that you would not be in love with this world.  We are strangers and aliens in this land.  We have a place MUCH better than this to be longing for and to be in love with.  I hope and pray all the time that you would catch that anticipation from me, young and old, it doesn’t matter; this world is not our home!

Hank Thompson wrote a song titled This World Is Not My Home and the first verse goes like this:

This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

2.     The church will be completely sustained by the faithfulness of God. (vv. 8-9)

1 Corinthians 1:8-9  who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (9)  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

                   Paul is very positive about the resources of the church of God in Corinth, he is also

                   full of confidence in the Lord for its future. 

In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, the answer to the question poised in the title of this message, “Whose Church Is It?” is God’s church.  Faith Christian Church is not my church, it’s not the elders church, it’s not your church.  Faith Christian Church is God’s church. Jesus promised that He would build His church.

Matthew 16:18  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 We have no power to build this church on our own if we are trying to do it apart from His power. 

I don’t know about you but this is a big relief to me!  I could go crazy trying to build this church up.  I would drive myself nuts trying to get people to come and get people to stay and get people to serve and get people to tithe.  I would be trying to figure out the latest and greatest programs and be entertaining.  I would move forward in my own power trying to attract people. 

Here is my philosophy on church growth.  Let’s let God build it!  Do you know what Jesus was responding to when he said, “I will build my church?”

Matthew 16:13-18  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  (14)  And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  (15)  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  (16)  Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  (17)  And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  (18)  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The most effective church growth philosophy is simple.  PROCLAIM JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD!  The elders of this church stand on that and we trust Him to give us exactly the amount of people that He wants us to minister to.

Now that I’ve gone on that little rabbit trail let’s get back to the verse at hand.  Verse 8 shows us that God sustains His church until the end.  The interesting thing is that the word “sustain” or some translations have “confirm” is the same Greek word that is in verse 6, 1 Corinthians 1:6  even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you--, meaning that in the end it is Christ who validates us to the Father.  He is the endorsement on the back of our check. 

It is our guiltlessness that He confirms, that is the only way that we can enter heaven. 

IV.            Conclusion

Put on your seatbelts and get ready for a ride.  I’m tempted to say that this is the last nice thing that Paul says about the Corinthians, but I trust that you will see the genuine love that he has for this church; despite of all their faults.

As you are struggling this week remember your worth in Christ.  You are a saint!  Positionally holy and righteous before God.  Live in that truth! 

If you are here today and you don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you are not a saint, and you are not part of God’s church, then the Bible says that you stand condemned.   But the solution to that condemnation is to acknowledge your sinfulness and your need for a Savior.  We would love the opportunity to assist you in that and we invite you to our prayer room during the last song.