This may be one of the most difficult and controversial passages in all of the bible. There is a lot of debate and a lot of disagreement over what Paul is saying here and even more so about how relevant what Paul is saying to the Corinthians is to us in Canada in 2023. I think at least a few things are clear from this passage:
#1) As both image bearers of God and followers of Jesus our actions can bring either shame or honour to our saviour and our God.
#2) While both men and women are image-bearers we bear that image in distinct ways. Contrary to our culture there are distinctions between the sexes. Contrary to Roman/Greek culture there is no distinction in our value.
#3) We need to figure out what it looks like in Canada in 2023 to bring honour to God as his image-bearers, both male and female, through the way we worship.
Sermon Notes:
This may be one of the most difficult and controversial passages in all of the bible. There is a lot of debate and a lot of disagreement over what Paul is saying here and even more so about how relevant what Paul is saying to the Corinthians is to us in Canada in 2023. I think at least a few things are clear from this passage:
#1) As both image bearers of God and followers of Jesus our actions can bring either shame or honour to our saviour and our God.
#2) While both men and women are image-bearers we bear that image in distinct ways. Contrary to our culture there are distinctions between the sexes. Contrary to Roman/Greek culture there is no distinction in our value.
#3) We need to figure out what it looks like in Canada in 2023 to bring honour to God as his image-bearers, both male and female, through the way we worship.
Sermon Notes:
Imagine a community of people that all functioned with this phrase as their motto: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” Imagine how radically different that type of community would look in a world that trumpets “do what makes you happy.” Community isn’t easy, we are different people coming together with different backgrounds, different personalities, different perspectives. The only way we are ever going to be the church community that God desires us to be is by living lives that have as their goal God’s glory and our neighbours good.
Sermon Notes:
Imagine a community of people that all functioned with this phrase as their motto: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” Imagine how radically different that type of community would look in a world that trumpets “do what makes you happy.” Community isn’t easy, we are different people coming together with different backgrounds, different personalities, different perspectives. The only way we are ever going to be the church community that God desires us to be is by living lives that have as their goal God’s glory and our neighbours good.
Sermon Notes:
Paul warns the church in Corinth about the incredible danger of idolatry by reminding them of the story of the exodus. They were a people who had been saved by the blood of a lamb. They had experienced a baptism which had buried their past and drowned their enemies in the deep. They had their own equivalent of the Lord’s Table where they “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.” yet despite all God had provided for them they fell into idolatry and ultimately that idolatry led to their destruction. If we are tempted to believe that a similar fate would never befall us Paul makes it very clear that the temptation to idolatry is a constant one, but he also promises us that God in his grace will also give us all we need to escape it.
Sermon Notes:
Paul warns the church in Corinth about the incredible danger of idolatry by reminding them of the story of the exodus. They were a people who had been saved by the blood of a lamb. They had experienced a baptism which had buried their past and drowned their enemies in the deep. They had their own equivalent of the Lord’s Table where they “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.” yet despite all God had provided for them they fell into idolatry and ultimately that idolatry led to their destruction. If we are tempted to believe that a similar fate would never befall us Paul makes it very clear that the temptation to idolatry is a constant one, but he also promises us that God in his grace will also give us all we need to escape it.
Sermon Notes:
Paul continues the theme of rights. Last week we looked at the fact that our rights and freedoms need to be constrained by our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. This week Paul demonstrates through his example and his instruction that as Christians we ought to be willing to set aside our rights for the sake of the gospel. Out of love for Christ and love for the lost we, like Paul, must choose to put aside our rights, preferences, and comfort to reach and rescue as many people as possible with the gospel. Our rights and freedoms are not the ultimate prizes, the souls of people and the glory of God are.
Sermon Notes:
Paul continues the theme of rights. Last week we looked at the fact that our rights and freedoms need to be constrained by our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. This week Paul demonstrates through his example and his instruction that as Christians we ought to be willing to set aside our rights for the sake of the gospel. Out of love for Christ and love for the lost we, like Paul, must choose to put aside our rights, preferences, and comfort to reach and rescue as many people as possible with the gospel. Our rights and freedoms are not the ultimate prizes, the souls of people and the glory of God are.
Sermon Notes:
Our culture puts a high value on rights and freedoms and rights and freedoms are a good thing, but they aren’t the ultimate thing. In Christ we have been set free, but Christian freedom is not to be rooted in individual autonomy but love. If we use our rights and freedoms in a way that causes our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin, even though our actions may not be sinful our attitude and posture are. It is possible to be 100% right on our doctrine and still be wrong. If we win the argument without loving our brothers or sisters we’ve still lost.Our culture puts a high value on rights and freedoms and rights and freedoms are a good thing, but they aren’t the ultimate thing. In Christ we have been set free, but Christian freedom is not to be rooted in individual autonomy but love. If we use our rights and freedoms in a way that causes our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin, even though our actions may not be sinful our attitude and posture are. It is possible to be 100% right on our doctrine and still be wrong. If we win the argument without loving our brothers or sisters we’ve still lost.
Sermon Notes:
Our culture puts a high value on rights and freedoms and rights and freedoms are a good thing, but they aren’t the ultimate thing. In Christ we have been set free, but Christian freedom is not to be rooted in individual autonomy but love. If we use our rights and freedoms in a way that causes our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin, even though our actions may not be sinful our attitude and posture are. It is possible to be 100% right on our doctrine and still be wrong. If we win the argument without loving our brothers or sisters we’ve still lost.Our culture puts a high value on rights and freedoms and rights and freedoms are a good thing, but they aren’t the ultimate thing. In Christ we have been set free, but Christian freedom is not to be rooted in individual autonomy but love. If we use our rights and freedoms in a way that causes our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin, even though our actions may not be sinful our attitude and posture are. It is possible to be 100% right on our doctrine and still be wrong. If we win the argument without loving our brothers or sisters we’ve still lost.
Sermon Notes