Loose Living and Lawsuits in the Church

 Lawsuits and Loose Living

 1 Corinthians Chapter 6

 As we learned last week, there must be discipline in the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to discipline sinful members, we are not being obedient to the Word of God, and we are lacking in faith.

 Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

 Today, we get into another subject about church members and the saints of God.

 A “lawsuit” is described as a suit in law for the recovery of a supposed right, a process in law instituted by a party to compel another to do him justice.

 We simply say legal disputes.

 We should understand that this passage deals only with disputes between Christian brothers and sisters.

 It has nothing to do with unbelievers or disputes between unbelievers!

 In the end, we will see that a true believer might ought to suffer wrong rather than risk doing wrong.

 The Apostle Paul will lead us through this thought, one question at a time.

 The first question.

 *****1Co 6:1  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 

 What Paul is saying is: “How dare you saints of God go to unbelievers to settle any issue you have with another saint of God"?

 A Christian can expect no justice from unbelievers, and two Christians might easily decide small matters in a private and friendly manner.

 There is no real reason why two believers should not be able to settle a dispute themselves!

 Believers should not be disputing and arguing over rights and authority, nor the things and possessions of this world.

 Christians are to use the things they have possession of to further the cause of Christ.

 Paul called those secular laws unjust, and most of those judges were ruled by Rome or appointed by Rome and were certainly unjust.

 Christians were hated in most places, and it would be hard for Christians to get a fair trial.

 In reality, when believers try to settle disputes with other believers before the world, it damages the name of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus taught: Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 If we truly love one another, we will not cause each other harm in any way.

 Christians have the Holy Spirit living within them, and the fruit of the Spirit is:

 Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Those Christians who do not possess the “Fruit” of the Spirit may not be saved.

 The word “fruit” is singular, so each Christian should possess all the traits that are mentioned here.

 The world is a terrible place because it does not have the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

 When Christians take their disputes with other Christians to the world, we make the Lord Jesus look foolish.

 He has already given us the means of solving issues with each other.

 Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 

Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

 The problems in any church can be resolved if we live and learn as the Word of God instructs us.

 Our lifestyle must not resemble the lifestyle of the world!

 *****1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 

 What Paul is saying is that all this information is in the Bible; if you would just read and study it, you would know what God said about all these things.

 This verse tells us that believers are to judge "all disputes" between themselves.

 We should be able to judge the smallest matters, which are the things that pertain to this life.

 We must never take these things to the world!

 We will one day judge the world!

 We will one day judge and govern angels in the next world, which we may not understand as of yet.

 We lower ourselves and lose our dignity as the saints of God when we take our church problems to the world!

 The word judge as it is used here means to govern and administer the affairs of the Church, which the world is to have no part of.

 Jesus Christ told the Apostles that they would oversee Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.

 Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

 Paul tells the Church that we will govern and oversee the Gentiles during the Millennial Kingdom.

 Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 

 Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

 There may be judging, which is governing, supervision, and oversight throughout eternity.

 Verse 2 says the world will be judged by the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of.

 Those who reject the Lord Jesus will never live the life of a Christian, so how could they ever judge the life of a Christian?

 Judgment can only come when the Word of God is the "Standard" for all laws.

 This "Standard" is rejected by the world of today!

 We should be able to judge the things of this life!

 *****1Co 6:4  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

 If we care for the Lord Jesus Christ, we would suffer ourselves rather than bring reproach to the Christian name!

 Unbelievers are as nothing to the Church.

Unbelievers are of no account in judging matters in the Church.

Unbelievers are not held in high esteem within the Church.

Unbelievers have no standing in the Church.

 Why would we ever take matters of the Church to an unbeliever?

 They do not live the life of Christ, nor do they intend to.

 They do not have the Holy Spirit to rely on!

 This Church at Corinth had fallen from Grace and needed to return to the truth of God.

 When problems arise between believers about everyday things, other believers ought to be able to give solutions.

 These things did not require any Spiritual insight to come to the proper conclusion.

 *****1Co 6:5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

1Co 6:6  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.  

 Salvation is our great deliverance from the guilt and pollution of sin and can only be accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 

Heb 2:4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? 

 Once we are saved, we find that the things of this world have little, or no value as compared to the things of Heaven.

 Knowing this, why in the world would we take our issues with other brothers and sisters to a court of non-believers?

 Surely there are plenty of people in the Church who are competent to settle such disputes.

 If we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask God!

 Jas_1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 There should be nothing that comes between two children of God that needs to be settled in a court of unbelievers!

 If we feel that outside courts would be better able to handle simple disputes between two Christians, it only proves that their worldliness is stronger than their Christianity.

 We are also saying that there are no wise men in the Church who understand our problem.

 Then we do not accept that the wisdom of God is far superior to the wisdom of this world!

 *****1Co 6:7  Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 

1Co 6:8  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

 Rather than cause friction in the Church, why not just give in?

 Why not suffer being wronged and cheated rather than wronging or cheating another brother in Christ?

 Just going to an outside court is defeating the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ.

 Just going outside the Church ruins our testimony for Jesus Christ.

 Rom 12:17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 

Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 

 1Pe 3:9  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 

1Pe 3:10  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 

1Pe 3:11  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 

 Obviously, these things concern disputes between two members of the same church and not the broken laws of the world.

 No doubt that some of these Corinthians were guilty.

They wanted some of the things their brothers had.

They did not steal them outright but sought them by outside legal means.

The world may have called it legal, but they were cheating and stealing from God and God would deal with them.

 The Lord Jesus said: Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man:

 Can church members who do such things really be saved?

 We can surely say they are unrighteous, and we could question their character.

 *****1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 

1Co 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

 We should be able to see that some of these things are things that God will condemn and reject.

 We can expect that nothing can save a person who practices these sins.

 We cannot defy God and get into His House!

 As Christians, we should know these things!

 Since God is righteous, His Church must be righteous to be accepted by Him!

 Many people profess religion.

Many people practice religion.

Many people talk about religion.

Many people defend their beliefs about religion.

 So, they live their lives according to religion.

 However, Christianity is not about religion but is about a "relationship" with God!

 God's "Grace" is not given to us as a free ticket to sin.

 There are very few people in the many churches who think that God will reject them!

 Most church members think God will accept them, and many of them are wrong.

 The Lord Jesus taught by parables, and there is one we should pay attention to.

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 

Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 

Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 

Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 

Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 

Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 

Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 

Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 

Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 

Mat 25:11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 

Mat 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 

 If this oil represents the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is saying that only about half of the Church is truly saved.

 Remember, God will judge the Church before He judges this world!

 Many believe that deception sins are not fatal, but they seem to forget what being a Christian is about.

 2Jn_1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

 Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

 God simply says that none of these persons shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

 We should know these things!

 *****1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

If we truly give ourselves to the Lord Jesus, then those sins of our old life have been forgiven, and God will never bring them up in our relationship!

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 

Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 

We cannot be saved by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

We can then be "Born Again" into the family of God!

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

We were once dead in trespasses and sins: Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 

We cannot approach God without faith: Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

That faith must be in the work that the Lord Jesus Christ did to save us: Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

The Lord will save everyone who calls upon Him with a pure heart!

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

We know what we were before we met Jesus Christ, and when we see others doing those same things or similar things, then we know they are not saved.

This is not judging, this is knowing them by their fruit!

We cannot say we are saved unless we have a salvation experience!

It is a once-for-all event because the Scriptures tell us this.

We are not to return to the world, and its sin pollution. The worst of all pollution.

God the Father takes our "faith" in the Lord Jesus Christ and counts our faith as righteousness.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

We do not have any righteousness of our own.

We are still imperfect.

We know we are short of God's glory.

We must surrender our new life to God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him.

It is these things that honor God the Father, and He will gift us with God the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our past.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our present.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our future.

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Are all things now lawful to us as the Saints of God?

*****1Co 6:12  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 

The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 

1Pe 2:16  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 

We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God's will for us.

When God created this world, we live in He said that it was all good.

Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God's design in creation.

We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.

2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they (sinners, the unsaved) do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 

Paul adds: 1Co 6:15  Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 

**1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Amen

Confronting Immorality in the Church

 Confronting Immorality Within the Church Family

Book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 5

 

Some things in the Bible are not easy to comment on, and the things Paul writes in this chapter are one

of those places.

 I do not see myself with enough knowledge to present this lesson other than to follow where research will lead me, along with the Word of God.

 We must accept this chapter as something the local church should do when it is known that there is sin in the midst of the congregation.

 In reality, most churches have bylaws that take effect in such situations, and the pastor of the church would be aware of them.

 First, there is no local church that can prevent someone from sinning!

 God gave us free will, and we are still in these bodies of flesh.

 So, the big question is, how does the church, the Body of Christ, respond when someone's sin has become known?

 If we, as church members, take sin lightly and do not put away known sin that is among us, then can we still say we are the church that Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, established?

 These are also things that can divide the church, and we see this happening all over America today.

 Many in the church say, "I just do not see anything wrong with that," rather than seeing what God says about it.

 We must know that there is a difference between "falling into sin" and "living in sin".

 Falling into sin means we have done something that is sinful.

 Living in sin is not something that is done once; it is a sinful practice in everyday life.

 If someone commits adultery once is terrible because it affects two families, but living in adultery is far more terrible.

 What should we do if we know someone is in sin? The Lord Jesus gives us the answer.

 Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear there, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 

Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

 We should first approach that person and attempt to resolve this issue with them.

 If we do not succeed, then we should try one more time, bringing another person.

 If we do not succeed, then we need to get the Pastor involved and then the church.

 If that person confesses that sin to God, and another person, if such a one was involved, and no one else needs to know about it.

 What had happened in this church at Corinth was a terrible sin, and almost all the church knew it and had done nothing Biblical to stop it.

 Some in this church even thought this was laughable.

 *****1Co 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. 

 We should not try to connect this chapter with chapter four, as Paul jumps in to handle this sinful situation in the Church at Corinth.

 To the Church, this is a terrible sin, and is rarely seen, but to the Jew, this sin was specifically addressed in the Scriptures and the Books of the Law.

 This passage gives us an idea of just how wicked the city of Corinth was; it was full of all sorts of lust, lewdness, and excessive unlawful indulgence.

 This sin is unacceptable in almost every nation upon this earth.

 We would think that this sin was not possible for a believer to take part in, but we would be wrong.

 The Apostle Paul explains this very well: Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 

Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 

Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

 We should understand what Paul is saying here and prepare ourselves for the day the Devil will place us in these situations.

 When morals have become so corrupted as they have in our nation and most other nations of this world, we see more and more of these types of sin.

 Our own nation might recognize same sex marriages, but God does not.

 Fornication is any sexual relationship outside the relationship of a marriage between one man and one woman.

 The Word of God states that gay men and lesbian women are living in sin.

 In Hebrew families, fornication was seen as a crime against society and was severely condemned, and it should be.

 Deu 22:22  If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

 So, how did this church respond to knowing this sin had taken place and this church member was living in sin?

 We sometimes do not realize how important it is for us to confess our sins and repent for them.

 We cannot live in sin and say we are Christians!

 *****1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

 How did this group of believers react to this sin in the midst of them?

 They acted as if nothing was wrong. They became arrogant, pretending to be greater than they were, even proud of themselves.

 The Church at Corinth was in deeper sin than the man who had done this wickedness, when they should have been sad that such a thing took place.

 If they had been sad, maybe the man who had done such a thing might have been removed from the congregation.

 We come into the Church to praise and honor God, and we are saved through the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not sin at all.

 We cannot connect Jehovah to sin!

 We cannot connect the Lord Jesus Christ to sin!

 We know that the Lord Jesus Christ died for all our sins.

 We must not be partakers with those who are living in sin!

 Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 

Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 

Eph 5:3  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 

Eph 5:4  Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 

Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 

Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 

Eph 5:7  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

 If we allow such things to go on unchallenged, then we are partakers with these so-called Christians.

 Paul said the church should have handled this situation immediately after finding out about it.

 If a sin of this proportion has become public knowledge and is allowed by the church, how could we ever criticize the sins of the world?

 *****1Co 5:3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 

1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

 What is Church discipline? Discipline in the Church comes from rules for order and the purity of the lives of the members, including rules for the government and worship in the church.

 Each church may have different rules for the discipline of church members.

 We have already read what the Lord Jesus has said in Matthew chapter 18.

 Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: 2Th 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 

 Then Paul added: 2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 

2Th 3:15  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

 We can love them and pray for them, but we cannot hang out with them.

 First: This man was to face church discipline, "in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ".

The Lord Jesus is the head of the Church. It is His Church!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ whose name is being damaged.

It is for the Lord Jesus that discipline should take place!

It is only by the conviction of the Lord Jesus that will awaken this brother to his sin.

 Second, the entire church was to come together to handle this difficult matter.

Paul said he would be with them in Spirit.

This church was to clean itself up before this discipline could take place.

 A church full of sin cannot discipline a sinful member!

 Third: This brother is to be given to Satan.

 What does this mean? In short, it means that this brother was to be excommunicated.

 If the Church is in the realm of God, then outside the Church is the realm of Satan.

 2Co_4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 Those outside the Church do not have the hand of God to protect them, and God would remove His hand of protection from this brother.

 We have not seen much church discipline throughout the many denominations today, as many of them have fled from the truth of God and have given in to the world, and the Church has lost its power.

 It is only by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that discipline can be carried out on any child of God.

 We know for sure that there is Spiritual power that inflicts punishment for sin.

 2Th_2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

 For those who have control of their flesh, we already have God's answer to that problem.

 1Jn 5:16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 

1Jn 5:17  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 

1Jn 5:18  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 

 The Apostle Paul tells us that Christians can become castaways

 1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

 We are told to always examine ourselves: 2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

 The only person who can commit a sin unto death is a church member!

 I do not know what this means, but it is said by some to mean eternal death.

 Review: 1Jn 5:12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 If the life that God gives is Spiritual and Eternal, then the sin unto death must correspond, and it must mean the opposite, which is spiritual and eternal death.

 This being true, then for the Bible to be held in High Regard, this person must not have been saved to begin with, because we cannot lose our salvation!

 Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one. 

 It is never good for any church or any church member to glorify sin, especially as we see it today!

 *****1Co 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 

 We know that using leaven is the same as we use yeast today.

 Leaven in the Bible stands for sin.

 Sin in the Church leavens the whole Church.

 This sin had reached the Apostle Paul in Ephesus, and the testimony of this church in Corinth was ruined because this church was glorifying sin.

 As long as sin remained in this church, the testimony of our Lord Jesus, who had no sin, and drastic measures must be taken, or the early church would fail.

 Too often, a church will overlook the sin and a sinful lifestyle of a man who is a leader in the community, government, or big business. In fact, some churches will brag about having such a man as a member

 This church in Corinth needed to wake up to the truth of the Word of God.

 The first thing this church needed to do was to remove the sin by removing the sinner.

 This meant that every member needed to look at their own lives to make sure to remove any sin that they had.

 This means looking at their old life before salvation and making sure there were no remnants of that sin remaining within them.

 If we accept the truth of God, then there must not be any of that old leaven in our lives.

 This is a big problem in the Church today.

 Many of the queer community just say God made them the way they are which means God must have made some mistakes when He created them which is impossible. God does not make mistakes!

 Like every sinner, they can be forgiven, but they must repent of their sin just as all sinners must do.

 To become Christian, we must be "Born Again" and become new creations of God without sin.

 The Church is not to bring sin (leaven) back into the Church!

 2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

 During the Passover, the Jews would remove any leaven they had in their homes, even taking a candle and searching all the corners and the dark spaces to be sure to remove any leaven that remained in their homes.

 It is no different for us; we are to search ourselves to remove any sin that remains in our lives after salvation.

 If we continue to practice sin and or accept sin, it proves we do not believe that we are cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ.

 "For even Jesus Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us".

 This Church at Corinth must have its own Passover and search out all sin and remove it from the congregation before they could remove this sinner.

 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 

1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 

 *****1Co 5:9  I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 

1Co 5:10  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 

 The duty of the Church is to separate itself from the World!

 The duty of the Church is to welcome every sinner into the Church and teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If they accept the truth of the Lord Jesus, they can stay; if they reject the truth of Jesus Christ, then they must leave and go back into the world.

 There is no middle ground!

 The Church must separate itself from the world!

 We are not to become a part of the world outside the doors of the Church.

 We must be friendly and love those who are lost, but we do not party with them or hang out with them.

 If we know of some in the Church under false pretenses, we are not to associate with them.

 We are not to keep close company with the lost world!

We have to work in this world, and we have to live in this world, but we are not to be a part of this world.

 What we find is that much of the Church of today has ignored the teachings the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul.

 It can be said that fornication is what drives the world's sin today.

 Fornication includes all immoral sexual acts! Adultery, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, and any form of sexual deviation.

 Those who practice fornication are not to be part of the fellowship of the Church!!!!!!!

 The Church is not to become mixed up with the covetousness of this world.

 The word covetous means all those who seek more and more, while millions within this world are dying from sin, hunger, disease, and poverty.

 Covetousness is a sin that is especially despised by Jehovah!

 Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 

 The Church is not to become mixed with extortioners.

 These are thieves, grafters, and those who take advantage of the poor to get more gain for themselves.

 There is a certain party in politics that has been doing this for years, and in fact, this is what all the immigration we have seen in the last few years was all about: to gain voters and people dependent upon handouts they could control.

 This Church is not to become mixed with those who worship false gods. There can be no Chrislam!

 Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible, and He must be accepted as such!

 Believers are in the world, but they are not to be part of the world!

 Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 

 *****1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 

 We must separate ourselves from those who say they are Christians, but the fruit of their lives tells a different story.

 We know our salvation is between us and God, but the Lord said we would know them by their fruit.

 To be safe, we must avoid them while praying for them, not even eating with them.

 These are the same ones who should not participate in the Lord's Supper.

 Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

 Psa 78:35  And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. 

Psa 78:36  Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. 

 *****1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 

1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 

We have nothing to do with the people whom the Lord will judge when He returns.

Our one job is to tell them of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we need to show them the love of Christ while we are doing this.

The lost world will be judged by God, and we can tell them how to avoid this judgment.

Any and all evil must be removed from the Church!

There must be discipline in the Church!

Those who refuse to repent must be removed from the Church!

We must not forget we were once part of the lost world.

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

Knowing what we were before coming to Christ should allow us to see those who in the Church who are still of the world, but we should also remember there are times we should not remove them, as the Lord has stated.

1Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 

1Th 4:12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. 

The Lord Jesus has already said: Mat_13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

There must be discipline in the Church, but it must be done according to the Word of God!

Remember, every Word of the Bible was written for the Church!

Amen

God's Servants

How To Regard God's Servants

 1 Corinthians Chapter 4

 I liked the statement in our lesson that said churches that go against the Word of God are trying to construct a shambles out of man's wisdom and the things of this world, rather than a mansion in Heaven.

 Some mega churches are doing this today. In fact, there are many churches in many denominations doing this today.

 The one thing we know about those who preached in the Church of Corinth were some of the best men of God at that time.

 1) Apollos was a Jew who knew the Scriptures very well and was an eloquent speaker.

 2) Cephas was the Apostle Peter, led to the truth by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2) Paul, the great Apostle to the Church called by the Lord Jesus himself, just as the other Apostles were called.

 These were all ministers of Jesus Christ.

 This word minister means "chief servant" of God, and each one must be called of God to be His ministers.

 Exo 28:1  And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. 

Exo 28:2  And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. 

Exo 28:3  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 

 Heb 5:4  And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 

Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives each of them directions.

 Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

 The Lord Jesus gives us all these same directions.

 I cannot understand any denomination that rejects any teaching of our Holy God.

 Some people in this Church in Corinth had been blessed, probably led to the Lord by Apollos, so they spoke up for Apollos.

 Some people in this church had been blessed by Cephas, and Cephas, the Apostle Peter, is the only one that the Bible says led over three thousand to the lord in one day.

 Some people said they had been blessed by Paul, who can be said to be the greatest Christian of all time.

 All these men had the same "Gospel Message" because there is only one Gospel!

 *****1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1Co 4:2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 

 Paul said none of us have any qualifications on our own, but our just servants of the Most High God.

 This church should have had only one question, which is, were these men of God faithful to the Gospel, not whether they were eloquent or philosophical.

 Sermons are to be much more than just material for discussion.

 There is no discussion on the mandate of God.

There is no discussion on our means of salvation.

There is no discussion on the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He did for our salvation!

There is no discussion on the truth of God, our Creator.

There is no discussion on the Virgin Mary and the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.

 A steward is a person who manages the property or affairs of another person. A good steward will deal with these things in a way that other person will benefit from it.

 We are all to be stewards of the Word of God, so Heaven will benefit from it.

 God has already warned us not to add to or take away from or twist His Word into some other meaning than what it says.

The Word of God is settled in Heaven and must remain as it is written!

 No servant of God is to be elevated above another servant of God; we are all in this thing together, yet each servant is to be esteemed highly for the work's sake.

 We are all to be faithful to God's calling.

 Every minister of God's Word is to be faithful, and this is essential.

 In reality, God's man has no other requirement.

 1Ti 1:11  According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

 What is our Pastor to our church?

 1) He is a servant of God.

2) He is a steward of the mysteries of God.

3) He is a steward to be faithful to his Master and our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 We are not to judge our Pastor beyond these things.

 *****1Co 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 

1Co 4:4  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 

 Every man of God who is truly called and speaks the message of God that comes from the true Word of God does not care what the world says about him. Their judgment is meaningless in the plan of God.

 Every "Born Again" child of God has been judged by God and is then justified by God.

 To be justified is to be forgiven of our sins and pardoned from guilt and punishment, and is an act of God's "grace," and this comes by the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

 Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

 If we are in the will of God, answering God's calling, then we are free from the guilt of our past lives.

 Justify means just as if we had never sinned to begin with. This is an action of God's "Grace". 

 How the world judges us becomes irrelevant.

 No judgment of man can overrule the judgment of God!

 Paul adds that he is not aware of any action he has taken that would seem to be a dereliction of his duty to serve the LORD.

 Paul understood that he was still a sinner saved only by the "Grace of God".

 No doubt there may be many sins which we commit without being aware of them, so God and God alone has the power to pronounce sentence upon our doings.

 God did not call us to be "judges", God called us to be free servants!

 *****1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 

 Just because we are God's children, this does not give us the right to judge anyone else, lost or saved.

 This does not mean that we will not recognize the lost and the saved by their actions: Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 

Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 

Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 We must learn not to judge because only the Lord can know the heart of man.

 No one but the Lord can know the real motives behind the way we live our lives.

 Only the Lord can know the darkness that is in us!

 Jer 16:17  For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. 

 It is only when the Lord Jesus returns that He will judge this world!

 Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

 Because my name is written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, the Lord Jesus is my Master; only He has the right to judge me!

 Worldly judges love to judge according to their own beliefs and not by the laws of the land as we are seeing today.

 *****1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

 Some of the members of the church in Corinth had begun to judge other members in the same way a court-appointed judge would judge.

 They were judging according to the gifts they saw in each Preacher, when it is God alone who can judge those He has called to the ministry.

 God says they were just a bunch of puffed-up airbags who were doing their best to divide the church.

 The pure fact is that we are not ourselves living according to the Word of God, how can we be examples for other believers?

 Paul said he and Apollos could be looked upon as examples of true stewards of the Word of God who also lived according to the Word of God.

 The one standard for every Christian is the Word of God!

 God did not give us His Word to think about and meditate upon; God gave us His Word for us to live by.

 This should be the message behind every sermon from every God called preacher to teach us what God expects from our lives.

 We are never to think above what God has written for us.

 If we all live according to the written Word of God, we will all arrive at the same place.

 The Apostle Peter said we have the most important words that have ever been written, and they are the truth.

 2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

 It is the Word of God that lights up our path to live in this life: Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 Not one Christian is more important than another in the eyes of God!

 *****1Co 4:7  For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 

 I truly believe we have the best pastor in our area or any other area, but we must realize that when we begin comparing one pastor with another, we are bordering on sin.

 Indeed, we can sometimes receive more from one preacher or teacher than from another. We must then apply this teaching to our lives, or that message was fruitless.

 It is a sin when a believer begins to think that no other preacher can preach like our favorite preacher, because this is meaningless in the work God has asked us all to do, and leads to a divided church.

 It is in God's design that makes each one of us different from another.

 Who makes us different from others?

Why do I think I can judge one person over another?

Why do I think I have grown so much Spiritually that I can judge one preacher over another?

Who gives us the gifts we receive to serve in God's army?

Why do I feel that I can exalt myself and make myself superior?

 How many of us would dare to answer these questions without taking a hard look at ourselves?

 We should be able to see that God the Holy Spirit provides us with the gifts we have, and he chose those gifts for His reasons because only He knows how to make the House of God the strongest it can be

 Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

 1Co 12:3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 

1Co 12:4  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

1Co 12:5  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 

1Co 12:6  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 

1Co 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

 How could we ever believe that we could be lord over God's people?

 How can we ever believe that God has appointed us to hand our approval or disapproval to any brother or sister in Christ, much less to God's preachers!

 There is never an excuse for any church to become divided if it accepts the truth of the Word of God!

 Why was Paul writing all these things to this church?

 *****1Co 4:14  I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 

 These were strong words from the Apostle Paul, but keep in mind every letter written to the churches was then passed around to every church that was established, just as we are reading these words today.

 It is never the job of our Pastor to shame us.

It is always the job of our Pastor to warn us of just what God says.

 There would be no divisions in the Church if we paid attention to what God has said!

 2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

 The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and uses those words to sanctify us and to perfect us.

 This why the Word of God is so important!

 *****1Co 4:15  For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 

1Co 4:16  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

 We should be able to notice the love the Apostle Paul had for this church as he refers to them as his children.

 We all know we got some harsh words from our parents as we grew up, but those words were words for us to learn from.

 Paul had led many of these Corinthians to the Lord, so in this sense, he was like a father to them, and Paul was warning them rather than causing them shame.

 No genuine preacher would ever fail to warn the flock that the Lord has given to them.

No wise congregation would ever reject or attempt to silence that warning of a caring and loving Pastor.

 We can only know if our pastors preach the truth if we study our Bibles.

 If our Pastor is true to the Word of God, it will show in his lifestyle, and he will be an example for us to follow.

 As the men of the Church, we should all try to set the example as fathers to the children of the Church.

 We should set a good example as husbands to our wives.

 We should set the example as the heads of our family.

 This is what our Lord Jesus did every day of His life in the flesh: He set the example and lived a perfect life without sin.

 The Apostle Paul lived a life of commitment and self-denial for the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Paul gave all he had in his service of the Cross of Jesus.

 2Ti 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 

2Ti 1:13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 

2Ti 1:14  That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. 

 If we truly know our Savior, then we will certainly know the truth of those who preach to us!

 *****1Co 4:17  For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

We must understand Church growth.

It is not the number of people in any church; it is the number of people in the church who are no longer babes in Christ and are committed to serving the Lord.

It is the Spirit of God that provides for the growth of His people, and He uses that man of God who is committed to the Word of God and the will of God.

Peter and Apollos were performing their duties, and they could not be held responsible for the events occurring at the church in Corinth.

Timothy was also led to the Lord by the Apostle Paul, and Timothy could show by example what he had been taught by the Apostle Paul.

There was a great contrast between the preachers and their so-called followers.

These Corinthians were judging the preachers who had given their time to this church, but not many of them bothered to follow the Word of God they were taught.

Many profess to be Christians, and the Bible says we can know them by their fruit.

The fruit would be the way they lived their lives.

Paul took responsibility for this church and its welfare.

Though he could not be there in person at this time, he sat down and wrote an epistle to them.

Paul sent this letter by Timothy, a young preacher who was solid in his faith.

Every preacher of the Gospel must be driven to provide whatever is needed for the growth of each Christian in his flock.

If there is anything in the life of the individual Christian that will hinder the growth of that individual, then it is serious to the Lord!

Timothy was a faithful servant called of God, trained by the Word of God and the Apostle Paul, and a great example of faith.

Remember, we all need discipleship to grow in the "Grace of God".

Amen 

Carnal Christians

 A Wise God and Carnal Christians

 Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 2 and 3

 What is "wisdom"? According to the dictionary, "wisdom" is the right use of knowledge. 

Then, this being true, there must be a wrong use of knowledge.

 Scriptural wisdom comes from our Creator and is in opposition to carnal blindness: Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

 Wisdom is the knowledge of things in their proper nature and relations with the power of using them in the most useful manner.

 This wisdom can come only from God!

 Jesus Christ in His glory shows us the power of God.

 Jesus Christ in His humanity shows us the wisdom of God.

 1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

 The world says the preaching of the Word of God is foolishness, but preaching the truth of God is far wiser than all the wisdom of mankind.

 1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 We know that many in this Church at Corinth had forsaken the Lord to chase the world, and though Paul could not return to this church at that time, he had written this Epistle.

 *****1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1Co 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

 The Church of Corinth was deeply divided.

 They could not decide what kind of preacher they wanted.

 They were undecided about which one of God's servants contributed most to the church.

 They did not understand what preaching really is.

 We must understand what preaching is all about!

 1) A prophet of God revealed God to man.

2) The preacher's job is to reveal man to God.

 Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

 Preachers are to follow our Great High Priest the Lord Jesus Christ with the power to lead each sinner to Christ.

 Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

 Because the Lord Jesus had no sin and He died for all our sin, we can be freed from all our sin.

 Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

 We can see that each Preacher is to preach Jesus and the work that He did for our salvation.

 Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 Sound preaching is not eloquence.

Sound preaching is not about superiority. Not elevation, preeminence, not rising above his congregation.

Sound preaching is not human wisdom or philosophy.

Sound preaching is declaring the testimony of God, which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified for us!

 Jesus Christ, "all in all". All other subjects, political and philosophical, are insignificant.

 Preaching is about saving souls!

 The success of the Gospel does not depend upon the skill of the preacher, but on the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.

 *****1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 Those who are perfect are those who understand the Doctrines of Christianity.

 Those who are perfect are those who are no longer "babes in Christ".

 Those who are perfect are those who understand the mysteries of godliness.

 The Apostle Peter wrote: 2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 The Apostle Paul wrote:

 Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Rom 16:27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

 Had this evil world understood the reason Christ came to this earth, we had better believe they would not have crucified our Savior.

They would have locked Him away.

 The truth is, this evil world does not understand the truth of God, the Gospel, today, after all these years.

 Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not going away!

 To those of us who are saved, we understand the truth of God is that only those whose name is written down in the Lamb's Book of Life will get to see and take part in the things God has prepared for His children.

 *****1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

 Only the Holy Spirit knows all things of God, and He will come to live in every believer in the salvation work of the Lord Jesus Christ and share His wisdom with us.

 Just as no one really knows what is on our mind unless we say, it is the same with Jehovah.

 This is what the Bible teaches us, what is on the mind of our Creator, our God.

 We can know nothing about our God unless He tells us.

 We cannot penetrate the Spirit world without God's assistance.

 No person has ever seen God, no matter what some people have claimed.

 As Christians, we see God in our hearts, but we will one day see Him face to face.

 We will be able to see Him because of the work Jesus Christ did to reconcile us to our Heavenly Father.

 The mysteries of the Gospel are no longer mysteries to true Christians.

 Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

 We know how to get to Heaven!

We know how to earn rewards while we are still upon this earth.

We know that we have a job to do while we are still in these bodies.

We know we are to assemble with like-minded Christians.

We know we are to be witnesses of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know the next sound from Heaven will be the Trumpet of Gabriel calling us home.

 Every gift of wisdom we receive after we are saved comes by the Holy Spirit!

 Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

 The spirit of the world, which we did not receive, can only tell us what men have invented or what the Devil has whispered in their ears.

 With the spirit of the world, no one can know anything related to the things of God.

 The spirit of the world is in contradiction with the things of God!

 *****1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

 There are only two types of people on this Earth!

 1) The Spiritual man, whose spirit is the temple and dwelling place of the Spirit of God. We can know the thoughts of God because we are living in union with His eternal mind. All God's gifts are freely given.

 1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

 Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 2) There is the natural man who possesses only the intellect and conscience of ordinary humanity and who is under the power of the Devil. The natural man will have to pay his way into the filth of the Devil.

The natural man receives not the things of the Holy Spirit. He cannot receive them, and he cannot know them.

 Just as the deaf man cannot enjoy music and the blind man cannot enjoy beauty, the natural man cannot know the truth of our Creation nor the truth of our Creator.

 We know that the Holy Spirit has given us all the Word of God, and we also know that the world rejects the truth of God the Holy Spirit!

 The spirit of the natural man is dead to God!

 If we never have a revelation of the Holy Spirit after we are saved, we know that He has already given us the truth of God.

 Only the Word of God can interpret the Word of God.

 All we have belongs to God!

 *****1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

 Paul is saying that these brethren of the Church at Corinth were still acting like men in the flesh rather than Jesus Christ.

 They were living as though they were nothing but flesh, they were still living at the human level of life.

 They had never gotten beyond the affairs and the material things of this life.

 Many Christians still live this way today and remain baby Christians all the days of their salvation.

 We know the flesh has no good things about it: Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

 When we are in the flesh, we cannot please God: Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 When we are under the Spirit of God, we are removed from being under the influence of the flesh: 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 Even a Born-Again child of God can be carnal for a season!

 *****1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

 We all know that the more we read and study the Bible the more we will grow in the Spirit.

 It is those who refuse to read and study the Scriptures who get caught, who so easily bring the world into the Church because they have remained baby Christians.

 They are divided by their own beliefs, and they bring that division into the Church.

 It is carnal Christians who are the downfall of many churches!

 Carnality brings envy and strife. Envy leads to jealousy, and jealousy leads to division!

 Carnality begins when the members of the Church walk and act like the men of the world!

 Whole denominations are divided today because of baby Christians are bringing the world into the Church.

 Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

 There is only one remedy: Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 We give ourselves to the Lord just so we can serve Him.

 Not as slaves but as willing servants who honor the truth of God!

 *****1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

 Those who minister the Word of God are never to be lords over God's people!

 They are here to give us the LORD's message, but that message will never be different from the Word of God that He has already given to us.

 We are never to forget that the LORD is in the soul-winning business, and this is the same occupation as the Church.

 Ministers are the instruments of God for this purpose!

 Ministers are not to be praised other than for preaching the truth of God, the message of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The Gospel is always to be the focus of their attention; anything else is second to this.

 The building of schools is second.

The building of hospitals is second.

Feeding the world is second.

Soul winning and discipleship are to be the main functions of the Church period!

 The servants of God are nothing compared to God.

 No preacher or pastor or whatever they are called has any cause for glory, praise, honor, or recognition.

 There is no reason for any servant of God to feel pride until all the work is done.

 We are to respect our pastor.

We are to love our pastor.

We are to thank God for our pastor.

We can esteem our pastor because he has the most difficult job on this earth.

 Our pastor preaches four times a week to the Church.

He leads Bible College one night, which is separate from this.

He often goes to other churches and preaches even more times.

 We know that one pastor waters because someone before him has spread the seed.

 We can be a part of this, but we must never hinder the work of the ministers of God!

 The growth of the Church is in the hands of God.

 We are to honor and praise the Lord and not our pastors and preachers!

 2Co 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2Co 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

2Co 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

 If our Lord Jesus is not sufficient, then the Church will soon perish from this world.

 *****1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

 All preachers and pastors or whatever they are called in the many denominations, are equal in God's eyes if they preach and teach the truth of God's Word.

 Every one of them is personally responsible to God.

 Each one will be rewarded for what they have done and not what some other minister has done.

 Trying to be like others is not his job.

 His job is to be what our Heavenly Father called him to do.

 Not one of them has been called to go against the truth of God's Word. (Let that sink in)

 We are all called to be the ministers of God's Word!

 We are all to be coworkers with God.

 As much as we can, we are all to be more like Christ Jesus as we grow in the Word of God.

 So, those who plant the Seed of God and those who water the Seed of God are one tool in God's Hand.

 Joh 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Joh 4:37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

Joh 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the sole Agent of God's salvation plan.

 I know that this statement will upset a lot of religions, but this is the truth of the Word of God.

 This is why Christianity differs from religion!

 Some would say that God requires us to spread the Gospel, but the truth is that God wants us to give ourselves freely to the work of Jesus Christ.

 Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

 We are God's fellow workers.

We are God's husbandry.

We are God's building.

We are laborers together with our Savior!

 Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Source of all that concerns His Church, and we are His Church.

 We never belong to our Pastor or any pastor or preacher, or evangelist, or the Pope, but we belong to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

 It is a family affair to spread the Gospel!

 Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

 The truth then is that many of God's family lack the compassion to be a laborer in God's family.

 The Pastor and all believers are to be workers together with our Holy God!

 Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

 The Lord Jesus is the only foundation of the true Church.

 *****1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 Though Jesus Christ is rejected by the world and religion, He is the only foundation of God's Church.

 Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

 Jesus Christ is the same Stone that will fulfill prophecy.

 Dan_2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

 All foundations, whether they be of the remnants of all previous world powers, will fall to the humble Shepherd who will be King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Jesus Christ Himself is the only foundation upon which men can build their lives.

 *****1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

 There are two types of preaching that we hear today.

 1) One type of preaching leads to permanent results.

 This preaching is for the glory of God and builds upon Jesus Christ.

This preaching is for the well-being of mankind.

This preaching leads to permanent results.

This preaching leads to rewards for that preacher.

 2) The other type of preaching is not according to the knowledge of God or Jesus Christ.

 This preaching is for the glory of the preacher.

This preaching is not for the well-being of man.

These preaching leads to fuel for the fires of Hell.

This preacher will burn in the hottest part of Hell, closest to the Devil.

 1Pe_4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

 The inspection of the Church is very near.

 The Church began so that it could be finished by the time of the Rapture of the Church.

 The Lord Jesus is soon coming to approve or disapprove of those in the Church.

 Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

 Then our Lord and Savior will accept the true Church into His Heavenly family while those who belong to Satan will burn!

 Amen