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

The Divided Church

 A Divided Church

 1 Corinthians Chapter 1

 As we begin our look into the First Book to the Corinthians, we also meet the Apostle Paul.

 We know that Paul was the writer that the Holy Spirit used to preserve these words for the Church of today.

 Why was this letter to the Corinthians needed?

 1) To remove divisions in the Church and bring the Church back as "one" Body of Christ.

 Was Jesus Christ ever divided in His teachings? No. And neither should the Church at that time, nor should the Church be divided today!

 2) To deal with immorality that was entering the Church from this immoral world.

 3) To answer any questions the Church might have, because this was a church filled with baby Christians. They needed to grow in Christ.

 Every “New Born” Christian needs to spend time in discipleship.

 The Lord Jesus spent three years with the Apostles and three years with the Apostle Paul in discipleship training.

We all need to be discipled!

 The things that happened in Corinth are things every church has to contend with in this wicked and immoral world.

 This city had a large population of people coming from all parts of the world.

 Most ships traveling from the East or from the West would stop at Corinth.

 Most roads of commerce crossed at the City of Corinth.

 This made the City of Corinth a wicked and corrupt city.

 Corinth became an intellectual and cultural center as well.

 All these things together made the City of Corinth a potential place for worldwide missions.

 If a church could be established in Corinth, the Word of God could spread all around the world.

 This place first needed to meet the Almighty Living God!

 This church at Corinth was established, and like all baby Christians, they needed discipline.

 Paul began as a gentle shepherd over his flock and moved on to greater things.

 1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 

1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 

1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 

1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

1Co 1:8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 *****1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 

 Every Pastor, Preacher or Priest is called to be a brother to all other believers and the Apostle Paul used the word brother when he was addressing this church.

 We all have the same Heavenly Father, and we all are saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, and we all are filled with the same Holy Spirit, and we are all to have the same Word of God, and it is time that the Church to unite around these things, for we are in the last of days.

 We are not better than anyone else in this world, but we can say we are better off only because our names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

 If your name is written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, you are already a saint of God and set apart for the Lord.

 The true Church belongs to God!

 The false church belongs to the Devil!

 Isa 48:11  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: "for how should my name be polluted"? and I will not give my glory unto another. 

 No one can approach God but through the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who think they can be are still lost.

 If you feel like you have lived your life good enough for Heaven, then you are self-righteous and still lost, no matter who you are.

 Super-spirituality and pride have no place in the House of God!

 We can only be in the Church because of the Grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

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

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. 

 God's "Grace" is the free gift of God, and God is extending His "Grace" out to all who will accept it today!

 The Church must be unified behind these truths today; these truths will never change!

 This message must be tender and full of love!

 The word "beseech" means, come let's share these truths together.

 Our faith binds us to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and not the things of this world!

 Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 We must approach each other with the "love of Christ".

 We will never agree on everything in the Church, but we must hold the truth of Jesus Christ in our hearts!

 Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

 We cannot allow the teachings of this world to tear us apart when those teachings go against the truth of God.

 Everyone must repent from the teachings of this world about salvation, which this world knows nothing about.

 We all must be in the same mind, as we will all be judged by the same Word of God!

 *****1Co 1:11  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 

 The word contentions here mean strife, the struggle that had become violent along with quarreling.

 These are works of the flesh.

 There was no peace in this church in Corinth!

 When men divide the Body of Christ, then it is Christ who bleeds; Christ is not divided.

 This Chloe was probably a lady in Ephesus, from where Paul wrote this Epistle, because we know Paul would never have mentioned the name of a member of the church in Corinth.

 She is probably a Christian, maybe even the wife of Stephanus and possibly the mother of Fortunatus and Achaicus.

 1Co 16:17  I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. 

 Or Paul got this information from one of her slaves, but not from her.

 If we are seeking glory other than the glory of the Lord, we will never find it because it does not exist!

 There will be a perfect union in Heaven for all God's children, and division here on earth could cause some not to get there.

 If we are to live a true Christian life, we must draw upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the same for every Christian.

 The unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ are at our disposal.

 Each and every one of us is called of God, but not to cause divisions or strife inside the Church or outside the Church.

 When news of a divided church reaches another nation, then the testimony of that church will not be good enough to win souls.

 Our one job is to win souls for Jesus Christ. if we have problems, then the first place to seek help is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Mat_6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 Next, we should seek an audience with our Pastor.

 *****1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 

1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

 I think we have the greatest church in our area, and for certain, we have the best Pastor.

 Most of us cannot wait to hear the message God has given him at every service.

 Occasionally, he will take time for rest, or he will preach in some other place of worship or for some other reason, but if the congregation finds out that he will not be here the size of the congregation will shrink because someone else will preach.

 In many ways, this is Pastor worship rather than the worship and praise of the Almighty God.

 We come to Church to praise our Heavenly Father and to worship Him in Spirit and Truth, no matter who is preaching the message of God.

 If we trust the Lord, then we know that person will also preach a message that God has given to them, and those who did not come because our true Pastor was not there, miss out on that message.

 Is this not the same thing that Apostle Paul is saying here in this Scripture.

 Jesus Christ is not divided, and these things must never divide our congregation.

 We are all going to have differences of opinion from time to time, but we all have the same Word of God, and we all strive to get to our true home in Heaven.

 There is only One Heaven!

 We cannot bring the Lord Jesus Christ down to the level of man!

 We all know that we must have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to get to the Glory World, and again Our Lord Jesus is not divided in fact, He is very blunt when speaking His own words which we see in Red letters.

 I am certain that we all have our favorite teachers in our church.

 If we say we belong to Jesus Christ, then we had better act like we do!

 We can never place our Lord Jesus at the level of ordinary teachers, even if they are our favorite Preacher or teacher.

 Every believer belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, if not, then you are not saved!

 We do not know everything about our Savior, we only know what the Holy Spirit decided we needed to know to get us saved.

 John 21:25  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

 The God of the Bible is unlimited in knowledge and power, and I just want to be close as I can to Him in His house.

 The closest I can get here upon this earth is in a Bible believing Church with a Bible believing Pastor!

 These are things we will get to know over the next million years when we join Him in Heaven.

 We need to agree on the salvation plan of Jehovah God, and then, we can discuss those places where we differ from one another without them dividing us.

 Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree while keeping our relationship with our Savior sound!

 It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that unifies us, all of us.

 Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 The Church is a long way from what the Lord says here in this passage today!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and we had better keep that straight in our minds!

 There is only one Head of the Church, and there is only one Church, and this Church is to follow the One Word of God!

 We are to be Christians because we follow the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that He did, so we can be saved.

 Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 

Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, "which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them".

 If we say we are liberals, or Catholics, or Baptists, or of any other title, then our parting spirit is sin!

 We are all to be Christians!

 There is only One who was crucified for our sin, the sin of us all.

 We all have the same mandate: Matt 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 

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. Amen. 

 *****1Co 1:14  I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 

1Co 1:15  Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 

1Co 1:16  And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 

1Co 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

 It was for this very reason that Paul did not like to baptize new Christians. He agreed with Biblical Baptism with all his heart, but he did not want to be put on some pedestal for baptizing the most people or have the most converts.

 Paul said if we in any way make the Lord Jesus less than the Head of the Church, we are striving toward the death of the Church.

 We all have a calling of some manner in the Church so. Let’s do what the Lord called us to do!

 1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many. 

1Co 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 

1Co 12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 

1Co 12:17  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 

1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 

 There is a place to serve for every member of the Church!

 Paul said: he was to preach the Word of God which are the Words of Wisdom and not preach the wisdom of words.

 Divisions in any church cannot be resolved by words of human wisdom. The cross alone is the answer to a divided church!

 *****1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

 There are only two categories of people in this world!

 1) Those doomed to perish.

2) Those who have been saved from perishing.

 As the years pass and we get older, we get closer to the grave and Hell or we are getting closer to Heaven, the Glory World.

 We are never just sitting still! We are perishing or we are saved.

 We cannot say "being saved" because it is a finite event and is eternal.

 Perishing means to be in a lost state in the world that comes after death. Hell is a real place, people!

 1) Salvation is a once-for-all experience meaning once we have been saved it is then in the past and unchangeable and we can live the rest of our lives at peace with God.

 Luk 7:50  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

 2) Salvation is a continuous experience. It occurs right now, in the present.

 The verse we are on right now, verse 18, " For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God".

 3) The redemption experience of our salvation is still in the future.

 Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

 Those who reject these things are not very wise!

 *****1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 

1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 

1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:  

 Mankind seeks to conquer evil through science, technology, and the religion of human effort.

Mankind tries to conquer nature, disease, suffering, corruption and death and we never had this power and never will.

 As a people, we want a life that is full and free, but we want to dictate how we want it.

 We always want to stand on the mountain and say, "Look what I did".

 Most of this world is just not willing to live by the Word of God and what Jesus Christ has said.

 Science has not brought love, joy, and peace, but only to a few foolish people.

Technology has not brought love, joy, and peace to anyone.

Good works only make us self-righteous.

 The first thing we begin to understand about Jehovah is that He loves us enough to provide a way to save us.

 He has offered up the perfect sacrifice for us.

 On that cross, the Lord Jesus Christ took all our sins upon Himself, and then He took our punishment for having sinned upon Himself.

 Jehovah sacrificed Himself for us, and through this sacrifice, God saves us!

 Those who want to approach God by some other means will always fail because this is God's plan.

 The leaders of this world have never tried to solve the world's problems of sin and evil because it is just too prosperous for a few rich men who pull the strings on national leaders, and today on local leaders and our government become corrupt and refuse to change.

 Only the cross has the power to change the hearts of these men.

 There are some truly smart people in our world, but they spend their time on things that cannot change our world and make it a better place.

 The cross is the wisdom of God, the way God has chosen to save this world and to save those who have faith that he can do as He promises.

 If this world were to turn to the cross just to see the perfect demonstration of love and sacrifice, then this world would be a much better place.

 All our leaders know how to do is inquire and argue. We see it played out every day in our Senate and in our Congress and nothing gets done because they love corruption too much.

 It is the same in most of every nation.

 Even the Jews want to see some great sign from God after they have already seen and read about all the great things God has shown them.

 Even as they have just had their fiftieth birthday as a nation, they refuse to believe that it was Jehovah who caused this to happen.

 Isa_66:8  Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

 The next sign this world will see is the sound of the trumpet and the Church leaving this world.

 The Jews still stumble over the truth of Jehovah!

 *****1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 

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

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

 We should understand that what we teach about the Lord Jesus Christ is the reverse of what the Jews and the world demand.

 Instead of a Messiah as ruler of all the earth, triumphant over all His enemies, we teach how a condemned criminal is our Savior and soon coming King and LORD.

 Christians teach that our one argument is the death and then the life of the Messiah.

 Isa 8:13  Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 

Isa 8:14  And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

 Jesus Christ is the power of God!

 The Jews and many in the world feel like they are the chosen seed of God, and they reach God because they have a godly heritage.

They still believe that they can be good enough to be acceptable to God.

 They believe that if they work hard enough, they can bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.

 They believe that the Golden Age of Earth is still in the future.

 The truth is, we can never be good enough to be acceptable to God.

The penalty for our sin had to be paid for by the perfect sacrifice of God's Son.

That we trust in that sacrifice.

That true belief in God's Son gave all He had to save this world for eternity.

 When religion looks upon the ugliness of the cross, the ugliness of sin, and suffering instead of glory, they are repulsed.

 Who are the blessed of God? Mat 11:6  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 

 The world continues to stumble over the simplicity of the cross, but the world is missing the message of the Cross.

 2Co_11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

 It is the Cross of Jesus Christ that God's way is wiser and stronger than the way of religion and the way of man!

 This is why Christianity is by faith and not by religion.

 Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

 ***** 1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 

1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 

 Which group of people does God save?

 Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 Our faith must lie in the fact that our life must be governed by a will that is far above this earth, and we receive the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

 My Pastor has said many times that we receive the Holy Spirit for our employment and not for our enjoyment.

 It is the Holy Spirit of God who does the calling.

 Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

 It is the Holy Spirit who remains with us throughout eternity

 Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

 It is the Holy Spirit who will make our old bodies live again in glory.

 Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

 We are called according to God's purpose for us.

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

 God does not call many who are dependent upon themselves, we would say self-righteous.

 God calls simple and humble people.

 Those who believe they can save themselves may not be called, or at least God will not waste much time on them when He already knows what they will do.

 God's calling is not arbitrary and not without reason.

 God knows who will accept Him and who will not.

 God has a reason and a purpose for everything He teaches us!

 God smiles every time one of His nothings nullifies the somethings of this world.

 God has given each one of us the free will to decide or reject Him.

 If we are arrogant enough to think we do not need God, then He will not help us.

 God sent the Lord Jesus Christ to save those who know they cannot save themselves.

 God saves all those who want to spend eternity with Him in His House.

 Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 *****1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 

1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

Not many simple and humble people will boast about anything.

The truth: 

1) Man will never be able to control sin and evil in this world.

2) Man will never be able to bring peace, assurance, and control to the human heart.

3) Man will never bring eternal life beyond our few short years upon this earth.

We have nothing to brag about and no right to glory in the things we do!

God's wisdom is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are nothing to God unless we are "Born Again" in Jesus Christ.

By the fact that the Lord Jesus arose from that grave to show us the power of God it becomes wisdom to follow in His ways.

It is by God pouring His Spirit into us that we can know the truth.

He is the Spirit of Righteousness, which means He knows no evil and by His power we can be sanctified which is working our way toward Holiness.

The Lord Jesus paid the price that God required for our sin, and if we believe in this, we are reconciled to God.

The entire work for our salvation is of God.

Our only work is to accept this great gift of God, so if we glory, let us glory in the Lord!

Amen

The Problem With Believers

The Problem Of Unbelieving Believers

1 Corinthians 15


There are certain things that all Christians should have in common.

1) The Trinity of God is a doctrine that is fundamental to the Christian faith!

God is one in essence.

God is three in persons. (The Father, The Son, The Holy Ghost)

The three persons all have distinct relationships.

The three persons are equal in authority.

2) The person of Christ was 100% God and 100% man.

3) The Second Coming of Christ. (The Lord Promised He Would Return)

4) Salvation is by Grace alone through Faith alone.

5) The Scriptures are "all" inspired by God and we have the complete Word of God.
   (The Bible does not just contain the Word of God, it is the Word of God!)

If these things are true, then the Scriptures teach of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and since the Word of God says this is true then we must accept it as the truth!

You cannot be saved and reject the Word of God!

You can be saved and disagree on certain things that have no real meaning in salvation!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not one of these things and neither are these five basic fundamentals!

*****1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

It should be clear to us all that Christianity is based on historical facts and not on human reasoning nor human imagination.

1) The person of Jesus Christ.

2) He "died", He was "buried" and He "arose"!

3) There is more evidence that these things are all true, than for our own birth.

4) Christ Jesus died for our sins because He had no sin Himself.

5) Christianity is to be preached with this design!

The Apostle Paul preached so that those that heard the "Gospel" could be saved!

The Apostle Paul preached the facts of the Word of God!

*****1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

The central focus of the "Gospel" is on the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ for our sins!

This is the greatest of the fundamentals of Christian faith!

Paul received the truth of the Gospel when the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to Paul on the road to  Damascus!

Gal 1:12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The physical death, the actual burial, and the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a doctrine because it is a fact!

For salvation to be real, this is the first thing we must base our faith on!

If Christ had not rose from the dead to everlasting life, then we could not trust in our own promised salvation.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Everlasting life can mean only one thing, eternal life after our own resurrection!

The reason that Christ, the Messiah first came to this world was to pay for all our sins!

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Jn 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

The New Testament records all these things of Christ but it is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies that Paul is referring to.

It is the death of the Messiah that is the Gospel, the Good News!

Were we to be convinced that some man died for our sins, then that would be meaningless. Martyrs die every day but none of those can die for the sin of all the world!

Christ, the Messiah died for us, for all our sin!

No doubt that Christ died in substitution for our own eternal death but the death of Christ also means that the righteous demands of a holy God "were satisfied"!

The death of Christ provided the payment for sin and God was satisfied!

Christ death resulted in forgiveness for all sinners!

God could not forgive sin without the proper payment!

Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Christ arose showing the world that He had the power over death and the grave!

This is also a historical fact!

We know that Christ was seen by many in the world as the Scripture dictate, but Paul gives us the evidence of the Apostles.

Cephas(Peter) saw our risen Saviour!

Luk 24:34  Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

Christ was then seen of the eleven remaining apostles:

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

And just so we would know that there many other witnesses to His resurrection, Christ was seen of more than 500 brethren at once.

And Paul told these Corinthians that many of those eyewitness were still alive the day he wrote this epistle!

No doubt the Apostle Paul had spoken to many of them!

We all know that if there were 500 witnesses to anything today then that thing would be believed without a doubt.

This James was the half-brother of Jesus.

We know that none of the half-brothers and half-sisters of Christ Jesus believed in Him until after the resurrection and then they believed.

Then Christ was seen of all the apostles. These would have been the followers possibly the 120 who gathered after the Lord ascended back to Heaven.

And then by Paul himself later on the Damascus road!

*****1Co 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1Co 15:9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

When the Apostle Paul said "as one born out of due time" the Greek words used mean the same as we would say today that "as one who has survived an abortion".

We know that any child that is born before it has completed the normal 9 months in the womb would be puny and though born alive would not be the proper size.

Paul said, "I am the least of the Apostles", "I am scarcely meet to be an Apostle".

Paul said, "I did not come through the regular course as the other Apostles".

Paul said, "I should have been aborted but I was saved by the power of God".

Paul had persecuted the Church and God had forgiven him but in reality Paul had never forgiven himself!

Paul said if not for "Grace" he would still be lost!

We can all say this same thing!

*****1Co 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

The appearance of Jesus to Paul was real!

The appearance of Jesus to Paul was necessary for him to be an Apostle.

The appearance of Jesus to Paul was before Paul was a believer.

The appearance of Jesus to Paul was a special example of God's "Grace"!

Paul later wrote to the Philippians these words:

Php 3:4  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

God had reached down and touched the heart of the Lord's greatest persecutor and made him the greatest of the Apostles to the Gentiles.

We know that "Grace" is the unmerited favor of God!

This wonderful thing called "Grace" can only come by the Lord Jesus Christ!

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Then the Apostle Paul joined the ranks of the other Apostles to preach the "Gospel"!

*****1Co 15:11  Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Paul said it was he that preached the "Gospel" to these Corinthians but all the Apostles preached the "Resurrection" of Christ!

These Corinthians had believed at first, but now they were just confused about the Resurrection of Christ as they were about so many other things.

Therefore Paul the teacher, was writing to re-educate this church in the truth!

*****1Co 15:12  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:13  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
1Co 15:14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
1Co 15:15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

The truth is that over 600 eye-witnesses had seen Christ after He had risen from the dead.

It is a fact fact that this miracle had taken place, is also a fact that we have the complete "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

It is a fact that we have the Words of Jesus Christ, teaching us what He will do!

We have enough facts to furnish all Christians with enough proof that we shall also rise after death!

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians with these words:

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Those that deny a risen Christ simply ignore the truth of the Word of God!

This is what happens when the world is allowed to gain entrance into the Church!

The politics of this world must never be allowed to gain a foothold in the Church established on the foundation Christ Jesus!

The Church is established on the resurrection of Christ!

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Baptism of each believer would be a useless ceremony if the resurrection was not true!

The Church is non-existent without the resurrection of Christ Jesus!

Our faith would be in vain because that faith would be in a crucified man, a martyr, and not in a risen Savior!

The entire Church would be a false witnesses of God.

It would be a lie to tell false stories of the things that God does, if God had not raised Christ from the grave and God would not tolerate such a lie!

Job 13:7  Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

God will not allow deception in His name!

There is no true Christian faith without the resurrection!

There is no hope for forgiveness without the resurrection.

There is no hope of salvation without the resurrection!

There is no eternal life without the resurrection!

We would all be still lost in our sins. We would never see our loved ones again. And we would live miserable lives without purpose!

*****1Co 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Verse 16 repeats verse 13 and when God repeats Himself, He wants to clearly understand what we are reading.

The Resurrection of Christ Jesus is a historical fact!

The truth is a dead Redeemer cannot be a Redeemer.

Without the Divine Power to resurrect Christ, Jesus would be just another man with high ideals!

Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25  "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification".

There is a reason that all these things happened before so many eyewitnesses.

Death is the greatest enemy of the human being!

In fact death is the enemy of all God's creation.

For this reason those of evolution have no case at all!

Everywhere we look we see death. All animals die, all plants die, even whole species of both have become extinct.

Cities die, nations die, homes, automobiles, clothes eventually wear out and go back to dust.

Even the universe itself is running down and will one day die.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Of all creation, there is only One who has conquered death.

Christ died, and was buried and then because of the power of God, He arose!

Since His claim of Resurrection was an actual event, then His promises will be actual events!

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

All the goodness, all the faith, all the love, of the Christian life has not been for nothing!

If this life is all that there is, then to live the Christian life  and suffer ridicule and persecution could be considered to be miserable by most Christians!

The fact remains that Christ Jesus did rise from the dead!

Though the resurrection was foretold in the Old Testament and Jesus Himself told all His followers, they were completely surprised when it happened!

Luk 24:34  Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luk 24:35  And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Luk 24:36  And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luk 24:37  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luk 24:38  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luk 24:40  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
Luk 24:41  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luk 24:42  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luk 24:43  And he took it, and did eat before them.
Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

All the Apostles then died a martyr's death but John because they would not reject this truth!

Jesus Christ became the firstfruits of all those that sleep in Jesus!

*****1Co 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

This one verse disproves the false theory that these was long ages before the birth of mankind. The Bible is specific death had it's beginning with sinful man!

There is no such thing as a billion year old fossil record!

There is only the record of the great flood in Noah's day!

2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Every human being since the time of Adam, partake of Adam's sin nature and are therefore liable to the death that sin nature incurred.

Since the first fruit is a specimen of the whole harvest, then Christ is the first fruit of the whole Church.

First Christ, then His own and last the end when death itself will be destroyed and finally the resurrected creation handed back by Christ the Mediator to His Father!

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

*****1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Christ Jesus will reign on this earth until He has put all the enemies of God under His feet.

This ultimate triumph will show all creation that there was no defeat at the cross but eternal victory!

The last enemy to be destroyed will be the first enemy who rebelled against God in the beginning.

He who has deceived the world with lies ever since!

It is Satan who now has the power of death:

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Satan will finally be locked up forever in the Lake of Fire that was created for Him!

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

We know that in the Holy Trinity, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal in all things!

But we also know that the Head of Christ is God!

And we also know the Christ Jesus came to do the will of His Father!

So verse 28 is one of those things we may not clearly understand until we also get to Heaven!

Christ will deliver all those that His Father has called to Him for eternity!

God will always be God, even that day that we obtain a glorified body just as Christ Jesus has now, we will not be gods!

*****1Co 15:29  Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?

It is very evident that some in this church believed that they could get baptized for someone they knew that had died without Christ.

There may actually be some of those who had received the Lord as their personal Savior and had not had the opportunity to be baptized.

There is never salvation in baptism because that would be a doctrine of works!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The larger question was the Resurrection of Christ!

Paul is saying "none of these make any sense at all if you cannot believe in the Resurrected Christ"!

All places of worship that are divided in doctrine and disorganized in their theories and rejecting the truth of the Scriptures, will find themselves committing many things that go against the Word of God!

*****1Co 15:30  And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

Paul is saying, why would "we" the Apostles, stand in jeopardy of our lives if salvation could come by waiting to the very last and just be baptized.

"Or to just make arrangements for someone else to get baptized for us after our death".

Many a Pastor would opt out of preaching the Word of God, if they knew they could gain salvation by such a simple method!

*****1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
1Co 15:32  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

The Lord Jesus said to pick up our own cross daily and follow in His ways.

If the Lord did not rise from the dead in His resurrection, why would we even want to die daily and live the life of a Christian.

The Apostle Paul had been imprisoned for preaching the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul had been beaten and stoned to near death for preaching the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul was writing this epistle from Ephesus where great mobs, who acted like wild beast were attacking anyone who claimed to be Christian.

Paul said there is no advantage to being a Christian if our Lord Jesus did not rise from the dead!

None of us would live in such peril as Paul, if the goal of eternal life was taken away.

All those Christians in Iraq, and in Syria, and in other places where persecution is a real and a daily occurrence would not suffer through those things if Christ Jesus was some fable and there was no hope of eternal life in Heaven.

We just as well be like the world and partake of the madness of a carnal life, if all that life brought was death!

The truth is that false doctrine will lead to wicked behavior!

To deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to deny the Word of God and so deny God Himself!

Denying our Creator in favor of evolving from some animal leads to acting like animals and we can see this happening in our world today.

This was the message of Paul to these Corinthians.

If you think you come from a beast then you will act in the ways of some wild beast!

Evil communications corrupt good manners!

What is the answer?

Awake to righteousness.

Sin not.

Be not ignorant of the truth of God's Words!

We shame ourselves and the Lord, when we say we are saved and yet do not believe the Word of God!

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jesus said if you really loved Me you would keep My commandments!

The Word of God is not hard to understand but it requires "Faith" and it requires "The Love Of God"!

God is "Love" so we must have "Faith"!

That's why it is called "Grace"!

*****1Co 15:35  But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:36  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
1Co 15:37  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
1Co 15:38  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Even today the world has this same question, how can the dead rise up in new life?

Those of us that know God and have "saving faith", also know that with God nothing is impossible!

If we trust our Creator then all life is in His hands!

The truth is that Christ Jesus passed from death to life and ascended into Heaven as a man and this was witnessed by many infallible truths!

Act 1:3  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Paul is saying the same thing that the Lord said:

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Most everyone knows that if you sow a seed, then that sprout that finds its way out of the ground does not resemble that seed!

The growth of that seed shows that there is a personal identity that is under a complete change.

When we die and God resurrects that body, we may have the same personal identity but there will a complete change from that body that died and was buried!

God will give that new body as it pleases Him and to every seed his own body.

The truth is, we know very little of this glorified body beyond what the Scriptures teach.

John says it like this:

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

This is why we live the Christian life and this is why so many will suffer the persecution of being a Christian and will not renounce their beliefs!

The truth of seeds is, that they will only produce after their kind which refutes all the theories of evolution.

A Christian that goes home to be with the Lord, while that old body is placed in the ground, can only produce after it's own kind but that body will be designed of God because all flesh is not the same flesh!

*****1Co 15:39  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
1Co 15:40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1Co 15:41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

All plants and animals can only reproduce after their own kind.

Evolution has never proved this to be wrong!

True science shows that there are "distinct" genetic gaps between different kinds of animals and by the gaps between those same kind of animals in the fossil records that have been found!

There is also a big difference between earth and the planets from the Sun and the Moon and these things also have been verified by modern astronomy.

The chemical and physical structures of the earth and the other planets and the moon are vastly different from each other.

These things make it impossible that they could have evolved out of the same dust cloud and true science knows all these things!

All stars may look alike to the naked eye, even seen through a telescope they seem to be just points of light.

When the light spectra is studied it reveals that no two stars are the same, just as the Bible states!

Each one has it's own brightness to temperature, so each one is different "in glory" from all others!

The truth of all these things is the same truth of each child of God!

All those that sleep in Christ will be raised in bodies that differ.

That word "incorruption" also means "immortality", so that mortal body will be raised as immortal!

That new glorified body will without corruption and without death!

This is much more than just the immortality of the soul!

The Scriptures say the "resurrection of the dead"!

When a seed is planted in the ground as though it was dead, it lies dormant until the conditions are met and it finally rises to new life.

The human body because of sin and the curse, eventually dies and is buried but one day when the Son of God calls that body will be raised, the same basic body but born again in Christ being immortal and glorified!

That spiritual body rising from the dead will no longer be under bondage to gravity or the forces of this earth!

In our bodies today, we are continually in a struggle our spirit with our flesh and we must die everyday to our flesh.

That new Spiritual and glorified body will not have this problem!

We do know much of this body but some we do know:

1) The glorified body of Jesus could pass through walls.

2) That glorified body was able to move with tremendous speed between earth and God's throne in Heaven!

These things are all written down for us to know!

*****1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Without a doubt we can see that all the Apostles confirmed the Genesis account of creation without question and we should to.

Adam was a real man and the first man and Eve the first woman!

There were no humans before Adam and Eve.

There were no creatures evolving into humans before Adam and Eve!

The last Adam is of course the Lord Jesus Christ!

Both Adam and Christ were both true men and both formed directly by God.

Of course Christ was also 100% God!

Both Adam and Christ were both formed without genetic inheritance from human parents!

Adam was the first man made a living soul, and the "head" of the human race!

The Lord Jesus was the first begotten from the dead, the first man made a life-giving spirit!

Adam brought sin and death into the world.

Christ brought everlasting, sinless, eternal life!

Adam was formed of God and not born at all.

Christ Jesus was directly formed by God the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary!

Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Christ is the second and last man that this was true!

All humans resemble their first parent which was Adam.

All Christians resemble our Redeemer who is Christ!

Besides salvation itself, the greatest promise of God is that all those who have accepted Christ as their Savior will one day "be conformed to the image of the Son of God"!

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Because flesh and blood can never enter into Heaven!

*****1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Our mortal body with our inbred sin nature can never enter into the kingdom of God!

There will be no corrupt thing in Heaven!

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

What is the great mystery of the Old Testament?

Just before the Second Coming of Christ, when He comes in the clouds, there will be a simultaneous resurrection and glorification of all those in Christ!

The dead who sleep in Christ, Christ will bring with Him!

Those alive in Christ at that moment will be changed!

There is no basis for a partial rapture of the saints!

We shall be changed in less time than the twinkling of an eye!

This coming of Christ will be so sudden and without advanced notice, so that we should be abiding in Him at all times!

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

*****1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

As we know the whole of creation is in bondage to corruption!

In science this is called "entropy" and it is a real thing!

The Bible says it is the curse because of the sin of Adam.

The law will be changed and the curse will be removed for all those that know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior!

Death will be swallowed up in victory!

Isa 25:8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Death no longer has any power over the Child of God!

When there can be no sin there can be no death!

The Law only made sin more grievous because it made God's "Grace" even clearer!

Thank God for "Grace"!

*****1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

God's Riches At Christ's Expense!

We must not make the work of the Lord to accomplish all these things a vain thing meaning nothing.

No matter how great the temptation to compromise the Word of God,"Do Not Yield"!

No matter how demanding the work of the Lord can be at times, "Do Not Quit"!

There is coming to all Christians a day of rest and reward but just not yet!

Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Remember God has never broken a promise!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Selfish Christians

The Problem Of Self-Centered Followers

1 Corinthians 13:1-14:40


The be self-centered is to be centered on yourself!

To be self-centered is to be all about yourself, your own self interest, or the love your own private interest and is also known as selfishness.

This self-centeredness is destroying the America that we know and love.

Small groups of people in America are claiming that they deserve to be better treated than all others and that the world should be given to them while the others pay for it.

No matter what you think, that is being self-centered and it is selfish of them!

Selfishness is always contrary to the Word of God!

Jas 2:8  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Selfishness is forbidden in the Word of God!

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Increasing selfishness is another sign we are in the end times!

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  "For men shall be lovers of their own selves", covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  "Without natural affection", trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Let's begin:

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

We must understand that the most important trait of the Christian is a giving love!

The tongues of men are human languages, every angel that is mentioned in the Bible also spoke in human languages or their message would not have been understood.

Any other sound coming from the mouths of man are as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal that can only lend themselves to music with the proper tone and sequence.

No gift of human expression is more important than the gift of charity!

Charity is then the supreme love of God and a benevolent love and universal good will to all men!

The love of God is "agape" love!

Remember to be benevolent is to promote happiness and prosperity to all those you come in contact with!

The charity of the Christian must be unstained without any semblance of evil!

Many men possess the power of speaking but without charity their words are meaningless!

Many will come to Jesus at the judgment saying, "have I not prophesied in thy name" and Jesus will tell them, "depart from me I never knew you".

Many possess the knowledge of the mysteries of the Old Testament that are revealed in the New Testament.

Some may even possess the faith to move mountains but without "agape" love, that faith cannot accomplish the desired goals of God!

Judas Iscariot had faith that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah but he was rejected because he did not have the love of God nor the love of man.

To be nothing is to be non-existing in the eyes of God, who looks into the heart of all men!

Though you give away all you own to feed the poor but do not know the "Grace" of God that gave you those things and show "His Grace in your life as you give those things, then it is not real love.

Though you become a Martyr but do not know the love of God, you have sacrificed your life for nothing in return!

Without repenting and giving of your soul to God, He will reject anything else you have to offer!

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

It is the laws of King Jesus that we are to obey above all else!

Jas 2:8  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

What is the truth of Godly love?

*****1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity is defined by "what it does" rather than "what it is"!

If we want to earn rewards in Heaven then it is essential to have a real love for God and also for our fellow man, without these things then every thing else is valueless!

Agape love shows patience not jealousy.

Agape love is not proud and boastful but is courteous, unselfish, good natured.

Agape love is not suspicious. It does not rejoice in wickedness but rather rejoices when truth and purity prevails.

Agape love looks on the bright side, is hopeful and patient even in persecution and does not complain!

Agape love endures all things because agape love is the love that God has shown to each of us as an example of the love we are to have as Christians!

*****1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Charity never fails because the love of God can never fail!

Fail is the same as vanish away and become useless and come to and end.

When the Lord Jesus returns to take us home and then sit on His earthly throne, prophecies will fail, tongues shall cease, and spiritual knowledge will be done away with, because it will be Truth that will fulfilled!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

God's love is the most permanent trait that He has shown to us!

When we see "Perfection" we will truly understand just how sinful we really are!

*****1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

It is true that God has given us this love letter that we call the Bible and it is all we need to know to get us into Heaven but the Apostles clearly understood that this world we now live on could not contain all the knowledge of God!

Joh 21:25  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

We can only know a small part of the knowledge of God!

The prophecies of men can then only be partial because we have the complete Word of God!

But when we see the Perfect Lord, face to face, the partial knowledge we have known will be of no great concern because Jesus said, all things will be new!

All the things we know of the present state of things will be lost in Perfectness when we have at last attained the fulness of Jesus Christ!

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Paul was telling these Corinthians it was past the time of being "Babes in Christ" and it was time for them to begin maturing in the Word of God.

It was time to end the divisions in the Church and unite in one mind and in one accord!

It was time to properly use the "Spiritual gifts" given to them for the betterment of the Church and glorify God by the building up of the Church!

It was time to grow in the Lord and put away childish things!

It was time to stop relying on the gifts of God and rely on the pure Word of God which is the most reliable thing we possess in this world!

We absolutely cannot see clearly if we focus on the the things of this world!

*****1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The completed Word of God which we now have, are like a mirror which shows us as we are!

It is the Word of God that can encourage us to make the needed changes in our walk in this life!

We cannot know the fulness of Christ until God's plan is complete as revealed in the Scriptures!

Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The three traits of the Christ should be faith, hope, and charity!

*****1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

These three things are fundamental to the Christian walk and these three things are the only permanent things in this world!

It takes faith to please God!

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.

Hope is what anchors our soul!

Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

But greater than all these is Charity!

We believe in things that we love!

We hope in things that we love!

Faith and hope are mainly for ourselves but love is for God and our neighbors.

Faith and hope are human but God Is Love!

We must follow our Love of God!

*****1Co 14:1  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

The chief aim of each of us is first to possess that giving benevolent love that God shows to each of us!

The chief aim of the Church is first to possess that giving benevolent love that God shows to His Church!

No spiritual gift is of any importance until we have and show "the agape love of God"!

Then Paul says if we desire a spiritual gift, then desire to prophesy.

To prophesy in this verse means to speak and exhort under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit!

This does not mean for all of us to desire to be a preacher because this is a special calling from God. It does means for us all to study the Scriptures and be able to witness to the lost world, and be able to help disciple those that are "babes in Christ"!

It appears that this church in Corinth all had such a great desire to speak in different languages that many of them spoke in unknown languages.

*****1Co 14:2  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1Co 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1Co 14:4  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
1Co 14:5  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

There was such a strong tendency at Corinth to magnify the use of tongues(languages), these members spoke in utterances that no one could understand, let alone interpret.

This was rebuked harshly by the Apostle Paul.

Studying the Scriptures and being able to lead some lost soul to the Lord is of far greater importance in the Church!

To edify is to build up in the truth of God!

To exhort is to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.

To comfort is to help those who are distressed and weary in this lost world.

These are the things that show the love of God much more than speaking some other language especially some unknown utterance that no one can understand except maybe God who looks into the heart and then they can only edify themselves.

We are to pick up our own cross and die daily to ourselves!

If it is possible that you know some foreign language that is a benefit to those in the church then you must also be able to interpret what you have said so that all others can be edified or just be quiet and learn the truth!

The truth is that what comes out of our mouths can carry no real meaning unless it can be understood by those around us!

If we are to edify, exhort, and comfort those we are around then we must speak clearly the Words Of God!

We can be sure of one thing, the Holy Spirit will never inspire any message that cannot be understood by those He has already brought under conviction.

Salvation is a two part event. The Holy Spirit brings conviction and the Gospel will lead them to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.

On the day of Pentecost everyone heard the message in their own language!

Act 2:6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, "because that every man heard them speak in his own language".

And Paul continues:

*****1Co 14:6  Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
1Co 14:7  And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1Co 14:8  For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1Co 14:9  So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
1Co 14:10  There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:11  Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

The truth is unless we speak what has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and/or by thoughtful study of the Scriptures, what we say as a teacher or preacher or just to witness is useless if it cannot be understood!

Even instruments of music must be sounded with distinction and melody and in tune for the music to pleasant to the ears. Much more the human voice!

If God's people do not proclaim the Word of God in it's truth and in it's fulness, without compromising with the standards of worldly conduct then the Church will be unfit for the service of God, and this is what we are beginning to see in most churches today!

If an army is prepared for battle and they receive an uncertain order they will not move when they are supposed to or they will move to soon and either way the battle could be lost!

When our words are not distinguishable then we are only polluting God's air!

What is the real "climate change" in our world? The falseness and deceit that comes out of peoples mouths!

In 2009 there were 6909 known languages in our world and that number should be declining as times passes.

Each of these languages are understood by those who live within each family and each one has it's own significance.

Therefore:

If we do not clearly understand each other we will each be seen as barbarians to each other!

Barbarian in this verse means a foreigner.

If we remember the Tower of Babel when God caused there to be many different languages, it brought confusion and those that spoke the same language separated themselves from all the others.

Gen 11:7  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Gen 11:8  So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

This same thing has happened to the Church because of the many denominations that speak the Word of God by their own interpretation when God commands us not to!

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.

We are all to accept what God says as the complete truth, rightly divided!

If we truly want to be useful servants in the Church then we should desire better gifts of the Holy Spirit than some ability to speak in some language that no one else can understand!

*****1Co 14:12  Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
1Co 14:13  Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
1Co 14:14  For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
1Co 14:15  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
1Co 14:16  Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
1Co 14:17  For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

It must be clear to us all that the Church is here to make disciples.

In order to do that, we all must have a clear knowledge of the Word of God and then living our own life according to God's Word.

We will never be able to teach others what we refuse to do ourselves!

To edify is to build up Christian knowledge, instructing that knowledge, so to improve the mind of that one being instructed.

Repenting is not only changing the direction of a lost soul, it is the complete changing of his or her mind!

Only faith in the Word of God can accomplish these things!

It is true that when we pray the Holy Spirit may speak in utterances that only God can understand.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

It is also just as true that if we pray in some unknown language, we may be aware that we are praying but we will not even know what we are saying to God, who will certainly not answer such prayers.

Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Prayer is a most wonderful form of worship, why would we pray in words that we ourselves do not even understand.

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

When we sing why would sing with words that no one understands.

Psa 47:7  For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

There are many today who make a practice of these things and they are just as wrong as these Corinthians were wrong!

To say Amen is to confirm the words you have heard and pray for the fulfillment of those words!

How can we say "Amen" to words that we do not understand!

We can understand the truth of the Word of God and say "Amen" to those words!

2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

To be able to say "Amen" is just as important as the prayer itself!

There can be no profit to the Church when someone speaks in an unintelligible manner!

*****1Co 14:18  I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

The Apostle Paul was a highly educated man and it is said that he could speak in as many as six different languages.

Paul also had the powers given to him by Jesus.

The truth is if one does not address a congregation in words that they can understand then that speaker is wasting his time and also the time of those who are gathered.

In fact to do so is childish!

*****1Co 14:20  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
1Co 14:21  In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

Jesus said we are to be childlike in our faith:

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

There is a great difference in being childlike and being childish!

Childish behavior refers to the selfish and ignorant and silliness of children that come from a lack of understanding!

Paul said it was right to be like "infants" in malice, which means causing harm to others!

But in understanding the Word of God, we must all be mature!

Infants cannot cause much harm but grownups acting like children cause much harm wherever they are!

What does the Word of God say?

*****1Co 14:21  In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

Paul quotes directly from the Word of God:

Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

God also said that languages that could not be understood were a sign of trouble!

Jer 5:15  Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

Deu 28:49  The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
Deu 28:50  A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
Deu 28:51  And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.

Therefore speaking in words that could not be understood is not a good sign but a bad sign!

*****1Co 14:22  Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

The speaking in an unknown language was then a sign of the coming wrath and punishment inflicted on a rebellious and unbelieving people!

Speaking in an unknown language in this manner is not a sign of the "Grace Gifts" of God!

The speaking of tongues on the day of Pentecost was a major miracle to establish the Church and is not repeated in this day because we have the complete Word of God.

The gift of prophecy in the day of Paul was a much more desired gift to allow church growth and understanding and it to has now been replaced with preaching and teaching because we have the full and completed Word of God!

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

*****1Co 14:23  If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
1Co 14:24  But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
1Co 14:25  And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

It is the object of the Church to gain souls to the Lord not cause the loss of a single soul!

For those who insist on doing these things then closet prayer is where it should take place!

The English word "maniac" is derived from the Greek word "mainomai" which is used in this verse for "mad".

The natural reaction of anyone who came across someone speaking the gibberish of unknown language would be greatly multiplied if that person entered into a building where they all were doing so!

This thing would drive the precious soul of an unbeliever away.

The gift of prophecy is intended for the believer but the properly spoken Word of God can often bring an unbeliever to conviction to a point where they will also accept Christ Jesus!

What is the truth of every human being, even for those that reject the Word of God?

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

There can be no true atheist but there are many who just reject this truth!

It is the "Gospel" that can awaken these deep truths and the secrets of the heart be made known to them and then they will humble themselves before God and then begin to worship the Lord!

These things were not happening at Corinth because they all gathered with their own ideas of worship!

*****1Co 14:26  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

How divided was this church?

Everyone had their own special song and wanted all the others to acknowledge it.

Everyone had their own interpretation of the Scriptures and all others were wrong. Each had some hidden mystery that only he or she could reveal.

Everyone had their own unknown tongue and no one could understand what was said.

Everyone had their own interpretation of what was said and no one agreed.

Everyone wanted to take control of the worship service and have it their way!

The Apostle Paul said none of these things were edifying.

To edify is to build up the church and not to tear it apart!

To edify is to instruct, to improve the mind in the ways of the Lord!

God is not the author of confusion and this church at Corinth was a confused church.

*****1Co 14:27  If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:28  But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
1Co 14:29  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
1Co 14:30  If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
1Co 14:31  For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:32  And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
1Co 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

We can see how Paul rid this church of the use of tongues.

First he did not allow more than three to speak and they, one at a time.

The one was to interpret what the other one said.

Since speaking in unknown tongues is gibberish obviously there was no interpreter of what was said.

Since there was no interpreter then they were to keep silent and speak to themselves and to God!

Then Paul said let no more than two or three preach the Word of God and let the congregation judge what was said.

Prophesyings are not to be despised but we are to hold only to those things that are good.

1Th 5:20  Despise not Prophesyings.
1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

We are also to try the spirits!

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
These few things would eliminate most false prophets.

The congregation could then judge which message that was preached was of greater importance to the church.

Paul then said all that think they are called of God should get the opportunity to preach but no more than three in one service.

The truth is, a preacher truly called of God would not be acting like some raving maniac and speaking words that no one could understand.

The true man of God will be ready to preach the truth at all times!

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

2Ti 4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

God is not the author of confusion, which is also disorder and commotion.

God is the author of peace in the church!

Peace is the freedom from commotion!

*****1Co 14:34  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1Co 14:36  What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?

There is a reason these things were preached by the Apostle Paul and remember many questions had been asked that he is answering by the Word of God.

From the beginning God has said this:

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

God had assigned authority to the man at creation and it is the man who is to first be totally obedient to God before he serve his family.

Remember the head of Christ is God, the head of the man is Christ and the head of the woman is man.

This is the order of things as set by the Word of God!

The woman was given to man as an "help-meet" an aid to man's completeness.

These things do not change within the church!

For women to speak in public "in the culture of that day" would be an act of independence.

Remember in the Book of Acts, the Grecian women had needs that the Jewish women did not have and the first Deacons were brought into the church.

Paul said rather than just speak out in the church let the family discuss these things at home and together they could search for the answers.

Not to ask other men but to ask their own husband keeping the unity of the family which was establish before the church and it must remain that way!

This again was to stop some of the confusion in this church at Corinth!

The family must remain the most important structure in God's creation and then the Church!

In other words it is God, then the family, and then the Church!

It seems that this church in Corinth had adopted things that they felt should be in every church and we see this same thing go on today!

There are those who think the Word of God is out of date with today's culture and seek to change the Church.

The truth is God's Word is alive and is just as true today as it was when it was first inspired and given to the writers.

Not one word is to be changed until the Lord returns and all is fulfilled!

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

God will never go against His own words!

Neither should we!

*****1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Co 14:38  But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1Co 14:39  Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

These words of the Apostle Paul must be seen as the commandments of the Lord!

That being true, then these things are required of us by the Word of God to keep order in the church.

All those that reject the Word of God will still reject the truth no matter what is said.

In fact:

Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

The power to preach is desired by many but only those called of God are equipped to do this but we are all called to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ!

If we forbid the preaching in a foreign language then missionaries could not travel to foreign countries and do what God has called them to do.

God will equip them if He has sent them!

Worship in the Church must be in good order and harmony.

It does not mean we cannot shout and clap our hands.

It does not mean we cannot raise holy hands.

It does not mean we we cannot enjoy the Holy Ghost!

It does mean that the saved of the Lord should say so!

Questions?

Comments.

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