The Church Is the Place
Sermon
Christmas Grace
Cycle A Second Lesson Sermons for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany
Object:
The internet has changed the way people relate to each other. There now are a multitude of websites where people tell of their personal experiences, seek answers to their questions, or seek help for their problems. There are discussion forums where people can comment on anything and everything from politics and religion to personal relationships. People relate to another person's struggles and hope to find the advice or insight they desire. New communities are formed with people on various websites.
Nana claims that she was feeling far from God. She was seeking advice for ways to feel close to God. She told how she grew up in a Christian home but by her own admission during her freshmen year she began hanging out with "the wrong crowd" and began drinking. During that period she did not think about God at all. When she realized the error of her way she returned to her home church. Unfortunately, she did not feel welcome because, "everyone knows how I used to be," she explains. She is thinking about joining a new church where she could experience a fresh start. What advice would you offer?
She received several helpful responses. One person compared her situation with a child who makes a mistake. The writer claims that a parent does not stop loving a child because the child messed up. Hopefully the child learns from their mistake. Another person wanted to assure Nana that God still loves her. She was reminded that the church is a place for sinners, "no one there has the right to judge you," the person wrote so, "hold your head high."1
While the internet has changed the way people communicate with each other, one thing that has not changed is our human need to interact with other people. In days past people would write letters. Much insight is gained from reading a famous person's letters containing their thoughts over a long period of time.
When the Corinthian church began experiencing problems they wrote to the apostle Paul seeking his advice and hoping that he could offer solutions to their present difficulties. Reading Paul's letters is like reading someone's mail, or listening to a one-sided telephone conversation. While we do not know the specifics of the problems they were experiencing we can glean insight from Paul's response. It is also obvious that Paul loved and cared deeply for the people in that faith community. It must have broken his heart when he learned of the problems the Corinthians were experiencing.
The Corinthian congregation presented the apostle Paul with several major challenges. It is commonly believed that Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth. During that time Paul preached and taught about Jesus Christ. As people were converted to the Christian faith a church was started that met regularly for worship. Once the church was established it was time for Paul to move to another city to begin the process all over again.
Corinth was a thriving economic center inhabited by people from all over the Mediterranean world. Corinth was also a major port city that was filled with all sorts of vices. There were people who were well off and others who were poor. It does not take too much imagination to realize that amid such diversity, problems would soon ensue within that church.
Serious problems arose that threatened their unity and purpose. There was one group of people within the church who thought too highly of themselves. They thought they possessed superior spiritual gifts that in their mind made them better than everyone else. The result was that feelings were hurt, sides were drawn, and conflict erupted within the church. When problems arose the leaders wrote to Paul hoping that he could solve their dilemma and set them back on course.
Paul always affirmed the people who were dealing sensitively with the issues at hand. Paul's goal was always to build up the church and never tear it apart. In the first verse we discover that Paul was clear about who he was and what his mission was. Paul was called by God to be an apostle, a missionary to the Gentiles. His mission in life was to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to as many people as he could. That powerful vision would take Paul to places he never dreamed of going. Following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Paul found himself in situations that he had never thought possible.
In the opening of his letter Paul mentioned the name of another man, Sosthenes. While we do not know much about Sosthenes, we do know that he was the former leader of the Corinthian synagogue who at one time filed charges against Paul. Paul's preaching is credited with winning him over to Christ. Two to four years later he was assisting Paul in his missionary activity. Sosthenes was by Paul's side in Ephesus as Paul penned his letter.
Paul mentioned this man's name to remind his readers that God has been at work among them and that even former adversaries can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Even opponents can become friends because of their common devotion to Jesus Christ. Sometimes we are too quick to write someone off, saying such things as "that person will never change," when in reality God has been at work in that person's life. The time might come when that person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and changes. Paul no doubt shared with the Corinthians his own experience as a persecutor of the church and how his life was changed once he encountered the Lord Jesus who called him to preach the good news.
From that experience Paul was called to be an apostle. In the same way the Corinthians were chosen by God and called to be "saints." "To the church of God that is in Corinth," Paul wrote, reminding them that they were special, called by God to be saints. Even though they were experiencing some differences of opinion Paul was reminding them that they needed to continue working together to accomplish God's desire and purpose. They needed to pause to see the bigger picture of what God was calling them to do and cease their petty disputes.
We today are part of the body of Christ. We too are called by Jesus, to be the church. The church is the extension of the ministry that Jesus began. We became the hands and feet of Jesus going places and doing ministry that Jesus would do. We care for the "least of these" who are members of Jesus' family. We speak words of assurance to those who are confused or who struggle with issues of faith as Jesus would.
Sometimes we lose sight of the purpose of the church when we think it is all about us, our personal likes and dislikes, when in fact the church is called by God. The church primarily exists for the sake of others who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Like the Corinthians we need to work through our disagreements toward a common goal. God has called us together at this unique moment in time for a reason. Paul uses the word, "sanctified," which means set apart for God's holy purpose. We are set apart and marked as God's own people. We are here for a reason; we have much work to do. There are people who need to know Christ.
We need to join with other believers, "who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours." Our identity is formed not by looking at ourselves but by God through Jesus Christ. Within this larger context whatever disagreements we might have had will fade away as we become excited about our mission and ministry.
In spite of their problems Paul sincerely gave thanks to God for them. "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus." Paul was able to thank God for the people in that community of faith, for all their prayers and gifts. Paul offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God for each person in that church. When we do not see eye to eye with another person we need to follow Paul's example and pray for them, thanking God for their witness.
We experience God's grace in our lives when we first respond to Jesus' call upon our lives. Grace also continues to sustain us in our daily walk with Christ. God's grace has a transforming element to it, working in our lives to draw us closer to Jesus. Grace can change and transform our lives making us more and more like Jesus each and every day.
Paul assured the congregation that they had indeed "been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind..." God had given the people everything they needed to be in ministry, they had all the gifts they needed as Paul wrote, "You are not lacking in any spiritual gift." However, spiritual gifts were misunderstood and even abused in that church by some who thought too highly of themselves and viewed them as a means to for their own personal edification. They momentarily forgot that all spiritual gifts come from God and are not of our own device but are meant to be shared within the congregation and used to build up the church.
What Paul wrote to the Corinthians could very well be said to us, we have all the gifts we need to be in ministry in our community. The focus then becomes on discovering and using our God-inspired gifts in concert with other believers to build up the body of Christ, the church. This will lead to the transformation of our community, nation, and ultimately our world. We need to remain focused on what we are as the church, keeping our vision and mission ever before us.
Our strength and endurance for ministry comes from our Lord Jesus. Paul assures us that Jesus, "will also strengthen you to the end..." The church has talented, committed, gifted people, so the question becomes what is preventing us from becoming all we can be?
Like countless others, Athena Dean was consumed by worldly success. She admits that she was using her talents to encourage people to make money rather than inspire them to a closer walk with Jesus. She became possessed with making more and more money to the extent that her religious routine had been on automatic pilot. She described her faith as a quick prayer and a few minutes glancing at a Psalm. "I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard God's voice," she acknowledged. She was earning more money than she had ever dreamed possible.
Then one weekend she was alone in her house and felt an overwhelming urge to pray. God began to show her that she had been using her God-given abilities to motivate people for the wrong ends. The next week she attended a leadership conference but as people spoke she realized how far she had strayed from where God wanted her to be. She prayed, "God, forgive me for being so deceived!"
Athena told her business associates that she was finished. She never again wanted anything in her life that was not God's will. With that she started a new business venture that allowed her to spend more time with her family. She began using her spiritual gifts at church on various ministry projects. God continues to work in her life. Today Athena has chosen to be consumed by God's Spirit and by doing God's will. "There's no question in my mind I've made the right choice," she says with confidence.2
Paul reminded the troubled Corinthians that even in the face of frustration, or failure, or faithlessness, God remains faithful. Paul states, "God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Our faithlessness cannot and will not cancel out the faithfulness of God! God is always faithful! Whatever difficulties the Corinthians were experiencing God's grace would see them through. The same is true for us -- we are under-girded by God's grace in all that we do. Amen.
__________
1. Christian Fellowship and Prayer Forum, www.web-church.com/christian-forums.
2. Athena Dean, "Consumed by Success," Today's Christian Woman, January/ February 1997, Vol. 19, No. 1, page 30.
Nana claims that she was feeling far from God. She was seeking advice for ways to feel close to God. She told how she grew up in a Christian home but by her own admission during her freshmen year she began hanging out with "the wrong crowd" and began drinking. During that period she did not think about God at all. When she realized the error of her way she returned to her home church. Unfortunately, she did not feel welcome because, "everyone knows how I used to be," she explains. She is thinking about joining a new church where she could experience a fresh start. What advice would you offer?
She received several helpful responses. One person compared her situation with a child who makes a mistake. The writer claims that a parent does not stop loving a child because the child messed up. Hopefully the child learns from their mistake. Another person wanted to assure Nana that God still loves her. She was reminded that the church is a place for sinners, "no one there has the right to judge you," the person wrote so, "hold your head high."1
While the internet has changed the way people communicate with each other, one thing that has not changed is our human need to interact with other people. In days past people would write letters. Much insight is gained from reading a famous person's letters containing their thoughts over a long period of time.
When the Corinthian church began experiencing problems they wrote to the apostle Paul seeking his advice and hoping that he could offer solutions to their present difficulties. Reading Paul's letters is like reading someone's mail, or listening to a one-sided telephone conversation. While we do not know the specifics of the problems they were experiencing we can glean insight from Paul's response. It is also obvious that Paul loved and cared deeply for the people in that faith community. It must have broken his heart when he learned of the problems the Corinthians were experiencing.
The Corinthian congregation presented the apostle Paul with several major challenges. It is commonly believed that Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth. During that time Paul preached and taught about Jesus Christ. As people were converted to the Christian faith a church was started that met regularly for worship. Once the church was established it was time for Paul to move to another city to begin the process all over again.
Corinth was a thriving economic center inhabited by people from all over the Mediterranean world. Corinth was also a major port city that was filled with all sorts of vices. There were people who were well off and others who were poor. It does not take too much imagination to realize that amid such diversity, problems would soon ensue within that church.
Serious problems arose that threatened their unity and purpose. There was one group of people within the church who thought too highly of themselves. They thought they possessed superior spiritual gifts that in their mind made them better than everyone else. The result was that feelings were hurt, sides were drawn, and conflict erupted within the church. When problems arose the leaders wrote to Paul hoping that he could solve their dilemma and set them back on course.
Paul always affirmed the people who were dealing sensitively with the issues at hand. Paul's goal was always to build up the church and never tear it apart. In the first verse we discover that Paul was clear about who he was and what his mission was. Paul was called by God to be an apostle, a missionary to the Gentiles. His mission in life was to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to as many people as he could. That powerful vision would take Paul to places he never dreamed of going. Following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Paul found himself in situations that he had never thought possible.
In the opening of his letter Paul mentioned the name of another man, Sosthenes. While we do not know much about Sosthenes, we do know that he was the former leader of the Corinthian synagogue who at one time filed charges against Paul. Paul's preaching is credited with winning him over to Christ. Two to four years later he was assisting Paul in his missionary activity. Sosthenes was by Paul's side in Ephesus as Paul penned his letter.
Paul mentioned this man's name to remind his readers that God has been at work among them and that even former adversaries can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Even opponents can become friends because of their common devotion to Jesus Christ. Sometimes we are too quick to write someone off, saying such things as "that person will never change," when in reality God has been at work in that person's life. The time might come when that person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and changes. Paul no doubt shared with the Corinthians his own experience as a persecutor of the church and how his life was changed once he encountered the Lord Jesus who called him to preach the good news.
From that experience Paul was called to be an apostle. In the same way the Corinthians were chosen by God and called to be "saints." "To the church of God that is in Corinth," Paul wrote, reminding them that they were special, called by God to be saints. Even though they were experiencing some differences of opinion Paul was reminding them that they needed to continue working together to accomplish God's desire and purpose. They needed to pause to see the bigger picture of what God was calling them to do and cease their petty disputes.
We today are part of the body of Christ. We too are called by Jesus, to be the church. The church is the extension of the ministry that Jesus began. We became the hands and feet of Jesus going places and doing ministry that Jesus would do. We care for the "least of these" who are members of Jesus' family. We speak words of assurance to those who are confused or who struggle with issues of faith as Jesus would.
Sometimes we lose sight of the purpose of the church when we think it is all about us, our personal likes and dislikes, when in fact the church is called by God. The church primarily exists for the sake of others who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Like the Corinthians we need to work through our disagreements toward a common goal. God has called us together at this unique moment in time for a reason. Paul uses the word, "sanctified," which means set apart for God's holy purpose. We are set apart and marked as God's own people. We are here for a reason; we have much work to do. There are people who need to know Christ.
We need to join with other believers, "who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours." Our identity is formed not by looking at ourselves but by God through Jesus Christ. Within this larger context whatever disagreements we might have had will fade away as we become excited about our mission and ministry.
In spite of their problems Paul sincerely gave thanks to God for them. "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus." Paul was able to thank God for the people in that community of faith, for all their prayers and gifts. Paul offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God for each person in that church. When we do not see eye to eye with another person we need to follow Paul's example and pray for them, thanking God for their witness.
We experience God's grace in our lives when we first respond to Jesus' call upon our lives. Grace also continues to sustain us in our daily walk with Christ. God's grace has a transforming element to it, working in our lives to draw us closer to Jesus. Grace can change and transform our lives making us more and more like Jesus each and every day.
Paul assured the congregation that they had indeed "been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind..." God had given the people everything they needed to be in ministry, they had all the gifts they needed as Paul wrote, "You are not lacking in any spiritual gift." However, spiritual gifts were misunderstood and even abused in that church by some who thought too highly of themselves and viewed them as a means to for their own personal edification. They momentarily forgot that all spiritual gifts come from God and are not of our own device but are meant to be shared within the congregation and used to build up the church.
What Paul wrote to the Corinthians could very well be said to us, we have all the gifts we need to be in ministry in our community. The focus then becomes on discovering and using our God-inspired gifts in concert with other believers to build up the body of Christ, the church. This will lead to the transformation of our community, nation, and ultimately our world. We need to remain focused on what we are as the church, keeping our vision and mission ever before us.
Our strength and endurance for ministry comes from our Lord Jesus. Paul assures us that Jesus, "will also strengthen you to the end..." The church has talented, committed, gifted people, so the question becomes what is preventing us from becoming all we can be?
Like countless others, Athena Dean was consumed by worldly success. She admits that she was using her talents to encourage people to make money rather than inspire them to a closer walk with Jesus. She became possessed with making more and more money to the extent that her religious routine had been on automatic pilot. She described her faith as a quick prayer and a few minutes glancing at a Psalm. "I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard God's voice," she acknowledged. She was earning more money than she had ever dreamed possible.
Then one weekend she was alone in her house and felt an overwhelming urge to pray. God began to show her that she had been using her God-given abilities to motivate people for the wrong ends. The next week she attended a leadership conference but as people spoke she realized how far she had strayed from where God wanted her to be. She prayed, "God, forgive me for being so deceived!"
Athena told her business associates that she was finished. She never again wanted anything in her life that was not God's will. With that she started a new business venture that allowed her to spend more time with her family. She began using her spiritual gifts at church on various ministry projects. God continues to work in her life. Today Athena has chosen to be consumed by God's Spirit and by doing God's will. "There's no question in my mind I've made the right choice," she says with confidence.2
Paul reminded the troubled Corinthians that even in the face of frustration, or failure, or faithlessness, God remains faithful. Paul states, "God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Our faithlessness cannot and will not cancel out the faithfulness of God! God is always faithful! Whatever difficulties the Corinthians were experiencing God's grace would see them through. The same is true for us -- we are under-girded by God's grace in all that we do. Amen.
__________
1. Christian Fellowship and Prayer Forum, www.web-church.com/christian-forums.
2. Athena Dean, "Consumed by Success," Today's Christian Woman, January/ February 1997, Vol. 19, No. 1, page 30.
