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A 21st Century Church
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A 21st Century Church

the big idea:

It seems as though a church 2000 years old wouldn’t have a lot to say to us today. Yet, in so many ways the church in Corinth could have been a 21 st century church. The culture in which the Corinthian Christians lived, the issues the church was dealing with, their joys and their struggles—it’s a snapshot of our world and the church today.

Without a doubt, 1 Corinthians is controversial for the leader, pastor, and preacher. The letter is quite practical as Paul applies the gospel to daily life in the church. Ironically, a letter written to unify the church has proven to be a source of great division historically. Controversy abounds, it seems, when discussing sex, divorce, spiritual gifts, women speaking in church, church discipline, and Christian liberty.

In this series we’ll plumb the depths of how broken the church is, explore the lessons and warnings for ourselves, and see how even in our own brokenness the gospel of Jesus shines through.

Over the course of this series we’ll be looking at 1 Corinthians in three parts. Part 1 will focus on the sections of Corinthians that deal with matters specifically related to the church. We’ll see that the church is a Beautiful Mess. In part 2 we spend some time in chapters 5-7 which talk about God’s will for sex and marriage. This will be a very timely, challenging and practical study under the title: Intimacy and Purity. The final section will take a look at spiritual gifts and God’s plan to mobilize his people under the theme Fully Equipped.

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:4-9).

Part One: A Beautiful Mess

Part Two: Intimacy and Purity

Part Three: Fully Equipped

A Servant Heart

The gifts and abilities we have can be put to use for all kinds of different goals, but the ultimate goal is to use what God has given us to bless, encourage, support and build up others. Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 14

Love Can’t Be, “Look at Me!”

Our society has morphed the definition of Love so that it is almost indecipherable from the real thing. Jesus was true love, and Paul defines what that love looks like. How can you show true love? Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Body Building

The Holy Spirit deals out spiritual gifts just as they are needed for the well-being of Christ’s church. That means that every person is essential.

The Single Individual

We talk about the issues related to intimacy and purity that single and re-singled individuals deal with and share God’s counsel to them.

The Married Couple

We look specifically at what God says about intimacy and purity and God’s design within the marriage relationship.

We Need to Talk

Because of what’s going on in our world today, we need to talk-openly and honestly about sexuality and God’s design for marriage. 1 Corinthians 5

A Very Special Sacrament

We want to understand what gifts we are receiving in the Lord’s Supper so that we do not fail to care for the soul of everyone who receives it with us.

Giving Up Our Rights

The church joyfully gives up its preferences if that will allow us to meet the perceived needs of those outside the church because God’s greatest desire is that all people come to know Jesus as we know him.