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Good Monday morning to you friends, on the 150 day Summer journey with me. Today we’ll together finish Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians.
As we read through 1 Corinthians, 16 it seems clear Paul is preparing once again for travels. He’s been in Ephesus nearly three years. Acts 19:10-20 give us amazing insights into a mighty work of God during that time. This short phrase is quite a summary: “…the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” (19:20)
It was during this great moving of God in Ephesus, that Paul was writing to the Christians in Corinth, who were experiencing such dysfunction and discord. We see in both Acts 19:21 and 1 Corinthians 16:3-12 Paul and his companions had been holding discussions regarding their upcoming travels and who would go where, to continue encouraging the established churches, and bring the Gospel to new places.
I’m sure you notice in vs. 1-4, Paul’s brief instructions to the Corinthian church, to bring their offerings each Sunday, as they gather, and prepare to send some finances as a help, to the church in Jerusalem. We presume most of the Apostles were still in Jerusalem. History tells us famine and the iron fist of Rome had make life very difficult for Christians living in Judea. Therefore Paul urged the churches he had planted to send financial help to Jerusalem, to help care for the needs of widows, poor and others there, but also to send out others like Paul, as missionaries, taking the Gospel to other places.
Friends, I hope you understand the remarkable privilege we have as Christians, to view ALL our resources, as coming from God. Right? And WHY does God bless us with finances? First, for the purpose of accomplishing His strategic plans on earth, and SECONDLY, for caring for our daily needs. Isn’t it a wonderful adventure to look at our resources, knowing they are God’s, and listening to His guiding of us, in managing those resources as He involves us in His global strategic purposes… Rather than looking at our resources and thinking about buying power for accumulating more stuff, or selfish and wasteful spending on ourselves, or even thinking about potential to shower inheritance abundance upon our children and grandchildren? Oh my friends, may we have a great spirit of financial gratitude and generosity, as we seek God’s guidance for the distribution and use of all His resources that He has entrusted to us.
Here’s a Scripture for your consideration on this topic: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it….People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, for the love of money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
Notice Paul’s challenge to the Corinthian Christians in vs 13, that they “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” Paul knew Corinth, just like Ephesus, and every other city and town, needed mature Christians who would be reliable leaders in times when the society is in upheaval. Do you see that need in America and even your town in our day?
I think the Ephesus riot described in Acts 19:23-20:1, was beginning to gather momentum, and so Paul was writing out of personal experience as the tensions grew all around him. My guess is he concluded this letter of 1 Corinthians rather abruptly, signed it in his own hand, as you see in vs. 21, and sent it off to Corinth. Perhaps in the care of Timothy and maybe the three men mentioned in vs. 17.
I invite you to read about the Ephesus riot in Acts 19, and ask yourself this question: When considering the Gospel / the Christians who live in your area of the country; / and the churches in your community,… what impact are we having on the culture of America where we each live?
In Ephesus, clearly Paul and the Christians in that city were having a disruptive effect, as people were turning away from their purchase and worship of silver idols. It was affecting the local economy. Earlier in Acts 19 we saw a huge book burning as Christians were destroying the materials they had used in sorcery and witchcraft. These are two examples of impact on society that Christians in Ephesus were having… and it resulted in a riot! I wonder what you think about that…and what difference we Christians are making in America?
We all remember God’s 2 Chronicles 7:14 promise, right? If MY people, who are called by MY name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” So, how do you see this verse at work in America today?
So Acts 20:1-3 tell us Paul left Ephesus rather quickly after the riot, and went again through Macedonia, revisiting the Christians in places like Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and he ended up in Athens. We believe it was from there that Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians, and then soon after, followed that letter with a short personal visit to Corinth. We’ll begin reading that letter, 2 Corinthians, tomorrow.
May I invite us to ponder these questions as we conclude our reading of 1 Corinthians…
1. How similar or different is your church from the dysfunctionality of the Corinthian church which motivated Paul to write this first letter to them?
2. What impact is your church, the Christians who live in your community and even YOU as one Christian, having on the community where you live?
3. If you had to pack up and leave your community rather quickly, in the next few days, as Paul did, what lasting legacy would you leave behind there?
4. Finally… What do you imagine God has in HIS mind, that He would like to accomplish, with your involvement and mine, between today and the beginning of the year 2020, in our world? How many times have we heard the year 2020 as a benchmark goal for something? 2020 is 190 days from today.
1st Corinthians has been a powerful letter hasn’t it. 2nd Corinthians will be also, I can hardly wait for tomorrow. As we close 1 Corinthians, I echo Paul’s words in vs. 23&24… “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus, Amen.”
Lord Jesus, please bless each of these dear friends on the summer 2019 journey with me. You know how each of us needs Your touch…
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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