Have you ever wondered how a very bad college football team or even a very bad NFL team can go from division, rivalry, blaming everyone else for their issues to becoming a championship team in a very short period of time? Normally there are some very drastic changes that take place. A new head coach, changes in management, changes in the players themselves or all of the above. These changes help the team to become focused and to learn how to work together as a team again. As you read 1 Corinthians you may begin to ask yourself this question: how we who have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have been enriched in Christ Jesus with all of the spiritual gifts from God the Father through the ministry of the Holy Spirit argue, have division among them, have different opinions and judgments, full of rivalries, pride boastfulness in what they have accomplished ever become a Church body that fulfills the great commission? God in his wisdom knows how to bring each person in the body of Christ to a place where they no longer rely on their own wisdom but learn to fully trust, lean on, depend on, God’s wisdom and power that is revealed in Christ Jesus. Please read 1 Corinthians 1:26-30. God teaches us three ways that he stops people from causing division in the church and boasting about themselves along with their accomplishments. The first way Jesus stops people from causing division and bragging about themselves in the body of Christ is to stop and to consider their calling. Stop and consider your salvation! The Lord Jesus through his servant Paul, reveals to us that not many of us are wise by the world’s standards, not many of us are powerful by the world’s standards and not many of us are of noble birth. In fact, according to the world’s wisdom, anyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross for atonement of their sins is not wise. The truth is there are not very many people in the church who can influence the outcome of certain course of events they way they like. In fact not very many people in the Church are born into nobility. As we read verses 27-29 we read how God chose for himself foolish things of the world to shame the wise, how he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong and how he chose those things those people which are not to nullify the things that are. The reason why he did this is so that no person can boast before the Lord as having accomplished his or her salvation. The only reason why any of us are saved from our sins and born again in Christ Jesus is because of God the Father. Notice what the Scripture teaches, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36 NIV) Here is another passage of Scripture for you to think about concerning your salvation if you are born again in Christ Jesus: “Just as he chose us in Him before the foundations of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (Ephesians 1:4 NASB) Since we have responded to the call of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, he has become for us our wisdom, righteousness, holiness and redemption. The Lord Jesus teaches us the fear of God, he has paid the price to set us free from sins dominion over us so that we are in a right relationship with him and the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who can take a church body that is divided and bring unity in the body of Christ so that they go from being divided to being on mission with the Lord. God does this through the power of his Spirit working through his word to bring about a transformation of heart in the lives of people. Are you surrendered and submitted to the Lord Jesus so that he can do this in your life?
Categories: Weekly Sermon