Introduction A. The problem with the Corinthian church was that it was too Corinthian. B. What does it mean to be separate from the world, how is this accomplished, and how important is it to our lives and destinies? I. Separation is often unpleasant, but sometimes it is necessary. A. We do not enjoy separation from family (cf. Genesis 2:24). B. Sometimes it is essential for life (1 Corinthians 5:4-8). C. Death brings pain, but all must experience it...
None of Self
Introduction Of all the virtues that Christianity teaches, selflessness lies at the center, for until we learn to give up ourselves and to put God first, we will never know what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. I. The world tells us to watch out first for ourselves. A. Selfish men of the Bible include Lot (Genesis 13:10-12), Achan (Joshua 7:21), and Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-10). B. In each case the fruit of selfishness was destruction (Genesis 19:24-38...
Hold That Line!
Introduction A. Every serious football fan knows that the backbone of a successful offense is in the offensive line. B. We need some men and women in the church who have the strength and willingness to “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30). I. The faithful had to hold the lines from the error. A. The Galatians had to hold against Judaism (Galatians 5:1-4). B. Paul charged Timothy to help hold the line in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:1-6). C. John told...
“Examine Yourselves”
Introduction A. Examinations are usually unpleasant, but they are necessary. B. We know that frequent self-examinations are better, but few of us have the discipline it takes to perform them. C. Whether we examine ourselves or not, we can be sure that the devil will put us to the test (Matthew 4:1-10; 1 Corinthians 7:5). I.How can we examine ourselves? A. First, we need a reliable standard (2 Timothy 3:16-17). B. A thorough examination requires...
Stand Up for Jesus!
Introduction A. While it is easy to stand for Jesus in an assembly like this one, it can be more difficult to take a stand in a more difficult situation. B. When the time comes for us to take a stand when it matters the most, do we take a stand, or do we elect to keep our seats? I. We must stand, even when it feels like we are standing alone. A. Many of the prophets felt this way (1 Kings 19:9-18; 22:8). B. Paul was not afraid to stand alone...
Dedication
Introduction A. The Jews dedicated the temple to God’s service on several occasions in their history (2 Chronicles 7:1-6; Ezra 6:15-17; John 10:22). B. To be dedicated means to set something apart for a specific purpose (2 Chronicles 2:4) or to commit oneself to a goal at any cost. C. We may be dedicated to many trivial pursuits in life, but what really matters is how dedicated we are in our service to God. I. The Scriptures reveal some...
The God of All Comfort
Introduction A. When Jesus told His disciples He was going to the Father, He promised to send the Comforter to them (John 14:16,26). B. When Paul had so many troubles that he “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8), he was still able to find comfort. C. Where can we go to find comfort in this troubled world? I. We can find comfort in God’s strength. A. There are times we need to be reminded of how weak we are (2 Corinthians 1:8-9; 5:1-2; 12:9)...
Open Hearts
Introduction A. In this present age we learn to guard our hearts very carefully, but if we give up on believing in anything or anyone, we lose so much. B. The truth is that there are some things that we can and must believe in; we just need the wisdom to discern what things they are (2 Corinthians 7:2-3; Galatians 4:17-18). I. We must never close our hearts to God’s Word. A. We must guard our hearts against Satan and his wiles (Acts 5:3...
The Greatest Thing
Introduction A. After dealing one-by-one with the problems in Corinth, Paul offers the solution to every problem: love (1 Corinthians 13:13). B. Paul contrasts love with other great things, and, after analyzing it thoroughly, he concludes that love excels them all. I. Paul first contrasts love with other great things (vss. 1-3). A. He contrasts it with miraculous gifts (vs. 1-2a). B. He contrasts it with faith (vs. 2b). C. He contrasts it with charity (vs. 3a)...
Sowing the Seed
Introduction In our discussion of sowing and reaping, it is imperative that we consider the evangelistic application of the seed principle as set forth in Jesus’ parable of the sower. I. There are some things that are prerequisite to effective sowing. A. The first thing one needs is good seed (Deuteronomy 22:9; cf. Matthew 13:25). B. We also need love for the proper motivation (Ephesians 4:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Philippians 1:15-17)...