(#022) 1 Corinthians 5 & 6 - Christians Don’t Live by the Thinking of the World

Are you seeking Christ or charmin?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome To 

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

 

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God.  As Lord He is 100% Deity…He is God the Son.  He is also 100% human just like you and me and His name is Jesus Christ.  The Lord…God the Son…became flesh…Jesus Christ...and lived among us.  He is the Sovereign God of the Universe…He is the Savior of the whole world…and He is the Jewish Messiah.  

 

Those who make Barah Ministries their spiritual home believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. We are Christians, and we have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord.  The Lord Jesus Christ is a Person.  He’s not a thing, and He’s not a concept.  Just as we would do with any person whom we love, we spend time getting to know the Lord through the study of His Word.  You can’t get to know the Lord without knowing His mind, and the Bible is His exact thinking.

 

During a crisis, especially a crisis like the one that is going on in the world right now…a crisis described as a pandemic…where the most brilliant, most sophisticated medical community in the history of mankind has suddenly forgotten how to deal effectively with a virus…it’s easy to forget one immutable and irrevocable fact…revealed in Hebrews, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 3…

 

HEBREWS 1:1

God the Father revealed Himself long ago to the church fathers through the prophets…by various means and in various ways…

 

HEBREWS 1:2

…and in recent days God the Father has revealed Himself to us through His Son (the Lord), whom God the Father appointed as heir of all things… through this Son also whom God the Father made the universe.

 

HEBREWS 1:3 

And the Lord Jesus Christ is the radiance of God the Father’s glory and He is the exact representation of God the Father’s nature…and the Lord Jesus Christ UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER.

 

The Sovereign God of the Universe, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is in complete control of the universe…nothing has changed that and nothing will…and, of course, He is complete control of every single aspect of the madness that has swept through the souls of everyone in the world.  Therefore, as believers in Christ, while all others around us are losing their heads…we do not lose ours…we refuse to be afraid.  In Isaiah, Chapter 41, Verse 10, the Lord tells us…

 

ISAIAH 41:10

‘Do not fear, for I (the Lord) am with you…do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you…surely I will help you… surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 

The covenant the Lord has made with His believers is UNconditional and irrevocable…it will never change…just as His covenant to His Chosen Nation Israel and to the Jewish Race will never change…therefore we are not afraid…Second Timothy, Chapter 1, Verse 7 says…

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 1:7

God the Father has not given us believers in Christ a spirit of fear…but He has given us a spirit of divine power and a spirit of unconditional love and a spirit of self-discipline.

 

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gives us peace in our souls that is not available in the world.  The night before He was crucified…a night that would turn the apostle's lives upside down, the Lord was encouraging in John, Chapter 14, Verse 27…

 

 

JOHN 14:27

Peace I (the Lord Jesus Christ) leave with you…My peace I give to you…not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled…nor let your heart be fearful.

 

As believers in Christ, we fear nothing.  We are not anxious.  We are not worried.  We are keeping our heads when all about us are losing theirs because we have a spiritual life…we have a God who is on our side and who is in complete control of everything.  Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 1…

 

HEBREWS 4:1

Therefore, let us believers in Christ fear…if we fear anything…that while a promise remains of entering His rest…any one of you may seem to have come short of it.

 

That’s a fancy way of God saying to us, “Chill…I’ve got you.” 

 

Barah Ministries makes a difference by teaching the Word of God from the Lord Jesus Christ’s perspective, and not from man’s perspective.  We search the Scriptures to learn who the Lord is as a Person, and to learn what our God has to say about Himself, about His plan for all mankind, and about His personal plan for each of us.  We are here to look at our lives from His perspective.  We are here to learn how to enjoy the sphere of grace, forgiveness and unconditional love in which we stand, especially in the midst of complete chaos.  Welcome! 

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Don’t Live by the Thinking of the World

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

In all of Matthew Chapter 23, but especially in Matthew, Chapter 23, Verses 23 and 24…the Lord Jesus Christ is quite critical of the Pharisees…

 

MATTHEW 23:23a 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…you hypocrites!”

 

MATTHEW 23:24

You are blind guides…who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

The Pharisees were focused on small things and were missing big things.  So it is in the world today.  We’re worried about a completely controllable virus (a gnat) and ignoring our relationship with God (swallowing a camel).

 

So it was in the church at Corinth.  The arrogant social elitists of the Christian church at Corinth ignored incest in their congregation (the camel), but were suing fellow believers over minor disputes (the gnat) and were taking the case before unbelievers in the courts of the day.  It’s a spiritual breakdown much like the one we are witnessing where pagans in the news media are causing alarm in the souls of believers in Christ.  In today's lesson, we'll learn that the very things we are experiencing today have been going on for years. 

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Once I was asked, “What is God the Father doing right now?”  At the time, I thought it was a stupid question, After a little research, it turns out it was a brilliant question.  God the Father is doing a host of things right now, and among the most important, He is listening to every prayer that is being raised up to the heavens.  First John, Chapter 5, Verses 14 and 15 assure it…

 

FIRST JOHN 5:14

This is the confidence which we have before God the Father…that, if we ask anything according to His will, the Father hears us.

 

FIRST JOHN 5:15 

And if we know that God the Father hears us in whatever we ask, and of course we do know that, then we know that WE ALREADY HAVE THE REQUESTS which we have asked from Him.

 

Here’s June Murphy to give us some instructions on how to pray with her song WE PRAY TO THE FATHER.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

WE PRAY TO THE FATHER

June Murphy

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for never changing!  Thank you that we can count on You.  Thank you for putting Your Son…our Lord…Jesus Christ in charge of the Universe.  We’re grateful that we can count on Him to do His job.  Father, like all those in the world are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, paralyzed with fear, thinking that their security lies in hand sanitizer and toilet paper…help us believers in Christ be the calm for others amidst the storm.  Give us the courage not to be part of the hysteria…give us the wisdom not to be part of the problem…instead give us the compassion to be a part of the solution as we lead others to the eye of this hurricane…to You, Father…where the calm of a renewed mind and divine power lives…let us be strengthened by the power of Your Word…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s

name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Don’t Live by the Thinking of the World

 

We’re studying the fourth passage of the apostle Paul’s first letter to a church he established in Corinth…the Las Vegas of the ancient world…and this passage in the letter extends from First Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 1 to First Corinthians, Chapter 6, Verse 20.  The passage addresses some pretty meaty issues, like incest…lawsuits…and prostitution.  We’ve taken a look at the incest passage and now we transition to the part of the passage about lawsuits.

 

As a reminder, there is an arrogant and socially elite group in the church at Corinth who think they are better than the lesser member of the church.  In fact, they are immoral perverts.  In First Corinthians, Chapter 5, these elitists are ignoring the conduct of a man that is having sex with his step-mother and flaunting it…First Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 1 says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 5:1

It is actually reported (by Chloe’s people and others) that there is sexual immorality among you…the kind of sexual immorality that is not even considered okay among the Gentiles (unbelievers…who find some conduct repugnant) … that someone is having sex with his father’s wife (the man’s step-mother).

 

Paul dealt successfully with this individual, but in the letter, he is taking the congregation to task for how they are handling the situation. In the next part of the passage, he is taking them to task again for mishandling another situation.  To make it simple for you, there is a minor dispute among members of the congregation.  It is not revealed what the dispute is…only that it is minor.  For the sake of illustration, let's say this is a dispute over a loan.  These are wealthy people.  One congregation member…a believer in Christ...has loaned another congregation member…also a believer in Christ…0.    When the loan is not paid back, rather than handling the matter themselves, they take the dispute to court.  Doing so brings ridicule to the church because the matter is petty…and it hinders the advance of the gospel.  Would unbelievers want anything to do with a church that was no different than the world?  These believers in Christ are straining out a gnat…they’re arguing over a small loan…and they are swallowing a camel…they’re missing the chance to evangelize with the gospel message in a locale that desperately needs a spiritual life.

 

Let’s take a look at the passage…First Corinthians, Chapter 6, Verses 1 to 12…

 

Passage 4-Section 3

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:1

Does any one of you, when he has a legal case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous (unbelievers) and not before the saints (the righteous ones)? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:2 

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you (the saints)…are you not competent to judge the most insignificant cases? 

 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:3 

Do you not know that (as saints) we will judge angels?  How much more, then, will we judge the ordinary matters of this life? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:4 

So, if you have law courts dealing with the ordinary matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges…instead of appointing those who are disdained in your church? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:5 

I say this to shame you!  Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:6 

But brother goes to law with brother, and that going to law before unbelievers? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:7 

Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:8 

On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:9 

Or do you not know that the unrighteous (unbelievers) will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived…neither fornicators…nor idolaters… nor adulterers…nor effeminate (males sexually penetrated by males) … nor homosexuals (those who penetrate effeminate males) …

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:10 

…nor thieves…nor the greedy…nor drunkards…nor revilers…nor swindlers…will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:11 

Such were some of you…you were of these lifestyles…but then you were washed (with the water of the Word…the gospel message)…you were sanctified (set apart in union with Christ)…you were justified (legally declared as righteous) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the (baptism of the) Spirit of our God and Father.

 

The result of divisions and rivalries in this congregation is more childish behavior…more things that tear congregations apart.  Christians don’t live by the thinking of the world.  In asking His Father to take care of His apostles and of all believers in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ says in John, Chapter 17, Verse 16 on the night before His crucifixion…

 

JOHN 17:16

They (the apostles and all believers) are not of the world (they are in union with Me)…even as I am not of the world.

 

As believers in Christ, we are in the world but we are not of the world…we are not to think like the world.  Churches are canceling services today.  How are believers in Christ supposed to get the truth if the churches of the day are thinking like the world…in a panic…scared about a virus.  We have been dealing with viruses our whole lives and know absolutely nothing about them…yet we live.  We hand our newborns off to people to hold…people who are sick holding newborn babies who have no ability to ward off disease.  And when they get sick, the body forms antibodies and we recover…we live.  Our bodies have been adapting forever.  Now suddenly toilet paper and hand sanitizer if the new antidote for an unknown virus.

 

When we return from our five-minute break, we’ll take your offering, and then we’ll see what Paul has to say to the church at Corinth about this latest mishandling of a routine matter.

 

FIVE MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Don’t Live by the Thinking of the World

 

When we GIVE, we present something voluntarily without any expectation of return compensation.  We can give our time…we can give our talent…we can give our treasure.  Because of my relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I’ve learned to make giving my life’s work, without expecting anything in return.  I can tell you with all honesty that the Lord has not honored my desire to get nothing in return.  He always gives to me in abundance.  John, Chapter 10, Verse 10 says…

 

JOHN 10:10

The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) came that believers in Christ may have the resurrection life…and I came so they might have the resurrection life abundantly.

 

As a result of the Lord’s generosity, I have learned not to have a mindset of scarcity in the matter of giving.  As you give today…give without fear… give abundantly…knowing that with the Lord you will ALWAYS get abundance in return.

 

Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.//And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

David Bauer, Instrumental

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Don’t Live by the Thinking of the World

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!  In Exodus, Chapter 21, Verses 1 to 4 we learn…

 

EXODUS 20:1

Then (Jehovah Elohim…the Lord) God (the Son)…spoke all these words, saying…

 

EXODUS 20:2 

“I am the Lord your God…who brought you out of the land of Egypt…who brought you out of the house of slavery.”

 

EXODUS 20:3 

“You shall have no other gods instead of Me.”

 

EXODUS 20:4 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol (of carved wood or stone)…or any likeness of what is in the sky above (the sun, the stars, the moon)…or an idol of what is on the earth (animals)…or an idol of what is beneath the earth in the waters under the earth (fish and other marine life).”

 

EXODUS 20:5 

“You shall not worship them or serve them…for I, the Lord…your God…am a jealous God…”

 

In her song, Lauren Daigle encourages us to keep God FIRST.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

FIRST

Lauren Daigle

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Don’t Live by the Thinking of the World

 

Let's see what Paul is saying to the church at Corinth in the first six verses of First Corinthians, Chapter 6…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:1

Does any one of you, when he has a legal case against his neighbor (a fellow

believer), DARE to go to law before the unrighteous (unbelievers… outsiders) and not before the saints (the righteous ones…insiders)? 

 

Paul is mortified that believers in Christ would go to unbelievers to settle a legal case…a dispute…rather than settling it among themselves.  In Paul's mind, this breaks the fellowship and the unity of believers, prompting more divisions and rivalries.  This promotes competition in the congregation rather than cooperation.  Paul is saying, “Where is the unconditional love, man?”  Paul is saying that it is better to settle a dispute in a moral church than in a corrupt court in front of judges who are not walking in the light of Christianity.  Paul is disgusted by this decision on the part of the congregation at Corinth.

 

Perhaps Paul’s view came from knowing how unjust the court system of the day was…a court system that unjustly crucified our Lord.  Or perhaps the picture of court justice Paul had come through the experience of being unjustly imprisoned on multiple occasions even though he was a Roman citizen.  He had every right to have this jaundiced view of the court system because it was accurate.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:2 

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you (the saints)…are you not competent to judge the most trivial (legal) cases (among yourselves)? 

 

Whenever Paul asks, "Do you not know," he's referring to something they have been taught.  He's asking them why they are so ignorant.  Because we are in union with Christ as Church Age believers, we will sit as judges of the world along with the Supreme judge of the world.  If we’re qualified to t do that, aren’t we qualified to settle minor disputes among ourselves? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:3 

Do you not know that (as saints) we will judge angels?  How much more, then, will we be able to judge the trivial matters of this life? 

 

As members of the Creator-creature conflict, Church Age believers are serving as judges of the angels who refused God’s reconciliation offer after their fall…the fallen angels.  Paul is simply doing for these believers in the Corinthian church what I do for you every week…he is reminding them who they are in Christ.  First Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verse 9…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 4:9 

For, I (Paul) think, God has displayed us apostles (your teachers) as last out

of all…as men condemned to death…so that we might be a spectacle (a theatron) to the world…both to angels and to men.

 

Angels are watching men to see why God is fair in the matter of sending the reconciliation refusing angels to the Lake of Fire.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:4 

So, if you set up law courts dealing with the trivial matters of this life, why don’t you appoint as judges those who are held in contempt within your own church? 

 

The ones these social elitists perceive as the weakest believers in their congregation is someone God would use to shame the “wise” believers.  They would be perfect judges in trivial matters.  To the angels, humans are so much lesser than them.  Yet we will judge them.  God has set precedent in the matter of who is qualified to judge…the weak!  But Paul is NOT recommending that unbelievers judge believers.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:5 

I say all of this to shame you!  Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide (trivial matters) between his brethren?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:6 

Instead, a brother (a believer in Christ) goes to law with brother (another believer in Christ), and then takes the case before unbelievers? 

 

What is the equivalent today?  Married believers go to unbeliever marriage counselors to get a ripe dose of a worldly viewpoint.

 

Believers in Christ sit and watch the news…being filled with propaganda… for hours a week…but then when it’s time to go to church to get a dose of divine viewpoint, they let something come up.

 

Believers in Christ don't bow to worldly viewpoints…we don't think like

unbelievers think…we don't go to the world for advice.  In crisis, it's now the perfect time for believers in Christ to attract unbelievers to Christianity.  Unfortunately…or perhaps, fortunately depending on how you look at it…the believers at Corinth are doing things to embarrass the church and the gospel message instead of being an example of the spiritual mentality.  Unfortunately for them is how they handled the situation… fortunately for us, we have the chance to learn from their mistake.  I hope you are showing unbelievers how to think through this crisis and I wish you would invite them to get the truth live.  

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

The closing moments of our study are for the benefit of anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We want you to know that GOD WANTS YOU. 

 

If you’re going to place your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, you probably should get to know Him as soon as you can.  While there are many things to know about Him, here are the critical few things…

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is Your Creator…John, Chapter 1, Verse 3…

 

JOHN 1:3

All things came into being through the Lord (God the Son) … and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ loves you UNconditionally… First John, Chapter 4, Verse 8…

 

FIRST JOHN 4:8

The one who does not love unconditionally does not know the Lord, for the Lord IS unconditional love.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ wants you to be saved…First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3

This is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4 

…who desires all men to be saved and who desires for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

There are some things the Lord doesn’t want for you…the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t want you to go to the Lake of Fire…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…

 

SECOND PETER 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

The Lord Jesus Christ forgives all of your sins…Isaiah, Chapter 43, Verse 25…

 

ISAIAH 43:25

“I, even I (the Lord), am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake…and I will not remember your sins.”

 

The Lord doesn’t want you to work to please Him…Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says…

 

ROMANS 11:6

But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer on the basis of works…otherwise grace is no longer grace.

 

God’s graciousness makes your salvation a free gift. 

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4… 

 

 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance what I also received (the gospel message)… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…

 

So how can you get to heaven?  This loving, forgiving, patient God who wants you to be saved is willing to save you right this minute.  Right where you sit, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31 

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the Word of God), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”

 

So heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

When you get to know the Lord, you’ll have no problem placing your confidence in Him, both for salvation and for anything else.  Why?  Because you’ll know that God wants you and God loves you…so take advantage of His grace!

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

The one thing to never forget about God, whether you’re a believer in Christ or an unbeliever, is that God loves you UNconditionally…with NO conditions.  Here’ June Murphy to sing a song to you from God’s perspective…WHEN I SAY I LOVE YOU.

 

CLOSING SONG

WHEN I SAY I LOVE YOU

June Murphy                                

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

www.barahministries.com


©® Barah Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.