1 Corinthians (Part 1) – Calling & Transformation
February 16, 2025 / Jesus ChurchGive Online: Tithes & Offerings
1 Corinthians – Part 1
Called & Transformed
Good morning and Welcome to Jesus Church
Today we start a new series through 1Corinthians
- Our last 2 series have been topical
- Did a series on the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives/church
- Did a series on Emotional Healthy Spirituality
- But we’re also committed to walking thru books of the Bible as well
- We went through the book of Daniel – How to thrive in ur Babylon
- We spent a year in the life of Jesus with the book of Mark
- If we are gonna call Jesus our Messiah… should study his life
- Studies show less than 50% of Christians read thru a gospel
Series we start today will be looking at a letter sent to a 1st century church
- Really important to know that this is a letter… not a book
- So different than Mark (Biography of Jesus life)
- This is a letter of instruction to a young and thriving church
- In a huge and wealthy city within the Roman Empire
- Written by a man named Paul and assistant Sauce-tha-knees
- So different than Mark (Biography of Jesus life)
- So starting today we are literally reading someone else’s mail
- And its one of at least 4 letters written to church at Corinth
- 1 Cor. 5:9 talks of a previous letter he sent them (1 is really 2)
- 2 Cor 2:4 refers to a very heavy letter Paul writes (2 is really 4)
- And its one of at least 4 letters written to church at Corinth
Point is that we are stepping into an ongoing conversation… Problem is…
- Picking up a letter like this is like listening to 1 side of a phone convo
- We hear Paul talking… don’t know what’s going on at other end
- Means we need to work really hard to understand context
- Who is Paul… what’s his story… what’s his background
- What’s the city like… What are its influences…
- Is the church… old/young/rich/poor/new or seasoned
- Means we need to work really hard to understand context
- We hear Paul talking… don’t know what’s going on at other end
- So what’s going on on the other side of the convo… story behind text
- And b/c we are so far removed from the world Paul writes to
- 2000 years later – Other side of the world – culture/language/tech
- We need to work to immerse ourselves in the world of Corinth
- So we can understand the what/why Paul is saying
- All to say… these first 9 verses are really important for us…
- So we can understand the mindset of Corinth
- And then get into the body of the letter… in like 6 months
TAG: That said lets go… 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1…
1 Cor 1:1 – Paul (stop right there)
One challenge with teaching the Bible on a Sunday Morning
- We have a ton of different people in this room
- Some of you have been studying the Bible your whole life
- You know all about Paul… His story… His background
- You could write a biography for him
- Others in here just started reading the Bible last week
- You’ve known Jesus for a couple hours
- You don’t know Paul from a hole in the wall
- And others have been around the Bible for decades
- But don’t really know what the Bible teaches
- Some of you have been studying the Bible your whole life
- And so all of us come from diff places… but to those Paul is writing to
- Everyone in Corinth knows who he is
- They know where he comes from
- They know how he’s connected to the church
- And that’s really important in order to understand 1 Corinthians
- Which means even though its review for some of us
- We need to trace some of Paul’s Biography thru the scriptures
- And even if ur a seasoned scholar… I know God can speak to you…
- Through a man redeemed from a life of hell
- So with that – We need to turn to the Acts 7
[PRAY]
Act is History book – Recording the rise of the Church
It tells how a group of 120 Jesus followers in Jerusalem
- Turns into a worldwide movement that consumes the Roman Empire
- And it all happens in less than 10 years
- Historians are blown away on how that’s even possible
- We know its because of God… and they can’t explain it w/o God
- In Acts 7 we find one of the leaders of the church preaching Jesus
- Stands before the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem called the Sanhedrin
- Sanhedrin were like the Supreme Court of the Jewish world
- He stands up to preach Jesus to this group… here’s what happens
Acts 7:57-58
At this time they covered their ears and yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet (cultural way to ask for approval) of a young man named Saul.
Acts 8:1
And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
So the story opens on a young man named Saul
- In the 1st century you would have 2 or 3 different names as a Jew
- Saul is this guys Jewish name
- Later on he goes by his Latin name which was… PAUL
- So the same guy who writes to the church in Corinth
- And what we know when the story begins is that he’s young (late 20’s)
- He’s really high up in the ranks of the Jewish religion
- We learn later he is brilliant, highly educated
- His mentor was named Gamalio – The greatest Jewish teacher
- Considered like the Albert Einstein of Jews
- And this is who is leading the persecution of the church
Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy (pic of wild animals ripping apart prey) the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Story opens with Saul as the ultimate bad guy – but in real life
- He’s not writing letters to churches – Praying for his family in Christ
- No he is a self righteous hater of Jesus…
- With one mission – To torture/murder anyone who follows Him
- But he’s not done… this zeal is probably how he moved up so quickly
- But I think you’d agree… not most likely candidate to write the NT
- Watch what happens in his story (Years later)
Acts 9:1
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus…
- So its not enough that Paul has cleared out Jerusalem of Jesus
- Now he wants to hunt these people
- And no one is going to stop his plan
…so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way (notice b4 the names Christian & Church were used – we were called “The Way”) any who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. (Like when you go out of this sanctuary after service) He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, He replied.
- So Saul going out to other countries to find/murder Jesus followers
- Encounters the living/resurrected Jesus face to face
- And this encounter transforms Saul’s entire life
- Talk about a testimony
- So now Saul is completely blind from the light – but he’s with a group
- Jesus tells him to continue on to Damascus
- And to go see the people he had intended to kill (that’s fun!)
Acts 9:10-12
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord” he answered. The Lord to him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.
- Now everyone knows Saul is coming for them… Ananias is hesitant
- Many had loved ones taken and killed by this very man
- And now a Jesus follower has to go help him
- And convince everyone they shouldn’t kill him while vulnerable
Acts 9:15,17-18
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name (Jesus calls him to 3 different people groups) to the 1 – Gentiles 2 – and their kings 3 – and to the people of Israel… Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.
- So this is about when he starts going by the name Paul
- And within days he starts preaching Jesus in the synagogues
- Now we see that Paul’s name calling is to the Gentiles
- But where does he go first… Synagogue – Who are in synagogues
- Mostly Jews – NOT GENTILES
Acts 9:22
Yet he became more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by PROVING (not arguing… he knew too much to have to) PROVING that Jesus is the Messiah.
- And almost immediately Jews start plotting his death
- He goes to Damascus – Jews try to kill him
- Next he goes back to Jerusalem – Jews again try to kill him
- This preaching thing isn’t going super well for him (or maybe too well)
- But he’s causing a ton of strife
- Church is still on edge
Acts 9:30-31
When the believers learned of this (assassination plot) they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus (other side of the Mediterranean)…
(now look at the humor in this)… Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened!
Now after this we don’t hear from Paul again for awhile
- He drops out of the scene for around 13-14 years
- What was he doing during that time…
- I believe part of that time was Jesus teaching him
- In Paul’s letter to the church Galatia when talking about his teachings
- He says he wasn’t taught by man
- But he received his knowledge by revelation from Jesus himself
- Then he comes back on the scene in Acts 11 – Decades later
- Church leaders go look for Paul to bring him back
- Paul starts preaching & they create maybe the first official church
- This is where Jesus followers are first called Christians (Antioch)
- This is our history… this is where what we are doing started
[ALMOST THERE]
After Paul starts the church at Antioch and it went really well
Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
- God calls Paul to leave and duplicate this model all around the empire
- And that is what the rest of Acts covers
- Paul travels over 10k miles on foot (that we know of)
- Jerusalem > Asia Minor > Greece > Spain
- Amazing things happen everywhere he plants a church
- A key moment in Paul’s mission happens in a place called Corinth
- Before he reaches Corinth – Strategy was to find key Roman cities
- Go to the local synagogue… 10% of Roman Empire was Jews
- Scattered when the temple (Jesus predicted) was destroyed
- For Paul it was pretty easy… they already believe in God/OT/Messiah
- He explained how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies they believed in
- Some would believe and he’d start a church there
- Then move on to the next major city
But in Corinth things don’t go as planned… Jews really didn’t like message
Acts 18:6
But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, Paul shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
- Now who did God call Paul to preach to right when he got saved
- To Ananias – My instrument to preach 1st & foremost to Gentiles
- So finally Paul is walking in what God called him to decades earlier
- And this is so important to us… if this didn’t happen
- Paul didn’t decide to scrap the model he was using
- We wouldn’t be in Jesus Church… we’d be in Jesus Synagogue
- You know what else this tells me… CALLING CAN TAKE TIME
- This is well over a decade after Paul’s experience with Jesus
- So often we hear from God… and want a date on the calendar
- A lot of time – That’s not how God operates… grow ur faith
- But after this Paul realizes the time is now… I’m doing good
- But this isn’t God’s primary call on my life
- It takes a moment of clarity… a significant event
- But it pushes him to finally walk where God is leading him
- This is well over a decade after Paul’s experience with Jesus
So Paul is pretty mad – and he makes sure the Jewish leaders know it
Acts 18:7-10
Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door (fine you don’t want me, I’ll plant a church across the street). He went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord…
- In Roman culture when you heard the phrase entire household
- Don’t think you, your wife and your 2.5 kids
- Its everyone connected to u: family, servants, employees, friends…
- So two significant families get saved and then…
…MANY of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
- I love that line so much “I have many people in this city”
- We live pretty close the Thunderbird preserve
- Hike up to the top and can see pretty much all of the Valley
- This is the line that God always reminds me of
- I have many people in this city
- And God says this about a city of people who were so far from him
- Immoral… perverted… pagan worshipping… dark to the core
- God see’s people who couldn’t be further (just like Phoenix)
- And says I am at work… I have people here to reach
Acts 18:11
So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
- And that was not normal for Paul… before or after this
- Paul was usually on the move headed to the next city
- This is the longest he stays at any church outside of Ephesus
- And Luke emphasizes this over and over how long Paul stays
- To show us how invested Paul is in the people of Corinth
- When we get into Paul’s letter – There are some really hard truths
- But we must understand that this isn’t because Paul is mean/mad
- Its because he cares so much for these people
- He sees them like they are his kids.
So after the 1 ½ years – Paul goes all over Mediterranean planting churches
- Lands in the city of Ephesus…
- And 4 or 5 years he write a letter back to Corinth
- So with all that turn back to 1 Corinthians 1:1
- And you thought we were only gonna get through ONE word
1 Corinthians 1:1
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and our brother Sosthenes.
- Remember this language
- He’s referring back to his story which the church knew well
- He’s establishing his authority not by man, but God himself
- Remember… he didn’t have the backing of the word “BIBLE”
- At this point, its a letter from the guy who showed them Jesus
Point for today: When we step into 1 Corinthians…
- There is an entire world behind the text
- And we are immersing ourselves into that story
- Meaning we learn from the story… not the other way around
Two things that stand out as we start this journey
1 – Salvation about total/complete/ life transformation
When we read about Paul’s testimony of his encounter with Jesus
- He is 100% transformed… everything about his life changes
- New identity: Saul to Paul
- New community: Sanhedrin to The Way
- New mindset: Thinking about prophecy/God different
- New heart: What he hated now he loves (regen)
- New outlook on future: 1 Cor. 15 (most in depth eschatology)
- New mission: Instead of stopping Jesus he is promoting Jesus
- Everything about Paul has completely changed
- From Christian murderer to now Paul called by Jesus Christ
- From eliminating the church to multiplying the church
This is a beautiful picture of what God wants for every one of us
- 1 of the biggest issues we face as the church (American church)
- We’ve lost what God intended with death/burial/rez of Jesus
- Because many do not walk out the fulness of the Gospel
- The Gospel has been minimized to…
- Jesus died for ur sins so that u can go to heaven when you die
- Is that true… YES
- BUT – there is SO MUCH MORE to the story
- God wants so much more for you than a change of address
- God wants new identity/mind/heart/outlook/community
- He wants to completely transform you from inside out
- Jesus died for ur sins so that u can go to heaven when you die
And I say this with complete honesty but also with all the love in the world
- There are way too many Christians who believe in Jesus
- But they are not followers of Jesus
- B/C to follow Jesus means that YOU ARE GOING SOMEWHERE
- To believe in Jesus and follow Jesus are connected but separate things
- To believe in Jesus is to acknowledge him as your Lord & Savior
- BUT THAT IS THE STARTING POINT NOT THE END
- To follow Jesus is a whole other story
- To follow Jesus is in the words of Jesus “Pick up ur cross… follow”
- And initially it might seem like a loss of life (sacrifice on that cross)
- But what Jesus has for you is so much more full of life
And my question to you this morning is… have you been transformed
- If not – This isn’t to beat you up… but you are missing out on ur life…
- And living outside the fulness of what God has for you
- When you come face 2 face with Jesus
- There’s a conviction in ur heart to give up what God says not to do
- And honestly you should look/act different from the rest of the world
- And if you don’t… people would not see a difference in conviction
- You need to ask if you really are a follower of Jesus
- If you are living no differently because of Jesus – what are u doing
- And please hear my heart – I say this because God has more for you
- And you will not walk in that until u let him to actually change you
- There is so much freedom and life in following Jesus…
- Ask community to help you…
- Set up accountability…
- Welcome the conviction of the H.S. & then MAKE A CHANGE
TAG: You need to come face 2 face with the risen Jesus
2 – We are all called by God
Paul, CALLED to be an Apostle
- Next verse he says you are CALLED to be Holy (Play on words)
- I’m called to an assignment
- But so are you!
- What an amazing truth that many of us don’t realize
- You are called by the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE
- There is a mission/purpose for your life beyond yourself
There are 2 ways of practicing faith
- One: Try and pull God into your life
- Go to church… read Bible… try and live holy
- Goal is to get God to speak… bless… work… make you happy
- Two: Try to pull your life into Gods
- To mold/change/stretch your life into what God is doing
- To get your life to bless God and not the other way around
- To contribute to God’s mission & not God contribute to ur mission
- To LOSE your idea for life and FIND Gods idea for ur life
- The phrase so many people lean on… and it sounds great
- “I want more of God in my life”… the only thing we should want
- “I want more of my life in God”
- One see’s God has an enhancement – Vending machine
- Other is called the WAY OF JESUS
And this 1 single verse preaches to you that there is a calling on your life
- There is purpose & plans in the hand of God for you to take
- Like Paul… it might take time to realize that calling
- But in order to recieve it, you have to leave your plans in its place
- And it will be the best decision you will ever make
- I can not make it for you… and God will not make it for you
- You have to make up your mind
- Are you going to believe in Jesus.. or are you gonna follow Jesus
- The choice is yours – Life is short make yours matter