First Corinthians 5 teaches us vital lessons about essential and meaningful church membership. We saw, in vv. 1–5, that the local church is to be a pure membership, and, in vv. 6–8, we learn that the local church is to be a purified membership. Paul was passionate about confronting and condemning intolerable behaviour in the church because the church is to be holy. In fact, as we will see in this text, the church is holy, which demands the imperative to be holy. The church is therefore to be an increasingly purified membership. We will consider this truth under three headings:

1. Purification is a Corporate Concern (v. 6)

2. Purification is a Corporate Commitment (v. 7)

3. Purification is a Corporate Celebration (v. 8)

Our hidden figure for this study, Abigail, is set against the backdrop of a self-seeking man, who cared for no one but himself. This foolish man—Nabal—showed utter disdain to anyone who would not benefit him directly, but his wife—Abigail—who is our hidden figure, radiated godly wisdom as she interceded to safeguard her family and home. We will draw four lessons as we consider her story—lessons about:

1. Foiling Folly

2. Committed Convictions

3. Prolife Perspective

4. Modelling Mediation

When a congregation tolerates what God declares intolerable, such indifference demonstrates a woeful rejection of the cruciform life, both individually and corporately. This lies at the heart of what Paul writes in the chapter before us. And what he writes to that ancient church is just as relevant for our church today. Chapter 5 informs us that the cruciform life calls for congregational exercise of church discipline. We will begin our study of this important matter by examining the first five verses under the following headings:

1. A Pure Membership (vv. 1–2)

2. A Powerful Membership (vv. 3–5)

Our next hidden figure is Ananias: not the husband of Sapphira from Acts 5 or the high priest from Acts 23. In Acts 9, we find a devout Jew who was used by the Lord to welcome Paul (Saul) into the fellowship of the disciples. But this was no routine discipleship process. The context in which Ananias ministered was a dangerous and difficult context. From a short reflection on his obedience to the Lord, we’ll learn something about the difficulty of discipleship.

As much as he would have enjoyed a conflict-free ministry, Paul was committed to the message of the cross, which sometimes included the uncomfortable consequences flowing from it. He was willing, when necessary for the glory of God and the good of the church, to enter the conflict of confronting comfort zones that tempted his fellow believers. He aimed to move them from a cross-less comfort to a Christ-consuming commitment. We see him doing this in at least three ways in the text before us:

1. An Affectionate Confrontation (vv. 14–15)

2. An Appealing Confrontation (vv. 16–17)

3. An Authoritative Confrontation (vv. 18–21)

As we return to our hidden figures series, we will examine the actions of three faithful warriors from David's Mighty Men. We will see their self-forgetful love for their Lord and draw some lessons from 2 Samuel 23 about how to better serve our Lord by following their example.

A. W. Tozer once wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” It is equally important that what comes into our minds when we think about God must be what God has revealed about himself. One of the starkest revelations of the character of God is found in Exodus 34:6–7, where God reveals himself to Moses. These verses, and their surrounding context, show us four things we need in our pursuit of the knowledge of the holy:

1. The Law We Need (v. 1)

2. The Mediator We Need (vv. 2–4)

3. The God We Need (vv. 5–7)

4. The Response We Need (vv. 8–9)

If we believe the red-lettered words of Jesus, we must affirm what he believed and taught about the black-lettered words of Scripture’s human authors.

Perhaps there is not a more uncharacteristic sin among Christians than the sin of conceit. “Conceited Christian” is a glaring contradiction. Or at least it should be. An arrogant follower of Jesus Christ is repulsive and should be almost unthinkable. Sadly, conceit had crept into the Corinthian church, and it was tearing the church apart. Paul, therefore, in 4:6–13 and with strong language, rebukes the church for its conceit and provides the antidote. He offers a threefold prescription for confronting and cancelling conceit:

1. Confront Conceit with Scripture (v. 6)

2. Confront Conceit with Reality (v. 7)

3. Confront Conceit with the Cross (vv. 8–13)

Christians who love and appreciate the church walk in the truth through being hospitable and by giving sacrificially.

1. A Faithful Servant

a) Being Hospitable

b) Giving Sacrificially