Caleb Drahosh \\ The Preacher describes all as vanity, but what are some of the meaningless pursuits he goes after? He names wisdom and indulgence. Despite being the wisest, most-experienced man to ever live, the Preacher is a limited creature who is unable to bring about the results he desires. And despite being a wealthy man who did not keep himself from anything his heart desired, the Preacher found pleasure to be limited and unable to bring about the satisfaction his heart longed for. We may gain wisdom and fleeting pleasures, but it cannot stave off death–everyone's end under the sun. And so our wisdom and our pleasure must not reside under the sun, but elsewhere.

**Sermon audio starts at 1:16:00

Caleb Drahosh \\ What has true meaning, worth, or value? The Preacher of Ecclesiastes bemoans the meaninglessness, the futility, and the worthlessness of this world's contents. What is gained by all the hard work we do under the sun? The answer is nothing. Through exploring that which is meaningless, futile, or worthless, we get closer in our journey to understanding what isn't.

Caleb Drahosh \\ At the end of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he encourages the congregation to do everything in love. Love should compel us as a church. Scripture shows us that God is rich in love–the ultimate expression coming in the Gospel. Paul wraps up his letter by giving a few practical ways we can reflect God's love: giving of what we’ve been given with no thought of return, growing spiritually under the direction of spiritual leadership, and celebrating the good that God is doing through others in our midst.

Caleb Drahosh \\ The Doctrine of the Resurrection stands at the heart of the Christian faith. Paul unpacks this doctrine across the whole of 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus died and was raised; hundreds of people witnessed this reality. His resurrection guarantees the forgiveness of our sin and gives all of life meaning. At Jesus' second coming, we will immediately be raised in bodies like his which are imperishable, glorious, powerful, and perfectly in tune with God Himself. Therefore, in Christ we have nothing to fear because Jesus perfectly atoned for our sins and death is openly mocked. In Christ, we have everything and now can live Christ-exalting lives of self-sacrifice.

Caleb Drahosh \\ We don't reflect on death much in our culture; in fact, often we treat death as something to avoid for as long as possible. Marketing frequently appeals to youth and anti-aging; we are told that our best life can be had now. The Corinthians thought that they had already obtained the resurrection of the dead; some even openly denied a future resurrection. Paul offers a corrective by reminding them of the importance of the Gospel, their union with Christ in the resurrection, and the beauty of Jesus as the forerunner of their resurrection. It is only through Christ that eternal life comes to those who are in Christ. We grow in our love for the Gospel when we reflect on the reality that Jesus made the end no longer the end.

Caleb Drahosh \\ All who are in Christ have been given the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit has given each a spiritual gift. It is important that these spiritual gifts–along with everything that is given by God–not be used haphazardly, but decently and in order, for the building up of the church. Why? Because God is a God of peace; he is not a God of confusion. Confusion and chaos in the local church come as a result of self-focus, but peace and order are established when we love one another.

John Baumgartner \\ As Christians, we earnestly want to experience God. The Corinthians were in the midst of great manifestations of the Holy Spirit among them. But Paul issues a warning: he tells the Corinthians if they want to experience God they should seek to build up the church. The best way to build up the church is through loving one another. How does love cause us to live? By using the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ and by pursuing maturity in our thinking.

Caleb Drahosh \\ The gifts of the Holy Spirit are giving to all that are in Christ and are used to build up the body. But Paul says that there is an even better, more excellent way: love. Love for one another is the mark of maturity in the Christian life, not spiritual gifts. As we move from milk to solid food–from childhood to adulthood–love for our brothers and sisters in Christ will become increasingly evident. Love is the choicest fruit on the immovable oak rooted firmly next to streams of living water.

Caleb Drahosh \\ What is form of the local church? How is the local church meant to function together? Paul tells the Corinthians that they–as individuals in the local church–are all given a gift from the Holy Spirit to use to do intentional spiritual good to one another. Not everyone is given the same gift. The body is diverse; not every part has the same form or function, but they are all contributing to the life of the body. We are members of one another, seeking the common good and unity of the body as a whole.

**Skip to 39:30 to hear the sermon audio

Caleb Drahosh \\ The Lord's Supper is an important piece of congregational worship; we are called to remember Christ's sacrifice through it. Paul instructs the Corinthians regarding their approach to the Lord's Table. They came flippantly, considering only themselves and their own individual desires. But Pauls says it shouldn't be this way; he calls the Corinthians–and subsequently us–to be unified in the meal, mindful of the history, and discerning of the body. The local church must have a high view of the Lord's Supper, thinking about Christ's sacrifice and its total effect on the body.