The Lord’s Supper is not simply a sacrament of commemoration. It is much more. Our Lord instituted it as a sign and seal of God’s covenant with his people. Meaning, it is “sign” to us and the world of unbelievers that we are citizens of the commonwealth of God under his kingdom domain, submitted to the sovereign rule of his King (Jesus). It commemorates the “seal” of the covenantal blessings we have received granted through the body and blood of Jesus that he sacrificed for our salvation, thus Jesus own words to his disciples on that very night he instituted it (Mt 26:28), “…for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
 
The Lord Supper is a means of grace, for God uses to strengthen our faith in his character and promises. We respond to these good gifts by living out our faith as signified by this sacrament. The Corinthian saints demonstrated a lack of understanding of these truths by how they observed the Lord’s Supper. Paul’s aim is to provide corrective teaching on this matter, so they would recover faithfulness in how to observe such Christian rites and experience its blessings.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthains 11:23-26

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Private communion with God is essential to the spiritual growth of Christian. So (also) is our public worship within the assembly of the saints. How we observe and participate in God-given sacraments reflects the condition of hearts. A Christian lifestyle that endeavors and strives forward in righteous living will produce reverence for the things of God. In contrast, when we make light of God’s commands and ordinances in our daily lives, a spirit of indifference and dullness will show up in corporate worship, thus dishonoring God and one another.
 
 Paul has completed his instruction on acceptable practices of worship of men and women, and now moves on to next topic under the same theme: The Celebration of the Lord’s Supper. In Part 1 of this sermon series, Paul will identify and rebuke the dishonorable observances of this divine sacrament being practiced within the congregation at Corinth.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthian 11:17-22

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Everything that God established in the earth has a prescribed order and function. He first demonstrated his divine design (and purposes) in the creation of the heavens, the earth, mankind and in everything therein (Gen 1-2). Further, he has chosen his people as a part of his redemptive plan that was hatched before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-6). He gave us his Word that we know him and share in his holiness through right worship. He established his church and gave it organizational structure and mission that everything be done decent and in order that witnesses to his name.
 
 This truth also applies to the corporate worship of God’s people. In Part 2 of this sermon series, Paul draws from the OT Scriptures (Story of Creation) to continue his teaching on proper worship among men and women within the assembly of the saints as it relates to prayer and declaration of the Word.

 Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:7-16

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The Church is an altar of worship unto God built into the earth. We are spiritual building inhabited by the Holy Spirit where we serve God as mobile temples of Jesus Christ to the nations. Peter taught (1 Pt 2:4-5), “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, (5) you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrificesacceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Amen!
 
 Our worship becomes undeniable visible our obedience to his Word and the fruit of thanksgiving from our lips. This will be the central focus (i.e., proper worship) of Paul’s teaching through the next several chapters (11-14) of his 1st epistle to the Corinthians. In Part 1 of this sermon series, Paul will address proper worship among men and women within the assembly of the saints as it relates to prayer and declaration of the Word.

 Focus Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 11:1-6

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The life of Christian is one where we die to a type of self-interest that would wrong our neighbor and impede our fellow man’s growth towards God. If we truly want to glorify God, we must model our Lord’s example in his earthly mission as recorded in the Gospels. He sacrificed his dwelling in heaven to come down to earth to do his Father’s will. He sought his Father’s glory in the service of mankind. This is the root motivation of all Christian liberty.  Affirming this truth Paul taught (Gal 5:13-14), “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (14) For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 Paul continues his teaching to the church about how to live the Christian lifestyle with both believers and nonbelievers in a way that glorifies God. He uses the example of fellowship meal as way to provide application to this truth.

 Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:27-33

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A Christian is saved for purposes of living for Christ. With Jesus as our model in how he submitted to his Father in his earthly ministry, we likewise cast aside a self-willed life in exchange for a God led one. Yes, we have freedoms in Jesus, but such emancipation from a lifestyle of sin is to be used to serve God and others. Paul taught (Gal 5:13-14), “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (14) For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

The second greatest commandment of all scripture is the central theme of Paul’s last block of teaching (v23-33) in this chapter, and it is this: The Christian should live in a way that promotes the interest of their fellow men to the glorification of God. In today’s message (Part 1), we shall begin to unpack these Biblical truths that reveals the heart of how our freedoms in Jesus are to be used to love God and people.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:23-26

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The Gospel announces the Great Banquet feast of heaven (Mt 22:1-14). It is an invitation to fellowship and communion with our God. Because of Jesus salvific works, we can now approach the table of redemption where the riches of righteousness is served to all who respond in faith to his invitation (call).  As a Christian approaches God, we at the same time must depart (flee) from our former life of dining at the table of the world (i.e., sin rooted in earthly affections) which only offers temporal delights with long-term dissatisfaction. 
 
 Paul now concludes his exhortations about idolatry. In this subject text, he highlights the contrast between fellowship with the Lord and worship at the altar of idolatry. He refers (again) to ancient Israel’s priestly rituals in the temple to emphasize the truth that a Christian cannot partake of Satan and God at the same time.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:18-22 

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Reverence and affection for God above all things helps us overcome worship of things in creation. Faith puts out the fires of unbelief before the flames of idolatry consumes our entire heart. Paul has labored much in this chapter (10) to warn the Corinthian saints of the dangers of unbelief. He recalls examples from the history of the Israelites continual cycles of disobedience in the wilderness that invited the judgement of God as a cautionary tale to the church today, thus (v11), “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

In Part 4 of this sermon series, Paul reminds the church of how our fellowship and unity with Christ should restrain idolatrous living, like the OT saints participated in.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:14-17 

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Marriage can only be fruitful when it lived out the way God prescribes in his Scriptures. In the first two parts of this sermon series, Paul dedicated his teaching to the topics of marital conjugal rights, single people, divorced, and mixed marriage (i.e., a believer with an unbelieving spouse). He now continues his teaching on marriage by diving into the following areas:

 ·      Engagement (betrothed) as relates to marriage and wedding vows.

·      What are realistic expectations for a married couple in dealing with the troubles of this life in how it impacts marriage and service unto God.
 
Paul provides an eternal perspective on how to live for God regardless of one’s marital status.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7: 25-31  

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There is a common societal proverb that has endured through the generations of humanity. It is this, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Paul continues his teaching on idolatry, which is defined as worship of, or honor paid to someone or something other than God as though it were God. This ruinous sin is on display in our lives when we obey and place more trust in creation than the Creator. Remember, God does not share glory with anyone (or anything) for sovereign rule over us. Either we will rule on the throne of our lives, or He will. We cannot serve two masters (Mt 6:24).
 
Idolatry was growing like cancer within the congregation at Corinth. It was spreading to all areas of their community living with one another. Paul continues his warnings against this by offering several examples from Israel’s history that remain instructional to the church today. Paul’s primary objective in examining the mistakes of the past, is that we (NT church) see our own reflection (like looking into a mirror) in the OT saints that we may learn its lessons to benefit our present. 

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:6-10

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