Will you please turn to 1 Corinthians?
1 Corinthians chapter 1, we'll read from verse
4 to verse 9.
I thank my God always about you, in
respect of the grace of God given to
you in Christ Jesus, that in everything ye
have been enriched in Him, in all word
of doctrine and all knowledge, according as the
testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in
you, so that ye came short in no
gift, awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall also confirm you to the
end, unimpeachable in the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, by whom ye have been
called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
Chapter 2, from verse 1 through verse 5.
And I, when I came to you, brethren,
came not in excellency of word or wisdom,
announcing to you the testimony of God.
For I did not judge it well to
know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness and
in fear, and in much trembling, and my
word and my preaching not in persuasive words
of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power, that your faith might not
stand in man's wisdom, but in God's.
And then finally, chapter 16, 1 Corinthians
chapter 16, verses 13, 14.
Be vigilant, stand fast in the faith, quit
yourself like man, be strong, that all things
ye do be done in love.
Let's have a further word of prayer.
Dear Lord, we want to thank Thee for
gathering us together here tonight.
We do realize that we are standing on
holy ground.
We do sense Thy presence here with us.
And we want to remove our shoes and
bow before Thee and say, Dear Lord, what
hast Thou to say to us?
Speak, Thy servants hear it.
We ask in the name of our Lord
Jesus.
Amen.
Before the Apostle Paul came to Corinth, he
made a decision before God.
And I believe that this decision came not
from himself, but from God.
He decided that when he came into the
midst of the Corinthians, he would know nothing
but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The Corinthians at that time was noted for
two things.
They were noted for their eloquence.
There was a saying going around at that
time, He speaks like a Corinthian.
In other words, a Corinthian can speak logically
and convincingly.
But at the same time, the Corinthians are
noted for their moral corruption.
So another saying was going on during that
time.
They live like the Corinthians.
Now to face with a people both eloquent
and corrupted, what are you going to say
to these people to really help them?
And that's where the Spirit of God led
Apostle Paul to decide that when he was
to be among them, he would know nothing
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
He would not match his wit with their
wit, his eloquence with their eloquence, because he
realized that this was useless.
He realized that the only thing that a
Corinthian needs is Jesus Christ and the cross
of our Lord Jesus.
And in Acts chapter 18 we find that
he spent a year and a half in
Corinth.
He reasoned with them.
He ministered to them.
He met oppositions.
He was in fear.
And the Lord had to appear to him
in a dream and said, Do not be
afraid.
Keep on.
I have many people in this city.
Nobody will really seize you.
And during those year and a half, he
faithfully preached nothing save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified.
And when you read the beginning of this
letter to the Corinthians, you'll find Paul mentioned,
when the Word of God first came to
these Corinthians, when the testimony of Christ was
announced to them, it was so powerful.
They received the Word and they were enriched
in knowledge and in gifts.
And they were almost prepared for the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
And Paul had such hope for them, that
when Christ shall reveal, they shall be unimpeachable
before the Lord.
So what an expectation Paul had with these
Corinthians.
A tremendous beginning.
But not many years, many time passed.
And we find that the Corinthians, instead of
growing steadily to maturity, they remain as babes
in Christ.
They have received the Lord Jesus as their
Savior.
They have their sins forgiven.
But somehow they fail to accept the Lord
Jesus as their Lord and Master.
They receive the forgiving power of the blood.
But they fail to receive the deliverance that
came from the cross of our Lord Jesus.
Paul, no doubt, preached a full gospel.
But they receive only a part of it,
instead of the full gospel.
And because of this, you'll find that they
are not growing as they should.
They remain as babes in Christ.
And they acted according to man, not according
to God.
And as we find, Paul said, you are
yet.
They still live according to their flesh.
Even though they were saved.
They were gifted.
They were knowledgeable.
And yet, in their lives, they do not
allow the cross of our Lord Jesus to
work deeply in them.
And this is the reason why they remain.
So, when we read the letter to the
first Corinthians, if you want to use one
word to write upon that letter, that word
would be carnality.
And through the letters you'll find there are
many symptoms showing that how carnal these Christians.
First of all, Paul mentioned this matter of
the spirit of division.
Now, even though in their letter to Paul,
they did not mention this problem, maybe to
them this was no problem.
But strangely you'll find, before Paul answered their
letter concerning different problems they had, and they
wanted to ask Paul for help, Paul thought
that this actually was the first problem.
The most important one.
So, in the beginning you'll find Paul started
this letter, mentioning this matter of the division,
the spirit of strife among these Corinthian believers.
Some say, I'm of Paul.
Some say, I'm of Cephas.
And some say, I am especially of Christ.
And Paul's answer to them was, He is
Christ divided.
Now, division is natural to the world.
So far as natural man is concerned, that
is the norm.
It will be a surprise if we can
be united in one.
But for God's people, to continue in that
kind of spirit, it is a great surprise.
It shouldn't be.
Why?
Because it is a violation of our very
calling.
Paul said, God is faithful.
Who has called us into the fellowship of
His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord?
We are called into a fellowship.
And this fellowship is called the fellowship of
God's Son, Jesus Christ.
In other words, it is the fellowship of
God's Son with His Father in the Spirit.
This is the most exclusive fellowship in the
whole universe.
Because in this fellowship there are only three
members.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
And this is the most ancient fellowship.
Most everlasting one.
The Son fellowship with the Father.
And the Father fellowship with the Son.
And it's all in the Spirit.
It is the most beautiful, the most harmonious,
the sweetest, the most peaceful fellowship you can
ever imagine.
I don't think we can really fathom the
perfectness of this divine.
And this fellowship is a fellowship of life.
They share the life together.
There is no shadow, no shade, no changing.
But you'll find that perfect fellowship, oneness.
And nobody actually can join that fellowship.
You know, in this world we have clubs,
fraternity, these things, and golf club maybe.
And if you want to join, well, you
may have to pay a lot of money
or try a lot of means trying to
get into it.
But this fellowship, called the fellowship of God's
Son, Jesus Christ, is beyond any payment.
No matter how you try, you cannot join
it.
It's very, very exclusive.
But thank be unto God that it pleases
Him to extend that fellowship to man.
I think this is the most wonderful thing.
You know, we try very hard to join
a club or a fraternity, willing to pay
some cost for it.
But have we ever thought that you are
in a fellowship that no fellowship, no club,
no fraternity can compare with that?
And are you contented with that?
It pleases God to open up that fellowship,
to include man in it.
And the only way to do it is
to give His life to us.
Because there is no other way to join
it but to be born into it.
And we find that through our Lord Jesus,
through His cross, through His death and resurrection.
This divine life is given to man.
And when we receive the Lord Jesus as
our personal Savior, we have not only our
sins forgiven, that's great, but don't forget, you
are born into that most exclusive fellowship in
the whole universe.
You belong there.
And in Acts chapter 2 verse 42, the
early Christians, they persevered in the teaching and
the fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of
bread and prayers.
That's their life.
They continue on in the teaching of the
apostles.
Now you notice here, the teaching is singular
number.
The apostles, plural number.
There are twelve apostles, more, but only one
teaching.
How can it be possible?
We will say that Paul has his teaching.
And his teaching is in direct opposition to
James.
Now even Martin Luther thought that way.
He thought very highly of Galatians because Galatians,
he said, is my wife, my Catherine.
I'm wedded to it.
And with Galatians, he fought the battle of
reformation.
But with James, he said, I have no
use for it.
It is a letter of straw.
I cannot fight with it.
But brothers, sisters, the Bible said, the teaching
of the apostles, whether it is Paul, or
whether it is James, or Cephas, Apollo, they
have their emphasis, that's true.
But their teaching is one.
Why?
Because it is not Paul's teaching.
It is not Apollo's teaching.
It is not Cephas' teaching.
They only teach what they are taught by
the Lord.
It is the teaching of the Lord.
And that's the reason why that their teaching
is one.
And we need to receive all the different
aspects of the teaching of our Lord Jesus
through the various apostles.
And then you find the fellowship of the
apostles.
Again, the fellowship is singular number.
Apostles, plural number.
You know, the Corinthians, they try to make
a Pauline fellowship, or an Apolloine fellowship, or
a Cephan fellowship.
They think that each apostle has his own
fellowship, gathering a group of people around themselves,
receive what they teach, and nothing else.
Paul says, no.
There is only one fellowship.
The fellowship of the apostles.
Now, what is the fellowship of the apostles?
If you read 1 John chapter 1, you'll
find that Apostle John said, We report what
we have seen and heard to you, that
you may have fellowship with us.
And our fellowship is with the Father and
with the Son.
So, in other words, the fellowship of the
apostles is nothing but the fellowship of God's
Son, Jesus Christ.
It is the same and one fellowship.
And into this fellowship we are called.
We belong to this fellowship.
But with the Corinthian believers, even though they
are called into this one fellowship, and that
is the testimony of the Christ.
And yet, among themselves, they acted as men,
people in the world.
They were strives, emulations, and one said, I'm
for Paul.
The other said, I'm for Apollo.
One said, Paul led me to Christ, therefore,
I belong to his fellowship.
And others said, Well, I'm helped by Apollo's
teaching.
So, I belong to Apollo.
And others said, Well, we'll go even further
back to the original twelve, and here is
Cephas.
And some people said, Well, we are more
spiritual than you, all of you.
We belong to Christ exclusively.
And they divide Christ.
This spirit of division is a sin against
Christ.
It is a sin against the fellowship that
God has called us into.
It is not a small matter.
It is very serious.
And it is for this reason you'll find
the Apostle Paul dealt with this problem first
of all.
Because unless this problem is solved, the other
problems cannot be solved.
We have to see one thing, and that
is Christ is not divided.
And Paul said, Now, who is Paul?
Who is Apollo?
That you think so great of them.
He said, Paul is nothing.
Apollo is nothing.
Paul may paint, Apollo may water, but it
is God who gives the increase.
So, why are you so small?
Do you not know that Paul belongs to
you, Apollo belongs to you, Cephas belongs to
you, everything belongs to you, and you belong
to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Don't be so narrow-minded.
Enlarge yourself, and see that you are one
in Christ Jesus.
And how we need to walk according to
the calling wherewith we have been called.
So, you'll find in Ephesians chapter 4, Paul
said, We need to diligently keep the unity
of the Spirit in the uniting bond of
peace.
Thank God we have been called into one
fellowship.
Thank God He has already given us this
unity of the Spirit.
Thank God there is seven ones that we
all share equally, together.
One baptism, no, one body, one spirit,
one hope of our calling.
We are one body.
In one spirit we have been baptized into
one body, whether Jews or Gentiles.
And we are all made to drink of
one spirit.
And being the body of Christ, what is
our hope?
The hope is when the body is fully
matured, then our Lord will come back and
claim that body as His bride.
That is the hope that we share together.
And these three are related to the Spirit.
One Lord, our Lord Jesus, no other Lords.
One baptism, baptized unto the name of our
Lord Jesus.
It is one.
We are one in the Lord.
We have one Father of us all.
So you find that the Lord has already
given us that unity of the Spirit.
It is in us.
It is not something we have to attain
to.
It is something that is already given and
all we need to do is to keep
it diligently.
And if we keep it diligently, in spite
of all the differences, we may have different
interpretations about the Scripture, but we all believe
the Scripture.
We may have different experiences of the Lord,
but if we diligently keep the unity of
the Spirit and continue fellowship with one another,
one day we will arrive at the unity
of the Spirit, of unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of
God.
We will arrive there.
So, here you find the Apostle Paul, first
of all, deals with this matter of unity,
oneness in Christ Jesus, that we may not
be divided and sin against this holy calling,
against Christ, against that fellowship that we have
been called into.
So this is the first symptom of being
carnal.
And then you'll find, that's from chapter 1
to chapter 4, and then from chapter 5
to chapter 9, you'll find Paul begins to
deal with another question, and it is the
sin against the righteousness of God.
You know, God is righteous, and he who
practices righteousness is of God.
You'll find that in 1 John chapter 2.
God is righteous, and because he is righteous,
we who have been reckoned as righteous before
God, we ought to practice righteousness in our
daily life.
And here you'll find the Corinthian believers.
There are situations in their midst.
They are directly violating the righteousness of God.
In chapter 5 you'll find there was a
scene among the Corinthian believers, an incest, that
even in the world you hardly heard of
it.
And yet it happened among God's people.
And when this thing happened to them, the
church as a whole did not deal with
the situation.
Tolerated it.
In other words, they felt that they were
being broad-minded.
And when Paul heard of this thing, he
was so exasperated.
He said, though I'm not with you in
body, but I'm with you in spirit.
And there, with you, I'm dealing with the
situation.
Why?
He said, because the church today
is celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Christ is our Passover.
We have received Christ Jesus as our Passover
Lamb.
And after we have received Him, we are
now in the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
You know, immediately following Passover, you have the
seven days of Feast of Unleavened Bread.
During those seven days there shall be no
leaven found in all the borders of Israel.
Because if there is leaven left there, you
will be excommunicated from the commonwealth of Israel.
No leaven should be found.
So Paul said, if you allow a leaven
to remain there, it may begin very small,
but it will so leaven the whole lump.
And only a leavened meal can be presented
to God as a sacrifice, as a meal
offering.
There should be no leaven there.
Not the leaven of malice and wickedness, but
the unleavened bread of truth and sincerity.
So you find that it is more than
just a matter of dealing with a particular
sin.
It is a matter of that sin is
in direct opposition to the very character of
the Church.
Because the very character of the Church is
three meals of unleavened meal.
It is an unleavened bread.
That is the character of the Church.
And if there is any leaven in it,
it has to be dealt with.
Now from what we can gather, most people
believe that because Paul, he tried to arouse
the conscience of the Church.
And thank God, eventually the conscience of the
Church was aroused, and they began to deal
with the situation, and thank God that Paul's
brother repented and was restored.
Because discipline is for restoration.
So here you find this sin is a
sin against the righteousness of God.
You know, today we feel that among God's
people the sense of righteousness is a little
bit blunted.
Blunted.
It is not that sure.
You know, I think one reason is because
of the condition of this world.
You know, the world is going down and
down and so wicked and so unrighteous that
when there is righteousness, unrighteousness, people do not
feel that anything is wrong about it.
And it begins to influence God's people.
So, here you find being carnal, living according
to the flesh, can fall into such a
depth, and Paul is trying to help them
to be delivered out of this kind of
situation.
And then, of course, you find in chapter
6 you find how believers, they accuse one
another, prosecute one another, even before Gentile judges.
And Paul says now, where is your dignity?
You are supposed to even judge the angels
and you are not able to judge anything
among yourself?
You have to go to the Gentile world
that we despise and ask them to help?
And why is it that you are not
willing to suffer and to be defrauded?
So, again you find it is a violation
of the righteousness of God.
And then further on you will find that
they actually wrote to Paul and asked about
this whole matter of marriage.
They have marriage problems, evidently.
And Paul tried to help them on this
matter.
In other words, they find themselves not under
control of their passions and lusts.
And furthermore, you will find that there comes
the question of eating meat.
You know, because they love social things, you
know.
And in the old days, social things are
usually carried on in the temples.
And the best meat that was sold during
those days actually were meat that had been
offered to idols.
And these monks, you know, they will sell
them in the market so they are the
cheapest and the best.
And because of the lust of their flesh,
you know, they like to have the best,
the cheapest.
And so they say, well, what is idol?
Idol is nothing.
We believe in one God, one Lord.
So, all these idols are nothing.
And things offered to nothing is nothing.
So, just get the best of it and
enjoy yourself.
And going to the temple is nothing.
So, enjoy the social activities.
But, unfortunately, there were people.
I mean, as a matter of fact, in
Corinth, you will find most believers were Gentiles.
Not Jews.
And because they were Gentiles, they used to
go to temples and offer to idols and
their conscience were bothered.
But when they see these others who say
they have the knowledge and just went ahead,
so they just follow.
And they follow with wicked conscience.
And that's sin.
And Paul said, Where is your love?
Where is your love?
Are you willing to for your brothers and
sisters' sake, you know, even forfeit your right
and not to eat meat?
Are you willing to do that?
So, brothers, sisters, you'll find that what happened
in Corinth is because they do not allow
the cross to work in their lives.
So, they just want what their flesh desires.
And the result is they sin against the
righteousness.
So, this is another thing, a symptom you'll
find with the Corinthian church.
And then from chapter, I'm just generalizing, from
chapter 10 to chapter 15, 14, I would
say it is a sin against the body
of Christ.
Against the body.
Why?
Because Paul reminded them that when we take
the Lord's Supper, we are in communion with
the blood of our Lord Jesus.
The cup.
We are in communion with the blood of
our Lord Jesus.
And how can we have communion with the
Lord's cup and then have communion with the
devil's cup?
We cannot do that.
And how can we take the loaf?
Which, before it is broken, it represents the
body of Christ, broken for us.
But after we have taken each a piece
of it, when God looks down from above,
He still sees that one loaf in us.
So, it is not only a communion with
the Lord, it is also a communion with
our brothers and sisters.
We are one loaf.
And if we are one loaf, one body,
then we need to wait for one another.
We need to think of one another and
not to try to act as if I
myself and you are you.
So, here you find these Corinthian believers.
When they celebrate the Lord's table, they have
a feast first.
Now, not like the feast that we have.
The feast we have is love feast and
you find brothers and sisters, you bring your
food together and share together.
But with the Corinthian believers, you know, in
the early days, because when our Lord Jesus
instituted this breaking of bread, it was during
the Passover feast.
So, the custom in the beginning was they
usually have a meal and then following the
meal they have the Lord's table.
So, that's the reason why they can, at
every meal they can have the breaking of
bread.
You know.
But unfortunately with the Corinthians, you find those
rich, they bring their wine and they bring
their food and they ate by themselves.
And the poor, they came in, they have
nothing and they just let them starving.
You know.
That is the very violation of the principle
of the body of Christ.
As a body, all the members of the
body share with one another.
So, how can one be so drunk until
drunkenness and the others are starving to death.
And after that, you come and break the
bread together.
Now, it's a contradiction.
So, Paul said now, if this is the
case, better not do this so-called love
feast.
There's no love there.
And I think probably because this reason, and
later on you'll find these two things are
separated.
Paul said, what I received from the Lord
is very simple.
Not a big meal, but it's just the
loaf and the cup.
And we share together.
Remember Him.
Very simple.
So, it's a violation of the body of
Christ.
And not only that, you'll find that even
among the Corinthians when they are meeting together,
they are not meeting for profit.
Why?
Because when they meet together, you'll find that
they all try to display their gifts.
Instead of thinking of how we can edify,
build up one another.
So, you'll find among the Corinthians, you know,
the gift they love most is speaking in
tongues.
Because that's spectacular.
They don't mind whether people understand or not,
when people are edified or not.
You know, and everybody is seeking that kind
of display.
So, Paul tried to correct them and said,
no, you are one body.
And you are members one of another.
And you should seek the gifts that would
really build up the body.
Instead of just thinking of yourself.
So, here you'll find it is because that
self is not dealt with.
They are still self-centered.
Even though they are saved, they are still
self-centered.
We need to care for one another, think
of one another, and prefer one another, and
try to encourage, edify one another.
So, this is, again you'll find, a clear
sign that they are carnal and not spiritual.
And then, of course, in chapter 15, you'll
find it is a matter of against the
truth of God.
They sin against the truth of God.
The truth of God, Paul said, I receive
from the Lord and I deliver to you
is Christ.
According to the Scripture, He died.
He was buried.
And according to the Scripture, He was raised
from the dead on the third day.
And He appeared to many people.
And yet, among the Corinthians, there are people
who say there is no resurrection.
They do not accept the Word of God,
the truth of God.
Now, the Church is the Church of the
Living God, the base and the pillar of
truth.
So, when truth is being denied, you have
lost the very testimony, the meaning of the
Church.
So, Paul said, if Christ is not resurrected,
then we who believe in the Lord Jesus,
we are the poorest, most pitiful in the
world, because we have no hope.
Our sins are not forgiven at all against
the truth of God.
So, here you'll find in 1 Corinthians, these
are believers, and they have a good beginning,
but unfortunately, they do not receive the
cross of Christ into their lives.
They do not allow the cross of our
Lord Jesus to work in them.
We know that our Lord Jesus on the
cross, not only bore our sins in His
body, so that our sins are forgiven.
But when our Lord Jesus died on the
cross, He took you and me, all who
were in Adam, He took us all with
Him, and in Him, crucified.
And we need to accept this.
We need not only to accept His substitution,
substituting us as our sin offering, but we
need to accept Him as our representative.
That in Him, we were dead.
They who are in Christ Jesus have crucified
their flesh with their passions and lust.
And that's the reason why Paul can say,
I am crucified with Christ.
Not only I, it is Christ who lives
in me.
And now I live in the flesh.
I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we find that
after we believe in the Lord Jesus, there
is one thing that is very, very basic,
important, fundamental to our lives afterwards.
And that is, how do we look at
the cross of our Lord Jesus?
Do we accept all that the cross means
to us?
Do we realize that not only we need
to receive His blood, but we need to
allow His life to live in us?
That we do not live in ourselves, for
ourselves, but we live by Him and for
Him.
In other words, there needs to be a
real presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice
and allow His life to work out in
and through us.
And by doing that, we will be delivered
from all these symptoms of canality that we
find in the first letter to the Corinthians.
So, this evening, this is my burden.
And I feel that we need to remind
ourselves before the Lord that there is
always that possibility that we may sin against
the Lord, against those very basic principles in
the Bible.
And the only way for us to be
delivered is to ask the Lord to open
our eyes to see the fullness of His
provision in Christ Himself crucified.
Christ we have received, but Him crucified is
also something that we need to take it
to heart.
So, let's have a little prayer.
Dear Lord, we want to thank Thee that
Thy redemption is perfect and complete.
We have to acknowledge that oftentimes we only
receive part of it.
And because of this, we feel we are
in weakness.
So, Lord, we come to Thee tonight and
again we want to open our hearts to
Thee and say, Lord, do reveal Thy full
salvation to us.
Show us that not only Thou has taken
our sins away, but Thou has taken us
away.
Lord, we are willing to surrender our life
to Thee and allow Thee to work out
Thy salvation in each one of us that
we may not fall into sin, but we
may glorify Thy name.
We praise and thank Thee for the sufficiency
of Thy redemption.
And we just come and accept all that
Thou has accomplished for us.
We want to thank Thee and praise Thee.
Blessed are the people, we pray, in the
name of our Lord Jesus.
Amen.