Good morning and I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful Sunday. Leanna and I want to welcome everyone who has joined us on Paltalk. Also, for those that read or now listen and watch these sermons on the J and L Ministries site, both Cross Roads Fellowships sites, Google +, Utube, Mylook online, and because brother Marshall has been sharing, Twitter and Facebook also.
I want to say this before we get into this message, God gets all the glory for whatever He has me do with the prayers I share, these sermons, when Leanna does her devotions, and everything through this ministry. I love doing this, but the praises go to Him, as without Him all this would not be possible. Praise the Lord. Last week we started this sermon series with more of an introduction, if you will. We looked at Saul's life before he became Paul from the book of Acts, then what happened to him on the way to Damascus. To me, when witnessing to someone, I often use Paul as an example of how God can miraculously change someone's life. Glory to God. So let's dive right into today's study. If you can all open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and we'll pick up where we left off with verse 10. Last week we noticed that Paul dictated this epistle, but it was not penned by him, other than his signature. Paul also opened this message to the Corinthians much like all the others epistles. Uplifting, and always giving thanks to Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. I often use this verse when commenting to those who have twisted scriptures. Actually, there are many that I use, but this one fits when speaking to the many, many denominational differences. Why do you suppose Paul said this to the people in Corinth? Anyone? Paul, I believe loved Jesus at this point in his life with all his heart, mind and strength,and he was doing what Jesus commanded you and me to do in Mark 16:15-19. Mark 16:15-19 KJV And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; (18) They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (19) So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. How many of us are sharing the Gospel with the world? To our unsaved loved ones? Sharing our faith with ones we work with, or our best friends? Does their eternity matter? God says He wishes no man perish, shouldn't we? So friends, I ask you again. Why this verse? Why was Paul being led by the Holy Spirit making this statement? "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Let's see if the next verse gives us a clue. 1 Corinthians 1:11 KJV For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. As I mentioned last week, the believers at that time were not meeting in big congregations. The only large meeting place was in Jerusalem, and the ones there who followed Jesus were meeting in the temple courts. Now in other places like Corinth, they met in homes just like Leanna and I lead services here in our home. I think that we'll see more of this right here in the US. As I also mentioned last week, Corinth was a major trading port and there were ones coming from all over. It was a wealthy city. There had been pagan worship. Sexual sin and drunkenness was the norm, much like this area I live in and most of the US. You don't have to look far to see it. In these houses, there would be ones who led these services, and as we will see, there were all kinds of stray things being preached and there seemed to be a competition amongst the congregations. All this stuff was being allowed into these congregations, just like it is in our time. "Wow brother Jim, how can you say that?" Well, let's see. Not so long ago, there was a type of church, if you want to call it that, that if a young girl or a unwed woman was found to be pregnant, an abortion was performed. With all the states voting for same sex marriage, you have denominations welcoming them in not to teach them the word, but to perform these marriages. Not sure how your Bible reads, but mine says love the sinner, hate the sin. That doesn't mean to perform this abomination. To me that's like embracing that sin. Amen someone? We're going to look at many of these things that Paul warned the Corinthians about. If it was against God's will then, isn't against His will now. Again, my Bible tells me that God is the same today as He was back then. Amen? Please turn to 2 Peter 3:16. Try this on for size my friends. If you go out and ask people randomly in a mall or the park, or if you dare, on a busy sidewalk if they are saved, and then out of 100 of the so-called believers, I'll bet you at least half would say that abortion isn't really that bad. Same-sex marriage should be up to the individuals. Drugs really aren't that bad are they. Really? Church, I know you've heard this passage many times in my messages, but my brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to get this. 2 Peter 3:16-18 KJV As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, (friends what he is saying here is they are graduating from milk to meat.) which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Don't post the next verse yet, Leanna. Church, get this. Speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood. (The Meat) which they that are unlearned and unstable (Church, who are these people?)wrest, (Wrestle) as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Am I painting a picture here? This was the same thing that was happening in Corinth. The same thing that was happening in Colosse. The same thing that's happening in many churches today. These false teachers were and are teaching themselves into the pit. But let's see what the next verse says. (17) Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, (He is now talking about the believers. The saved) beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (18) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. My dear friends, you and I need to cling to this verse. We won't go there today, but in 2 Timothy 2:15-16 KJV Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (16) But shun (Hear that my friends? Shun. stay away from). profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. I'm not sure about you, but there's enough ungodliness in my community. Why be around anymore? Amen? Are we getting this, church? Preaching Christ, the Anointed One crucified is more powerful than all the oratory and philosophy of an unbelieving world. Glory to God. Getting back to verse 11 in 1 Corinthians. Messengers had reported to Paul what was happening. As I said, it was a very busy, filthy with sin place. You had Greeks who have always been known for their intellect, and they were very prideful of their knowledge. You had other groups with their strange ways of inter-operations and there was division. Again, just like the churches today. I praise God He led me away from organized religion. 1 Corinthians 1:12 KJV Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Paul mentions parties, Paul, or Pauline parties, clinging to the founder of their church; a party of Apollos, who were probably carried away by their admiration of his Alexandrian philosophy; a party of Judaizer, who claimed to be following Peter, called here by his Hebrew name of Cephas; and a fourth party, who claimed to turn away from all these human leaders, and to be only of Christ. Sound kind of familiar in our age? Oh my, I don't know if I could count all the denominations and then their splits and then the break offs from that split. And that, my friends, is not counting all the cults and new cults that seem to arise every day. Want to know the will of you Father in Heaven? It's the book that I hope each of you have right in front of you. Glory to God. Right from Genesis to Revelation. 1 Corinthians 1:13 KJV Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I think Paul's getting his point across in this verse. I don't think he was happy at all. He shows his bitterness by first rebuking those who had used his own name as one of the groups. I think often that happens in churches today. So many put the pastor on such a high pedestal, it's like the congregation is worshiping him instead of the Savoir, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:14-16 KJV I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. I think these two verses speaks for themselves. 1 Corinthians 1:16 KJV And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. Now some may look at this verse and say, "He doesn't remember who else he baptized?" As we'll see in the next verse, Chris didn't call Paul to baptize, but to preach the gospel message. Think about this, do we have anywhere in the Bible saying that Jesus performed water baptisms? 1 Corinthians 1:17 KJV For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. What does this verse say to you my friends? I think it's very important. Paul wasn't preaching from his head. It was his own understanding. God living in him gave him the words. Again, for those who are reading this or hearing this and it is your first time hearing from this ministry, I share often that if a preacher isn't preaching about the innocent blood of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb, if they don't preach about the Cross that my Savior died on and shed His innocent blood for you and me, if they don't bring up His resurrection and hell, I think it might be time to find a new church home. To some that may sound harsh, but friend, without the cross, blood and His resurrection, there would be no salvation. I would be wasting my words. Amen someone? He did die on an old rugged cross, and there were witnesses. He was that sinless man who came, just how the prophet Isaiah said He would In that same chapter, it was foretold how He would be rejected and died just like it was said some 700 years before his birth. Praise God. He shed His innocent blood so that you and I may be saved. For those who say there is no hell. I'm not sure where you got your Bible, but it sure isn't the same one I read. And then there are those doubters, just like Thomas. How can someone die and then come to life again three days later? I won't believe it unless I can put my hand on the wounds. But He did. Glory to God. John 20:27-29 KJV Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28) And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Jesus was also seen many times by many before He ascended to Heaven. Glory to God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. Glory! Hallelujah for us that are saved. Now my question for you, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, the Anointed Ones. We saw what the first part of this verse said. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. Does knowing that you have loved ones who don't know the preaching of the cross bother you? Does it bother you that they will perish? I know it bothers me. It bothers me because I know that they won't just spend eternity in hell where they will suffer for all of eternity, but they also will be separated from God. It bothers me because they will thirst forever and not one drop of water will touch their tongue. Friends, what about that best friend you know that you know that God has been tugging on your heart for you to share the gospel message with? Does it not bother you that they will be separated forever? So many say that they want all that God has for them, yet when it comes to being in obedience to Him, we choke. "Oh but brother Jim, I don't have the guts to share my faith with my parents. My friends at work will laugh at me. I won't be the cool guy any more." Really? Maybe you should check your own priorities. "Brother Jim, I admit it, I'm scared to share my faith. I've tried so many times and I just can't get the words out of my mouth." Maybe it's the same at work with a continuous customer or patient. You want to say something, but your heart pounds so hard and you get all sweaty and then you choke. 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Friends, I once was there too. I tell you that if you lean on God to give you the utterance, you can do it. I always pray first. Greater is He that is in you that he that is in the world. You can do all things through Him that strengthens you. For those because of strict rules at school or at a work place where you can't share your faith, make a friend and maybe go to lunch or coffee. Pray on it my friend and God will open the doors for you. Friends, we're so glad that you joined us today. These sermons are now on video and audio format on the J and L Ministries site and also on U-tube, Cross Roads Fellowship, and Mylook online. Please stop by our brand new U-tube channel made specifically for these sermons, and if led, please comment and please do subscribe and share with your friends. Also, please invite people to this Paltalk room. We start the messages at 11:00 AM EST time, but usually the room is open at least by 10:45. I'm going to keep this room open for a while to let ones comment and share what's on their hearts, but will stop the recording. We love you and may the Lord bless you.
2 Comments
Harold Howland
3/22/2015 13:31:43
Brother Jim, thank you, you are Preaching the way it is suppose to be. You are truly showing Gods Love along in what your Preaching. Plus, your love too. Keep the pedal to the metal for Jesus Christ. Bro. Harold.
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Tammy Henson
3/23/2015 08:15:57
Thanks for sharing
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