Category: 1 Corinthians

Reading

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SAA Notes

In verse 19, the your is again plural – “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.” We put the emphasis on you the individual. Paul puts the emphasis on you plural i.e. the body of Christ. Individual sin taints the whole body of which you are a part. Meditate on verse 11.

SJA Notes

* God Above, thank You for Your wisdom – Please teach us today.

“Why not suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”

Paul calls on us to behave in a very clear way with our brothers and sisters in God’s church.

Often our skin is very thin with each other, we can bleed easily. Often we are quick to take offence and to seek retribution, slow to maintain grace and patience.

Paul points us to the folly of this.

“To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.”

This is not an easy passage to read or to accommodate in our thinking.

But the message is clear.

Where is our trust?

Is it in human justice for a temporal wrong? Or is it in the Eternal God who made us His people even though once we were enemies.

When our trust is in God then our perspective on suffering, even at the hand of each other, is changed.

Remember Jesus’ words on prayer, that when we are God to forgive us our sins it is wrapped up in our own measure of forgiving others.

“Why not suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”

* God Above,

Thank You for Your love – That You have forgiven us, brought us into Your kingdom.

Please help us each day to be kingdom people.

Please help us to act with Christ-like attributes and behaviour.

Amen.

Reading

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SAA Notes

The leaders of this church were divided over what to do – this young man was living with his stepmother. Paul speaks straight to them. Today, the tendency in evangelical circles is to be just like these elders.

SJA Notes

* God Above, please open our hearts to hearken to Your word to us today.

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.”

Here is one most excellent truth and reality from Paul. One we must wrestle with.

Are we white-hot with anger in judgement at those around us, the people who don’t believe in Jesus that God has brought in and through our lives?

Do we berate them for not holding to God’s laws, for not keeping His Name holy, for not keeping the Sabbath day practice?

No.

And if we do find ourselves acting in such a way, we are to heed Paul’s words here.

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders?”

Paul’s instructions are to be actioned within the people of God, within the church, where wolves in sheep’s clothing prowl and where christian people can do some terrible things.

We are to be a regulated people under God’s laws!

But we are not to bludgeon our unbelieving friends and family with rules and regulations, as good as we think those laws might be, as helpful as we see them.

Because first and foremost – We all need Jesus! Our hearts need to be reborn first!

Revival does not begin with reforming the laws of the land – Revival is only through hearts being saved by the Holy Spirit.

It is the gospel good news that we have for those outside God’s covenant.

Let us desire that they might turn and be saved!

* Father God,

Please Lord God bring about a revival in the hearts and minds of those around us – That Your Name would be glorified, that many sinners might be saved and heaven would rejoice with the news!

Please Lord, prepare our own hearts for revival, that Your church in this generation might be ready, willing and able to witness and teach, to proclaim fearlessly and be about Your will.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Verses 1,9-17 explain the importance of the Apostles for you today! It is God who alone can expose the motives of men’s hearts. (Verse 4) Notice that he says motives. This is why you can see one motive in someone’s actions and they another! God sees our several motives.

SJA Notes

* Dear God, thank You for giving us today. May we hear Your word to us.

“Therefore do not pronounce judgement before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.”

It is God who knows our hearts. It is ONLY God who can see the truth of our hearts.

We cannot hide anything from Him.

We must be very careful when thinking (and making decisions) about the hearts of others. We do not have God’s eyes, we cannot see as He sees.

And. We are to rest in the truth that when Jesus returns all that is hidden will be brought into the light.

As Jesus says in Luke ch 8 (speaking of the secrets of the kingdom of God being hidden like a lamp being covered),

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

* Father God,

Thank You that You are light. May we never hide Your light, but let it shine forth.

Thank You that You know our hearts.

Thank You that through Jesus our hearts are remade, stone to flesh.

Thank You that even though You know the wickedness of our dead hearts, still You saved us!

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Amen.