Dear Church - 1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2
 
The Corinthian church had a lot of issues to deal with because they lived in “Sin City,” and many of them had probably come out of the sex cult of Aphrodite.
 
We all struggle with sin, but our sin should not be our lifestyle. I may lie, but I am not a liar; I can repent and admit what I did. I may be greedy and not want to be generous to someone, but that is different from living a greedy, selfish lifestyle.
 
          1 Corinthians 5:11  But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12  What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
 
Live a life that is pleasing to Jesus and would not have Paul telling others not to eat with you.
 
I had a shirt that said, “Live your life so the preacher won’t have to lie at your funeral.”
 
In our generation, Paul’s words sound harsh, but Paul speaks from a place of love.
 
Paul wept over the church and their struggles.
 
          2 Corinthians 2:4  For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
 
Paul is concerned about sinners' eternal souls.
 
          1 Corinthians 5:5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the flesh may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
 
Paul’s concern was the sinner and the stance of the church. The problem was not just the individuals who were in sin but the congregation's attitude toward the sin.
 
          1 Corinthians 5:1  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife.  2  And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
 
How can the church be proud of sinful lifestyles that pagans would even be ashamed of?
 
We should be filled with grief over our sins and over the sins of those in the congregation.
 
Think about the impact of this verse.
We have a sinner, and a church is proud of the sin. This is not a person who sins and repents; this is a person who sins and brags about it.
Sinners are allowed to attend worship in a congregation, but unrepentant sinners should be expelled so their souls will be saved.
 
Yes, sinners attend church just like sick people go to the hospital.
The church is a hospital for the sinners but the church can’t be a hospice for sinners.
Church is a hospital, not a hospice. The goal of each is different.
When a loved one is on hospice, you try to keep them comfortable, not get them better.
The goal in the hospital is to get them better. Surgery and physical therapy are painful, but the results bring health.
The goal of the church is not to make sinners comfortable.
The goal of the church is to help Christian sinners become more holy.
 
 In the church, we find a bunch of forgiven sinners, not perfect Christians.
 
          1 Corinthians 6:9  Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
 
That is what we WERE.
 
Praise God that we have been forgiven of our sins. Why would we want to live in our sin any longer?
 
            Romans 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
 
Grow in holiness by seeking the way to flee from Satan’s temptations.
 
            1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
 
Submit today and Satan will flee.
 
         James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.