Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon – 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 - “Gift of God’s Grace”
December 3, 2017
This morning we begin the season of Advent. As we have already heard Advent means coming. We remember the coming of Jesus to Mary and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem. We anticipate Jesus’ return to earth as our glorious king. And today we invite Jesus into our lives. Jesus has come. Jesus is here with us. Jesus will come again.
This advent season we are looking at the Christmas gifts we receive from God. Today we start by looking at the gift of grace. Paul put it this way: “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” We will be looking at what it means to have God’s grace given to us in Jesus Christ. But first, let’s pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
Corinth was a Roman city first established as a colony in 44 BC. It was built on the ruins of an old Greek city which had been destroyed by the Roman legions a century before. The new city had grown spectacularly in the years that followed, and a great temple to the pagan goddess Aphrodite had been constructed. Corinth was an important trading center and generated great wealth for the Roman empire.
The Apostle Paul arrived in Corinth the year 52 AD. He found work in the leather industry where he met two Christians who had been expelled from Rome with all the Jews and Jewish Christians the year before, Priscilla and Acquilla. As was his usual custom the Apostle Paul began to teach in the synagogue. There he would reinterpret the Hebrew scriptures in light of the coming of Jesus, the Messiah or Christ. A conflict developed in the synagogue over Paul's teaching and he was forced to leave. He then established his own group in the nearby home of a Gentile convert. But the conflict with people in the synagogue continued and ended up in the civil courts. Eventually, the conflict turned violent when the leader of the synagogue, Sosthenes, was assaulted by the opponents of Paul. When this happened Paul decided to leave.
Three years later, in 57 AD, Paul was in Ephesus and received a letter from the churches in Corinth about problems they were experiencing. This concerned Paul very much because he had established the church there and loved the people. So Paul wrote a letter in response.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 NIV 1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-- their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This advent season we are looking at the Christmas gifts we receive from God. Today we start by looking at the gift of grace. Paul put it this way: “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” We will be looking at what it means to have God’s grace given to us in Jesus Christ. But first, let’s pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
Corinth was a Roman city first established as a colony in 44 BC. It was built on the ruins of an old Greek city which had been destroyed by the Roman legions a century before. The new city had grown spectacularly in the years that followed, and a great temple to the pagan goddess Aphrodite had been constructed. Corinth was an important trading center and generated great wealth for the Roman empire.
The Apostle Paul arrived in Corinth the year 52 AD. He found work in the leather industry where he met two Christians who had been expelled from Rome with all the Jews and Jewish Christians the year before, Priscilla and Acquilla. As was his usual custom the Apostle Paul began to teach in the synagogue. There he would reinterpret the Hebrew scriptures in light of the coming of Jesus, the Messiah or Christ. A conflict developed in the synagogue over Paul's teaching and he was forced to leave. He then established his own group in the nearby home of a Gentile convert. But the conflict with people in the synagogue continued and ended up in the civil courts. Eventually, the conflict turned violent when the leader of the synagogue, Sosthenes, was assaulted by the opponents of Paul. When this happened Paul decided to leave.
Three years later, in 57 AD, Paul was in Ephesus and received a letter from the churches in Corinth about problems they were experiencing. This concerned Paul very much because he had established the church there and loved the people. So Paul wrote a letter in response.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 NIV 1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-- their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way-- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
This is December, the time of year when you are thinking about gifts. Some of you will leave church today and head to the mall for some Christmas shopping. Some of you may be planning some online purchases. And some of you have already finished your Christmas shopping. You will probably be getting together with family and friends during the Christmas season and can’t go empty-handed.
As Christians, we know the reason for Christmas is the coming of Jesus. We would like for everyone to experience this joy, of Jesus coming into our lives, because this fills us with great hope in our own transformation and eternal life. But sadly many people in our culture have very little concern for Jesus. They don’t want transformation. They don’t seem to care about eternal life. And so they can’t understand what Christmas is really all about. The same was true for Romans in the first century.
The reason the Romans established a colony at Corinth was to get rich because Corinth was the perfect location for trade. It was located on a narrow isthmus. Anyone traveling from northern Greece to southern Greece had to pass nearby. Just to the east was a major port the led to trade with Asia. And just to the north was a port that led to the Adriatic and Rome. Add to this the rich agricultural land surrounding the city and you have the potential to make lots of money from international trade. So many merchants from Rome and all over the world went to Corinth with the hope of making a fortune which many did. Money was the foundation upon which the Roman city of Corinth was erected.
But there must have been something wrong in Corinth. They had all the money they needed, but still, something was still missing. Money wasn't enough. They needed something more. They needed to be rich in another way. Despite their unease, Paul knew that the Corinthians were rich in the truest sense of that word. So Paul wrote a prayer, thanking God for all the rich gifts the Corinthians had received. Through this prayer, Paul taught the Corinthians that in Jesus Christ they were enriched in every way. Paul was telling them that wealth was not the savior they needed. The gift they really needed was Jesus Christ, given to them by a gracious God.
So how are we enriched by this gift from God? How are we enriched by having Jesus in us? Paul says that we are enriched in three ways. First, Paul tells us that the gift of Jesus Christ enriches us in knowledge. This is knowledge about God as revealed to us in scripture and through the person of Jesus Christ. We see in Christ an example of how we should lead our lives. In Christ, we know that we are to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. And we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Jesus Christ, we are enriched with the knowledge that God loves us and we are called to respond to that love by loving God and all of God's creation. Wealth is measured in terms of love which we receive as a gift and multiply it by giving away it to others. And if we measure wealth in this way then all of us as Christians are truly wealthy.
The gift of knowledge about God can be found in our study of the Bible here at church. On Sunday mornings and other times during the week, you have an opportunity to grow in the knowledge of God. I urged you, if you have not yet, to go to one of the adult Bible studies we have at the church. There you will find the knowledge of God that will enrich your life.
Second, Paul tells us that the gift of Jesus Christ enriches us in testimony. Testimony is when we tell others about Jesus Christ and what Jesus has done for us. Testimony is how others see Christ working in us. This is how we are to love one another. We show how God's love has affected our lives and invite others to share in that love. We are enriched when we share love through our testimony because love is something that grows whenever it is first given away. So our wealth is, paradoxically, maximized by giving our love away through our testimony to others. So every time you tell someone else about what God is doing in your life you are creating love and making deposits in a heavenly account making you very rich.
And third, Paul said that we are enriched in Jesus Christ by the grace of God with spiritual gifts. Each of us has received different gifts, but they all come from the same Holy Spirit and they are given us for building up the common good. Some of us are rich in wisdom and have the ability from the Holy Spirit to advise others. Some of us are rich in knowledge and have the Spirit given ability to teach others about God and Jesus. Others of us are rich in faith and are able to comfort others when their health fails or a loved one dies and their faith is a little shaky and they need some of your faith to get through their difficulties. Some of us have the gift of healing and are blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit to bring someone to health. This is a gift of prayer being able to pray unceasingly for those in need and to help others rely on God's grace in difficult times. Some of us are blessed with miraculous gifts that allow us to prophesy, distinguish between evil and good spirits, and speak in tongues. In extraordinary times when our faith is shaken to the core, we need people with these gifts to lead us forward. And the church is enriched by having people to whom the Holy Spirit has provided all of these gifts.
We need to remember, with the churches at Corinth, that we are rich, enriched by God's Holy Spirit with the gift of Jesus Christ. We have been enriched with the gift of knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. We have been enriched by the gift of the ability to love others through our testimony about God, we have been enriched with a variety of spiritual gifts for our collective good.
But, why had God given us these wonderful gifts? What does God want to accomplish by blessing us so much? The answer Paul gives is that we have been enriched to prepare us for the coming of Jesus Christ. We don't know when Jesus will return. But God wants us to be strong while we wait. So God gives us knowledge, testimony for others and spiritual gifts so that we will be strong until Christ returns. And this strength preserves our faith and allows us to live lives pleasing to God as we wait for Christ's return. We see in all of this in God's great faithfulness to us. God has enriched us and strengthened us to prepare us for the day when Jesus comes again.
So as we go through Advent, waiting for Jesus to come, remember all the other riches you have received. These don't have to go on your tax return. But do ponder them in your heart. Consider all the ways God has blessed you this year: how you have been enriched by the knowledge of God you have received in this church, how you have been enriched by the testimonies you have given and heard, how you have been blessed with spiritual gifts which have strengthened you to remain holy until Jesus returns. And once you have considered all of this in your heart you will realize that you are truly rich indeed. Let’s pray.
We thank you, Dear Father, for all the gifts you have graciously given us. We thank you for the loved you showed us by sending your son. We asked Lord for help in sharing these spiritual gifts with others so that they too will experience hope at Christmas. We pray in our coming savior’s name. Amen.
This is December, the time of year when you are thinking about gifts. Some of you will leave church today and head to the mall for some Christmas shopping. Some of you may be planning some online purchases. And some of you have already finished your Christmas shopping. You will probably be getting together with family and friends during the Christmas season and can’t go empty-handed.
As Christians, we know the reason for Christmas is the coming of Jesus. We would like for everyone to experience this joy, of Jesus coming into our lives, because this fills us with great hope in our own transformation and eternal life. But sadly many people in our culture have very little concern for Jesus. They don’t want transformation. They don’t seem to care about eternal life. And so they can’t understand what Christmas is really all about. The same was true for Romans in the first century.
The reason the Romans established a colony at Corinth was to get rich because Corinth was the perfect location for trade. It was located on a narrow isthmus. Anyone traveling from northern Greece to southern Greece had to pass nearby. Just to the east was a major port the led to trade with Asia. And just to the north was a port that led to the Adriatic and Rome. Add to this the rich agricultural land surrounding the city and you have the potential to make lots of money from international trade. So many merchants from Rome and all over the world went to Corinth with the hope of making a fortune which many did. Money was the foundation upon which the Roman city of Corinth was erected.
But there must have been something wrong in Corinth. They had all the money they needed, but still, something was still missing. Money wasn't enough. They needed something more. They needed to be rich in another way. Despite their unease, Paul knew that the Corinthians were rich in the truest sense of that word. So Paul wrote a prayer, thanking God for all the rich gifts the Corinthians had received. Through this prayer, Paul taught the Corinthians that in Jesus Christ they were enriched in every way. Paul was telling them that wealth was not the savior they needed. The gift they really needed was Jesus Christ, given to them by a gracious God.
So how are we enriched by this gift from God? How are we enriched by having Jesus in us? Paul says that we are enriched in three ways. First, Paul tells us that the gift of Jesus Christ enriches us in knowledge. This is knowledge about God as revealed to us in scripture and through the person of Jesus Christ. We see in Christ an example of how we should lead our lives. In Christ, we know that we are to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. And we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Jesus Christ, we are enriched with the knowledge that God loves us and we are called to respond to that love by loving God and all of God's creation. Wealth is measured in terms of love which we receive as a gift and multiply it by giving away it to others. And if we measure wealth in this way then all of us as Christians are truly wealthy.
The gift of knowledge about God can be found in our study of the Bible here at church. On Sunday mornings and other times during the week, you have an opportunity to grow in the knowledge of God. I urged you, if you have not yet, to go to one of the adult Bible studies we have at the church. There you will find the knowledge of God that will enrich your life.
Second, Paul tells us that the gift of Jesus Christ enriches us in testimony. Testimony is when we tell others about Jesus Christ and what Jesus has done for us. Testimony is how others see Christ working in us. This is how we are to love one another. We show how God's love has affected our lives and invite others to share in that love. We are enriched when we share love through our testimony because love is something that grows whenever it is first given away. So our wealth is, paradoxically, maximized by giving our love away through our testimony to others. So every time you tell someone else about what God is doing in your life you are creating love and making deposits in a heavenly account making you very rich.
And third, Paul said that we are enriched in Jesus Christ by the grace of God with spiritual gifts. Each of us has received different gifts, but they all come from the same Holy Spirit and they are given us for building up the common good. Some of us are rich in wisdom and have the ability from the Holy Spirit to advise others. Some of us are rich in knowledge and have the Spirit given ability to teach others about God and Jesus. Others of us are rich in faith and are able to comfort others when their health fails or a loved one dies and their faith is a little shaky and they need some of your faith to get through their difficulties. Some of us have the gift of healing and are blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit to bring someone to health. This is a gift of prayer being able to pray unceasingly for those in need and to help others rely on God's grace in difficult times. Some of us are blessed with miraculous gifts that allow us to prophesy, distinguish between evil and good spirits, and speak in tongues. In extraordinary times when our faith is shaken to the core, we need people with these gifts to lead us forward. And the church is enriched by having people to whom the Holy Spirit has provided all of these gifts.
We need to remember, with the churches at Corinth, that we are rich, enriched by God's Holy Spirit with the gift of Jesus Christ. We have been enriched with the gift of knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. We have been enriched by the gift of the ability to love others through our testimony about God, we have been enriched with a variety of spiritual gifts for our collective good.
But, why had God given us these wonderful gifts? What does God want to accomplish by blessing us so much? The answer Paul gives is that we have been enriched to prepare us for the coming of Jesus Christ. We don't know when Jesus will return. But God wants us to be strong while we wait. So God gives us knowledge, testimony for others and spiritual gifts so that we will be strong until Christ returns. And this strength preserves our faith and allows us to live lives pleasing to God as we wait for Christ's return. We see in all of this in God's great faithfulness to us. God has enriched us and strengthened us to prepare us for the day when Jesus comes again.
So as we go through Advent, waiting for Jesus to come, remember all the other riches you have received. These don't have to go on your tax return. But do ponder them in your heart. Consider all the ways God has blessed you this year: how you have been enriched by the knowledge of God you have received in this church, how you have been enriched by the testimonies you have given and heard, how you have been blessed with spiritual gifts which have strengthened you to remain holy until Jesus returns. And once you have considered all of this in your heart you will realize that you are truly rich indeed. Let’s pray.
We thank you, Dear Father, for all the gifts you have graciously given us. We thank you for the loved you showed us by sending your son. We asked Lord for help in sharing these spiritual gifts with others so that they too will experience hope at Christmas. We pray in our coming savior’s name. Amen.
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