Portraits of Jesus
This last Sunday in our Gathering, we studied the book of 1 Corinthians together. The week of preparation leading up to that moment in the pulpit was deeply encouraging, as I sat at the feet of Paul, and watched him apply the reality of Jesus and the fullness of the Good News to four main issues in the lives of Christians in the church at Corinth. I discovered that each issue was a case study in the application of the good news to the very practical matters of our lives.
I’m sure you’ve discovered if you’ve been a part of the church for any length of time, that things don’t always go as planned on a Sunday morning. That is certainly true of the preaching moment. For I came yesterday morning ready to preach through those four main issues of the letter, but only made it through two. The first, how Paul addressed the issue of Division with Jesus and the Good News; and the second, how he dealt with differences over Food.
My solution for getting to the other two issues—how Jesus and the Good News may be applied to Sex and The Gathering—was to offer in the service that I would write a couple of articles for you this week. However, after talking to a number of you over the last 24 hours, and pondering those conversations, I’ve decided to preach a second sermon on 1 Corinthians.
So that means you have another week to soak in this wonderful letter. As you do, pay particular attention to chapters 5-7, which address some issues surrounding Sex; and chapters 11-14, which address issues in The Gatheringof the church at Corinth. Make note of the way that Paul frames the problem, and the manner in which he applies particular aspects of who Jesus is, and the Good News, as the solution to the problem.
For further study, check out the resource page on this letter that The Bible Project has produced.
Looking forward to Sunday together,
Pastor Matthew
matthew@calvarystcloud.org
matthewmolesky.com
