Enriched in Every Way

It's the children to children's church. I didn't think y'all could get any bit. See, I just hear it from the backside. It was really good back here.

Charlie, you pay me after church.

Let's open our bibles to 1 Corinthians 1. We continue our study that we began last week and Paul's a pistol to the church at Corinth. This morning we'll be reading verses 4 through 9. 1 Corinthians 1 and 1 verse 4. Paul says, I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way in all your speaking and in all your knowledge because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, is faithful. May the Lord bless the reading and the preaching of His Word to our hearts this morning. Let's pray together. Father we come to you this morning giving praise and thanks. We thank you for the fellowship that we experience with these whom we love and know that that is but a taste of what heaven is like. When we will experience perfect fellowship with you and with our brothers and sisters, Lord we thank you for the privilege of giving for once our hearts were selfish and stingy but you touched us. You changed us. Now it's a delight and joy to give. Remembering that you own it all and we are but your stewards. May we be found faithful. Father for the music. Why we praise you. How we praise you that you lift the veil and we catch a glimpse of the notes of heaven. You draw us near. You remind us that when we get home there will be joy and peace completely. Father help us to live our lives with Christ's perspective, knowing that you have called us to love you and walk in fellowship with you to live in this world in it but not of it, permeating it with your gospel and your love, your attitude, redeeming the time, redeeming the culture and yet knowing that our job will not be complete until the King of glory himself returns. We are laborers together with God and we thank you that in your mercy and grace you saw fit to incorporate us in your redemptive program with fathers we come, we come with our weaknesses, we come with our fears, we come with our struggles, Lord there are many in our number who are sick with all the flows and sore throats and colds and all the things that are going around. Many of our people have suffered in our suffering, be with them and bless them. Lord we think of the work that you're doing and we look forward to next Sunday evening. Oh Lord bring to people that you would have to hear this beautiful music and the message Father sometimes people cannot hear the word because our attitude drowns out the truth. We say we love but it's easy to love people in this building because we're all pretty much alike. But Father we want to love those who aren't like us because Father we're not better, we're just yours. And the same grace that has touched us can touch them and make them whole. Oh Father of all the places on the planet that folks ought to be able to come and find a safe place where they will be loved to the church. Lord we don't know who you're seeing. And we're not so concerned about them as we are with us. Oh God open our hearts and fill us with love that men and women, boys and girls who come would get more than just a concert of music but they would experience the love of Christ in us. Lord we pray for the work in Mars Hills. We begin that work in March. But you know what you have in mind. Lord we've seen you work to this point. It has to be your work or it will fail. And Lord I confess I'm afraid of that because I'm afraid of what people will say. Deliver me. For it may be your plan to plan a seed and out of the ashes of that work to raise up another work at some point. Lord we don't know your mind. We don't know your plans but we know your heart. And your heart is to do good to your people that the word might be proclaimed and that's what we would pray. And Lord we pray and give thanks for this body. This church that you've called us all together in this time and this place to love you and to serve you. Oh God keep us faithful. Now Father we would hear your word. We did not come to hear the word of man. We came to hear the word of God. So Holy Spirit of God teach and preach to us. Lord give us ears to hear that we might understand or write an obey the word of truth. But most of all through the ministry of your spirit apply your word that each and every heart would give you praise. Glorify yourself through the preaching of the word and do your work in each heart. And begin in mind for we pray it in Jesus name. Amen. One of the most sobering statements of Jesus is recorded in Luke chapter 17 in verse 10. To His disciples. To His disciples Jesus says, So you also when you have done everything you were told to do should say we are unworthy servants. We have only done our duty. If there was ever an antidote to boasting and pride in the church and among the followers of Jesus Christ that little story that Jesus told and the application of it surely must be it. What is Jesus saying to us when He says that? He's telling us that if we got everything right if we did every jot and tiddle just like the Father directed we would still be unprofitable and unworthy. Now I don't know about you. But I say Lord what about me? Because I don't get it all right. And you don't either. Where does that leave us? Because if Jesus says that those who get it all right are still unworthy then we really are unworthy. And that's exactly His point. We are not worthy of relationship with God through Christ. We are not worthy of His blessings. We are not worthy. We do not earn. We do not merit. What God has bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus but in His hours because of His grace. It is His grace alone that has given to us all these things. As Paul addresses His letter to the Corinthians where does He begin? He begins by giving thanks for God's grace at work in this church. He is aware of the criticism that's directed to Him. He is aware of the struggles and the problems. But He focuses on God's grace. Grace to these people. And He gives thanks to God for them. He loves them because He has seen first and what God has done in manifesting His grace to these people at Corinth. The reason for all their blessing. The reason for who they are is Jesus Christ. And so it is with us. We are not who we are because we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and made something of ourselves. We are not who we are because we are better than the people next door to us. We do not have the blessings we have because we have worked harder. We have them because God has been gracious to us and it's only His grace that makes these blessings possible. This morning what I want us to do in the time we have left is to consider Paul's discussion of God's grace. God's grace to this church which obviously applies to us as well. So let's begin at verse 4 with gratitude for grace. We see Paul's gratitude for grace. One commentator has said Paul's heart is filled with gratitude because God chose to call His people out of the immoral and idolatrous environment of Corinth. Even there God established the church in fellowship with Jesus Christ. We talked about that last week. We saw what a wicked immoral place Corinth was and how even in that place the spirit of God was at work drawing people, saving people, changing lives. Grace is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Period. It's not earned. There's nothing in us that God looks and sees that would cause us to draw His favor. We have nothing to do with it while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Paul writes to the Romans and says look don't you get the big head? Remember it was while you were sinners hating Christ, spitting upon Him, crying, crucifying Him that He died for you. It's not because there's anything in you. You have had nothing to do with it. God has been gracious, seen in the tents of the verb used there when He says always thank God for you because of His grace given you. It's a passive. The Corinthians didn't have anything to do with it. They weren't seeking God when God sent His missionary Paul into their midst. They weren't clamoring for new life and a new birth. In fact the text of the verb says that they were passive. God had come to them. God had worked grace in their hearts so their boast can only be of what Christ has done and Paul gives thanks to God for the grace that's been manifested in the Corinthian Church. When was the last time you gave thanks for God's grace in your life? No, not for giving you a good place to live. Not for making you wealthy. Not for letting you retain your beauty or your handfulness. Not that your kids turned out okay or that they didn't turn out any worse than they did. When's the last time you stopped and begin to see your life from God's perspective? When you do, you will crumble at His feet in praise and thanksgiving. For God has been gracious to us. When's the last time you looked around you? This looked around you and gave thanks for the grace of God manifested in this body. That's what Paul's doing as he thinks back on the Corinthian. You see he had names to plug into all the slots. He knew the people and he began to think of these people and their contributions, their giftedness which were gifts of grace to the body. And he gave thanks to God. He says there's no so and so he used to be one of the wickedest, most womanized and drunken people in all of Corinth. And God, thank you. Because now he speaks of Christ and the new life that comes, you've given him boldness. Where he was bold in seeing now he's bold in grace. When's the last time you thank God for people like that? When you thank God for the people who opened the doors and set the thermostats that God has gifted people? With a desire and the ability to remember those details? When's the last time you thank God for His grace in our midst because of your Sunday school teacher? Your leaders. The people who sit beside you each and every week that make your life rich and good and full. The people who call to check on you when you're sick. But when they've missed you, the people who put their arm around you and let you know how glad they are you're here. All those are gifts of grace to the church. What's the last time you stopped? Looked around and thanked God for His grace given to us in this place. The Corinthians didn't deserve God's grace. Paul didn't deserve God's grace and neither do we. We're simply the recipients of God's grace. We are the benefactors of God's grace. The next thing I want us to see is the greatness of grace and you see that in verses 5 through 7. The greatness of grace, God had blessed the Corinthian church in so many ways. In verse 5 we see that God had given them the ability to grasp the truth of the gospel. They were coming from a totally foreign culture when it came to the gospel and the things of God. But God by His Spirit had given them wisdom and insight so that they could grasp the truth of God and then you'd given them the ability to speak it. You know, everybody can't speak and communicate well. Ladies, don't put your husbands. I know women are from Venus and men are from Mars and sometimes in that communication we just miss each other, don't we? Sometimes I tell my wife I say, you know, for a man who makes his living communicating, I don't seem to do a very good job at home. Paul saying God not only has given you the ability to grasp His truth but also to communicate His truth. You have been given the ability to speak and reason and argue and defend and debate and proclaim gospel. God has blessed you greatly. God has confirmed His truth. You see, while we see all the problems at Corinth, what Paul was able to see was this group of people, most of whom were rock solid.

They had been grounded in grace. They were wrestling with these issues because what they sought to do was to do that which pleased God. The greatness of God's grace that you were grounded. The truth of the gospel has been confirmed in you for what you long for more than anything else is the glory of Christ. Paul knew they weren't that way before the gospel. They were not a people who longed for the things of God before the gospel. Then in verse 7, Paul says, God has so greatly blessed you because you are abundantly gifted. It's why there's such a discussion on the spiritual gifts in this book because the presence of the gifts did not automatically mean the ability to use them right. It's like a 16-year-old with a new portion. He doesn't have sense enough to drive that kind of car. That's why kids get killed in them even big kids. You see, God had gifted them in Paul marbles that God would lavish on His people in Corinth so many gifts. I'm convinced that that's the same thing that he said about the church in America. What do we lack? I've often said if there's ever a generation that will stand before God and give an account without excuse for not studying the scriptures, it will be this generation. When we have so many fine translations that we can read and understand the word of God when there is so readily accessible books that help us tools that will help us. Whether it's a book or a computer desk, whether it is a teacher, do you know you can access the greatest Bible teachers of past and present at your fingertips? Amazing! What God has given to us. Stop and think in our body. We have such competent people. Good teachers, competent teachers, musicians and singers. We have people who can organize, we have people who can take their hands and do anything. They're mechanically gifted. We have people who are so sensitive to other people and that's their giftedness to care and to minister. We have been blessed just like the church in Corinth and Paul gives thanks for these spiritual riches which God has given to His church. Paul says that they've been enriched in every way. They don't lack a thing. God did not leave out anything. There was no excuse for the Corinthian church not to grow and mature and thrive. We cannot help but remember what Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, Philippians 4.19 and my God. Show me to all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. If there was ever a New Testament church that experienced a literal fulfillment of that verse, it was the church in Corinth. They were blessed in every way out of the glorious riches of Christ Jesus. Verse 7 tells us they lack no spiritual gift. God had withheld nothing from them. So God has blessed us in Christ Jesus. We too have received spiritual riches. We have received spiritual gifts. We have received blessing and knowledge. We daily see the greatness of God's grace, manifested to us individually as families, as a church. What are we doing with all that? Are we hoarding it or are we sharing it? The concert that we're hosting next Sunday evening is an attempt not to hoard but to open up the doors to let down the gate, say all who are thirsty, all who are hungry, all who are weary and heavy laden, you come. This is a place you can come. It's a good place. Because where will they experience the love of Christ if not here? Where will they hear the gospel if not here? I promise you they won't hear it on the television unless they watch certain channels and even I don't watch most of those. If I heard a right yesterday, the pre-game shows start about 10.30. They're not going to hear it there. The old Westerns that some of us love, they'll not hear the gospel there. They may get a good moral but they won't hear the gospel and all the paid ads are not promoting Jesus. Where will they hear it? At Joe's bar and grill, will they hear the gospel? At the cinema, will they hear the gospel? While they're out doing good deeds, will they hear the gospel? Jesus said as you're going, you as my people, as my followers, as you are going rubbing shoulders with people, make disciples. Let it rub off. Let the greatness of my grace be seen in you. And then finally, we see the faithfulness of grace, verses 8 and 9. Paul points to the fact that God's grace continues until Jesus comes. It's not like putting money in a parking meter knowing that that thing's going to run out. Some people really believe God's that way. He has apportioned so much grace to you and when you use up that grace, that's it. No. Paul is reminding them as he writes about God's faithfulness that God's grace lasts until the day of Christ Jesus. God's grace will keep us and CK Barrett, the commentator says, God's faithfulness is the permanent expression of his love. His faithfulness is everlasting. The Psalmist said, he won't give out on you and he won't quit. His grace will not run dry. And that's what Paul says to these people. I thank God who has blessed you with this grace, a grace that will keep you until the day of Christ Jesus. God's grace will never fail. His promises are sure. The nature of divine grace is that it does indeed last forever. Are you confident that God's grace in Christ Jesus will endure time and eternity for you? So I believe that's true for you preacher. No, we're not talking about the preacher. preacher has his own struggles. What about you? Do you believe that God's grace in Christ Jesus will keep you forever as Christians all that we are, all that we have, all that we will ever be? Is the direct result of God's grace to us in Christ Jesus? The unmerited favor of God, shed a broad in our hearts, because God is gracious. You know, deserve it. You don't earn it. We're not better. It's just a God's gracious. And we are people who have received His grace. Paul, thank God for the grace manifested in the lives of these people. They've been redeemed and set apart from an incredibly wicked culture. And so have we. The grace of God in Jesus Christ had radically altered their lives. And so it has with us who know Him. We're not the same people we were. His grace daily works in our hearts. And we're not the same people we were a year ago. Have you thanked God for His grace at work in your life? You said, preacher, you mean I don't have to do nothing? No, I don't have to look pretty. No, I don't have to get my act together. No, just have to take His hand. Jesus holds forth His hand Himself, His grace. All you can do is take it. That's all. Have you? Have you received God's grace that comes through Jesus Christ who died on Calvary Scrolls? They will preach, I try to do right. We're not talking about doing right. We're talking about receiving grace. Well, preach, I joined the church and I was baptized. We're not talking about joining the church and being baptized. Well, preach, I've taught Sunday school, worked in Bible school, and you know, I try to tie them. We're not talking about all that. We're talking about have you received for yourself the grace of God in Jesus Christ because that and that alone is what changes hearts. And it is that grace for which Paul is thankful. I believe the him rider put it best and with this we close. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Yonder on Calvary's mount out poured there where the blood of the lamb was spilled. Sin and despair like the sea waves cold, threatened the soul with infinite loss. Grace that is greater. Yes, grace untold points to the refuge. The mighty cross. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace. Freely bestowed on all who believe. All who are longing to see his face. Will you this moment is grace received. Grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within grace, grace, grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. Thanks be unto God for grace, God's grace, greater than our sin. Father, we thank you and we praise you for grace. Father, we who've grown up in the church sometimes are the most foreign to grace. Those who don't before us have mitt well, but often they've left the impression that we can please you by working hard enough. That we can earn your favor and demand your blessing. Oh God, remind us that just like we love our children because they are hours so you love us because we belong to you. You bought us with the blood of your own son. You drew us to yourself. You adopted us and have given us your name. And you love us just because of who we are because of your grace. Oh, Father, some of us. We are so afraid of grace. You should be afraid of life without grace. For when we've done all, we are still unworthy. So our status, our relationship with you, rests entirely upon your grace. Praise be your name. Oh, Father, we don't have to grieve or we don't have to beg. We don't have to get it right. We just got to come. So Father, I pray that we as your children would come even now to your throne of grace and praise you, repent, confess whatever it is we need to do. And once again, receive that grace. Grace, greater than I see it. May we be people who model that grace in the way we treat each other. And that we pray in Jesus name. Amen.