1 Corinthians 6 - Part A

We are the body of Christ.

When God wants to do something on their Jesus wants to do something on the earth. He does it through us.

We are his hands were his feet were his mouthpiece.

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Call 819 to 1888. Four. Get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer first chapter 6 Skip how to get into today's message. All rights to his beloved labors or saying there any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints. Now I want to give you a little bit of context to what we are reading in case you were with us the last few weeks were you ever been a part of this book even if you have, it's good to sort of get a running start into these checks the book the letter of first Corinthians is addressing various issues, problems that the church of Corinth was facing happens to be a favorite book of mine because it was a church filled with problems.

I don't say that because I like problem churches. I just know that every church is indeed a problem church every congregation has its own issues and I'm glad that and I said this before, many times that the New Testament portrays accurately just how lacking the New Testament church was. So if he was a we need to get back to the New Testament church. I'm always wondering which one are you thinking because Corinth was a New Testament church and it is it's it's very contemporary and application will to us. Chapters 1 and chapters to chapter 1 and two of first Corinthians is about Congregational disunity they were breaking up in the various groups they were playing favorites, one with another, or one against another Psalm saying I'm of the group that loves the teachings of Paul are. I'm of the group and loves the teachings of Apollo's or I'm of the group that loves Cephas, Peter, and so they were there was disunity among this one congregation preferring certain emphases of Bible teachers, one against the other F chapter 1 and two. Organizational disunity chapters 2 and three addresses spiritual immaturity.

They thought they were so why is being Corinthians being of Greek origin. They had that a Greek writers as part of their heritage. Paul says that they were immature. They were carnal.

They were fleshly and he he talked about the difference between the spiritual man and the fleshly person and he says that you are carnal so that's chapters 1 to 3 and four chapters 5 and six and we look to chapter 5 last week. Thought we would make it in chapter 6. We didn't so we will tonight is about sexual impurity. So we have organizational disunity.

We have spiritual immaturity and now we have sexual impurity and it wasn't that they were just struggling with what every human being struggles with as they are living in a world that is very loose in their morality were dealing with an issue that they actually prided themselves in their toleration of and that is a case of incest in the church at Corinth chapter 5 verse one address this. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his father's wife. So there's a man coming to church, married to. Probably his stepmother in the church, priding themselves in the fact that they were so filled with grace and love that they would just accept this person, no matter what his proclivity is her propensity might be or personal choice. Oh, he's so brave to make that personal choice and come to church and Paul said well I'm not even there. And I can tell you what you should do next time you get together to come out. I gave he said I'll give you that ruling from the Lord that you deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus a little leaven leavens the whole lump. He's telling them to use some sanctified authority. Now, with that in mind we get into chapter 6 because he is continuing on this theme that the church needs to take its authority and make certain kinds of judgment calls because they were having a problem in trusting themselves as a local group, a body of Christ to make good judgments. They weren't even judging sin within the church when they should be.

Judging sin within the church. Chapter 5 verse 12 says what have I to do with judging those who are outside, do you not judge those who are inside so we we looked at that last week and we noted that the church has a responsibility indeed a mandate to make certain discriminations against character by those who claim to be of Christ to name the name of Christ – is what a body does know a body of a human body. Your body is marvelous.

It's amazing amazing how it responds to problems that it encounters so if you get infected.

Are you have blood cells that will surround the German sort of just like mounting an attack against them to glom onto them to isolate the problem if you cut yourself red blood cells rush to an area and deposit a certain kind of a substance that will provide a a a a sticky ability for new skin to grow on top of it later on. And then once the wound is fully developed, it will begin to shrink it just your fearfully and wonderfully made.

The body is created to purge itself of problems.

God did that the body of Christ should have the same ability we are the body of Christ. When God wants to do something on the earth when Jesus wants to do something on the earth. He does it through us. We are his hands were his feet were his mouthpieces and if he's gonna work or work on the earth.

He does it through his body while his body can sometimes get infected church and get infected and the church at Corinth was infected with while we noted three things.

It was infected with an falsity. You need to come in and do something about that. You need extra extricate that person who calls himself a brother put them into Satan's domain that he may learn not to send away. He's sending so flagrantly do that.

That's what the body of Christ should do no continuing without thought he he now moves from immorality. The reason to get back to it and in chapter 6, but he includes now legality the courtroom scene we just saying a minute ago, a beautiful statement of faith in mine and I know you believe because I just heard you singing it.

You said the words we are saying is I have the authority Jesus has given me while in Corinth. It's like they didn't believe they had is the church the authority that Jesus had given them deceit. One of the problems in the Greek culture was litigation. The Greeks were a very litigious culture. By and large fact, they even made fun of themselves.

There was a saying going on just 60 miles to the North East over in Athens that that every Athenian is a lawyer that everybody just and people loved a lot a cases lawsuits back in the love to follow legal proceedings.

In fact, people wanted to be called for jury duty very different than today you we do everything we can to get out of it, even though it is a civic duty that we should all perform but back in those days people loved me they were in the judge Judy before there was ever judge Judy. It was like entertainment to them and the juries in those days were in Norma, sometimes over 100 people on a single jewelry.

So in that culture. If there was a problem, you would usually go to an arbiter somebody who would arbitrate the case would be taken to court you try to settle the dispute through a private arbiter than another private arbiter they would try to get together and settle the deal if you couldn't settle it you would take it into the public. Greek courts that had a typical jury of 40 people now the typical jury. Today's 12 people in our country. In those days.

40 people. Good luck. Try to come up with that with a good outcome in that and him if if wife by the time you reach 60 years of age, you had to give your self to a period of time to be on the jury, and so you gotta have maturities that have lived while so in your 60th year. You would then sign up for jury duty. People were just odd enough, they just had time on their hands, but they love to do it. Some juries were over a thousand, according to the ancient records will that so they loved this and here's the problem with the church instead of believing I have the authority we as the church have the authority to settle disputes between ourselves. They were taking the disputes of the church into the civic law courts for unbelievers to make an adjudication or a judgment so in chapters on page chapter 6 verse one dare any of you are or how dear you do this is God's people having the matter against another, and this is in particular a Christian brother against another Christian brother Chris will go on to say in in the following verses brother against brother, so we know it's talking about some internal dispute in the church between brothers and sisters or one party and another who are all part of that Christian group dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the Saints. Nepal has two concerns concern number one, you are not respecting the ability of the church and the authority given you by Christ himself to settle a matter of dispute, one Christian and another Chris that's one concern. The other concern is by going to the unbelievers, law courts taken this out into the secular courts you are airing the dirty laundry of the church before unbelievers. You are you are providing terrible testimony to the unbelieving world you're showing them just how bad it is you're telling them that they should get saved and come to Christ in all of hope and peace and joy all these great things in and they're seeing you take your brother to court on either need to be a part of the is no difference between them and us so that is a concern of Paul what are you doing taking this dispute into the law courts verse two.

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world. I just want that to fall under hearts.

This is your future.

Were talking about, you know that one day you all of you. All of us as the saints of God. As the children of God are going to judge the world. I just want you to hear that because again like we said last recently was it. The Bible says don't judge really do know that one day we can actually charge the world, describe what that means as we go on and if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge in the smallest matters okay. Jesus left this earth.

She went away and he said if I go I'm coming again ever since.

He said that were waiting for Jesus to come again when Jesus comes again. Revelation chapter 19. Saints are going to come with him at that second coming. After that judgment at the second coming. Jesus is going to set up a kingdom on the earth that will last 1000 years according to the book of Revelation is called also the millennium or the kingdom age is a glorious international ruling and reigning of Jesus Christ on planet Earth for a thousand years called the kingdom age. Jesus in Matthew 19, said to his 12 disciples evenly said, you know, fellas. You guys are gonna sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel who said that speaking yet future to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So the apostles have an adjudicating position coming up. Also, you and I I think are going to help them. Don't you know that the saints are going to judge the world in Revelation chapter 2 Jesus addresses the church. One of the church there and he says to the over comers of the church, the true believers.

He said I have given you authority over all the nations, and you will rule with a rod of iron. Now we know that Jesus will have an iron rod rule in the millennium. He will rule and reign with absolute authority for a thousand years. It will be the only time there will be a perfect government on the earth don't care who you voted for.

You'll never get it on this earth. We certainly don't have it now far from perfect. Please all yeah but if your so-and-so runs.

Still, I could be perfect, be better than what we have but still not going to be perfect perhaps. Perhaps not never know. One never knows. But one day when Jesus returns, he will set up his kingdom upon the earth and give authority to the 12 apostles and to the saints. The body of Christ, God's people to rule and reign with him to have some kind of cold rulership with him in the kingdom is given us authority over the nations to rule with him with the rod of iron. That is something that was talked about even in the Old Testament.

It is alluded to many times and spoken about in the New Testament the way back in the Old Testament in chapter 7 of Daniel. Daniel has a vision of the Son of Man and the Son of Man is given a kingdom and it says in that chapter I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom.

This is all on the earth, that all peoples, nations and languages all that context is earthly in scope should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away his kingdom the one which will not be destroyed same chapter it says then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the most high, and his kingdom is an everlasting King kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. So in the future. Some big stuff I had for you in the future.

In some role Juergen a help in the kingdom age with Jesus Christ as he rules and reigns. He's gonna let you help him adjudicate that perfect government with a rod of iron. What could be said in describing that someday outreach a series just on the kingdom made to be a fun thing to study but would you have some kind of rulership.

So here's Paul's thinking because he he he is thinking eschatological.

It is eschatological. He rewrites us and the enzymes don't you know you have a judge the world.

So if you're going to have that kind of a role in the future if if God is can allow you to be on his Supreme Court in the kingdom age. Why do you think are unqualified to deal with issues between brother and brother in the church that you have to take a two-week secular court to handle in his writing that their shame they should be qualified no hear me out. When a Christian takes another Christian to court.

Nobody wins, except the devil you are, say number one I don't trust that this can be handled by God's people. It's a statement of un-faith against the church and number two it is allowing dirty laundry to be aired before the unbelieving world. Paul makes the point.

Do you think your unworthy to judge in the smallest matters.

Verse three continues. Chapter 6 first Corinthians, do you not know that we shall judge angels how much more the things that pertain to this life. If I'm an angel and I I look at that.

I'm not stoked 08. What weight we hold up got there than it judge us those guys right number. The Angels are looking into things pertaining to salvation. Peter said they marvel at the fact that God could extend such grace and love to us there blown away God's grace toward mankind, and yet God says you are my people, my saints, the ones are getting longer on the earth to judge the Angels. What is that mean exactly.

Well, I don't think it means that you're going to find your guardian angel. When you get to heaven.

But hey, I have a couple questions for you member the time I got a car crash. Where were you you know what's up with that. I don't think that's the idea. I don't think looking to be judging good angels. I think we can have some kind of role in judging evil angels you remember, both in the book of second Peter and in the book of Jude. Both of them right. Almost the identical truth that some God did not spare the angels that sinned, but cast them into hell and has them in everlasting chains of darkness, awaiting judgment, some kind of judgment call will be made that you and I are going to help administrate that's what I believe it's a reference to, not the good angels, but the evil angels the fallen angels in the lettuce help in some kind of a capacity so again judge the world and if you can. The judge angels to some degree in the future you can handle a squabble between brother and sister in the church. Here's Paul's point, the most untrained believer, the least, the most untrained believer in legal matters, but who believes and knows the word of God and is filled with the Holy Spirit is much better at handling a case like that than the most train to Harvard law student or professor doesn't have the word of God or the spirit of that wraps up Skip hike six message series expound first few Skip to sheer help keep this broadcast going strong connecting you and others around the world with God's word. You know we all have a pass time when we tried to live life on her own terms.

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