Text: 1 Corinthians 1:17
By: OBOMEDAIRE, JUDE
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1 Cor. 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Introduction: the church is a place where people enter without questioning the faith or belief if anyone decides to be baptized after hearing the good news, there is nothing stopping the church from baptizing such individual Acts 2:41-47.
Once one is baptized, he or she becomes part of the body of Christ the church. Baptism makes us to be partaker of the cross because without Christ dying on the cross there will be no remission of our sins. Thus, before one can be a member of the church or candidate of heaven, one must take part of the cross. No matter the reason that makes you to be baptized the bottom line remains that you are aware that you have given your life to God. If you have given your life to God’s business. The fact remain that you had been baptized and no matter what happened you can never be reburied. Once you are baptized it is once and for all thus you are welcome to God’s kingdom the church.
- THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH (MATT. 13:47)
So many of us expect the church to be a perfect place, yes that’s true because that is Christ’s prayer (1 Peter 1:16, Matt. 5:48). Christ wants us to be Holy like Him but the fact remains that the church is made up of people who are trying, struggling to be perfect. We all have our strength and weaknesses. These weaknesses may result to one challenge of the other in the church.
When Paul was in Corinth, he noticed that there was division and quarrel among the brethren at the church in Corinth. Some were seeing themselves better than others, some were creating masters of their own in the church. Paul quickly understood that the brethren had forgotten the main reason for their baptism. Thus he drew their attention to the cross by reminding them who was crucified for them rather than who baptized them – 1 Cor. 1:13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Paul encourages the brethren to focus on the cross rather than the challenge in the church.
No matter what happens in the church, Paul is advising us to keep our focus on the cross. Which is our main reason for being in God’s kingdom.
As we are in the church, we are going to meet/see so many things that will discourage us, you may even think you are in the wrong place. You are not in the wrong place. The bible makes us to understand in Matt. 13:47, Matt 13:24-30, the church is like a net thrown into the river. It draws out both the good, bad and the ugly. Sometimes even the good ones become bad and ugly as a result of weakness, thus you see a brother and sister you looked up to starts acting strange.
This sermon is to prepare your mind that you are going to meet discouragement in the church. Anyone can be discouraged even the bishops, ministers, teachers, wife, husbands, children etc.
Sometimes I see some people leaving the church to denominations, some even move to other congregations because there are challenges or one discouragement or the other. All these happen most times because we have taken our focus away from the cross rather focusing on the challenges in the church. Once you focus on the challenge, you will miss the mark. You may have thousands of reasons why we derailed but can never justify that at the end of time.
They didn’t visit me when I was sick, hungry, in prison, needed money, needed help. Yes, it is possible the church did that, but will that justify you at the end of time. Focus on the cross no matter what happens in the church.
May God gives us the strength, grace, wisdom to continue focusing on the cross; no matter what happens in the church in Jesus’ name. Amen
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