The title of this series is “The Church is a Mess!” The series title is not intended to be discouraging but rather realistic. The church is not made up of perfect people. The church is made up of broken people who have been redeemed, forgiven and made right with God through Jesus, yet who still battle daily against the world, the devil and the flesh to live a life that totally honors God. People are messy, and as long as there are people, every church will be a mess.
But there is good news. In the midst of the mess, God is faithful.
The focus of this series will be Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, a major city in Greece in the first century. This city was typical of our cities today, with people going about their daily lives, some thinking about spiritual things and some not, some seeking to live a life of partying and immortality. In the midst of this city, people came to faith in Jesus Christ and he changed their lives forever!
One of the things we see early on in the letter is that in the midst of the mess, God is faithful. He is our constant strength, guide and encouragement. Through the person of Jesus who walked the earth and the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, we have an example to follow and the power for abundant living.
When we realize how faithful God is to us, it will change the way we live. It certainly did for Paul as he wrote this letter to the church in Corinth. Notice these four truths at work in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians.
When we realize that in the midst of the mess, God is faithful, we will be motivated to respond in the following ways:
- We encourage people and give thanks to God for them. (vv1-9)
- We realize how easy it is to be divided, so we fight for unity. (vv10-17)
- We proclaim the power of the cross to bring salvation to everyone who believes. (vv18-25)
- We humble ourselves and boast only in the Lord. (vv26-31)
Look at the list of four truths above. What action steps would the Lord want you to make to live out these truths this week? Whatever it is, obey the Lord. He is faithful. In the midst of the mess, God is faithful.