“Dear Wakelee Church…Sincerely, Paul”
The Corinthian Connection Series
“Calm Answers in Confusing Times” ~ I Corinthians 12-16
Wakelee Church ~ June 27, 2004
(All verses are NJKV unless otherwise noted)
Introduction - Have you ever been confused??? Even our own language can be confusing at times.
A comedian once said that the English language is the most confusing language on the planet…
"There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet at all, are actually meat.
Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?
Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it, an odd, or an end?
If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on."
The comedian concluded by saying, "Well, it is obvious that English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all."
Confusion…few things are worse than being confused.
And for the church at Corinth, they were especially confused over spiritual issues.
Chuck Swindoll wrote of the Corinthian church, “The Corinthian Christians found themselves in disagreement, which led to their developing cliques and splinter groups—each going in a different direction, listening to a different leader…Woven through the fabric of these lessons is God’s concern that we not allow [confusion] and divisions to break down our love for each other. There are many more things that hold us together than separate us as children of the living God.”
It could be assumed that Paul sensed some of this confusion in the reports he received. And while I doubt it was over the language (although it was totally Greek to him…ha, ha), the confusion he was sensing was real, and as he sat in Ephesus working with the church there, his mind drifted back to Corinth, to the young church there, in order to give them some calm answers in the midst of their confusion.
These are the connections that we will study this morning. I invite you to following along on the half-sheet in your bulletins.
Connection: “We’re all in this together!” – I Corinthians 12:1-30
Key Verse – “ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries,
but the same Lord.” – I Corinthians 12:4-5
It’s interesting to note the two-part strategy that Paul gives here. In the midst of their confusion over
who can do what and what can be done by who, Paul simply states that God gives to the individual Christian the spiritual capacities…diversities of gifts.
But this diversity of gifts works only in unity with one another…same Spirit…same Lord.
The confusion hampered the ministry of the church, Paul’s connection was to say, “We’re in this together!”
Connection: “Love is not confusing!” - I Corinthians 13:1-13
Key Verse “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” –
I Corinthians 13:13
You can imagine the controversy here. Each splinter group of the Corinthian church battling out against each other. Church council meetings where everyone is at each other’s throats. Back-biting and gossip flowing through the church everywhere.
And in steps Paul… “You’re accomplishing nothing but making noise, like sounding brass or a clanging symbol…there is a more excellent way…and that way is love.”
Let me tell you, Paul said, you’re trying to make this confusing, but in fact its extremely simple…love one another…without love you are nothing, you are doing nothing, you are accomplishing nothing.
Do we need faith? Of course, faith enables us to come to God.
Do we need hope? Of course, hope allows us to act on faith.
But the greatest need we have is love…love for God…love for one another.
Confusion in the midst of strife caused Paul to give the church another connection….love, not
confusing, but simple love which never fails.
Connection: “God is not confusing!” – I Corinthians 14:1-40
This connection is hidden tightly in the 14th chapter. In the middle of talking about tongues and prophecy Paul points out that God is not as confusion as some would have him to be.
Key Verse – “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of these
saints.” – I Corinthians 14:33
Paul would be most likely talking about how things happen in the worship setting. The typical
Corinthian worship service had become chaotic to say the least and Paul needed to give some
direction to the church.
But here’s a perfect example of how these Corinthian connections can jump out at us today.
How often do we make this Christianity thing confusing?
The simple fact, Paul says, is that God wants peace in our lives this morning. Far beyond meaning the absence of war, this peace flows like a river in our souls, this peace brings comfort to the most unsettled regions deep down within us, this peace is offered only when we search out forgiveness and follow the leadership of Spirit.
The church in Corinth had made worshipping God confusing…Paul connected with them by saying
that God is not confusing, he would rather have peace.
Connection: “Trust in the Risen Christ” - I Corinthians 15:1-58
Key Verse – “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 15:56-57
There are two things we can trust in…ourselves and in the Risen Christ.
If we trust in ourselves, we eventually fall into a confusion to end all confusion…Paul calls it the sting of death…
But if we trust in our Risen Lord, if we remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, then we find victory.
The Corinthian church had tried to put the Resurrection in their understanding, some had even given up, Paul connected by telling them that trusting in the Risen Christ is at the core of Christianity.
Without the cross, there would be no victory. But because of the cross, we are victors already!
Connection: “Do it all in love” – I Corinthians 16:1-24
[Key Verse – “Let all that you do be done with love.” – I Corinthians 16:14]
I imagine Paul stopped writing before the thirteenth of chapter sixteen…I imagine he had the whole letter read to him as he sat and pondered and waited for the Spirit’s direction…
I imagine that because v. 13 and 14 come to us as a summary…”Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”
When we are divided…we are not doing things in love.
When we make love confusing…we are not doing things in love.
When we make God confusing…we are not doing things in love.
And, when we trust in ourselves more than the Risen Christ…we are not doing things in love.
In the midst of all the confusion, in the midst of all the chaos, in the midst of all that pulls you in different directions…watch, stand fast, be brave, be strong…and let all that you do be done in love.
Conclusion – There is no doubt that life can often be confusing, but God will always offer calm answers.
Walt Whitman - O Me! O Life!
"O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer...
That you are here—that life exists, and (you have) identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse."
Remember that we’re all in this together,
That love is not confusing, neither is God,
That we can trust in a risen Christ,
and that we’re to do it all in love.
And the church says….Amen!
Hymn - #525 – We’ll Understand It Better By and By
Benediction – “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus Amen.” – I Corinthians 16:23-24
NEXT WEEK: “Being and Doing Comfortably” – The Corinthian Connection continues
