Category: Pastor_Dave

Problems Plaguing a Local Church,
Part 11

In our message, ANYONE NAMED A BROTHER (1 Cor. 5:9-13) we finished God’s directions to Christians to exercise church discipline when dealing with persistent, unconfessed immorality within their fellowship (1 Cor. 5:1, 2, 5, 7, etc.). At this point, Paul references a letter he wrote to them before the book of 1 Corinthians was penned, in which he also addressed this problem telling them “not to keep company with sexually immoral people” (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 9

In last Sunday’s message, GOD’S KINGDOM IS IN POWER (1 Cor. 4:6-21) we looked at Paul’s conclusion to the first major problem addressed in the Corinthian church- namely party factions and divisions which had their source in pride. When a church acts like the culture it is in, our ability as Christians is hindered to effectively share the gospel, and, if uncorrected, it can even threaten the very existence of a local church itself (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church,
Part 8

In our message, MANAGERS ARE CALLED TO BE FAITHFUL (1 Cor. 4:1-5) we continued to look at the Bible’s discussion of Christian accountability today, and also at the judgment seat of Christ.

Paul starts this section of Scripture saying, “Let a man so consider us…” referring to himself, Apollos, and any other human authority the Christians looked up to at that time (1 Cor. 4:1). They and we should simply think of them as “servants” of God and “stewards” of all that the Lord has given them (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing A Local Church,
Part 6

In Sunday’s message, OUR LEGACY- TESTED BY FIRE (1 Cor. 3:1-15), the Bible directly addressed the difficult issue of a Christian who is not maturing because of unconfessed sin.

The first key point to realize in chapter 3 is the Lord is still speaking to Christians and not to unsaved people. This does not fit with many people’s theological systems, but Paul states here he is speaking to, “brethren,” that is, to both brothers and sisters in the family of God (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 5

In our message, HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST (1 Cor. 2:10-16), the Bible continues to point us as Christians to heavenly things speaking of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. From passages like Ephesians chapter 1 we know these heavenly blessings of salvation come from our Triune God: the Father, who prepared them before time began; the Son, who carried out salvation at Calvary; and the Holy Spirit as He illuminates them to Christians today when we walk with Him (Eph.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 4

In our message, NO EYE HAS SEEN… (1 Cor. 2:1-9), Paul continued to point the church in Corinth back to their identity in Christ- focusing on the Gospel which is “the power and wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:17-18, 24). After showing them that “Christ crucified,” the supposed “weakness God,” is stronger than the greatest achievements of humanity combined (1 Cor. 1:23, 25; Isa. 29:10-16, etc.), and that most of the Christians themselves in Corinth were “despised” in the world’s eyes when “called” by grace possessing not even a human reason to boast (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 3

In our message, THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD (1 Cor. 1:19-31), we continued our new series in the book of First Corinthians. After his greeting to them and thanksgiving to God for their salvation, Paul started to address the first problem at the church in Corinth dealing with party factions and schisms (1 Cor. 1:1-17; Gal. 5:20; James 4:1-5, etc.). He then points them back to their identity in Christ via the gospel (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 2

In our message, CHRIST IS NOT DIVIDED (1 Cor. 1:10-18), we continued our new series in the book of First Corinthians.

People from “Chloe’s household” had written Paul back to request additional information from him on problems in the Corithian church (1 Cor. 1:11; 5:9, etc.), and from this call for help the book of 1 Corinthians was given to us as part of God’s holy Word. While we do not know a lot about this godly woman Chloe, it appears she, like Lydia in Philippi, was a widow or single woman who owned her own business and ran her own household with servants (Acts 16:13-15, etc.).… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church – Part 1

In our message, CALLED TO BE GOD’s HOLY PEOPLE (1 Cor. 1:1-9), we started a new series in the book of First Corinthians.

The church at Corinth, like the church in Thessalonica, was founded by Paul and his missionary team on Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9; 18:1-17, etc.). And both Thessalonica and Corinth were capitals of large Roman provinces, making them ideal locations for sharing the gospel.… Continue reading

Church- You Are Not in the Day of the Lord!, Part 4

In our message, OCCUPY TILL JESUS COMES (2 Thes. 3:1-18), we completed our series in the book of 2 Thessalonians. Paul corrected a misunderstanding in God’s Word- a theological error- informing the Christians in Thessalonica again (and us also) that the Church is NOT in “the day of the Lord” (2 Thes. 2:2 NET). Unlike Jesus’ coming for His bride/the Church, which can occur at any moment and without any sign before it, God shows us here the “great tribulation” period will not begin until after several events happen “first”: #1 a worldwide “falling away” from biblical truths; #2 “He [the Holy Spirit in the Church] who know restrains” evil must be “taken out of the way” at the Rapture; and #3 “then the lawless one [the Antichrist will be] revealed” when that “man of sin” signs a peace treaty with Israel (2 Thes.… Continue reading