What Is the Church

WHO WE ARE

I Cor. 1: 1-9

If you would, look at verse 2 again. Notice who Paul writes this letter to. He says, "…to the church of God which is at Corinth..."  He is writing this letter to a congregation of God's people in the city of Corinth.  Now normally when we think of this congregation of people in Corinth, the first thing that comes to mind is problems.  And you are right…this congregation in Corinth had its share of problems.  By no means was this a group of super saints.  They were divided....they were tolerating a fellow living with his father's wife...  They were going to law with each other...they were guilty of sexual immorality.  They were very mixed up in their concepts of marriage....they weren't treating their weaker brother very well...they didn’t love each other like they should.  They were confused about the woman’s place in the world and in the church...  They were abusing the love feasts...they weren't using their gifts properly...  They had their share of problems.

Why? Why were they this way? Why did they have all of these problems?  We could come up with a lot of reasons I suppose but the indication from these first 9 verses is that they didn’t understand who they were?  They either didn’t understand…or they had forgotten…or they were just ignoring it.

I can remember many years ago, I might be going to go somewhere with some friends, or go out of town with the baseball team, and my mom would say, “You remember who you are” or “Don’t forget who you are?”  Why would she say that?  She said that because if I remembered who I was then I wouldn’t be as apt to cause trouble.

That seems to be what the apostle Paul does here.  He had been very instrumental in bringing these people to Christ.  Now they are having all of these problems…and Paul, in an effort to get them to repent, reminds them of who they are.

And as I look at what Paul writes in these verses, I wonder about us.  I wonder about us here at Sunset Ridge.  Do we understand what Paul is saying about us in these verses?  And do we understand who we are?  Do we know? Have we forgotten?

Look at who Paul says that these people were...and look at who he says we are.  Look at verse 2 again. He says, "....to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus."

In this verse Paul says that these people in Corinth were sanctified.  And what he says about them is true of us also.

When we came to Christ and were washed by His blood at baptism we were "sanctified!"  The parallel of "sanctified" is the word "holy."  It literally means, "a small group or a thing set apart from all other things."  "To separate from common use."

And the word for "sanctified" here in the Greek is plural.  And what that means is Paul isn't speaking to us just on an individual basis here.  He is speaking to us as a body....as a congregation.  He is saying "you...this body...this congregation" is sanctified.  We are separated from common use.  It means we have been set apart from the world's things, from the world's methods, and all the world's wisdom.  We've been set apart from the world... and set aside for service to God!2222

Did you hear me?  We, as a body, are set aside for service to God!  We are dedicated to Him and for His service...  We are set aside for Him!

In I Thessalonians 1 and verse 9-10 we find a pretty good example of what "sanctified" means.  Paul says in those verses that "when he came to those brethren, they had turned from idols...to serve a living and true God."  To be "sanctified" is to "turn away from all the idols of this world...and to serve God."  It's turning from things like materialism, popularity, prestige, pride, and self.

You don't have to build it out of wood and stone for it to be an idol.  All we have to do is hold something so important that it becomes the god that we bow down to.  Being "sanctified" is turning from those things...and serving God.

Now, let me meddle a little bit.  Paul says here that we are "sanctified...set apart from common use…dedicated to the service of God.”

Now I like sports as much as any one.  About a month ago the Super Bowl was played.  Now if we as a body...or you and I as individuals decided to just forget about coming to this place to worship God so we could stay and watch that game...would it not be hard to convince God...and those who are watching us....that we are "set apart for God?'

And it doesn't have to be the Super Bowl game.  Some have stayed home because the "Cowboys were playing."  Or because a "good movie" was on.  Or "I just didn't get up in time."  Or “I just got in from practice.”  Or "We stayed up late last night."  Or "I was cleaning the garage."

And it doesn't have to be Sunday night.  It can be Sunday morning or Wednesday night.  Or any service that this congregation is doing because God wants us to do it…and because it is being done for the glory of God.  When we choose to do something else rather than render the service to God that we have promised to render, would it not be hard to convince God that we are dedicated...sanctified to His service?

This body as a whole and each individual is sanctified...set apart for service to God...by God.  That's who we are...and what we are supposed to be....  But when I see people not coming to the assemblies for the slightest of reasons.  When I see members who are never involved in what is going on at this place...  When someone says to me..."I believe in Christ...but I worship at home."  When I see people take a "stand back...stand off...stay at arms length away" approach to the gathering of the church...  When I see people who seem to have no interest in teaching the lost or helping them find Christ  When I see those kinds of things, I wonder do we understand what it is to be sanctified?  Do we really understand who we are?

Look what else he says. He says that we are "saints by calling."  Your version may say, "Called to be saints."  If it does you will notice that the words "to be" are in italics.  That means they have been inserted by translators.  So the proper reading of this phrase should read, "Called saints."

And the word "called" is an adjective.  That tells us what kind of saints we are.  We are "called saints."

Guess who "called" us?  I mean when you think about who called us, doesn't that make this more significant?

Remember when you were a kid and a bunch of you were going to play a game and you had to choose teams?  And the thing you hated the most was not being chosen?  No body "called" your name?  And when they didn't "call" your name it made you feel like you weren't very good...that they didn't want you...or they didn't like you.

We are "called!"  And we weren't "called" by just some team captain.  We were "called by God!"  Called to be His!  Called to be on His team!  Called because He loves us and wants us.

But do you know what?  A lot of people are "called"....but they aren't "saints."  I mean, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:14, God "calls" people through the gospel and a lot of people hear the gospel and are "called" but not everyone who is "called" is a saint.

Do you know why?  Not everyone answers the "call."  Not everyone responds to the "call."

When Paul says that we are "called saints", he is reminding us of how much we mean to God...how special we are....  And at the same time, he is reminding us that we responded to the "call."  We were His choice...and He was our choice!  We chose to be saints!  It's not something we were forced into!  We made a choice!  And the thing that I think Paul wants us to know...is we have a responsibility...a commitment to live up to and we need to fulfill the choice that we made.

When we don't come to worship....when we are not involved in the works of this body...when we don't participate in the things that are done for the glory of God, wouldn't it be hard to convince God that we are living up to "the choice" we made?  This body as a whole....and each individual has been called...and we answered that call....and the fact that we answered that call commits us to fulfill our choice...  And when I see us not coming to the assemblies for the slightest of reasons...  And when I see us not involved in the work that is taking place...I wonder,  Do we understand what it is to be "called saints?"

Let's go on. Look at verse 4. I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

Now watch what he says in verse 6. "...even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you."

Do you see what we are?  We are a confirmation of the testimony of Christ..."  We, this body....and each one individually...is a confirmation of the truth about Christ!  The very fact that this body assembles here....the very fact that this congregation exists....the very fact that we work and serve our Lord...  The fact that there is a local congregation of God's people here in this community...is a confirmation of all the truths concerning Christ.  We are a confirmation that He is Lord, that He was born of a virgin, that He was crucified, that He was raised from the tomb...that He ascended into heaven....  Whatever truth there is about Christ...we are a confirmation of that truth.

But what if there wasn't an assembly of God's people here in Brady?  Well, there would be no confirmation.  Doesn't that make your attendance important?  Doesn't that make your involvement significant?  If you are not involved can you be a confirmation to everyone around us that Christ is Lord?

This whole body...and each one individually is a confirmation of the truth concerning Christ.  Our very existence here in this community tells all that there is a God in heaven and a Savior on the throne.  And when I see us not coming to the assemblies for the slightest reasons...when I see us refusing to get involved...I wonder if we really understand who we are? 5555

Look at verse 9. "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."  Do you see who Paul says we are in this verse?  We are the fellowship of Christ.  This body...the members here at the Sunset Ridge Church of Christ are "in fellowship with Christ."

The "you" here in this verse...in fact in all these verses is plural.  That means he isn't just talking to an individual...he is talking to the "body", the "whole" group.  And he says, "You were called into fellowship with Christ."  The whole body!  This congregation.

And the word fellowship" here doesn't mean "eating together...it means "joint participation."  We have been called into “joint participation with Christ."  And "joint" means each one of us participating with each other...  And all of us...jointly participating with Christ.  Participating with all that He has done and with all that He will do.

Now let me ask you this?  Can you participate when you stay at home?  Are you participating when you don't get involved?  Are you participating when you "stay at arms length?" When I see some of us staying away from the assemblies for the slightest reasons.  And when I see some of us refusing to be involved...  Then I wonder, do we really understand "who we are?"  And if we don't know who we are...how can we ever expect to draw anyone to Christ?

I'm not sure that this congregation at Corinth fully understood who they were?  I think that is reflected in many of the problems that they were experiencing.

It's important to know who you are?  A few months ago I was watching a football game and the quarterback for one team got his bell rung...and he didn't know who he was?  And not only did he not know who he was...he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

It's important to know who you are?  When you don't know, it causes problems and it renders you ineffective?  It did for that quarterback....and it did for the church at Corinth...and it will for us here at Sunset Ridge.

It's important that we know who we are...and so Paul tells us.  He says we as a body of believers here at Sunset Ridge...collectively and individually are: o Sanctified...set apart for service to God. o We are "called saints." o We are a confirmation of the testimony concerning Christ. o And we are "joint participants" with Christ. o OR at least that what we are supposed to be.

I pray that we are.