A Gifted Church

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Introduction

Text -
1 Corinthians 1:4–9 NKJV
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Title - A Gifted Church
Series - Lectures on Ministry from 1 Corinthians

Opening Arguments

The Corinthian church was undoubtedly the most gifted church in the apostolic era.
How did this came to be?
Maybe God wanted to make this church a pattern for this purpose, just as the other churches were for other purposes.
Possibly, it has something to do with how they responded to the gospel when it was delivered to them.

The Main Point

The Corinthian church was a “gifted” church because of the testimony of Christ that was confirmed among them.
Grace of God - favor or goodwill of God that is given or imparted to a person
Examples
Testimony of Jesus Christ - the witnessing of Christ through gospel preaching
Confirmed - established, strengthened

Sermon Points

The grace of God that was given to the church resulted in three (3) things:
Grace was demonstrated in the church

The church was enriched in everything

1 Corinthians 1:5 NKJV
that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
1 Corinthians 1.5
the church was enriched in utterance and knowledge
Utterance - grk. logos, also means “message, by speech or other means”
Knowledge - grk. gnosis, all things perceived and learned
The church was receiving many words from God, through various means.
Apollos and Peter were there, besides other preachers
the church was enriched in knowledge
The church was learning many things through the ministering of the word
The church was learning many things through the ministering of the word
This enrichment comes as a result of the testimony of Christ confirmed among them -
- gift and grace are directly connected to the testimony of Christ

The church did not lack in gifts

1 Corinthians 1:7 NKJV
so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Corinthians 1:6 NKJV
even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
Gifts are benefits or favors from God in response to our reception of Christ in our lives.
1 Corinthians 1.
Gifts contribute to the church’s excitement in the Lord’s return

The church is confirmed to the end

1 Corinthians 1:8 NKJV
who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1.
Christ returns the favor!
because the testimony of Christ was “confirmed among you”
The grace that was given to the church h
Christ Himself will “confirm” His church
confirm - establish, secure
- by the seal of the Holy Spirit
- by signs and wonders

The church becomes part of the fellowship of the Son of God

True fellowship
Fellowship of suffering
, - fellowship of His suffering
- John was imprisoned in Patmos because of the testimony of Jesus Christ

Conclusion

The church becomes “rich” and “gifted” by the grace of God because its people is established and strengthened in its beliefs.
the true riches of the church are not material things, but -
its testimony of Christ, and
the resulting spiritual riches
If this church desires to become rich in utterance, knowledge and spiritual gifts -
its people must establish their belief in the words of God
its people must spend more time in the word
its people must become bold in confessing and sharing its faith to the world around them
THE MORE YOU SPEAK OF CHRIST, THE MORE HE EMPOWERS AND ENABLES YOU WITH SPIRITUAL GIFTS!
THE REVERSE IS ALSO TRUE.
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