God first, Us Second

Sermon 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9 February 12, 2017 Ordinary time

God first, Us Second

When we hear the words of Paul we wonder which words gets our attention? He says so much in each of his phrases.

Going back to chapter one of First Corinthians, and all the way here to chapter three, he talks about allegiance and the cross and babies and plants and buildings and servants. It can be a challenge to keep up with him.

There are a few things to keep in mind when we read this letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

One: the letter is directed to the believers in the church.

Two: the letter is in response to the reports he has received about the behavior of the believers and the way they worship.

Three: he is none too happy with how they are representing the Way of Christ.

The letter however, is more than a reprimand, it is an encouragement for the believers. Paul, shares with them the purpose of the church, the order of worship, and how to prioritize everyday living.

Perhaps the most comforting thing to notice is that the earliest churches were not perfect. All the letters in the New Testament provide a glimpse into the churches of the first centuries. They had so many concerns with how to be a church and how to manage life as faithful followers.

They didn’t start out perfect and so when we look back to what might have been in our imagination as the ‘glory days’ of the church, we can read today’s lesson and know that every age has had its issues.

Here in Corinth, the church had become divided.

People were taking sides.

They had chosen a person who they felt was the best leader and they were standing behind that person.

Worse yet, they were claiming themselves better than the others.

They began spouting off at how their way was best and their leader had more qualifications than the other.

It was getting rather ugly to the point that the people outside the church witnessed the division within it.

I think all of us have experienced a time either in the church or in the workplace or in the neighborhood, where one person began to have the idea that they were of superior wisdom about something

and a group stood behind them

and then before you can blink

everyone is divided over something rather simple

(or at least you thought it was simple).

You can think of things, such as carpet

or curtain color,

or where to put the staff water cooler,

or how many chickens can you have in the neighborhood,

or whether skateboards can be on the sidewalk.

Paul does not say that the people should not have opinions

or should not have the ability to make difficult decisions.

However, he points out their way of going about it removes God from the equation.

By lifting up someone other than to whom we belong we place ourselves in idol worship. It happens so easily.

By claiming that Apollos had superior wisdom than Paul the believers were not putting God first. They were putting themselves first.

It is the presence of the Spirit in our lives that gives way to Christ-like living.

Holding our allegiance firmly in Christ we allow the Spirit to fill our lives with those special gifts of kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control.

In this manner, we are able to have a determined focus of our heart, soul and mind.

And in so doing when the desire to call someone out or to seek to divide for one’s own self-promotion-our hearts are quickly called to task.  

(I am Second videos-these videos can be found online as famous people share how they have learned to put themselves second and God first)

I watched a 60 Minutes episode about the Pope’s Choir.

It was a wonderful story describing how boys and men are selected for this choir that songs for the Vatican events and for the pope.

The choir director talked about how the choir was before he became the director. He said the choir had a poor reputation. It was considered a cacophony of sound. He remarked many of the members were present to promote their own wonderful voice. He said they sang over each other, they were loud and most of all they did not harmonize. With his determination to move the choir from self-promotion to realizing who they were truly singing for, he began to hear the difference.

The choir today is known for its beauty, its angelic sound. The members are very proud of their ability to work together to create the most magnificent sound to reach the very heights of heaven.

Putting Christ first in our everyday life does not mean we are “amening” or “praise Jesusing” at every breath.  

Putting Christ first unifies our heart, soul and mind with the will of God. And in so doing we can trust our conscience, our gut, in our decisions as we wake for the day.

What I appreciate when Paul gives us the example of planting, watering, and God giving the growth, is that hard work by individuals is still honored. Paul and Apollos and many other saints down through the ages have been hard at work planting and watering and we honor them and remember them for all they have done to bring us to where we are today. So, as we continue the legacy of planting and watering we can be assured that God is with us bringing about growth.

Part of the purpose of the church is the common purpose of planting and watering. We are in the business of sharing the love of God and allowing for opportunities to grow in faith and love.

Within these walls in worship we gather, we pray and support, we fellowship, we strengthen each other’s faith, we teach, we serve, all in the spirit of the love of Christ. Whether we are working together within this church or in the community with several churches we serve a common purpose.

Sanctuary French Reformed Church Autun, France

A few years ago, around 130-202 AD there lived a man. Ok, so it was a little more than a few years ago. Irenaeus was a Bishop in Lyon, France. It was during the time of the martyrdom taking place in the amphitheaters there. Christians in this city really did suffer persecution. Irenaeus of Lyon was a source of strength and courage for the believers. He counseled believers saying, “take refuge in the church; drink its milk, be fed by the Scriptures of the Lord.” He said, “the church has been planted in the world as a paradise.” The church was an oasis for the believers. A place where they could gather in security and sacredness from a dark and chaotic world. The church in the early century in Lyon was a haven and believers were eager to there.

May the churches in this current world be a refuge, a paradise, an oasis, a sacred safe space for all of God’s people.

May we be filled with the Spirit as God’s servants, working together as God’s field, God’s building. Amen.

Resources: Feasting on the Word.