1 Cor. 10:13
The Trial of Your Faith SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 10:13 Introduction: For our special Fifth Sunday Worship experience I want to speak to you briefly on the subject of temptations and trials. They have so much in common that the Greek language uses the exact same word to describe both. One has to determine which is being referred to from the context. Last Lord’s Day we examined one of the great verses of Scripture on temptation in 1 Cor. 10:13: “No temptation has seized…
1 Cor. 10:14-22
The Danger of Mixed Drinks SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 10:14-22 DATE: May 6, 2001 Introduction: What’s the highest virtue in America today? Is it honesty, integrity, morality, or sanctity of life? I would say none of these. I think it’s tolerance. Tolerance is so highly valued that it may be the only absolute virtue many Americans recognize. On the university campus just about the only thing that is not tolerated is intolerance, especially on the part of those upholding traditional standards or biblical truth. I say that as a…
1 Cor. 10:23-11:1
Using Freedom Rightly SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 10:23-11:1 Introduction: You know friends, I really look forward to our times together here at First Free. Sunday is the high point of my week. But it hasn’t always been. It wasn’t my favorite time when I was growing up. I was always in church, and I never really rebelled against going (it wouldn’t have done much good–my dad was the pastor), but neither did I enjoy it very much. Why the difference today? Well, there are probably a lot of…
1 Cor. 11:2-16
The Gender Minefield: Male/Female Roles in the Home and Church SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 11:2-16 Note: This sermon was preached long before the gender controversy of the 2020’s. “Gender” here is being used as synonymous with “sex,” that is, male/female. A sermon entitled “The Gender Minefield” would probably be on a completely different topic if preached in 2023 or beyond. Nevertheless, I believe the principles laid out here are valid. Introduction: The topic of gender roles is a minefield many pastors consider too risky to cross, and…
1 Cor. 12:1-13
Body Building: An Introduction to Spiritual Gifts SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 12:1-13 Introduction: There’s a body building craze going on in the U.S. today. Health clubs are being franchised all over the country and body-building contests are a thriving business. Women as well as men are into six packs and greasing down their bodies (for some of the most grotesque poses you could imagine). I understand that there are over 100 body-building magazines published every month. God is interested in body building too, only not the…
1 Corinthians 12:1-13
My Gift … to Serve! Introduction to Spiritual Gifts SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Note: This sermon was preached by Jerry Rich, Associate Pastor at First Evangelical Free Church in St. Louis. Introduction: You know, when I turned the calendar page over on Thursday, it hit me like it always does in November: What happened to September and October! These next two months always have a special feel, because you know what’s coming. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and then comes … Christmas. You…
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
A Body Has No Spare Parts SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Introduction: On a cold November day it is sometimes therapeutic to sit by a fire and assemble a jigsaw puzzle. This morning I would like to ask you to imagine a large puzzle, say, one with 3,000 pieces, that we are going to attempt to put together. As with every challenging jigsaw puzzle, each piece is different in size, shape and often in color. Furthermore, every piece is needed in order to finish the…
1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27-31
Have You Considered Joining the Priesthood? SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27-31 Introduction: On the way to the office on Tuesday I heard a radio interview with the new head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Wilton D. Gregory, of Belleville, the first black bishop to hold that post. He was being asked about the severe shortage of priests in the Catholic Church. You may be aware that liberals and progressives in the Church are arguing that the priest shortage is due…
1 Cor. 13:1-4
What Is Greater than the Greatest of Spiritual Gifts? SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 13:1-4 Introduction: Have you ever seen the movie, “Brian’s Song”? It’s actually on ABC tonight. It’s the touching story of the unlikely friendship between Gayle Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Sayers was arguably the greatest running back to ever play the game of football. A star at the University of Kansas, he went on to play for the Chicago Bears, performing running feats that almost defied the imagination. Unfortunately, his football career was cut short…
1 Cor. 13:5-13
Love Never Fails SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 13:5-13 Introduction: Have you ever stood before an exquisite painting or sculpture and felt as if you were gazing into the very soul of an artist? One of the joys of my life has been visiting some of the great art galleries of the world. I once spent more than a week by myself traveling from one great art museum to another across Europe. I have had the privilege of spending many hours in the Louvre in Paris,…
1 Cor. 14:1-19
The Gift of Tongues: Better in Private than in Public SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 14:1-19 Introduction: Today we come to the most controversial and difficult section of 1 Corinthians—chapter 14. The dominant topic of this chapter is the use and abuse of the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. There are many different opinions on this subject, even in this church, and I know there is sometimes mistrust between Christians who speak in tongues and those who do not. My hope is that this…
1 Corinthians 14:20-40
The Gift of Tongues: Restricted in Public SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 14:20-40 Introduction: Last Lord’s Day we opened a dialogue on the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues and the companion gift of interpretation of tongues. We did this because we are in the process of preaching through the book of 1 Corinthians, and chapter 14 is the principal passage on this gift in the Bible. In fact, it is the only chapter that gives us instructions concerning the use and misuse of this…