1 John 4:1-6
Spiritual Warfare in the Church Introduction: I’d like to set the stage this morning with a story from 2 Kings 6. The prophet Elisha is in Dothan, where he has been regularly receiving information from God about the military movements of the Aramean or Syrian army and passing the information on to the King of Israel. The King of the Arameans suspects a spy among his trusted confidants, but eventually he is informed that Elisha is the culprit; in fact, one of his…
1 John 4:7-21
The Love Connection: God’s Love and Ours Introduction: A strange story hit our newspapers about two weeks ago involving two ten-year-old girls and their parents. One of the girls, Arlena Twigg, had a congenital heart defect, and when the doctors ordered some genetic testing to aid in her treatment, it produced a surprising result: her parents weren’t her parents. Regina and Ernest Twigg didn’t tell her the news because of her critical condition, and shortly thereafter, in August, 1988, she died. The Twiggs hired private…
1 John 5:1-12
Three Tests, Three Testimonies Introduction: Those of you who are avid basketball fans know what a triple double is. It occurs when a player gets ten or more points, ten or more rebounds, and ten or more assists in the same game. Some great basketball players never get even one triple double in their entire careers, but Larry Bird just got his 57th last Tuesday. The Apostle John doesn’t score a triple double in our text today, but he does employ a double…
1 John 5:13-21
What Do You Know for Sure? Introduction: What do you know for sure? I ask that question a lot as a variation on “How’s it goin’?” or “How you doin’?” The answer I get most often is, “Nothin’ much.” I suspect if I had asked Ben Franklin, “What do you know for sure?” he would have responded, “Death and taxes!” At least that’s all he was sure of in 1789. But the Apostle John, as he closes this brief but profound epistle that has…
1 Cor. 1:1‑9
Back to the Basics Introduction: The world’s greatest evangelist of all time was on his second of three great missionary journeys, planting churches around Greece and Turkey, when he first visited the city of Corinth. He had just come from Athens, about 50 miles to the northeast, where he experienced a rather disappointing reception to the Gospel message. The philosophers who debated him on Mars Hill, just below the Acropolis, ridiculed his witness to the resurrection of the dead, though a few believed…
1 Cor. 1:10-17
Contentious Christians Introduction: The old proverb says, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” The meaning of that proverb is, of course, that when people find themselves without proper supervision, they often conduct themselves without proper decorum. This is exactly what was happening in the church at Corinth. Paul had founded the Church there while on his second missionary journey, and he had stayed approximately 18 months. But other cities needed churches too, so he left the core of believers at Corinth in the…
1 Cor. 1:18-2:5
The Power Behind the Powerless Note: On September 17, 2000, Dr. Jerram Barrs from Covenant Theological Seminary preached at First Free St. Louis on “The Wisdom of God,” from 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. This was a powerful message, but we do not have available a written copy of it. Pastor Andrus reviews some of that passage in this message. Introduction: When was the last time you were absolutely convinced something was true or right; in fact, you would have bet your life on it? But…
1 Cor. 2:6-13
What Do You Know for Sure? Introduction: Can we know anything for sure? Most religious people would respond, “Sure, we can know God exists.” In fact, a recent poll showed that 74% of Americans strongly agreed that “there is only one true God, who is holy and perfect and who created the world and rules it today.” That’s pretty encouraging, isn’t it? Seventy-four percent! Well, not very encouraging, because the same poll showed that fully 64% strongly agree or agree somewhat with the assertion that “there is no…
I Cor. 2:14-3:4
Four Kinds of People: Which One Are You? Introduction: What is the question you were most often asked as a child? Next to “How old are you?” it was probably, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” Most of us had visions of a glamorous career as a fireman, policeman, truck driver, dancer, or nurse–but many of these dreams gave way to more practical options like engineer, homemaker, or salesman. Eventually most of us found our niche and are fairly comfortable with…
1 Cor. 3:5-15
Building the Church Introduction: Did you know that the manner in which you serve in God’s church will determine how you spend eternity? Now some of you are probably saying to yourselves, “Did I hear him right? Is this Pastor Andrus, who has always preached salvation by grace, not works, now telling us that our service in the church will determine how we spend eternity?” Yes, that’s what I’m telling you. But please note, I didn’t say where you spend eternity, but rather how you spend it. The…
1 Cor. 3:16-23
Destroying the Church Introduction: I have always been fascinated by ancient ruins. Especially intriguing are the temples that archeologists have unearthed and preserved for posterity. There is the great Acropolis in Athens, the Temple of Aphrodite in Corinth, Petra in Jordan, Karnak and Luxor in Egypt. These great temples conjure up visions of ancient cultures, of gods created in the image of man, and of man’s futile search for meaning in a pagan world. They stand as stark reminders of the truth of Paul’s assertion in 1 Cor. 3:11: “For no man can lay any foundation other…
1 Cor. 4:1-7
Pastoral Evaluation Introduction: When I was in college a generation or two ago, students had the privilege of filling out teacher evaluations at the end of each semester. I really enjoyed that. When I taught in college a few years later I didn’t enjoy it as much. The fact is, it is human nature to want to offer criticism and it is also human nature to resist it when it comes our way. In 1 Cor. 4 the apostle Paul gives us some advice…