Edifying The Church – I'm Following Jesus

King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Sunday, December 01, 2019
Chapters: I Corinthians 5-8
Message: Edifying The Church

Hello My Friend,

I love my church, it is my home away from home, in fact, I spend more time with my church family than my biological family. Church ought to be the one place where we can come together as one, after all, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a place for spiritual healing, guidance, and direction. My church’s slogan is, “Come as you are, leave better.” If you are not learning and growing in Christ in the church than there is something seriously wrong with that church. Now, everyone is welcome to come to church, but we must understand that not everyone who comes to church is seeking a relationship with Jesus Christ, who is why we come together as one in the first place. Church is supposed to change the person, and not the person change the Church. “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” – I Corinthians 7:20-24.

“be not ye the servants of men.” Servants of men are those who remove the biblical standards of the Church, and allow anyone to become members. A few months ago, a church was all over the news because they fired a teacher who turned out to be gay. I defended the church, and then got criticized by people for doing so. You can deny the fact that homosexuality is a sin all you want, but the truth is, it is sin (Leviticus 18:22). The Church cannot allow a member, who is knowingly living is sin to actively serve in the Church. In the first part of his letter, Paul commends the Corinthians for their faith in Christ, now comes the upbraiding as he found out that a member was having an affair with his fathers wife. The problem was that the church knew about it, and condoned it, Paul warns them against fornication, and that it is destructive for the entire congregation.

“For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” – I Corinthians 3:1-5,9-13.

“Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” We must understand that everyone is welcome to come to church, and while we are all sinners saved by grace, not everyone ought to be a member. When the Church allows members who knowingly live in sin in, with no intention of repentance, it will cause a great division and confusion within the congregation. Why? Sin never just effects the person, it effect everyone everyone they get around, and yes, it is destruction if it remains. As a teacher, and sound booth operator in my church, and also with my own ministry, there is one fear that I always have that keeps me from doing anything that will come back to haunt me, it is the fear that my kids or followers would find out what I did, and having to explain that to them. There is a reason why we are to be different, to set ourselves apart from the world, and let me tell you, there are things going on in the Church that the world would be ashamed at (and I am talking about the moral world). As Paul continues, he addresses the issue for the same reason I just gave you.

“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” – I Corinthians 6:12-18.

“but I will not be brought under the power of any.” The Law was given as a guide for those who do love God to know exactly what is right from wrong in His eyes. And let me tell you, we do not need a law to tell us that it is wrong to have sexual relations with family members, those who are married, of the same sex, or animals, but it is all within the Law because someone did it. And before you go and say that it is all the same since we all started from Adam and Eve, it is not the same. These two people were probably having kids at record amounts, and their kids were populating the earth, they did not have the same genetic abnormalities that we have today. In fact, all that changed after the flood. There are churches who allow men to be married to several women, same sex marriage, gay men and women as priests, none of this is biblical. Yes, we are not under the Law anymore, but sin is still sin, and Jesus will judge each and every church that allows all this. “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” – Revelation 2:13-16.

“the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,” These were churches that came from the church of Rome, they forbid marriage to the priests, and recommended celibacy and virginity to others also, believing that sexual lust was the source of all uncleanness and abominable sin. And in the process of time, brothel houses were set up, and licensed and encouraged by authority of the churches as to justify their sin. Whenever people willingly and knowingly use their body in an immoral way, they are destroying their flesh in their sin. As Paul continues he reminds all of us that we are sinners, and it is Christ that cleanses us from our sin, he goes on to list the things that constitute as fornication, that includes alcohol, food, drug addiction, and yes homosexuality.

“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” – I Corinthians 6:7-13.

“but God shall destroy both it and them.” Just because our soul is saved that does not mean we can live an immoral without consequence, it will be to our destruction if we do not get a handle on it. Effeminate is a man that acts like a woman, abusers of themselves with mankind is homosexuality, being covetous is lusting for what others have, these are all acts of fornication. When we accept Christ as our Saviour we are washed clean from all these things, and therefore, we are to stop doing them. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” – Romans 3:31.

In reality the world has no idea that the immoral things they are naturally doing is sin, that is why it is important for the church to explain it right from the Word of God. Another act of fornication that Paul addresses is idolatry. “As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.” – I Corinthians 8:4-9.

“For though there be that are called gods,” This is often confusing to people, but it does not mean that there are literally several gods and lords. A god or lord was often referred to as a prince; a ruler; or judge, still today men of royalty are called lords. Think about this, we were bought with a price, Christ gave His life for us so we do not have to end up burning in the lake of fire. Instead of using that liberty for our flesh, we need to use it to edify the Church. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” – Ephesians 4:11-13.

Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son to save me, I am redeemed and saved from hell because I believe in His sinless death, burial, and resurrection, confessed that I am a sinner, and asked Him to save me. While I do not intentionally try to sin, I know I do at times. Lord, feed me with the spiritual things I need to keep me healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Help me to learn, repent, and avoid the things of the world that constantly try to defile my relationship with You. Only by Your power can I resist the temptations of Satan, and edify the Church. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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