Why Self Checkouts and Pick Up Orders Are Killing The Church
Memory Verse: 'The last enemy to be destroyed is death. '
1 Corinthians 15:26
Sermon Sentence: To discover what you are called to do in following Jesus, you should consider the local church and its work around you.
Day 1
Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
When you read this passage, you can get offended at what Paul is trying to say. It all depends on how you hear it. No one likes to be called immature. This could easily become a situation of an outsider that is writing something offensive to a group of people that do not have any room for what is being said. Paul is relying on his reputation with the church at Corinth to give him room to make his point.
Paul’s point is that actions tend to illustrate where someone is really at in life. If you want to know what is really going on inside a person, you have only to watch how they live. Therefore, Paul’s point is not just to call out the church and call them immature for no reason, but he states that their immaturity is showing through in that they are acting jealous and are full of strife. Paul is stating this to explain why he can’t spend too much time digging deep into the philosophical wisdom unfoldings because they need to be told to just knock it off. Why go deeper when you have not received the part that you were presented in the first place?
I wonder how much we tend to miss the easy parts because we are expecting the more deep and difficult teachings? As we function in ways that are clearly not what reflects the gospel’s heart, it shows that we are needing to think through the basics of the Gospel. For me personally, I often find myself wanting to unpack the deepest and “new” thing in God’s word, and tend to skip over and ignore the basic easy part. Most of the time as I am skipping over it, the truth is I am avoiding what I have been convicted about for quite a while.
How do you see versions of jealousy and strife in your life?
What is it about the gospel of Jesus that gives an answer to those struggles?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
When you read this passage, you can get offended at what Paul is trying to say. It all depends on how you hear it. No one likes to be called immature. This could easily become a situation of an outsider that is writing something offensive to a group of people that do not have any room for what is being said. Paul is relying on his reputation with the church at Corinth to give him room to make his point.
Paul’s point is that actions tend to illustrate where someone is really at in life. If you want to know what is really going on inside a person, you have only to watch how they live. Therefore, Paul’s point is not just to call out the church and call them immature for no reason, but he states that their immaturity is showing through in that they are acting jealous and are full of strife. Paul is stating this to explain why he can’t spend too much time digging deep into the philosophical wisdom unfoldings because they need to be told to just knock it off. Why go deeper when you have not received the part that you were presented in the first place?
I wonder how much we tend to miss the easy parts because we are expecting the more deep and difficult teachings? As we function in ways that are clearly not what reflects the gospel’s heart, it shows that we are needing to think through the basics of the Gospel. For me personally, I often find myself wanting to unpack the deepest and “new” thing in God’s word, and tend to skip over and ignore the basic easy part. Most of the time as I am skipping over it, the truth is I am avoiding what I have been convicted about for quite a while.
How do you see versions of jealousy and strife in your life?
What is it about the gospel of Jesus that gives an answer to those struggles?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read 2 Corinthians 5
As a group of us were studying through 1 Corinthians and talking about the ideas for this particular sermon. Someone pointed out 2 Corinthians 5 and the fact that it talks about God’s building just like 1 Corinthians 3 does. The same dude that wrote that letter wrote 2 Corinthians, I know you that you know that. Also it was written, obviously, to the same people at a later time. So I think it is safe to connect the ideas together here.
The Gospel of John starts by declaring that God’s word has come to “tabernacle” among us. I heard an author recently talk about how you could change one word of the sequence of John 1 and you would have the thesis statement that could easily apply to Exodus. The whole point of Exodus is that God is telling his people how to live life in community with Him, to “tabernacle” or dwell with them. The point of John’s opening is that Jesus was the fulfillment of those rules that made that possible. So Jesus was the “Law” in flesh. Jesus was God “tabernacling” among us. Now Paul has this analogy going a bit further as he explains that the church is the “tabernacling” of God’s people among themselves with God. This is why the plural of “you” is to be considered important in the passages that we are looking at. That is why the destruction of this “tent” which is the word Paul uses to talk about the human body, we are not “homeless” at the moment we are absent from our “tents” because even in that moment we are swallowed up in “life.” That is a lot of really deep stuff worth thinking about!
How do you connect the ideas of the building of God as it refers to the church in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and here as it refers to the individual here?
What does Paul mean when he says that the “mortal will be swallowed up in life?”
How does this become part of your prayer today?
As a group of us were studying through 1 Corinthians and talking about the ideas for this particular sermon. Someone pointed out 2 Corinthians 5 and the fact that it talks about God’s building just like 1 Corinthians 3 does. The same dude that wrote that letter wrote 2 Corinthians, I know you that you know that. Also it was written, obviously, to the same people at a later time. So I think it is safe to connect the ideas together here.
The Gospel of John starts by declaring that God’s word has come to “tabernacle” among us. I heard an author recently talk about how you could change one word of the sequence of John 1 and you would have the thesis statement that could easily apply to Exodus. The whole point of Exodus is that God is telling his people how to live life in community with Him, to “tabernacle” or dwell with them. The point of John’s opening is that Jesus was the fulfillment of those rules that made that possible. So Jesus was the “Law” in flesh. Jesus was God “tabernacling” among us. Now Paul has this analogy going a bit further as he explains that the church is the “tabernacling” of God’s people among themselves with God. This is why the plural of “you” is to be considered important in the passages that we are looking at. That is why the destruction of this “tent” which is the word Paul uses to talk about the human body, we are not “homeless” at the moment we are absent from our “tents” because even in that moment we are swallowed up in “life.” That is a lot of really deep stuff worth thinking about!
How do you connect the ideas of the building of God as it refers to the church in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and here as it refers to the individual here?
What does Paul mean when he says that the “mortal will be swallowed up in life?”
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 3
Read 2 Corinthians 6
I love to read what Paul thinks about what he is doing in ministry throughout his letters. Part of me reads it in the context of the Bible and thinks it is really cool to see how bold and direct he was in what he was saying. The other part of me wants to know what it would be like to be around someone like this in real life that talked this way! Could you imagine?! Could you listen to a guy that was this bold and particular in what he was saying about what he was doing? It surely would feel like it came across as arrogant if you did not know him that well. When I was reading this chapter, that is what hit me. Paul starts out talking about how his work is a work with the Lord. I know that in our sermon from Sunday we talked about how we are God’s fellow workers, so after dealing with the initial recoil at the idea of how bold that is, I know I need to consider that, but how many times have we heard someone use God as a cloak for a selfish or nefarious ending? That makes me feel the need to hit that pause button on Paul as he is talking like this.
But that is not always the case. That is not the only thing that happens. If God is doing what He says He is doing so many times in his Word, and we are invited into that work, then surely we can be this level of bold on some things we are saying? When I start to process and think through that truth, that is when I am invited into the picture in this passage. We are being built into a temple of God, a dwelling place of His. How incredible is that?! We….as individuals, but then also as a collection of believers together. This is a different way of thinking about who I am and who you are and how we relate to each other and what our work in the world is!
What parts of this chapter surprise you?
How would you explain the ideas and teachings to someone that is new to following God?
What do you need to learn from this chapter today?
How does this become your prayer today?
I love to read what Paul thinks about what he is doing in ministry throughout his letters. Part of me reads it in the context of the Bible and thinks it is really cool to see how bold and direct he was in what he was saying. The other part of me wants to know what it would be like to be around someone like this in real life that talked this way! Could you imagine?! Could you listen to a guy that was this bold and particular in what he was saying about what he was doing? It surely would feel like it came across as arrogant if you did not know him that well. When I was reading this chapter, that is what hit me. Paul starts out talking about how his work is a work with the Lord. I know that in our sermon from Sunday we talked about how we are God’s fellow workers, so after dealing with the initial recoil at the idea of how bold that is, I know I need to consider that, but how many times have we heard someone use God as a cloak for a selfish or nefarious ending? That makes me feel the need to hit that pause button on Paul as he is talking like this.
But that is not always the case. That is not the only thing that happens. If God is doing what He says He is doing so many times in his Word, and we are invited into that work, then surely we can be this level of bold on some things we are saying? When I start to process and think through that truth, that is when I am invited into the picture in this passage. We are being built into a temple of God, a dwelling place of His. How incredible is that?! We….as individuals, but then also as a collection of believers together. This is a different way of thinking about who I am and who you are and how we relate to each other and what our work in the world is!
What parts of this chapter surprise you?
How would you explain the ideas and teachings to someone that is new to following God?
What do you need to learn from this chapter today?
How does this become your prayer today?
Day 4
Read 1 Peter 2:1-12
In order to build a building, you need a lot of different types of materials. The materials that are used and where they are used all depend on the plans for the building, and even on the functions for that part of the building. We all know this and get it, but the point of bringing it up in light of our text in 1 Corinthians 3 is to illustrate the point Paul wanted to make. God is building a building. Don’t forget that the specific language in 1 Corinthians 3:9 is about the plural, or better to be read “all of you.” Individually, I think the analogy works that we are being built as a God-building…but better in the context here is the idea that all of us are being made into a God-building. This is very much local church language. The church, the people of God, are to be considered the building of God that is being built up. The construction work is for the purpose of function and worship.
Peter picks up this idea in this passage also. He says, “You all are the living stones that are being used to build the spiritual house.” That is why the idea of a follower of Jesus without other people doesn’t seem to make much sense. We, the church, are being built up to be churches among each other, but also with each other. The goal and purpose of the church is to worship God and offer sacrifices and that is done through living the life that we are called to live through and by Jesus Christ, the first cornerstone of the building that everything else should be built off.
How does this analogy of what God is doing differ from the way you have traditionally, or maybe even the culture around you has traditionally, seen the work of the church?
Based on what you have seen here, what is the reason that you need a local church that you do more than just attend on Sunday worship?
What does this text reveal to you in and about your life today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
In order to build a building, you need a lot of different types of materials. The materials that are used and where they are used all depend on the plans for the building, and even on the functions for that part of the building. We all know this and get it, but the point of bringing it up in light of our text in 1 Corinthians 3 is to illustrate the point Paul wanted to make. God is building a building. Don’t forget that the specific language in 1 Corinthians 3:9 is about the plural, or better to be read “all of you.” Individually, I think the analogy works that we are being built as a God-building…but better in the context here is the idea that all of us are being made into a God-building. This is very much local church language. The church, the people of God, are to be considered the building of God that is being built up. The construction work is for the purpose of function and worship.
Peter picks up this idea in this passage also. He says, “You all are the living stones that are being used to build the spiritual house.” That is why the idea of a follower of Jesus without other people doesn’t seem to make much sense. We, the church, are being built up to be churches among each other, but also with each other. The goal and purpose of the church is to worship God and offer sacrifices and that is done through living the life that we are called to live through and by Jesus Christ, the first cornerstone of the building that everything else should be built off.
How does this analogy of what God is doing differ from the way you have traditionally, or maybe even the culture around you has traditionally, seen the work of the church?
Based on what you have seen here, what is the reason that you need a local church that you do more than just attend on Sunday worship?
What does this text reveal to you in and about your life today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Genesis 2:4-25
I would recommend a really long walk and a deep dive into learning from these verses. There are a lot of things to understand about how life works, why we are here, and so much more, in this one section. I am not saying it is laid out in question answer format, but there is something incredibly beautiful in the picture that it paints. To get there, you can’t just read it and expect to see a movie that shows everything and there is no need to meditate on it and think about it. It is way more full than that!
For instance, notice the order of things. There was no growth of any plants or anything. So am I supposed to be picturing a desert? Sure. But the point is that there was no life, no flourishing, nothing moving towards life. Why was there nothing? The text says because God had not started His work and there were no humans to do their work. The text starts with an emptiness that is for the purpose of housing the work of God and humans. God starts by planting a Garden. Then he places humans in that Garden to work it and keep it. There was no Garden until God planted it. After the Garden was planted, God brought the human into the Garden and tasked them with the work. God started it, and then humans were given the responsibility to continue what God started. That is a valuable and important perspective to have on life. Without the work of God, there is nothingness and barrenness. When God starts working, there is flourishing and life. It is from there that we are invited into what God is already doing to manage and maintain the work that God gets the glory from. What a great way to process life!
How is this thought process different than the one culture presents?
What parts of this order are important to consider in light of what it teaches?
What happens when you get this order and process out of order? Describe why it matters for it to be in this order.
How does this become part of your prayer today?
I would recommend a really long walk and a deep dive into learning from these verses. There are a lot of things to understand about how life works, why we are here, and so much more, in this one section. I am not saying it is laid out in question answer format, but there is something incredibly beautiful in the picture that it paints. To get there, you can’t just read it and expect to see a movie that shows everything and there is no need to meditate on it and think about it. It is way more full than that!
For instance, notice the order of things. There was no growth of any plants or anything. So am I supposed to be picturing a desert? Sure. But the point is that there was no life, no flourishing, nothing moving towards life. Why was there nothing? The text says because God had not started His work and there were no humans to do their work. The text starts with an emptiness that is for the purpose of housing the work of God and humans. God starts by planting a Garden. Then he places humans in that Garden to work it and keep it. There was no Garden until God planted it. After the Garden was planted, God brought the human into the Garden and tasked them with the work. God started it, and then humans were given the responsibility to continue what God started. That is a valuable and important perspective to have on life. Without the work of God, there is nothingness and barrenness. When God starts working, there is flourishing and life. It is from there that we are invited into what God is already doing to manage and maintain the work that God gets the glory from. What a great way to process life!
How is this thought process different than the one culture presents?
What parts of this order are important to consider in light of what it teaches?
What happens when you get this order and process out of order? Describe why it matters for it to be in this order.
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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