Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.
You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life and in our corporate body.
Carefully Think
- Last week we sat under vv. 16-17 and how we are to take care of God’s temple. We observed in those verses that we are to view the church in the same way that God does, specifically that we, as a local church, are the temple of God, and that we house God’s Spirit. We also were instructed from this passage that we are to have the same passion that God has for his church. This includes his passion to preserve his church and his passion for the holiness of his church.
- With that immediate context in mind, it would be helpful to read 1 Corinthians from the beginning of the book through chapter 3, paying special attention to vv. 18-23 of chapter 3.
- In this section, Paul ties together the arguments that he was making in chapters 1 and 2 with the argument he made so far in chapter 3. What themes/key words do you see in this section that Paul has spoken on already in the book?
- What is the Lord’s view of earthly wisdom (see 18-20)? Where else have we seen this in 1 Corinthians? What were some of the false ideas in Corinth that Paul is seeking to debunk? What does this passage say about elevating human reason and ingenuity above the wisdom of God?
- What does Paul mean by the phrase “all are yours” in vv. 21-22? How could the various leaders (Paul, Peter, Apollos) be the Corinthians? How could the world and life and death and the present and the future be the Corinthians as well? What does Paul mean when he says this? How does v. 23 help us understand vv. 21-22?
- The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.
Prayerfully Meditate
- What does Paul say about lofty views of self in v. 18-20? How are high views of our own wisdom and reasoning abilities contrary to the very nature of God? How should vv. 18-20 cultivate humility in our hearts? (See Proverbs 3:5-7 for further help)
- How do vv. 21-23 instruct our hearts in how we are to view those whom the Lord has gifted and placed in leadership over us? Are there areas in your heart that you are elevating personalities instead of Christ?
- Do you find yourself talking more about the skill and abilities of the pastor/speaker than you do about the Word that they are preaching? These are things that must be repented of if we are to live obediently to God’s Word (particularly 1 Corinthians 3).
Intentionally Act
- Pray that the Lord would soften our hard and sinful hearts, that we would receive the teaching of the Word with humility, as beggars who need to hear from God to be changed.
- Ask the Lord to expose the sin in your heart and others’ in relation to this passage like high views of self, sinful pride in human wisdom, sinfully elevating personalities, and a failure to honor the Lord in all things.
- Think about and act on ways that you can apply what we have been learning so far from 1 Corinthians about how we are to view the church. Seek to think rightly about the body of Christ this Sunday as we gather together.
- Click the links below to find the lyrics and recordings of the songs planned for our gathering this Sunday; practice the songs, study the lyrics and sing together.
- Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant: music; Rob Stouffer: Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica: teaching.
Songs for Sunday
Lyrics
Lyrics Morning Gathering - December 11, 2016 by Summit Woods Baptist Church on Scribd