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Preparing for Sunday - 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

September 16, 2016 by Dalton Vansell Preparing for Sunday
1 Corinthians Sermon Image

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

  • If you have time, it would serve you well to go back and listen to last week’s sermon and remember the historical context that 1 Corinthians was written in.  Click here for the previous sermon.
  • Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-3. In this introduction, Paul introduces himself and his recipients.
  • What does Paul say about himself? What does it mean that Paul was called to be an apostle? How does Paul say that he was called?
  • Remembering the historical context, and knowing what Paul will be dealing with in the first four chapters of the book, how is Paul’s calling significant for the letter?
  • Paul addresses his letter to the church of God in Corinth. What does it mean that he addresses them as the church of God in Corinth? Is he speaking to believers or unbelievers? What in the text will help you decide?
  • He further describes the church in Corinth as, “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours”
  • Together with what you know about the church in Corinth from the rest of the letter, how does this description fit the church in Corinth? What does it mean that Paul calls them sanctified? Is this positional sanctification or progressive? What does it mean that they are called to be saints?  Why would it be encouraging for the Corinthians to be included with all of those who call on the name of the Lord?
  • Paul greets the Corinthians with “grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Is this just a typical Roman greeting or is there theological depth to be found in this Holy Spirit inspired greeting?
  • The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study the text. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

  • How would the Corinthians have received this greeting? How would they have received the notion of Paul’s apostolic authority? How would they have felt about his description of them?
  • How does Paul’s apostolic authority affect the way we read 1 Corinthians? How does your heart respond to God’s authoritative word?
  • How can Paul’s introduction encourage you if you are struggling with sin, struggling to believe you are called, and you are a saint, and you are sanctified?
  • Meditate on the fact, the reality, the truth that we have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. How should this impact how you live?

Intentionally Act

  • What keeps you from thinking about fellow church members in the categories that Paul used to describe the members of the church in Corinth?
  • In what ways would you interactions with fellow church members be different if you built in a habitual and prayerful approach to viewing church members in the categories discussed in the message from 1 Cor 1:1-3?
  • How can you practically develop the habit of identifying with the church as a whole, the way Paul identifies the church in Corinth?
  • What expectations do you have of your church that would be outside a gospel-defined relationship with them?
  • What friendships do you have that would not likely exist if the gospel were not true?
  • How have you started and cultivated deeper gospel-revealing (as opposed to gospel-plus) relationships with other people who are in a very different stage of life than you?
  • What are ways you could effectively and specifically use today’s message this week?
  • Read through the lyrics and practice the songs with a mind towards unity in the church, not creating divisions in the church based on preferences, but one mind and one body in Christ worshipping in unity to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  
  • 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: Joel Conrad, music; Adam Naler, Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Lyrics Morning Gathering - September 18, 2016 by Summit Woods Baptist Church on Scribd