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Preparing for the Sermon - 1 Cor. 1:4-9

November 26, 2019 by Toby Sutherland Preparing for Sunday
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Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

  • Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, focusing on verses 4-9.
  • Notice the repetitious use of “you” in these verses. Trace that back up to who Paul is addressing in the letter, is it singular or plural?
  • Why is Paul thanking God for in verse 4? Why? What does it mean “the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus”? What is given?
  • Why would this enrich speech and knowledge? Why is that important?
  • Why would the testimony of Christ be confirmed? What impact does verse 7 say that has on believers? Why does Paul combine having gifts and waiting for the revealing of Jesus? Is there a connection drawn between action and waiting?
  • The Lord Jesus will sustain us to the end, how? What were the verses before saying? How can we be guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ? What day is that referring to?
  • Why does it matter that God is faithful in relation to the preceding verses? Look back to verse to see how Paul links being called. What are we being called into?
  • Notice how many times Paul names Jesus in verses 4-9 and 1-9.

Prayerfully Meditate

  • If Christ Jesus is the repeated focus in this passage, around what else should we be unified? How easy is it to get distracted from a singular focus of Jesus Christ in how we operate daily, individually, and more importantly corporately as a local body of believers?
  • Paul referenced being thankful for this church. How can Paul be thankful for a church like Corinth? Are others thankful for you for the reasons that Paul lists being thankful for the recipients of this letter? Conversely, who are you thankful for in that regard?
  • Do you wait expectantly for the revealing of the day of our Lord Jesus Christ? Does it encourage you to act in the body using your gifts for building up the body? Is the waiting enough to sustain you to the end?
  • Consider how what Paul rights in this passage might flavor your prayers for others.
  • Reflect on your own attitude toward God over the past few days. How does it match with what Paul says about God in this passage?