1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. -1 Corinthians 12:1-3

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Faith itself is a miracle.  Left up to our own human devices, we would always turn away from God.  The Bible actually tells us that no one seeks God, not even one.  And here, in this passage the Apostle Paul shares that anyone who even accepts Jesus as God can only do so because their hearts and minds have been touched by the Holy Spirit.

If you believe in Jesus, that’s because the Holy Spirit has touched your heart.  If you’re struggling to believe, it’s because the Holy Spirit is working on your heart helping you to even want to believe.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving today, let us give thanks to God and His Holy Spirit for touching our hearts.  We can’t even have faith without the Holy Spirit’s help.

1 Corinthians 11:27-34

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come I will give further directions.

-1 Corinthians 11:27-34

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As we shared yesterday, the ritual of Communion connect us with other Christians present, past, and future.  When the Apostle Paul warns against partaking Communion in an unworthy manner he was specifically addressed the situation in Corinth where wealthy Christians have basically shunned the poorer Christians.  So when Paul tells us to examine ourselves before we take Communion, he is asking us to look at our relationship with the church and with the members of the church.  Are we doing anything to hinder those relationships?  Are we trying our best to live as brothers and sisters in Christ?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. -1 Corinthians 11:23-26

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Traditions are an important part of a person’s heritage and upbringing.  They remind us of what is important and connect with us to all those in the past who practice those same exact traditions.  This passage talks about a super important tradition in Christianity called Communion, or sometimes known as the Eucharist.

At church the believer would be given a piece of bread or cracker and also some grape juice.  They are to eat the piece of bread and drink the juice as a reminder that Jesus allowed his body to be broken and his blood to be shed for our sins.  The Apostle Paul who wrote this letter to the Corinthians practiced this tradition and just this past Sunday, I did so, too.  Due to the pandemic, we had to do it at home via Zoom.  But Maria and I watched a dozen of our church members all eat the bread and drink the juice together.

It symbolizes our connection to each other, to believers in the past, and to God.  It reminds us that we’re all in the same boat.  We were all spiritual lost and far from God and now we’ve all been saved no matter who we are.  This is why Communion is so significant.

The next time you partake in Communion, think about your connection to the Apostle Paul, think about your connection to other brothers and sisters in Christ, and think about your connection with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! -1 Corinthians 11:17-22

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We need to care for the WHOLE church.  For those of you who attend church, when you go there’s always like your own clique that you chill with and that you’re comfortable with.  Same thing with Harvesters.  When we were meeting in-person, people would sit next to their friends and so forth.  There’s nothing wrong with having friends that you are close to.  But, the Bible does tell us that we need to be concerned not just for our friends but for everyone who is part of our faith family.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul was concerned about the cliques that have formed in the church that were not getting along.  A lot of those cliques were based upon wealth.  So the wealthy people would get together to eat while ignoring or living out Christians who were poorer and didn’t have an abundance of food.  Paul is calling the wealthy Christians out saying this is messed up.  We can’t just be concerned about ourselves and our clique, we need to love and care for every person in the church.

Likewise, in Harvesters, we can’t just care for our friends.  Every person who is part of the Harvesters family should be important to you.  This doesn’t mean we’re going to be best friends with everyone at Harvesters, but it does mean that we have the mindset of wanting to connect and reach out to other members that we may not be as familiar with.  It’s an attitude and a frame of mind.

At church or at Harvesters, do you just stick with your own group or do you make an effort to try to get to know someone that you may not  know that well?  Are you sticking with your own clique or are you reaching out?

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

-1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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One of the most difficult things to figure out in the Bible is if a passage is speaking to a cultural ethos pertinent only to that time period or does it apply universally even for Christians today.

Most Christians interpret the act of a woman covering her head at a church service to be specific to the culture of the time.  Not many churches I know have women covering their heads.  Even the Apostle Paul admits this is a cultural practice when he writes, “We have no other practice.”  Well, two thousands years later, churches look a lot different than during Paul’s time.  So by tradition, this part of the passage is interpreted as being time and culturally specific.

But there are some truths in here that many Christian scholars deem universal—that they apply even today.

The first is the equality and mutual submission between genders.  Paul writes, “in the Lord the woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.”  Both need one another and not one is more important than the other.

If men and women are equal then why does Paul write that “the head of the woman is man.”  What’s up with that?  That doesn’t sound equal at all.

Pastor Tim Keller in his most famous series of sermons on marriage explains this command as a necessary tie-breaker in marriage.  If a married couple are both committed to Jesus, they will agree on the important things 99% of the time.  But that 1% when the disagree, they can stuck unless a tie-breaker is appointed.  The man is given that responsibility of breaking the tie, but a godly husband uses that right with great restraint and only with what is best in mind for his wife.  He sees his headship not as privilege to abuse and lord it over his wife, but as another mechanism in which he can serve her. 

Equality and mutual submission is always at the heart of our relationships with the opposite gender.

1 Corinthians 11:1

 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. -1 Corinthians 11:1

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This is a pretty bold statement made by the Apostle Paul.  I don’t believe he’s trying to be arrogant or that this was a statement made out of spiritual pride.  Paul’s just being real.  His life has been one dedicated to following Jesus and he’s simply telling others to do what he’s doing because it’s the best.

Are you living your Christian lives in such a way that you can say this exact statement to others?  Are you following the example of Jesus?  What does that even mean?

When Maria and I first met, the only way that I could have gotten to know her was to spend time with her.  If I wanted to know what Maria’s likes and dislikes, I would have to interact with her.

It is no different with God.  If you want to follow Jesus, you have to first know him.  So many of us though claim that we know him even though we never spend any time with him by reading His Word and through prayer.  When we do this, what ends up happening is that we put our own words in Jesus’ mouth .  We essentially make-up our own Jesus because we don’t know the real Jesus.

Do you know Jesus or do you only think you know him?  When was the last time you spent any time in your Bible or in prayer?

1 Corinthians 10:18-33

18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”[f]

27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

-1 Corinthians 10:18-33

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Soon after I graduated from college  I was really considering dying my hair blue—anime blue.  For real.  It never happened though and this passage had something to do with it.

The Apostle Paul here is advising Christians to stay away from food that’s been offered to other gods in other religions.  He makes it a point to say that the food is fine regardless.  There’s nothing magical that happens to food when it is used in another religious ceremony.   For Christians, it’s still food and it’s still delicious.

BUT if by eating the food others might think that you are worshipping a different god, you need to take pause.  If your actions can lead others astray or confuse others about the Christian faith, you need to reconsider.

That’s what happened with my hair dying desires.  There is nothing wrong with dying your hair.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say, “Thou shalt not dye your hair blue!”  BUT, during that time I was starting to serve in youth ministry at a fairly conservative church and I knew a counselor with dyed hair would probably not be taken seriously by parents.

Anime blue hair is not forbidden by Scripture, but if me dying my hair might prevent parents from trusting me with their students, then it’s better for me not to do it.  This is what Paul means when he says, “Do not cause anyone to stumble.”   I give up the freedoms that I have so that the Gospel can reach others unhindered.  Not dying my hair anime blue is but a small, small sacrifice.  And in the long run, it worked out.  I shudder to think ridicule I would receive now if pictures of my blue hair existed.

In your actions, are you seeking the good of others or do your actions preventing others from seeing God clearly?