Author: Mitch Clouse

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 21

In our message, ORDER AT THE LORD’S SUPPER (1 Cor. 11:17-34), Paul addressed a second question on corporate worship dealing with Communion itself. Just as the Lord spoke order into the chaos when He created all things (Gen. 1:1-3; John 1:1-5, etc.), He continues to speak His Word (i.e. the Bible) into the church today to bring order (1 Cor. 14:33, etc.).

While Paul was pleased earlier with the fact that the Corinthian assembly sought to keep some helpful traditions (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 20

In our message, ROLES OF GOD (1 Cor. 10:27-11:16), Paul finished addressing the Corinthians’ questions on meats offered to idols, a discussion that was begun in chapter 8, before turning toward issues related to corporate worship in the local church there.

After addressing the specific issue of meats in pagan temples (1 Cor. 10:14-22) and looking again at meats in the marketplace (1 Cor. 10:25-26), Paul now turns to a third specific scenario in Corinth- what to do if you are invited to an unbeliever’s home and he offers you meats that may have been offered to an idol there (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 19

In our message, WAY MAKER (1 Cor. 10:12-26), we looked at how God is the one who makes a way when there seems to be no hope. The greatest of all examples is with death itself (Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:26, etc.). Jesus is “the WAY, the truth and the life” who alone made THE WAY of escape from hell and damnation (John 3:16; 14:6; Acts. 4:12, etc.). He did this by becoming one of us as the God-Man paying the price no other could by shedding His blood for us at Calvary (John 1:29, etc.).… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 18

In our message, RUNNING TO WIN (1 Cor. 9:20-10:11), Paul continued responding to the Corinthian church’s question on Christian freedom with respect to foods in the marketplace of their day (1 Cor. 8:1, 4). Paul held himself up as an example of a person who possessed certain freedoms but willingly set some of them aside in Corinth to have a more effective gospel witness (1 Cor. 9:1-2; Rom. 1:16, etc.).… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 16

In our message, LOOKING TO BUILD OTHERS UP (1 Cor. 8:1-13), we left the subject of marriage and continued to look at a new question asked of the Apostle Paul by the local church in Corinth: “Now concerning…” (1 Cor. 8:1; see also 1 Cor. 7:1, 25, etc.) “things offered to idols” (1 Cor. 8:1a).
Specifically, believers were asking, “Can Christians eat meats that may have been offered to idols sold in the agora/marketplace of that day?”… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 15

In our message, LIVE AS YOU ARE CALLED (1 Cor. 7:17-40), Paul continued to respond to specific questions asked of him now by the church at Corinth. The first series of questions given to the apostle was on the delicate subject of marriage in an immoral culture (1 Cor. 7:1, 25; 2 Tim. 3:16-17, etc.). Last week the Holy Spirit went back to the creation account, as did Jesus, citing the design and sanctity of marriage (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 14

In our message, FAITHFUL WHERE YOU ARE AT (1 Cor. 7:1-16), after dealing with issues made known to him by Chloe’s household (1 Cor. 1:11f), Paul now begins to answer questions sent to him from the church in Corinth. The Greek phrase ‘peri de’ translated “Now concerning” in the NKJV is used throughout the rest of the book of 1 Corinthians as the Holy Spirit addresses specific challenges facing the local church in Corinth, and also churches in our day (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church,
Part 13

In our message, HELPFUL THINGS (1 Cor. 6:12-20), after addressing dealing with an immoral brother in their midst and handling disputes in a godly manner, the Lord then spoke to the issue of sexual purity for the church as a whole.

“All things are lawful for me” was a popular phrase in Corinth which some in the church were using to justify a false view of Christian liberty (1 Cor.… Continue reading