Author: Mitch Clouse

Problems Plaguing A Local Church,
Part 6

In Sunday’s message, OUR LEGACY- TESTED BY FIRE (1 Cor. 3:1-15), the Bible directly addressed the difficult issue of a Christian who is not maturing because of unconfessed sin.

The first key point to realize in chapter 3 is the Lord is still speaking to Christians and not to unsaved people. This does not fit with many people’s theological systems, but Paul states here he is speaking to, “brethren,” that is, to both brothers and sisters in the family of God (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 5

In our message, HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST (1 Cor. 2:10-16), the Bible continues to point us as Christians to heavenly things speaking of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. From passages like Ephesians chapter 1 we know these heavenly blessings of salvation come from our Triune God: the Father, who prepared them before time began; the Son, who carried out salvation at Calvary; and the Holy Spirit as He illuminates them to Christians today when we walk with Him (Eph.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 4

In our message, NO EYE HAS SEEN… (1 Cor. 2:1-9), Paul continued to point the church in Corinth back to their identity in Christ- focusing on the Gospel which is “the power and wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:17-18, 24). After showing them that “Christ crucified,” the supposed “weakness God,” is stronger than the greatest achievements of humanity combined (1 Cor. 1:23, 25; Isa. 29:10-16, etc.), and that most of the Christians themselves in Corinth were “despised” in the world’s eyes when “called” by grace possessing not even a human reason to boast (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 3

In our message, THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD (1 Cor. 1:19-31), we continued our new series in the book of First Corinthians. After his greeting to them and thanksgiving to God for their salvation, Paul started to address the first problem at the church in Corinth dealing with party factions and schisms (1 Cor. 1:1-17; Gal. 5:20; James 4:1-5, etc.). He then points them back to their identity in Christ via the gospel (1 Cor.… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church, Part 2

In our message, CHRIST IS NOT DIVIDED (1 Cor. 1:10-18), we continued our new series in the book of First Corinthians.

People from “Chloe’s household” had written Paul back to request additional information from him on problems in the Corithian church (1 Cor. 1:11; 5:9, etc.), and from this call for help the book of 1 Corinthians was given to us as part of God’s holy Word. While we do not know a lot about this godly woman Chloe, it appears she, like Lydia in Philippi, was a widow or single woman who owned her own business and ran her own household with servants (Acts 16:13-15, etc.).… Continue reading

Problems Plaguing a Local Church – Part 1

In our message, CALLED TO BE GOD’s HOLY PEOPLE (1 Cor. 1:1-9), we started a new series in the book of First Corinthians.

The church at Corinth, like the church in Thessalonica, was founded by Paul and his missionary team on Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9; 18:1-17, etc.). And both Thessalonica and Corinth were capitals of large Roman provinces, making them ideal locations for sharing the gospel.… Continue reading

Church- You Are Not in the Day of the Lord!, Part 4

In our message, OCCUPY TILL JESUS COMES (2 Thes. 3:1-18), we completed our series in the book of 2 Thessalonians. Paul corrected a misunderstanding in God’s Word- a theological error- informing the Christians in Thessalonica again (and us also) that the Church is NOT in “the day of the Lord” (2 Thes. 2:2 NET). Unlike Jesus’ coming for His bride/the Church, which can occur at any moment and without any sign before it, God shows us here the “great tribulation” period will not begin until after several events happen “first”: #1 a worldwide “falling away” from biblical truths; #2 “He [the Holy Spirit in the Church] who know restrains” evil must be “taken out of the way” at the Rapture; and #3 “then the lawless one [the Antichrist will be] revealed” when that “man of sin” signs a peace treaty with Israel (2 Thes.… Continue reading

Church- You Are Not in the Day of the Lord, Part 3

In our message, GOD CHOSE YOU- STAND FIRM (2 Thes. 2:10-17), we continued to look at Paul’s correction to the Thessalonian church who had started to believe the error they were in “the day of the Lord” (2 Thes. 2:2 NET; 2 Tim. 3:16-17- for additional information on this topic, please see last week’s sermon summary).

Before the “day of the Lord” (Daniel’s 70th week of years/the great tribulation period) can start, God (who knows the future) declares there must be (#1) “a falling away… first” (i.e.… Continue reading

You Are Not in the Day of the Lord, Part 2

In our message, DO NOT BE SHAKEN OR TROUBLED (2 Thes. 1:11-2:9), we looked at Paul’s correction to the church of Thessalonica who had started to believe the lie that they were in “the day of the Lord” (2 Thes. 2:2-3 NET; 2 Tim. 3:16-17, etc.). But before focusing on the main point of this book in the Bible, Paul prays again for the church there to continue to walk “worthy of [their] calling” in the light of all God has done for them saving them by grace and all He is going to do for them in grace when He returns (2 Thes.… Continue reading

You Are Not in the Day of the Lord,
Part 1

In our message, ENCOURAGEMENT IN PERSECUTION (2 Thes. 1:1-10), we started a new series on the book of 2 Thessalonians. While the theme of 1 Thessalonians is largely on comfort, 2 Thessalonians (written about a year later) is focused mostly on CORRECTION (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Thes. 2:3, etc.). Paul had just explained the church would be “caught up… to meet the Lord in the air” before “the day of the Lord” came upon the world (1 Thes.… Continue reading