Hello Grace Family!

Welcome to a new resource from Grace: the weekly Bible Study Guide!  

Following the sermon on Sunday, this resource will get us back into the same Bible passage we heard preached, and help with three things:

1. Break down the main points.

2. Ask questions for application in your life.

3. Prompt for focused prayer.

We seek to live not by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God (Dt. 8:3; Mt. 4:4). I hope this tool will help.

First, pray. Ask the Lord to open your eyes, that you might behold wondrous things out of his Word (Ps. 119:18). 

Second, read the passage. Feel free to read it more than once, or in another translation.

Third, review the sermon outline. Try to see how the points came out of the text.

Fourth, answer the questions below. Focus on personal application.

Fifth, pray. Praise and thank the Lord, then ask him to work in mighty ways. 

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to 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:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—7  so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Intro: At Grace, we want to be a healthy church. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a very unhealthy church. Before addressing their challenges, he begins by reminding them of foundational truths they must never forget: 

I. Remember who you are, and whose you are. You belong to God, through Jesus Christ. (v.2)

II. Remember how you got here. You were given God's grace when you received the testimony about Christ by faith, so that now you are enriched with spiritual gifts as you wait for Christ, who will sustain you to the end. (v. 4–8)

III. Remember who is responsible both for calling you and for keeping you: God himself. So your final standing is not based on your effectiveness, but on God's faithfulness. (v. 9)

Conclusion: Despite how unhealthy the church in Corinth had become, they were nevertheless the church of God! They were a particular group of people, who assembled in a particular place, with the shared understanding that God had called them into the fellowship of his Son, and would keep them to the end. Being a healthy church begins by realizing who we are, whose we are, how we got here, and who gets the credit. It begins by realizing that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we belong to God.

1. In verse 2, the word translated "church" means "assembly."

- Why is assembling together essential for a church to be a church?

- What are some reasons for why we neglect to assemble (see Hebrews 10:24–25)?

- What are some practical benefits to assembling?

- How can you make assembling with your fellow believers a top priorty?

2. In v. 2, we see that the local church ("in Corinth") is connected to the universal church ("together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"). It's a local embodiment of the broader whole.

- Why are both aspects of the church essential? 

- What might be some pitfalls of a local church neglecting its membership in the universal church?

- What might be some pitfalls of Christians embracing the universal church, but neglecting memership in the local church?

- Toward which end of that spectrum are you more tempted? 

3. In verses 5–7, Paul points out that as a result of their conversion, God had enriched the Corinthians with spiritual gifts, so they are fully supplied to "wait" for the return of Christ.

- How should we understand this "waiting?" (See Mark 13:32–36).

- With which spiritual gifts have you been enriched?

- How might you use your gifts during your "wait?"

4. In verses 4–9, notice how Paul uses the passive voice to point out who is ultimately responsible for this church. They were given God's grace. Who gave it? They were enriched with spiritual gifts. Who enriched them? The testimony about Christ was confirmed among them. Who confirmed it? They were called into the fellowship of his Son. Who called them? The one performing these actions is God himself, who is faithful (v. 9). This is why they can trust he will keep them to the end. God called them. God will keep them. They belong to him.

- How did God work in your conversion to Christ?

- How have you seen God's faithfulness since then? 

- Are you confident that he "will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord?"

- If so, on what grounds (see Romans 3:21–26)?

- If not, why not? 

- Corinth was a very unhealthy church, but Paul's words are encouraging for every church, regardless of health. Based on this text, how can you encourage a brother or sister in Christ this week? 

1. Thank God for his many gifts, like calling us into the fellowship of his Son, giving us the Holy Spirit, providing us with his Word, uniting us with our local church, and more. 

2. Ask God to help you put your gifts to use as you "wait" for the return of Christ.

3. Pray specifically for those in your life who do not yet belong to God (who haven't trusted in Jesus).

4. Recall how God has been faithful, and thank him. 

Thanks for reading the Bible Study Guide! I pray it helps us "continue to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (Eph. 4:15).

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Tom Hansen, Senior Pastor