Loyalty To Christ
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· 55 viewsWhen we fight over our leadership, we aren't showing the world the messages that unites us. Our allegiance should be to Christ and his global churhc, not to the specific people who lead us.
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Intro
Intro
This four-week series dives headfirst into an issue that many young Christians struggle with: the image problem of the church.
Even teenagers who love their church will find themselves struggling to explain to their friends outside of church what their congregation does and why it’s different from the negative stereotypes people may have.
This series will look at the church at Corinth to see one of the foundational causes of our bad image, and then it will suggest that the most “fresh” approach to our community together is actually really old.
Instead of creating something new from scratch, we’ll learn from the church in Acts about ways to truly live out a faithful presence in the world.
Lead In
Lead In
Week 1
Topic: Division, Status, Unity
Big Idea of the Message: When we fight over our leadership, we aren’t showing the world the message that unites us.
It’s no surprise to anyone that a lot of young people are leaving the church.
Application Point: Our allegiance should be to Christ and his global church, not to the specific people who lead us.
Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:
About 59% of young people in churches are walking away from their faith after age 15, and a lot of the young people who stay struggle to explain to their friends what their church is really like.
1. It’s no surprise to anyone that a lot of young people are leaving the church. About 59% of young people in churches are walking away from their faith after age 15 (“Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church,” Barna, September 27, 2011, https://www.barna.com/research/six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church/), and a lot of the young people who stay struggle to explain to their friends what their church is really like. They have to respond to lots of negative stereotypes—that the church is judgmental, old-fashioned, hypocritical, and unaccepting. Does the church have an image problem? How do we show people a fresh look at what the church is supposed to be? We’re going to look first at the early church in the city of Corinth to see how our current problem is a very old one. In later weeks, we will look at Acts to see how to reclaim what the church is supposed to be.
They have to respond to lots of negative stereotypes—that the church is judgmental, old-fashioned, hypocritical, and unaccepting.
Slide
that the church is judgmental, old-fashioned, hypocritical, and unaccepting. Does the church have an image problem? How do we show people a fresh look at what the church is supposed to be? We’re going to look first at the early church in the city of Corinth to see how our current problem is a very old one. In later weeks, we will look at Acts to see how to reclaim what the church is supposed to be.
Does the church have an image problem?
How do we show people a fresh look at what the church is supposed to be?
We’re going to look first at the early church in the city of Corinth to see how our current problem is a very old one.
In later weeks, we will look at Acts to see how to reclaim what the church is supposed to be.
2. In , Paul is responding to divisions in the church at Corinth, divisions largely caused by people choosing their favorite teacher and focusing on following them, instead of on following Christ. Verse 12 most clearly shows how these divisions were based on people fighting over what leader to follow. Thomas Constable explains how “members of the church were appreciating their favorite leaders too much, and not appreciating the others enough” (Thomas Constable, Notes on 1 Corinthians [Sonic Light, 2017], 18). Not only did the church at Corinth have our same image problem, they had the same underlying causes: division, pride, and unnecessary arguments. We tend to look to a new image to solve our problem, but “rebranding” ourselves doesn’t address the root issue: we are focusing too much on ourselves.
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10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Paul Responds
In , Paul is responding to divisions in the church at Corinth, divisions largely caused by people choosing their favorite teacher and focusing on following them, instead of on following Christ.
Verse 12 most clearly shows how these divisions were based on people fighting over what leader to follow.
Some wanted to follow Christ, other’s appealed to Peter and wanted to follow him.
Other’s stood up and voiced their favoritism toward Paul and wanted to follow him.
These people were split and lost sight of what the church was.
Slide
The Church is to be a united front moving forward carrying out the gospel.
Members of the church were appreciating their favorite leaders too much, and not appreciating the others enough.
Not only did the church at Corinth have our same image problem, they had the same underlying causes: division, pride, and unnecessary arguments.
We tend to look to a new image to solve our problem, but “rebranding” ourselves doesn’t address the root issue: we are focusing too much on ourselves.
The Issue
The issue the church at Corinth was dealing with, of focusing on their devotion to certain leaders over others, is one that we deal with today as well.
Slide
We find our favorite leader or Christian celebrity and place all our hope and trust in them.
Sometimes we even think that their faith is the reason we have faith.
It’s good to have strong relationships with our leaders, but sometimes this moves into a bad place, where we are more loyal or invested in the leader than in Christ.
He is our ultimate leader and the only true source of our hope and faith.
Matt Chandler
A good example would be Matt Chandler. I absolutely love his teaching. He has in may ways shaped my life spiritually.
Now, his teachings are in no way to stand over the authority of the church I am plugged into, Crosspointe.
His messages are to be supplemental to Crosspointe.
The same with reading books, visiting other churches outside of your home church, even this group for some of you.
It is to be supplemental to your home church where you have fellowship, community, accountability and so on.
Illustration #2
Have you ever had a favorite singer or actor that you looked up to?
Some of us learn everything we can about a celebrity—
their hometown, their favorite color, what they like to eat for breakfast.
And even if we don’t obsess over them, we might listen to every song they put out or watch every movie they’re in.
Whether we mean to or not, we can often end up looking to them for inspiration or guidance.
We only see the best, most successful parts of their lives, so we can idealize them and even idolize them.
But sometimes those people end up failing us—
we find out they use drugs, they get a DUI, or they say or do something mean or offensive.
It can be devastating to find out that someone you looked up to did something so disappointing.
That can happen in the church too—
looking to our leaders for guidance and direction is good, but sometimes we can turn them into celebrities that we idolize.
Slide
When we place all our faith or hope in a human person, we are bound to be disappointed.
And just like some people fight over the best movie star or band, we can fight over the leaders in our churches and end up presenting a bad witness to the world.
Who to Follow
In verse 12, Paul lists four groups who are identifying as distinct sets of followers —of Paul himself, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ.
In verse 12, Paul lists four groups who are identifying as distinct sets of followers —of Paul himself, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ. The last group sounds like the “right” one, but they were all using the same strategy, of claiming that they were the “right” or best group (R. L. Pratt Jr., I & II Corinthians, Holman New Testament Commentary 7 [Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000], 9). They were still following a certain teacher or group instead of Christ. Our churches and leaders are good gifts from God, but if we are more loyal to a leader or a particular church than to God, we are missing the point. The underlying issue is the same one that many within the church deal with regularly: division. The Corinthians’ loyalties were more tightly held to their favorite leader or an exclusive group of people than to Christ and his global church.
The last group sounds like the “right” one, but they were all using the same strategy, of claiming that they were the “right” or best group.
They were still following a certain teacher or group instead of Christ.
Our churches and leaders are good gifts from God, but if we are more loyal to a leader or a particular church than to God, we are missing the point.
The underlying issue is the same one that many within the church deal with regularly: division.
The Corinthians’ loyalties were more tightly held to their favorite leader or an exclusive group of people than to Christ and his global church.
At the end of the day, you have to remind yourself, are you in this for Christ and the kingdom or are you in this for the church or leader that appeals to you?
If you are a follower because of Christ, that is exactly where yo want to be. Do not deviate from that.
If you are getting to a point where you would like to maybe shop around churches or listen only to people that make you feel good or agree with you, you will not grow as a Christian.
You will not find a home in a community of faith.
You will not understand what the church was meant to be.
Let’s pray.