This Is Church: Identity, Wisdom, and Unity in First Study

The Process of Defining Institutional and Communal Identity

  • The Necessity of Definition: When groups evolve—such as when people move in or move out of a family—families must define their identity. They must answer the question, "Who are we?"
  • Corporate Identity: This phenomenon is observed in companies when they merge or come together.
    • Companies often hold retreats to write mission statements.
    • The speaker notes that these statements are often written but "nobody reads" them, yet they serve as an attempt to establish who the company intends to be.
  • Athletic Identity: Sports teams gather in the preseason to build a shared identity.
    • Coaches play a primary role in this development.
    • Teams revisit this identity at halftime and throughout the year to "recenter" on their core purpose.
  • Ecclesial Identity: Churches must define themselves as well.
    • They must determine: "Who are we?", "What is church like?", "Who are the people?", and "What are our ways/practices?"
    • This defining conversation separates a church from being just a rally, a lecture, or an "informational download."
    • It constitutes a "statement of connection," defining the group as a spiritual family.

Background and Context of the Book of First Corinthians

  • The Scriptural Source: The study series is based on First Corinthians, written by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament of the Bible.
  • The City of Corinth:
    • Historical Status: Corinth was one of the great cities of the ancient world and the Greeks.
    • Roman Conquest: When Romans conquered the Greeks, they leveled Corinth to demonstrate authority. However, it was rebuilt and became a thriving, popular city during the era of Jesus and Paul.
    • Demographics: The city was predominantly Gentile (not mostly Jewish) and very diverse, with Jewish and Greek cultures living together.
    • Economy: It was an extremely wealthy city with successful business environments.
    • Society: Wealth led to active civic entertainment and involvement. The society was obsessed with status.
    • Measuring Sticks for Status:
      1. Oration: Being well-spoken and quotable was highly valued.
      2. Wealth: Financial success led to prominence.
      3. Connections: Knowing many influential people granted importance.
  • Paul’s Relationship with Corinth: Paul started the church there and later wrote this letter because the culture of the city was infiltrating the spiritual family.

Cultural and Internal Conflicts within the Corinthian Church

  • Bringing the Culture In: The church members were bringing worldly issues into the church environment.
  • Identified Issues in the Church:
    • Status and Leadership: Members were forming followings around specific leaders.
    • Conflict Resolution: They were struggling to resolve disputes and were even taking each other to court in lawsuits.
    • The Body and Ethics: Confusion regarding how God's people should treat the physical body.
    • Sex and Marriage: The surrounding culture caused confusion regarding biblical principles in these areas.
    • Spiritual Gifts: There was confusion about what gifts are and how they should be utilized.
    • Worship Services: Gatherings were becoming unruly and chaotic.
    • The Resurrection: Members were struggling to understand the theological concept of the resurrection.
  • Series Objective: The eight-week series, titled "This Is Church," explores how people from diverse backgrounds, priorities, and perspectives can become one spiritual family.

Issue 1: Allegiance to the Wrong Team (Factions and Divisions)

  • Paul’s Appeal (11 Corinthians 1:10−171:10-17):
    • Paul appeals in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for agreement and an end to divisions, urging the church to be perfectly united in mind and thought.
    • Reports of Quarrels: Chloe’s household informed Paul of quarrels among the members.
    • The Four Factions: Members were identifying themselves by different lead figures:
      1. "I follow Paul."
      2. "I follow Apollos."
      3. "I follow Cephas" (Peter).
      4. "I follow Christ" (used as a "Jesus card" to claim superiority over others).
  • Paul’s Refutation:
    • He asks the rhetorical and absurd question: "Is Christ divided?"
    • He challenges their loyalty: "Was Paul crucified for you?" or "Were you baptized in the name of Paul?"
    • Baptism Detail: Paul notes he only baptized Crispus and Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. He states he does not remember baptizing anyone else.
    • The Point of Baptism: People are baptized into Christ, not the individual who performs the rite. Paul intentionally distances himself from those claiming loyalty to him.
    • Mission Clarification: Christ did not send Paul to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with "wisdom and eloquence" (human oratory), lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
  • The Correct Team: Paul directs his message to the people rather than the leaders (Apollos or Peter), telling them there is only "Team Jesus."

Issue 2: Inspired by the Wrong Wisdom (Signs and Worldly Philosophy)

  • The Theology of the Cross (11 Corinthians 1:18−251:18-25):
    • The message of the cross is foolishness to those perishing, but the power of God to those being saved.
    • God destroys the "wisdom of the wise" and frustrates the intelligence of the intelligent.
  • Contrasting Cultural Expectations:
    • Jews Demand Signs: They looked for miraculous displays of power (like the Manna, crossing the Red Sea, or the Jordan) as proof of the Messiah.
    • Greeks Look for Wisdom: They valued philosophy and elite oration/rhetoric as proof of truth.
    • The Stumbling Block: Both cultures saw the death of Jesus as defeat. For the Jews, a political overthrow was expected. For the Greeks, a wise man who died lost his influence. Therefore, "Christ crucified" became a stumbling block and foolishness.
  • The Superiority of God’s Wisdom:
    • The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.
    • The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
  • The Mind of Christ:
    • Believers do not have to guess at wisdom because they "have the mind of Christ."
    • This means seeing and understanding the world the way Jesus does, rather than yearning for external signs or worldly intellectualism.

Issue 3: The Wrong Court (Judging and Spiritual Immaturity)

  • Spiritual Immaturity (11 Corinthians 3:1−93:1-9):
    • Paul could not address them as people living by the Spirit but as "worldly," or infants in Christ.
    • They were fed "milk" because they were not ready for solid food.
    • Evidence of their worldliness included jealousy and quarreling.
  • The Role of Leaders:
    • Leaders like Apollos and Paul are merely servants assigned tasks by the Lord.
    • Agricultural Metaphor: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."
    • Neither the planter nor the waterer is anything; only God who makes things grow matters.
    • Leaders are "coworkers in God’s service."
  • Human Judgment vs. Divine Judgment (11 Corinthians 4:1−54:1-5):
    • Leaders are stewards/servants of Christ entrusted with God’s mysteries and must prove faithful.
    • Paul states he cares very little if he is judged by the Corinthians or any human court.
    • He does not even judge himself; the Lord is the one who judges.
    • Paul advises them to "step out of the judge's seat" and wait for the Lord to expose the motives of the heart.

Modern Applications and Factions in the American Church

  • Modern Factions:
    • Denominations: National conventions often result in days of news regarding infighting in committees.
    • Internal Church Division: As a church grows, there is more opportunity for division.
  • Statistical Snapshot of the Speaker’s Church:
    • Average Sunday attendance: 1,1001,100 people.
    • Consistent annual attenders: 2,5002,500 people.
    • Known teams/ministries: 80+80+ teams and programs.
  • Modern Factional Identities:
    • Worship Style: People feel disconnected if the volume, style, or emotional tone isn't their preference.
    • Specific Ministries: People may only be loyal to one centerpiece program.
    • Service Times: People gravitate toward specific times (e.g., the 10:0010:00 service vs. the 08:3008:30 service).
    • Political Tribes: Demands for specific political positions or statements in sermons.
    • Closed Groups: Serving teams that become "full" because they fear a new person might change the group’s identity.
  • Old Testament Examples of Disunity:
    • Saul and David: The period of disunity between Saul and David fractured the nation.
    • Solomon’s Successors: Jeroboam and Rehoboam split the kingdom permanently into Two vs. Ten tribes (1212 tribes total). Internal factions, not foreign powers, took their land and kingship.
    • A House Divided: The principle that a house divided against itself cannot stand (11 Kings 1212).

The Pitfalls of Applying Worldly Wisdom to Spiritual Growth

  • Cultural Influences: The church often imports therapeutic language, productivity hacks, personal branding, and "five-step plans."
  • Discipleship vs. Education: There is a mistaken belief that "discipleship equals education" (meaning more information automatically leads to growth).
  • The Idol of Growth: A church shouldn't set "growth" or "thriving" as an idol. It should aim to be a "Jesus church," which includes seasons of growth but also seasons of discipline, reorganization, and introspection.
  • Proverbs 3:5−73:5-7:
    • "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
    • "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil."
  • Examples of Human Wisdom's Limits:
    • Lord Kelvin: President of the Royal Society and creator of the Kelvin scale. In 18951895, he stated that "flying machines will never work." Eight years later, the Wright brothers (bike mechanics) flew a plane.
    • Isaac Newton: Compared himself to a boy finding pebbles on a seashore while the ocean of truth lay undiscovered.
  • Spiritual Discipline: Growth requires more than a "college degree" approach. It requires reflection, prayer, confession, and community. Without these, it is just a "cosmic book report."

Overcoming the Posture of Judgment

  • The Problem of Skepticism: In large churches, decisions are often second-guessed. People assume leaders are "idiots" or assume the worst of those who are absent (judging them for not being in their usual seat).
  • The Story of Ananias and Saul (Acts 99):
    • God told Ananias to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street in Damascus to pray for Saul of Tarsus.
    • Ananias was skeptical because of reports about how much harm Saul had done in Jerusalem and his authority to arrest believers.
    • Ananias assumed what he "heard" was the whole truth and initially shrank back from someone God was about to use powerfully.
  • The Verdict of the Cross:
    • The only verdict that matters was settled at the cross.
    • Jesus took the judgment/death sentence we deserve.
    • Remedy for Judging Others: Change posture from accusation to asking questions. Instead of assuming, "come and see" and engage.

Final Exhortation

  • Reorientation: If a believer has tied their identity to a leader, program, or event, they must confess and reorient to the person of Christ.
  • Mind of Christ: Living with the mind of Christ means being on the right team, embracing the right wisdom, and staying in the right court (avoiding the judge's seat).
  • A Call to Priority: The church should love each other not just by proximity, but by priority.