Sermon October 19th – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
What does it mean to be “called,” by God? The Greek word carries the meaning of being “chosen, hand-picked, or selected.” The Apostle Paul begins his letter with a reminder that he was “called” by God and that the Church is also, “called to be His holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jesus Himself declared that He would build His Church. It was our Lord who crafted the word, “Church,” which in the Greek is “Ekklesia” which means, “the called out ones.” At the very foundation of what it means to be a Christian is the idea that YOU WERE CHOSEN by God; YOU WERE CALLED.
Those who are Called are also Kept. In v.8 Paul concludes that God will keep His People “firm to the end,” because He is “faithful.”
Because you are CALLED, you will be COVERED to the end. This means you can be at PEACE. You can be CONFIDENT. You can be GENEROUS.
Why? God will make sure that you have everything you need. “If you need it, you will have it. If you don’t have it, you don’t need it.”
Discussion Questions
1. Are you a person of peace? Do you walk in confidence knowing God will provide all your needs? How have you seen God provide or protect you? Do you believe He will “keep you firm to the end?”
2. Are you a generous person? How does knowing that God will supply all your needs allow you to be more generous? How is this different than the way of the world?
