Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, 1 Cor. 1:10-18. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- It is part of the consequence of human sin that there are divisions among human beings. Sin itself is destructive of relationships, damaging, and causing hurt feelings and anger. Sin is also delusional, an impediment to seeing things as they truly are. So sin causes disagreements, arguments, and division – and this occurs even within the church.
- Those within the church have always understood that God’s forgiveness restores unity, and that with the abatement of sin’s power there should be greater unity and harmony. Jesus even prayed for this – in His great prayer recorded in John 17. So there are many who seek to insure unity within the church, and to restore it when it is lost.
- However, even among those who claim to be “peacemakers” there is diversity and division – so that we must take care who we are following. Liars and deceivers also claim to be “peacemakers” – to draw people into even greater darkness. And people even allow their sinful nature to involve the “peacemakers” in their continuing and ongoing divisions and arguments – as we see in our text, in the description of what was going on within the church at Corinth.
- So what are we to do in the face of these powerful dynamics of sin – its power to deceive, to divide, and to destroy unity and harmony within the church? Paul offers eloquent and wise advice for us – advice which Apollos, Cephas [Peter], and the Lord Jesus would agree with and also advise. We must simply “FOLLOW THE LIGHT.” But we must understand that:
I. Jesus Christ, And No Other, Is The Light Of The World
John 1:4-9 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
Statement: All those who are true servants of God speak about the Light, about the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not provide light of their own, but the Light of God – they bear witness to Jesus and direct people to Jesus. This was true of Paul, Peter, Apollos, Stephen, and all of the apostles of Jesus. They do not urge anyone to “follow” them, but rather they urge all people to follow Jesus, to “FOLLOW THE LIGHT.”
Application: This is also true to this day. All preachers and religious teachers can be judged by one criteria – the witness they bear to Christ. If they bear no witness to Jesus, they are not God’s servants. And if they bear false witness in regard to Jesus, they are either in error or not God’s servants. If they bear witness to themselves, or claim light from anyone or anything other than Christ, they cannot be His servants. If they try to draw men to themselves rather than directing them to “FOLLOW THE LIGHT,” they cannot be His servants. This is plain and simple.
Transition: And the fact that we cannot appeal directly to Jesus face to face is no real impediment to our following the Light, for:
II. Christ Comes To Us By His Word, Holy Scripture, Which Is The Word Of The Cross
Text: “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.”
A. This Word Of The Cross Is Indeed Foolishness To Those Who Are Perishing
Text: “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing.”
B. But To Believers, Those Being Saved, The Gospel, The Word Of The Cross, Holy Scripture, Is The Power Of God Unto Salvation
Text: “But to us who are being saved [the word of the cross, the gospel] is the power of God.”
Rom. 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Statement: So the Light, the Lord Jesus Christ, and all of the blessings of His love, His wisdom, and His guidance, come to us through His Word, Holy Scripture. Properly read and understood, Holy Scripture, the Bible, is the “word of the cross,” the gospel, for from cover to cover it calls people to repentance and to the joy of God’s gracious forgiveness, mercy, and love. Constantly the Scripture bears witness to Jesus, the Light of the world, and bids all people to believe in Him and to follow Him. It is no different to this very day!
Application: Light has indeed dawned, and “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, those dwelling in the region and shadow of death.” That Light is the Lord Jesus Christ, our great Savior and Lord! He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, so that all who believe in Him have eternal life and salvation. They shall not come into condemnation but have passed from death to life. They have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.
And He comes to us, guides us, leads us in life and salvation, through His Word – the gospel, the word of the cross! In this way, and in this way alone are people drawn, enabled, and empowered to “FOLLOW THE LIGHT” – as did Peter and Andrew, James and John. And it is no different for us today – may we also be among those who “FOLLOW THE LIGHT,” those who are truly disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Transition: This is the restored unity into which we called – a unity with God in His Son Jesus Christ, and God pleasing unity with one another. So:
III. Let Us Be Fully Understanding Of This, Agreed And United In This, In The Same Mind And Judgment
Text: “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.”
Statement: This is the real unity that God seeks to bless us with – not unity in darkness, error, sin, immorality, and confusion, but unity with God. It is unity in His Word, in the gospel, in the word of the cross, in Holy Scripture. In this unity sin is confessed, washed away in Christ’s blood, and forgiven. In this unity there is agreement as to what is good, right, and beneficial – and unity in pursuing the good. In this unity mercy prevails and genuine love – and the destructive power of sin, with its divisions and arguments, is overcome. May God bless each of us with this blessed unity.
Application: But we must take heed and watch ourselves closely. Even in the church founded by the apostle Paul there were wicked divisions – people not following the Light but their own perverse minds, as “Chloe’s people” had to report. May it not be so among us! For we cannot be following the Light if we are pursuing such sinful and divisive impulses.
To keep us on track God has given us His Word, and He bids us to be attentive to it and compliant with it, allowing it to create unity of mind and judgment within the church. Even our congregational constitution contains the wisdom to require this of us! God grant that we follow this wisdom of His Word, so that the “cross of Christ” never be “emptied of its power” among us!
Conclusion: We should pray constantly that those who preach and teach to us be true servants of Christ, directing us to Christ, bearing witness to Christ, and guiding us always to the word of the cross, the gospel, the Holy Scriptures of God. We should be praying constantly and guarding our hearts and minds, so that we do not allow our sinful hearts and minds to create division, argument, and animosity within our congregation! For blessedness and salvation is found only in Christ Jesus, through His Word – the power of God unto salvation!
Part of the blessing of salvation in Christ is restoration of unity – which grows as we “FOLLOW THE LIGHT.” May our darkness be dispelled and the light of God’s love grow in our hearts and minds as we also follow Jesus, as we “FOLLOW THE LIGHT”! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.