Nick Vujicic is an Australian man who was born with no arms and no legs. However he has overcome his life’s challenges through strength and hope found in Jesus Christ. As a child, he struggled mentally, emotionally, and physically, but eventually came to realize he had a disability. At the age of seventeen, he started his own non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs. Even though Vujicic had no arms and no legs, he has helped many people find hope and the meaning of life in Christ. He used a great gift of helping and encouraged many people to come to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Today in this second sermon on unity and fellowship, we will focus on the early believers of the Corinthian church. This church was proud of its diversity. Many of its members were from different cultures, religions, and social groups. Between these groups, there had often been major conflicts. In the book of Corinthians we are able to learn from how Apostle Paul spent much time on uniting the mixed congregations of early believers in Christ.
First, Paul used his spiritual gifts when working for his church. And God has given each one of us our own spiritual gifts for us to use. What does spiritual gift mean? It comes from the Greek word, charisma (χάρισμα). It simply means, “divinely empowers a believer to share God's work with others.” God gives spiritual gifts to his people. His purpose is that they are to be used for other people to glorify God.
Apostle Paul encouraged the believers of Christ to use their gifts for others, knowing that each person had different kinds of gifts. When the believers used their gifts for others, both believers and non-believers succeeded. But when people neglected their gifts and did not use them, then the church did not thrive.
Paul’s example of using his own God given gifts helped the Corinthian Christians from different cultures, religions, and social groups to unite through using their own gifts. We need to discover our spiritual gifts. We need to encourage our church members to use their gifts for others through our services and ministries.
Second, Paul told us that we are to unite together in Christ by helping each other. He made the efforts to unite believers in the Corinthian church. He used the story of the human body to show the believers of Christ how they were to unite together.
Paul illustrates that If we work together as one body in Christ, we could have a powerful working unit in our church. To be powerful, we need to utilize the three elements of unity, harmony, and cooperation. The same three principles apply to our working body. Each body part such as heart, skin, eyes, etc has its own function. For the body to live and survive, each part needs to unite and corporate together in harmony. Otherwise, our body will not work.
Again, the same principles also apply to our church. Each person has his or her own function in the church. Each position including those serving, helping people, ministers, elders, and church leaders is very important. Each one of us needs to work with and cooperate in harmony in our church, so that we can continue to serve God and his people.
Third, Paul tells us we are to unite together with many cultures. In the Corinthian church, there were many diverse church members with different cultures, religions, and social positions. There had often been conflicts among them. Because they were so different. Paul taught that believers of Christ became one in Christ.
Believers of Christ become one in Christ. This means that each is a part of God’s family, the Christian Church, called brothers and sisters in Christ. Each one of us has our own family, which is our physical family and we work together to help each other. We also have our spiritual family, here in our church. For this to succeed, we need to unite and cooperate in harmony. We know that the early believers of Christ united and worked together in spite of severe hardships and persecutions. They continued to gather together through services, bible studies, prayers, and meals. God had blessed the churches and helped believers to succeed in this world. And many people have united and come to God.
To conclude, it is important that we do our best to unite and work together in Christ. That we use our spiritual gifts for others. And that we help each other to serve God and his people through our church. May God bless you and your ministries.
Rev Dr Je Cheol Cook
First, Paul used his spiritual gifts when working for his church. And God has given each one of us our own spiritual gifts for us to use. What does spiritual gift mean? It comes from the Greek word, charisma (χάρισμα). It simply means, “divinely empowers a believer to share God's work with others.” God gives spiritual gifts to his people. His purpose is that they are to be used for other people to glorify God.
Apostle Paul encouraged the believers of Christ to use their gifts for others, knowing that each person had different kinds of gifts. When the believers used their gifts for others, both believers and non-believers succeeded. But when people neglected their gifts and did not use them, then the church did not thrive.
Paul’s example of using his own God given gifts helped the Corinthian Christians from different cultures, religions, and social groups to unite through using their own gifts. We need to discover our spiritual gifts. We need to encourage our church members to use their gifts for others through our services and ministries.
Second, Paul told us that we are to unite together in Christ by helping each other. He made the efforts to unite believers in the Corinthian church. He used the story of the human body to show the believers of Christ how they were to unite together.
Paul illustrates that If we work together as one body in Christ, we could have a powerful working unit in our church. To be powerful, we need to utilize the three elements of unity, harmony, and cooperation. The same three principles apply to our working body. Each body part such as heart, skin, eyes, etc has its own function. For the body to live and survive, each part needs to unite and corporate together in harmony. Otherwise, our body will not work.
Again, the same principles also apply to our church. Each person has his or her own function in the church. Each position including those serving, helping people, ministers, elders, and church leaders is very important. Each one of us needs to work with and cooperate in harmony in our church, so that we can continue to serve God and his people.
Third, Paul tells us we are to unite together with many cultures. In the Corinthian church, there were many diverse church members with different cultures, religions, and social positions. There had often been conflicts among them. Because they were so different. Paul taught that believers of Christ became one in Christ.
Believers of Christ become one in Christ. This means that each is a part of God’s family, the Christian Church, called brothers and sisters in Christ. Each one of us has our own family, which is our physical family and we work together to help each other. We also have our spiritual family, here in our church. For this to succeed, we need to unite and cooperate in harmony. We know that the early believers of Christ united and worked together in spite of severe hardships and persecutions. They continued to gather together through services, bible studies, prayers, and meals. God had blessed the churches and helped believers to succeed in this world. And many people have united and come to God.
To conclude, it is important that we do our best to unite and work together in Christ. That we use our spiritual gifts for others. And that we help each other to serve God and his people through our church. May God bless you and your ministries.
Rev Dr Je Cheol Cook