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Message of Christ over the Messenger for Christ

I smiled imagining what it would be like to stand before the Junior High students on a Sunday morning and say, “I thank God that I didn’t baptize any of you at last September’s outdoor baptism service.” How would they receive that statement? Does it sound hurtful? How could it be helpful to make that claim? I smiled because I cannot imagine saying that. First of all, I baptized students last fall.

This photo was taken right after Nicole Jiles and I baptized Abraham while his little brother, who would be next to get baptized, watched from the water. Abraham trusted Jesus at summer camp and he wanted to profess his love for and trust in Jesus. I love the privilege of baptizing students.

So, it struck me as odd to read Paul write, “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.  (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)” 1 Cor 1:14-16. It hit me as a strange thing to put in writing and I had to wonder what it would take for me to tell students, or anyone at EFCC, that I was thankful to God that I had not baptized them.

In Paul’s case, writing to the believers in Corinth, apparently, they were putting so much stock in the person that baptized them and taught them that they were following personalities more than the gospel. Some followed Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas over following Christ. So, Paul asks in verse 13, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Somehow, the teacher was being elevated over the teaching, the messenger over the message, the baptizer over the baptism. The good that came through Paul’s example of, and teaching about, the gospel became secondary to the preference for, or the fondness of, the teacher, baptizer, or mentor himself.

This happens in our church too via our personal preferences for, or fondness of, certain pastors, politicians, or media personalities that become bigger in our minds and conversations than the gospel and Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.

Paul finishes this section with verse 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.” Pray that the gospel and the cross of Christ will be your primary source of power, fondness, and allegiance.

Pastor John Riley
Jr. High Pastor

by John Riley

The Genius of “And”

Pastor Ryan pointed out in his message that one of the reasons followers elevate their leaders in unhealthy ways and to unhealthy places is because of the personal preferences of the followers. “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or, “I am of Christ” was the way the Corinthians expressed it. When I was in college it was, “I am of R.C. Sproul,” or “I am of A.W. Tozer,” or “I am of Chuck Smith.” Today it’s a different group we huddle around and elevate. And a lot of the reasons we choose who we choose is because we connect with them. They say things in ways we understand and appreciate. They tend to focus their messages and writings on things we value and want to learn more about. Our reason for liking them, good doctrine aside, is personal. It’s subjective. There’s something about them we like. And that’s great. But we have to also remember it’s just our preference. Others are free to have their own.

When it comes to having unity in a church where there are many personal preferences regarding which teachers we like to follow (after Pastor Ryan, of course!), a key thing to practice is living a “both/and” life instead of an “either/or” life. For far too many of us, we begin to think, because he is “our guy,” that he (or she) must be right in everything he (or she) teaches (even on matters which are legitimately open to differing interpretations), and that if “your guy” teaches something different, he (or she) has got to be wrong. But what if they are both right, and are simply bringing a richness to a doctrine or reality that isn’t as settled as we’d like it to be? What if the truth is a combo burrito made of what “my guy” teaches and what “your guy” teaches? What if it’s “both/and” and not “either/or” way more times than we’ve ever thought?

If the people we follow and gather around by listening to their preaching and podcasts or reading their books and blogs, are preaching Christ crucified, are focusing on the cross and the gospel, and are teaching biblical Christianity, then we are in a perfect place to embrace the genius of “And.” You have your preferences, I have mine, but they are all pointing us to the same Person and to His message for us. And for that, we can be grateful.

Scott Smith
Connections and Growth Pastor

by Scott Smith

Unity Around the Cross

I love college football. I loved playing football with the boys in the neighborhood when I was a kid and I would climb trees too. A couple of weeks ago I watched the National Championship even though I didn’t really care who won, I was cheering on the under “dogs’ from Georgia with all of my might. What I really loved was that the team was united in their goal of winning that game and supporting their quarterback all the way. They loved him. On one key play, almost all the players on the line literally pushed the ball carrier forward to a first down on a key play.

In 1st Corinthians we see Paul, admonishing or scolding the believers at Corinth to stand united “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” and not let quarrels or disagreements cause division among them. He wanted them to keep their eyes on the goal of spreading Jesus’ gospel, and on the cross, not on their favorite leader or even Paul himself. (1 Cor. 1:10-11)

I’ve received many calls over the years from individuals wanting to know who was preaching on a certain weekend, or when the Lead Pastor was going to be back in the pulpit if he’d been gone. Maybe they were going to bring visitors and wanted to be sure that “their pastor” was going to preach. I think Jesus might say to them, do you not think that I can use all pastors to spread the gospel? Do you want to hear the message or the messenger?  We should beware of anything that competes with our loyalty to Jesus Christ, even our preferences for the individuals who preach His word. We wouldn’t want to miss out on a special message God has for us or for our visitors because we waited for the right preacher to be in the pulpit on a given Sunday, I’m sure.

As Jesus followers, we should be united in our goal to bring praise and glory to Jesus while spreading His gospel message not unlike those football players who united to reach the end zone and score a goal for their team.  Our focus should be on the cross and unified around the One who was crucified.  We might not agree on every point or think the same way but focusing on the love Jesus has for us and the joy that brings, causes the other issues to grow dim and less important.  Our love for Him and each other will “cause the things of earth to grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace,” as the hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus reminds us.

Lord, please help us keep our eyes on the cross and the sacrifice you made for us there and not on the earthly things that might divide us.

Deb Hill
Executive Assistant

by Deb Hill

God’s Faithfulness to a Faltering Church

It is easy to get distracted by crisis, uncertainty, or mistakes.  When that happens sometimes it is hard to remember what God has done for us. I remember my parents' fear of trying to figure out what was wrong medically with me (I was a pretty good kid otherwise). They did a good job of holding it all together emotionally, but there was stress, there was pressure, there was uncertainty. I remember sitting through EEG tests, CAT scans, and numerous doctor visits. Finally, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Through it all, God was there. He never left, he never avoided me, he never abandoned me even when Satan tried to tell me he did. God was and is faithful. God’s faithfulness gives hope each and every day I look for it and accept it.

Paul met Jesus on the road to Emmaus and he wanted the church in Corinth to know that Jesus was with them in spite of themselves. Paul wanted them to know the hope that only God could provide through Jesus. While I am sure Paul was let down or frustrated by some of the sin issues they faced, he knew God’s faithfulness was life-changing and more powerful than their sin. In verse 2 of 1st Corinthians, Paul reminds the people that it was Christ who called them and in verse 7 he reminds them that God has given them the gifts to live out their calling. In verse 8 Paul reminds them that it is God who will hold them until the end. We can hope and trust that the church in Corinth will come together because God is faithful (verse 9).

Sometimes we let the mess of uncertainty or our sin get in the way of what God is doing. Sometimes we rely on our own strength too much. I think Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians is for us. Whatever you are facing, God is with you! He is faithful and he has proven that and he loves you! Take some time to pray for someone who needs to be reminded of God’s faithfulness, if you can remind them of God’s faithfulness. If you need a little encouragement, we are here, just call or come in so we can talk about how faithful God is.

Pastor Jeremy Johnson
Family Pastor

by Jeremy Johnson

Holy to be Holy

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints… - I Corinthians 1:2

If you or I were going to write a formal letter, we would put our name and address at the top, followed by the name and address of the people we are writing to. It wasn’t a whole lot different in the middle of the first century when Paul wrote this letter, except in place of an address, they wrote about one’s credentials. In verse 1, Paul wrote his name and credential of being called as an Apostle of Jesus. Then in verse 2, he tells us a little bit about the credentials of the church of God in Corinth, saying that they are “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.”

Now, what is interesting about these two phrases is that each of them is built around the same root word. The word translated as “sanctified” comes from the Greek verb hagiazo, and “saints” comes from the noun hagios. Both words have to do with holiness. The noun could be translated as “holy people” (as the NIV translates it). The verb could be translated as “those who have been made holy.” So, a very literal translation of this part might be, “those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be holy.”

What’s going on here? Why would Paul take the time to say the same thing twice? Why both hagiazo and hagios? What’s the difference between being made holy and being called to be holy? Well, a clue is in the tense that the verb hagiazo is in. The verb is in the perfect tense. This tense is used when you want to imply that something happened in the past but that it has ongoing implications for the present. So, Paul is saying that at a point in time in the past, the Corinthians were made holy, but it wasn’t a one-and-done type of thing. Their holiness-making event has implications that reach into the present. Because they were made holy, they are living different lives today. This is why it is important to clarify that they are also called to be holy people today.

What Paul is telling us is that we can’t just rest in our past successes. Just because God made us holy, doesn’t mean that we get to stop striving to live holy lives. I think this is a good word for us today. Our lives have been changed once and for all because we were made holy by what Jesus did for us on the cross, but that event has ramifications on our lives today… It means that we are continually called to live holy lives. Let’s step into our calling today.

Josh Rose
Teaching Pastor

by Josh Rose

Not an Oak Tree

Ah, the mighty Oak. Strong, rigid, and standing alone, secure in its strength and individuality. Some people imagine that this description should apply to themselves, not just a tree. But this is not God’s way. Someone might say that a description like this could be applied to God himself, but he, in fact, surrounds himself with remarkable beings (Eze 1 & Rev 4) and friends (John 15:15). We learn in 1 Cor 1:9 that, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Fellowship is a good word that describes relationships with a knowledge of and acceptance of one another. In fellowship, there is closeness, caring, and connection. Believers are called, welcomed, included, as well as expected, to be in fellowship with Jesus and fellowship with one another. A beautiful quick verse in Acts 2 says it well, “All the believers were together and had everything in common” (44).

Having everything in common does not mean everyone would pick the same favorite color, song, or food. It means they shared their lives and their stuff with each other. It is explained in the next verses:

They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (45-47).

This is not a picture of believers standing alone. Standing alone has to happen in each person’s life at moments, but it is not to be one’s way of life. The picture from the scriptures is of believers that are connected, close, and care for each other. We have the same target today, to know and care for people and be known and cared for too; that is the church.

Pastor John Riley
Jr. High Pastor

by John Riley

Called as Holy

Most of us grew up with a nickname or two. Some names were intended to build up, and sadly, some would tear down. The sweetest of these names came to me as a child. No matter what I had done, I knew where I stood with my dad when he called me “pumpkin”. This was a term of endearment and one that communicated that I was his daughter and I was deeply loved regardless of my imperfections.

Names are a powerful thing. They can identify position, personality, value, and worthiness. They can also identify a lack thereof. As Paul approached the church in Corinth, he knew the state of their community. He knew of their sin and their self-centeredness, but he also knew of their intrinsic value as children of God.

In Paul’s greeting to the Corinthians, he takes the opportunity multiple times to remind these people of who they are in Christ. In verse 2 of 1st Corinthians, he calls them saints; sanctified together. Verse 5 says that because of the grace that they have in Christ Jesus, their speech and knowledge is rich. Verse 6 reminds them that Christ’s testimony has been confirmed amongst them. In other words, Paul sees clear evidence of their faith in Christ; the gifts that God had bestowed were evident in their community and served as a testimony for Christ. Then Paul makes a bold declaration in verses 7 and 8 saying, “Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.” He calls them blameless, pure, and holy. He declares their sainthood and reminds them of God’s faithfulness by inviting them into fellowship with other believers because of their relationship with Jesus Christ their Lord.

Over the next year, as we journey with Paul and the church in Corinth, we will see that these people are far from perfect from a human perspective. Yet God, with full awareness of their imperfections, gives them a name: holy.

If you are a child of Christ then he has called you holy as well. Yet this is not just a term of endearment. This is the Creator of the universe declaring you righteous and he will give you the strength to live as such until the day of his return. Go live in this power!

Lynette Fuson
Director of Care & Counseling

by Lynette Fuson

Corinth AND Christ

by Ryan Paulson