Sermon Video: When Church does more harm than good - 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

I spend a lot of time and energy trying to convince people of their need to be a part of a church.  I know the absolute necessity of participation in the body of Christ, both for Christians and potential converts.  And yet, we all know that there are times when a particular church is doing more harm than good when it meets on Sunday.  Our first thought would revolve around places where heresy is being preached, where the Truth is absent, and thus people are being led astray from the Gospel.  The Apostle Paul certainly has harsh words for such people/places, but in this particular passage it is not theology but behavior that concerns Paul, and not that during the church service itself but rather at the meal which proceeded it at the church of Corinth.  That's right, it was the church potluck which threatened to tear asunder a church.  How can a communal meal be the source of such divisions?  At Corinth the rich were treating the meal as a private affair, bringing fine food for themselves and not sharing, while the poor went hungry.  In other words, they were acting as if the people whom they were outside of the Church had anything to do with who they were in Christ (as if wealth/class matter before God).  In doing so, the worship service that followed this travesty was in effect null and void; the gathering together of God's people for worship was doing more harm than good.
Are we, as a church (or Church) in any way guilty of such sacrilege?

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Sermon Video: We must settle our own disputes - 1 Corinthians 6:1-8

How can you tell if a church has significant problems?  One sure example of trouble would be the presence of lawsuits between members.  Paul addresses this issue within the church at Corinth where evidently multiple lawsuits had been filed between those who were a part of the church.  These lawsuits upset Paul in multiple ways, for they were both a poor witness to non-believers and evidence of an absence of love and humility (and conversely the presence of animosity, pride, greed, etc.).
What should the response of a Christian be to a brother or sister in Christ who has wronged him/her?  In the realm of non-violent wrongs, our goal should be forgiveness and reconciliation, something others in the church who are not directly involved can help facilitate.  What if that process fails?  As a Christian, I must decide that my rights are of less consequence to me than a fellow human being for whom Christ also died.  A selfless perspective will put aside pride, thoughts of vengeance, and will seek to end disputes, not escalate them.

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Sermon Video: Quarreling in the Church: A sign of stunted growth - 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Where there are jealousies and quarrels within a church, there you will find the immaturity of stunted growth.  Paul warned the church at Corinth that they had failed to mature as they ought to have done, a diagnosis he was confident of because he had heard reports of the fights among them, and something they needed to grow beyond.  Every Christian must begin with the basics, whether they are young or old when they first believe, but if we are to mature into useful servants of the kingdom of God, we must adopt the humble attitude of a servant that Jesus modeled by putting away our pride and ambition.  In the end, we as a Church must be of one purpose, united in our effort to share the Gospel and make disciples.

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Sermon Video: The Wisdom that comes from Heaven - Part 2: James 4:1-6

Why do people in a church fight each other?  For that matter, why do churches or denominations quarrel among themselves?  We know that these things shouldn't happen, certainly not if the one and same Spirit of Christ is in both parties to a fight, so why does it happen?  James explains that fights and quarrels erupt among God's people because of unfulfilled desires, that is people not getting what they want.  What do people want that they don't have?  The primary desires are standard human failings: power, wealth, and sex.  Far too many church disputes, even violence, has revolved around the desire for these.  Churches have been split in two over fights for power or money or because of illicit sex between members.  We need to understand that these desires are a danger if we are to avoid their destructive influence.
In addition to these, misplaced zeal for a religious belief is also a cause of disputes and divisions.  Beyond the core beliefs of the Gospel (the Virgin Birth, Resurrection, salvation by grace through faith, the authority of the Scriptures, etc.) there are innumerable other things that well meaning and God honoring Christians will not always agree upon.  What do we do then?  Do we let a desire for uniformity close our hearts to others, or do we let grace abound and let God be the judge as he has told us that he is.
In the end, the Church doesn't need uniformity of opinion, we need to be one in Spirit and one in purpose.  Our task is monumental, we cannot afford to allow fighting and quarreling to disrupt God's work, whether that be locally or in the Church as a whole.

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