ray choi

Christian husband, father of 3 and bi-vocational pastor

1 Cor 3:1-9 – Message Series 1 of 2: The Cross is the Paradigm for Christian Life and Ministry (pt1 of 3)

By

Two weeks ago, we covered a theme that I find to be a recurring theme in Paul’s writings.

1 Cor 2:2 – I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

This gospel of Jesus and him crucified, this cross of Jesus is the ultimate wisdom and power of God and in this chapter we see the consequences when a church departs from this gospel.

Today, we are going to continue to follow Paul’s argument. Moving from 1 Cor chapter 2 to chapter 3, Paul is still very much gospel-centered. In some ways, I feel like I am a broken record because at the core of what I have been preaching, it’s been virtually the same thing week in and week out — it’s been all about the gospel, the cross, Jesus Christ coming and dying for us so that those who repent and place their faith in Him can be forgiven and inherit eternal life.

Study Paul’s letters carefully and I think you will find that Paul IS a broken record. He says basically the same thing over and over — he is completely gospel-centered — and the only difference in his letters is that he is addressing various symptoms. The core problem is the same — a departure from the gospel — but the symptoms vary from church to church. Continue Reading

1 Cor 1:10-31 – Celebrity Christians vs. the Cross (pt 1 of 3)

By

Text: 1 Cor 1:10-31

I used to work for a dot.com in West Hollywood for about 4 years and during that span, I saw a bunch of celebrities: Ron Howard, Bill Murray, the Japanese character Hiro from the TV series Heroes, the cheerleader from Heroes, Baron Davis, the American Idol winner from 2-3 years ago, a contestant from So You Think You Can Dance. Some of you may envy me, but I am not like those crazy fans who stalk celebrities. I don’t run up to them for their autographs. Why should I react like that? We are all human, we all go to the bathroom, we all eat cereal in the morning. To me, celebrities are nothing special.Continue Reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 – Thanksgiving for others due to a divine perspective (pt 3 of 3)

By

Our temptation is to be excessively impatient with others and to demand instant growth and change. For those in leadership at any level, you know what I am talking about. After a year, I may have read a dozen Christian books and listened to hundreds of sermons and over that year, I may have changed incrementally in a tiny, little area. And then what if after preaching one sermon or after one conversation, I expected everyone in the congregation to change overnight according to my timetable? That would be extremely unfair. We need to remind each other — we are not in heaven yet. I need to tell myself — it’s a fallen world. That’s right. Remember we are not in heaven yet. We are not working with people with glorified bodies yet. We are all works in progress.Continue Reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 – Thanksgiving for others due to a divine perspective (pt 2 of 3)

By

1 Cor 1:1-3 – 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Knowing that Paul’s leadership was in question at Corinth, we see Paul’s deliberate choice of words in these opening verses.

v1 – Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.

Apostle of Christ. Called into this role by the will of God. That’s a pretty strong resume. As a reader of this letter, I think we would have to conclude that Paul is not someone you want to casually dismiss.

Then, in v2 — To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I think Paul would have wanted the accent to be placed on the word “EVERYWHERE.” What is the link between what Paul is saying at Corinth with what he says at Ephesus and Galatia and Colosse and Thessalonica? It’s the gospel. Continue Reading