A recruit has not finished training yet, and a woman has just seen two lines on a test, yet something in their minds has already changed for good. These two images open a reflection on living in the already but not yet, and on the church in Corinth, which Paul thanks as blameless even though he knows its chaos (1 Corinthians 1). The sermon offers a simple path: start with the gospel, name the gap between who you are and how you live, and call yourself back. Listen if you are worn out by swinging between feeling holy and feeling sinful.
The Real Church vs the Ideal One
(Im)perfect
Sometimes we feel like we don’t belong in church because we’re not perfect. Other times, the imperfections of others-their sins and failures-make us prefer to stay away from a church that’s so far from perfect. However, 1 Corinthians shows us how, even while being imperfect ourselves, we can find our place among other imperfect people in the Church, which is both perfect and imperfect at the same time. 1 Corinthians is life itself, but life seen from the perspective of what God can do with it and how He can change it.
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16 sermons
