Readings:
Psalm 133 
1 Corinthians 1:10-17

We gather today from different homes, different backgrounds, and different journeys.
But we gather as one people, called by one God.
We bring our unique gifts, our diverse stories, and our individual hearts.
Yet we are woven together by the Spirit into one body.
Let us lay aside what divides us and celebrate the love that binds us.
For in Christ, there is no stranger, only brothers and sisters in grace.
With one voice, let us lift up our praise.
With one heart, let us seek the peace of God.
 
1st Corinthians captures quite a bit of the dynamics of church life. The title of today’s sermon – United in Christ – signals the direction of the message. In the letter, Paul seeks to address the concerns raised because of believers dividing into different groups, depending on who they first heard the message of Christ from.
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The recorded sermon can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/IVZp4r7seiQ

Text: 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9

Call to Worship (from Isaiah 49: 1-7)

Listen, all you peoples; hear, you who are far and near.
The Lord has called us by name and formed us for His purpose.
Before we knew Him, God knew us;
before we spoke, God gave us a voice of praise.
The Lord says, “You are my servant, in whom I will be glorified.”
Even when our labour feels hidden, God’s work is not in vain.
Our hope rests in the Lord,
our reward is held in the hands of our God.
The Lord is our light and our salvation,
calling us to shine grace to the nations.
We come to worship the Holy One of Israel,
faithful, redeeming, and worthy of all praise.
Let us worship the Lord.
 
In Acts 18 we get the picture of Paul’s visit to Corinth. He stayed there for 18 months, making many converts and setting up a lively and energetic church community. But there were big problems. Paul wrote 4 letters to try and address the issues, of which only 2 survive. This letter, 1 Corinthians, is the second letter, the first letter having not gone down well! So it is back to the drawing board for Paul! What do I say to get things back on track? And so this letter comes to them at a delicate time, and Paul draws the attention of the Corinthian church to 3 areas which needed addressing.
 
Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/1JVbi-WV6nQ