I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
The Most Important Part of Church
If you interviewed people on the street, how would they finish this sentence?
The most important part of church is . . .
We would probably get a lot of different answers. The most important part of church is the music, the pastor, the friendliness of the people, the length of the sermon, or even how clean the restrooms are!
God's missionary, Paul, had written to Christians in Corinth, Greece, around 50 AD. Even back then they were arguing about which pastor was better—Paul, Apollos, or Cephas. Guess how they would have answered the question, "What's the most important part of church?"
Paul didn't want them fighting over pastors, because the person in the pulpit is not the most important part of church. Music, style of worship, liturgy, personalities, and friendliness are all important, but they are not the most important part of church.
Jesus Christ had sent Paul to preach the gospel. The gospel is the message that we are people broken by the evil that lives in our hearts. Jesus Christ died on a cross to take away our guilt and sin so God would never punish us. This simple message is the most important part of church. The gospel is the heart of the Bible. The gospel is the foundation and source of our life with God.
While the important blessings of personalities, friendliness, and music can encourage or discourage your church attendance, make the most important blessing your top priority. Go to a church that proclaims the gospel of Jesus without adding their own ideas into the mix. When you find a church that clearly and completely teaches the truth that Jesus Christ died for you, you are in a place where the gospel will fill you with spiritual life, forgiveness, and joy.
The gospel is the most important part of church!
Prayer:
Jesus, in your love give me the most important blessing in a church—the good news that you died for me. Amen.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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