24-0609a - Detailed Summary

24-0609a - Final Exhortation to the Corinthians, Jim Lokenbauer
Bible Readers: Mike Mathis and Roger Raines

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Final Exhortation to the Corinthians

Summary of Transcript (0:03 - 46:12)

1^st Scripture Reading (0:03 - 2:19), Mike Mathis

Ephesians 6:10-18

Be Strong in the Lord: Encouragement to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Armor of God: Instructions to put on the full armor of God to withstand the devil’s schemes.
Spiritual Warfare: Description of the battle not being against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil.
Components of Armor: Details on each part of the armor including truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit (word of God).
Prayer: Emphasis on praying at all times in the Spirit and being watchful.

2^nd Scripture Reading (2:24 - 2:50), Roger Raines

Corinthians 16:13-14

Exhortation: Be alert, stand firm in faith, act courageously, and do everything in love.

Preacher: Jim Lokenbauer

Focus of Lesson: The speaker introduces the theme of the day’s lesson based on the Corinthians passage.
Paul’s Dedication: Highlight on Apostle Paul’s dedication to spreading the gospel.

Church Planter: Paul’s role in founding Gentile churches, with a special mention of his paternal feelings towards the Corinthian church.
Issues in Corinth: The church’s behavioral issues reported after Paul’s departure.
Paul’s Response: Paul’s letters to the Corinthians addressing their sins, expressing his fatherly concern and desire for their purity before Christ.

Unity: Paul’s emphasis on unity to combat divisions, using the analogy of Satan’s arrows.
Maturity in Faith: Encouragement for spiritual maturity to understand God’s wisdom and avoid worldly divisions.
Moral Conduct: Addressing sexual immorality, legal disputes among believers, and the importance of church discipline.
Idolatry and Offense: Instructions on not causing weaker believers to stumble with practices like eating food sacrificed to idols.
Apostolic Rights: Paul discusses his rights as an apostle.
Lord’s Supper: Correcting practices during the Lord’s Supper and discussing spiritual gifts, love (agape), and the resurrection.

Be On Guard: Explanation of being watchful and alert, not just gregarious, due to spiritual dangers.
Courage and Strength: Urging believers to stand firm, be courageous, and act with strength.
Love in Everything: Reiteration of doing all things in love, encapsulating the Christian walk in vigilance, courage, strength, and love.

Satan’s Nature: Describes Satan as a roaring lion, seeking to devour and separate believers from God.
Armor of God: Reiteration of the importance of employing spiritual armor against Satan’s attacks.

Defensive and Offensive Use of the Word: The Word of God as both a defensive and offensive weapon against spiritual attacks.
Areas of Vigilance: Encouragement to be on guard against division, sexual impurity, false teaching, and harm to weaker believers.

Watchfulness: Emphasis on staying alert for Christ’s return, using the Greek word gregario to signify vigilance.

Definition of Faith: Faith linked with the Gospel; believers should know Christ’s voice through His Word.
Application of Faith: Standing firm involves rejecting ungodliness and worldly passions through knowledge of God’s grace.

Faithful Work: Encouragement to remain steadfast in service, with an assurance that labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Educating Future Generations: The importance of teaching the next generation about faith.

Sanctification and Belief: God’s plan for salvation through belief in the Gospel.
Holding Firm to Teachings: Exhortation to hold onto the teachings passed down, whether by word or letter.

Facing Challenges: Increased knowledge leads to stronger faith and more grace to face spiritual tests.
Jesus as the Example: Jesus demonstrated ultimate courage by trusting God fully, even to death, showing the power of a sinless life and resurrection.

Spiritual Strength: Being strong in the Lord means relying on God’s strength, not human strength.
Christ’s Temptation: Highlighting Jesus’s strength during temptation in the wilderness, using Scripture as His defense.
Trust in God: Encouragement to seek God’s face and strength continually, as human strength alone leads to failure.

Strength Through Example: We must be strong by emulating Jesus, who resisted temptation through the Word of God.
Armor of God: Listing elements of the armor like faith, salvation, truth, and the gospel of peace, emphasizing the use of Scripture as our weapon.

Love is Paramount: Love should be the driving force of Christian actions, listed first among the fruits of the Spirit.
God’s Consistent Love: God’s love throughout history, from the Garden to the church, is unconditional and covenantal.
Agape Love: Defined by John as coming from God; true love involves keeping God’s commandments and loving one another.

1 Corinthians 13: Paul’s detailed description of what agape love is and is not.
- Positive Attributes: Patient, kind, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.
- Negative Attributes: Not envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, or delighting in evil.
God’s Character: By understanding love, we understand God’s nature since God is love.

Jesus' New Commandment: To love one another as He loved us, which is to exhibit all the virtues of love.
Faith Expressing Through Love: The essence of Christian living, as per Galatians 5:6, is faith shown through love.

Paul’s Five Points to West Side Church of Christ:
- Be on your guard.
- Stand firm in the faith.
- Be men of courage.
- Be strong.
- Do everything in love.
Invitation: An open invitation for church response or baptism, reflecting active engagement in faith.