1st Corinthians – Wayne Barber
What is the Church of God – Part 2 – I Cor. 1:2
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Dr. Wayne Barber
In the last part of verse 2 Paul says, “to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” So the next thing that identifies someone as a member of God’s church is that they call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What is the Church of God – Part 3 – I Cor. 1:3
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The fourth thing that we are going to look at is the church of God is made up of those who are in need of God’s grace whether they know it or not. I guarantee you the church of God did not realize it. When we think of grace we think, “Oh, that day when God saved me by His grace; I already have it. I don’t need it anymore. But boy, it was good enough to save me.” We miss the whole understanding of what grace is all about.
Man’s Desperation for God’s Good News! Part 2 – Romans 1:19-32
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Dr. Wayne Barber
All humanity is born into eternal conflict, first with God and then with man. Because of Adam’s sin, we are born into conflict. We are at enmity with God the very moment you breathe the first time. It is sin that is passed down from generation to generation to generation from Adam.
What is the Church of God – Part 6 – I Cor. 1:7
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The next characteristic of the church of God is they live eager for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me ask you a question. Are you really living this way? People live as if He’s never going to come. They don’t live walking righteously before Him. They don’t live convicted by sin. All of us sometimes drift into that kind of apathy. We say that we look forward to the coming of Jesus. But our live doesn’t show it.
Man’s Desperation for God’s Good News! Part 5 – Romans 3:1-5
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The eighth characteristic of the church of God is the church of God walks and lives in eternal assurance. Now if you have any struggle with the assurance of your salvation, you listen up to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:8, “who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What is the Church of God – Part 8 – I Cor. 1:9
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The final characteristic we will see in this passage is that the church of God is made up of those who have fellowship with Christ: “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Division Among God’s People – Part 1 – I Cor. 1:10
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Paul is talking to a body of believers he loves, a body of believers that he, through the Holy Spirit’s power in his life, started and initiated there at Corinth. When he tells them, “be made complete” it has the idea of repairing something, mending something. It also has the idea here of fitting something together so that it comes back into unity and oneness.
Division Among God’s People – Part 2 – I Cor. 1:12-16
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We have physical bodies that have many members which are different. It’s that way in the body of Christ. Isn’t it amazing? The first thing that happens when you live surrendered to Him, not perfect but predictable, when you’re about His purposes in your life, is you become inclusive of others, not exclusive of others.
The Fallacy of Following After Man – I Cor. 1:17-20
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The church of Corinth, because of their fleshly living, were much divided, and it was because they weren’t living attached to Christ. They were attaching themselves to men. That was their problem. Paul is saying to them, “The fallacy of attaching yourself to me. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. There’s a fallacy in it.”
The Wisdom of Boasting in the Lord – I Cor. 1:30-31
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Wisdom, to me, is the right use of truth. You see, man without God is stumbling in the truth all the time. He finds the truth of laws of gravity, etc. He stumbles into truth. But when he does stumble into it, he doesn’t have the wisdom of knowing how to use it. Therefore, he never relates it back to God. Now wisdom is not just the truth, it is the right use of truth.
The Wonderful Message of the Cross – I Cor. 1:21-25
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We want to begin looking now at the wonderful message of the cross. This message is seen by men as being utter foolishness which shows how foolish man is in his own wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
That No Man Should Boast – I Cor. 1:26-31
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Oh, how God knows the heart and the mind of man. He knows what man thinks he can do. He knows what man thinks he knows. He knows what man thinks he is by what he has. And God has so come up with wisdom, the preaching of the cross that just puts all of this to shame.
Grow Up – I Cor. 2
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Dr. Wayne Barber
When Christians live as if they are lacking, they are still immature. They don’t realize who they are and whose they are and what they receive when they receive Jesus Christ. As a result, they attach themselves to a man or they attach themselves to a gift as if they are always lacking. We are not lacking, and when we mature in Christ, we will detach ourselves from these things and attach ourselves to Christ and live in the fullness that He offers each of us.
The Wisdom of God – Part 1 – I Cor. 2
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We have seen in Corinthians already that there are two kinds of wisdom. There is the wisdom of man, fleshly wisdom, and then there is the wisdom of God. Of course man thinks he is so smart, but he shows himself to be a fool when he looks at God’s wisdom and calls it foolishness. Man does not want to hear about God’s wisdom. God’s wisdom is wrapped up in a message, in the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Babies – I Cor. 3:1-3
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Spiritual babies are cute when they are babies, but they are not supposed to remain that way. We are birthed into the kingdom. We come in as new‑born babes in Jesus Christ. Then there is the growth process and the stages that God wants to take us through, one day to conform us even into the image of Christ Jesus. And to refuse to grow, to make a choice and say, “I am not going to do what you tell me, God. I am not going to grow,” that is sin.
Vessels through Which God Works – I Cor. 3:3-9
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Dr. Wayne Barber
God’s plan to use surrendered vessels; the prerequisite for men to be used as vessels; the partnership of God’s surrendered vessel; the proof of God using surrendered vessels; and the parity [equality] of God’s surrendered vessel.
The Preparation for the Test – I Cor. 3:14-15
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Dr. Wayne Barber
One day we are going to stand before God and everything of our life that has been built will stand before Him. There is a house that is being built the moment we get saved. The moment you receive Jesus Christ into your life, the foundation is laid. And that foundation is Jesus Christ. Paul says to be careful how you build upon it.
Don’t Mess with God’s People – I Cor. 3:16-17
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We are the dwelling of God. Secondly, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Thirdly, Paul says there are those who seek to defile the dwelling of God. Here is when God, through Paul, is going to say, “You had better not mess with my people!”
Beware of Self Deception – I Cor. 3:18
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Dr. Wayne Barber
When you ask someone how tall he is, he can immediately respond. Do you know why? Because there is a standard by which he can measure himself. But when you ask somebody how beautiful or how handsome they are, that becomes a matter of one’s opinion. It is the same way when you ask somebody how wise you are. What man calls wisdom is foolishness to God. A man can deceive himself quickly in this area by thinking himself to be wise.
All Things Belong to You – I Cor. 3:21-23
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Dr. Wayne Barber
There are two things I want you to see. I want you to think clearly now as to what Paul is trying to say. Why in the world would you run around attaching yourself to man’s ways and wisdom when you can live attached to Jesus Christ Himself? We belong to Him and all things belong to us.
The Marks of a GodCalled Preacher – I Cor. 4:15
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Paul says, do you want to regard a preacher? Do you want to esteem a preacher? Then there are some guidelines for you that you are going to have to follow. If you are going to regard Paul, or Apollos, this is the format you are going to have to use. These are the marks of a God called preacher. He says it so clearly in 1 Corinthian 4:15. Let’s get into it and just see: The responsibility of a God-called preacher; the requirement of a God-called preacher; and the reward of the God-called preacher.
The Characteristics of a Conceited Church – I Cor. 4:6-8
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Dr. Wayne Barber
What we are going to start seeing here in verse 6, to me, is very, very important. We are going to see a stark contrast between a conceited church and the humility of the apostles whom God had sent to them. The people whom God was using and the people who would not allow God to use them are going to stand out. It is as clear as a bell. We see the conceited Corinthian church and the humble apostles God had sent to them.
A Profile of the Approved – I Cor. 4:9-13
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We are going to see the contrast between the conceited and the approved. Over here the arrogant, Corinthian believer is putting himself on a pedestal and exalting himself. But over here we are going to have the apostles, those men God singled out, approved and used to give us the New Testament. We are going to see the humility of those apostles. We are going to see a profile of those who have been approved.
Spiritual Arrogance – I Cor. 4:18-21
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Dr. Wayne Barber
It is a hard thing to be around arrogant people, but particularly when they are spiritually arrogant. The apostle Paul, as we have seen in chapter 4, loves the Corinthian believers. All that he has told them is from a loving heart. He has been very tough on them, but all of it has to do with people who have detached themselves from Christ and attached themselves to something else. He has said all those tough things to help them to understand that they need to come back and live by faith, come back to just attach themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Particular Focus of Church Discipline – I Cor. 5:9-13
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We’ve looked at the painful act of church discipline. We looked at the crucifying effect of church discipline. Now we’re going to look at the particular focus of church discipline. Church discipline’s focus is on believers, not unbelievers. We share the Gospel with unbelievers, we pray for them, but we don’t discipline them. We discipline those of our own body, the body of believers.
The Sin of Demanding Your Rights – I Cor. 6:1-2
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Dr. Wayne Barber
You would think that when you join a church, surely you’re going to find a better bunch of people than you would find in the world. Well, hopefully, you do. But that doesn’t mean there are not going to be people who fight and grumble and that sort of thing. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to be offended. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to be harmed. It doesn’t mean that somebody’s not going to do you wrong. That’s not the issue. The issue is how you are going to respond to it.
The Sin of Demanding Your Rights – Part 2 – I Cor. 6:3
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Paul is saying, If you’ll go to the cross and let Jesus get involved in the situation, then your witness is protected. Can’t you do that? You’re going to rule over the nations. Can’t you solve your own problem? Can’t you, yourself, die to that situation and let God handle it so that your witness can be protected in this awful insane world?
The Sin of Demanding Your Rights – Part 3 – I Cor. 6:7-10
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Dr. Wayne Barber
When we’re offended, particularly when it comes to affecting our pocketbook, that’s when our flesh usually takes over. We refuse to die to self; we refuse to seek a biblical solution; and our testimony in the world is ruined.
Should I Remarry or Remain Single? – Part 1 – I Cor. 7:1
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Dr. Wayne Barber
After talking about the sin of immorality, coming down to the fact that our bodies are the temple of God, he changed gears. But you have to continue the flow of that thought because that dictates how we live, whether He lives in us to rule and reign through us. He begins to talk about marriage, divorce, remarriage, celibacy, a lot of things in chapter 7.
Should I Remarry or Remain Single? – Part 2 – I Cor. 7:2-3
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Dr. Wayne Barber
At some point in our lives, folks, we have got to stop living out of our past and live as products of the cross. We have got to let the Word of God renew our thinking and get our ideas not from what society tells us, not from what experience dictates, but what does the Word of God say and stand upon it.
Should I Remarry or Remain Single? – Part 3 – I Cor. 7:4-5
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Dr. Wayne Barber
There are three things we’re going to see in verses 4 and 5. First of all, we’re going to see a willingness on each person’s part in this determination to make this thing work, a willingness to surrender one’s rights to their own body. Second, a willingness to surrender the desire for sexual intimacy. And third, the whole thing comes from a heartbeat of a willingness to surrender to God’s plan so that Satan can be defeated.
Should I Remarry or Remain Single? – Part 4 – I Cor. 7:6-7
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The church of Corinth had a perverted view of sex, even in marriage. They equated sexual intimacy in marriage with immorality, which was in the pagan culture around them. As verse 5 said, they were weak in their flesh regarding immoral temptations that they were facing.
Should I Remarry or Remain Single? – Part 5 – I Cor. 7:8-9
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Dr. Wayne Barber
In 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 we’re going to look at “May I Marry or Should I Remain Single?” You say, “That’s what we’ve already looked at.” No, in verses 1-7 we looked at “Should I marry or remain single?” Now we’re changing gears a little bit: May I marry or should I remain single?
Should I Stay Married? – Part 1 – I Cor. 7:10-14
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Dr. Wayne Barber
We need to understand the marriage contract between two individuals, though made in the state of unbelief, does not become void when one gets saved. You see, you can’t get saved and say, “Oh, therefore any man in Christ is a brand new creature so, therefore, I can divorce my husband or divorce my wife, find me another believer and we can go right on.” No, it does not work that way.
Should I Stay Married? – Part 2 – I Cor. 7:15-17
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Dr. Wayne Barber
In verses 12-14 Paul deals with an unbelieving spouse that is willing to stay. So stay with them. But in verse 15, we find a different category. We find a category of an unbelieving spouse who is not willing to stay. This is a brand new situation altogether. What does a believer do when an unbelieving spouse divorces them, separates themselves from them?
The Inward Work of Salvation – I Cor. 7:18-24
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Dr. Wayne Barber
One of the misunderstandings of the word “grace” is its enabling power. It enables us to bear up under whatever circumstance we’re found, but grace, even though it enables us, does not spare the pain that we go through in those circumstances.
What a Single Person Considers Before Marriage – I Cor. 7:25-31
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Dr. Wayne Barber
There are four things Paul wants a single person to consider before they get married. If you’re not careful you’ll hear this as if Paul is against marriage. No, he’s not. But he very honestly wants them to think on some things before they married.
Our Supreme Goals in Life – I Cor. 7:32
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Dr. Wayne Barber
The apostle Paul said over and over again and would want you to know that the supreme goal of every believer’s life is not whether he is married or single. That is not his supreme goal. His supreme goal is to live attached to Jesus Christ, to be a vessel through which God might do His work. Paul would shout that at us in the midst of a chapter that is dealing with whether I should stay single or whether I should be married.
Our Supreme Goals in Life – Part 2 – I Cor. 7:34
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Dr. Wayne Barber
Have you noticed the silent theme in chapter 7? The theme is that the believer is not to be distracted from his life’s purpose of being a vessel through which God can do His work. He has to live attached to Him and Him only.
