THE LEAVENS TO BE PURGED 1 CORINTHIANS 5: 6-8

Introduction: here in this text Apostle Paul compares sin with leaven and commands the congregation at Corinth to clean out the sins from their midst in the same way the Jewish community had  removed leaven from their homes during their first Passover (Exodus 12:19-20). Just as leaven permeates an entire lump of dough, sinful behavior affects the entire life of an individual and congregation. Let us take few minutes to consider the leavens that are to be purged from us.

I. The leaven of Sin: Sin can be anything that displeases God. If you know anything about sin, then you know that sin is like yeast.  Sin grows and spreads just like yeast in dough.  Cheaper dead flies are powerful enough to spoil the costliest ointment Ecclesiastes 10:1. In the same manner sin works its way into your whole life until your life is completely corrupted by it. Therefore purging out the leaven of sin shouldn’t be occasional instead it should be often.

II. Leaven of hypocrisy: The believers at Corinth were known for their Spiritual gifts. But there was no love among them and there was no holiness in them. Their superficial spiritual life blinded their eyes to see the defiling leaven in their midst. Jesus had warned His disciples to avoid this type of behavior by using leaven as the metaphor of this sinful conduct (Matthew 16:5-12).

III. Leaven of disobedience: The apostle Paul also referred to leavening when teaching the Galatians about obedience to God’s laws. There were those who distorted God’s grace into license to sin. Paul made the point that a small amount of misrepresentation of the truth can lead to large amounts of confusion and deceit. Galatians 5:7-10 contains his warning.

Conclusion: The biblically relevant question we need to ask is: “Am I leavened?” In other words, do I still live a sinful life before God’s eyes? Have I learned to worship God with the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,” or am I living a sinful, hypocritical life?

Patience in the Midst of Trials 2 Thessalonians 1: 4

Introduction: There had been great difficulty in Thessalonica, but the Thessalonians patiently endured.  The word endure means “to hold one’s self up; to refuse to submit to the pressures of life.”  It was a time of intense persecution for the church and yet they were patient in the Lord. That simply means they were steadfast in their stand and endured the difficulties with resolve. Life was hard, but the Thessalonians had stood as individuals committed to the cause of Christ. The story is told of an artist who went to visit an old friend. When he arrived, she was weeping. He asked why. She showed him a beautiful handkerchief that had great sentimental value, but which had been ruined by a spot of indelible ink.  The artist asked her to let him have the handkerchief, which he returned to her by mail a few days later. When she opened the package she could hardly believe her eyes. The artist, using the inkblot as a base, had drawn on the handkerchief a design of great beauty. Now it was more beautiful & more valuable than ever. Sometimes the tragedies that break our hearts can become the basis for a more beautiful design in our lives. Be patient with the hurts over which you have no control. In God’s hands they may even become a source of healing, help, & beauty.

Blessings Patience Brings: We live in a society of instant gratification. We are unaccustomed to waiting for much of anything. This impatience has even found its way inside the church. Let us know that Abraham waited 25 long years for the promised son, Isaac? Moses spent 40 years on the backside of the desert, in the middle of nowhere, preparing to lead God’s people, and then spent another 40 years wandering in the desert. Surely God has great things in store for us, but we must be patient and wait for Him to work in our midst. Apostle James in chapter 5: 7-19 exhorts believers to be patient until the Lord’s coming. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us. Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God's Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, laboured 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was 14 years before one convert was received into the Christian church. In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, it was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began.

Conclusion: The Lord is full of pity and tender mercy.  So, where is your patience? Are you always in a hurry—even when God isn’t? Do all the work you can, and trust God for the results. Jesus is coming back. Will you be patiently trusting in Him?