Blameless on the Day of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Isaiah 42: 1-7 [O.T Lesson]
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 [Teaching Text]
Humorist Robert Orben says that when he was in grade school, he was told that if he wanted to get a good job, he had to graduate high school. So, he went to high school. When he was in high school, he was told that if he wanted to get a good job he had to go to college. So, he went to college. When I was working in Ontario one of the guys who worked for me, we called “Big Dave”—because, well, Dave was big. You knew it would be cold if Big Dave came to work with a jacket on. The rest of us would be all bundled up and Dave would have like a summer wind breaker on. Anyway, Big Dave was famous for saying that the only thing that kept him from college was high school.
Getting back to Robert, when he was just about to graduate from college, he was told that everybody had a bachelor’s degree, and to get a really good job, he had to get a master’s degree. So, he got his master’s. Then he was told that a master’s degree would only take him so far and he should get a doctorate. So, he got his doctorate and went out for a job. He was told they were looking for younger men.
Having the right credentials IS important. Employers want to know that you’ve been to the right school—that you’ve gotten a proper education. As Dr. Robert Schuller used to be fond of saying, “The tassel is worth the hassle.” Of course, it’s also possible to overdo it.
In our Old Testament lesson Isaiah seems to be laying out some credentials for the coming Messiah. “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name” in verse 1 and finishes our text with: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Before the servant, the Messiah, was born in Bethlehem, God had already chosen Him to bring the light of the gospel—the message of salvation—to the world. Jesus offered salvation to all nations, [the religious authorities of His day seemed to want to keep it to themselves.] His apostles began His missionary movement to take this gospel to the ends of the earth. The “Servants” main work is that of bringing all nations to God. It was the job of the Nation of Israel—it was the job of Jesus—and it remains the job of those of us called God’s people!
Having the right credentials is important. We need to acknowledge that. People without proper credentials have done untold harm.
A young California man told the parents of his girlfriend that he was a pilot, and he offered to fly them to Las Vegas. Without any further verification, the family boarded what later proved to be a stolen plane. The plane left the ground, flew thirty feet into the air, and then nose-dived into a warehouse, killing everyone aboard. Authorities said the boy had flown with a pilot but had no license or authority to fly solo.
Credentials are society’s way of protecting itself from charlatans and incompetents. We want to know that our pilot is licensed—also our doctor—our realtor—our barista, even our beautician. We want to know that our lawyer has been admitted to the bar and that our pastor has been properly trained. Credentials are important.
The Apostle Paul was constantly having to establish his credentials. It seems absurd. More than anyone else Paul was responsible for the spread of Christianity throughout the known world of his day. Paul was on his missionary journeys and writing his Epistle letters before most of the gospels were even written.
In keeping with the letter writing customs of his day Paul opens our “Teaching Text” for today with a commonly used formula that presented the author’s name and identity—and the identity and location of the addressee. But if Paul had been writing to a church with full confidence in his ministry, he would have simply referred to himself as Paul. In this letter to the Corinthians, he quickly identifies himself as “An apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” Paul knew it was important that he establish his credentials, especially with this particular church.
Sosthenes, whom he mentions in the first verse may have been Paul’s secretary who wrote down this letter as Paul dictated it. He was probably the Jewish synagogue leader in Corinth so he would have been well known to the members of the Corinthian church. Paul not only opens this letter with his credentials, but he also does a little name dropping as well just to grease the wheel, so to speak.
First Church Corinth would have been one of those churches that no Pastor wanted to be appointed to. There were multiple divisions in that church and the city of Corinth itself was a veritable cesspool of iniquity [having a shrine to prostitutes there]—but God also had a church there. Some of the people who heard the reading of this letter in Corinth probably thought, “Who is this guy writing to?” As I’ve mentioned in the past, Paul’s letters, though addressed to a certain city, were often passed around to other churches in nearby cities, much like the gospels.
Paul obviously was aware that you can catch more flies with honey in his introduction to this letter, using words such as grace and peace and giving thanks for them.
The word grace meant “rejoice” and was a common Greek greeting. Certainly, the cause for their rejoicing would have been found in the blessings provided in Christ about which Paul is writing, and not in the conditions in the church at Corinth.
“Peace” was the common Jewish greeting which came from the Hebrew shalom. Paul uses the combination of grace and peace with a view of uniting all believers in the body of Christ. Both are and were gifts from God and can’t be found elsewhere.
In Isaiah we read the credentials of the Messiah—Paul introduces himself to the Church at Corinth by sharing his credentials—and he pumps up the church there by sharing their credentials: They are enriched in Jesus Christ—they lack no spiritual gift as they wait for Jesus to be revealed—and they will be found blameless when He returns.
A few years ago, Connie went with me on my trip to Ohio over the Christmas holidays and our dog went along for the ride. They both did very well in not asking multiple times how much longer we had to go—although during one part of our journey, I’m sure the dog was saying, “I thought I heard something about a chicken samich.” Maybe you remember those family trips where you pestered your parents constantly about how much longer the trip was going to be?
My point being that waiting can be very difficult. Sometimes it’s the uncertainty—we want to know what’s coming—and the longer we are in the dark the higher our anxiety level becomes. But this isn’t always the answer because we
are often more impatient when we know what is coming.
The Corinthians were eagerly looking forward to something we look forward to as well—the coming of Christ. And they were wondering what was taking so long. And there were false teachers spreading rumors that Jesus had already returned and they had all missed out. Paul was working to dispel those false teachings and sharing something with them that he shares with us as well: Yes, we are not only waiting for God—we are also waiting with God.
Have you ever noticed that when someone else is waiting with you it makes the delay a little easier? Having a friend to talk with as you wait for your name to be called at the doctor’s office eases the tension, and sharing your hopes with a coworker about a plan at work can add joy to your excitement. Waiting, like many other things in life, is something that is often best endured in the company of others.
We, like the Corinthians aren’t waiting hopelessly in this world for the coming of Christ. Instead, we have been given all the supplies we need for the journey. All of God’s gifts are right in front of us as we wait. More important is the fact the God is with us in the wait. God offers us the company that makes waiting easier because God has called us “Into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” That—after all—is the promise of Paul to the Corinthians and the promise to us as well!
One day all the animals in the forest got together and decided life was not fair. Some animals were better at flying than others. Some animals were better at climbing than others. Some animals were better at swimming than others. To even out the scales, they decided to open a school where the animals could improve in the areas of their weaknesses.
After a month in the program, both tempers and frustration levels were rising. The rabbit was the fastest runner but failed miserably at climbing. The squirrel was the first one up the tree but never mastered swimming. The duck could swim for hours but lost every race in the 100-yard dash. The eagle won all the awards for flying but didn’t even enter into the water or attempt to climb the tree.
They were all miserable because they were forced into a position that did not match their gifts. Instead of celebrating what they enjoyed most and did well, they focused on where they came up short. Are you mismatched?
Today, 50% of all workers hate their job, 30% endure their job, and only 20% say they enjoy their job. Why? The same reason the animals in the forest were miserable. There is a mismatch between their work and their gifts.
How do we receive grace and peace from God? Grace—God’s free gift of salvation—is freely offered, even though we don’t deserve it. All we have to do is believe it and accept it. By accepting this greatest of gifts, we will have peace of mind and heart because we know our eternal future is secure and that Jesus cares for us and guides us here and now. With Him by our side every day, we have nothing to fear.
Eastman First Methodist Church 