1 Corinthians 4:6-13
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.
15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.
20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
People are puzzled about
.
People
correction.
People
correction.
People
correction.
But God
correction to sort us out spiriutally.
He sends spiritual
to correct us (vv. 14-16).
He sends
to correct us (v. 17).
He sends spiritual
to correct us (vv. 18-21).
Big Idea: Receive God’s correction for your own
.
Recieve correction as an act of God’s
.
“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” —Hebrews 12:5-6
Recieve correction as a key to spiritual
.
“God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” —Hebrews 12:10b-11