The church, as a whole, has a bad reputation from which it is trying to recover. When people no longer part of the church are asked why they left, it is often because they feel so condemned in the church – that the church is marred by hypocrisy and, consequently, a lack of authenticity.

We preach and teach about a God of love and yet look down our noses in judgment at everyone who doesn’t live like we do. The church is often the first to condemn. That’s sad as Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthian Church that we are NOT to judge those outside the church. And while we are called to judge those inside the church we often do so in such a way that tears others down instead of build them up. Have you ever talked to someone who always seemed to be on the attack with his comments or questions to you? I have. And I’m sure I’ve come across that way at times too. Church people can be as ungracious as anyone else. People often associate a set of rules – a code of behavior – rather than a God of love with Christianity.

How do you go from a rule-driven religion to love-driven Christianity? It all depends on the way we see God. If you see God simply as the standard against which we are all measured (which he is), then you strip all the power out of Christianity. We must catch a vision of the true God – the God that loves us – and we must begin to understand what that love looks like. That’s what I hope to do this morning. That’s what Paul’s prayer is about for the people to whom he writes this letter. These verses are a prayer to God, asking that God strengthen them to comprehend the love of Christ.

Standard Podcast [ 35:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download