BELONGING!
A 2005 article in the National
Geographic identified three regions of the world where people have consistently
shown longer life spans: Okinawa, Sardinia, and Loma Linda, California. Dan
Buettner, a researcher, and explorer, involved with the 2005 article, decided
to do a follow-up study to determine if more regions could be discovered.
His team found an abnormally large
number of people living past 90—even into their 100s—on the Nicoya Peninsula in
Costa Rica. Intrigued, Buettner and an extensive research team made their way
to the region to discover what factors aided in living a longer life. They
found that longevity is due in part to diet, sun exposure, and source of water,
but they also found the following factors to be crucial in the survival of the
people:
The
people on the Nicoya Peninsula have a strong sense of purpose. They "feel
needed and want to contribute to a greater good."
They
choose to focus on the family. Persons over 100 years of age in this region
"tend to live with their families…. Children or grandchildren provide
support and a sense of purpose and belonging."
They
have strong social networks. Their neighbors visit frequently, and they all
seem to know the value of listening, laughing, and appreciating what they have.
They know the value of hard work. They even manage to "find joy in
everyday physical chores."
They
understand and appreciate their historical roots and spiritual traditions. In
essence, they know their story.[1]
As I was thinking about what to
share this Sunday, one morning, Wilma said, how about speaking from
Corinthians? We read I Corinthians 1:1-9 in our Wednesday connect group. I
asked those who were present what jumps at you from this passage? Michael was
the first to respond and said, "I see belonging," which became the theme.
The apostle Paul lays the right foundation for a healthy Christian community
and a solution for loneliness: BELONGING
BACKGROUND
& SETTING
Athens and Corinth were major cities
in Achaia, the southern portion of the Greek Peninsula. In Paul's day, in
several ways, Corinth was the prominent city of Greece. It was a crossroad for
travelers and traders. People of Corinth were interested in Greek Philosophy
and placed a high premium on wisdom. It was a religious city containing at
least twelve temples.
One of the most infamous ones was
the temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Like any large
commercial city, Corinth was a center for open and unbridled immorality. The
worship of Aphrodite fostered prostitution in the name of religion. At one
time, 1000 prostitutes served in her temple. The immorality of Corinth became
widely known. Hence the Greek verb "to Corinthianize" came to
mean "to practice sexual immorality."
In a setting like this, it is no
wonder that the Corinthian church was plagued with numerous problems. The Apostle
Paul is acknowledged as the author of both letters. The first letter to the
Corinthians was written around A.D. 55, toward the close of Paul's three-year
residency in Ephesus. We read about the
beginnings of Corinthian Church in Acts 18.
I.
CHURCH AT CORINTH
Acts 18:1-3, "Then Paul left
Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila,
born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla.
They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.
Paul lived and worked with them, for
they were tentmakers just as he was." Initially, Paul testified to the
Jews that Jesus was the Messiah when they refused to accept the message; he
went and lived next door to the Synagogue in Titus Justus’s home. From there, Paul
taught God's word for a year and a half. Many Jews and Gentiles were converted
to Christ.
When Gallio became governor of
Achaia, some Jews rose against Paul and brought false charges. But the governor
refused to get involved and threw them out of the courtroom. The crowd then
grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the Synagogue, and beat him right there.
Sosthenes becomes a Christian later on and joins Paul in writing the first
letter to the Corinthian Church.
II
APOSTLE PAUL’S GREETINGS
Vs. 1-3, "This letter is from
Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our
brother Sosthenes. I am writing to God's Church in Corinth, to you who have
been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of
Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord, and ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ give you grace and peace."
Paul begins by naming himself as the
writer of this letter. He stresses his apostleship because his authority was
later challenged. By saying Sosthenes, our brother made him part of the family
of God. He refers to the Church in Corinth, “God’s Church, that is to say,
churches do not belong to a state or pastors or leaders but to God and we are
mere caretakers and stewards.
He reminds the Corinthian believers
that God had invited them to be part of His Kingdom and to be holy along with
all the people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
invitation to be set apart for God applies to all Christians in the 21st
Century.
III
PAUL’S THANKSGIVING
Vs.
4-5, “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given
you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church
in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.” Paul
often began his letters with thanksgiving. He continuously thanked God for all
the believers in the Church of Corinth. How often do we thank God for all the
members of our Hope Church community?
Begin to thank God for all our
brothers and sisters in our church, including those you may find it hard to get
along with, and see how your attitude will change towards them for good. Growing
in gratitude is an attitude that pleases God and helps us to overcome
discontentment. After thanking God for the believers in Corinth, he affirms the
fact that they belonged to Christ.
IV.
BELONGING
The concept of belonging was a
significant concern for Biblical writers because it was God’s concern for His people.
Why is belonging so crucial for the welfare of humanity? And what does it mean to
belong to Christ? The dictionary defines belonging as the state of being in a
very personal or private relationship, a thing that belongs to one possession;
property, close relationship; familiarity; and camaraderie.
After creating the whole universe,
perhaps seeing the loneliness of Adam, God said, “it is not good for the man to
be alone.” I will make a helper who is just suitable for him.
Out of one of man’s ribs, God made a
Woman; Adam named her Eve. They both became husband and wife. From that point,
the human race began to multiply, living in families and tribal
communities.
Even the modern sciences agree on
the significance of belonging. A recent article notes: “Belonging is a
fundamental part of being human: We need people, and this need is hardwired
into our brains. A recent MIT study found we crave interactions in the same
region of our brains where we crave food, and another study showed we
experience social exclusion in the same region of our brain where we experience
physical pain.”[2]
We are born with the need for
belonging. In modern times, due to shifting societal and cultural trends for
many in the western world, that need is not being fulfilled. Through Christ, God
restores us to Himself and fulfills our innate need for belonging at its
deepest level.
However, that does not mean we don’t
need other significant healthy human relationships. We will talk a lot more
about our belonging to one another as we go through these two letters of
Corinthians. For now, let us look at what it means to belong to Christ.
V.
BELONGING TO CHRIST
Vs. 4, “now that you belong to
Christ.” This concept of belonging to Christ comes up again in 3:23, “And you
belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to you.” The Apostle Paul was stressing
this truth to make the Corinthian believers understand that they no longer
belonged to the devil, the world, to their evil vices and not even unto
themselves, but Christ and Christ alone.
I want us to understand this fact;
you and I, Hope Church, and other worldwide Christians belong to Christ. God
bought us at a high price. It is redeeming to know that we are His, and He
loves us with an everlasting love. Our relationship with Christ affects our priorities,
values, pursuits, relationships, and how we conduct church ministries and
business.
Belonging to Christ means we live in
the light of Jesus as He is the light. I John 1:5-7, “This is the message we
heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness
in him at all. So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on
living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are
living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each
other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Belonging to
Christ means partnering with Christ in God's field of work.
The apostle Paul reminds Corinthians
of such partnership. Vs. 9, “God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he
says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord.” What a privilege that God invites us to partner with His Son to change
the world. Who do you belong to today, to Jesus or the devil? As you go: Lean into this powerful reality
that you belong to Christ, and nothing will be able to separate you from His
Love. Amen!
