Dealing with Distractions

A study in 1 Corinthians 11-14

In a recent newspaper article, a police officer once explained the tactics of a roving band of thieves. “They enter the store as a group. One or two separate themselves from the group, and the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the clerks and customers. As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, leaving before anyone suspects. Hours – sometimes even days – later, the victimized merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. But it’s to late.”

How often this effective strategy is employed by the Devil in the local church! When we give heed to his many distractions and disturbances, we take our attention off Christ and the worship that is due His holy and precious Name. We become the victims of the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But the One who is robbed is not us, but Christ Jesus Himself.

This is Paul’s heart as he begins a new section of teaching in his first letter to the believers in ancient Corinth. Because of their many distractions, because of their focus on themselves and their own interests first, Christ had taken a back seat in worship that was supposedly directed to Him. Because of this, their weekly gatherings did “more harm than good” (11:17). But in taking the time to address these distractions, and really the heart attitude behind these distractions, Paul’s hope is to completely restore to the Corinthian’s their sharp focus on Christ, their genuine love for one another, their authentic communion with Him, their true edification of the Body, and glory that Jesus alone deserves. If this happens, if their distractions are effectively dealt with and Jesus is given His rightful place in the church, then in Paul’s mind the outsider who comes in “will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!”

As we study 1 Corinthians 11-14 over the next few months, my prayer is that these final words would be true of Grace. May people come and fall down and worship God and exclaim “God is really among you!”

Abiding in Jesus together,

Pastor Kirk