Dear Christian friends:

Here St. Paul is writing a letter to the church which was in Corinth, and He thanked God for that Church. In all of his letters to the various churches Paul thanks God for them.

Then I wondered: I wondered if I, your pastor, should thank God for you, my church here in St. Paul. Should I be happy about you? And be pleased with you? Should I thank God for you?

You are wondering yourselves now. "Should pastor than God for me?" If we attend to what St. Paul says here in our text and see the reasons why he thanked God for the churches, then, we will be able to answer that question.

I. Without thinking much some of you will answer, "Yes, I am a very good person. I am a very good church member. I go to church regularly every Sunday. I give some money to church. I sing in the choir and help many committees. Pastor should be pleased with me and thank God for me." But if you think like that you are bragging and self-righteous. Should your pastor thank God for you?

Some of you will answer and say, "No, I am a very bad person and sin much. I make much trouble for the pastor and the church. I am too dumb and can't do anything. Pastor should not thank God for me. I think I better give up and quit from the church."

If you think like that you are also wrong. You despair! When we only look at ourself we either are too proud or too humble. We must not judge ourselves or judge one another. If we do we will not answer that question correctly. Same here in the Bible. When you read the whole letter which Paul wrote to the Corinthians you see that he criticises them about many things. He writes in verse 11, "Chloes people told me that you are quarreling." What about? Pastors, which is the best pastor. Later he scolds them because they refused to forgive one member who before had done very bad sin. He was sorry, but they continued to gossip about him and refused to accept him again in their church.

So you see Paul's church at Corinth was not a perfect church. Many sins and failures. Yet he thanks God for that Church. Why? How could he thank God for such a group of sinners? When I see all the sins and weaknesses and faults of our deaf church I don't want to thank God for you. Often I become tired and fed up with your sins and my sins. I see no reason to thank God for you. Sometimes I think I'm better than you and want to quit and look for another church. Why? We don't look at Jesus Christ enough. See here what Paul writes:

II. He says, "I am always thanking God for you." Why? He answers: "Because He has loved you in Christ Jesus, and in Him made you rich in every way." etc. (Read all)

Paul thanked God because of what Jesus had done and will do for them. He sees them as God's dear children, rich with many wonderful blessings. He sees them improve with God's help. He sees them perfect and right on judgement Day. Nobody can accuse them before the Judge, Jesus although they are sinners in themselves. But because God's gift of love and mercy, forgives their sins and makes them right and holy dressed in white robes because of Jesus' perfect life and work which is now theirs by faith.

So, I, your pastor must not only see your sins and faults and weaknesses. I must not let that make me tired and fed up, and ready to quit. I must look at you through the eyes of God and see you as God sees you because of Jesus Christ, holy, wonderful, rich and see you as you will be in heaven because of your faith. I must thank God for you. Because of God's love for you and His kindness in Jesus you are rich and lack nothing.

You should look at me and one another the same way also. Don't become tired and fed up when you see faults and weaknesses in me and in other members of our Church. See me as God sees me. See your brother as God sees him in Jesus. Then, thank God for your brother. Thank God that He is kind and good and forgives our sin and puts on the robe of Jesus Christ.

Now, because God sees you so good and blessed and rich in Jesus you should daily try to really be like that with His help. When they were quarreling Paul urged the Christians at Corinth: "By the name of your Lord Jesus Christ I urge you all to agree and not be divided, but perfectly united in your understanding and judgement."

Because we are all thankful to Jesus our Savior we try to be as He sees us. We are very happy in Jesus. We have washed our sin black robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. I thank God for you. I'm glad I can be your pastor and tell you every Sunday about your riches in Jesus.

Amen.