I hope to stay with you for a while – Preaching
Preaching Outline on I Corinthians 16:7-9 – “For I do not want to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay with you for a while.”
Introduction to I Corinthians 16:7-9
Paul, typifying the Holy Spirit or being his voice in the epistles, wrote to the Romans, as we have already seen, that he always prays, asking for a good time to be with the Church (Romans 1:10).
Now in this text from Corinthians he says that he doesn’t want to see the Church in passing, but hopes to spend some time with it. What a glorious desire and wonderful love the Holy Spirit has lavished on the Church!
Just as Jesus said: “I have longed to eat this Passover with you” (Luke 22:15), showing how much he wanted to come and fulfill his ministry and give himself up for man, now the Holy Spirit does the same by saying that he “hopes to stay with us for a while”.
Development
“But I will stay in Ephesus”
The Holy Spirit descended on the early church and remains with it to this day and will remain until the rapture.
The Word presents the history of the Church using the characteristics of seven churches in Asia, where John was pastor.
And the name of each one demonstrates the historical-prophetic emphasis that it would experience during its two thousand years of existence. The first Church was called Ephesus, which means “acceptable”.
The Holy Spirit then says that he will remain in Ephesus.
The church that is under the rule of the Holy Spirit is the Church acceptable to God.
The church that will be raptured is the acceptable Church.
He stayed until the day of Pentecost
And here he speaks of the moment of his departure.
Two thousand years ago, on the day of Pentecost, there suddenly came a sound from heaven, like a mighty rushing wind. It was the descent of the Holy Spirit.
On that day he didn’t just pass through, as he did so many times in the Old Testament, but remained with us for some time – between that Pentecost and the next Pentecost.
At the first Pentecost “a great and effective door was opened” (1 Corinthians 16:9) – the door of salvation, which reached both Jews and Gentiles.
Both those who were there, and those who would be begotten by them, and all those who were far away (in time – that is, the church of our day). (Acts 2:38-39)
At the next Pentecost, there will suddenly come from heaven a sound, a wind (a vehement and impetuous blow) – a trumpet blast – and our Savior will come to meet his acceptable church and take it to his eternity.
The Holy Spirit will stay until that day
So he ends the letter by talking about the love and coming of the Lord Jesus: “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha!” (1 Corinthians 16:22).
More Preaching Outlines
- Stay with us – Luke 24:29
- John 5:6-7 – Do you want to be healthy?
- Jesus the great stone of witness – Joshua 24:26-27a
