1 Cor 3.5-15. Building on a Faithful Foundation. 8.20.23

1 Cor. 3:5-15—Building on a Faithful Foundation — 8.20.23—Candidate Sunday

Good morning Berean Baptist Church.

My name is Joshua Greiner and as you have no doubt been told…I am here to preach today as part of the formal candidating process.

It is an honor to not only be considered for this position…but to preach here today.

I have had the chance to meet many of you in the various question and answer times yesterday and I look forward to the opportunity to meet more of you in the time that we have remaining with you this week.

[TRANSITION—Building Metaphor]

But for now…I am hear today to study God’s word and see how we can apply it for our lives this morning…

If you have your Bibles, I would invite you to turn with me to 1 Cor. 3: 5

QUESTION: Would you agree with me that building on a faithful foundation is one of the most important things a builder can do?

When you think about the home or apartment that you live in,

if the builder did not get the foundation done right

it doesn’t matter how nice of a building he made…as soon as something comes your way…

and that foundation is put to the test…you are going to have problems.

Take for example what happened recently in Turkey this year with a 7.0 quake.

[take picture from Turkey earthquake: Where did it hit and why was it so deadly? - BBC News]

20 years prior, Turkey had a similar sized earthquake.

There was a vow to modernize building standards and construction to ensure that the loss of life would never happen.

In both the quakes that happened 20 years ago, there was a substantial loss not only of property…but also of life.

What is most unfortunate is that the loss of life and property did not have to be this way.

Other countries that have modernized their building codes and standards have experienced similar earthquakes and even larger ones with significantly less damage and in some cases no loss of life.

When every something like this happens, there is an investigation...and what was concluded was….

"This is a disaster caused by shoddy construction, not by an earthquake," said David Alexander, a professor of emergency planning at University College London.

That is a sober warning for sure.

It was not the earthquake that was the problem…There is nothing that can be done to stop an earthquake.

it was how the buildings were built.

They were not made to stand…

The point was, someone knew that this would happen…and they did nothing about it.

[TRANSITION]

The same could be said of life in a church…

if we are not careful how we build the church…

then we could be setting ourselves up for a devastating event in the future.

This morning, as I speak to you as a candidate for being the lead pastor of Berean, I would like to talk with you about

Building on a Faithful Foundation

Now I know that Berean has recently been studying the book of Joshua

and you have been thinking a lot about your future.

I have even watched those services online.

I look forward to studying this morning how can this church ensure that it builds on the faithful foundation that has been laid.

However, before we get there…

3 Introductory Notes

Now these are just helping us with the context of the book that we are studying.

This are not the context of Berean.

In fact, I would say that they are almost the opposite…

however, the point is…we need to understand the context of the book and our passage before we study it…

There were divisions in the church

1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV)

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Paul had planted the church in Corinth. However, after Paul had left…there had become some divisions in the church.

Church’s being divided on issues is as old as churches existing…

but that doesn’t mean that it is a sign of a healthy church.

Unity is what Christ promised and unity is what he gave to the church. The church is called to work hard at being unified.

That is actually one of the beauty’s of what we just celebrated. We come together, to celebrate the Lord’s table.

It reminds us not only of the payment that was give for our sin, but it also reminds us of the great unity that we ought to have in our church.

The main issue of contention in the church was that….

Some liked Paul, others liked Apollos

1 Cor. 1: 12 —

1 Corinthians 1:12 ESV

What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

We have all been there…we love our favorite teacher or preacher…but this had gotten out of hand…there had now been a genuine rift in the congregation

While we do not know all the reasons for why the congregation was fighting about the preachers…

some scholars think that it was because of the style of teaching.

Paul had been accused of being meek when in person…he was a quite preacher.

Apollos…he was not.

That doesn’t mean Apollos was bad…they just liked his style better.

Now that wasn’t their only problem…They had plenty of issues going on.

So, Paul decides he is going to care for these folks, even as some of them are shooting arrows at him.

Paul was purposeful in his shepherding care.

1 Cor. 2:1-2 —

1 Corinthians 2:1–2 ESV

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul saw a problem with the congregation, and he was going to work to shepherd them

Now that was the general context of the book, at least the part that is relevant to our study today…As I mentioned we are going to look at

Building on a Faithful Foundation: 3 Truths to Remember in a Growing Church

Follow along with me as I read from 1 Cor. 3:5-15.

The first thing from our text is a call too….

I. Value Being a Servant of God

1 Corinthians 3:5

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.

The Church had argued and even divided over a number of foolish things…

Paul, instead of thumping his chest and proving how superior he was to Apollos…

looks through the church’s sin and seeks to teach them…t

hat he…and Apollos are just servants.

[TRANSITION]

I think that we all can admit for a moment that when we think of great people…we often don’t associate that word servant with them. So often great persons are those who…well are served.

That is not the picture that the Bible gives.

Do you remember when asked if by the Son’s of Zebedee’s to sit at the right hand of Christ?

They had this idea of Christ's coming Kingdom…it was going to be great!

[Pause]

They had the wrong view of leadership. Christ instructed them that leadership was about service…not about exaltation.

Value, dear Brothers and Sisters…Value Being a Servant.

----Let me say that I did actually see that during your Action Day Camp…

----I can’t tell you how encouraged I was to hear about how many of you value being servants.

Paul too, is helping us see and remember that…

A. God uses People in Different Ways

1 Cor. 3:6-7a —

1 Corinthians 3:6–7a ESV

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

God had used Paul to plant the church in Corinth…and he had used Apollos to “water it.”

But he wants them to see that it was God who caused the growth and it was God using persons in different ways that is essential to remember.

Paul was not looking for fame or success.

He was not looking for this church to love him more than Apollos…

rather he wanted them to see, “we are nothing.”

This type of humility was on par for Paul…but how?

How could Paul display this type of servant humility to see that God uses folks in different ways???

And not only see it but be completely OK with it?

He has such a powerful interaction with the Risen Christ…

that he saw himself as nothing…

a worker…. doing his job.

[TRANSITION]

In commenting on this passage, I think John MacArthur helps focus our minds here…but also notice the way that he puts it that I believe can be helpful when it comes to the wrong exaltation of the servant.

We are but His servants, His instruments. If an artist is to be honored, you do not make a statue of his brush or his palette. It makes no more sense for Christians to glorify men, even a Paul or an Apollos, who are only brushes or palettes in the Master’s hands. Such are to be esteemed and loved for their work (1 Thess. 5:12–13), but not revered or set against each other John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 74.

[QUESTIONS]

How often are we all guilty of exalting the brush over the painter?

How often do we love to mention time and time again that we are of Paul or Apollos?

Church…we must be a people that sees that the calling for the believer is to be a servant…

and that we are to see that God uses each and every one of us in a different and a unique way.

Now, there is nothing wrong with marveling at the work that has been done by Christ….

there is great value in encouraging one another…

that is not what I am saying and that is not what Paul is saying.

However, the problem that this church had was it had divided and was not celebrating the servant.

[TRANSITION—In Tone]

There was also some more happening in this text, notice how Gordon Fee captures how God can even use a situation like this for growth…

His concern is twofold: (1) that they recognize that the differences between Apollos and himself, which had become occasions for strife, are in fact Christ-appointed for their common good; and (2) that they focus not on the servants, but on the Lord himself, whose servants they are all to be.

Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987), 131.

Did you catch that…this opportunity where they were struggling…this was an opportunity to grow to become like Christ.

[Tone: Plea]

Dear brothers and sisters…to be honest, if I am called as the Lead Pastor of Berean…

I have no doubt that there will be times when you say,

“Oh…. remember Pastor Bill’s way of doing something.”

From what I can gather…there is so much that has been done here over the last 15 years under Pastor Bill and his leadership…and the other pastors…that is worthy of celebration!

The Pastors here have served so very faithfully! They are true servants

[Application]

My hope and prayer in those moments, when your mind recalls the past…is that it would be a time of trust and Growth in the Lord.

My hope is that we would focus on serving the great King…

we would see from this text that God is going to use these differences to make us all more like Christ…

and that he will use each and everyone one of us in a unique way to grow and to build his church.

We also see form the text that we can…even in the midst of diversity…

B. Celebrate God’s Work in the Church 1 Cor. 7b — but only God who gives the growth

If we are truly the servant…than we should celebrate what God has done in the past…and expectantly believe that he is going to do that in the future as well.

The focus of our thoughts should be on rejoicing in the work that God is doing

[Personally illustration ]

In doing pastoring…one of the things that you should regularly tell yourself is…only God did that.

I can’t tell you how many times when someone has asked for an explanation of how something happened…and happened well…that I can only point to the Grace of God.

Early in my pastoral career I had the opportunity to disciple a young man…and he and I were about as opposite as they come.

We are not talking oil and water…we are talking fire and water.

Yet, through the various meetings that we had…it became clear that this person’s heart was changing…and it was only God who was doing that. It was not me.

---Brothers and Sisters---let’s remember…it is God who gives the growth…God is working here in our midst.

Zechariah 4:6 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

[TRANSITION]

God has been working…it is clear to me…in this church.

When my wife and I were taking time to get to know you…we were encouraged time and time again.

God has been working in this church…and for us…we want to give honor to whom honor is due…and we want to celebrate how much God has given the growth here.

The text tells us to value being a servant of God…but it also tells us to….

II. Recognize that We All Are Building Something

The text says it in two different ways….

1 Cor 3: 9 — For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Cor. 3: 10 — According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

Each and every person here…and each and every church all over the united states and the entire world…is building.

Every day…every Sunday…we are building…that is without question.

The question that we should all be asking ourselves is…what am I building? How am I building…. what will be the effect of my labor?

The text warns us…as the Bible does elsewhere….

A. Be Careful not to Build like the World

There is a temptation in our day and age to build like the world builds. There are many ways that the church can be tempted to do that.

It could seek to water down the gospel message…and not proclaim it so loud.

It could seek to be silent when it comes to the key issues of our day.

It could make Sunday worship look more like a rock concert…and nothing like an experience of encountering a holy God.

It could sub out a study of God’s timeless and eternal word-- for a guy up here telling stories that made everyone laugh.

This church…no doubt…could marry the world today…and in doing so…it could build something…the only problem is…it would be a widow in the next age.

Paul mentions that he is a laid the foundation as a wise builder…in Greek Culture…the allusion to wisdom should not be missed.

By laying the foundation he did—Jesus Christ and him crucified—he was the truly “wise” master-builder in contrast to the “wise” in Corinth

Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987), 138.

The Greeks loved and valued wisdom…they wanted to have their ears tickled and they wanted to do things in a way that made sense to the world.

That was in part the attractiveness of Apollos. Not that he had done anything wrong…but Apollos had a style that they liked…because it sounded more like the teaching that they were used to hearing.

Paul was reminding them…don’t build like the world…

Gordon Fee put it this way… [one click only]

It is unfortunately possible for people to attempt to build the church out of every imaginable human system predicated on merely worldly wisdom, be it philosophy, “pop” psychology, managerial techniques, relational “good feelings,” or what have you.

But at the final judgment, all such building (and perhaps countless other forms, where systems have become more important than the gospel itself) will be shown for what it is: something merely human, with no character of Christ or his gospel in it. Often, of course, the test may come this side of the final one, and in such an hour of stress that which has been built of modern forms of sophia usually comes tumbling down.

Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987), 145.

As my wife and I have gotten to know Berean…what is so clear is that this church is not trying to build a church the way the world builds its systems. This church is trying to build like Paul did…as a wise master builder.

Church…we must stay true to that heritage.

That does not mean that the church cannot change.

There are all kinds of things that a church must change as it makes its way through the world that it finds itself in…

There are all sorts of programs and techniques that we can use

For example....I promise you…the church at Corinth did not have action day camp….

That is fine…those are great examples of adapting to the culture to serve it...

But the moment that we use the wisdom of the world…to grow a church…we are in trouble.

That can happen both overtly and covertly.

As a church we might unintentionally slip into world ways…and so we must be careful

But we also need to carefully consider and make sure that when we do ministry…that we are building not as wordly-wisemen.

We dare not try to build a church on anything other than the what is outlined in scripture…and that is…to

B. Build on the Foundation of the Gospel 1 Cor. 3: 11 — For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Building on the foundation of the gospel means that the most essential aspects of Christianity…remain just that…essential to the mission.

Everything that is done in a church…needs to be evaluated…are we building the foundation?

[ILLUSTRATION]

Imagine for a moment if a addition to a house was being built in your neighborhood, but it was not being built on the foundation of concrete ..but on sand.

It was quick, cheap, easy…and the materials were all around.

That addition to the house…it would not last.

It would destroy itself…

and what is worse... eventually it will even take down the good parts of the house with it.

[TRANSITION]

Church, we dare note build on another foundation....

I can say…that if I am called to be the lead pastor of Berean…I plan to build on the foundation of the gospel that has been laid.

Lastly, under the point that we must recognize that we are all building something…we should see that…

C. Unity Around the Gospel Should be Prized 1 Cor 3:8a — He who plants and he who waters are one, 1 Cor. 3:9 — For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

Christ has promised to build his church…he has promised to give the church unity around the gospel…our job is to keep and protect that unity.

As I look at this church…there is great unity around the gospel…that is clear to me.

That unity should be prized, it should be celebrated…and it should be guarded.

The enemy would love to do to this church what it was successful at doing in Corinth…make divisions.

The church at Corinth was lured away and enticed to build on something other than the firm foundation that was laid.

Let us prize and celebrate the foundation that has been laid not only by Paul in the Gospel…but those who have labored here at Berean so faithfully.

[Application]

Let me offer to quick possible applications for us to consider this morning.

This first is this… do any of my activities or the ways in which I am speaking need to change?

Meaning…we are all building…as I mentioned…is there anything in your speech…your actions…that is causing the unity of the church to be torn down?

So many times, if we are honest with ourselves…we don’t consider carefully enough the effects that our words can have on those around us.

How many times do we grumble and complain?

How many times do we “just share something”

How many times do we need to get something off our chest.

I don’t think any of us would ever say that we are trying to destroy the unity of this…or any church.

But the scary reality is that there are plenty of times that our words and actions can place the unity of any church into jeopardy.

If you find yourself in that position, can I encourage you today to consider what steps you need to take to change course.

The second is to consider what might you need to do in order to help build unity around this church…there is no doubt a prohibition to destruction…but there is also a call to be a builder.

When was the last time that you thought hard about how you can build unity in your body?

That could look like taking time to encourage the leaders that you have in your Sunday school…your pastors…your youth group…your deacons…

Or when was the last time when you saw someone serving faithfully around here…that you took time to encourage them with what they were doing?

So often…it’s not just our words that tear folks down that leads to disunity…but it is also our lack of words that can lead to unity not being apart of the construction of the church as well.

Lastly…our text tells us to….

III. Remember One Day All Our Labor Will Be Evaluated

1 Cor 3:12-13 — Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

We are all building…both personally and as a church…one day all that we have built will be examined…

In the text the gold, silver, and precious stones should be seen the building that is valuable….don’t take the metaphor too far…don’t poke at it and say, “You can’t build a house with just gold…it will crumble under it’s own weight.”

That is not how the Bible works…Paul is highlighting for us two different types of building materials…those that will last in a fire…and those that will not.

Wood…hay…straw…it will not last. The day of judgment will come…and it will come with Fire…the question is…is what we have built…will it last…

Now….the safest thing for us to do is for us to focus on building on the foundation...but Pastor MacArthur has an apt warning for us…

Only the Lord can determine which works are high quality and which are low. It is not the believer’s role to grade Christians and the work they do. The point Paul is making is that our purpose should always be to serve the Lord with the best He has given us and with full dependence on Him. He alone determines the ultimate value of each man’s work

John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 83.

So church…our job is not to look around and see what others are doing…and have a smug view of our own building…our job is to keep our eyes focused on the mission that God has given to you…do not veer from to the right or to the left…but stay committed to walking in the path that God has given us…

The text reminds us…as we are building…

A. What is Bad Will Be Consumed 1 Cor 3: 15a — If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss

I don’t know about you…but when I go to Heaven… I don’t want to hear that much of my work was burned up…

I have no doubt that each of us will…at some point…have built on something that will be burned up…but the question is…will that just be a little…or will the majority of what we have built be burned up?

But we also see that…when we are building carefully…we are building on the foundation of the gospel….

B .What is Good Will Remain and Be Rewarded 1 Cor 3:8b — and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

1 Cor. 3:14 — If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

Have you ever considered that what you are building…it will survive if it is being built on the Faithful foundation of Christ?

What we are doing here is not just temporary…it’s not that it does not matter…and it is gone.

What we are building…it will last…it can last.

For instance…what you were building a while ago when you had action day camp…that will last.

When you are serving your brothers and sisters in Christ…who are in need of you love and care…that will last.

When you wake up in the morning and study God’s word for the day…that will last.

When you are memorizing God’s word…that will last.

When you chose to share the gospel with someone in your family…or at work that does not know Jesus…that will last.

Not only then will that building that you are doing last…but Christ promises a reward…I’ll be honest, there is a lot of debate about the nature of what rewards are….I’ll just tell you this…if I’m picking between and eternity with reward…or with less reward…I’ll take the more reward option.

Then, when we are building on the foundation…how do we ensure that what we are building will last and it will be worthy of a reward?

I would like to argue that it can come down to:

Our Motives

Our Conduct

Our Service

When you think about why you do what you are doing…that matters.

If you are here serving in the church so that you will get the praise of man…that matters to God.

If you obey so that folks will love you…that matters.

If you are really only serving so that you can get something…

Then, the truth is…that is not going to last.

My point being…there is a way for us to know if what we are building is going to last. We can look at what we are doing…but also the why we are doing it.

This Sunday might be a good Sunday for all of us to consider…is what I am building being done for the right reasons? Does my actions like up with the WOG?

I would encourage us all to consider how we are building…but lastly…to remember,

C. None of This has to do with Salvation

1 Cor. 3:15b — though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Brothers and Sisters…Paul is being really clear that all this building has nothing to do with salvation.

Commentary Anthony Thiselton helpfully reminds us.

Even Christian service seriously flawed by self-interest cannot imperil the Christian believer’s salvation.

Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 314.

What a great and comforting reminder…our flaws…even if we build with wood, hay, straw…that will not ruin our salvation…

Meaning, it is by Grace Alone…Faith Alone…Christ alone that you and I are saved.

It’s not that if you build enough for a certain period of time…then you will be saved.

It is not that you have to build in such a way that you better fire proof that salvation.

It is by the Blood of the lamb that we are all saved….and that means that there may very well be…in this room…persons who are not saved today.

We have been talking about careful how to build a church.

I have encouraged us to celebrate and guard our unity that we have in Christ.

I have been reminding us that there is a reward for building rightly…

but that is all contingency on knowing Christ as your Lord and Savior.

If you are person who does not know Christ….if there has not be a time in your life when you have trusted in the D\B\R of Christ to satisfy the wrath of God and cleanse you from sin…then I would invite you to consider the truths of this passage.

I would invite you to talk with one of the pastors…I would invite you to take seriously the warning about a consuming fire…

The fire being talked about in this passage is to test the quality of each persons work who is found in Christ…that is not about salvation….however, there is a different fire and judgment for those who are not found in Christ.

Believer…today, I hope and pray that this passage encourages you…to celebrate the unity that we have in Christ…and the foundation that has been laid not only in the Christian Church with the gospel…but particularly here at Berean Baptist.

I hope and pray that each one of us would see that we are servants…and in being servants…we are building for the king.

Let us not get distracted with so many things.

Let us not build like the world builds…but to build the way that God calls us to.

And let us soberly remind ourselves that there will be a day when all that we have laid up will be shown for what it is…let us therefore build carefully…for the glory of God.

Please join me in prayer.