1 Corinthians Bible Study Message 10 1 Cor. 3:18-23

In our time last Wednesday we discussed that our lives are described as soil and as a building. We discussed what type soil we would be. Furthermore, we discussed the type building that we would be. Would those things that we disciple or build in the life of others or within our own lives be perishable or imperishable. Furthermore, we discussed that others will build upon what we invest in others. Will those we have invested in be well prepared for the next course of discipleship because you invested in them with something of permanence or eternal benefit.

In our time last Wednesday, the closing verses states this:

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NKJV

16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Paul is writing to believers, to the church at Corinth. When he states “you” in these verses, He means yall. Or, you all. He is speaking in this case in a collective sense as he teaches.

Temple-

OT-

The tabernacle in the Bible, also known as the Tent of Meeting, was a portable sanctuary constructed by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt, as detailed in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Designed according to the instructions given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, the tabernacle served as the earthly dwelling place of God among His people. It was a meticulously crafted structure comprising the outer courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies), where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The tabernacle was central to Israelite worship and rituals, symbolizing God's presence and guiding the Israelites throughout their wilderness journey until the construction of the permanent Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon.

Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was a magnificent and elaborate structure built by King Solomon in Jerusalem, as detailed in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Constructed on Mount Moriah, the temple was intended to be the permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant and a central place of worship for the Israelites. The temple's design featured a grand outer courtyard, an inner sanctuary called the Holy Place, and the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, which housed the Ark. It was adorned with intricate carvings, gold overlay, and various precious materials, showcasing the wealth and craftsmanship of Solomon's reign. The temple served as the religious heart of Israel for nearly four centuries until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, marking a pivotal moment in Jewish history.

Today, we have the church we attend. Yet, here in these verses, Paul describes us as the building.

And the question we must all answer is: what type of building, what type of church service, what type of church worship do we want to have in our church? Is your church a church of prayer building? Is your church house a worship centered church? And the lsit goes on.

1 Corinthians 3:9 “9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”

Paul writes, you

We personalize this one, but in the text tonight we look at it both as individuals but he is speaking to us in the aggregate. What builds a great church? Jesus, yes, first and foremost, but a great church is made up of great believers, great members, yes?

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NKJV

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

As the pastor, it is my concern what type message that we send when guests comes into our church. I heard two complements to our church in the last week and both testimonies that spoke with me was that Mt Zion was an authentic church. I can’t tell you how encouraging it was for me to hear those words. That is the gospel truth. Two people this week said that about Mt Zion.

Our church is authentic, but do not be deceived as we will study today. We can not take that for granted. Satan is constantly at work to bring us down and to take our eyes off of Jesus.

Defilement

He speaks in verses 16-17 of a defilement. The question we must ask is what can defile this temple?

Ill.

Confession is good for the soul, terrible for one’s reputation, but if God can use it to bring change in your life it is worth it.

“Crap in her britches”

It doesn’t take a whole lot to defile us. Now listen to me. If my life is a church building and I am a spiritual building to draw people nigh to Jesus. How many weeks or possibly months did I keep my wife out of my spiritual influence because I showed an ugly side within my church walls.

When we hear the greatest slight on the church-a bunch of hypocrites, dearly beloved, this is what keeps people out of church. What type church building do you want to be?

1 Cor. 3:18-23

1 Corinthians 3:18–23 NKJV

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Deception

Deceive

A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible 1818. ἐξαπατάω

1818. ἐξαπατάω ĕxapataō, ex-ap-at-ah´-o; from 1537 and 538; to seduce wholly:—beguile, deceive.

I mentioned a few weeks ago a phrase that one of our church members stated that I have heard another church member say in conversation last Sunday. “Oh my stars.” That phrase dated those two individuals. You do not hear that statement as often today.

Another phrase I can remember when I was younger when someone that was a little worldy was they are “wise guys.”

“Let no one deceive himself.”

Deception comes about in a seductive, alluring type fashion.

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The wisdom of the world is selling you their wares every day and it is deceptive. It is alluring, its intoxicating.

“If anyone seems to be wise of this age.”

And that is the key word. Seems to be. The word seems is similar to the word imply. But what is implied and what is real are two very different things.

Two examples of the decption of worldly wisdom today:

Materialism and the Pursuit of Wealth:

Deception: The belief that accumulating wealth and possessions brings ultimate happiness and security.

Allure: Society often equates success and worth with financial status and material possessions.

Wrong Road: This mindset can lead to a never-ending pursuit of more, resulting in greed, dissatisfaction, neglect of relationships, and ethical compromises.

Self-Sufficiency and Independence:

Deception: The idea that one must rely solely on their own strength, abilities, and wisdom to succeed in life.

Allure: The cultural value placed on independence and the celebration of self-made individuals.

Wrong Road: This can foster pride, isolation, and a lack of trust in God and community, ultimately leading to burnout and a sense of emptiness.

Deliverance

“let him become a fool that he may become wise.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 “18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:1–2 “1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

The idea of deliverance means to bring you from one place or another.

Genesis 3:1–6 NKJV

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

It is the idea of flirting with something, teasing something, continuing in a slow seductive, playful, but then serious forward move toward wrong acts or what becomes wrong acts due to the trance the new arena has on our lives.

Ill. One married 40 years. A major change in his work of 20 plus years. Bitter feelings and lost his job. The matter caused him psychological disorders. We know that when the world is against us we take it out on the ones we love the most. In turn, he was working out of town and began to drink wine to ease the tension of his frustrations. He dropped his defenses and feeling lonely, he committed adultery, and by all appearances he will end up divorced, presently separated after 40 years of marriage. Here is a picture of how sin gets out of control and the person allowed wrongful thoughts all the way around creep into his minds eye early on and the overarching totally consuming mindset of despair, neediness, weakness, caused him to cave in and rob him of the abundant life in Christ.

I admitted my own folly of a course statement that was so out of character for me to be the church in my own life to draw people to Jesus. What do you need to be delivered from that is causing you to be drawn to the “wise guy actions of the world” that is a one way road to destruction?

Let’s address one today that is so prevalent and I’m not so naive to think it doesn’t affect the church.

Partying-what is the big issue? Go out and have a few social drinks. Enough drinks are two things. Liquid confidence and the great desensitizer. Because you are desensitized, something is slipped in your drink, because your inhibitions drop, you end up having sex with someone and get them pregnant, or you step out of the realm of the marital vows. Oh dearly beloved, that is a slippery slope.

Gambling-Ill. Former church members’s husband-lost everything

Job 5:13 “13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.”

Psalm 94:11 “11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.”

Oh dear church, the world needs deliverance from the sultry seductive attitude of total innocence only to that being all they have been exposed to type people that all they have ever seen is their families, their parents and their friends doing it and its totally alright.

I will draw a picture of some people that are so typical this day and it is not judgmental or a slight on them, it is simply the facts.

Ill. Country clubers

Ill. Young couples rearing families

Possibly nothing will ever go wrong maybe this side of earth, but then there is eternity.

If you really believe what you propose you believe, there is a majority of people we all know today that may not be the real heathens (no bad people-they are just not blood bought people), and all of those people by society standards may not really experience anything totally punitive this world offers-they still have never found real joy. They are still working, building, searching, delving, in attempt to find well if I do this then it will be enough.

Dearly beloved, the enough is foolish to this world, but we need to make some fools to make them wise.

Disclosure

1 Corinthians 3:21–23 NKJV

21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

If you have Christ, you have it all. You are spiritually rich in Him.

1. Once you are saved, you become a member of a rich family. God’s family. In fact, not only do you become a member of a rich family; but all of God’s riches are now yours.

2. It doesn’t matter who you are. Billy Graham, Moses, Paul, Peter, etc…, get the same riches as you get. No more, no less. It doesn’t matter how long you have been saved. Whether you have been saved for 1 day or 100 years you are equally rich through Jesus Christ.

3. So why is it that so many Christians live like paupers? The Bible says that we have not because we ask not. Does that mean that God will drop you down some shiny new car? No, but what that does mean is you have been given all of the spiritual riches you will ever need to live and serve God. There is nothing left to give you. You have salvation through Christ. You have the Holy Spirit that lives within you. You have God Who hears your prayers. You have God’s written Word, the Bible. You have the hope of Heaven for all eternity when you leave this world.