6. How NOT to be a Corinthian! 1 Corinthians 3 & 4

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August 31, The Gerdes Family (this is a good time to invite children).

Spiritual Retreat - September 10-12, 24-26, November 5-7, 19-21

Jesus frequently took time away from others to retreat alone with God. This is a healthy practice for Christians to develop. Once experienced, it can be something you look forward to and a healing space in times of intense stress.

Through my years in ministry, I have always provided groups time to do this and the responses have always been positive. In my children’s ministry, I always gave preteens opportunities to do this and years later, several have told me that this was a time they never forgot. One youth intern told me that she still uses it in her life and has incorporated such times in her ministry to others.

Last year I did this with the board members and they wanted me to provide a chance for others to do the same. On the bulletin board, there is a sign up sheet. If you are willing and able to do this, sign up on every date that works for you. I need this by the end of today so I can get the venue booked in time. I will coordinate with you on the final cost. Please, do not let finances keep you from doing this. We can supplement or in some cases, provide for you in this. It is a special opportunity to feel the special presence of God in your life. It can empower and strengthen your own regular devotions. I really want everyone to have an opportunity to experience this at least once. If people are interested in doing it yearly, we can talk about that as well later on. Right now, I just need to get names so I can get things booked. The more people per retreat, the cheaper the cost.

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If you are joining us for the first time today, we would like to thank you for joining us. We know you have options, and we are honored that you would choose to be with us today.

I Am Crucified With Christ

Stand with me as we open our worship with scripture.

John 3:1-16

Opening Scripture:

John 3:1–16 NIV

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Prayer

Worship Set

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

How NOT to be a Corinthian!

Paul, as the apostle of Christ who began this church, now has the responsibility of a spiritual father. He has heard by word of mouth, as well as received letters from other people, about the quarreling that is occurring in the church.

In first four chapters of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he is dealing specifically with their quarreling over which teachers through the years, that they prefer.

To make this subject easier to preach, I have broken down Paul’s long response into three topics, two of which we have already dealt with. First, I dealt with Paul’s response on the role of the teachers in the church. We saw that these teachers are servants of God and are not there to win a popularity contest. Paul says, do not focus in on the teacher but listen to the message, as that is what is important.

Next, I focused on the message which centered on the power of the cross and God’s wisdom to use a tool that men would believe foolish to overcome men’s own foolish wisdom.

Today, I want to look at the Corinthians themselves. What is this behavior revealing about them and their understanding of the gospel. My text today is excerpts from 1 Corinthians 3 & 4.

Today’s text is 1 Corinthians 3:1-5; 4:1-6

1 Corinthians 3:1–5 NIV

1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? 5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task...1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

I.  A Church Divided, Part 3  1 Corinthians 3-4

Paul is teaching the Corinthians a hard lesson in discipleship. J. Oswald Sanders wrote about this subject in his book Spiritual Maturity. Allow me to read a portion of what he had to share.

J. Oswald Sanders: Three Spiritual Classics in One Volume: Spiritual Leadership, Spiritual Maturity, Spiritual Discipleship 12. Christ’s Terms of Discipleship: “Come to me…. Come after me….”

The term “disciple” means “learner.” But implicit in the word is the idea of one who learns with the purpose of translating the lessons into action. A Christian disciple is a volunteer learner in the school of Christ. Jesus first invites, “

Now, Sanders isn’t stating that Christianity is a form of Communism. However, what he is addressing is passion. How passionately driven are we by our faith? I hear many people speak passionately on the subject, but it is not evident in the way they live.

Paul wants the Corinthians to experience the fullness of their salvation. However, if we never live what we speak, we will never have that experience. This is the quality that God desires for each of us to experience. So, Paul begins by directing the Corinthians to...

C. Remember Whose You Are!

They do not belong to this world. They are God’s people and as such, they have nothing to strive for but God. However, they are not acting like God’s people, they are acting just like people of the world. Let me share Peterson’s paraphrase of Paul’s feelings.

1 Corinthians 3:1 MSG

1 But for right now, friends, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ,

So, how does Paul directly address the Corinthians. Well, lets do a little review. I know what he says here sounds harsh, but look back with me how he began his letter and we find that he began gently...

1. Paul reminded them of three things.

I am not going to go into these very deeply as we covered them previously, but I want to tie them in with where Paul is headed as he starts getting stronger on the subject. In 1 Corinthians 1:26,...

a. Paul reminds them of who they were. 1 Corinthians 1:26

1 Corinthians 1:26 MSG

26 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families.

They should be humbled and thankful for their salvation. If it were up to people, they would not be singled out for anything particularly good. However, instead of humility, they have done just the opposite and become puffed up with pride. They are using their knowledge as a hammer to knock others down. This is an immature reaction and not what God would be pleased with.

I frequently find others who do the same. Instead of being blessed with the knowledge of the word, they wish to knock others over the head with it to show how very “knowledgeable” they are. They take pride in the verses they can quote to others putting those others in their place. In one of the corporate offices I worked at, we had an annual Christmas dinner. It was held in a nice banquet facility. I attended the dinner but left after the dinner as they had dancing and there was a lot of drinking that revved up after dinner However, I enjoyed the time to visit and talk with my co-workers outside the office. There was a couple from another denomination that treated this differently. When asked if her and her husband were coming, her eyebrow went up and her tone went up and she stated something like this, “Absolutely not! There is shameful drinking at that event and I am saved and above that sort of thing. I refuse to have anything to do with it!” I have no issue with her saying she would not be going. But her tone and her attitude communicated she was better than those other folks. It is not an attitude that is very conducive to providing opportunities to share the gospel and be listened to. However, that is a similar attitude we get from Paul’s correction of the Corinthians.

Next...

b. Paul reminds them why God called them. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 MSG

27 Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, 28 chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? 29 That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God.

I have to laugh at Peterson’s paraphrase. The same thing can be spoken in a way that insults or is more disciplines. I suspect Paul’s way was softer, but Paul was still direct. However, I think we sometimes get the gist a bit better with Peterson’s paraphrase. Paul wanted them to acknowledge that God did not call them because of their abilities or skills. All those things are gifted to us by God to begin with. We will burrow deeper on this subject later in chapter 12. Suffice it to say, God does not choose us because we have anything to offer Him. What can any of us offer God that He doesn’t already have?

Finally,

c. Paul reminds them of all they have in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

1 Corinthians 1:30–31 NIV

30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

They are provided all they truly need through Christ. They have nothing to boast other than to boast in God. So, why do they bicker and try to outdo each other.

All this time, Paul as been asserting the problems, but now Paul brings on the correction because Paul is their spiritual father.

1 Corinthians 4:14–16 MSG

14 I’m not writing all this as a neighborhood scold just to make you feel rotten. I’m writing as a father to you, my children. I love you and want you to grow up well, not spoiled. 15 There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God’s Message to you that I became your father. 16 I’m not, you know, asking you to do anything I’m not already doing myself.

Did you know that when you lead someone to the Lord, you have a responsibility to try to help them to learn and grow? It is important that we understand that is our responsibility. When you lead someone to the Lord, you then become their spiritual parent. There are little Bible studies I can provide you to help lead them through some initial steps. This should be something you desire to do and are eager to do. That is part of the passion that we are to have and to live out.

This means in the first few weeks, you need to give them priority care, just like when a baby is born. The first little while takes a lot of demand on your time but as they begin to grow in their abilities, it takes less of your time. It is the same with a new believer.

Paul is a great role model for what it takes to be a spiritual parent and the number one ingredient is love and a desire to see them grow to maturity. So,

2. Paul gives correction as their spiritual parent.

He begins,

a. Do not quarrel! 1 Corinthians 1:10-13

Sounds like parental advice doesn’t it?

1 Corinthians 1:10–13 MSG

10 I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. 11 I bring this up because some from Chloe’s family brought a most disturbing report to my attention—that you’re fighting among yourselves! 12 I’ll tell you exactly what I was told: You’re all picking sides, going around saying, “I’m on Paul’s side,” or “I’m for Apollos,” or “Peter is my man,” or “I’m in the Messiah group.” 13 I ask you, “Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own? Was Paul crucified for you? Was a single one of you baptized in Paul’s name?”

The essentials have been lost in non-essentials. I am not going to say more on this. We covered this well as we spoke about downplaying the messenger and focusing on the message. Next,

b. Paul encourages them to be humble. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, 3:18-23

1 Corinthians 1:26 NIV

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

Throughout this entire conversation, Paul is demonstrating the humility of a Christian. He started this church but He is not boasting about that. Instead he downplays his role.

1 Corinthians 1:17 MSG

17 God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn’t send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words.

Next, Paul tells them to...

c. Grow up! 1 Corinthians 3:1-5

1 Corinthians 3:1–5 MSG

1 But for right now, friends, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ, 2 capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you since you don’t seem capable of anything more. 3 As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything’s going your way? 4 When one of you says, “I’m on Paul’s side,” and another says, “I’m for Apollos,” aren’t you being totally infantile? 5 Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment.

When I was a corporate supervisor, I had a woman in my office that felt she shouldn’t have to follow my directions because she was older than me. However, her attitude made her react much younger than me. She really acted like a child. If I gave instruction that something needed to be done, she would say, “You can’t tell me what to do. I will do what I want to do.” She made everyone in the office miserable because of her infantile behavior. I tried everything I could to help her but she refused to cooperate with me. The really crazy thing was that should wanted my position but she couldn’t do the job. She struggled everyday with getting things her accounting in balance. I always had to help her. She was a single parent and I tried to work things out for her but her continued belligerence finally put me in the place where I had to fire her. I think she didn’t think I would but I did. I asked her why she was there as it was obvious that she hated that kind of work. She said it was because she made more money as a bookkeeper than as a receptionist I told her she was making everyone, including herself and her son miserable (I knew they were having issues at home). Was it worth the few extra bucks?

A year later I came across her on a sidewalk. She was pleasant and she thanked me for trying to work with her and for my advice. She found a reception job. She loved it and all her relationships had improved.

We often hedge at being disciplinarians, but when it is done with love, it improves peoples lives. It can even help them grow up and become the adults they are meant to be.

Next, Paul tells them to...

d. Build foundations with good materials. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

I addressed this from the viewpoint of the teachers, but what does this have to do with the greater church. The pastor/teachers are not the only ones who contribute to the church. Look how Peterson states it.

1 Corinthians 3:9–11 MSG

9 What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. 10 Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! 11 Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ.

The church is not a school where a teacher stands and teaches and the students sit around supposedly learning. It is more like a trade school where all take an active part. Instead of sitting around bickering, they have something they need to be contributing. What is the quality of their participation? Is it something that harms the church or builds the church. This is important to them. Instead of judging each other, they need to be faithfully fulfilling their part. There are consequences they will suffer if they do not. So,

e. Paul warns that there will be accountability & judgement. 1 Corinthians 3:13-17

1 Corinthians 3:13–17 MSG

13 Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. 14 If your work passes inspection, fine; 15 if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely. 16 You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? 17 No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.

Paul is not being cruel. Paul loves these people! When you love someone, you do not sit back and watch them carry on behaviors that will lead to into harm. You take action! You speak up even if what you say isn’t popular. You do not white wash the ugliness. You call it for what it is. You see,

f. Paul gave warnings that save. 1 Corinthians 4:14-21

1 Corinthians 4:14 NIV

14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.

Paul loved these people. Like any parent, he wanted those he considered as his children to love each other. He desired to see them get along and excel in all they did. Paul is distressed because this is not what is happening.

Often times there are many innocent people that get pulled into this path but behind the scenes there are usually those instigating the problems. We find these hardcore offenders in Corinth as well.

1 Corinthians 4:18–21 NIV

18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

In Paul’s second letter to Corinth it becomes evident that Paul did go and it was a very painful experience for everyone. However, there were those who did repent and made right their relationships with Paul and others, but there were still some that refused to bend. It is heartbreaking to see those who are so sure they are superior to others and refuse to humble themselves. Many a church has fallen to destruction due to a handful of strong willed and proud people. When leadership confronts such people, it is important for the congregation to stand with their leaders and support them. Too often I have heard the opposite. The majority step quietly back and allow things to play out. This only brings greater harm to the whole church.

A pastor once shared with me a time when his church was faced with a situation like this. He had been struggling with a handful of men that were determined to complain and undermine everything he tried to do. One night at a particularly difficult board meeting he was about to resign, when a man on the board stood up and said, “I think it is time we decide if we will stand behind our pastor or not. I for one, choose to support the pastor.” He stood up and went and stood behind the pastor. The room was silent and one by one, different men stood up and joined him. Finally all that remained were the proud men that were bucking the program. They stood up and left. The whole dynamic instantly changed. The church began to heal and grow spiritually.

Sometimes we are not fully aware of what we are saying until it is framed in a different manner. And that is what Paul does.

3. Paul puts things in perspective. 1 Corinthians 4:12, 13

Paul told them that he was going to send Timothy to them. Timothy would bring them back to their foundational teaching. I am sure this included the fact that as Christians we are to carry our cross.

Luke 14:27 NIV

27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

A disciple of Christ doesn’t plant their cross, paint and decorate it, and point to it exulting it over others. No, they pick up their cross and they carry it. Sanders says, “It signifies a willingness to share the scorn, the hatred, the ostracism of the world for His [Christ’s] sake. A worldly disciple would be a contradiction in terms.”

Paul knew what it meant to be a disciple. He spells it out for the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 4:12–13 NIV

12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Understanding the expectations was so important to Jesus that in Luke 14, he doubled back on this key passage about our crosses.

Luke 14:33 NIV

33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Conclusion:

The Corinthians had quickly accepted the message of salvation, however, they were dragging their feet when it come to the discipleship part. All their bickering just proved how immature they were and how far they had to go to be disciples of Christ.

In our world today, I fear there are too many who are living in the footsteps of the Corinthians. Part of the responsibility for this lies with us pastors. Too many are unwilling to speak the hard lessons. They do not want to confront when something is wrong. They put too much emphasis on themselves and not enough on God.

However, when the day finally comes that you stand accountable, God will not give you a pass because you had a poor teacher. He will look at what you did for yourself. Did you go to church to learn and apply, or to visit and show off how righteous you were by attending? Did you faithfully read the Bible for yourself? Did you pray and seek God’s direction in your life? Were you faithful to use the gifts God gave you to support the ministry of the church? These are the things God will be looking at when you come before Him.

Jesus encouraged us all to partake of the meal of His sacrifice. This morning we will do just that. Before we do, allow me to share another cool example of how God continues to point to His Son. Remember Barabbas? He was the man freed from crucifixion instead of Jesus upon the cry of the people. Did you know that the name Barabbas literally means, “Son of the Father?” Bar (Son) Abba (Father). Jesus endured all the shame and pain so that you may have eternal life with the Father and Himself. As we heard last week, they wish to share their glory with us. Isn’t that worth taking up your cross for?

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NIV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Prayer

Worship Set

Benediction