The Matter of Maturity

TITLE: The Position of the Man of God

TEXT: (NKJV)

13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.”

INTRODUCTION: Paul’s Final Words - Summing It All Up These two verses may not seem to say much at first glance, but they actually serve to sum up all of the application that Paul has been saying in this epistle.

1 Corinthians is a book that is all about the Gospel:

IT is the Gospel for real life

· The Gospel for real people, living in relatable circumstances, with relational challenges.

· Paul basically breaks his book into two sections where he answers their questions and addresses their problems.

· In almost a formulaic way, Paul answers every question and addresses every problem by saying: “Know the Gospel, know your position in the Gospel, then live your position!”

· Know the truth of what God has done, Know the impact of that truth on your identity, live your real life in light of your true identity.

In the Middle of this short text, Paul issues a direct challenge that will be explained with 4 modifying statements!

At the center we find these words in the NKJV – “Be Brave.”

– the Greek word is “andridzesthe,” which translated literally is “act like men,” or more directly – “Be Men.”

- The Corinthians were challenged to “act like men.” Now this is a most interesting and enlightening statement. What does Paul mean by this?

What does it mean to “Be a man?” What is the “Position” of a man?

The Greek word occurs only one time in the New Testament — this imperative verb which is taken from a noun which means “man” — it literally is now turning the noun into a verb — “become a man; you be a man.”

Now of course that doesn't mean the sort of macho image that we find from popular culture about being a man. This text is not talking about men being a man by going out and partying, or trying to impress someone else by climbing the career ladder, or getting fat and lazy as you glue yourself to a sixty inch wide screen.

Men in our culture are denigrated in so many ways: Dad is pictured as a harmless bumbling idiot who must be guided by his savvy children or his feminist wife.

That's not the man we need there. That's the caricature of a man. In fact, that is a boy.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

to be courageous ⇔ to be manly v. — to be courageous, conceived of as possessing qualities befitting a man.

This is a radical call to maturity!

What is maturity?

EXPL.: The Discipline Continuum – From Obey to Honor

The church today needs this challenge just like the Church at Corinth did!!

I. Be Sober

Greek – “gregoreite” from “gregorew - to be alert ⇔ be awake v. — to beware, conceived of as staying awake.

One could hardly say the Corinthians were “on the alert.”

- Some were denying the resurrection of the dead.

- They were surely not living as though the Lord’s return was at hand and as though He would judge men according to their deeds.

- They did not even recognize God’s judgment among them at that time (see ).

- They were tolerant to one living in shocking sin (chapter 5),

- taking one another to court (chapter 6), and

- participating in heathen idol-worship rituals (chapters 8-10).

There are two sides to this coin – there is a positive and a negative.

There is something on the positive side that we need to be awake toward, and there is something on the negative side that we need to be awake against!

A. The positive

- Understand your values!!

(NKJV) Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

You will not live the things you believe by accident. No one becomes more spiritual by osmosis!

To grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ takes a disciplined, intentional pursuit.

(NKJV) But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

(NKJV) And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Can you see the personalization of truth here? “I myself!”

· What do you believe?

· Why do you believe what you believe?

· Do you believe that what you believe is really real?

This is a call to truly come to grips with what you believe in such a way that you actually live it! This is no longer believing something just because your parents believed. It is not a matter of believing something just because the church that you have always attended believes it! This is becoming mentally engaged to the point that you take an “apologetic” approach to life – “Prepared to give every man an answer for the hope that lies within you!”

APPL.: I don’t want my children to have my convictions. I want my children to have their own convictions, and I want those convictions to be like mine! Do you see that there is a major difference!!

B. The negative

- Understand your vulnerability!!

(NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

APPLICATION: If you are not intentionally walking with carefulness, you are vulnerable!

It is funny what our impressions of the phrase “Be a man” are. In our over-exaggerated masculinity, we take that phrase to mean having a sense of bravado that trumps our sense of caution. In other words, real men don’t need to be careful! Real men throw caution to the wind and with a sense of abandon, stand in defiance of danger!

Friends, biblically, that is not characterized as being a man. That is characterized as being “a fool!”

(NKJV) A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.

(NKJV) There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief. 14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above. 15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.

It was time for them to wake up.

II. Be Stable

Greek – “stekete” from “stekw” - to stand (maintain) v. — to hold one’s ground; maintain a position; be steadfast or upright.

The Corinthians were challenged by Paul to “stand firm in the faith.” It is all too obvious that false teachers were among them.

EXPLANATION: The gospel message, by which they were saved, was being looked down upon as something less than the new “wisdom” that had been introduced (see ; ).

A. The Posture

This is not merely “stubbornness,” or inflexibility. The idea is not just one of “not caving in under pressure,” but also of “not allowing to be eroded.”

There is the idea of “continuing to be standing.”

1. This requires a sense of resistance

2. This requires a sense of resilience

B. The Position

Notice, they are to stand firm “in the faith.”

gospel content ⇔ faith n. — the content of what is (and should be) believed about the good news of Jesus’ way of salvation.

26 times this phrase “the faith” is used in the NT. Every time the word “faith” is used with the definite article “the,” in the NT it is referring not to the action of believing, but to the content of what is believed.

It is that Body of Truth that Jude refers to “ when he writes, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

EXPLANATION: In Corinth, The Fundamentals of the gospel (i.e., the resurrection of the dead) were being forsaken (chapter 15). Another gospel was tolerantly accepted (). These saints needed to stand firm in the faith which Paul and the other (true) apostles had delivered to them.

A. This requires diligence

(NKJV) “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

B. This requires determination

III. Be Strong

Greek – “krataiousthe” from “krataiow” - to be strong v. — to be or become strong or powerful beyond the average or expected; whether physically or in one’s constitution.

The Corinthians were encouraged to “be strong” - How ironic.

These Corinthians despised weakness. This is what they did not like about the gospel or Paul (see ; ; also ). God uses the weak things to demonstrate His strength.

By thinking and acting like those who were perceived and presented as being “strong,” the Corinthians were showing themselves to be spiritually weak.

Paul was urging them to “be strong” in the Lord, and this would mean forsaking their human, culturally-approved “strengths.” These people, who thought themselves strong and Paul weak (), were the ones who needed to be strong.

IV. Be Selfless - Loving

love (Christian) n. — a strong, non-sexual affection and regard for a person and their good as understood by God’s moral character; especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges in another person’s behalf.

Finally, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to do everything they do in love (verse 14).

Here we find one of the vital ingredients of the Christian life obviously missing in the church at Corinth.

Paul had to devote an entire chapter to its description (chapter 13). These saints were obviously lacking in love, toward God and toward men.

Love would radically change the church at Corinth.

CONCLUSION: Wow! Here is 1 Corinthians in a nutshell. We need men of courage today. In our society, our women, our children, in this very congregation, there is a crying out for men who will be protectors and defenders, indeed honorable gentlemen — who will show our youth what a man is really all about. And the honor of our women, the nurture of our children, and the continuation of anything approaching civilization are absolutely dependent upon it.