Spiritual Maturity
Living it out Together - 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted
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1 For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4 For whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not acting like mere humans? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire. 16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and that is what you are. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool so that he can become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written, He catches the wise in their craftiness; 20 and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are futile. 21 So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours—22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come—everything is yours, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Maturity Revealed
Maturity Revealed
1-4
Mature in understanding is to be basic in belief.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Mature in faith is to be obedient in actions. The Spirit gifts us understanding, and we act by keeping in step with the Spirit.
“If we live by the Spirit let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Message 5:22-25 “ But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
23–24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
25–26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.”
: faith n works
Th Spirit reveals truth, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but a response is still necessary. We reveal our maturity by our actions. The presence of the Spirit is observable in our lives. DOn’t despise wisdom, and discipline. Press in endure and seek maturity that comes from keeping in step with the Spirit.
Build the Kingdom
Build the Kingdom
v 5-17
Disciple makers are not meant to be celebrities, but role models pointing to Jesus. If you look up to them and mimic them, mimic who they are mimicking, value who it is that is working in and through them, not them in and of themselves.
We are all held accountable for our own work, our own response. Don’t worship other Christians who are doing God’s work, receive from them and focus on doing your part. Everyone of us has a role to play.
Build the Temple
2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
&9 The Temple, the City are not objects or places of which we are spectators of. We are the temple, we are the city, we are the spectacle. The church is God’s bride, who He loved, pursued, and laid down His life for.
9 Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
The Temple, the City are not objects or places of which we are spectators of. We are the temple, we are the city, we are the spectacle. The church is God’s bride, who He loved, pursued, and laid down His life for.
The Temple, the City are not objects or places of which we are spectators of. We are the temple, we are the city, we are the spectacle. The church is God’s bride, who He loved, pursued, and laid down His life for.
We are built on the foundation of the right declaration of the identity of Jesus.
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
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24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”
Matthew
Boast in Christ
Boast in Christ
18-23
23 “ ‘This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. 24 But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me— that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.
Our boast is in Knowing God
Our boast in humility is powerful. Strong in our weakness.
We are greater than John and have same access to God’s power as Elijah.
:11- we are greater than John and have same access to God’s power as Elijah.
11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone who has ears listen.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. 17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. 19 My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Be inspired, be bold, and stay humble.
17 The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. 19 Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. 20 However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:17
Pray for the Spirit with shameless boldness, act in following the Spirit with expectancy, and always humbly boast in the mercy of God.
questions:
1. Paul reveals Spiritual Maturity is revealed through our actions. Looking at your own life, does it reveal a life keeping in step with God's Spirit? Do you have merely the beginning of wisdom (fearing/knowing who God is) or are you observably following God relationally?
2. Do you value God's mission? Building the church, His bride. What are you doing now to add value to the church, what opportunities could you pursue today, this week?
3. Considering the texts on boasting in God, and our empowerment... Do you think to highly of your self, or to little of God's promises? It's not meant to be an either or, but rather think about both options.
For example: I could think to highly of myself and be sure of my salvation but not act on God's commands. Are you sure your saved if you care so little about doing what God has commanded?
Or: I could be humble and grateful for my salvation, and obey most of God's commands but not believe the same Spirit that empowered Elijah or John enables me to pray for the sick etc. I don't obey because I don't believe the word of God that commands me to do things that require great faith, and promises I am able.