1 CORINTHIANS 3 //
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LAST WEEK
LAST WEEK
We looked Chapter 2
We saw Paul stick to the simplicity of the Cross
‘/
Given Corinth the theology they needed, not the philosophy they craved.
We heard him expound on the importance of the Spirit in understanding the things of the Lord.
THIS WEEK
Paul is going to get very real with the Corinthians
He is going to call out some stuff that was hindering their walk with the Lord
Behaviors that were putting the focus on humans instead of the God who had saved them
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THIS:
What is our role in the Kingdom?
TURN TO
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
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.
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.
1 cor 3
PRAY
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
1 Corinthians 3:
AS PAUL BEGAN TO MINISTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, HE HAD TO KEEP ONE THING IN MIND
THIS COMMUNITY WAS FRAGILE
THEY WERE BABIES IN CHRIST
HE COULDN’T SPEAK TO THEM AS IF THEY WERE SPIRITUALLY MATURE, BUT AS IF THEY WERE STILL CARNAL.
We must remember that Paul had written to them prior to this first letter.
Here he references his language in that prequel
He says
I fed you with milk and not solid food when it came to the scriptures.
Though you should have matured, nothing has changed
You have yet to grow and mature in Christ
You have yet to grow and mature in Christ
You have yet to take the Word of God and Your calling seriously
“You are still Carnal”
What does he mean by that?
To be carnal speaks to the unchanged state of humanity
The unregenerated soul
A state that speaks to the sinful state of humanity
A state that exposes areas in ones life that are yet to be transformed by the Gospel
To be carnal is to be inconsiderate of the things of the
To be carnal is to be inconsiderate of the things of the Spirit or the prompting of the Holy Spirit
How? What evidence did Paul have to make such a statement?
LET’S CALL A TIME OUT
Do you have any areas that show your carnality?
Are there certain decisions that you have made this week that speak to carnal behaviors?
Paul goes on to say:
There is Envy
There is strife
There are divisions among you
These behaviors speak to an unchanged lifestyle
They speak to your immaturity in Christ
The Corinthians were priding themselves in who they followed apart from Jesus
They would say things like:
“I am of Paul”
“I am of Apollos”
Though these guys were legit, there wasn’t a valid reason to boast in any man other than Jesus.
Friends when we pride ourselves in a brand, a church name, or a pastor
Our pride, though it may have good motives
Causes division in the church
There is a reason why I purposely choose not to put up flags of demarkation on our website.
We are a non denominational church who loves Jesus
Whose sole aim is to know him and make him known
When it comes to out church, if you were to ever boast in anything
Boast in how Good Jesus has been to us
Boast in the God-given favor that we have at this school
Boast in how God has worked in this place
Boast in Jesus and Jesus alone.
For in this, our maturity will naturally make itself known
Most importantly, in focusing more on Jesus, we will be less carnal.
WHAT WAS PAUL’S REASONING IN EXPOSING THIS?
PAUL IS REVEALING TO US THE HEART OF THE FATHER FOR THE CHURCH
CHECK OUT WHAT HE SAYS:
1 COR 3:5-
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
WHO AM I?
WHO IS APOLLOS?
WHO IS HECTOR MORA?
WE ARE JUST MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL
MESSENGERS WHO SHARED WITH YOU WHO JESUS IS, AND YOU BELIEVED.
PAUL HAD BEEN THE FIRST TO SHARE THE GOSPEL IN CORINTH, BUT HE WASN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT
APOLLOS HAD BEEN THE ONE WHO WATERED THE SEEDS PAUL HAD PLANTED, BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE HIM MORE IMPORTANT
WHAT PAUL WANTS US TO KNOW IS ONE THING:
The Harvest is up to the Lord
The One who brings the increase is the Lord
The One in charge of the results is the Lord
But the Labor is for all of us
Whether we are planting or watering
We are in this together
Paul says: “he who plants, and he who waters are one”
Church it is sad and carnal when those who water and those who plant are divided.
If we would just realize how important each role is
It is sad when pastors treat their church like their own sub-kingdom
If we would just realize how much we need each other
We would focus more on working together instead of against each other.
LET’S LOOK AT THE PICTURE PAUL PAINTS FOR US
:9-
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
TOGETHER,
WE ARE GOD’S FELLOW WORKERS
WE ARE GOD’S FIELD
WE ARE HIS TEMPLE
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT IRON SHARPENS IRON
As we minister to one another, know that we are working with one another to cultivate growth
THE BIBLE ENCOURAGES GROWTH IN UNITY
NOT ONLY ARE WE GOD’S FIELD, WE ARE THE TENDERS OF THE FIELD
WHAT GOD WANT’S TO DO COLLECTIVELY IN THE FIELD
BEGINS WITH WHAT HE DOES INDIVIDUALLY WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN
One thing we must know is this:
God is not divided
The Godhead is in Unity
They are all working together to bring humanity into fellowship with the Godhead
God so love the World
Christ so saved the World
The Spirit so desires the world to know the Love of the Father and the Salvation His Son brings
So all three work together in bringing Redemption to this world
CHURCH, IF THE FOUNDATION IS JESUS CHRIST
IF THIS IS AT OUR CORE
IF OUR AIM IS TO KNOW HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN
WE HAVE THE GREATEST THING IN COMMON
However, if the foundation is something other than Jesus
Then we cannot stand together in the building up of God’s Kingdom
We will be unequally yoked
Bound together with cords that can’t withstand the pressures of compromised mantras.
One degree of difference in this thing called life will eventually tear apart what seems like a tolerable compromise.
FRIENDS, THERE IS NO GREATER FOUNDATION THAN WE CAN LAY FOR OUR LIVES, OUR MARRIAGES, OUR CHILDREN, OUR CAREERS , OUR LIVELIHOOD, THAN JESUS CHRIST.
NOTHING CAN WITHSTAND THE TROUBLES OF LIFE
NOTHING CAN SURVIVE THE TREMORS OF PAIN AND SUFFERING
NOTHING CAN STAND AGAINST THE FIERY DARTS OF SATAN
LIKE THE ONE WHO IS GROUNDED BY THE FOUNDATIONAL SUBSTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
:11-
THE FOUNDATIONAL SUBSTANCE OF CHRIST IS UNDEFEATED
THERE IS NO GREATER FOUNDATION THAN ONE CAN LAY FOR THEIR LIVES
FROM THIS FOUNDATION WE CAN BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THE REASON FOR WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CREATED
FROM THIS REFERENCE POINT, GOOD THINGS WILL FLOW
BUT THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION IS NOT THE END OF IT
WHAT WILL YOU USE TO BUILD MATTERS
WHAT YOU BUILD MATTERS
FRIENDS, SO MUCH OF OUR TIME IS WASTED BUILDING THINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS THAT BEAR NO FRUIT.
SOMETIMES WE BUILD WITH WOOD, HAY, AND STRAW, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON BUILDING WITH THINGS THAT WITHSTAND THE TEST OF TIME.
For me, I’ve realized a couple things
When it comes to my family
When it comes to this church
When it comes to my students
It is the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh that bring the most fruit
The more I give them Jesus
His Royalty
His Anointing
His Death & Resurrection
The Better they will be.
When it comes to those three things
Family, Church, and my Students
I can’t waste my time in building with wood, hay, and straw
I get one chance at being a husband to Carol
I get one chance at being a father to Abby, Penny, and Lucy
I get one shot at being a Junior Bible Teacher to 81 students
I must build with quality materials
I dont know about you, but I want my investment to last
I want to build with eternity in mind
So why build with inferior materials?
Why give them flowers that wither away
When I can pour into them gold refined in the fire?
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.
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.
FRIENDS, SOMETIMES WE FORGET WHO WE ARE WORKING FOR.
SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS WORKING WITHIN US
THAT HE DWELLS IN US
IF WE DEFILE THE TEMPLE, WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO ERADICATE THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
WE ARE ASKING FOR DESTRUCTION
WE ARE INVITING THE DECEIVER TO DO A WORK AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SPIRIT.
DO NOT BE DECEIVED
DO NOT THINK YOU ARE WISE, JUST BECAUSE THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD CALLS YOU WISE
ONE THING WE MUST REALIZE IS THAT THE LORD WILL CATCH US IN OUR PSEUDO WISDOM
HE WILL CATCH US IN OUR CRAFTINESS
HE WILL REVEAL TO US THE FUTILITY OF WHAT WE CALL WISDOM
THEREFORE, STOP BOASTING IN MEN
THEY HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO YOUR SPIRITUAL WEALTH AND IDENTITY
FOR CHRIST HAS ALREADY MADE YOU THE MOST SPIRITUALLY RICH PERSON ON THE PLANET.
FRIENDS, WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED IN CHRIST JESUS
SO WHY FOCUS ON THE OPINIONS OF MEN?
WE CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT HAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF US
WE ARE CONSUMED BY APPROVAL AND VALIDATION, BUT NOT FROM JESUS, BUT FROM MEN
THIS IS WHAT MAKES US CARNAL
THIS IS WHAT DIVIDES US
IT NEEDS TO STOP.