06PM March 28 1 Corinthians 3 16_23 Ridgeview Revival_3
March 28, 2006—Ridgeview Revival
The “Kingdom Workers” Series – Part 3
What Does a Kingdom Worker Avoid?
Warnings for Kingdom Workers
1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Intro: It happened in the summer of 1971, on one of those clear, calm, warm evenings when you want to go for a ride in the car w/the windows down. Michael & Connie had just graduated high school & were celebrating at the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach w/friends. They had driven up to visit Connie’s aunt who lived in Tabor City, NC, not far from where they were staying.
As they made their way back down S.C. Hwy. #9 toward the coast, the speed limit was 55 mph. Michael was driving a 1968 Chevy Camero. It was a beautiful car, yellow w/2 wide black stripes down the center of the hood, the roof & the trunk lid.
They were talking about getting married as they made their way down that stretch of dark, winding, 2 lane blacktop. It was the perfect end of a perfect day for them & the beginning of the rest of their lives together. & just as they started to crest a small hill in the road, BAM!
A 1963 Chevy - coming from the opposite direction - w/the lights off – on the wrong side of the road – hit them head on. The driver & the other 6 occupants in that car were all drunk. Of the 9 people in that accident, only 1 survived. 7 people died instantly that night, & Michael died 3 hours later, all b/c 1 person failed to heed the warning we hear so often – Don’t Drink & Drive.
We see them everyday. They literally are everywhere we look. You find them on road sides, on packaged foods, in product manuals. They are everywhere & they are there for your protection & benefit.
I’m talking about warning signs & labels. Warnings that tell us we should avoid this or that. But warnings are not just for the physical world in which we live. There are also spiritual warnings that you find in the Bible. They are there for your protection & benefit. & through them, God tells us what to avoid spiritually.
So tonight, picking up where we left off last night, we want to see the warnings for kingdom workers found in 1 Corinthians 3:16-23.
Let’s read all about it from our text in…
1 Corinthians 3 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God & 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 w/God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; 20 & 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 & you are Christ's, & Christ is God's.
- The 1st warning our text gives believers is to…
1. Avoid Damaging Behaviors! (vv. 16-17)
- I’m sure if Michael had known the other car was there, he would have tried to avoid it.
- & so the old saying is true, you have to watch out for the other guy.
- & unfortunately, that’s also true in our churches & that is…
A. The Tragedy of our times. (vv. 16-17a) 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God & that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17a If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.
- All true believers are indwelt w/the Holy Spirit of God! He is your guarantee of salvation!
- That promise is true of individual believers who are indwelt w/God’s Spirit.
- It’s true that each individual believer is the temple of God b/c God’s Spirit dwells in you!
- But that promise is also true of the local body of Christ. It’s true of the local church.
- We are indwelt w/the Spirit of God!
- We are His temple!
- But unfortunately, in our culture today, everyone who is a member of the local church is not a true believer in Jesus Christ!
- Unfortunately, there are tares among the wheat!
- Unfortunately, there are, as Jude says in v. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness & deny the only Lord God & our Lord Jesus Christ.
- There are those who have crept in unnoticed to the rest of the church. Men who are heretics; who teach false doctrines; who use God’s grace as a license to sin; who even deny God & His Son Jesus Christ!
- & today, in our culture, it’s not just men but women who do these things in the church!
- Now v. 17 says that, “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.”
- The word translated “defiles” means “to corrupt” & in the original language it’s in the present tense which means that the corruption is continuous & repeated.
- This is not something that happens by mistake or that was unintentional; it’s continuous!
- Ladies & gentlemen, God will not stand by & watch someone defile His temple!
- He will not be silent or slow to respond when it comes to someone defiling either His church or His child!
- & so, the Bible says in v. 17 that, “God will destroy him.”
- We know that this person would have to be a non-believer b/c God will never destroy anyone to whom He has granted eternal life.
- Therefore, God’s destruction of this person is just & deserved.
- & therefore, we are to be vigilant to guard the church against those types of people.
- We are to be diligent to test those who come into our midst & not to allow them to teach or hold positions of influence until we know them to be true believers as demonstrated by their actions.
- Unfortunately, in many churches, there aren’t enough qualified leaders.
- Many churches just fall for anything anybody tells them.
- & so, it comes down to anybody can be a teacher; anybody can be a preacher; anybody can give a seminar; anybody can hold sway & influence over God’s people!
- Anyone who has a charismatic personality; who looks sharp; who speaks w/eloquence; who tickles the ears; anyone like that can fill a sanctuary; an auditorium; a coliseum or a stadium!
- & w/that much influence they spread deceptive doctrines of demons & they are believed as much if not more than the true doctrines of Scripture!
- & that is the great tragedy of our times – that the church would buy into heresies & falsehoods so easily!
- But having said that, God is still in control of His church & that’s…
B. The Truth for all time. (v. 17b) 17b …For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
- The true church of God is holy!
- You are holy! Believers are set apart for God’s use & His glory!
- The OT describes the beauty of the physical temple of God. It describes all the surfaces covered w/gold; all the delicate, ornate carvings on the columns; all the objects that we silver plated & many objects in the temple were made from pure gold & pure silver.
- The OT talks about how people would come to see the glory of the temple & marvel at its beauty.
- But remember, that temple was destroyed. As beautiful as it was; as ornately decorated as it was; as holy as it seemed to be; it was just a building.
- But you on the other hand, are the holy, pure, ornate, indestructible temple of God!
- Why do I say you are indestructible? B/c even if your body dies & it will; & even if your body decays in the ground & it will; you are still the indestructible holy temple of God b/c you are not your body & your body is not you!
- The real you, the invisible you, the eternal you can never, ever be destroyed!
- God has given you eternal life & Jesus said, “& I give them eternal life, & they shall never perish….”
- Once you come to faith in Jesus, you are eternally alive! You can never die!
- & that is true of the church of Jesus Christ! We are alive eternally! We can never die!
- We can never be destroyed!
- We may stray from the path of God; we may stumble in the way; we may seek our own paths; but He will always bring conviction & we can always find forgiveness at the Cross of Jesus Christ!
- We can always come to God our Father in full confession of sin & be totally forgiven!
- We are the holy temple of the holy God!
- We are the dwelling place of God!
- & that means that everywhere we go & everything we do – He not only sees & knows, but He is there w/us!
- As Paul addressed the men of Athens on Mars Hill in Acts 17 24 God, who made the world & everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven & earth, does not dwell in temples made w/hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped w/men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, & all things.
- God is not worshiped w/men’s hands, nor is His dwelling place built by men’s hands.
- God is worshiped from the hearts of men & dwells in the hearts of men by His Spirit.
- Therefore, we have the ability from God to discern deception & to avoid behaviors of men that would damage or defile the church of the living God!
- So the holy temple of God, the church, is not to be associated w/the damaging behaviors of false teachers that come – claiming to have “a word from God.”
- But notice also that the church is to look inside its self &…
2. Avoid Deceptive Attitudes! (vv. 18-20)
- You may ask “What deceptive attitudes? Attitudes…
A. Like Selfish arrogance. (v. 18) 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.
- A wise old man told me once that, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know!”
- That statement is true. The more knowledge you attain, the more you understand that you could not possibly know all there is to know!
[When I was in the Ukraine on a mission trip in 1998, we were witnessing on the streets in a city called Dnipropetrovs’k. We were told that the gospel had not been preached in that city for 70 years.
We were talking w/people through interpreters, & as I asked one lady if I could share w/her about Jesus, she laughed in my face & said that she was, “too smart to believe in things like that.” She was a computer programmer w/a high degree from the university. So I asked her, “Out of all the knowledge there is in the world, how much would you say you possess?” & she didn’t want to answer.
So I said, “Well, do you think you possess 90%?” NO! “How about 50%?” NO! “Well then, let’s be generous & say that, out of all the knowledge there is in the world, you possess 25%! Don’t you think it’s possible for God to exist in the other 75% of knowledge that you don’t know anything about?” & I was able to share the gospel w/her.]
- Many worldly people think they are wise.
- But it’s also true that many people in the family of God, think more highly of themselves & their wisdom than they should.
- I believe one reason for that is they are wise in the wisdom of this world & cannot see that the wisdom of God is superior.
- They believe that since they are more highly educated or hold high level degrees or have a prestigious position in some company, that their opinions & ideas are more important than someone else’s.
- But the Bible says in v. 18 that if you think that you are wise b/c you have the wisdom of this world, you are deceiving yourself.
- In fact, what v. 18 literally says is, you would be better off to become a moron to the things of this world so that you might be able to gain the real wisdom of God!
- You can never become wise in the things of God while depending & trusting in the wisdom of this age.
- You must surrender your mind to the word & will & ways of God in order to gain His wisdom.
- If you strut around b/c you think you are smarter, more intelligent, better suited, better able to do anything than someone else – you are arrogant & selfish; wanting to be recognized for how smart you are.
- & according to the word of God, that is foolishness. It’s the foolishness of this world!
- & you have deceived yourself.
Matthew 11 28 Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy & My burden is light."
- Jesus said “learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart.”
- IOW He says, “If you are following Me, you will not think of yourself as “Something” but you will consider yourself of no reputation that God may be glorified in you!”
- Don’t ever let it be said that you are arrogant; that you are selfish; that you are insensitive; that you look down your nose at others!
- If you are a child of God you are blessed beyond measure but not at the expense of others! You are what you are by God’s grace alone!
- We are to avoid deceptive attitudes like selfish arrogance &…
B. Like Foolish ignorance. (vv. 19-20) 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness w/God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; 20 & again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
- Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul quotes Job 5:13 & Psalm 94:11.
- Both these vv. tell us that the wisdom of the world, the wisdom of this age, the wisdom of the physical, natural man is empty, vain & useless in the eyes of God!
- Why would anyone wish to be placed in that category?
- Why would anyone want to be associated w/people like that?
- The Bible tells us to avoid those kinds of attitudes & to have our minds firmly fixed on Jesus!
- Not only are we to avoid people w/damaging behaviors & to avoid those behaviors ourselves, but we are to avoid attitudes that would deceive us into thinking we are more than we are.
- We are to remain humble & to…
3. Avoid Misplaced Devotions! (vv. 21-23)
- As believers; as kingdom workers; we are to be highly devoted people.
- But Paul warns us by saying…
A. Don’t place your devotion in the Natural things of man. (vv. 21-22) 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.
- We are never to place our devotion in men simply b/c we like their personal style or the way they look or their personal style in the way they speak.
- Some in Corinth had begun to promote Paul or Apollos or Peter above the other leaders in the church.
- It’s not wrong to personally prefer one speaker over another. But it is wrong to think that you can only learn from that one leader.
- You can learn from anyone who is truly teaching the word & that’s Paul’s point here.
- Don’t boast in men; don’t devote yourself to men. Why?
- B/c God gave them all to you as leaders so that you could follow them as they follow Christ.
1 Corinthians 11 1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
- Leaders who are worthy of respect are those who not only faithfully preach the word, but who just as faithfully live out the word.
- So Paul says that “all things are yours”; IOW all things which you have come from God & are given for your benefit – including those who lead you toward godliness.
- & Paul says that even this world is yours.
- We used to sing the hymn “This Is My Father’s World.”
- & this world belongs to God & Christ & if it belongs to Him, it also belongs to us b/c we are joint heirs w/Christ.
- The devil still has his grip on this world, but that does not mean that it does not belong to God. He is still firmly in control! He is still the Sovereign, Reigning God!
- & even though men may write songs or poems about God’s creation, only believers can truly appreciate the beauty of what God has made.
- We it w/sanctified eyes & hear it w/sanctified ears & rejoice in all that God had made.
- Even life is yours b/c God has granted you eternal life.
- This life is not the primary meaning here, although we are given physical life; Paul is referring here to eternal life which is the gift of God & can never be taken away.
- Eternal life will never fade; never spoil; never diminish; & can never be lost!
- But Paul also says the even death is yours.
- Yes, death is yours b/c for the believer, death only ushers you into the eternal state!
- Death is nothing to be feared but something to be embraced.
- I realize we are not eager to leave our loved ones; not eager to endure that separation; but as Paul said, “to live is Christ & to die is gain.”
- For the believer, to live in this life is to further the cause of Christ w/our lives; & to die is to gain the eternal reward of the presence of Christ.
- There will be no tears in heaven; no tears of separation; no tears of sorrow.
- But even if we are separated from our loved ones for a short time; there will be a time of rejoicing as they are ushered into the eternal state by death as well.
- The believer doesn’t pass through death as its slave but as its master b/c Jesus conquered death when He rose from the grave!
- Paul says that, “things present & things to come” are yours.
- The things present are all the experiences you have in this life.
- The things to come are the joys of eternity w/Jesus!
- & so all things are yours by the grace of God for your good & His glory!
Romans 8 28 & we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
- Therefore, we avoid misplaced devotions in the natural things of man.
- But Paul also says to…
B. Place your devotion in the Supernatural things of God. (v. 23) 23 & you are Christ's, & Christ is God's.
- All believers are united in Christ.
- We are all part of the body of Christ. & we are all one in Him!
- IOW you, each one of you, belong to Jesus!
- You are not your own but you’ve been bought w/a price & that price was the precious blood of Christ!
- You have been redeemed from sin; redeemed from self; redeemed from slavery; & made to walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ!
- Therefore you are one w/Him; you belong to Him!
[As the old hymn says: Once I was lost in sin’s degradation, Jesus came down to bring me salvation, lifted me up from sorrow & shame, now I belong to Him! Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone. But for eternity!]
- So you are united w/Christ & w/everyone who is united w/Christ.
- We are all one in Jesus & Jesus is one w/the Father.
- He will never be separated from Him; can not be separated from Him b/c He is God!
- & therefore that makes us one w/God! We belong to God!
- & since we belong to Him our devotion should lie only in Him!
- We should be hopelessly devoted to our Lord Jesus Christ!
Conclusion: The words of the Apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit have told us what kingdom workers are to avoid. We are to heed the warning signs of the Bible that tell us to beware of damaging behaviors. Not only in others who would lead us astray, but also to make sure those behaviors are not a part of our lives.
Kingdom workers are to avoid deceptive attitudes. Attitudes that would make us think more highly of ourselves than we should. Attitudes that would elevate us above our brothers & sisters in Christ.
& kingdom workers are to avoid placing their devotion in men & constantly strive to be imitators of Christ as we place our devotion in Him alone!
Carol Frazer is an Elvis Presley fan. She has 40,000 pictures of him. She moved from New Orleans to Memphis to be near his home. She has a life sized cardboard replica of Elvis next to her bed. She has seen all his movies; in fact, she has seen Love Me Tender 107 times; Loving You 110 times; King Creole 91 times; & Jailhouse Rock 79 times. Carol Frazer is an Elvis Presley fan!
But despite what you may have heard to the contrary, Elvis Presley is dead! He was just a man. But Jesus Christ is alive! He will never die! He is God! & He came to give His life a ransom for all who would believe!
(READ QUOTE BY JONATHAN EDWARDS)
Invitation: Is that the desire of your heart tonight? Do you long to be wholly devoted to Jesus Christ? Are you willing to lay aside everything else that may keep you from Him?
I urge you; I encourage you; I plead w/you to come to Jesus tonight! Receive Him as your Lord & Savior! Walk w/Him daily through prayer & Bible study! Serve Him consistently w/the life He has given you!
Will you come to Him tonight? Will you dedicate yourself to Him tonight? My prayer is that everyone of us commit ourselves to Jesus as living sacrifices for our good & His glory! Would you come?
Hymn