Untitled Sermon (2)

1 Corinthians 3 KJV 1900

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21 Therefore let no man glory 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 ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

1 Corinthians 3:1-4:21 (Paul addresses their spirit of sectarianism)

First - Paul deals with the fact of their carnality:

Paul undermines the childish level of their beliefs.

“Babes” (v1)

Romans 7:5-6 (spiritual man)

Knows the truth of being married to another.

Producing fruit unto God.

Free from the law in order to live for the Lord.

Indwelled and filled with the Holy Spirit

The Spirit who dwells in him makes Jesus real to him (like the servant made Isaac real to Rebekah)

Romans 7:13 (natural man)

A person in his unregenerate state doing his best to keep the commandments of God and miserably failing.

The law proves to be far an instrument of salvation, but rather a means of condemnation.

Romans 7:23 (carnal man)

A saved man who tries to live the Christians life on the same principle that the unsaved man tries to merit eternal life.

Tries to live the Christian life in the energy of the flesh and fails.

The Holy Spirit indwelling him will not let him enjoy worldliness and sensuality; the old nature within him will not let him enjoy his new life in Christ. (John Phillips)

Paul holds them accountable for their carnality.

He could not speak to them on a higher spiritual plane.

Babies are pleasant while their babies. However, they are not pleasant if they remain a babe into adulthood.

Self-centered, dependent on everyone else, short attention spans, chase after glittering things, no sense of values, their wants are predominate, ruled by their appetites, never at one thing very long, unable to feed themselves, in their own little world, center of attention, no thought of the needs of others, demanding, get themselves in the biggest messes and don’t know it.

Many Christians mature and grow out of those things.

These particular believers were still camping out in infancy.

(v3) Their behavior is very childish.

The word for carnal means “men of the flesh” (sensual, under the control of the animal appetites, governed by their human nature)

“envying” = jealousy

Examples: Cain, Joseph’s brothers

Psalm 73:1-3, 17, 21-28

W. E. Vine says that the distinction between envy and jealousy lies in this—that envy wants to deprive another of what he has, jealousy desires the same sort of thing for itself. (John Phillips)

This attitude was connected to the “sign” gifts (chapter 13)

Ephesians 4:17

Strife: (6:6)

Divisions: Luke 11:17, 1 Cor. 1:10

“walk as men”

old life

Rom. 6:6, Eph. 4:22-24, 2 Peter 1:5-9

Believers who walk in the flesh are simply LAZY!

(v4) There was strife in the work at Corinth.

Turn to: John 17:21-23

Secondly - The Folly of their Carnality

They began to make spiritual distinctions between Paul and Apollos’ ministry.

Now, there were distinctions between Paul and Apollos’ background.

Paul came from a Pharisaical background / pupil of Gamaliel.

Apollos came from Alexandria / influenced probably by Philo (developed a more allegorical interpretation of the Scriptures)

(vv6-7) Paul plainly removes the childish distinctions and instructs them that they are both simply servants of God.

We are unsure of what Paul thought about Alexandrian Christianity or Apollo’s probable tendency to over-allegorize the Old Testament Scriptures.

One thing we don’t see is Paul cutting him down! The simply work together to reach the lost for Christ!!! (Mark 9:38-40)

So Paul saw Apollos as a partner, not as a rival. On all the really important issues they were one. There was plenty of work for everyone. Not all are gifted to plow and plant. Not all have the patience and concern to water. In any case, neither one could accomplish anything without God, who alone can give the harvest. (John Phillips)

Paul brings them to personal application:

The task of Paul and Apollos was the simplest part of the process of the harvest.

Sowing: The farmer made a makeshift bag out of the folds of his garment, filled it with seed, and walked up and down his field throwing the seed far and wide upon the ground. (John Phillips)

Watering: The water ran down channels. As the farmer wanted to direct it here or there he dammed one channel by moving some earth with his foot and opened another the same way. (John Phillips)

Paul mentions the hard, mysterious and impossible part; Life and Growth!

This miracle of growth that takes place has no explanation apart from God!

Just think of nature:

Roots shoot down in the soil, tiny shoots rise above ground, shoots become stems, stems develop flowers that produce fragrance that attracts bees who take the pollen to other areas for further growth.

Some call it nature, the Bible calls it God; God at work.

Only God knows how to turn a seed into fruit.

Paul did what he could and Apollos did what he could and God then did only what God can do.

Does anyone every know how the inner germination of the soul works? No!

John 3:8 Jesus asked Nicodemus this question. He did not know.

Paul recognized that the whole mysterious process of conviction, conversion, and consecration, with all its ramifications of election, justification, sanctification, atonement, redemption, reconciliation, regeneration, and glorification, was one vast mystery which had no explanation apart from God. All is of God. God gives the increase. “How does blood cleanse sin?” an unbeliever demanded of a Christian. “How does water quench thirst?” responded the Christian. “I don’t know,” said the unbeliever, “but I know that it does.” Just so! We don’t know how blood cleanses sin but we know that it does because God says that it does (1 John 1:7). We don’t know how the planting and watering of the gospel seed results in people being born again but we know that it does. All the glory belongs to God who gives the increase. (John Phillips)

(v8) Paul speaks about rewards:

Turn to: Matthew 9:37-38

Quote: There are few enough willing to labor; we cannot afford to spend time fighting among ourselves, raiding other men’s fields, pushing for recognition and position. We are to be one when it comes to evangelizing a lost world. (John Phillips)

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Matthew 5:10-12

Let us not spend time criticizing another person’s field.

Spend time cultivating our own!

The Fruits Of Their Carnality (vv9-17)

The promised judgment of their labors by the Savior (3:9-15)

None can deny that future judgement is coming to all especially to the house of God

There are several judgments spoken about in scripture:

Judgment of sin - John 16:8

Judgment of society - God intervenes in the affairs of men at times and brings judgment.

Judgment of sinners - Rev. 20:11-21:1

Judgement of saints:

As sons - Hebrews 12:5-11

As servants - Romans 14:10, 2 Cor. 3:9-15

In our text, Paul is speaking of the “judgment seat of Christ.”

Before Paul speaks of the promised judgment of their labors, he provides two pictures to bridge the gap:

First - a man working in the harvest.

God supplies the means but He uses US - 2 Cor. 5:18-20

I am sure angels would have done a better job, but God chose to reach lost people by means of saved people.

“God’s husbandry” - farmed field n. — a field that is actively being cultivated; with emphasis on the involvement of the farmer.

Second - a man working on a house.

Essentially, we are God’s building project.

1 Cor. 6:19-20

Ephesians 2:22

Paul speaks of two potentials:

First - the work is trusted to us! (vv10-12)

The foundation IS EVERYTHING!

1 Cor. 3:11

Matthew 16:18

Paul laid the right foundation through God’s Spirit; Jesus Christ!

“wise masterbuilder”

Master builder: designer and principal builder.

Wise: skillful

Ephesians 2:20

Paul now speaks about the finished work (building on the foundation)

You can clearly see the two different choices of building materials.

It is our responsibility to set forth the glories of Christ. The Holy Spirit is here supremely to speak of Him (John 16:13). We are to speak to men of His Person, who He really is, the uncreated, self-existing, second Person of the Godhead, who stepped out of eternity into time so that He might become man and show us in His Person what God is really like. (John Phillips)

Gold, silver, precious stones: His position and His passion.

Wood, hay and stubble: things added to the church / imported things / carnal religious energy / wisdom of men

Second - the work tested by Him (vv13-15)

The truth is that, while God gives us unmerited salvation, He never gives us unmerited rewards.

Rewards have to be earned.

Judgment seat, not a mercy seat.

The judgment seat of Christ, our lives will pass in review and it will be too late to put things right. As a result, there will be rebukes as well as rewards.

The reference is doubtless to God’s burning holiness. Paul reminds us here of the seriousness of this judgment seat. It is no light matter for us to have to stand before it. - Hebrews 12:29

This judgement is regarding our performance, not position.

Quote: For performance in the family determines position in the kingdom. Our rank and responsibilities in the millennial kingdom hinge upon what we have done with our lives since we accepted Christ. (John Phillips)