The Elephant in the Church!
Our Blueprint for a New Testament Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Our text this morning is 1 Corinthians 4:6-21. Remember that last week we finished verses 1-5. In those verses, the Holy Spirit defined the position and ministry of the local church’s pastor. He is Christ’s minister. He is the steward of God’s mysteries. He is to be faithful in his duties. He is accountable directly to God.
All of which is part of the Holy Spirit’s instruction to the local church of Corinth. Instruction that is still very much viable for today’s local church and for ours. As you study the Corinthian church, you soon discover and realize that it was church full of spiritual problems. In fact, the very first chapter notes one of the big spiritual issues of this church. Look back with me at 1 Corinthians 1. Note the following verses.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
Clearly one of the main issues was division. It is the very first thing the Holy Spirit warns them about. In fact, note that He is very clear “that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Something that was not happening in this church. Quite the opposite was true. Instead of unity, there was clear division. Division to the point that they were rallying around personalities and not around the person of Christ. Some were glorying in that they were followers of Paul. Others were glorying their allegiance to Apollos and, yet, others in their allegiance to Cephas.
The Holy Spirit further addressed this in chapter 3. Note verses 4 and 5.
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
At the end of that chapter, the Holy Spirit bears upon the fact that each of these men, Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, were given to the local church as a gift from God. Thus, according to our text last week, they were to be accounted as His servant who were subordinate to Him. Now, when we come to our text this morning, the Holy Spirit goes right to the root of the entire problem. In fact, as we are going to see this morning, it is the elephant in every local church. You all know understand the phrase “the elephant in the room.” It simply means that one thing that no one wants to talk about. Well, in every church, there is an elephant that no one wants to talk about. Yet, we all know its there. We just simply avoid it because we all deal with it and we all struggle with it.
What elephant am I talking about?
The Elephant = Pride!
The Elephant = Pride!
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
You will note the words “puffed up.” These two words automatically create in our minds the image of a very proud person. They are “puffed up” with thoughts of themselves and how important they are. In the most literal sense, it means to “puff up with air.”
ILLUSTRATE: The best way illustration of this phrase is a balloon. You take a balloon like the one that I have here in my hand. Right now has no air. However, as you put it to your mouth and begin to blow it expands and “puffs up” as so. *Blow up the balloon. Each time you blow in it with the warm air from your lungs it gets bigger and bigger.
In the same way, we often “puff up” ourselves in our own minds. We make who we are bigger and bigger than others we know including even God. We inflate, if I might put it this way, our own ego. There is a five letter word that Scripture often uses of those who “puff up” themselves. They are described as being PROUD. Proud people are full of PRIDE. Now look carefully at the word PRIDE. What is the one letter in the middle of that word? It is the letter “I” which is often used as a pronoun when referring to ourselves. Guess what? That same letter is also the middle letter of the word “SIN.” You see at the heart of sin is pride and at the heart of both pride and sin is me. Anytime a person makes themselves the center of all things in their life Scripture describes them as full of pride or “puffed up” with pride.
God has much to say about PRIDE aka SELF EXALTATION in His Word.
However, before we get to that. Let me share with how the world views pride.
THE WORLD says...
THE WORLD says...
It is important that you PUFF UP yourself. In fact, the world teaches that is wrong to have a “low self-esteem” or “bad self-esteem.” How many of you have heard it said that you must first learn to LOVE yourself before you can love others? Well, guess what? Everyone already loves themselves too much. That is the greatest spiritual problem of all. In fact, much of the teaching in both the world and many churches encourages people to raise their own self-esteem before they can love others, help others, or even forgive others. Essentially, they are teaching that you need to PUFF yourself up and PUFF yourself up. They are encouraging people to do the exact opposite of what God says. The biggest issue in this church was there was too much self-esteem and too much self-love. They were puffed up one against another.
GOD, however, says...
GOD, however, says...
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.
The church of Corinth was a church of shame. Why? They were “puffed up” with pride. In fact, there are many warnings from God about the elephant of pride. Here are a couple of more.
Proverbs 14:12 (KJV 1900)
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; That put darkness for light, and light for darkness; That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
God never encourages us to love ourselves. In fact, we find several verses in the New Testament which declared how that the inclination to exalt self does not come from God. It comes from our own sinful desire.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
In fact, not only does pride NOT originate from God, but God does indeed oppose those who are filled with pride.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Thus, we must be aware that the greatest PITFALL for any church and for every believer is PRIDE! It was the main issue of the church of Corinth. And, in our text, the Holy Spirit clearly points to PRIDE as the root of their problem.s. Note these verses in 1 Corinthians 4.
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
We already noted they were “puffed up for one against another.” Note that the Holy Spirit asks “why dost thou glory?” The word “glory” there is the same word for “boast.” They were boasting about what made them different from other Christians. Look at verses 18 and 19.
Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
The warning to this church is the same warning for our church even today. We must constantly be on guard by heeding the words of Romans 12:3 which says...
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
In fact, right here in our text, the Holy Spirit instruct us...
1 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV 1900)
...not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
Our simple responsibility is read God’s Word, to know God’s Word, and to obey God’s Word. As we do so, we learn that we are nothing without Christ. Even after we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we are simply His instruments. Thus, we must never think of ourselves or others as more important than the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, we must all come to the point where we live our lives as His bond-slaves. For that happen, we must learn to humble ourselves. Christ declared...
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Over in Luke 9:24, He said...
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
How then do we humble ourselves and how do we overcome pride aka self-exaltation?
The Holy Spirit provides that answer in our text as well as other Scripture passages.
Dealing with the Elephant of Pride!
Dealing with the Elephant of Pride!
You can deal with it by...
Surrendering to God’s control by simply being His steward!
Surrendering to God’s control by simply being His steward!
The Holy Spirit tells us “not to think of men above that which is written.” Then, He gives us the example of the apostles of which we are to follow. Note 1 Corinthians 4:16.
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Preceding these verses is a detailed list of how the apostles lived their lives for God. Note the Holy Spirit’s description of these men who had died to self.
We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
These men were men who had completely sold out for Christ. They had surrender all that they had and all that they were for Him. Literally, they were losing their life for His sake. There was no pride. There was no puffing up. There was just a simple surrender to God control as His servants. In fact, they were so sold out for Him that, in the end, they were living much the same life as Christ Himself lived when He was ministering here on earth.
Focusing on God and His Plan for Your Life
Focusing on God and His Plan for Your Life
Again, the Holy Spirit uses the life of Paul as an example to us all. Paul was focused solely on accomplishing what God wanted to Him to accomplish. He was totally focused on God.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 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.
1 Corinthians 4:1 (KJV 1900)
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
You see our number one job as believers is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to heed His commands. We are live according to what He has determined for our lives. What is our purpose? Our purpose is summed up on 2 Corinthians 5:17-20.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Verse 19 is the key.
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Christ has committed to us the word of reconciliation which is our ministry. We are to be living testimonies of how God has “reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” Our primary responsibility is to go into the world telling others about what Christ has done for us. In doing so, God has provided the local church as a means to accomplish His purpose. A local church is thus a group of believers given the word of reconciliation and who are banded together in accomplishing the ministry of reconciliation. Thus, when our focus is on Him and accomplishing His commission to us, we are not focused on ourselves and we are able to deal with the elephant of pride.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let me conclude by drawing your attention to these two verses in our text.
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
The Holy Spirit’s desire is to help us. Note that He says we are His “beloved sons.” For that reason, He wants to help us, to encourage us, and to lead us to do His will. His way sometimes requires revealing our weaknesses. When it comes to this area of pride, the Holy Spirit knows full well that...
Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.
The second verse that I close with is...
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
Because of the Holy Spirit’s desire to help us overcome pride in our lives as well other vices, He has given us the local church and its pastors. One of the functions of a biblical local church is to “bring you in remembrance” of the ways of Christ. Each local church and each pastor should always be leading believers back to the Word of God and the ways of Christ. Doing so helps each believe keep their focus on God and the things of God. When a believer separates from the fellowship of a local church, he/she places themselves outside the umbrella of what God has ordained. In doing so, they once again are in danger of succumbing to pride. Let’s be determined that we are going to live God’s Way. Let’s be determined to remain faithful to God’s local church. Let’s be determined to overcome pride by focusing on Him and His purpose for our lives.