The House That God Built

is another illustration of the Body of Christ

1:1 Greetings from Paul. I was chosen to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. God chose me because that is what he wanted. Greetings also from Sosthenes, our brother in Christ.

2 To God’s church in Corinth, you who have been made holy because you belong to Christ Jesus. You were chosen to be God’s holy people together with all people everywhere who trust in the Lord[a] Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, in the starting chapters of 1 Corinthians has to deal with a huge danger to the Church that God Built.

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 ERV

3 You are still not following the Spirit. You are jealous of each other, and you are always arguing with each other. This shows that you are still following your own selfish desires. You are acting like ordinary people of the world. 4 One of you says, “I follow Paul,” and someone else says, “I follow Apollos.” When you say things like that, you are acting like people of the world.

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 ERV

5 Is Apollos so important? Is Paul so important? We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do. 6 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it. But God is the one who made the seed grow. 7 So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he is the one who makes things grow.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 ERV

10 Like an expert builder I built the foundation of that house. I used the gift that God gave me to do this. Other people are building on that foundation. But everyone should be careful how they build. 11 The foundation that has already been built is Jesus Christ, and no one can build any other foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 ESV

12 People can build on that foundation using gold, silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw. 13 But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work.

The House that God Built

Is a House that Is Made by God’s Spirit

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ERV

16 You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. 17 If you destroy God’s temple, God will destroy you, because God’s temple is holy. You yourselves are God’s temple.

Ya’ll, again, are God’s Temple.

God’s temple has God’s Holy Spirit living within.

Sin and Holiness Can’t Live In the Same Place

We destroy God’s Temple when we make excuses for sin.

We destroy God’s Temple when we choose Self over Service.

We destroy God’s Temple when we upset the foundation that is built by those whom God has used to build it.

A temple cannot stand without a firm foundation.

You are God’s Temple, if God’s Spirit truly live in you.

But have you really made a place for God’s Spirit to be at work in your lives?

God Makes Servant-Leaders

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 ERV

1 You should think of us as servants of Christ, the ones God has trusted to do the work of making known his secret truths. 2 Those who are trusted with such an important work must show that they are worthy of that trust.

The true leaders in the church are those whom God can trust with what is holy.

If Pride is Your Motivation, You Only Serve Yourself

You Don’t Know How to Serve Others

1 Corinthians 4:7-8 ERV

7 Who do you think you are? Everything you have was given to you. So, if everything you have was given to you, why do you act as if you got it all by your own power?

Selfish, Prideful, and Self-Important People Don’t Know How to Share Leadership

8 You think you have everything you need. You think you are rich. You think you have become kings without us. I wish you really were kings. Then we could rule together with you.

Selfish, Prideful, and Self-Important People Don’t Know How to Be Servant-Shepherds

1 Corinthians 4:10 ERV

10 We are fools for Christ, but you think you are so wise in Christ. We are weak, but you think you are so strong. People give you honor, but they don’t honor us.

And I want us to read that with

1 Corinthians 4:20 ERV

20 God’s kingdom is not seen in talk but in power.

Paul is completely given in to God. A Fool for Christ he calls himself.

He serves because he is a slave of the Savior.

Not because he is a scholar.

Paul is a scholar, but that is not what makes him God’s tool to share the Good News.

God’s Kingdom Is All About What God Wants.

God’s Kingdom Is What God Does Through Us, Not What God Does For Us.

God’s Kingdom is Not What We Do. It is What the Power of God’s Holy Spirit Does.

And the Holy cannot be where sin abides.

God’s Kingdome