1 Corinthians 3:1-11

1 Corinthians 3:1-11

Well, it is definitely good to be with you this morning after a little unexpected detour.

Life is like that, isn’t it?

We can’t control it, no matter how hard we try. And believe me…I’ve tried.

There’s no getting around it: the winds of life are unpredictable.

If the past couple of years have taught us anything, it’s that.

Not only are we still dealing with the effects of a pandemic that has dramatically altered life for so many in ways both large and small, today we’re also dealing with financial instability in world markets, supply chain issues, labour shortages, the fallout effects of a war in Ukraine including out-of-control prices for fuel and food and other basic necessities…uncertainty seems to rule the day, doesn’t it?

Even something so seemingly simple as taking a holiday is fraught with unpredictability these days as hundreds of flights continue to be cancelled and the prospect of a rail shutdown looms large in the coming weeks.

[DISNEYLAND PARIS CANCEL]

Life is unpredictable. And don’t even get me started about all the things happening right now in my homeland of the States, where I find myself almost scared from day to day to even check the latest news headlines.

There’s a word for all this, and it’s a word I see a lot in news stories these days: chaos.

Do you feel it?

I sure do.

But if I’m convinced of anything these days, it’s this: what we’re experiencing in the world today is a great opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ.

In a world that at times seems to be spiralling out of control, I believe with all my heart that deep down inside people are desperate to find something stable, something they can hold onto…something that will give them an anchor for some stability as they face the rough seas of life in 2022.

The question is this: when they look at the church, is that what they see?

When they come into our midst, is that what they find?

[PAUSE]

We’re a few chapters into what I would call a “deep dive” in the book of 1 Corinthians.

I’ve said a number of times that I think this letter from the Apostle Paul offers us unbelievable wisdom for navigating the chaos of today’s world, which is why I wanted to do a sermon series walking through the entire book.

There are so many nuggets of wisdom for us here.

But let’s be honest, it’s not always an easy read.

And if you think that’s true for us, imagine how true it was for the people who first received this letter.

Because at times it feels…a little harsh.

At times it feels like Paul is giving the church in Corinth a performance review, and they’re getting failing marks across the board.

That’s certainly the first impression you might get as you pick up the book here in chapter three.

Keep in mind that the Christians in Corinth have a bit of an inflated impression of themselves.

They think they are so spiritual. They think they’ve got this faith thing all sussed out.

But here at the start of chapter 3, Paul lays in with some really hard-to-swallow truth: they are still babes in Christ.

Remember—in chapter 2, Paul has laid out this powerful argument concerning the Holy Spirit, who he says teaches us spiritual realities we wouldn’t otherwise comprehend. The Spirit, Paul writes, helps us “understand what God has freely given us.”

But then here in chapter 3, it’s like Paul says, “However you guys…you just don’t get it.”

Listen to how Eugene Peterson translates the opening of this chapter in The Message Bible:

“But for right now, friends, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you since you don’t seem capable of anything more.”

Ouch.

Imagine being in the church in Corinth and hearing that.

Paul, who founded your church and to whom you look for spiritual wisdom and guidance, is basically saying you don’t cut it.

You thought you had grown so much in the Christian faith, but here’s Paul saying, “Nope. You’re still immature and wordly.”

The Greek word that’s translated here as “wordly” is actually word for “flesh.”

The Latin translation of this uses the word “carne,” which is the same root that gives us “incarnation.”

Jesus took on flesh and bone becoming one of us…carne is an image of that fleshiness.

And Paul is saying, “This is what you are.”

“I fed you spiritual milk when I first arrived, and the truth is you aren’t ready to move on to more solid food yet.”

And what’s the reason Paul gives for this admonition?

Why does he believe the Corinthians aren’t ready yet for solid spiritual food?

He points back to the observation he made at the very beginning of the letter: they’re not ready for solid food because they’re so divided.

“You’re jealous of one another and you quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?”

Paul makes a really important point here.

He’s reminding the Corinthians…and us…that as Christians we’re supposed to represent a different reality than the one found in the world at large.

When people come through our doors, they’re supposed to find a respite from the chaos of the world, but too often all they find is a reflection of it.

Why?

Because at heart, we’re sinful, fallen people. And too often we allow that sinful, fallen nature to impact our lives as followers of Jesus.

We settle for less than God’s best for us.

Individually…and in the larger church as well.

[INSURRECTION HEARINGS—FLAG]

My heart could not have broken any more profoundly at that moment.

It fills me with sadness…and it fills me with anger.

That in the name of Christ people could participate in something so anti-Christian.

But then…just when I’m about to feel a prideful wave wash over my soul…God intervenes and asks, “But Jack…are you really much better than that?”

And I have to stop and think for a moment.

Because, truth be told, I may never participate in a political insurrection, but there’s a different kind of rebellion that takes place in my soul on a regular basis.

I may never try to overthrow a government in my lifetime, but day after day there’s a part of me that wants to overthrow the rule of Christ in my life.

It’s like all of us have a throne at the centre of our being.

And every day we face the question, “Who sits on that throne?”

To become a Christian is to say, “I no longer do. Christ sits on that throne.”

“I yield control of my life to Him.”

But then as life goes on, it’s like there’s all these little moments when we turn to him and say, “Hey, you know what Jesus? I appreciate all you’re doing for me. It’s brilliant, it really is. But in this particular area, I actually think I know what needs to be done, so if you could just step aside for a moment. You can have the throne back as soon as I’m done, I promise.

Just this one little thing…”

Problem is, “just this one little thing” is never really “just,” it’s never really “one,” and it’s never really “little.”

Every time you and I try to take back control, even in a small thing, it’s like we’re saying to Christ, “I know better than you.”

That’s “flesh.”

That’s what Paul means by “worldly.”

That’s what he refers to as “immature.”

The people of Corinth are living a life that shows they trust in earthly wisdom more than God’s wisdom. It’s coming out in the way they align themselves with certain leaders of the church.

Those “ministry silos” we talked about a few weeks ago.

“I follow Paul.” “I follow Peter.” “I follow Apollos.”

And how does Paul deal with that kind of spiritual immaturity?

He does it by calling them to refocus.

“After all, who is Apollos?” he asks. “Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.”

And right here, my friends, is one of the most important nuggets of wisdom in the entire book of 1 Corinthians.

Paul looks at the Corinthians and says, “You guys want to hitch your wagon to different spiritual leaders. You look at them…you look at me…and you think you’ve found the key to spiritual growth.”

“But growth,” he continues, “isn’t about human leadership and wisdom. It’s about the supernatural activity of God.”

Paul points out that human leaders in the church are merely servants doing God’s work.

He uses a great gardening metaphor, pointing out that some people in the church plant seeds, some tend the ground and water the seeds…but ultimately it’s God who makes things grow.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it in churches through the years, and it’s usually in response to a season of chaos and upheaval…

…where the temptation to take control starts to kick in.

We devise plans and strategies to “right the course” as it were.

New programs…new leaders…new ideas…all with the very best intentions: to move the church into a new season of vitality and growth.

But so often we forget that what’s going to make our church grow isn’t the programs or the building or the leaders.

What causes a church to grow is the supernatural activity of God in her midst.

I’m not talking about the showy, flashy stuff you see on TV or in the movies.

I’m talking about changed lives. Deep and abiding love being expressed in community. People reflecting more and more the love of Jesus in their lives. Being healed of division and hurt and trauma and grief and moving more and more into a life of peace and purpose and holiness.

That’s maturity. That’s growth.

And it’s a work of the Spirit. Not the flesh.

This is the refocusing that Paul is calling the Corinthians to engage.

And us as well.

As I said earlier, this is an unprecedented time for the world, but it’s also an unprecedented opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ.

The people outside these walls are aching, they’re starving for a word of hope.

And hope is what we have. In abundance.

Because of what Jesus has done, we have met the God of the universe.

And his message to us in the midst of all this chaos is, “I love you. I have redeemed you. I have provided for you. I have so much more for you.”

When we come to faith in Christ, when we see what God has done and is doing for us…when the storms of life rage we are still able to join our voices with that of the psalmist, as we heard earlier:

“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.” I think Paul would add his “Amen” to that.

His plea in this passage of Corinthians is to keep our eyes on Jesus above all else.

He does that by shifting metaphors in verse 10.

After talking about gardening a bit, he switches to construction.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Think for a second what a foundation accomplishes for a building.

It keeps the building steady.

Jesus talked about that in the gospels when he spoke about the wise and foolish builders.

One builds his house on sand, the other on stone.

And when the rains come…and the winds blow like mad…the house with the strong foundation is the one that still stands.

Friends, I think this is what God is calling us to for this time in history.

I believe with all my heart he’s calling the church…he’s calling us as individuals…to refocus.

He’s calling us to lay down any claim to wisdom that isn’t rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

He’s calling us to rebuild our foundation…so that we can offer refuge to those who are wearied by the storm.

He’s calling us to step off the throne.

Truth be told, it was never really ours to begin with.

[TRANSITION TO PRAYER]