Growing as a Christian

Introduction

Personal intro

Great Car wash this weekend and community tag sale. Loved seeing people out there and getting to meet others.

Thank you Craig, Teenagers, jr campers, and parents that were here to make that a huge success.

Happy Fathers Day and Congratulations graduates

We are continuing in our rethinking church series today by moving onto our next chapter in 1 Corinthians. 1 Cor 3.

This epistle is written by the Apostle Paul 5 years after the churhc had started so that he could adress isues he had been told about and answer a list of questions they had sent to him. The three primary things wrote about in this letter are: unity, fornication in the church, and that list of questions.

In this chapter he is elaborating on something he already mentioned in chapter 1. That’s how they were identifying with the men that had lead them to the Lord rather than just Jesus.

He does this by speaking very directly to them and discussing their growth.

Today, it is my desire for us to see 3 traits of a growing Christian. If you are here and not a Christian, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you can benefit from this as well. If that describes you I hope you’ll see that no one is perfect, Christians most of all, and that through faith in Jesus we can have an eternal relationship with God that impacts us as we live for Him on earth and where we spend our eternity.

Let me ask you though, how many of you have wanted to do something and then once you realized what it took to do that you changed your mind.

Before I joined the military I wanted to be a Navy Seal. Those guys are so cool. After a summer of swimming and thinking about it, I realized I wasn’t a great swimmer and I didn’t like going under water all that much. Probably not the best job for me. Then I saw their training, and while it looked like an awesome experience to go thorugh and still does…I moved on.

Have you ever met someone that has believed in Jesus for years and seems to have it all together? First off, most of them will tell you they still struggle daily.

Second, do you desire to grow and mature as a beleiver to gorify God and proclaim the name of Jesus?

What does it take to make that happen? What are the traits of a person that is maturing as a Christian? Is it in what they wear? Is it in where they spend their fun time? Is it in how many bible verses they share on line? No…Jesus works deeper than that.

Follow along with me and let’s see these first few verses together

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 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?

1 Cor 3:1-4

Exegete:

In case you didn’t catch this, Paul just punched them in the face with his words. He told them, you are carnal people. You are not mature believers and I can’t treat you like you are.

He calls them babes in Christ. Now, that is not a bad position to be in. That is a person who has trusted in Jesus as their Savior and is growing in their faith and relationship with him.

In verse 2 he speaks of the milk and not the meat. What does that mean? Was Paul teaching them how to eat solid food?

No. He is speaking to the simple truths of God’s Word pertaining to Salvation, and no the weighter matters of truth.

Let’s define the milk real quick

Hebrews 5:11–6:2 KJV 1900

11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Hebrews 5:11-6:2

To break this down into a list

(The folllowing need to be on their individual slides with nothing between them .The title of the message should come after Eternal Judgment.

Repentance

Repentance from believing anything other than Jesus for Salvation.

Faith in Jesus

Faith in Jesus for Salvaion

Baptism and its meaning

Baptism being an act of obedience and nothing to do with being saved or having your sins washed away

Laying of hands (being sent out Acts 13)

Laying of hands, I believe, is a reference to being sent out to preach the gospel to others. Some could say it refers to a passage in James about any sick and afflicted among us being prayed over for healing. I’m not opposed to that idea however I don’t believe that application of laying on of hands is applilcale here in the context of what is being spoke of.

Resurrection of the Dead

Jesus is the first and we will be resurrected to live with Him forever in Heaven.

Eternal judgement

There is a penalty for sin and it was paid for by Jesus. Without faith in Him, we will spend eternity separated from God in hell.

That’s the basics of the Christian faith. Believing and understanding that is to know the milk of the word.

It seems as though they understood these things but Paul still called them carnal.

What does it mean to be Carnal though? Often times Christians use that word to describe a person that is not living for Christ. Another term is “worldly” meaning they pursue after the thigns of the world, they say they trust in Jesus but there is no evidence in their life from how they live. It’s often used to describe a person that would be a drunkard or outwardly lustful.

Can I tell you that it wasn’t until the last couple of weeks of study that I reallized Paul gave us the definition of carnal?

verse 3:

1 Corinthians 3:3 KJV 1900

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?

Envyings, (Jealousy), Strife (contention), divisions (pride).

wow Paul…so your teling me that even though I dress in nice robes on a particular day of the week when I worship, I can still be carnal? You mean I can read my bible and pray daily, abstain from alcohol completely or never get drunk, and post about Jesus on social media and still be carnal? YUP

Carnality, worldliness, and immaturity as a believer is not about the outward appearance of you adn your life…it’s about your heart towards God and towards others.

Illustrate:

What do you think of when you see these shoes and a nice pair of jean shorts?

You know what you don’t think of ? a 19 year old male. Why? Most 19 year old males are not rocking the dad wear. Now, I’m 34 and a few months ago Thomas was here, our former youth pastor, and you know what he said to me. He saw my under armor shoes and said they were dad shoes…I couldn’t believe it.

What changes in a man from 19-34-40 for him to be ok with this?

A number of things for sure. Life experience, lack of concern for others opinions, an undersanding that we all need work shoes and these are his. A desire to be that Dad? I don’t know but t happens.

Now, if we put those shoes on a 19 year old male…does that make him a dad? No. Why? We just changed his shoes...

Putting a graduation gown on a freshmmen doesn’t make them a high schoo or college graduate. Puuting a white coat on a first year med student doesn’t make them a doctor, and changing your clothes , your drinking habits, your sunday schedule and any other exterior things in your life doesn’t make you a Christian or a mature one.

Apply:

We are followers of Christ because of our faith in Him. We are growing Christians because of His work in our Heart that we yield to.

You can wear the nicest clothes and be a jerk.

Paul is telling the Corinthians in this passage, you have identified with the outward displays or particular preaching adn teaching styles of a person instead of just seeking Jesus who works on the heart.

When your heart is being worked on your attitude towards others changes. You don’t get Jealous because you know all good things are from God. You don’t seek to have contention because you understand that comes from pride so you seek a humble means of fixing the situation. You don’t seek division becuase your Savior prayed for unity in John 17 for you. You know that unity brings glory to God and shows the world His love when we have love for one another.

The first thing to know about a Growing Christian

I. A Growing Christian is a Loving Christian

1 John 4:7–16 KJV 1900

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1 john 4:7-16

If you say that you love Jesus but have trouble loving others, refer back to this passage. As we grow in Christ, we do not just grow in knnowledge, we grow in love.

Paul tells them strait, you are carnal because you are jealous, you are contentious, and you have divisions among you.

Then he goes on to elaborate on something from chapter 1.

1 Corinthians 3:5–9a KJV 1900

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.

Exegete:

Paul goes on to show this loving humilty by informimng them of who he and Appolos are...

He doesn’t even speak in first person here.

We are just ministers or servants, who you believed...

God did the work in your hearts.

You know as a person in a public speaking role you can be told very nice things about what you say and how it impacts people. Paul had surely had that happen to him. Here you see his redirection of the praise. He knows as any pastor, any believer should, that anything good that happens because of what I say or do isn’t because of me…it’s in spite of me.

God works in spite of my sin.

Paul’s focus wasn’t on himself. He tells them, we are one in Christ…ye we shall recieve our rewards in Heaven acciording to our labor but let me ask you…what do we do with those reward?

Swim in them like Scrooge McDuck? No. We throw them at the feet of Jesus and worship Him because without Him we woudln’t be doing good works or be in Heaven.

His perspective is one that doesn’t promote himself or his work. He doesn’t elevate himself above others.

Paul takes what position and power he could seek to have and says “I’m just like you” He’s not being humble..I mean sure you can call it that…he is just being honest.

We are all in this together. We are God’s husbanry or farm and we are God’s building. Notice the difference between the word pictures here.

Illustrate:

We have some great friends at Tonn’s Marketplace up the road in Burlington. Awesome farm out there and amazing ice cream stand. They grow various foods. The work that is beign done by them though is what? Planting and watering. Where is the real change happening that leads to the beautiful produce?

In the ground right? And it works itself out.

Apply:

God works in our heart using people to water and plant. His work then shows itself on the exterior, like when you see a building.

What’s a step of growth look like for you as a Christian? While there are practical examples I can give you, the more important areas of growth are in your heart. Those areas come from faith in Jesus’ death burial and resurrection and understanding what Paul did here…

Who am I? Who am I that I should think much of myself? As John the Baptist said “I must decrease, He must increase.” Why?

Because this life, the things we do as parents, the thigns we do as employees, it’s not about us. Life isn’t about how comfortable we can live, althoough it’s fine if you live comfortably. It’s not about how much we can make, although its fine if you make money. It’s not about how many experiences we can have with our family, its not about how much we can have in our retirement or how great people think we are.

This life is about glorifying God and leading people to Christ.

II. A Growing Christian seeks God’s glory, not their own

Seeking your own glory comes from a place of pride and leads to lonliness, contention, and problems with others. Seeking God’s glory doesn’tt mean your life will be void of arguments, difficult situations, or anything like that. It does mean your response to others actions AND EVEN your actions should come from a heart that has been impacted by the Holy Spirit because of your reverence for God and who He is.

Dads, don’t be a good dad…be a godly dad. Grads, don’t be good people, be godly people. What does that look like? IT looks different in everyones life. What’s the difference between teh two?

One of them is trying to impress others by how great they can be considered, the other is trying to point others to God becuase they know how Great He is.

Paul did not pull punches and I don’t want to pull punches with you. If you are being jealous, contentious, causing division, you are carnal and an immature follower of Jesus.

But you don’t have to stay there.

Paul provided the means for growth to the bellievers in Corinth and he didn’t say anything about their music, their hair, their attire, or anything else.

1 Corinthians 3:9–17 KJV 1900

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.

1 Cor 3:9-17

Exegete:

Ok Paul, what are you saying here...

He tells them I laid the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. Others can build upon it but there is no other foundation that Jesus. You works, your actions, and your thoughts have a foundation and Paul is writing that the only acceptable foundation, is that of Jesus Christ.

The motive of your work will be made manifest one day. The truth will come out and all will know who you are and why you do what you do.

Paul said that if any of the work is done because of anything else than Jesus, it shall burn.

There is also reference here to when we get to Heaven and the reward we recieve.

We are God’s Temple, the residing place of the Holy Spirit. To defile the temple isn’t reference to the destruction of the body through murder, bodily harm, or body manipulaiton. While those thigns ar esponke against in other areas, let’s keep the ocntext here...

Defling the temple of God happens from within.

The actual temple was defiled in jeruslamen when a roman sacrificed a pig on the altar. Remember, the pig was an unclean animal in Jewish Culture and the sacrifice was only to be done by the priest.

When you lay another foundation or put some unclean thing as your motive and act from it, I believe that is temple defilement.

Sir, when you lust after than woman. When you take that second look and commit adultery in your heart.

Ma’am, when you do the same thing.

Let’s hear Jesus’ words on the amtter

Matthew 15:10–11 KJV 1900

10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matthew 15:15–20 KJV 1900

15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Matthew 15:10-11

Matthew 15-20

Here Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and the disciples. The first verse is to the pharisees and the second apssage we read was from Peter asking for an expllination of the parable.

Jesus is telling them. Food passes through you, but evil thoughts, and the like, they come from the heart.

How is your hear impacted? By what you see and what you hear.

How does that help you grow as a Christian?

Illustrate:

Jesus speaks of food and how it is eliminated. It’s forgotten about.

I mean, someone tell me what you had to eat for dinner wheny ou were 13 years old on a particular day? Sure, you may have a memory around a birthday party or something but we have trouble remembering what we had for breakfast three days ago.

What you take into your heart and mind, doesn’t get eliminated. You remember, you are impacted by those things.

Sure, you can’t remember where you parked the car at the store but you can recall those images you saw online.

You can recall the lyrics to those songs that peak of drugs, sex, and drunkenness

You can remember that tv show that showed all of the nudity and foul language

You can remember that stuff you read, you can remember what someone said that shouldn’t have influenced you.

It doesn’t get illimnated. It effects your heart.

Jesus quoted isaiah and said

Matthew 13:15 KJV 1900

15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Matthew 13:15

The Pharisees were the one preaching the Old testament and looking for the Messaih but yet the Messiah came and he wasn’t the strong ruler they wanted, He was the Messiah God promised.

They should have known Him before anyone else did.

Yet they had seen and heard so much nonsense, they couldn’t understand with their hearts.

Apply:

Paul is writing to people that need their heart worked on. He is writing to a church that was known for is promiscuty and disunity.

I believe they had such a problem witht his because of what they were being exposed to. I’ve got friends that pastor in Las Vegas Nevada. A couple churches running thousands, another running a few hundred, and many other pastors there I don’t know.

Those pastors work at protecting their hearts and the hearts of their families becuase of what they could be exposed to.

Parents, Dads, be careful what you let your children see. Be sure to speak with them about looking when they shouldn’t and hearing what they shouoldn’t.

Some of this stuff is all around us however we don’t have to expose ourselve to it and desensitize our hearts and minds to things that numb our hearts to the things of the Lord.

Too many people try to live double lives though.

You are one way on social media, one way with your coworkers, and another at home.

Why? Becuase you find your value in what others think of oyu rather than what Jesus thinks of you.

Do we all have things in our lives others don’t need to know about? Absolutely. However, we should be careful not to be alllowing anything to influence us on purpose that we wouldln’t want someone else to know we were around.

Because whether they know or not, your heart is being affected by it, your actions and words are being molded by what you see and hear.

III. Growing Christians Live transparent lives

I don’t mean you share every detail on facebook. I don’t mean everyone eneeds to know about the arguments you are having or every sin you commit.

I am saying that as a growing Christian, you live a transparent life becuase what is influencing you, is coming out of your mouth and showing up in your works.

So don’t look at, listen to, or read something you wouldn’t be ok telling others you are doing.

Time of Response