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Text: 1 Corinthians 3
Let’s read 1 Corinthians 3. I’ve never seen what I’m about to show you in this chapter because anytime I’ve taught this chapter it was with a few verses here about the judgment seat of Christ, or a few verses there about the temple of God. But when taken in all it’s context there is something so convicting and applicable.
Carnal versus spiritual (vss 1-4)
- Verse 2 – Milk defined in Hebrews 5:12-6:2 as doctrines of Christ, repentance toward God, studying baptisms, studying resurrection from the dead, while meat is defined as being able to love one another, be kind to one another, preferring one another, getting along with brothers, serving God with joy, and longsuffering.
- Verse 3 – Meat is defined as stop envying, quit causing strife, quit dividing with cliques and agendas. Many church splits and everyone said they believed the Bible. People who hate each other and say they believe the right dispensations. You don’t have to be spiritual to have information. You can get children to repeat information. I’ve watched people who believed the Bible, check all the marks of “fundamentals of the faith”, get divorced and he joined up with another KJV ind baptist church because he had standards.
- The people you work with don’t care that you can identify dispensations if all that pours out of your throat is cursing and blaspheming. Your neighbor doesn’t care that you know angels don’t have wings if you’re a jerk. The lost souls you know don’t care that you go to church on Sunday if you’re a gossip and busybody.
- Verse 4 – I am of Paul Chappel, I am of Ruckman, I am of Jack Trieber, I am of the Southern Baptists, I am of Hyles, my uncle is a deacon, my dad was a deacon … who cares?!
It is God’s ministry (vss 5-9)
- Verse 5 – Who is Paul? If Paul, the greatest Christian that ever lived asked who is Paul, then whatever man or family member you’re devoted to isn’t anybody.
- Verse 9 – There is nothing that brings souls together like serving God together. There is nothing that brings youth together like serving God together, talking to others about the Lord. But when Christians don’t serve the Lord they develop their own agendas. They develop their own motives. They become divisive and without a foundation that will last.
- Verse 9-10 – God’s building, God gives the jobs. When I worked in the oilfield and came out of the field to work in the office in management I understood my boss wasn’t moving me into a position to do “my job”, he was moving me into a position to do “his job.” Then we’d have guys out of college or trying to move up, which is fine, but with agendas wanting leadership roles who didn’t understand the work was not theirs, the work belonged to whoever hired them. You guys that have owned business understand this completely. If you don’t have a job to do, you don’t need employees. And you only hire employees to do “your job.” This is God’s work, not yours.
- Note all that the Lord gave in verses 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10.
Only lasting work is in Christ (vss 10-15)
The only accepted agenda is God’s Holy Spirit (vss 16-23)
- Verse 17 – That’s the hill you’ll die on? That’s the agenda, clique, family member that you’re going to put above Jesus Christ and lose everything to? I’ve watched families grow up in a Bible believing church. When their kids became teenagers, they followed the lust of their teenage children right out the door. Or the pastor had to deal with sin that mom and dad weren’t willing to deal with and the temple was defiled.
- Verse 18 – Deceive himself is easy when strong emotions are involved. Self deception is brought on by someone who wants to be deceived.
- Verse 19 – taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
- Verse 21 – let no man glory in men. Religion does this regularly. Mohammed over Jesus Christ. The Pope over Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith, Mormonism, over Jesus Christ. Charles Darwin and evolution over Jesus Christ. Or even Bible believing people over Jesus Christ.
- Verses 21-23 when it comes to serving God, all things are at your disposal. Truly, if you’re willing to serve God and allow His will to be your will, all things are there for your use.
