February 8, 2015
Morning Service

I Cor. 3

 

            The first contention Paul addresses in Corinth is that of division.  They were in disagreement on who should be followed, or listened too.  Some were following Paul, some Peter, some Apollos, and Paul ask them the question, “in whose name were you baptized?”  The idea being is that we are baptized into the name of Jesus, and none other.  Jesus is the foundation of our faith, then the Apostles.  Paul encourages everyone to speak the same thing, that there be no divisions.  This statement is what brought about the restoration movement.  Speaking the same things is not that difficult, since we have the Bible, and it’s completeness.  It’s just a matter of studying to show ourselves approved unto God, in order to speak the same things, and to teach the same doctrine.

            We are ready for chapter three, and it brings to us the thought, are we spiritual, or are we carnal?  Let’s begin.

 

1Co 3:1-23  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. 

·         If you had to evaluate your own spiritual life, what would it be?  Spiritual, or carnal?

·         Are you feasting on milk, or meat?  Or would you even know where you stand?

 

Now let’s notice what being carnal means:

(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? 

·         There it is!  If we have envy in our lives, if we have strife in our lives, and if in our church world we have division, we are carnal.  Not a good thing.

·         If I have preacher religion, not a good thing.  If I follow, or adhere to any other gospel, than what the Apostle Paul taught, not a good thing.

·         You need only look around at this very thing today.  Two really good examples are the Lutherans, and the Wesleyans.  Followers of Martin Luther, and John Wesley.  There are many more, but these are ones you would be familiar with.  Congregations named after preachers.

 

Now notice Paul’s answer to this problem: 

(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. 

·         Paul is saying you heard the gospel from me first, then along came Apollos teaching what he understood concerning Christian doctrine, but it was God who gave you the proper understanding of what you know.

(7)  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 

·         You see it is God Who gets the glory.  All I do is plant the Word, and I help water the planted Word, but it is God who helps you to grow in the faith, and He should get the glory.

(8)  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 

·         Since we see, and understand this saying, shouldn’t we strive to do our best, so that we will not lose our reward?  There’s no losing your salvation, but you can lose your rewards.

(9)  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 

·         HUSBANDRY : It properly denotes a “tilled” or “cultivated field;  The idea being, when you yield yourself to God, he will mold, and make you into what He wants you to be.

(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. 

·         And this is why we study the Bible.  The Apostle’s teachings are clearly taught in the Bible.  Paul says, “ I’m a master builder, I am very good at what I do.  I start with a solid foundation of Jesus Christ, and His teachings.”

·         Others, such as Apollos, have come along after I have laid a solid foundation, and they begin to build on this foundation. 

·         Why would we want to build anything on this foundation, that is not in the Bible?  We shouldn’t.  We should strive to build on this foundation, only the teachings of Jesus, and His Apostles.

·         If anyone from this pulpit every speaks in his own name, get out as fast as you can, it will not be of God.  And when we do speak in the name of Jesus, if you know your Bible, and you have left the realm of carnality, you will do your best to do the things we encourage you to do.

(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. 

·         When that day comes, I will humbly fall on my knees before God, and be thankful that I pointed people to the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, and spoke only in His name.  Jesus of Nazareth.

(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. 

·         In chapter six Paul says this;  1Co 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  (20)  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

·         Paul teaches us just how important it is to live the best life we possibly can for Jesus.

·         God has come to live in us, because we ask Him too. 

·         When I chose to accept Jesus as my Lord, and was buried with Him in baptism, I ask Him to come into my life, and mold, and make me into what He would want me to be.  No more my will, but His will be done in my life.  DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?

(18)  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  (19)  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.  (20)  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 

·         This helps me to understand how God feels about all these professors teaching in these colleges today.  Teaching evolution against creation.  THEY ARE VAIN.

(21)  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;  (22)  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;  (23)  And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

 

Christian, can you see your place in life?  It doesn’t matter who the preacher is, but the important thing is that he is building on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, and the teaching of the Apostles.  All is ours, as we are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

 

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, HELP US TO LEAVE THE REALM OF CARNALITY, AND STRIVE TO BE THE SPIRITUAL BEING YOU WANT US TO BE.  FULL OF LOVE, PEACE, AND JOY.  AMEN.