1 Corinthians 3:10-23, “Working as God’s Servants”
[hmp_player playlist=’1Cor3:10-23′]
Sermon Notes Below:
Note: A technical malfunction left part of the audio sermon missing.
January 19, 2014,
“Working as God’s Servants”
1 Corinthians 3:10-23, “Working as God’s Servants”
“Working As God’s Servants,” 1Corinthians 3:10-23 1Corinthians 3:10-11… Paul says there is only one foundation for the Church, Jesus Christ; for eighteen months (Acts 18:11) Paul preached and taught Christ to the Corinthians, laying the foundation of Christ.
In construction, the foundation is very important, as everything in the building is laid upon, supported by, and aligned with, the foundation.
Jesus tells a story (Matthew 7:24-27) about two men who built houses, the wise man built on roack the fooolish man on sand (v. 24), “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (James 1:22-25).
The wise man built his house (his life) on the rock [expansive underlying bedrock], a foundation that is deep, wide and strong, this is God’s Word, irrevocable and eternal (Romans 11:29; 1Peter 1:23-25).
As believer’s we are secure on this “rock,” a metaphor
for God in the OT (2Samuel 22:2; Psalm 19:14); and we
have a firm “foundation,” a metaphor for Christ (Isaiah
28:16; 2Timothy 2:19), also the “cornerstone” (Ephesians
2:19-22; 1Peter 2:6-7) to which everything is aligned.
Proverbs 10:25, “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”
Whoever builds his life, i.e., believes and obeys the Word of God, following Christ, that person is eternally safe and secure. When you place your trust upon God’s One and Only Son, the Savior, Lord, and Judge over all, you are not only able to enjoy your life on earth, but you are free of God’s judgment, (Romans 8:1; 1John 5:13), and will live with him in heaven forever.
Much of the contemporary church today is building on shifting sand, not solid ground; this produces converts who are superficial, for although they may look like genuine believers, there is no fruit no lasting works.
True Christianity is not about the “container,” but what it contains; although the house (a person’s life) may look good, what it is built upon will determine if it will weather the storms of life, let alone God’s judgment.
Being religious, obeying certain laws, participating in rituals, even performing miracles, does not equate to salvation, for religious practice and performance does not save you. God’s greatest gift to us is His Son, and only He can provide forgiveness and eternal life.
Matthew 7:21-23 says, many “religious” people appear dedicated and devoted to God, but they are not on the road that leads to life, they are on the road that leads to death; they say “Lord, Lord,” we did this and that “in your name,” but God says, “I never knew you. Away from Me you evil doers!” You must believe and confess Jesus Christ to be saved, (Romans 10:9-10).
John 5:39-40, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 10:27-28, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.”
Both builders in the parable of Matthew 7 “heard” Jesus; the builder on the rock heard and obeyed, the builder on the sand heard and did not obey, i.e., they both heard the Gospel. Building on the rock or (v. 26), “responding to these words of Mine,” is equivalent to salvation, doing what God requires (John 6:28-29).
1Corinthians 3:12-13… What we build with on the Foundation of Christ, determines the quality of our life. Some of our works are like “gold, silver, and costly stones,” things that last. Some are like “wood, hay or straw,” things that do not last, worldly, they burn up. 1Corinthians 3:14-15… It is only the good deeds of a Christian that have eternal value, and for those we will be rewarded, but those things not honoring to God will be burned up. Like one saved from a house fire, he himself was saved, but everything else was lost, i.e., he has nothing to offer in worship to God. The thought of this lack of good works should cause us great concern.
1Corinthians 3:16-17… Christians belong to God, in fact, our body is the Temple of God, the place where the Holy Spirit lives (Ephesians 1:13). What we do with our lives should bring honor to God, for we are here to serve Him, as His Spirit transforms us (Romans 12:1-2). 1Corinthians 3:18-20… We are fools in the world’s sight but we are wise in the sight of God when we build on the foundation provided for us by God, the spiritual foundation of Christ, which is divinely contradictory to the world’s so-called wisdom (Colossians 2:8-10).
Our spiritual foundation: Biblical teaching, prayer, and Christian fellowship through which we love and care for one another as we reach out with the gospel of Christ, is what we are to be “building,” for without these there will be no church worthy of the name of Christ, and no one left to carry on the work of God.
But our witness for Christ and our relationship to one another can easily become damaged by inconsequential arguments, biases, or strong personal preferences; and yet it takes time, energy, commitment, and discipline to develop a witness for Christ and a genuine and sincere relationship with other believers.
Only when we establish our lives upon the solid and secure foundation that can never be destroyed, Jesus Christ, can we produce anything worthwhile for God.
It is my sincerest intention, as a member of the body of Christ and as your pastor, to earnestly seek to provide what you need, not necessarily what you want or even what you are comfortable with, but what you need.
As we walk, sometimes even crawl, through this next year, we’ll need to remind ourselves, and one another, often, that God has already provided everything we need to be able to enjoy this life and serve God faithfully and victoriously, while we wait for His glorious return.
As the storms of life, the tribulations of our times, and the persecutions of the world come against us, we must stand firm upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the bedrock on which our lives are anchored and secured; otherwise we will drift along on the winds and waves of the current culture that rejects Christ, ultimately we will end up shipwrecked or marooned at some deserted lonely place.
1Corinthians 3:21-23… All genuine Christians have been given the glorious, eternal, authoritative, and supernatural riches and resources of God: in fact, this world, life, death, the present and the future, all these belong to us, for we are in Christ, and Christ is in God.
What a great promise God has given to us through our brother Paul, and this is for all those who genuinely belong to, seeking to obey and follow, Jesus Christ.
Are you committed to the Word of God and the fellowship of God’s people? Are you living a life that glorifies the Lord? Why not take a moment and sincerely consider what your priorities are, then determine to strengthen your spiritual disciplines; so that in both word and deed you will live as God’s servant, upon the foundation of Christ; only then to remain standing when the storms of life come against you. Read Philippians 4:12-13, 20-21.