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Act Like Who You Are! Series
Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Sep 22, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: An admonition for the church to Act Like Who You Are, you are the Holy Temple of God!
Act Like Who You Are!
1 Cor. 3:1–23
INTRODUCTION
One day there were two dairy cows grazing in a field next to a major highway. As they watched the traffic passing along they saw a shiny tanker truck filled with milk. On the side of the truck were the words, "Grade A, Pasteurized, Homogenized with Vitamin D added." As it passed, one cow turned to the other and said, "Kind of makes you feel inadequate doesn’t it?"
As Paul writes about the church in 1 Cor. 3, he speaks of grand themes such as a successful crop grown in God’s field under God’s care and as a building expertly built whose foundation is Jesus Christ.
After reading of the excellence of the church we could feel inadequate to be a part of such an wonderful body. Yet, Paul is not trying to discourage people from becoming part of the church. Rather, His purpose is to admonish us to Act Like Who You Are, You are God’s Holy Temple!
MAIN BODY
I. Christians are grown in God’s Field. 1 Cor. 3:1–9
A. Workers in the field are God’s Servants.
1. They are mere men.
2. Only Servants following Christ.
B. God is the owner of the field.
C. God supplies the seed.
D. God makes his field grow.
II. Christians are the building blocks of God’s Building. 1 Cor. 3:9–15
A. God’s Temple requires a Solid Foundation. Matt. 7:24–27
B. The Foundation was laid at great cost.
C. Great care is required in building God’s temple.
1. Because of the great cost already paid.
2. Because of the material used to build it. 1 Peter 2:4–5
III. Caring for God’s Temple. 1 Cor. 3:16–22
A. The Devil cannot destroy the church. Matt. 16:15–18
B. Divisiveness is sinful. Titus 3:9–11
C. Dividing the church is destroying God’s Temple.
Mitchell Skelton, Minister–Midway church of Christ
http://www.thelordsway.com/midway