Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Title: Where the Rubber Meets the Road, Date/Place: NRBC, 8/8/10, AM
A. Opening illustration: Tell some story about being stuck with a needle, maybe that one about the needle going all the way through my hand…and say what they always say, “OK now, just a little stick…”
B. Background to passage: Remember that Paul is addressing the congregation about the division within the church. After having spent a chapter and a half undermining their desire to seek worldly approval and wisdom by aligning themselves with the “most wise, articulate orators” among their teachers, Paul begins to chop at one of the roots of the problem of division: carnality. The word simply means fleshly or of the flesh. The word didn’t have to have a bad connotation, but biblically, it usually does. He had already hinted at the lack of maturity among them as a contributing factor, but here he deals with it front and center. And building off that thought about the natural vs. the immature vs. the spiritual, he pursues immaturity, and explains
C. Main thought: in this text we will see Paul addressing root cause #1 of division in the church
A. The Cause of Division (v. 1-3a)
1. Up to this point Paul has been peripheral in his argument against the wisdom and allegiance sought out by the church members; gloves are off now; he is being very direct. Note that he does address them as brethren, acknowledging their genuine conversion, or at least its possibility and their profession. But then alluding to his “mature” comment in 2:6, he tells them that he can’t speak the deep things of God (2:10) because of their carnality (fleshliness, Adam’s nature, that should be being worked out or at least mitigated through sanctification) and their immaturity. In fact he says that they are infants in Christ. In Christ, but tiny infants that can’t even talk. And this is after five years of being believers. He says that they are not able to eat steak, they have to have milk, not even baby food. Just BTW, milk is not always bad. And they are immature because of the carnality. Some translations make this word “worldliness,” which is not a good translation, but a good interpretation. In Paul’s mind, this is unacceptable, inexcusable, blameworthy, detrimental, and unnecessary.
2. Matt 16:23, 1 Cor 14:20, Eph 4:13-14, Heb 5:11-14,
3. Illustration: “Nothing is more precious or wonderful than a little baby. But a twenty-one year old with the mind of an infant is heartbreaking. A baby who acts like a baby is a joy; but an adult that acts like a baby is a tragedy.” –JM, one pastor’s definition of worldliness, “worldliness is much deeper than bad habits; it is an orientation, a way of thinking and believing. Basically it is buying into the world’s philosophies, and buying human wisdom. It is looking to the world—to human leaders, to influential and popular people, to neighbors, to associates, and fellow students—for our standards, attitudes, and meaning. Worldliness is accepting the world’s definitions, the world’s measuring sticks, the world’s goals.” Got a book on the shelf called Fool’s Gold, and it is all about a spiritually immature Christian church and community that is not discerning enough to distinguish between good truth and bad truth, and is captive to Christian fads and their wholesale acceptance, thus they spend time “outing” some major Christian books for their poor, and sometimes heretical doctrine. And several of them would be on your shelves at home! Andrew Murray said: “The Christian who is still carnal has neither desire nor strength to follow after God. He rests satisfied with the prayer of habit or custom.”
4. Carnality is a pattern of behavior that believers can be ensnared in, but it is not permanent, long term, but not permanent. And difficult to distinguish from the natural/unconverted/unspiritual man, as we will see below. Carnality and worldliness is more about thought than about behavior, although the two are intrinsically linked. How you think will determine how you act. Being an immature Christian really doesn’t have much to do with how long you have been a Christian, but by your progression in the faith, what kind of food you can process. What is your diet made up of? What kinds of Christian books are you reading? What are you listening too? Who are your favorite teachers? What kinds of truth do you think about, wrestle with? What sorts of sins are you attempting to kill? Remember that you will be held accountable for your progression in the Christian faith. It is not all about effort, but most of the time our lack of growth is directly related to our lack of effort and pursuit of Christ.
B. The Symptoms of Division/Carnality (v. 3b-4)
1. Next Paul continues his argument as to why he can’t speak deep truths to them, and gives them the proof of how he knows that their problem is carnality—their behavior. See, the Corinthians thought they were “spiritual” Paul is probably using their own language. Notice that he starts out his explanation with “for,” other translations render it “since…as long as…when,” noting the proof/reasoning of his previous statement. Because jealousy and strife exist in the congregation, you are carnal. BTW, these two aren’t the only manifestations of carnality. These are behaviors, that’s what he says, “you are behaving like mere men.” He has in mind “natural men,” unconverted, without the Spirit, in Adam. Translation: “You are not as spiritual as you think you are; look at your behavior. It indicates the opposite. You think like the world, therefore you act like the world, thus causing the division that is so sinful. Stop acting like this; this is how the world operates.”
2. 2 Cor 12:20; Gal 5:15, 5:19-21; Jam 3:16, 4:1-2, Rom 6:11-14,
3. Illustration: “It is typical of an infant or young child to be selfish, but it should not be typical of an adult, especially not a Christian adult. It is spiritually infantile to be jealous and cause strife among fellow believers, and it betrays a fleshly perspective.” –JM, B. Instead of focusing on his own life, and keeping himself in a right, vibrant, relationship with the Lord, he is virtually always concerned with, watching, critiquing, and criticizing those around him. C. It seems that whoever he is focused on can do no right. D. If this person is not doing what he thinks he ought to be doing, he criticizes him for his inaction. E. If the person he is focusing on is actively involved, he criticizes him for wanting all the attention, or for wanting to run everything. F. If the person of his focus is doing something he wants him to do, he is not doing it the way he should be. G. In other words, whether he is focusing on an individual or other people in general, it doesn’t matter what they do, something will always be wrong with it. H. Somehow, the carnal Christian always feels he is being shortchanged; he is always being upstaged; someone who ‘certainly doesn’t deserve it’ is always being seen or treated as superior to him.
4. Sometimes many of us who think that we are spiritual, act pretty carnal. We fuss and fight and get mad and refuse to talk to people, but are glad to talk about them to others. When you go in some churches and figure out what’s really going on, it’s like going back to high school! Offices operate like this, schools operate like this, families operate like this, but it should not be so in the church. Cliques, factions, envy, agendas, grudges, harsh feelings, outbursts, silent treatment, this is how the world acts. Let it not be said of us at New River, or you as an individual. And regardless of what we say, our behavior indicates our failure in the battle against sin. And some of you are involved in these things, all of us get drawn in at some times; and some of you are attempting to kill these sins in your life. Kinda like that game in arcades with the big mallet where you wack the little heads when they pop up. Let me encourage you to keep killing the flesh! Keep waging war on yourself and the old man that is within us. And if your behavior indicates that you are fleshly in some areas, acknowledge it, repent from it, trust Christ to overcome it, memorize scripture about, pray for it’s death, get someone to hold you accountable, and then bury it’s cold dead lifeless body in the graveyard of past sins, and pile enough stones on it to keep it that way, lest it be resurrected!
C. The Cure for Division (v. 5-9)
1. Finally Paul begins to give some more instruction to aid in the Corinthians distress. Already he has instructed about a proper understanding of the wisdom of God and the futility of the world’s wisdom. Now he moves on to develop and understanding of the church, it’s leaders, and it’s Owner that will begin to poison the roots of this division. Four misunderstandings that are rooted in carnality, and causing division. 1) Servants: Paul says we (he, Apollos, Peter) are only servants. Word used here is diakonos, which is the word from where we get deacons—1 Tim 3:8. So Paul was a deacon? No, the word means table-waiter, a menial servant, one who brings the food that has been prepared by a Master Chef. We are only delivery boys. We are only tools in the hands of the master. 2) Roles: Paul, Apollos, and God all have their unique roles. Neither Paul’s nor Apollos’s role possess any power to accomplish anything outside of God and His aid. But all were different. 3) Goals: He who plants, waters, reaps are one. All of them as believers, as pastors, as servants have a common goal. They are working together both with their eyes fixed on the Christ-exalting harvest. So why would you pit them against one another? 4) Church: Paul reminds them that the servants belong to the Farmer, the tools, and the church all belong to Christ. He says you are God’s field and building, He is growing and building and giving the increase. It is not about us, it is about Him. He owns it all, and everything is for Him.
2. Heb 13:7, 1 Cor 12:16-21, Col 1:16,
3. Illustration: No one builds a monument to a paintbrush when a masterpiece is finished, nor to a hammer when an architect designs a building, it would be like pitting the quarterback against his wide receiver, like pitting the salt against the pepper, like the husband against the wife,
4. 1) Pastors/staff are only ministers, table-waiters. Deacons are the same. You are all the same as well. You are tools in the masters hand, and worthy of no special esteem. We all may be great table-waiters, but simply that…a busboy. 2) Each of us have differing roles within the body of Christ. God has placed you in this body for a purpose, and that purpose is to edify the church. How are you edifying? Nobody’s job is to simply sit back and enjoy on Sunday mornings for an hour a week. Do not be jealous or self-righteous because of your role or of someone else’s role. God’s designed roles work best. And God’s roles will be empowered by God’s supply. 3) We all should have the same goal. Our opinions may be different on how exactly to meet that goal, but we have the same ends that we are attaining. Infighting within the church always subverts the goal because it puts people who are on the same team against one another. Please realize that you and that person that you have a disagreement with are on the same team at New River. Your and their goal is to see a great harvest of disciples made and presented to Christ as a spotless bride and a trophy of His grace. 4) Life is about Christ, church is about Christ, work is about Christ, family is about Christ, and it is supported and sustained by Christ’s power, and upheld by His hand. Relinquish all personal glorying and allegiances and agenda’s and ask Him what He wants for His world, His church, and His servants. And once we reach this understanding of the church, our focus will be once again on Him, and our self-focus will become a God-focus; and thus attributing glory unto Him alone.
A. Closing illustration: Most know that this last week my daughter Tiffany had twin boys. I am going to highlight what I observed about what it means to act like an infant!
My Observations:
a. They are totally dependent on others for their care.
b. They cannot eat solid food because otherwise they will choke on the food and die.
c. They are small and fragile.
d. They are helpless.
e. They are vulnerable.
f. The boys were having a hard time maintaining their body temperature so they had to be placed in incubators to stay warm and healthy.
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
