NO MERE MEN-IV—1Corinthians 3:1-9
Paul reveals the traits of unspiritual men.
Unspiritual men are unable to exist in harmony.
Why are the unspiritual unable to live in harmony?
Because...No mere men can Overcome...
And as we discovered previously—No mere men can Overcome...
1. IMMATURITY(:1)
2. DIET(:2-3a)Sustenance
3. ENVY(:3bi)
4. STRIFE(:3bii)
5. DIVISIVENESS(:3biii)
6—No mere men can Overcome
BEHAVIORS(:3b)
Explanation:(:3b)Self-help
:3b—“...For where there are envy, strife, & divisions among you, are you not carnal & behaving like mere men?”
Examples of willful immaturity are “envy, strife & divisions.” These maladies which oppose God’s work exist “among” the constituency/membership/congregation of the church itself. These are openly brought before the church as evidence against them. These maladies should not even exist among them, much less be accepted & unnoticed as part of the fabric of church life.
Paul rhetorically point blank asks them to put two & two together. To recognize for themselves that “envy, strife & divisions”(which are present “among” them) go hand in hand with fleshly, immature Christian living!
Such behaviors in the church are in effect the behaviors of “mere men” unchanged by the Gospel of Christ! Thus they are “behaving” as if they had not experienced the blessing of new birth & are in fact unregenerate.
The unregenerate can never rise above their own abilities as they trust themselves over & above Jesus. Being without Christ Jesus, these never attain to the advantage of God’s supernatural power.
?What does this say to those in Christ?
**!All behaviors are a product of belief!
Behaviors are the way we relate to one another. God is the determiner of the way we are intended to relate to one another.
There is a heresy which supposes behavior is irrelevant because we are body, soul, & spirit. These envision a total independence of the functions of these parts. However the reality is that these parts all function together to make us who we are. Whereas if they do not, such theorizing makes it possible to so separate behavior(in the body) from soul & spirit, that we cannot be held accountable for our actions with behaviors thus having no bearing upon our relationship with God in Christ. Only God can bring about the separation of these components.
*Behaviors are not the determiners of your relation to God, but they are the evidence of your relation to God.
“Carnal/Worldly/of Flesh”(See :3a, 4)—sarkikov—Adj.—1) Fleshly, carnal—1a) Having the nature of flesh, i.e. under the control of the animal appetites—1a1) Governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God, 1a2) Having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature, 1a3) Human: with the included idea of depravity, 1b) Pertaining to the flesh—1b1) To the body: related to birth, linage, etc. Sarkikov means fleshly, that which is controlled by the wrong desires which rule in the flesh, flesh often being understood in its broad sense, see sarx. It describes a man who gives the flesh the dominion in his life, a place which does not belong to it by right. It means distinctly opposed to the Spirit of God, anti-spiritual. Strong—Pertaining to flesh, i.e. (by extension)--Bodily, temporal, or (by implication)--Animal, unregenerate. Used 11X.
“Behaving/Walk/Acting/Living”—peripatew—1) To walk—1a) To make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities, 1b) Hebrew for, to live—1b1) To regulate one's life, 1b2) To conduct one's self, 1b3) To pass one's life. Strong—To tread all around, i.e. Walk at large(especially as proof of ability); figuratively--To live, deport oneself, follow(as a companion or votary).
Argumentation:
Gal. 5:16-17, 25—I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, & the Spirit against the flesh; & these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”…..“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Rom. 13:10-14—“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, & let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry & drunkenness, not in lewdness & lust, not in strife & envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, & make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
1Cor. 13:4-7—“Love suffers long & is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1Jn. 4:7-10, 16-17—“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; & everyone who loves is born of God & knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”.....“And we have known & believed the love that God has for us. God is love, & he who abides in love abides in God, & God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”
1Thess. 4:9-12—“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; & indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more & more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, & to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, & that you may lack nothing.”
Rom. 7:20-25—“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, & bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Illustration:
Negative—Bazooka(Sam’s cat(one of our ‘grand-kitties’)) sitting on my notes or walking on kitchen counter while we are preparing food—obnoxious & nasty!/If that cat was beyond a cat it would understand not to do such things without a swat from me!/He has no capacity or capability for ‘doing the right thing’ other than the reception of punishment/BEHAVIORS
Positive—As local church members, We may see our personal ‘preference’ pushed aside in favor of a different one(Carpet-hardwood-concrete, Colors, Calendar, Lighting Food, etc.)/You could complain about it—taking issue with it—but choose not to because Christ has convicted you that such Behavior would be detrimental to the whole/BEHAVIORS
I was recently asked if it would be okay if we repeated ‘Blue-Jean Sunday’/I of course said a resounding ‘Sure!, why not?!’/I was late told that the theme would be changed to ‘Westerns Sunday’—to which I replied, ‘No problem’!/That Sunday it was in the bulletin that ‘Western Sunday’ would be celebrated the last Sunday of the next month/I confessed to the church(which is congregational) that it was not handled properly in that no official vote had been presented to the congregation/I likewise confessed that I absolutely knew that in some meeting somewhere, whether it related to the calendar directly or not, that I would catch some flack for ‘themeing’ that Sunday/Yes, it would usually have been handled in a business meeting…But it is not a matter of doctrine…There is no need to ‘have a cow’ over the decision, to ‘make a mountain out of a molehill’/If it sis a bad decision, then we have one more opportunity for a business meeting & if we want to support ‘Wastern Sunday’ or can it, then its okay with me either way/Let’s not make issues out of things that should not be made into issues/Our failures do not have to divide!/BEHAVIORS
People steeped in drug culture see no conflict in their actions—ultimate Provision(values attaining it), Relationships, Right vs. wrong is blurred & skewed subjectively/BEHAVIORS
Application:
?You a Mere Man/Woman?
?You Overcome BEHAVIORS or have they overcome you?
7—No mere men can Overcome
MINISTRY(:4-5)
Explanation:(:4-5)Duty-Expedience vs. Calling-Servanthood
:4—“For when one says, "I am of Paul," & another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?”
Both Paul & Apollos are two recognized leaders in the church of God. Apollos was sent to Corinth by Paul himself in order to help edify the church there.
“Such ‘party-lining’ is not the fault of the ministers themselves but is that of the recipients of the ministry. Such reduce & manipulate truth into a matter of pride[carnality].” Although this can occur on both ends as well.—BKSherman—Sermon—1Cor. 1:10-17 2013
“People naturally have different tastes about styles of preaching & that is well, but Apollos refused to be a party to this strife & soon returned to Ephesus & refused to go back to Corinth (1Co 16:12).”—RWP
Acts 18:24-19:1—“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man & mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; & being fervent in spirit, he spoke & taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila & Priscilla heard him, they took him aside & explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; & when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus...”
1Cor. 1:10-13—“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, & that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind & in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”
1Cor. 16:12—“Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time.”
:5—“Who then is Paul, & who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?”
Paul now exonerates both himself as well as Apollos by explaining their relation to “the Lord’s” work. Though pitted against one another in the Corinthian’s minds, both Paul & Apollos are both “ministers” of the same ‘cause,’ working together in order to bring about Christian ‘belief” in those to whom they minister. The specific group to whom they minister & to whom this admonishment is directed is the church of God at Corinth(1:2).
Both Paul & Apollos minister together toward the same ends in accordance with the particular giftedness each has been granted. They “minister” differently due to their individual giftedness(1Cor. 12:4-6, 12). Yet they minister with a common goal of honoring God in Christ. Thus ministers of God are never to be ‘party-lined.’
1Cor. 12:4-6, 12—“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.”.....“For as the body is one & has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
*Ministry is NOT a competitive sport, but IS rather a cooperative/conglomerative effort/endeavor, entered into & maintained thru the love of Jesus.
The lowliest servant is still not a servant unless he wills himself to be.
Out of Gratitude/Love/Concern for the master’s will.
“Ministers”—diakonov—1) One who executes the commands of another, especially of a master, a servant, attendant, minister—1a) The servant of a king, 1b) A deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor & has charge of & distributes the money collected for their use, 1c) A waiter, one who serves food & drink. Diakonov represents the servant in his activity for the work; not in his relation to a person. Diakonov also may designate either a slave or a freeman, it denotes a servant viewed in relation to his work. Strong—probably from an obsolete diakw(to run on errands; compare diwkw[to pursue or persecute]); An attendant, i.e. genitive case--A waiter(at table or in other menial duties); specially--A Christian teacher & pastor (technically--A deacon or deaconess).
“Believed”—pisteuw—1) To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. His fidelity. Strong—from pistiv; To have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust(especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
“Gave”(See :10)—didwmi—
Argumentation:
1Cor. 4:1-2—“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ & stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”
**2Cor. 3:2-6—“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known & read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as [being] from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
1Cor. 3:10-15—“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, & another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; & the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
**1Cor. 12:1-11—“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, & no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one & the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Don’t operate outside realm of of God’s choice for you!
Complaints— Mat. 23:1-4—“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds & to His disciples, saying: "The scribes & the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do & observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things & do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens & lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.”
Eph. 3:5-13—[of Paul’s “knowledge in the mystery of Christ”]“which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles & prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, & partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness & access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”
**1Tim. 4:6—“If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith & of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”
**1Pet. 4:7-13—“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory & the dominion forever & ever. Amen. Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Mat. 20:25-28—“But Jesus called them to Himself & said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, & those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, & to give His life a ransom for many.”
Heb. 6:9-12—“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work & labor of love which you have shown toward His name, [in that] you have ministered to the saints, & do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith & patience inherit the promises.”
Illustration:
We all know of:
Orphanage employees/No concern for the welfare of children/Neglect & abuse reign/No MINISTRY
Nursing home employees/Job vs, Career/No concern for welfare of Mommas & Daddies, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc./Neglect & abuse reign/No MINISTRY
Medical Doctors/Many enter the procession for money alone/Neglect & abuse reign/No MINISTRY
However:
**The opposite happens when we hold the same positions as Christians under compulsion of the Holy Spirit/Love, nurture reign!/MINISTRY!!
Application:
?You a Mere Man/Woman?
?You Overcome MINISTRY or has it overcome you?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
No mere men can Overcome...
6. BEHAVIORS(:3b)
7. MINISTRY(:5)
1. IMMATURITY(:1)
2. DIET(:2-3a)Sustenance
3. ENVY(:3bi)
4. STRIFE(:3bii)
5. DIVISIVENESS(:3biii)
Christians are no mere men!
Pts. 8-9 Presented 07/27/2014pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 6-9 Presented 04/19/98pm to:
Penia Baptist Church
3738 Old Penia Rd.
Cordele, GA 31015
