NO MERE MEN-X—1Corinthians 3:1-23
—SECTION 3(:18-23) Their BOAST—
Attention:
When it comes down to it, without tools, Mere Men’s abilities are severely limited, accomplishing only a very small amount of the work they desire.
All mankind realizes that their world is in need of a s(S)avior. Realizing that as Mere Men they cannot accomplish their greatest need…dealing decisively with sin.
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...
As we have discovered previously—No mere men can Overcome...
—SECTION 1(3:1-9)—
Their NATURE:
1. IMMATURITY(:1)
2. DIET(:2-3a)Sustenance
3. ENVY(:3bi)
4. STRIFE(:3bii)
5. DIVISIVENESS(:3biii)
6. BEHAVIORS(:3b)
7. MINISTRY(:4-5)
8. SIGNIFICANCE(:6-7)
9. LABOR(:8-9)
—SECTION 2(3:9-17)—
Their BUILDING:
10. FOUNDATION(:9-11)
11. EDIFICE(:10b)
12. QUALITY(:12-15)
13. PURPOSE(3:16-17)
—SECTION 3(3:18-23)—
Their BOAST:
14. DECEPTION(:18-20)
No mere men can Overcome…
Their BOAST(:18-23)
15. POSSESSIONS(:21-23)
Explanation:(:21-23)
:21—“Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:”
Since the reasonings of the wise are useless, no one should “boast” in a person(cf. 1:11-13; 3:2-4ff.).
No one should “boast” in another because(“For”) “all things” belong to both the individual & the local church. “All things” are currently the possession of both the individual as well as the local church.
“Boasting in men” belies an assumption that some people possess, teach, & preach something above & beyond that of others.
“Boast”—kaucaomai—1) To glory (whether with reason or without); 2) To glory on account of a thing; 3) To glory in a thing. Strong—from some (obsolete)base akin to that of aucew(to boast) & eucomai[to wish; by implication--To pray to God]; To vaunt(in a good or a bad sense).
“Men”—anyrwpov—1) A human being, whether male or female; 2) indefinitely--Someone, a man, one; 3) in the plural--People; 4) joined with other words--Merchantman. Strong—from anhr[a man (properly as an individual male)] & wq(the countenance; from optanomai); Man-faced, i.e. A human being.
“All things”(See :22)—pav—Adj.—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—All, any, every, the whole.
“Yours”(See :22)—umwn—1) Of yours. Strong—genitive case of umeiv; Of(from or concerning) you.
:22—“whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours.
“All things” include—Paul, Apollos, Cephas(apostleship/leadership), “the world,” “life”, “death”, the “present”, & the future.
Innumerable things are bound up in our free gift of eternal life. Certain noteworthy ‘things’ belong to us, of which are:
—We have teachers(“Paul or Apollos or Cephas”) but are not bound to them apart from our common relationships with Christ.
—We know & are known by “the world” but we are not mastered by it.
—We die but “life” is not taken or lost.
—We live by/in the future presently.
“World”(See :19)—kosmov—
“Life”—zwh—1) Life—Zwh is existence, having death as its antithesis, biov - the period, means, manner, of existence. Hence the former is more naturally used of animal, the later of men; zoology, biography. NT usage exalts zwh & tends to debase biov. Strong—Life(literally or figuratively).
“Death”—yanatov—Strong—from ynhskw[to die (literally or figuratively)]; (properly--an adjective used as a noun) Death(literally or figuratively).
“Present”—enisthmi—1) To place in or among, to put in; 2) To be upon, impend, threaten; 3) Close at hand; 4) Present. Strong—To place on hand, i.e. reflexively--Impend, participle--Be instant. Used 7X.
“To come”—mellw—1) To be about—1a) To be on the point of doing or suffering something, 1b) To intend, have in mind, think to. Strong—a strengthened form of melw[To be of interest to, i.e. To concern](through the idea of expectation); To attend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something(of persons or things, especially events; in the sense of purpose, duty, necessity, probability, possibility, or hesitation).
(CONT...)No mere men can Overcome…
Their BOAST(:18-23)
15. POSSESSIONS(:21-23)
:23—“And you are Christ’s, & Christ is God’s.” ”
Nothing lies outside of Christ’s jurisdiction. “All things” are His possession & are therefore our possession for He has freely given us all things.
Rom. 6:23— “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We in-turn to, commit ourselves to, belong to, & are possessed by “Christ.”
“Christ” in-turn belongs to/is possessed by/ God.
**Again Paul transports & exhorts the Corinthians to gaze upon the outworking of their own immaturity as they are regarders of certain apostles/teachers, (cf. 1:12-13; 3:5-7) above that of their God & Savior.
1Cor. 15:22-28—“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule & all authority & power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
Jn. 14:5-9—“Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, & how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; & from now on you know Him & have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, & it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, & yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
Jn. 15:3-9—“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, & I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch & is withered; & they gather them & throw them into the fire, & they are burned. If you abide in Me, & My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, & it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
Argumentation:
Concerning :22’s exhortation:
1. God’s people are free from People(unhealthy Respect):
2Cor. 5:14-16—“For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; & He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them & rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh...”
Gal. 2:6—“... God shows personal favoritism to no man--for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.”
Rom. 2:11—“For there is no partiality with God.”
Job 34:19—“Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands.”
1Cor. 9:19-22—“For though I[Paul] am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; & to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
2. God’s people are free from “The World”(unhealthy Love)
1Cor 2:12— “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,...”
1John 2:15—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Jn. 15:16-19—“You did not choose Me, but I chose you & appointed you that you should go & bear fruit, & that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
1Jn. 5:3-4—“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.”
(CONT...)No mere men can Overcome…
Their BOAST(:18-23)
15. POSSESSIONS(:21-23)
3. God’s people are free from “Life”(unhealthy Existence)
Lk. 12:22-34(Mat. 6:24-34)—“Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, & the body is more than clothing. “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; & God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; & yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field & tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, & your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, & all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have & give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Php. 4:6, 7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
Dan. 3:14-18—“Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, & psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, & you fall down & worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego answered & said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, & He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
4. God’s people are free from “Death”(unhealthy Subjection):
Heb. 2:14-15—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
1Cor. 15:32—“If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat & drink, for tomorrow we die!”
True Christians welcome death because they will be with Jesus!
5. God’s people are free from ‘Time’(unhealthy Surrender/Occupation):
—“the Present” & ‘the Future’(“things to come”)—
We only have so much time.
Present—
Not held captive to current circumstances—avoiding possibilities of either future failure or grandiose plans. Afraid to change—settle for mediocrity.
Future—Possible/Imagined Circumstances—positive or negative:
Not held captive to a ‘what-if’ or ‘hope-so’ future.
Js. 4:13-16—“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such & such a city, spend a year there, buy & sell, & make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time & then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live & do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
Isa. 56:12—“Come,” one says, “I will bring wine, And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink; Tomorrow will be as today, And much more abundant.”
Ps. 31:14, 15—“But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand...”
Eph. 5:14-17—“Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Col. 4:5-6—“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
**No Mere Men can overcome their Possessions because they do not have it all as do Christians! (CONT...)No mere men can Overcome…
Their BOAST(:18-23)
15. POSSESSIONS(:21-23)
Illustration:
A few years back, a Capt. D’s Restaurant(seafood) TV commercial featured a man standing on a pier at the ocean with ~50 fishing rods, leaning against the rail—all 50 with their lines in the water/Someone walks up to the fisherman & asks, “Whatcha after?” He replies, “I want it all!”/POSSESSIONS
God’s people have it all in Christ!
We burn bank notes when our loans are paid off/That which had been a burden & focus is now legally & officially ours!/POSSESSIONs
—However, the Possession(s) of the lost & worldly can all be counted & numbered/And all of these are doomed to extinction with the world itself!/POSSESSIONs
Dedicated/Committed to
What do your actions reveal about your Allegiances?
Application:
?You Overcome POSSESSIONs or have they overcome you?
?In what/whom is your BOAST?
?You a Mere Man/Woman?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Action:
—SECTION 3(3:18-23)—
No mere men can Overcome their…
Their BOAST(:18-23)
15. POSSESSIONS(:21-23)
14. DECEPTION(:18-20)
—SECTION 1(3:1-9)—
No mere men can Overcome their...
Their NATURE(3:1-9)
1. IMMATURITY(:1)
2. DIET(:2-3a)Sustenance
3. ENVY(:3bi)
4. STRIFE(:3bii)
5. DIVISIVENESS(:3biii)
6. BEHAVIORS(:3b)
7. MINISTRY(:4-5)
8. SIGNIFICANCE(:6-7)
9. LABOR(:8-9)
—SECTION 2(3:9-17)—
No mere men can Overcome...
Their BUILDING(:9-17)
10. FOUNDATION(:9-11)
11. EDIFICE(:10b)
12. QUALITY(:12-15)
13. PURPOSE(3:16-17)
Presented 01/04/2014pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
