GROWN UP CHRISTIANS – Babies Are Cute, but Not When They Have to Shave
1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (p. 794) May 17, 2015
Steve Farrar wrote a great book called “Point Man.” It focuses on godly men leading their wives, families and friends. He says:
“We’re all selfish. Selfish to the core. God sometimes chooses to deal with our selfishness by giving us someone to care for who is infinitely more selfish than you. Babies are not only the cutest creatures on the face of the earth, they are by far the most selfish. Farrar goes on to write: “The way God deals with my own selfishness is to give me someone to serve who has zero interest in serving me. You can’t tell me that God doesn’t have a sense of humor. Not too many people in the world could out-selfish me one-on-one. But every time we’ve had a baby, I’ve met my match. Each of my kids resembled me. I don’t mean they looked like me, I mean they were as selfish as me. That meant that somebody in the family was going to have to grow up. Guess who was nominated?”
We know who gets nominated! He did! I’ve entitled this message, “Babies are (cute) nice but not when they have to shave!”
Just because you hear a Spirit filled message on Sunday morning doesn’t mean you’ll listen to the Holy Spirit when He asks you to apply it on Wednesday or Thursday.
James says, “Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
The Corinthians had been given the “milk” of God’s Word, the gospel...the essential vitamins of infancy in Christ...but they remained “worldly” people....how could you tell? Jealousy...quarreling.
The Apostle Paul had given them the foundation of Jesus to build on, but instead of building a solid temple for God’s Spirit to dwell in and work through...They build a worldly “little pig” house out of wood, hay and straw.
Instead of growing as spirit led men and women walking in faith, the Corinthians are still on the bottle and barely able to crawl. Both men and women... “Brothers and Sisters I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ.”
Let me start by saying:
I. GOD INTENDED FOR BABIES TO BE DEPENDANT ON OTHERS
[When Kari was born her mother Nancy almost died because of an infection in her body...she came very close to having her leg amputated. She was in a hospital in Panama City Florida...and for the first 9 weeks of Kari’s life she was with her aunt Joy in New Jersey. It wasn’t possible for Nancy to take care of her, so Joy did. Kari bonded with Joy in a way that still shows its strength even today. Why? All of us know...baby Kari needed nourishment, protection and love...and God did just that through Joy. By the way...I cannot even fathom how hard that must have been for Nancy and Ken who loved their first child and were fighting for Nancy’s life.]
Babies are the most dependant creations on the face of the earth. Left alone they will not survive for long. Babies have to have people caring for them...and MAN! They’ll let you know when they want something! Even if it’s 2 am.
When scripture tells us in Philippians chapter 2 that “Jesus made himself nothing...being made in human likeness being found in appearance as a man...He humbled himself...
(v. 7-8)
An understatement? The creator of the entire universe...the one John’s Gospel (chapter 1) says “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” (v. 3)
The creator of all things is born of a virgin, through the miraculous intervention of God’s Spirit...And the Word...The Logos of creation becomes “flesh”...an infant...the most dependant of all His creation...a baby to be cared for...Humbling Himself...yeah...kinda!”
God would understand every aspect of humanity...what you and I go through by experience...“We have someone who is able to empathize with our weaknesses, one who was tempted in every way like we are – yet, He did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
God intended for babies to be dependent on others....He even experienced that Himself through Christ.
No wonder spiritually we go through the same process as being born...only it’s a rebirth, being born again according to Jesus... “Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
Spiritual conception comes with conviction of our sin, faith leads us to respond to that seed being planted with confession, repentance, baptism...and the Spirit of God is a gift...just as He was used in Mary’s physical conception...He is the agent of our Spiritual rebirth. Jesus said, “Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit...you should not be surprised at me saying you must be born again. (John 3:6-7)
And new Christians are infants in Christ...Babies who are very dependent upon others for their basic needs. It’s by God’s design that Spiritual fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, older brothers and sisters pour resources into these new lives.
[Paul even uses a farming illustration “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
The goal whether you’re the one who planted the seed or the one tending it...you have one purpose...GROWTH...A Harvest.
If you’re a parent...you have one goal: Help your baby grow up to be a man or woman who has maturity. It’s my job as a dad to try to give my sons and daughters the tools they need to build a quality Godly life...and there’s only one foundation that’s going to stand the storms of life...Jesus Christ.
Babies are cute...but not when they have to shave! Christian babies...new lives are what the Church is about...But there are problems if you’re not growing up.
II. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BABIES WAY TOO LONG
The Apostle Paul says, “I gave you milk...tried to feed you solid food...but you wouldn’t grow enough to eat it...you’re still not ready to eat it...And He says, “Do you know how I know that?
1. You are still worldly.
Remember one of the big differences in spiritual rebirth is...you and I had a life before Jesus...a life of selfishness... a life where our primary purpose was to get what we wanted, even if it was something good...we wanted it for self glorification not Jesus’ glorification.
Paul is once again using the theme of infants and God’s plan for spiritual growth which brings unity in His family in Ephesians 4...verse 14 tells us Spiritual infants are wishy washy, tossed here and there by worldly philosophies and goals...and in verse 15 He tells them to speak the truth with love so we can grow up...He’s getting real when He continues in
EPHESIANS 4:17-24 (p. 816)
Worldly living people have futile thinking methods, that means it’s useless, ineffective thinking that doesn’t produce what’s wanted (i.e. If I just get this I’ll be happy...If I just have the right person in my life I’ll be happy...futile thinking).
Worldly people become darkened in their understanding. Everything is bad...everyone has ulterior motives...Nothing can be used by God. There is a demonic quality in their wisdom and actions. It separates worldly people from the life of God.
People who live like the world are hardened of heart and are not sensitive to God’s Spirit. A callous has been formed over time...and possibly the most hardened people are those who hear the word of God on a regular basis but never apply it...never let it go beyond their hearing...James says, “They are like someone who looks in the mirror and then when they leave, quickly forgets what they look like.
According to God’s Word the results of doing this, living as a worldly baby are: sensuality (pleasing self – what you see, taste, hear, feel, smell) and Greed. “Give me what I want...now!” “If I don’t get my way I’ll cry until I do!”
Paul says, “That however is not the way of life you learned.” (Ephesians 4:20)
Maybe the characteristic of Christians who have remained babies way too long that affects the body of Christ most often and horribly is:
2. People worship that causes division.
In our text the Corinthian Church is divided because of jealousy and quarreling. What are they fighting about...Which leader it was best to follow.
Apollos was a learned Jew from Alexandria who was an amazing Apologist for the Gospel, especially after a godly couple named Aquilla and Priscilla took him under their wing (Acts 19).
And we know the Apostle Paul’s story...from conversion on the Damascus Road, as a Pharisee persecuting the Church...to God’s instrument to the Gentiles and Jews...both amazingly Godly servants...but cliques had broken out in Corinth...and the jealousy and fighting came about because people began to use worldly methods to determine worth and value, for themselves and others...“I follow Paul!” verses “I follow Apollos!” had nothing to do with the 2 godly men...it had everything to do with “I’m better than you...and you’re not as “Christian” as me!
Jesus said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Matthew 12:25)
You think the bloods and crips are bad gangs...just wait until you see what a worldly baby can do when he or she begins to selectively target a person of influence and starts pulling their “gang” together in the church.
So is there any remedy for us...is there any way for us to “be of one heart and mind...seeking to fulfill one purpose?”
The good news is...ABSOLUTELY!
III. WE BECOME SERVANTS WHO SPEAK THE TRUTH WITH LOVE
The reason Paul is addressing this issue is that godly leaders are “big picture” people. The whole is greater than one single part. It’s why the first quality of a godly leader in Acts 6 is “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”...Our natural tendency is to want to please people...especially our friends or our circle of influence....but Godly men and women will become kingdom people as they grow to maturity.
“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose...and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.” (1 Cor. 3:8)
The unity bond is created because: “We are co-workers in God’s service...(Godly leaders realize) people are God’s field...God’s building.” (1 Cor. 3:9)
God’s field, God’s building...The people we call the Church have two very primary purposes...1. Reach the lost...2. Disciple the saved...That priority is built on a foundation of Jesus...not Paul, not Apollos, not Rick or any other of our men and women in ministry positions...As I end, look with me at Ephesians 4:15...Where Paul says we can be infants or “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
[You remember Christopher Reeves...He wasn’t the original Superman, but he’s the one I remember best. Like this:
SHOW SUPERMAN PIC
He really looked like Superman...strong, muscular, ready to fly. He had an accident in the prime of his life. He broke his neck in a riding accident...and became paralyzed...a quadriplegic, in a wheelchair...needing a ventilator to breathe for him.
SHOW PICTURE IN WHEELCHAIR
Messages from Christopher’s head stopped being sent to his body because the communication was severed...and when godly people stop listening to our lead, Jesus Christ the same thing happens spiritually to the body of Christ that happened to Superman.]
Folks, I love you...I will try my best to serve you...but I will also try my best to be a growing child of God...and if I sense the Holy Spirit telling me to speak truth to you..I will...in love.
Let’s pray.
