UP! UP! AND AWAY
I CORINTHIANS 2:6-4:21
INTRODUCTION: The church at Corinth was gifted, guided and graced. As a result she should have been sailing, soaring and sharing. Instead she was stifled, stymied and snared. She was concerned with glamour, glitz and glory and that’s the reason she was divided, demoralized and defeated. I know that drives some of you crazy! So what’s the point? The church needed what most churches need today. She needed to be up, up, and away. Let me explain.
She needed to:
I. Wise-Up (2:6-16)
This passage deals with wisdom. Remember there are two kinds of wisdom – sacred and secular (James 3:13-18). One is the world’s way, the other God’s way. The city of Corinth was saturated with worldly wisdom. It was creeping into the church. The church needed to wise up. So do we. But how?
A. Look at the Revelation (v.10): God’s wisdom had been previously hidden but has now been revealed. Paul had received it. We all can receive. It’s found in the Bible. The Bible has been penned, packaged and published. Make it your priority.
B. Listen to the Explanation (v.13): Only God knows what God thinks. That’s why He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit explains (illumines) and teaches us.
C. Live out the Transformation (v.16): Our thoughts need to be changed to God’s way of thinking. Learn to think every day more like God. See Rom. 12:1-2. More meditation and more saturation (in God’s word & wisdom) lead to more transformation. Wise-up!
II. Grow-Up (3:1-15)
This section deals with immaturity. There comes a time when kids need to get rid of the bottle and blanket and grow-up. Note that Paul mentions two groups – those perishing and those being saved. He also mentions three classifications – lost, saved, and carnal. There were a lot of carnal (worldly) people in the church. They were not growing up. Their carnality was manifested in their jealousy and quarreling. Infants are generally self-centered and only concerned for their own comfort. Grow-up! But how?
A. Eat Right (3:1-4): Lay off the junk food (worldly wisdom). Feed on Christ and His word (Bible – God’s wisdom).
B. Get Yourself a Personal Trainer (3:5-9): Preachers are needed, they just don’t need to be worshiped. See 4:1-2, 9-13. Ministers are nothing more than servants, stewards and spectacles. The best trainer you can get is Jesus Himself!
C. Exercise (3:10-15): “Build.” Boxing great Joe Frazier said, “If I lack discipline, neglect exercise or slack off on my work-outs it will always tell on me in the ring.”
III. Check-Up (3:16-23)
At issue here is attitude. Some need a check-up from the neck-up. A right attitude will keep us from being:
A. Destructive (3:16-17): “Temple” = mentioned four times here. The reference here is to His church and the entire Christian community. Let all troublemakers beware! To tamper with harmony and unity is to unconsciously flirt with God’s judgment.
B. Deceptive (3:18-21): “Craftiness” = guided by worldly standards.
C. Defeated (3:21-23): The church owns the whole world. The devil may occupy it now but it belongs to the church.
CONCLUSION: Wise-up, grow-up and check-up, and away you will go!
