1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Temples of God
6/2/2002
Introduction:
Billy Graham in his book, World Aflame, tells a story about Dwight Eisenhower. During his term as president, he was vacationing in Denver. It came to his attention that a six-year old boy named Paul Haley was dying of an incurable cancer. He had one dream and that was someday to meet the president.
Eisenhower said to one of his aides, "Let’s go see Paul Haley." They got into the presidential limousine and they drove over one August Sunday morning to the home of Paul Haley who had no ideal that he was coming. Flags on the fenders were flying as this black limousine drove up. Doors flew open, and out walked the president, who knocked on the door.
Donald Haley, the father, wearing blue jeans, an old dirty shirt, and a day’s growth of beard, opened the door. He said, "Yes, can I help ya?" The president said, "Is Paul here? Tell him the president would like to see him."
And little Paul, to his amazement, walked around his father’s legs and stood and looked at into the face of the man he admired most. Eisenhower kneeled down, shook his hand, and took him out to see the presidential limousine. Before he said good-bye, he hugged little Paul Haley. They shook hands again and he left.
It was an exciting time for everyone, except Donald Haley, the father. He said, "How can I ever forget standing there dressed like I was in those jeans and an old, dirty shirt and an unshaven face to meet the president of the United States."
2. One of these days we will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. How tragic it would be to meet the Lord and be ashamed.
WBTU:
A. In our series of the 3:16’s of the Bible we come to the first letter to the Corinthians.
B. Last week we talked about 2 Corinthians. It was written mainly to defend Paul’s apostleship.
C. While Paul was in Ephesus just a few years after he founded the Church in Corinth, a delegation of leaders of the Corinthian church were sent to consult Paul about some very serious problems and disorders that had arisen in the Church. Paul wrote this letter to the church to address these problems.
D. What problems did they have? Many.
1. Factions- some follow this teacher, some follow another teacher
2. Immorality- a man had relations with his father’s wife.
3. Lawsuits- Christians were brining lawsuits against other Christians to the pagan courts.
4. Meat offered to idols- some were doing this and injuring the weak faith of some Christians.
5. Abuses of the Lord’s Supper- some were getting drunk at the Love feast.
6. Problems about marriage- which is better to be married or unmarried?
7. Disorderly conducts in the assemblies- people were talking all at once.
8. Woman’s part in the church- women were being rebellious against the men
9. Heresies about the resurrection- some teachers were saying that the resurrection had already happened, or Christ’s resurrection never occurred.
E. Very few churches have all of these problems at once. The Corinthian church did. Very troubled.
F. Chapter 3
1. Vs. 1-4 discuss how Paul is not going to give them meat but only the milk of the Word because most of them were still babies in Christ.
2. Vs. 5-9 discusses how Paul planted the seed of the gospel, Apollos watered it, but God gave the increase. He said this to combat their divisions over the best teachers.
3. Vs. 10-15 discusses how the foundation of the Church has already been laid. Each servant is simply building upon the foundation of Christ. The Day of Judgment will reveal how well each servant built upon that foundation. Some people’s service for the Lord will survive and they will receive a reward, others service will be burned up.
G. Vs. 16 is talking about how Christians are all indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
H. The temple was one. Christians should be one in the Spirit. When we get together in worship, we all display the presence of the Lord. Where two or three are gathered together.
I. Vs. 17 is talking about how the Corinthian Christians were destroying the temple by their carnal, or ungodly attitudes. Under the Old Covenant if anyone attempted to destroy the tabernacle or temple, he was under penalty of death. Jesus said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. This was blasphemous to the Jews. It is the same for the Christian. If anyone is attempting to destroy the church, he is under penalty of death.
J. Paul is telling them that they are not making the temple, the church holy by their sinful attitudes and prideful hearts. If the church is not holy, nothing will be holy. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
Thesis: As a church, we are all part of the temple of God. We need to be a spiritual, stable and sanctified temple.
For instances:
I. Spiritual temple- Read 1 Peter 2:5
A. We are to be a spiritual house.
1. Focus on things above.
2. Focus on the fundamentals.
3. We have another side of life that most do not have. Prayer, Word, Witnessing, Works without recognition, Standards and why we have those standards.
4. If someone chooses to live according to the wisdom and the practice of the world, he begins to corrupt and damage the church.
5. We should not treat each other as the world treats each other.
6. If these walls could speak.
B. Sanctified (holy priesthood)
1. We are all set aside like the Levites of Old.
2. Catholic priests and other groups wear clerical collars. This does not make us sanctified and holy.
3. Sanctification refers to the combined efforts of the Christian and the Holy Spirit to make the Christain become more holy.
4. Sanctification is a life-long process of trying to break sinful habits and trying to develop godly habits. Trying to imitate the example of Christ.
5. Begins at our conversion, continues throughout our Christian walk, and ends at Christ’s Second Coming.
6. We are Christians, little Christ’s. Christ is the high priest and we are all serve under him as priests.
C. Sacrifices
1. We all have to sacrifice. The Levites were the only ones who were to offer blood sacrifices.
2. What kind of sacrifices are we to offer?
1. Money, share possessions
2. Time
3. Talents
4. Sacrifice of praise, devotional time
5. Our bodies
3. Do not expect praise or recognition of your sacrifices. It was the job of the priest. (Luke 17:10 NIV) So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ’We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’"
II. Stable temple- Read Ephesians 2:20-22
A. We are grounded in the prophets, apostles and Jesus Christ.
B. We are to be stable. Not blown here and there, not flying off the handle, we are to be well grounded.
C. Helpers- we build on this foundation. We need to build solid structures. Paul said that if we do we get a reward.
D. Holiness (vs. 21)
1. To withdraw- new Christians sometimes have to withdraw.
2. To be separate- come out from them and be separate.
3. This building is not set aside for God; we are to be set aside for God.
4. The word here for temple is more than just the whole temple it is referring to the Holy of Hollies.
5. Paul said, "for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." Paul was demanding holiness on the part of every believer since we are the dwelling place of God.
3. I agree with Chuck Colson’s statement in Loving God: "Holiness is the everyday business of every Christian." It is an everyday business of every Christian because God lives in us and we are His Temple.
4. I Peter 1:16 says, "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
6. It is for this reason we are to guard ourselves from being defiled. The word "defile" and "destroy" are the same word. They speak of "spoiling, ruin, or corrupting." Paul is saying that when we take holiness lightly, God takes it seriously.
E. Habitation (vs. 22)
1. God comes and lives within us.
2. When we became Christians.
3. Are we making ourselves pleasant places for the Holy Spirit to dwell?
III. Sanctified temple- Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
A. Paul is discussing the issue that some Christians have gone into the temple prostitutes. Terrible.
B. Purity- Vs. 18 of Chapter 6.
C. Are we pure in our lives? Drugs? Alcohol? Fowl mouth? In our entertainment? In our personal habits of our body? In our personal habits of our mind? Are we supernaturally pure?
I think of the little song that children often sing in Sunday school:
Be careful little ears what you hear.
Be careful little eyes what you see.
Be careful little tongue what you say.
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love,
So be careful little tongue what you say.
** Arthur Moore loved to tell the story of a man who had been away from his home church for some years, involved in all kinds of shady practices and criminal activities. But when he came back to his home church and testimony time came, he was ready. He stood and said, "I’m so glad to be back in my own church, and I want to tell you that while it’s true that I have beaten my wife, that I have deserted my children, that I have stolen and lied and done all manner of evil and served several terms in jail- but I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that not once, in all that time, did I ever lose my religion!" Now, if your faith is nothing more than an insurance policy for heaven, if it has no effect on how you live and how you treat others now, then first of all, you are missing out on life. And second, you’d better check your motivation. Christianity is good because it works in day-to-day life.
D. Price- vs. 20
1. What was the price for our bodies and souls?
2. We are slaves of God. How well are we serving the Master?
E. Praise- vs. 20- glorify God in your body and in your spirit
1. How do we glorify God with our bodies?
a. Mouths
b. Hands.
c. Feet
d. Sexual issues
e. Even with what we eat.
f. Do we control our body or does our body control us?
g. Our body should be a temple, not a garage.
h. (1 Th 4:3 NIV) It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;(1 Th 4:4 NIV) that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
i. (1 Th 4:5 NIV) not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
Conclusion:
A. Vinton Church of Christ: Where Jesus Makes the Difference.
B. In 1st Corinthians, the Lord is our Resurrection.
C. Invitation
