KINGDOM LIVING: Growing In Maturity pt. 3

KINGDOM LIVING

April 14, 2024

GROWING MATURITY Part 3

1 Corinthians 3:5-15

Good morning:

INTRODUCTION:

Matthew 12:25 (NIV) “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” 

Matthew 16:18 (NLT) “I will build My church, and all of the powers of hell will not conquer it.”

TEXT:

1 Corinthians 3:5-17 (NIV) ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Highlights:

1 Corinthians 3.5-9,16 (NIV) ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 3:12 (NIV) ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation….

1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV) …you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) …you yourselves are God’s temple.

THREE THINGS:

1.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV) here’s how: ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV) ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV) ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field…

1 Corinthians 3:9a (NIV) ⁹ For we are co-workers…

1 Corinthians 3:8 (NIV) The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

Joshua 7:13 (NIV) “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.’”

Jeremiah 4:3 (NIV) This is what the Lord says to the people… “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.”

Hosea 10:12-13 (NIV) Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength…

2.

1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV) ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (NIV) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 (NIV) ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

1 Corinthians 3:13b-15 (NIV) It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

3.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) You are God’s temple… God’s Spirit dwells in you…

What does it mean ”You are the temple of God?”

• The Holy Spirit s in you.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

2 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV) He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 5:5 (NIV) Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Ephesians 1:13b-14 (NIV) When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

• The Holy Spirit you.

John 16:7 (NIV) But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV) What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

• The Holy Spirit you

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

He is the producer of Christlikeness!

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NIV) Do not quench the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:30 (NIV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV) ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit…

CONCLUSION:

1 Corinthians 3:18-23 (NIV) ¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” ²¹ So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Paul tells us three things;

Do not yourselves (3:19-20).

Have a proper view of yourself (3:18-20).

Have a proper view of others (3:21-23).

PRAYER: