As we continue in our brief study on “Living Right Side up in an upside down world…
Let me give you a little background for this passage of scripture… the church at Corinth…
Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ Oct 22, 2006
Living Right Side Up
In an Upside Down World
Part 2 of 3 Text: 1Co 3:1-9 & Selected
|
As we continue in our brief study on “Living Right Side up in an upside down world… |
|
Let me give you a little background for this passage of scripture… the church at Corinth… |
Slide 2 - Slides of ruins of Corinth - city/temple/stadium…
The city was a wealthy commercial seaport. A city of some people… they were caught up in recreation & activities & pleasure… Slide 3 they had an outdoor theater that seated 20,000 people hosted many athletic games… Slide 4 they also prided themselves on the great temple of Aphrodite with its 1000 temple prostitutes (sailors loved this seaport)… Sexual immorality was rampant throughout the city fostered by many false religions that sanctioned immorality… Slide 5 In 1Co 1:26 the people were reminded that they had very few who were famous, wealthy, highly educated, powerful, or influential when they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Slide 6 Archeologists excavated many “bars/taverns” all over the city – drunkenness was prevalent… Corinth was noted for everything sinful… Sounds very similar to our current 2006 upside down world, wouldn’t you say? Out of this environment sprang forth a small but growing group of believers; the Christian church of Corinth was founded by Paul around 50AD. God was working in great ways and many got saved BUT these people were having a difficult time living “Right Side Up” not only because of their culture/old way of life but also because of their lack of spiritual growth. This section of 1Co 3 continues to deal with the problem of disunity in the church and in particular with the continued allegiance to humanistic philosophies and corrupt leaders that contributed to the disunity. Wrong thinking, humanistic/worldly wisdom was keeping believers from God’s true divine wisdom, and from spiritual growth and unity. This church was messed up in many areas… immorality, divisiveness, jealousy, pride, misuse of their spiritual gifts – especially tongues (which is a sign gift that authenticated the early church)… hence…
|
The church at Corinth consisted of people who struggled to live “right side up in an upside down world”. |
|
Let’s pick up our text this morning beginning in chapter 3… |
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
· Paul addressed these believers as “worldly” also as “infants/babies” who has never grown up
Slide 8 – an adult baby…
1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
· It’s a strange sight to see an adult who never has grown up physically… but how about a believer?
· When we are “Born again” – we are spiritually born into God’s family… we must be growing or we’ll look like…
|
Carnality? To have the nature and characteristics of the flesh (or more simply, it means “fleshly”). |
|
Flesh? It often refers to our disposition to sin and to oppose or omit God in our lives. Characterized by works that include lusts and passions (Galatians 5:19-24; I John 2:16); it can enslave (Romans 7:25); and in it is nothing good (Romans 7:18). Based on this meaning of the word flesh… |
|
To be carnal means to be characterized by things that belong to the unsaved life (Ephesians 2:3). |
I. Struggling to Live “Right Side Up” Characteristics…
|
Worldly v1 (worldly is mentioned twice in the first three verses) |
o Lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done). The preoccupation with ease and affluence, elevating creature comfort to the point of idolatry; large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life. Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them. But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises. It’s being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off. It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us. Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity. These are the ways in which we are most like the world. Dave Roper, The Strength of a Man, quoted in Family Survival in the American Jungle, Steve Farrar, 1991, Multnomah Press, p. 68
|
Undeveloped v1 (not address you as spiritual but as worldly – as mere infants) |
o You are young only once, but you can stay immature indefinitely… The Christians in Corinth were babes in Christ who needed to mature and develop… They got saved but stopped growing spiritually - babes
|
Ignorance v2 (not ready for solid food but for milk) |
o They should have been feeding on meat & potatoes but were still drinking from the bottle…
o They were ignorant of the Word of God… sadly they were “happy” in their ignorance
o The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear. - Herbert Agar
Heard a story about a woman was once walking along a riverbank with her child. Suddenly the child slipped into the river. The mother screamed in terror. She couldn’t swim, and besides, she was in the latter stages of pregnancy. Finally, somebody heard her screaming and rushed down to the riverbank. The utter tragedy was, when they stepped into those murky waters to retrieve that now dead child, they found that the water was only waist deep! That mother could have easily saved her child but didn’t because of a lack of knowledge.
|
Problematic v3 (jealousy and quarreling among you) |
o Trouble / sin usually follows… we see in verse 3 because they were highly influenced by the world they were struggling with jealousy (an inward attitude) and quarreling (an outward action)… all resulting from a self-centeredness.
o I follow Paul… I follow Apollos – they were devisive, contrary, looked out for their own interests…
II. Two Possible Reasons…
|
False Believer. |
1 John 3:9-10 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
· (Sheep & goats)… Wheat & Tares look alike till harvest time… Jesus spoke about false believers in Mt 13
· Be sure that you’re sure that you’re saved… not being a “professor” but a “possessor”…
· Not with “head’ knowledge but not in the “heart” missing heaven by 18”… It is so frustrating to know so much of God’s Word and yet struggle to live right side up without Jesus Christ’s empowerment in your life… trying so hard to be a Christian and yet over & over again failing miserably.
|
Stunted Believer. |
Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
· Another reason for struggling to live right side up in an upside down world is what Paul addresses here…
· Immature Christian… is one who has never grown up… one who has “checked out” spiritually… one who is self-satisfied where you’re at… one who enjoys the world more than God’s truth… one who names the name of Christ yet denies the power to live in victory… one who fails to take up his cross each and every day…
A man, after 25 years with one company, was still doing the same old job and drawing the same salary. Finally he went to his boss and told him he felt he had been neglected. “After all,” he said, “I’ve had a quarter of a century of experience.” “My dear fellow,” sighed the boss, “you haven’t had a quarter of a century of experience, you’ve had one experience for a quarter of a century.”
III. Spiritual Checkup
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
My Personal Exam…
 |
Is Jesus Lord?
| ||||
|
How’s my attitude?
|
|
What am I feeding on?
|
When Pablo Casals reached 95, a young reporter threw him a question: “Mr. Casals, you are 95 and the greatest cellist that ever lived. Why do you still practice six hours a day?” And Mr. Casals answered, “Because I think I’m making progress.” Spiritually, your goal is to make progress every day of your life. Dr. Maxwell Maltz, quoted in Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, p. 12
|
Am I growing spiritually? |
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
 |
God’s two overarching truths throughout His Word for man… Get saved & Grow up! |
|
I Praise the Lord for so many people who comes and says… Pastor I’ve grown more spiritually in the last year than my past 20 years since being saved! God is working in so many lives throughout our church… Be praying for the Lord of the Harvest to raise up laborers, be praying God grow me, streach me, mature me, help me… than in obedience do what God requires… prayer, study, reading, meditating, witnessing, giving, serving, helping… you will grow |
|
It all begins with the attitude of our heart… With God’s grace, I determine to grow! |
I read of a young man who dives for exotic fish for aquariums. He said that one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark. He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium tank you put it in. Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of eight feet. That is like what happens to some Christians. I have seen some of the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle. You can look at them and comment on how fine they are. But if you were to put them out into a larger arena—into the broad view of a whole creation—they might become great. God help us not to be confined to a little puddle out of insecurity, but instead to see that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He made us, and if we will both have internal integrity and relate ourselves to the larger structures in the ways he has ordained, we will be able to serve him according to his purpose. Pastoral Renewal, February 1985, p. 111
A person who is “born again” starts a new life similar to that of a newborn infant. Seven rules that promote good health in babies can be adapted and applied to a Christian’s spiritual growth.
1. Daily Food. Take in the “pure milk of the word” through study and meditation.
2. Fresh Air. Pray often or you will faint. Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.
3. Regular Exercise. Put into practice what you learn in God’s Word.
4. Adequate Rest. Rely on God at all times in simple faith.
5. Clean Surroundings. Avoid evil company and whatever will weaken you spiritually.
6. Loving Care. Be part of a church where you will benefit from a pastor’s teaching and Christian fellowship.
7. Periodic Checkups. Regularly examine your spiritual health.
IV. God calls us to be Faithful Servants…
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 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 made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Ø In tasks at hand v5 as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
Ø In ministry to others v6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it,
Ø In dependence on God v7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
Ø In unified purpose of vision v8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose,
Ø In bearing fruit & reaping rewards vs8-9 each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
An old farmer frequently described his Christian experience by saying, “Well, I’m not making much progress, but I’m established!” One spring when he was hauling some logs, his wagon wheels sank down to the axles in mud. Try as he would, he couldn’t get the wagon out. Defeated, he sat atop the logs, viewing the dismal situation. Soon a neighbor who had always felt uneasy with the farmer’s worn out testimony came along and greeted him, “Well, brother Jones, I see you’re not making much progress, but you must be content because you’re well-established!”
|
Are you engaged in ministry? Are you mentoring someone? Reproducing yourself? |
|
God rewards on the basis of labor not success or results… Jeremiah was a faithful prophet who saw little results while Jonah was a self-centered, petty prohet who experienced great results… |
|
Are you laboring for Christ? |
|
Sowing seed, watering… growing personally. |
|
Sign up for Class 101, join a small group, come out on Wednesday family night, join us at 9:30am Sunday for a Bible study… begin to grow again… begin to live right side up again! |
|
Become like Old faithful in an upside down world… sprays water and steam up to 184 ft vertically. The average interval of Old Faithful is 80 minutes… steady and true… be a faithful servant |
Stay Flying “Right Side Up” for Jesus!
Continue to pray concerning Dave Earley as he comes in two weeks (Nov 4-5 - Sat night 6:30pm & Sunday 8am/10:30am/6:30pm
Let’s Pray