Book of 1 Corinthians - Ch. 3, Vs. 19-Ch. 4, Vs. 18 (12/03/2000)

The Foolishness of the Natural Man and the Vanity of Human Schemes

Well, I've forgotten where we were. 319. Okay. For the natural man is foolishness with God, for it is written, he taketh the wise in their craftiness. The natural man, the, well, what is the natural man?

What is the natural man? Okay. So the fleshly person cannot take control. Honesty and religion, as in everything else, is the best policy. And the man who presumes or pursues a course of constant integration may expect the protection of God, which he who attempts to carry his purpose by craft and intrigue, who does on skill and other cunning instead of the truth and honesty, will often find that he is prey for those cunning and duplicity.

Never learn in such a way that you have to unlearn to learn. Never learn in such a fashion that you have to unlearn. And again, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise and the unwise. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise.

Now, they are always full of schemes and plans and earthly goods. God knows that all of this is vain, empty, and unsatisfactory, and will stand them in no stead when it comes to take away their souls.

So he can stand. Therefore, let no man glory in men, for all things are yours. Let no man glory in men, for you to glory thus in men is lower than yourselves, than from year to year position as heirs of all things.

All men, including their teachers, belong to Christ. He works all things together for the glory of the Father with visions, one eleven to whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined and according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

I'm going to have to quit. I thought I could go the full time, but I can't. No words from anyone. Will you stand and be dismissed? Not behave themselves as lords, that they also do not behave themselves as lords.

Ministers as Faithful Stewards and Servants of Christ

We have so many times preachers that extend their authority into running the church, everything, but as faithful stewards, because they must render an account of their stewardship to God. They have to render an account just as we do.

They have to sign. They have to be accountable for the people. Ministers of Christ, not of man. Ministers of Christ, not of man. The first Corinthians 4. Ministers of Christ, not of man, whose main business, therefore, is not to please man, but to please God.

We should always strive to please God. Whatever we do, wherever we are, whatever we're doing, we should always have in the back of our mind and the front of our mind to please God. The ministers are appointed by God.

Along with the appointment comes the gift of preaching and of teaching. I think that every preacher should be a teacher. Not every teacher a preacher, but it is necessary for the preacher to teach. If a person has to tell others what they possess, it would seem though they do not have the gift.

If you have to go around telling people what your gift is, then chances are you don't have it. Are you with me, Fred? Okay. We're not to speak of our gifts that puts a gift in the bag of baggage, which is of and for man.

We're to operate our gift very quietly. We are to operate each one individually. We're not to brag about our gift or talk about it. Now, Paul is talking about the judgment time. The essential matter with Paul was not that the Corinthians should judge him a faithful steward, or that he should be faithful in his own judgment, but that the Lord should count him faithful.

Man can make a mistake. Man can misjudge something. It is that the Lord judge him. For I know nothing by myself, yet I am not herewith justified, but he that judge me is the Lord. Too many times, Greg, we say something or intend to say something that turns out to be judgmental.

You cannot judge that which you do not see. That he that is the one that judges everything is he that sees everything. So we must be very careful in our judgment of each other. For I know nothing of myself.

He did not know of himself his judgment. He thought he did. For I know nothing of myself, we must surrender. I'll submit myself to the Lord and do the very best I can with whatever I am, wherever I am, whatever I have.

Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of this heart, and then shall every man have praise for God.

Everything in this life, I wish I could get off of trying to please man, trying to operate in such a way that it pleases man. We are to not please men, but please the Lord solely, only. If we please the Lord, and then it does not please man, then man is at fault.

Man cannot, well, he just cannot judge according to the law. He can judge according to what he thinks is right, but he cannot judge according to the undesired, unseen things. Our apostles' design on these words is not to condemn all judgment of persons, words, or actions, or to oblige us to suspend our judging until the day of judgment, but only forbids rush concerning adversaries, uncertainty, unseasonable judging of the hearts and final states of man.

We can't judge that. Now, we can judge whether you've got your shoes on right, whether you're dressed properly, and so forth, but the unseen part we cannot judge. We may judge what appears, but not what is hidden and unseen, for the judging of hidden things is referred to him from whom nothing is hid.

I wish we could remember this as I go through life, and I've gone through quite a bit of it. The thing that bugs me the most is what I think I see when I don't see it. Learn hence that to take upon us to judge the heart, or to judge that which doth not appear, is to assume the office and to take upon us as the place of God.

Only he that is invisible can look unto that which is visible. Only he that is invisible, only he is able to judge each heart, each motive. He knows the real reason. He knows why we are doing this, why we're not doing this.

Not Thinking of Men Above What Is Written

And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes. He used himself and Apollos only as an example. There were many others that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

The Corinthians were having this problem, the same problem that we're having today. They get puffed up. They get frightful. They get, I can do this better than you. These things that I've said glorying men to be puffed up.

Bill, do you have anything, well, let me see, let me put it, well, just do you have anything that would lead to being, you know of anybody that would lead to being puffed up? It's so easy to find fault, to, it just comes natural.

Maybe, yes, that's good. To think that we have something over and above others is a normal attribute. It's a normal way of thinking. But it should not be. They have what they have. We have what we have.

I have what I have. You have what you have. And none is as important as the other. None of it is more important than the other. That's good. These things that I've said glorying men in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos to illustrate the facts and the evil of their decisions.

He had named only Apollos himself as set up for traitors among them, leaders among them. Thus he did to avoid giving offense by naming others who were ambitious of such a destination. There were many others that were ambitious, that set themselves up to be a teacher, to be a preacher.

And rather than name them, he just named Apollos and himself, hoping they would see, for your sakes, that they might see their folly and renounce it in us by thus putting Apollos and ourselves as examples above that which is written, that they should not think of men as any other than as they described in the Bible, not glory in them as leaders of separate divisions.

I think all the denominations have come about because of divisions in the church and that not wholly of God or heads of different denominations of the Lord's people. Yes, that's where I was headed was that the denominations are man-made.

Anytime you find the manner of men, then if it is led by men, you will find divisions because men are all different. They get that difference in their work. They get it in the church. They get it in the school.

They get it every place. But everyone is called of God the same. Everyone is the same. Now, those that have been given responsibility for one area, then it is theirs. Then they should and they'll have to answer for it.

For who maketh thee to differ from one from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou didst not receive it? One thing that is—well, what shall we say?

The thing that is the most important, the thing that we have, we received. Not that we did not receive the others, but the thing that we think is the most important, we received it. Debbie is the head of the school.

Greg works as a pharmacist. Bill works as a school. So each one of us take that that we have and we could not do the other job. Greg could not do Debbie's job and Debbie couldn't do Greg's job, but they're both called by the same person.

They're both treated alike. Any word from anyone? He shows a good way to bridle pride. Does it need bridling, Bill? If you consider how it is wrong for you to exclude yourself from the number of others, seeing you are a man yourself, that's the first way.

The second way, if you consider that even though you have something more than other men have, yet you only have it by God's bountifulness. Only by God's bountifulness do you have what you have. And if we begin to think that one is more important than the other, we're in trouble.

Because in the eyes of the Lord, they're not. One is just as important as the other. And that wise man is he that will brag of another's goodness and that against God, where is nothing then in us by nature that is worthy of condemnation.

But all that we have, we have it of grace. Now you are full. You are full. Now you are rich. You have reigned as kings. You think you're rich. You think you're full. You've reigned as kings without us.

And I would to God that you did reign that we might also reign with you. He's getting ready to tell them that you consider yourself this or that or whatever you might have. And if you have reigned, then I would that you would reign and I would reign with you.

Though this paraphrase appears to be natural, yet I am of opinion that Apostle here intends a strong irony and one which when taken in conjunction with that which he had said before must have stung them to the heart more than it does us.

They were guilty of it. I wish that we could see that we are guilty of it. Then it would sting us. And it is not an unusual thing for many people to forget, if not despise the men by whom they have been brought to the knowledge of the truth.

How many of you remember the one that led you to the Lord? That's the ones you know about. That's the ones you tie it to. But if there had not been others go before him, that one probably never would have accomplished.

If there had not been others that spoke in such a way that it caused you to want to know, then he by himself could not have done it. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to the angels and to men.

I think he has in mind here, I even hate to talk about it, but the awful atrocities that were performed upon man, how they were torn asunder by beasts, how they were put in a ring to kill each other. The ones that were victor then were put in and put against another.

Finally it got down to two and they were put in and the armor, all of the protection they have, they were stripped naked and they were expected to fight. It's the same thing Paul says with putting us last.

We are that last one. We are put in the world as though the world is as the combatant. The world is against us, we know that, but it is spiritual. Now it's against us physically because that's all they know, but if we stand, if we stand as we should, then it is only spiritual.

It is not physical. They can't hurt me physically or they can hurt, but it's just for a moment. God is on our side for we are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong.

You are honorable, but we are despised. We are fools, accounted fools by those who boast of their wisdom. For Christ's sake, because we devote ourselves faithfully to the work of preaching Christ crucified, Paul never, never missed an opportunity to talk about Christ crucified and resurrected.

Because we devote ourselves faithfully to the work of preaching Christ crucified and to seek only his honor. You are wise in Christ in your own esteem. You're wise in Christ. It is not safe to judge character by outward conditions or by the opinion which persons form of themselves.

They may imagine that they are spiritually rich, increased goods, having nothing, need of nothing, when in fact they are poor and want of all things. It's no sin to be poor. It's no sin to be rich. It's how you use it.

Even unto this present hour, we both hunger and thirst and are naked and have buffeted and bended. We have no certain dwelling place and have no certain dwelling place. In labor, working with our own hands, being revealed, reviled, we bless being persecuted.

We suffer it being defamed. We entreat it. We are made as the filth of the world and are the offscoring scouring of all things unto this day. You know, we look at Paul and we think that he had, oh, we know it wasn't an easy life, but look at every place he got to go.

We don't really look at Paul. We look at the awful, sinful, the sinfulness that was played out against Paul. Every place he went, he stirred up trouble. Every place he went, he caused riots to occur. He was driven out of town.

He was stoned. He was killed. In that was his reward because he was caught up in the heaven and he was left for dead. Dead. But in spite of all of that, he came back. He came back and even to the losing of his head, that was the last ornament that he had, the last thing of sufferings which the Holy Apostle were exposed in to.

And as exercised with namely hunger and want and poverty and reproach, persecution, and death, they suffered in their bodies by hunger and nakedness and stripes in their names by scandal and reproaches being accounted, filth of the world and the offscoring, scouring of the things.

The world may, some say, signify that dirt and filth which scavengers do rake together in the streets and carry along to the dunghill is what Paul had referenced to. Such a base and vile esteem had the world of the Holy Apostle and messengers of Christ.

If we were persecuted like that, I wonder how many, I wonder if we could stand. To see such a man as St. Paul going up and down the world with a naked back and empty belly, without a house of settled abode to hide his head in, one that did more service for God in his day than perhaps we have done all of our days.

Can we, the ministers of Christ, complain of hard usage from the world when we consider that this great apostle suffered in the world? He did. We read it and we don't think much about it because he didn't dwell on it.

The duration of the apostles suffering even unto this day and also this present hour, there are people in the world today, right now, not in Corsicana but in other parts of the world that are suffering for Christ's sake.

It was not only at their first entrance upon the apostoletic office when all the world was set against Christianity. Just think, when Paul came on the scene, that he came in a time of turmoil. He had to spread the gospel.

We've had 2 ,000 years of history and we have it fairly easy, but Paul didn't. But they met with this usage. But all along, from the first hour, they began to preach the gospel. Even unto this hour did they meet with opposition and persecution.

Following Paul as a Spiritual Father

I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you, we are to tread out before them the steps which they are to take toward heaven. The steps toward heaven are a hard, rough road here.

If anybody's having it easy, then I would question. And if it will be found at the great day as dangerous to have misled them by our example as by our doctrine, happy those ministers that can safely say to their people, be ye followers of me.

Paul could say that. We cannot. Maybe once in a while, but just to be followers of me all of the time. For though we have 10 ,000 instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus and I have begotten you through the gospel.

Paul was considered as one that led these people to Christ. He brought it. He espoused it to them first and they were explained. And it was through his preaching as it was your preaching to someone that you led to Christ and that led you to Christ, someone that led them to Christ.

So he says, be followers of me. Hence, since he was their spiritual father, they ought to all imitate him. His followingness, his self-denial. Children should seek to be like their parents, even rather than like the tutor.

You should be like your parents instead of the one that brought you. The one that brought you is fallible. The one that saved you is infallible. Wherefore I beseech you, be followers of me. Be followers of me.

Imitate my example as your spiritual father. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you unto remembrance of my ways, which be in Christ as I teach every where in every church.

Paul didn't have the problem that we have. Paul didn't. Well, we don't really have to choose churches. But if you were a Baptist or a Methodist or a Christian church, then you would have to go to their church, more than likely.

Paul didn't have that problem. He went to the church. There was only one. There were many others that were not churches. A noble character, the gospel minister, faithful to God, faithful in souls, faithful in intentions, faithful in his endeavors, faithful in all his administrations of Christ's house, faithful and affectionate toward the poor of the flock, remembering that all souls are rated as one value in their master's book, faithful in public service, faithful in private inspection.

Happy are the people who have such faithful persons for their spiritual guiders and persecutors, pastors. We don't know how faithful we are. We don't know how faithful our leaders are of this church. We have a pastor that is totally, 100 percent, a pastor.

Apostolic Authority and the End of the Apostles

These are the things, too, but he's pastor first. Now, some are puffed up as though I would not come to you. Some are saying, well, it makes no difference. He's not coming. So you can read it if you want to, but don't.

Observe here the advantages which the height and haughtiness of some envisioned teachers took. Some of them took the position that Paul was low and contemptuous and thoughts of him were such and vaunted that he dare not come before them nor stand among them, having written such a letter.

He wouldn't dare come now and say it. St. Paul described the Lord in resolution to come again to Corinth with God's permission, to come again to Corinth with God's permission, with the reason for that revelation, resolution.

I come and I know not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the powers that is. I will certainly come and try your boasting, envisions, teachers, not by their plausible words and fine talk, discovering who has the smoothest tongue, but I will examine the power that is first their authority to speak.

He says, that's what I'll look at first is their authority. And next, what power and efficacy there is in their preaching. And lastly, that power and influence that their preaching has upon their own practice.

Are they practicing what they're preaching? I would find out what real good they have done among you. After all their braggings, behold here the true and great end of the visit of the preacher. We're going to have to quit here.

It's not quite time, but my voice is about to give out. I know this has been a different type of lesson. I've monopolized all of it, but is there anything from anybody now in the last few minutes?

Yes, there was only one generation of apostles. When they died, that was the end of them. There are a lot of groups that say they believe there are still apostles, which leads to some of the things we've been studying recently in our theology discussions.

I think it needs to be specific. And the ability to say that I know something from God that you can't find in the Bible, but you better listen to me. And yes, Paul shows clearly in that group of apostles when they died.

But he did appeal to that authority when he said a few followers.

Very good. Any word? Any other word? None? Let's stand and we'll be dismissed. Greg dismisses, please.