Handling The Church With Kid Gloves - [1 Corinthians 3:16-23]

Well, I'm not going to do this today, but it's interesting as I was reading the account of Christ this morning in Luke 14.

When there began to have a lot of when there a lot of people began to follow Jesus.

He'd always preached to them a sermon about count the costs because he had to whittle down the size of the congregation.

So they knew what it really meant to follow Jesus Christ.

And so as we grow once in a while.

We'll have to have those sermons.

What does it really mean to follow Christ Jesus, but that's not this morning.

So take your Bibles, please and open to 1st Corinthians.

We are going verse by verse through the book of 1st Corinthians and we're coming to a passage today that I call

an obvious passage.

An obvious truth.

It's like a moment.

They go.

That's obvious.

Everyone can see that yet God and his infinite wisdom knows that we need to be reminded of this

truth.

And it's a it's a warning passage, but it's obvious and we are a forgetful people.

And so we need to be reminded what God says about Himself his son

and his church, but as you're turning there I found a few warning labels that were real.

But they were from the file of obvious since that's going to be the passage today and it's truth.

It's just so obvious warning on a real package.

A real warning label.

This product can burn eyes and I found it on a curling iron.

Do not use while sleeping.

It was actual a sign on a hairdryer.

This one's for Scott Walkton.

Do not eat toner on a toner cartridge for a laser printer.

Caution shoots rubber bands on a product called rubber band shooter.

Simple.

Do not iron clothes on body.

Warning.

Wearing this garment does not enable you to fly.

On a child -sized Superman costume.

Warning may contain nuts.

On a package of peanuts.

The one I found the most interesting of all was do not put in mouth.

Found on a box of pop -bottle rocket fireworks.

Okay, I'll give you another one.

The contents of this bottle should not be fed to fish.

On a bottle of dog shampoo.

You know I never start off with humor, so I want you to know the knifes coming.

This is just to get you relaxed, and you are in so much trouble today.

Hardy har har laugh while you can

for use on animals only.

On an electric cattle prod.

Here's the warning label that comes on Christ's blood -bought Church

warning handle with care.

Handle with kid gloves.

Be careful how you treat the local bride because it is the bride of Christ.

If you turn your Bibles to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 we're going to see that warning today fleshed out in chapter 3 verses

18 through 23.

Paul is dealing with the carnal church.

A sinful church a church that says.

I think I like the wisdom of the world.

So much that we should run our church that way.

Whatever is hot in the business world.

Let's use in the church whatever wisdom is available at the higher institutions of learning.

Let's use that in the church.

And Paul has to correct them, and he tells them from the get -go.

This is all about a crucified Savior.

That doesn't seem in the world's eyes too wise.

I Mean after all can you imagine a man crucified naked tortured for hours

on a tree in?

Calvary 2 ,000 years ago.

What you think about him determines your fate for ever and ever and ever.

What kind of sense does that make?

And so Paul Systematically is going to go through the the book in 1st Corinthians and try to encourage the

church with truth because what you believe Determines how you behave.

Did you know that?

Say well, we want more practical application of this church.

Well.

I think there is plenty of practical application.

But here's where the practical application comes from.

What you think and what you believe.

What you believe credenda determines your agenda what you do.

Doctrine duty belief and what?

Behavior.

And so he's after what you think because repentance means at its core to change your what?

Mind and if your mind has changed.

You'll do things commensurate with the changed mind and so Paul's after their mind and he uses

More than monosyllabic words.

He uses big words uses concepts that you have to actually think through and say.

How does this fit and out of all the time he spends in 1st Corinthians?

He spends the most time at this problematic church dealing with disunity.

Marriages are important ministries important.

Spiritual gifts are important.

Would you say love is important.

Sure chapter 13 love is important.

The resurrection?

It's important, but based on the amount of verses that he spends on unity.

It seems like this is at the top of the list.

Because they were a Fragmented church they were in a divided church and Paul spends chapter 1 2

3 and 4 you all know that by now on disunity and so he says.

Basically be careful how you deal with the church after all the church is the

bride of Christ.

I don't know how you treated your bride when you were first married, but I think you probably treated her.

Our attempted to treat her wonderfully kindly.

Compassionately with love didn't you and if anyone else came along that wanted to hurt your spouse?

Denigrate your spouse.

I hope whether you are six foot nine or four foot two.

You wanted to stand up for your bride.

Paul had written to the church at Ephesus Christ loved the church and gave himself up

for her.

He loved her and he gave himself up for her.

And so here's the question of the hour if Jesus loved the church so much that he laid down his life for her.

How should you treat the church?

How should you treat this church?

Now we're not talking about the building.

I hope you don't scuff up the halls, but that's not the church.

If this church burned down burns down today this building I Hope we carry on.

But how do you treat the church?

Each other that's the issue and I think we're not so careful.

When we're not thinking properly so this morning Let me give you two warnings from first

Corinthians 3 18 through 23.

So that you will love the church in A fashion like Christ

and this will help us stay unified say I I've heard enough about church unity.

I think the Corinthians probably were thinking the same thing.

From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride with his own blood.

He bought her and for her life.

He died.

Knowing that truth.

How do you treat other people?

Two warnings about the local church that leaders and congregants need to put in the forefront of their minds so that we

stay unified.

Handling the church with kid gloves.

I thought it was with kit gloves like Kit Carson.

Maybe but I looked it up this week kid gloves made from the skin of young goat or lamb

became a symbol of elegance and gentility in the early 1800s.

Softness and kindness handle something handle China with kid gloves.

The opposite is you would take your gloves off.

I'm gonna take my gloves off and we're gonna wallop you.

So handling the church with kid gloves warning number one.

God loves his church.

So you ought to build it up.

Now listen to these verses here.

Verses 16 and 17.

I don't know of a more powerful way to say something than Paul says it right here and it is fascinating

it is convicting for those of you that are here today and you want to build up the church and you want to help

the church and you try To say things so we might grow in grace and maturity great but if you're sitting here

today and you're the church problem and you hop from church to church to church and you're the central problem with

Gossip and factiousness and insubordination and lack of submission these verses

I hope Resonate with you because they're ferocious.

Do you not know he says to the Church of Corinth that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit

dwells in you.

If anyone destroys God's temple the local church God

will destroy him.

You say that again if anyone destroys God's temple God will destroy him.

But God's temple is holy and you are that temple

how would you like to have Paul the Apostle come in for a guest sermon and Stand up here today and say if you destroy the Church of

God God's going to destroy you.

It's amazing and look at how he says it in verse 16.

Do you not know?

Ten times Paul says in this book.

Do you not know implying what?

You should know.

You should know this truth.

Paul was at Corinth for how many months in Acts 18.

It's easy to remember Acts 18 18 months in Acts 18.

He was there for 18 months teaching them the truth.

And what do you think he taught them?

Taught them big eschatology maps and and here's the newspaper and let's put it up there and here are the seven

dispensations.

Let's figure it all out.

I don't think Paul taught that at all.

I think Paul taught them things like the holiness of God the sinfulness of mankind the substitutes for atonement literal

resurrection and Paul says Church

at Corinth, you know all those big temples over there in Corinth the gaudy

beautiful huge temples.

The pagan temples that are so big you are God's temple, even though you're sitting in some

dingy dirty Small living room with seven or eight other people.

Seventy or eighty other people you're the temple of God and you ought to know that he says I Think

BBC knows that truth as well and that God's spirit dwells in you.

This is between a mild rebuke and really scolding them.

You're gonna try to fracture God's temple.

You know better.

You ever said that to one of your kids or as your father my father used to say this to me all the time son.

You know better.

I've taught you you know better than that.

You are God's temple now that you is plural, what does that mean later?

He's going to talk about you are the temple of God.

And if you are sexually immoral, don't you know you're you're bringing God's

holiness as it were with this prostitute or this undefiled this defiled

Relationship it's affecting the church.

He's not saying that here.

He's saying you are the temple of God you plural and That truth should

make you live a certain way.

It should affect you and then he says and if you build.

Let's go back to chapter 3 a little bit earlier if you build on the church with gold silver precious stones

good job.

You're helping build the local church a day will reveal what you've done and that'll be good.

And if you build with wood hay or what?

Stubble kind of shoddy work that'll do work government work.

Union work maybe if you're a lazy union worker, I'm sure some union workers are not lazy, but you're building kind of

just half -baked.

Now he moves away from the good builders and the shoddy builders.

And now he says for those of you that are church wrecking balls that destroy the temple your days are done.

This is not shoddy work.

This is for church destroyers.

And you know what?

I've met church destroyers before and they think they're attacking the

pastor the elder board the deacon board the trustee board the

Fellowship board and they think they're trying to Personally run this person down or run them

out of town and you know who they're after.

Ultimately who they're hurting and who they'll answer to God who

hates factiousness and loves his bride and who will destroy those kind of people.

I Don't know about you, but I do not want to be on the receiving ends of receiving end of

God's destruction.

I want to help the church.

I want to keep her unified not because I want to win against another personality.

Not because I don't like a certain elder.

I'm gonna try to run them out and do this or that but because it's Christ's bride.

And it didn't even tell us how God's destroys them.

It doesn't say how when or anything else it just tells us why and with certainty you destroy the

church by factiousness and Follow me and don't follow that other person instead of saying follow Jesus

Christ the captain Of our salvation and God just hear it again.

God will destroy you.

How's that for a church growth sermon, but you know the good thing about our church?

You love the truth.

You want to know?

People are starving for the truth.

Everyone in this building if you're a regular attender or member knows that we are a holy

Possession of God his bride the apple of his eye based not on our worthiness

not on our looks and our goodness, but based on God's love and

God his son laying down his life in our place dying for our sins redeeming us.

Reconciling us making us friends of God if God has so loved us.

How ought we to love one another and not tear down?

We're the temple of God.

You know pagans.

They'd have a temple and inside the temple there'd be some little God.

Some little figurine some big God some fertility God and you'd go in their temples and there was

something tangible.

Dagon the fish God but for the Jews.

They always got chastened by other people because when you go in the tabernacle or you go into the temple and you go into the holy Of

holies what's inside the holy of holies?

It's empty the invisible God.

The invisible God there's nothing in there.

Paul says you are the temple of God.

Now people we are the temple of God and when God saves us the Holy Spirit.

What kind of spirit the Holy Spirit dwells in us and if God's building something don't you want to help

build?

It's like the kid.

You know when you you your dad's out mowing the lawn and then what's the son want to do before you know it?

He wants to get one of those little plastic mowers green and yellow mowers those John Deere mowers.

And and he's just following the dad around.

I'm helping the yard.

And you're thinking I just don't come over to this side because if I run over a bolt.

It's gonna go flying and enter into your temple, and you know you're just kind of being careful that happens.

You just want to help.

Think my dad's building this and I got to hammer in a few nails and what I didn't see was After I hammered in

the nail crookedly dad had to pull it out and redo it, but I was a part I wouldn't help build.

If you wanted to help your dad build how about God the Father is building his church.

Jesus is building the church and don't you want to help?

Because it's the flesh its carnality that says I don't like this.

I don't want that.

I grumble I complain.

I try to do it at the last church, and I'll do it at this church, and I am anti authority anti submission.

And you know what you are?

Anti God's Church.

If you act like that On the flip side for those of you and most of you are this way I

Want to build the church?

God's sovereign over the sinful leadership.

God's sovereign over other people that don't measure up.

And they let me down and God's gonna build this church and God I deserve hell.

I deserve lake of fire.

And you've given me a place to worship you and build.

I want to build and for the majority of you good job.

You're building.

Paul says to the church of Corinth, and I say to you there should be a warning for each of you

sobering warning that says do I contribute strife and jealousy and

Factiousness.

Are I do I build the church?

With love.

This is not some shed.

This is the house of God.

We are the temple of God.

Look at verse 17 again if anyone this is not just leaders although They're addressed in chapter 3 mainly if anyone

destroys God temple literally the Greek is if you've got the temple of God destroyed

destroyed God him for emphasis.

Want to ruin the church corrupt the church corrode the church.

It's serious.

It's sobering.

Message to all church wrecking ball people.

God will destroy you.

I don't want to mess with God's holiness.

I Don't want to attack.

Turn to me with me if you would to Romans 16.

Let me show you a couple of the passages that highlight for us the importance of staying unified

walking circumspectly.

Not running around tearing down stirring up.

You know there's always a few people at a church who love to stir the pot.

They think that's their job.

I'm the pot stir.

What's your ministry.

I stir the pot and I question things and I want to make sure that everybody knows my opinion about these

things.

Especially when they're in opposition to the leadership.

You have to be very very careful.

It's not about you and the leadership.

It's about building Christ's Church and in Romans chapter 16

Paul is just kind of preaching like preachers do and it seems like he's kind of Ending it on a high

note and Commending people chapter 16 verse 1 our sister Phoebe.

He's doing things that no good Jewish man would ever do.

Commend women for ministry.

Eight women he picks out that have just served the Lord with wholeheartedness.

Who have built the church who have not destroyed the church and he commends them by name.

Well, don't you know that there are women?

Yes, he does because These women are equal in Christ Jesus equal to the Apostle Paul.

Salvificly and he's greeting people.

Look at just all the the first words of all the verses

verse 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 see a pattern 13 14 15 16 and then out of

nowhere.

Some people think Paul couldn't even have written this because why would he say this after all these lovely greetings?

Happily ever after.

Be warm and be filled.

Most likely Paul picked up the pen himself and wrote these words.

I Appeal to you brothers To watch out for those who cause divisions

and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.

Avoid them.

This is not some time for in love.

We debate and we have a get -together and we have a book club thing and we sit and talk.

Avoid them watch them.

Microscope telescope Greek word here for watch scope scope them out.

Check them out keep your eyes on them.

There's danger.

I don't know if you've ever walked near an animal.

That's not in a cage, but somehow you just think to yourself.

I probably should pay attention.

I'll never forget it.

I'm at a plans for a park and National Park in South Africa and I'm

seeing the animals and you know you wanted to see the big five about five big kind of famous animals and

It tells you when you drive in obvious warning do not get out of your car lions.

And so you're looking and a few places you can get out and they've got these big kind of open walkways where the

animals would put their feet through and have a hard time getting through and We pulled up to the corner this kind

of tea and there's I mean it's just thousands of acres and tons of land and we came up to this

little intersection and The pastor Martin Holt said dear Lord.

I just pray that you'd give pastor Abendroth I was the guest speaker just a great trip and show him some of your handiwork

and I need To know which way to turn and you know, basically do I turn left or right because I want to show Abendroth some

lions.

So he said, okay, I'm just gonna turn right so we turned right went down to this little water in hole and there laid

this male tawny lion.

Right out there and I'm trying to take pictures and I'm looking and we're stopped in the middle of you know,

Africa and I'm looking and thinking and then I had this dreadful

most dreadful thought as I'm leaning over and looking

Who's behind me because I've got my window open here I am thinking about that and I've got to watch my back.

Because some kind of lion could just come in this way as I'm watching over here.

It's all a setup that male lion sleeping.

So the female can come and just devour me.

Start looking around all the time.

This is lions around here.

Paul says to the church at Rome and since the Church of Corinth There's a danger

lurking.

If God tries to build Satan tries to what destroy.

You've got to watch out.

I don't want to be factious on Judgment Day.

I Don't want to say, you know, my job was to get people to follow me and to create parties and factions and

and dissensions.

Obstacles, that's what it means there in chapter 16 of Romans verse 17 create obstacles

literally scandalous traps.

Put bait out and people fall into them.

What's the text say avoid them present imperative keep on turning from them.

These are gonna be the people that want to talk that want to debate that want to get together and together and Paul says run.

No countenance for them and Paul describes him a little bit.

Here's the heart.

Would you like to take a magnifying glass and see in the heart of a factious person?

Here's what you'll see.

And if you thought the new airport scanners could see everything look at this.

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ.

Why.

Because if they did they'd build they'd encourage they'd be part of.

They don't serve the Lord.

They're not Lord.

They're acting like Lord, but there is a Lord Christ, but their own Appetites are

some translations their own bellies.

They worship themselves in their own belly and by smooth talk.

They're articulate.

They're powerful.

They know what to say and flattery.

They deceive the hearts of the naive.

You hear the contempt in Paul verse 18 for such persons for

those kind of people those sorts.

They're after their own private interests because if they were after God's interests.

They would help build and they've got praise.

They've got flattery.

They've got eulogies.

That's a Greek word.

They speak.

Well people.

Listen to Adam Clark the God Church of God has ever been troubled with such pretender.

Pretended pastors men who feed themselves not the flock men who are too proud to beg and too lazy to work.

We have neither grace nor gifts to plant the standard of the cross on the devil's Territories and by the power of Christ

make inroads upon his kingdom and spoil him of his subjects on the contrary by

sowing seeds of dissension by means of doubtful disputations and the propagation of

scandals by glaring speeches and insinuation.

They affect elegance and good breeding.

They wrench Christian congregations.

Form a party for themselves and thus live on the spoils of the Church of God.

We're not to strive against one another we're to strive together for the faith of the gospel.

Philippians 1 Passage number 2.

I read it during scripture eating Titus 2, please Titus 3 rather Titus 3.

Jesus is building the church.

If you're a Christian you should help build the church as well.

And if you're going to attack the church God will attack you so I don't want to be attacked by God.

And Paul says I don't know about you, but it's either a hot passage or I'm hot.

Who's hot in here.

Some are all right,

I can just hear s Lewis Johnson saying no real gentleman takes his jacket off during a sermon and

Then he proceeded to take his jacket off

Titus chapter 3 here.

These are obvious warnings.

Paul gives the Corinthians obvious warnings.

And we're just showing how this is true any place including Crete at the end of Titus 3 you know the context.

I read the entire book as for a person who stirs up dissension.

You can just imagine somebody churning up butter.

Can't you if you just keep keep churning long enough that cream.

What does it turn into?

Turns into something.

Turns into butter and you can just I can almost I in my mind I almost think of some kind of witch in a cauldron putting in

some kind of frogs you know and Snake heads or something just kind of boiling.

It's trouble from the get -go you go to the

washing machine.

You say son.

This is how you wash and you put all the whites in you turn it to cold and put this in and then see this.

Right here.

This is the agitator.

Same kind of thing for a person who agitates and stirs up division.

This is Jesus's Church.

You don't even give them four steps of church discipline, it's bypassed it's shortened it's truncated because it's such

a grievous sin.

Say well, you know sexual immorality is bad.

Yes, but there are four steps to those who are stuck in sexual sin but there's a

Faster route for getting kicked out of a church and that's this.

After warning him once and then twice have nothing more to do with him.

No thing more to do with him knowing that such a person is warped.

You've got to reject these kind of people because these people are warped.

Literally perverted and that word perverted means

somebody else is on the outside perverting them.

It's a passive word.

Where's there's it's like Satan is taking them and twisting them and torquing them and perverting them.

These people are sinning present tense.

They're always sinning.

They're always missing the mark because the mark is unity.

And he's self -condemned because he knows he's wrong.

You said you know what that's way too harsh.

It's not loving.

If you say that or if you think that then may I remind you.

You don't know your sin until you realize how holy God is.

And you don't know how bad.

Your actions are until you realize what the converse actions are.

The opposite actions are Jesus is building the church.

We want to keep building.

So I ask you the question Are you a person who contributes to the unity of the church

or are you a church destroyer?

By the way, if you're a destroyer Today can be the last day you can repent and say God forgive me and I

want to be a unifier.

Let's go back to first Corinthians warning number two.

Warning number two the first warning is Make sure you don't forget that.

This is the apple of God's eye and when you attack a church you're attacking the Bride of Christ.

Of course, that doesn't mean everything the leaders do is right.

But submission is you go along even if you disagree anyway.

Submission to the word is God builds a church through leaders who are frail and fallible and finite and sinful.

Second warning if the first warning is God loves his church and jealously guards it and pays back those in

kind who destroy it.

Warning number two as a Christian.

You have a wealth of heritage a wealthy heritage of Christian teachers.

So enjoy them all.

Since you're a Christian and God has given you every teacher who's gifted.

Why do you isolate one at the expense of everyone else.

In other words if Paul has given the church?

Excuse me, if God has given the church Paul Apollos, maybe Cephas, why would the church go?

No God?

We don't want all your gifts.

I only want Paul.

No, I don't want all your gifts either.

I only want Apollos.

I don't want.

I don't want to have anything to do with this other pastor.

I'm behind this pastor.

We're gonna learn from this passages.

God has given you all the Christian teachers throughout all the centuries.

Enjoy them.

Don't focus on one and be factious.

Now this is amazing.

Let's read verses 18 through 23 and I want you to just Listen as I read him and see if you can

hear this all things are yours refrain.

He's talking about teachers.

He's talking about the leaders.

Let no one deceive himself.

Verse 18 of 1st Corinthians if anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age.

Let him become a fool that he may become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is folly with God for it is written.

He catches the wise in their craftiness and again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile.

So let no one boast in men for all things are yours.

Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world our life our death are the present are the future

all our are yours and You are Christ and Christ is God.

He says Church of Corinth you're boasting.

I don't listen to Apollos.

I follow Paul and Paul says they're all yours.

Well, I don't listen to John MacArthur.

I only listen to James Boyce.

Fine.

You can have your preferences.

But both are for you.

Well, I never listened to Chuck Swindoll.

I listened to Sinclair Ferguson.

You can have your favorite preachers that you like their style or you think are more biblical, but they're all for you.

I only show up when Mike preaches.

I don't show up when What's -his -name.

Jeffrey's preaches.

We're both for you.

We're all for you.

And what they thought was, you know, we would have picked up the ones we like the best.

It started to split the church and Paul says they're all yours.

Enjoy the richly heritage rich heritage that God has given you.

It's like going to a five -star restaurant.

When I used to be in medical sales early on we would just do crazy things and we'd say we're gonna walk into this restaurant.

And we don't care about our appetites.

Whatever's the most expensive thing on the menu.

That's just what we get.

So what's the most expensive thing sir?

They tell us that's what we're getting that was in the

Wasn't a Christian at the time.

Although that might still be fun to do today.

Took the Schaefer's out for lunch the other day and said, oh, you know.

They've been ministering and the church would be glad to buy and I walked in it was Panera and they had these lobster rolls for

1699 but I didn't see 1699.

I just said lobster roll and I thought I'm having me one of those.

And then I looked and I go so Lenita and Mark.

Mark actually he ordered three and I had to pay for it.

You had to pay for it.

Just kidding.

No, we didn't order him.

But you've got a five course meal and you go no, I only want this little bit it's all for you.

Enjoy, it's been made for you.

Given to you.

You've got a wealthy.

You've got a wealth of heritage for you that's why we've got a library full of only

John MacArthur's books and a book table full of only John MacArthur's books and

Study Bibles that are only John MacArthur study Bibles.

Well, that may be true, but we sold out of the other ones.

No, I am affected by that man because I studied under him and as he imitates Christ, I want to imitate

him.

Don't even really listen to him preach anymore.

It's not that I'm against him.

I'm just listen to other people to be more well -rounded.

But what we do as leaders we want you to do enjoy the banquet of the gift of God.

How about even on the internet where you can pull up almost anybody alive or dead and listen to him?

Now what you shouldn't do is say, you know what I only listen to J. Vernon McGee, by the way note to self he's dead.

Took me a long time to realize he had died even though he's still on the air.

I only listen to him you meet somebody else in the church.

I listen to John Piper.

How could you J. Vernon McGee's better?

J. Vernon McGee really it was the Presbyterian and Baptist clothes and and when he got the hole -in -one.

He threw up his his his his iron and he said I even love Baptist today.

You got to follow J. Vernon McGee.

No, if somebody says I've been really listening to John Piper through Romans 9 and my life has changed

God's Sovereign.

So what do you say way to go way to

listen?

Well, did you know according to John Piper you've got this problem that problem the other thing and you know He believes this and he doesn't believe that and

You know people tell me they're listening to somebody and I think okay, maybe they're good better best.

I listen to somebody else, but I'm glad The church is learning and growing you type in oneplace .com.

I think I'd like to listen to Donald Gray Barnhouse.

Okay, listen James voice.

Listen Sinclair Ferguson s Lewis Johnson.

The wealth is all yours.

Why do you want to focus on one and then everybody else who doesn't study the guy you like?

Well, you've got a problem with him.

Paul said don't do that.

It's all yours.

And if you look at verse 18, he basically says this the wisdom of the world focuses on a leader.

I Follow him.

God's wisdom is I've given you a bountiful crop.

Enjoy them all.

And if you're not careful, yes, you can be tricked.

Let no one deceive himself.

We can be self -deceived.

And we try to justify our thoughts by the way, the smartest people that I've ever met in this life

Are the ones that can make the poorest decisions?

The higher your IQ the worst decisions you can make because you're good at self -justification.

You ever ask yourself the question.

How can people with 200 IQs make such a stupid decision?

Because they're smart and justifying.

They're smart at self rationalization Paul says with the present imperative.

What's that mean?

Don't ever stop thinking about it with the command form.

Don't be deceived.

We can hoodwink ourself we can trick ourselves.

This is just what we do.

We like to follow now.

It's good to say as they imitate Christ I want to follow them but not at the exclusion of everyone else that just splits up a church

of course if somebody's coming up to you and they're like I've been listening to a lot of sermons by this person who

Doesn't believe that Jesus is God and I'm learning so much and I'm becoming a better a husband even though this person Denies the

Bible is true.

Well, we don't just say oh good.

Way to go.

I tell him I'm glad you're listening.

But let me help you replace the bad for the good.

Paul says reject the wisdom that's worldly that says line up underneath finite creatures

and then he quotes from the Bible.

How do you prove a point thus saith the Lord he quotes from Job 5 and he quotes from Psalm 94.

Job 5 is in verse 19 for the wisdom of this world is folly with God.

He catches the wife wise in there he catches the wives.

Well that versus for the wives the next ones will get the husbands.

He catches the wise in their Craftiness and if you've got a study Bible probably tells you Job

5 he catches the wise in their craftiness.

The people that are so clever.

They devise their own schemes to catch other people.

They fall into the trap themselves.

It's like a hunter who sets up a trap for a wolf and then forgets where the trap was and walks over it and then

got himself.

And God takes that kind of worldly wisdom and he just creates a straitjacket for the people who think that

way.

Catches them.

It's like Bishop Bishop Tunstall who bought Tyndale's translations of

the Bible and burned them.

But then Tyndale took all the money that was Gathered for the

purchase of the Bibles to burn and then he could actually Since he knew how to make him better made more and more and more and more.

He gives another verse in Psalm 94 verse 20 the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are

feudal.

God's wisdom is hidden from unbelievers, but God knows unbelievers thoughts.

Let's not get caught up in following people.

It's not smart.

It's not wise.

It's not biblical.

And so what does he say instead?

So then verse 21 let no one boast in men.

For all things are yours.

It's like earlier.

He didn't even call the men the Apollos things of people.

They were things and so all these things all these people are yours.

How do I know that they're things and they're people verse 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas

are the world?

Our life or death of the present things are the future are all yours.

Don't boast in humans.

Everything's yours, by the way, this is very fascinating for all things are yours is a stoic

slogan that Promoted self -sufficiency and Paul uses

it and he turns it on there its head and says instead of self -sufficiency All things are yours meaning self.

Self -sufficiency no dependency upon God Boast in the Lord praise him

and then he uses something in verse 22 for you English students he uses a Marism.

What's a Marism?

M -e -r -i -s -m.

Here's your new word for the day a Marism.

Mare just means to divide and it's a figure of speech that says let's put a few things in a sentence and

their poles apart.

They're far apart from each other so that everything is included in between.

So he says Paul Apollo Cephas world life death present a future it's all yours.

It's a figure of speech that just says you've got it all.

If you're a Christian you have everything the word the spirit the Bible Teachers everything the world you own it

all so why follow a person?

It's okay to have a favorite preacher.

But not at the exclusion of not learning from other people are dividing over that favorite favorite person

Paul.

Just as kind of a lyrical it's song like song like whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas of the

world, etc.

They're just all yours and they're all under the Lordship

of Christ, aren't they?

Verse 23 and you are Christ and Christ is God's.

So what about you for the most part?

I think we're good as a church in this particular regard we hold the church with

kid gloves because Jesus bought the church and then we say we're going to just enjoy all the leaders

all the teachers and when I think of Jesus and his

death that makes me line up under him a lot more and With words that only

Spurgeon could come up with it seems He says this imagine for a moment that you're living in the

age of the Roman Emperor.

You have been captured by Roman soldiers and dragged from your native country.

You have been sold for a slave stripped whipped.

Branded imprisoned and treated with shameful cruel cruelty at last you're appointed to die in the

amphitheater to make holiday for the tyrant the poplice assembled with the light.

There they are tens of thousands of them gazing down from the living sides of the Colosseum.

You stand there alone naked armed only with a single dagger a port of fence

against gigantic beasts.

A Ponderous door is drawn up by machinery and there rushes forth the monarch

of the forest a huge lion.

You must slay him or be torn to pieces.

You're absolutely certain that the conflict is too severe for you and that the sure Result must and will be

that those terrible teeth will grind your bones and drip with your blood.

You tremble your joints are loosed.

You're paralyzed with fear.

Like a timid deer when the lion has dashed it to the ground.

But what is this?

Oh Wonder of mercy a deliverer appears a great unknown leaps from among the gazing multitude and

confronts a savage monster.

He shrinks not at the roaring of the devourer.

But dashes upon him with terrible fury until like a whipped curve the lion slinks toward the den.

Dragging himself along in pain and fear the hero lifts you up smiles into your bloodless face.

Whispers comforts in your ear and bids you be of good courage for you are free.

You've done that for me.

But I'll destroy what you're building.

Or you've done that for me, and I want to help build what you're building.

The choice is easy.

And the choice is yours.

Let's pray Lord.

We believe that you have sent your spirit the Holy Spirit to help us where we need help to

comfort us to convict us Father in these days ahead with our

church.

Maybe a new place to go a new land new building new issues.

I pray that you'd keep us unified and I pray that you would make a resolution.

By your spirit in every heart today the people would be resolved to build up not to tear down.

So least we could do father.

Father for those that are church destroyers that are here today.

I pray that you'd grant them the wonderful gift of repentance Confession and father if they won't

confess our Repent.

I pray that you drive them far away for good father for those that are

here today that don't know anything of these things because They haven't even recognized the result of their sin yet, and

how bad it is against you a holy God.

Father would you grant them salvation?

Would you grant them a new life and a new heart make them born again?

Cause them to trust in you your son as their sin bear.

Help them to believe that you raised your son from the dead in Jesus name Amen.