Book of 1 Corinthians - Ch. 3, Vs. 3-14 (10/29/2000)

Carnality, Division, and the Need for Spiritual Growth

First Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 3, Paul is speaking to these people and pointing out things where they need to grow, things they need to leave behind. And he says, For ye are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you envying, strife, divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?

While one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal? It seems as though the people in the church were divided, which is very unfortunate in any church, and some of them preferred to sit under Paul, others under Apollos, others under someone else, and this should not be.

First of all, there should be no teacher or preacher in a church speaking to the congregation that is not Spirit-filled, in the will of God, speaking the words of God. Where there is a difference is in the delivery.

And if we are enticed by a man's speech, then we're looking at the wrong thing. It may be fun to listen to somebody talk, but that's all it is, is a fun talk. And he says, you are carnal as long as you are like this.

He says, who then is Paul, and who is Apollos? But ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. God has long, long ago decreed that each of his people shall have everything needed to function on this earth in his body.

Also, I would have you understand that this decree that was made long, long ago will hold throughout the ages to come, and let me be sure you understand what I'm saying. He has ordained, predestined, not only each one of his people to spend eternity with him, but he has predestined everything that they will do, everything they will not do.

And that decree is once for all. When we leave this life, we do not leave that decree. It goes with us, because in the next life, we will have everything that we need to function as we should in the body of Christ in the next life.

He will not make a new decree with each age. He's already made it, and it's an all-covering decree for eternity. So that brings me back to the necessity of studying now, while we are yet in this life, in this probationary period, so to speak.

We must study to the fullest right now in this life, or we will forever come behind where we could have been in eternity. Now, I want you to get over the idea that, if you ever had it, that when we leave this life and go into the beginning and end of eternity, we'll know everything.

We'll have no questions. We'll have nothing left to learn. It'll just be one happy existence. Well, it's going to be happy and joyful, all right, and we will be praising the Lord, all right. But there are decrees in heaven.

There are degrees, excuse me, degrees in heaven, just as there are degrees of punishment in hell. The degree in which you enter into eternity depends on where you are right now, right here. Now, if we knew the moment before we died and could cram for the exam, we would do it.

But we don't, so we must live every moment as though the next is the last. And if we shortchange ourself here, it's just that, we're just shorting ourself. This holds also with the evil crowd, Satan's seed.

They have been granted everything they need to obey. When we say that God has predestined all things, what does that mean? Virge, all right, what about the movement of the blade of grass? Is that predestined?

Even the movement? You see, if it was not like that, you would spend your life looking for the division line, what is and what isn't. But Dennis, everything is predestined by God. That just concludes everything.

It is meant that even the movement of the blade of grass to the furthest planet and the smallest rock on it, space itself is as it was ordained to be. Verse six, I have planted, Apollos watered, but who gave the increase?

God. And Fred, it can't be any other way. It just has to be God to give the increase, or we'd have competition between man and God. God doesn't enter into any competition. So then, neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth anything, but God that giveth the increase.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one. Now, David, think with me for a moment, only you think out loud. What's the mean that the one that plants and the one that waters is one, although they may be in different places, teaching different things, different aspects of the truth, they are as one.

And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own, what? His own labor. In other words, I'll never be disqualified because of you. I'll never receive a reward because of you. Every man, now notice he said every man, he did not say every believer.

Every man. Bill, what's the difference between man and believer? So is it important that he said every man? All right, everyone. When he says man, he means every person. Now let's see if we can find a reason for this.

The reason that no one can come to the Lord with their own works. You've probably, and I know I have heard different people that had gained a state of notoriety in the entertainment world especially, and they become saved and they have made the statement that now they can sing for the Lord, or now they can play for the Lord, or now they can use their talent to glorify God.

Bill, what's wrong with that statement? Well, suppose I pick three of you. As far as I'm concerned, I pick them at random and I bring you up here on the front seat with Greg. Now I have certain work for each one of you to do.

It's reasonable to assume that some will do it more efficiently than others, but we're going to start with you knowing nothing about the job. This is a new project, a new product. You have heard nothing about it, and you're all starting from the same baseline.

How am I going to judge the output or the production of these three or four people if one of you come with full knowledge of the product and act on that knowledge? Can I judge all of you fairly? How? All right.

Now I want all of you to take it out of the Bible. You've gone to work for me in the business world. We're not discussing spiritual things. We are simply, and I don't mean that God hasn't given everything because he has, but we're assuming that everybody comes with their own little piece of knowledge, which is supposed to be zero concerning this new product.

But I find out later that one of you had a lot of information to start. Now Russell, is it possible then for me to judge each one? Yes. Fairly. Fairly is assumed. Probably not. Now, what Fred said was right, but we're setting all of the God-assigned things aside for a moment.

Well, Brother, is this the difference? Well, all of that's true, but I'm not getting my point over. What I want to convey to you is that the reason that no one can come to the Lord with their own works or talents is simply because this is the only way that everything we do can be attributed to him.

If one come with a talent of singing and decides to use that to serve the Lord, then he has taken it on himself to better God's movement on earth. You can't do that. Everything is of God. The point Paul is following here is that one is not any better than the other.

They're all one in Christ, and everyone comes with no talent, no matter how intelligent, how well-versed you are. The talent that is used for God starts when you come to God. Now, it might be in the area in which you're well-versed, and it might not, but we cannot come expecting to use that which I know.

That's rather vague. What I'm trying to say is that everyone comes with nothing. You do not bring anything to God. You do not bring anything to Christ. Even though he has gifted you with a lot of ability to do something, you don't bring that to God.

He chooses whether to use it or not. It is his choice, if there is a choice, because if we did not all come with nothing, then some would have an advantage over the other. Does anybody understand what I'm saying?

Yes? Because he gave it. But the idea from our viewpoint, David, of what I'm clumsily trying to say, is that no one comes to God with anything. You just can't put anything in that blank. I have seen sinners in churches all my life who get up and do a marvelous job from a technical point of view, and it has no anointing from God whatsoever.

I'm sure I've seen preachers preach that way all across the board, but that's why we can't bring anything, because all we bring is our own fleshly abilities. Even though God gave those too, it doesn't mean he'll use it in the spiritual world.

That's right, thank you. That helped clarify it in my mind. It's all carnal. Everything that we would bring would be carnal. Any questions? Well, think about it. For we are laborers together with God.

Ye are God's husbandry. Ye are God's building. I want to lay a good foundation. We are all laborers together with God. We're all working for the same goal. That's Jesus Christ, the glory of the Heavenly Father.

Ye is singular. Ye and ye and ye and ye, not collective. Ye are God's husbandry, plural. All of us together make up the husbandry. Now, Joy, that's a strange word for us Texans. What's it mean? Fred, Greg, husbandry.

It usually has to do with agriculture. But what does it mean to be the husband or husbandry? The worker. Who said that? Harvey? Harvey didn't put his hand up. All right. It's the worker himself. So one that works with developing a better strain of cattle is a husbandry in the business of a husbandry of cattle.

So we are his husbandry. No particular category. We are his to work wherever he puts us in whatever area that we find ourselves. And it means we are held responsible. A steward, if you please. We are God's building.

Important. We are his building. Now, Dennis, we think we know what it means by building. Just by way of information, what's that mean to you? No, this is a noun. All right. All right. Now, we're God's house, God's building.

Wouldn't it be we are the results of what God has done? Yes. Now, I want you to understand something. Man would have neither work to do nor strength to do it unless God had given it to him. Russell, we think we go to school and get educated and come out with a degree and now I can do something.

Well, if you do something, it's because it's given to you by God. Even the education. Even life itself. Man would have neither work to do, Greg. You wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for God. You wouldn't have the strength to do it if he hadn't given it to you.

Now, by strength, I don't mean just physical. I mean mental, spiritual, financial, whatever. John 11, 38. Go to that with me, please. And I'd like for you to hold your finger there and go over to Mark 4, 37.

And then hold your finger there and come back to John 11, 38. Are most of you with me? John 11, 38. Jesus, therefore, again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days. Now go to Mark 4, verse 37 is where we'll start.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat unto the ship, so that it was now full. So we get the picture that the ship was full of water. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, being Jesus, asleep on a pillow.

And they awake him and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? He arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Two questions.

The first one had to do with Lazarus. And he told them to roll the stone back. The second one was a storm on the sea, and he calmed the wind and the sea. Now, Greg, he's going to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Boy, that's going to take some power. Why did he ask somebody else to roll the stone back? Could he not have done that? When he was on board the ship and was about to sink, he stilled the storm and the wind.

But why didn't he help him bail the boat out? So what do you learn from this? All right. He will do that which is impossible for man. For us to not do that which we can is blasphemy. It's a sin. It is putting God in a position of debtor.

Because you can quote a scripture that says, I will be with you forever. I will protect you and take care of you. You will be my people, and I will be your God. Then for us to not act upon something which we can act upon is tempting God.

And you don't tempt God. We must do our part. And if you wonder what part that is, it will be the part you can't do. Now, don't say, well, I can't do that. I can't sing. I can't teach. I can't sweep the floor.

I can't. I can't. And say, he told me that if I would do what I could, then he'd do the rest. That means, since I can't sweep the floor, he will. But he might sweep it up with you. But he's given us a brain and common sense.

And we're to use that. And you can't fool him. Four or five points here. God provides the work. Is that right? Whatever it is, he provides it. God gives us the strength to do it. Is that right? God gives the knowledge to do it.

Now, that doesn't mean that you won't have to go to school to gain that knowledge. But any knowledge gained is from him. God gives the situation in which you find yourself. Is that right? God controls the circumstances.

Is that right? Well, then, Virge, what's left for us? And our part is just to do it. He provides the work, the strength, the knowledge, the situation and circumstances. And all that is left for us is for us to do it.

Don't ever try to get out of it. Any questions? Thoughts? Yes. Absolutely. Oh, we fall so far short. I can remember when I was, well, any job that I was involved in after we moved here and we got the clock shop and furniture refinishing open.

I was so proud of the work that turned out. And honestly, I was proud because the Lord had made it possible for me to do it. But, you know, I still like to hear people brag on it. When I would create a screen door, it just thrilled my heart for somebody to just not believe what they're seeing.

And all of the time, I knew in my heart that it was the Lord that had done it, not me. It's a battle. It's all that same battle. So in Corinthians 10 31, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Now that ought to settle it, folks. We like to hold out one little corner someplace. Whatsoever in Colossians 3 17, whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3 23 and whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. Too many times we want men to brag on it. Now, verse 10, according to the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereupon.

Thereon, but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon. Now, first of all, he did not say let every man take heed what kind of foundation he lays. There's only one foundation. Bill, what is it? OK, it's Jesus Christ himself.

Death and resurrection. We're to guard against one false instructions to the instructions of false teachers. Now stop for a moment. Greg, what's the difference in false instructions and instructions of false teachers?

By that, then, can we get false instructions from a sincere God teaching preacher? It is possible. It's because of lack of study on his part, dedication. He may lead you wrong. The first can be from a godly preacher that is misinformed.

The second is the seed of Satan. For other foundation, singular, can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Paul says, I laid the foundation. Does that mean he's the foundation? No, he laid it.

What's it mean, Bill, that Paul laid the foundation? He presented to them the foundation. He presented Jesus Christ as the foundation. Everything's built on him. How many foundations does a building have, Dennis?

One. Now, if any man build upon this foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones, what's fire do to those? Purifies. Wood, hay, stubble. Russell, what's fire do to those? Consumes them. Every man's, this means all people, saved and doomed, every man's work shall be made manifest.

My, what a statement. For the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Let's go back. For every man's work shall be made manifest.

Brother David, every man's work will be made manifest. Now, manifest means to be made visible. To whom will it be made visible? Will this be a private showing? Will the man himself, if, while in this life, if you have violated your conscience and you know it, you have not confessed the sin and it bothers you, what's one of the main things that concerns you if you're not going to confess?

Who said that? We're afraid someone's going to find out. Now, are we afraid God's going to find out? Are we fearful that we will find out? But then who's left? Other people. I think that... Yes, yes, we like to make ourselves think that.

But from that, I would have to say that to be made manifest means it's going to be visible to others. If you're afraid it's going to be found out here, what are you going to do there? Wouldn't it be better to wipe it out here?

If any man's work abide which is built thereon, thereupon, he shall receive a reward. So, Russell, going back to your answer, if any man's work abide, it would have to be built from what kind of material?

All right, now, how do we use or where do we get that kind of a material? From God. So what does that tell us about the deeds that we do or don't do? Debra? So now, we're down to something coming from God and something coming from ourself.

How can we detect the difference, Harvey? All right, let me ask it this way. Wednesday morning, all of you housewives that are at home, you have the thought to bake a cake for Little Miss Somebody that lives on the wrong side of the track, that's poor, and you just can't get it off your mind and you bake the cake.

What do you suppose has prompted you to do that? The Holy Spirit? What if you do it and then things come up to where you never get to deliver it? What then, Dennis? Well, maybe on the way over, you was run over by a truck and had to go to the hospital and you never did get to take the cake.

Harvey? Thank you. If we are obedient to the intentions of the Holy Spirit, it's not our job to see that it's finished. We carry it out as far as we can go. But, you remember what the Lord said about a dirty old man that looks at a woman?

Is he guilty? When? Already. So it'd be the same way on the good deed. If you really intended to do this and you knew that the impression was from the Lord, yet you did not get to carry it out, it was He that prevented it, so in His eyes, it's the same as if you did it.

Now, you cannot take it upon yourself to do something because every time you do, you have an ulterior motive. It's either seeking a pat on the back, it'll be from pride, whatever it is, or to impress some neighbors, other neighbors, or to go and see if she really is as poor as she claims to be, so on and so forth.

That is not of the Holy Spirit. All right, if any man's work abides, now, we can know right here in this life about our work. We must stop here. Well, let me touch on one other thing. What in the final analysis is the product of our work?

In the very bottom line, what is the product of anything that we do in regard to other people? Nothing to do with the salvation, nothing to do with your rewards, maybe indirectly, but what I want you to find is the final analysis in the product of our good deeds that we do to others, or bad deeds.

What does it accomplish? Well, that's true, but that's not the final bottom line. Pat, all right, it's hard for me to phrase the question right. Let me just tell you, the final analysis of everything that we do results in the influence you had upon others while doing it.

Remember that the work is not the personal character of the person, but the influence he has had on the character of others. That's why we can do something to someone as though we do it to God. It is what I do should bring praise and glory to God, or honor to God.

But also, what is the final influence of my doing it, what has that done to the character of others? Would that be letting others see God through me? Sure. Sure. The influence upon others is our life here on earth.

We'll stop right there and come back to it next week. Now I have in the last two minutes a verge. Let me read this now, one to a family, but wait just a minute. This is something that's very prominent on my mind lately.

1 Corinthians 3 .16, and you'll get a copy. You know not, know you not, that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? Question, how do we know that the body is not the man?

Answer, because man can and does exist without the body. So we know the body is not the man. 1 Corinthians 3 .17, if any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy.

Which temple you are, and the word temple has been added. It should read which you are, because the word holy refers, the word which you are refers to the word holy. Question, is it reasonable that a holy, righteous, pure, undefiled, godly creature would dwell, live in, reside in, stay at home in a sinful, lustful, debauched, wretched house?

Would a godly creature live in such a dirty pigsty? Of course the answer is no. Is it reasonable that you can house or keep a godly spirit in a deplorable dwelling? And the answer is no. I want you to take these, one to a family, and if there's any left, hand them out.

Put it someplace where you can see it during the week.