How to Build God's Church: Wisdom from 1 Corinthians
Discover key teachings from 1 Corinthians on building a local church, focusing on the foundation of Jesus Christ, using God's wisdom, and avoiding worldly influences. Explore essential questions for church growth and success in the 21st century.
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Presentation Transcript
Building Gods Church Studies in 1 Corinthians Series [10] 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 July 27, 2014 Pastor Paul K. Kim
21ST CENTURY QUESTIONS FOR 1ST CENTURY TEXT [1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-17] On Innovation: what should be never changed in building a local church? On Content/Strategy: what are right ways and wrong ways in building a local church? On Success: what determines true/false success in building a local church? On Warning: why is it so important to be careful in building a local church?
HOW SHOULD WE BUILD GODS CHURCH? 1) In building God s church, we ought to build not on any others but on Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation. 10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11For no one can lay afoundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (vs. 10-11) Paul, as the founder of this church laid one and only foundation Jesus Christ; there is no other foundation. We are God s church because we belong to Christ as our foundation; this must be never changed in God s church. More precisely, this foundation is authentic Jesus of Scripture who was crucified and rose again as God s wisdom/power.
HOW SHOULD WE BUILD GODS CHURCH? 2) In building God s church, we ought to build not with worldly wisdom but with God s hidden wisdom. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw 13each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done (vs. 12-13) These six things are actually two types of building materials : (1) inflammable/lasting and (2) flammable/short-lived. They represent God s wisdom as right materials and worldly wisdom as wrong materials for building the church. Their quality will be revealed by the fire on the judgment day of Christ for all believers; until then, looks are deceiving!
3For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5As for you, always be sober-minded,endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:3-5
HOW SHOULD WE BUILD GODS CHURCH? 3) In building God s church, we ought to focus not on temporal results but on the eternal reward. 14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.15If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (vs. 14-15) What matters most is not man-centered inspection with short-lived flairs but Jesus judgment on each person s work. Beginning with leaders/pastors, all believers will be accounted by Jesus on that day. Therefore, how we build on God s church now matters for our eternal reward or shameful salvation with no reward.
HOW SHOULD WE BUILD GODS CHURCH? 4) In building God s church, we ought to fear the LORD who warns against destroying the church. 16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (vs. 16-17) Here the you refers to not individual believers but as to the church as the corporate body of Christ. The warning is severe: it means eternal destruction in hell as the consequence of this grievous sin. The clear lesson is that God cares deeply for his church and will build God s building through his faithful people.
Looking for the reward of good works, we must wait patiently till the last day, the day of resurrection. John Calvin
THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1. What would it mean for you to build CrossWay Church [or your home church] on Jesus Christ as the foundation? 2. In what ways will you make sure you would use right materials/ways and right focus as you build the church together? 3. How will you fear the LORD who warns you against harming the church?
