Defeating Division

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

October 12, 2008

In tonight’s text Paul is about to bring to a close

To his opening point to the Corinthian Church.

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

They were a church divided.

The specifics of their division

Were in regard to the pastor they each claimed to follow.

Some boasted in Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas, and others Christ.

Of course you will remember that this division was nothing more Than a pathetic attempt to look wise in the world,

And to gain glory for self.

Paul then spent two chapters

Revealing the futility in trying to follow Christ and look wise in the world.

But when we started chapter 3

Paul began to tighten the reigns on the specifics of their division.

He began with a shame tactic.

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men?”

The reason you are divided is because you are spiritual babies.

You need to grow up.

Then he gave us a severe warning.

He likened the church to a building which God is building.

In that building, some are:

DEDICATED CONTRACTORS: - Build with precision, saved, much treasure.

DECEITFUL CONTRACTORS: - “Wing it”, saved, no treasure.

DESTRUCTIVE CONTRACTORS: - Unknown about salvation, seek to destroy.

And to them Paul gave a severe warning:

1 Corinthians 3:17 “If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”

So the division at Corinth is real.

IT IS EMBARRASSING AND IT IS DANGEROUS.

Tonight Paul brings a close to this section

By revealing the course of action that the Corinthians need to take.

They are stuck on human wisdom

They are jealous and filled with strife

Here is what they need to do.

#1 CONTROL ARROGANCE

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Bill Parcells said about a rookie: “He doesn’t even know what he doesn’t know.”

In short, He may have potential,

But his arrogance has kept him from realizing

That he is not yet where he ought to be,

And therefore he is unable to work at it.

That was Corinth.

They were babies, but too arrogant to realize it,

And therefore they never let God grow them up.

And because they remained in a state of spiritual immaturity,

The church struggled with division.

Here Paul gives the first step in correcting that

Look at how he begins.

(18) “Let no man deceive himself.”

That in itself is a great statement.

You have never lied to anyone like you have lied to yourself.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

Your heart will lie right to you, and what is worse,

Is that you are prone to believe it.

And like the young ignorant athlete we spoke of earlier,

Many times we fall into self-deception.

Paul says do not let that happen.

“Let no man deceive himself.”

Then he gets more specific.

“If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he may become wise.”

WHAT IS THE DECEPTION?

Your heart telling you that you are wise.

Paul says, your heart will convince you that you know more than anyone. No one else knows anything, everyone should just stop and listen to you.

They should do everything your way,

Because you are the smartest person here.

“If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he may become wise.”

Now the key here are the words “in this age”

We are talking about a person who would be willing to offer their advice

Based upon worldly experience instead of study of the word of God.

For those who think their college degree,

Or their secular experience, or their financial success

Qualify them to speak up in the church,

Paul says they are self deceived.

IN FACT: The deception Paul refers to is a person

Who thinks he knows just as much as God about certain issues.

“Preacher, no one would claim that.”

Maybe not directly, but trust me people do it all the time.

LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE:

An issue comes up in the church. (It could be any issue)

Theological: doctrine of salvation

Church policy: requirements for pastor or deacons

Social: where the church stands on certain moral issues

An issue comes up in the church, and it is brought out for debate, and one member of the congregation stands up and says, “Well, I think…”

First off let me say:

WHO CARES!!!!

We are not concerned with people think,

We are concerned with what God says.

And it is EXTREME ARROGANCE for any one of us

To stand and voice what we “think”.

There was only one man who ever spoke like that legitimately.

It was Jesus.

All the prophets said, “Thus says the Lord”

Jesus said, “I say unto you.”

NO ONE ELSE EVER HAD THAT RIGHT.

Isaiah 5:21 “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!”

Galatians 6:3 “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

And don’t think there are not people in the Church who think that way.

PAUL SAYS TO CUT THAT OUT, BECAUSE IT BRINGS DIVISION.

It gives the church numerous authorities, instead of one authority.

And the church is only unified when it has one authority.

In fact unity rests upon singularity of authority.

Ephesians 4:1-6 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

That is also why before Jesus prayed for unity,

He first prayed for singularity of doctrine.

John 17:17-19 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”

AND SO PAUL SAYS, CUT OUT THE DIVISIVE ARROGANCE.

The only cure is “he must become foolish so that he may become wise.”

You must realize you don’t know EVERYTHING.

In fact you must realize that you don’t know ANYTHING.

You must reach a point of total humility before God.

You bring nothing to the table,

And you simply want to learn what God would teach you.

Proverbs 4:7 "The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”

The first step to getting wisdom is realizing you don’t have it.

Paul told the Romans:

Romans 12:3 “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Romans 12:16 “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

I don’t care where you have been.

I don’t care what you have done.

I don’t care how many degrees you have.

THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE YOU QUALIFIED,

LET ALONE AN EXPERT ON HOW TO RUN THE CHURCH.

It is time to realize that all of that knowledge is useless to God.

YOU SAY, “NOW PREACHER I DON’T AGREE WITH THAT.”

“I think if you have someone who has worked for a bank, then their financial knowledge is useful, and they should be in charge of the money.”

“I think if you have a person who has been a CEO, then they should have a leadership position because they are better qualified.”

That sounds good doesn’t It?

BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD.

(19) “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness before God.”

DO YOU KNOW HOW STUPID GOD THINKS WORLDLY BUSINESS IS?

The best financial plan Wall Street ever came up with

Was foolish to God.

(God says give 10% off the top to Him, be content with food and clothing,

And give everything else away for treasure in your next life)

The best marketing plan Wal-Mart ever came up with

Was foolish to God.

(God says, don’t try to attract them with gimmicks or felt needs, but make sure and tell them they are sinners and I am the only Savior)

The best administrative model The Government ever came up with

Was foolish to God.

(Don’t worry about qualifications, just take the one I select, I’ll make him qualified. And I am more concerned with his heart than his ability)

And we think that we will learn from them how to run the Church?

God has rejected all of their wisdom as utter non-sense.

“For the wisdom of the world is foolishness before God.”

PAUL CONTINUES

(19) “For it is written, “He is the One who catches the wise in their craftiness.”

The world has never been able to outsmart God.

Remember all the times that the Religious PhD’s of Jesus day approached Him to trick Him?

Remember Job with audacity to question God?

Job 38:1-4 “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, "Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? "Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,”

Remember Peter pulling Jesus aside?

Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Man has never revealed the flaw in God’s plan,

It is always God who reveals the flaw in man’s plan.

“He is the One who catches the wise in their craftiness.”

(20) “and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.”

If you needed any further proof that God doesn’t need

Worldly education, wisdom, or experience, that verse should do it.

ALL THAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE FROM YOUR SECULAR LIFE

IS ABSOLUTELY USELESS TO GOD.

Realize that God thinks on a higher level,

And you need to learn from Him, not Him from you.

Control Arrogance, humble yourself before God

And find out all the things that you didn’t know you didn’t know.

That is the attitude, next comes the action.

#2 CONTROL BOASTING

1 Corinthians 3:21-23

Notice Paul begins with the two words, “So then”

In other words, this statement

Is based upon adherence to the previous one.

FIRST REALIZE THAT YOU BRING NOTHING TO THE TABLE,

AND THEN REALIZE THAT NO ONE ELSE DOES EITHER.

“let no one boast in men.”

The Corinthians boasted about who they were following

As though it made them look smarter.

Paul says to stop doing that, and then he gives the reason.

“For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you.”

Don’t boast in men because everything is yours.

It is admittedly kind of a tricky concept to understand.

“All things belong to you”

HOW COULD THAT BE?

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Galatians 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Because we are children of God,

And because we are heirs of God, this world is literally ours.

Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”

SO NOW DO YOU SEE PAUL’S POINT TO THE CORINTHIANS?

The Corinthians were boasting in men

As their source of wisdom and prestige and importance.

BUT THAT IS STUPID

BECAUSE YOU DON’T GET ANYTHING FROM THEM.

YOU GET EVERYTHING FROM GOD.

AND LOOK AT WHAT THEY POSSESS FROM GOD.

“Paul, Apollos, or Cephas” – In a sense the Corinthians owned them because those men were their servants.

“the world” – Because it belongs to Jesus, and we are coheirs with Him.

“life” – given to us in Christ.

“death” – we are now victors, and it has no sting. We literally own it.

“things present” – it is the present age. Satan is the usurper, but it is ours.

“things to come” – this is eternal things.

“all things belong to you,”

YOU ARE SEEKING THINGS FROM MEN TO BENEFIT YOU,

WHEN GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING.

Instead Paul says to focus on something else.

(23) “and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”

If you feel the need to boast, boast about this.

That Jesus Christ came to this earth,

He spilled His blood to save you from sin,

And to purchase you as His own possession.

A CHURCH IS UNIFIED WHEN SHE REALIZES

THAT SHE IS NOTHING, AND HER ONLY WORTH

COMES FROM THE PRICE THAT WAS PAID FOR HER.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

AND THIS IS THE WAY TO DEFEAT DIVISION.

Division comes because people are immature,

And they are looking for a reason

Why they are more important than someone else.

BUT THE CHURCH DEFEATS DIVISION WHEN THEY:

· CONTROL ARROGANCE and realize they have no wisdom to offer.

· CONTROL BOASTING and realize they don’t live for glory, but to glorify Jesus.

TONIGHT

Let us put the division aside,

Find unity in the word and wisdom of God,

And determine no one has to get their way, as long as Jesus does.

Galatians 6:14-16 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”