Building up the Church

Building up the Church

“Building Up the Church”

(1 Corinthians 3:10-17)

Series: Chaos & Correction (1 Corinthians)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

Take your Bibles and join me in 1 Corinthians, chapter 3 (page 768; YouVersion).

 

We are continuing our verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians, a series entitled “Chaos & Correction.”  There is chaos at the church in Corinth and the Apostle Paul brings correction to the chaos by writing to them this letter.  So the answer to chaos in the church is the correction of the Word of God.

 

Paul has been addressing the self-focused and prideful attitudes of the members by pointing the membership to the cross, namely to Jesus Christ.  When the church gets her eyes focused on Christ, then most of the problems go away.

 

When we left off last time we were reading about Paul’s metaphor of the church as a field.  He reminded the Corinthians that he planted the church, and others like this guy named Apollos, came along and watered the church.  So the church is a field.  Paul sowed the seed of the Gospel and then other leaders like Apollos came along and watered the seed and the church grew, much like a field of corn grows when a farmer sows the seed and then another waters the seed.

 

Now Paul changes metaphors.  He goes from describing the church in agricultural terms to describing the church in architectural terms.  He says not only can we think of the church as a field, but as a building.  He says, “I laid the foundation and others, like Apollos, came along and built upon it.”  And, Paul will go on to say, “In some sense every one of us builds upon this foundation, for the whole church family, every member of the church, is a builder.  Every member of the church has a role to play in building up the church.  However, it is very important that each member build wisely!”  I invite you to listen for that teaching as I read the Word of God this morning.

 

Stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

 

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 

14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 

15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 

17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

 

Pray.

 

Introduction:

 

I originally entitled this message, “Men at Work.”  I was thinking about the yellow signs I remembered seeing just prior to road construction on the highway or before building projects in the city.  But then I thought it’s been awhile since I’ve seen one of those signs and it may be because of the trend toward gender neutrality.  After all, it’s not just men who are on the road crews, women are found on these crews also, but then I didn’t remember seeing any signs that said, “Men and Women at Work,” or, “Persons at Work,” so I just bagged the whole idea altogether.

 

By the way, someone said about those old yellow signs, “Men at Work,” someone said: “Women work all the time—men have to put up signs when they work.”  I thought some of you ladies might like that.

 

But again, I just decided I’d go with a different title and so I went with, “Building up the church.”  This passage shows us that every member of the church has a role in building up the church.  Every single Christian is an integral part to the church and has a significant role in building up the church.

 

Every one of us.  Each one of us is a builder in the church.  I am a builder, you are a builder.   Say this with me: “I am a builder in this church.”  Say that, “I am a builder in this church.”

 

You are.  So am I.  We are builders together in this construction project called the church.  So we’re not building a building, we’re building a church.  Remember the church is not a building, the church is people.  The church is a body.  The building is where the church gathers.  This building is simply the place where Henderson’s First Baptist Church gathers on the Lord’s Day.  If we gather at another building, or if we gather over at Central Park, then that’s where the church is at that moment.  The church is wherever the people are.

 

So we’re each one of us used of God in building the church known as Henderson’s First Baptist Church.  Now, the Bible has some rules for us as we build together.  Rule number one:

 

Keep Christ as the Foundation (10-11)

 

A building has to have a foundation!  It has to be built upon something strong.  I’ll spare you a long, drawn-out story about some building that didn’t have a solid foundation.  Most of you know this readily.  You’ve got to have a solid base before you build.

 

Even a house of cards has to have a strong base or foundation if you hope to build other cards on top of it, right?  So what is the church’s foundation?  The church’s foundation is not a what, but a Who.  And what is His name?  Somebody tell me: Jesus Christ.  Look again at verses 10 and 11:

 

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church.  And the sense here in this passage is to not forget that.  The sense is to keep Christ as the foundation of the church, because Paul is going to go on talking about building on this foundation.

 

Look again at verse 10.  Paul says that it is “according to the grace of God which was given (to him), as a wise master builder (he’s not bragging here; he’s just contrasting building wisely with building foolishly as we’ll see in a moment), by God’s grace given to Paul, he says, “I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.”  Acts 18 tells about Paul’s starting the church in Corinth, planting the church there in Corinth, laying the foundation.

 

“I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.”  That is, another person, like Apollos who was a leader there in the church and continued the teaching of the Gospel—and this includes all other workers.  Last part of verse 10, “But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”  As we said earlier, “I am a builder in God’s church.”

 

And again, the foundation, verse 11, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

 

The foundation is which holds everything together.  Jesus Christ is the foundation.  Without Jesus Christ as the key, critical, component that holds everything together, the church topples like a house of cards without a sure, solid, foundation.  So Paul has been making this point since the mid-point of chapter 1:

 

1 Corinthians 1:17, Christ sent me “to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”

 

1 Corinthians 1:23, “We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.”

 

1 Corinthians 2:2, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

 

The church is all about Jesus Christ.  The focus of our preaching and teaching and all of our ministry is all about Jesus.  As we have noted before: it’s never about the one preaching, but the One preached, Jesus Christ.  It’s all about Him.  He is the church’s one and only foundation.

 

So we must keep Christ as the foundation.

 

Have you ever heard the expression, “Building something to code?”   A building code, “is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety” for construction projects.  “The main purpose of building codes [is] to protect public health, safety and general welfare” of those who occupy the building (source: Wikipedia).

 

Paul is saying that the church must build to code.  And the code is the solid, and sure foundation of Jesus Christ.  The church is all about Christ and Him crucified.  When we build on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ—understanding who He is as the Bible teaches—then we are building to code.

 

Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses, while comprising many good and wonderful persons, are belief systems that are not according to building code.  Why?  Because Jesus Christ, according to historic orthodox Christian doctrine, is the God-Man, fully God and fully Man.  He is co-eternal and co-equal with the Heavenly Father.  Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is not co-eternal and co-equal with the Father, but a created being.

 

Now our Mormon friends will tell us that they believe Jesus is the Son of God and even the creator.  But when they say, “Son of God” they mean something very differently than the historic, biblical understanding of “Son of God.”  Mormonism asserts that Jesus Christ is a creation.  Mormonism teaches that Jesus is the product of a union or sexual relations between god and his goddess wife, both of whom were people from another planet.

 

Our Jehovah’s Witnesses friends will also say they believe in Jesus and they do, but again when they speak of Jesus they are using a different dictionary to define Him.  And like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is a created being.

Now we can’t both be right.  It’s just that simple.  We cannot both be right.  The Bible is clear on this issue.  Jesus Christ is co-eternal, co-equal to the Heavenly Father.  There has never been a time that the Son was not.  He has always been.

 

Speaking of the Son of God as “the Word,” John says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God;” co-eternal, co-equal.  And the Word took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), but the Word has always been.  There never was a time the Son of God was not.

 

The church’s one foundation 

is Jesus Christ her Lord; 

she is His new creation 

by water and the Word. 

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.

 

Rule number one: Keep Christ as the Foundation.  Rule number two:

 

Take Care that you Build Wisely (12-14)

 

Every one of us is a builder in the church.  Every one of us has an important part to play to ensure that we are building according to code.  Look at verse 12:

 

12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,—verse 13—each one’s work will become clear;—stop here for a moment.

 

Do you see these building materials?  In verse 12 Paul mentions building materials—gold, silver, precious stones, and wood, hay, and straw.

 

Gold, silver, and precious stones signify the right teachings and the right attitudes of the ones who are building, of church members.  Wood, hay, and straw represent the wrong teachings and the wrong attitudes and wrong motivations of church members who are building.

 

And Paul says that only those materials that are used in the right way with the right motivation and the right purpose—only those materials will survive the judgment.

 

Remember the three little pigs?  Two of the pigs built a building that wasn’t built to last.  They built with wood and straw.  The folks who build a church on human wisdom will build a church that will not last.  The folks who build a church on a personality have built a church that will not last.

 

Verse 13 refers to Judgment Day, when the Lord judges the Christian’s works.  Verse 13:

 

13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day (Judgment Day) will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 

 

See, Christians don’t have to worry about their souls on Judgment Day.  Once you are saved, that salvation is secure for eternity.  To be declared righteous, to be justified, is to be saved forever.  The Christian enjoys eternal union with Christ.  The Christian is forever clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

 

God’s judgment on the Christian on Judgment Day does not concern his soul, but his service.  The Christian is judged based upon his or her acts of service for the Lord.  Our works are judged and the result of that judgment is either reward or loss of reward.

 

To build with gold, silver, and precious stones means to use your gifts and talents to the best of your ability for the glory of God. As you serve in Henderson’s First Baptist Church, your motivation is pure and your desire is for God’s glory.  So you teach in accordance with the historic truth of the Gospel, you teach according to the Bible, you serve according to godly, Christian virtues.  Your heart is right, your motive is pure.

 

If you serve God this way then you are building with gold, silver, and precious stones and your work will endure.  You have built something that is built to last.  Verse 14:

 

14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 

 

We must take care to build wisely because on Judgment Day, God will judge the way we have served Him.  He will judge the materials we have used.  Our motives will be judged, our motivations, our conduct will be judged.

 

So whether you are singing, teaching a lesson, praying, encouraging another brother or sister, speaking about another brother or sister, sharing the Gospel, giving, tithing, being missional, your motives must be pure, you are acting out of love, you are building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  When you teach this way, sing this way, pray this way, serve this way, your work will endure.  Bottom line: if you’re biblical in what you are doing and Christlike in how you’re doing it, you will receive a reward.

 

On the other hand if I preach in my own power, or you sing in your own strength, or we do whatever we are doing without even once thinking of Christ then we are adding flimsy materials to the foundation, we’re adding things that won’t  last.  We’re using materials that will not endure the fires of the judgment, but will burn up.

 

So here’s rule number three:

 

Know the Consequences of Building Foolishly (15-17)

 

Verse 15:

 

15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

 

Again, note that the Judgment we are reading about has nothing to do with the Christian’s soul, it has rather to do with the Christians’s service.  If I build with the wrong materials—wood, hay, and straw—which, by the way are listed here in decreasing value and increasing flammability, if I build with these wrong materials—call it wrong preaching or teaching, impure motives, ungodly conduct—then, on the day of Judgment, my “works of service” will burn up.  I am saved, but I have nothing to show for my life because I built with self-centered and shoddy building materials.

 

And the Day of Judgment rather than being a day of shouting is a day of shame.  I am saved “yet so as through fire.”  So it’s like I’m saved, but when you come near me in heaven, you smell smoke on me.  You come near and you’re like, (sniff, sniff), “You lost some serious rewards didn’t you?”

 

When our teachings are wrong, when our attitudes are wrong, when our conduct in the church is wrong, when we live in such a way that we are forever murmuring, gossiping, and tearing down rather than building up—we are building with wood, hay, and straw.  And the reason this is so serious is because what we do affects other people.  One of Paul’s greatest concerns was that he not be disqualified in the Christian race (Galatians 2:2; Philippians 2:16).

 

You and I will give an account for how we served in the church.  So “take care how you build,” says Paul.  Take care that you build wisely and know the consequences of building foolishly.

 

And then, to drive the seriousness of this point home, Paul reminds us of the sacredness of this building known as the church.  Verse 16:

 

16 Do you not know that you (plural; you all or y’all) are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 

17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

 

God will destroy him.  The first word is actually the same as the second.  If anyone destroys the temple, God will destroy him.  This is someone who is not part of God’s family.  This is a person who is a non-believer.

The one who destroys God’s temple will himself face eternal destruction on the final day of judgment.  As God destroyed the Babylonians who destroyed Solomon’s temple, so God will destroy the person who destroys the church.

So again, these three rules for everyone in this room who is a Christian.  If you are a Christian, then you are a builder in this church.  You and I are all working together to build up the church.  So what again are these three rules: 1) Keep Christ as the Foundation, 2) Take Care that you Build Wisely, and 3) Know the Consequences of Building Foolishly.

 

Stand for prayer.

 

When I was in college I worked for a landscaping company and as I raked dirt and prepared “to seed and straw” as we called it, I looked at a lot of brickwork.  And in North Georgia where we did so much of this work, they built these huge homes that we landscaped.  And I remember learning about these little holes left in the brickwork that was constructed on the foundation.  These little holes visible in the bricks were intentionally made.  They are called “Weep holes” and they are called that because they allow moisture from inside the building to naturally flow outside of the building.  Weep holes.  So as the building “breathed,” the moisture from inside would seep out of these little holes.

 

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church and every member is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.  Christ connects everything else together and from Him the church grows up, and as this body of believers “breathes,” Jesus Christ seeps out of our very selves.  Jesus Christ spills out of this body and pours out all over this community.

 

Let’s remember that and take care that we continue to build wisely.

 

Stand for prayer.

 

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