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Sermon Notes

God's Greatest Building Project

Sunday 16 September 2018 Pastor Craig Ledbetter 1 Corinthians 3
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I. Introduction (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

A. The life of a Christian is so much more than getting up and going to work every day

B. Your life is being PLANTED, WATERED, WEEDED and BUILT-UP by God

  1. Nothing good happens by accident - life has to be managed, farmed, constructed, or else you only have overgrowth, and weeds, and rubbish
  2. So God is at work, in every person that is breathing
  3. And especially in every person who is a believer (Philippians 1:6)

C. What does God think of His work in YOU and ME?

D. What if I told you:

  1. That every believer, and every Bible believing church is a TEMPLE in God’s kingdom?
  2. And that God takes it extremely seriously how we treat His temple! What we allow into it, how we worship in it, and what we do in it!

II. Background

A. You Are God’s Greatest Building Project (3:9,10)

  1. From the moment of conception, you are fearfully and wonderfully MADE by God
  2. But God is NOT finished with you yet!
  3. You are…
    • A Life - not things, or money or even success, but LIFE (John 10:10)
    • A Work of God in progress
    • A Work of Grace
    • An Investment of Others
      • God uses loads of different people in your life
      • Parents, Preachers, and Pressures to forge Christian maturity
      • Fight and reject any of those and YOU LOSE!
      • Let God mould you and shape you through the people already in your life
    • Part of something bigger than just YOUR life - notice the ‘YE’
      • Don’t neglect the church God has you in
      • The more you neglect your church, the more God neglects YOU
      • God assembles you with other Christians to make something awesome - a Temple

B. There is only ONE Foundation to build your life upon (3:11)

  1. Not SAND, or dirt, but a Solid Rock - a foundation stone
  2. Jesus Only
    • Not built on science or wealth or culture
    • Not on the Church, or Mary, or the Saints, or Peter, or the bishops and priests!
    • But built upon the perfect life and example of the Lord Jesus Christ

C. Be Careful of Cowboy Builders

  1. The Apostle Paul, Peter, James, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Jude, were all Master-builders
  2. Be aware of the cowboys, the hustlers out there - Paul calls them WOLVES (Acts 20:29-31; Matthew 7:15)

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” - Acts 20:29-30

III. What Are You Building With? (3:12-15)

A. Gold, Silver, Precious Stones

  1. Things that last through fire
  2. Works done for God’s glory
  3. Obedience to His Word

B. Wood, Hay, Stubble

  1. Things that burn up
  2. Works done for self
  3. Empty religion

C. Every Man’s Work Shall Be Made Manifest

  1. The day of testing is coming
  2. Fire will reveal what sort it is
  3. Will your work survive?

IV. You Are the Temple of God (3:16-17)

A. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?

  1. God dwells in you
  2. You are His holy place
  3. Treat yourself accordingly

B. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy

  1. God takes this seriously
  2. Don’t pollute what God has made holy
  3. Guard the temple

V. Application

  1. What are you building your life upon?
  2. What materials are you using to build?
  3. Are you treating yourself as God’s temple?
  4. Will your work survive the fire of judgment?

You are God’s greatest building project. Let Him build something that will last for eternity!

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