Take your Bibles with me and turn to 1 Corinthians 3. 1 Corinthians 3. We are going to be looking in a minute at verses 5-23.

I like buildings. My mom would tell you that when I was a kid, anytime we went to the city, I could get terrified just walking under the big buildings. But a couple nights in a children's hospital's 20th floor cured me of that. Now I love them. I love going to Chicago and learning about their buildings.

Almost every time we go to Chicago, we end up hanging out at the Sears tower. (That's because we take the train, and Union Station is only a block away from Sear's Tower, and Sear's Tower is a much nicer place to wait around.) That building is amazing. It is HUGE.

Look at this picture. The smallest building in the forefront of that picture would be by far the tallest building in Mattoon. And the Sear's Tower is probably four blocks behind it. So it should be smaller. That's how big that building is.

!Willis_Tower_From_Lake.jpg

When the build the building, they had to build it on a foundation that went over 100 feet below the street level, and they had to create hundreds of giant concrete pillars that went all the way to the bedrock.

Do you think we could hire brother Matt and Daniel to build us a building like that in Mattoon? Not unless they could find 3,000 skilled laborers to help them. Because it took 3,000 people, working together to make that building. The building had to have it's' own kitchen, it's own concrete plant, it's own giant generators, it's own loudspeaker system - just to get it built.

You can't build a building like that out of just studs and a nail gun either. Sear's tower is built with these massive steel tubes. Each floor is reinforced concrete, and the exterior walls are glass and aluminum.

That building is now over fifty years old, and it seems brand new.

Now, of course, I'm not just talking about Sears Tower because I want to geek out with you about a really cool building. I'm talking about it because of our text. At the end of verse 9 it says ye are God's building. After a couple of verses (verses 5-8) where paul is talking about the church as a farm - where he sets up the problem, he switches to a building metaphor in verse 9 and never looks back.

Let's go ahead and read the chapter and then we'll get into what Paul is teaching us here.

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 - KJV

1. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4. For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13. Every man’s work shall be made manifest: 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.
14. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
23. And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Before we jump into the meat of this message, I want to say something that I think is obvious from reading this text: this is a chapter about the local church.

From beginning to end here, Paul is talking about the local church.

• The problem was a local church problem - they were worshipping preachers.
• The workers Paul talks about here are ministers in the local church.
• The farm is the local church.
• The building is the local church. Everything in this chapter is related to the local church.

That's important, because I've heard a lot of people preach from this passage and they almost always go to the "wood, hay and stubble" part and apply it to individuals. Like "you need to make sure in your individual lives you aren't building with wood hay and stubble."

But that isn't what this passage is saying.

Let's start by talking about the problem Paul was dealing with in the church. He says it in verse 4:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:4 - KJV 4. For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The problem was that this church was worshipping preachers. They had a celebrity preacher problem and it was causing division in their church. It was really the sign of carnality and spiritual immaturity. And so Paul is addresses that by saying that the preachers are just servants.

In verses 5-8, Paul basically says this: "Me and Apollos - we are just God's farm laborers. You are the field. But what matters is God and what He is doing it - not the farm laborers."

But then, in verse 9 he switches over to talking about the church as "God's building."

Now, it's very important that you understand, when we talk about a church - we aren't talking about a physical building. This building isn't Bible Baptist Church. This is the building where Bible Baptist Church meets. Bible Baptist Church could meet in many places and still be Bible Baptist Church. We could meet in an open field or in an unfinished pole barn and we would still be Bible Baptist Church.

Paul is talking about the church - the people - and he's using a building as a metaphor. And there are five really important lessons we can learn in this passage through the building metaphor. They are lessons about:

• the builders
• the foundation
• the job site
• the building materials
• the building philosophy

Each of those things teach us something very important about how to think about the local church.

So let's jump right into that with the first lesson, which is a lesson from...

1. The builders

Look at verse 10.

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:10 - KJV 10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Paul starts this building metaphor by talking about the builders. The point is the same as the with the farmers. In a big building project - especially in Bible times before we had table saws and nailguns - it would be inconceivable to do it by yourself. You would have a big crew of people working together to build the building.

And Paul is saying "When it comes to the church at Corinth, I got to be the general contractor" (that's what "wise master builder means - it's a technical term") but other people also worked on the building.

And the lesson from the builders is that we don't worship the builders. The builders are just the builders. What matters is the building. What matters is God's work in the church.

In order for God to do His work in a local church, He uses all kinds of ministers. He uses several preachers. Sometimes several pastors. And all of them need to be appreciated - but what matters more is how the building is built and not who build it.

A lot of people get this wrong. It's not about the preacher. It's not about the pastor. It's about the church. I'll leave here someday. I'll pass the hammer over to another builder and he will build the church. But the church should keep going. It's God's building.

The second lesson from this building metaphor is...

2. A lesson about the foundation

Look at verse 11 with me:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:11 - KJV 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

A building like Sear's Tower would never stay standing without a proper foundation. Their foundation goes down over 100 feet and involves hundreds of concrete columns that go down even further. There is another large building in Chicago, the auditorium building, that wasn't build on such a firm foundation and the whole building is sinking. You actually have to step down when you go in the building.

The foundation is crucial.

Paul makes it very clear that the only true foundation for a church is Jesus Christ. That's it. There can be no other.

Whatever else may be true about a church - it must be built on Jesus Christ. It cannot be built on tradition, or some moral rules, or some historical study that ties us back to Christ, or some teacher. It can only be built on Christ. He is, as the old hymn says, "the church's one foundation."

If we try to build on anything else - then it's not a true church. It has to be built on Christ.

Everything we do here as a church has to rest fully and firmly on Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

That's the lesson of the foundation.

Let's talk about the third lesson...

3. A lesson about the building materials

Look at verses 12-13:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 - KJV 12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13. Every man’s work shall be made manifest: 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.

In verse 12 Paul lists 6 building materials. Notice the list goes down in value and goes up in flammability.

You probably know that there aren't a lot of really old buildings in Chicago, and the reason for that is because they had this awful fire that destroyed the whole city. So now, when they build building like the Sears Tower, they are very careful what they build them with - they want to be very certain they don't have another Chicago Fire situtaion.

Here is what these verses are saying: When it says "every man's work" I believe it's talking about the people who work in the church. The different builders paul was talking about earlier.

Every man's work is going to be tried with fire. At some point, all of us who have labored for the Lord will stand before God and our work will be tried with fire. Some of it will be wood hay and stubble and will be burnt up. Some of it will be of more sturdy and precious stuff, and it will remain and we will receive a reward for it.

Some people who work in God's church - all they build with is wood, hay and stubble. Their whole work is cheap. It is temporary. It is all about building quick. And when it gets tested by fire - there won't be anything left there but the foundation. So there won't be any reward for those ministers.

Other people who work in God's church - they take the time to build with more precious materials - it's slower work - but when it is tested with fire, it stays and they get a reward.

Now, what does this teach us about the church: I think it teaches us that it matters a lot what we build with.. There are quick ways to build up a church. We can build it with entertainment. We can build it with marketing. We can build it with politics. We can build it with the world.

But when that is tested by the fire of God - how much of it will be left?

On the other hand we can build out of the slower work of faithfulness and Bible preaching and discipleship and careful evangelism. It might go slower, but we are building with precious stones and gold and silver. And it will stand and there will be rewards.

Think about the implication of this passage. It's really important: God values quality over quantity.

God values us using gold and silver and precious stones - which take a lot more time and carefulness - than wood, hay and stubble - which are quick. I know it's tempting sometimes to look at other churches and think "I wish we could grow like that" but we have to be careful that we are not just building, but buidling right.

So, we've talked about the builders, the foundation and the building materials. There are two more lessons to learn in this text about the church.

The fourth lesson is...

4. A lesson about the job site

Look at verses 16-17:

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 - KJV 16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

If you have ever worked construction, you know that the job site can get really dirty, really quickly. It is important to keep it clean and neat - not just to look good, but to keep it safe. On a construction site, there are often strict rules (like hard hat zones) because your life is at stake.

And in these verses, Paul alludes to the fact that we are God's temple - and the temple site is holy. So don't defile God's temple. Don't fill it up with trash. Keep it special. Keep it clean.

As God builds His church - it's very important that we stay holy. That we stay clean.

Again, there are some important implications of this lesson.

• God wants a holy church - which means sometimes we have to use church discipline.
• God wants a holy church - which means we can't just let anything go. We have to have some standards for what we do and how we behave in church.
• God wants a holy church - which means we are responsible not just for ourselves, but for how we defile the church.

We are the Temple of God. Don't defile the Temple. Don't mess it up. We have to keep it clean.

So we've talked about:

• the builders
• the foundation
• the building materials
• and the job site

There is one more lesson in this chapter about the church I want us to look at and it is...

5. A lesson about the builder's philosophy

Look at verse 18-20

[!bible] 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 - KJV 18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

You know, you can look at different buildings and see something of the philosophy of the builders in them.

For instance, you can look at one of the buildings Frank Loyd Wright made - and just looking at the building tells you that the builder had a different philosophy than all the track houses that are put up as quickly as possible.

This world has it's wisdom - it has it's way of doing things. And we get in trouble when we try to adopt the worlds philosophy of building things in the church. God wants us to be very different.

Sermon Conclusion

The world's wisdom says: build big, build fast, build impressive. Use whatever works - entertainment, marketing, celebrity appeal. Make it about the star preacher and his personality.

But God's wisdom is completely different. God says: build on Christ, build with precious materials, build holy, build for eternity. Make it about the church, not the celebrity.

This is exactly what was happening in Corinth. They were using worldly wisdom - picking favorite preachers like they were cheering for sports teams. "I'm team Paul!" "I'm team Apollos!" But God's wisdom says all the preachers belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Look at verses 21-23 one more time:

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

Do you see the beautiful hierarchy Paul gives us? You don't belong to Paul or Apollos - they belong to you! And you don't belong to yourself - you belong to Christ! And Christ belongs to God!

So here's what we've learned about God's building project:

1. Don't worship the builders - they're just servants doing their assigned work
2. Make sure Christ is the foundation - nothing else will hold
3. Build with precious materials - quality over quantity, always
4. Keep the job site holy - we're God's temple, not a construction zone
5. Use God's wisdom, not the world's philosophy - His ways are not our ways

The church belongs to Christ, not to celebrity ministers. So let's value all of God's servants while keeping our focus on the solid foundation of Jesus and God's wisdom rather than worldly wisdom.

Let's stand for prayer.