The Root Cause of Divisions in the Church Studies in 1 Corinthians Series [9] 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 July 20, 2014 Pastor Paul K. Kim

RECAP: NATURAL PEOPLE VS. SPIRITUAL PEOPLE Natural people do not have the Holy Spirit (unsaved). Spiritual people do have the Holy Spirit (saved). Natural people do not accept things of the Spirit (folly to them) because they cannot understand spiritual truths. Spiritual people do discern things of the Spirit because (wisdom to them) because they have the mind of Christ taught by the Spirit.

WHEN DO DIVISIONS IN A LOCAL CHURCH OCCUR? 1)Divisions in the church occur when Christians are controlled not by the Spirit but by the flesh, their fallen nature. 1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.. (v. 1) 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:9-10

WHEN DO DIVISIONS IN A LOCAL CHURCH OCCUR? 1)Divisions in the church occur when Christians are controlled not by the Spirit but by the flesh, their fallen nature. 1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.. (v. 1)  Positionally, ALL true Christians are spiritual [Spirit-indwelt and led]; but in practice, they acted as if they were not.  Two Greek words for “flesh” in this text are (1) v. 1 sarkinos – made of flesh and (2) v. 3 sarkikos – characterized by flesh.  Unlike natural people they were “in Christ”—i.e., saved and indwelt by the Spirit but this contradiction made them act like “babes”—unacceptably spiritually immature.

WHEN DO DIVISIONS IN A LOCAL CHURCH OCCUR? 2)Divisions in the church occur when Christians are marked by immature diet and self-centered behaviors (jealous & strife). 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? (vs. 2-3)  Paul describes two telltale signs of spiritual infants [carnal Christians]: (1) milk-only diet and (2) self-centeredness.  The difference between milk and solid food are not intellectual but spiritual—deeper secret hidden wisdom.  Those who are constantly led by the flesh are warned and urged here by Paul to bear the fruit of their salvation.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

WHEN DO DIVISIONS IN A LOCAL CHURCH OCCUR? 3)Divisions in the church occur when Christians elevate their spiritual leaders in a man-centered way. 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (vs. 4-5)  When Christians are fleshly, their perspective even within the church is of self-assertion and self-adsorption.  Out of the fleshly tendencies, a local church’s culture can become man-centered in jealousy and strife (self-seeking).  Yet, Paul points out Apollos and Paul himself are NOTHING— they are mere “servants” that God uses as his tool.

WHEN DO DIVISIONS IN A LOCAL CHURCH OCCUR? 4)Divisions in the church occur when Christians fail to see the centrality of God’s work in the church. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. (vs. 7-9)  Paul’s clear point about the church and its ministries is this: GOD IS THE CENTER of every work.  In this kind of Spirit-led God-centered church, there is no room for hero-worship and celebrity-leaders.  They are God’s fellow workers who cooperate with one another in what God is doing and for the glory of God.

The Centrality of God’s Work in the Church Three times in this verse [v.9] the word God comes first: ‘God’s fellow-workers are we; God’s field, God’s building are you.’ This puts strong emphasis on the divine action. Ministries and those they serve are no more than God’s instruments. All is of God and all belong to God. The Greek translated we are God’s fellow-workers could be understood as ‘we are partners working together for God’ (GNB), which would suit the context very well. Despite its attractiveness, however, we should probably not accept it, for the more natural way to understand the Greek is God’s fellow-workers (cf. Mk. 16:20). It is a startling expression, which sets forth in striking fashion the dignity of Christians service. AS someone has said, ‘Without God, we cannot; without us, he will not.’ — Leon Morris

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.In what ways are you more convinced of your own need to give heed to the warning against being characterized by the flesh as a Christian? 2.In what ways will you turn from immature diet and self- centered behaviors in your Christian life? 3.In what ways will you be vigilant against elevating your favorite Christian teacher/leader in a man-centered way?