1 Corinthians With Mark Dever: When Church HurtsSample

Grow up!

Read 1 Corinthians 3

If the apostle Paul were commenting on your Christian maturity, how would he describe you?

Children

Paul is writing to them as children because they just don’t seem ready for anything more. And this is their fault. They had had every opportunity to grow in Christ—Paul had lived among them, and Peter (ie: Cephas) seems to have visited them (1:12). Paul is not asking, spiritually speaking, a three-year-old to hold an adult conversation; he is asking a 33-year-old to move on to proper food.

Apply

The seed

The building

God is the one who directs the various workmen He employs, because the church is His. And a true church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ (v 11). God owns the church; and God lives in the church (verses 16-17).

Apply

All is yours

A mature Christian realises there’s no need for division in a church; no need to seek reflected glory by backing a particular pastor or speaker or organization. Why? Because everything God has promised is already theirs, not through following Paul, Apollos or Cephas, but by belonging to Christ (verses 22-23). While worldly wisdom tells us to put ourselves forward, godly wisdom urges us to enjoy all we have in Jesus, and exalt Him. Praise Him now for giving you real life, no fear of death, and a place in His world to come.