•I Corinthians 3:10-15
•Build what will Last
•The Wide World
•Corinth
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
(I Corinthians 3:10-15, ESV)
Main Point
• These verses warn the teachers and leadership within the Corinthian Church
• Paul laid the foundation and other builders build upon that foundation
• Good materials will last
• Poor materials will be burned up in fire
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Application Points
• Build what will Last
– We see the warning for congregations when it comes to ministry
– Growth would come from being faithful in what God has called us to be
– The builders are those who are in Church leadership
– It will not do for us to scheme or plot in order to build upon the foundation which has been laid
– What does this look like?
– Is what we build simply the ministries which already exist
– While being a pastor, or on the diaconate board, or trustees are ministry opportunities in themselves…there are other ministries available
– These (pastoral, diaconate, trustee) are the leadership ministries
– Good leadership will seek to build what is lasting within the congregation encouraging each individual…seeking to equip
Application Points
• Build what will Last (2)
– Another way of saying all this is that leadership is called to be responsible
– I can build up what is lasting by not focusing on myself, but pointing to Jesus
– The same is true with every other leadership position by encouraging individuals as well as in community with one another
– But is there more?
– What are the noncombustible materials?
– What good is it to talk about builders without knowing what good building materials look like?
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
(Mark 12:28-31, ESV).
Application Points
• Build what will Last (3)
– No greater commandment than these
– Any ministry in which we love God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength
– What is greater than loving God with all of who we are?
– What greater ministry can there be than those which encourage us to love God more in these ways?
– What greater love for others can we have than to love them as ourselves?
– Unfortunately many ministries can turn into wood straw and hay even though they have good intentions to begin with
– If any ministry is to glory in ourselves…in anything other than Jesus, we can be sure what we build will not last
– If we as individuals seek Him, and then in seeking Him know His love for us
– Knowing His love for the others around us
– Loving them as well
– Then this community will be founded on the person of Jesus and His Gospel
– It is by trusting in God, and what He calls us to be,m that we will find what we have built will last
Application Points
• Build what will Last (4)
– There is a warning in all of this
– Be careful in the building
– We have the greatest foundation for all of life
– Yet here is hope because we do not have to build poorly
– Let us build with obedience and faithfulness to God
– Let us show the world God’s love by loving one another
– We have been given an incredible opportunity in this life
– He has given us the foundation, and has given us the responsibility to build what will last
– Let’s take that responsibility seriously
– Let’s seek to build something beautiful together for the glory of God
– Knowing that if we do we will build what will last
•Application Points
•The Gospel of Christ
–Origins
–Where we began
–Fall
–What went wrong
–Redemption
–How it is fixed
–Glorification
–Where it at leads
