Build Wisely! I Corinthians 3:10-23

Build Wisely!

I Corinthians 3:10-23

Introduction: This week I looked at the church one morning and then did a double take. The sun was just rising, and as I looked at the side of the roof facing the parking lot, there was a very eerie shadow that was cast along the entire peak, from one end to the other. It looked like the roof was concave, as though it had bowed. Like you, I had heard reports of roofs collapsing under the weight of the snow this winter, but the more I looked, I thought, “That can’t be, there isn’t that much snow up there!”  I just couldn’t explain to my own satisfaction what I was seeing, so I went out and walked around the building, and when I got on the street side, I thought, “Uh oh, that is a lot of snow, I think we may have a problem!” I came inside the building and I couldn’t see any cracks or issues in the ceiling, but that blasted shadow was still out there, looking very ominous to me.  What to do? Well I picked up the phone, first I called Chuck, he was up on a roof somewhere, shoveling snow! He said he could come, but it would take awhile. I tried Tim B., he and Robin had just gotten home like 3 that morning I think, and it went to voice mail. I called a couple of guys from the building and grounds committee, and Dan Cusumano was the first one here. Jeff Keyes followed a short time later.  Well, since we are in the building you know all was well! Dan went up into the attic and inspected everything and it was all good.  What we were seeing was a weird shadow effect caused by an even layer of snow across the entire ridge of the roof!  It is good to have guys around who know about building! Paul is using “construction” as an illustration in this context, a picture of the work we have been given to “build with care” the church of Jesus Christ. You know when I say “the church” I am talking about the people, not the building.  A certain web site purports to give consumers objective reviews by customers of the contractors they have worked with. I really don’t know much about that web site or the accuracy of its reviews, but (let’s change a couple of letters) if there was an “Angel’s List” for the church, how would we do? What kind of rating would we get? Are we faithfully carrying out the mission the Lord has entrusted to us, doing our part as He builds His church?

The Big Idea:  We need to build the church, God’s Temple, with care, according to the blueprint He has given us.

I. We must build on the right foundation:  We need to get the Gospel right (10-11).  One of my former professors wrote a book subtitled, Getting the Gospel Right. That is certainly the heart and the foundation of our “building.”

¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled [“wise”] 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.

       Notice first of all the norm or standard that guided Paul in his ministry: “According to the grace of God given to me…” He was confronting the Corinthians and calling them out for perverting God’s design for the church, and it seems to me that it started at the foundation, with their twisting the doctrine of “grace.” I think Paul’s experience on the Damascus Road left him profoundly changed, overwhelmed with the sudden realization that He deserved nothing, he would have no hope were it not for the undeserved intervention of God in his life. Not only had he been spiritually blind, he was going 180 degrees in the wrong direction.  Had the Lord not intervened, he had no hope. He knew he was saved only by the grace of God, and also that he was privileged to have a part in God’s mission in the world only by His grace. And so it was what guided him: no pride, no lifting up himself, simply serving in the way that God had gifted and called him. Is that your heart?

       Paul describes himself as a “wise master builder”. Let’s look at that phrase a word at a time…

First, he is a wise master builder. Though the ESV translates “skilled master builder,” it is the same word, “wise,” that we see in the preceding context (see I Cor 1:19,20,25,26,27) and will appear four more times in the immediately following context (in I Cor 3:18-20).  It seems certain that Paul is contrasting the Corinthians’ love for the wisdom of the world, essentially human philosophy, with the wisdom of God revealed in the Gospel, which is what guided Paul. He is a master builder that knows the creator and designer of the universe and is committed to building according to God’s plan. The background here seems to be the instructions given in the Old Testament book of Exodus for the men who would lead the construction of the Tabernacle,

 ^35:30 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;  ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship,  ³² to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,  ³³ in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.  ³⁴ And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.  ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver- by any sort of workman or skilled designer.  ^{ESV 36:1}Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded" (Exodus 35:30-36:1).

The Septuagint translation of the Hebrew text in Greek uses the word “wise” repeatedly to describe these builders.  Notice 36:1, in the “…construction of the sanctuary…” they “…shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.” The idea seems to reflect skills that were dedicated and submitted to the Lord, and dedicated to carrying out God’s revealed plan. Paul may be reflecting on that when he says he laid the foundation in Corinth as a “wise” master builder. His skills and abilities were submitted to Jesus.

     He uses the term “master builder.” The Greek word will sound familiar to you, architekton, obviously the source of the English word, “architect.” In English it has taken on a different sense than the Greek, where it is a compound word, not just a designer, but a “builder,” and not just a builder, but a “master builder.”  We’ve got a few builders in the church that have probably earned that title, several who have skills in different areas of the construction process. Paul is saying that he built wisely, carefully, according to the blueprint God had given, with care and with skill. 

            According to that perspective Paul did his work, he “laid a foundation.” It is important to have a good foundation. One of my earliest memories is helping my father build a chicken coop. I was small enough that I wasn’t much help, but I remember the two by fours going up for the walls, and then suddenly after things reached a certain point, the creaking, twisting sound as the whole thing came crashing down.  My dad was a policeman, not a builder! I guess he had decided it was only a chicken house, it didn’t need any kind of a solid base that it would be built on. After that he changed his mind and calmly said, “OK, this time, we’ll do it right!”   Chuck mentioned last week some of the challenges the Haiti team faced when they arrived at the site and found a foundation and slab that was not level.  It complicated the building process! Paul is saying he acted carefully in his foundational ministry in Corinth. He laid a sure, straight foundation, preaching the message of the Cross, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As Paul planted the church in Corinth, other teachers came in after him and built on that sure foundation.  We need to build the church, God’s Temple, with care, according to the blueprint He has given us. It starts with a solid foundation, and, secondly…

II. We must build with the right materials: We must build in obedience to Christ and in submission to God’s revealed plan (12-15). We have to make sure we are building on the right foundation, and then we need to make sure we are using the right materials.

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. 

The big question here is; are we building with materials that will endure (12-15)?  The philosopher William James said “The great use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”  Whether he realized it or not, many things will outlast us, a least for a while, life is short!  But only what is done for Christ, with a pure heart and with right motivations, will last for eternity.

The materials. Paul is not referring here to the material things that have been entrusted to us, or to our abilities, or even to our spiritual gifts. All of those things are good and have been given to us by God (I Cor 12:11).  It seems to me whatever our gifts or abilities, however much we have, the question here is our attitudes, our heart, our motivations, as we use them. In the near context Paul will remind the Corinthians that God “…will bring to light the things hidden in darkness and expose the motives of men’s hearts…” (I Cor 4:5).  It’s not about how much we give, but our attitude in giving, are we “cheerful givers”? It’s not about how gifted we are or even how much we do, but are we serving with a right attitude, “as onto the Lord”?  Remember we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, which God before ordained that we should walk in them…” (Eph 2:10).

 The testing. You’ve seen those little statements: I learned everything I need to know in Kindergarten? Here is one in the form of a poem…

"ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN"

by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

There you have it! You learned Paul’s lesson about building in Kindergarten too. You remember the three pigs, right? The straw house and the stick house might have looked nice, but they didn’t stand up when the wolf came!  
       You know the story of the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.  After being commissioned by John Quincy Adams it was built using salt water from the ocean to make the cement that held it together. 
Just a few years later, as the salt started to leach out, it it began to crumble. Such a small thing! Yet it had to be taken apart and rebuilt.  We need to build with the right materials.  Paul says if you build with wood, hay and stubble, it’s all going to burn. It doesn’t mean losing your salvation, that’s clear; you will be saved “as through the fire.”  The picture seems to be someone being rescued from a burning house, their clothes smell like smoke, but they are safe!  If you build well, with a right heart, you will receive reward. To me the greatest reward would be to hear from Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your salvation!” Don’t you long to hear that someday? We need to build the church, God’s Temple, with care, according to the blueprint He has given us.

III. Know rightly what we are building: You are working on God’s Temple (16-17)! What is our vision for this church?

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?  ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

If you are trying to put a puzzle together, it is very helpful to look at the picture on the box! Paul uses a question to give the basis of his plea for careful building: “Do you not know that you are God’s Temple…? He’ll come back to this idea in Chapter 6 and apply it to the “body” of the believer.  Here he is talking about the church as a “body” of believers: you (plural) are a temple (singular) of God. 

       Different terms were used to describe the tabernacle in the wilderness before Solomon’s temple was built. It was the mishkan, the “dwelling place,” and so spoke to the presence of God in the midst of the community. It was the ohel moed, the tent of meeting, emphasizing that it was the place where the transcendant God met with his people. It was the miqdosh, the holy place, since the presence of the Holy One set it apart from what was common, so much so that only the high priest could enter the most inner part, the holy of holies, and that only on the Day of Atonement. His holiness exposes our sin and highlights our need for a Redeemer.  But now, (and don’t miss this) in this age, God’s Temple is no longer a building, it is a people, the assembly of Christ followers. Do you understand that YOU are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  God’s Temple is holy, and YOU are that Temple!  

       You might think, “I don’t feel very holy!” And practically speaking every one of us falls short of that description. But what makes us holy is the presence of God. Remember Moses at the burning bush? Take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground! God was there. You are standing on Holy Ground. He is here, present in our midst. The God who spoke the Universe into existence is with us and in us. We are not building a club or a business, we are building His church.  And so we need to build the church, God’s Temple, with care, according to the blueprint He has given us.

IV. We must build with the right perspective of our place in God’s story (18-23).

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"  ²⁰ and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."  ²¹ So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,  ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future- all are yours,  ²³ and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

True wisdom means to recognize our ideas and plans, if they are not submitted to God’s blueprint spelled out in His Word, are foolish and futile. It is His church and it will be built in accordance with His plan! True wisdom comes from recognizing our dependence on the Creator and sustainer of the universe.  Life or death, the present or the future, He is at work and He has included us in his story. He is working all things together for our good, and for His glory. Will you trust Him? Will you follow Him?

We don’t need to “market” the church. We need to BE the church, His church, submitting to His design, not our will.  That’s the big idea…

What is God saying to me in this passage? We need to build the church, God’s Temple, with care, according to the blueprint He has given us.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? We’ll talk quite a bit about spiritual gifts as we go through the later chapters of I Corinthians. But while we are on the subject, we know that God gives gifts to his people, so that we can build each other up, grow into more mature followers of Jesus, and work together to carry out the mission He has entrusted to us.  That is God’s plan. We read in Revelation 14:6-7.  

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.  ⁷ And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."

An angel flying through the heavens proclaiming the Gospel to all the world. That is a missionary method I can understand! But now, in this age, instead of angels sent in the heavens he has sent us!  Are you willing to submit your will to His, and to allow Him to work through you? It means we acknowledge our weakness, our foolishness in thinking we could do things on our own, and praise Him for His amazing grace, and thank Him for the part He has given us.  We’ve been going through the psalms in our Wednesday night devotionals before prayer meeting for a couple of years. The last two weeks we looked at Psalm 103 and Psalm 104. They both begin and end with a thought provoking declaration: “Bless the Lord, O my soul…” How can we bless Him? Trust, and obey.  Think about that,   AMEN.