Sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:10,11,16-end
By Revd Jeremy Tyndall
HOW DOES THE CHURCH LOOK?
1 Corinthians 3:10,11,16-end
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- 13 the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14 If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. 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 that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness 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 about human leaders. 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 belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. [NRSV]
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-
What is church?
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?*
It was part of Jewish teaching that in the last days God would erect a new and glorious Temple in which he would dwell. The New Testament says this is fulfilled in the church, where the temple is the believing community. We are God's temple -
Like any structure it needs a solid foundation….
Jesus is the foundation for all we are and do… But a foundation is there to support a building.
But what does this building, the church, look like?
o We could be building this church as a social network - just another club - a good place to meet people and make friends.
o We could build this church as place of retreat from the world around….
o We could build this church as a place of entertainment - a cross between a theatre, a club, a café and a concert hall - we come to be spiritually entertained.
o We could say we about getting in touch with our spiritual side and take on board any spiritual insights from around the world. Or we could cut and paste the Bible to leave out all the uncomfortable stuff and just tell people what they want to hear, peddling false hope and comfort to those who want to be soothed with the knowledge that they don't have to change the way they think or act and they'll be OK.
Building a church on any of those things is like building a church on rubbish. Even if it thrives for a while, the time will come when it will fall apart. It might happen gradually, almost imperceptibly, until people wake up one day and find that it is gone. (Jonathan Pryke 2001 Jesmond)
The superstructure must relate to the foundation
So what will it look like?
One thing we can say is that it will be different from what else is around because God's ways are different from much of the world's - He turns our ways upside down. Hence the contrast Paul draws between the wise and foolish. We get easily fooled. Amazing how the psalmist all those years ago warned us:
"turn away my eyes lest they gaze on vanities" (Ps119:37) so much of today's world is superficial - trying to be pleasing to the eye alone. What seems plausible doesn't always deliver though
The foolish thing in the world's eyes is to put our faith in Christ crucified,when that actually is the wise thing to do! But what a reward will be ours because with and In Christ all things are ours (that reference to world, life, death, present and future) And let no one boast about human leaders ( - no cultism -) because our leader should be and actually is Jesus Christ. He is the head of the Body.
So what will it look like? It is going to be Christ like because He is our foundation. We will develop something of what Paul calls the mind of Christ (eg 1 Cor 2:16). Means we need to be men and women soaked in God's word. But that is not something esoteric and abstract. Indeed one of the brilliant gifts Jesus had was to cut through all the mumbo jumbo of reliogiosity and say what was important. Think of what we refer to as the Great Commandment…
Jesus said, "The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
Get back to spiritual basics.
Loving God - Rather like when God spoke through Hosea: "For I desire steadfast love not sacrifice, The knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" Hos 6:6
And that concept of describing how we love our neighbor . So neatly wrapped up in that rule of thumb - and actually comes from today's OT passage in that last verse: "But you shall love neighbor as yourself". Notice how that passage begins with a very profound statement… Leviticus 19:2 where God said: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.'
Interesting how this stands in agreement with Paul in Corinthians…
For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
This being holy - it isn't just pie in the sky stuff. It is worked out in a host of everyday commitments… So who we are is linked with what we do. For people of OT times… (different examples but we can get the principle …)
9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
We don't screw people - our behaviors are an aspect of being holy, walk the talk, likewise..
11 You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.
Notice how linked this passage is with the Ten Commandments . Continuing…
13 You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour.
Impartiality in the best sense - rich or poor do right by them.
16 You shall not go around as a slanderer* among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood* of your neighbour: I am the Lord. 17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself.
Look out for each other from a sin point of view - yes I am my brother's keeper!
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
Concluding… Walk the talk…. We could just as easily have read similar lessings out of today's Gospel reading too.
A nice way of summing it up:…
To do Justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God Micah 6:8
Here is what the Temple of God looks like - how close can we get? Will we allow ourselves to be fashioned and shaped into just such a temple that is obviously of God's building and founded on Christ? A place of access and discovery into the Gospel, a place from where we are equipped and nurtured to bring God's call to our generation…
The superstructure must relate to the foundation
So what will it look like?
One thing we can say is that it will be different from what else is around because God's ways are different from much of the world's -
The foolish thing in the world's eyes is to put our faith in Christ crucified,when that actually is the wise thing to do! But what a reward will be ours because with and In Christ all things are ours (that reference to world, life, death, present and future) And let no one boast about human leaders ( -
So what will it look like? It is going to be Christ like because He is our foundation. We will develop something of what Paul calls the mind of Christ (eg 1 Cor 2:16). Means we need to be men and women soaked in God's word. But that is not something esoteric and abstract. Indeed one of the brilliant gifts Jesus had was to cut through all the mumbo jumbo of reliogiosity and say what was important. Think of what we refer to as the Great Commandment…
Jesus said,
Get back to spiritual basics.
Loving God -
And that concept of describing how we love our neighbor . So neatly wrapped up in that rule of thumb -
Interesting how this stands in agreement with Paul in Corinthians…
For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
This being holy -
We don't screw people -
Notice how linked this passage is with the Ten Commandments . Continuing…
13 You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-
15 You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour.
Impartiality in the best sense -
Look out for each other from a sin point of view -
Concluding… Walk the talk…. We could just as easily have read similar lessings out of today's Gospel reading too.
A nice way of summing it up:…
To do Justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God Micah 6:8
Here is what the Temple of God looks like -
Rev Jeremy Tyndall © 2008