Today we come to the next passage in the book
of 1st Corinthians as we have been steadily working
our way. We are in chapter 3 verses 9 through
17. I'd like to speak today on architects and
builders of God's building, the church and the
temple of God. Let's look at our passage here
and read from God's word beginning in verse 9.
For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's
field. You are God's building. According to the
grace of God which was given to me, as a wise
master builder, I have laid the foundation, and
another builds on it. But let each one take heed
how he builds on it. For no other foundation
can anyone lay than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, and straw, each one's work will become
clear, for the day will declare it, because it
will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test
each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's
work which he has built on it endures, he will
receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned,
he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire. Do you not know that
you are the temple of God and that the Spirit
of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple
of God, God will destroy him, for the temple
of God is holy, which temple you are. Let's pray
and ask for the Lord's blessing on this time.
Father, I pray today, Lord, that you by your
spirit would illuminate this passage and give
us understanding. I pray, Lord, that I might
teach it properly and according to sound doctrine.
I ask, Lord, that you would send forth your spirit.
We look to you and we depend on you, O Lord,
as we consider what you say to the church in
this passage. We ask for your blessing in this
time together. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
You are God's field. You are God's building.
With these words from Paul the Apostle in verse
9, there seems to be a shift in metaphor from
that of a field to a building. That is of the
new temple in the New Jerusalem that was prophesied
in the Old Testament and written about in the
New Testament. And yet, is it a shift? Or is
it perhaps even a combination of the two? G .K.
Beal seems to think so and points out that in
the Old Testament, the Garden of Eden, that is
Israel's garden -like promised land, and Israel's
future restoration in a garden -like land, were
either equated or associated together with a
temple. As Peter Lightheart summarizes, the Bible
moves from the Garden of Eden in Genesis where
Adam was to act as a gardener priest, and it
goes to the final city, which represents the
perfection of that garden. Thus, the two metaphors,
that of you are God's field and you are God's
building, are quite tied together. You are both
a field and God's building. Now, the word begins
here with you are, and as you may know, The Greek
language has many more tenses than what English
language does. And so sometimes when you get
into translation of the Bible, it's hard to convey
everything. So this you are is, now get this
straight, second person plural present indicative.
Okay? So let me repeat that. Second person plural
present indicative. Y 'all right now are God's
building. You are God's temple. You are God's
people. You are God's field. This beautiful temple
resides in Zion, that is God's city, which is
a place of worship. Christ's church functioning
as a city set on a hill that brings healing and
life to the nations. The final state then of
all believers is not a return to the primitive
garden, but it is a glorified garden in the city
of the New Jerusalem. This, of course, is contrasted
with what John in Revelation calls the harlot
city. The city of Babylon. This is a destructive
city. It is doomed for damnation. And from which
God's people are called to flee. As he says in
chapter 18 verse 4 of Revelation. Come out of
her, my people, lest you share in her sins and
lest you receive of her plagues. So we see this
huge contrast between the city of man that is
the city that is doomed for destruction, also
called the Babylon or the harlot city. And we
see the city of God, which is also a beautiful
temple. We're going to be speaking a little bit
more about that. Now, it's important to emphasize
this. Because so many Christians have a very
low view of Christ's church, which is the temple
of God. And they think that all that is important
is, like the Josh Turner song, me and God. Just
me and God. Me and God. And as long as I can
worship anywhere, that's all that matters, whether
that's in the field or in the mountains each
weekend or on the beach or in the privacy of
my home where I stream a sermon online. Well,
indeed, you can worship God in prayer everywhere
at any time, and that is a glorious and wonderful
truth. God's church, however, is described in
corporate terms. You all, in other words. As
a building with many stones being built together
into this glorious temple. You all are that building.
Even as Peter describes in chapter 2 verse 4
and 5. Which we read in our responsive reading.
Coming to him as a living stone. Rejected indeed
by men. But chosen by God and precious. You also.
As living stones are being built up together
in a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Christ Jesus. This is corporate sacrificial language
or as we call it covenant renewal worship. God
builds us up. God feeds us together from his
word and sacrament. And we, what do we do? Why,
we offer up sacrifices to him. That is, spiritual
sacrifices of prayer, of confession, of consecration.
And thus we together worship our God, our triune
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Now Paul
speaks of this building in two senses. The first
sense is, in the church small c catholic that's
the church catholic which means universal this
is not referring to the roman catholic church
it is the church that is it's christ's church
throughout all ages in the past and present and
in all places and we are all built up together
into this glorious building and city that is
built over centuries and even millennia this
is the sense for example in hebrews chapter 12
verse 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and
to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn who are
registered in heaven, to God the judge of all,
to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus
the mediator of the new covenant, and to the
blood of sprinkling that speaks better things
than that of Abel. You have come to this. This
is the grand and glorious edifice of the church
of Jesus Christ. It's a beautiful temple that
is throughout all the time of the ages and is
found throughout the whole world. So that's the
first sense of a building that Paul speaks about.
But the second sense... And this is the one from
the passage today, is that when he is speaking
of a building, he's speaking of an individual
church. He is writing to the church at Corinth,
the Corinthian church. It's what we might call
the church particular. It's the congregation
in Corinth in his time, the one that he founded
as recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 18.
This local congregation is also called a building.
And Paul is the master builder who laid the foundation
for it. So let's move now into the passage here
and look at it and examine it more closely. The
first thing is beginning in verse 10. According
to the grace of God, he says, which was given
to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the
foundation and another builds on it. But let
each one take heed how he builds on it. So our
first point is a skilled and a wise master builder.
Paul says, according to the grace given to me.
That is, Paul, the former persecutor of the Christian
church, was going to far off places in order
to do what? To apprehend, to imprison, and to
call for the execution of Christian believers.
This man was changed by the power of God. He
was converted by the grace and the mercy of God.
Paul describes this. To King Agrippa in Acts
chapter 26, verse 11, he says, I punished them
often in every synagogue. I compelled them to
blaspheme and being exceedingly enraged against
them, I persecuted them even. To foreign cities.
But then he goes on to tell the king. How Jesus
commanded him. After being struck down by the
light. After speaking to him. And calling him.
What does Jesus say to him? He says Paul. Rise
and stand on your feet. Or Saul actually his
name was then. Rise and stand on your feet. For
I have appeared to you for this purpose. To make
you. a minister and a witness both of the things
which you have seen and of the things which I
will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from
the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles
to whom I now send you. to open their eyes in
order to turn them from darkness to light and
from the power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance
among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
It's all in Acts chapter 26. God miraculously
changed this man from being a persecutor to being
the persecuted. He called him to serve him. How?
As a builder of his church. He continues, verse
19, he says, Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not
disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared
first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and
throughout all the region of Judea and then to
the Gentiles that they should repent, turn to
God, and do works befitting repentance. This
is the grace given to Paul. And he says, according
to the grace given to me, it is the grace of
the mercy of God toward him in granting him unmerited
favor in sparing his life, giving him a new regenerate
heart and fitting him for a new calling. But
this is also in giving him a grace gift, a grace
gift as an apostle and as a church builder and
planter. Paul is then later sent out by the church
in Antioch with Barnabas and then Silas to travel
throughout Asia and through Europe to evangelize
and to build churches, as he puts it in Romans
15, 17, in every area where Christ was not named.
This is Paul as a master builder. He writes this.
He's a wise master builder. He has laid the foundation
that others will build on. Now the word master
builder means both a designer and a builder,
an architect and a supervisor in the erection
of the building. Paul was not a novice. He was
one who was skilled in wisdom, and he laid the
foundation of the Corinthian church, as well
as many others. But we're in this passage, in
the book of Corinthians, and this is the sense
of the context, as was his custom in many cities.
How did he begin? Well, he first went into the
Jewish synagogue, and he taught the word of God.
Now, this was a great advantage in one respect,
because synagogues in the Roman Empire taught
out of the scripture, that of the Old Testament.
And many Gentile people who were God -fearers
came there, came to the Jewish synagogues to
hear the word of God. They wanted to hear the
word of God. So they didn't become proselytes,
but they came to hear the word. And so, therefore,
many Gentiles were biblically literate. They
had been hearing God's word. And this gave Paul
an excellent place to begin because as he would
go into the synagogue, he was a visiting rabbi
and he would be asked to read and to give the
sense of the passage, which he readily accepted.
And then he would preach Christ and demonstrating
how to preach Christ out of the Old Testament.
And we can learn a lot from this because the
Old Testament is filled. not just with wonderful
stories, but it speaks of Christ. Even the stories
in the Old Testament that we read, you know,
those children's stories where we think of them,
that, you know, we tell the stories to children
about David and Goliath and about the children
of Israel going through the Red Sea and how God
parted the waters and how God delivered them
from their enemies so many times. You know, for
example, the one where, you know, enemy to the
people of God is so worn out and he's so tired
and so he comes into the tent of this woman and
he asks for milk and for bread and a place to
lie down and so he does. She gives him something
to eat and he lays down and what does she do?
She picks up one of those big tent pegs and drives
it through his head and kills this commander
against the people of God. Well, these are not
just stories. but rather they illustrate christ
in many ways so for example noah and the ark
noah and the ark is being saved from the waters
of destruction just as we are saved by christ
and we're made a member of the covenant by baptism
i told you that just told you the story of jail
the crushing of the head of the captain of the
army what does that prefigure it prefigures christ
crushing the head of the serpent which was which
promise was given to Eve. And notice when you
read through the Testament, how many times it
speaks of the crushing of the head of the enemies
of God. This is all pointing to Christ who would
do this to the evil one, to Satan. And then there's
also David. He's slaying the giant Goliath with
a stone from the sling and then cutting off his
head again, showing the same thing. So Paul would
preach the Old Testament and he would point to
Christ. Then when the Jews would cast him out
of the synagogue, he would take those who were
converted to Christ, both Jews and Greeks and
all the other Gentiles, and he would begin a
local Christian church. He would ordain elders,
establish church order, and then he'd move on
to another place and he'd do it all over again.
That was what God had given him to do. And that
is exactly what happened at Corinth. What I just
described to you happened in the synagogue. When
they threw him out, they then started meeting
as the Christian church right beside the synagogue
in the house of one named Justice. He then later,
after he would move on to another place, he would
send others in to help the church to grow and
to mature. These are what he describes as building
on his foundation. They would water the plants.
They would lay the stones of the building. This
is, for example, what Apollos did at Corinth.
It's what Timothy did, what Titus did, and there
were many others. They would both work with Paul,
and then they would also be sent to other places
to serve for a time. And then Paul gives this
admonishment. He says, but let each one take
heed how he builds on this foundation. He says,
I have laid the foundation. I am a wise master
builder. Others will build on this foundation,
but let each one take heed how he builds on it.
Every congregation is either being built up or
being torn down. And so this is an admonition
to ministers of God that they must take heed
on how they build Christ's church. Careful thought
and prayer. and consideration on how the structure
is to be built and to be maintained so that each
local body will last for many generations. This
is why we here at this church, we're a little
over two years old, Grace Reformed Church of
Weezer. We must be thinking and praying about
this in the congregation. How do we build it
well on the foundation that is laid so that it
continues on in the faith? and doctrine of our
Lord Jesus Christ, not only in our lifetime,
but in the lifetime of our children and our grandchildren
and our great -great -grandchildren, and hopefully
for hundreds of years. So Paul's going to develop
this theme a little bit further in the next verses.
He's going to describe the building, that it
needs to be built with living stones. And these
stones should be gold, silver, and precious stones
that will endure, and not ones that are made
out of wood or hay or straw, which will not endure.
Then he moves on in verse 11, he says, For no
other foundation can anyone lay than that which
is laid. which is Jesus Christ. So in the first
place here, he says, I'm laying a foundation,
but he says, there is no other foundation other
than Jesus Christ, the one that is already laid.
So I think what he's doing is not just a play
on words. What he's saying is, when I go into
a new city, I lay the foundation, that is, I
preach Christ. I begin with Jesus Christ and
him crucified. That must be the basis of any
church of Jesus. It must be. If it's anything
else, it won't turn out right. In order for a
building to endure the test of storms, of time,
and the winds of adversity and persecution, the
building must be built on a right foundation.
This is the principal rule of architecture. If
the foundation is wrong, the whole building will
not turn out right. It must be strong. The foundation
must be strong. It must be correct in size relative
to the size and the shape of the building being
built on it. That foundation, he says, is Jesus
Christ and him crucified. The true church of
God can never deviate from or lose their tenacity
to the solid doctrines of the faith, which must
be that of Jesus. That of his birth of a virgin,
his sinless life, his death upon the cross as
atonement for man's sin and his resurrection
from the dead and his ascension to the right
hand of the Father where he rules and reigns
over all. foundation must be there it must be
firm it must be laid for these are crucial doctrines
and teachings they cannot be abandoned nor can
they be changed now jesus said and he promised
that he would build his church we know that he
is the foundation but he also says that he would
build his church We see Jesus saying this in
Matthew chapter 16, verses 18 to 19. He says,
I also say to you that you are Peter, and on
this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven. Now this is the fulfillment of two
prophecies, two or more, in the Old Testament.
That spoke about this in chapter 28 verse 16.
Said behold I lay in Zion. A foundation. A stone.
A tried stone. A precious cornerstone. A sure
foundation. Zechariah also prophesied of it in
chapter 6 verse 12. Thus says the Lord of hosts
saying. Behold the man whose name is the branch.
From his place he shall branch out. And he shall
build the temple of the Lord. Yes, he shall build
the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory
and he shall sit and rule on his throne. So he
shall be a priest on his throne and the council
of peace shall be between them both. Jesus is
the foundation and Jesus is the builder. He will
build his church. But how does Jesus do this?
Well, he does it with gifted people that he calls.
to do the building in each day and time. And
that is what Paul was saying here. He said, I
am a wise master builder. In other words, I've
been commissioned by Christ to build his church,
and I need to do it well. I need to do it with
wisdom. So also for us, while the foundation
is already laid, yet we as ministers must also
lay the right foundation and build on it in the
local church. We cannot simply claim to be a
member of the church universal without being
attached to and members of a local congregation,
a place with elders and ministers of God, a place
where we put love into action, we love one another,
and we worship God together rightly. Paul said
he did this in Corinth as a wise master builder,
as God's minister and his servant. Throughout
all time, this must be done by making sure that
the church is started in the right way and by
preaching and emphasizing and teaching the supremacy
of Christ and of his great work, his position
and his glory based upon the word of God. I have
seen churches start. over other various common
beliefs. And it might just be something that
is in vogue at a particular time. Back in the
day, when there was a real strong push for homeschooling,
churches would start because, what did they have
in common? It wasn't a lot of doctrine. It was
because they were homeschoolers and they wanted
to visit together with other like -minded homeschoolers.
They wanted to have a church together. And it
didn't work out very well because the foundation
that was laid was not right. Or there are others.
where churches start because of hurts and wounds
from a previous experience, so they want to create
a space where people can commiserate together
and share together in the hurts that they've
had, and then they try to call it a church. Again,
there's great blessing of being able to get support
from other people, but that's not the reason
for a church. It needs to be founded on Christ
and the worship of Him. With his word as the
rule and guided by his spirit. It cannot just
be the fact that we have some particular common
interests. Everyone must have the right and the
proper foundation. And we must take heed to this
and not cheat. In the foundation. Or use inferior
materials. And this brings us to the next point.
The kind of material. That is used to build.
So Paul goes on and he speaks to this. Again
using metaphors. In verse 12. Now if anyone builds
on this foundation. With gold. Silver. Precious
stones. Wood. Hay. And straw. Each one's work
will become clear. For the day will declare it
because it will be revealed by fire. And the
fire will test each one's work of what sort it
is. If anyone's work which he has built on it
endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's
work is burned, he will suffer loss. But he himself
will be saved, yet so as through fire. Now this
is a metaphor that requires... A little bit of
digging, because what is this all speaking about?
What's the gold, the silver, what's the hay,
the straw? What is this fire that is spoken of
here? Is this speaking of some type of purgatory
as taught by the Roman Catholic Church? Indeed,
they pointed to this, but I don't think... that
that interpretation is correct. So let's look
at it further and see if we can understand what
Paul is saying in this passage. Well, first of
all, it's obvious that the metaphors are not
referring to actual gold or silver or precious
stones or of wood, hay, and straw. Paul might
have been thinking of the beautiful and costly
stones of the temple in Jerusalem. They were
resplendent with gold and silver, and there were
also many precious stones. But he is not describing
a cathedral or a physical temple because he says,
you all are God's building. You all are. So he's
not describing erecting an actual physical building
made out of stone or gold or silver. or of wood,
hay, and straw. They represent something. So
what is it that they represent? Well, the reference
in the next verse is each one's work. Each one's
work will become clear. So which work is this?
In the context, it is not the Corinthians themselves
who are under scrutiny right here, but it's rather
the work of those who have led them. Or those
who have built them. In other words, it's their
leaders. It's those who are ministering to them
and guiding them. It's referring to their teachers
and their teaching and the doctrine and the works
that result from the teaching. Those who were
building on the foundation. Let me say that again.
It must refer to the teachers and their teachings
and the doctrine followed by the works that came
from that teaching. Gold and silver and precious
stones, they are the teaching that builds up
the church. It is sound doctrine that edifies
the hearers and motivates them to do good deeds
that glorify Christ. And wood, hay, and stubble
or straw, that is doctrine that is wrong. It
is in error and it brings forth bad works. Many
times when Paul extols the grace that has been
given to us in Christ and the forgiveness of
our sins through the blood of Christ, he then
immediately shows how the good works must follow
that. We are not saved by our good works, but
they must follow. They must follow. And he emphasizes
that in a whole number of passages. And I'm not
going to read them for the sake of time. But
Ephesians 2 verse 10 and Philippians 2 verse
13 and Titus 2 verse 14 and chapter 3, 8 and
14. This is the teaching as Paul says in 1 Timothy
6 verse 3. It is wholesome. It accords with the
words of our Lord Jesus Christ and doctrine that
accords with godliness. All ministers then are
called to teach and preach, to build the congregation
in such a way so that the church of God is built,
God's people are edified, and they are sanctified
through the word, and their lives are changed
as they put what they are taught into practice.
This is what needs to happen in the preaching
of the word. It refers to putting off the old
man and the sins of the flesh and spirit, but
also the active obedience to Christ in putting
on the new man and seeing the fruits of the spirit
blossom and grow. And then God's people take
dominion on the earth as God's people and as
his instruments of mercy and of grace and of
love and of building in a way throughout all
of time. He then says, every man's work will
become clear on the day of Christ. Now, this
day can certainly only mean, in my opinion, the
day of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's found in chapter
1, verse 8 of 1 Corinthians. This day would especially
make manifest the counsels of the heart. 1 Corinthians
4, verse 5. It is a day when God will judge the
secrets of men. Romans chapter 2, verse 16. and
he will make all men manifest before the judgment
seat of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 10.
Again, the immediate context is that of ministers,
those who are building the church, and they stand
before Christ. even though there is application
to everyone. But as each minister stands before
Christ, his work becomes clear. It becomes manifest
and evident. For as Paul says, the day will declare
it because it will be revealed by fire. And that
fire will test each one's work of what sort it
is. Is this speaking of a real fire, of actually
flames that come out? Or is it a fire that reveals
and tests the work that is done? So what is this
fire that Paul speaks of? Now some think that
it's the fire of judgment. Referred to in 2 Thessalonians
1 verse 7. It's when the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming
fire taking vengeance on those who do not know
God. And on those who do not obey the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is that the fire that
Paul is speaking of? I think not. Because the
language here is not speaking of the fire of
damnation. Judgment as in destruction. It is
not referring to the fire of hell. But this is
a probing fire. A fire that reveals. It reveals.
Perhaps a better explanation is found in the
beginning of Revelation where John sees Christ.
And he describes them this way in Revelation
1 verse 14. He says of Jesus, his head and hair
were white like wool, as white as snow, and his
eyes like a flame of fire. Like a flame of fire.
When Joss saw him, he fell to his feet as one
who was dead. So awesome and terrifying was this
sight. And so what happens to us when we stand
before Christ and he turns his eyes as a flame
of fire upon us and everything. is revealed every
thought every teaching every doctrine every work
and those works and teachings that built the
temple of christ and the edified christ people
those will remain those are the ones that sound
biblical truth those are the ones that will remain
as gold and as silver and as precious stones
But the ones that were wrong doctrines, the teachings
that were built on man's wisdom and on human
philosophy, doctrine that does not accord with
sound doctrine, those burn up and the minister
suffers loss. The loss of reward, he sees his
works vanish, burnt up like a fire devours wood
and hay and straw. This is very sobering. The
Pillar of Commentary says, and I quote, Building
materials that will be burned up are those in
keeping with human wisdom instead of the wisdom
of God, which is the fullness of the message
of the cross. Remember the context here. The
context is that some of the Corinthian teachers
did not want to preach Christ crucified. They
did not want the simple truths of the gospel,
but rather they wanted men's wisdom, human philosophy.
And Paul here is saying that's the kind of work
that when revealed before Christ is going to
burn up like wood and hay and straw. But here's
the astonishing thing, though. If the foundation
is right, that of Jesus and him crucified, the
person who was doing that teaching is still saved
through that fire. It says he will suffer loss
yet. He himself will be saved, yet so as through
fire. So this passage, I think, then, describes
three different types of ministers, of those
who are giving the word of God and attempting
to build the church. There are those, number
one, who are faithful. They build upon the foundation
with right doctrine and with right practice,
and they receive the reward. of their labors
now there are a whole number of rewards that
are talked about in the scripture that we might
look at in a brief moment the second one then
is the carnal or the immature and somewhat unfaithful
minister they still have the foundation right
but they have many other things wrong they still
believe in jesus they preach salvation through
christ but they have many other things that are
wrong and those wrong teachings have many bad
effects. These are still saved so as through
fire but they lose rewards. I can think of a
number of examples of these. and obviously I'm
not going to spend much time on this, but I think
of those who would preach salvation by grace
through faith, but they also teach what we call
easy believism. That is, your life doesn't need
to change. You just need to confess Christ. Just
pray the prayer. Pray the sinner's prayer, then
it doesn't matter what you do from then on, you're
going to be saved. You're going to be saved eternally.
That's a wrong doctrine. It does great injury,
and yet, in so doing it, They believe in salvation
by grace through faith, and they preach Jesus
Christ and then crucified. It's a wrong doctrine,
even though they have the foundation right. We
see the same thing. That also, by the way, is
called no lordship salvation. In other words,
Jesus could be your savior, but not your lord.
Huge problems with that theology, and it has
wreaked much havoc in Christ's church. They may
be saved. Think of the Corinthians who were elevating
human philosophy and reason. I think that some
of the teachings of dispensationalism fall into
this category. All of these wrong doctrines have
very real effects. We cannot minimize that. And
yet, because they are true believers in Christ,
they will be saved. That is my understanding
of what this passage is teaching. But then, there
is a third category. And that is those who do
not get the foundation right. They do not get
the foundation right. They are destroyers who
defile God's temple. And we're going to jump
ahead and look at verse 17. If anyone defiles
the temple of God, God will destroy him. These
are those who undermine the authority of God's
word and who deny the very basics of Christian
faith and doctrine. The doctrines and teachings
that we confess each Lord's Day in our confession
in the summary of the apostles of the Nicene
Creed. The word is the same. As they destroy
the temple of God, God will destroy them. As
they defile the temple, God will defile them.
It's the same word used there of these. And we
can think of a number of examples of these. I'll
simply give just a couple. We can think, for
example, of which we tend not to think of this,
but Islam really is a Christian heresy. Because
what did Muhammad do? He said, oh, I believe
in Jesus, but it's Jesus in this kind of a way.
And by the way, there's a greater prophet. And
so by it, he completely undermines the teachings
of Jesus, even while he says they're good. And
yet he denies the Trinity. He denies the essence
of Christian faith. And he believes in jihad,
a holy war against all the infidels who are also
Christians, by the way. And so, you know, we
just see him. What happens to him? God will destroy
him and all those who teach. doctrines like that.
These are works -based religions. I could think
of Charles Russell, who founded the Watchtower
Society, also known as Jehovah's Witnesses. I
could think of Talmudic Judaism, those who reject
Christ in that way. These are works -based religions.
They are damnable heresies that lead people astray
and into perdition, and they are an affront to
Christ. Those, they are defiling the temple of
God and God will destroy them. They will suffer
destruction. Note, unless you think my words
are too strong, think of what Paul said in the
book of Galatians chapter 1. He said that those
who preach another gospel are accursed by God
for doing so. Verse 8 of Galatians 1. or an angel
from heaven preach any other gospel to you than
that which we have preached to you, let him be
accursed. And then he states it again for further
emphasis. As well those who have taken away or
added to the word of God, which is expressly
forbidden in Revelation 22, verse 18 and 19.
And so these are great warnings to us. There's
the faithful. building on the foundation. There
are the carnal or the somewhat unfaithful or
the immature. They have the foundation right,
but many others wrong. And then there are those
who don't even have the foundation right, and
they are destroyers who defile God's temple and
experience the judgment of damnation from God.
Well... Let's close this up as we look at this
passage here. I'm not going to be able to spend
much time today on verse 16 and 17. Lord willing,
I'll do that in the next sermon. But I still,
though, would like to remind you all that you,
as the people of God, you are called by his name
and you are the temple of God. He says this so
clearly. You, you all. Again, the same type of
you plural here. You are the temple of God and
the spirit of God dwells in you. The temple of
God is holy, which temple you are. Paul is here
depicting the Corinthians and indeed all Christian
churches as part of the end time temple which
was prophesied in Malachi chapter 1 verse 11.
From the rising of the sun to its going down,
my name shall be great among the Gentiles. In
every place incense shall be offered to my name
and a pure offering, for my name shall be great
among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. This
is the temple described in the latter part of
the book of Ezekiel where the waters flow out
from underneath the threshold of the temple toward
the east and those waters bring healing to the
nations and along the banks of the river will
grow all kinds of fruit used for food fruit bearing
trees all year long because their water flows
from the sanctuary this is the spiritual temple
of God and you all as Christian As a Christian
church, you are part of this temple. You are
living stones, Peter says. You are being built
up together in him. You have a glorious and a
wonderful inheritance. And those who teach and
preach in this temple of God must make sure that
they teach and build up the congregation with
the wisdom of God and not the foolishness of
men and man's wisdom. Now, the congregation,
you all, you have a part to play in this as you
are the ones who affirm the calling and the qualification
of your ministers. Paul warns Timothy of the
time when those in the congregation will not
hear because they will not endure sound doctrine,
but according to their own desires, because they
have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
teachers and they will turn their ears away from
the truth and be turned aside to fables. So whereas
ministers are called to preach the pure word
of God, the congregation is also called. to have
pure hearts that desire the truth of God and
not fables, idle tales, and false doctrine. So
this is also laid on us all. So take this seriously.
You all are the temple of God. The Spirit of
God dwells in you, and this temple is yours.
Like Peter says in 1 Peter 1 .15, as he who called
you is holy, so also be holy in all your conduct
because it is written, be holy for I am holy.
Finally then in the last application, faithfulness
to Christ brings reward. It brings reward on
the day of Christ. Now this is not just speaking
of the eternal state. of enjoying the glories
of heaven with Christ. It is that indeed, but
there is also rewards that are given. Here are
some of them. 1 Peter 5, verse 4. When the chief
shepherd appears, you will receive the crown
of glory. That does not fade away. So there's
a crown of glory that's a reward. Matthew 10
verse 42. Whoever gives one of the little ones
only a cup of cold water in the name of disciple.
Assuredly I say to you he shall by no means lose
his reward. The rewards given even just sent
for simple acts of service. So simple as giving
a cup of cold water. Then there's Matthew 24,
verse 45. Who then is a faithful and a wise servant,
whom his master made ruler over his household
to give them food in due season? Blessed is that
servant whom his master, when he comes, will
find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you, he will
make him ruler over all his goods. I don't understand
what all that's going to be in the future state,
but there it is from Jesus himself. And then
there's Revelation 2 in verse 7. He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to
eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst
of the paradise of God. And then again in Revelation
2 verse 10, be faithful unto death and I will
give you the crown of life. These are some of
the rewards for God's people. And so to you as
individuals, to parents, as you work with your
children, to all others, as you minister Christ
to those who are around you, God will bless you
with rewards. Plus you have eternal life on top
of it all. And isn't that glorious? For you all
are the temple of God. Let's pray.