Living 3:16 - Where GOD is at Home - 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 6:12-20 - March 9, 2008

Sunday School Lesson – Living 3:16 – Where GOD is at Home – March 9, 2008

This is lesson two (2) in our series of study.

Our scripture is 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 6:12-13, 18-20.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth. Corinth is a melting pot of all sorts of religions and is predominately made up of Gentiles. Paul writes his first letter to deal with a variety of issues which includes foods offered to idols, sexual practices, gifts of the Spirit, love to name a few.

Our scripture today deals with building upon the foundation of CHRIST, our solid rock as co-workers with GOD and the responsibility that comes with being HIS representative.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 3:9-11:

9 For we are God’s co-workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, as a skilled master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, 11 because no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid—that is, Jesus Christ.

Paul defined the church in three (3) ways:

GOD’S Co-workers – the living church.

Each believer is considered a co-worker according to GOD’S plan and purpose. Each believer needs to be in relationship with GOD for GOD to reveal to him or her HIS work so they can join HIM in HIS work.

GOD’S Field – the ministry GOD has revealed to the living church.

GOD’S Building – the living stones or believers that form the true church not the brick and mortar building.

Each description emphasizes that all believers belong to GOD and HE is the authority in charge. Believers are to obey HIS commands and seek HIS direction and not seek their own direction. This is why having a loving, intimate relationship with GOD is vital for each believer. GOD reveals HIS work to us, as believers.

Most often believers run off to do something to serve GOD. The believers want to serve by doing, so they decide what they will do. Then they end up feeling empty and feel as if they have fallen short. It is vital for believers to seek what GOD is doing and when HE reveals HIS work to them that is their invitation to join HIM in that work. But first HIS desire is for every believer to seek HIM, to get to know HIM and build the relationship with HIM.

The church at Corinth was made up of a diversity of believers. Many came from pagan backgrounds. The Apostle Paul wanted to make sure each believer was on a firm foundation and that foundation is CHRIST in you, period. Once we ask CHRIST to forgive us of our sins and to come into our lives that is the rock solid foundation of salvation. Upon that foundation each believer builds using a variety of materials. Notice I said “rock solid” foundation of CHRIST. In Matthew JESUS compared a wise man to a foolish man depending upon the foundation the man chose to build his house.

Matthew 7: 24-27:

24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Every believer builds upon the foundation of CHRIST. The materials used will depend upon what will survive the final judgment. When a believer builds, a wise believer will seek to build the relationship first and then ask GOD to direct their service of obedience.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 3:12-17:

12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day[4] The Day of Christ’s judgment of believers will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.[5] Lit yet so as through fire 16 Don’t you know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone ruins God’s sanctuary, God will ruin him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

Notice the building materials are gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw. Then in the final judgment each believer’s work will be tested by fire. We know that wood, hay and straw will be consumed in the fire, whereas gold, silver and costly stones will survive the fire. If anything survives the fire that will be the believer’s reward. If all is consumed, the believer will be spared. They will be in heaven. A believer never looses his or her salvation but a believer can be stubborn, and serve GOD as he or she chooses, and uses the wrong building materials. This is why our relationship with CHRIST is so vital. The purpose is not to get the reward but to serve GOD effectively by doing what HE wants us to do. HE has a plan for each one of us and we must be obedient to HIM to participate in HIS plan and purpose for our lives.
Many years ago I heard a layman explain each of these materials. He had done a word study for each material and this is what I recall: (I will give a modified version.)

Wood – Wood represents the good deeds we do in life.
Hay – Hay represents money.
Straw – Straw represents what is left over after the hay is cut.

All of these (wood, hay and straw) materials will be burned up when tested by fire. A person does not have to be a believer to do good deeds, give money, build churches and build buildings to be used for good purposes. Straw represents what is left over and represents the things we do out of obligation. Our heart is not in it but we do them just to do something. Don’t feel helpless, unless you are a non-believer, because it all comes together for a believer.

Gold – Gold represents the reflection of CHRIST in the lives of believers. A believer may do good deeds or use his or her money to build buildings but one’s reward is to the degree that one reflects CHRIST in whatever one is doing. Most often believers will never know they are reflecting CHRIST and the heavenly cash register is ringing up. It will be a surprise when all appears to be burned up and all of a sudden as a believer sifts through the ashes you will hear a shout, “I think I see something that looks like a glob of metal. Could it be something of value?”

Silver – Silver is salvation. It is your own salvation but also the salvation of others. Believers may give their testimonies or speak words to people seeking either salvation or a closer walk with our LORD that results in them either being saved or walking closer with our LORD. Those believers have just earned a silver reward. They will likely never know they have earned silver rewards until that final day in heaven when it is revealed after the fire.

Costly Stones – Costly stones represent our knowledge of GOD and CHRIST. This is something every believer can do by reading and studying GOD’S Word and seeking to build a relationship with HIM.

JESUS tells us that something as small as a cup of cold water will not go unnoticed by GOD. Being obedient is never about the size of what we do but about our obedience to serve our LORD.

Paul reminds each believer that he or she is GOD’S sanctuary. Before CHRIST, the temple or sanctuary represented the presence of GOD. Strict rules governed the priest going into the Holy of Holies in the presence of GOD. But when CHRIST died upon the cross for the sins of all mankind, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the people was torn from top to bottom. CHRIST’S death paid the price for our sins and gave every believer open access to GOD our FATHER. All believers can go into the very throne room of GOD and in essence climb up into HIS lap and call HIM Daddy. WOW!!! What a gift. All believers are sanctuaries and every place they place their feet becomes Holy ground. The HOLY SPIRIT indwells every believer. What a heritage!!! GOD is our FATHER through the miracle of rebirth.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 18-20:

12 “Everything is permissible for me,”[3] The words in quotation marks are most likely slogans used by some Corinthian Christians. Paul evaluates and corrects these slogans. but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,”[4] The words in quotation marks are most likely slogans used by some Corinthian Christians. Paul evaluates and corrects these slogans. but I will not be brought under the control of anything. 13 “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods,”[5] The words in quotation marks are most likely slogans used by some Corinthian Christians. Paul evaluates and corrects these slogans. but God will do away with both of them.[6] Lit both it and them The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

18 Flee from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body,”[8] See note at 1 Co 6:12 but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.[9] Other mss add and in your spirit, which belong to God.

Paul reminds the Corinthians and us that as born-again believers we will never loose our salvation. That does not give us the right to do as we please. Since there was such diversity among believers some had notions about certain foods that they could or could not eat. Paul tells them to keep things in proper perspective. Food is one thing but sexual immorality is another. Some of the Corinthians came from pagan backgrounds where there were temple prostitutes in the pagan temples. Paul teaches about the importance of remaining sexually pure. Sex is GOD’S gift to a man and woman married to each other. The sexual union between a man and woman makes them one flesh and also joins the HOLY SPIRIT to them as well. Therefore a believer is not to join himself or herself to an unbeliever or prostitute because the believer is joining GOD to something unholy.

Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 6:15-16:

15 Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? So should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16 Do you not know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For it says, The two will become one flesh.[7] Gn 2:24 17 But anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

We began our lesson with scripture showing that GOD owns every believer and the living church. All believers are part of the living church and have been bought with a price because it cost the life of HIS SON to redeem us from sin and death. GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT indwells every believer therefore every believer represents HIM. Every believer is always to keep that fact in mind. As Christians, we cannot always be what HE wants us to be 24/7 in our own strength. That is why we must have the relationship to even begin to live, as GOD wants us to live for HIM and to be made in the image of HIS SON.