Kingdom of God

Lesson 2 – Growth in the Kingdom of God

I Corinthians 3-4

 

1. Growth Demands a Focus on Christ (I Corinthians 3:1-5)

 

1. Quarreling reveals:

                                                               i.      A worldly, not spiritual, mind se

                                                             ii.      division, not unity

                                                            iii.      not ready for growth

2.  What are we committed to:

                                                               i.      Who taught us the gospel, or Christ?

                                                             ii.      How we came to the gospel, or Christ?

                                                            iii.      What circumstances brought us to the gospel, or Christ?

                                                           iv.      When we came to the gospel, or Christ?

                                                             v.      Where we came to the gospel, or Christ?

                                                           vi.      Discussion….

3. Key point:  We cannot grow spiritually unless we are focused on Christ.  If we are focused on each other, we get stuck.

 

2. God is the author of growth (I Corinthians 3:6-15)

 

1. Those who bring others to Christ are only servants
2. Each have a different part in the growth process:

                                                               i.      Some bring the message (some plant)

                                                             ii.      Some nurture the message (some water)

                                                            iii.      God gives the increase (we do not “make” people grow in Christ, only God can do that).

                                                           iv.      Each person is “rewarded according to his own labor”

3. The foundation is Christ, and we must be careful to build on that foundation, not some other foundation.

                                                               i.      Instruction to teachers / leaders as to the foundation of the church.

                                                             ii.      We must ask ourselves, “What is the point of what we are doing?”

                                                            iii.      How we build is important:

1.      On Christ:  (gold, silver, costly stones)

2.      On “Sophia” (or worldly wisdom – wood, hay, straw)

                                                           iv.      The “Day” is the judgment that will test what we have build upon.

                                                             v.      Discussion:  What can build our lives or our fellowship upon?  The Corinthians had gotten off base.  Result:  NO GROWTH.

1.      Our own opinions…

2.      Philosophy….

3.      What “so and so” believes….

4.      Therapy….

5.      Careers, and accomplishments…

6.      Family or financial security….

4. Key point:  Only that work built on Christ survives eternally!

Kingdom of God

Lesson 2 – Growth in the Kingdom of God

I Corinthians 3-4, page 2

 

3. Building God’s Temple (I Corinthians 6:16-23)

 

1. The word for “temple” means the inner sanctuary where the deity dwells, not the outer courts.
2. The collective church is the “temple” where God dwells (See Ephesians 2:22)
3. We must be careful how we build the temple.  In other words, we need to be sure that in the church we do not build our fellowship on a foundation other than Christ:

                                                               i.      Programs

                                                             ii.      Fellowships

                                                            iii.      Doctrines

                                                           iv.      Unwritten rules

                                                             v.      Emphasis in Teaching

                                                           vi.      Other….

4. We must be careful not to preach the “wisdom of the world” over the “wisdom of Christ”

                                                               i.      The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God

                                                             ii.      The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise are futile

5. All things are ours in Christ

                                                               i.      Christ is our sufficiency:  not people

                                                             ii.      God is able to provide everything we need

6. Key point:  the wisdom of the world comes to nothing.  Anything built upon the wisdom of the world will not last eternally.

 

4. Being Faithful with what God has given us (I Corinthians 4)

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1. To grow, each person must be faithful with what is given
2. God will reveal what each person has done
3. “Do not go beyond what is written”.  In this way, no one will have pride one over another.