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God's Field, God's Building

1 Corinthians 3:1–9

God's Field, God's Building

Matt Williams Updated Staff Photo

Matt Williams

Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director

In these verses, Paul exposes the Corinthians’ worldly behavior in living by their flesh instead of by the Spirit. He challenges their treatment of their spiritual brothers and sisters as enemies instead of family, and he reminds them that their divisions about church leaders are immature, since leaders are only servants doing God’s work.

Application

  1. In your areas of spiritual leadership (leading a group, parenting children, etc.), how might you be drawing others to yourself (for affirmation, fulfillment, identity, etc.), rather than pointing them to Christ?

  2. In which personal relationship do you experience jealousy, defensiveness, or a quarreling spirit? What worldly desires do these feelings expose in you?

  3. If you call yourself a Christian, in what parts of your life are you living counter to what you say you believe? Share one of these things with a trusted leader as a step towards repentance.

Key Points

  • Being a mature follower of Christ is not about how much we know or how long we’ve been a believer. It is about how willing we are to be Spirit-led.

  • Our actions, especially towards other believers, reveal what drives our life: our flesh or the Spirit.

  • Leadership roles can lure us toward desires for affirmation and fame; we have to reject that.

  • The degree to which it is painful or uncomfortable for us to put ourselves in a humble position reveals our pride.

  • What we do as the local church is critically important. Who specifically does the work is not important because ultimately God is working through us.

Other Scripture References

1 Timothy 1:19

Matthew 20:25–27

Luke 14:7–11

Romans 4:17–19

Ephesians 2:1, 4
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