Live the Difference
HEAVENLY MINDED AND EARTHLY GOOD
Open your Bibles to I Corinthians 3:16-23, keep them open, and we’ll get to it in a moment.
Have you ever noticed that some people have a hard time with perspective?
For example, there once was a rich man who was near death. He was very grieved because he had worked so hard for his money, and he wanted to be able to take it with him to heaven.
So, he began to pray that he might be able to take some of his wealth with him.
An angel heard his plea and appeared to him, "Sorry, but you can’t take your wealth with you."
The man implored the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules.
The man continues to pray that his wealth could go with him. Then the angel reappeared and informs the man that God has decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him.
Overjoyed, the man gathered his largest suitcase and filled it with pure gold bars and placed it beside his bed.
Soon afterward the man died and showed up at the Gates of Heaven to greet St. Peter. Seeing the suitcase Peter said, "Hold on, you can’t bring that in here!"
But the man explained to him that he has permission and asked him to verify his story with the Lord. Sure enough, Peter checked and came back saying, "You’re right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I’m supposed to check its contents before letting it through."
Peter opens the suitcase to inspect the worldly items that the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaims, "You brought pavement?!!!"
That’s a good example of how easy it is to lose perspective. What we think is valuable turns out to be much different than we think.
We have been studying the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and it is here… that we are encouraged to live the difference the Spirit makes in us.
As a reminder our study emphasizes unity, so we gather here not as individuals, but as a unified body, bound together by the love and grace of the One who has called us out of darkness and into His glorious light.
I am reminded of a statement I read, Sin is almost the only thing we have in common with everyone else, and so at the feet of Jesus, where sin is cleansed, is the only place where we can be one. Real oneness conjures up for us the picture of two or more sinners together at Calvary.
Today, we are turning our attention to a passage from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, specifically chapter 3, verses 16-23. I know part of this was from last week reminding us that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost.
We often think of a temple as a physical structure, a building of sorts. But Paul, in his letter, is redefining this understanding. He tells us that we, as believers, are God's temple.
We are not just individuals, but we are a collective, a unified body, a living, breathing temple where God's Spirit dwells.
This idea of being a collective body is not new: It's a theme that runs throughout the New Testament. We see it in Romans 12, where Paul talks about us being many parts of one body.
We see it in Ephesians 4, where Paul again emphasizes unity and tells us that there is one body and one Spirit.
This unity, this harmony, is a crucial aspect of our Christian Walk. It's not just about us as individuals, but about us as a collective, body.
We are not isolated but interconnected. We are not independent, but interdependent. We are not separate, but together.
But what does this harmony look like in practice? It's easy to talk about unity and harmony, but how do we live it out?
First: This harmony is about mutual respect and love. In a body, every part has a role to play. The hand cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you." Every part is important; every part is needed.
We need to respect and value each other, recognizing the unique gifts and talents that each one brings to the table.
Second: This harmony is about working together for a common purpose. In a body, all the parts work together for the good of the whole. The heart doesn't beat for its own sake, but for the sake of the entire body.
In the same way, in the body of Christ, we are all working together for the glory of God. We are not pursuing our own agendas, but God's agenda. We are not building our own kingdoms, but God's kingdom.
Third: This harmony is about unity in diversity. In a body, not all parts are the same. The eye is different from the ear; the hand is different from the foot. Yet, despite these differences, they all work together in harmony.
In the same way, in the body of Christ, we are all different. We come from different backgrounds, we have different experiences, we have different gifts. Yet, despite these differences, we are called to work together in unity.
Fourth: This harmony is about mutual care and concern. In a body, when one part hurts, the whole body hurts. When one part is honored, the whole body rejoices.
In the same way, in the body of Christ, we are called to care for each other, to bear each other's burdens, to rejoice with those who rejoice, to mourn with those who mourn.
We live with this amazing truth…the Spirit lives in us! He has placed His very dwelling among us. He resides here…in each of our hearts, individually and collectively. And because that is so…it makes a difference.
We have a new perspective on life. We think differently. We see God at work in a way that we never saw or even expected before. But not everybody gets it, even as Christians.
Certainly, the Corinthians proved that. They thought that they had become superior to others as they investigated what they considered to be new mysteries and new truths. And because of this, they became ineffective in their ministry.
Have you ever heard the phrase “heavenly-minded, but no earthly-good”? We use it when someone seems to have gotten, what we call “over-religious” and they seem to have lost contact with what is going on here.
We can consider ourselves so spiritual that we actually mess up life on earth.
I believe this is what happened at Corinth. Paul was excited about this church. He loved these people. He was their spiritual father as he was the one that had planted this church.
And it was a dynamic and gifted spiritual community. But it was the opinion of certain elements within this community that they had reached a level of superior spiritual insight.
And as a result, their capacity to impact Corinth was greatly weakened. Their ability to minister to one another was injured. Their effectiveness was undermined by their own jealousy, ambition and arrogance.
So, what Paul is forced to do is make them confront the severity of their problems. They were not in as good shape spiritually as they had thought. They needed to get better perspective. And it is a lesson for us as well, because WE NEED TO HAVE THE CORRECT PERSPECTIVE.
We will discover in our study that there are four areas of concern where we need to have the correct perspective.
The first area of concern is OURSELVES (18-20). 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
You see, we must understand the frailty of our thinking.
Paul begins this section with an exhortation about self-deception. He does this because he understands our weakness in this regard. We do not always possess a firm grasp of reality when it comes to developing the proper priorities.
Too often, we listen to the deceptive voices of the world that encourage us to have things, seek prestige and desire value among our peers.
This kind of wisdom belongs to the present age, and this age is on the way out, under the judgment of God. It has no standing with God whatsoever, for it is purely foolishness to Him.
It is my heartfelt belief that the Church is in great danger today, for we too often attempt to blend worldly wisdom into our life and witness. We think that if we run the church like a business then we will be financially secure.
But the church is not a business. The fundamental nature of the church is family.
We also run askew when we adopt church growth techniques. We think that if we just apply these certain principles we will grow. But the church does not operate by formula.
It is a living organism that is given growth by the Spirit. We are, in essence, a spiritual community, dependent on our relationship with the Spirit.
John MacArthur issues this warning in his commentary on this passage: “When Christians start expressing and following their own ideas about the gospel, the church, the saints and Christian living, cannot help becoming divided.”
When we operate in the flesh, we are no wiser than unbelievers. We must recognize that with God, everything is turned upside down.
Wisdom is foolishness.
Foolishness is wisdom.
Weakness is power.
Power is weakness.
Leaders are servants.
Servants are leaders.
God’s people are nobodies who have nothing, yet possess all things.
To get this right, we must be fully dependent on God’s revelation. We must be fully dependent on the Holy Spirit’s illumination of His Word, directing our lives. Every bit of it is good. Every bit of it is useful.
You see, when we wander from Scripture, we are unwittingly making a trap for ourselves in which we will eventually be trapped, because we are following the wisdom of the world as opposed to God’s.
Now, the second area of concern is OUR LEADERS (21-22). 21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
We must respect each one that God has given to guide the church.
You may remember that the Corinthians had divided up into factions, choosing their favorite leader – Paul, Apollos, or Peter – over the others. But Paul wants them to be clear in their understanding that they were following mere men.
Instead of noting the teamwork, the Corinthians became distracted by the differing personalities and emphases. Instead of seeking unity, they competed.
Competition has a way of getting the best of us. This is what happened to the Corinthians, they didn’t belong to individual leaders. Paul says, “All are yours.” They all belong to all of you.
They were not to make claims of one over the other, for each of the teachers they were competing over were called by God. Each one was sent by the Lord. This meant that each one was to be listened to and respected.
Each had special gifts and abilities that God used to teach and lead these believers. It was this variety of leadership that God ordained in order to enrich the church, not divide it.
In the same way, we should rejoice in and profit from all the faithful leaders God sends us. And Scripture teaches us that if a teacher is faithful, he is worthy of esteem.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians…5:12-13, We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
You will note that Paul says nothing about style. He says nothing about preferences. No, those whom God calls are to be appreciated and loved. If you do not, you are limiting God and His intentions for us.
Now, the third area of concern is OUR SITUATION (22). 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
We must use each circumstance as a lesson from God. Paul speaks of the world, life, death, the present and the future.
As we look at the account of creation, we are well aware that the universe is a possession of God’s people. It has been given to us to explore, to manage, and to rule over graciously. It was made for us.
We also know that we live in a fallen world in which evil has a grip. But the grip of the evil one is temporary, because it is ours forever, not his.
So, in the meantime, we can appreciate the world like no unbeliever can. We know where the world came from. We know why it was made. We know why we are on it. And we know what its final destiny will be.
We also rejoice in life, for we have been given new life in Christ.
Note how Peter describes this (II Peter 1:3-4)…His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature….
We now have a quality of life that will never tarnish, diminish or be lost. We have this because God’s very own life, by virtue of the Holy Spirit, is in us now.
The next item that Paul brings to our attention is death. This may sound strange at first but consider this; because of the cross, the great enemy of mankind has been overcome. We will pass through death. We are not its slave. Instead, we are its master.
The pastor was talking to a group of young children about believing in Jesus and going to heaven. At the end of his talk, he asked, "Where do you want to go?" "Heaven!" they all piped up.
"And what do you have to be to get there?"
"Dead!" one boy yelled.
Listen, as a believer, all death can do is deliver the believer to Jesus! You see, this present life is good – but death, which ushers us into eternal life – is even better.
Next Paul covers the present. We must realize that our present, our now, is in God’s hands, and it serves us. It makes us richer. The good and the bad… The pleasant and the painful… Joy and sorrow … Contentment and disappointment… God works it all together for our good.
And then Paul points to the future… Yes, this is ours as well…the heavenly blessings. We only have a glimpse of them now. But we know that these are the greatest blessings of all.
Thus, the future is no panic for us, for we are not bound to the whims of chance or the demands of life and death. They are all ours.
The fourth and final area of concern is OUR GOD (23). 23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
All things are ours…Why? To get this, we must understand who possesses us. We don’t possess all things because of our great wisdom. It is not due to our social standing or status. It is the result of belonging to Christ.
Paul pronounces the ultimate theological truth, the unity of God. God is one. And as we study this verse, we see Paul gets to this point by telling us that Christ is God’s. The Messiah came in the great plan of God.
So, when Jesus was here as the Messiah, His coming as the Son was in submission to the Father, they worked together. And as we back up in this verse, we realize that we are tied together into in an eternal oneness with God the Father and Jesus Christ.
So Paul directs the thoughts of the Corinthians (and us) to where they belong. He directs us to our Creator, who is God over all.
We have much to learn from all kinds of sources that God puts in our lives, and many of them are unexpected. God is full of surprises; He may choose to educate us from the strangest of sources.
To be of Christ also means to be free from our own narrowness. We are free to learn even from those with whom we disagree.
Finally, we must have perspective in order to glorify God and achieve unity. As a church family, let’s work hard not to lose our perspective.
For this place is not about me.
And, it’s not about you.
It is about the glory of God.
It is about our common Possessor.
It is about our common Savior.
It is about our common dependence on Scripture.
And when we get this right – when we glorify God and achieve unity – we will be heavenly-minded and earthly-good.
Amen.