BY AL BUCHANAN
I'd like to begin the sermon today by asking you to turn to Matthew chapter 16. I want to begin there.
I think that you may have heard me comment on this before. That this particular section of Scripture here refers to events that took place probably late in summer. At least the Fall Festivals were approaching. This would have been the year prior to Christ's death. In other words, He would die on Passover the following spring. This time setting is somewhere probably late summer. At least the Fall Holy Days are reasonably close and they're approaching.
So in Matthew 16 and in verse 13, we read this,
Matthew 16:13. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14) So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16) Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (NKJ)
And I'd like to explain something that those of you and we know we've got a number of people that have begun listening to us just recently or beginning to connect with us just recently. And you may hear one of the speakers refer to Jesus as "Jesus the Christ" quite often here. And you won't always hear that just everywhere. And you might wonder, "Well, why? Why do you refer to this Being as Jesus the Christ? Why don't you just use Jesus Christ?" which is quite proper in itself. But to distinguish something very important about this name, Jesus was and is His personal name. And it means "Savior." However, Christ is not His personal name. It is a descriptive word that describes Him as who He was and what He was fulfilling when He was here on the earth.
The "Christ" is from the Greek word Christos, which means the Anointed One or the Messiah. So He was Jesus the Christ. He was Jesus the Savior here on earth and in the process of becoming Savior, He was fulfilling what was required of the Christ or the Anointed One or the Messiah.
So
Matthew 16:16b. Peter answered and said, "You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God."
(NKJ)
Now the last two messages that I gave here were titled The Power Of God's Holy Spirit, Parts I and II. It was a two-part sermon you might say. Two sermons that were titled The Power Of God's Holy Spirit, Parts I and II. It was by the power of God's Holy Spirit that we pointed out in those messages that the Word—the Being whom the apostle John referred to as the "Word"—it was through the power of God's Holy Spirit that the Word became flesh and blood. It enabled that process to take place. Remember we read there in Luke where the power of God's Spirit overshadowed Mary and she became pregnant. And the Life that was within her womb was the very same Life that was the Word that was with the other Being who was God from the beginning. The apostle John began his gospel by saying,
John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (NKJ)
So these two great God Beings were from the beginning together, but, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, the One who was referred to as the Word became flesh within the womb of Mary. At the same time He became the Son of God. Now I think we all understand this that They were not always Father and Son. They were two great God Beings together from the beginning. But at this moment in time the One, whom John referred to as the Word, became the Son of God through this supernatural begettal through the power of God's Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. So these two great God Beings became Father and Son for the very first time at this point in time. They had existed as God Beings before. Now They're Father and Son so that a great plan could begin to unfold, a great plan that these Two Beings formulated when They were together from the beginning. They formulated this great plan that, as was pointed out in the sermonette, would result in God reproducing Himself where the Family could be extended, but there had to be this event take place where the One had to become a Son. So now we have the Father and the Son.
So Peter responded to Jesus here by saying
Matthew 16:16b. "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17) Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, (NKJ)
"This did not come from your own reasoning process. It did not come from intellect within yourself. You didn't find this out on your own."
Matthew 16:17b. but [rather this came from] My Father who is in heaven. (NKJ)
This Being now, who remained in the God-plane, revealed this
to Peter that this Jesus was also the Christ and He was the Son of the
Living God.
And then verse 18,
Matthew 16:18. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades [or hell] shall not prevail against it. (NKJ)
Or the gates of the grave or the death will not prevail against this Church. In other words, once this Church begins it will continue to exist.
Matthew 16:18. "[So] I say to you that you are Peter, (NKJ).
Now we've understood and taught for many, many years now
ever since we've been part of the
Now more specifically right here what He is talking about is not so much that the Church is going to be built upon Him as a personal "personality" you might say, but rather it's going to be built upon the truth that God revealed to Peter and Peter understood that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. That truth had to be understood. That was part of what Jesus Christ was revealing to these individuals that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. It was being revealed to them by the Father through the power of God's Holy Spirit. He was revealing to them Who He was. That needed to be understood for the Church to be built.
Now we're going to see in another place in a moment where it says the Church is built on Jesus Christ. And that's absolutely true. What we've taught all these years is absolutely true. What we need to understand though is that it's more than building it on a personality, but rather building it on a solid foundation that actually involved what He brought. The truth that He brought is what the Church is to be built on. And we're going to see that as we move forward.
Now, we're going to talk about today the subject of building. We're going to discuss the subject of building. Now right here notice that Jesus said, "I will build My Church. I will." And this is future tense. It had not begun yet. He had not begun to build His Church at this point. He said, "I will do it." So this building process was yet to begin and it would be built, this Church, would be built on a Rock. We're going to talk more about that as we move forward.
The title of the message today, if you want to jot the title
down, it is Building On The Rock, Building On The Rock.
Now verse 20 here, dropping down to verse 20,
Matthew 16:20. Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. (NKJ)
So no one was to be told. For at this time, for the time being you might say, at that time only the disciples were to know this. They were not to disseminate this information to anybody else. It was for them and them alone at that time.
Then verse 21,
Matthew 16:21. From that time
So again this would have been as the Fall Festivals approach in 30 AD prior to His death the next spring. It said,
Matthew 16:21. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised [again] the third day. (NKJ)
So He began to give them this information so that they could expect what was going to happen.
Now when you read the entire record, you'll see that when it came time for this to occur they didn't believe His words. They didn't believe what He had said. They really didn't expect Him to die. And once He died, they really didn't expect Him to be resurrected back to life again. They didn't believe that. Even though He began months before it would happen to let them know what was going to happen.
It's interesting that they were able to understand it. And by the way if you read the entire record, you'll see that Peter was not the only one that understood He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. There's others that understood that. Lazarus' sister Martha understood that. And there were others that understood this truth at that time.
But they were able to understand that, but other things that seemingly would have been easier for them to understand, especially when He's telling them specifically what's going to happen, that they didn't get. And it didn't register and they didn't believe it. But it's just interesting how that played out.
Now I want to go to Luke chapter 24. We're going to jump forward in time now to past the time when He would fulfill what He said He was going to there in Matthew 16 verse 21. It was past His death, past His resurrection from the dead. It was actually past Him ascending to His Father on Wave Sheaf Sunday morning to be accepted by His Father on our behalf. It was past that, but it was during the forty days that He would be seen by them following Wave Sheaf Sunday morning or beginning with Wave Sheaf Sunday morning. It was during those forty days, probably on the fortieth day that He said most, at least, of what we're going to read here in Luke 24. So beginning in Luke 24 then in verse 44, notice what we read.
Luke 24:44. Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (NKJ)
So as the Christ, as the Messiah, as the Anointed One, He had to fulfill every prophecy that concerned Him. Every one of them! There were many. There were many specific prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah and what the Messiah would do. And He's saying here they all had to be fulfilled.
And this word "must" that we see there "that all things must fulfilled" right about in the middle of that verse 44, the word "must" is a little Greek word that we've referred to on numerous occasions. It shows up in different places. It's a little Greek word (die) or (dee). It's d-e-i is the way it's spelled. And it means an absolute necessity. It's unavoidable. It is something that absolutely has to happen. As a matter of fact, it's defined as "unavoidable, urgent, compulsory, necessity." Absolute requirement has to happen.
Now we're going to see that there was another thing that was an absolute necessity as well as we move forward in this.
In verse 45 then, He stated,
Luke 24:45. And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (NKJ)
Now again, they didn't understand an awful lot during His ministry here on the earth. They understood certain things, but it was superficial understanding. They didn't have a depth of understanding of the Scriptures until probably the fortieth day. So I think this happened on the fortieth day of the time He spent with them, the fortieth of the fifty days from Wave Sheaf till His ascension back to His Father, which occurred on the fortieth day. Now the reason why I say that—I don't know that for sure that it was the fortieth day; there's no way to know absolutely I don't think. But it was sometime during those forty days that this occurred that they began to understand the Scriptures.
Now you go back to Passover that year, the Passover where He died. You find Him trying to communicate to them some really important information that night prior to His death. And what are they doing? They're arguing about who's going to be the greatest! They still didn't get it, didn't get the message that He came to bring.
Yet we see in Acts 1 where they're waiting. They're following His instructions that He
gave them on the fortieth day to wait in
And so we see a very important event happening right here in verse 45,
Luke 24:45. [That] He opened their understanding, (NKJ)
Now how'd He do this? It was through the power of God's Holy Spirit that this occurred. Remember He had said to them before He died that was on Passover following Him changing the emblems that evening or in instituting the new one emblems for Passover, later on He told them that "The Holy Spirit has been with you. It will be in you." So God's Spirit was working with them even at this point in time. And it had to be through that process, through the power of God's Holy Spirit that their minds were opened up and they began to understand the Scriptures.
Then in verse 46,
Luke 24:46. Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary (NKJ)
Once again, this word "necessary" is that little Greek word dei. It was necessary. It was an absolute necessity.
Luke 24:46b. for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (NKJ)
It was an absolute necessity. It had to happen. It actually had to happen before He could begin the process of building the Church. This had to happen. He had to die. He had to be resurrected from the dead. He had to ascend to His Father and be accepted by His Father on our behalf. And then, the process could begin of Him building His Church.
So this had to happen, but I want you to notice verse
47. And I want to read 46 and 47 so we
understand what is being said.
Luke 24:46. Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary [It was an absolute necessity.] for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47) "and (NKJ)
So something else was absolutely a necessity!
Luke 24:47. "and that repentance and remission
of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at
So this was also a necessity. This was something that would have to occur.
Then verse 48,
Luke 24:48. "And you are witnesses of these things. (NKJ)
"You're the ones who have heard. You're the ones who have seen. You are going to be witnesses. You are the ones who are going to begin this process. You are the ones who are going to carry this message and preach this repentance and remission of sins in My name. You're the ones."
Okay. Then verse 49,
Luke 24:49. "Behold, I send the Promise of My
Father upon you; but tarry in the city of
And, of course, that was to come through the power of God's Holy Spirit. The Spirit that had been with them was now going to enter in and become part of them. And it would enable them to fulfill the responsibility that fell their lot at this time. They were to be, primarily the twelve, were the ones that were going to carry out this commission, were going to carry out this responsibility of being witnesses. And remember Mathias had to be among those who from the baptism of John to Christ's ascension had to be a witness. He, too, saw and heard all these things. And so he was included and filled the office of Judas to complete the twelve who were primarily responsible for this job, being these witnesses.
Now only those who had witnessed everything from the baptism of John until the ascension could be a witness. Others, however, could come along and participate in carrying out this responsibility. But only those who were there who heard and saw with their own ears and with their own eyes could be the witnesses. And so they were the ones who were to begin this process.
In verses 50 through 53 you see that the ascension took place where that Jesus Christ ascended this time to His Father to stay. Remember He ascended on Wave Sheaf Sunday morning just for a short time to be accepted by His Father on our behalf to complete the fulfillment of the Wave Sheaf Ceremony. That was accomplished. And then, now on the fortieth day, He ascended to the Father to take His seat at His right hand.
Now it's interesting we read this in one of those two messages that I gave last time, but let's go back and read Matthew 26 and notice what He said there. Matthew 26 and verse 64, Matthew 26 and verse 64,
Matthew 26:64. Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. (NKJ)
Let me just back up to verse 63 so we see the context.
Matthew 26:63. But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I [adjure] You by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" (NKJ)
So here He is. He's surrendered Himself into the control of these individuals who were going to be responsible for carrying out the sacrifice and they're questioning Him here.
Matthew 26:64. Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. (NKJ)
"Yes, I am the Christ, the Son of God."
Matthew 26:64b. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, (NKJ)
It's interesting the way He put it here in this account in Matthew.
Matthew 26:64 cont. and coming on the clouds of heaven." (NKJ)
So He said, "You will see. There will be those who will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power." The Power, same word that is used for power referring to the power that comes through the giving of God's Holy Spirit, and that same power that the Word was able to tap into when He spoke and creation took place. What He spoke as recreation took place, it was this same power. So the source of this power is the Father. He took His seat at the right hand of "the Power."
Now let's jump forward then ten days later to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 and in verse 1, we read what we heard last Sunday on Pentecost. Ten days following what He had just said there in Luke 24 this occurred.
Acts 2:1. Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing [and] mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3) Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4) And they were all filled with [this] Holy Spirit and began to speak with other [languages], as the Spirit [enabled] them [to do]. (NKJ)
You might rephrase that. The Holy Spirit enabled them to do what was done here. Now we've heard for a long time that they were being heard in these different languages. They were speaking. All these people were hearing them speak in their own language, an incredible miracle that took place there! And it was through the power of God's Holy Spirit that that was done.
Now I want to jump over to verse 29. We know that through, again, that power of God's Spirit that Peter stood up that day and began to give a very powerful message to those who were privileged to hear. As part of what he said, let's jump in at verse 29, Acts 2 verse 29. And he said to them,
Acts
That is David's throne. And if you remember, Gabriel told Mary when he announced to her that the Holy Spirit was going to overshadow her and she was going to become pregnant and she was going to bear this Being who was going to assume the throne of David.
Then in verse 31, David was given this information. He was able to understand that that was going to happen. Then verse 31,
Acts
And you can go back up to verses 25 through 28 and you see a record of that.
Acts
Then verse 32,
Acts
So again they have witnessed this.
Then verse 33.
Acts
So more than once He had told them prior to His ascension back to the Father that He would be the One that would pour out the Holy Spirit. It would come from the Father. The power of the Holy Spirit comes from the Father. Jesus Christ has the responsibility of pouring it out.
Now, dropping down to verse 36,
Acts
He is the Kurios in Greek meaning Owner and Master.
Acts
Acts
So now through the Holy Spirit, God is opening up individuals' ears and minds and eyes to see and hear, understand what is being said by Peter. So God's Spirit is not only working through the apostles, but is working with individuals who are hearing what they're saying and they're responding in this way.
And then verse 38,
Acts
Remember? They had to preach repentance and remissions of sins and here it begins.
Acts
So others now had the opportunity to receive this Spirit.
Verse 39,
Acts
So the promise of receiving power when the Holy Spirit was given extends now to those who God would call, to all that God would call.
Now I want us to take note that Jesus Christ is beginning the process now of building His Church. The process began on Pentecost in 31 AD, but we see that it's not just Him working. There is a lot more involved. First of all the Father is heavily involved in doing the calling and giving of the Spirit so that Christ can take it and give it to others.
There are those who are human beings, weak as we are, whom God and Christ are using here to say the words to say that were necessary. Remember it was necessary that this be done. Absolutely necessary that these words be spoken about repentance and remission of sin had to be done. It had to happen. Somebody had to do it. Certain ones were designated to do it. And so the process is beginning now where a number of individuals are involved in the process of this building of the Church. But it is Jesus Christ who is responsible to do the building.
Now verse 40,
Acts
So we need to take note of this that we only have partial record of what Peter said here. We have some vital information that he communicated to them and it's recorded for us and we can read it. But it says, "With many other words he testified." So he had much more to say to them and he said much more than what is recorded here.
Acts
Then verse 41,
Acts
So now the Church is beginning to be built. And remember it was to be on the Rock. And we're going to read in a moment where Paul says that it's to be built on Jesus Christ.
But here we see people responding to words that are said. They're not responding necessarily to a personality, but to words that are said in this case by Peter. But what are the words that he's saying? What is it he's telling them? What is it he's saying?
Acts
So the Church began in a big way with first of all a hundred and twenty receiving God's Holy Spirit initially that day. And then three thousand additional individuals that are mentioned here also were added on that particular day. So the Church began to be built.
Then verse 42,
Acts
Notice what they continued in!
Acts 2:42b. in the apostles' doctrine (NKJ)
So they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine
Acts
So they continued in what the apostles taught. And they continued in this fellowship.
Now hold your place there and turn to 1 John chapter 1. I want to take note of what the apostle John said. He gives us a little bit more information now. Again we've mentioned several times that John probably wrote somewhere near 90 AD, way down the road from when the Church began near the end of the Ephesian Era. He wrote after he witnessed a great deal that had transpired in some sixty years of the history of the Church. And then he's writing here. And notice what he says in verse 1. 1 John 1 verse 1,
I John 1:1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, (NKJ)
"We" are the apostles.
1 John 1:1b. which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— (NKJ)
So he's talking about the Word while He was in the flesh that they witnessed, they heard, they saw, they handled, he said. They touched Him, this Word of Life!
Verse 2,
I John 1:2. The life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— (NKJ)
So this Word now, that they saw in the flesh, John clearly knew existed from the beginning with the Being who now is referred to as the Father.
Then in verse 3, notice this very carefully!
I John 1:3. That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, (NKJ)
So what they saw and what they heard, what they witnessed,
they were declaring it to the members of the
I John 1:3. That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, (NKJ)
Notice!
1 John 1:3b. that you also may have fellowship with us; (NKJ)
So they continued—we read there in Acts—in the apostles' doctrine and they continued in this fellowship. Now I think most of us know that this word "fellowship" is koinonia in the Greek. And it means partnership or participation. So these individuals that were baptized on Pentecost, those three thousand, "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship," which means participation or partnership. So they entered into a participation in what was being done. They had a part in what was being done. And again the Church was beginning to be built at that time, but they had a partnership in that. They had a participation in that. So they were to continue or they did continue in the apostles' doctrine and this fellowship.
Let's back up in verse 3 here. 1 John 1 verse 3,
I John 1:3. That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly [Notice!] our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
So they had this fellowship with these two great God Beings now after Christ was resurrected from the dead, ascended to His Father, and assumed His role at the Father's right hand. Remember He prayed that He would be able to return to have that same relationship with His Father, the same position with His Father as He had before the worlds were made. And so that was accomplished. And these two great God Beings now are there on God's throne.
And John said they had a fellowship with Them. And he said, "You can have a fellowship with us as a result of what we're telling you, what we're giving you." So it was what they heard and what they saw that was critical that needed to be disseminated to these individuals who then would have a part in or a participation in what was happening.
Verse 4,
I John 1:4. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. (NKJ)
So without this, there would be no fullness of joy. This was necessary. This was required that they come to have this understanding.
Now, let's go to verse 5.
I John 1:5. This is the message which we have heard from Him (NKJ)
So he's going to pass on now something that they heard, the apostles heard, from Jesus Christ. And this is what he said:
I John 1:5. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (NKJ)
So God is the source of light.
Now we read back in John 1—I'm not going to go there for the sake of time—but back in John 1 verses 4 through 9 where it says that Jesus Christ when He came into this world was "the Light of the world." He was the Light. It even goes on to say that He would expose every human being to this Light.
Should we go back and read that? Hold your place there. And let's go to John chapter 1. Let's just read that. John chapter 1 and in verse 4, John 1 verse 4,
John 1:4. In Him was life,
That is this Word.
John 1:4. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John [This is John the Baptist.]. 7) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8) He was not that Light [That is John wasn't], but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (NKJ)
And then in verse 9,
John 1:9. That was the true Light which gives light to every man [who comes] into the world. (NKJ)
Every human being will be exposed this Light in his own or her own time. Not all now obviously. Only a few are being exposed to this Light of Jesus Christ now.
But now back to 1 John. Notice what he said, "This is the message which the Light said," the One who was the Light when He was on the earth.
I John 1:5. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light (NKJ)
He said He was going to take His seat at the right hand of the power, the source of the power. He is saying here—I think very clearly—that His Father's also the source of the Light. He's the source.
1 John 1 5b. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (NKJ)
How's that important to the context? Let's notice. Verse 6,
I John 1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, (NKJ)
If we say we're participating, we have a part, we have a partnership,
I John 1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (NKJ)
So those individuals who are coming into the Church, those individuals who are being given this part in what Christ is doing, if they walk in darkness, if they don't walk in the light, they lie and they don't practice the truth.
But notice verse 7!
I John 1:7. But if we walk in the light (NKJ)
If we walk in the light, which is from God,
1 John 1:7b. as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (NKJ)
So what we've learned from this is Jesus Christ came to this earth and He said many things. He did many things that the apostles were witnesses to. And they were to declare that. They were to pass that on. It was considered to be light. Jesus Christ, when He was in person on the earth, the words that He said were light.
We are, as members of the
Now let's go back to Acts 2. Acts 2 and verse 43, continuing on there it says,
Acts
And we know we can read the history, the early history of the Church how that many incredible were done. Many people were healed. Spectacular things were occurring. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles speaking and all these people are hearing in their own language. There are many wonders that were done. Even to the point to where one individual tried to buy this power. Remember? And he was rejected, of course, and told him, "You can't do that." But this was the result of the power of God's Holy Spirit enabled this to happen.
Now, that did not continue though even through the New Testament Era. As we went through in a healing series that we did so many years ago, it didn't continue on. It tapered off and it stopped once the need for it to happen stopped. Now does that mean healing doesn't happen? No! Healing does happen, but it doesn't happen in the way that it was being done initially because it was for a purpose at that time to demonstrate who these Beings were. These are individuals who are representing Jesus Christ. They were doing healings and so they were doing it in such a manner that it was obvious that they weren't just human beings doing this on their own, that they were commissioned. They were carrying out a commission.
Now I want to jump forward in time about twenty-five years
from Acts there to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
1 Corinthians chapter 3, we're going to jump into something here that Paul
wrote to the Brethren at
1 Corinthians 1:10. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (NKJ)
And, of course, if they were all walking in the light, that would have been the case. However, some darkness had begun to mingle in at this point and particular time. In verse 11,
1 Corinthians 1:11. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. (NKJ)
There's quarrels. They're not in full agreement.
Then verse 12,
1 Corinthians 1:12. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." (NKJ)
And so we have a situation where different ones are aligning themselves behind certain human beings, others aligning other human beings and so forth. And the point I think we need to emphasize here is not so much what they were doing but the fact that they were dividing and separating, but that they were elevating men in their own view and seeing as extremely important that they be attached to a certain person that they felt was of greater importance than another. Okay? And we can discern that very easily from what Paul went on to say.
Now down in verse 20, he said,
1 Corinthians 1:20. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer [or the debater] of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (NKJ)
Human wisdom.
Verse 21,
1 Corinthians 1:21. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (NKJ)
So the message preached, again, is information on which the Church was built actually.
1 Corinthians 1:22. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23) but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, [we preach] Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (NKJ)
Verse 25,
1 Corinthians 1:25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (NKJ)
So what he's saying here in this little snippet is that "You need to put your focus on God. You need to put your focus on Who's doing the work, Who's building. Not on those who are part of it being done. Put your focus where it belongs."
Down in verse 31, he said,
1 Corinthians 1:31b. "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (NKJ)
Then verse 1 of chapter 2,
1 Corinthians 2:1. And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2) For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (NKJ)
Now when you really break that down and think deeply about what he's saying here, it's a big subject he's talking about! That he covered with this. Jesus Christ and Him crucified, Who He was, what He's doing, why He had to be crucified, and all of the associated information that had to be given. That's a big subject. And so that was what he was communicating to them.
In verse 3,
1 Corinthians 2:3. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4) And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, (NKJ)
"So why are you somewhere at fault? Why are you setting me up?" This is what he's saying. "I came to you. I didn't come to you with persuasive words and all of that."
1 Corinthians 2:4b. but [I came to you] in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (NKJ)
"It was God's power! It was the power of God's Holy Spirit that enabled me to communicate to you what I did."
Then verse 5,
1 Corinthians 2:5. That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (NKJ)
And so he's diminishing his own value, you might say, and elevating the Father and His Son.
Now over in verse 1 of chapter 3, chapter three 1 Corinthians verse 1,
1 Corinthians 3:1. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2) I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3) For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (NKJ)
Verse 4,
1 Corinthians 3:4. For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal? (NKJ)
So he's saying, "You've got your focus wrong."
Now beginning in verse 5 is where I really want to focus here.
1 Corinthians 3:5. Who then is Paul [He asks.], and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? (NKJ)
So he's saying, "I am a minister. Apollos is a minister," which is diakonos
in the Greek, which means a servant, an attendant, a waiter, one who tends to
the needs of others. We're
ministers. We're servants. We're fulfilling a role. And notice that they were the ones who
communicated to them.
1 Corinthians 3:5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? (NKJ)
"It was our responsibility to communicate to you certain words and you believed them." But notice the source of the words: "as the Lord gave to each one." So both the Father and the Son were involved to through the power of God's Spirit to get the information from the minds that had been placed there in the apostles' minds, from that source then to their minds; the power of God's Spirit working, bringing that about.
Now verse 6,
1 Corinthians 3:6. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. (NKJ)
So here Paul is likening what they did to a farmer planting seeds in a field. But he planted. Paul had the responsibility to plant the seeds, in other words, to proclaim the message. Apollos followed then in the process and assisted and increased their knowledge and understanding and so forth.
Then verse 7,
1 Corinthians 3:7. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. (NKJ)
So once again, he's diminishing the value of the instruments that are being used and elevating the one Who is designating the instruments. But we have to understand that what the instruments were doing was necessary. Remember? It was necessary that this to be done. These words had to be communicated. So it was necessary, but relative to God, he is saying, "We're not anything." And you might say or rephrase that and say, "Without God, we're nothing. We're only fulfilling a role, in other words."
And then verse 8,
1 Corinthians 3:8. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. (NKJ)
So he's saying him and Apollos at this time at least were working together as one. But he said, "Each one of us is going to be judged based upon what we do."
Then verse 9,
1 Corinthians 3:9. For we are God's fellow workers; (NKJ)
"We're merely working for God doing a job that He's designated that we are to do. 'We are God's fellow workers.'"
Now notice what he says in the last part of verse 9.
1 Corinthians 3:9b. you are God's field, (NKJ)
And more importantly as far as the subject today,
1 Corinthians 3:9 cont. you are God's building. (NKJ)
"You are God's building." So here Paul is referring to the members of the Church as both "God's field," and "God's building." And we know that both analogies are used in Scripture, but he's going to go ahead then and discuss the building analogy. And let's notice verse 10,
1 Corinthians 3:10. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder (NKJ)
Now you may wonder why did Paul use words like that. Why did he describe himself? If he's trying to diminish his value, why is he describing himself which seems to be he's elevating himself? "I'm a wise master builder." Actually when you look into what these words mean, what it primarily means is yes, he has wisdom, but he understands that that wisdom comes from God. And he has wisdom to communicate to them, but the master builder is basically saying what he's already said. "I'm the one planting. I'm the one that has the responsibility to plant. I'm the one that has the responsibility to build. And another is going to follow."
Notice what he says,
1 Corinthians 3:10. 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. (NKJ)
So he's the one given responsibility to build.
Now you remember Christ said that all authority had been given to Him in heaven and earth. And He said prior to that, "Go therefore, and make disciples," when He was commissioning the apostles to follow through and do the work that He was assigning them to do.
Then in John 20 verse 21, He said,
John 20:21b. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (NKJ)
"Send" being apostello in the Greek, one sent forth on a mission or a commission. So He was sent by the Father as an Apostle to this earth. Jesus Christ was. But then He then in turn sent the twelve specifically at that time and He would send others later. As we'll see the apostle Paul was one of those.
1 Corinthians 3:10b. and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. (NKJ)
So the foundation that he was to lay, what is it? Again, Christ is building on the Rock. What is the foundation that Paul and the other apostles laid?
In verse 11,
1 Corinthians 3:1. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
So he's saying, "I don't have any choice. I've got a foundation to lay. It's spelled out for me what it is and I'm laying it. I have the responsibility to lay it." So here's Paul, not one of the twelve, who had the responsibility of being a witness, because he was of a witness of everything. But he was called to be an apostle as he clearly said. And he had the same responsibility as far as laying the foundation. He's laying the same foundation that the other apostles laid. So the apostles' doctrine is consistent as to what is laid and what needs to be built upon.
Now it says here very clearly that the foundation to be laid is Jesus Christ. But we read in Matthew 7—hold your place there—and let's turn there. And we've read this many times, but let me go and read it, exactly what He says. Matthew 7 and in verse 21, He said,
Matthew 7:21. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22) "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (NKJ)
"Haven't we been part of doing this? Haven't we laid the foundation?"
Matthew 7:23. "And then I will declare to [you], 'I never knew you; (NKJ)
"I didn't give you the job. I didn't assign this. I didn't send you. I never knew you."
Matthew 7:23b. depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (NKJ)
So what they were doing was not consistent with the light. They weren't walking in the light.
Then verse 24,
Matthew 7:24. "Therefore whoever (NKJ)
And I want you to notice the word "whoever" and I don't see any qualification for this. I don't see Him qualifying it anywhere. It's "whoever." "Whoever" God calls doesn't have to have a specific responsibility. He doesn't have to have a specific role designated that all can see.
Matthew 7:24. "[But] whoever hears these sayings of Mine, (NKJ)
Again the only way you can hear them in the way that He's meaning it here, the only way you can hear them is if God opens your mind through the power of God's Spirit to be able to hear them. "Anyone who hears these sayings,"
Matthew 7:24b. whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them [who walks in them], I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (NKJ)
Now notice, He said, "I will build My church." And He would build it on a rock. And there it was the truth of the fact that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. That was only part of all that all that was revealed through Him by the Father through the power of God's Holy Spirit. It was part of it, but it began to be built on that. And if you go through the early part of the chapter or early chapters of the book of Acts, you'll see the emphasis on the teaching, the preaching of Jesus Christ as the Christ. That had to be established. They had to communicate that and establish Who this Being was and they did that. But the Christ is clearly saying that it's on the sayings; it's on the information that He brought; it's on the truth that He brought. The light that comes from the Father that is what we are to build on. And "whoever hears these sayings" are to build on it.
And we read in John 3 verse 34—and this is very critical—Christ said,
John 3:34. "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, (NKJ)
So the words, the sayings are from the Father. He said, "Of My own self, I can do nothing. The works that are done are as a result of the Father in Me who does the works." So all this is coming from the Father. We need to understand that. He is the light and we are to walk in the light. We are to walk in the words that come from the Father, but He's designated certain individuals to communicate those words to us.
Now I want to go back to 1 Corinthians 3. We'll continue reading here.
1 Corinthians 3:11. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
So again, Paul, the other apostles, they were limited as to what foundation they were to lay. It was the words that Jesus Christ had brought from the Father and delivered to them.
Verse 12,
1 Corinthians 3:12. Now if anyone builds on this foundation (NKJ)
Specifically he's talking about individuals who are building on this foundation. He's not talking about those out there who are building but not on this foundation. He's talking about those who are building on this foundation.
1 Corinthians 3:12b. [Now there are some who build] with gold, silver, precious stones, [There's some other building that's taking place that's involving] wood, hay, [and] straw, (NKJ)
So in other words, there's some valuable building taking place. There's some that's not so valuable and basically of no value in some cases, because it's going to burn up. It's going to be extinguished.
Now notice verse 13.
1 Corinthians 3:13. Each one's work will become [manifest]; (NKJ)
When? When will the work become manifest? Now? No. No, not now.
1 Corinthians 3:13. Each one's work will become [manifest]; for the Day will declare it, (NKJ)
The Day, the Day Christ returns. At that time it will be manifest. It will be evidenced.
1 Corinthians 3:13b. 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. 14) If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, (NKJ)
Notice!
1 Corinthians 3:14. If anyone's work which he has built on
it (NKJ)
On this proper foundation,
1 Corinthians 3:14b. endures, he will receive a reward. 15) If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; (NKJ)
He won't get the reward. "But" it says,
1 Corinthians 3:15b. he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (NKJ)
No again this is talking about individuals who are building
on this proper foundation. So, some's
going to get a reward. Some are not
going to get a reward, because what is being built is not of value. But God is working out a great plan. And in some cases, individuals will be saved
even though what they've been building has been of lesser or little or no value
for the whole plan for the whole purpose that God is working out.
Then verse 16,
1 Corinthians 3:16. Do you not know (NKJ)
He's saying, "Don't you know?"
1 Corinthians 3:16b. that you are the
In other words, what he's saying: "Look, yeah, you're to build. Each individual has a responsibility to build, but we're all part of what's being built. We're all part of a temple that God is building." Jesus Christ is building His Church. Now—I see now I'm going to have to continue this next time.
But you go to Hebrews 4—or Hebrews 3 rather—and you'll see that there's different building talking place. Christ is building. The Father is building. And we're all part of what is being built. And it says that God is the Builder of everything. Ultimately He is the Master Builder. He's the One that's responsible for building.
Now here these individuals were getting focused in on individuals. Men whom they were following, they were seeing as very important. He's trying to help them see. "Look, you're part of something much bigger than this, much bigger than this. The great God is building a temple and you're part of it! Jesus Christ is building a Church. You're part of it! But you're only part of it. Any of these human beings are only part of it. Don't emphasize the human being. Emphasize God."
Let's go ahead and just read these very quickly the next few verses. Verse 17,
1 Corinthians 3:17. If anyone defiles [or destroys or brings harm to] the temple of God, God will destroy him. (NKJ)
He won't be saved! God is going to destroy this individual that does this.
1 Corinthians 3:17b. For the
But then going on, notice the context now in verse 18.
1 Corinthians 3:18. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (NKJ)
If you think you're somebody of importance, realize that you're of no importance of yourself. You've got to come to that point. We've got to see ourselves and how we fit into this plan, how we fit into what God is doing. That we are of far lesser importance!
Verse 19,
1 Corinthians 3:19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; 20) And again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 21) Therefore (NKJ)
That's what he's getting to.
1 Corinthians 3:21. Therefore let no one [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—[they're] all are yours. (NKJ)
Now it's interesting how The Jerusalem Bible renders
that verse. And I think it's the key to
understand what is being said here, because it's a little cloudy to me as to
what he's saying there. The Jerusalem
Bible says,
1 Corinthians 3:22. Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life
and death, the present and the future are all your servants.
They all have value to you. They can be utilized by you, but they are servants.
Verse 23,
1 Corinthians 3:23. And you are Christ's, (NKJ)
You are part of what Christ is building.
1 Corinthians 3:23b. and Christ is God's. (NKJ)
We're all part of what God is building. And we need to understand that.
And we're going to come back next time and perhaps follow
up, especially in Hebrews 3. We need to
see that and some other things concerning this.
But, Brethren, let's get our focus where it belongs on Who it is that's
doing the work, Who it is that is, in fact, the Master Builder, Who He is. And we need to also see who we are relative
to it.
Transcribed by kb