January Preach 2010

Preached at Glen Aros Church on Sunday 31st January 2010



1 Corinthians 3:1-8

1Co 3:1 And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able to bear it; nor are you able even now.
3 For you are yet carnal. For in that there is among you envyings and strife and divisions, are you not carnal, and do you not walk according to men?
4 For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even to each the Lord gave?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he who plants anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 So he planting, and he watering, are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Look at verse 8

8 So he planting, and he watering, are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

The apostle Paul cautions us about a dangerous snare when he tells us not to ‘Glory in Men’ (verse 21). That is exactly where the Corinthian church was trapped.

They gloried in their leaders’ abilities, and this brought divisions.

When will we learn that the best of men are but the best of men and the best of women are but the best of women?

These Corinthian Christians were dividing themselves by saying, ‘I believe Paul’ or ‘I believe Apollos.’

Paul said, ‘Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord Jesus gave to every man?’ (verse 5).
Paul warned the Corinthians, and he warns us in our own day, against aligning ourselves with certain personalities within Christ’s church, those who pit themselves against each other.

We will always have leaders to instruct us in spiritual matters. But let us remember that we belong to Jesus Christ and Jesus belongs to God.

Father of our Lord Jesus teach me that to make people an idol, even in the church is a demonstration of my carnal Christian life.


Last time we looked at hope and Patience

What do we do now in the light of them?

2 Corinthians 4: 14-18

2Co 4:13 and since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things, which are seen, but at the things, which are not seen. For the things, which are, seen are temporary, but the things, which are not seen, are eternal.

Verse 15

15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

· May cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

How do we do such a thing?

Look at verse 18

18 while we do not look at the things, which are seen, but at the things, which are not seen. For the things, which are, seen are temporary, but the things, which are not seen, are eternal.

· We do not look at the things which are seen
· We look at the things which are not seen
Why do we do this?

· The things which are seen are temporary
· The things which are not seen are eternal

Look again at verse 15

15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

· That grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

When grace is spread around through many, the result is thanksgiving abounding to the glory of God.

1 Chronicles 16: 8-36

1Ch 16:8 Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
11 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,
17 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,"
19 When you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
20 When they went from one nation to another, And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
22 Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."
23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
25 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place.
28 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.
29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."
32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth.
34 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
35 And say, "Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise."
36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

Verse 28

28 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.

Look at verse 29

29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

· Give to the LORD the glory due His name
· Bring an offering
· Come before Him.
· Oh, worship the LORD
· In the beauty of holiness

Jeremiah 15: 15- 21

Jer 15:15 O LORD, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, For You have filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?
19 Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, But you must not return to them.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," says the LORD.
21 "I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible."

As an aside look at the last part of verse 18

Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?

Here is the questioning of a man of faith!

· LORD are you to be to me like me an unreliable stream?
· LORD are you to be to me like waters that fail?

The answer of course is no!

Jesus is the most reliable stream you can drink from, he is a source of living waters, which do not fail.

Hallelujah!

Lets go on…………………


Look at verse 19

19 Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, But you must not return to them.
21 "I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible."

· If you return
· Then I will bring you back
· You shall stand before Me
· If you take out the precious from the vile
· You shall be as My mouth
· Let them return to you
· But you must not return to them

If you take out the precious from the vile.

What are the precious things?

What are the vile things, which we need to separate out?

Let’s look at James 3:13-18

Jas 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Look at verse 17

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

· The Wisdom that is from above is first Pure,
· The Wisdom that is from above is then peaceable,
· The Wisdom that is from above is gentle,
· The Wisdom that is from above is willing to yield,
· The Wisdom that is from above is full of mercy
· The Wisdom that is from above is full of good fruits,
· The Wisdom that is from above is without partiality
· The Wisdom that is from above is without hypocrisy.

Wisdom from above is first of all pure.

Turn to 1 John 3:1

1Jo 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

Look at verse 3

3 And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

· Everyone who has this hope in him
· Purifies himself
· Even as that One is pure

What hope do we have with in us

Last part of verse 2

…But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

You know that you shall one day be fully like Jesus

One day you shall see Jesus as he fully is.

That is our hope!

Read the book of Revelation to see what is before you.

Re 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Jesus will be the light of the city to come, and the glory of God will lighten it.

2 Timothy 2:19-21

2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Look at verse 21

Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

· If anyone cleanses himself from the later
· He will be a vessel for honor
· Sanctified and useful for the Master
· Prepared for every good work.

You are called to glorify God.

1Corinthians 6:20 would tell us this.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

How do we glorify God?

· Have hope and patience
· We do not look at the things which are seen
· We look at the things which are not seen
· Love
· Joy
· Peace
· Gentleness
· Patience
· Meekness
· Self control
· Faith
· We separate the vile things from the precious things
· If anyone cleanses himself for the vile things he shall be
· A vessel unto honor
· Useful in the master’s hand.

Go forth and glorify God in your body and Spirit.