Facing a Building Inspection

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Facing a Building Inspection</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id251.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Laying A Solid Foundation For Growth 2"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id256.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Becoming a Person Others Respect"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“Facing A Building Inspection,”1 Corinthians 3:1-23, February 3, 2002am, Berean Bible Church</B></div> <bR> <div>      Most of us don’t like tests. But being evaluated and approved are a normal part of life. Cooks in a restaurant, mechanics in a garage, CEO’s in the boardroom, teachers in a class room, workers in the factory, football players in the game: everyone faces some evaluation associated with their responsibilities.</div> <div> <I>     </I>If you are a follower of Christ, you have been given a responsibility to grow and to help build Christ’s church. You will be held accountable to God for how you build your life, and how you grow in your spiritual life.</div> <div> 3 key words to help you pass the exam.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. 1 Cor 3:1-4 – Evaluation: Examine your level of growth. </B></div> <div>      Paul pointed out their lack of growth. They were carnal, unspiritual – the Spirit of God was not in control of their lives. In Galatians 5:20, disunity is a work or result of the flesh, not the Spirit. Fighting and disunity make it obvious that a person has a lot of growing up to do. In order to recognize where we need to grow, we must evaluate ourselves and our level of growth. Tell yourself and God the truth about your life.</div> <div>      Here is a summary of the marks of a follower of Christ, a helpful check list by which you can evaluate how you are growing if you are a follower of Christ. A follower of Christ: 1. Spends time with God (the Word and prayer); 2. Believes the Truth (Col 2:7-8); 3. Worships God wholeheartedly (Col 2:7); 4. Lives in dependance on God; 5. Lives by grace (experiences and shares); 6. Spends time with other believers (Eph 4:1-3, Heb 10:25); 7. Invites others into the kingdom of God; 8. Strives for moral purity; 9. Serves Christ and others with God-given resources.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. 1 Cor 3:5-17– Preparation: Invest your life in what pleases God.</B> </div> <div>      You cannot cram for this evaluation; your life must be given to preparation for it.</div> <div> A. 1 Cor 3:5-9 – Recognize your responsibility as a servant of God.</div> <div>      Paul explains the way it works as a servant of Christ – the servants of Christ work together for the cause of Christ. They have accountability to God for their service.</div> <div> B. 1 Cor 3:10-17 – Be careful to carry out your responsibility.</div> <div>      God’s grace does not allow us to be reckless with our responsibility. A person’s growth will be evaluated (durable/eternal or combustible/temporal). Our work will be evaluated, whether it is of lasting value or not. If what we do is in God’s will, done for his glory, and done in his strength, it has lasting value.</div> <div>      Paul cautions in vss. 16-17 against working to destroy the church (by disrupting the unity of the local church). The Holy Spirit dwells among us, in the church; attempts to destroy or divide the church are taken very seriously. Recall from vs. 10 that “each one should be careful how he builds.”</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. 1 Cor 3:18-23 – Relaxation: Rest in the resources God provides.</B> </div> <div>      We belong to God, and have his resources available. This gives him the right to evaluate us, but it also gives us the power to do what he asks us to do. We can rest in his power. Take advantage of your available resources – The Bible, the Holy Spirit, prayer, and wisdom and accountability from other believers. </div> <div>      Paul worked and labored “by the grace God has given” to him (vs. 10). God is our Father who desires his children to succeed at doing what he asks of us, and he will help us any way he can, if we choose to let him.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2002, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>