Christian Maturity - Sermon
Kowloon International Baptist Church - Dr. James "Butch" Tanner's sermon titled "Christian Maturity" 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 delivered on 14 July 2024. Please visit us at: www.hkkibc.org
Sermon Notes:
1 Corinthians 3:1–15
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
How much do the cross, Holy Spirit, and Bible impact what we do, how we think, and how we relate? We are not here to simply enjoy our salvation, we are here to discover the power of the life provided because of our salvation. God is holding us accountable for how we grow. Let's pursue growth and maturity.
Growth and Maturity are shown in
1. How we choose to learn.
1 Corinthians 13:11, 14:20, Romans 12:1-2, Job 6:24, Psalm 86:11, 2 Timothy 2:15-16
2. How we choose to walk.
Ezekiel 36:27, Galatians 5:16, 24-25, Romans 13:14, Ephesians 5:1, Galatians 2:20, Romans
6:13
3. How we choose to relate.
2 Corinthians 1:12, Galatians 5:13-14, John 13:34–35, 1 Peter 1:22
4. How we choose to build.
Psalm 26:2, 66:10, Malachi 3:3, 1 Peter 1:7, Jude 20–21