The Characteristics of Childishness and the

Marks of Maturity1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Adapted from a Michael Luke sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?

SermonID=86269

“Overcoming Obstacles That Obstruct Obedience”

1 Corinthians 3:1 ESV But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as

people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not

ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while

there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human

way? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not

being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you

believed, as the Lord assigned to each.

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the

growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God

given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon

it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be

revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives,

he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he

himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple

and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you

are that temple. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the

wise, that they are futile."

21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or

Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and

you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

A young boy came to his father after church one Sunday.

He said, “Dad, I want to ask you something.” The father said, “What is it son?”

“Dad, I’m kind of confused. In Sunday school this morning, the teacher kept telling us about

the children of Israel – how the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, the children of Israel built the Temple, and the children of

Israel making sacrifices. Didn’t the grown-ups ever do anything?”

The apostle Paul has already explained in 1 Corinthians 1 that there are two kinds of

people in the world: unsaved and saved; non-Christian and the Christian.

He points out to us in Chapter 3 that there are two kinds of Christians:

1. Of the flesh, (carnal, worldly) immature 2. Spiritual, mature

Difference between being childlike and childish:

1. Childlike Trusting, Humble, Eager, Loving

Matthew 18:2 ESV And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said,

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the

kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the

kingdom of heaven.

2. ChildishImmaturity is to lack the qualities of being fully

developed – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The wife said to her husband, “Sometimes you can be so immature!”

So he stuck his tongue out at her.

Marked by irresponsibility.They can’t do important things without being

reminded.Sometimes just don’t care whether they get

done or not.

Also marked by instabilityNever consistent

Sometimes you can depend on them and sometimes you can’t.

You really don’t know what to expect.

(No ladies, we’re not talking about husbands…but if the shoe fits???)

Paul gives us four indicators that show whether Christians are immature or mature.

1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid

food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

I. What We Eat

Paul says that spiritual maturity or immaturity is caused by one primary factor: our spiritual

diet.

The immature Christian should have left the milk bottle and moved on to solid food but their immaturity shows in that their still being nursed

on milk.

The mature Christian eats a balanced diet from God’s Word.

Word of God is called “spiritual food” several times in the scriptures:

Bread – Matthew 4:4 ESV But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth

of God.'"

Solid food – Hebrews 5:11 ESV About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain,

since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers,

you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You

need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of

righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their

powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The mature Christian eats a steady diet of solid food.

The traditional interpretation of this passage has usually been that “milk” represents the easy things in God’s Word and “solid food”

represents the difficult things.

Honey – Psalms 119:103 ESV How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my

mouth!The immature Christian lacks proper nourishment. They like snacks and junk food instead of nutrient rich solid food & the sweet honey of God’s Word.

A prime indicator of immaturity and maturity is shown through the kind of preaching and teaching

they enjoy.Immature Christians like to be entertained and to

feel good about themselves when they leave. Mature Christians want to be edified and

enlightened.

2 Timothy 4:1 ESV I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to

judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the

word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete

patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will

accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from

listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being

merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed,

as the Lord assigned to each.

How We Relate To Each Other

Paul mentions several things that indicate immaturity.

Jealousy and quarreling,They disagree and fuss a lot.

Usually over things that aren’t important.

An identification with heroes, “My hero can whip your hero!”

“Cannot!” “Can too!” “Un huh!” “Uh huh!”

Several things that indicate maturity. Practices love and seeks to get along with others & will only take up a fight over the most important

issues.Appreciates the leadership of others but

recognizes that, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Healthy respect for other mature Christians but also recognizes that we all struggle with the

flesh.

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the

growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's

building.

How We Work In The Field

Paul takes an image from Jesus’ Parable of the Sower.

Matthew 13:3 ESV And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell

along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they

had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched.

And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and

the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain,

some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear."

A parable that used one sower is now applied to the whole congregation of believers.

What indicates immaturity or maturity in the field?

Childish, carnal Christian just “play” at working in the field.

They focus on the work of individuals. Forget the purpose of being in the field.

Mature, spiritual Christians are careful about how the work is accomplished.

They focus on what God is doing through the laborers.

They forget about who does what and they work together to build the kingdom of God.

These indicators are based on how we use our spiritual gifts.

The Bible teaches that when we become Christians we receive the indwelling presence

of the Holy Spirit.Acts 2:38 ESV And Peter said to them,

"Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of

your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At least one spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit is to do works of service in the name of Jesus

Christ.

Paul deals with the subject of spiritual gifts in greater detail in chapters 12-14 but for right

now we need to understand two things:

Immature Christians use gifts as toys to play with and as trophies to brag about.

Mature Christians use gifts as tools to work with and utilize their gifts to the glory of Jesus

Christ.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which

is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

How We Build The Building

12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be

revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives,

he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he

himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple

and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you

are that temple. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the

wise, that they are futile."

21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or

Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and

you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

Building and construction analogies are used several times in the New Testament to teach

us about building the church of Christ.Ephesians 2:19 ESV So then you are no

longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the

household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus

himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling

place for God by the Spirit.

What are the indicators of immaturity and maturity in building the body of Christ?

Immature Christians build something that will not last.

They’re goal is to build something that will last only as long as they need it.

They build it out of what is convenient.

Mature Christians build something of quality, something that will last throughout eternity.

If we’re going to build the way God wants it built, we have to follow some guidelines.

Psalms 127:1 ESV A Song of Ascents.Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the

house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman

stays awake in vain.

We have to build on the right foundation.10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which

is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

We have to build with the right materials.12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be

revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives,

he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he

himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will

destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Two completely divergent building materials:Those identified as wood, hay, and straw,

represent things which are temporary, ordinary, cheap, easy to obtain.

Those identified as gold, silver, and precious stones.

They represent things that are permanent, beautiful, valuable, hard to obtain.

We have to build according to the right plan.Must build with the right motive,that motive is the glory of God.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become

wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the

wise in their craftiness," 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they

are futile."

Paul’s illustration of building points us back to Jesus’ teaching at the end of the Sermon on

the MountMatthew 7:24 ESV "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the

rock.

Conclusion

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a

foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house,

and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

The difference in immaturity and maturity are determined by four things.

I. What We Eat

II. How We Relate To Each Other

III. How We Work In The Field

IV. How We Build The Building

You need to answer these questions:1. What are you feeding yourself?

--You are what you eat.

2. What are you sowing?--What you sow is what you reap.

3. On what are you building?--on sand or the solid foundation of Jesus

Christ?