Warning

Have you ever been doing some procedure when all of a sudden you run across a word of warning that if you do not do this procedure right or follow the directions that have been given you will or could cause death to yourself and those around you? Some people gloss over such warnings and at some point they gloss over it enough they pay for it with their life or with their health. Please read chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians as we focus on verses 16-23 and listen to the words of warning that were given to the Corinthian Church and to the church body today. The church was being divided over who was the best preacher. Paul reminds the church that the preachers are only God’s servants doing what the Lord had assigned to do. He then reminds them in verses 16-17 that if anyone (pastor, deacon, or church member) causes a division in the church and brings the church to a place of destruction God himself will destroy them. The word you in these two verses are plural and refer to the body of believers not the building of the church itself. God gives a warning through the hand of Paul to those in any time period that want to bring division in the church over that which is not needed. God’s warning is that he will destroy the one who is destroying his bride-the church. The group at Corinth were bringing division through relying on human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom. Anytime we rely on human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom we no longer find ourselves submitting to God’s authority over us. Relying on human wisdom is a form of self deception. God’s wisdom is the only true wisdom. The Lord knows how to catch those who are deceiving themselves thinking that they are wise. Job 5:13 and 42:3 are mentioned along with Psalm 94:11 in that the Lord knows how to bring judgment on those who are relying on their wisdom causing destruction in His Church. When we learn to no longer rely on our wisdom but God’s wisdom we have a promise that is given to us in verses 21-23. You may want to take the time to meditate on this promise that is given twice in these verses. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours, and you are Christ and Christ is God. I invite you to open your Bible and look up some of the cross references that are given and just meditate on this promise that the Lord has given us in his word. If you are new to Lake City Florida or have been living here for some while I would like to invite you to come and visit with us here in downtown Lake City next to Lake Desto or any number of our local Churches where the Jesus Christ is taught in accordance with the Scriptures.