Your Work Will Be Tested
Rev. Thomas West
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 22:49
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Notes
Transcript
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 nasb
Opening Illustration
Good Morning Kingdom Keys Family,
There is a parable many of us are familiar with in Luke 6, about two men who build houses for themselves. One builds on the rock (Christ) and one builds on the sand. About the one who build his life on the ‘rock’ (Christ),
48 he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well.
In the Lexham English Bible, Luke 6:48 says, “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
We may know the story, but how many of us have though about this: we don’t know how much time passes in verse 48 between “on the rock” and the word “and.” This man could have built that house and years passed before this massive storm came that destroyed the other man’s home. Imagine that for a minute: What if he goes to all the trouble building this house? He selects the right piece of property, with solid bedrock. He digs deep. He does the hard work of laying the foundation. He builds his house.
His neighbor finished a long time ago and is just lounging in the sun, playing in the sand with a nice home. And here he is, slaving away, building this home. Then it’s done. Year after year, it’s a mild rainy season. The sun shines. He begins to doubt himself. What was he thinking? Why’d he go to all this trouble? His neighbor’s home is still standing, and his back isn’t sore. The man who built on the rock spent a lot more money on the foundation, and his neighbor had all that money to spend on himself. They’ve gotten a bigger TV. There’s no rain. There’s no wind. There’s no storm.
Sometimes obedience is like that. You do all this work. You invest all this time and money, and meanwhile, your neighbor seems to be living it up and doing whatever they want. You’re denying yourself, and they’re indulging themselves, and it seems as though, in the end, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes obedience means you sit there for days on end while the sun seems to shine on everyone and you wonder why you went to all the trouble. But the storms will come, and when they do, the rock of Jesus will not let you down.
https://illustrationideas.bible/when-the-storms-come/
Introduction
Students often say that school would be great if they didn’t have to take tests. We don’t like tests, but they seem inevitable in school and in life. Testing is really about accountability. They answer the questions, “Did you prepare and do you understand the material?” In truth the whole issue of accountability means that our work matters. God holds us accountable for the use of our gifts and abilities because we matter. Our life has purpose.
Sermon Title and Scripture
Our title for today is “Your Work Will Be Tested”
Our Scripture is taken from 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 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.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 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.
14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Text
Some persons in the Corinthian church were picking sides when it came to various leaders such as Paul or Apollos. This had caused divisions in the church and had hampered its ministry (1 Cor. 1:10–17). Paul indicates that he and Apollos were merely servants through whom they had believed (1 Cor. 3:5). God had given the opportunity and empowered them for ministry and thus deserved the credit for the growth of the church. Paul seizes the moment to talk about the role of every believer in the building of the church.
Our focus today will be on four of the roles of each and every believer as we walk through the text. Those roles are ...
1. Building is not an option (v. 10).
2. You do choose the materials (v. 12).
3. The day will reveal all (v. 13).
4. The day of reward comes (v. 14).
So let’s start our journey with the first role of every believer in verse 10.
1. Building is not an option (v. 10).
Read Scripture
10 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.
“Each man must be careful how he builds” includes everyone. The follower of Christ does not have the luxury of choosing whether or not they participate in the advance of the kingdom through the church. This is nonnegotiable, and therefore everyone must be careful to build with quality.
When Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18), he set the only foundation that can be laid – the person and work of Jesus Christ. Yet he knew that others would come after him and build on the foundation he set.
There is only one foundation for the church. If it isn’t founded on Jesus Christ, it isn’t a church at all. So one can’t build on any other foundation; but one can build unworthily on the one foundation.
God will test the building work of all His fellow workers, so each one’s work will become manifest. Some build with precious things like gold, silver, precious stones; others build with unworthy materials like wood, hay, and straw.
2. You do choose the materials (v. 12).
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11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
You do have a choice concerning the material you use, and that choice will both impact your life and your eternity. The contrast between “gold, silver, precious stones” and “wood, hay, straw” could not be any more graphic. The issue is quality, value, and permanency. The quality of building materials must match the foundation, which is Jesus Christ (v. 11). By the way, notice that it is the King who will supply the materials for building. Do you prioritize your service to the King through His church?
Now, Precious stones doesn’t mean jewels, but fine stone materials like marble and granite. Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God in the work of building the church is like using alternate layers of straw and marble in building. Straw may be fine, it may have a place in a barn, but it is an inadequate building material. In the same way, human wisdom and fleshly attractions may have a place in life, but not in the building of the church
Paul says the work will be tested to see what sort it is. If one did a lot of the wrong sort of work, it will be as if he did nothing. His work will be burned and will vanish in eternity. Moody wisely said that converts ought to be weighed as well as counted.
Which brings us to point number three.
3. The day will reveal all (v. 13).
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13 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.
Look at the phase “The day” refers to the coming of the Lord: the Day of Judgment. The Bible teaches that on that day the quality of our work for the Lord will be made apparent to all—“it is to be revealed with fire.” Fire will either purify as it does with metal or it can burn away the chaff. This passage does not suggest that one can earn or lose salvation by works (cf. 15). It does indicate that we can waste a life created by the King with great potential.
Paul also referred to this great testing in 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. When our work is tested before the Lord, we will be rewarded according to what remains.
4. The day of reward comes (v. 14).
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14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
Now here is a sobering thought: many, many people who believe they are serving God, but are doing it in an unworthy manner or with unworthy “materials” will come to find in eternity that they have, in reality, done nothing for the Lord. Some will be saved, but with a life that was wasted, and receive no crown to give to Jesus, for His glory as in Revelation 4:10-11
Conclusion
As we close today, I just want to recap a few important truths that these scriptures teaches us.
There is no insignificant member in the body of Christ.
Everything we are and everything we have is infused with kingdom potential.
We are responsible only for what we have been given.
The fear of failure is the tool of the adversary.
God loves and values us so much He holds us accountable.
I want to CLOSE today’s message with this poem called ...
A Builder Or a Wrecker
As I watched them tear a building down
A gang of men in a busy town
With a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yell
They swung a beam and the side wall fell
I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled,
And the men you'd hire if you wanted to build?"
He gave a laugh and said, "No, indeed,
Just common labor is all I need."
"I can easily wreck in a day or two,
What builders have taken years to do."
And I thought to myself, as I went my way
Which of these roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by rule and square?
Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks to town
Content with the labor of tearing down?
"O Lord let my life and my labors be
That which will build for eternity!"
A Builder Or A Wrecker? Author Unknown, The Increase, 35th Anniversary Issue, 1993, p. 9.
Now, Don’t miss this! We will receive a reward for the work that remains. Imagine what it will be like to hear the King declare—“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
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21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
{{PRAY}}