Cult of Personality

Have you ever tried to tell an immature person that their immature its a little bit of a challenge and I mean when you tell an immature person that their immature normally the response is not not you are right and when they do is they suck you into this vortex of back-and-forth little cute banter that belongs to the junior high lunch table and then you just can't walk away destroying hands up in the air right basically it's really difficult to tell immature people that their immature but that's what Paul was up against when he was talking to the church in court he was basically writing a letter to them to tell the immature people of Corinth that they were amateur and of course some of them had already posturing themselves to say no or not you are they are a kind of put themselves in that spot but this is what Paul does and we're gonna be in first Corinthians Chapter 3 in just a moment what Paul does in the beginning part of his letter is he begins by explaining some of these issues related to maturity now I would remind you that this is a church Corinth that Paul had founded some years earlier I don't know quite how many years before he actually wrote this letter his first letter to the Corinthians let's just say it was in the neighborhood of about four years so about 4 years earlier Paul had found the discharge in other words that means that he is an apostle traveled there and while he was there he preach the gospel of Jesus Christ the people that were there in the city of court click was a big city was a big deal and so Paul was preaching to them the gospel that Jesus Christ Israel's Messiah was also the Savior of the world and that he came born of a *** with a sinless life died on a cross for the sins of humanity rose from the dead and now we can have reconciliation to God the father through what Jesus Christ has done if we put our faith and trust in he alone and not in ourselves and so Paul preach this gospel to the church at Corinth and there were song that came to believe and when they came to believe he formed them into a community of faith known as what we call the church so there was now a church established in Corinth made initially converts that Paul through his preaching had one the Christ not Paul eventually left and there were other people that came and preached the Gospel and reach some people and did some teaching there in court as well one was a guy named Apollo subtilis came and he began to preach and teach and he was a friend of Paul's and some of the people there excuse me some of the people there came to faith in Jesus Christ through a policy to and as a result of that you got some people who came to Christ because appalling some who came to Christ because of the polyps and then whether Peter made it there or not regardless he had an opportunity through some associates to preach his Gospel in Corinth as well he sometimes called Cephas when you read the New Testament text but his name honestly we know in this Peter and so now there are people that came to Christ through the message that Peter had brought as well to Corinth maybe it was through somebody representing him but nonetheless so that young people who came to Christ through Paul people came cosmopolitan people who came to Christ through Peter and I like these guys were all in the same thing they're all the same mission doing the same thing but what happened in Corinth is because it was kind of bored in this Greek speaking mental paradigm that says I know everything I can about everything I have the most knowledge of anybody anywhere and I wanna link up to anybody that may give me the best opportunity because remember like this the University or Academy system that we now know in Western civilization was really born of the Greeks and the idea there was people would come to these great sages were these great philosophers and say tell me all that you know right but that's different than what the Jewish velocity was which was rabbinical philosophy and those students would come to their rabbi and they would say not only tell me all that you know but I want to be all that you are is different so here in this system the Corinthian people basically thought they were extraordinarily mature because they had gotten to a place where they were listening to a lot of teachers teach them things and now they had gotten into a place even though they thought they were mature where they started separating themselves out and defining themselves out based on which teacher they affiliated with easy this was even though they thought they were mature this is a very immature group of people and these were adults with diapers these were men with baby bottles these were women with pacifiers this was a very immature group of people and you have to understand that when you see the church in Corinth because that's what was the what Paul does is Paul decides that he is going to do a few things in the makes and begins the argument in chapter 1 talking about their immaturity and any forward that argument a bit in chapter 2 but in a little bit of a higher-level way but in chapter 3 starts to dial and on the very thing he started in chapter 1 and what I think I does it in a in a threefold way he basically says that a preachy maturity to these people in Corinth then I'm going to preach maturity to the leaders of which he was one and down the approach maturity through changing our perspective on the whole thing that's what chapter 3 sets of debate and weren't allowed actually at the whole of the chapter in just a few minutes and will be able to unpack that because what I want to do is this I want to unpack what Paul was teaching them Koren and help us to see what Paul was saying to them in court and how he preached maturity to them he preached maturity to the leaders and that he preached maturity to perspective I would do that first and then after that I want to make application by looking through the same lens what I'll do after I talking about what Paul was saying to them after all that's not then on that approach maturity to you and then on to preach maturity to me and then on to preach maturity through perspective as overhead so let's begin it shall eat the first thing that you get it takes maturity to the people in Corinth to the church in Corinth and let's begin at the very beginning of chapter number three it says this brothers and sisters I could not address those people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly mere infants in Christ I gave you milk not solid food for you were not yet ready for indeed you are still not ready you are still worldly for since there is jealousy and quarreling among you are you not worldly are you not acting like mere humans for when one says I follow Paul and another I follow politics are you not mere human beings I was positive to polish preaching maturity to the people of Corinth and here's what he starts out by saying he starts by saying I wish that I could talk to you as spiritually mature people but I can't I can't thought decent in fact your worldly Melanie pause right there for second there are some who read this text or have read this text and taught what Paul is referring to here is a people who doesn't actually know Jesus as their Lord and Savior that these are actually not Christians because they are worldly you can't be worldly and be spiritual at the same time well true Paul does designate this idea of being spiritual and this idea at being worldly as different things but he's not trying to make different classes of people it's very clear that Paul is talking to believers in Corinth as "what brothers and sisters right and he says I wish I could talk to as mature but you are infants in Christ right so he's saying your brothers and sisters in a larger part of the family of God and then secondarily he saying here in Christ your babies urine diapers are sucking up a bottle your ego pacifier by you are in Christ you you believe and you embrace the truth that I taught you from the very outset so he's talking to believers by he's frustrated because frustrated is frustration comes through on occasion when you read first Corinthians legal but is it but wasn't he under the inspiration of the Spirit of God was writing this yes and the spirit of God was frustrated with them to that's what he was writing like he was right because they should have been more mature because four years prior Paul brought the milk of the gospel to them and they believe and he wanted while he was there to go beyond milk into solid food but they just couldn't do that now don't set up a false contradiction here between milk in solid food milk is good solid food is good but we are not destined as mature people to live on milk alone like babies do right sounds like the Nikon 44-year-old man I like dairy I like I like me some milkman I like a big old fat tall glass of milk and if I've got a good cookie... Happily in their I'm good with active now that seems kind of funny and silly because your 44 you still like Duncan cookies and OSS in and I'm embarrassed as we are like media like Starbucks or whatever Tim Horton's where she likes coffee I don't drink but sometimes more out if we got we going date or whatever maybe we go grab something to eat and she was to stop buying instant coffee would have invited you and I mean it looks embarrassed Joe got there been much after that but the thing I should get whatever with some whipped cream Jerry Nance in life and he only got out they go then and then I walked up so what would you like milk of you like milk and something notice you have straight milk some of you will rose cookies over there and the but don't recommend both right that this is the dating life of my wife and I right the telephonic I like milk but I do live on I also like me Alex solidly I like chicken I like steak I like -- I like it there that right I like whatever I like to eat that stuff Paul is saying four years ago I came across the milk of the gospel when you believe but US aid as babies that are only taking milk and you've not moved along the solid foods and for that he was thinking to himself a little disappointed in that and in fact what he says here is he says you can still see how worldly you are if you are not arguably because you think you're so mature just like when you're talking to somebody who's immature they think that they're the most mature person in the room right just how it is I know you think you're mature but you're not in its evidence by all of the quarrels and jealousy that you've got going on among you and what Paul is doing right here is he's actually circling back to the very argument he was making from the beginning of the letter notice what it says in chapter 1 verses 10 through 12 it says I appeal to you brothers and sisters in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agreeing with one another and what you say in that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought my brothers and sisters some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you what I mean is this one of you says I will call another will call us another policy press which is Peter and still another call of Christ PCR using its even worse they are right is now going okay, pardon all part of a policy part of your nose is part of Jesus when Jesus is just one among right so we've got this group of people that think there mature but instead are actually casting themselves in making divisions in their heart regarding some of the people who are teaching them there what they thought is based on was a mature and will somehow to make these teachers who would come among them rock star those which are Paul was one of those that they made into this said it's not and so he goes on to say in verse number five what really he wants them to know but what he says in verse five what after all is Apollo's in what is called only servants through whom you came to believe as the Lord has assigned to each his task I planted the seed Apollo's watered it but God has been making it grow so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but only God who makes things grow the one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor for we are coworkers in God's service you are God's field God's building actually what he saying here is this is interesting as he says here's what you guys are doing your think that your immature but here's what you're doing your dividing yourselves among teachers that you want to affiliate with, I hope all is, Paul, Peter and probably when we start thinking about it they were dividing around certain things that they really identified with with these particular teacher right wing if the truth be told the likelihood is among those three guys Paul Apollo's and Peter probably the best speaker amongst them was a policy he was likely the best communicator and so maybe there were some that were there in court that thought to themselves you know not only did only did he originally made Chrysler's the just the best speaker is a golden tongue and when he talked when he speaks math as I really engage with and so I apologize man then there's others who are like well I hope DOLLARS in stammers that but I don't know if you knew this but he studied under Gamaliel he's the smartest guy like times 10 if any of these other people Paul knows more than any of them combined when Pauline studied under Gamaliel the Rabbi who was like an incredible guy in Judaism and he not only understands the Jewish background that is also you can also speak multiple languages and is a Roman citizen discuss and then basically you got some of the rest of the dudes that were at the church in Corinth: I like Peter Peter kills things test fish heads off with his bare hands Peter's amazement sometimes gets a little bit of trouble because he runs his mouth echo like that these Peter to identify themselves among these people that they could be associated and right policy and you think that it's mature to somehow gave us you made a tremendous tremendous mistake because what you fail to realize is this it were all on the same team what world are all doing the same thanks were all after the same goal we had one purpose we got different gifts we got different abilities we got different perspectives but were all after the same purpose and that is to see a harvest of righteousness where you grow more into the image of G and so he uses this this farming metaphor right he is not coming at the end of the day here's what's happening and he decided he says I went to see the first one on site here in court is what God called me to do what I preach the gospel and some people came to know Jesus Christ and and we began the church I went to see and after menopause came in and he watered maybe later he doesn't say this may be later Peter had some opportunity to till the ground pulled some weeds or do whatever right but he says this is his development in the day God really wanted to make things go this is what Paul is saying to court this is only it can make things grow about me it's not about it's about policy is not about Peter in your recent I we're served that's what we are we're served it's like the your gods feel and we just were just hired workers working on God's farm what is joining them in the process all I'm doing is I'm selling some see somebody else is coming along and there's no water in the scene something else until an underground the John peel and if God that makes things grow and so he's trying to remind them and preaching to them they have to understand maturity is not in just linking your self to one of their personalities but ultimately if their personality is getting in the way of these people in Corinth linking themselves to Jesus they're missing the bottom this is not what Paul had in mind he wanted them to grow in their faith in Jesus not just based upon one of these personalities so then he says your God's field and any change the metaphor) the variant right he said you guys field and then he says God's building and then he moves on to start speaking about the idea and remember when Paul is talking about building he most often has as the metaphor that's controlling that the Temple 20s thinking of Israel shall elect to us in just a moment so he preaches maturity to those that are recorded but then he preaches maturity to the leaders of which he certainly is want a larger pickup with me after he says all of what we just read pickup with neighbors number 10 by the grace God has given me I laid a foundation is a wiser expert builder and someone else's building on but each one should build with care for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid which is Jesus Christ if anyone builds on this foundation using gold silver costly stones would hire straw there were only shown for what it is because the day will bring to light it will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each person's work if what is been built survives the builder will receive a reward it is burned up the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved even though only as one escaping through the flames don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst if anyone destroys God's temple God will destroy that person for God's temple is sacred and you to gather are that temple so Paul begins by using now he switch metaphors from this farming metaphor and now he brings it into the field of construction and he says like an expert builder a wise builder I laid a foundation in fact it's the only foundation Jesus Jesus Christ is the foundation I laid in court and there have been people who have come after me that are building on that foundation in other words all in one breath hall instead of dividing himself with people like Apollo's and Peter he's actually affirming their ministry aces are people who have, and they had built on this foundation that I have put in the ground which is Jesus Christ and his Gospel now he says this but if you're a leader like me or if you're a leader you better be careful how you build you better be careful how you build because there is only one foundation and you really only have permission to build Jesus that's it and so you need to remember that if you choose your building materials unwisely it's not going to wellspring if you choose will and hay and straw to build this temple not withstand the fire and Paul says there is a day coming he refers to as the day and what he refers to as the day he is referring to the time where there will be people human beings and leaders will stand before God and give an account and the reference they are is this metaphor of higher standing before God in the fire of his investigation of what you have done only that which is done with non-perishable building materials will stay all that has been done with perishable building materials will be consumed right to use one in hay and straw when the fire does it go on but if you use gold and silver and precious stones it will withstand five so here's what he says to the leaders including himself when you are building this beautiful temple not a physical building release talking about here is talking about the body of Christ the church when you are building this temple make sure that you do it with each kernel building materials and not temporary ones that are combustible imperishable Leslie reminds us of and then he says to the leaders here's what you need to be careful because this is God's temple by the way when you read this passage of Scripture is not just referring to our individual our individual selves as being the temple of God it's referring to our corporate self as being the Temple of God that has been referred to in this passage there are other passages of speech or individual so this one is speaking to our corporate self because you say you together are the temple in which the Spirit of God dwells in your midst could you imagine could you imagine if you were in the Old Testament time. When the construction of the actual physical temple was being bilked you imagine being one of those construction workers and feels they will in what job you want I'm building a house for the dwelling of Almighty God as I deal with every stone right I wouldn't be using junk material I want to make sure that every single thing that I was laying down every single thing that I was doing was going to be the highest quality craftsmanship that I can offer that was good to be done well that it was good to be able to withstand this is can it be a house God it's what Paul is saying is leaders you better remember something that this Temple the sacred you better build with eternal building materials then he preaches how to work through perspectives after that here's what he says in verse 18 do not deceive yourselves if any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age he should become. It you may become for the wisdom of this world is full assist in God's sight as it is really catches the wise and their craftiness and again the Lord knows that the knows that the thoughts of allies are futile so then no more boasting about human leaders all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo source aphis which is Peter or the world or life or death of the present for the future all are yours and you are of Christ and Christ is of God recess it is you guys stop being so childish because you've been deceived you thought that just like hopping up your head somehow that equals maturity not so easy in court they had this problem and I noticed from studying, whole of this letter and youth probably read this letter before you know they had a problem that they were in your polygon says at one point knowledge puffs up but love builds up know what he's not he's not against knowledge always in favor of knowledge but he's only in favor of knowledge to the point that we put it into practice I know some people in my world and probably have been one of those people in my world two new hall not but environmental practice doesn't equal maturity just because you know some stuff doesn't make you spiritually mature it is not a one-to-one correlation just about what you know that you need to know to be able to I understand but it's about putting this into practice impulses you been to see because you think you're mature but you guys are divided yourselves in your hearts by signing up these the rockstar teachers of which online and you can elevate them to a place where maybe it is becoming perilously close to the this is sitting on a throne that only Jesus should sit on pulses after maturity at all you deceived yourselves and you think you're why you should become a full usually, also did you let yourself at the feet of Jesus as a Jesus you teach me you be the one you shake me you're the only one that can mature and then he goes on to quote you know Job chapter number whatever chapter 5 in Psalm Chapter whatever not 94 I think is probably in the margins of your bottles from wrong forgive me and grow up students to junk he says this is his luck all of these things are yours all the using all the policies and theories as there is all of them the court for the same purpose different for different abilities but all the same purpose to see a harvest of righteousness that you might mature in your faith in Christ is not about in your heart pitting one against the other because Paul Sangamon's 40th where all the same things were the same purpose we are going to account to Dr. the way that we fulfilled each of us are individual task we are doing it for the purpose of seeing this temple built for seeing you grow in maturity and likeness to the person of Jesus Christ Lisa's don't let yourselves be deceived everything is yours many inefficiencies not only the teachers yours and he says this the world the world is yours life Present future yet he sank to have you forgotten your inheritance here you're still living in the land of petty little jealousies and tiny little squabbles and pay little quarrels and if you forgot your inheritance if you are going to be a joint ruler with Jesus in the world that he forgotten and Paul even says in chapter number six's and listen what he says there you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world and if you judge the world are you not competent to judge trivial cases deal not know that we will judge angels how are things in this life you heard that right God's people's destiny is the growing maturity in the likeness of Jesus and will be joint heirs with Jesus ruling the world alongside of him and even governing angels this is the destiny of the people of God and here we are saved by how pilots Peter stop with all the heady trivialities hello didn't clear my perspective of who you are and what your destiny so Paul preaches to the church at Corinth Paul and preaches maturity to them and then he preaches maturity to the leaders of which he is once and then he preaches maturity through perspective so I told you know what I'm looking to apply this to some of you exactly 19 88,000 college you figured out by this point until Jerry monthly forcing that should be the Mr. housing collagen course on product if you know the 80s by large in terms of my high school and college years and I was a sophomore in University Georgia before I really come into serious faith a relationship with God is there when my roommates in my apartment since Greg and we had television on it was on a a a music television station and those who are younger this is when music television stations played music videos accidents to happen instead of these skanky shows that are on there all the time that her reality show showing you the worst in human nature And I'm not run across the article so they used to show actual guilt videos of like people to play music and showed and so we were just watching casually was on the channel you know and we progress talking whatever I've know what you but I do remember we were paying that close attention was on TV until this one song started and where song started we were like right it was like something I have heard before I rocket it was different it was just a different sound when you hear such a different sound he just kind of and we just made regulars include Roulac it was this band called living, and as we were listening to some your product ladies nobody are the rescuer can go on YouTube ion at it while I'm not saying it is a recommendation under saying this what happen right so watching this just very different house like and listen to the song you know the song is called cult of personality 10,000 you don't know that this is this is crazy that their son is so unique and different and we were both like Vanessa Lavinia finished me and Greg with each other like never heard anything so the next day serendipitously the next day Greg is walking around the college campus and as his want on college campuses there are lots of telephone poles and street poles that have flyer stuck to the right staple to them are pasted on their whatever for things that are coming the next day he sees a flyer that says tonight at the 40 Watt club living becomes always like tells you shall find like this can be the same people we saw it while it becomes a little bitty you no place to play here that only holds like to 50 people and they had this cool video and I can't be the same group as a if it is we should try these our focus will solid opening band was apparently harassing people do not understand this, and I know okay do you know if they sing this song for the person or not to add not doing that and when you're doing that in the midst of that place it sounds terrible here it sounded phenomenal righteous this area didn't sound as good so where I don't know and sure enough after the opening band finish as they come out into their mouths like it's them and they come out playin just they're freakish musicians I was just like what is going on my mind was blown right and then they do that song "Cult of Personality" and they are singing in this song about an idea that there people who blindly follow these kind of propaganda machines around personalities for many many years and the alternating certain dictators and and political leaders for their also talking about ways in which people human beings make people, there's a cult of personality which they impose upon people as well the idea was the first time ever really been exposed to that particular idea of a cult of personality I came to find out eventually that this was a statement that actually began probably from the pen of a dining Nikita Khrushchev and he was writing speaking kind in secret in 1956 through group of people about Joseph Stalin and he talked about the cult of individualism or the cult of personality and so he was talking about this idea how one person can kind of through their personalities shape everything in and people can kind of blindly follow that or that people en masse will make them to be something maybe that they want them to it's this idea of the cult of personality not the reason I say that to you is because I say that's part of what Paul is hitting on the idea it wasn't stated in that way at times that's a part of what he was hitting on this cult of personality and unfortunately in our day and age because I told you what I'm doing right now is a preaching maturity to you I'll get to me as but I'm preaching maturity to in our day and age we have fallen prey to the cult of personality even in the church even in the church we fallen prey to the cult of personality I say this with a broken heart not as a notice of attitude to grind an ax or anything but put the church website see it's all about the personality of the person reading it or if it's not something think whose market Jesus the individual personality process department was going on court people dividing over this I fear to say that in the church of Jesus Christ we've sometimes know sometimes it's been the actual personality whose kind of started their own marketing and propaganda machine to make themselves somewhat bigger than life even the church insurance how awesome I am a powerful iron out everything I do kind of okay within his other times where people make those people into those things either way it ultimately won't be healthy and I'll tell you why because if your deep attachment is to personality other than Jesus you will be stunted in your growth you will remain in a place of immaturity Jesus is the only one he's the only one that can cause things to grow right it happens with speakers and musicians all at stuff in the Christian world languages make up a scenario here's a for example let's say there's a large church in the United States in in a relatively cold and snowy part of the country and let's say that they they had a really really excellent musical worship leader who got called away to another part of the country Tennessee somewhere's I'm just completely makin it up and let's just say then I overheard someone say and now that so and so's not leading the worship I just don't know, the worshiping at best that's child at worst it's idolatrous what say that there is a large church in a geographical portion of the United States that's in the Northeast just makin this up let's say that that particular place has a few different people who speak in that context and let's say I overheard someone when they came to church and realized it wasn't the speaker that they were most fond of say I don't even know if I can stay I'm not sure if I can receive the word and less so in so is giving it to at best that's childish at worst it's idolatrous Paul says what is upon us what is Paul only servants what is Jerry Gillis what is Pat Jones Eastern Hills Wesleyan what is Tony Evans in Dallas Texas what is Billy Graham what is Francis Chan what is Chris Tomlin what is Hillsong United what is Benji Cowart servants now that words translated does not mean slaves what it means table waiters for the word means for instance if I change the metaphor from the farm which Paul used I'll change the metaphor to the restaurant I will make the food I don't own the restaurant I discern certain it's what I do that that's what best of those who are leading us-they they were in the restaurant it's got they'll make food God the just to serve by way whom I who someone else just servants about the same purpose who are serving you what God has made and by the way does the only one who can make a graph good news for you if you think to yourself and I've heard this said if you think yourself I'm looking forward to Sunday I can't wait to go get me some Jerry instead to me how awkward is that is you better hope you come you get yourself some Jesus him and I been to the restaurants like you have I do restaurants all the time in and made you come into a restaurant waiter comes out and you know is super personable and likable times he's cool and you know when it went like this waiter takes my order and you comes by and checks only know Lincoln stuff but there was time for the food comes from food to come as you know the waiters wait on some other table sometimes and other people come out and bring your feet services your chicken in my chicken dish or cauliflower and chicken nuggets if you try to cancel out one another Yahweh rightly services how ridiculous would be thousand a restaurant not really like this waiter and then they come out and bring the young starlets and they come out and bring my food SARS is and how will one secondary partner where's my waiter these is waiting on some other tables right now I'm just bring the food you have nude nude my waiter ringmaster Sarah St. Philip send kitchen I was transported you type cylinder Q what you all my waiter however nothing if you happen deal would happen to my food those of you worked in a restaurant before that the worst but investing with her new site maybe this is a child of the I cannot try to bring as I know my wife, discovering nothing to this is all is taken the plate and minute here that's it ladies and gentlemen we got a number of people to speak here at the job I'm one of I speak the majority the time as part of my job but there's a number of speakers that market was Deone Drake or Wes Arrum or Daryl or Jonathan whoever doesn't matter right all on the same team teaching the same thing all table waiters servers just bringing out the entre that we contracted it is God's restaurant this chart and we are just here to serve now that is part of the perspective that you need to have disciples on the bridge maturity to you and you need to have that because you cannot let anyone get here is perilously close to the place in your heart that only Jesus deserve now. I realize there are lots of people that watch us on television and just reminded here like to be but what is on television a lot of other pastors lack of other people at other churches before they go to their church I get it and what is online let me say this you have no right to disrespect or treated as slaves your pastors are your leaders you have a right to do that that's not what they're there for here's what you need to understand you have every right to honor them you should honor them that is important as long as they are honorable if they are honorable that they should be honored as the Scripture says advisors reliever Saturday night after a mindless as a beta host leaders who are watching over yourselves adult causing problems letting you enjoy instead of what the entertainment that this is an actual Greek language right that's what it says it says on around them and follow their lead as they follow Jesus if they are honorable people that you are to do those types of things by by by and don't put them on a pedestal where no human being is supposed to be able to live as for Jesus he's the star some appreciate your review I told your producer myself Jerry said mutation here's a first look at the foundation of which the church is built on its Jesus do not under any circumstance build on that foundation with anything other and Jesus are you clear if you do if you choose building materials that are wood hay and straw things like your own ego things like trying to bring your self glory instead of me glory things like that things like making these people your personal affirmation group so that you feel awesome about yourself if you ever try and lease them or you do anything that you try into for personal glory to your building on their backs and stepping on their heads in the process you need understand something all of that will burn out because you will stand before me and you will give an account for what you have built with it will burn if it's ego driven itself or driven it will burn up because it's perishable you need understand another thing that this is my temple building the people in their sacred if you don't do these things you will have nothing to show for your work you will be saved because you are my child I know that you love me I know that I transformed you and nothing will separate you from my love but you need to understand you have nothing to show from the fruits of your labor because you've acted worldly instead of acting mature and you chosen your own cult of personality called you instead of the only thing that saves which is Jesus so don't do it sorry needed to talk to Jerry for a moment because that's what Paul don't you also need to remember something you better always look through eternal lands and be reminded that you are going to stand before me and give an account from what you built with thinking about it right now is a little bit overwhelming you better build things that last the gospel you better build by teaching the whole counsel of God and not just bits and pieces you better build with the right heart a heart is abandoned to God in pure before God because those the only thing through the last give US some perspective in the will be done here's the perspective that Paul and with with the church at Corinth he said don't be deceived in fact he was basically seniority are kind of deceived because you think you mature when you're not he says to all of us don't be deceived just because you know some stuff it doesn't mean you're mature how are you living at what is your life saying you are was the fruit of your life saying you are what do your loves and passions say you are this ultimately is where we have to run insist on the the BC you think that because you've been around the church or youth known Jesus for a number of decades yet you haven't grown you noting for a number of decades but when's the last time that you had a conversation with anybody about Jesus but you tell everyone how mature you are you won't even think about letting God make you into a generous person but you want everybody to think how which are you there's lots of applications here he says to all of us me and you don't be deceived because you need to understand that while your squabbling over petty things by the way some of you are some very very petty scenarios right now I have no idea what they are you're very petty scenario petty relational scenarios little things that happened at work and you've made such a big deal of something it really wasn't that big a deal maybe the people that even did it and didn't even do it with a wrong heart but your all bent out of shape you can't let it go grow up your over here playing in a little pool of mud when the beautiful ocean of God is right next to you and God saying to you you not know which are inheritances do you not know what your destiny is your destiny is to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus because you're going to be a joint heir with me this is your inheritance we have an inheritance that is so unspeakably incredible we can think of words to it in fact obsessed in relationship to this inheritance he has given us the spirit of God to dwell in our hearts as a deposit for a down payment what is to come and you know that there are those moments in your life if you truly know Jesus there have been some of those moments in your life where no one else was around and in the quietness of your heart God just as you overwhelmed you and you are just like your presence your awesomeness your grace your love it's stunning to me that is down for the life we are going to be leaving that is a deposit guarantee what is to come so here's the challenge don't grieve the spirit by stating in immaturity God's destiny for you and God's destiny for me is to be people who grow beyond being adults with diapers beyond being adult men with baby bottles are adult women with pacifiers leave the trivialities leave the pettiness and no Jesus if there is going to be a cult of personality let it be the personality of God's son Jesus the Christ he is the only one who can grow us he is the only one who can shape us he is the only one who has the whole world in his hands so let me ask you to do something as a way of application number pray for you and let you as a web application instead of you assessing your self what are some areas that you need to spiritually mature in see if you assess yourself that might get a little froggy if you like I have thought about it I am so good I'm here's a what you did about somebody in your world and your sphere that knows you and that is godly... not somebody who knows way more about Kim Kardashian than they do the New Testament I'm talking with somebody who is godly in US when you see some areas may be some growth opportunities for me and my spiritual maturity and when they tell you and they say these are some areas I think you could mature in and you say no they're not there are areas you should mature in then those people may be onto something okay part of the recognition of your maturity it's how you handle people challenging you to grow so let God's spirit show you would you bow your heads with me we're gone in just a moment and I would simply ask this first if you're here and you've never before come in to relationship with God through His Son Jesus I need you to know you can't self-help your way to God you can't somehow just try and make yourself a better version of you. You have sinned and come short of the glory of God like the rest of humanity until you turn from your sin and from being your own lord and master and Savior and turn your heart toward God through His Son Jesus Christ by faith you will never know what it means to be transformed so if you need to understand what that relationship looks like and you say thats a missing piece in my world then when we dismiss in just a moment I'm gonna ask you to come by the Fireside Room again clearly marked out in the atrium there's pastors and some other friends in their and just let them know that's what you want to do they'd love to take a moment share some with you pray with you send you home some this can help you in this new journey of faith that's it no big string attached but it's gonna be up to you and I'm not gonna manipulate you into that but if God's doing this in your heart act on it follow-through Father you've said much to us today there's much more to say and forgive me for that which I failed to say or that which I didn't say as I should have God that whatever was truth and whatever was honorable and whatever was of you I pray you'd write it on our hearts Father I pray that we would learn what it means to walk in maturity this is a destiny you have designed for us the maturity just doesn't mean simply being a better version ourselves it means being a more Jesus like version ourselves and I pray that you would help us to see that no other human personality though there are many that can help us and can influence us and can point us in those directions just like Paul did he said is I follow Christ and you follow me God there's honorable people to walk after in to emulate but Father may we never be guilty of allowing personalities people or success or fame or money or reputation or anything ever sit in the seat of the preeminence of Jesus in our lives and help us God to ask hard enough questions in our own world that we realize it at times we deceive ourselves into thinking that we're mature when we're not help us to grow in those areas so that people would see Jesus more than us because that's what the world needs they need more Jesus and less us help us learn what that looks like and show us tangible ways whereby the spirit we can surrender to you and you can shape us in that so we trust you now to do that in Jesus name Amen thanks for listening love you guys