Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the importance of teamwork in the building of God's house, illustrating that no individual can outshine another in the body of Christ. He shares a personal story about his son playing soccer to highlight that every member has a vital role, and the success of the team depends on collective contributions rather than individual accolades. Beach warns against the dangers of pride and division within the church, urging believers to recognize their interconnectedness and the necessity of each member's contribution to fulfill God's purpose. He calls for a deeper understanding of God's overarching plan and the need for humility and unity among believers.

Father, we thank you for your presence in our midst. We're humbled every time you manifest yourself to us, because we see your beauty, we see your majesty, we see that you alone stand in our midst as the worthy one, as the deserving one, as the one to whom alone belongs glory and honor and adoration and worship, power, authority, and dominion. It is all in you. And we're humbled because we see our own unworthiness, our own inadequacy, our own inability, and yet we can approach you because of the precious blood that was shed. You became our sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in you. We pray, Father, that for this short time you would give us the Holy Spirit's power to see, to hear, to know what you're doing, and give us responsive hearts to your word, we pray in Jesus' name, amen and amen. Praise the Lord for his presence in our midst and the Holy Spirit. And we thank the Lord for his grace and his mercy and what he's doing in our hearts. And you have the children, they can go nice and quietly, please. And what we'd like to begin today, actually, before we begin this, I'd like to make a few requests if I could. First of all, if you have not become aware that there's a pregnancy banquet, and if you're interested in attending as a couple, then there's information right here on the table. And secondly, I'd like to make requests for prayer. As you know, several months ago, we had mentioned that an opportunity to travel to India was present, and thus far, the door has remained open. So I'm planning on leaving next Sunday at around 8 in the evening, and I'll be traveling to New Delhi and then take another flight to Varanasi, which is where I'll be with a number of others, a few from the States. And there's going to be a gathering of indigenous Christian workers and pastors in Varanasi. They expect large numbers, and the purpose of the gathering is to encourage one another and to help one another. And so this is a great opportunity to be enlarged. So I would covet your prayers that God's spirit would prosper the journey and that there would be a great time of encouragement one with another. What we're going to begin this morning is something that it's a subject that I've been waiting for quite some time to begin to teach on, and it just seems like the time has come. A number of factors, when I was in Canada last week, it seemed that the Lord was just bringing this truth before my heart. I was able to share with an Indian brother who I met in Canada who amazingly knows Brother Mike Vartan. He has family in Bombay, India, and Mike has been in that part of the world once or twice and has actually ministered there in the assemblies in the Bombay area. And it's such a small world to think you'd meet an Indian brother in Canada who knows someone that you know that lives in England. But it just caused us to realize how our Father in heaven orchestrates our lives and brings people into our lives and is doing that over and over again so that we can all grow together. But in light of that and the dealings of the Lord in my own heart, and then last night we had a wonderful fellowship, too, at the Alloways, as was mentioned, Gary's bachelor party, and it was nice. And all the guys broke up and we had nice times of fellowship, and we were actually touching a little bit on this very subject. So I want to begin a series, and I don't know how long this will go. We'll just take it as long as the Lord leads. And this series is going to be entitled The Building of God's House. The Building of God's House. Before I even begin this, I want to tell a brief little story. I told this in Canada, and I've shared it a number of times. And I think that this is the foundation that we must be settled on if we're going to understand the way God is building his house. As you know, my son plays soccer, and so does Alan's son, and so does Norman's son, and so does Mike's son, I think. Or is he football? He's a football boy. Huh? Cary, I'm sorry. Cary's son. I noticed that from time to time, my son gets discouraged as a soccer player. And I finally talked to him and picked his heart a little bit to try and understand why he was getting discouraged. And I found out the reason why he was getting discouraged was because he felt bad that he wasn't a star. He wasn't a star. Now, he equated being a star with scoring the goals. And he felt bad. He actually was discouraged when he was put in a position such as forward where it's defense, not offense. And or no, I'm sorry. I'm fullback. I'm revealing my vast knowledge of sports right now. Aren't you impressed? All right. You see, he was discouraged. I sensed it. For a while, he was up there on the front line, and he liked it. Oh, God, give us ears to hear. Give us ears to hear now. He liked it. And then I think he does better in the back. I really do. I think he's found his place there. He does better in the back. He's good at stealing the ball, and he's getting a good kick, and he's getting it up to the guys in the front. He's done that. I was told I didn't make the game yesterday, but I was told he did that a couple times really successfully. And so I had a talk with my son, and I said, Philip, playing soccer is not about one particular member, teammate, nor is it about making one particular position more important than the other. It's teamwork. It's teamwork. I said, Philip, those who score goals, could they do it? Without the assistance of the team? Is the score really the product of one person, or is it the result of a team at least trying to work together? We know that that's a lifelong lesson as far as sports, but is it really? Is it really? Score. Yes, he did it. Did he really? Did he really? Well, he played a part, but is that part the whole? Can we make that part more significant? Should we honor the one who scores beyond the one in the back who five minutes ago kicked it up? To the wing who then brought it down. And kicked it over to the centers who then kicked it back and forth to each other a couple times, and then one last part in a huge plan, the score came. But don't we have a tendency, though? We cheer the one who scores and and sometimes that person will end up on the shoulders of the whole team and he becomes the hero. Wow, we have to learn this vital lesson. Listen closely. Now that was a natural illustration and it packs great significance. The meaning of it. When we come to the subject of. Of the Lord building his house. The very identical principle. That's found in a mere soccer game or football game. Is true. There are no in individual heroes in the kingdom of God. None. Zero. No heroes. We are all brothers. We are all sisters. Listen closely. Each. One. Of our individual. Individual contribution. Is extremely significant and important. For the whole team. To win. That is the mindset that must govern our approach into God's word. For the next indefinite period of time, because if we leave that mindset, we're going to miss this. Now there's been. Significant amount of time that we have spent. And when you understand this revelation, you will not despise that because you'll realize every part has its place. There's been a lot of time. That we have spent on our walk with Jesus. Knowing him personally. Going to his word personally. Getting a revelation of him personally, finding him in our prayer closet personally. There's a place for that. Amen. There's a wonderful place for that. However, listen closely. The building of God's house. Involves something. That not only includes that. But a dynamic. That. Brings another element. That we must capture in our hearts. Okay. Now. I'd like to invite you to go to your Bibles. I'm going to read. A number of portions of scripture. And then we're going to just begin to take them one by one. Very slowly. And we're going to look to the Lord and to the Holy Spirit. To give us light. To give us understanding. And here's what we're going to. Here's what we're going to cover. God willing. Okay, listen. Three main topics. Listen. Number one. And a little bit of this is redundant. But I just want to. Present it as as I've. Placed it down here. As I was before the Lord. Number one. Number one. Please remember this. In the building of the house of God. Number one. There are no. Star players outshining the rest. In the house of God. Okay. There's no star players outshining the rest. Now listen. It's vitally important that we pray about this. And let this sink in. Because it's the departure. From these basic truths in God's word. That results in the spiritual decline. That we see so often in the church. See. Okay. Number two. Each team member. Now I'm using the the phrase team member. And that's analogous to. The individual members of the body of Christ. Each team member. Would be analogous to. The different members or parts. Of the body of Christ. Okay. Now listen closely. Each. Team member. Plays a valuable. Part. In accomplishing the ultimate purpose. Each. Team player plays a valuable part. In accomplishing God's ultimate. Intention. It is never. About one member winning. God's. Intention. God's plan. Is the whole team. Would win. And so we have to see what God's doing in our life individually. Not simply how it affects us. But how it is affecting our team. Now mind you. This is going to require a major transformation of the mind. Because we live in a society. Where individuals shine. We live in a society. Where essentially what we do is. Is is only related to how it affects us. Whether or not we shine. Brighter than our brother. Whether or not we become successful. That whole mindset. Has to be. Cleansed out of us. If we're going to come to the word of God and understand. The heart of our father in relation. To the building of his temple. The building of his house. Now. In order for that. Those foundational truths. In order for those foundational truths. To become living realities in our life. We're going to go over three basic part. Three basic. Truths that we're going to cover in this in the next indefinite period of time. Number one. We must see the whole purpose of God. Now I'm just laying a foundation. This is this is more or less. What you would call an overview. An overview of the lesson. Okay an overview. We must see the whole purpose of God. I've often used this illustration. Okay. If if. If I decided together with Norman and Alan to start a corporation. A company. A computer company. I don't know what part I would play in that company though. But let's just hypothetically say that. I could be the janitor right that's what class I can clean your computers. If I started a company. With Norman and Alan. Probably one of the first things that we would have to do. Before we got off running is we would have to make a statement of purpose. We'd have to define our purpose. Okay. Once we define our purpose. We can then implement various different ideas. But are those ideas. Unrelated to the purpose. Or are they a means to accomplish the purpose. Are you following me. Now let's say after Alan and Norman and myself. We. Stay up all night and drink coffee and we determine. A solid purpose for our company. And then we begin to recognize that. It's going to require. Others. To come into our corporation. And to be our employees. Okay. And so we decide that. My father. And Mike. And Gary. Are sincere upright. Men. Good standing. We've known them for a while. We recognize their sincerity. Please listen. Because this is very significant. We recognize their sincerity. We recognize their love for God. And they're the kind of employees that we want in our company. Right. Men that we feel are precious in their heart. And so we sit down. And we talk to Norman. Or we talk to Mike. And Phil. Senior. And Gary. And we say to them. Here is the purpose. Listen carefully. Here is the purpose. Of the company that you are working for. Okay. Here's the purpose. We have decided. That because you have expressed a willingness to work for us. That. Phil senior. You have this part. Mike. You have this part. Gary. You have this part. What we have determined that. Is this. If you're faithful in your part. And in your part. And your part. It will accomplish one thing. It will enable us. To fulfill the purpose. That our company. Stated. Is the reason for its existence. And so Norman and I. And Alan feel comfortable in our hearts. That. Gary. And Mike. And Phil senior. Catch it. And understand their job description. And so. Down the road a little bit. Word comes to us. That my father and Gary decided. During. The time when they're working for us. That they were going to. Endeavor. To put their minds together. Based on the stuff that we taught them. Based on the resources that we have provided for them. Because we're very benevolent. Trustees of our company. We've given you tremendous resources. We've given you an expense account. We've given you office. We've even given you. Each a secretary. But it comes to our knowledge. That Gary and Phil. Have been. Meeting together. And they've got something going. That doesn't coincide in any way, shape or form. With the purpose of the business that they work for. It's a little personal agenda. A little personal plan. That they figured since they had all the resources and everything. We'll just go ahead and do it. And so. After we discuss things we say. We feel it's necessary. To approach Phil and Gary. And ask them to give an account of what they're doing. And it finds out Gary it's true. They decided. That they were going to utilize all the resources that we gave them. To fulfill the purpose of our company. They were going to use it. For a personal agenda. If. We as God's people. Do not. Come. To a deep understanding. Of the bigger picture that God's doing. In our lives. Inevitably. We. Will become. What Gary and Phil became. And we will do what Gary and Phil did. And we will begin to make a plan. Of course it'll be in the name of the Lord. But listen. It will be unrelated to the purpose. That we are called into. That is when. Departure. Spiritual decline. Ruin. Heartache. Confusion. And all the other evil works that are going on. In in in the Christian religion today. That's where that's that that's where they all can be traced to. That's where it's all traced to. Brothers and sisters. We have to pray that God. Will so. Fashion our hearts and so fashion our minds. That we can. Be cleansed. From the limited perception of what God's doing. And be brought into the vastness which becomes listen. It becomes our safety. It preserves us from the temptation. That Gary and Phil senior fell into. So. That is an illustration. And we're going to go in more into detail. We're just giving an overlay now. That's an illustration of the first point. Under Roman numeral number one. In order for this to happen. In order for God to build his house. Number one. We must see the whole purpose of God. And that illustration captured. What is meant by that the purpose of God. Our. Part. In the body of Christ. Does not relate. To our agenda. It relates to God's purpose. We mustn't ever. Get. A personal ambition. When it comes to the things of God. And our relatedness to one another. In the body of Christ. Okay, number two. We must see. The many parts. We must see. That many parts. Working. Together. Listen under the headship of Jesus Christ. Become the means by which God accomplishes his end. This is so fundamental. But it's so essential. We must see that it is through the many. That God accomplishes it becomes the means. By which he accomplishes his end. Next. We must see the value. Of each contribution. The value of each individual construct contribution. As. As it fits together with everyone else's. Contribution. Okay. Lastly. We must see that the intention of God. Which in this particular series will be the building of the house of God. The intention of God. Can not. Will not. Be accomplished. Without each. Part. Contributing. The intention of God. Will not be accomplished without each part. Now that's. Roman numeral number one. Roman numeral number two. In this setting. Here are some dangers. That need to be avoided. Listen carefully dangers that need to be avoided now. What we're going to do is we're going to take each one of these points. And we're going to go to God's word. And we're going to see. These points. Expounded in the truth of God's word. But I'm just giving an overview. This morning. We might begin to get into it a little bit. But I don't want to rush. I want this to become a living revelation in all of our hearts. So that. The intention that God wants to do. In our lives and in the body of Christ. Might become more. Evident. Dangerous to avoid. Number one. This is very very important. No. One. Member. Can become too big. Or. Too small. No one member. Can become too big. Or become. Too small. That is a danger to avoid. Technically. And again we're going to go into this. The comely members. The visible members. Apart from the grace of God. Working. In our hearts. In the church. This is what inevitably will happen. The comely. The visible. The eye. The mouth. Become too big. With too much honor. And the uncomely. Or. The less. Visible. And in some instances not visible. To men's eyes. But never hidden from God's eyes. They. Experience. Very little. Honor. And in some instances. Zero. Honor. Now that condition is a perfect. Setting for a schism. Now you know what the Greek word for schism is? It means a tear. A rip. The rip comes. Listen. Not because. There are comely members. And uncomely. That's not why the rip comes. And to avoid the schism we don't do away. With either of those two dynamics in the body. We don't do away with them. We don't diminish them. To avoid. That from happening. Two things. And again this is a brief outline. We're going to go more deeply into it. Number one. We must. Keep. The mindset. That. No. One. Member. Shines. Greater than another member. Number one. Number two. The uncomely or less visible. Receive. More honor. More abundant honor Paul said. Than the visible. So to balance out. The need for every member. To have value and significance. That's one danger. And number two. The second danger. Now you trace. All of the problems in church history. To where we're at now. And you'll find that they're rooted. In a fundamental departure from these wonderful truths that have been given to us. Number number two. No one member. Ministry. Or church gathering. No one member. Ministry. Or church gathering. Is to be isolated. From the whole. The whole being. Every member's contribution. No one member. Ministry. Or gathering. Of believers. Can become isolated. From. The rest. These are the fundamental principles. In outline form. That God uses. And is using to build. His house. In this last hour right now. And it is as we walk. Under the power of the Holy Spirit. And the power of God's word. In the good of these truths. And they listen. They they not only become. The thing that we believe doctrinally. But they become. Listen to this word. Functionally true. You see a lot of marriages. The husband and wife can write in a book. Each one. All of the principles that need to be followed to have a harmonious marriage. They might have the teaching down real well. But if you observe functionally how well they're doing. You wonder whether or not they. Even know the things they purport to know. But we have to start with knowing. And then God takes what we know. And through as Colette said suffering. Going through things together. What we know is listen it's transformed into function. Every husband knows he's supposed to love his wife. But you're going to have to suffer a little bit together. You're going to have to go through misunderstandings together. You're going to have to rub the wrong way with each other. And look at each other and get angry and upset. In order for that good sound theology. To become functional. Functional. Now let me say this. You will never. Function. In the truth that. We're learning now. If you are a maverick spirit. You have a maverick spirit. You know what a maverick spirit is. It's all about me. I'm going to work this out myself. So I'll whack. And I'm not and I'm not going to become vulnerable. Remember the three words that we taught about months and months ago. How many remember? Vulnerability. Transparency. You can't remember the third one. I'm ashamed. I can't either. Gary. Now Gary. Even though we're not to shine above one another. We do need to give Gary a special star. That's it. That's it. Accountability. Gary Gary saying I'm only in. I'm only in the theory of this Gary's good with facts, right? He gets the facts. But let me tell you something. We're all in the same boat. So. Here's where we're at. In order for the things that we're going to be teaching. To function and and I want to emphasize this. Do not mistaken. This information as equal to function. We're going to be taught over the next several weeks or maybe even months. And we mustn't assume that if we get this stuff in our notes and we get the scriptures. And we think this way that that is equal to function. Function will not come until our sovereign God and father and our heavenly shepherd. Meshes us together. And in that place. Where we are exposed. As both individually and corporately unable to do it. Unable to make it work. We must be stricken with the whole horrible revelation of our undone this before God. Our poverty of spirit before God. We must be stricken with the horror of seeing our inadequacy and that no good thing dwells in us. Not that we might be destroyed and discouraged beyond hope. But that becomes a doorway. Through which we see the adequacy and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's as we see that that function begins to grow in our life and our knowledge is converted to life. Knowledge converted to life. So God has to break. Deeper. Most of us understand the brokenness of God's dealing with me about my sin. And I'm cleaning up my mouth and I'm cleaning up my this and I'm cleaning up my that. But you know, there's a we can we can experience a measure of sanctification like that. And still be very unbroken when it comes to our need to relate to other people. Very unbroken. We can be very spiritual in our prayer closet and with our Bibles. But oh my, my, my. We make it a point. To stay unrelated to other people. Because that requires a deeper brokenness. That requires the Lord dealing with our. Self relating. Mentality. And we listen, we have to become a team member, then a team player. And team players. Have to. Go with the whole team. Okay. So. This is the basic outline that we're going to be following. Let's first go to First Corinthians chapter one. First Corinthians chapter one. This was a church in the city of Corinth, which was a Greek city. It was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. It was a major trade route. There was a lot of things happening in Corinth. Lo and behold. The Lord looked down from heaven and he said, I have many people in Corinth. What he meant was, I intend to save a lot of people in this big city of Corinth. And so what does he do? He sends one of his apostles. And they go to the city of Corinth and God births a church. Now watch. Verse four, I thank my God always on your behalf. For the grace of God, which is given you by Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ. Paul was very thankful for these Corinthians. He loved them. That in everything. He are enriched by him. Listen, listen, beloved. In all utterance. You know what that word basically means? Systematic teaching. The Corinthians were not sure there was a lot of people there. Convention. Great speakers came. I'm sure I was in Canada. I'm going to India. Hey, let me tell you something. Our conventions are nothing. If you compare them with the with what these these Corinthians experience, they had the best of the best in their midst teaching them. They were taught the purposes of God. Oh, if I could ever be able to go back and just sit as an invisible person. And here, Apollos and Peter and and and Paul and James and these men who were with the Lord and heard the way they taught. That would be remarkable. So they had all utterance and all knowledge. Now, notice the inclusiveness of the Holy Spirit statement here. All all. Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So that you come behind in no gift. They didn't lack anything in their midst. They came behind in no gift. They were systematically taught. Who also shall confirm you on to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom we were called unto the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now watch this. This is this is really a commentary here. Paul goes from commending them in relation to their knowledge and their teaching and and the fact that they came behind in no good gift. And then all of a sudden, he says, now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you. Now there's that word division. That word properly translated is a schism that there's no tears among you. I can just see a soccer game and what it would do to the team if a few of the members decided they were going to do something over here on the side. It would just ruin the whole game. Norman says it's already happening in a way. Listen, schisms, tears. Now, listen, do you think this division was because they weren't taught properly? Of course not. We just determined that it wasn't their lack of teaching. What about they didn't have enough systematic teaching, they didn't have enough knowledge. Maybe it's because they really weren't true Christians. I've heard it. I've heard it preached. They weren't true Christians. Well, in order to do that, you have to take verse six and erase it. It says even the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So that's not true. They were Christians. Then why were they? Why was Paul groaning over the fact that they were tearing? Watch, watch this now. But that you'd be perfectly joined together. Now that joined together is it's an interested word. Listen, it means to listen to adjust several parts in order to make a whole. Oh, that's good, isn't it? So what you know what I hear Paul saying even now, I need to even get into it. You're tearing, not because you lack knowledge, not because you lack apostolic teaching, not because you lack systematic theology, not because you lack gifts. You're tearing because you're becoming unrelated one with another. Remember one of our dangers? No one member or ministry. And we'll, we'll, we'll explain the meaning of these terms, the individual member, the ministries that God has put in the church, not over the church, but in among the church, the purpose of the ministries. Okay, not one member, not one ministry or type of gathering. There's many different types of gatherings. Each one having a place, but listen, schism, tear, why? Because Corinthians, you are not joined together. In other words, all of the parts, all of the diversity of gifts and administrations and functions that has been invested in you as the church have subtly become unrelated to the whole, and therefore, there is undue honor on one administration, no honoring another administration. You're saying all we need is Norman's ministry. Okay, all we need is Phil's ministry. They've got it. They've got it. See, they've got it. Or all we need is this kind of gathering. Let's make it a Pentecostal gathering. When we gather, we've got to have tongues and interpretation. If we don't have tongues and interpretation, it's not a true gathering. So we were talking about last night. Others say, no, if there's a designated speaker, it's not a true gathering. Not a true gathering. Only if you gather and there's freedom for everyone to speak as God has moved upon, then it's a true gathering. Then others say, no, the only true gathering is when there's apostles and prophets equipping and teaching us. That's the only true gathering. Now, listen, are any of those gatherings in and of themselves wrong or against the mind of God? Absolutely not. But guess when they become wrong? When they become unrelated to the whole. Listen, things become unrelated because the work of the cross has not gone deeply enough. You see, you can't make this work by teaching alone. If we could, the Corinthians never would have gotten the mess they were in because they had the best teachers. Much better than any teachers that are present today. And I'm prepared to say that. I mean, I can't say that I saw the Lord. Can anyone hear? Can you say you walked with him? You touched him? You slept with him? You saw him? I didn't. I mean, I know I'm with the Lord in spirit, but they really knew the Lord. We're going to see that now in the word of God. That the remedy to this problem is not better teaching or different teaching or different teachers or different gatherings as the answer. The remedy is a deeper work of the cross in our lives so that whatever God's doing, the diversity of what God is doing doesn't become unrelated to the whole. Now watch what happens when it becomes unrelated. Watch this. First, number 10. That there be no division, no tears among you, but that you be perfectly joined together. Now that is not uniformity. You know what uniformity is? And we've known earnest brothers over the years who have seen the truth of the unity of the body. And so they try to produce a body of uniformity. I was talking with brothers who were involved in a work in California under the leadership of a man who at one time was used of God. But what happened? What happened? He lost touch with the rest. He became too big. And there was no joining together with others. And their work was destroyed. The work was destroyed. Now listen. Come together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Now I believe that the same mind and the same judgment, and I believe we can support this with scripture, it is not uniformity. Beware of a man or a group of men that are saying with their mouth, unity of the body, unity of the body. But yet there is a spirit forcing uniformity. Where you lose the power to be an individual under the Lord Jesus Christ, following him whithersoever he will lead you. You lose that power when there is a spirit of uniformity working within a group of believers. It comes across in many different ways. Act alike, smell alike, dress alike, talk alike, worship alike. And there becomes usually either a final authority that's invested in a man or a group of men. And this is what happened in the group in California. Eventually everything that was going on in the life of the assembly, not one particular meeting, in the life of the assembly, seven days a week, was over the quote-unquote watchful oversight of our pastor or pastors. People lost the ability to follow God, to meet together, to let Jesus reveal himself. It had to be under the auspices, under the control, under the power. That's uniformity. That's the seeds of being a cult. That's not what Paul's after. The same mind and judgment, I believe, is the capacity to recognize the big plan of God and to see everything happening in the body as it relates to the whole. Okay? Now listen to what happens if we don't have that plan. Verse 11, For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of Chloe, that there are contentions among you, that pride produces tears. Now listen, for this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul. I'm of Paul. But others are saying, I'm of Apollos. But yet others are saying, I'm of Cephas. And then there was a group, they must have been the spiritual ones, because they were saying, I'm of Christ. What's happening here? What's happening? I'm on Norman's team. And one of the team members score. So you know what I start telling everyone in the group? Benjamin's the one that's got it. Let's say Benjamin, because he scored. I'm of Benjamin. He's the one. Gary says, no, Phil's son. He was in the back. I'm of Phil. Then another one says, no, I'm of Benjamin. Alan's son. Oh, I'm of Timothy. He's a goalie, right? Let's face it. He's obviously the most important, because if it wasn't for him, they would score. I'm of Paul. I'm of Apollos. I'm of Cephas. But then I come and say, no, I'm of Norman. He's the coach. I'm of Christ. I'm of Christ. That can be a tear right there. A schism in the body. Why was this happening in the Corinthian church? Now, let's first of all. Validate these were any of these ministries invalid? Was Paul's contribution in the life of the assembly invalid? It's possible that they began to think it was because that's what second Corinthians is all about, right? Paul seems to be defending. His contribution into the Corinthian church, and it was because they began to give heed to teachers. Who seemingly were turning their hearts against Paul's contribution. And they were abusive teachers. Paul said, they're robbing you from your money, and I didn't do it. They're slapping you in the face, and you take it and turn your cheek and let them slap you on the other side. Paul couldn't figure out why they were turning. He never abused them. He never took advantage of them. But it was happening. Paul's, Peter's ministry was certainly valid. What was the problem? It wasn't the ministry. What was it? Was what the church did with it. That was the problem. It's how they received it. They took these men. First Corinthians chapter three. We're going to close in a few moments. Please endure as we lay this foundation and then go through it. First Corinthians chapter three. Listen, here is light into the condition of the Corinthians. This is why the Corinthian church took the valid ministries within. Within. And they became divisive and a means of schism. This is why. Watch. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual. That is, that is a mind governed by the spirit of God. A mind governed by the purpose of God. See, a spiritual quote, unquote person on Norman's team. Would go in the midst of the players. And be careful not to give too much honor to anyone. Really, a spiritual one will look at the one that's down on it on himself and go and say, Come on, we need you. We need you. Come on, coach believes in you. I believe in you. We need you. That's a spiritual thing. But the babe, the carnal. Oh, let's make Ben a hero. Let's make Phil a hero. Let's make Norman a hero. Let's make Alan a hero. Let's make Brian a hero. Let's make Phil a hero. See. Is there anything wrong with Phil? No. Is there anything wrong with Brian? No. Is there anything wrong with Alan? No. Is there anything wrong with Norman? No. Not at all. But it's when we say, let's make him a hero. Or it's when Norman says, I want to be a hero. So see, it's not only the responsibility of us as believers to receive properly. The many gifts in the body of Christ. But it's also a sober responsibility for us individually. That when we make our contribution, we don't think we're more important than we really are. Right, Mike? We're not as important as we think. That's what Paul means in Romans 12. Let every man think what soberly. That's what it means to be sober minded. Okay. All right, let's go on here. That's the spiritual and the carnal. You know, in context, really, that's what it's talking about. If you just deal with this contextually, spiritual and carnal has to do with. Receiving what God is doing in relation to us. To the diversity in the body of Christ, either the right way or the wrong way, and how we receive it will determine whether or not there's tears. Look at what's going on in the body of Christ now. Oh, my God. There are tears everywhere. Schisms everywhere. Now listen closely. I couldn't talk to you as spiritual, but as under carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, not with meat. Wow. Milk and meat. Milk. A diet that relates to my needs. Meat. A diet that requires dying to my individual interests, my individual aspirations, my self-centered way of relating to everything and entering into the bigness of what God's doing. Finding my part together with others and walking arm in arm, like Colette was saying, hand in hand and arm in arm, all playing our part, seeing more and more the full stature of Christ come forth in all of us. There's very little capacity in the church today to bring me. It's milk, milk, milk. Why? Because we are yet fleshly, self-centered, egocentrical. For you are yet carnal, verse three, for whereas there is among you. Uh-oh, here's some words now. These words all identify the problem in the Corinthian church that was causing the schism that was tearing apart. Now think about this. Let's read these words. Envy, strife and tearing. Can't you see this with the kids? Again, we use the analogy. Envy, I envy you. I'm striving, I have strife in my heart against another member. Maybe because, number one, I might wish I was them. I wish I could score like Benjamin. Or maybe I despise another member because I think I'm more important than them. Or maybe I look at another member and say, we can probably do without that one. How many have been guilty of saying that? When you were grieved, perhaps with the need to endure an infirmity or a weakness of a brother or sister, you throw your arms up and just say, I just wish they'd disappear. We've all said it. We've all said it. What are we doing? We've got the seeds of a schism. Right there. Say, seeds of a schism right there. Verse number four, for while one saith, here he goes, saying the same thing he said in chapter one. I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos. Are you not carnal? Listen, who then is Paul? Who is Apollos? But servants, that word minister means a servant, by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have planted Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Oh, here we go. So then neither is he. That's all right. He lost his mommy. We're going to be closing in a moment, brothers and sisters. Now listen carefully. So then neither is he that plants anything. Neither is he that waters, but God that giveth the increase. See, Paul is nailing down the problem right now in the Corinthian church. That was the root cause of the division and schisms. They were making, listen, certain members, ministries or gatherings, something unrelated to the whole. And Paul saying, no one's anything. It's God who brings the increase. Nothing is more important than another. Now, verse eight, he that planet and he that watereth are one are what are one. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Now we're going to stop there. That's only the foundation. But I want to ask a few questions. All right. Did we at least catch? A glimpse of the spiritual dynamic that must be operating in our life for the house of God to be built in our in our lives and in the church. Do you see the drastic need for the Lord's deeper dealing in our heart and in our mind? To emancipate us, emancipate us from the littleness of our vision into the bigness of what God's doing. Our need, listen, our need as a body of believers, but not just us. This is a word for the church. Our need to gather under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ, to live our lives under the headship of Jesus Christ and give the freedom. For each individual member, for each ministry that God has put in the body of Christ. And for each gathering of believers, listen to give the freedom for God to accomplish his purpose. Listen in each one of those contributions without either making one more important than the other. Or omitting one thinking we have no need. That's what we're going to go into next week. First Corinthians chapter 12 and chapter 14. These are not only principles, brothers and sisters that govern the house of God, but they govern our lives. They govern our marriages. They govern how we raise our children. And so I think we're going to find this to be a timely word from the Lord that will speak to all of our hearts and assist in the furtherance of the work of God in our lives. Let's bow our hearts and look to the Lord for a word of prayer. Father, we're amazed. At your word, we're amazed at the bigness of what you're doing. We acknowledge, Lord, that we're we're students, we're pupils. We need to be taught. We need one another. None of us, not even one is complete in himself or herself or his revelation or her revelation. Father, we need you. We need your word. We need your Holy Spirit. And we need one another. We ask that in your sovereign love, you would make functional the things that we're about to learn, operational in our midst, so that you can be satisfied in seeing more and more the stature of your son being formed in our lives individually and as our lives as a family of believers. We ask you to do this, Father, for the honor and glory of your son. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.