How To Be a Wise Master Builder by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. We are going to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 3 for this morning's scripture. The purpose of the letters which the apostle Paul wrote to the different churches were ones of not only correction but also of direction. We will start reading at verse 1.

        And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

        2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

        Paul begins by saying to the church in Corinth I have to speak to you in terms of the world for you to understand. When you first begin your relationship with God, you have to have an understanding you can grasp so you use ideas and concepts the world has used. The longer and deeper your relationship grows in the word, the more you realize that the world is against the processes and laws given in the word of God.

        3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

        4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

        5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

        6 I have planted. Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

        Sadly, even in 2023, do we have believers who identify with or profess more faith to a charismatic speaker than to the almighty. People will travel hundreds of miles to hear their personal truth repeated from behind a lectern or pulpit and not the truth from the scripture. Where's the increase come from in the church? It comes from God. Not from the fancy and expensive stage performance, the various activities to babysit your kids. 

        7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that waters; but God that giveth the increase.

        8 Now he that planteth and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

        9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

        10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

        We need to understand where Paul came from. His background was he was in the hierarchy of the Pharisee. He wasn't a religious leader complaining in public about the new believers gathering together, he went out to shut them up.

        Man is good at building some things but he excels in tearing things down. God gave Paul the direction after the conversion at Damascus. Paul has to break down a spiritual principle in his writing by using terms the church would understand. There are all kinds of builders in this world, but the question to you is, are you a wise master builder?

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

        12 Now if any man build upon hid foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

        Jesus laid down the foundation where in many denominations have built upon. By the grace of God, blindness was visited upon Paul in Acts 9. Be careful on what you build what Jesus has already laid. Without self discipline, there is no hope in building anything.

        13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

        Every facet of your life you have raised or built on this earth will be tried. You don't know your worth in something until time takes over. There are procedures and process in every facet of your life to check your work. The more people involved in your life decisions and evaluations, the greater room for error.

        Look at the materials listed in verse 12. What material do you want to use? Scripture said you will be tried as gold. God will get the fire going on you, but he desires you to remove the impurities which will come up to the surface. The various materials burn at different rates in verse 13. Some will burn really quick and others will take some time.

        14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

        15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

        How many of you this morning recognize the struggles you go through in the spirit is often God working and not the devil? Your flesh is so quick to claim the devil is tormenting you. Quit giving that creature credit! The will of God will get done how God wants it done no matter what resistance we give him.

        It's only going to be good as how you make it. Everyone who touches the fire has accountability. All the brokenness and bad decisions you're still carrying with you are hindering you and holding you back. That stuff is hardening your heart and placing distance on relationships. You need to have absolutes in your life. Boundaries need to be established in your life. Those absolutes are quick and hard changes.

        Think on the house God built. Step 1 is found in Matthew 7: 24-27. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus gives the parable of the wise and foolish builder. Next part is a few chapters later in Matthew 16 and starting at verse 13. All the smarts and education, even in the study of this word, can make it hard to have a true relationship with God. There are some things God can't fix in your life which you messed up or allowed others to mess it up for you.

        There are tests God has for you every day. Either you accept it or get all angry about it. The great majority of us will get all puffed up in anger. Every work will be tested by fire. The sooner you realize the man in the mirror is the problem of your life and not the devil, you are beginning to grow as a wise master builder. Too often we get caught up in the world's drama which will lead to destruction.

        There are things you may be good at which God may not want you to do. We get ourselves hung up on stuff which ends up hindering us or who we could possibly be. God gives us the how and the why. It is up to us to take the tools and make something of it. Our judgement is now while the worlds is coming. Your time is ready and you could go at any time. Study to be a wise master builder. If Jesus is our cornerstone, everything we build should be off of him. Have self discipline and absolutes in your life to go with what you are reading in the scripture. Good things come to those who sow into them and not to those who wait. Be willing and ready to stay in the fire when it comes. You have to have self evaluations in your life, and more than once a year.

        16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

        17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

        Make sure you do what you are taught to do.

        18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

        19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

        20 And again, The Lord knowers the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

        Even if you are incredibly intelligent and full of wisdom, it isn't yours. Don't puff out your chest because of it. That wisdom came from God. Wisdom belongs to all of us.