Growing Up Spiritually

Growing Up Spiritually

Part of Embodied Spirituality—A Study of First Corinthians

February 26, 2023

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1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (New International Version)

3:1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

I. Birth is not the goal (vv. 1-3)
• Immature Christians have Holy Spirit, but with little kingdom

.
• Immature Christians don’t grow due to

issues, not lack of information.
• Immaturity lacks

appetite and ability to digest

.
• Immature Christians create a brand of Christianity that God did not intend –

.
• Immature Christians live like spiritual beings cast from

.
II. Maturity assumes responsibility (vv. 4-6)
• God’s love is mature accepting us as we are, just not

.
• Love discerns the line between

and

.
• Grace never infringes upon

or it ceases to be grace.
• Maturity understands we are servants who have received all our resources from a

.
•

is the only redemptive leadership.
• Maturity is never about

, but rather is about

.
III. The purpose of growth (vv. 7-9)
• The purpose of growth is

.
• Every Christian is designed by God to have

to impact God’s kingdom.
• Every Christian is called to

,

, and

in the evangelism process. (Mt. 28:19-20)
• Every person should not be

the same way (Isa. 28:23-29)
• The size of our ministry is attributed to God’s current

on our present

. (Ex. 18:24-26, Lk. 16:9-11, Mt. 25:14-30, Jn. 15:8

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TAKE OFF
1. Share your favorite childhood memory.
2. How did last week’s Take Away about growing in spiritual disciplines go?
TEXT
1. What thoughts or feelings did you have during this week’s sermon?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. How does Paul describe “worldly” Christians in verses one and two? What behaviors do the Corinthians exhibit that display their immaturity (vv. 3-4)?
3. Compare and contrast behaviors/habits of a spiritually immature and mature Christian. Why does level of maturity not necessarily correlate with how long one has been a Christian?
4. How does Paul use an agricultural metaphor in verses six and seven to answer the spiritual maturity issue in Corinth? How can you continue to grow in spiritual maturity, especially with evangelism and discipleship?

TAKE AWAY
Which spiritual gifts have you been given and how are you using them to labor for God?