The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.

Did you know that, this is the kind of concern our Father in heaven has for you?

Below in 1 Cor 3:5-17 I want you to notice something very Important!!!!

Pay special attention to the underlined Parts

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

As you know the Corinthians were putting to much emphasis on Individual leaders in the Church. We also have a tendency to do the same thing, so God in this text gives a stern warning to the Leaders about what He cares about. His People!!!!!! Look at this:

9 you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
10 let each one take heed how he builds on it.
And
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.

Do you get the brevity of what God is saying here?

The foundation is laid...Jesus Christ... The warning is for the leaders {and all of us really, but especially the leaders} to be careful with the words that come out of our mouth that is building on that foundation.

Why? Because His people...His Building is precious to Him!!!! He wants us to be built up in Christ, not men!!!!!!!

How important it is to be careful with God’s Word!!!!! How Important is it that you are trained to study God’s word? How important is it that you don’t put words into Gods mouth that he never intended? Do you have rules of interpretation in place to protect yourself from leading people astray? Do you use those Rules?

God’s word is very clear...He cares for his people!!!!!!!

Like the father watching over his son...God is keeping watch over His Building and is very protective of it!!!!! Why? Because He Loves us!!!!!!!

Do you have that kind of Love for His Building?

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

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