Sermon by Bruce McCallum - 29 April 2018

2. 1 Corinthians 3:21- 4:7 (NIV)
21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things
are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or
the world or life or death or the present or the
future - all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and
Christ is of God. 1 So then, men ought to regard us
as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with
the secret things of God.

3. 1 Corinthians 3:21- 4:7 (NIV)
2 Now it is required that those who have been
given a trust must prove faithful.
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any
human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make
me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

4. 1 Corinthians 3:21- 4:7 (NIV)
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed
time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light
what is hidden in darkness and will expose the
motives of men's hearts. At that time each will
receive his praise from God. 6 Now, brothers, I have
applied these things to myself and Apollos for your
benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning
of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written."

5. 1 Corinthians 3:21- 4:7 (NIV)
Then you will not take pride in one man over
against another. 7 For who makes you different
from anyone else? What do you have that you did
not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you
boast as though you did not?

6. 1 Corinthians 3:21 (NIV)
21 So then, no more boasting about men! ….
1 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
7 … And if you did receive it, why do you boast as
though you did not?

7. 1 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)
6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to
myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you
may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do
not go beyond what is written." Then you will not
take pride in one man over against another.

8. PHYSIOO
 OVERINFLATED
 SWOLLEN
 DISTENDED BEYOND IT’S PROPER SIZE

9. IMPLIED MEANING
EMPTY
PAINFUL
BUSY
FRAGILE

10. COMPARING AND BOASTING
1 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)
6 … Then you will not take pride in one man
over against another.

11. “Pride gets no pleasure out of having
something, only out of having more of it than
the next person. We say that people are proud
of being rich, or clever, or good looking, but
they are not. They are proud of being richer, or
cleverer or better looking than others, If
everyone else became equally rich or cleverer or
good looking there would be nothing to be
proud about”
(CS Lewis | Mere Christianity)

12. IMPLIED MEANING
EMPTY
PAINFUL
BUSY
FRAGILE

13. Finding Freedom

14. 1. Warning: Self-esteem can be
a horrible trap

15. 2. Eyes off yourself
1 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV)
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by
any human court; indeed, I do not even judge
myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does
not make me innocent. It is the Lord who
judges me.

16. 3. What does a person who is FREE
look like?
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (NIV)
1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of
Christ and as those entrusted with the secret
things of God. 2 Now it is required that those
who have been given a trust must prove
faithful.

17. “If we were to meet a truly humble person, we would
never come away from meeting them thinking they
were humble. They would not be always telling us
they were a nobody. The thing we would remember
from meeting a truly gospel humble person is how
much they seemed to be totally interested in us.
Because the essence of gospel humility is not thinking
more of myself to thinking less of myself – it is
thinking of myself less.”
CS LEWIS | Mere Christianity

18. 4. Make today FREEDOM DAY?
1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (NIV)
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by
any human court; indeed, I do not even judge
myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does
not make me innocent. It is the Lord who
judges me.

19. "Only you have complete access to
your own selfishness, and only you have
complete responsibility for it.“