Don’t Kid Yourself<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Don Carpenter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Beautiful Mess \/ 1 Corinthians 3:18\u201323<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael McCartney tells the following story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was at Boy Scout Camp when I discovered the terrible damage a fire storm could do to my life. It was a lazy afternoon very hot and dry. John and I were sent back to camp to start dinner for the guys. When I got back to camp, I discovered that the camp fire looked as if it had gone out. So I decided to rebuild the fire to get it ready for our meal. So I gathered firewood and placed it on the coals and tried to get it to burn. It would not start, so I decided to pour some kerosene on the wood, figuring it would help get the fire started sooner so that John and I could start dinner sooner for the troop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I poured the kerosene on the wood, and all of a sudden the fire ignited. It then traveled up the liquid and into the can I was holding in my hand. Within seconds, the can exploded in my hand, sending burning kerosene streaming in every direction. Most of the burning fuel landed on my lower right leg, and it burst into flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was so surreal. I looked down as the heat started piercing through to my leg, and I began screaming. I was 12 years old, and my leg was burning out of control. I screamed for help and threw myself to the ground. I began to roll and roll, and the more I rolled the more the ground burst into flames around me. I rolled into a tent, and it caught on fire. I was screaming because of the pain and crying out for help. I started thinking, “This is it. I am going to burn to death,” and right at that moment another Boy Scout came to my rescue. John had a blanket in his hand, and he grabbed me and wrapped it around my leg to put out the fire. Once he put out my leg, he then proceeded to put out the tent and the burning ground around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laid there in shock and disbelief with horrible pain throbbing up my leg. John held me and asked me to hang in there, because he was going to get me help. He ran like the wind for about a mile to the first aid head quarters in the park. I laid there all alone on the ground thinking, “Why did I do that!” Then the thought crept in: “Is this it?” It seemed as if I laid there forever starring up into the blue sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Park Rangers came and the troop leaders came as fast as they could. As they pulled the blanket off of my leg, part of my jeans and burnt flesh came off with it. They cut my jeans off immediately and started cleaning out my badly burned leg. I screamed in pain. I heard one man get sick and throw up and another say, “Oh my Lord!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was burned from my ankle to just above the knee. I still remember the awful smell of burnt flesh rising off my leg. All I could do was moan and cry because of the excruciating pain inflicted from this fire. All I could do was keep asking questions, “What happened? Where did the fire come from? Why did this happen to me?” I was stunned by how quickly I had caught on fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took the troop leaders 4 hours before they finally got me to a hospital. It was a horrible 4-hour trip from the mountains to the hospital. As I rode in a truck, I just moaned as my driver, a Boy Scout leader, just encouraged me to hang in there. I remember he turned his air conditioning onto the floor section so that cold air could blow onto my leg. My flesh was hanging off, and I was wishing for a miracle as I looked at my deformed leg. I thought this could not be my leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we arrived at the hospital the doctors started to work on my leg immediately. They cleaned it up and put salve on it then wrapped with burn wrap. My mom showed up at the hospital in tears asking, “What happened?” The doctors informed my mom that I had second and third degree burns on the lower half of my leg. I remember the doctor telling her the importance of making sure that my leg did not become infected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So daily she would clean my leg off. I would not look at my leg \u2013 my mom said it looked horrible, almost like hamburger. But eventually I did heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I often think about that day. It is etched into my memory forever. It was the painful day because I became a victim of a fire storm. I learned a few lessons that day that I will never forget: “Do not dump Kerosene on hot coals!” The biggest lesson I learned that day was not to be careless with a fire. I discovered the hard way that fire is hot and it burns very quickly and it does maximum damage in short amount of time. The firestorm I experienced lasted for minutes but caused major damage to my leg and it took months to heal. I still have scars on my lower leg from that fire storm. It reminds me as I look at that scar the danger of fire storms and how painful they can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firestorms happen in this world every day–firestorms in relationships flare up doing maximum damage in a short period of time. A situation or word is misunderstood and the fire ignites scorching and burning up everything in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few years back I read the book “Firestorms.” The author Susek warned about the danger, the destruction and the damage that firestorms can do to a church, an organization or even a family unit. He shared true to life horror stories of Christians acting like raging firestorms and leaving a path of destruction in churches, in communities, in families and in individual lives. He shared the tragic stories to warn us Christians, leaders, and pastors how to prevent firestorms in our relationship\u2019s, he stressed how to put fires out quickly in relationships, and even how to rebuild relationships after a firestorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Robert said, “No church is more than twenty-four hours away from a major conflict breaking out. In less than a year, it can destroy years of hard work and growth” (Firestorms, page 12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He spoke about the danger and the ferocity of firestorms. He warned us that once a firestorm ignites it causes damage quickly to the surrounding terrain and races off to burn up whatever is in its path. They move fast and quickly across the landscape burning everything up in sight. They are dangerous and destructive. They have even been known to be brief but so intense that they cause maximum loss in a short period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we need to learn how to become fire fighters if we want to preserve our family relationships, our friendship relationships, our church relationships, our community relationships and our individual relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firestorms come in many forms and can ignite in any type of a life situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(From a sermon by Michael McCartney, Experience the Spirit in Conflict, 4\/7\/2011)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
___<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul has been addressing the problem of carnality within the \u201cBeautiful Mess\u201d that was the church at Corinth. He had been explaining how our fleshly attitudes and strife and destroy a local assembly. At the heart of any interpersonal conflict is the clash of prideful people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have been learning that there is a way that seems right to us, and that way is wrong unless our \u201ccommon sense\u201d has been reworked by the transforming wisdom and grace that only comes from God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often in order for God to be able to work freely within a congregation, we need to stop kidding ourselves and realize that we don\u2019t have the wisdom we think we do\u2026 we really are not \u201call that\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You Are Not All That Wise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians 3:18<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It comes as a shock to some church members that you cannot manage a local church the same way you run a business. This does not mean we should not follow good business principles, but the operation is totally different. There is a wisdom of this world that works for the world, but it will not work for the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world depends on promotion, prestige, and the influence of money and important people. The church depends on prayer, the power of the Spirit, humility, sacrifice, and service. The church that imitates the world may seem to succeed in time, but it will turn to ashes in eternity.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 581). Victor Books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Galatians 6:3<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ephesians 5:6<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The World\u2019s Wisdom is not \u201cAll That\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians 3:19\u201320<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 1:21\u201322<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Isaiah 19:11\u201314<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, The counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, The son of ancient kings? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Where are they? where are thy wise men? And let them tell thee now, And let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The princes of Zoan are become fools, The princes of Noph are deceived; They have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: And they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, As a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Isaiah 5:21<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Timothy 3:13<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n James 1:22<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Psalm 94:11<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The church in the Book of Acts had none of the \u201csecrets of success\u201d that seem to be important today. They owned no property; they had no influence in government; they had no treasury (\u201cSilver and gold have I none,\u201d said Peter); their leaders were ordinary men without special education in the accepted schools; they held no attendance contests; they brought in no celebrities; and yet they turned the world upside down!1<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 581). Victor Books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Relax, There Is Nothing to Brag About.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians 3:21\u201323<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And ye are Christ\u2019s; and Christ is God\u2019s.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 14:8<\/em> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord\u2019s.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, we must build with the right motive (vv. 21\u201323). That motive is the glory of God. The members of the Corinthian church were glorying in men, and this was wrong. They were comparing men (1 Cor. 4:6) and dividing the church by such carnal deeds. Had they been seeking to glorify God alone, there would have been harmony in the assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul closed this appeal by pointing out that each believer possesses all things in Christ. Each one of God\u2019s servants belongs to each believer. No member of the church should say, \u201cI belong to Paul!\u201d or \u201cI like Peter!\u201d because each servant belongs to each member equally. Perhaps we cannot help but have our personal preferences when it comes to the way different men minister the Word. But we must not permit our personal preferences to become divisive prejudices. In fact, the preacher I may enjoy the least may be the one I need the most!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll are yours\u201d\u2014the world, life, death, things present, things to come! How rich we are in Christ! If all things belong to all believers, then why should there be competition and rivalry? \u201cGet your eyes off of men!\u201d Paul admonished. \u201cKeep your eyes on Christ, and work with Him in building the church!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYe are Christ\u2019s\u201d\u2014this balances things. I have all things in Jesus Christ, but I must not become careless or use my freedom unwisely. \u201cAll things are yours\u201d\u2014that is Christian liberty. \u201cAnd ye are Christ\u2019s\u201d\u2014that is Christian responsibility. We need both if we are to build a church that will not turn to ashes when the fire falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How we need to pray for ministers of the Word! They must feed the family and bring the children to maturity. They must sow the seed in the field and pray for an increase. They must mine the treasures of the Word and build these treasures into the temple. No wonder Paul cried, \u201cAnd who is sufficient for these things?\u201d But he also gave the answer: \u201cOur sufficiency is of God\u201d (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5).1<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 581\u2013582). Victor Books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exported from Logos Bible Software, 7:10 PM March 3, 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Don’t Kid Yourself Pastor Don Carpenter A Beautiful Mess \/ 1 Corinthians 3:18\u201323 Michael McCartney tells the following story: I was at Boy Scout Camp when I discovered the terrible damage a fire storm could do to my life. It was a lazy afternoon very hot and dry. John and I were sent back to … Continue reading Don’t Kid Yourself<\/span>