I want to read two verses, verses
6 and 7. Paul says, These things, brethren,
I have in a figure, in a type, in a picture, transferred to
myself and Apollos for your sakes. that you might learn in us not
to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you
be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ
from another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it. Now Paul
begins here and he says these things. These things I've transferred
to myself and Apollos for your sakes. Now what are these things?
He used himself and he used the other preacher Apollos to show
something. What did he show us? Remember
back in 1 Corinthians 3. He said all we are is ministers.
Verse 5. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollos? I want you to consider who we're
talking about. This is the Apostle Paul. This could be said of the Apostle
Peter, this could be said of James, John, any of the Apostles. It could be said of any preacher
today. Any minister today. Who then
is Paul? Who is Apollos? What ministers? They're servants, by whom you
believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. If you're a child
of God, now you take what he said of himself and Apollos,
and you apply it to yourself. He said, that's what I did this
for. If you're a child of God, you're a servant. You're a minister. that God has provided for your
brethren. He hasn't provided you for your
brethren to serve you and minister to you. He's provided you to
minister to your brethren. Especially those brethren who
are unjustly judging you. Those brethren who are saying
things against you and acting like they're totally unbelievers. You know, a believer can go a
long time looking like an unbeliever. What about Lot? I wonder how
long Lot stayed down in Solomon Gomorrah. I wonder how many of
his brethren wrote him off. He was a child of God. You know
what Abraham did? Abraham ministered to him. How?
He interceded for him with God. He prayed to God for him. That's
right. And then look, he says, 1 Corinthians
3, 6, he says, I've planted, Apollos watered, but God gave
the increase. He's saying, I'm not anything,
and Apollos is not anything, but God's everything. So then
neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but
God that giveth the increase. If you're a child of God, you're
not anything, and I'm not anything. You're not anything and I'm not
anything. That's what Paul's saying. But
God's everything. Now, why did Paul declare this?
Why was he showing the brethren this? Well, he tells us back
in our text. Go back to 1 Corinthians 4, 6.
He says, I'm telling you this, verse 6, the second part, that
you might learn in us. You might learn from these things
I've said about us, about me and Apollos, about ministers.
Learn now by what I've said about us not to think of men, any man,
whether he's a preacher or he's a... just don't hold any kind
of office at all, just a believer. He said, whatever, whoever he
is, don't think of men, now watch this next word, above that which
is written. that no one of you be puffed
up for one against another." Now, he's saying here, do not
think of sinners above that which is written in the Scriptures.
So if we're going to find out, you know, we don't want to think
of men above that which the Scripture says of us. So what we have to
find out, what did the Scripture say of us? Alright, let's look
at a few of these. When he says it is written here,
the New Testament hadn't been written yet. Paul is speaking
of the Old Testament. So let's go to the Old Testament
and see what's written about us. Turn over to Psalm 146. Psalm
146. Now he said, don't think above
a man what is written. Now here's what's written about
men. This is true of all men. Psalm 146. Put not your trust in princes. That means anybody in authority,
in an authoritative position. That means not me, not a priest,
not a president, not a governor, not anybody. Don't disrespect
them. Honor them because God put them in the position He put
them in. But listen to this. Don't put your trust in a man,
nor in the sons of men. in whom there is no help. And
the marginal reading is there's no salvation. There's no salvation
in a man. His breath goeth forth and he
returneth to this earth. In that very day his thoughts
perish. Happy is he that hath the God
of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. There's where there's hope now.
Look at Isaiah 2 and verse 22. Now that's written about all
men. Don't put your trust in a man.
Isaiah 2, 22. Cease ye from man whose breath
is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of? He's going to... If you put your
confidence in Me, I can guarantee you what's going to happen to
you. You're going to be sadly disappointed. I'm going to disappoint
you. If you have your confidence in
the Lord, He won't ever disappoint you. Not ever. Not ever. Look at Jeremiah 17, 5. Now this is... I'm just jumping
around. But this is what's written in
the Scriptures and this is true all through the Scriptures. This
is the word from the cover to cover. If God's going to have
all the glory, that means we can't have any. No man can. Now look at Jeremiah 17, 5. Thus
saith the Lord. Now that ought to... You know,
folks say, well, you jump around the Bible, you take it out of
context. Well, it don't matter what context it's in right here
when it says, Thus saith the Lord, this means God saying it,
so bow. That's just that, alright? Thus
saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and
maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
See, you can't trust a man and trust the Lord. If you trust
a man, your heart's departed from the Lord. But if you trust
the Lord only, you're not trusting the man. You're trusting the
Lord. Now look, for he shall be the
man that trusts man. He says, he'll be like the heath
in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall
inhabit the parched places in the wilderness in a salt land
not inhabited. Look at Romans 3. In Romans 3,
Paul just, he quotes a bunch of Old Testament scriptures here.
And he begins with the word that's in our text. The word that's
in our text is, as it is written. Don't think of men above that
which is written. Paul begins in Romans 3 and verse
10 and he says this, as it is written, there is none righteous,
no not one. If he said there was just a few
that were not righteous, there might be some exceptions. There
are none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no not one. That's God's Word. Listen to
this. Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they've used
deceit. The poison of asps is under their
lips. whose mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction
and misery are in their ways, and a way of peace have they
not known. There's no fear of God before their eyes. That's
me and you by nature. That's every one of us by nature.
That's how we come into this world. We sin because that's
what our heart is by nature. You don't sin to become a sinner,
you sin because you are one. Now Paul says, I've shown you
that Apollos and I are not anything, that you might learn not to think
of men above what the Scriptures say. That way, you see, if you
think this of yourself, and you know this about yourself, what
we just read, and you know it about your fellow man, then when
your brother or sister disappoints you and they say something, That's
just completely unfaithful. You know what the first thing
you can think of? That's nothing compared to what I've done. And
if you're both worms, you won't have any trouble. You won't fight
and argue. It's when we get to be a little
bit better than a worm that we swell up like a big old bullfrog
and think we're something. So that's what he said. Don't
be puffed up one against another. You can't exalt one brother without
exalting him over others. We all need to be abased to the
same level. That way God will have all the
glory. There's another as it is written. You know what it
is? As it is written, he that glories, let him glory in the
Lord. There's only one to glory in.
That's the Lord. All right, now then Paul asks
some questions. The first question he asks is,
who? Now look at this, in 1 Corinthians 4, 7. Four, that means, here's
why he's saying don't be puffed up one against another. Four,
who maketh thee to differ from another? Now, you ask yourself
that question, and I'll ask myself that question. I'm not to ask
that question about you, and you're not to ask it about me.
We're to ask it about ourselves. Who makes you to differ from
another? You know, the Lord hates a proud look. Hates it. Pride is a deceiver. Pride is
the heart of all division and all strife. We can prove that there's no
difference in us than there is in any other sinner. And I'll
tell you how you can prove it. The moment another sinner offends
you, You know what you do? You do the same thing I do. The
moment a sinner offends you, you answer him back with sin.
In your heart, if not on your tongue, you answer him back with
sin. You prove that in your flesh, you're no different than they
are. No different. And this is true now. In our
natural born state, we're not any different than anybody else
in this world. Those scriptures we read about
man, that's true of me and that's true of you. And for a believer,
still in our flesh, there's an old nature, there's a new nature.
And still in our flesh, we're no different than any other man
in his flesh. No different. Look at Romans
7. This is a believer writing this in Romans 7. He's regenerated
by God the Holy Spirit. He's washed in the blood of Christ.
He knows the Lord. He's resting in the Lord. Listen
to what Paul writes here. Romans 7 verse 18. He says, I
know that in me, and he's going to qualify what he's talking
about here. I know that in me, that is in
my flesh. He's not just talking about the
skin we call flesh. He's talking about in my old
nature. My old nature of Adam that I
was born with. That old nature, in it dwells
no good thing. For to will is present with me.
That's in my new man. God gave me a new will. And the
will is present with me. But how to perform that which
is good, I find not. I can't do what I want to do.
For the good that I would, I do not. But to evil which I would
not, that I do." You know, this just occurred to me. A man that
thinks he does good and he'll say to you, I do good. You see,
the believer sees any good that we do and realizes that's not
righteousness. That's compared with God, compared
to my Redeemer, is total wickedness. It's not good at all. But the
man that really thinks he does good, That's the best good he
wants to attain to. It's this good that God says
is like a menstrual cloth. That's as good as he wants to
be. And he thinks that's good enough. That ain't good enough.
God's righteous and holy and he won't permit you into his
presence unless you're just like he is. Just like he is. Look at this. But the believer
says, the good that I would, I do not. But to evil which I
would not, that I do." Now, if I do that, I would not, it's
no more I that do it. That's a strange statement, isn't
it? Well, who is it then? It's sin that dwells in me. It's
sin that's still in my flesh. I find then a law. Here's a principle
that's true. When I would do good, evil is
present with me. Sin's mixed with everything I
do. Right now, I'm sinning enough preaching this gospel to you
to send everybody here to hell. But I'm not counting on this
preaching to get me into glory. Not the act of preaching. I'm
depending on the one I'm preaching to get me into glory. Christ.
Look here. Sin that dwells in me, I find
in a principle when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Now watch. I delight in the law of God after
the inward man. In that new man that God created,
I do delight in God's word, in His law, but I see another law
in my members, in my flesh. Warring against the law of my
mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in
my members. You ever sin sometimes or just
even thinking about sin? That's sin. And just get to,
and wonder, why did I think that? You've taken captive. And sometimes
you get it so captive that there's nothing you can do to stop it.
You can't get out of it. And truth is, we can't get out
of this body of death. There's only one way. Watch this.
Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body
of this death? I thank God. That's who's going
to deliver me. How? Through Jesus Christ our
Lord. That's how. So then with the
mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the
law of sin. You see that? That's a believer.
So there's no difference in our flesh than there is in anybody
else. Unregenerate, God-hating rebel.
We're on the same level in our flesh. That's right. Now God
alone makes His child to differ. God alone makes His child to
differ. Here you got a whole sea of sinners. No difference
in them and they can't put a difference between themselves. Oh, they
can dress in white and wear funny clothes and tell you to stand
over there because they're more holy than you are. They're just
as sinful as you are. In fact, that self-righteousness
is worse wickedness. Who makes us to differ? Well,
number one, God the Father by divine election. Turn to 2 Thessalonians
2.13. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. No man is going to get glory. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. You see,
I know men will be in a church service and men will be preaching
all these good works you ought to be doing. You see, you won't
ever think about doing anything pleasing to God till you understand
this stuff. You see, Paul's dealing with
them. He's fixing to start dealing with what to do and what not
to do. But the first thing he's doing
is laying down this gospel that you got no reason to be puffed
up against one another at all. None of us do. Look at this now,
2 Thessalonians 2.13, who made you to differ? God the Father,
we are bound to give thanks our way to God for you, brethren,
that's who he's talked to, believers, beloved of the Lord. Why do we
thank God for them? Because God hath from the beginning
in eternity chosen you to salvation. Through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
God the Father chose His people. He set them apart in eternity. Well, that's not fair. Well,
let's look at the alternative. God just passed us all by and
threw us all into hell. None of us would have been able
to open our mouth and say, well, God is not fair. No, that would
have been just. You see, Here's what God did. He said, I'll be gracious to
whom I'll be gracious. Why? Grace means He just chose
to do it. It means of His own will He chose
to do it. You choose to do what you will with your own stuff
every day. What are you going to say to the neighbor that comes
over and says, I don't think you ought to be using your possessions
that way? Well, did you buy them? No. Well, did you buy God's possessions?
Did you create them? No, God did. And He says, I'll
do with my own whatever I will. That's right. Alright, so then
first it's by God the Father. Then secondly, God the Son made
His people to differ by His blood, by redeeming us. Over in Revelation
5 verse 9, it says this. I want you to read this now and
put your eye on this. Revelation 5 verse 9, they sung
a new song. He's talking about Christ. Thou
art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof. Now here's
why Christ is worthy. For thou wast slain and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of. He doesn't say here He
redeemed every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." He says,
you've redeemed your people out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nation. You see that? When Christ went
to the cross, He was satisfying divine justice for His people,
so that God's law can look them over now and say, they're righteous,
there's no sin to be charged against them. That is because
Christ redeemed His people by His blood. It's done. Then look
at this. The grace of the Holy Spirit
calling us affectionately makes His child to differ. Titus 3. We're dead in sin by nature.
Titus 3. And so, you know, this is true.
God's done this for His people. But if God left us to ourselves,
we wouldn't believe Him. We wouldn't believe him, but
he comes and he makes us to see what he's done for us. And look
what he says here. Titus 3 and verse 3. We ourselves also were sometime
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving different lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after
that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done. He didn't do this because we
made him halfway. No. But according to his mercy,
he saved us. By the washing of regeneration. First time we were born, we were
conceived of corruptible seed by natural generation. But when
you're born again, you're conceived by the Holy Spirit by supernatural
regeneration. We were regenerated and renewed
by the Holy Ghost. which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Who keeps us differing? Who keeps
us to differ? You know, okay, God does it this
far, now then does He just take His hand off of us and it's up
to us then to make it the rest of the way to glory. No, He preserves
us. He makes us to keep being different
by preserving us. Scripture says we're kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation which is ready
to be revealed in the last time. So, then Paul asks another question. That's who now? Who made us to
differ? The triune God. Our triune God. Our God, our
Savior made us to differ. You see, if you're going to glory
in God, you got to be brought there first. That's the only
way that God's going to get all the glory. If He's the only one
that made the difference. Alright, now look at the next
question. What, verse 7, 1 Corinthians 4, 7, And what hast thou that
thou didst not receive? What do you have that God did
not freely give you by His grace and cause you to receive? Now
let's ask ourselves this question. Are you a new creature? Have
you been born again? We didn't do anything to obtain
that. That was the free work of God.
We just saw that. We were just disobedient. We
were living in sin and malice, envy, hateful, hating one another.
Who made us to differ? Here's what Christ said. It's
the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profits nothing. The words
that I speak, He said, they are spirit and they are life. I'll
tell you the truth. I'll preach this and I'll tell
you, live! Believe! You'll never do it. You'll never do it. You know
when you'll do it? When Christ speaks this word into your heart
as this gospel's going forth, you'll be alive. All of a sudden
you'll go, it says it right there on the page. I see it! And you'll
start agreeing with God. And you'll think, why did I not
ever do this? I've been a fool all my life.
That's what happened. Have you repented? Do you have
faith? Where'd you get that? Where'd
you get it? Well, I just fanned a flame inside
of me. Well, that gives you glory. Here's
what the scripture says. Acts 5.31 says, Him, Christ,
hath God exalted with His right hand to be a prince and a savior
for to give repentance to His people and forgiveness of sin. Christ gives repentance. It's
His to give. That's a gift. It's His to give.
What about faith? Ephesians 2.8 says, By grace
are you saved through faith. And that's not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God. And here's why. Lest any man
should boast. What do you mean? Well, if I
said, What about your faith? How did you get your faith? And
you said, Well, I busted that up. That's boasting. That's bragging. God gives faith so that we can't
say, I didn't have it. He gave it to me. Do you bear
fruit? Do you bear fruit? Fruit like
love, joy, peace. I'm talking about not just sentimental
stuff that men call love. I'm talking about toward God
and toward your brethren. You have love and joy and peace
and long-suffering and gentleness and goodness and faith and meekness
and temperance. These things against which there
is no law. Scripture says that's the fruit
of the Spirit of God. We didn't muster that up either.
What about every good work? What about that? Well, surely
my good works are of me. Ephesians 2.10 says we're His
workmanship created in Christ Jesus and two good works which
God hath before ordained that we shall walk in them. And I
put an article in your bulletin this time. Be sure to get a bulletin
that shows you exactly what that means. God ordained the good
works. He's going to equip you for them. He's going to bring
you to them. He's going to work them in you. And you're going
to do them. And most of the time you're not even going to realize
you've done it. That's right, because God ordained
for us to do them. And we're going to do them. Do
you have eternal life? Where did that come from? The
wages of sin is death. If we reject this gospel and
we perish in our sin, we earned it. It's a wage earned. Wages of sin is death. But the
gift, the free gift of God is eternal life. What about our
inheritance in eternal glory? And I'm talking about eternal
glory. Eternal glory is the inheritance.
What about that? It's called an inheritance that's
incorruptible, that's undefiled, that fadeth not away, that's
reserved. It's reserved by God in heaven
for you. For you who believe, truly believe.
For you that can say to this message I'm preaching, Amen,
that's so. This inheritance is reserved
for you. If you reject this gospel and say, that's not the gospel
I believe, there ain't nothing reserved for you but hell and
outer darkness. I guarantee you that. You've
heard it here today. Alright, now look. So what do
we have then that we didn't receive? What about God's providence? Everything that comes to pass
around us. God's working everything. Is
that of us? Did you make the sun come up
this morning? We're going to make it go down this afternoon?
We're going to make the moon come up? Listen to this. We know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called. And here's how they work together.
According to God's purpose. It's on purpose. Well, that sure
was wickedness that transpired. Well, I don't know how it's going
to bring glory to God, and I don't know how it's good for His people,
but I do know what the Scripture says. All things are working
together for our good. On purpose. Because God's working
them together for our good. So, in nature, in grace, in time,
in eternity, everything is the free gift of God's grace to His
people. Everything. Now understand this,
and this is so important. If we're offended by others,
that was the problem at Corinth. They were offended by their brethren.
And we're unjustly, rashly judging one another. When we exalt one
sinner over another sinner, Judge them unjustly, rashly. You know
what we're doing? We're glorying in our flesh just
as much if I was to stand here and preach salvation is by our
works. No different. We don't really
look at it that way, do we? That's why Paul's teaching them
this. It's glorying in our flesh the same way as if we denied
all this and said, no, we're saved by our works. We're saying
with the Pharisee, God, I thank Thee that I'm not as other men
are. extortioners and unjust and adulterers, or even as that
publican over there. That's what we're saying against
our brethren when we unjustly charge them. Maybe they are guilty. Who are
you that condemneth? It's God that justifies. He'll
correct His people. That's the message all believers
need to hear. That's the message that's going
to stop the unjust person judging the other person, and that's
the person that's going to stop me from being offended at being
unjustly judged. So lastly, Paul asks why. Since
that's glory and I'm being puffed up, here's what Paul says, verse
7. Now, if thou didst receive Everything is given to you freely.
Why then dost thou glory as if thou hast not received it? Now
you see what he's talking about? He's talking about being puffed
up against your brethren. He's saying that's glorying in
the flesh. He said, why are you doing that like everything you
have and everything your brethren have hadn't been the free gift
of God to you? And that means, brethren, if
everything is given to me and everything is given to my brethren
freely, then if that brother is having a problem and they're
not walking according to what God declares and how God commands
His children to walk, and they couldn't believe God without
God giving them grace, I couldn't believe God without Him giving
me repentance and faith and life and everything, then I know that it's going to
take God to bring that person down. to trust Him and to see
that they're being puffed up. So what's the best thing to do?
You know who needs to be ministered to most? That person. They need to be pointed to Christ
more than anybody. But you know what we normally
do? Not going to have anything else to do with them. That's
who needs the gospel. That's who needs it. You wait
until you get well to go to the hospital? That's who needs the
doctor. That's who needs the great physician.
That's what he's saying here. When that brother's puffed up,
don't get fired back and be puffed up back at him. He needs you
to minister to him. He needs you to serve him. And
wait on God to work judgment. Wait on God to chase an incorrect.
He'll do it in his time. God made us to differ. He's the
righteous, He made us the righteousness of God in Him. Christ said, Paul
said, you were just like these other sinners and He said, but
now you're washed, now you're justified by God and that wasn't
of you. So if He's the one that made
us to differ, who should we glory in? Glory in God, by the grace
of God I am what I am. That's what Paul said. Not unto
us, Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy
mercy and for Thy truth say. Jeremiah 9.23, we'll stop with
this. Jeremiah 9.23. This is another
scripture where it says, Thus saith the Lord. That means, Vow to this, listen now, Jeremiah
9.23, Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty glory in his might. Let not the rich
man glory in his riches. And I'm going to tell you something,
that right there just covered everybody on the face of the
planet. We fall into one of those categories. It's what we think
of ourselves in probably multiple of those categories. Probably
all of them. It's what we think of ourselves. But look here. Then if I don't glory in me,
who should I glory in? Verse 24. Let him that glorieth
glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me. That I'm the Lord which exercises
loving kindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth.
For in these things I delight, saith the Lord. So Paul says,
you want to glory? Don't be puffed up against one
another. That's glorying in flesh. Don't fire back on somebody when
they fire down on you. That's glorying in the flesh.
Trust God. Minister the grace of God. Teach
them the grace of God and wait on God. That's glorying in God. I pray God will teach us that.
Amen. Alright brethren, let's stand
together. Thank you Father for your mercy.
Thank you for everything. We don't have anything to boast
in. Lord, make us to see what Paul is teaching here. Make us
to see that Every time we get offended, it's just our flesh.
Unless we're offended because of Your glory and Your honor,
it's just our flesh. If we're offended because something
was said against us, who cares? That's a very small thing. Make
us to see, Lord, that You are everything and You must have
the glory. Make us wait on You. Give us faith to do that. Give
us repentance to turn from ourselves. We ask this in Christ's name.
Amen.