Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – 1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Set – Job 33; 1 Corinthians 3
Go! – Job 34-37; 1 Corithians 1-3
1 Corinthians 3:10-23
10 Like a skilled architect and master builder, I laid a foundation based upon God’s grace given to me. Now others will come along to build on the foundation. Each serves in a different way and is to build upon it with great care. 11 There is, in fact, only one foundation, and no one can lay any foundation other than Jesus the Anointed. 12 As others build on the foundation (whether with gold, silver, gemstones, wood, hay, or straw), 13 the quality of each person’s work will be revealed in time as it is tested by fire. 14 If a man’s work stands the test of fire, he will be rewarded. 15 If a man’s work is consumed by the fire, his reward will be lost but he will be spared, rescued from the fire. 16 Don’t you understand that together you form a temple to the living God and His Spirit lives among you? 17 If someone comes along to corrupt, vandalize, and destroy the temple of God, you can be sure that God will see to it that he meets destruction because the temple of God is sacred. You, together, are His temple.
18 Don’t let anyone deceive himself. If any one of you thinks he is wise in matters pertaining to this world, he is going to be really disappointed. In fact, one must be deemed a fool by worldly standards in order to become truly wise 19 because the wisdom of this rebellious and broken world looks like foolishness when put next to God. So it stands in Scripture, “He catches the wise in their deceitful plotting.” 20 And the Scriptures add, “The Lord knows the highest thoughts of the wise, and they are worthless.” 21 So there is no reason for anyone to boast in human leaders. You already have it all. 22 So whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, the present or the future—it all belongs to you. 23 You belong to the Anointed One, and the Anointed One belongs to God.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Why do you go to church? Is it to hear the message of the preacher? Is it to hear the music present by the choir or choral group? Is it to study under a particular teacher? Just why do you attend where you attend? It really is an important question to ask yourself every once in a while. If you only go because of the pastor or the music or the studies presented or some particular program, you’re there for the wrong reason. You’re even there for the wrong reason if it’s because you think they have the doctrine that fits the way you believe.
So why do you go to church? The only acceptable answer is to worship Me. Any other answer makes the church a social club. You might as well go to the Elks Lodge or the local Lions’ Club. Find yourself another place that does good things for people and go there. If your goal when you come through the door of the sanctuary of your church isn’t to meet with Me in worship, then you’ve missed the reason for coming together as brothers and sisters.
All the physical ministries of the church can be carried out by other organizations in your community and probably are. The Food Bank collects and distributes more food to the hungry than you’ll ever feed in a lifetime at your church. The Red Cross provides shelter for the homeless in disasters worldwide and does it better than a church could ever think about doing it. Doctors without Borders provides health and healing for the sick and injured in ways your local church could not begin to approach. And the list goes on.
Sure, you do some things in your community, but so do other organizations and they probably do it better, so why do you come to church? Search your heart. Do you come expecting to see Me every Sunday? Do you even come every Sunday? Do you prepare yourself to visit with Me when you arrive? Have you prayed and met with Me through the week so that when you join your brothers and sisters you’re ready to celebrate My coming together with you in worship?
Some of those Paul wrote to in Corinth forgot why they came together. They began to follow people instead of Me. They came together to do good things instead of coming together to meet with Me. They thought they could reach Me by ministering to others. They got it backwards, though. Reach out to Me first and I will help you reach out to others. Your ministries will never succeed until you worship Me first. Until you follow the path I lay before you, your efforts will be in vain. Your wisdom is meaningless compared to Mine.
So ask yourself again today, why do you come to church? Do you know the answer? There will be a test. I want you to pass. Make sure you have the right answer when I return.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.