1 Corinthians 3 | Who Do You Belong To? - Brandon Chai (full service)

Devotional

Day 1: We Become Like Who We Belong To

When we identify with someone or something, we begin to emulate them. This can be seen in how we adopt mannerisms, ways of thinking, and even our style. The Corinthians were divided, aligning themselves with human leaders rather than focusing on their ultimate belonging. This led them to act like "ordinary people," lacking the spiritual maturity that comes from belonging to Christ. [32:29]

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 (ESV)
"for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife and divisions among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not being merely human?"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself most easily adopting the behaviors or viewpoints of those around you, and how might this be reflecting who you are claiming to belong to?

Day 2: Spiritual Maturity is Seen in Actions

Spiritual maturity is not measured by church attendance, theological knowledge, or years of service. Instead, it is revealed through our actions and behaviors, particularly in how we interact with others. Jealousy and strife are indicators of immaturity, suggesting we are still behaving like ordinary people rather than those transformed by Christ. [29:58]

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NASB)
"But I, brothers and sisters, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,"

Reflection: Reflect on a recent disagreement or conflict you experienced. How did your response in that situation demonstrate your spiritual maturity, or perhaps, your immaturity?

Day 3: Leaders are Servants, Not the Source of Growth

Leaders within the church, like Paul and Apollos, are merely servants, planters, and waterers. They are coworkers with God, but it is God alone who causes growth. Boasting in or belonging to human leaders leads to becoming like ordinary people. True leaders point to Christ, recognizing that their efforts are secondary to God's work. [37:12]

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (ESV)
"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."

Reflection: When you consider the leaders in your life, whether in ministry, work, or family, how do you distinguish between their role as servants and the ultimate source of growth and provision?

Day 4: We Build for Who We Belong To

The foundation of our faith and the church is Jesus Christ. When we build on this foundation, the materials we use—whether enduring like gold and silver, or temporary like wood and hay—will be tested. Building with eternal materials reflects a commitment to an eternal God and reveals who we truly belong to. [42:57]

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (NASB)
"According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Reflection: Consider the "materials" you are using to build your life and your contributions to the church. Are they temporary and fragile, or are they enduring and eternal, reflecting your ultimate belonging?

Day 5: Belonging to God Changes Everything

Because we belong to God through Christ, all things are ours: Paul, Apollos, the world, life, death, and the present and future. This truth liberates us from striving and earning, allowing us to rest in God's provision. Forgetting our belonging leads to exhaustion and seeking fulfillment in lesser things, but remembering it brings peace and allows us to live as God's holy temple. [50:04]

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (ESV)
"so let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

Reflection: If you truly believe that all things belong to you because you belong to God, what is one area where you are currently striving or worrying unnecessarily, and how can you begin to rest in what is already yours?

Sermon Summary

A clear exposition of 1 Corinthians 3 calls the church to remember its identity in Christ and to live accordingly. Beginning with a personal anecdote about cultural influence, the speaker uses Paul’s sharp critique of Corinth to diagnose a congregation behaving like spiritual infants—marked not by time in the pew but by jealousy, factionalism, and imitation of ordinary people. The heart of the teaching is a double claim: people become like those they belong to, and they build for those to whom they belong. Paul’s metaphors of planting and watering emphasize that human labor is necessary but secondary: leaders are servants, coworkers, and stewards, while God alone causes growth.

The sermon unpacks the blueprint Paul provides: Jesus Christ is the only foundation, and every builder’s work will be tested by fire. Materials that endure (gold, silver, precious stones) contrast with temporary materials (wood, hay, straw), exposing whether a life or ministry aimed for eternal ends or worldly acclaim. This testing exposes motives; poor materials mean loss of reward though not loss of salvation. Furthermore, the congregation is not described as an aggregation of isolated individuals but as God’s temple—corporate, indwelt by the Spirit, called to holiness and visible otherness in a divided world.

The teaching closes with a posture of both urgency and invitation: everything that belongs to God belongs to those who belong to Christ. Forgetting that identity leads to fruitless striving and to building for the wrong master; remembering it frees the church to stop competing, to stop manufacturing spiritual maturity, and to rest in the resources Christ has already secured. The result should be a distinctive people whose unity, humility, and generosity point the watching world to the extraordinary God they serve. The call lands pastoral and prophetic: check who is shaping imitation and construction in life and ministry; reorient every act and ambition to the foundation and owner of the church.

Key Takeaways

1. Belonging shapes who one becomes Identity is formative: the person or movement to which one pledges allegiance determines habits, speech, ambitions, and ultimate character. To belong to ordinary human authorities invariably narrows vision to temporal aims; to belong to Christ reorients desire toward holiness, sacrificial love, and eternal fruit. Examine affiliations: they act like spiritual DNA, replicating themselves in daily life. [32:29]
2. Leaders plant; God causes growth Ministry roles are functional, not foundational—planting and watering are faithful labors but never substitutes for divine sovereignty. Recognizing leaders as servants prevents idolatry of personalities and redirects gratitude toward God who alone gives increase. This humbles leaders and frees congregations to steward gifts without conflating human success with God’s endorsement. [36:34]
3. Build with eternal materials only The quality of ministry and life will be revealed by Christ’s testing; durable investments are truth, sacrificial love, and gospel-centered community. Temporary applause, political gain, or self-advancement will burn away, exposing misplaced motives even within sincere service. Building for God means choosing costly, lasting means over expedient recognition. [41:01]
4. You are God’s holy temple The church is a corporate dwelling of the Spirit and therefore set apart for visible holiness and unity that contrasts with a fractured world. This corporate indwelling demands communal fidelity: harming the body is profaning God’s house and will meet divine judgement. The Spirit’s presence supplies the power and the standard for being otherworldly together. [44:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:28] - Rap culture and personal influence
[25:47] - Identity shaped by who one follows
[26:28] - Main idea: become and build for
[28:19] - Paul’s diagnosis: spiritual infants
[31:25] - Jealousy, factions, and maturity measured
[36:34] - Planting, watering, and God’s growth
[39:58] - Foundation: Christ alone
[41:01] - Material testing and eternal rewards
[44:58] - Church as God’s temple
[49:33] - All things belong to Christ’s people
[56:02] - Gospel invitation and closing prayer
[57:10] - Benediction and final prayer

Bible Study Guide

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (ESV)
> 1 And I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and walking according to the ways of man? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
>
> 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV)
> 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)
> 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (ESV)
> 21 So let no one boast in men. For 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 Christ's, and Christ is God's.

Observation questions

Paul describes the Corinthian believers as "infants in Christ" and says he fed them "milk, not solid food." What specific behaviors did Paul point to as evidence of their immaturity? [28:19]
Paul contrasts building with "gold, silver, precious stones" versus "wood, hay, or straw." What do these different building materials represent in terms of our lives and ministry? [41:01]
The sermon highlighted that the church is described as "God's temple." What does it mean for the church to be a "holy" temple? [44:58]
Paul concludes by stating, "all things are yours... and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." What does this declaration mean for how believers should approach their lives and possessions? [49:33]

Interpretation questions

The sermon suggested that the Corinthian church was divided because they were "boasting in people" and acting like "ordinary people." How does our tendency to align ourselves with or imitate ordinary people, rather than Christ, lead to spiritual immaturity? [32:11]
Paul uses the metaphor of building on a foundation laid by a "skilled master builder." What does it mean to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and how can we discern if our "building materials" are intended for eternal purposes or temporary acclaim? [39:58]
The passage states that "God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." How does the corporate indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the church call believers to a visible holiness and unity that contrasts with the world? [44:58]
When Paul says, "all things are yours," what is the danger of trying to "work for it, to earn it" instead of resting in what God has already provided through Christ? [53:13]

Application questions

The sermon emphasized that "we become like and build for who we belong to." [32:29] Consider the people, influences, or movements you most closely identify with. In what ways are you becoming like them in your habits, speech, or ambitions?
Paul contrasts leaders as "servants" who "plant and water," with God alone causing growth. [36:34] How can we guard against idolizing human leaders and ensure our gratitude is directed towards God for the growth we see in our lives and in the church?
The sermon challenged us to consider if we are building with "eternal materials" or "temporary things." [42:16] What are some specific, tangible ways you can ensure your daily actions and long-term goals are aligned with building for eternal purposes rather than worldly acclaim?
We are called to be "God's temple," set apart for holiness and unity. [44:58] In what specific ways can you contribute to the visible holiness and distinctiveness of our church community in the coming week?
The message highlighted that "everything that belongs to God belongs to us because we belong to God through Christ." [50:04] If you've been trying to "work for" or "earn" things like peace, joy, or acceptance, what is one step you can take this week to rest in the resources Christ has already secured for you?
The sermon asked, "Who are you building for?" [54:10] Reflect on your current life and ministry. Are your efforts primarily aimed at personal recognition, comfort, or the glory of God? How can you reorient your ambitions to build solely for God's glory?
The invitation is extended to belong to God through Christ. [54:59] If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, what is one step you can take this week to explore what it means to belong to Him? If you are a follower, how can you more actively share the good news of who we belong to with others?

Sermon Clips

``And as much as I hope that we as the church, Jesus followers, never forget that we belong to God through Christ. You are here today and you are not a believer, you've never actually put your trust in Jesus, I hope you hear the invitation and the warm welcome of Christ asking you, do you wanna walk do you wanna belong to God too? And the invitation is so beautiful. Jesus came from heaven to earth, born as an infant, sipping milk like us, growing up to chew on solid foods. Jesus lived this extraordinary life to welcome ordinary people like you and me to become so much more than ordinary. [00:54:52] (42 seconds) #BelongToChrist

And Jesus' body as God's temple, where the Holy Spirit dwelt on earth, was destroyed so that we as God's temple never will be. So now, we boast, we brag, we are loud, and we are obnoxious about the gospel message of Jesus, of the good news that the kingdom of God has come near through the person of Christ, and that Christ was crucified, but he was raised on the third day. And we're loud about that message, that foundation, so that the whole world knows who we belong to. Amen? [00:55:51] (32 seconds) #LoudForTheGospel

Who do you belong to? How can you determine that? Consider asking yourself, who are you becoming more like? Are you becoming more like your parents or your group of friends or that influencer on your phone, or that politician on the TV, an ordinary person, or are you becoming more like an extraordinary Jesus? Or ask yourself, who are you building for? Who are you building your life and this church for? Are you building it for you to look more spiritually mature? For you to look more holy? For your life and your family to look more successful? Are we building for comfort? Or are we building solely for the glory of God? [00:53:43] (54 seconds) #WhoAreYouBecoming

Because how a leader builds will reveal who they belong to. And I think we'd all agree that we have too many church leaders out here today building platforms with sticks, wood, hay, and straw for their own fame, for their own political agendas, for their own bank accounts. And all that they're showing is that they have forgotten who they belong to. [00:43:04] (23 seconds) #LeadWithIntegrity

He says, gold, silver, and precious stones, and then wood, hay, and straw. Do you notice the difference between the first three and the last three? So the first three, gold, silver, and precious stones, these are things built to last, built to endure. In other words, eternal materials to build on the eternal foundation of Christ with. But on the other hand, wood, hay, and straw, these are temporary things, fragile things that will not ultimately hold up to God's testing. So what's the warning here? If you are claiming to build for an eternal purpose, an eternal God, well, then you're gonna need to use eternal materials. [00:41:59] (44 seconds) #BuildForEternity

So after calling the Corinthian church God's building, Paul's now showing them the blueprint. Paul said that he started the Corinthian church by laying down the foundation of Christ, which is to say that he founded the church on the gospel good news of Jesus, that the kingdom of God had come near. And that same applies today, that any church that is founded on anything but that message, that good news, that gospel is not a real church. [00:40:03] (25 seconds) #FoundationIsTheGospel

For the past few weeks, like I said, we've been in a series through the New Testament book of first Corinthians, and first Corinthians is a letter written by a guy by the name of the apostle Paul, written to the church in Corinth in Greece, and the Corinthian church was an incredibly spiritually gifted church, but also an incredibly divided one. And here in chapter three, we're gonna be wrapping up Paul's appeal that he started in chapter one, where he's pleading with them, appealing to them to remain united. And today, he's gonna be telling them, remember who you belong to. [00:26:00] (32 seconds) #PaulCallsForUnity

But how was Paul determining the Corinthians' spiritual age, or in other words, their spiritual maturity? Not by how long they've been attending church, not by how much church service they've done, not even by how much theological knowledge they have. Paul could tell their spiritual maturity that they were infants by their actions and their behaviors, by their jealousy and their strife. They were still behaving like ordinary people. And as someone who's grown up in church for most of my life, and and I've been overseeing our life group ministry for a while, I've often heard people use that term spiritual maturity. [00:29:30] (46 seconds) #MaturityShowsInActions

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1 Corinthians 3 | Who Do You Belong To? - Brandon Chai (full service)

Devotional

Day 1: We Become Like Who We Belong To

Day 2: Spiritual Maturity is Seen in Actions

Day 3: Leaders are Servants, Not the Source of Growth

Day 4: We Build for Who We Belong To

Day 5: Belonging to God Changes Everything

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

1 Corinthians 3 | Who Do You Belong To? - Brandon Chai (full service)

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