Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Serve as Partners for the Kingdom of God” I Corinthians 3:18-4:21
Introduction
The church is not about location but relationships.
We love noth¬ing better than to erect buildings and develop sprawling ecclesiastical campuses. The church is not about locationships: It's about vocation¬ships and relationships. Christianity is at its core an itinerant and a relational gospel. Jesus walked and talked - "Can you hear me now?" - and the early church did its evange¬lizing in the marketplace.
Paul understood that and appeals for the church to take seriously the command of Jesus to love one another as He loves us. God established that one characteristic as the irrefutable evidence of a people connected to Him.
Review
I. Reproof for fleshly behavior 1-6
A. Reproof concerning divisions 1-4
1. Opening appeal for unity 1:10-17
2. The Biblical foundation for Unity 1:18-4:5
a) Focus on the priority of Christ and the cross 1:18-31
b) Depend on the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit 2:1-3:4
c) Faithfully serve as partners for the Kingdom of God 3:6-4:5
(1) All are servants of the same Master 3:5 -- So keep focused on your part.
(2) God alone generates growth So make sure He gets the credit.
(3) All Play on the same team 3:8a So focus on kingdom growth
(4) Each servant will be individually responsible and rewarded
Paul made three points each individual servant should take into account.
? Be careful how you build.
? Be careful to keep humble minded.
? Be careful about judging one another.
(a) Be careful how you build 3:10-17
First! The careful builder builds on the right foundation.
Second! The careful builder builds with the right materials.
Third! Protect the building (temple).
(b) Be careful to keep humble minded 3:18-23
A faithful servant is not only careful how he builds but is careful to keep humble minded.
?Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS."
?So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.
We don’t have to be smarter, or wiser, or think we are better or have all the answers. The reality is that all human wisdom is foolishness before God. Boasting in men is not only futile but foolish. “Become foolish” has to do with giving up the notion that we can figure anything our and seek to apply the wisdom of God. Acknowledge that all wisdom comes from Christ. In Him alone are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. There is no competition in the body because we all share the riches of Christ together. All things belong to everybody and we all belong to Christ and there for no reason to squabble over “stuff.” There is plenty to go around. Only when we become proud and self-serving and greedy do struggles and divisions arise.
Pride started the whole mess in the first place. Paul in one grand stroke eliminates all ground for pride in the Christian community. We all have equal access to all things; we all belong to Christ who belongs to God. Paul describes a completely interconnected community.
The other half of not considering ourselves better than others is to not judge others as worse than ourselves.
(c) Be careful about judging God’s servants 4:1-5
We are all servants of God. We all must concentrate on our own faithfulness and not worry about others. Let God take care of His own servants.
Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
Here are the three irreducible qualifications for service to Christ.
• Servant of Christ
• Steward of the truth of God
• Faithfulness - trustworthy, dependable
The only one to accurately evaluate these is Christ.
But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4
The context here is faithful MINISTRY for God, not SIN. There is a time and place for leadership and mature believers to discern and deal with sinful behavior in the church. In fact that is the whole point of this letter and especially in the next chapter.
“Apart from the discipline of sinning servants, we can make no absolutely accurate judgment (evaluation) as to the faithfulness of hear, mind, and body of any servant of God.” John MacArthur
Paul urged the Corinthians to stop evaluating the validity of one another’s ministry.
Was Paul’s ministry better than Apollos?
Was Apollos more effective than Paul?
Was Peter really doing it the right way?
Too often we get so wrapped up in criticizing what is wrong we miss what is real. Leave ultimate evaluation up to God. His evaluation criterion is usually completely different than ours. He focuses on the heart. Even Paul realized that just because currently his conscience was clear about his ministry fidelity did not guarantee his ministry was approved of God. Only God can accurately evaluate our faithfulness for Him.
Often times churches get sidetracked by rating ministries.
The previous pastor did it better.
The church down the street does it better.
They don’t run Sunday School like I would do it.
They are just in it for personal glory.
Paul warns us about such comparisons and attempts to judge ourselves or others. We are to leave such evaluation to God.
To correct such behavior at the Church in Corinth Paul made several important points.
? We are each responsible before God to fulfill our God-given and directed calling.
? The chief responsibility of a servant is faithfulness, trustworthiness to the Master.
? Ultimately it is not others or even we who evaluate faithfulness, but God.
? Stop passing judgment on others and wait for His accurate judgment.
? Christ will bring the hidden things to light.
? Christ will openly declare the motives behind the ministry.
? Each individual will be affirmed by God for their faithfulness.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
According to this passage God will evaluate faithful service according to labor, gifting, materials and motives. He alone is able to accurately determine faithfulness and therefore justly give or withhold reward according to reality. We can only see the outside. God sees the inside as well as the externals. He will take into account the very motives of our actions and reward us accordingly. We should focus on the advice Paul gave to Timothy.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Tim. 2:15
Description of a Faithful servant
A faithful servant fervently and consistently carries out assigned responsibilities no matter how small or large using his God-given resources to their full capacity without the need for continual external controls of compliments in spite of the temptation of immediate temporal pleasure and fulfillment and in spite of the threat of imminent temporal pain and failure and serves as if it were for Christ Himself.
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Col. 1:28-29
Lessons for serving as partners for the Kingdom of God
If we keep our nose in our own business and pay attention to our calling and the mission God has given us we will have much less time to worry about the faults of others.
Everyone is individually responsible and rewarded by God so…
1. Be careful how you build
Building on the right Foundation
Building with the right materials
Always protecting the building
2. Be careful to keep humble minded
3. Be careful not to judge other’s ministry to God.
Jesus will return one day to evaluate all believers. All faithful builders will be rewarded for their faithfulness so…
? Work hard (labor)
? Use your God-given gifts to your full potential (gifting)
? Focus everything on Christ and His words (foundation)
? Build well (materials)
? Glorify Christ. (motives)
God will publicly praise those who faithfully serve the kingdom. God will publicly expose and withhold reward from those who fail to serve faithfully and they look over what they did on earth after it is tried by fire and find only ashes.
Yes, they will enter the glories of heaven but will shrink away in shame at His coming.
3. Closing Appeal for unity 4:6-21
Paul began his appeal for unity with a direct exhortation.
Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Cor. 1:10
After urging them to focus on Christ depend on the Holy Spirit and serve as partners Paul finished his appeal for unity with three final exhortations.
a) Don’t become arrogant 4:6-13
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. 1 Cor. 4:6
The “these things” figuratively applied to Paul and Apollos has to do with the three figures he employed to describe their role. Farmers - Builders - Servants/Stewards
If we focus on Christ and His written directions we will not exalt people or try to become important. We are merely farmers, builders and stewards called by Christ to minister the truth in love. The truth of Christ must persistently both guard and guide all our relationships. When we all hold ourselves to His standard there is no cause for anyone to arrogantly try to push their own agenda.
“arrogant” blowing, to inflate, puff up.
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 1 Cor. 8:1
A concentration on just truth causes one to become arrogant in their knowledge. Truth must always be wrapped in love and a passion to build rather than destroy.
True love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant 1Cor13:4
This is something we learn by teaching and experience. The truth of God’s word exposes our arrogance and hypocrisy. We must never major on things not addressed in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are the standard of both belief AND practice. The Scripture instruct us concerning what is right and wrong. The Scripture exhorts us to relate to one another in love as God is love.
Whenever we go beyond the Scriptures in faith or practice we impose standards not even God holds in an effort to arrogantly control others. Since the fall, people have strained to control others. Rather than cooperate as servants of God we compete for personal honor, prestige, wealth, and control. Yes even in the church. That is why the various groups formed in the Corinthian church. Each one wanted to align with the one who would bring them the greatest prestige and power and continually tried to prove their point as to who was greatest. Paul sternly reproved the Corinthians for such divisive attitudes and actions.
For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1 Cor. 4:7
Paul hammered the Corinthians for using their God-granted gifting to claim superiority over others. He wrapped his rebuke in three very pointed questions.
1. Who determines your superiority? God?
2. What do you have that wasn’t given to you by God?
You would have nothing except for God based on His choice not your merit.
3. If God gave it that why are you boasting about what was not yours in the first place?
Paul proclaimed by God’s grace I am what I am. Gifting should promote an attitude of gratefulness not a sense of greatness. Stop trying to prove superior with something that was never in your control. Let Him who boasts, boast in THE LORD!
Then Paul engages in a bit (OK a bunch) of sarcasm to pound home the point. The use of such a dangerous weapon may seem harsh but only strait forward, direct confrontation affects the arrogant. Jesus’ most stern treatment while on earth was against the arrogant Pharisees. Even the woman caught in adultery was treated gently by Jesus. When it is used with the motive of conversion and change rather than hurt and pain, sarcasm can effectively expose and defuse pride and arrogance. God hates pride and arrogance.
You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. 1 Cor. 4:8-13
APOSTLES CORINTHIANS
Counted last (last to the table?) Filled (satisfied)
Condemned to die (derelict convicts) Rich (wealthy)
Made spectacles (to be pitied) Kings (rulers to be exalted)
Fools Prudent (wise, sensible, shrewd)
Weak Strong
Without honor Distinguished (held in honor, glorious)
Hungry and thirsty
Poorly clothed
Roughly treated
Homeless
Hard working with manual labor
Reviled but blessing
Persecuted but enduring
Slandered but peace-making
Considered scum (refuse), dirt of the earth
This is such a convicting and even confusing passage. Look at the Corinthian list.
Aren’t these all the things people strive to archive in their life; even Christians? This looks like a “name it and claim it” sermon outline. Paul says, look you guys have already arrived and entered the blessings of the kingdom and you did it without us. In fact you left us behind because our life even now is still a painful struggle. Look at the chosen and anointed Apostles list of life struggles. Aren’t these all the things people strive to avoid in their life? Paul declared to the Philippians that he had not yet arrived at such perfection as was being claimed by the Corinthians.
Paul gently urges the Corinthians to abandon arrogance and adopt his humble attitude.
b) Imitate Paul’s example 4:14-17
I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
Paul exhorted these believers to imitate him. This is the word “mimetes” to imitate or mimic. He did not urge them to follow him as opposed to Apollos or Peter but to imitate his humble dependence on and passionate commitment to Christ. Paul repeats this appeal later in chapter 11.
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. 1 Cor. 11:1
We learn though imitation. In fact we become like those we hang out with. Many truths are much better caught than taught. Oh that we had more models of passionate commitment to the cause of Christ. Paul based his appeal on the fact that even though many had taught them and perhaps they had rallied around a specific teacher, he was the one who introduced them to Christ. He calls them to a standard of thought and life that he continually lived and taught wherever he went based on what Christ had taught to him. In case they had forgotten (and it looks like they did) Paul dispatched Pastor Timothy to remind them. He sent Timothy as a visible model of a FAITHFUL servant. We are forgetful people. We all need continual reminding of the truth. To those who were continuing to cause divisions Paul issued a final warning.
c) Choose a beating or a blessing? 4:18-21
Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
There is a time for a “rod” as we will readily recognize in the next chapter. Paul would much rather come in an attitude of love and gentleness. The central core of divisions and strife among people is self-centered pride. Since God resists the proud but gives living grace to the humble, the proud can only operate in the flesh.
When we walk in the flesh we provide a foothold for Satan to operate through our life. It is his power that energizes the sons of disobedience. When we adopt the ways of the sons of disobedience we invite Satan to energize our flesh who not only puts words in our mind and mouth but empowers those words to cause damage and destruction to those around us.
Either Satan or the Holy Spirit empowers our words. We speak either words promoting death and destruction or words offering life and grace.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29
We must humble ourselves, repent of our self-centered bent and failure to promote unity.
Jesus sent a letter to another church with the same arrogant attitudes.
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' " Rev. 3:14-22
When we focus on the Priority of Christ and the cross…
When we depend on the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit…
When we serve in partnership for the sake of the kingdom…
Then we will discover
true unity in Christ.
