Sixpence None The Richer

Illumination:

We pray, that we, as those who Paul charged, may be filled wit the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please you in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all the power, according to His glorious might, for the affirming of all steadfastness and patience. Amen.

Text:

1 Corinthians 4:1–14 (ESV) — 1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. 6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. 14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

After Scripture

The Lord bless to us the reading of His holy word, and to His name be glory and praise.

Intro

What do you think of when you dream of success?

If it’s sports, do you dream of winning the championship, hitting the homerun, shooting the buzzer beater, being hoisted upon your teammates shoulders, or do fantasize about the hours and hours of practice, drills, and sweat?

If it’s music, do you dream of the performance and the applause, or do you think of sitting in your bedroom going over your scales?

When we think of leadership, we often dream of what that role will afford us and not what it will cost us.

The Corinthians’ imagination regarding leadership was captured by the world and it’s praise. They

Outline

How One Should Regard Us (1 Cor. 4:1-2)

I Do Not Even Judge Myself (1 Cor. 4:3-5)

What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Cor. 4:6-7)

How One Should Regard Us

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 (ESV) — 1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

Servants: “Christian leaders do not try to be independent gurus, all-wise teachers. They see themselves simply as servants and want other Christians to see them that way, too. But they are servants of one particular Master: they serve Jesus Christ” -- D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry, 94.

“Observe, too, that pride or haughtiness is the cause and commencement of all contentions, when every one, assuming to himself more than he is entitled to do, is eager to have others in subjection to him” — Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, ch. 4

Pride subjugates -- Pride takes the position of master, not servant

Our example in Christ

John 13:12–17 (ESV) — 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Philippians 2:3–11 (ESV) — 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Mysteries of God: “The expression secret things (literally, mysteries) is the same one found in 2:7, "God's wisdom in a mystery" (NIV, "God's secret wisdom"). You will recall that in the second chapter of this book the nature of the mystery was explored a little. Paul is not saying that the gospel is "mysterious," but that in some ways it was hidden before the coming of Jesus Christ and has now been revealed. The gospel itself is the content of this mystery, God's wisdom summed up under the burden of Paul's preaching: Jesus Christ and him crucified.” -- D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry, 94.

A steward must make the gospel clear

They must be found faithful — that is, their lives must match their message

In Christian leadership, it isn’t the extraordinary qualities that make a minister (something that the corinthians were looking for) but faithfulness in the ordinary. What is it that qualifies a minister? The lists that we have are lists ordinary traits diligently done.

Come to serve, not to be served - Mark 10:45

I Do Not Even Judge Myself

1 Corinthians 4:3–5 (ESV) — 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

“Here we have a beautiful and singularly profitable admonition, not to measure the strictness of God’s judgment by our own opinion; for we are dim-sighted, but God is preeminently discerning” — Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, ch. 4

Where do you go when your heart accuses you?

Where do you go when men accuse you?

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:19–20, ESV)

Commendations from the Lord — “well done”. We often feel that God will draw our attention to all of our failures on the last day, but we are reminded here that in Christ we are forgiven, and that the last day will reveal God’s commendations.

What do you have that you did not receive?

1 Corinthians 4:6–7 (ESV) — 6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Paul and Apollos leading by example:

One of the ways that Paul is acting as steward of the mysteries is by asking this question about grace. He is getting the house in order

Sixpence None The Richer

“Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what that is really like.

It is like a small child going to it’s father and saying, ‘Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present.’ Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child’s present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction.

C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) in Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 2001) 192.

“For what greater vanity is there than that of boasting without any ground for it? Now, there is no man that has anything of excellency from himself; therefore the man that extols himself is a fool and an idiot. The true foundation of Christian modesty is this—not to be self-complacent, as knowing that we are empty and void of everything good—that, if God has implanted in us anything that is good, we are so much the more debtors to his grace; and in fine, that, as Cyprian says, we must glory in nothing, because there is nothing that is our own.” --Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, ch. 4

grace creates a worshipping people

grace creates a humble people

Ministers and ministries must get grace right.

Life under grace

Conclusion

Do you save the below text for next week?

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”” (John 10:11–18, ESV)

Grace Notes Reflection:

According to Paul, an authentic ministry is marked by an ambition for humble service (1 Cor. 4:1), deriving its confidence and strength from God’s estimation (1 Cor. 4:4), and is aware that all things have been received as gifts of grace (1 Cor. 4:7). The humility, confidence, and thankfulness of the church authenticates its gospel message and stands in stark contrast against a world of pride, insecurity, and thanklessness.

Some probing questions from our text this week:

If a servant cannot be greater than his master, what should we expect as servants of Jesus? Will our ministry be marked by serving?

If the world condemns us, our hearts criticize us, and Satan accuse us, where do we go for an accurate picture of our standing before God? Where do you derive your confidence?

What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?