Identity-I Am Significant

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; …

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 (LSB) Let a man consider us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found faithful.

As we continue to think about our identity IN CHRIST,

Let’s remember that we are not only

Accepted

and

Secure

But, when we are In Christ, we are SIGNIFICANT.

We are significant, first and foremost, because we are loved.

Our Creator, the Creator of the universe LOVES us!

God loves us!

Most of us know that says John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Many of us who were raised in church can just about quote this one in our sleep.

It’s behind the umpire on a hand-painted sign in every televised major league baseball game.

It’s become synonymous with the Christian faith in many ways.

For God so loved…it’s how the statement begins, still we often miss that part.

Loved.

He loved us. He loves us. He will always love us. He has loved us since the beginning of time. Even before we were, He loved us.

And He doesn’t just love the world in general — He loves each of us in particular.

Both inside the church and outside there’s a real focus on sin.

We often even say that’s the reason Jesus had to die — because of our sin.

And while God doesn’t mess around with sin and He does explicitly say in the Bible that there must be a blood atonement for our sins (Hebrews 9), that’s not why Jesus died.

Sin doesn’t explain why He took the punishment upon Himself — love does.

Love explains why The Father sent His Son.

Love explains why Jesus died in place of us.

Love explains His resurrection.

Love explains the abundant life He offers us as a result of His death.

It is love and it always has been love.

His love makes us significant.

What is Significance?

But what is significance?

People often search for significance, but it can be elusive.

What is significant?

After much thought, Neal Anderson came to the conclusion that:

a significant event or person is something or someone who made a lasting impact on life.

He says:

I initially thought that the key was on the immediate size of the impact, but now I know that significance is really measured by how long it lasts.

What is forgotten in time is of little significance;

what is remembered for eternity is of great significance.

I am amazed at what the world calls significant.

Because it rarely is.

Especially in the light of eternity.

So, hopefully, we can understand a few things about significance

That lasting significance…

Not in People

Is rarely found in people.

People can have an impact on our lives, but not very often is it a lasting impact.

The Apostle Paul puts it all in perspective in 1 Corinthians 3:1 through 4:2.

If you were to open your Bible to this passage, you would see how Paul says:

“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ” (v. 1).

They were children of God, but they were not acting like children of God — they were acting like infants.

They weren’t ready for solid meat, so he had to give them milk.

Their carnality was evidenced by jealousy and quarreling among them, and the fact that they were just following men.

He notes in vs. 4 that One said, “I follow Paul,” and another said, “I follow Apollos.”

Verse 5 says, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul?

Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.”

Concerning being a servant we read in Mark 9:33–35 (LSB) [That Jesus and His disciples] came to Capernaum; and when [Jesus] was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35 And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Too many people today find their identity in following great leaders or belonging to certain organizations, instead of finding it IN CHRIST and being a part of the family of God.

Paul had planted and Apollos had watered — they were just servants.

It was God who caused the increase.

But obviously, at the same time, there ARE some people who leave a lasting impact.

Many of them are Biblical individuals.

But there are some, more contemporary, people who have had a lasting significance…

Martin Luther

John Wesley

Billy Graham

In this church there are many people who have made a lasting impact.

They have led lives of lasting significance.

Among them are Vincent and Barbara Ziegenbein.

That this building is here is in no small part due to Brother Vincent taking my rough outline of a building and putting it into CAD (Computer …).

Vincent created architectural drawings that were so good an architect and the local building inspector signed off on them.

Now realize, we spoke to 2 different architects before building this building.

One was so expensive we couldn’t have afforded him on our budget.

And the other, while a volunteer, pretty much refused to listen to us about the building we wanted to build.

Brother Vincent put many dozens of hours into making this building become a reality — including spending many hours helping me oversee the volunteers who did most of the inside work.

So this building speaks to the lasting significance of Brother Vincent’s contributions.

After over 6 years we are still satisfied with the building — obviously there are some things we would tweak — but overall, it is suiting our purposes.

Of course, Brother Vincent is much more than a CAD tech, he is an extraordinary craftsman:

He and Peggy Wood crafted this cross.

On the bookshelf before you come in you see praying hands he created.

He is a master craftsman.

For many years Brother Vincent added his extraordinary Bass voice to the choir and to the Worship Team.

I still smile when I watch a video from Valentine’s day 10 years ago in 2014

Show Video

Sister Barbara has also been a very significant person in our church.

For many years she served as the liaison with the WEC Resource Center.

She has spent many tireless hours helping with untold numbers of projects.

What a team the Ziegenbeins have been!

They have done so many things over the years they have been a part of this family.

What a sad thing for them to move away to be close to some of their children!

We understand — but still, it is hard!

So, take time at our fellowship this morning to tell them how much you appreciate their SIGNIFICANT contributions.

Not in Self-Effort

So, while lasting significance is not often found in many of the people in our lives…

It is certainly NOT found in our self-effort.

Considering what God wants to accomplish through the Church today, how much gets accomplished if person tries to do it all by her or himself?

The answer is “nothing.”

And how much gets accomplished if we expect God to do it all?

The answer is still “nothing.”

God has chosen to operate through the Church— through the ekklesia, through koinonia, through the Bride …

If no one waters and no one plants, nothing is going to grow.

But even when Christians do plant and water, if God isn’t in it, nothing will grow.

(1 Cor. 3:8, 9) “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” .

Not just planting and watering but also building.

Building on the foundation that Jesus Himself laid.

“No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).

So, by the grace of God that Jesus laid the foundation, and He warns us to be careful how we build on that it.

If we build on any other foundation our work will be tested.

Someday, there will be a judgment, and the things we have built in total dependence upon the Lord our God will be as gold, silver and costly jewels.

But the work we have done in the flesh, through our self-efforts — will be as wood, hay and straw.

(1 Cor. 3:13, 14). “It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward”

There is an old saying that says,

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Only what we presently sow in God’s Kingdom will last for eternity.

Only what we build on the foundation of Christ…

Only what we do IN CHRIST will have lasting significance.

Not in Our Abilities

The Apostle Paul also reminds us that we are God’s temple; that the Holy Spirit spirit dwells within us.

We are not to be deceived: (1 Cor. 3:18) “If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a ‘fool’ so that he may become wise.”

Wisdom is understanding that any abilities we have come from God.

Wednesday night we mentioned this again.

1 Corinthians 4:7 (LSB) … 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?

And then we deploy our God-given abilities to be used by Him.

We remember that Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

But the opposite is also true. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

Because I am God’s child, I have an entitlement:

(1 Cor. 3:21–23) “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.”

So we are entitled to function as children of God, but we have also been given an entrustment, a stewardship.

Significance Lies in Stewardship

When we are in Christ:

We will sense our significance when we become good stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

Again as our text 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2 says, “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

In Matthew 18 and Luke 19 Jesus gives us His parable of servants and talents.

Through that parable we understand that God has not equally distributed gifts, intelligence or talents.

Therefore, we will be judged only according to our use of what He has entrusted to us.

He is a fair and just God.

Our significance will not be measured by the greatness of our gifts, talents or intelligence, but how we have used what God has entrusted to us—because whatever we sow, by faith, in God’s Kingdom, will last for eternity.

There are no insignificant children of God.

A dear lady once said, “All I do is teach third grade boys in Sunday School.”

I said, “What do you mean, that’s all you do? You have the privilege of building scriptural principles into those third graders that will affect them for all eternity. You call that insignificant?”

Speaking of children.

If someone will gather the children who want to partake of the Lord’s Supper with us.

One little seed sown in the Kingdom of God will reap eternal results.

Sometimes we struggle because we do not see the lasting effect of our work.

That’s why Paul writes in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

No, let us not think little of our significance IN CHRIST.

Instead, let’s remember the scriptures on the back of this week’s bulletin.

Scriptures that tell us: I Am Significant in Christ

MATTHEW 5:13, 14 I am the salt and light of the earth

JOHN 15:1, 5 I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life

JOHN 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit

ACTS 1:8 I am a personal witness of Christ’s

1 CORINTHIANS 3:16 I am God’s temple

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17–20 I am a minister of reconciliation

2 CORINTHIANS 6:1 I am God’s coworker

EPHESIANS 2:6 I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm

EPHESIANS 2:10 I am God’s workmanship

EPHESIANS 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

The Lord’s Supper

This morning, let’s remember that because we are loved by God.

Because we have entered into that love through repentance and surrender…

We are lastingly significant.

Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sins?

Have you surrender to His Lordship?

If not, let’s all bow our heads and let me give you a chance to become a child of God.

If you have any question about your relationship with God, pray with me

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as YOUR Savior and Lord…

Repent of your sins — turn from them — turn towards the holiness of God.

Surrender — make a break from self-worship and self-dependence and surrender to Jesus unconditionally.

Salvation prayer.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, please let me know.

I want to give you some guidance on the future of a relationship with Jesus.

But, this morning let’s remember the PRICE of our significance.

It is Jesus forgiving our sins.

The Lord’s Supper reminds us of the price Jesus paid for that forgiveness.

Preparation

Before we partake, let us prepare.

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 (MSG) Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? 28 Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.

Maybe you prayed the prayer of salvation many years, decades ago.

Where are you in your relationship with Jesus right now?

ALL of us still need Jesus to cleanse us before we partake of the Lord’s Supper.

And He will!

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

PRAYER

Distribute the Elements

Becky comes…

Worship Team comes...

You don’t have to be a member to partake of The Lord’s Supper with us.

Are you in right relationship with Jesus?

Have you asked the Lord to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness?

If you have, sing this song in remembrance as you come to receive and HOLD the elements so we can all partake together.

Oh, The Blood

BREAD

Matthew 26:26 (LSB) Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it. And giving it to the disciples, He said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Jay, will you pray over the bread”

End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Partake together.

CUP

Matthew 26:27–28 (LSB) And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

(Patty) will you pray over the cup?

End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Partake together.

JESUS IS COMING AGAIN

1 Corinthians 11:26 (LSB) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

Like the Apostle Paul, our cry is Come, Jesus Come.

Sing this new chorus with us…