Four Vital Perspectives Concerning Christian Service (2)

Preface

Introduction

My friend and I were set to meet 2 other pastors at a gas station off of I-75. I had never met these men, but they called and asked if the 4 of us could carpool to a jail ministry I participated in. We agreed.

I arrived at the station first and waited for the other men to arrive. One eventually did, but before the last man arrived, one of the pastors called me and my friend over to his car. He gave us a serious look and said, “gentlemen, we are carrying very precious cargo tonight,” then he named the man we were waiting for. He continued, “this is a man of God, someone with a special filling of God.”

About that time, the “man of God” arrived, and it got weirder. The man who gave us the speech went directly to the newly arrived pastor’s car. He turned into something like a foot-man serving a king. He opened the man’s car door, and directed him to the car we were taking down. He then opened the back door and waited for the pastor to get in. Once he did, the man closed the pastor’s door and told me and my friend it was now okay to leave. It was an interesting evening.

Q: How are we to view preachers and teachers? Is it appropriate to elevate them to such a status? It is appropriate to honor them, but are they to be treated as one who is almost divine? 1 Tim. 5:17 says,

1 Timothy 5:17 ESV

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

The idea of “honor” in that text is associated with wages, not making them objects of reverence. Is it appropriate to show honor to whom honor is due? Yes. However, I don’t think what I saw that evening was healthy. It felt cultish, elevating a man to a level that seemed somewhere between God and other humans.

BACKGROUND: Paul shows the Corinthians elevated teachers to an inappropriate level. We can go to 1:12-13 and find the church split around their preferred teacher. Some elevated Paul, others Apollos, and others Peter and formed groups whose primary identity centered on these men.

TRANS: Today, Paul continues to show how the Corinthians should view not only these men, but anyone who ministers. I found in this section, 4 vital perspectives both a church and minister should have regarding all who minister.

Let’s read 1 Cor. 3:5-9

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 (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. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

I. His Laborers Possess a Shared Status and Goal (1 Cor. 3:5)

We will see both this week and next that Paul uses 2 metaphors to teach the Corinthians about teachers. In the first section, he teaches the church how they should view them, and in order to do that, he first compares the church to a garden, vineyard, or orchard - a place where things are grown.

A. Teachers Share the Same Status as “Servants” (v. 5)

“What is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed...”

διάκονοι: simply a person working in the service of another. He and Apollos, and by extension Peter, though they were uniquely gifted men, ultimately the were nothing more than servants.

Servant simply refers to a table-servant, a “busboy” or waiter. In this section, the church is a garden/orchard, God is the Lord and owner of the garden, and the teachers are the servants laboring in the garden of the Lord.

APP: Let me first say this should be the perspective of all followers of Christ, not just those who teach. Later, Paul will show all believers are called to serve in some way. Some may serve by teaching, working in the nursery, making snacks for kids events, or cleaning the building. All are called to serve, and all of us should see ourselves as God’s servants.

TRANS: However, in 1 Cor. 3, Paul is dealing with how the church should view teachers. The teachers, he an Apollos, are servants of God.

2. It’s important for Teachers in particular to Remind the Church of this. We only need look throughout church history to discover the Corinthian problem was not unique to them. There is something in us that drives us to rally around certain personalities and traits.

ILL: It happens more than you may think that I’m pulled aside by someone, often a visitor, and asked questions about a particular famous preacher. “What do you think of __________, fill in the blank with a famous name.” “What do you think of Dr. Jeremiah, Charles Stanley, John MacArthur, John Piper,” and the list goes on. More often than not, I really don’t know much about that teacher.

But it’s clear from many who ask these kinds of questions, they are asking them because that teachers serves as the epitome of what a preacher/teacher should be. They’ve been so impacted by that teacher and like his style, look, philosophy, or something that that teacher becomes the measuring stick to compare all other teachers. At times, they are so aligned with that teacher that whatever they say is held as truth. They would never say it like this, but they “if so and so said something, I believe it.”

APP: Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve been blessed by many preachers and teachers, even some of those I mentioned. However, we must exhibit caution. We must be on guard against elevating, even godly men, to an unhealthy status. They are not the source of divine truth. And we should be careful not to do what the Corinthians did, make our primary identity as believers revolve around them. We can appreciate ministries, but we cannot be identified by them. Our identity must be found in our Lord and Him alone.

Paul and Apollos were no way fomenting the divisions in Corinth. This is something the Corinthians did naturally. And it’s good that Paul, a man one of these groups elevated, set the record straight. He reminds everyone that he and Apollos were nothing more than servants of God, and that they should strive to be unified as those owned by God.

TRANS: You see, Paul was showing that as servants, he and Apollos have a joint goal or purpose and it did not include collecting followers to themselves.

B. A Teacher’s Primary Goal Should be to Bring Glory to Our Master

APP: Beware the one whose ministry revolves around the teacher. Beware those “ministries” that elevate one man’s so-called special giftedness, that seeks to bring glory to the man and not God!

QUOTE: I came across an anonymous quote that says, “many wear God’s livery but are not his servants.” They wear the clothes of a servant, giving all appearances of being His servant, but in reality they are seeking to serve only themselves. As William Jenkins said, “there are many who are lip-servants but not life-servants.”

This is why, if you remember, when we studied 1 Timothy and Titus, that Paul said only those men whose lives reflect Christian character and service should be an elder.

APP: The sad reality is that throughout the centuries there have been many who are not seeking to build the kingdom of God but the kingdom of self. And if you ever wonder if that is still going on, just turn on the TV. Many “teachers” parade themselves as humble servants when their lives are all about the pursuit of extreme wealth and popularity.

“There is nothing less tolerable in the servants of Christ than ambition and vanity.” - John Calvin.

TRANS: Not only should we know all teachers are servants and share the same position and goal, we should also know that all...

II. Spiritual Fruit Only Comes from God 1 Cor. 3:5-7

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.

TRANS: God has elected that spiritual fruit comes through the labor of human instruments.

A. Fruit Through the Use of His Human Instruments (vss. 5-7)

Notice the phrase in v. 5,...

“Servants through whom you believed” (v. 5) - The Corinthians came to belief in the gospel through the labor of God’s servants. These men were the tools God used to bring forth spiritual fruit.

God uses various tools to accomplish His purpose.

ILL: In my garage and shed, I have various tools: drills, hammers, planers, saws, etc. Each tool has a specific use. And, its through the use of these tools that I can accomplish a task.

In v. 6 Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered...” Paul came to Corinth, and to continue in the “garden metaphor,” he deposited the “seed of the gospel” in the ground. He sowed the seed, presenting Jesus as the only Lord and Savior. Then, Apollos came after Paul and watered the seed.

APP #1: Each man served different functions within the life of the church. God gave each man different gifting and abilities and brought them to the church at a specific time to do a particular work. Think back over the history of MMCC. God has brought various pastors with various abilities and strengths to do a particular work during a particular time in the life of a church. Each one is gifted in different ways, given different abilities.

APP: #2: Notice, each man’s work depends on the other. The sower’s work requires one to come after and water. And in order to water, someone had to first sow the seed.

Isn’t it absurdity to compare Paul with Apollos and Peter? God provided each one with unique and specific gifts, and he brought them to Corinth at a specific time to perform a specific work. Apollos was not meant to be like Paul! Paul was not meant to be like Peter. But in the life of the church, each one’s work depended on the labor of the other. They were not at odds with one another but realized each laborer served a unique tool in the service of the master and performed a vital function within the body.

TRANS: However, Paul also highlights that spiritual fruit cannot be attributed to these men. Again, Paul shows them to be tools, servants brought to the church to perform a specific task. But he also shows these men were not the ultimate cause of the fruit to come about.

B. Only God Causes the Fruit (v. 7)

1 Corinthians 3:7 (ESV)

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

The planter can plant, the one who waters can water, but they are not the ultimate cause of fruitfulness. Only God gives the growth. Fruitfulness can only be attributed to the work of the Spirit within the seed and work of the laborers. READ 1 COR. 2:1-5.

ILL: Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from 1508-1512. He would paint more in 1534-1541, but his paintings are considered among the greatest achievements in Western culture. It would be absurd to give credit to his brushes for producing the paintings. They were only tools. All credit is to be given to the artist, the one who uses the brushes. +

TRANS: Next, Paul shows...

III. His Laborers Will Be Rewarded According to their Individual Faithfulness (1 Cor. 3:8)

1 Corinthians 3:8 (ESV)

He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

Paul again affirms that he and Apollos, the ones who planted and watered are one. No, they are not one in their task but one in their status before God. But it’s also true not only of Paul and Apollos but all workers in Christ. They may have different functions but they all hold the status of servant and they are ultimately seeking to fulfill the same task.

TRANS: But though they share the same status and have the same goal, they will not receive the same wages or rewards. The Corinthian church judged their preferred speakers based on how they spoke, how they presented themselves, and the positions they held. However, Paul shows that though God’s workers hold the same status, they will not be compensated or rewarded according to the world’s criteria. We will get to that, but note each will receive a...

A. Future Wage (v. 8) - “will receive”

The verb “will receive” clearly speaks of taking possession of something in the future. In just the next chapter, Paul writes in 1 Cor. 4:5,

1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV)

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.

Paul shows God’s servants will receive their wages or commendation after “the Lord comes.” This is a reality for all who have been saved by grace through faith. He’s not talking about receiving the wage of eternal life or implying a works-based salvation. Rather, he’s showing each believer will receive a reward for their faithful service to our Lord. Paul refers to this again in 1 Cor. 3:14-15.

1 Corinthians 3:14–15 (ESV)

If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

APP: My friends, we do not serve God to achieve earthly rewards or recognition. It’s so easy to start gauging one’s success based on how many “at-a-boys” we receive or some sort of positive response. Those things can be helpful and an encouragement, but we should not based the worth of a ministry on the positive feedback of men. Nor should we be crushed when men speak ill of one’s ministry. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:2-4

1 Corinthians 4:2–4 (ESV)

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 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. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

APP: Your service for the Lord will be rewarded when He returns. Until then, be serving well. Your service may be playing an instrument, helping with funeral meals, helping with maintenance, or serving in the teen group. Be faithful, not for rewards on this earth, but be faithful as God will judge how you personally served.

TRANS: Paul shows God will provide wages or rewards...

B. Based on Labor (v. 8) - “according to his labor”

The word “labor” here speaks to the “difficult toil” performed by the individual, and the specific tasks the individual is called to perform. Paul shows though the one who plants and the one who waters are one in status, they are not one in function. And, each servant will receive his wages according to his [own] labor.

ILL: Jake was new to ministry, called to a church that already had a senior pastor. After a year, Jake came to believe the Sr. pastor was not serving well. He wasn’t given to study and it didn’t seem he truly sought to serve the people. Jake shared his struggles with a mentor who reminded Jake God would judge Jake for Jake’s own labor, and God would do the same for the Sr. Pastor. Jake should strive to be faithful in what God called him to do.

TRANS: Paul also shows the servant is reward for his labor, his hard work, and not rewarded for other things.

Our future reward will Not Be Based on Talents and Abilities - This is what the Corinthians focused on. God has allotted various abilities and talents to each of us, but our future rewards are not based on how many talents and abilities you have. Rather, He judges us based on how well we used what He provided us.

Nor will our future rewards be Based on Opportunity or Position

Not on Opportunity: Sometimes, God calls certain men to places with abundant resources and where God determines to uniquely work. God placed Peter in Jerusalem on Pentecost. He preached a sermon and 3,000 responded. Their response was not because of the preacher but because of God’s sovereign choice to work in that way on that day. Not all servants will be used like Peter. In fact, more often then not, we are called to serve with small resources, in places where people often reject. And yet, we are called to labor hard.

TRANS: Nor is one’s reward based on position.

b. Not on Position: God will not reward pastors more simply because of their position in the church. He will not reward deacons more. He will no reward those who do more public ministry more. I am convinced those who may be rewarded most will be those we’ve never heard about, who faithfully labored in the role God gave to them.

c. Nor will our rewards be Based on Results - Vss. 5-6 shows spiritual fruit is not determined by the laborer but by God. In v. 5 we find those who believed were “assigned by God.” That is God appointed some to come to faith through Paul’s ministry, some through Apollos’ ministry. God worked through these men, but He assigned fruit to their ministry. Also, in v. 6, Paul clearly says though these men labored, it was God who gave the fruit, not the men. God doesn’t reward His servants for the fruit they produce. Why? They can’t produce it. He rewards them for their faithfulness in their labor.

IV. Everything Belongs to Him (1 Cor. 3:9)

A. The Servant Belongs to God

The servant’s life is not about self-glory; it must be about bringing glory to His Master. He is not serving in order to pursue selfish ambition.

APP: You may serve as an elder, deacon, usher, custodian, children’s worker, nursery worker, making snacks for our kids ministry, working crafts, helping with outreach, etc. None of this labor can be about the servant! We don’t do it to bring ourselves glory.

B. The Church Belongs to God (Field/Building)

Conclusion

His laborers possess the same status and goal.

Spiritual fruit only comes from God.

Laborers are reward based on individual faithfulness.

Everything belongs to Him.