A CHRISTIAN WORKER’S IDENTITY!
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I. SAINTS ARE COWORKERS
I. SAINTS ARE COWORKERS
THE CHURCH IN CORINTH HAD A TWISTED IDEA OF THEIR LEADERS
WITHIN THE CHURCH
12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”
LOOK AT 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
MINISTERS
PAUL DEMONSTRATED THAT THEIR NAMES DID NOT MAKE THEM SIGNIFICANT
BUT THEIR WORTH WAS FOUND IN THEIR SERVICE
NOT THEIR TITLE BUT THEIR TASK
NOT THEIR LABEL BUT THEIR LABOR
LOOK AT 1 CORINTHIANS 3:8-9
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
WHAT DO GOD’S SERVANTS OR MINISTERS DO
PLANT, WATER,
SHARING THE SAME SERVICE (MINISTERS)
SERVING IN THE SAME SOIL (GOD’S FIELD)
SUBMITTING TO THE SAME SAVIOR (GOD GIVES THE INCREASE)
SEEKING THE SAME SALARY (REWARD FROM GOD)
PAUL TOLD THEM THAT THEY ARE WORKERS OR SERVANTS TOGETHER
PAUL URGED THEM TO BE UNIFIED
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WE ARE CULTIVATING,
NOT COMPETING.
WE ARE LABORING,
NOT OUTSHINING.
WE ARE HELPING,
NOT HINDERING.
WE ARE BUILDING THE KINGDOM,
NOT BUILDING OUR REPUTATION.
WE ARE MAKING DISCIPLES,
NOT MAKING FOLLOWERS FOR OURSELVES.
WE ARE POINTING PEOPLE TO CHRIST,
NOT TO OURSELVES.
WE ARE ADVANCING THE GOSPEL,
NOT ADVANCING OUR NAME.
WHEN THE CHURCH COMPETES,
THE ENEMY REJOICES.
WHEN THE CHURCH COOPERATES,
CHRIST IS GLORIFIED.
FURTHERMORE,
II. SAINTS ARE COMMUNICATORS
II. SAINTS ARE COMMUNICATORS
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
PAUL TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE JUST VESSELS
VESSELS USED BY GOD
VESSELS EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
TO SAVE SOULS
ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF THE LORD
YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NOT HIS WILL THAT ANY SHOULDN’T
NOT THEIR LABOR BUT HIS
“AS THE LORD GAVE TO EACH ONE”
RESULTS COME FROM GOD
DAVID SLUNG THE ROCK
BUT GOD KILLED THE GIANT
MOSES LIFTED THE ROD
BUT GOD DIVIDED THE RED SEA
REMEMBER YOU ARE
JUST A MINISTER, IT WAS NOT MY MANDATE
JUST A SERVANT, IT IS NOT MY SALVATION
JUST A WORKER, IT IS NOT BY MY WILL
GOD CONTROLS THE INCREASE
GOD CONTROLS THE PLANTING AND THE PRODUCTION
HE CONTROLS THE WATERING AND THE
PLANT FOR THE LORD
PLANTERS, NOT PRODUCERS
LABORERS, NOT LIFE-GIVERS
MINISTERS, NOT MANUFACTURERS
PLANTING AND WATERING WHAT?
WE COMMUNICATE THE GOOD NEWS
LOOK AT Romans 10:14-15
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST
THIS IS WHAT PAUL DID IN CORINTH
LISTEN TO HIS WORD IN
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
HE DECLARED TO THEM THE TESTIMONY OF GOD
HOW?
NOT WITH HUMAN WISDOM
LOOK AT 2:4
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
PAUL’S COMMUNICATION OF THE GOOD NEWS
WAS NOT RELYING ON HIS ABILITY BUT ON GOD’S ABILITY
ARE YOU EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
PAUL WAS NOT USING HUMAN WISDOM AND PHILOSOPHY
THE THINGS THAT MAN’S WISDOM TEACHES
BUT THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHAT HE TEACHES
COMPARING SPIRITUAL TRUTHS WITH SPIRITUAL TRUTHS
III. SAINTS ARE CONSTRUCTORS
III. SAINTS ARE CONSTRUCTORS
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
PAUL CHANGES METAPHORS.
THE CHURCH IS NO LONGER A FIELD.
NOW IT IS A BUILDING.
EVERY CHRISTIAN WORKER IS A BUILDER.
LOOK AT VERSE 12
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
EVERY SERMON LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
EVERY BIBLE STUDY LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
EVERY PRAYER LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
EVERY GOSPEL CONVERSATION LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
EVERY ACT OF DISCIPLESHIP LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
EVERY WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
EVERY INVESTMENT IN SOMEONE’S SPIRITUAL GROWTH LAYS ANOTHER BRICK.
THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER WE ARE BUILDING.
SOME ARE BUILDING WITH
WRONG MOTIVES
WRONG IDEAS
NOT OUT OF LOVE FOR CHRIST
BUILDING FOR FAME, FORTUNE, AND GLORY
THE QUESTION IS:
ARE WE BUILDING THE RIGHT THINGS?
PAUL SAYS THERE IS ONLY ONE FOUNDATION.
JESUS CHRIST.
PROGRAMS CANNOT REPLACE HIM.
TRADITIONS CANNOT REPLACE HIM.
PERSONALITIES CANNOT REPLACE HIM.
PREFERENCES CANNOT REPLACE HIM.
POPULARITY CANNOT REPLACE HIM.
EVERYTHING MUST REST UPON CHRIST.
THEN PAUL REMINDS US THAT OUR WORK WILL ONE DAY BE TESTED.
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
NOT BY PUBLIC OPINION.
NOT BY SOCIAL MEDIA.
NOT BY ATTENDANCE.
NOT BY APPLAUSE.
NOT BY AWARDS.
NOT BY EARTHLY SUCCESS.
BUT BY GOD’S FIRE.
GOLD SURVIVES.
SILVER SURVIVES.
PRECIOUS STONES SURVIVE.
WOOD BURNS.
HAY BURNS.
STRAW BURNS.
ARE YOU
BUILDING YOURSELF INSTEAD OF CHRIST.
PREACHING POPULARITY RATHER THAN REPENTANCE.
SEEKING CROWDS MORE THAN DISCIPLES.
MEASURING SUCCESS ONLY BY ATTENDANCE.
SERVING TO RECEIVE RECOGNITION.
TEACHING SHALLOW BIBLICAL CONTENT.
COMPROMISING TRUTH TO AVOID OFFENDING PEOPLE.
GOSSIPING, CAUSING DIVISION, OR PROMOTING FAVORITISM.
TRUSTING METHODS MORE THAN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE FIRE DOES NOT CREATE THE QUALITY OF OUR WORK.
THE FIRE REVEALS THE QUALITY OF OUR WORK.
ILLUSTRATION
WHEN A BRIDGE IS COMPLETED, ENGINEERS DO NOT BEGIN BY ADMIRING ITS APPEARANCE.
THEY TEST ITS STRENGTH.
HEAVY TRUCKS DRIVE ACROSS IT.
WEIGHT IS APPLIED.
PRESSURE IS ADDED.
STRESS IS INTRODUCED.
THE TEST REVEALS WHETHER THE BRIDGE WAS BUILT TO LAST.
IF IT CANNOT STAND THE PRESSURE, IT WAS NEVER AS STRONG AS IT APPEARED.
THE SAME IS TRUE OF OUR MINISTRY.
ONE DAY,
EVERY SERMON,
EVERY LESSON,
EVERY ACT OF SERVICE,
EVERY DISCIPLE WE HAVE HELPED GROW,
AND EVERY MINISTRY WE HAVE BUILT WILL PASS GOD’S INSPECTION.
NOT EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS SUCCESSFUL
IS SPIRITUALLY SOUND.
AND NOT EVERYTHING THAT APPEARS SMALL
IS ETERNALLY INSIGNIFICANT.
GOD WILL TEST THE QUALITY OF OUR WORK.
HERE IS THE TRUTH
CONCERNING YOUR SERVICE
IS EVERY CLASS YOU TEACH…
2 TIMOTHY 2:15 — BE DILIGENT TO PRESENT YOURSELF APPROVED TO GOD.
EVERY CHILD YOU DISCIPLE…
EVERY PERSON YOU ENCOURAGE…
EVERY SOUL YOU WITNESS TO…
EVERY MINISTRY YOU LEAD…
EVERY PRAYER YOU PRAY…
EVERY SACRIFICE YOU MAKE…
EVERY HOUR YOU SERVE…
MAKE SURE YOU DO IT HEARTILY,
UNTO THE LORD,
AND NOT FOR MEN
KNOWING THAT FROM THE LORD
YOU WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE.
YOU ARE BUILDING SOMETHING
THAT ETERNITY WILL EVALUATE.
SO…
CHECK THE FOUNDATION
MAKE SURE YOU ARE BUILDING ON CHRIST
AND BUILD
CAREFULLY.
BIBLICALLY.
BUILD FAITHFULLY.
BUILD HUMBLY.
BUILD INTENTIONALLY.
BUILD FOR CHRIST’S GLORY.
NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING—
BECAUSE GOD IS.
THIS IS WHO YOU ARE
YOU ARE A SERVANT
YOUR IDENTITY: A SERVANT OF CHRIST
YOUR IDENTITY: A SERVANT OF CHRIST
A SERVANT THAT
IS A COWORKER
A COMMUNICATOR OF THE GOSPEL
A CONSTRUCTOR OF SPIRITUL THINGS
PAUL REMINDS US THAT OUR IDENTITY IS NOT FOUND
IN A TITLE, A POSITION, OR A PLATFORM.
OUR IDENTITY IS FOUND IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AND OUR FAITHFULNESS TO HIS WORK.
THE WORLD CELEBRATES PROMINENCE.
GOD REWARDS FAITHFULNESS.
THE WORLD MEASURES SUCCESS BY SIZE.
GOD MEASURES SUCCESS BY STEWARDSHIP.
THE WORLD ASKS, “HOW BIG DID YOU BUILD?”
GOD ASKS, “HOW WELL DID YOU BUILD?”
SO BUILD ON CHRIST.
LEARN FROM CHRIST
HE
Cleansed the corrupted
Delivered the demonic
Lifted the lifeless
Feed the famished
Restored the ruined
Healed the hurting
Cured the crooked
HE SUFFERED FOR US
HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS
BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES
PIERCED FOR OUR GUILT
SUFFERED FOR OUR SHAME
TORTURED FOR OUR SHORTCOMINGS
BEATEN FOR OUR WRONGS
AND CRUCIFIED FOR OUR SINS
SO BUILD WITH HIS WORD.
BUILD THROUGH HIS SPIRIT.
BUILD FOR HIS GLORY.
AND WHEN THE FIRE COMES,
MAY YOUR WORK REMAIN,
YOUR REWARD BE RECEIVED,
AND YOUR SAVIOR BE GLORIFIED.
