Building Better Lives

Text: I Cor. 3:6-9

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (06/01/03)

Introduction:   

Explain Philosophy of Ministry– Building Better Lives

Vs.6 is as Biblical a philosophy of ministry as you will find!!

God gives the increase!!

Matthew 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Psalms 127:1  Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

NOW, we need to have a vision for what God (ALONE) can do!! What He can do here, in this place!

Planting and watering are action mentioned in our text, and they are actions carried out by those full of hope and expectancy.

People of vision!!

Vision requires some important elements if it is going to go from being a dream to being a reality.

We noticed that the Vision requires Language – Communicated Specifics (SPELL-IT-OUT!!!)

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

The Vision requires Labourers – Committed Servants

Thirdly (Next Week), The Vision requires the Lord – Controlling Sovereign

ILLUS: The beginnings of the EURO TUNNEL

Did you know?

The Channel Tunnel is 50km long, with the 39km undersea section being the longest undersea tunnel in the world.

In 1802, French mining engineer, Albert Mathieu, put forward the first ever design for a Channel Tunnel.

The first attempt at a tunnel excavation began in 1880 when the Beaumont & English tunnel boring machine began digging undersea tunnels on both sides of the Channel.

The idea of a fixed link continued to exercise the minds of engineers between the 1880s and 1945, but all

the projects remained firmly on the drawing board.

Eurotunnel gets the go ahead

On 20 January 1986, Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand announced

that the Eurotunnel bid had been selected.

Their were several stages in it’s development before opening in 1994  – Theoretical – Conceptual and - Actual

The final stage required machines and MEN – Labourers!!!

95 miles of tunnels were dug over the course of 8 years by nearly 13,000 engineers, technicians and workers.  Oh yes!! The cost was a mere $15 Billion.US

The Vision Requires Labourers

I am speaking of Committed Servants for the Cause....

SPURGEON’S ILLUS:  A committee for increasing productivity on the farm meets and discusses methods, maintains their implements, but never goes out and gets the Harvest!

It’s like the church discussing Missions, developing plans, etc, yet never going out after the Harvest!!

God has ordained Human Instrumentality to get His work done!

I. Two Categories of Labourers

There are both described in verse 6.

A. Those who Plant

The World has had its share of great VISIONARIES – In various fields – Humanitarian Causes – Exploration – Science – Medicine – Technology. Etc

Many of these people died without being able to realize their dream – However someone came after them to push their work forward to fruition.

The planter is a sower, an initiator, he starts something.

He has the Leadership, the vision, the faith to step out and attempt something for God.

The Soulwinner / The Church planter / The Missionary

He is a visionary – He takes ownership of a goal.

Someone needs to start something for God...

A Sunday School Class (Singles / Learning Disabled / College and Career / Young Married / the Deaf etc)

A Bus Route

An Inner City Mission

An E.S.L. Class etc...

An individual Soulwinner – witnessing – sowing the seed (on all sorts of soil).

It may be a heart set on prayer and revival.....

IMPORTANT – this planting is to be done within the context of the local church!!

EXAMPLES:

Paul

Romans 15:20  Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:

One day – many others will benefit from the foundation that was laid.  Better Lives will be Built!!

He invests toil and labour also.

He is ready to do whatever it takes to see that vision become a reality.

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least, fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”  -  Winston Churchill

NOW, He also needs others to come alongside of him in the work....

B. Those who Water

These are the ones who invest in the labours of another.

They get behind the vision, they support the work.

They support it prayerfully.

Psalm 126:5-6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

They get involved financially.

They invest emotionally.

They come alongside of and encourage leaders and labourers alike.

They contribute physically and manually to with their labour.

They are helpers; They are willing to do the little things – the unseen things if necessary.

ILLUS: Hoover Dam (96 men died in Industrial accidents during it’s construction 1931-1935)

1 Corinthians 16:1515 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

These are people who are not the Pastor, but invest in his labour.

They are not a “full-time” Missionary or Church Planter but they pour themselves into the work of these faithful servants of God.

EXAMPLES:

John 4:37-38   And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

This begs the question....

Now if you are not Planting or Watering – What are you doing?!!!

II. The Characteristics of a Labourer

Now there are some things true of a labourer...

A. The Labourer is a Cooperator vs.9

Must be willing to work together with others.

ILLUS: Seemingly insignificant drops of rain when combined with many others may form a torrent of flowing, surging power.

With God.

2 Corinthians 6:1  ¶We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

With other labourers.

“Together”

NOTICE – There is no Hierarchy amongst the Labourers.

1 Corinthians 3:8  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

LOOK UP & READ John 4:35-38  

B. The Labourer is a Facilitator vs.6

ILLUS:  A Farmer, A Gardener, A Doctor

C. The Labourer is Nothing vs.5 & 7

You will notice in this passage that the reapers are not even mentioned!!

The pickers are the lowest paid labourers on the farm.

We are nothing!!!

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Conclusion:     (Review)

Are you a LABOURER in the Vision of God for MIBC?

Are you Planting?

Are you Watering?