1 Cor 3:3-15

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (KJV)

1 Cor 3:3-4:7

3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? 5 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. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

#1 The foundation of solid Relationships

·      The building blocks of our lives are our relationships.

·      Broken relationships are the things that hurt us most.

Matt 7:22-27

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings (Which sayings?) of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (KJV)

·      Here Jesus is talking about a foundation and house building. One had a foundation and the other did not.

·      What Rock? Our relationship with Jesus is the basis for our relationship with others.

·      The House? The building? The relationship with others.

1 Pet 2:4-5

4 Come to Christ, who is the living Foundation of Rock upon which God builds; though men have spurned him, he is very precious to God who has chosen him above all others. 5 And now you have become living building-stones for God's use in building his house. What's more, you are his holy priests; so come to him and offer to God those things that please him. (TLB)

1 Cor 3:9-16

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16 Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?(KJV)

q  Gold, silver, and precious stones, Wood, hay, and stubble = inferior Building material.

q  The Storms and the fire will reveal the quality of our relationships.

o   I have only been hurt by Christians.

o   We need friends that we can be real with.

§  #1 your wives (No wife? Find a friend)

§   

#2 What are some of the things stopping these relationships?

*READ

18 Do not deceive yourselves. 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. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." 21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future-- all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

1 Cor. 4: 3-7 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?(NIV)

PRIDE!

Why do we tend to believe that we are better ministers than others?

Why do we think we are more gifted in a certain area that others?

Why do we compare ourselves with others?

2 Cor 10:12-13

12 Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how good they are! Their trouble is that they are only comparing themselves with each other and measuring themselves against their own little ideas. What stupidity! 13 But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to measure up to God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. (TLB)

#3 The Leadership has a covenant of Promise with their people.

*READ

CHAPTER 4

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

q  This has to be our foundation for leading people.

o   Not only our covenant with God, but with the people.

o   If we lose sight of the Covenant of Promise we lose sight of our reasons for ministry.

o   Do we only have a ministry commitment to people? I.e. evangelistic love etc…

Gal 3:15-17

15 Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no-one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds", meaning many people, but "and to your seed", meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.

Ø  A Law does not add to or take away from a promise. A human covenant is based on Honor, faithfulness, trust, NOT PAPER!

Ø  It is simply a record of something that was decided in your hearts. Like the covenant of marriage. Is it decided at the Altar? Of course not it is decided long before in the heart. In the same way it is not kept alive by the piece of paper.

Ø  I have to admit something to you… Ulli and I are not married!

o   How do you know?

Ø  Zb.. If I were to burn the paper would the covenant end?

Gal 4:22-31, Gal 5:13-25

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. 24 These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. (NIV)

#4 Leadership is to be an example of Freedom.

q  Are you an example of freedom too?

o   The freedom to be yourself? Plastic Pastor image?

o   Freedom to be real? Transparent, open?

o   Not only with the people that we serve, But especially with other leaders.

§  Reasons that it is difficult?

·         Outside pressures (Expectations of the people in Church, Christian Trends, Christian Politics*do what we do or no unity* to conform, the lack of Time.

·         Inside pressures (comparing with others, Competition (numbers, programs, gifts, anointing etc.) Wrong expectations of yourself because of what you get in books, tapes etc.,  

Gal 5:1-6

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (NIV)

5:13-25

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Ø  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. He set us free to be free! That may sound funny, but when you see the lives of most Leaders you would think they are still suffering under the law. "Burdened again by a yoke of slavery"

o   Circumcised is an outward expression to satisfy people, not God! STOP THE SHOW!

o   ***Inside-out change vs. outside-in change

§  Be careful that we are not following the world with manager style leadership. Professional smiles, personality training, behavioural alteration techniques.

Ø  Christ will be of no value to you at all.. If we concentrate on keeping rules we will lose the real value of this relationship with Christ and that is CHRIST HIMSELF!

o   The value of Christ… His anointing vs. your abilities?

Ø  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. This sums it all up. We have a covenant with God and it is only of value to us and to God if we keep it by love for him. Not by established rules, because we lose sight of him and only see the rules.

o   I Cor.13: 1-3 one missing element from a faith giants life. LOVE. 

o   Has ministry become a Job? A burden?