Fellow Workers - 1 Cor. 3:1-17
Fellow Workers • Sermon • Submitted
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· 78 viewsAs brothers and sisters in Christ, we must refrain from immature behavior in the local church and pursue the building of the church as God's fellow workers.
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One yr autonomy - Pastor Casey first official service in Belmont. - Redemption Hill
Why Has God allowed us to plant, water and grow his church?
Over the next few week we will begin to lean into Real issues in the life of the church in Corinth.
From the outside looking in someone might say, is something wrong? No this is where we are in the text.
If division characterized us we would not be here. This is preemptive. This is for our equipping. For disunity and division is always a threat to God’s people.
1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Main idea: As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must refrain from immature behavior in the local church and pursue the building up of the church as God's fellow workers.
Context: Unity in the local church
The Leaders of the local church
The members individually of the local church
Mixing metaphors: All members are Both Farmers and Carpenters = fellow workers
D.A Carson makes a case that Paul is painting a picture of the local church. The images is not any old field or any old building, But Paul is painting an image of God’s people as built up to be Solomon Temple. Built to point the their Lord and to reflect His awesome Character and Holiness.
The local church in Corinth is squabbling. Who’s the best leaders?
The local church is squabbling. Who’s the best leaders?
What are we tempted as a local church to squabble about
Baptist vote with their giving. (Withholding in relationships is A very unhealthy response to disagreement)
Music to loud or too soft, buildings no steeple or a steeple yuck, ministry expressions - on campus GG or off campus, relational evangelism or direct evangelism, Word and deed ministry too imbalanced one way or the other, kids ministry too little or too much, service time too late or too early.
Anything can bring division and everything has caused division. (Modified from Keller)
There are churches who have divided
You are called by God’s grace and indwelled by God’s Spirit BUT
You are called by God’s grace and indwelled by God’s Spirit BUT
You are not acting like it!
Rennovating this building or
Main idea: As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must refrain from immature behavior in the local church and pursue the building up of the church as God's fellow workers.
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must refrain from immature behavior in the local church
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must refrain from immature behavior in the local church
1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
Spiritual infants? - V.1 & 4
- Returns to issue (V.4)
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
V.4 -
Whatever the case this is the context: They have fixated on a secondary trivial issue and it has created division
Trauma kids or someone on the autism spectrum. Fixated on something on their shirt or hair or something out of the routine. Cant see or focus on anything else. That stain on their shirt has just become primary and it doesn’t take long until all around are focused on the stain.
Gospel - Christ crucified = our unified center - our primary
Church focused on Secondary = trivial - infantile
They are mature in a strict sense that they belong to God.
It is one thing to say we are secure in our standing before God it is another to our lives gives evidence of that standing.
Paul is using “spiritual in a modified sense He is not speaking of Christians as distinguished from the world, but of one sort of Christian as distinguished from another.
It is one thing to say we are secure in our standing before God it is another to our lives gives evidence of that standing.
The irony is he’s telling those who think they are spiritually superior that their acting like babies.
You have not grown up!
Milk not Meat? - v.2
2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
How many messages do we listen to or devotions do we read with little to no thought of their application?
GG is not essential in your life, the application of truth is essential and true biblical community is essential. GG is our primary means to accomplish this.
The difference between milk and strong meat, according to this view, is simply the difference between the more or less perfect development and appplication of the things taught
It is often we need the gospel to permeate deeper into us not us into it.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Do you own a gun you never shoot it- thats dangerous.
The objective evidence of immaturity - V.3
3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
Jealousy - quarreling -
20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
Paul: This is worldly - To act merely human is to be guided by principles that belong to men, as distinguished from the Spirit of God.
Two important distinctions:
Those characterized by the Spirit - - continues to give us the fruit of the spirit
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
:24Those characterized by the world -
Those characterized by the world -
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
How do we overcome division? Put off dividing over secondary issues & To put on: Humility - Unity - Radically God- centeredness
To recognize the fundamental equality and humble position of all Christians when compared against God’s infinitely holy and perfect standards
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must pursue the building up of the church as God's fellow workers.
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must pursue the building up of the church as God's fellow workers.
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
The local church
The Leaders of the local church
The members individually of the local church
Mixing metaphors: All members are Both Farmers and Carpenters
The local church is squabbling. Who’s the best leaders?
What are we tempted as a local church to squabble about
Baptist vote with their giving.
Music, buildings, ministry expressions - on campus GG or off campus, relational evangelism or direct evangelism, Word or deed ministry,
Whatever the case this is the context: They have fixated on a secondary issue and it has created division
- Farming metaphor - Particularly in the first century, farmers were keenly aware that their own contribution to a successful harvest in any given year was rather minimal compared to the essential and primary contribution of nature, which were seen to be directly in the hand of God or the gods.
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
Assigned - V.5
Shared assignment -
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
By Grace!
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.
Called by the Lord -
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Indwelled by the Spirit -
Unified
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Assigned by the Lord - Given -granted
- Parable of the talents
V.3 - Servants - Table waiters (Just nominated table waiters)
What then is Paul, What then is Apollos?
What not who? - minimizing themselves to maximize their Lord
- We are nothing!
7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Paul know draws the first conclusion: The only one who counts for anything is God
Humbly servants - radically God -centered
Assigned servants with Distinct calling & gifts - one plants -one waters - v.6
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
- Same Spirit distinct gift -one purpose
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
A Farmer purpose for the field? Fruit - a crop!
8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.
Since Paul & Apollos are God’s workers he gives the wages
Wages has eschatological connotations
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
- Three times in this verse the word God comes first: ‘God’s fellow-workers are we; God’s field, God’s building are you.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
How do we prevent division? - Radically God-Centered - Leaders belong to Him, the Church belongs to him, the growth belong to him
Paul now bring the building analogy to the forefront and he will build on it throughout the letter.
Assinged by God but:
Careful - V.10-11
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
We build by grace! -v.10
God’s enabling power.
The church builds - - we are all ambassadors
Switches metaphors to that of a builder
By God’s empowering grace I am a wise builder - superintendent
Ex: We asked an architect to come look at our building to see what it would take to upfit it in order to worship on the other side.
He will have to draw, plan check codes and complete a full set of plans.
Paul is saying God made the plans and gave us his plans - we are the “super” directing how to build and what materials we should use.
Quality matters eternally
To build on the foundation laid in Christ -v.11
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
There is only one possible foundation and that is already laid, namely Jesus Christ
- Christ the foundation and a place of stumbling
Distinct calling in the building
The entire enterprise of building the church has an eschatological goal
The church is to reflect now what the church will be then: We are God’s people in he is in our midst
Problem! That’s not what its looking like. It sounding more like a worldly place than a heavenly one.
How he builds
Two materials we use:
Eternal - non combustable
True wisdom - Christ crucified for our sins - The Great commandment & the Great commission
non eternal - combustable
Steeples, buildings, preferences, styles, pews, chairs, ties, skinny jeans, organs, TV screens.
Corinthians are making little sub-communities within the church on personal preferences.
Traditional services & contemporary services.
We often time don’t reflect heaven because we act like were going to live here forever!
We are assigned servants, careful builders because we
Accountable -
13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
Fellow workers will be judged (individually = each one) - V.13
On What they built & how they build
V.13 -There will come a time of testing for all we build.
The Day is not further defined, but clearly it is the day when Christ returns, the day of judgment (cf. ; ).
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
Here the thought is that of a searching test, one likened to fire.
The picture is that of fire sweeping through a building.
It consumes what is combustible, but leaves metal and stone
V.13 - The quality of the work will be shown, for the Day will bring it to light, ‘show it in its true character’, ‘reveal it for what it is’.
Notice our God assigned service is being judged not us. We are perfect in Christ but how we build eternally matters.
5 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.
Fellow workers will be rewarded -
14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
All those considered here are saved, for they have built on the one foundation, Jesus Christ.
What survives? Rewarded - If you were standing before Christ how many people would say you helped follow Jesus?
Some Fellow workers will be empty handed -
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
There should be an urgency about the mission of God.
There must be a strategy to accomplish what God has told us we must do.
Assigned servant - Careful builders - Accountable builders &:
Unified - V.16-17
- Me and Apollos were one in our purpose
8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
It is not possible to kill the universal church but we can kill a local church.
- Unified in thinking and decisions
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
The local church belong to God in Christ
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Therefore it is not safe to try to divide her - v.17
D.A Carson makes a case that Paul is painting a picture of the local church built built up. The images is not any old field or any old building, But Paul is painting an image of God’s people as built up to be Solomon Temple. Built to point the their Lord and to reflect His awesome Character and Holiness.
To God The Local church is precious and primary in carrying out God purposes & plans
So What?
So What?
Am I giving myself to the work of the Lord?
The local church eternally matters
You cannot kill the church of God
You can kill a local church - internal implosion
What is your assigned service
How can we build up each other
Using our diverse gifts and callings for our one mission eternally matters
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We are imperfect instruments in a perfect Redeemers hands - We labor and we trust him for the growth.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
You cannot kill the church of God
You can kill a local church
Using our diverse gifts and callings for our one mission eternally matters
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.