Growing

Introduction

Good evening and welcome back!

Tonight we are going to continue with the series we started last week in reference to being “Rooted in Christ.”

If you will recall last Sunday night, we spent the majority of our time talking about Jesus’ parable of the seed and the sower and how, depending on where the seed ends up, the seed will either do well, or whither and die.

Tonight, we are going to continue along those same lines but we are going to be pushing the conversation forward just a bit.

And we are going to be looking and focusing on several passages but the main focus will be 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, which when we get into it will be a very familiar passage to most of you.

And we are going to continue along the same vein of thought thinking about farming and planting, but once the seed is planted, what is the next thing that happens?

That’s right, the seed must then begin to grow into something.

And in order for the seed to grow, something has to happen doesn’t it?

We can’t expect the seed just to magically grow without any intervention whatsoever.

I supposed there is the stray seed out there that will survive, but the majority of the time the only thing that will grow well without us doing something about it are weeds.

And weeds are what we are trying to avoid.

So, when we are thinking in terms of a garden or a crop, there has to be something done by the farmer in order to get the seed to grow in the proper way.

And that thing is typically what?

Watering, fertilizing, weeding, and finally harvesting.

All the things necessary for caring for that precious seed so that it may grow.

And tonight we are going to be looking at this very thing, with regards to the Gospel and with regards to all of us and our relationship with the Lord.

So, like I said, we are going to start out in 1 Corinthians 3, looking at some things that Paul had to say about this.

He starts out in verse 5 . . .

Scripture Focus

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 NIV - Anglicised

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. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Can We Handle the Meat?

Now, we started out here looking at Paul’s conclusion to the Corinthian people concerning a problem they were having.

On Sunday mornings we have been looking at one thing that was causing the young Church a pretty significant problem.

That being the issue of false teachers and false prophets creating division and separation among the believers.

That issue was going on here in the Corinthian church but not nearly to the extent of what was happening in the Galatian church.

No, the problem here was a little different and originated from within.

It was a problem that they created in themselves and the problem was primarily the result of a level of Spiritual immaturity among the believers themselves.

Paul starts the chapter off this way . . .

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 NIV - Anglicised

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

And again, we can appreciate Paul’s gentle approach here.

He is basically calling them “babies,” with regard to their spiritual state.

So much so is that Paul cannot even trust that they are being properly guided by the Holy Spirit in their decision making.

They are still so worldly that they are relying on worldly wisdom and worldly understanding of things in order to make their decisions.

Their lack of maturity was such that Paul couldn’t even present them with the meat or the nitty-gritty of the Gospel.

He had to continuously feed them the surface level, entry materials, the stuff that is supposed to help them begin to develop a level of spiritual maturity so that they could properly digest the really hard stuff.

The challenging stuff.

The stuff that would step on their toes if you will.

And Paul is frustrated by the fact that despite his continuous efforts they are still not mature enough to receive the deep messages.

And it’s frustrating because they are at an impasse in their spiritual development and if they cannot get past it, they are in real danger of falling victim to Satan.

And the biggest evidence that Paul has of this is their argument about preachers.

He goes on to say this . . .

1 Corinthians 3:4 NIV

For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

So, what they are doing is saying “I like what Paul says, so I will listen to his messages.”

Others are saying, “No, I really don’t like what Paul says, but I like Apollos, so I’m going to listen to him and ignore Paul.”

Others may say, “I like Timothy,” or this preacher or that preacher.

They are falling victim to being drawn to a certain personality of a certain person and not hearing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And we do the same thing our modern churches today.

Some may say, “I like Bro. Dennis better so I’m only going to listen to him,” or “I like Bro. Buford better,” or “I like Neil better,” or I don’t like none of them so I’m just going to watch somebody on TV.

And I’ve got to say, if that’s our attitude, we need to grow up.

Because it’s not about me, or Dennis, or Neil, or anyone else who may step up on this pulpit.

And contrary to what they would have you believe, it’s not about your favorite TV preacher either, it’s about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is about hearing what God is speaking to you through whoever, is there sharing the word with you.

We Are All Servants

The reason being is because all of us have a job, a role, a purpose.

Paul goes on to say this. . . .

1 Corinthians 3:5 NIV

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.

We need to hear what Paul is saying to us them and to us here.

Who is Paul?

Who is Apollos?

Who is Buford?

Who is Dennis?

Who is Neil?

Who is anyone?

We are all only servants.

We are all only those who have been given the message of Jesus Christ, who have been charged with helping you to believe and to grow.

And each of us has our task we are assigned to fulfill.

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 NIV - Anglicised

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

Do we hear him here?

Some are sent to sow the seed.

Some are sent to water the seed.

Some are sent to weed the garden.

Some are sent to spread a little fertilizer.

Some are sent to prune.

Some are sent to harvest.

But each has their own role and their own job, but only God has been making it grow.

It is God who makes things grow.

Not any preacher, not any church member, only God.

Unfortunately though we see the problem with this worldly thinking extend through all levels of the Church.

We see it on the global level.

We look at different people who have been pastoring during a time of growth in a church and give them all the credit.

When in fact, they are a small part of it, it took all of the congregation that had been there before that preacher came and will be there after they are gone to do the work.

But again, God is the one who grows it.

We measure success in the world’s eyes and not the way God measures it.

God measures in whether or not we have been faithful in the task that God has given us, not whether or not we bust the walls out of the Church building.

And I am not talking about just preachers either.

All of us have a duty to be obedient to the Lord and do the work of the ministry.

All of us.

All of us have been given a role and job to fulfill.

And all of us are on the hook for doing that job.

Paul goes on to say this . . .

1 Corinthians 3:8–9 NIV - Anglicised

The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

And unfortunately, we equate the reward with bigger church buildings, fancy stuff, and fame.

Whatever happened to just being obedient to God?

Just doing what God has told us to do?

When did that go out of style?

Paul goes on . . .

1 Corinthians 3:10 NIV

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.

And again, he is talking to all of us, not just the preachers.

Quality of the Materials

And this last part, Paul tells us and really challenges us on what we are building on.

What materials are we actually using.

Are we using the “good stuff” or the cheap knock-off stuff that falls apart after the first use.

He goes on . . .

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 NIV - Anglicised

For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 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. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

So, Jesus is the foundation and we only build on it . . .

And I think sometimes people get confused on what “gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, and straw,” mean.

We think in terms of money and wealth and think that if we throw a lot of money at something that this is pleasing to God and that is going to get us a “good reward from God.”

Working for God is not the stock market, we don’t invest money in hopes of a good return.

God isn’t interested in our money.

Now, if God calls you to give money, then give money.

But God is really looking for our obedience.

God wants us to be obedient to Him and to submit to Him.

When we build on the foundation of Christ with obedience to Christ then it is viewed as gold, silver, and costly stones.

But, when we just give God our “left-overs,” that “I’ll do it because I have to,” attitude or just the bare minimum to satisfy our conscious a bit, then it’s wood, hay, and straw.

However, a key point to remember though is . . .

1 Corinthians 3:15 NIV

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Our salvation is not based on our works, our works are just an expression of our salvation.

Our rich rewards for giving God our best is a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with God.

If we just do the minimum, we will escape hell, but at what cost to our relationship with God?

Altar/Challenge

So, really tonight, what do we want?

What type of relationship with God do we want?

I’m sure most will say they want a full and rich relationship with God.

Are we willing to do what it takes to get it?

Are we willing to grow up and stop focusing so much on the messenger and focus our attention on the message?

Are we willing to be obedient and submissive to God in all things?

That’s really what it boils down to?

What steps are we willing to take?

Let’s pray . . .