10.25.2020 - Serving with Excellence

Scripture

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 NLT

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Hook

Captain Jack robs a bank. (PIrates of the Caribbean 5?)

The Bank, which looked impenetrable, came off its foundation, and was judged to be weak and useless.

Things in life are only as strong as the connections they have around them.

Thesis: When we serve like Jesus, we serve with excellence.

The Foundation

How can we serve with excellence?

We start with our foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:10–11 NLT

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

Buildings need foundations and so do we.

Foundations do not need to be pretty, they need to be correct and strong

God wants us to serve with excellence and has created the foundation for us.

Isaiah 28:16 NLT

Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

1 Peter 2:4–6 NLT

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Paul writes about this foundation built around Jesus to the Corinthians, the letter to the Romans, and the Ephesians as well.

Jesus is the stone that we align ourselves to at the very beginning, if we want to serve with excellence.

In other words, you cannot serve God with excellence without a good, growing relationship with Jesus.

If there appears to be a problem with the way we serve, the first place we should look is to our foundation to make sure it has not shifted away from Jesus, our Cornerstone.

Building Materials

God wants us to build on that Foundation, that is Jesus Christ.

What do we use to build on that?

1 Corinthians 3:12 NLT

Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.

What are these materials?

a range of durability

Also a range of value

The greater context of this passage is about teaching (good teachers vs false teachers) in the church.

But the picture of teaching did not look like our traditional American teaching.

Both Jesus and Paul took their students on the road with them. There were no classrooms. Teaching happened every day, not just on the Sabbath. Teachers had opportunities to serve their students, often as a way of teaching them, and helping them open up to even more teaching.

Teaching that lasts

In fact, without serving, loving, and building relationships with the students, the teaching often does not last.

Remember Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, concluded His message by telling His students that the person who heard the message but did not put it into action was like the foolish builder who built upon sand and lost their house in the storm.

Knowledge, Wisdom, and Truth that is learned but not lived is still just straw, hay, or wood at best. The Gold, Silver, and Jewels, are the things we learn and put into action in our lives.

Almost the story of the 3 Little Pigs

Not tested by the wind of the Big Bad Wolf

What kind of test?

1 Corinthians 3:13 NLT

But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.

Tested by Fire

Not what will stand

What will last the consuming fire of God’s Presence

Refining Fire that burns away the impurities in our lives.

Judgment

1 Corinthians 3:14–15 NLT

If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Allow me to propose something ridiculous.

What if we considered death to be this judgment, this fire we all must pass through.

What part of you would survive death?

Our bodies would not, and many of us would not be too sad about that, as broken as our bodies can become.

Our possessions would not come with us

We would hope that our addictions and bad habits would die with our bodies, never to return

and perhaps our prejudices and old hurts as well

What would be left?

As we consider that, let me tell you about 3 men who faced death differently.

1. Enoch, from the book of Genesis was deemed a righteous man

Genesis 5:18–24 NLT

When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 NLT

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

2. Elijah

2 Kings 2:11–12 NLT

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.

3. Jesus

Acts 1:9 NLT

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.

We know little of Enoch, but we know enough about Elijah to know that he was not perfect. Yet at their deaths, these two, along with Jesus seemed to be made of life that was more than straw and hay, or even wood. Death could not take them. So God took them Himself.

They lived out their truth well enough that their whole lives became something precious, valuable, lasting.

We do not build ourselves

The final point is that we do not build ourselves

Someone is always building us as we build up others around us.

And we do not build alone.

We are always building on top of someone else’s work.

You build up the lives of your children and grandchildren.

Their teachers help you.

Their friends help you.

Their church helps you.

How do you serve them with excellence and give them materials that are precious and lasting?

Practice what you Teach.

Show them

Invite them to live it out with you

Encourage them to live it themselves

Show them how to fail, ask for help, get back up, and try again.

CTA

The big question Paul is addressing here is how we are BOTH judged and saved as Christians.

We often worry first about our own salvation.

Paul says that if we have a relationship with Jesus we will be saved, although we may not have much to show for it.

But I think, in regards to serving with excellence, he raises a bigger question.

Will your disciples, your family, your friends be saved? Will they stand the time of judgment because you served them well and helped build them up into disciples with Gold, Silver, and Jewels? Or will God sweep all your work away when He comes to make all things right?

When Jesus finishes with your disciples, will He look at you and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”