I Corinthians 16

I Corinthians 16

“Stepping Through the Doors of Ministry”

Last message in I Corinthians

Next week we will start a series on the Fruits of the Spirit

Encouragement to I Corinthians 16,

There is a unique strength of reading or preaching through a book of the Bible. You allow God to lead you through subjects and topics that you normally wouldn’t think to study on your own.

-Instead of going back over what is familiar to you, these new subjects you cover fill in gaps in your faith. You grow in maturity.

-Let’s be honest, Sometimes when you read through a longer book like Romans or I Corinthians a few chapters can feel like a bit of a grind. As you work through these challenging chapters, God is building up in you new areas of maturity. Keep reading through books of the Bible.

Kelley Miller to read I Corinthians 16

Pray

Football Illustration -

Imagine that you are on a college football team.

-Even more impressive is that you are first string. You get to play.

You’ve been through the hot demanding end of summer practices.

Opening day of football.

First kick off of the season.

You have butterflies.

The on field warm up has happened.

Back in the locker room - The coach gives his pre-game speech.

The team captains have lead the pregame hype chant and cheer.

You and the team exit the locker room.

You line up in the tunnel...

The band is playing out on the field, everyone is getting hyped.

It’s time to leave the tunnel and play ball.

You run out through the banner as the crowd is cheering.

It’s time to put all the practice and team meetings into action.

In this last chapter in I Corinthians Paul calls for action.

He gives the Corinthians action points to step into.

Paul addresses different kinds of ministry that the Corinthians have the opportunity to engage in.

First we will see: Financial Opportunity for ministry, 2nd Opportunity for Discipleship, Finally Opportunity for Team Ministry.

Transition - First the Financial Opportunity for Ministry.

I. Opportunity to give $. vs 1-4

Paul comes to the Corinthians with concerning situation.

-Many believers in Israel (Palestine area) are starving due to a great famine.

People were was suffering deeply.

Paul asks the churches in Asia Minor to take a special offering to give to the church in Jerusalem to help with the suffering.

-The church in Jerusalem had previously “provided” the churches in Asia Minor (including Corinth) with the Gospel.

Compared to what the churches in Asia Minor had been given, this financial support was the least they could do.

Notice how one group of Christ Followers ministered to another group of Christ Followers they didn’t even know.

-There was a broad love for Christ’s body.

The Corinthians stepped into this “Opportunity to Minister”.

-If you didn’t know a group of starving Christ Followers in Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Block) would you give to them?

-Our children would

-At VBS our children raised $376 for a poor family in South America.

-Do you know one of the things that I appreciate about our church? That when there is a ministry need that we present to you, so many of you happily and willingly step up and give above and beyond. You respond to an opportunity to minister financially.

-There are not only financial opportunities, but there are serving opportunities.

-We have needs here in our church (unpack).

-We have needs with children’s ministry, with youth, young adults, with helping fix small things around the church, worship ministry ...

Transition - There are not only opportunities to serve and minister here on campus.

There are opportunities to serve others were you are.

to people in your neighborhoods, balls teams, at work ...

Opportunity for Discipleship, vs 5-12

Read verses 5-12

Key verse - verse 7, “I hope to spend time with you.”

Why did Paul hope to spend time with the Corinthians.

Was it to eat some good BBQ and hang out? NO

Paul knew the value of taking time to invest in others spiritually.

-Intentionally investing in others spiritually is called “Discipleship”.

-You are called not only to be discipled, but to disciple others.

Introduce the Paul, Timothy, Banabas model.

-Slide 1

Another way to say it is on the next slide.

The point is … we are making and taking opportunities to grow spiritually.

-There is NOTHING that will grow you long term spiritually like discipleship.

-Timothy, vs. 10 “… is doing the work of the Lord, as I am”

-How did young Timothy get to do the

-The focus of discipleship is not just helping grow someone spiritually, but helping them also become a disciple maker.

-Discipleship is not complete until the disciple has become a disciple maker.

Illustration - Imagine an internship that a young man goes through to learn to be a mechanic.

-How excellent and all encompassing would this young mechanics knowledge be if not only did he have to learn how to fix cars, but to begin to be able to also show other young mechanics how to fix cars.

-His knowledge and understanding would come full circle.

-Christ calls you not only to know Him, but to show others how to walk with Him.

-Illustration, Pre-Covid John and I were meeting with several men to disciple them. This Fall we hope to start back.

-You say, that sounds so intimidating, where do you even begin?

-One of many great ways to do that is to read something with another person (a chapter of the Bible, a solid Christian book) - underline what you read and just talk through it.

-Have a conversation about what stands out to you page by page. Pray for each other...

Transition … You say, I’m very interested, but I’m not there yet.

There are not only discipleship opportunities, there are Relationship Opportunities.

-Illustration (of me giving that girl a ride in the rain and sharing a little about Jesus.)

-2 weekends ago I was heading to the post office to drop off a package. It was raining. At a stop sign near my house I saw someone walking in the rain with a tiny umbrella, wearing house shoes, standing in a puddle of water. As I stopped at the stop sign she motioned to me. I rolled down my window. She said, “Would you please be able to give me a ride.? I live a short ways away. All I could do was think of my daughter walking in the rain and being soaking wet.

-As she got in the car I knew if I was going to talk about Jesus it had to be fast. After some small talk I said, I’m glad you asked me to give you a ride. I like helping people. Jesus has done so much for me. He has helped me so much. He has forgiven my sin. I want to help others. Then we were at her stop and that was it.

-There are relationship opportunities that are all around you.

Transition - Can I share with you a relationship ministry that is really effective?

-This ministry is rarely used. It is the easiest, takes the least amount of time, doesn’t cost you a penny, and makes people feel very loved.

-Praying for someone in person.

-When someone shares with you something stressful or difficult. You simply say, “That sounds really difficult and stressful. Could I pray for you right now for that. Let’s bow our head.”

-It is one of the most encouraging ministries that God has for all of us to do with others.

Summary - Paul was focused on spending time with the Corinthians, loving them, ministering them, with a focus on discipling them.

Transition - In the last section we will see ...

Opportunities for team ministry (vs. 12-18)

Read vs. 12-18

One of the big take aways in this section is that we see that ...

Ministry Is A Team Sport, The Churches that are successful in reaching others for Jesus and Discipling Believing - Are churches who’s membership is committed to work together.

In this section of Scripture we see multiple people who were invested in one way or another in growing the Corinthians Spiritually.

Paul, Apollos, the household of Stephanas, Timothy, Fortunatus, Achaicus - a team of people. Some of these lived in Corinth and ministered to the Corinthians.

The point is this there was a community that ministered together.

-Paul leans on others to help the Corinthians grow spiritually.

Ministry was a team effort.

At this church, at First Baptist Louisville, Ministry must be a team effort.

Every member must be a minister.

Q - Let me ask you this ...

Are you part of the ministering team here at First Baptist?

If not your first step is this...

Planting your flag in the ground and say this is where I am committed to serve Jesus.

How do I do that? Become a member.

When you become a member, you make a statement that you are part of the team.

When you become a member, you make a commitment, and put on the jersey.

-Would you make an appointment to come talk to John or myself about membership. We would be happy to walk you through the simple process.

We want you to be a part of the team. Pause

In Verse 12

Apollos makes a decision that for now he won’t go back to visit the Corinthians.

What was the reason?

Some Corinthians used him to divide the church.

In chapter 3 some people were lining up behind Apollos - saying he was their leader and they were following only him. The wealthy educated Greeks in Corinth would really like Apollos trained, educated style of teaching. It appears that Apollos doesn’t want anything to do with this division and doesn’t desire to go back to Corinth.

Some Corinthians were following a spiritual personality, or a spiritual style.

There are some people today who follow a certain TV Minister or Rock Star pastor because they like his personality or they like his style.

Apollos has the wisdom and security in himself to not look for the praises of men, but to look for what was in the best interests of the Corinthians.

He chose not to go back to Corinth (where his style and personality would be a distraction), but to let someone else take the lead.

Apollos recognized that He didn’t have to carry the team. That Ministry was a team sport.

Others were becoming overly dependent on these leaders and not feeding themselves spiritually.

-We see this sudden command by Paul come right after this news that Apollos wasn’t coming back.

Vs. 13

Be watchfulStand Firm in your faithAct like menBe strong

I think the placement of this command in this spot in this chapter speaks to fact that the Corinthians were over depending on the leaders to spiritually feed them.

Covid Illustration - (Male this personal)

Let me ask you a question.

During Covid, What was your spiritual growth like during Covid?

Did you grow, did you falter in your walk with God?

The question is not, did you miss coming to church?

Did you grow spiritually during Covid?

During Covid one of the things that many pastors including myself noticed during covid was this … If you had someone in your church who knew how to feed themselves spiritually and did it - Covid may have been a spiritual challenge, but that person came out spiritually stronger.

But if you were overdependent on others, baby Christian, not able or willing to feed yourself - then there was considerable spiritual loss. - No doubt many of you observed the same thing.

Illustration - I want to brag on Rowland McCleod. He wants to play middle school football this Fall. On his own he will get out in the neighborhood and run in the heat of the summer to get ready for football. He knows that others will depend on him. He wants to be ready. He takes initiative to make himself better. He is not relying just on the coaches to make him better.

Sometimes we rely too much on others for our spiritual food and strength.

In think Paul is saying here to the Corinthians, yes there is a team of people in ministry together … but your job is to make yourself ready for ....

Opportunity -

Closing Illustration

As a youth minister I was at a high school basketball game.

One of my students on the home team was not part of the starting 5.

In fact they were very deep on the bench.

In the second half the home team ran away with the game. Coach was substituting in players to get the team playing time.

The coach looked at the student in my youth ministry.

He said, “You want to go in?”

By the time He got the last word out of his mouth she said, “NOPE!”

In the moment it was really funny.

She liked basketball, she loved her team, she went to every practice, but when it came time to play - she wasn’t interested.

Maybe you can identify with this.

Maybe you go to church, give to the offering, and are even in a Sunday School class.

God today is saying to you, It’s time to step into ministry. To do something new. It’s time to get out of the stand and on to the field.

-Maybe God is challenging you to give financially. That is something new for you and God wants you to stretch you with trusting Him and being generous.

-Maybe God is is challenging you in discipleship. To step into helping others walk more closely with God.

-Maybe God is challenging you to make a commitment to be part of the the team and to join our church family. He wants you to officially put on the jersey.

-Maybe your time with God is lacking and God is challenging you to make a new daily commitment.

Today it’s time to run through the football tunnel and step through the open doors of ministry.

Will you do that now?

Gospel

For those who do not know Jesus, there is another door God has opened for you today.

He has invited you into a relationship of love and forgiveness with Him.

Will you step through that door of faith.

Trust Him with your sin and give all of your life to Him?