We Are God's Fellow Workers (part 2)

Intro

Text - 1 Cor 3.5-9

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 NKJV

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

Title - We Are God’s Fellow Workers (part 2)

Review of part 1

the call of God is a call to work with Him

to work with God is to invest in His kingdom work

working with God requires giving 100 percent of our lives to Him

salvation is not gained by human work, but it comes with task.

those who were truly touched by God’s grace are always willing to work with God.

Isaiah

Isaiah 6:7–8 NKJV

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

the man delivered from legions of demon

Mark 5:18–20 NKJV

18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Three things to know when working with God

When we work with God, it is important to know these three things -

His plan - what God wants to accomplish

His strategy - how God wants to accomplish His plan

His work - what God will do to accomplish His plan

Case study - God’s work with Abraham

God’s plan - to bring His salvation to the whole world

from the start God has already announced His plan

God’s strategy - make Abraham a might nation from which the promised Seed will come forth

God’s work - strengthened their body so that Isaac could be born and his descendants could multiply

WHAT’S THE POINT?

If we are to work with God, we must learn to move with God in His own time

human ideas cannot be mixed with God’s strategy

Sarah’s idea with Hagar did not work

Sarah’s unbelief did not hinder God’s word from being fulfilled

Case study - God’s work with Moses

God’s plan - bring Israel out of Egypt into the land of Canaan

God’s strategy - send Moses back to Egypt

God’s work - use Moses’ rod to perform mighty signs and wonders before pharaoh and all Egyptians

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Failures in the ministry often comes from lack of understanding of God’s plans, strategy and work.

Moses failed 40 years back

Even if we fail, God does not, cannot, and will not, fail!

He works around our failures for good

ex - Moses’ failure brought him closer to God

Romans 8:28 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God’s work in the grace age

His universal plan

God’s plan was to produce sons and daughters of God

Ephesians 1:3–5 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Notice -

adoption - Paul’s terminology to his Gentile audience

adoption as salvation upon hearing the gospel and responding by faith

adoption as the redemption of body

God’s plan was to produce children conformed to the image of the Son of God

Romans 8:29 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Adam’s destiny (to have dominion over God’s creation) would not be attained in the flesh condition - it is to be attained in Christ

Our destiny was not in Adam but in Christ

His strategy

God’s strategy was through the preaching of the gospel of Christ

Hebrews 2:10 NKJV

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

the power of God for salvation

Romans 1:16 NKJV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

a gospel so simple it was foolish to the world

1 Corinthians 1:21–25 NKJV

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

the gospel is not foolishness in itself

but those who do not believe see the gospel as foolishness

God’s strategy was to call out His people from unexpected areas of human society

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NKJV

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

WHAT’S THE POINT?

If we are to work with God, we must adopt His strategy

make the gospel plain and simple even a child should be able to understand

bring the gospel where the big churches dare not go v

reach the people that modern gospel is not reaching out

His work

God works by the Holy Spirit

He instructed His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit

Acts 1.8 “8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

2 ways that God is working

God is working in you

God is working with you

God must first work in us ...

Philippians 2:12–13 NKJV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

our salvation was the work of the Holy Spirit - we are merely cooperating by faith

Before He can work with us

Mark 16:20 NKJV

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Paul realized in need for the Holy Spirit to move

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 NKJV

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 NKJV

5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

If we are to work with God, we must allow the Spirit of God to do His work through us - our whole being!

Whatever we have in our life, it is enough for God to work with.

education/non-education

riches/poverty

freedom/bondage

tagalog/bisaya

Because God will not work through our strength - but by His own strength

Moses - an old staff

a child - a few fishes and loaves of bread

If we are to work with God, we must learn to let go of everything we have and place them in God’s caring hand!

the things that we give to God are NEVER LOST - THEY ARE STORED AND INVESTED IN THE KINGDOM

Conclusion

Working with God has a number of benefits for us -

you find your faith is not merely a set beliefs to memorize - God is active in your life

growth is not man-made, but a divine working

the work will endure the fire

you will receive a reward

1 Cor 3.14 “14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.”

Knowing that each of us is “fellow worker” with God, should make it easier for us to be fellow workers with one another.

SONG