01.25.2015 1 Cor. 3 - How do we Evaluate the Work we do in Life?

01-25-2015 Worship from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

1-25-2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

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Lord, thank You that we can come before Your throne, broken, humbled – we can come as we are. You have paid the penalty for our sin and You can make us whole. Thank You for Your word – speak to our hearts today.
1 Cor. 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
Wow. Influenced by the flesh. Fleshly people. Unregenerate people. What type of person do you think about? Probably people engaged in some kind of sexual sin. Maybe people with addictions – or violence/gluttony – sins of the flesh. But what is interesting – Paul – in speaking of being fleshly – says it is because of jealousy, dissension, strife and factions! Yes, those other things are fleshly – but in context, Paul is speaking of division and dissension!
Jealousy – can be, yes, I am jealous of your fancy new car – but the context for this is thinking of spiritual superiority. Somme churches believing they are superior to other churches – and Paul is saying – that puts you at the bottom of the maturity level.
If we find ourselves continually having trouble getting along with others – we should question our spiritual maturity – it is a sign of being spiritually immature.
There will be people at work or in your family that are hard to get along with. But if you are seeing that this is constantly happening to you – it is probably not ALWAYS the other person’s fault! We have to look at ourselves – is there something lacking in me to have and develop good relationships. All of us have things that prevent us from having good relationships.
In growing in our spiritual relationships, one of the priorities has to be growing in such a way that our relationships improve. We must learn to relate to others in the way that Jesus would.
Are we treating others like Jesus would? It is not about acquiring Bible knowledge. That is important, but it doesn’t bring spiritual maturity.
It is not about gaining ministry skills or doing spiritual exercises – it is about growing in love for other people. Learn how to get along! Learn how to love each other!
How do we love people the way Jesus loved people?
Watch Him! Read His stories! Go and do the same – but in your context and life!
There are all these ‘one another’ verses in the Bible – Love one another, be patient with one another – there are like, 70 of them – and look for them!
“Let your gentle and forbearing sprit be known to all!” – That is one way of being like Jesus! You are ‘easily entreatable’ – Yield!
We see relationships – Jesus talks so much about an attitude of humility and it is a key to good relationships. You need to be humble within relationships. A big part of humility is acknowledging wrong – be QUICK to apologize! Some people go their entire life never apologizing to the ones they love. You probably have stories in your own life like that!
Give preference to one another in honor. Let others go first. Let others have the last piece of cake! Let them have all of the cake! Look out for one another’s needs. Think about – what do others need? At a church event or ministry – what is the need? How do I meet that need?
Later in Corinthians, there is a lawsuit – brothers in the church suing one another in the public court – and Paul is saying, What in the world is going on! Do you not have someone in the church who could work out and settle this problem? If not, it is better to be wronged, than to make this issue public.
Jesus said to turn the other cheek. Someone slaps you on the one, turn to him the other. This is not speaking of weakness and cowardliness – it is done in freedom and strength – being the kind of person, who, when wronged – doesn’t need to retaliate. Obviously he is not talking about defending ourselves against something. You can’t do that unless you have confidence in God.
When Jesus was before Pilate – Pilate asked – do you not know that I have the power to have you executed? And basically, Jesus says, no, not really – you only have the power that has been given you – and Jesus is basically saying that He has the power – and He is willingly offering up His life.
Paul – when we are weak we are strong. When we choose to yield – that is when we experience grace and power the most.
1 Cor. 3: 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
Paul turns to a proper attitude toward Christian leadership. This was a big issue in their church – so Paul is dealing with what it means to have a proper attitude toward Christian leadership – and the instruction is very similar to Jesus’:
Mark 10: 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus is giving the world’s view of leadership – take control/dominate, exercise authority – and they had adopted this view for their leadership – certain people were raising themselves above everyone else. It happens today – we do it subtly – we know the truth and you don’t. We know how to live, and you don’t.
Jesus continues – it is not this way among you – whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.
What does it mean to be a leader? Servant! Christian leadership is about relinquishing power and control – not obtaining it.
Trying to grasp and hold onto control – we need to give that up and view ourselves as servants of God and those He has given us to minister to. Being a servant means learning to live for the benefit of others.
1 Cor. 3: 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Paul is saying that God is the owner and the authority! Whatever the ministry – we must realize it belongs to God and not to us – our job is to partner with Him – as His hired men, you could translate this. Hourly workers for God. And to have the heart attitude – this is not mine – whether it is leading a small group or pasturing a church – it is a mistake to think it is yours – you are just an hourly worker in that ministry. The pay isn’t great now, but it is later on! God is the boss and He wants full control – and that is hard for us, because we live in a control nation. We love owning things – and Paul talks about it being a stewardship and that means being faithful with someone else’s property, money, and things!
Even the gifts we have – our talents – are on loan from God – we are just using them.
In this section – he uses two metaphors – a garden – someone planting and someone watering. Or like a builder in verse 10 –
1 Cor. 3: 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ
The second metaphor is a building – with a foundation and structure.
What he is saying in both parables – what is most important – the planting of the seed and the foundation! The type of seed you plant is the type of plant you get! We know that from horticulture. The foundation determines the size and purpose of the building. If the foundation is not solid, the building will have a problem.
When you are looking at buying a house – that is the number one thing! The foundation is critical. For us – the foundation is the gospel – it is not human wisdom – sometimes we make an organization a foundation – a church – instead of Christ. What people really rely on is where they go to church – and the feelings they get there – and that is not a good thing. It might be the foundation of certain doctrines – and that is not a foundation. Being whatever denomination you go to – that is not a foundation. There is only one foundation – and it is Jesus.
For others, it is a cause. It is built on a mission – but our lives need to be built on something much more solid – and that is Jesus.
It doesn’t stop with the foundation. Our work is really important. The work we do after the gospel foundation is critical
“Are we laying a foundation that has a natural tendency to produce disciples that are being transformed into Christ’s image?” “Or – does our message create consumers of religious goods and services?”
People come for the experience – and if that is why people come – there is something missing in the foundation. Our spiritual lives must make us want to be more and more like Him.
How do we evaluate the work we are doing in life?
1 Corinthians 3: 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, [d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
So we have this foundation that we all are building on – in your small group, in your ministry, in coming to church on Sunday mornings – you have important things to do for God’s kingdom – all of us do! Never think that the encouragement you give – or helping with the nursery – builds into other’s lives – and will it be good? Some have a foundation of gold, silver, and precious stones. Or is it straw and wood and hay – what will be left from the quality of your work.
Four ways to know how we are building on a good foundation?
1) Love. 1 Corinthians 13: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
If you know someone with mountain moving faith – you would think – that is how I want to be. But without love, it is nothing.
If I give away everything I own? WOW! But no love? No benefit.
All ministry done without the heart of love is wood, hay and straw. Anything we do that is not backed by love will burn by the fire.
Love is patient.
If you do your ministry lacking patience – it does not have love, and will burn up.
Love is kind – it could be a good thing, but without kindness – it is nothing.
Anything we do with bragging or boasting or arrogance – it burns up. You can go through each of these yourself.
“We have an improper definition of love. To really love is to desire and to will the good of another person.” Live in such a way as to produce good for others.
Sometimes love means “I want” – I love that car = I want that car. That is not really love! But live in such a way to bring it about.
2)
1 Cor. 9: 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
If you do something in patience and kindness – it is gold and silver.
Whatever we do – whenever we act and engage – wherever we are doing things for the sake of the gospel – it is gold and silver.
Why do we go to work? To pay our bills, yes – but our motivation must be for the gospel. It might not mean that you preach to the person you are trying to sell something to – but it is an attitude. Everyone takes their theology to work – even atheists. Your theology – view of God – determines your behavior.
And so we need to learn that we will take this into work and need to be specific and intentional.
You are taking God with you wherever you go – what are people seeing?
1 Cor. 12: 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Third way – to build – when we use the gifts, talents, and resources for the benefit of others. It has all been given by God. What do you have that you did not receive? Nothing. The problem – the Corinthians thought they earned it or brought it about themselves – but the gifts are given for the common good. It may be your spiritual gifts or the skills you have developed – there is a difference in using our gifts to serve others and using our gifts to gain positions of influence and power – to take control
The good news – we can use our gifts and talents to benefit others from whatever position we are in. Wherever we are – you might feel like the least important person here – and you might be convinced of that – but you – from that position – can use your gifts and talents to benefit others. Let’s pray…