1997-05

SERMON NOTES

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (NIV)

9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,

13 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.

14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.

15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

INTRODUCTION: In this short passage, Paul talks to us about three important aspects of the work and ministry of the Church, the Body of Christ here on earth. First, he focuses his attention on the most important physical portion of the church, its people. Second, he focuses on the importance of working together, of corporate, cooperative action. And finally, Paul directs our attention to the assurance we have of divine involvement in the work.

Paul then goes on to tell us the eternal results of what we do for the Lord, and stresses that much depends on the way we work for Him, what we are willing to do for Him, where we are willing to go for Him, what we will say for Him, and the reasons for which we work with and for God.

Billy Graham said, "The Evangelistic Harvest is always urgent. The destiny of men and of nations is always being decided. Every generation is strategic. We are not responsible for the past generation, and we cannot bear full responsibility for the next one; but we do have our generation. God will hold us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age and take advantage of our opportunities."

There are a lot of Christians who are doing nothing. But there are no Christians who have nothing to do.

What must we do to accomplish what God wants us to? We must first recognize certain facts which Paul shares with the church here.

I. THE PEOPLE FACTOR: "FOR WE." Paul begins this passage with these words, indicating the importance he placed on the people of the church. The Church, the Body of Christ, is made up of all saved people, and only of saved people. We are the family of God, the children of the Father and the Spirit, the brothers and sisters Christ now, who will make up the bride of Christ our Savior and Lord in the future. How God loves us!!! He has adopted us into His family, made us heirs and joint heirs with Christ. "We" is a word implying that people can become as one, and work for the good of all. It is an inclusive word, rather than an exclusive one.

One day it occurred to the members of the body that they were doing all the work and that the belly was having all the food. So they held a meeting and after a long discussion decided to strike work until the belly consented to take its proper share of the work. So for a day or two the hands refused to take the food, the mouth refused to receive it and the teeth had no work to do. But after a day or two members began to find that they themselves were not in very active condition. The hands could hardly move, the mouth was all parched and dry, while the legs were unable to support the rest. Thus they found that even the belly in its dull quiet way was doing necessary work for the body and that all must work together or the body would go to pieces. -- Aesop

1. Paul understood the value of every person in God's family. All have unique abilities, skills, and all have a combination of developed area of expertise, and undeveloped potential.

2. We know that all have certain achievement levels in business, in their personal life, and in their spiritual life. We have not always been where we are, nor are we to stay where we are for ever. Even as we advance in efficiency and productivity in the business world, and gain skills in everyday life, so we must do also in our Christian walk.

3. We know that Christ chose twelve disciples originally, and added others such as Paul later. These men change the course of history and the destiny of nations. We are also called by God to work for Him, to do our part. He has work for each of us to do, as Ephesians 2:10 tells us. There, it says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." He created us to work for Him, and issues His call to each one of us.

4. We know that maximum success was not achieved in the early church by one man doing the work of twelve, nor by twelve doing the work of one. It was achieved by each man striving to reach his maximum potential for God.

II. THE CORPORATE ACTION FACTOR: "FOR WE ARE . . . FELLOW WORKERS." Paul now begins to stress what we just saw in our last section. We are laborers together as a group of men and women working together. We are workers together with others in a spirit of cooperation and unity. We must get many people together to work if the work is to be completed.

Many times, in the church it is difficult to get people to work together. In one of Bruce Shelley's favorite Peanuts cartoons, as shared in "What is the Church," Lucy demands that Linus change TV channels and then threatens him with her fist if he doesn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"

1. We must work in our area of assignment. God makes the assignments, and then we must work together. In the early church, 1 Corinthians 3:4 tells us that Paul said, "I have planted, Apollos watered, God gave the increase." This is the divine pattern: each of us doing our part; the part we know that God has assigned to us.

As Casey Stengel said: "It's easy to get good players. Gettin' em to play together, that's the hard part." Thanks Casey. What's true in baseball is also true in the ministry of the local church.

2. We must understand that God does not just want us to participate in His plan of grace, but also in His plan of service. Too often, we only want to enjoy the benefits of salvation without having to make the effort to serve. God has both a plan of salvation and service for each of us. If you are saved, then you should serve. God is never please with only one, for then at best He has only a half-hearted servant; a man or woman unable to give their entire life and being to Him.

3. We must work in unity. This means that our work will be characterized by the harmonious meshing of our abilities and talents in God's work. We will work in unity to fulfill the will of God on earth. We must each be doing his own work, complimenting the work of others. We are not competitors, but fellow workers.

Don Bennett is a Seattle businessman who decided he wanted to climb Washington's Mount Ranier. It's a stiff climb to the peak of the 14,410-foot summit, but so many individuals have made the climb that it no longer merits getting your name in the newspaper. For Don Bennet, however, the climb was a remarkable achievement, and papers nationwide carried the news of the first amputee ever to reach Mount Ranier's summit. In their book, The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner tell the story of how Bennett made the climb on one leg and two crutches. Asked to share the most important lesson he learned from his celebrated achievement, Bennett spoke of the team of individuals who helped him attain his dream, and commented, "You can't do it alone." The same can be said of building an effective church. Any church that seeks to be effective must mobilize a host of leaders who will team with the pastor to fulfill the church's goals.

4. We must realize how important this unity is. In the Book of Acts, the term "in one accord" is used on at least 10 occasions, emphasizing the active demonstration of the spirit of unity which prevailed in that church.

III. THE DIVINE FACTOR: "WE ARE GOD'S FELLOW WORKERS." Now we see the complete statement. And we have found the most important factor involved in Paul's instructions here. We work with God, and He works with us. Again, there is no spirit of competition, which we would surely lose, but only a spirit of cooperation and mutual help.

1. We must, as spiritual leaders and workers, be aware of God's presence and the availability of his power for spiritual work. We are fellow workers with God. He has told us to go about our work in the power of His strength, not in the power of our own might. What a difference it makes when we work for the Lord in the power of His strength.

2. We must allow this truth to permeate our beings. When we go at God's call and direction, we do not go alone. When we work according to His plan, we do not strive alone. We have available to us all the power, blessings, and resources which God owns. His all is available to us.

3. When we go at His direction, and in the power of His strength, the results are determined before we even begin the task. We will succeed.

IV. THE COMPLETION FACTOR: "I LAID FOUNDATION - OTHERS BUILT ON IT - CAREFULLY, WE HOPE - COMPLETED WORK TESTED TO SEE IF IT WILL STAND. God calls us to work for Him. If we truly hear His call, and respond properly, the job will be completed. However, we may not be the ones who complete the whole project; God may have called someone else to complete what we have begun, while we build on the foundation another has laid in another place.

1. We may only lay the foundation; others may then build on it. We must all build carefully, using good materials (and good materials only), if we want the job to pass inspection.

2. We may be assured the building, the work, will be completed.

3. We may be sure that it will be tested; it will be compared to God's blueprint to see if the job was done properly. Were the correct materials used, in the proper fashion, by the proper person?

4. We may rest in the knowledge that if all was done right, the work will pass the inspection; if not, it will not stand, but will be destroyed. If it stands, there is reward for the workers, all of them, who have been involved in it. If it does not stand, if it falls, then we can also be sure that the blame for its failure must also be shared. The only One involved in the work to whom no failure can be assigned is God, for His work is always done right. We must be certain that we are doing the work God called us to; we must be willing to allow others to do that also, without opposition from us, and without questioning their walk with the Lord.

John Wesley and George Whitefield were good friends in their earlier years, Wesley having begun his outdoor preaching ministry at Whitefield's encouragement. As time went on the men disagreed, with Whitefield leaning more heavily toward Calvinism than his younger friend's Arminianism. When Whitefield died, Wesley was asked if he expected to see Dr. Whitefield in heaven. In exaggerated but honest respect he answered, "No, he'll be so near the throne of God that men like me will never even get a glimpse of him!" Though differing, they did not lose their sense of oneness in Christ.

CONCLUSION: What happens when we know what we are to do; when we know who is assigned to help us, and who we are assigned to help? What is the result when we all go forth in unity, following the call of God, and work together with each other and with God?

The answer is given to us in Mark 16:20, where these words are found: "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

The disciples went out in unity, each knowing where he was to go, and what he was to say. They did not compete, but rather complimented the efforts that each made, and worked in one accord. The result was that everywhere they went, the Lord went with them, and confirmed the message they preached, and the work that they did, with signs following.

That is what will happen today when we have the proper blend of the people factor, the corporate factor, and the divine factor. The whole world is a harvest field begging for people to come work.

You may say, "I don't know just what the Lord wants me to do." Just look around you. Can you see a job that needs doing, or a need that is not being met? The need is the call. Answer the call and begin to work in God's kingdom. Do not just receive Christ as Savior, but also as Lord; as the One who assigns you work to do. Do not just partake of God's plan of salvation and leave untouched His plan of service. He has a plan for you in each of these areas. Also, realize that though preparation is necessary, too much of it can keep you from working for God.

A young man who had heard the Gospel accepted Christ. A little while after this, a Christian teacher asked him: "What have you done for Christ since you believed?" He replied: "Oh, I'm a learner." "Well," said the questioner, "when you light a candle do you light it to make the candle more comfortable, or to have it give light?" He replied, "To give light." "Do you expect it to give light after it is half burned, or when you first light it?" He replied, "As soon as I light it." "Very well," was the reply, "go thou and do likewise; begin at once." Shortly after there were fifty more Christians in town as a result of the man's work.

How many will perish in their sins while you are making up your mind if and when you will go to work for God? We should be more like these two men.

Dr. Halbeck, a missionary of the Church of England in the South of Africa, from the top of a neighboring hill saw lepers at work. He noticed two particularly, sowing peas in the field. One had no hands; the other had no feet: these members being wasted away by disease. The one who wanted the hands was carrying the other, who wanted the feet, upon his back; and he again carried the bag of seed, and dropped a pea every now and then, which the other pressed into the ground with his feet: and so they managed the work of one man between the two. Such should be the true union of the members of Christ's body, in which all the members should have the same care one for another.

Most of the time, we do not have to worry about someone doing too much; it is rather a concern that they will do anything at all. I would love to have men and women working so hard, together with one another, and with God, that a letter similar to this could be addressed to them.

This is a part of a letter that William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once received from his wife when he was on an extensive trip. She wrote: Your Tuesday's notes arrived safe, and I was rejoiced to hear of the continued prosperity of the work, though sorry you were so worn out; I fear the effect of all this excitement and exertion upon your health, and though I would not hinder your usefulness, I would caution you against an injudicious prodigality of your strength. Remember a long life of steady, consistent, holy labor will produce twice as much fruit as one shortened and destroyed by spasmodic and extravagant exertions; be careful and sparing of your strength when and where exertion is unnecessary.

Is such a letter necessary in your case?

I found this, which I would like to share with you in closing:

A Pastor's Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me --

To accept human beings as they are -- not yearn for perfect creatures;

To recognize ability, and encourage it;

To understand shortcomings -- and make allowance for them;

To work patiently for improvement -- and not expect too much too quickly;

To appreciate what people do right -- not just criticize what they do wrong;

To be slow to anger and hard to discourage;

To have the hide of an elephant and the patience of Job;

In short, Lord, please help me be a better pastor!

Osage Gospel Lighthouse, Linn, MO 1-26-97 pm