Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Introduction:

1. Story of Pastor and people: Mike and Sue, Tomorrow River, etc.

2. The Corinthian church

Many advantages

Located at a prosperous crossroad between the Europe and the

near east in northern Greece.

A church of the gifted and talented people and leaders

But it is a divided church that has a number of problems including a leadership crisis

Small cliques have attached themselves to leaders in whom they

take pride

From Paul’s statements in the first three chapters you might get

the idea that the people are following one of the NT apostles

of Paul, Apollos or Peter. These men are not competing with

one another for power or prominence.

The cause of the crisis in found in 3:1-4

I. Spiritual Lasik Vision Correction, 3:1—4

A. Diagnosis – 4 Ways of viewing life, 3:1-2

KJV “carnal” from the Latin word translation of the Greek “sarkinos”

NASV “fleshly” NIV “worldly”

Bottom line contrast: unspiritual vs true spirituality

1. Natural man (2:14) = psuchikos = unsaved man unrenewed

through new birth living according to the thinking and resources

of man without God

2. Spiritual man (3:1) = pneumatikos = saved man renewed as Spirit

– filled and walking in the Spirit in full fellowship with Christ

characterized by growing spiritual maturity.

Mature: Hebrews 5:14 – a long obedience in the same direction

With the help of God’s Word and God’s Spirit growing beyond your past

Applying truth consistently over a long period of time by

integrating your faith with your decisions, attitudes and

actions.

3. Carnal man (3:1,3) = sarkikos = the renewed man living his life

according to the thinking and resources of the natural man who is

characterized by spiritual immaturity.

B. Self Evaluation – Asking yourself the right questions, 3:3-4

“The quality of your life will be in direct proportion to the types of questions you ask yourself.” – Rick Warren

Am I am “natural man”? without Christ

Am I a spiritual person? And do I want to become a spiritual..

Or am I a believer but an unspiritual person making decisions

holding on to attitudes and acting out of my own human

mentality and resources?

In my experience it comes so naturally to live in the realm of flesh.

How to become a spiritual person…

1. Learn to walk in fellowship with Christ

John 15:5 ” I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” ESV

1 John 1:9 ” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ESV

2. Increasingly turn the control of your life over to God’s Spirit

Ephesians 5:18 ” And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” ESV

By…

First, Ro 8:5-7 / Col 3:2 “Set your mind on what the Spirit desires”

Colossians 3:2 ” Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” ESV See also, Romans 8:5-7

A deliberate choice to focus on God’s viewpoint – Key mind-set areas:

~ Your relationship with God.

~ Your difficult circumstances

~ Your close relationships

Second, “walking by” (keeping in step with)

3 Areas Habits of mind (thots / attitudes / critical spirit);

reaching out to others (servant)

conduct –

Def: be alert and responsive to the Spirit’s personal guidance in your life.

Third, “sow to the Spirit”

Galatians 6:7-9 ” Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” ESV

Consistently participate in those activities that will result in spiritual growth.

Acts 2:42 “apostles teaching, fellowship, worship, prayer

Spiritual disciplines

TS: That’s to key to having a right view of ministers…

Now at verse 5, Paul commences to show the folly of exalting one leader so highly that all others are rejected. He will do so in verses 5-17 by the use of three analogies. In verses 5-9, Paul speaks of the church as a farm, and the apostles as farm workers. In verses 10-15, Paul speaks of the church as a building under construction. Paul is the “master builder” who has laid the foundation. Others now work to complete the building on his foundation. He speaks of the standard for building and the rewards for those who build well. Finally, in verses 16 and 17, Paul speaks of the church as a temple, the dwelling place of God, and the severe consequences for defiling it.

II. The Role of God’s Servants

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 ” What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. ” NASB95

Paul begins his question with the word “What?”. By asking “What?” rather than “Who?”, Paul focuses on the place or position to which the Corinthians’ leaders have been elevated, rather than upon the personalities of each. “To what position or place have you assigned your leader?” Paul asks.

A. Fellow Servants of God, 3:5-9

Servants with an assigned task

Called to various aspects of ministry: planting, watering

Each has his own task, his own calling. Paul, as the first to come to Corinth, is the seed planter; Apollos, who follows, is the “waterer

They work in complementary roles, rather than competitive roles. Both are engaged in the same work, in the same goal of making disciples,

Paul, Apollos, and, of course, Cephas were only servants of Christ each serving in his own way and sphere of opportunity under the Master’s direction.

But God causes the growth.

3:9 Paul and Apollos were fellow workers for God. Elsewhere Paul spoke of believers as fellow workers with God (2 Cor. 6:1), but that was not his point here. The Corinthians were the field in view in the preceding illustration (vv. 6-8). Paul now compared them to a building. He proceeded to develop this illustration in the following verses (vv. 10-17).

This verse is transitional. To help the Corinthians abandon the party spirit that marked their church, Paul stressed the equality of their teachers as fellow workers under God’s sovereign authority (vv. 5-9).

B. Fellow Workers for God, 3:10-17

“Everything is God’s—the church, its ministry, Paul, Apollos— everything. Therefore, it is absolutely not permissible to say ‘I belong to Paul,’ since the only legitimate ‘slogan’ is ‘we all belong to God.’”

III. The Authentic Preacher – Leader, 4:1-6

“Throughout 1 Corinthians 1—4 Paul is primarily concerned to address the factionalism that was tearing the church apart with squabbles, jealousy, and one-upmanship. But because not a little of this quarreling arose from the habit of different groups in the church associating themselves with various well-known Christian leaders (‘I follow Paul,’ . . .), Paul found it necessary to address several Corinthian misconceptions regarding the nature of genuine Christian leadership. These believers were adopting too many models from their surrounding world.”

“What Paul is trying to do above all else is to get the Corinthians to enter his orbit, to see things from his eschatological perspective. Therefore, it is not simply a matter of his being right and their being wrong on certain specific issues. It has to do with one’s whole existence, one’s whole way of looking at life, since ‘you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.’”

A. Their Job Description, 4:1-2

1. Servant “under-rower”

SERVANT (“under-rower”): galley-slave of Roman war-ships who must watch the captain and instantly obey ^[1] >> SPARTACUS

Paul used a different word for servants here (hyperetai) than he did in 3:5 (diakonoi). This word means an under-rower, a figure taken from the galley ships of the time. Slaves who rowed under the authority of the man who coordinated their individual efforts propelled the ship. The ship sailed straight ahead rather than in circles as the slaves followed the instructions of their leader. The other word (diakonoi) is the normal word for a servant.

This metaphor emphasizes the fact that Christian leader-preachers are under the direct authority of Jesus Christ in their work. They are to follow his orders.

2. Steward “housekeeper”

STEWARD (“housekeeper”): the manager-slave of a wealthy person’s estate who distributes needed care to the owner’s other slaves. Airline stewards or stewardesses serve the passengers according to the directions of the pilot. They have been entrusted with valuable information and commodities which they are responsible to dispense.

A steward (“those entrusted with,” NIV) was a servant whom his master entrusted with the administration of his business or property. His job was to devote his time, talents, and energy to executing his master’s interests, not his own. The figure stresses both the apostles’ humble position as belonging to Christ and their trusted yet accountable position under God. The mysteries of God refer to the truths of the Christian faith.

4:2 The most important quality in a steward is that he manage his master’s affairs so the desires of his lord materialize (cf. Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 16:1-13; 19:11-27; 1 Pet. 4:10). He must be faithful to his master’s trust.

For Paul this meant remaining faithful to the gospel as he had received it and preached it (cf. 15:1-11). God’s requirement is not eloquence, wisdom, initiative, or success.

This metaphor repeats the idea of being directly and solely under the authority of Christ, but emphasizes their primary role as dispensing something valuable from Christ to his people.

What do they distribute? The “mysteries of God”—the truths of God revealed in his written Word and nowhere else (especially the New Testament): what God is really like, what our real dilemma with him is, who Jesus is, how his death and resurrection provide forgiveness when we humbly put our trust in him, and how his indwelling through the Holy Spirit enables those who receive Christ to know God personally and provides them with power to live life as he designed it. This is the great deposit of truth revealed to us (GOSPEL HERE).

B. Their Job Evaluation, 4:3-5

1. By church members, 3a

CHURCH MEMBERS (vs 3a): Preacher-leaders are always being evaluated by the people who receive their ministry. While this can be a valuable source of feed-back, how a preacher-leader views and responds to their evaluation has huge implications for the health of the church.

In many churches, the church or the church board views the pastor as their employee and their evaluation of his job as the most important. Some are very up front about this

STEDMAN’S STORY OF YOUNG PASTOR: “This is our church and we expect you to do and teach what we want you to, not what you think you ought to do.”

Others are more subtle PASTOR’S “LOCUS OF HOSTILE POWER:” “I want you out, I’m trying to get you out—and I’ll deny I ever had this conversation with you.”

Paul emphatically rejects this arrangement (read vs 3a). His language is amazing blunt: “I know you’re evaluating me and I know what your evaluation is—and I want you to know I don’t think it’s very significant.” He does not say this because he is arrogant, or because he is a tyrant. He says it humbly but he means every word of it.

The preacher-leader is not the property of the congregation! They do not set the agenda for him! His role is not to serve the congregation, but to fulfill his role as a servant/steward of Christ by teaching them the mysteries of God. You cannot be an effective preacher-leader unless you serve Christ rather than the people you’re leading.

2. By society, 3b

3. By themselves, 3c-4a

4. By Christ, 4b-5b

C. How to Benefit from Their Ministry, 4:5-7

1. Judge morality and doctrine but don’t judge their motives or

personality.

2. Learn from them

3. Promote unity instead of rivalry

4. Humbly accept their uniqueness and benefit from their God-given

gifts.

Story: Trip to Arkansas two years ago.

Geroldine – Wayne so enjoyed our time together with Mike and Sue.

How we laughed together.