Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Serving in Partnership with Each other” I Corinthians 3:1-8a
BASIC OUTLINE
Address and Introduction (Greeting and Thanksgiving) 1:1-9
I. Reproof for fleshly behavior 1-6
A. Reproof concerning divisions 1-4
1. Opening appeal for unity 1:10-17
2. The Biblical foundation for Unity 1:18-4:5
a) The priority of Christ and the cross 1:18-31
b) The Power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit 2:1-3:4
c) Faithfully serve as partners for the Kingdom of God
If we serve in partnership (cooperation not competition) with the other members of the family we will avoid conflict. Paul calls the Corinthians to adopt the right perspective on Kingdom service. We must not form cliques around personalities but form camaraderie around the purposes of God. Stop saying I am of Paul, or Apollos or Peter. Stop saying this or that method or ministry is more important. The ultimate mission is the point not the missionaries or methods. Paul argued that people have their place in the plan but it is God who produces the growth. Thus, God must be given ALL the credit. Someone once commented on the wonder of how much could be accomplished if no one cared who got the credit. Individuals are not to be seen as points of attention but only vital parts of a team designed and directed by God.
The points of Paul’s argument in this third and last foundation stone unpack as follows.
• We are all servants of the same God.
• God brings the growth so He must be the focus not the servants.
• All servants function as one unit to accomplish the mission.
• Each servant will be individually accountable for faithful service
? Be careful how you build
? Humbly focus on Christ
? Stop judging God’s servants
(1) We are all servants of the same God. 3:5
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
Paul fires another missile of truth into the divisions among the Corinthian believers.
Stop focusing on people. As loyal as you may feel to those who introduced you to faith in Christ, they are only servants of Lord who initiated your faith. Sometimes we forget we are the servant and not the master. When we do, we invite conflict. We must cultivate a servant mentality. Paul describes both he and Apollos as servants not fellow apostles or pastors or leaders but fellow servants of God. Servants belonging to and directed by God
Servants of the body of Christ
The early use of this term referred to those who waited tables. It described the menial task of doing the household tasks on behalf of another which at times could feel demeaning. In general it described the action of serving another. Paul described their role as a waiter or busboy. They didn’t provide the food or cook it, they only served it. The Greeks ascribed little value to this virtue because their whole drive was the development of one’s own personality. Mostly in the New Testament it is translated servant or minister or deacon. The emphasis is on the task of serving another.
Paul later focused on the one essential requirement of a servant: faithfulness. It is important here to note Jesus’ use of the term.
Regarding Himself and those desiring significance:
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. "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45
NOTE concerning evangelism.
We don’t make opportunities for people to believe.
“even as the Lord gave to each one”
This phrase could be interpreted two ways. It could refer to Paul and Apollos. It could refer to those who believed.
The first interpretation would read, “even as the Lord gave to each one to serve”
The second would read, “even as the Lord gave to each one to believe.”
Either interpretation has merit and support from other New Testament passages. I lean toward the second in this case. God not only causes the growth but also brings the opportunities to plant and water. We are servants who serve those God has prepared to hear the good news. Paul asked the Colossians to pray that God would open doors of opportunity for sharing. God orchestrates the opportunities to plant by preparing the soil.
We plant and water by God’s gifting and enabling. God causes the growth.
God is involved at the front, middle and end of the process.
We too often try to do God’s part of the plan while neglecting our part. The point for the clashing Corinthians is to get their eyes off the waiter and focus on the cook. Quit fighting over your favorite busboy and give proper credit to the one who cooked.
Paul repeats the principle again.
(2) Focus on the one bringing the growth not the servants
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. 1 Cor. 3:6-7
Paul diminished his and Apollos’ role in professions of faith. Neither the one who plants nor waters is anything but God who causes the growth. Did you get that? Paul acknowledged their differing cultivating roles but God alone caused the growth. Next to God’s role, theirs was nothing. We work so hard for affirmation and personal recognition.
“I led 15 people to Christ.” Oh did you really?
We can’t make anything grow. God takes prominence because He alone can produce growth.
“Growth” = enlargement, increase
Imperfect tense verb indicating periodic growth from time to time.
Paul did his thing. Apollos did his thing. God continued the growth process.
The planting and the watering process is nothing without the ground preparation and the ultimate growth.
? God prepares the soil to receive the seed.
? We plant and water.
? God brings the growth.
Therefore the planter and waterer pale in importance to the one producing the growth.
The point Paul makes here is the primary role of the one who causes the growth and the cooperative role of those planting and watering. The better we understand that relationship, the less opportunity for division and conflict. We are called as partners in the building of the kingdom of God. Each one has their specific role in the cultivating of God’s field. Give up trying to build your own little kingdom and erect your own monuments.
Many have stood in disbelief at the arrogant proliferation of pictures, plaques and monuments of Saddam we have seen throughout Iraq. That is fallen nature gone to seed. All of us have some of that in us wanting OUR stamp, our recognition on our work. If we have a passion for the Kingdom, it won’t matter who gets credit. What will matter is God’s glory. It is HIS image we want stamped in every corner of the Kingdom. The only label we care about is “loving made by the Heavenly Father.”
In the next phrase, Paul used present tense (continuous action) verbs for all three elements.
Neither the one continually planting or watering is anything.
But
The one continually causing the increase, namely GOD, is EVERTHING.
Here Paul drops proper names altogether. “The one who” The only important name to be attached to such work is GOD. God has used a multitude of migrant workers to tend His field. Many have come and gone. The only constant in God’s field and vineyard over the centuries is God.
Workers could argue forever as to whose work brought about the fruit.
“It wouldn’t have happened without planting.” The planter is more important.
“It would have dried up and died without watering.” The waterer is more important.
The point is that neither could make the seed grow. Only the master gardener, the Creator can cause a seed to grow. With such a focus we easily avoid the petty little “credit” game and a “party spirit” and all rejoice together in the God who lovingly germinated another seed which produced fruit that lasts for eternity. Paul even switches the order of the names to illustrate no one has greater importance over the other.
At this point it might be interesting to briefly consider the role of planting and watering.
What is planting and watering? Other passages depict seed planted as the word of God. Other passages also picture the Word of God as water. Both planting and watering have to do with declaring the Word of God. Planting perhaps has to do with evangelism. Watering has to do with discipleship. Perhaps one expressed the declaration of the truth in love with an emphasis on truth. Water could be the declaration of the truth in love with an emphasis on continuing relationship. Paul came through and declared God’s truth resulting in belief. Apollos hung out to continue discipling.
So far Paul fights against divisions by a proper understanding of how we are all servants of God serving in partnership for God’s kingdom. We are all servants of one God. God who brings the growth deserves our focus.
Paul makes a third observation.
(3) All servants function as one unit to accomplish the mission.
Now he who plants and he who waters are one
Literally this would read, “the one planting and the one watering are ONE.”
Paul affirmed the true nature of the partnership in the body. Each member carries out a different function but all are unified by the mission and the head of the body. Understanding the integrated nature of the body also avoids the jealousy and conflict that arises from wanting to do someone else’s role or disparaging someone else’s role because it is less important. Is planting more important than watering or any other function in the body? Is serving less important than preaching? Is administrating less important than showing mercy? Are the speaking gifts more glorious than the serving gifts? Do the sign gifts demonstrate more anointing than the teaching or serving gifts?
Later Paul will chastise them for desiring more showy gifts and demeaning the others.
Is the Childcare ministry more important than the Sunday school?
Are the adult classes more important than the youth or children’s classes?
Is the praise team more important than the custodian?
Is the pastor more important that the prayer warriors?
Is the Sunday Service more important than the small groups or Bible Study?
Are the cooks less important than the elders?
I think you get the idea. EVERYONE has a role. Everyone has been gifted to serve in God’s field. All must be engaged in planting and watering.
Remember however it is GOD’S field. We must not get possessive of HIS field. We must not demean his servants. We must not build cliques around personalities. To get involved in fights over personal preference and personalities is a sign that someone stopped walking in the Spirit and the flesh now drives us. We must learn to serve as partners embracing ONE mission with ONE Lord.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Ephes. 4:1-7
This week we have learned that:
? Everybody has a job to do.
? Nobody is more important than anybody else because God is supreme.
Next week we will finish this passage and learn that:
? Everybody will personally give account to God for their service.
So faithfully serve as partners for the Kingdom of God.
