The Saints Should Be In The Superbowl

THE SAINTS SHOULD BE IN THE SUPERBOWL

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Three workers stopped to eat lunch as they worked on a high rise building. The first, a German, said, “If my wife gave me sauerkraut and sausage again for my lunch, I’m going to jump off this building!” The second, a Hispanic, said, “If my wife gave me tamales again for my lunch, I’m going to jump off this building!” The third, a Texas Aggie, said, “If my wife gave me a Turkey & cheese sandwich again for my lunch, I’m going to jump off this building!”

2. Unfortunately, all three got what they feared and all three jumped off the building to their deaths.

3. Their three widows got together to mourn. The German’s wife said, “If I’d known that Gunter hated sauerkraut and sausage that much, I would never had made it for him!” The Hispanic man’s wife said, “If I’d known that Juan hated tamales that much, I would never had made it for him!” They paused and then both looked at the Aggie’s wife.

4. She said, “Don’t look at me! He made his own lunches!”

B. WRONG TEAM IN THE SUPERBOWL?

1. Two weeks ago the New Orleans Saints played the L.A. Rams. The game went into overtime. And the outcome of the game hinged on a ref not calling a pass interference. Had he called it, the Saints wouldn’t have gone to 4th down, but “first and goal.”

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIrGoy4CC5Q

Begin 14 seconds in. Go until 1:45.

3. Many people are saying, “The Saints Should Be In The Superbowl.” I thought this statement could be transferred to “God’s Saints should be playing in the Superbowl of Life!”

C. TEXT: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe— as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow-workers; you are God's field, God's building.

D. THESIS

1. 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."

2. Paul talks to us about four important aspects of the work and ministry of the Church: its people, working together, corporate, cooperative action, assurance of divine involvement, and lastly, the eternal results of what we do for the Lord. The title of this message is “The Saints Should Be In The Superbowl.”

I. THE PEOPLE FACTOR: "FOR WE."

A. WHO IS THE CHURCH? Q - Who is Paul referring to?

1. There are really two churches: the visible & invisible. Many people in the visible church aren’t really Christians. They attend the services, but they’ve never let Jesus take over their lives. He’s not actively living inside them. They don’t obey Jesus’ Word. They don’t seek to please Him alone.

2. But the real church is the invisible Body of Christ, made up of all saved people, born of the Spirit of God, who’ve been adopted into the family of God and made heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ!

2. WE’RE ALL PART OF THIS BODY.

a. I believe we, right here, have been ordained by God to be a part of this local Body for this moment in history. We’re not here by accident. We’re not pieces of drift wood floating on the ocean. The Bible says, “The steps of a good man (woman) are ordered by the Lord”.

B. GOD EXPECTS OUR GIFTS TO BE USED IN SERVICE TO OTHERS

1. Has God made you a part of this Body? Are you functioning? God created each of us for a purpose. God gave each of us certain gifts. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:10.

2. Just as in the human body, each part has a function, so do we! Without each member fulfilling its function, the Body as a whole won’t work properly. [About the only member of the Body we don’t need is the “Bone of Contention”]. But without the lungs, heart, esophagus, liver, kidney, brain [well some could make it without that] we couldn’t live.