Transcript

The Rightful Place of a Servant

1 Corinthians 3:5-9
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Pastor Randy Smith

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Jonathan Edwards characterized the sin by saying…

Pride is a person having too high an opinion of himself. Pride is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last sin that is rooted out. Pride is the worst sin. It is the most secret of all sins. There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable. Alas, how much pride the best have in their hearts! Pride is God's most stubborn enemy! There is no sin so much like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin, and appears in a great many shapes which are undetected and unsuspected (Spiritual Pride).

In my opinion, one of the most undetected and unsuspecting places spiritual pride can rear its ugly head is ironically in Christian service. Though ministry should always operate in the realm of true humility, we've all experienced occasions when we in the process of serving God have, as Edwards said, thought much too highly of ourselves.

Whether it be a feeling of spiritual superiority or ruling with an iron fist or claiming rights to a specific title or expecting certain privileges or taking credit for success or using others for personal gain or glorying in our own strength or being irritable and unteachable, these tangible signs of pride do not model the attitude of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came "not…to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45b).

Considering Jesus, a good question to ask ourselves is whether we are more self-focused or more Christ-focused in our Christian ministry. If we are self-focused, we are operating in the realm of pride. If we are Christ-focused, we are operating in the realm of humility.

Consider the comparison:

• Self-focused service is concerned with impressive gains. It enjoys serving when the service is titanic or growing in that direction.

• Christ-focused service doesn't distinguish between small and large. It indiscriminately welcomes all opportunities to serve.

• Self-focused service requires external reward, appreciation, and applause.

• Christ-focused service rests content in hiddenness. The divine nod of approval is sufficient.

• Self-focused service is highly concerned about results. It becomes disillusioned when results fall below expectations.

• Christ-focused service is free of the need to calculate results; it delights only in service.

• Self-focused service is affected by feelings.

• Christ-focused service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need. The service disciplines the feelings. (Adapted from: Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline)

All of us should be engaged in Christ-focused Christian ministry. Yet all of us to different degrees are beset by the sin of pride when we serve. Sometimes we are made aware of our pride. But oftentimes others can see our pride more visibly than we do ourselves. However, this morning as we continue our study in 1 Corinthians 3, this principle is reversed. We'll see the servants more in tune with their own weaknesses than the onlookers. As a matter of fact, it was the onlookers who took too much pride in the servants.

We learned last week that jealousy and strife (3:1) were running rampant in the Corinthian church. These "deeds of the flesh" were the evident by-products of a fleshly and immature congregation. Much of the divisiveness occurred because they sought to pridefully boast in their favorite leader. Do you remember verse 4? "For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not mere men" (cf. 1:12)?

While many servants would have gladly welcomed this attention, the Apostle Paul needed to correct this situation. Paul knew that it was causing great division. Paul knew in order for a church to be unified, attention must be taken off humans and placed on the Lord. Man must be put in his lowly place and God in His lofty place.

Therefore in verses 5-9, the Apostle seeks to compare the role of a servant with the role of God. We'll see this in each of the five verses. The human is deflated, as God is exalted.

It is my prayer that this sermon will not only increase Christian service, but also enable us to serve with a humble attitude when we realize who we are in light of who God is. As John the Baptist said, one must increase and the other must decrease (Jn. 3:30). That is Paul's intent in these verses, and it is mine in this message.

1. THE SERVANT AND A GRACIOUS GOD (verse 5)

The first comparison is between the servant and a gracious God.

In response to verse 4, the Apostle in verse 5 says, "What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?" Paul was the greatest theologian that the world has ever witnessed. Yet he puts himself in the same category with Apollos and indirectly with each of us. He was not prideful. Remember 1:15, they were not baptized in his name. Remember 1:23, he was not crucified for their salvation. He was aware of his weaknesses and limitations and shortcomings. He refused to let his blessed status go to his head. "What is Paul?" he said.

Well, if Paul was not a man to be venerated, what was he? In answering his own rhetorical question, he says in verse 5, "(We are) servants." The Greek word for servants is diakonos. It literally means "one who waits on tables." It refers to a menial worker of any sort.

Paul says, "(We are) servants through whom you believed." In other words, "We were just menial tools (Acts 9:15) used by God to accomplish His purpose. God used us to bring you to faith in Christ. There is nothing significant about us! All the glory should go to God. Why is your praise so misplaced? Do you honor the artist by making a statue of her brush? Do you honor the distant relationship by falling in love with the mailman? Do you honor the waiter for the meal prepared by the cook? We are just waiters. We are just servants who belong to the Master."

Therefore, praise should not go to the one who serves, but rather (verse 5), praise should go to "the Lord (who gives an) opportunity to each (servant)."

Think about that for a moment. God gives us an opportunity to be used by Him to accomplish His eternal purposes! That doesn't make us great - that makes Him extremely gracious! It displays His greatness! Though He may gift each one differently and call each one to different ministries, each of us labors for the greatest cause as the living God works through us. Could anything be more significant? Could anything be more wonderful than to be given an opportunity in His eternal work?

When we see service from this perspective, how can we refuse to be involved in ministry when God has given us such a wonderful opportunity? But here is Paul's point: How can we esteem the servant since the Master is so gracious?

2. THE SERVANT AND A GENERATING GOD (verse 6)

For the second comparison between God and the servant, Paul moves in verse 6 to the domain of agriculture. From the image of a waiter, he moves to the image of a field hand, he being the ploughboy and Apollos being the waterboy. The beginning of verse 6, "I planted, Apollos watered."

What can be more appropriate to grow in the Garden State than Jersey tomatoes? The first year I was mocked by some of you for being a little overzealous. We enjoy tomatoes so I planted a whole flat in a small plot. I came to realize that many closely spaced bushes actually yield less fruit. By the end of the summer our garden was nothing more than a jungle of tomato vines.

I've made some changes to be a more successful gardener, but one thing has always remained a constant. Planting the tomatoes has always been a daddy-daughter activity. One of us will cultivate the soil. Another will dig the hole. Another will insert the plant. And another will water.

All four steps are necessary and none of us can feel more important than the other. We each have a responsibility, but the ultimate responsibility - making the bush grow and bear fruit - is beyond our control as that rests solely in the hands of God. Therefore, when we do cut into those luscious tomatoes in September, God receives all the credit.

Paul is making the same point. He planted the church in Corinth (Ac. 18:1f). The church was watered through the teaching of Apollos (Ac. 18:28), "but (verse 6) God was causing the growth.

Here is some application we can glean from verse 6:

• We conclude that God has ordained it in such a way that He uses Christian servants to accomplish His purposes. So they must not remain idle.

• We conclude that Christian workers each have an equal responsibility even though their roles may differ. So they should not elevate one above the other because each one is necessary.

• We conclude that any growth in the church or any spiritual fruit that is produced comes from the hands of God. So our labor is in vain apart from Him.

• We conclude (Paul's main point) that the servant is secondary to the work of God. Therefore, we dare not boast in the people, but rather glory in the Lord.

3. THE SERVANT AND A GREAT GOD (verse 7)

As we move to the third point, Paul provides a conclusion to verse 6 in verse 7. "So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth."

Allow me to use this verse to dispel some improper notions that commonly float around the Christian community regarding service. Please forgive me if I am being repetitive, but these are essential concepts to understand.

Even though Paul says the Christian workers are nothing, that does not mean that they are unimportant. He is saying their work is nothing when compared to the work of God, but their work is pleasing to God when done in the right manner (Phil. 4:8) and their work is used by God to accomplish His eternal plans (Rom. 10:14).

When Paul says we are nothing, he is not proposing that service is wrong. Nor is he promoting laziness, mysticism or a "let go - let God" mentality." We are commanded to serve (Gal. 5:13). We are called to "work out (our) salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). We are charged to labor to the point of exhaustion (Col. 1:29). Paul affirmed all of these in his epistles.

But we must remember that when we serve, we serve according to God's strength and unto His glory (1 Cor. 15:10). We must see ourselves only as vessels whereby He accomplishes His purposes through us. He is the One (verses 6 and 7) who "causes the growth." In this sense we are nothing.

Having the right perception of service humbles the servant and exalts the Master. We should not boast in the servant as the Corinthians were doing. On the contrary we should boast in the greatness of God!

In the words of John Piper, "The twentieth century tendency is to say, 'God chose to use me, so aren't I somebody.' And Paul's tendency is to say, 'God chose to use me, so isn't He somebody!' In other words, sovereign grace makes planters and waterers out of nothing, not so that they will be excited about the worth of their status but so that they will be exited about the worth of God's grace."

4. THE SERVANT AND A GIVING GOD (verse 8)

Let's move from the great God to the giving God in point four. Verse 8, "Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor."

In verse 6, I spoke about the diversity in each servant. One may water and one may plant. God has given to each of us a different blend of spiritual gifts and talents. But in the grand scheme of things, we are all one (as verse 8 says). We are all unified. We all serve the same Master. We are all led by the same Holy Spirit. We all have the same objective. We are all intent on one purpose.

Therefore, how can we be like the Corinthians and have jealously, strife and divisiveness in Christian service? Does the Spirit wage war with Himself? Does the Master give conflicting orders? And how can we ever dream of being successful if we compete with one another or tear down another's work or fail to encourage or operate according to our own agenda?

Would any platoon on a battlefield defeat the enemy if they ignored the orders from their commander or refused to fight or attacked each other or failed to work as a team? Of course not! That's why Paul said in verse 8 that all Christian servants are "one." Do you see yourself as one with your other brothers and sisters here at the Grace Tabernacle, laboring on a unified front for God's glory?

And lest we think that God is indifferent to this teaching, lest we think we can ignore these biblical principles of service, the precept is backed up with a promise. Verses 8 continues, "But each will receive his own reward according to his own labor."

God is watching and taking notes as to how you serve. Are you working in harmony with other believers (Phil. 4:2)? Are you a good steward of the gifts He's given you (1 Cor. 11:7)? Are you diligent in your Christian service (Col. 1:29)? Are you serving in your own power or according to the strength He supplies (1 Cor. 15:10)? Are you ministering so that He might receive all the glory (1 Tim. 1:17)?

It was A. W. Tozer who said, "We (sometimes get) so engrossed in the work of the Lord that we have forgotten the Lord of the work."

I really believe we are going to be surprised when eternal rewards are handed out in heaven. Those whom we believe are going to be decorated may walk away empty handed, while those whom we think contribute very little, will be highly rewarded, because of their motives and labor seen only by the eyes of God.

Verse 8 says there will be rewards for our labors. God has given us clear expectations in the Scriptures regarding service. He will not be mocked. We may fool others, but we cannot fool Him. Listen to the words of Charles Hodge. "The Scriptures teach that the happiness or blessedness of believers in a future life will be greater or less in proportion to the service of Christ in this life. Those who love little, do little; and those who do little, enjoy less."

On the positive side, since God is the One who must cause the growth, you are obviously not responsible for the fruitfulness, but you are held accountable for your faithfulness. There will be a future judgment for believers too, but God is faithful to reward the faithful. Hebrews 6:10 is one of my favorite verses. "For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints." This verse is directed to all Christians!

5. THE SERVANT AND A GOVERNING GOD (verse 9)

In verse 9 Paul makes the final comparison between God and His servants. "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

As God's servants we are fellow workers with the Almighty. This does not mean that we are co-laborers on equal footing, but rather we are God's possession as He moves through us to accomplish His ends. Yet together we serve for a common cause. What an honor! The verse says we have the ability to be fellow workers with the living God.

But again, lest we think too highly of ourselves, a comparison is made in the second half of the verse. We may be God's fellow workers, but the church is ultimately His field and His building. We do not own the church, but rather God works through us to minister to the apple of His eye, to cultivate His field and construct His building.

We must always keep in mind, beloved, that the church belongs to God. It does not belong to the leaders or to those who have contributed the most or to those who have attended the longest. The church belongs to God "and all other things - structures, attitudes, decisions, nature of ministry, everything" as Gordon Fee once said, "Should flow out of that singular realization" (Fee, 1 Corinthians, 135).

John Flavel once remarked, "They that know God will be humble, and they that know themselves, cannot be proud." The Corinthian church had a high view of man and a low view of God. They esteemed human servants to such a degree that God was being ignored and divisions and factions were filling the void. Therefore Paul spent five verses of this letter comparing the servant with God:

• The servants are tools given an opportunity by a gracious God.

• The servants are farmhands dependent on a generating God.

• The servants are nothing compared to a great God.

• The servants are one rewarded by a giving God.

• And the servants are fellow workers used by a governing God.

I began this sermon talking about pride. If pride is the epitome of sin, humility is the epitome of godliness. It is a blessed opportunity to see God minister through us, but we dare not think too highly of ourselves or other servants. We must minister in a spirit of humility and in doing so our rewards will be great, God's church will be unified, His kingdom will be extended, and His glory, not man's glory, will be seen.