Transcript

Principles For The Christian Community-Part One

1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Pastor Randy Smith

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Whenever people are gathered together in any communal setting, certain principles need to be established to maintain order for the general population. It is easy for one person with a personal agenda or a different philosophy or a contentious spirit or a snoring problem to disrupt the harmony of the community in general.

At first it was quite comical. I never knew the human body could produce such variety of noises. The more I laughed, the more Billy laughed. But after an hour and a half of tossing and turning, it wasn't so funny any more. The snoring from our roommate this past week was so loud and so consistent, both of us accepted the fact if we wanted any sleep either he had to go or we had to go. We reached a point of desperation.

Billy made the first move. His plan was to go sleep in his car. Slowly he tiptoed through the pitch-black room in search for his keys. After fumbling through his personal belongings for a while, our roommate suddenly sat up in his bed and frantically exclaimed, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?" I suppose you can't blame a man for wondering why another whom he just met that day would be roaming around the room at 1:30 in the morning. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Billy panicked and jumped back into his sleeping bag.

The man's snoring resumed. It was my turn to make a move.

It's amazing how much a mind will problem-solve when a situation reaches a critical level. I was extremely tired and the last thing I wanted was to be groggy through the Bible lessons that were to commence in only a few short hours. I considered crawling out the window and sleeping on a fake balcony. I considered sleeping on the pews of the chapel. Yet the most logical choice was the couch I remembered seeing in the lobby.

I managed to sneak past our new roommate and grope my way to the sofa in the other room. Just to be safe that it was presentable, I turned on the lights and was terrified by what I saw. The couch was fairly new, but it was only four feet long. I laid down on my back and hung my legs from the knees on down over the stiff arm rest, fully prepared for the worst case of "pins and needles" in the morning.

Billy made a second run for his car. This time he was successful.

You can see how little it takes for just one person to make things chaotic for a small community of three. Imagine the potential of damage for a large family or moreover, a church of 250 members.

Now we are all called to forebear with each another and overlook another's faults, but guidelines must be established if we ever wish to have any cohesiveness and harmony. God was well aware of these needs. Therefore He provided us with sufficient revelation in Scripture that lays out principles for communal living in the church.

We have learned extensively about the disunity in the church of Corinth. Their problems, as well as the problems of most churches in our world, resulted from a failure to follow God's principles for communal living. I can say with the utmost confidence that individuals who ignore God's precepts and bring to the church a worldly way of thinking will cause nothing but the destruction to what already is a very fragile environment.

Guidelines from the Bible must be implemented if we wish to have a community that honors the Lord and one that brings to each of us safety, peace, direction and purpose. So for the next two weeks I would like to extract four of these principles, two this week and two next week, from the final eight verses of chapter 4.

1. A WORD TO PASTORS

The first principle is a word to our pastors and any man who may aspire to the office of elder/overseer. It also goes out to the congregation indirectly as many churchgoers often have a worldly or unrealistic expectation of their pastors. I think you will see that God's standards might be higher than yours. In our passage Paul presents two of a pastor's greatest attributes.

First of all, any pastor must have a sold-out love for the church. At the end of verse 14, Paul identifies the church with endearing terminology. He refers to them as "my beloved children."

Now, from what we have learned, this church was anything but kind to the great Apostle. He risked his life to get them the gospel. He ministered in Corinth for 18 months (Ac. 18:11). He nursed them from the beginning. And like the Apostle John, he desired nothing more than "to hear of (his) children walking in the truth" (3 Jn. 4).

But in return the church gave Paul heartache after heartache. They were disunified, chasing after the wisdom of the world, perverting the Gospel, failing to mature and to top things off actually believing they had surpassed Paul in true spirituality. Yet the patient pastor still addresses this flock "as my beloved children."

It has been said that with the exception of his letter to the Romans, Paul refers to all of the Christians under his care as his spiritual "children." He called Timothy "my true child in the faith" (1 Ti. 1:2) and "my beloved son" (2 Ti. 1:2). We will learn more about that next week. To the churches in Galatia he said, "My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). Paul even called the runaway slave "my child Onesimus" (Philem. 10).

If the church was called his children, it is only natural that Paul would refer to himself as their father (obviously in a much different sense than God was their "Father"). We see this in verse 15. "For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel."

To accentuate this fatherly concept, Paul referred to their other instructors as "tutors." It was common for wealthy people in the ancient world to hire a person to accompany their child. These individuals would provide assistance when the child was in need of medical aid, help with homework, physical protection and behavioral correction. They were called paidagogos ("a trainer of boys"). They were merely guardians or tutors. They were important, but they did not replace the child's father as the one who had primary concern for the child's well being.

In the same way, Paul applies this principle to the spiritual realm. He says that although the Corinthian church had "countless tutors in Christ," they only had one who was their "father." Just as any child can have only one natural father, children can only have one spiritual father that leads them to Christ (as the verses says) "through the Gospel." To this wayward church Paul was that man.

You see, tutors may come and go. Tutors may not have a vested interest in the child. But to the father, the children are loved. In verse 14 Paul called this church "beloved children." Despite all they had going against them, Paul wanted them to know they were loved by both God and himself.

It is such a blessing to minister here at the Grace Tabernacle; however, pastoral ministry is one of the hardest, most gut-wrenching occupations in the world. The hours are long, the appreciation minimal, the results are small, the labor is intense, the complaints are frequent and the scrutiny is exhaustive. So what keeps the man of God going? What can motivate Paul to tell this church in his second epistle to them, "I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls" (2 Cor. 12:15a). Only one answer - The loving God placing within a man's heart an overwhelming love for His flock. We see this heart modeled in Paul. And we should see it modeled in every pastor as well. Though every pastor might not be used, like Paul was, to lead all in his church to Christ, every pastor must have a father's love for his flock.

A pastor must love the church, and second, a pastor must also be an example to the church. Notice what Paul says in verse 16. "Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me" (cf. Gal. 4:12; Phil. 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thes. 2:7-9). In other words, Paul says, "since I have both expressed and demonstrated my concern for you, since I have proved over and over how much I love you - imitate my faith."

The more children admire their natural father, the more they will seek to emulate his character. It is only natural that the church should bear a family resemblance to the one who claimed to be their spiritual father. Paul has set before them a model of mature Christian living and he encourages his spiritual children to follow his example. Far from being conceited, Paul was a man who practiced what he preached. He was genuine. He was without duplicity and hypocrisy. He was not a "do as I say and not as I do" kind of guy.

Now we must also be clear that Paul's ultimate purpose was not to produce more Paul-like people. The Apostle only saw himself as a conduit to produce more Christlike people. Later in this letter he made this point very clear. "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). The moment Paul stopped following Christ is the moment people should stop following him (cf. 1 Thes. 1:6).

Hopefully we have all come to realize that the Christian life is much more than attending church, reading our Bibles and praying before meals. Everything we do, even down to the smallest tasks of the day is a spiritual service to God. Everything is done either in the flesh or the Spirit, either for pride of self or for the glory of God. Since the application of biblical precepts can be difficult, praise the Lord that He has given us godly men and women to imitate. Praise the Lord that we can observe godly living in the Christian community.

One man said, "The fruits of the Holy Spirit are, it seems to me, largely fruits of sustained interaction with God. Just as a child picks up traits more or less simply by dwelling in the presence of her parent, so the Christian develops tenderheartedness, compassion, humility, forgiveness, joy, and hope through 'the fellowship of the Holy Spirit' - that is, by dwelling in the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son. And this means, to a very large extent, living in a community of serious believers" (Robert C. Roberts in The Reformed Journal, Feb. 1987).

D. A. Carson is not only a premier scholar. He is also, in my opinion, a very godly man. I was blessed by his instructing this week at the conference I attended, but it was also a blessing to see how he acted in everyday situations. What jokes did he laugh at? Who did he associate with? How did he receive compliments? How did he listen to other speakers? When did he arrive at the sessions? How much did he talk when engaged in conversation? What did he talk about? You get the point.

The Greek word translated imitators is mimetes. It is where we get our English word "mimic." Pastors must love the flock and one indication of their love is to provide someone others in the flock can mimic. This concurs with Peter's instruction for shepherds to be "examples to the flock" (1 Pet. 5:3).

We have spoken the past few weeks about the end time judgment for all believers. I have no doubt that pastors will be under the strictest scrutiny. Since they are entrusted with much, much will be expected of them. Did they preach the word? Did they shepherd the church? And did they live as an example to the flock. May God have mercy on the shepherd who expects more from the sheep than he is willing to demonstrate himself.

In 1 Thessalonians Paul combines both of these requirements for a pastor: The image of a spiritual father and a Christlike example. "You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers (that is the Christlike example); just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory (that is the loving father)" (1 Thes. 2:10-12).

Pastors must love the church and set a Christlike example. But remember, they do this so you too might also love the church and set a Christlike example for others as well!

2. A WORD TO THE CONGREGATION

There is a second guideline for proper living in the Christian community. We have just seen the pastors' response to the congregation. Now we will look at the congregation's response to their pastors.

The Bible is full of commands directed toward the congregation in this regard. Please allow me to read a few verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13a, "But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work." Galatians 6:16, "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him." Hebrews 13:7, "Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith." Hebrews 13:17, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you."

Combine the thoughts of living in a relativistic, postmodern, prideful, rebellious, rights orientated and politically correct society and you have just the right recipe for a world that does not like to be told when they are wrong. Bring this attitude into the church and you have just the right recipe for disaster.

You see, the goal of Christian living is to forever be putting off the old nature and growing in the new. It is to grow in Christ. Such a perspective demands continuous change. Such a perspective demands correction. And correction, while it is the work of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God, often comes through the pastors of the church. As a matter of fact, it is their God-ordained responsibility. Pastors are called to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2; cf. 3:16-17). Paul told Titus, "These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you" (Tit. 2:15).

Though this responsibility has often been abused, possibly the greatest sign of a loving pastor is one who is willing to correct error. What natural father would allow a child to play in the middle of a highway? In the same way, what spiritual father will allow his children to flirt with the dangers of sin? A true pastor can't bear to see the church straying from the Word of God. The church community needs to see this side of pastoral ministry. And hopefully the church community will accept this because they see it coming from a man (as we just learned) who is already implementing his instruction and one who presents it in gentleness from a heart of love.

This is the heart of Paul as he corrected the Corinthian church. He expressed his love for them. Quite often he already called them "brethren" (1:10, 11, 26; 2:1; 3:1; 4:6 - and 14 more times before he concludes the letter). In 4:6 he speaks of applying his own instruction. In 4:14 he says, "I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children." He wanted them to know that his correction is couched in love.

In 1:10 Paul said, "Now I exhort you." Now in 4:16 he says, "Therefore I exhort you." These form the bookends of this section, a section filled with a series of rebukes and admonishments. We spent the past four months covering all the issues where this church needed correction.

We even see more in this section. In verse 18, Paul again speaks of their arrogance (cf. 4:6, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4). This time their arrogance came from the thought that he was not coming to them (since he was currently in Ephesus). How they underestimated Paul's loving concern for the church. They thought they could get away with a little mischief since daddy was out of town with a slim potential of returning. On the contrary Paul says, "I am coming soon and I'd better find everything in order" (cf. 16:5-8).

Look with me at verses 19 and 20. "But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power." Again we see another rebuke from the loving shepherd in regard to the spiritual impotence of the church. Everybody was doing a whole lot of talking, but few were truly demonstrating the power of a transformed life. Their talk was cheap. Their boasts were empty wind. Outside appearances did not impress their pastor. He wanted to see a church that was being changed from the inside-out by the power of the Holy Spirit. He wanted to see some evidence that "his children" were truly children of God.

If Paul were to speak to our church he might say: You can talk all you want about prayer, but how many of you are spending time on your knees daily or attending the church prayer meeting weekly? You can talk all you want about evangelism, but why is it that the average Grace Tabernacle outreach campaign only has a half dozen folks sign up? You can talk all you want about service, but why are there some still not serving in this church? You can talk all you want about godly behavior, but how are you acting at home and in the workplace? I think you understand the point.

In this letter, Paul made his correction very clear. But I ask you, what does the loving shepherd do when the church fails to respond? Look with me at verse 21. "What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?"

Since the goal of all correction is repentance, shepherds must be prepared to go to the extreme and discipline when necessary, not only for the good of the individual, but also for the good of the church. Unchecked sin will spread like wildfire throughout the flock.

Church discipline is the final last-ditch effort for restoration. It is necessary when admonishing (4:14), exhorting (4:16) and (reminding (4:17) fail to accomplish their purpose. We see Paul execute church discipline when we begin chapter 5. And regardless of what many might think, the willingness to go to the final step of church discipline is the mark of a loving pastor.

"Discipline," you ask, "That does not sound very loving?" It sure is because it models the heart of any loving father. You have heard it said that an undisciplined child is an unloved child. Discipline ultimately models the heart of our Lord. Just this week I read in Revelation Jesus saying, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline" (Rev. 3:19a; cf. Pro. 3:12; Heb. 12:6). Just "as (Paul) expected the Corinthians to follow his example, he would follow God's" (MacArthur, 1 Corinthians, 119). Like our Lord, those whom pastors love, they reprove and discipline as well. We have observed Paul setting before us in 1 Corinthians 4 this two-fold example of reproving and disciplining if necessary.

The church must respect a pastor who not only demonstrates this obedience to his Lord, but also this love for his flock. The church must respect a man who is motivated to always act in the best interest for the church as difficult and misunderstood as that may be at times.

In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group." The 55-degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia so according to one news report, "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned." "Everybody had strong moments," miner Harry B. Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital in Somerset. "But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That's the only way it could have been." They faced incredibly hostile conditions together-and they all came out alive together. What a great illustration of community living.

This reminds me of Eugene Peterson's definition of community in the magazine, Leadership - "people who have to learn how to care for each other." We are not "a bag of marbles - all hard and clanging up against one another. Instead, we ought to be like a bag of grapes - squished together so that the juice of His Spirit may flow out through us" (Ray Ortlund, quoted in DeMoss, Brokenness, p. 111).

The Christian community is without a doubt the greatest institution on the planet. But in order for the church to be all that God expects it to be, each of us must let go of "self" and understand and implement the guidelines entrusted to us by our Creator. Pastors must lead through love and example. And the congregation must humbly receive reproof and correction. We must remember that following God's Word is the greatest way we can care for one another and survive in this community.