Addicted to the ministry of others

Sermon notes from Sunday 8 April 2018 - Mr Chris Killen

1 Corinthians 16 verses 13 - 19

I beseech you brethren (ye know the house of Stephanas that is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.) verse 15

When we think of addiction we immediately think of drugs, alcohol, gambling.  It is wasteful, distrustful thing.  It not only affects communities but nations, society, families and of course the individual.  It affects a person physically, psychologically and spiritually.  It has far reaching consequences.  The person who starts out never intended to be in that way.  Addiction comes in many different forms.  Drugs can be either legal or illegal but alcohol has to be included.  The most potent and powerful drug is alcohol.  There are many however who are addicted to pleasure and the pursuit of the things of the world.  It is the pursuit of many to have wealth and fame.  Addictions that affect not just the body but also the mind, emotions and ultimately affect the soul.  Whilst we think of addiction as a very negative thing there is such a thing as a healthy and helpful addiction.  This house of Stephanas had a very good addiction.  We would do well to consider and learn from them.

The origin of their addiction.  Where did it come from?  I have never met or will ever meet anyone who set out with a purpose in life to be an addict.  I have heard many who have said "I just cannot believe how I ended up in this mess, how was I so stupid, I did not see what was coming."  If you could see the consequences of addiction you can begin to realise the serious consequences of it.  The root cause of stubborn addictions and habits lies in the heart.  "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17 verse 9)  The heart of the problem is getting to the problem of the heart.  The reality is we have a sinful heart.  Man cannot free himself from that addiction and sin.  We all have that addiction to sin and to keep on sinning.  We read about this family Stephanas in verse 15.  They were the "firstfruits of Achaia".  Paul went about preaching the reality of sin, its effects, the consequences and delivery from sin.  We find here this family responded as they heard the gospel.  Perhaps you have heard the gospel so many many times, have listened as you have been told you need to be born again, you have been told you need to call on the name of the Lord.  You are like his family, brought to the point as Paul preached the gospel that you know you should be saved.  As Paul preached the gospel he saw Stephanas and his family converted.  We are not told the circumstances of their conversion, perhaps Paul preached for a series of nights but what we do know is that the whole family came to the Lord.  Here is a family changed by the grace of God.  What a wonderful change the Lord makes in a house, he makes it a home.  We do not know the circumstances of when they came to know the Lord as Saviour but we know they are serving the Lord in Corinth.  Each one of them had to come to know the Lord personally.  It is not enough that your mum and dad are Christians or someone else in your family is a Christian.  Salvation is personal.  We think of this new addiction they have, an addiction to helping the church, be a blessing to the Lord.  It came about because the Lord gave them a new heart.  They each personally came to know the Lord.  John 1 verses 12 and 13.  It was not by family relationships or the work done or the best intentions of others but by God himself.  Each one of us has to come personally to Christ and trust him as Saviour.  Have you done that?  The origin of their addiction was in their hearts by the grace of God.

The object of their addiction - "to the ministry of the saints."  A good English dictionary, Webster`s says of the word addiction "the act of devoting or giving a practice to".  They were given over to it completely.  Normally we are born with addiction to sin.  When Christ saves us he gives us new desires.  Tragically addiction is all about how much you can get and make from it.  It is a selfish thing.  When the Lord saves it is all about what you give back, how you can be a blessing to others.  That desire was in Stephanas` house.  If you love the Lord you will want to talk about it.  Hebrews 6 verse 10 "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister."  God sees what you do, he sees everything you do.  All those little things in the background in his name he sees them.  God sees what you have done to other people and what you have done to help them.  We serve others because we love the Lord.  That is the order and it must be correct.  We are to be a blessing to another member in a body.  Christ is the head and there are different functions of the body.  We are in that body, when one part suffers the other parts feel it too.  Therefore as we love him we love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  As we love the Lord we will love each other in the church.  We love the community and reach out to others.  Addicted means to be determined, to be appointed, to be ordained, to set in order.  We have to be determined to be a blessing to others, to go out of our way to help others.  When someone wakes up in the morning and they are addicted to drugs their minds are working out where they will get their drugs from that day.  They are consumed, devoted to their addiction.  In this church in Corinth here is a family that has been changed, that selfish desire has been taken away and they want to be a blessing to others every day they live.  We should be doing likewise.  It doesn`t take much to say to someone "I missed you out and about, how are you keeping today?"  Whenever someone is not well it is very difficult for that person to read and pray.  We ought to think about such people, visit and read scripture to them.  Paul went around preaching the gospel, establishing churches - he just loved people and wanted to see them coming to Christ.  Remember Christ himself was the servant king - "he came not be served but to serve." (Matthew 20 verse 28)

The outcome of their addiction.  Here is a family devoted to serving others, to be a blessing in the church.  They made a difference.  We only have a short brief life and we need to make it count.  Some time had passed since Paul had established this church, probably 10 years.  In chapter 1 we read of the controversy over some saying who they were baptised by but this family were so meek and we read of the grace that they displayed.  Verse 16 "That ye submit yourselves unto such."  Paul was telling the members to look at Stephanas and his family and be like them.  Verse 17 "I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied."  Paul was thankful for the coming of this family into the church at Corinth.  Verse 18 "For they have refreshed my spirit and yours."  Instead of being a discouragement they were encouragers.  They had an addiciton that was constructive not destructive.  It was a blessing to many.  Has this change been wrought in your heart and life?  Do you know the Lord as your own Saviour today?