Sermon notes from Sunday 30 June 2019 am
1 Corinthians 3 verse 1 - 23
Last Sunday we were taking up a theme of unsung heroes. We thought of the boy who followed the arrows and collected them for his master Jonathan in total obedience to his master`s voice. He was actually saving the life of the king, King David. As we went into the past week we were looking to bring the word of God to children but unaware of how that work would impact on them. Remember the story of Nehemiah - his enemies and opposers of the work tried to stop him by asking him to come down and talk to them. Nehemiah`s reply was "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down." Last week was a great and mighty work. 1 Corinthians 3 deals with a condition that raised its head in this church - carnality. Paul was dealing with a church that boasted of their spirituality, of their gifts and talents. Paul could see the evidence of carnality beginning to rise in that church and it grieved his heart. Verse 1 "I cannot speak to you about spiritual things because you are carnal." Carnality is the love of the world, going after the things of the world and bringing them into the church. Carnality is the love of things that excite us and bringing them into the church. Verse 4 this is what Paul cited as evidence. There were those following after Apollos while others followed after Paul. Each one who volunteered last week during our Bible Week was so important. There were different tasks but each person had their own task and all were important. Paul is saying "your work is important for we are all labourers together with God." Today there are many comparisons being made on the things that excite people just as it was in Paul`s day. We are looking for the big preacher or speaker, a man with a name. That is what we need for our meetings as he would fill the church. Paul tells us that if it is not built on a good foundation it is carnal.
Paul was planting the seed of the word of God in the hearts of men and women. He came to them, preached in the synagogue, reasoned with them, showed them their sin, how it would take them into a lost Christless eternity, then he showed Christ dying on the cross, made sin for them. That is how he planted. Paul was showing that there were 3 distinct stages - planting, watering and growing. There are those who would love to plant but cannot. There are those who would love to water but cannot. God alone can give the increase, no-one else. If we ask God he will give the increase. If I don`t plant a flower it will not grow. If we don`t plant the word of God we will not see a harvest. Paul sowed the seed of the word of God in coming to Corinth. Acts 18 verse 4 "he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." When he felt the pressure in Corinth God came to him in the night and told him not to give up. He continued there a year and a half teaching the word of God. Sometimes we do get discouraged and down. Sometimes we think to ourselves it is time I stood down, stepped back, I cannot be involved any more but we all go through that. Paul continued even through the opposition and discouragement. James tells us in the first chapter verse 21 "receive the ingrated word, (that word that is implanted in the heart) which is able to save our souls." The seed needs good ground. The seed needs to be planted with prayer and the Holy Spirit. Paul said we have the word of God in our hands, that is what we seek to do, to show children the word of God. Saul of Tarsus was persecuting the church in Jerusalem so much that they had to flee. They were then scattered. Sowing is an agricultural term which basically means that everywhere they were scattered they were preaching the word of God not through evangelistic meetings but telling everyone they met.
The provision for growth - Apollos watered. People were saying that Paul was the best preacher, others argued it was Apollos who was the better preacher. Paul said all I have done is planting, Apollos is now watering. Care needed to be taken now. There was a certain degree of humility with that. Apollos was a mighty man of the scriptures. He was prepared to step in behind Paul to water the word. Such care needs to be taken with a plant, someone needs to come behind and water it. Paul is building the believers up. There is the thought behind this of protection. It is one thing to plant the seed, there needs to be care to water it. You are looking out for diseases when watering. Apollos was building on the work Paul had planted and seen saved. Apollos was "mighty in the scriptures" - Acts 18 verse 24. Paul said he was the best preacher, however eloquent he was. He had to be harnessed by grace in the Holy Spirit. Acts 18 verse 27 "helped them much which had been believed through grace." It was not a matter if someone was saved, had to followed up. Apollos came to those who were saved and helped them in their new found faith. He watered. Are we watering? Acts 18 verse 28 he mightily convicted the Jews. He convicted the Jews publicly, showed by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. It is not to take the scriptures and put our own slant on it. Jesus is the Son of God, died for them and could take away their sins if they asked him. It is up to us now to continue the watering, to pray for children who have attended the meetings. It is a sacrifice for all of us.
There is the end product. Paul gets back to the main question - who is the greatest "but God gave the increase." 1 Corinthians 3 verse 5 "who then is Paul and who is Apollos." Whenever you assign your task then you can say to yourself "who am I that I could do all these things this past week?" Paul brings it down to that. We are labourers together. "but ministers by whom ye believe." Salvation is not in the preacher. People are following preachers today. They think somehow salvation is in thse people but that is far from the truth. Paul was saying "salvation is not of me nor of Apollos, we are depending on God to give the increase." Notice this very carefully. The events that God honoured. Before God granted the increase he looked on the one who planted and the one who watered then he steps in and gives the increase. Does God see us as a fellowship planting the word of God (by preaching), watering it (by praying) then God will step in and give the increase. There are 2 active verbs here - I have planted which is in the past tense meaning something that has been done and completed. There was a certain time when that was done. Apollos watered which is also in the past tense but God gave the increase which is in the present meaning it is happening even today. God is continually working his work through each of our endeavours. Acts 2 verse 47 "and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." In the original Greek God was adding together daily those who were saved. God would give the increase. Lets keep at the planting and sowing.
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