Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 3:5-15

Stephen Caswell © 2001

Source Of Spiritual Growth

Some years ago, a study was done by an agricultural school in Iowa.

It reported that the production of a hundred bushels of corn from one acre of land required the following; 4,000,000 pounds of water, 6,800 pounds of oxygen, 5,200 pounds of carbon, 160 pounds of nitrogen, 125 pounds of potassium, 75 pounds of yellow sulfur, and other elements to numerous to list.

In addition to these ingredients, rain and sunshine are required at the right times.

Although many hours of the farmer's labor are also needed, it was estimated that only 5% of the produce of the farm can be attributed to the efforts of man.

This means that 95% is attributed to the providence of God.

This dependence upon God applies even more in the spiritual realm.

Truly, without God we can do nothing!!

Today we will continue the theme of sowing and reaping.

Last week we saw that there is only one seed to plant in people's hearts, that's the Gospel.

However we saw there are many kinds of soil which relates to the human heart.

People make several different responses to the Gospel.

This morning I want to look at farming from another perspective.

We'll see that a great deal of time and labor is required to bring in the harvest.

We will see three things, Many Servants Toil, While God Increases, Much Time Is Taken before Harvest, and All Service Is Tested, Before God Rewards.

Firstly, Many Servants Toil While God Increases

1 Corinthians 3:5-8 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Here, Paul corrects the Corinthians view about Christian ministry.

They were glorifying God's servants instead the Lord.

Paul emphasized that the Lord's ministry is not a competition but a partnership with many people working together.

In verses 6 and 7 Paul emphasizes the different aspects of ministry.

Normally God uses many servants to lead someone to salvation!

a.

Some Plant

Paul said that he was the one who planted the seed at Corinth.

Paul was the first to minister at Corinth.

Paul scattered the seed firstly in the synagogue and then amongst the Gentiles.

He started the Church and continued preaching the Word at Corinth for a long time.

You can read about this in Acts chapter 18.

As a faithful servant of Christ, Paul planted the seed of the Gospel.

b.

Some Water

Soon after Paul left Corinth Apollos came there from Ephesus.

He watered the seed that Paul had planted.

Apollos was an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well.

He was fervent in the Lord's work.

He exercised a teaching ministry in Corinth that helped to establish the Church in God's Word.

Although we don't know when, it seems that Peter also visited Corinth at some time.

These men built on Paul's work by watering the seed.

c.

God Increases

Verses 6 and 7 tells us that God gives the increase.

The Lord produced fruit from the ministry of Paul and Apollos.

The verbs used indicate that Paul ministered there for a time and then completed his work.

Apollos did the same thing.

But God blessed the work so that it increased all the time.

God's increase didn't come to an end like the ministry of Paul and Apollos.

He continued to work long after His servants have moved on.

Paul makes it clear that the Corinthians ought to be praising God because He's the one who produced the harvest.

Paul and Apollos were simply channels through whom God's blessing flowed.

We must not exalt the Lord's servants but the Lord of the harvest.

Only He can bring new life.

Only he can produce an abundant harvest.

Consequently, without God we can do nothing!

Our Vegetable Garden

For the last two years we have planted a few vegetables in our back yard.

Each time a number of tasks was required.

Firstly, I removed the weeds.

Secondly, I dug up the bed and added mulch.

Thirdly, I planted the vegetables.

We planted corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans.

Finally, we had to water the plants regularly.

God graciously gave plenty of sunshine and rain.

In due time He gave the increase to our efforts.

We had a bountiful supply of tomatoes; so much so that we gave hundreds away!

Unity And Diversity In God's Ministry

One thing is very clear in all of this, many servants are required to bring in the harvest.

Some are required to plant seed, whilst others water the seed and some have the job of reaping the harvest.

But all the servants are laboring on the same team.

It's not competition but cooperation.

Paul, Apollos, and Peter were not competing with each other.

Rather, each was doing his assigned task under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Even though there is diversity of ministry, there is unity of purpose; and there ought to be unity of spirit.

Sharing Christ

For many years I was a traveling salesman.

One day I had a great opportunity to share Christ with a lady in a sports store.

We talked for some time about spiritual things and I shared the Gospel with her.

In fact I gave her a Bible to read because she was really searching.

Before I left she said a very interesting thing to me; It seems that wherever I turn at the moment I run into a Christian.

Of course, God was the one arranging this.

He had allowed me to water the seed someone else planted.

I didn't lead this lady to Christ, but maybe someone did since.

In the same way I have had the privilege of reaping the harvest that others have planted.

Application

Jesus said that the harvest is great but the laborers are few!

There is much to do to reach all creation with the Gospel.

Are you working in the Lord's harvest?

Are you planting the good seed in the hearts of unbelievers?

When did you last share Christ with the lost?

Have you had the opportunity to water the seed, to build on someone else's work?

Are you praying for the Lord to give the increase?

Have you had the joy of reaping in God's harvest?

Are you prepared to be a fellow worker in God's field?

Secondly, Much Time Is Needed Before Harvest

John 4:35-38: Do you not say, There are still four months and then comes the harvest?