Nothing More
1 Corinthians: The Gospel for the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:48
0 ratings
· 18 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
If I had 2-3 hours on a Sunday morning to preach, I probably would’ve preached 1 Corinthians 1-4 together in a really long sermon, 4 weeks ago. You can be very thankful I don’t have that kind of time, because I honestly think it’s a great idea; I would do it in a heartbeat if I could because these chapters go together.
The chapter and verse designations are not original to the Bible; they were added more than 1,000 years after these words were penned (the chapters in 1227 A.D., the verses of the Old Testament in 1448 A.D. and the verses of the New Testament in 1555 A.D.).
These chapters go together. Chapters 1-4 are, basically, one long, winding argument. There are a handful of different topics, but Paul’s making one essential argument: the Corinthian church is divided over things that should never divide them. They are divided:
over leaders—Paul, Apollos, Cephas, etc.
by human wisdom and power, and
by worldly behavior
They are divided by that which should never divide a church. It’s crazy, and yet it happens. So here, in 1 Corinthians 4, Paul is pulling together all the parts of his argument. He concludes this section by reminding them who he is and who they are.
As for himself and Apollos, Paul will say that they are servants and stewards. As for the Corinthians, they are recipients of grace and Paul’s dear children.
This is what they are, and nothing more.
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do) please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 4 (page #1773 in the red pew Bible in front of you). Do yourself (and me) a favor and keep your Bible open in front of you as we study God’s Holy Word together.
1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Servants & Stewards
Servants & Stewards
This is what Paul and Apollos are. “This, then, is how you ought to regard us,” says Paul.
Servants of Christ and stewards (those entrusted) of the mysteries God has revealed.
Some of your Bibles use the word steward and then there are some of you who are asking, “Where did he come up with the word steward.”
Well, here we go. Paul uses two words for how they ought to be regarded by the Corinthians—huperetas and oikonomous.
The first—huperetas, servant—is the equivalent of a domestic servant. Lowly, bottom of the food chain servant.
The second—oikonomous, steward/the one entrusted—is a high-ranking servant (a la “Mr. Carson” on Downton Abbey; the one in charge of the other servants or entrusted with more responsibility than the others).
Paul says, “We’re servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries God has revealed.”
The order is intentional, I’m certain. Paul wants the Corinthians to regard him and Apollos (and whoever else they might be tempted to side with)—as lowly, bottom-of-the-food-chain servants.
First and foremost, Paul and Apollos are servants of Christ. Servants of Christ. Servants of Christ—just like anyone, everyone who has been saved by God the Father.
Servants of Christ.
Servants and stewards—“This, then, is how you ought to regard us.”
They are stewards/those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.
They are servants, yes (and that, first and foremost), but they also have some authority—authority as apostles and authority as God’s ordained leaders of His church there in Corinth. They are servants, but servants who help lead and teach and guide and discipline the other servants.
They have been entrusted with the mysteries of God. They must also prove faithful. They must be trustworthy as ones given the mysteries of God.
When he uses the word mysteries Paul’s not talking about how the coffee filter sometimes folds over as the coffee is brewing, spilling grounds into the coffee pot even though you’ve put 1,000 filters into the basket and you don’t do anything different from one time to the next; he’s not talking about how that one sock goes missing in the washer or dryer, never to be seen again, ever.
A mystery in Paul’s letters is something that people, in their human weakness, could not understand unless God graciously revealed it to them.
Paul, Apollos, and other stewards have been entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed—namely, the redemptive grace of God kept secret for ages, but now finally revealed in Christ.
Church leaders have been commissioned to bring this mystery to the church; it’s the stewards’ job to preach and teach the message of the cross—the foolish, upside-down, wonderful, matchless grace of Jesus.
We, church leaders, must be faithful in this work—we must be committed to this work, day-in and day-out. We must never falter. We who preach and teach must preach and teach the Word of God, not the trendy or the political or that which is worldly.
What matters is faithfulness to the Lord. Not eloquence or human wisdom, but faithfulness; fidelity to Christ, trustworthiness in handling the mysteries of God.
What matters is faithfulness to the Lord. Paul doesn’t care if the Corinthians judge him (they will and they have judged him). Paul doesn’t care if any human court judges him; his judgment about himself doesn’t even matter.
What matters is the Lord’s judgment—It is the Lord who judges me.
Paul says his conscience is clear, but that’s not the reassurance he needs. He knows better that.
Have you ever been told, “Let your conscience be your guide”?
It’s horrible advice. Your conscience, like your heart, will lead you all kinds of astray. Your conscience, sinful as it is, wants what it wants, it will justify and approve of whatever makes you feel good.
Don’t, don’t, don’t let your conscience guide you. You need a better guide, a more reliable guide, a perfect guide. And I know just the One: Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God.
The conscience, Paul knows, is not a reliable judge. Only God is judge, and in time, He will judge the quick and the dead.
Paul doesn’t care if he’s judged by men, only what God’s judgment is.
This, the world likes to reverse. “Who cares,” they say, “what God’s judgment is? I only care what my friends think, what the culture approves of; I don’t want my peers to judge me harshly, but God? Eh, whatever.”
Reverse the order—care more about what the world thinks than what God thinks—and you will be sorely disappointed on the Day the Lord comes when He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and expose the motives of people’s hearts.
It’s faithfulness to the Lord that matters, you understand?
Praise of men is fleeing, temporary. Praise from God—that’s what I want. That’s what Paul wants. That’s what the Corinthians should be striving for.
Paul and Apollos are servants and stewards, that, and nothing more.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
Once again, Paul addresses the Corinthian church as brothers and sisters and begins verse 6 by explaining to them why he has referred to himself and Apollos as servants and stewards.
Both Paul and Apollos were being idolized by members within the Corinthian church. You remember their slogans: “I follow Paul.” “I follow Apollos.”
Paul wants to correct this thinking. He wants them to live according to the teaching of Scripture and not fall into the habits of the world around them.
“Don’t go beyond what is written.”
They need to learn what this saying means. What is written refers, at this point in time, to the Old Testament.
If the Corinthians would live under the authority of the Scriptures, they would not take pride in one man over the other, causing unnecessary divisions in the gathering.
Submit to, live under the authority of the Scriptures.
Sounds like a pretty good idea. Do this, Paul says, and then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.
Live under the authority of the Scriptures. Live and believe and worship according to the Word of God. The Bible is our only rule for faith and practice. We do not follow worldly thoughts and teachings; we are to follow God’s teaching— “Do not go beyond what is written.” Very, very good advice.
And then Paul asks some hypothetical questions—they don’t require and answer, but I love to answer hypothetical questions.
“Can you believe how cold it is?”
“I can; it’s fall. You see, the northern hemisphere of the earth, at this time of year, is starting to tilt away from the sun. I actually can believe how cold it is…makes perfect sense.”
Verse 7:
For who makes you different from anyone else? “Not Paul. Not Apollos.”
What do you have that you did not receive? “Nothing.”
And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? “I don’t know.”
Bottom line, the Corinthians are:
Recipients of Grace
Recipients of Grace
The word grace isn’t mentioned here explicitly, but it’s certainly implied. You won’t find the word grace anywhere in this chapter, but for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, it’s hard to miss grace.
The Corinthians are who they are, they have what they have, God has blessed them with Paul and Apollos, all this only and purely by grace.
They need to recognize this fact. They must understand that they everything they are and everything they have is a product of grace.
“Those who recognize that they have nothing apart from God’s grace never raise themselves over others.”
They are nothing more than recipients of grace.
They had many good gifts in their church, but these all came freely from God through the Holy Spirit.
They had no basis for pride in their spiritual abilities because these were simply free gifts from God.
Chuck Swindoll writes in his book, Grace Awakening:
“One of my greatest anticipations is some glorious day being in a place where there will be no boasting, no name-dropping, no selfishness. Guess where it will be? Heaven. There will be no spiritual-sounding testimonies that call attention to somebody’s supercolossal achievements. None of that! Everybody will have written across his or her life the word “Grace”.
‘How’d you get up here?’
‘Grace!’
‘What made it possible?’
‘Grace!’
…Everywhere, grace, grace, grace...You will be granted entrance because you accepted the free gift of eternal life—nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. There is one and only one password for entering heaven: ‘Grace.’”
The Corinthians had nothing in and of themselves; it was all grace.
In an attempt to remind them of this fact—grace—and to get their attention off of themselves, Paul wants them to realize how foolish they’re being.
He employs some heavy sarcasm. I love sarcasm. My favorite TV shows and movies use sarcasm like another cast member. I love sarcasm, but sometimes it’s hard to communicate. You almost need a special font or a punctuation mark (i.e. SarcMark). You need to know a person well to pick up on sarcasm.
Paul is employing some heavy sarcasm; I’m pretty sure the Corinthians could pick up on what he’s saying.
His use of already tips us off. He writes that the Corinthians believe that they are already complete, mature; they have no flaws, no weakness, no need to grow.
“You’ve arrived! You’ve made it! You’ve begun to reign with Christ—I thought we’d have to wait until Jesus returned and brought the Kingdom of God here to do that, but you’re already doing that! Wow! Congratulations, guys! Well done.”
We never arrive; not in this life. We are incomplete works-in-progress. We are hopefully maturing in Christ, but we will not reach full maturity. We have plenty of flaws. We are weak and in serious need of growth. We will not arrive this side of heaven.
Paul expresses to them that he and Christ’s apostles have not arrived; they’re actually suffering a great deal. Why should the Corinthians expect to be treated differently in this world?
Having received grace from God through the death and resurrection of His Son does not mitigate our suffering. It does mean that we have all we need to make it through whatever we suffer, whenever we suffer it.
Our station in life, our status in this present world, our security is of grace. No one is any better or any worse off than anyone else. We should not elevate ourselves above another. We should not think ourselves better than anyone else. We should, wherever we find ourselves, in whatever condition we find ourselves, whether good or bad, humbly utter the word “GRACE.”
The Corinthians and Paul—all recipients of grace—must view themselves as such. We, along with them, are recipients of grace; that, and nothing more.
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
Dear Children
Dear Children
Here at the end of his argument (before he gets to the really heavy stuff, the awkward stuff), needs to remind them of and assert his authority as an apostle, as a leader in the Church.
He has said all these things (chapters 1-4), not to shame…but to warn. To admonish the Corinthians, whom he refers to as my dear children.
They are beloved by Paul. They are to him as his own offspring (if he had any). They join Timothy and several others in this category of Paul’s children. My dear children...
Paul is their father in Christ, through the gospel. Because Paul had led them to the Lord through the preaching of the Good News about Jesus, he is responsible for them spiritually—feeding them, caring for them, loving them, correcting them, disciplining them.
Discipline is a necessary part of parenting. It’s not anyone’s favorite part, but it’s necessary. Undisciplined children turn into undisciplined adults, and we all know what happens then.
We all know an only child who was only ever doted upon and allowed to get away with everything, to act however they pleased. And we know how those children turn out—spoiled brats become spoiled adults who believe they’re entitled to whatever they want when they want it.
Discipline is necessary. If my parents didn’t discipline me, it’s hard to say where I’d be.
As their spiritual father, Paul has the authority to correct them. A good father doesn’t let their children do whatever they please. A good father won’t let his children run out into the middle of a busy street based on the mistaken belief that “kids need to figure it out on their own.”
“It wouldn’t be my choice for them to run out in front of traffic, but, hey, if it makes them happy...”
No! A good father runs after his children, rips them out the street, paddles their hind-end, and teaches them not to do that again.
Paul wants his children—the Corinthians—to grow up into mature believers.
So he says, “Hey, watch me. Watch my life. Imitate me.”
The Corinthians can look to Paul and have a model for following Christ.
Do you have a person like that in your life? Have you ever had a person to look up to as you strive to follow Christ? Someone further along in their relationship with Him than you are?
If you’re blessed like I am, your parents are good role models. I had a very influential youth minister while I was in high school. Professors and pastors while in college. Friends and fellow elders, still.
“Imitate me…watch my life in Christ Jesus.”
If the Lord wills, Paul is going to make his way back to Corinth, back to his spiritual children.
He’s coming to investigate how some people are behaving and why they are acting so arrogantly.
Paul’s hoping to return to Corinth, to be there for his children—possibly with a rod of discipline or…in love and with a gentle spirit.
This is a picture of church discipline. For their own good, if their way of behaving continued down the path it was, Paul would rebuke them; he’d discipline them for their benefit and the sake of the gospel. If they repented, he would come to them peacefully.
The Corinthians are Paul’s dear children; they belong to him because God saw fit to place Paul there as their pastor, the one who would shepherd them and lead them, teaching, guiding, correcting, rebuking, training in righteousness.
They belong to God, and to some degree to Paul; they are dear children—children, nothing more and nothing less.
>We need a reminder of who we are, don’t we? Sometimes it helps to stop and think about who we are in Christ, in relation to one another.
We could do worse than to consider ourselves servants of Christ. That’s first and foremost. That’s most significant. Remember: you are a servant of Christ, not of any man. You serve Him.
If you’re a church leader, you are simultaneously servant & steward. You are responsible for the well-being of the those placed in your care. But that doesn’t mean we’re not servants.
We have to ask ourselves if we’re willing to be the one who unclogs the toilet, the one who rolls up their sleeves and gets to work, the one who wades into life with their fellow believers.
Remember who you are: servants & stewards.
Remember—each and every day—that you, Christian, are nothing special. You aren’t any better than anyone else. No one is any better than you. We are—all of us—recipients of grace. Grace. Grace.
Do you know Grace? Have you experienced the grace of God? God so loved us, God so love you that He would have Jesus come to die, to take our sins, to credit us with His own perfect righteousness, so that we would be saved.
This is undeserved, unmerited, un-repayable. It’s grace. Have you received it by faith?
Remember who you are: recipients of grace.
Children, ask yourselves: who are you imitating? Whose life can you follow as you follow Christ? Who is there that you can look up to, that you can learn from?
This isn’t necessarily someone older than you, rather someone further along in the walk with Christ.
And we must realize, like any child, there are times we need discipline. Times we need correction. Even in the church. We should thank the Lord that there are people—elders—in the church who love us as dear children, and love us enough to discipline us when necessary.
Remember who you are: dear children.
We are, in Christ, the Church of God: servants & stewards, recipients of grace, dear children, nothing more and nothing less.