839 1 Cor.4.6-13 The Cross-Life Exposed
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Date: 21-07-19 839 Echuca
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- We are all familiar with the repeated, “Are we there yet”?
- But little do we know that we ourselves call out, within ourselves, the same thing
- We long for our lowly bodies to be transformed into the likeness of our Lord’s resurrected body ()
- We long for glory & the glorious exalted state that awaits us
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“Are we there yet”?
- But the apostle Paul has already maintained that we have arrived in part, has he not
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
—6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
—8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
- In this sense, we can say we have arrived – the deposits been paid - this is the blessing of the “now”
- However, there is also the very real truth of the “not yet” side of the equation
- Christians cannot ignore the fact that there is a tension between the “now” in what we have been given & the “not yet” which is yet to come
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- You will find that certain Christians will either lean one way or the other when it comes to the “now”, and the “not yet”
- Some Christians lean towards the “not yet” to the point where they act as if grace is only something that comes at the end
- Yet others lean towards the “now” to the point where they claim it all “now”
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- Some of our Pentecostal friends fall into this category
- Some & I’m saying some, not all, think that total healing is God’s will “now”
- That we, as God’s people, should be wealthy because God wants to bless us “now”
- Notice, I’m not including the fact that many Christians from all walks of life may be rich & may get healed
- It’s the “now” expectation that I’m raising in this illustration – the expectation that the focal point of Christianity is in the “now” & that God wants us to live, like we are the kings & queens He has made us to be
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- This passage today has much to say about the “now” attitude, for it is the Corinthian’s attitude & it is getting them into trouble
- The trouble is that the cross-life is not really compatible with living as if we have arrived
- Whilst we live on this earth & prior to the coming of Jesus, the cross-life & the folly (foolishness) of the cross is our portion to bear
- This does not rule out the fact that God can & does bless us abundantly in the “now”, however, the danger is when we think that the cross-life & discipleship are no longer needed because we have arrived
1. The Cross-Life Explained
1. The Cross-Life Explained
- When the Lord decided to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded with the Lord that He should spare the righteous, by which he meant, his nephew Lot & his family
- But Abraham approached the Lord with absolute humility
—27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.
27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.
- I am nothing but temporary – here one minute gone the next
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- When the Lord commanded Gideon to defeat the Midianites, Gideon exclaimed…
—15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
- John the Baptist said to Jesus: "I have need to be baptised by You & do you come to me"? [].
- John also said to the crowds about Jesus: "but among you stands One whom you do not know.....the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie" [].
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- When Jesus performed the miracle that filled the boat full of fish, Peter fell down at Jesus feet and said: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord"! []
- Paul said to Corinthians that he regarded himself as "the least of all the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God" []
- Jesus Himself, although, King of kings & Lord of lords, is said that He:
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
—6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
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- In this passage, today, Paul highlights a stark contrast with these attitudes, particularly, the attitude of Jesus & says that the Corinthians have become arrogant
- To be arrogant means to be puffed up, full of oneself – to have an overestimated sense of importance
- Though, perhaps, unintended this has become a consequence of today’s emphasis on self-esteem – this reflects the wisdom of this age
- Thinking too highly of oneself has definite anti-social consequences & we see it in this movement & we see it in the Corinthians
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
—3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
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- The answer to their problem is that they need to adopt the cross-life
- The cross-life has not been lived because they are setting aside the cross of Christ because it seems foolishness to their surrounding culture & so they are beginning to abandon it
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- Paul alludes here to the example of himself & Apollos who have followed the Scriptural teachings – not to exceed what is written
- He is referring to the OT – those Scriptures that he has already cited throughout the first 3 chapters of 1st Cor.
- For example, this one from Job & then the Psalms (in capital letters)
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.”
—19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; 20 and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”
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- The wisdom of God is in the cross of Jesus, not in world’s wisdom
- We are followers of Jesus & what this means is that we follow in His footsteps
- If we adopt the cross-life, then we will not become arrogant, for we will recognise that what we have received is grace
- We will remember that one plants, one waters, but only God gives the growth
- You cannot set one Christian against another, nor even set yourself against another
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- Here are the stages for the Christian which was the same as for Jesus
—2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Jesus entered the joy of glory & the shame of the cross is now behind Him
- We follow in His footsteps
- But for us, we still live the shame of the cross – we have not yet entered glory so we must still wait a little longer
- When people are pulling first of all for themselves, then fellowship and harmony are soon torn apart
2. We Are Not There Yet
2. We Are Not There Yet
This guy wrote: After worrying for half an hour that we wouldn’t get on an overbooked flight, my wife and I were summoned to the check-in desk. A smiling agent whispered that this was our lucky day. To get us on the plane he was bumping us up to first class. This was the first and only time we’ve been so pampered on an airplane—good food, hot coffee, plenty of elbowroom.
We played a little game, trying to guess who else didn’t belong in first class. One man stuck out. He shuffled around the cabin in his socks, restlessly sampling magazines, playing with but never actually using the in-flight phones. Twice he sneezed so loudly we thought the oxygen masks would drop down. And when the attendant brought linen tablecloths for our breakfast trays, he tucked his into his collar as a bib.
He notes: We see misfits at church, too—people who, by the world’s standards, obviously don’t belong, But the truth is, that like sitting in first class, we don’t belong here either, but by the grace & plan of God
- In vs. 7-8 Paul goes on to emphasise that the church has not yet arrived
- There is still a journey & we are not there yet!
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- Look at what Paul picks up on these believers
- They are acting like what they have is from themselves – that’s how good they are
- They have judged that what they have is better than the apostles & ministers who founded the church & have been “watering” the church
- The ESV suggests that they think they are different, but it seems more pronounced than that
- They think they are superior – so the NASB – “who regards you as superior”?
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- They are judging the apostle Paul, Jesus’ own personally sent servant & steward of the mysteries of God & the other ministers to the church
- They think they are more superior than they
- Well, that is obvious from the start, because they are starting to ditch the cross & agree with the world that it is foolish
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- These attitudes persist when Christians regard themselves as better than other Christians
- In doing so, they set themselves up as "the" authority
- As if they are reigning as kings
- This church had received salvation and a plentiful supply of spiritual gifts
- The Corinthians believed that they had arrived
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- Problem is they became arrogant as if they themselves were the source of their enrichment in God
- They are not only arrogant, but they’re ungrateful
- Grace, we know, ought to lead to gratitude – worldly wisdom & self-sufficiency leads to judging & boasting
- Grace means humility – boasting means that one thinks they have arrived
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Q. How can a person boast, when what they have has come about through the gift of God through the sacrifice of Christ?
Q. How can a person boast when the gift of God's power and His presence come through the work of Jesus?
—17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
- Instead of boasting only in the Lord, the giver of the gifts, they boast in people, the recipients of the gifts, and out of that, come factions and disputes
- The fight to have the higher perch in the pecking order, comes from an attitude of superiority over others
- The Christian social ladder is, actually, upside down & there should be an eagerness to descend the rungs to the bottom
—26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;
26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;
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- Just remember that their problem is an over-realised sense that they have arrived
- They have determined to assume the blessings of Jesus now & to live like kings
Q. “Are we there yet”, would get the answer from them as “yep”
- The apostle dedicates the entire chap. 15 in 1st Corinthians in explaining to them that they need to see that there is a coming resurrection day & a resurrected body
- They believed that what they had was it – nothing more to come – they have been raised spiritually &, therefore, have arrived
- What’s left now is to live as God’s kings on earth
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- Of course, in chap. 15 Paul talks about Jesus returning & finishing what He started
—20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
—23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
- So it is a pre-mature celebration, on their part, because they & we must wait until He comes & abolishes death
- In v.8 of our passage today, Paul wishes that Christ had returned
- He says
v.8 I wish that [Christ had returned & that] you had become kings, so that we might reign with you
- Because at this point, the total fulfilment has not yet arrived
3. The Testimony of the Cross-Life
3. The Testimony of the Cross-Life
- In contrast to the Corinthians arrogance, Paul elaborates on the apostles position and their lifestyle which we will see is one of humility
- A life style that still owns the cross of Christ & is modelled on the cross of Christ
- The apostles were spat upon, ridiculed, imprisoned, beaten, mocked
- The apostles are merely following the example of their Lord who endured the same things
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- Jesus said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" [].
- They "toil with our own hands", he says
- To the Greeks, manual labour was for slaves, BUT no sort of work was beneath the dignity of Paul & the Apostles
"For you recall, brethren, our labour & hardship, how working night & day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God"
9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
- He would endure any sort of work for his Lord.
- And he goes on...
- When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate
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- Paul here reflects Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount
- "...bless those who curse you, bless & do not curse"
- This portion of Paul's letter closes with the statement: "We have become the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now"
- Calling themselves the scum of the world really shows what the world thought about the apostles
- Scum & dregs was used to describe the scrapings of dirty pots & dishes
- Paul, again, is reflecting the life of Jesus
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
"He had no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him"
- The SUFFERERS list begins with "to this present hour" & ends with "even until now"
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- It demonstrates that this is a present reality for the church now
- We have not yet arrived
- We will indeed reign with Christ, & even be judge of angels, but only after He returns for His church
"And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him"
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
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- If you put yourself out there to follow Christ & not the world, you may find that some will want to put you on the scrap heap
- Christians have lost their jobs over following Christ; they have been called names; they have been vilified & shunned
- They have been ousted from the public court of opinion & told to shut up
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- This is why many of Paul’s situations were the result of his preaching the Gospel of Christ
- Several times he was whipped by the Jews
- He ran into danger every which way he turned
- It wouldn’t have been fun having spent two years in a jail cell & then sent to Rome on a ship that was sinking while you were aboard
- In fact, they are those on exhibition as those last of all, as men condemned to die in the arena (Roman Colosseum)
- Paul lives "like Master, like servant"
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- There were some pretty scary things that we were told at Bible college
- These things have happened in the past & I’ll leave it up to you to decide if they are still happening
- Missionaries were sent used tea bags because they are suppose to be doing the Lord’s work permanently & are, therefore, to keep poor in keeping with the description here of the apostle’s life
- They said that there was a saying that would go around about ministers: “Lord you keep him humble & we’ll keep him poor”
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- Now there are a couple of problems with these two processes
- Firstly, Paul is contrasting his lifestyle with the whole church, not just the Lord’s full time workers
- He wants to show that if you serve the Lord, it will mean that you will face certain hardships for Christ
- Secondly, he is not giving a mandate that all Christians are to be poor & homeless & poorly clothed & hungry & thirty
- What he is doing is contrasting the life attitudes & expectations
- No matter what circumstances we find ourselves, we commit to serving our Lord
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Q. Does it mean you can send your old tea bags to missionaries? No.
Q. Does it mean you keep the minister poor to help the Lord keep him humble? No, not meant to be that way
- Again, this applies to all Christians & we should “do unto others as we would have them do unto you”
- Poor & uncaring treatment is the expression of the world, not some pious ideal
- The apostle is concerned that these Christians are leaving the cross-life behind
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- It’s not that we seek to suffer, as if that is the goal
- No, not by a long shot – we seek to love with the love of Jesus & with the values of Jesus & His Gospel
- That means promoting the fact that without Jesus, every man & woman is lost & unable to come to God
- That itself is the offence that will bring suffering of some kind
- May be the loss of a friend, may be the loss of a job, may be the loss of a husband or wife, may be even the loss of your freedom
- We don’t seek suffering, but if we live like Christ, suffering & hardship will seek us
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- Satan is the god of this world & ruler of darkness – his kingdom cannot stand in the light of the gospel, because gospel light drives out the darkness
- His kingdom will persecute the light & try to destroy if possible those who stand & live in the light
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- No wonder not many people put their hand up to follow Jesus
- But look where we are following Him to
- We are following Him to glory & to everlasting life – there can be nothing better, nor worth fighting for
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
—6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,