10-18-09 PM: 1 Cor Message 9: Increase and responsibility
Increase and Responsibility
I. Verse 4
Lining up behind different men is solid proof of the fleshly nature of the Church.
II. Verse 5
The job these men performed was simply to serve the Truth to those who would listen. They had no other function. It was the Lord who gave these ministers to the folks at Corinth. He provided this need for every man.
III. Verse 6
Everyone did their job. No one can take credit for the good results. Our job is to do our job. We will be judged on whether or not we did our job- not on how good a job we did or how much results. The results are ALWAYS God’s business. If there are positive results, God, and only God, gets the glory for them.
IV. Verse 7
Our doing our job does not get us and special accolades. Our planting makes us nothing. Our watering makes us nothing. How can we be more to God than what we already are? If the fervor or the results of our labour for Him warranted reward, how could the Glory go to God only?
Luke 17:5-10 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. 7But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Rom. 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Rom. 4:2-5 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
V. Verse 8
We are all working together for a common purpose. We are one body laboring together in different capacities, yet as one unit. It you are in a thriving Church doing great things for God, the faithful labour of that church does not mean that you are necessarily a faithful labourer. The converse is also true. You may be in a situation in the future where you find yourself in a Church that is barely breathing. Even in that situation, you will be rewarded based on your own labour.
Verse 7 says the waterer and the planter are nothing but it is God who brings forth the increase. He and He alone is worthy of any good that comes from the fact that there is spiritual increase. Verse 8 however tells us that we will be rewarded for our labour. It is clearly manifested from these two verses that our reward has nothing to do with the results of our labour. The results all go on God’s account.
Gen. 15:1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
VI. Verse 9
We are building with God, yet we are the building. We labour with God in the harvest, yet we are the harvest.
Part of the work is our personal “getting right” and “staying right”.
