A CHURCH FOR ALL PEOPLE
Atlantic Baptist Church
Sunday, September 05, 2010
 
Getting some facts straight (1 Corinthians 3:9)
Paul is going to get some facts straight regarding what we are, what we do and what we to expect in return (1 Corinthians 3:5-15). First, he says that you are God’s fellow worker (1 Corinthians 3:5, 9). Every believer is a minister, a servant (Galatians 5:13-14). As such this Scripture is not to apply just to those who serve vocationally but to every believer. What’s a fellow worker? The phrase fellow worker in this passage comes from the Greek word from where we get the English word synergy. Synergy is the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Think about Philippians 4:13? It’s because of the synergy that exists between Jesus Christ and you that you can do all things. Without Jesus Christ you are limited in what you can accomplish and what you accomplish will be of no eternal value. According to Paul, you are associated with Jesus Christ in the task of changing lives by preparing them for eternity. You cannot accomplish such a task on your own. Paul and Apollos were servants of God and exercised their gifts to preach salvation through faith in Christ Jesus alone. You also have been set apart and called by God for a great task. You have been set apart to call people to live in Jesus, coach people to live like Jesus and challenge people to live for Jesus. It’s our mission!   
You are God’s fellow workers and you are God’s field (1 Corinthians 3:6–9). What does God mean when He calls us His field? The picture here is that of a vineyard. In a vineyard there were different responsibilities. One person prepared the soil, other planted the seed, other watered the grape plants and other harvested the grapes. All this was accomplished by skilled personnel but, who makes the grapes grow? That’s God job. 
Same is with His vineyard, His Church. Some prepare the soil so that the Word of God can be planted. You invite others to Church or to your Life Group and care enough to make sure they attend and are welcomed and feel comfortable. You befriend them and connect with them understanding how fragile and important your relationship is. They are extremely important to God; they must matter to you too. 
Others plant the seed. Although it is every believer’s responsibility to make disciples and to proclaim the good news, there are some of you who do it better than others. God has given some the unbelievable motivation to share Christ with others and they will but at the right time you have got to plant the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their minds and hearts. At the right time you have got to plant the seed of holiness, righteousness, life commitment, life involvement, etc. in the minds and hearts of those who already know Christ as their Savior. It’s time to make Him Lord and you may be the one to plant that seed. 
Others water the seed. You care to mentor another believer; in a loving personal way you follow up on their spiritual progress and help them take the necessary steps to become more like Jesus. You show them with your love, care and life how is done; how do we become holy and mature Christians.   
Then there are those who will harvest the fruit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who are ready to serve others. These are those of you who see the spiritual growth in others and find them areas to serve others; to prepare the soil, plant the seed and water the seed. It’s the circle of life for the true vineyard of God, the true Church of Christ. 
Now, you need to understand that it’s not about what you do; it’s about who you do it for. It is God who produces the growth and not you. Everyone is important and is an equal partner in this venture. We are all fellow workers with Christ and at the proper time everyone will be rewarded. You are God’s fellow worker; you are God’s vineyard and you are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9–15). Let’s discuss this one next week. 
What kind of vineyard you have in your Church? What part do you have in the growth process of your Church? Are you a participator or a spectator? Are you preparing the soil or planting the seed? Are you watering the plants or have you gotten out of your comfort zone and are getting to know someone you don’t with the hopes of sharing you Christian journey with him/her? 
Evaluate your life based on these questions. If you find that you have not been faithful in any of these areas, repent, confess and get on with God’s plan. You will be rewarded but better, you will be an agent of change in someone else’s life. What a powerful concept!
 
 
“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”               1 Corinthians 3:9
 
Last week I began setting some facts straight about what we are, what we do and what we to expect in return (1 Corinthians 3:5-15). We discovered that we are God’s fellow workers (vs.5). God tells us in Galatians 5:13-14 that through love we are to serve one another; so we are all ministers. As such this Scripture applies to every follower of Christ. According to this Scripture, you are associated with Jesus Christ in the task of changing lives. Paul and Apollos were God’s fellow workers and their task was to make Jesus known to us and to lead us to the eternal benefits of such relationship.   They exercised their God given talents to accomplish this task. You have been set apart and called by God for a great task. You and I have been set apart to call people to live in Jesus, coach people to live like Jesus and challenge people to live for Jesus. It’s our mission and we are to accomplish it individually and corporately. 
 
We discovered that we are God’s field (vs.6-8). In a vineyard there were different responsibilities. One person prepared the soil, other planted the seed, other watered the grape plants and other harvested the grapes. All this was accomplished by skilled personnel but, who makes the grapes grow? That’s God job. Same is with His vineyard, His Church. Some prepare the soil so that the Word of God can be planted. Others plant the seed. You plant the seed of the gospel in the minds and hearts of those who haven’t entrusted their eternal destiny to Jesus Christ yet. You plant the seed of holiness, righteousness, life commitment, life involvement, etc. in the minds and hearts of those who have already done it. Others water the seed. You care to mentor another follower of Christ. Then there are those who will harvest the fruit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who are ready to serve others. You see the spiritual growth in others and find them areas to serve. It’s the circle of life for the true vineyard of God, the Church of Christ. 
 
You do it knowing that it is God who produces the growth. Everyone is important and is an equal partner in this venture. We are all fellow workers with Christ and at the proper time everyone will be rewarded. Remember Jesus’ words regarding having the wrong motivation for doing right and the rewards it carries (Matthew 6:1–6, 16-18).  You seek men’s recognition, that’s all you will get. You get it today, tomorrow is gone and when it’s time for you to go into eternity you will not be able to take it with you. You seek God’s recognition and you will get one that will be with you forever.
 
You are God’s fellow worker; you are God’s vineyard and you are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:10–15). The Lord spoke of a precious cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16). That foundation stone, that cornerstone is Jesus and Paul’s mission was to let people know about Him and about the good news He brought to mankind. As the master builder his job is completed; it is our job to build on that foundation. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of everything we are and everything we are to become (Ephesians 2:19–22). Warning! You need to be careful in choosing the construction materials you will use to build on this foundation in your life. We need to be careful in choosing the construction materials we’ll use to build on this foundation as a Church family (Vs. 10B). There is only one foundation (vs.11). Only one foundation of our faith and that is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). There are two kinds of materials (vs.12-15). You can build your life with materials that will pass God’s inspection and testing or you can use materials that will not. You can build your life and the life of the Church family with materials that get better through the heat of life or with materials that are destroyed by it. 
 
Here is a simple principle for your life: Individually, seek a life guided by the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-23). Corporately, seek to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission (Matthew 22:37-39; 28:19-20). These are the kind of materials needed for you to withstands the heat of life and to be found approved before God in that Day in which you and I will give an account for that life. Is Jesus Christ the foundation of everything you are? Are you guided by the desires of your sinful nature or by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in you? Have you partnered with a Church family to fulfill His Great Commandment and Great Commission? Think about it!
 
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