Missions Paul

I was recently sat in a traffic jam for 2 hours in Africa, the very nice car I was sat in was with very nice Pastors. But as I looked out of the window we had stopped by an outside garden centre (not like those in the west!) and a man with no shoes and no staff uniform was walking up and down watering the plants that he had no doubt grown. It was a menial task by a menial labourer whose reward would come in the future. As I looked I realised that there was not a lot of difference between the man watering and me and my friends in the car and I thought of these verses:-

“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ 

Paul in addressing the followers of man, including himself, says they were planters and waterers whose payment will come later. That’s all they are.

Man makes the celebrities and celebrities then enjoy being them and yet they are only planters and waterers. Church growth didn’t come about because of who they were but because they co-partnered with God. It is God’s work who owns the field (He also owns the building, of which he will speak of in the next verses).

Within the life of your church there are many planters and waterers and they are not only behind the pulpits. Children’s workers, welcome team members, intercessors, hospitality, the list can go on and on and even to include those who have been sent as missionaries to the far places of the world, they are all of shared value, they are all equally important, they are co-workers with God. Hierarchy does not exist. 

Whatever you are doing for God is really important. You might say but what I do is just pray, there’s nothing more important than that. I just clean the church, there’s nothing more important than that. I don’t need to keep going!

Whatever you are doing for God is unique but is united with all the other unique roles. 

Whatever you are doing for God is not some competition but a collaboration in the mission of God.

Whatever you are doing for God should not elevate you but celebrate HIM!

So value others whoever and whatever they do and no matter how big their field is. That small field is actually the same as the big field across town, they are connected fields, belonging to the same owner.

It is always God’s agenda, God’s vision, God’s mission, God’s ….. etc. So stop with the celebrity accolades and acknowledge more of the planters and waterers. 

I could name them and so could you; the celebrities of church; big names; big ministries; there are so many, they all have a following and they all have one thing in common: none have made the Church grow!

“For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ 

Tribalism is all around us in the Church as it was in Paul’s day. Have you noticed he even denounced his own followers! 

This message is profoundly relevant today.

When will we return to a truly Christ-centred Church without names of leaders brazened across billboards and more importantly our own minds and hearts? 

We must see our leaders as servants not stars.

Search for humility in leaders, if you find it stay, if you don’t then leave.

Understand that planting and watering are important but the most crucial part, the growing, no human can do. 

If a Christian is jealous or is quarrelling then they are not living by the Spirit. There is no difference between them and people of the world. They know nothing of the deep truths of God. 

I didn’t say that, Paul did. He now comes back to the reason of his letter: the division and the reason why they are divided.

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

When will division end in the Church? It will be when we get rid of jealousy and quarrelling!

Jealousy is a divider in the church 

If the goal of your life is to be popular then you will battle jealousy. (When others are more popular than you).

If the goal of your life is to have the biggest church then you will battle jealousy. (When your church stops growing and the one across town increases rapidly).

If the goal of your life is to be separated from sinners then you will battle jealousy. (When God starts to manifestly love on the sinners with grace and favour).

If the goal of your life is to appear to be better than you really are then you will battle jealousy. (When you see others who are lesser than you being used by God equally as you).

If the goal of your life is to solely remain entrenched in an interpretation of Scripture then you will battle jealousy. (When something happens that challenges that interpretation that is promoted as being from God).

If the goal of your life is to be the only mouthpiece of God then you will battle Jealousy. (When God decides not to speak through you for a change).

 Quarrelling is a divider in the church. 

“The Pastor is not reading from the proper original Bible.” That was the phone conversation I got as a purist member of the church demanded that I make sure the King James Version was brought back. I tried to explain that we don’t actually have the original Bible but I think I made it worse!

I have heard many arguments as a Pastor. All of them sought to stain and stop what God was doing in the church, though those embroiled in the quarrelling would often think they were doing the will of God (jihadists think that too). 

One truth the Church needs to hear is this: The argument isn’t worth it.

I said to one person who was in a fight with their Pastor, “Do you not realise the damage this is causing you? Even before we think of the people in the Church. If you carry on like this then you will die a sad, old, bitter person with bad memories.”

If you have woken up angry: Consider the battle you want to have.

Is it worth it?

You may think you can win but what will you lose by winning?

Make peace. Give up. Follow Jesus. Do what He did.

The battle is actually always to be a disciple.

Everything that you do not understand; all that you need to know for your future; it is in the hands of the Spirit.

But what does it mean to be a spiritual man or woman? 

Paul gives the answer in these next verses.

“these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭16‬ 

The Spirit reveals things from God. How would we ever have understanding of the Bible without the Spirit? How would the Church ever know how to operate without the Spirit who fills us continually? 

The Spirit searches all things. How would we ever know what God is like and how would we ever know His plans for our life without the Spirit who can discover all these things that are hidden?

The Spirit knows the thoughts of God. It can be difficult to know what someone is thinking. So how would we ever know what God is thinking without the Spirit who knows the mind of God?

The Spirit brings understanding of what God has given to us. Some in the Church sadly think they are wiser than most. It leads to division. It did in Paul’s day and it does today. But it is pointless. For the Spirit brings understanding to all believers of the things of God not for some elite group. The purpose is to bring anyone who asks the Spirit into a deeper relationship with God.

The Spirit teaches us spiritual realities with Spirit words. So without the Spirit you are taught nothing.

All of what the Spirit does looks foolish to the one without the Spirit. Those whose world-view is money and power and other forces that drive then they have no interest in anything that is spiritual.

But we who have the Spirit in our lives are above unspiritual critics for we know what God is doing. We need never feel inferior to anyone, even if a group in the church seem super-spiritual or whether we meet some new-age spirituality on the street, for we carry the presence of the Spirit in our lives and that is more than enough.

So what?

• Talk to the Spirit more about everything.
• Be open to the Spirit guiding you. 
• Be ready that the Spirit often challenges the world’s wisdom.

The Holy Spirit is not only desiring to work through you and to give you gifts of power but He is wanting to work for you. 

“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love him – “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ -10

What can you see? It’s limited.

What voices can you hear? They are limited.

What knowledge can you attain? It is limited.

God has prepared things for you. But they are beyond your sight, hearing and mind. They are incredible and unimaginable.

But they are not beyond you. They are not unreachable. They are not hidden from you forever. 

But it won’t be any leader who leads you into those things. It won’t be Apollos, Cephas, Paul and don’t get me wrong and I only say this because there was a ‘Jesus group’ in the divided groups (probably a super-spiritual group) … but it won’t be Jesus either who leads you into those things God has prepared for you.

I’ve just counted 33 times that Paul mentions the Spirit in this first letter. It is the Holy Spirit who leads you into all that God has for you. Often we would think of jumping to the gifts of the Spirit mentioned later in the letter (and where the divisions in the Church were appearing). But go no further than here this morning. The Spirit brings the revelation of Christ, the plans and purpose of God for your life to the forefront. 

So what?

• With our obvious limitations we have nothing to boast about so walk in humility.
• God’s plans are greater than you can imagine so trust Him.
• Believe for spiritual revelation for your life through knowing the Holy Spirit more.
• So let’s look beyond the obvious for there is more! The Spirit says so!

It is incredible that even now in 2024 people are finding the transformative power of God to change their life in a simple, foolish and childish act in worldly terms. The world has never been looking for a naked, blood-soaked Jewish man on a cross. But when it has done then it has always found a wisdom that is higher, deeper and more profound than anything that came from the world and in any generation.

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭

There is a ‘wisdom of this age’. The generation of Paul had a wisdom and it seeped into the church, it always does. It created church division as it was based on everyone thinking more highly of themselves. But that wisdom ended in that age. If we went back in time and stepped into the church strife we would have something to say because this wisdom is changeable and we would perhaps roll our eyes at why and what they were falling out over. Sometimes I think of how my whole life being spent in church and becoming a Pastor at 26 years of age, contending against the wisdom of the age 32yrs ago, actually seems like a different age in itself. The things my Pastors have to battle with today just wasn’t an issue for me a few decades ago. But is the world getting better with all of our wisdom? We like to think so. But is that blind arrogance. Not everything that is new and  shiny is good. Not every new revelation is from God. Paul would come into our age today and say this wisdom is immature. For his message remains. In contrast there is a wisdom which is timeless. It is not immature and bound to the age that it appeared. In fact it is changeless. More than that it existed before the first age, ‘before time began’. The wisdom of the ages come and go but the crucified Lord of glory is before time and through all ages and the age to come.

There are ‘rulers of this age’. The generation of Paul had their Caesar’s and their high priests with all of their ‘wisdom’ of power, might and spiritual authority. Today who would be the rulers of this age. Would it be names of people that we go to or ideologies or the rulers of our age being perhaps unseen forces that are lived out in the culture of our day? At the cross these ‘rulers of this age’ decided that it was the best thing, the right thing, the wisest thing to crucify the Lord. 2024 the rulers of this age still think it is the wisest thing to bring about enlightenment and advancement in our culture even if it means we are walking all over the message of the cross. However for the ‘mature’ we know that 3 days later the true wisdom of God was made known and the true ruler rose victoriously. 

There is a time limit on the ‘wisdom and rulers of this age’ and a conclusion, which is they both come to ‘nothing’.  But we worship and serve the One who was crucified who is the ‘Lord of glory’, a phrase that points to all eternity as the next verses reveal.

So what?

• Spiritual maturity is often contending against the wisdom and those who rule in the age we live.
• Spiritual growth is counter-cultural.
• God’s plans and purposes do not take into account the wisdom and the rulers of the age. It is as if they ignore what man has to say. And man continues with no understanding of them.
• It is possible to understand and to discern the wisdom of God even though it doesn’t make sense to the world.
• The cross invites you continually into a wisdom that is higher, deeper and more profound than the best human minds and behaviours in any age.

Addressing the divided church and the one-upmanship of who is following which hero, Paul debunks the importance of human wisdom, impressive rhetoric and the prowess of the mind. Not that he is against those things, not at all. In fact his writing in this letter could be classed as one of the greats in terms of eloquence. I mean, who could write about love any better than he did in chapter 13?

But he plays down the human approach because if they/we are going to truly see the transformative power of God then it will be because there is nothing on centre stage but the cross and Christ crucified.

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭

Paul has an acute self-awareness. Something which is missing today in some Christians. “And so it was with me …”

He was determined when he ministered at Corinth that they wouldn’t see him but see Christ.

This should be an enormous encouragement to those Churches who may not have the resources that another church in the same town might have. “If only we had the money for the equipment, the advertising and the musicians etc etc” and Paul would say that “you don’t need all that.” 

He didn’t come looking like the culture of his day with the ability to engage in clever debate and to have the skills of the greatest orators. 

Instead he came with weakness.

Instead he came with great fear.

Instead he came with trembling.

This makes the church with their division of who to follow, Apollos, Paul, Peter or the super-spiritual ones, ‘Jesus only’ (but actually it was more about themselves than Jesus) even more ridiculous. 

You see Paul didn’t come to be noticed, seen, ‘how many views on your social media?!’

The Gospel doesn’t need packaging. The Gospel is about God who undressed. 

Paul preached simply Christ crucified and clearly the cross. Nothing else. And the divine interrupted and the Spirit came down and the power of God was displayed. 

How do we reach the world with the gospel? 

Tell them simply and clearly. Tell them the story of what God did at Christmas. Tell them the fulfilment of that story at what God did at Easter. Tell them of how the cross has changed your life. Simple stories. Nothing of you all of Him. 

The power to save, heal and deliver comes from nothing that we can bring or offer. It comes from the story of God. It comes from His grace. It comes from the cross. 

The problem with these Corinthian Christians was that they thought they were above the rest. That’s what division does. It belittles the other person that you disagree with. It elevates you above the rest. You become someone. If you throw into the mix the blessings God bestows on you then actually you may not look anything like the person who first knelt before the cross. 

But can you remember the previous you? 

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭31‬ ‭

Think of what you were years ago. Paul uses words like foolish, weak, lowly, despised and basically a nobody. Yet God called you. In that state. What was the worst thing about you when He saved you? He saved you anyway! Your ‘right thinking, right living, a clean slate and a fresh start (the Message) is brought about by Jesus. You cannot boast. You cannot look down on others who are not behaving the way you are. Your only boast is that of Christ and what He has done. 

So what?

• Your past life does not define who you will become in the Kingdom of God. 
• The call of God on your life transcends anything you have done previously. 
• A life characterised by humility is a life where Jesus is seen.

So climb down from your high horse. Your righteousness, holiness and redemption had nothing to do with what you had achieved, or learnt or earned. Can you remember? It was all of Christ. That day when as a foolish, weak, lowly, despised nobody you heard a foolish, weak, lowly, despised message  from a foolish, weak, lowly, despised and nobody-preacher, it was then that you encountered the power and the wisdom of God. It still happens today. It is remarkable. Every day the foolish are finding that Christ has done it all so that no one can boast. He takes all the glory. 

Never forget who you were and where you came from. The Church should not be divided especially the Church that remembers who they were. 

There are 2 paths of life to walk down. You get to choose. In fact you have already chosen. There are moments in any church and in any generation when correction needs to be brought because the followers of Christ are in danger of veering to the wrong path.

The Apostle is addressing the Corinthian divided church. They have taken their eyes off the path they were on and have begun to speak and behave like the world they were in. The culture of that generation was one where intellectual achievement was something to not only be desired but to be championed. It had creeped into the culture of the Church. Intellectual achievements, philosophical arguments and all the knowledge one can attain had become badges of pride. It was as if this made up for a great church. What about today? Would we say the same? Would we add other things? What is in our culture? What do we see every day? Is it entertainment to attract the masses? Is it everyone has the right to be whoever they want to be? Marketing? Make it look great and it will be more plausible. Attraction is the key. Would Paul mention these things if he was writing to the church today? What techniques are being used today that come straight from the culture we live in?

These questions are difficult to pose and even more so to answer. The reason being is that in themselves there isn’t anything necessarily wrong.

Yet Paul reminds them and therefore we are reminded too: we are people of the cross.

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1 v 20-25)

Where are these people? Step forward. Bring the very best of the culture of the day. Whether that be signs, wisdom, teaching, philosophy, entertainment, social-media engagement, inclusivity, the list goes on throughout the generations. In themselves they are good. But God calls them foolish! Why?

• They do not bring us into relationship with God and they do not bring salvation, v21.

What does?

The Cross! (v23)

It is a complete different path to walk down.

It has a complete different set of expectations.

Victory through surrender, life through death and strength in weakness is the Wisdom of the Cross and the foolishness of the world.

This is countercultural to the world we live in. It was for Paul’s generation and it is for ours.

We are constantly being encouraged to showcase our achievements, win every argument and accumulate either knowledge, money or status. Vulnerability is to be avoided, no limitations, be independent, be you! It sounds good but the cross makes it foolish.

The Wisdom of the Cross says that the real power for living is found in sacrificial love, humility and the radical giving of our lives.

When we kneel at the cross then we see not a man or a woman, not a Jew or a Gentile, not a rich or poor person, neither do we see an individual of the 1^st century or that of the 21^st. We see the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, indeed God Himself.

I have seen all over the world the mutilated bodies at the cross, men, women and trans-genders at the cross, lepers at the cross, HIV and all kinds of diseased bodies at the cross. I have seen royalty and governmental officers at the cross, wealth and education at the cross and I have seen entrepreneurs and entertainers at the cross. All that I have listed are not who is actually at the cross. The genders, the bodies, the status and the achievements are not at the cross. Hearts are. Eternal spirits are. And it is there at the cross where the true transformative power of God is known. It is there at the cross where a radical reimagining of power, success and identity is known. It is there where the old becomes new. The focus is not on the outside but the inside of the person. They become clean, they become children of God and they are repurposed to live the opposite of their world. It may look limiting but it is liberating, it may sound illogical but it is a wisdom that is given not earned, it may appear weak but it is powerful and above all the priorities of our life are changed for we don’t live for personal achievement, status or decision but we live for others, we love with the love of God and we sacrifice the way Jesus did.

This is the Wisdom of the Cross.

Paul is addressing the division of the church.

The reason for division is because we think we are right, wise and we have the whole truth. The reason for division is this, we are right and everyone else is wrong.

If Paul was alive today he would be writing to us and probably quoting Isaiah as he does here.

“For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” (1 Corinthians 1 v 19)

So why quote from the prophet Isaiah? The verse in full is this:-

“Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” (Isaiah 29:14)

He does so because:-

• The prophet is speaking to the people of Judah during a time when they have become complacent and their discipleship has weakened. The Corinthians are in a similar situation. The divisions have weakened their discipleship. It still does.
• God declares He will astound them with wonder upon wonder. The Corinthians thought they were clever: their wisdom, intelligence and philosophy were added to their preaching for better effect. We still do that and we throw in other aspects of entertainment to marvel the crowds or try to create them to listen to our preaching. Yet when did the message of the cross ever need such help? The cross is the wonder upon wonder that diminishes all attempts from the wisdom and intelligence of man,
• The arguments of who they ‘follow’ that have caused the division in the Church at Corinth will come to nothing; they will in fact be destroyed. They are futile arguments because they are not in alignment with the wisdom of God. Today’s arguments and divisions are the same.
• The call that Paul brings springing from prophet Isaiah is still calling to us today. We have to live our lives differently to this. Instead of mere intellectual knowledge we must cultivate a spiritual wisdom; instead of pride we must walk in humility; instead of knowing it all we must acknowledge that we don’t hold that trait for we serve a God who moves in unexpected ways.