Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; - Philippians 2:3
What a joy it is to be a child of the LORD! I am so grateful that you have joined us here this morning to study God’s Word and learn from His teachings. What a blessing it is to open the Bible together!
This morning we will continue our reading in 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Last week we got through the first 5 verses, and today we will pick up where we left off. Remember, Paul is addressing division within the church at Corinth. The sermon is titled, “Living In Humility”.
I. DON’T ACT SUPERIOR (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)
In the preceding passage, Paul talked about the role of ministers and church leaders. Pastors are servants of the congregation, not dictators over it. They are stewards and servants of God. The church members do not belong to them as many were claiming - on the contrary, it would be more appropriate to say that they belong to the church members. This is the manner in which Paul referred to himself and Apollos (and also Peter). They should not be regarded by the church in any lofty manner beyond this, nor should the Corinthians pit themselves against each other as if anyone was superior.
Which of them was greater than any of the others? Everything they had was of God, not of themselves! So what did they have to boast about? God was the source of all they had received, so they should boast only in the Lord. Just as they shouldn’t have compared Apollos with Paul, nor should they have compared themselves with others.
II. THE LOT OF APOSTLES (1 Corinthians 4:8-13)
Many of the Corinthians were foolishly acting as though they were wealthy kings, having become rich and prosperous by their own doings. Paul sarcastically stated that he wished this were true, so that he might leave his meager circumstances behind and come reign with them in their extravagance. Of course, Paul was being satirical. He was sharply pointing out their misplaced love of earthly things.
In contrast to their relative luxury, Paul described the difficult life of an apostle. He reasoned that God had ordained apostles last of all - following the prophets, priests, and kings of old - as those condemned to death to be a spectacle to both men and angels. Though the Corinthians were prudent in Christ, the apostles were fools for Him; they were strong, but the apostles were weak; they were distinguished, but the apostles were a reproach. Paul and those like him were hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, roughly treated, and homeless. They labored tirelessly with their own hands. When they were scolded, they blessed; when persecuted, they endured; when slandered, they made peace. The apostles were considered by society to be the lowest of the low. (Contrast this with the so-called modern-day “apostles”.)
It is important to point out that Paul was not complaining about his circumstances or bemoaning his calling as an apostle. Rather, he was simply giving the Corinthians an honest description of what it was like for him, Apollos, and others. They had given themselves fully to Christ and to the cause of the gospel. It wasn’t easy, and the church needed to understand and appreciate that. When we approach life with the proper perspective, it changes the way we speak and act.
III. I AM YOUR FATHER (1 Corinthians 4:14-21)
It was not Paul’s intention to shame the Corinthians by describing how much easier and comfortable their lives were than his, but rather to admonish them for boasting in themselves and judging one another. The fact is, Christ had used Paul to establish their church and this would always be the case. They had already had and would continue to have many more pastors and teachers come in the future, yet Paul would always be their founder and first preacher. In this sense, he was the father of the church at Corinth. As such, he felt a special burden to nurture them and, as necessary, to lovingly discipline them so that they might excel and reach their fullest potential. He was not insinuating that the other pastors didn’t care, but rather expressing his own responsibilities.
To that end, Paul urged the Corinthian Christians to imitate him by embracing the same humble, servant-like attitude that he had. Timothy, 1 of Paul’s dearest followers, who had apparently brought them this letter, would also both model and remind them of the humility they needed. Despite what some were saying, Paul planned to come visit Corinth personally in the near future and see for himself what was going on. Would they pridefully and arrogantly resist him when he arrived, or humbly and gently receive him? Either way, Paul intended to set things right.
Before I surrendered to vocational ministry, I served as an educator in the public school system for 13½ years. During that time, I was blessed to teach hundreds of young children. Sadly, many came from broken and abusive homes. I quickly learned that, no matter how hard I tried, in the overwhelming majority of cases I had very little influence over the lives of these children. Usually, whether for good or bad, kids turn out like their parents. This is why parents (especially fathers) play such an important role in the life of their children - God designed it that way.
CONCLUSION
In the opening pages of this letter to the Corinthian church, Paul addressed the issue of division. The church was divided into various factions, with each group rigidly aligning themselves with a former pastor. Some had sided with Paul, others with Apollos, and still others with Peter. Only a few rightly understood the gospel and aligned themselves with Christ. This separation had led to bitter quarreling and contention within the church.
In an attempt to correct this problem, Paul identified several factors that were contributing to the division in Corinth. He gave godly advice for how to address each of these individual issues. Some of the concerns he listed include:
A theological misunderstanding of water baptism (1:12-17)
A misplaced emphasis on worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom (1:18-25)
Boasting in themselves rather than upon God (1:26-31, 3:18-23)
A failure to rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit (2:1-16)
Widespread spiritual immaturity (3:1-4)
A misunderstanding of the nature and value of human works (3:5-15)
A lack of regard for their church as the temple of God (3:16-17)
Having an elevated view of the apostles - notably Paul, Apollos, and Peter (4:1-5, 8-13)
Comparing themselves with others and acting superior (4:6-7)
The slanderous attitude of some toward Paul specifically (4:14-21)
As we can clearly see, the church at Corinth was “A Messed Up Church”. It was immersed in all sorts of problems that were severely impeding its effectiveness and ability to reach lost people for Christ. May we, as a church, learn from their example and strive for peace, unity, and humility within our own congregation.
What a joy it is to be a child of the LORD! I am so grateful that you have joined us here this morning to study God’s Word and learn from His teachings. What a blessing it is to open the Bible together!
This morning we will continue our reading in 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Last week we got through the first 5 verses, and today we will pick up where we left off. Remember, Paul is addressing division within the church at Corinth. The sermon is titled, “Living In Humility”.
I. DON’T ACT SUPERIOR (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)
In the preceding passage, Paul talked about the role of ministers and church leaders. Pastors are servants of the congregation, not dictators over it. They are stewards and servants of God. The church members do not belong to them as many were claiming - on the contrary, it would be more appropriate to say that they belong to the church members. This is the manner in which Paul referred to himself and Apollos (and also Peter). They should not be regarded by the church in any lofty manner beyond this, nor should the Corinthians pit themselves against each other as if anyone was superior.
Which of them was greater than any of the others? Everything they had was of God, not of themselves! So what did they have to boast about? God was the source of all they had received, so they should boast only in the Lord. Just as they shouldn’t have compared Apollos with Paul, nor should they have compared themselves with others.
II. THE LOT OF APOSTLES (1 Corinthians 4:8-13)
Many of the Corinthians were foolishly acting as though they were wealthy kings, having become rich and prosperous by their own doings. Paul sarcastically stated that he wished this were true, so that he might leave his meager circumstances behind and come reign with them in their extravagance. Of course, Paul was being satirical. He was sharply pointing out their misplaced love of earthly things.
In contrast to their relative luxury, Paul described the difficult life of an apostle. He reasoned that God had ordained apostles last of all - following the prophets, priests, and kings of old - as those condemned to death to be a spectacle to both men and angels. Though the Corinthians were prudent in Christ, the apostles were fools for Him; they were strong, but the apostles were weak; they were distinguished, but the apostles were a reproach. Paul and those like him were hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, roughly treated, and homeless. They labored tirelessly with their own hands. When they were scolded, they blessed; when persecuted, they endured; when slandered, they made peace. The apostles were considered by society to be the lowest of the low. (Contrast this with the so-called modern-day “apostles”.)
It is important to point out that Paul was not complaining about his circumstances or bemoaning his calling as an apostle. Rather, he was simply giving the Corinthians an honest description of what it was like for him, Apollos, and others. They had given themselves fully to Christ and to the cause of the gospel. It wasn’t easy, and the church needed to understand and appreciate that. When we approach life with the proper perspective, it changes the way we speak and act.
III. I AM YOUR FATHER (1 Corinthians 4:14-21)
It was not Paul’s intention to shame the Corinthians by describing how much easier and comfortable their lives were than his, but rather to admonish them for boasting in themselves and judging one another. The fact is, Christ had used Paul to establish their church and this would always be the case. They had already had and would continue to have many more pastors and teachers come in the future, yet Paul would always be their founder and first preacher. In this sense, he was the father of the church at Corinth. As such, he felt a special burden to nurture them and, as necessary, to lovingly discipline them so that they might excel and reach their fullest potential. He was not insinuating that the other pastors didn’t care, but rather expressing his own responsibilities.
To that end, Paul urged the Corinthian Christians to imitate him by embracing the same humble, servant-like attitude that he had. Timothy, 1 of Paul’s dearest followers, who had apparently brought them this letter, would also both model and remind them of the humility they needed. Despite what some were saying, Paul planned to come visit Corinth personally in the near future and see for himself what was going on. Would they pridefully and arrogantly resist him when he arrived, or humbly and gently receive him? Either way, Paul intended to set things right.
Before I surrendered to vocational ministry, I served as an educator in the public school system for 13½ years. During that time, I was blessed to teach hundreds of young children. Sadly, many came from broken and abusive homes. I quickly learned that, no matter how hard I tried, in the overwhelming majority of cases I had very little influence over the lives of these children. Usually, whether for good or bad, kids turn out like their parents. This is why parents (especially fathers) play such an important role in the life of their children - God designed it that way.
CONCLUSION
In the opening pages of this letter to the Corinthian church, Paul addressed the issue of division. The church was divided into various factions, with each group rigidly aligning themselves with a former pastor. Some had sided with Paul, others with Apollos, and still others with Peter. Only a few rightly understood the gospel and aligned themselves with Christ. This separation had led to bitter quarreling and contention within the church.
In an attempt to correct this problem, Paul identified several factors that were contributing to the division in Corinth. He gave godly advice for how to address each of these individual issues. Some of the concerns he listed include:
A theological misunderstanding of water baptism (1:12-17)
A misplaced emphasis on worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom (1:18-25)
Boasting in themselves rather than upon God (1:26-31, 3:18-23)
A failure to rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit (2:1-16)
Widespread spiritual immaturity (3:1-4)
A misunderstanding of the nature and value of human works (3:5-15)
A lack of regard for their church as the temple of God (3:16-17)
Having an elevated view of the apostles - notably Paul, Apollos, and Peter (4:1-5, 8-13)
Comparing themselves with others and acting superior (4:6-7)
The slanderous attitude of some toward Paul specifically (4:14-21)
As we can clearly see, the church at Corinth was “A Messed Up Church”. It was immersed in all sorts of problems that were severely impeding its effectiveness and ability to reach lost people for Christ. May we, as a church, learn from their example and strive for peace, unity, and humility within our own congregation.