Title: God's Worker
Contents
God's Worker
(2006.11.19. Afternoon) (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
Everyone in this world is alive because they need it somewhere.
Simply put, no one is useless.
There are quite a few people in our society who do not have normal businesses or jobs.
On the other hand, people who do not have a normal job are also welcome to come and work - there are more part-time jobs. There are many places where people who can't find a full-time job are invited to come and work part-time.
There are similar parables in the Bible.
The owner of the vineyard brought in the workers in the morning. The owner, who went out for lunch, took the people playing and told them to hurry up and go to work. I met a man who was playing almost all day so that the sun was over Mt. Seosan, and I took him back to work, even now. And when the sun went down, he paid them all.
No one needs it. Everyone who survives has a reason to live and needs to find a place to live. - Please don't forget that you are all noble beings.
1. All saints are workers.
Today's text contains the record of when the gospel was spread to Corinth and a church was established there.
For some reason, people prefer antagonism over cooperation. They prefer to form a gang rather than become one.
When the church was established in Corinth - so were they.
* It was the Apostle Paul who evangelized diligently in the Corinth area and gathered the church members.
*It was Apollos who taught and nurtured the Bible to those whom Paul evangelized and gathered.
Because of such a connection, not many church members are able to unite as one, and a gang is formed.
*On one side, there is a gang that says they like Paul who first preached.
*On the other hand, there is a gang that says they like Apollos, who taught the Bible well. - I ask you.
Is the person who first evangelized the important person? Is a well-taught educator important?
When it comes to farming - planting is important, watering and fertilizing is important, weeding is important, and harvesting is important. - One thing is not important.
Let's listen to Paul's words - (3:6) - "I planted and Apollos watered, but God made it grow" - Just as we need both planters and waterers - Evangelists and teaching workers I mean, you need all of this.
In the Church of God, all believers are God's workers. All are precious. Let's all be loyal.
2. Fruits are given by God.
(3:6) - "I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow" - see this verse
No matter how much you plant, no matter how diligently watered - if one day a sudden thunderstorm strikes and heavy rain pours away, you will not get any fruit.
Therefore, when you get a beautiful result from anything, you should not only boast about your merits - who planted and watered - but you should thank God for allowing your hard work to plant and water to not be in vain and to give you the conditions to earn income.
The apostle Paul teaches it.
(3:7) - “Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes it grow.”
I evangelized and gathered the saints, and Apollos taught me well - that it was God who led me to this day.
*If you work diligently and your job goes bankrupt - you may not even get a salary and you may lose your job - people do the work - but it is God who helped you get your salary.
*Prayers are people, but answers to prayers are given by God.
*Loyalty comes from man, but the fruit of loyalty is given by God.
* People do planting and nurture, but God gives the fruit.
Therefore, don't boast only about your hard work, my loyalty, and my devotion - I hope that you will be the saints who first give thanks to God who has given you answers and fruits.
3. Appropriate rewards.
So, are the merits of those who are loyal, devoted, serviced, and toiled - are they worthless?
Were those workers just in vain? - It's not like that.
(3:8)- “The one who plants and the one who waters are common, but each will receive his own reward according to his work.”
It is God who planned and led the church to be established in the Corinth area.
However, the merit of Paul who evangelized to establish the church was remembered by God, and Paul receives the reward as an evangelist.
Apollos is recognized as a zealous teacher of the Saints and receives a reward from the teacher.
Dear saints, our Kyungil Church has been established here in this area. Because it was God's will. I believe that God, who established the church in Corinth according to God's will - will give such a reward to the members of Kyungil Church just as he gave the reward to Paul and Apollos, who dedicated their lives for that church.
What do you cooperate with in this church and what are you loyal to?
The evangelist will receive the evangelist's reward. I believe that those who teach will receive the reward of those who teach.
The members who pray for the church and for the church every hour will be rewarded for their hard work.
(Romans 12:6-8) - “According to the grace given to us, each of us has different gifts. If it is a prophecy, it is according to the fraction of faith; if it is service, it is service; if it is a teacher, it is teaching; Let him do it with sincerity, he who rules with diligence, and he who shows mercy with rejoicing.”
*You should not be proud of what you do and think that what others are doing is not a big deal.
*You should not shrink as if you can see what others are doing and you can't do anything.
*What can I do in my position and with all my might? should think.
* It is the attitude of the saints to leave all results to God and to be faithful with all their heart. It is the attitude of a worker.
We are all members of the Church of God and workers of God.
As a worker of God, we must do God's work through us and serve for the church of God.
And I pray that you will receive an overflowing reward for being recognized by God - according to your hard work.
“The one who plants and the one who waters are common, but each will receive his own reward according to what he does” - I pray that you will become faithful and rewarding workers who firmly believe in God's promise.