Watering, Working, Warning | Evangelical Baptist Church

Watering Working, Warning

Pastor Don Carpenter

A Beautiful Mess / 1 Corinthians 3:5–17

A fellow stopped at a gas station and, after filling the tank on his car, he paid the bill and bought a soft drink. He stood by his car to drink his cola and he watched a couple of men working along the roadside.

One man would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on. The other man came along behind and filled in the hole. While one was digging a new hole, the other was about 25 feet behind filling in the old. The men worked right past the fellow with the soft drink and went on down the road. “I can’t stand this,” said the man tossing the can in a trash container and heading down the road toward the men.

“Hold on,” he said to the men. “Can you tell me what’s going on here with this digging?”

“Well, we work for the government, ” one of the men said.

“But one of you is digging a hole and the other fills it up. You’re not accomplishing anything. Aren’t you wasting the People’s money?”

“You don’t understand, mister,” one of the men said, leaning on his shovel and wiping his brow. “Normally there’s three of us–me, Sam and Jesse.

”I dig the hole, Sam sticks in the tree and Jesse here puts the dirt back.

Now, just because Sam’s sick, that don’t mean that Jesse and I can’t work.”

When it comes to the church of Jesus Christ, sometimes people do not think very much, either. People attend church, but they don’t get what church is all about, or they are blinded by assumptions. They just dig holes instead of planting trees.

As we continue studying Paul’s letter to the “Beautiful Mess” that was the Church at Corinth, we continue to learn why the carnality of division is so silly. The Corinthian believers, like we often do, have split up following different personalities and styles. Paul is making the case that it is all the same Bible and the same work, and the same miracle of Grace that works in and through us in spite of our lack of merit.

Often in our churches, we get very secular in our thinking. It is not the effort, it is the results that matter… or so we say. Once again we will find that God is in charge of the results and the personnel assignments. We are simply to be good stewards of the everyday Grace and opportunities to serve that is our life after salvation.

Watering – Understanding Christian Partnership.

1 Corinthians 3:5–8 KJV
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Personality is not the Key

Galatians 6:3 KJV
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

The Type of Work is not the Key

1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 3:8 KJV
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

God gives the increase – the labor does not necessarily guarantee the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:7 KJV
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

1 Corinthians 1:4 KJV
I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

Psalm 127:1 KJV
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

God gives the reward individually according to labor (not production)

Psalm 62:12 KJV
Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: For thou renderest to every man according to his work.

Galatians 6:4 KJV
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Working – Building on the Same Foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:9–11 KJV
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Workers build upon each other’s efforts

Acts 18:27–28 KJV
And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

The foundation is Jesus, not a personality.

Galatians 2:6 KJV
But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

Matthew 16:18 KJV
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Warning: Each of us will give full account of our stewardship of life.

1 Corinthians 4:3 KJV
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

Accountable For Our Opportunities in Life

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 KJV
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1 Peter 5:4 KJV
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Romans 12:6 KJV
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Accountable For Our Bodies

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 KJV
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Conclusion

We need to quit stressing over what does not matter. Anything good that happens is because God in His grace worked through us. So elevating one person over another and separating over it, is not Biblical. Watering and planting though different are the same, because without the touch o God neither produces anything. God is interested in our stewardship, not primarily the results. God handles the increase… we are accountable for our effort. I believe when we lose sight of this we get easy 1, 2 3 pray with me stuff. We also get external extrabiblical sanctification. It is much easier to cut your hair, shave your face, put on a tie or dress rather than letting the peace of God rule in your hearts. It is all about Grace. Jesus died and rose again because we cannot attain righteousness. We also cannot stand in our own righteousness after salvation. One plants, one waters, but God, in His grace gives the increase.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 6:36 PM February 25, 2022.