Growing God's Church
Growing for God's Glory
1 Corinthians 16:5-12
As I thought about how to end this series on Growing God's Church, I pondered what was the best way to do that. And my first thought was to deal with challenges and obstacles to growth. And there is certainly a lot of information available on that subject.
Do an internet search on why churches don't grow and you'll find enough opinions and reasons to fill volumes. And I don't want to minimize those reasons. There are some valid reasons such as apathy and indifference that need to be addressed. And the blame can be shared by all of us.
But my goal this morning is not to reprimand or point fingers. Instead, I want to spend this final time on this subject thinking more in terms of how to do God's work so that He can bless it and it will bring Him glory.
To accomplish that task, I want to point your attention to the sixteenth chapter of the book of 1 Corinthians, and in particular, I want us to consider
verses 5-12
Now, I will admit to you, at first reading, these verses don't appear to have much to say to a church that is trying to position itself to grow. In fact, that don't seem to say much at all, other than sharing Paul's intentions as he travels.
He says, "I’m going here. I might go there and if Timothy comes, make sure you take good care of him."
But this chapter is a classic example of how chapter divisions and breaks can work against us in understanding what is being said. We tend to think that chapter designations mean there is a break in thought or subject, but that is not always the case. In fact, very seldom is it the case.
And I mention that because what we read here in the opening section of chapter is vitally connected to what is said at the end of chapter 15. For instance, notice
Chapter 15, verse 58
Mark, in particular, the phrase "always abounding in the work of the Lord".
Now look down to verse 10 of chapter 16 and notice what we read there:
Chapter 16:10
The common phrase we find between the two verses is "the work of the Lord". Paul is talking about, guess what, "the work of the Lord" and he is telling these Corinthian believers they ought to always be abounding in the work of the Lord, just as Timothy and he are doing. Then he goes on to describe how he was doing it.
In other words, when Paul says, "I’m going here and coming there and thinking about this and I might do this and so forth and so on", those are all details about how Paul is doing the work of the Lord.
And what Paul shares in this closing section of his letter to the Corinthians are some vital principles for doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way. So if we want to know how to grow God's church in God's way for God's glory, we've got great instruction and motivation right here in these verses.
Now, before we look at the text, I just want to point out a couple of things about what we read in verse 58.
Paul said we are to be "abounding in the work of the Lord". That literally translates as "overdoing it" when it comes to the Lord's work. In other words, the work of the Lord is so vital, so important, so much depends upon it, that we are to literally exhaust ourselves in the doing of it.
The Lord's work is never pictured in the Bible as easy. It’s always seen as difficult. After all, it is the "work of the Lord". Paul uses words that picture labor and toil that have to do with working to the point of exhaustion.
By the way, would you say that describes your service to the Lord? Sunday School teacher, does that describe how you minister to your class and prepare to teach? Church member, does that picture your work in the church? Deacon, does that describe how you serve? Choir member, does that picture your commitment to lead us to worship and how you rehearse and approach your ministry?
And before you answer, think about this: The work of the Lord is defined by what the Lord did while He was on the earth, and basically, it reduces to two things: First, he evangelized the lost, and second, He edified the church.
Luke 19:10 says “The Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That’s evangelism. And in Acts chapter 1, he says, “Until He was taken up into heaven, He was speaking to His disciples the things pertaining to the kingdom.”
So, on the one hand He preached the gospel to the people who didn’t know Him. On the other hand, He taught the people who did. Evangelism and edification: that’s the work of the Lord. Winning people to Christ and building them up in their understanding of the faith. That’s what Jesus did when He was here.
So when we think about growing the church God's way for God's glory, those must be our priorities and Paul says the way to do that is to through always abounding in the work of the Lord. Overdo it! Give it everything you've got!
And notice, when you do it that way, the end of verse 58 says, “your labor is not in vain.” It won’t be empty. It won’t be pointless. It won’t be useless. It won’t be unproductive. It’ll matter. It’ll make a difference. It’ll count. There will be some fruits.
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there is very often busyness in the church without fruitfulness. We're always doing something; it's just not the work of the Lord. And here we discover that for the work to be productive, we have to do the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way.
Now it seems to me a lot of God's people dread having to the God's work. But doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way is one of the most exciting things you can ever do! Should it not thrill us that we’ve even been allowed to do the Lord’s work? Sunday School teacher, are you still amazed that you get to handle the precious things of God and be the one He'll use to share His precious truths with His people?
Does it amaze you that you have the privilege of sharing the gospel that God will use to save someone from going to hell? Is it exciting for you when the offering plate comes by and you realize that what you give will make its way around the world and minister the love and grace of God to people on the other side of the globe?
I don’t know how that hits you, but that amazes me! That little old us sitting here in little old Trinity Baptist Church in little old Ardmore Oklahoma are blessed and gifted to be a part of the Lord's work!
Do you realize that Almighty God, the ruler of heaven and earth is saying to us, I want you to partner with me in reaching the world for Christ and ministering to My people." What an amazing thing!
God forgive us when we mope around and dread going to church and skip Sunday School or put off preparing to teach until Saturday night, or get irritated because someone mentions doing evangelism or taking a couple of names to contact! The Lord's work deserves the very best we have to offer! And unfortunately, we often give more time and energy to our golf swing or our stock portfolio or our favorite team than we do to God!
We’ve been given the responsibility, rather, the privilege of doing the Lord’s work and we want to do it in the Lord’s way! So Paul, as he talks a little bit about what he’s doing in the Lord’s work, and what Timothy’s doing in the Lord’s work, and what Apollos is doing in the Lord’s work, gives us what I would call characteristics of doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way. These are just practical helps for growing God's church in God's way for God's glory.
Here's the first one. The person who does the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way, must have
1. Vision
verse 5
Notice, Paul has a plan. He says, "I will come to you". Now that plan would change from time to time, but Paul is driven by this plan. In verse 6 he mentions that everything is not set in stone, but it is evident Paul is planning ahead.
Paul was a strategist. He is always looking at what needs to be done and how to accomplish the task.
And I really feel that anybody who does the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way is somebody with a sense of vision who is able to analyze what isn’t being done and strategize to get it done.
Sunday school teachers, let me encourage you to develop a vision for your class. Set some attendance goals and enrollment goals. Don't become satisfied with the status quo. Set some individual goals for your class members. Maybe you've got folks that don't attend on Sunday evenings or Wednesday nights.
Develop a strategy to help them understand what a blessing it is to fellowship with God's people at every opportunity. Now that means you're going to have to come yourself! But it's up to you to analyze the class for which you are responsible and see what needs to be addressed.
Paul made plans and set goals. Paul had a vision regarding his ministry. He was never satisfied with what was going on where he was. He had great this vision for what wasn’t being done.
I think of William Carey, the great pioneer of modern missions. He worked by day as a shoe cobbler in England. But right in front of his face, every day, was a map of the world. And he wept over it, and he prayed over it, and he planned over it, and he strategized over it.
And one day God hit the launch button and said, "William, you’re through with the shoe business." , He landed in India and opened India to the gospel. He had a vision for the future. And he planned and when the time came, he was ready.
So what are you planning to do? If we will grow God's church God's way for God's glory, we must have a God-given vision for getting the work done!
Let’s look at the second point. The one who does the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way not only has a vision for the future, but he also has
2. Flexibility
As I pointed out a moment ago, Paul's plans didn't always come together like he thought they would!
Notice
verses 6-7
There is a lot of instability in all of that! Paul says, "I think I’m going to come with you. I think I might stay the winter, and when I’m done there I might go somewhere else, I’m not too sure, but I am going to stay if the Lord permits."
He's got all these wonderful plans, but God may be up to something else. And the most vital statement in the entire section is "If the Lord permits. . ."
I want to remind you, that is the adventure of serving the Lord! And that calls for flexibility. I feel sorry for people who are rigid and if God doesn't operate in their little box, they're all bent out of shape!
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to steer a big truck that’s sitting still, but it is very difficult. In fact, a little car without power steering is very difficult is very difficult to steer. We've got an old '66 Mustang and it doesn't have power steering. Micah drove it to the prom back in May.
We were getting it ready to drive and checking everything over when he sat down in it and tried to turn the wheels. He said, "Is it low on power steering fluid?" I said, "No, it not low. It doesn't have any power steering fluid because it doesn't have any power steering!"
But here's the thing, whether it's a car or a semi, once it gets rolling, you can steer it. Did you realize the church is the same way?
The most important thing any of us can do is just keep moving in the direction God wants us to go and as we roll along, He can direct us in the details! That 's what I see here in Paul. He knows where he's going! The vision is looking all the way to the end of the journey and he's moving in that direction. But in the meantime, as he rolls along, God is directing in the details.
Now here's what that means: The church, and your class and we as individuals have as a vision of winning the lost and developing those who are saved into full-grown, mature, functioning disciples of Christ. And we are rolling in that direction.
But along the way, God must have the freedom to use us in ways and places that we could never imagine! Just ask Billie Newell if he ever dreamed God would use him to teach preschoolers! Couldn't imagine it, but now, that's the only place he wants to serve!
But it took some flexibility to get there! That's why we must constantly be open to fresh and innovative ways to accomplish the task. It might be a restructuring of the Sunday School, it might be block parties like our Young Adults are doing, it might be a Bible study in an apartment complex, or a million other things that God will direct us to do as we roll along!
But it's going to require that we be flexible enough to let Him do what He wants to do. After all, it's the Lord's work. He gives the increase. He builds the church!
And we must be willing to be used wherever God wants to use us, and serve for His glory! Have a willing heart! That's all God needs! Do the Lord's work the Lord's way with flexibility!
Third point, to do the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way, requires
3. Commitment
verses 8-9
Paul says, "I'm going to stay at Ephesus till Pentecost.” Why, Paul? “Because there is work to be done." It's one thing to dream great dreams and chart the course for the future, but at some point you've got to do it!
And Paul says, “I’ve got all these plans and all these great hopes of coming, but for now I will stay at Ephesus because there is work to done here and I am absolutely committed to doing it."
He was committed to the open door. The concept of the open door is a very familiar one to Paul. In Acts 14:27, he says God had opened the door to the Gentiles. In 2 Corinthians 2:12, he says, “God opened the door in Troas.” In Colossians 4:3, he says, “Pray for me that the Lord will open the door for the gospel.”
The open door simply signified an opportunity to preach the gospel. And for Paul, wherever there was an opportunity he was going through the door. And you know, that’s the way we ought to be.
There are some people who get so picky about which door they go through that they miss the opportunity that is right in front of them.
Listen: if you want the Lord to use you in His work, then take advantage of the door that is open to serve right now! I promise you, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved! There is a constant need for help in the nursery and preschool!
God has blessed us with families with children who are coming to Sunday School and church and there is a great and effective door that is open to you!
There’s open doors, but far too often, we can’t find people willing to go through them! Don’t be selfish or inflexible! When God opens a door, be eager to take advantage of the opportunity to serve Him!
And while Paul was looking down the road and making plans, he did not ignore the opportunity to minister in Ephesus. He looked around where he was and what he saw was this incredible opportunity in the second largest city in Asia Minor.
It was a strategic city for trade and commerce. It was easily accessible to the major river ways of the area. It had so much to offer. But it was totally sold out to idol worship! It was a haven for criminals. It was filled with people who were lost.
And Paul determined that God had thrown the door wide open for ministry! I wish some of our folks who look at Africa and Mexico and South Texas would discover the opportunity in Ardmore!
Don't become so consumed with the far-off ministry needs that you miss or ignore or don't take responsibility for the opportunity right under your nose! We have hundreds of names of people in Ardmore that will spend eternity in the same hell as those in Africa, but for some reason, that doesn't seem to burden us.
In fact, we seem to think that since people aren't as receptive or open to the gospel that relieves us of the responsibility to share. But when I read the Great Commission, it says I am to begin with those closest to me. And if I understand the instruction, then the other opportunities flow out of my obedience at home.
The commitment God is looking for is to evangelize the lost and edify the saints wherever we happen to be, not just on short-term mission trips. Those responsibilities are fulfilled in the every-day traffic patterns of life.
It's interesting how subtle Satan is. The same tactics work, regardless of the particular commitment. For instance, there are some people who believe if they just tithe their income, they've fulfilled their stewardship responsibilities.
So they figure out to the penny what 10% is and faithfully give it to the Lord. What they have forgotten is they have to answer to God for their stewardship of the other 90% also! God's not just interested in what you tithe; it all belongs to Him and He's entrusted it to you and you have to give an account of what you've done with the whole thing.
It seems to me we've believed the same lie when it comes to our mission and witness life. We've become convinced if we just go somewhere for a few days and do mission work, then we can use the rest of our time however we want, like that somehow relieves us of the responsibility of doing mission work every day and wherever we are. But jsut as with our money, all of our time belongs to God as well and we have to account for how we've used it also.
And it seems to me that I hear Paul saying, "I'm looking forward to coming to see you so we can spend so time together, but I'm not going to ignore Ephesus while I'm waiting for that to happen. There is a great and effective door open to me here, and I'm going to take advantage of it."
And then, notice what he adds at the end of
verse 9, there were also many adversaries.
But Paul was willing to accept the opposition. In fact, he actually embraced the opposition as proof he was serving in the right place! Notice Paul says, "I'm going to stay in Ephesus for two reasons. First, there is an open door, and second, there are many adversaries there."
Did you get it? He stayed there because there are many adversaries. G. Campbell Morgan once said “If you have no opposition in the place you serve, you’re serving in the wrong place.”
What an amazing perspective on doing the Lord's work! He says, "I have to stay because there's too much opposition. I can’t leave the troops alone. There’s too many enemies trying to destroy it!
There is too much need for the gospel and the power of God for me to leave!
What a commitment! While most people are trying to escape the opposition, Paul is embracing it!
His commitment was such that no matter the cost or enemies to the work of God, he said, "I am going to stay at Ephesus and take advantage of this opportunity."
Which raises an interesting question: what does it take to keep you from serving the Lord? For some, it takes so little. Someone says the wrong thing in Sunday School and you're offended. Someone disagrees with what you've done and you take it personally. You don't get recognized and appreciated and you're feelings are hurt.
Not Paul! He went into that place and began to teach the world of God and he taught the word of God every day in the school of Tyrannous for two years, and in doing so people got saved, and they got discipled and they went out and they founded all the other seven churches of Asia Minor mentioned in the Revelation, and the word of God spread all over Asia Minor.
And you know what happened? It radically changed Ephesus! People forsook their idols and the city was turned upside down for the gospel! One of the greatest churches in the early years of the church was the church at Ephesus.
In fact, when Paul thought back on what happened there, he wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 1:8 and said, “I want you to understand what we went through in Asia. At that time, we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear. In fact, we told ourselves that this was the end. But that experience taught us a lot about not trusting in ourselves and instead, putting our trust in God who can raise the dead.”
Isn’t that amazing? Paul was so convinced they were going to die in Ephesus, he says we just figured God would have to resurrect us to get the job done!"
That was his commitment to the Lord's work!
That reminds me of John Paton. He was a Scottish missionary who lived from 1824 to 1907. When he was a college student in London, God called him to go to the New Hebrides Islands where there were man-eating cannibals.
You know, that would be a hard thing for a young Bible college student to say yes to, wouldn’t it? I know what I’d have said. I would have said, "Lord, you’ve got the wrong guy. Are you sure my gifts are fit for that?" Or I would have said, "Look, I graduated Lord. I can make it in the ministry. No sense in me being somebody’s lunch."
I would have said, "You know Lord, I’ve got a great idea. I know a Bible college dropout who’ll never make it in the ministry anyway. Send him there; they’ll eat him, and it won't make any difference!"
But John Paton didn’t argue with God. The Lord said go, so he went. He took his little wife, a ship let them off, they paddled to shore in a little rowboat. They were there on an island inhabited by man-eating cannibals whose language they did not speak. And they had no way to contact them.
They set up a little hut at the beach and the Lord marvelously preserved them. After a time, his wife gave birth to a baby, and the baby and the wife both died. He was all alone. And he says in his biography that he slept on the graves to keep the natives from digging up the bodies and eating them.
Eventually, when the chief of the tribe in that area was converted to Christ, he asked John who that army was that surrounded his hut every night. God’s holy angels protected him.
John Paton decided to stay in spite of the adversaries. The challenge was great, the adversaries were many, but that was where God wanted him, no matter what the cost, so he stayed.
How do we do the Lord's work? We do it with vision, flexibility, commitment, and we do it
4. Together
verses 10-11
One of the things I love about Paul is that he was a team player. In verse 10, he talks about Timothy being a fellow laborer in the work. Now Timothy was a shy and sensitive young man. And Paul says, "Now when he comes, I want you to treat him right. Don’t intimidate him! Let him serve without fear!"
Some of these old Corinthians were crusty and self-willed, and he says, "Don’t intimidate this man because, watch this, he's doing the work of the Lord as I do.” In other words, you’re messing with one of my kind! He's God’s worker.
Paul didn’t see himself at any other level than the level of Timothy. Even though Timothy was his son in the faith, and he was young, and he didn't have all that Paul had in terms of knowledge or giftedness, they were still equals. What a compliment it is to Timothy for Paul to say, "He is my fellow worker and we are in this together."
By the way, Sunday School teacher, that is my assessment of your work also. We are, together, doing the work of the Lord. Anybody doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way is on the same team! There is no room for competition and comparison.
In fact, in Colossians 3:17, Paul said, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus". Then, just six verses later he says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord".
That includes preaching and teaching and mowing the grass and changing the diapers and vacuuming the carpet! Whatever you do, whatever you say, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus and for the Lord Jesus! And remember, you do it as a part of the team the Lord has assembled to get it done, with every one doing their part.
In Romans 16, Paul uses entire chapter to mention 24 individual people, and two individual households, among them seven women, who helped him in the work of the Lord. We need to remember, we never minister for God in isolation. You’ve got to realize that you make a contribution to the team. You can’t go out and be the star. You’ve got to give yourself to the team.
The one who does the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way realizes he’s just a part of the fellowship, and it’s his job to build the others up, and encourage the others, and support the others, and remind people that what others do is just as important as what you do.
By the way, notice how that is illustrated in
verse 12
Now apparently, for whatever reason, Paul thought Apollos should make the trip to Corinth. But Apollos said, "No thanks Paul, I don’t want to go. I’m very busy with some other ministry."
And Paul accepted that. He says, "I thought he should come, but he was unwilling. He will come when it's convenient."
That is a reminder to me that we do what we do together, but we have no right to cram our will down somebody's throat. We've got to allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Holy Spirit and stop trying to be Holy Spirit, Jr.
That’s why it’s so essential for those of us who do the work of the Lord to have a sense of team and to realize that God’s spirit works not just in and through us individually, but in everyone else's who's involved. And we've got to be sensitive to what God is doing.
How do we grow God's church God's way for God's glory? I've given you four practical suggestions. Do it with a vision. Do it with flexibility. Do it with commitment and do it together.
Let me close with one final story. There was an old preacher in England years ago named Sydney Smith. He was once asked, “Mr. Smith, how do you account for the great success the Methodist revival has had in England?" He said, “The answer is simple, sir: they are all at it, and they are all always at it.” I like that.
You know what I would like to have said of Trinity Baptist Church? I would wish for the community around us, when they see God growing His church, and they ask for an explanation, for someone to say, "You know, those people at Trinity, they are all at it, and they are always at it.
Or to say it in the words of Paul, they are “Always abounding in the work of the Lord".
Let's pray.
