Improving your Serve: A Proper Perspective of Service - I Corinthians 4:1-5

Improving Your Serve: A Proper Perspective of Service

I Corinthians 4:1-5

Introduction:  This week I got an email about tennis lessons at the Y… One of the things the leaders will work on with both the kids and the adults who take those lessons is “improving your serve.” Serving well is an essential part of the game! Well, Paul had similar aspirations for the Corinthians, and he wasn’t talking about tennis!  The divisions and infighting that were happening in Corinth were a manifestation of selfish, prideful thinking that seems to have forgotten the doctrine of grace.  The Christian life should be a life of service, and that must begin in our heart and in our mind, and that will then be revealed by our actions.

The Big Idea: Jesus is Lord, and we are privileged to faithfully serve Him.

I. Know who you really are: servant and steward (1).  We like to have a “nice” way of describing what we do, most companies don’t have a “complaint department” any more, but rather a “consumer relations department.” It sounds better, not so negative!  I like to tell people I used to work as a “landfill reclaiming operating engineer.” I drove a bulldozer at a garbage dump! Paul had a very distinctive pedigree, most importantly he met Jesus face to face and was personally commissioned as an apostle. But he never forgot where he came from, he was overwhelmed by the grace of God. So as he is admonishing the Corinthians, he says…

“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” 

We are all called to be “servants.”

        The idea of serving is something that is at the core of our Christian faith, exemplified by Jesus himself.  Paul is saying here that rather than pridefully aligning with one human leader or another, this is how he says our leaders should be considered, as “servants of Christ.” In his letter to the Philippians Paul pointed out the connection between the mind of Christ, and the attitude we should have as his followers…

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form,  ⁸ he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

That picture of a servant who would suffer for others was part of the Jewish messianic hope expressed so clearly in Isaiah 53.  If that was the Master’s attitude, it should be ours as well.  Notice that this goes beyond just the leaders like Paul and Apollos, it applies to every Christian. We are His servants. 

       In his letters to the Corinthians Paul uses a couple of different terms to express the idea of serving. The word group associated with the English term “deacon” was one. It expresses the idea that had its New Testament foundation in Acts 6, when the apostles instructed the Hellenists to choose from among themselves seven spiritually qualified men to oversee the distribution of food to the Greek speaking widows who had been neglected. It is selfless service that is focused on meeting the needs of others. Paul also uses the words associated with the idea of a “bond slave,” a doulos, which seems to put the emphasis on carrying out the will of the master.  Our calling in that sense is to do the Master’s will.  Here Paul uses a third word, not so common in his letters. In the older, classical Greek literature it referred to an “under-rower,” one of the slaves below the deck of the ship, pulling on the oar, doing his small part getting the vessel to move in the desired direction. Relatively unknown, insignificant in himself, humbly chipping in to do his part. I don’t see enough clues in this context to be sure of how much of that ancient sense of the word Paul intended to evoke, but remember the historical context: Corinth was a port city, in Greece. The people were constantly seeing ships arriving and leaving, loading and unloading, and in some cases actually being dragged overland from one side of the isthmus to the other. So it may be that Paul here is emphasizing humble, lowly service, that which finds its significance in contributing to the overall mission.  Do you have the attitude of a servant?  Someone said you know if you have the attitude of a servant by how you react when someone treats you like one!”  We are called to serve. Here Paul uses a second term to illustrate his point, that is…

God has also made us His “stewards.”  The idea of being designated a steward is illustrated in the story of Joseph. We read in Genesis 39:1-4,

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.  ² The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.  ³ His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.  ⁴ So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

Note that last phrase which literally says, “…he put all that he had into his hands…”  That is the idea behind the word “steward.” Think of what Paul is saying in our context in I Corinthians. He is saying we have been entrusted with God’s mysteries, the Gospel message which was veiled in times past, but worked in history in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and now revealed though the preaching of the apostles, for us, the Word of God. The message of the Cross, the only hope for humans, has been entrusted to us. It is not our message, it is his. We are His servants, stewards of His message. It’s all about Jesus.

       Paul in this first verse is saying this is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ, we are just doing our part, as the master has assigned to us, just one more under-rower elbow to elbow, back to back, rowing away below the decks. We have nothing to offer except what he has given us, the message of reconciliation and life that he has entrusted to us. Jesus is Lord!  We are privileged to faithfully serve Him, we should be honored to share his message.  That brings us to the second point, we should know what that master requires of us.

II. Know what the Lord requires of you: he expects us to be faithful (2).

² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

       

       It is one thing to have a right perspective of who we are, but what does that mean to us? What does God expect from us? Jesus told a parable that illustrated the responsibilities of a steward in Matthew 25:14ff.,

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.  ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.  ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.  ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.  ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them…

It is that “settling of accounts” this is the point of what follows in the parable, and it’s what I want to emphasize here. Each one was held accountable for what had been entrusted to them. Paul is talking here of himself, and Peter, and Apollos, men who had influenced some of the believers in the Corinthian church. The principle applies to every one of us who follow Jesus. Peter said in 1 Peter 4:10-11,

¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:  ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Each servant is accountable for how he uses what the Master had entrusted to him. “It is required of a steward that one be found trustworthy…” In another parable talking about an unfaithful “steward,” Jesus said “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required…” (Luke 12:48). What has God entrusted to us?  Yes, we have been given material resources and are required to be good stewards of what he has given us. The Old Testament requirement of a “tithe” may not be binding on New Testament believers in a legal sense, but that doesn’t mean we are off the hook!  God requires us to invest wisely and give generously to his mission, and I believe that means not just ten percent, but all that he has given us.  We are stewards, it all belongs to Him. Someone has said that our checkbook reveals much about our heart, maybe more than church attendance or other things we might “do” in the name of service. An old song says “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give…” If that is our heart, we will be cheerful givers, willing to sacrifice our comfort or our wants for what is needed.

 We have also been given spiritual gifts, which Paul will be talking about later in this letter. If the gifts He gives us are for the building up of the saints and the carrying out of God’s mission, are we being good stewards? Or are we burying our talent in the sand?  In this context the main point is that we are stewards of a message, the gospel, which he has entrusted to us.  It was a “mystery” that was revealed to the apostles, and through them entrusted to the church.  Are we faithfully fulfilling our responsibility to be His witnesses? In the context of the eschatological discourse in Matthew 24 Jesus said, ⁴⁵ "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes…” (Matt 24:45,46).  People around us are desperate for the Bread of Life. It is required of a steward that one be found trustworthy.  Is he asking too much? Not if we really believe that Jesus is Lord. If we do, we will count it a privilege to faithfully serve Him.

III. Know who’s approval really matters: His pleasure with us is all that should really matter (3-5). At least everything else is subordinated to that!

³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.  ⁴ I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.  ⁵ Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

Paul would not be controlled by the desire to be a people pleaser (3). Paul does not say that he doesn’t care what the Corinthians think about him or his ministry. I think we all want people to like us, to appreciate us. He just says that it is “a very small thing” in comparison to the approval that really matters, this is, the approval of Jesus.  It’s important to note, in the context of this letter, that it is clear Paul is not saying we should tolerate sin, live and let live, to each his own. There are absolutes of right and wrong and love requires us to confront sinful behavior. That is not being judgmental, it is the loving thing to do. Not to embarrass someone or put them down, but to encourage them to submit to the Lord. We’ll deal with that question in Chapter 5 of this letter. In this context it is saying that when it comes to our service for the Lord, only He knows our hearts.  It can happen, let’s face it, that we can more easily “inspect the fruit” in some else’s life than in our own.

       I remember a long time ago hearing a Christian counsellor tell the story of a young couple. The husband was very “fastidious” and expected a very neat house. His wife, quite frankly, had other priorities. They started a family and the wife was a stay at home mom, and the husband would come home, and not too inconspicuously begin the inspection. Well one day he saw a chicken bone under the dining room table! And they weren’t having chicken that day! He decided he wouldn’t say anything, he would waith and see how long it took his wife to pick up that chicken bone. Day after day passed, and that chicken bone was still there! He couldn’t believe it! How could she be so careless? Finally, after a week had passed he could take it no longer and he exploded, “Don’t you see that chicken bone under the table?” His wife looked, and kind of shrugged and said, “Well look at that, you’re right there it is.” And she turned and started on something else. His anger began to well up and louder still he shouted, “DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT BONE HAS BEEN THERE UNDER THE TABLE? FOR A WHOLE WEEK!” She looked at him and said, “Did it ever occur to you to pick it up?”  He was so focused on judging her, it never even occurred to him that he could help!  We need to avoid becoming self-appointed “fruit inspectors!” Sometimes we can get so “focused” on inspecting someone else’s faithfulness, that we neglect our own responsibilities.  

A “clear conscience” is not enough either.  Paul says in 3b-4, “In fact, I do not even judge myself.  ⁴ I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.” Having a clear conscience is a good thing, maybe it will help us sleep at night, but even that is not enough. Why? Because humans have an amazing capacity to justify their actions and excuse their own conduct. I can’t say how many times I’ve heard people evoke the “exception clause,” ie., “As a general rule that might be true, but my situation is different, the Lord has given me peace about it, besides, don’t I have a right to be happy?” Most of the “shades of gray” are in our own minds, and not in the Word of God. Paul understood that even he was fallible in his application of God’s truth to himself and his ministry, so he said though he was not conscious of anything against himself, that did not mean he had it all right. God would be the judge, and ultimately that is the only judgment that matters.

We see Paul’s motivation, the assurance that kept him faithfully serving even when he constantly experienced rejection and heartbreak and persecution: “…do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” He is saying to his critics, “You don’t know my heart, God does, and one day he will judge our faithfulness, yours and mine.”  His commendation should be what we long for, it is all that matters. That is a motivation to constantly seek Him, to always desire to be closer, to know Him better, to love Him more. The closer to Him we get, the more clearly we’ll hear his voice, the more honestly we’ll desire His will.

What is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus is Lord, and we are privileged to faithfully serve Him.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?  Do you covet the approval of other people?  Everyone likes to be liked, and that is not necessarily bad, but it shouldn’t be our overriding motivation.  We certainly shouldn’t be judging the “chicken bones” under someone else’s table. God will judge our faithfulness. Do you long to hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your salvation”? “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant…” Tennis, anyone?  Improving your serve, that is something worth striving for…     Think about that,              AMEN.