Humility and Unity in Christ's Service

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Paul said let a man sow account us now he's been talking about himself and apollos and let a man account us as of the ministers of christ the ministers here is an interesting word the greek literally is under rowers now in those old ships that used to sail the mediterranean they had slaves that were down in the galley they were the under rowers when no wind or whatever these were the guys that had to row and uh they were the lowest slaves and paul says account me as the lowest slave of christ and stewards of the mysteries of god. [00:22:05]

Now the steward was the servant who had charge over the household he was the one that paid the bills he was the one that ordered the food he was the one that saw that the other servants did their jobs paul said that he was a steward of the word of god that was his duty was dispensing god's word the mysteries of god to the people the truths of god that are now being revealed by the holy spirit entrusted to paul. [00:97:28]

And so his his duty as an under rower of jesus christ was to be a steward a dispenser of the mysteries of god and he said it's required of a steward that he be found faithful that was the primary requirement faithful to the master faithful in overseeing the master's goods we have several parables in the gospels of jesus concerning stewardship those that were good stewards of the things that have been entrusted to them. [00:136:95]

There are also parables about those who were not faithful stewards and they were punished because they were not faithful to the charge and the responsibilities that were theirs as a steward to us as stewards of god being entrusted by god with the things of god it's important that we be faithful faithful in carrying out our duty as a steward but with me paul said it's a very small thing that i should be judged by you. [00:181:68]

Now you see as paul would leave an area there were always those that would follow up after paul's ministry seeking to subvert the ministry of paul there were the judaizers that is those who would come in and say well paul's message of grace is not quite right paul really isn't an apostle he's sort of a renegade and and he has this message but in reality the law is vital the law is important and unless you keep the law you can't be saved. [00:234:23]

And they would try to build their own stock in the minds of the people by tearing paul down now this is a very common tactic a person comes in wants to establish himself but he feels the only way he can establish himself is by tearing down the person that the people have looked up to the person that has brought to them the truths of god and they are appreciative they are thankful and so the person coming in feels well i've got to establish my own place here. [00:278:40]

And the people are very much attached to the minister who brought them the knowledge and the understanding of god or brought them to jesus christ and sometimes they foolishly as they come in try to tear down the previous pastor thinking that that elevates them or that gives them a greater place in the person's hearts or lives it's important that we realize that as paul said whether cephas or apollos or paul all things are yours in other words everyone can have a place of ministry in your life. [00:318:40]

And uh we don't need to divide into factions and say well i'm of paul or i'm of apollos or i'm a peter each one has ministered to you and has a place in your life and you don't establish your place in the life of the people by speaking against the person who has been used of god to maybe bring them to christ or has ministered to them for a long time it used to be that when i was in a denomination we would change from church to church. [00:364:88]

And i was asked to take a church in which the previous pastor had been guilty of molesting some of the teenage boys in the church the sheriff told him that if he would leave the country that is the area that he would not press the charges that were being filed against him gave him the opportunity to leave we had to go into that kind of a situation he had established the church had ministered there for 13 years most of the people in the church were brought to christ through his ministry. [00:402:56]

And suddenly he's exposed the people are devastated especially the families whose boys have been sexually involved with him in going into the church it was interesting because there were those especially the families who wanted to kill him but there were others who really couldn't believe that he could ever do that and they still had a tremendous loyalty in their heart for him i knew that if i was going to successfully minister to those people i would have to create my own place in their hearts. [00:489:68]

But not by tearing him down not by bringing up the sin that he committed but just going in and ministering to them those who were loyal to him would come and they would speak about how he had had such a tremendous influence in their lives i would not say anything negative i'd just say well i respected this man highly as a teacher he was a marvelous teacher of the word of god never saying anything negative letting him have his place in their lives actually he had dedicated their children. [00:536:00]

He had married their older children he had been with them while they were in the hospital he had ministered to them for 13 years and you can't minister to people for 13 years without really becoming close to them you go through their joys you go through their sorrows and you become very close and and you have a place in their hearts now in the body of christ one plants another waters god gives the increase and he the plants is nothing he the waters is nothing it's god that gives the increase. [00:599:51]

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