1 Corinthians 4:8-21

March 17, 2013 | Port Gardner Church | Chuck Hickman

1 Corinthians Part 9 | 1 Corinthians 4:8-21

READ 1 Corithians 4:8-21

INTRODUCTION All is Grace

Chapter 4 is the end of Paul’s introduction.

REVIEW

Biggest problem in the report—their division as a church family.

Paul spends a quarter of this letter on unity because disunity is how marriages, families, and churches become weak, contentious, and dead. Division is the first sign that the gospel is lost—that something else is wrong with our own belief in the gospel

A deep belief in the gospel will make our identity in Christ stronger. And a strong identity in Christ will take our identity with one another deeper. Jesus is not just MY Lord, this isn’t just MY church or ministry, I don’t have MY mission, or even MY calling. Jesus is OUR Lord, this is OUR church family, WE have a mission, and WE have calling to complete together.

If you are concerned only with yourself (your own comfort, your own benefit, your own fame, etc.) then you’re Corinthian. You’re finding your identity in the wrong placeand it is only a matter of time before you hurt yourself and others. We must all find our identity in what is written in the unchanging Word, not what is said by the ever-changing world.

The wisdom of the world tells us that the emptiness we feel is a result of not loving ourselves enough. We are to boast in who we are or are not,boast in what we know or have experienced,boast in what we do or haven’t ever done,or boast in what we have or don’t have in order to feel better about ourselves. Such foolishness leads only to pride, or despair, as we swing between feeling superior or inferior to others.

The wisdom of God tells us that the cause of our emptiness is that we have declared independence from Godand that relief from the emptiness I feel is not found in ourselves. We are not worthless… because we have been made worthy.We are special, not because of anything we have done (or not done), but because of what God did in Christ for us. All is grace. Nothing is deserved. Nothing is earned.

When you start to believe that anything you have is earned somehow, you begin to believe that the life in Jesus you have should be better than Jesus had.

So, using his own life as an example, Paul teaches them what it really looks like to live out one’s Christian identity as a Son, and a Servant, and a Steward of Jesus. And though it is a life that looks foolish to the world and a life that none of us in our flesh want,it is a life that those who follow Christ should expect to have AND find joy in.

V. 8 The Way of the Corinthian
In verse 8, Paul describes the way of life that the Corinthian are advocating

1 Corinthians 4:8 [8]Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!

The Corinthians are acting like Kings. In stoic philosophy, one who was “wise” was considered to be a “king”. And like kings they are only concerned with building, celebrating, and perpetuating their own kingdom.

It is much easier to climb up on the throne of Jesus then to bow down to it. Kings do everything in their power to ensure their position, their preferences, and their perspective reign.Kings are always looking to fight against those who would threaten their kingdom or challenge their throne.Kings believe they can do whatever they want and everyone is inferior.And Kings believe no one knows better how to rule better than them.

It is fun to watch our kids grow up. “Everybody’s stupid but me” story. We are talking about believers who think “maturity” in Christ means building more and more of your own kingdom and sacrificing less and less for God’s—we stop being disciples and we become “Christians”

In response, the apostle Paul describes the painful path to maturity that he has walked in his life

The Way of the Christ

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 [9] For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. [10] We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. [11] To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, [12] and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; [13] when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

The Corinthian experience of the Christian life could not be any more different than the apostle’s experience.

Paul’s is not being defensive, but descriptive of all of the lives of leaders they are claiming to follow. Their lives are completely different than the Corinthians who are working hard to be first, rich, wise, strong, respectable, and acceptable in the eyes of the world.

But as he details his life or hardship, we get the sense that he considers all of his hardships something to boast and rejoice in. He says:

We are last, that all others might be first, for Christ. We are a like dead men walking—ready to die for Christ.We are on display, gladiators in the arena, thrown to the beasts for Christ. We are fools for Christ. We are weak for Christ.We are disrespected for Christ.We are hungry and thirsty for Christ. We are dressed in rags, beat up, and homeless—we live with less for Christ. We are tired from working hard for Christ. We are hated, persecuted, and slandered like Christ and for Christ.

If that is not bad enough … Paul compares the apostles to the SCUM that is scraped off of ships when they are cleaned, like the DIRT you clean off of your sandals—as good as garbage for Christ. This is anything but an ideal job description for the Corinthian dream, or our American dream. Instead of embracing their foolishness, they responded to the “disapproval of the world” by running to become like it—by abandoning Christ. In contrast, when the disdain and hatred of the world was poured out on the apostles, they responded by blessing, enduring, and praying.

What do you expect as a disciple of Christ? Shouldn’t we expect that our life will look and feel like Jesus? Do we know what kind of life that was?

The Kingdom of God was founded on Jesus Christ—a man who lived a life of suffering to the glory of God. In fact, the suffering of Jesus was the best and only way that God’s mission could be accomplished. And if God is building on that foundation, should we not expect our life to include suffering as well?

This is not a hindrance to building our faith and our church, but ONE OF THE PRIMARY WAYS GOD BUILDS US UP. We don’t have to pursue suffering do we — it finds us. But also, as Christians we are called to share in the sufferings of Christ, like Christ, for Christ.

Both Paul and Peter agree:

2 Corinthians 1.3-5 [3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. [5] For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

1 Peter 4.12-16 [12] Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. [14] If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. [15] But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. [16] Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

The Corinthian boasts in their own awesomeness as they try to avoid any discomfort, dishonor, or disruption to their lifestyle.

They are more comfortable sitting on the throne of Jesus then bowing down to it.

There is nothing more weak and repulsive than Christian PRIDE,and nothing more powerful and attractive than Christian HUMILITY—where true disciples, in response to the great LOVE of Jesus,trust him enough to relinquish position, power, and preferences in order to suffer for, with, and like Him.

The Decision to Make

1 Corinthians 4:14-21 [14] I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. [15] For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [16] I urge you, then, be imitators of me. [17] That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. [18] Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. [19] But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. [20] For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. [21] What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

We all try very hard to identify with Paul when, in truth, we are more like the Corinthians than we’ll ever admit.

And when we read descriptions of “SUPER CHRISTIANS” like Paul,or any number of faithful men and women in history who have served Jesus, we feel ashamed. That is not Paul’s intention.

As a pastor, it is difficult to call people to follow Christ—to cease being comfortable in their Christianity—without them feeling shame. God does not cause shame. Sin causes shame.

Paul ends his introduction, therefore, by revealing his heart and spelling out the intent of his letter. It is clear that he expects his letter may not be well received—it is going to make them cry. He has addressed them as a brother and a fellow builder, now he addresses them like a Father

[14] I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

We learn a lot about the relationship between a pastor and the flock God has given him to shepherd Paul’s goal is for the Corinthians to love Jesus more than they do now. And in order to encourage them to listen to his voice, that he reminds them of his unique relationship with him.

The pastor must love like Christ. Christ was a sacrificial servant. The pastor must admonish in Christ. There is a different between shame and admonishment.There is a difference between speaking mean words to cause hurt and hard words to cause change. The pastor must instruct by Christ. There is a difference between admiration and submission.Paul reminds them that, like a FATHER, God’s commands and instructions are not OPTIONAL.

This is not obey ME in anything I ask you to do, we are to obey when we are instructed as Christ has called us to.

Test what we say. Test what we teach. Reject anything that is not aligned with God’s Word and the history of the church.

The pastor must live for Christ.

Finally, and most importantly, there is a difference between do as I say/ and do as I do. Paul tells the Corinthians to imitate him.We will fail if, in asking you to repent, to give, to serve, to sacrifice, to forgive, or to love FOR CHRIST, if we are not doing those things first..We must be transparent and live our lives openly.Paul says follow me in the way of Christ. If I cannot stand before you and say imitate me—then I should not be standing before you. My life should be worthy of imitation in so far as it aligns with the gospel. The aim is not to be like Chuck, but like Christ

CONCLUSION: Are You Teachable?
Paul ends this section with a warning those who arrogantly reject His words.

Basically he says, do you want me to come with a ROD or a HUG?Paul could easily be misconstrued as a pastor bully here—do what I say or I am going to beat your butt.Sometimes a pastor has to address conflict head on.

Real bullies are the big talkers who believe that the words of the pastor don’t apply to them.

When confronted with the fact that their lives are really about themselves, they dismiss what the pastor preaches as opinion, at least the opinion about someone else.

Arrogant people are above being corrected. They are above being wrong. They are above being repentant.

They have placed themselves above Jesus, instead of at his feet. The kingdom of God consists of more than talk about how much you like Jesus.

Have you ever had God’s truth and correction brought to you in a strange manner?

In a manner or way that is contrary to the way you would have done it?

When we think of the foolish people and things of this world being wise. We like to think of ourselves. We’re the ones following God so others will just not really get it when we show them the truth.

Have you thought of it from the other side though? As if you are the one in the world. As if you are the one that sees the correction of God as foolish?

How many times have you missed God’s direction because you thought to yourself “well… this person that is bringing this to me is so messed up… I’m not going to acknowledge this “truth”.

Why do you think God uses such people in our lives. People we don’t like, people that rub us the wrong way… even people that are in open and blatant sin?

Because God will always show us that He is God and we are not. That His ways are not our ways and that our finite minds don’t have the option or the privilege of “figuring Him out”.

No one is going to stand before God and say “I did it”. I figured you out. I see what you were doing there. We like to think that we might be an insider with God… but we are not. He has saved us, but it doesn’t mean He will ever place us above another one of His children.

Jesus creates a level playing field for all. Where the foolish confound the wise. Sometimes we are the fool and sometimes we are the wise one.

It’s like reading Proverbs. We like to read Proverbs as the “wise” one. But most of the time we should be reading it as the “fool”.

This is not to make us feel bad about ourselves or to shame us… it’s to show us that we are not able to save ourselves or others. We are not the judge. We don’t determine who is “in the club” and who is not.

We don’t get to determine what truth God will bring us, what instruction He will bring us or how that instruction comes our way. And we don’t get to determine who it comes from.

And sometimes it comes from someone very close to you. A spouse, your son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, co-worker or even the boss you hate or an ex-husband or wife

You think “I’d hear that if it came from anyone but THEM”

God is going to have his way with us… no matter what we think about it.

He will do it with no regard for our sinful pride. Sometimes it may come sweet, slow and subtle. We will see it and feel well cared for and thought well of. We will feel like we are part of God’s team and we are glad that He loves us so much that He didn’t embarrass us or humiliate us in the process.

Other times… His correction is like a wrecking ball and it smashes our little prideful world apart into a million pieces. We are humiliated and embarrassed and it takes us a good while to recover.

What the Corinthians are struggling with is pride. They want to be the coolest people in the room. They want to justify themselves by their associations and their actions. Just like we do.

Jesus says I am the way and the truth and the life… no-one comes to the Father but by me.

This isn’t just about a fire insurance policy… this is living like Jesus. Jesus never put anyone above himself. He even went willingly to the cross for the sin of the world. He humbled himself voluntarily.

When we follow Jesus we are to be like Him.

Have you ever said this before… You’re in a conversation and someone is correcting you and you think… well… I’m not Jesus…

We can say it as if we think that this person does not deserve me to act like Jesus in this circumstance. We excuse our behavior because… gee I’m not perfect. That’s a cop out. That is saying that we know how we should be acting… how we should respond… but this person isn’t worth it.