1 Corinthians 4:1-5 "The Purpose of the Heart"

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 "The Purpose of the Heart"

Paul is now going back to the leadership question. Remember they are all saying “I follow Peter, Paul or Apollos”. They like how one performs their work for God and not another. They exalt one and above another. In looking at what Paul has to say about leaders we also find how to look at ourselves. We are all leaders in the church. We all have jobs to do, we have votes, and share our ideas and opinions. We are all servants of Christ and stewards of what God has given us

We know that one of the big things in this church is that they are fighting over who is greatest Paul or Apollos. What is interesting is that nowhere does Paul point out Apollos’ faults. How hard it must have been to let the new guy have control. So how does God want us to look at the leaders He sends us?

Servants of Christ. Leaders are servants of Christ, their first and foremost duty is to serve Jesus. The word for servant is “Under rower” that is the rower on the ship who is below deck. This person cannot see anything about where they are going, what is passing by, or even where they have been. All this person sees is the oar and their calloused hands. All they can do is try to put in the best stroke of the oar they can.

Romans 12:3 (ESV)
³  For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

The leaders job is not to be exalted by others or to climb up to stand on a pedestal, our job is to put in the best stroke of the oar we possibly can. Only God can really see where we are going, where we are, or even where we have been.

Of Christ. As leaders in the church you do not serve the powerful, the majority or even yourself. You are to serve Christ. We are to seek out Jesus’ desires and plans for those we lead. The goal of Christian leadership is not to make people happy but to make God happy.

Stewards of the mysteries of God. The steward has nothing of their own only what has been given them by God. As a Christian leader you only have what has been given to you. God gives each Christian gifts to be used in the church. They are not gifts we produce but gifts that come from God. The stewards job is not to be exalted or to become powerful or famous. The stewards job is to be found faithful. Did you correctly take care of and use what God has given you?

Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
¹⁴  “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.
²⁰  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’
²¹  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
²²  And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’
²³  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
²⁴  He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
²⁵  so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’
²⁶  But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
²⁷  Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
²⁸  So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
²⁹  For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
³⁰  And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 

How well we have done will come to light when God reveals the purposes of the heart. We cannot tell, nor should we judge if another person is being the best servant or steward they can be. We do not know what God has given to them to work with. We as Christian leaders should not measure our success against others. We should focus on being the best servants and stewards we can be. God will disclose to all of heaven what our hearts purpose has been.

The Relay race.

As a Christian leader we may not understand what God is really doing. Like the rower below deck we may not see where we are going, where we are or even where we have been. But each of us know the purpose of our heart. We know if we have purposed to serve Jesus or someone else. We know if we have put in our best stroke of the oar possible.

Perhaps you have been going mindlessly been going through the motions, never evaluating your service or your stewardship. But God calls each of us to put in the best stroke of the oar possible. We are all leaders in the church. We all have jobs to do, we have votes, and share our ideas and opinions. We are all servants of Christ and stewards of what God has given us. We will all be judged by God as to the purpose of our heart. Has it been to serve Jesus and be good stewards of what He has given us? Let each of us determine in our heart to put in the best stroke of the oar we possibly can.