FEBRUARY 4th, 2024 PASTOR DON PIEPER
The Corinthian Complex 1 Corinthians 4:1-9; 10-21
“SECRET SERVANTS”
Chapter four, among other things, reveals Paul's skill at writing and the passions that lie behind his motive in doing so. The opening verse serves as a transition from his previous chapter, and its references to Apollos, mentioned here again in verse one and in verse six, tie it together thematically. “Dear siblings, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I've been saying.” (1 Corinthians 4:6)
He incorporates a classic tit for tat literary device: “We are weak but you are so powerful. You are honored but we are ridiculed. (Yet) we bless those who curse us.” (1 Corinthians 4:10,12) He impresses upon them the need for his parenting and ends with a passionate call for action: “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power. Which do you choose? (You must decide!) Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:20)
Oh my! Paul was never one to mince words, was he? Yet here is the crux of the matter, his purpose: Paul writes to encourage and correct them and to clarify who they are as the Body of Christ.
It's reminiscent of a guy who moved into an all-Catholic community. Concerned, either about his salvation, or his tendency to BBQ steak on Fridays, they converted him.
The local priest baptized him the following Sunday by sprinkling water over him and saying, “You were born Protestant. You were raised Protestant, but now you are Catholic.”
All seemed well and good until the next Friday when the smell of steak wafted through the neighborhood. One couple went over to investigate and to correct their new Catholic brother. They found him baptizing his steak in ketchup: “You were born a cow, raised a cow, but now you're a fish!”
Sometimes a bit of confusion creeps in. Paul writes to clarify, what it means to be 'reborn'. To paraphrase: “You were born you, you were raised you, but now you're the new you.”
Paul models for them what that looks like. Even in this very chapter certain characteristics come to the surface. Five characteristics stand out. First, you know you're a Christian if you live as a servant of Christ. Paul writes: “Look at Apollos and me as mere servants who have been put in charge of explaining God's mysteries.” (1 Corinthians 4:1) This identify marker is visible throughout his letters: “This letter is from Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:1)
The idea of being a servant, even in our culture today, is not one most of us quickly embrace. As author and playwright, Walter Kerr wryly observed: “Half the world is composed of idiots, the other half...? - of people clever enough to take indecent advantage of them.” (Walter Kerr)
Servants are viewed in the latter department but the image of humility is precisely Paul's point.
By referring to himself as a servant, Paul models and urges humility to the Corinthian church.
Paul's intent is to discourage the believers from hero worship. They're choosing who their favorite preacher is and harshly rejecting all others. Paul points out that he and Apollos, and Peter before them, are merely servants of Jesus. It's he they should give their humble devotion to.
What's more, as his servants, they're job is to deliver Jesus' message. As Paul puts it, they've been put in charge of explaining God's mysteries. It's like being passed a secret note during class....
-2-
Susie: Calvin, pass this note to Jessica. It's a secret note, so don't read it.
Calvin: A secret note, huh...? “Calvin, you stink head: I told you not to read this. Signed, Susie”
That dirty Susie Derkins. She'll be sorry if she tries to pass another secret note.
Susie: Psst! Calvin! Pass this secret note to Jessica, okay?
Calvin: Teacher! Susie's passing notes! Take this away and read it in front of the whole class.
Teacher: “Dear Jessica, you know what I hate about Calvin? He's a squealer! Signed, Susie.”
Calvin: I hope you know a good dentist, Susie....
Paul's been whispering secrets since he & Sosthenes put quill to hand: “God made you holy by means of Christ Jesus! (1:2) God has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ. (1:9) Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1:24) God's Spirit shows us God's deep secrets. (2:12) You are God's field! It is God who makes the seed grow! (3:6,9) His Spirit lives in you!” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
And so we, as God's secret servants, seek to pass on these secret notes. It's our mission, along with Jesus, to help those who've checked out, check in to the Kingdom of God, a kingdom breaking into our world from beyond - a hint, a whiff, a glimpse that there's more to life than meets the eye.
John Ortberg tells of his Yorkie, Winston: “He's not big enough to be a real dog, more like a cat or a rat, with delusions of dogness, but Winston is on constant alert. He barks at every creature that braves our property. He hears sounds and smells scents undetectable to the rest of us and he's utterly convinced that there is Something on the other side of the hedge. As soon as he's let out, he does a bee-line to the backyard hedge and frantically tries to burrow a tunnel beneath it, to see.....!
I'm living in temporary housing these days. My house gets a little grayer, a little more susceptible to the elements, more cracks on the surface all reminding me that sooner or later I will be evicted. Outside my door is a backyard called the universe, and at the border is a hedge.
Fact is, all of us live in temporary housing. But here's the secret note: A man has come to us from the other side of the hedge. He said no one has to be alone any more. No one has to live in fear. He said a new life in communion with a loving God was possible but that this life he offers is not just to give us comfort. He brought it to give us a mission, our lives a sense of purpose. He said anyone who enters this life will join him in becoming carriers of it to others. Jesus is a cosmic hedge-breaker! (from John Ortberg's God Is Closer Than You Think)
That's what sets us apart as Jesus' Secret Servants. We embrace our humble calling to serve a hurting, disconnected world, by delivering His secret note that He's broken through the hedge and has entered our own backyard that we may come to experience his power and presence here and now! He came to give us glimpse of life beyond the hedge, as it breaks thru here among us.
Paul takes a note of a second characteristic of a Jesus follower. They're those who strategically model the faith to others. It's why Paul at one point emphatically writes: “Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools. We bless those who curse us. We're patient with those who abuse us. We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. I urge you to imitate me.” (1 Corinthians 4:10,12-13,16)
Paul was not suggesting that he was a perfect believer. He knew he had his own faults, but he sought earnestly to make Jesus known not only by his message but by his behavior. He saw how hard it was for his friends in Corinth to stay on track so he offered himself as an example to follow. It's how this thing is passed down. We look to someone to model for us while we do likewise for others as well.
-3-
While on my first mission trip, a leader took me under his wing. He encouraged me and told me: “You'll do great! Just do what I do! Love on the kids, affirm them and have fun!” It was great advice. Vic was so good at affirming people, so quick with a joke or pat on the back. He was such a good role model of what mission work should be about – a little teaching and a lot of loving! Now we serve together on the national SON mission board, where we both like to spice things up with humor.
Paul modeled Christ so well. His 'foolish' lifestyle was that of living to be a blessing to those around him, whether or not they shared his faith and worldview or not. That's the third distinguishing quality of Jesus' followers - like him they reveal his mindset by their actions, that people matter.
One way Paul points to this mindset is in the sheer number of people he identifies by name in his letter here. We've already heard about a number of them: Sosthenes, Chloe, Aquilla & Priscilla, and now his beloved protege', Timothy. Timothy was Paul's key partner in his second mission trip in which Paul traveled across Greece and planted this church in Corinth. Timothy is the one assigned the task of delivering this letter to them and most likely was the first one to read it aloud to them.
Timothy's ministry, and his connection to Paul, reveal that Jesus' disciples are always looking for ways and opportunities to connect believers with other believers or seekers. “That's why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you how I follow Jesus...” (1 Corinthians 4:17)
Some of you do this naturally. Whenever you introduce someone new to a friend here, you are modeling this 'distinguishing quality' to the rest of us! One of you recently wrote us of the impact one of you had by reaching out to her and then connecting her with others. It's a very touching text.
The fourth quality of a disciple Paul affirms is that followers of Jesus do not judge one another. Paul writes: “Don't make judgements about anyone ahead of time, before the Lord returns, for He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives.” (1 Corinthians 4:5)
The danger with passing judgement on other believers is that it always involves the belief that we are somehow better servants of Christ than they are. That is, it leads to self-deception. After all, none of us are citizens of Christ's kingdom because of how good we are, but on how good He is!
Paul's reference to the Lord's return and to our darkest secrets being brought to light, reminds us who is worthy to judge and who is not. It is also directly reflects something Jesus said: “The time is coming when everything that's covered up will be revealed and all that's secret will be made known” (Luke 12:2)
Pastor John Burke, in his book, Imagine Heaven, writes how among the most common things that people who have near death experiences say they recall is that of a life review. “I saw no difference in life reviews from other countries. All of them were shocked to experience not only a walkthrough of their entire lives but even their secret thoughts and motives. So it was for private George Ritchie...:
'What emanated from this presence was unconditional love – an astonishing love. This Love knew every unlovable thing about me – the quarrels with my stepmother, my explosive temper, the sex thoughts I could never control, every mean, selfish thought and action – and loved me just the same.
And with this walk thru my life was a question implicit in every scene, how well did you love?' (from John Burke's book, Imagine Heaven)
Paul urges us not to judge one another. It's why we judge others, compare ourselves and justify ourselves to ourselves and others – but it's all counterproductive. God wants to set us free from having
to prove ourselves, or comparing ourselves to one another, so that our hearts/hands are free to bless...!
-4-
Finally, Paul notes that following Jesus is not mere lip service. “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)
To put that in contemporary lingo – we are called to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. In living by God's power, we learn to lean on God, we trust when we pray, we look for guidance when we read, seek opportunities to be a Jesus blessing to others..., acting on nudges of the Holy Spirit as we do.
Bad news: things in our backyard are not going so well. War wages on and lives are lost or up-ended. Every day 30,000 children die of preventable causes. Depression and addiction are on the rise. Our country, even the church, has become polarized. Sometimes our backyard resembles a cemetery.
Good news: When that baby was laid in the manger, the kingdom of God established a beach-head in this world. From there it began to spread – in Judea, to Samaria, to Corinth, on to Chimacum. One day a little beachhead got formed in your life as well. It doesn't matter whether your life has been a bit messy. It doesn't matter if you fully grasp how his kingdom works, or if you can quote chapter and verse. Someone has come from the other side of the hedge and he intends to involve you!
As a servant of Christ you have been entrusted with the secrets of God's kingdom, a Kingdom that is not just a lot of talk; it is (the call to) live & love by God's power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)