Increase.......................1 Corinthians 3:6
Kingdom Building Ought To Be Our Priority
Have you ever asked why is it that so many men of God work against each other as opposed to with one another? Why is there so much insecurity amongst the brethren? How come preachers and pastors allow the congregation and community to divide them?
Too many who serve as leaders of God’s people find themselves asking, “Why isn’t the influence of the church taking over the community?” Why isn’t my congregation growing?
Well maybe, just maybe, we as leaders have become more focused on growing the congregations where we serve instead of building the Kingdom of God.
I have come to the conclusion that to many of us preach brethren have decided we’ve arrived. When someone comes to Christ we are the first to say “Doc I killed them today…such and such number came to the Lord”. Is that really the case? Does church growth and Kingdom building come from good preaching alone?
If your answer is yes than let’s engage in an argument based off the principles I found in 1 Corinthians 3:6.
The church at Corinth found it’s self in what I call religious battles, problems over preacher personalities and conflicts from carnal Christians. In a word the church was focusing so much on church conflict that they couldn’t care for the crisis in the community.
When the church is so inward focused it creates a farce to faith. The body of Christ needs more men of God who are willing to step-out on faith and do whatever God prescribes even if that means doing church different than folks are use to it being done.
Meaning we need more leaders to:
Pioneer: I have planted,… 1 Corinthians 3:6a (KJV)
Paul says he planted - phuteuo, Greek 5452, Strong’s – by definition and illustration to put into or the process of making preparation that the thing instilled will bring forth a harvest.
Check it out planting involves work, pioneering work. A person who plants takes the lead or initiative. A planting pioneering has to participate in the development of that which it expects a return. One who plants has to break ground and get down in the dirt.
Maybe that’s it, to many of us as leaders don’t want to get dirty. We are to high and mighty to get down and dirty. We think we have become to clean to get dirty. Did we forget that our distant cousin Adam was formed from dirt? Our Creator understood the value of planting in fertile soil when He pioneered us by creating something that had never been created before.
Man, do it like that television slogan “boldly go where no man has gone before…” do ministry in non-traditional ways. Pioneer!
This is aorist tense/active voice/indicative mood, so it’s a fact, the planter or pioneer has to live in the moment regardless of his or her past or the events of now or the threats of the future, leaders must act now and plant the Word of God in somebody’s life.
Yea do like Paul, dig so that what you plant makes a deep and lasting impression. Plant and let the Word of God be the plow.
Always remember that it takes more than you because it’s not about you!
Meaning we need more leaders to:
Partner: …Apollos watered; …1 Corinthians 3:6b (KJV)
Paul shares that there has to be a commitment of self (I planted) and a consciousness of connection (Apollos watered). Paul was saying pioneering was my part and partnering furthered the process.
Apollos had to take the baton and do what Paul did not.
Apollos watered- potizo, Greek 4222, Strong’s – by illustration means to give to, to nurture or feed.
Did ya’ll see that? Paul showed HUMILITY and acknowledged that he had HELP because they had the same goal to see a HARVEST!
It’s a fact (indicative) even though Paul created the work Apollos continued the work with the same precepts. Watering is also aorist tense so it didn’t matter who started it – the folk needed help, nurturing and a source to keep feeding them the Word, Apollos was that source.
Although Paul and Apollos had to do ministry in the mist of controversy caused by congregation, community and competing religions, the two preachers managed to have no loss of love and respect for each other.
Isn’t it time for preachers, pastors and people of today to follow that example by acknowledging who God has made us to be through His given abilities. Then accepting we need each other.
We can’t do it all we weren’t created to do everything!
When we do our part and get out of the way we’ll see increase.
Meaning we need more leaders to:
Pause: …but…1 Corinthians 3:6c (KJV)
Although we work we sometimes have to stop and let God in…you see these partners in ministry had a BUT….
But - alla, Greek 235, Strong’s – when you have a but in your life you have an interruption that is a marker of contrast. A sign that transition is coming. The word but means to PAUSE and transition.
I don’t know about you but when I drive and I’m going somewhere I’ve never been I tend to slow down when there are road signs or mile markers along the way. I can’t always read the signs when I’m driving full speeding, so every now an then you have to pause from your routine and transition.
Even though Paul had done all he could and Apollos had done all he could they couldn’t cause the sphere of the church to grow…BUT God…
Understand that preachers and people can labour all day and all night and not see increase until God interrupts and makes the difference.
Meaning we need more leaders to allow God to:
Produce: …but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6c (KJV)
Too often we let fads creep into our ministries and then we have the nerve to get upset when we don’t see increase in membership, increase in tithes & offerings, increase in commitment to live right and increase of influence over our community.
What is increase anyway? Increase is - auxano, Greek 837, Strong’s – enlargement or growth. Meaning, too have more.
The ministry at Corinth didn’t just jump to increase. Three things happened first:
1. Paul PIONEERED the church effort – more pastors and people have to be willing to get past tradition and plant in areas that have never been planted in before.
2. Paul PARTNERED – more pastors and people have to be willing to humble themselves and partner with other ministries to get God’s work done.
3. Paul PAUSED – more pastors and people have to pause and let God in…
Then we will see increase in people, power and production…
As I close watch the fact of the syntax of God given increase:
* It’s active – God does it. The subject performs the action. When we do our part God gets involved and makes something happen. He makes happen what you can’t.
* It’s Imperfective – which means that it is continuous action. In other words God continually adds, enlarges, and causes growth. Now that’s good news…when I do my part and partner with someone who does their part God will cause results to constantly be produced.
Here let me rephrase – when I’m done working God keeps working. God keeps building, God keeps making it happen...THAT'S INCREASE!
Have you ever asked why is it that so many men of God work against each other as opposed to with one another? Why is there so much insecurity amongst the brethren? How come preachers and pastors allow the congregation and community to divide them?
Too many who serve as leaders of God’s people find themselves asking, “Why isn’t the influence of the church taking over the community?” Why isn’t my congregation growing?
Well maybe, just maybe, we as leaders have become more focused on growing the congregations where we serve instead of building the Kingdom of God.
I have come to the conclusion that to many of us preach brethren have decided we’ve arrived. When someone comes to Christ we are the first to say “Doc I killed them today…such and such number came to the Lord”. Is that really the case? Does church growth and Kingdom building come from good preaching alone?
If your answer is yes than let’s engage in an argument based off the principles I found in 1 Corinthians 3:6.
The church at Corinth found it’s self in what I call religious battles, problems over preacher personalities and conflicts from carnal Christians. In a word the church was focusing so much on church conflict that they couldn’t care for the crisis in the community.
When the church is so inward focused it creates a farce to faith. The body of Christ needs more men of God who are willing to step-out on faith and do whatever God prescribes even if that means doing church different than folks are use to it being done.
Meaning we need more leaders to:
Pioneer: I have planted,… 1 Corinthians 3:6a (KJV)
Paul says he planted - phuteuo, Greek 5452, Strong’s – by definition and illustration to put into or the process of making preparation that the thing instilled will bring forth a harvest.
Check it out planting involves work, pioneering work. A person who plants takes the lead or initiative. A planting pioneering has to participate in the development of that which it expects a return. One who plants has to break ground and get down in the dirt.
Maybe that’s it, to many of us as leaders don’t want to get dirty. We are to high and mighty to get down and dirty. We think we have become to clean to get dirty. Did we forget that our distant cousin Adam was formed from dirt? Our Creator understood the value of planting in fertile soil when He pioneered us by creating something that had never been created before.
Man, do it like that television slogan “boldly go where no man has gone before…” do ministry in non-traditional ways. Pioneer!
This is aorist tense/active voice/indicative mood, so it’s a fact, the planter or pioneer has to live in the moment regardless of his or her past or the events of now or the threats of the future, leaders must act now and plant the Word of God in somebody’s life.
Yea do like Paul, dig so that what you plant makes a deep and lasting impression. Plant and let the Word of God be the plow.
Always remember that it takes more than you because it’s not about you!
Meaning we need more leaders to:
Partner: …Apollos watered; …1 Corinthians 3:6b (KJV)
Paul shares that there has to be a commitment of self (I planted) and a consciousness of connection (Apollos watered). Paul was saying pioneering was my part and partnering furthered the process.
Apollos had to take the baton and do what Paul did not.
Apollos watered- potizo, Greek 4222, Strong’s – by illustration means to give to, to nurture or feed.
Did ya’ll see that? Paul showed HUMILITY and acknowledged that he had HELP because they had the same goal to see a HARVEST!
It’s a fact (indicative) even though Paul created the work Apollos continued the work with the same precepts. Watering is also aorist tense so it didn’t matter who started it – the folk needed help, nurturing and a source to keep feeding them the Word, Apollos was that source.
Although Paul and Apollos had to do ministry in the mist of controversy caused by congregation, community and competing religions, the two preachers managed to have no loss of love and respect for each other.
Isn’t it time for preachers, pastors and people of today to follow that example by acknowledging who God has made us to be through His given abilities. Then accepting we need each other.
We can’t do it all we weren’t created to do everything!
When we do our part and get out of the way we’ll see increase.
Meaning we need more leaders to:
Pause: …but…1 Corinthians 3:6c (KJV)
Although we work we sometimes have to stop and let God in…you see these partners in ministry had a BUT….
But - alla, Greek 235, Strong’s – when you have a but in your life you have an interruption that is a marker of contrast. A sign that transition is coming. The word but means to PAUSE and transition.
I don’t know about you but when I drive and I’m going somewhere I’ve never been I tend to slow down when there are road signs or mile markers along the way. I can’t always read the signs when I’m driving full speeding, so every now an then you have to pause from your routine and transition.
Even though Paul had done all he could and Apollos had done all he could they couldn’t cause the sphere of the church to grow…BUT God…
Understand that preachers and people can labour all day and all night and not see increase until God interrupts and makes the difference.
Meaning we need more leaders to allow God to:
Produce: …but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6c (KJV)
Too often we let fads creep into our ministries and then we have the nerve to get upset when we don’t see increase in membership, increase in tithes & offerings, increase in commitment to live right and increase of influence over our community.
What is increase anyway? Increase is - auxano, Greek 837, Strong’s – enlargement or growth. Meaning, too have more.
The ministry at Corinth didn’t just jump to increase. Three things happened first:
1. Paul PIONEERED the church effort – more pastors and people have to be willing to get past tradition and plant in areas that have never been planted in before.
2. Paul PARTNERED – more pastors and people have to be willing to humble themselves and partner with other ministries to get God’s work done.
3. Paul PAUSED – more pastors and people have to pause and let God in…
Then we will see increase in people, power and production…
As I close watch the fact of the syntax of God given increase:
* It’s active – God does it. The subject performs the action. When we do our part God gets involved and makes something happen. He makes happen what you can’t.
* It’s Imperfective – which means that it is continuous action. In other words God continually adds, enlarges, and causes growth. Now that’s good news…when I do my part and partner with someone who does their part God will cause results to constantly be produced.
Here let me rephrase – when I’m done working God keeps working. God keeps building, God keeps making it happen...THAT'S INCREASE!
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