God's Field: I Cor.3

How would you like to spend an afternoon working in my garden? I have plenty to do -- cleaning up from the year’s growing season, preparing for winter, planting bulbs for next spring. Not an attractive offer? What if I told you that Jesus is my head gardener and that you would be working with and for him?

Paul says that God has a field and that we are God’s fellow workers. Wow! What a privilege to be one of God’s farm hands caring for his crops. What could be greater? Is it a burden for me to spend 3,4 hours each week preparing for this Sunday School class? Not when I remember that I am tending the eternal souls of God’s seedlings. What could I want to do more? Try to lower my golf handicap?!

Fortunately, I am not working alone. Paul explained that he was a seed planter and Apollos was a water carrier. And under girding them was God, who makes things grow. I am never responsible for the entire spiritual life of anyone -- not my friends, not my children, not my wife. I must determine what the Lord has assigned and do it -- trusting that the mix of laborers will produce a crop. Whenever I overestimate my role in the growth process I become frustrated or anxious or manipulative: “Why won’t you get with it?!” But when I remember that God simply asks me to be faithful, then I can be at rest, confident that the God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil.1:6)

Would you be willing to pull on your gloves and join me and Jesus in the garden? The author of Hebrews complained that his readers needed to be taught the elementary truths of God’s word all over again when they should have been teachers by that time. If you aren’t regularly teaching someone, would you trust God to lead one person into your life whom you can begin to teach what you know about how to walk with God?

Sunday's study: I Cor.4:1-21
1.What did Paul mean when he said: "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed I do not even judge myself."
2.Study Mt.7:1-5. What do those verses and this chapter contribute to our understanding of what it means to judge other/ourselves/the world?

Next prayer fellowship: Nov.13.