Fools for Christ 1 Corinthians (4:1-13)

Fools For Christ

1 Cor 4:1 – 13

Introduction

In the Christian life, your expectations will make you or break you. If you sign up for something, thinking it’s something else, when you experience it, you’ll get out.

This is one reason so many marriages end in divorce in the United States. People enter marriage expecting something (this is going to be wonderful without any difficulty). Then they experience what marriage really is (I suffer a lot…) and eventually, they decide to get out.

I wonder if so few of us fully surrender to Jesus and his way of life because it entails suffering like he did, and we signed up for the Christian walk without expecting much suffering.

So, if our expectations are off, then our lives will be as well! We need right expectations to accomplish the mission. You could even say you can’t fully obey Jesus if you don’t have a realistic vision of what it entails.

So, how would you like to have an expectation adjustment from the Apostle Paul? Yikes, this is not what I came here for this morning (a lot of you are saying). What I hope you find is that while there is a deeply challenging word for us in this passage, it also points towards glorious and good things we need to hear.

For those of you not yet following Jesus, so glad you are here. If you are considering following Jesus, please be advised that the Bible does not promise being a Christian will make your life any easier (in fact, it says the opposite). Comfort or prosperity in this life are not good reasons to become a Christian. But, this passage shows us that if you do become a Christian, at least you’ll have something worth sacrificing for. That’s what we will hear about this morning,  

Context

Paul is brining this section of criticizing Corinthian style teaching and living to a close (Dale will finish it up next week).

We’ve heard deeply about what a right manner of teaching the gospel should look like (think chapters 1 and 2). Now, we are going to hear about the manner of living that every leader in the church and follower of Jesus must have.

Revelation

a.       Found Faithful at the End of All Things (vv. 1 – 5)

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

It seems like in Paul’s letters to the Corinthains, the Corinthians have a low opinion of Paul (2 Cor 10 – 11). The Corinthians had a desire for Corinthian rather than Christian values in their leaders and themselves (the idols of their age).

And so now, after pushing against these ideas for a few chapters, Paul is going to share how the Corinthians should rightly think about him, Apollos, and anyone who sets out to follow Jesus:

“as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

“Servants” and “stewards.”  These words convey the idea of management on behalf of another[1]- someone who is both a partner with God and underneath the rule of God to bring about the purposes of God (think of Joseph in Potiphar’s house).

Now, since Paul sets an example for us, we could ask: Who are we stewards of? Wat are we stewards of?

The person we serve as household managers is “Christ.” The property we steward are “the mysteries of God.” The mysteries of God are the unseen realities and beauty of God and his realm, the kingdom of heaven (think of the word “mystery” from Daniel where it refers to Daniel’s vision of heaven coming to earth and filling the creation, Dan 2).

Stewards are “found faithful” when they rightly manage when has been entrusted to them. We rightly manage “the mysteries” of God when, through our lives, unseen things become seen- invisible glory becomes visible. When our words and lives show people something their natural eyes could not discern on their own, the person of Jesus, and the place of heaven that is coming to earth, we are being faithful stewards.

It's only when we neglect to live otherworldly lives and embrace this-word lives that we have become faithless stewards.

God is seeking after faithful stewards. And what we will see is that’s the hardest thing in the world, because to be a faithful steward you must disregard the fear of other people’s assessment or judgements of you. So, how could you get to that point where you are free to live how God wants you to live?  

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

[Pause]

According to these verses, Paul is living in an impossible place to occupy: the opinions of other human beings whether, in the church or a secular audience, is a “small thing.” Which is another way of saying about Paul that, “he’s free.” He can live to please God and he’s not enslaved to the court of public opinion of anyone else’s estimation of him.

Just think about that for a moment- what other people think of him is small. That’s just crazy. Could you truly say that about yourself, that your family’s, your neighbor’s, your friends, your coworker’s opinions about you do not significantly determine your behavior at times?

Why have so few of us been utterly outspoken about our Jesus, said hard things when a moment called for it, or relationally attached to socially undesirable people? The opinions of men and women still have great sway over us!

There’s a popular book called, “When People are Big and God is small” (in the end, one of these two alternatives will be most significant to us). One of those two will win out in the end (people or God)- one will be most important and determine how we choose to live. The Corinthian way is to live and minister in respectable ways (which generally means not doing anything that could make someone else uncomfortable for offend them, which means you effectively stop serving Jesus because if the world has resistance to the gospel, it means that living for and talking about Jesus will provoke some level of spiritual conflict).

Now, Paul is so, so free! He does not even “judge himself.” He’s aware of his own assessment of himself, but that’s not where his confidence lies. I want to repeat that: Paul’s self-assessment is not where his confidence lies. How many of you need to hear that this morning?

On the one hand, it means God is hardly concerned if we’ve convinced ourselves we are living faithfully. Self-deception can temporarily make us feel better temporarily- yet it does not fool God.

On the other hand, it means that those who are introspective and suspicious of themselves, their motives, or their authenticity can breathe a sigh of relief- it is the Lord who judges. He’s righteous, yet he’s also gracious. Even when your heart can’t seem to pass the high bar of your self-assessment, if you’re in Jesus, God will commend you. Fear not.

One other thing comes to mind: some of you have received devastating rejections from others in the past and you’re still holding onto it. An assessment that a parent, authority figure, or close friend made on you, maybe a long time ago, is still discouraging your soul. It sticks to you like gum to the bottom of your shoe. I want to remind you, “the Lord judges you,” which means he has the sole authority to assess who you are and what you’ve done. His identity is your good Father, so he has provided his Son Jesus so he can make gracious and merciful assessments of us, you can really be free from what others have said about you in the past.

Now, let’s see how we should respond to this truth that God alone judges,

5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Always in this fallen age we feel temptation to make assessments based on outward appearances. We assess people based on their youth, attractiveness, and gifts. We assess different lifestyles depending on how glamorous or unglamorous they seem.

One important key to understanding this passage is: things are not as they appear. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. If there is another world that is not yet visible, is more real than this one, Jesus is bringing that world to earth when he returns and makes all things new, then we should conclude that the way things appear now are not the way things are.

For the unbeliever, there is just this world and just this age. For the Christian, there are two worlds and two ages and the more significant world and the more significant age are not yet here. Which means, we need to reject mere appearances. (he discloses the purposes of the heart).

If other’s opinions are going to be “small” and our Lord is going to be big, we need to cultivate our imaginations. Dallas Willard said that God gave us imaginations so that we can see unseen things.

Close your eyes. Please imagine for a moment that the end of history has arrived. Jesus has descended. All stand before him. And he begins announcing just and true judgements for each person, rightly discerning what was within. How wonderful; how terrifying. Those who hope in Christ and God changed their hearts receive a “commendation.” As exposing as this day sounds, those whose lives are hidden safely in God through Jesus should approach it with great anticipation.

Open your eyes. When we hold that coming event in our hearts, all the cultural expectations and stuff going on around us fades into the background and Jesus and his opinion alone matter. If this was so, would we not be free? Would not the fear of shame of what others think of us vanish?

Just so you know, it is the emotions of shame and fear especially that keep us quiet, keeps us compliant, keeps us living “respectably.” We are going to see in moment that when we are free from shame, we become “fools for Christ.”

a.       Being Fools for Christ in This Age (vv. 6 – 13)

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Up until this point, Paul has been using various images and comparisons to talk about his ministry.[2] His goal was to encourage the Corinthian church to adopt a Christian rather than Corinthian way of life (even as Paul and Apollos has as their examples).

The phrase he uses to capture this idea is that “you may learn not go to beyond what is written.” That is, the way of life is found in the book. The book of God tells us the story that becomes the pattern for our own lives (as we increasingly abandon the pattern from the world). What’s one way you know if you’ve truly embraced the book of God as master? You’ve turned from pridefully comparing yourself to others. Instead of competing with them, you seek to attach to them. You are after relationship rather than control (so much more could be said about this…)

Next Paul asks three questions to drive this point home,

His point is the same that when you start to relate to God as a giver of all gifts, you stop competing with others and can start relating with them (it must be one or the other). When you “boast” in something, it means that you are attaching to that skill or circumstance as a substitute for authentic knowing of God and others.

Now, we are going to move into some strange verses where Paul is going to contrast the Corinthian and Christian paths we’ve seen so far in this passage, he writes,

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!

This is the perspective the Corinthian Christians have adopted. It’s the opposite of being needy and vulnerable. They conceive of themselves not as servants, but as kings. And Paul sarcastically adds (he gets a little spicy here), “And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!”

He’s saying it would be nice if you were already enthroned by God because that would mean that the judgement day had already come, Jesus would be here, and we would all share his rule together. There’s just one gaping problem with that… he hasn’t come back yet. There is a theological problem that has led to a moral problem- they’ve already living like the Lords of call creation even though Jesus has not come back yet.

Which means, that God’s people are still on the path to rule, they are not ruling yet. Jesus showed us the path… he lived, suffered, died, and rose. The cross is the path to the crown.

A part of me wants so badly to lock up my house, watch movies, and eat ice cream, because when I enjoy isolated comfort, I feel like I’m in control (I don’t have to make sacrifices, and nothing unpredictable about relationships with others can bother me). I feel like I’m a king. If that becomes my lifestyle, it will kill me- both physically (but also spiritually). What’s crazy is this kind of life is celebrated in our time. No one judges you if you do this. If you start doing crazy stuff like inviting your neighbors over and telling them about Jesus, then you will face fear and rejection.

Now that Paul has sarcastically thrown some shade at a Corinthian lifestyle, he will talk about the kind of life he lives (and we should follow him in),

 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.

Paul says, this is the good life: you’re going to feel like you’re last of all, you’re going to feel like you’re on death row. A “spectacle” is what you would go to see at the gladiator arena.[3] People may not like what they see, but they will watch. Both human and spiritual beings will have their attention on you. One reason you start suffering when you live boldly for Jesus like Paul and confront spiritual evil, is you become a threat to spiritual darkness, and those who live in it and benefit from it will treat you like an enemy. So, if you find yourself not yet suffering for Jesus like the Scriptures describe, perhaps you haven’t gotten the attention of the kingdom of darkness because you’re not yet a threat to it yet.

Now, I’m about to read this final section from Paul on how he lives and invites us to live. It’s (1) the way of life that comes when all that matters is God’s final judgement (2) when you live according to his word (3) will cause your life to make a meaningful difference:  

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.

How many of you plan out life goals or make new years resolutions? Have they ever sounded anything like this? No one aims for these things because if all we have is this life and this world, it doesn’t make any sense! Yet, if we are bound for another one, and God has said that if we give up this world and this life we will possess a better world and a better life, then we see why the path of Christ includes these things (not only these things- there’s a lot of good things, but we don’t have to be as intentional about embracing the good and easy things as much as these hard things).

I want to pull one phrase out of this passage and encourage us to own it- “fools for Christ!” I want you and me to think of ourselves as “fools for Christ.” A fool is someone who has a reckless disregard for the future because he’s so wrapped up in some all-consuming pleasure in the moment. Our lives should look like that with a twist, we should be so consumed with knowing Jesus and making him known that we make decisions that look and maybe even feel reckless. While the Corinthians are living “wise,” respectable lives (by Corinthian standards) Paul has become a “fool for Christ.”

Paul ends up with “hunger and thirst,” “poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,” scraping by a living at a blue-collar job and facing all kinds of rejection, slander, and mistreatment. Why? Because when he stepped into the city of Corinth, he entered spiritual combat and confronted their idols. If you live a confrontation-free style of life, you likely will never suffer for the gospel (and you likely will not be a life-changing force in the lives of others).

I never suffered much for the gospel until I took spiritual responsibility for myself and then began taking spiritual responsibility for others, that is, I started to disciple them. When you disciple someone, you inevitably end up challenging their idol of control, which puts you in harm’s way.

And what Paul is saying is crazy. He’s saying, that’s a good thing. That means you’re on the path of Christ. How many people responded maliciously, even violently to him when he threatened their control by calling them to repent?

We so desperately want to approval of others that we hesitate to step into this space. The emotions of “fear” and “shame” are powerful and want to keep us parked in our lane, not making any waves, and therefore not bringing about any suffering. Ed Welch wrote in the book I mentioned earlier,

“1. We fear people because they can expose and humiliate us.
2. We fear people because they can reject, ridicule, or despise us.
3. We fear people because they can attack, oppress, or threaten us. These three reasons have one thing in common: they see people as “bigger” (that is, more powerful and significant) than God, and, out of the fear that creates in us, we give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do.”

Since I became a pastor at this church, I’ve never suffered so much for Jesus, and I’ve never grown so much. In the early days of our church, I tried to disciple three people in particular who left our church and wounded me in various ways. And I couldn’t become who I am today without this suffering and I won’t become who God wants me to be tomorrow without more.

Big decision: do you want comfort and control or do you want to be like/with Jesus? Pause and reflect on this question these questions:

Jesus, is there anything I’m withholding from you? In my personal life, family life, at my work, with my neighbors?

Jesus, is there anything I know you want me to that I have not done yet?

When Jesus comes back, the costliest thing of all will not be the sacrifices we made, but the ones we didn’t. He has more “commendation” for us than we could ever imagine, and it only grows bigger the more we become like him now. Serving and sacrificing is not a way of getting his love and acceptance, it’s the way we experience and grow in it. Living like Jesus is the way we experience our union with him, when we suffer with him, his presence will feel most real to us.

So, each of us had to decide: will the assessments of other matter more or God’s? Will what others believe the good life is or what God says it is win out?

This is what following Jesus “in everyday life” looks like. He went about experiencing a mixture of blessing and sacrifice, of beauty and pain. This is what we need to expect. This is what we need to seek. This is what we need to receive. And quite frankly, this is what we need to expect if we are ever go on this journey and leave our comfort and the American dream behind.

Our main point this morning is:

Only God’s opinion matters, so we must adopt the foolish, weak, dishonored path of Jesus to receive glory and honor from the Father.

Let’s pray.

Reflection time:

Jesus, who's opinion is controlling me more than you? 
Jesus, help me be a fool for you.

[1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1035.

[2] Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, ed. Ned B. Stonehouse et al., Revised Edition., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 180.

[3] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 446.