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1 Corinthians 4:1-5
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
How do you picture John the Baptist? Let me read this description from the Gospel of Matthew 3: 4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
Why would you go out and listen to this freak? Matthew 11:7-9 “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? And yet Jesus calls him the greatest man ever born of a woman. Why? In our text the Apostle Paul has to defend himself against the Corinthians, human courts, even his own conscience. The young Corinthian congregation was fighting over who was a better pastor – Paul? Apollos? Cephas?
As we go deeper into the season of Advent let us take a closer look at the public ministry and all of our lives as Servants of Christ. We are Entrusted by God, Accountable to God, Judged by God, and Praised by God.
Listen once more to the first verse. So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Paul is specifically talking about the public ministry when he calls himself a servant of Christ. The word servant here is not a synonym of slave as it sometimes is in the New Testament. Think a Physicians Assistant at a doctor’s office. This person conducts physicals exams, can write prescriptions, even help in surgery. A great deal of responsibility is entrusted to these folks who work under a doctor. God has entrusted his public ministers with great authority also. Just to review, the only difference between my public calling as your pastor and yours as a child of God is that I represent you, the members of Star of Bethlehem. I serve on your behalf to preach sermons, administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and other ministries of this church. Paul describes it by saying that I am entrusted with the secret things of God. There are movies and stories about secret societies who only exist as a rumor – who perform secret rites of worship. That’s not Christianity, but in many ways Christianity is more hush, hush. You and I could think up our own goofy club complete with a secret handshake over lunch today, but NO ONE could have ever imagined the secrets of the Gospel. That God would love the world who hated him? That Jesus would die for people who murdered him? That I could be forgiven after what I’ve done? Now that’s a secret worth sharing. And this is where you come in. I’ve told not just a handful, not just most of you, I’ve told everyone that will stand still enough to listen this fantastic secret of God’s love. That means that YOU are also entrusted with the secret things of God. Before you go poo-pooing this great responsibility my fellow stewards of the Gospel, have you ever considered that you are the only pastor some people have. I’m not saying you need to pack your pulpit in your backpack or breifcase on the way to school or work, but know that your witness reflects your faith and your God.
This spills into the next topic my fellow servants of Christ. We are entrusted by God, but we are also accountable to God.
2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. God doesn’t give you gifts and never give you a second thought. He planned very carefully what gifts he would give you. He expects that you will be faithful with those gifts. He will hold you accountable. I love how Paul describes this – be faithful. God doesn’t grade on a curve comparing you to everyone else or demanding that you work a quota of time – say 40 hours for his kingdom every week – or a couple years if your a member of the Mormon cult. He asks that you are faithful as a father, or child, a spouse, a student, and employee or employer. You don’t need to be the best in the world, just faithful with the gifts God has given you.
I have to ask, have you been faithful? Consider what God has given you. How have you used your time, your talents, your treasures. Do you treat your spouse as the greatest gift from God aside from Jesus? Do you show your children that anything is more important than they are? Do you despise God’s word every chance you have to hear and learn it?
You could say that Paul digs himself a pretty big hole in the first two verses – he’s entrusted by God with among many others things, the secrets of the gospel, AND that he will check up on you, but listen to what he says: 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. Does Paul need an attitude adjustment here?
This is a picture of a spec of dust magnified almost a million times. This is what he thinks of your critique and judgments on his ministry. I don’t care what you think – Judge Wapner, Judy – ok a real court – meaningless! I don’t even judge myself. He says that he is conscious of nothing that he’s done wrong, but that’s not why he’s innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
Let’s walk back over these verses again and consider what Paul is saying – he’s not really off his rocker. Why should I base my ministry on what you think? Or any court as if they have jurisdiction over what I preach. I don’t even second-guess myself. My conscience is clear, but that is a gift from God, a happy by-product of the real reason for my innocence. It is the Lord who judges me. I have been entrusted by God with the Gospel, I am not accountable to you, but to God alone. So how does God judge? Rejoice that we are judged by God.
God hauls you before him and says... usually a judge will judge you on the basis of your deeds and even your words. God will first judge on what you believe. As a Christian he judges you in Christ. Consider how this would go? Jesus was given a trust by God the Father – he had to be perfect in every way – he was born under law. Even his thoughts were on trial. Jesus would’ve passed with flying colors – walk out of the courtroom with a medal, but instead under a travesty of justice he was condemned to die while the real criminals – you and me, walk away free. I can explain to you how this happens in a zillion different ways, God dos just that in the Bible, but I can’t explain to you why. I call this bizarre travesty of justice grace. Honestly if it happens to anyone besides us, we would be outraged. This is why Paul sounds so sure that he’s innocent. He’s not nuts; he’s a forgiven Christian.
I want to take you house hunting. This is a picture of 234 Fandall Street in Gibson, Louisiana.
Not a horrible looking home, really, but there was a surprise when a realtor showed the home to a prospective buyer. What would it take to make you walk away from this dream home? How about roughly 100 bones in the basement?
The previous owner found them when he would mow his lawn. They came up like fieldstones in the spring. There is no foul play suspected by police. Locals think that the house sits on an ancient Indian burial ground. The bones have been sent off to Louisiana State University for study. Now about that house? You know there is nothing really wrong with it. How many of you would buy it? Would you want your children playing out in the year only to find a human finger bone in the yard? Probably not.
The reason I took you house hunting was to ask if you if you have any bones in your house? You know you’re entrusted, accountable, and judged on Christ. But they keep on coming up year after year? How about day after day? Would God want you? According to the last verse the answer is yes. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. Why?! Why will you receive praise from God? Because you are not judged on who you are and what you do, but on who your Savior is and what he’s done.
This holiday season consider yourself as a servant of Christ. You are entrusted with the Christmas Gospel. You’re entrusted, accountable, judge and forgiven. That’s why you will be praised. Amen.