GOD’S FELLOW WORKERS
GOD’S FELLOW WORKERS
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (I Cor. 3:5-9).
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The Corinthians were divided over human leaders. Some followed Paul, others followed Apollos, others followed Cephas, and others followed Christ (1 Cor. 1:10-17). It is wrong for the church to be divided over human leaders. It is God Who makes things grow, not man! •
Their jealousy and quarreling over human leaders reflected such immaturity that Paul had to feed them with milk and not solid food (1 Cor. 3:1-4).
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The point of our text is that human leaders are only servants. They may plant and water the Seed of the Gospel but it is God who makes things grow! It is God that we should honor and not his servants. It is God that we should follow and not human leaders.
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Remember! When a servant does everything he is commanded to do, he is still only an unworthy servant who has merely done his duty (Lk. 17:7-10).
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God, however, in his infinite wisdom, has chosen to let his servants be His fellow workers. In fact, the Corinthians became believers through servants like Paul and Apollos.
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Nothing a servant does, however, should detract from giving glory to God. King Herod, for example, dared to take the glory that belonged to God, and: “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:23).
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THE POINT OF THIS BRIEF STUDY IS TO EMPHASIZE THAT OUR LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER HAS CHOSEN TO ALLOW UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS LIKE US TO WORK WITH HIM!
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THUS, WHILE WE DO NOT EARN OUR SALVATION, JESUS HAS PROMISED THAT WE WILL NOT BE ALONE AS WE WORK FOR HIM. WE ARE “GOD’S FELLOW WORKERS”.
THIS HAS BEEN THE PLAN OF GOD FROM THE BEGINNING
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From the very beginning God has chosen to allow mankind to work with Him.
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The Lord God planted a garden in the east and then “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it” (Gen. 2:15).
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God, of course, could have taken care of the garden all by Himself. Obviously, He could have done a better job than Adam. Like a loving Father, however, God trained Adam to work with Him. It is a “godly” thing for fathers to teach their children how to work.
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“Taxonomy” is a branch of science that names and classifies organisms. So God allowed Adam to be a “taxonomist”. God created all sorts of living creatures and then allowed Adam to give names to every one of them (Gen. 2:19-20). Adam was God’s fellow worker. We should not be surprised that God helped other “fellow workers” to be leaders of the Scientific Revolution. •
So from the very beginning, God has allowed those who believe in Him to work with Him. It is exciting to the one of God’s fellow workers.
HEROES OF THE FAITH
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Hebrews chapter 11 lists many heroes of the faith. Please note that all of these heroes of the faith actually “did something”. They were “fellow workers” with God!
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Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain (vs. 4).
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Enoch walked with God and did not die. He obviously pleased God by what he did (vs. 5). •
Noah built an ark to save his family (vs. 7).
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Abraham obeyed God and searched for a city whose architect and builder was God (vss. 8-10). •
Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord (1 Pet. 3:6). Remember! Isaac was not virgin born. •
Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau regarding their future (vs. 20).
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Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph (vs. 21).
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Joseph, when his end was near, gave instructions about his bones (vs. 22).
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Etc.
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If we truly “believe” we will also “do” something. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advanced for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). Remember, faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
THE EXAMPLE OF MOSES
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While all heroes of the faith “do something” and are fellow workers with God, the example of Moses is especially clear in this regard.
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God told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years but that God would liberate them from their slavery. Note: “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions” (Gen. 15:13-14).
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While God did punish Egypt, He chose to do so through fellow workers like Moses and Aaron. •
The first plague turned all of the water in Egypt to blood. Please note that God specifically involved Moses and Aaron in this plague. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron, Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt – over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs – and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars” (Ex. 7:19).
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This became a pattern for all of the Ten Plagues. God could have punished Egypt without involving Moses and Aaron, but He didn’t. God’s fellow workers, Moses and Aaron were used by God, in every one of the Ten Plagues!
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Moreover, God didn’t part the Red Sea until Moses raised his staff and stretched out his hand over the sea (Ex. 14:16).
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Furthermore, God didn’t allow the waters to flow back and drown the Egyptians until Moses again stretched out his hand over the sea (Ex. 14:26).
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When the nation needed water God did not provide it until Moses struck the rock in Horeb with his staff (Ex. 17:5-6).
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When Joshua fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his hands the Israelites were winning. When he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning. Therefore, when Moses hands grew tired they put a stone under him to sit on. Then Aaron and Hur held up the hands of
Moses. His hands therefore remained steady until sunset and Joshua defeated the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-13). God involved these men in the victory. They were fellow workers with God!
NOT BY WORKS SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST
The Apostle Paul wrote by inspiration: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
When Moses and Aaron obeyed God they were not doing “works” to boast about. There is nothing wrong with obeying God! A. W. Tozer recognized this and warned: “To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience.” No one should ever be afraid or reluctant to obey God! If God commands us to do something, we obviously must “do it”. If we do not “do” what Christ commands we cannot call Him Lord (Lk. 6:46). Obedience to Christ, however, does not give us the right to boast about anything.
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Just because Moses obeyed God, stuck out his hand over the sea, and the Egyptian army was drowned, did not give him the right to boast. In fact, Moses composed a song exalting God and giving him the credit for delivering them from Egypt (Ex. 15:1-18).
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The book of Revelation explains that those in heaven who were victorious over the beast will be singing the song of Moses (Rev. 15:1-4). Those who are saved give glory to God and not to themselves.
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In order to be cleansed of Leprosy Naaman was told to dip seven times in the river Jordan (2 Ki. 5:1-14). It never occurred to Naaman, however, that by obeying God he had healed himself. In fact, when this pagan was healed he said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel” (2 Ki. 5:15).
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Jesus commanded the man born blind: “Go . . . wash in the Pool of Siloam” (Jn. 9:7). When this man obeyed Christ he came home seeing. This man, however, realized that he had not healed himself. When asked how his eyes were opened he gave the glory to the man they called Jesus (Jn. 9:11).
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Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus in a blinding vision on the Road to Damascus. Jesus told Saul: “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). Saul obeyed Jesus and went into Damascus as he was commanded. Three days later God sent a man named Ananias to heal Saul of his blindness and told him: “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:14-16). It never dawned on Saul that he had saved himself by merely being baptized and calling on the name of the Lord. In fact, it was Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul and clearly stated that we are saved by Christ and not by own own works.
LET’S KEEP IT SIMPLE
It is clear that if we want to be God’s fellow workers we must do whatever He commands us to do. As we have said, no one can call Jesus Lord and not do what He commands (Lk. 6:46). The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (Jn. 2:1-11).
While Jesus could have easily done this by Himself, He chose to allow the servants at the wedding to participate in the miracle. “Jesus said to he servants, ‘fill the jars with water”. Mary, the mother of Jesus, instructed the servants: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn. 2:5). That makes it simple. All they had to do was do what Jesus commanded them to do. How simple! How profound! When Jesus commands us to do something it is obvious that we must also do it!
We remind you again that when servants obey their master they have nothing to boast about. The servants at the wedding had nothing to boast about and neither do we. Remember! “So you also when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done out duty’” (Lk. 17:10).
Every time we do what Jesus commands we are blessed. Jesus said: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (Jn. 13:17).
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Here are a few examples for you to consider.
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Jesus told Peter to “Put out into the deep water and let down the nets for a catch” (Lk. 5:4). Peter didn’t want to do it. He had labored all night long and caught nothing. He and his partners were already washing their nets getting ready to go home and get some sleep. The shallow water was the best place to catch fish, and the night was the best time to catch fish. Peter, however, was blessed when he “did” what Christ commanded him to do (Lk. 5:1-11). •
When Peter did not have money to pay the temple tax Jesus did not merely hand him the money but gave him something to do. Jesus said: “Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth, and you will find a four-drachma coin” (Matt. 17:27). Peter was blessed when he “did” what Christ commanded him to do.
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Lazarus, as you know, had been dead four days when Jesus arrived at his tomb. Against the wishes of his family, Jesus said “Take away the stone” (Jn. 11:41). As you know, Lazarus was raised from the dead and they were blessed for doing what Christ commanded them to do. •
When a multitude of 5,000 men needed something to eat Jesus commanded His disciples “You give them something to eat”. “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them to me” he said (Matt. 14:16-18). As you know, Jesus worked a miracle and everyone ate until they were full. The disciples were obviously blessed when they did what Christ commanded them to do.
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The commands of Christ are clear and easy to understand so “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (Jn. 13:17).
WHEN SHOULD YOU OBEY GOD?
Let us suppose that you have just been hired for a new job and it is your first day at work. When your boss looks you in the eye and tells you to do something, “when” should you do it? The answer, of course, is obvious! You should do it immediately if you want to keep your job.
If we immediately obey our earthly masters to receive earthly rewards, how much more should we immediately obey Christ to receive heavenly rewards!
Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). We are to obey God just as the angels obey God. When Abraham was about to sacrifice
Isaac an angel called out to him from heaven and stopped him from doing so (Gen. 22:11-12). When Daniel was in the lion’s den God sent an angel to shut the lion’s mouths (Dan. 6:22). If the angels of God did not obey God immediately Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac and Daniel would have been eaten by the lions. Fortunately, the angels of God obey God immediately.
We should do the same!
At the risk of offending some, let us consider the subject of Christian baptism. Jesus said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk. 16:16). Sadly, many accept that “belief” is important, but consider baptism as an option.
Baptism is not an option. It is a command. In fact, it is the only command in the Bible given in “the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). If the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit miraculously appeared to you and commanded you in person to be baptized, when would you do it?
Please note the immediate baptism of converts described in the book of Acts:
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“With many other words he warned them and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’. Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:40-41).
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“But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women” (Acts 8:12). •
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:36- 38).
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With reference to Saul of Tarsus: “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized” (Acts 9:18).
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With reference to the household of Cornelius Peter said: “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 10:47-48).
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With reference to the household of Lydia: “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and her household were baptized, she invited us to her home” (Acts 16:14-15).
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With reference to the household of the Philippian jailer, the jailer said: “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved – you and your household’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:30-33).
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“And many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). •
With reference to twelve men in Ephesus who knew only the baptism of John, Paul said: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:4-5).
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If you believe in the Lord Jesus and have not been baptized, you need to do it now!
- The same is true of every other command given to us by Jesus Christ! Obey Jesus now!
WE ARE IN THE YOKE WITH JESUS
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).
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This wonderful invitation is for all who are weary and burdened.
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It is an invitation to work side by side with Jesus!
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A “yoke” is obviously for work, but since we are in the yoke with Jesus it will be such a happy experience that we will find rest for our souls.
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Christians not only work “for” Jesus, we also work “with” Jesus. We are his fellow workers! •
Since we are side by side with Jesus he will keep us from falling.
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Furthermore, we are in a perfect position to learn from him.
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Please note that his yoke is “easy”. The Greek word translated as “easy” is “chrestos” which means “well fitting”. Jesus is a carpenter and the yoke He makes will fit us perfectly. We can be comfortable in this yoke even though we are working.
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The word for “light” is “elaphros” which means “light in weight and easy to bear”. Jesus will never put a burden on us than we are not able to bear (1 Cor. 10:13).
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When Jesus told His disciples that He had to go away, He promised them “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you” (Jn. 14:18).
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When Jesus commanded them to go and make disciples of all nations He promised: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
2 Tim. 4:16 is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. Paul was in prison in Rome and was soon to be executed. He wrote to Timothy: “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them”.
The next verses, however, are some of the happiest verses in the Bible. “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him, be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Tim. 4:17-18).
Hebrews 13:5 promises that Jesus will never leave or forsake his fellow workers. David J. Stewart points out that the Greek text of this verse contains two double negatives and one single negative. He writes: “There are 5 total negatives in Hebrews 13:5, reassuring the Christian believer that the Lord will never, ever, no not once, never forsake nor leave us. This is a beautiful truth. God has PROMISED never, no, not ever, never, to leave nor forsake us.” So take his yoke upon you and learn from him. And “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’. So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6).
IF YOU HAVE NOT YET BECOME A FELLOW WORKER WITH CHRIST, DO IT NOW. “I TELL YOU, NOW IS THE TIME OF GOD’S FAVOR, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION” (2 COR. 6:2).