Deeper Roots
We build our own foundation and deepen it when we build into the lives of others, and we need deeper roots to do this effectively. It’s an arm-in-arm journey.
1 Corinthians 3
1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
Remember the context – Corinth is influential, insecure, and acting like the culture around them. Paul is doing what he does, contrasting a worldly way and making it God’s way. How do we know that? Jealousy and quarreling come when we’re trying to get our own way.
When we focus on the mission God has given us to build into others and be built up so we can build into others, we don’t have time for jealousy and quarreling.
Paul is pointing out their worldly living and provides the antidote to it – a legacy mindset.
1 Corinthians 3
5 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. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
This isn’t about salvation because God does that.
This is about legacy.
We’re all building something, and we should all be building someone. That’s a challenge. We’re on the hook for how the mission of God carries forward through the world. This is Kingdom work because it’s bigger than us individually or as a church family. We are an outpost of God’s work, but we’re only one.
God started it with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. The start defines the shape and size while holding up the building. But on top of it are hundreds and thousands of bricks. Each of us is one of those bricks, and in the grander picture, our church is one of those bricks.
What happens when a brick is removed or collapses?
The good news is that we don’t do the building individually. We might think it’s all on us, but there are others who have come before us and will come after us. We are only responsible for the part God gives us, but we must be faithful to it.
We’re not responsible for the results, God is.
1 Corinthians 3
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
We all need to ask ourselves the questions.
We are always planting, watering, or building something. Does it lead to life? Does it point to us? Does it point to Jesus? Is it lasting? Is it worth lasting?
God is the one who makes it grow, but He’s invited us into the work of planting, watering, and building.
Does one individual build a house? No, there are multiple people who come in to take care of their specialty. You wouldn’t hire a plumber to do electrical work or an electrician to work on plumbing. And they’re all working for the bigger picture.
What are you building that will last?
1 Corinthians 3
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
This should help us keep things in perspective. The temple isn’t a place, it’s a people. And sacred isn’t a place or state, it’s us – not because we’re special, but because Jesus has redeemed us, and God has set us apart. God takes us very seriously.
This is why bad-mouthing, gossip, slander, scandal, jealousy, and quarreling are painful to the heart of God. We are what Jesus gave His life for; when we regard it with such ‘worldly eyes,’ we miss the legacy.
Our informal value at Long Hill Chapel is to treat the people who come through our doors as a stewardship, not using them to build our ministry, but pouring ourselves out to equip them for their next step with God.
Therefore, we should take our mission seriously while realizing that it’s not our power that propels us forward – it’s God’s spirit.
1 Corinthians 3
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Around us, all sorts of people, companies, organizations, and movements have a vision that involves people to build it. People are seen for how they help accomplish that goal. The way Jesus works is upside down to the world. It does the opposite. Instead of us giving ourselves for Jesus, Jesus gave Himself for us. He went first. And now, we give ourselves for Jesus by giving ourselves for others.
Philippians 2
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
The church exists to build us and point us (and the world around us) to Jesus.
This will always cost us. Sometimes dearly.
Today is the day we begin to look to the year ahead. Here are some ways we envision being that bridge – a better bridge – in the next season.
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Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here.
1 Corinthians 3
1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
Remember the context – Corinth is influential, insecure, and acting like the culture around them. Paul is doing what he does, contrasting a worldly way and making it God’s way. How do we know that? Jealousy and quarreling come when we’re trying to get our own way.
When we focus on the mission God has given us to build into others and be built up so we can build into others, we don’t have time for jealousy and quarreling.
Paul is pointing out their worldly living and provides the antidote to it – a legacy mindset.
1 Corinthians 3
5 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. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
This isn’t about salvation because God does that.
This is about legacy.
We’re all building something, and we should all be building someone. That’s a challenge. We’re on the hook for how the mission of God carries forward through the world. This is Kingdom work because it’s bigger than us individually or as a church family. We are an outpost of God’s work, but we’re only one.
God started it with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. The start defines the shape and size while holding up the building. But on top of it are hundreds and thousands of bricks. Each of us is one of those bricks, and in the grander picture, our church is one of those bricks.
What happens when a brick is removed or collapses?
The good news is that we don’t do the building individually. We might think it’s all on us, but there are others who have come before us and will come after us. We are only responsible for the part God gives us, but we must be faithful to it.
We’re not responsible for the results, God is.
1 Corinthians 3
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
We all need to ask ourselves the questions.
- What are we planting?
- What are we watering?
- What are we building?
We are always planting, watering, or building something. Does it lead to life? Does it point to us? Does it point to Jesus? Is it lasting? Is it worth lasting?
God is the one who makes it grow, but He’s invited us into the work of planting, watering, and building.
Does one individual build a house? No, there are multiple people who come in to take care of their specialty. You wouldn’t hire a plumber to do electrical work or an electrician to work on plumbing. And they’re all working for the bigger picture.
What are you building that will last?
1 Corinthians 3
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
This should help us keep things in perspective. The temple isn’t a place, it’s a people. And sacred isn’t a place or state, it’s us – not because we’re special, but because Jesus has redeemed us, and God has set us apart. God takes us very seriously.
This is why bad-mouthing, gossip, slander, scandal, jealousy, and quarreling are painful to the heart of God. We are what Jesus gave His life for; when we regard it with such ‘worldly eyes,’ we miss the legacy.
Our informal value at Long Hill Chapel is to treat the people who come through our doors as a stewardship, not using them to build our ministry, but pouring ourselves out to equip them for their next step with God.
Therefore, we should take our mission seriously while realizing that it’s not our power that propels us forward – it’s God’s spirit.
1 Corinthians 3
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Around us, all sorts of people, companies, organizations, and movements have a vision that involves people to build it. People are seen for how they help accomplish that goal. The way Jesus works is upside down to the world. It does the opposite. Instead of us giving ourselves for Jesus, Jesus gave Himself for us. He went first. And now, we give ourselves for Jesus by giving ourselves for others.
Philippians 2
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
The church exists to build us and point us (and the world around us) to Jesus.
This will always cost us. Sometimes dearly.
- It will cost us our own best interests.
- It will mean we never get to become too comfortable for too long.
Today is the day we begin to look to the year ahead. Here are some ways we envision being that bridge – a better bridge – in the next season.
- Renewed emphasis on Missions and Compassion Ministry.
- Increased congregational commitment to faith-based stewardship.
- Emphasize smaller groups beyond Sunday morning gatherings.
- Clarify, organize, and better communicate our volunteer opportunities.
- Position and fill the next season of permanent student ministry leadership and oversight at a staff level.
- Redevelop a church-wide value of prayer.
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here.
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