FOLLOW MODELS OF FAITHFUL PLANTERS AND WATERERS OF HIS WORD!
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 has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. —I Corinthians 3:5-9
Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? —I Corinthians 4:6-7
Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. —I Corinthians 4:16-17
Look at Paul’s life and imitate how he, Apollos and Timothy lived. We are to learn from their lives and understand that whatever we have we received. Don’t think anything is our great idea. Whatever eternally good we can do only happens because our Lord is doing the good through us by His Holy Spirit.
“Do not go beyond what is written.” We are told to learn the meaning of that we “will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.” Oh, this has gotten so many off track when they cling to one Christian “celebrity” over another or one denomination over another. There needs to be repentance over this in the church! We are all the Body of Christ, the Church universal, who have called on our Lord Jesus for salvation (Romans 10:13).
We are called to be planters and waterers, but only God can make the seed of His Word grow. We cannot make it grow any more than we can corn seed or any other seed to grow. We can put the seed in the ground and we can water it, but only God can make that seed grow.
A few years ago, someone threw a peach pit over the playground fence in an area that does not get trafficked under some trees. Then a couple years later we noticed this sapling growing and in years to come it blossomed and produced peaches. God made that seed sprout and grow. This past year I dug that peach tree up and transplanted it to a sunnier area. The trunk was not about 3 inches in diameter. We will see this next year if the transplant was successful.
Let us follow the example of faithful followers that went before us in our planting and sowing, expecting our Lord to cause the seed to grow as only He can. Yes, Dear Father, be pleased to cause the seed to grow and bear fruit in the many, many who have read or heard Your Word. Yes, may this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit’s conviction and in the authority of Your Dear Son Jesus. So may it be for a harvest that will bring honor and glory to Your Name. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE_PNUNmw9c&list=RDrE_PNUNmw9c&start_radio=1