Farmhands for Jesus

I read about one Church where it seemed the previous pastor was a paragon of virtue. He lived up to all the people's expectations and was willing to live on a very low salary, to boot. He loved to work around the parsonage and keep both house and grounds in repair. But the new pastor wasn't that type. He hired someone to do a lot of these chores, including the mowing of the parsonage grass. Naturally, this cost more money. This change of pattern was of concern to some of the deacons of the church. One day one of them approached the new pastor and tried to bring this up tactfully. He said to the new pastor, "You know, our previous pastor mowed the lawn himself. Have you considered this approach?" The new pastor came back, "Yes, I'm aware of this. And I asked him. But he doesn't want to do it anymore!"

Over the years I have pastored, I have found that people who want to do something are not always plentiful. You always have those who are willing to do anything, but quite often the majority don't want to do anything. I think of a letter that was circulated in a large congregation. It read:

Dear Member:
Our Church membership 1400
Nonresident members 75
Balance left to do the work 1325
Elderly who have done their share 25
Balance left to do the work 1300
Sick and shut-ins 25
Balance left to do the work 1275
Members who do not give 350
Christmas and Easter members 300
Balance left to do the work 625
Members who are overworked 300
Balance left to do the work 325
Members with alibis 200
Balance left to do the work 125
Members too busy with others things 123
Balance left to do the work 2

Unfortunately, that is often the case in many a Church. In most Churches it is 10 per cent that do 90 per cent of the work. The rest are spectators instead of participators.

There is the story of the little boy who was disappointed with the smallness of the eggs his hens were laying. So he went downtown and bought an ostrich egg. He brought the egg and showed it to his hens and said, "Now take a good look at this and try harder." Every pastor could point out certain members and say to the rest, "Now look and try harder."

In the passage before us, the Bible speaks to us about working. Our text today is the beginning of a section in I Corinthians that uses several metaphors to define, describe, and depict the work of every believer. In 3:5-9, the believer is described as a FARMER. In 3:10-23 as a BUILDER, and in 4:1-5 as a STEWARD. These all speak to us about our work. Again, our text tells us that we are farmers. Every believer is to be a farmhand for Jesus.

We read in verse 5, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" One of the problems in the Church of Corinth was the elevation of leaders. Paul asks, "Who then is Paul or who is Apollos?" He was asking, "What then is Paul or Apollos?" Who are they? What are they? He tells them they are but "ministers."

We get our English word "deacon" from the word translated "minister." It literally describes a "table waiter." It is a word that speaks of a servant. Paul was saying that he was simply a "table waiter" for the Lord, a servant of God. Each believer is to be a servant or table waiter for God. Each believer is to be a minister.

After defining a minister, he then begins to describe a minister. The first metaphor that he uses is that of a farmer. Let's consider these verses and learn about being farmhands for Jesus. First, we see:

1. OUR DEDICATION TO GOD'S WORK!

Notice verse 9, "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." Again, the first metaphor that is used is that of a farmer. The Bible says, "We are labourers" and "Ye are God's husbandry." Let's examine these 2 statements. First, we:

A. WE SEE GOD'S FARM.

We are called God's husbandry. The word "husbandry" means "of the earth." It is saying that we are God's tillage, God's field, or to put it simply, we are God's farm. Paul is speaking of the Church. The Church is God's farm. The Church is God's farm that He has purchased. The Church is God's farm that He has planted. As His farm we are plants set in the Lord's garden, branches grafted into the living Vine, and our heart is the soil by which His grace brings forth fruit.

Psalm 80:15, speaks of "the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself." Each of us are an expression of God's work of germination, cultivation, and irrigation. As you look around this building you see the product of God's farm. Each of us are the fruit, harvest, and product of God's farm.

I heard about a Texan that was passing through Tennessee. He stopped one day and started talking to a farmer that was working his garden. He asked the farmer how big his farm was. The farmer said, "Oh, I have about 20 acres." The Texan said, "I can get in my car and drive all day and not see all mine." The old Tennessee farmer replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to have an old Model T Ford that was that slow."

May I say that God has a big farm. His farm covers the whole earth. Among all nations and among all peoples, you can find God's farm. Every believer on the face of this earth is the result of God's plowing, God's planting, and God's producing. Secondly:

B. WE SEE GOD'S FARMERS.

In verse 9, we see that we are not only God's Farm, but we are also farmers in and on that farm. We are not only God's husbandry, but His "labourers." We are God's farmhands. Let me ask you a question. How has the seed been planted in God's farm? How has the ground been plowed? How was the land irrigated? How was the crops harvested?

Notice verse 5, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" Note the words "by whom ye believed." The Corinthian believers were a part of God's farm, but Paul says that God used him to bring them to saving faith. Paul said in verse 6, "I…planted." He had been personally used of God in the planting of God's farm. In other words, he said, "I was a farmhand on God's farm and I was used of God in the planting of His farm."

Every believer is to be a farmhand for Jesus. You are to be a worker in and on God's farm. Notice carefully in verse 9 that Paul said "For we are labourers." He included all the Corinthian believers in this work. We are not only God's farm, but we are also farmers that work in God's farm and work on God's farm. The Bible, using this metaphor, is calling for a dedication to God's work. Let me ask you, as God's farmhand, are you working? Are you doing anything in His farm?

I think of the parable that Jesus gave in Matthew 21 of the farmer and his two sons. He said to the two sons, "Go work today in my vineyard." The first one said, "I will not," but later repented and went to work in the vineyard. The second son said, "I go," but did not go. God says to all His farmhands, "Go work today in my farm." Some are like the first son, they say I will not. Others are like the second son and say they will go to work, but never go to work.

Many ought to be like the little lady in one of Sam Jones meetings. He had what he called "Quittin' Meetings." People would testify to things they were going to quit. One little lady got up and said, "I haven't been doing anything and I am going to quit that."

Secondly, we see that as God's farmhands there is:

2. OUR DIVERSITY IN GOD'S WORK!

Now every believer is to be a farmhand for Jesus, but the roles and responsibilities of God's farmhands vary. There is diversity in God's work.

A. THERE IS A UNIQUE ROLE IN WHICH GOD USES EACH BELIEVER.

We read in verse 6, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." Paul speaks of his part and Apollos part in the work God did at Corinth. Paul had originally evangelized the city and Apollos followed him. Each had been in Corinth at different times and had had different ministries among the Corinthians. God had used Paul in one way and had used Apollos in one way. They were both farmers, but had different roles.

Now every believer is to be a farmhand for Jesus. But everybody does not do the same thing. You take this portion of God's farm. It takes many different farmhands do many different chores. There are farmhands needed to sing in the choir. Farmhands are needed to provide special music, teach Sunday School Classes, work with the youth, drive the vans to pick up people, to usher, run the sound equipment, maintain the buildings, keep the nursery's, and the list goes on and on.

The bigger this part of God's farm gets and the more expanded it becomes, the more farmhands are needed and the more area's in which farmhands are required. The point I am making is that every believer is a farmhand and every believer is to find his or her place in God's farm.

I want to make another important point. As I have said, the Church is God's farm. It is in God's church that every believer is to be working. You can serve God outside of the Church, but God wants every believer working in His Church, that is be involved in the work of the Church.

There is diversity in God's work. As a believer you are to find out what God wants you to do and where God wants you to serve and go to work.

B. THERE IS A UNITED RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH GOD USES EACH BELIEVER.

Notice verse 8a, "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one." There is diversity in God's work but there is not division. Each has their own role and responsibility, but all are working for one common cause and that is the edification and expansion of God's farm. One farmer may be mowing the hay and another may be planting the crops. But both are working as one. They are both working that the operation and the purpose of the farm might be fulfilled. Each worker in this portion of God's farm works in their area of service for success of the over-all ministry of the Church. We are many, but we are one.

Now before I move the final point, there is one truth that each farmhand needs to realize. One may plant and another may water, but ultimately, only God can give the increase. We read in verses 6-7, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." The farmer can plow the ground and plant the seed, but he has no control on whether the seed planted will germinate and grow. That depends on the life within in the seed.

If there is to be increase in all that we do for God, it will be an increase that God gives. We must never forget that we are nothing without God blessings on what we do.

Lastly, we see:

3. OUR DIVIDENDS FOR GOD'S WORK!

Notice verse 8 again, "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." The word "reward" speaks of the wages of the hired hand. God pays those who work for Him. It would be pay enough just to be able to work for God, but we are told that God pays wages to His farmhands.

A. IT IS A PERSONAL REWARD.

Verse 8, says: "that every man shall receive his own reward." Each one that works for God will receive his or her own personal reward. I am told that every Mohammedan according to the Koran who lives a righteous life on earth will receive eternal rewards befitting a king when he dies and goes to Paradise. There, after a feast of 300 courses, he will be endowed forever with the health and vigor of a young man and then given a palace with 80,000 servants and 72 gorgeous wives possessed of perpetual youth and beauty.

Now, some of you may be thinking, "I going to become a Mohammedan." I don't think we are going to receive 80,000 servants and 72 gorgeous wives, but I do know there will be a payday for God's farmhands.

B. IT IS A PARTICULAR REWARD.

Notice carefully that verse 8, says that these rewards will be distributed "according to his own labour." It will be based on what a person does for God. Each of us has a different role and place in God's farm, but each role and place has its own reward.

2. The question to ask is, can you speak of your "own labour." Are you laboring and working for God? God's wages will only be bestowed on those who labor.

WE ARE FARMHANDS FOR JESUS!