What Are You Building?
Are you a ministry leader or volunteer who has encountered challenges and obstacles in local church ministry? As a pastor’s kid, and now a pastor’s wife, I’ve observed many different methods, organized ministries, and informal ministry. I have personally served or led in many different aspects of local church ministry, from children’s ministries to women’s ministries, and Bible studies to urban outreach. I’ve considered questions like these: How do you start a ministry from scratch? How and when do you make changes to an existing ministry?
Perhaps you lead a ministry, serve as a church volunteer, or are involved in personal ministry within your local church setting. However we serve, we are ‘builders’—but we need to make sure that we are building the right kind of ministry! Here are three principles based on 1 Corinthians 3 that might encourage you in that process.
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul described important principles for the building of the local church. He’s not talking about a physical building, but the spiritual growing of a church. There was a lack of spiritual maturity in the Corinthian believers, who seem to have been struggling with misplaced loyalty to different Christian leaders. Paul states that what is important is that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church. Only by God’s grace was Paul able to lay this foundation for a new church in Corinth. While Paul did the work of starting the church, others participated in the growth and development of the Corinthian church. Regardless of the different people, methods, or tools used in building the church, Paul reminded the church that it must be centered on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Principle #1: Only Grace
There are three important principles to be found in Paul’s philosophy given here. First, he worked only through the grace of God (v. 10). Paul seemed to understand that his ministry was not based on his own talent, skills, and wisdom, but that he was only able to do these things because of God’s grace. God’s grace provided Paul’s own salvation and God graciously was using Paul to participate in building this local church.
In our own ministries, we may not be planting a church or even be in formal ministry leadership at an established church. Yet, we must realize that our ministry and service to God is only because of the precious gift of God’s grace in our lives. When we forget the truth of the Gospel—that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and rose again—we become tempted to rely on our own strength or own wisdom. That’s scary, and certainly not what we want to build a ministry on! Paul’s example to us is to be fully reliant on God’s grace.
Principle #2: Humility and Unity
In 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Paul describes the state of jealousy and strife in the Corinthian church. Paul had planted this church, but Apollos was another leader who had been actively involved with the church growth. There was division with believers who were claiming loyalty to one leader over the other; perhaps whether someone had been discipled by Paul or by Apollos was a point of division. Paul rejects this fleshly, sinful attitude by reminding the church that “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (v. 6).
In ministry we can be tempted to think too highly of ourselves. Yet even if we are humble, we can still be placed on a pedestal that allows others to think too highly of us! Humility is key for believers, especially those who are leaders. This means a realistic understanding that we are nothing, and God is everything. As we just learned, we are only serving God through His grace to us! A humble pastor will avoid leading a crowd to rely and follow him alone, but will do everything possible to give glory to God. Likewise, a humble ministry leader or volunteer can usually work well with other leaders because this attitude invites unity.
Principle #3: Wise Builders
Paul also refers to himself as “a wise master builder”. Though he humbly acknowledges that his efforts are only because of God’s grace, he also exercises wisdom in his authority and position when he started the church at Corinth. A wise leader realizes that Jesus Christ is the foundation, and will base all ministry efforts in the truth of God’s Word.
In verses 12-13, Paul described different building materials: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw. Those who “build” up the church must be wise in their selection of materials. Hay and straw are certainly not good building materials, and they would not stand the test of time. There might even be dangerous consequences in using hay or straw in place of more solid and reliable materials. Likewise, believers need to be cautious with self-centered or false teachings that are not rooted in Scripture, or even ministry methods that are not Biblical. While the materials of a solid, Biblical ministry are important, even more significant are the kinds of people who choose materials.
Are you in charge of selecting your women’s Bible study curriculum? Do you have the responsibility to teach a children’s ministry Bible lesson? Carefully study, and be selective of the resources and materials you choose. When you are praying with a sister in Christ or offering words of encouragement, use Scripture and give words of truth. Ministry is not a time to offer weak platitudes, but to strengthen and build each other up in the Truth of God’s Word.
God will use all sorts of people to build His church, but we must be wise in the process of doing so. Those involved in ministry must ensure that the truth of the Gospel and God’s Word are the foundation of ministry and teaching. What role do you play in this process? Regardless of our ministry position, we must be wise in how we build our ministry—because it’s really God’s ministry.
Are you taking every opportunity to share the Gospel, even if it is reminding other believers of it?
Is all teaching centered on God’s Word, or is it watered-down teaching that ‘tickles ears’?
Are your ministry social events and informal fellowship set up to encourage other believers to be encouraged by the truth of God’s Word, or does it provide for cliques, division, and disunity?
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
