5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, AS THE LORD GAVE TO EACH ONE?
6 I PLANTED, APOLLOS WATERED, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 NOW HE WHO PLANTS AND HE WHO WATERS ARE ONE, and each ONE will receive his own REWARD according to his own LABOUR.
9 FOR WE ARE GOD'S FELLOW WORKERS; you are God’s field, you are God’s building."
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NKJV)
• The church, the people of God, is God's field, God's building.
- Some are sent to plant, that is, plant churches, while some others are sent to water (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
- Those who are sent to plant and water, are both working for the same God, the Owner of the field—vineyard (1 Corinthians 3:8).
- Everyone, those who faithfully do the work, would be rewarded according to their works or deeds at the right time (1 Corinthians 3:8).
• Thus, there is no room for competitiveness and unhealthy comparison (2 Corinthians 10:12).
- Some who are in the Pastoral ministry want to believe that those who are itinerant Ministers are out to deprive them of the money they supposed to get in their churches.
- They do believe when an itinerant minister comes to town where they are, to conduct a programme; such has come to rip off the money which they supposed to get from their church members.
- Thus, they would want to frustrate the visiting minister, and would not want the programme which such has come for, be a success (3 John 8-10).
THEY would not want the members of their churches to attend the programme. - I have heard it said on a social media platform by a minister that those who are NOT in a church based ministries, that is, itinerant Ministers, are depriving the churches, the pastors; the money they supposed to get.
- Now, a minister or pastor with such a mindset would want to do anything within his capacity to hinder or frustrate any itinerant minister who comes to his town or city—to organize a programme.
• The work of the planters are not the same with the work of those who water.
- God who sent those who are watering, knows the importance, necessity, and the need of the watering work they do—therefore do not stop what God is building.
- The watering work does not hinder or stop the work of the planters. Watering does not do any harm to the field planted by the planters—both are sent by God and they work for Him (1 Corinthians 3:8,9).
- The Body of Christ is one and we are called to complement one another, not to compete. Those who are called into itinerant ministries are sent by God as do those who are in pastoral ministry—church based work.
- Although there may be some bad eggs among the itinerant Ministers, but such are not unfounded among those who pastor churches as well.
• Do not stand to obstruct, hinder, or frustrate whatever programme that anyone has come to organize in the neighborhood; the city or town, where you do your work or operate your ministry.
- Remember: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; FOR WHATEVER A MAN SOWS, THAT HE [she] WILL ALSO REAP" (Galatians 6:7 NKJV).
- What you do to another person's work or ministry, would equally be done to yours in return. Thus, Jesus says: “TREAT OTHER PEOPLE EXACTLY AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED BY THEM—this is the essence of all true religion” (Matthew 7:12 PHILLIPS).
“DO TO OTHERS WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO TO YOU. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12 NLT).
“SO then, IN EVERYTHING TREAT OTHERS THE SAME WAY YOU WANT THEM TO TREAT YOU, for this is [the essence of] the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets" (Matthew 7:12 AMP).
- Every act is a seed that will germinate and bear fruits to be harvested. And the harvest is always greater than the seed sown (Romans 2:6; Galatians 6:7).
• If you had taught the people under your leadership as a pastor, the undiluted Word of God, you should not be afraid of whatever anyone is coming to preach or teach in the neighborhood you are—the town or city you operate your ministry.
- It is a sense of inferiority, insecurity, and greed that would make a minister stand against what another fellow minister, visiting minister, has come to preach or teach.
- If you are domineering in your approach, and would not want the people under your leadership to attend a programme being organized by one healing evangelist, an itinerant teacher, or whoever, in the neighborhood where your ministry is; It means you are shielding the people from knowing the truth.
- The truth is, those people you are trying to keep from knowing the truth are not yours to begin with. They are God's flock. The sheep could be taken away from you, if you would not feed them properly and would not allow them to know the Truth—because of your selfishness and ulterior motives.
- If you are no more today, those sheep that you would not allow, and would not want to listen to other Ministers, or attend the programmes of other visiting or itinerant Ministers; would freely move or go wherever you do not want them to go.
• Some pastors have developed an high-blood pressure because they are carrying the burden that does not belong to them.
- Jesus is the Owner of the church, and He says He will build His church (Matthew 16:18). He is the builder of the church. You will do well to allow Him, Jesus the Owner of the work, to build it as He wants.
- Stop carrying the load that does belong to you. Put whatever load you are carrying at the feet of Jesus Christ. Jesus said: "COME TO ME, all you who labour and are heavy laden, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST" (Matthew 11:28 NKJV).
- Stop running down another person's programme, in order to prevent your people, members of your church, from attending.
- A programme which God sent another person to organize and do in the town or city where you are, which is being run down by you, because you wanted your people not to attend, would have a negative consequence on you, your church or ministry, and whatever is yours.
• A Woman
A woman who is currently attending a particular church shared: she said at the former church where she was worshipping, the leaders there used to speak against the PRESENT church she is currently attending.
THEY told them not to visit or attend the place at all. She said, she and another woman, out of curiosity wanted to know the reality or the truth of what they had been telling them about her current church.
THEY, both, decided to visit the place, attend their programmes, and they discovered that the church their leaders were maligning, telling them not to visit or attend, is actually teaching the truth of the Word of God.
• If you, as a Pastor, are against another person's or people's assignments; your work could be affected negatively, and started diminishing as a result of it.
- A number of people or members whom you think are loyal to you would be leaving for another place—church.
- Since you are not God, What is your business in castigating other people's works? Why are you afraid or threatened by other people's WORKS, or assignments, or the programmes being organized by them:
"WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ANOTHER'S SERVANT? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:4 NKJV).
READ: James 4:11,12 - Why have you taken it upon yourself to be castigating other people's works and standing against them in a bid to do whatever they claimed God has sent them to do?
- You may think you are fighting for God, or defending the faith, but may discover or realize you are actually fighting against God Himself (Acts 5:38,39).
- Your fighting, castigation and badmouthing, could be a result of envy or jealousy, or some other selfish reasons which may be hidden to others, but clearly known to you (Matthew 27:17,18).
- You can deceive others, claiming you are defending the truth, but you know in your mind, you are doing whatever you are doing, because of selfishness, greed, and envy:
10 For he [Pilate] knew that the chief priests had handed Him [Jesus] over BECAUSE OF ENVY" (Mark 15:10 NKJV).
READ: Acts 19:24-29,35-39
• If you are guilty of what has been shared in this piece, repent and ask for God's mercy.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Whatever is troubling your body, sicknesses or diseases, you are delivered now in Jesus' name.
- No more pains in Jesus' name.
Peace!