Hope inspired labor – 1corinthian 16:1-11

Good morning church! Hope you’re well this morning. And even if all is not well in your life, that’s okay. God intends to comfort and encourage you today especially through our time in the Word.

And that’s why this time is so precious as a church – not because we get to become more smarter in the Word. Not because we get more rules to obey. No, it’s precious to us because it’s God’s way of comforting and encouraging weak & sinful people like us. So if you’re in that needy place today – needing God’s comfort and encouragement today – you’re in the exact right place. God wants to meet with you through His Word.

As a church we’ve been going through a series titled The Church: God’s Dwelling Place from the letter of 1st Corinthians. And what we’ve seen so far is that the church is not a building but a People – the redeemed people of God among whom God dwells!

And as we arrive at the final chapter of 1st Corinthians, it almost seems like we’ve come to the more insignificant, anti-climatic part of the letter. This passage tells us about collecting offerings & travel plans – seemingly mundane administrative stuff. What’s that in comparison to all the action that we’ve read earlier.

But what we will see today is that this passage is in no way insignificant or anti-climatic. It’s as important as every other topic we’ve covered in this series. But before we proceed I’d love to pray for us.

If you’ve ever had an opportunity to listen to a symphony orchestra performance, there’s this point called the crescendo which is the loudest and most impactful point of the song. In fact everything else in the performance is a build up to the crescendo point.

And I think the crescendo point of 1 Corinthians was Chapter 15 where Paul gives us this amazing, certain hope of our physical, bodily resurrection! He tells us that when Christ returns, all who believe in Him will be gifted a perfected, glorified body that resembles Christ’s own body. How amazing is that?

And that amazing, certain hope should inspire us to be steadfast, immovable, resolutely moving ahead in the work of the Lord because we know that our labor in the Lord will not go to waste.

And what is this labor in the Lord? There are multiple ways in which it can be fleshed out, but in chapter 16:1-11, Paul gives us 3 practical ways in which our hope can inspire us to labor in the Lord

1.Generous Giving (v1-4)

1 Now concerning[a] the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

From these verses, we can understand that Paul was coordinating a large fund collection to support the church in Jerusalem. What was happening there was that these believers were facing fierce persecution for their faith in Jesus. They probably lost their jobs, driven out of their homes. This persecution reduced them to poverty.

Seeing this great need, Paul decided to raise funds from all the Gentile churches that he planted like Galatia and Corinth so that they could support the Jerusalem church at a time when they needed it the most.

And as I read this, I kept wondering what should motivate the Corinthians to give. Why should they care to give for a church that is located far away from them? Why should they care to give to a church that is so unlike them? Jerusalem church – predominantly Jews; Corinthian church : predominantly Gentiles.

Should they give because Jerusalem is the Christianity HQ? Should they give out of an obligation to Paul? Should they give out of a sense of charity? What should motivate them to give?

I think a passage that we read sometime back answers that for us:

1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV

[26] If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

The main motivation to make them give is recognizing that they are together members and parts of the same body and family of Christ. By giving to the church in Jerusalem, they are not sponsoring a charity project. They are caring for people whom they consider as part of the same body of Christ. That’s our body – we have to look after it. They are caring for people whom they consider their own. That’s the motivation.

And that’s counterintuitive when we look at how the world may respond to something like this? The world tells us to only look after our own needs, but the hope we have in Christ inspires us to give radically.

Okay – motivation is clear but how do they go about collecting the funds? And I think there is practical wisdom for all of us as we give.

V2 tells us that there is a priority to giving – “on the first day of every week”. It’s not an afterthought, it’s not loose change. It’s not a leftover of the surplus. It’s a priority for the believer in Christ. It’s a line item on their family budget.

Not only is there a priority, there is an equal participation – “each of you is to put aside”. Giving is not only meant for the rich and wealthy, but for every member in the church including the poor.

There’s also proportionality – “each of you is to put something aside, as he may prosper”. The NIV puts it in this way – “in keeping with your income”. When it comes to gospel giving, there is no set amount or percentage to give. Giving one-tenth is actually an OT principle but no percentage is commanded in the NT.

And the reason is because God wants our giving to be a worshipful event. In proportion to the income that God gives us, how wonderful would it be to monthly prayerfully decide and set apart an amount that is a response of our faith and not an obligation!

And then Paul talks about careful planning – “so that there will be no collecting when I come”. Isn’t it interesting that Paul is in some way discouraging spontaneous giving at least in this situation? Now there may be times when spontaneous giving is the only option, but I think there is a wonderful principle here in planning, because it then gives us the opportunity to prayerfully and systematically work towards generous giving. Because each week you’re going to count the cost, figure out what you’ll need to give up in order to bless someone else with your giving.

I’m more and more convinced of this truth – if you really want to show love and care for someone – you can’t do it without planning and preparation. Spontaneous love has its place, but true care will demand time and a cost from you.

Isn’t it amazing how God has ordained this grace of giving? It’s much more

deeper than the amount we give, it’s more to do with the attitude of our hearts as we give.

V3-4 is also very encouraging & challenging because it tells us how serious the early church was to ensure that the collected money was treated with transparency and integrity. They understood how something like money if not dealt with honestly could mess up the message and reputation of the church.

Not only is hope inspiring us to generous giving, but hope inspires us to

2. Deep Discipling (v5-9)

5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

I find this part of the passage most interesting because out here Paul details out his travel plans. In v8 we know that Paul was currently at Ephesus while he wrote the letter. After Pentecost, he was planning to go through Macedonia visiting the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. And then after that to arrive in Corinth where he intended to spend the winter there.

And I kept wondering why did Paul give all these details? Is it a mere formality (where he didn’t intend to go but just said it for the sake of it) ? Is it for inspection (to warn them to be ready for a spanking once he gets there)? Is it because he wants something from them – some form of financial gift (which he does mention in v6)?

Although he does mention about receiving support from them for his next journey, I don’t believe that’s the main reason why Paul wanted to meet the Corinthians. I believe it was his close relationship that he shared with the church.

Let’s not forget that this was one of the churches where he spent maximum amount of time while planting. Acts 18 tells us that he stayed there for a year and a half before moving on. He developed a very close bond with the believers out there. In fact earlier on in the letter, he tells them that he became a “father” to them by bringing the Gospel to them. He was their spiritual father who was longing to be with them, hear them out & encourage them.

No wonder he tells them in v7 that he doesn’t want to see them in passing but wants to spend time with them. And I find this as a wonderful illustration of discipleship. Discipling isn’t a training program. It involves teaching the Word off course but through relationship. Teaching through relationship is discipleship.

We see that in the way Jesus modeled discipleship for us. He didn’t simply run a 3-year training program for his 12 disciples but he intentionally taught them while doing life with them. Jesus did teach the disciples in the Temple, but he also taught them at home. He taught them over a meal. He taught them while they traveled in boats or walked across fields. He taught them while they were ministering to people. Every single moment was a discipling opportunity for Jesus. It was teaching through relationship.

Again this might be counterintuitive in today’s world because relationships are increasingly becoming transactional. Even in the church, we’re looking for more ways to reduce discipleship to just a crash course or a weekly training program.

But relationships don’t work like that. It’s like telling a parent that their parenting responsibility is limited to study time! Off course not. That’s why I think a passage like this should inform our view of discipleship – it’s teaching God’s Word through relationship.

And I acknowledge that this type of discipleship is hard and time consuming. Relationships involve alot of listening, reassuring and correcting & repeating the same process everyday. But in the end, God has designed it in a such a way where He uses us as a tool of change in another person’s life – so every moment spent in discipling another brother or sister will bear fruit in eternity.

Not only does hope inspire us to giving and discipling, hope inspires us to

3. Warm Welcoming (v10-11)

10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

What we understand from these verses is that although Paul planned to meet the Corinthian church later that year, he didn’t wait until then to encourage the church but immediately sent one of his dearest disciples Timothy to make a quick visit. Again another example of genuine love and care – though he couldn’t make it immediately, he sent one of his closest and dearest disciples to encourage them on his behalf.

But I found it unusual that he would give specific instructions on how they are to welcome and treat Timothy while he’s there. V10 – tells them to put him at ease because he’s doing the work of the Lord just like Paul. Paul is basically clarifying that he and Timothy are colleagues and team mates when it comes to the Lord’s ministry.

Then in V11, Paul tells the church to not despise him – they should not think of him as someone who doesn’t deserve their respect. And I found that strange as to why would Paul expect them to do that. And it’s probably because of Timothy’s young age – he was mostly between late twenties and mid thirties. And the culture of the day, similar to some cultures in India, considered older men to be wiser, mature and younger men to be immature.

And so Paul’s concerned that although he’s sending Timothy to encourage them, he won’t be met with welcome and honor but with contempt. And hear me out – he’s not just saying that out of a concern for Timothy but their welcome of Timothy is in some way a reflection of their response to the risen Lord.

The fact was that Timothy was a representative and servant of Christ Jesus just like Paul. In Jesus’ economy, both Paul and Timothy have equal designation. And so therefore the church is called to honor them in the same manner without distinction out of their loyalty to Christ.

A couple of examples from the Bible. Jesus says this in Matthew 10:40-42

[40] “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. [41] The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. [42] And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

In Lydia’s conversion story in Acts 16, we see a remarkable response. Not only does she and her whole household get baptized immediately but she insists on hosting Paul and his fellow companions at her home. Paul and his companions didn’t demand this from her, but she really wanted to do it out of her deep gratitude for the people who brought the message which changed her life.

Again this is counterintuitive in a world which teaches us to slander and despise any kind of authority be it at home, at work and the church. In a sharp contrast, we are called to receive & welcome & esteem those who labor in the Lord. And this warm welcoming is a reflection of our response to the risen Lord.

Brothers and sister, our amazing, certain hope in the resurrection should inspire us to abound in the work of the Lord – giving, discipling and welcoming. Now we know that these are not the only ways of abounding in the work of the Lord. The same could be applied in the way we fulfill our vocations, the way we chose to live in purity, the way we share the Gospel etc.

But here’s the main point that Paul is driving through this passage. By telling us about generous giving, deep discipling and warm welcoming, he’s telling us that for us as believers in Christ – our time, talents and resources need to reflect the hope that we have in Christ. It needs to be radically different from the rest of the world who don’t have that hope.