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Today, we're coming back to 1st Corinthians and in particular chapter 4. We're looking at just five verses this morning, and I hope you can put your thinking ... thinking caps onto journey, together with me.

Now, as a recap, because we have not been in this series for five weeks, I like to remind you that the book of 1st Corinthians opens with the problem of schisms. The people were divided because some were saying, "We belong to Paul," and other group was saying, "We belong to Apollos," and another group in the Corinthian church says, "We belong to Cephas."

The likely situation is that they were boasting in their human leaders and how big their ministry is. "Ah, I belong to Paul! Look at the number of people in his camp!" Or "I belong to Apollos, look at the number of people who join us!" So, there's a lot of fleshly, carnal competition and comparison.

Paul then says, "Why do you even boast? Huh, what's so great about Paul? What's so great about Apollos? What's so great about Cephas?"

He uses a farming illustration, "We are just sowers, we're just planters, we're just people who water, and some of us will reap, but ultimately, it is God who gives the increase. So, why do you boast in a Paul or in an Apollos or in a Cephas?"

And later on, he moves from this agricultural example to an architectural example. He says, "Take care, all my fellow brothers who are building a ministry. Take care of how you build." He uses probably the illustration of the temple building. He says, "There are some who would use gold, silver and precious stones."

These are expensive stuff, difficult-to-get stuff, but the thing about gold, silver and precious stones, is that these things last. He contrasts it with another kind of material you can use — wood, hay and stubble or wood, hay and straw. These things are readily available, they are abundant, they are cheap, and you can build big things using these things, but they do not last.

So Paul says, "Be careful of how you build. Make sure you're faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Very precious! You can only get it from the Scriptures, but don't you ever take shortcuts, don't you ever use humanistic ideas, ideologies, humanistic ways to do the work of God, because that will not last."

So Paul, now in chapter 4, gives us a plain statement of what he has been trying to convey in these illustrations. We read here, "This is how one should regard us, [not as celebrities, not as big shots] but as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who'll bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. [1 Cor 4:1-5]

My understanding of these five verses is that, Paul is kind of giving a summary, a crystallization of what a spiritual leader is all about. So I think this is like a "Pastor's Job Description," a pastor's JD.

Now, my son, he likes to read Dilbert. Dilbert is a comic strip, quite a funny one, according to him, I have never read it. He likes Dilbert and the creator of Dilbert, the writer of Dilbert is Scott Adams. There was once, he asked on his website for people to write a one liner description about their jobs, and these are some of the returns:

"My job, according to one, is to spend most of the day looking out the window." Anybody wants to figure out what this job is? Very good, Nick, it's pilot. That's right. I think we're in deep trouble if he spent all the time looking out the window but okay, most of the time, that's fine.

Second job — "Run away and call the police." This is returns from people and this is a security guard. They can't do much, they just call the police, anyway.

"Ensure that stupid people stay in the gene pool." Wow, who? How come, you all so smart ah! I would never have figured that out! But it's a lifeguard, so that they don't die, right, but they are stupid to be in that position in the first place.

"My job is to copy and paste things on the Internet." Programmer? Oh really! That's what programmer does? Well, it's not a job but a student. Nowadays, I used to copy physically, now it's easier, copy and paste on the Internet.

"My job is to talk in other people's sleep." Psychologist? Psychiatrist? No! University Professor. Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah.

"My job is to show up even though nobody called me, get paid for an answer, they knew already, and to answer the ... answer a question they never asked?" A consultant.

Well, what's the pastor's job description? I can't give it to you in one line, but I'll give it to you in three points, that's my typical style, right? So I'll give you I think, three points about this job description of a pastor.

[1] The Role
First of all, I'd like us to consider the role of the spiritual leader or the role of the pastor.

What's his status? What's his position? If you sign up to be a pastor, what should you look forward to? What's your position? What's your status?

Paul says, "This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ." The word, servants is an interesting word, is the word huparete in a Greek, which is a word that is actually very unfamiliar to us, but super familiar to the people at Corinth. It's a Greek word.

I bring you to remembrance, this geography, this map of Corinth. Corinth is a city that is very strategically located. It's like Singapore, it's a major port city. To the left, the waters will lead you to Italy. To the right, the waters will lead you to Asia. So, it's a great trading hub, and it will be not a surprise that it becomes a major point, where many ships would come to and leave.

And in those days, you will know, that ships they are not powered by engines, they are not powered by steam, they do not have that technology. So, they are powered by oars, by pedals, by raw human strength. So, at the bottom of these boats would be a lot of slaves, Roman slaves, who would be pulling the boat forward all the time.

The word, huparete refers to each and every Roman slave. They are called the galley rowers. They are the nobodies of society, nobody cares about them. They are all about these menial, hard work, certainly not people you would parade around, not celebrities.

So in the church at Corinth, when people were boasting and parading their leaders, "Oh, I belong to Paul!" "Oh, I belong to Apollos!" Paul steps in and say, "We are just farmers, and worse than that, or maybe even lower than that, we are huparetes. We are just galley rowers. Why are you making such a big deal about us? Regard us as servants of Christ."

I think that is what a pastor needs to be armed with, when he steps into ministry. You're not standing on stage to have all the glory of men. You're not here to gain prominence for yourself. This is how you should see yourself, as servants of Christ. To be satisfied with being a nobody. If you can't take that, then this is not your ministry, this is not the ministry for you.

Don't go around strutting yourself ... your stuff. Now, I, I want to again come back to the point I've mentioned before, this does not mean that the church should look down on your pastors, or to treat them terribly. I think there is that teaching in Scripture to regard your pastors, to treat them well, to provide for them, to respectfully deal with them. But it's a different thing with idolizing them, and to elevate them to a position that is unhelpful to them and to yourself.

Some time ago, I shared with you this article by Garrett Kell. It's ... it just caught my attention, right 2017, the title is "Stop Photobombing Jesus". Huh, during those days photo bomb is still relatively new word. So I ... I read up and I ... I ... he even gave a definition for the word, photobomb, for those who are not familiar by now.

Photobomb is to spoil a photograph by appearing in the cameras field of view, as the picture is taken. Now, it's a good definition, I think it's clear, but it's even clearer if I give you examples of it.

This is a photobomb, you're taking a photo of this lovely family, and then this guy just comes jumping it right in. He spoils the photograph by jumping into the camera's point of view, or field of view as the picture is being taken.

This is another photo-bomber, he just comes in at the wrong time. But photobombs can be people or it can even be animals, just ... maybe you say, "This is not for photo-bomber because you wanted to take a photo with him anyway." But this is quite a photo bomber. Can you see the guy? I'm not talking about the man, I'm talking about the hippo, right there. Maybe not a hippo? Maybe a hippo? I'm not sure, my sons will probably laugh at me later on, can't identify the animal. But another photo-bomber, can you see? The stingray that comes up right at the back, wow, this is quite a photobomb!

Now, how do you and I photobomb Jesus? You see the idea here is this, we want the attention and the glory to be on Jesus and Jesus alone. But the pastor, the spiritual leader, the man of God, somehow, has a strange tendency to want to jump into the camera's field of view and get some attention to himself.

That's why Garrett Kell says, "Stop photobombing Jesus. Don't say that you serve Jesus but you also want some glory." And this is how he explains it, he shares his own desires:

"I hoped lost people would be saved — but I wanted to be the evangelist God used." I want to be in the picture too.

"I desired Christians to be encouraged — but I wanted to be the instrument of edification." I want people to grow in Christ but I want people to also know that, I was the one who helped them grow in Christ.

"I wanted people to think God was awesome — and that I was awesome, too." That's photobombing! But very subtle, because you can always hide behind the veneer that says, "I'm helping him grow, it's for him, it's about Jesus, but a little bit of Jason as well. A little bit of Paul, a little bit of Apollos, a little bit of Garrett Kell.

"There is a fine line between wanting God to use you for His glory and wanting everyone to know it. It's the fine line between pure worship and idolatry. I want to glorify Jesus, but I want glory too."

Do you see that in your life? Now, this may be a principle or passage that talks about the pastor, the spiritual leader, the apostles, but I think the principle applies to all of us, whether you're a care group leader, a CG, a DG leader, Sunday School teacher, even an usher. There's always that danger.

"We want to serve Jesus, but let me get some applause as well."
"I want to key in some things on Facebook to encourage people but I also want people to know I was the one who wrote that article." So subtle, but there's a fine line.

"Servants are satisfied when no one applauds them, so long as everyone applauds Jesus." What an amazing state that would be!

But you know, this is I think, very aptly summarized by John the Baptist, when he said, "He must increase and I must decrease." [Luke 3:30] It's not good enough, I think in life when I say, "Jesus must increase because I want to increase together with Him." But I think the right view is - He must increase and I must decrease. That's the real heart of a servant.

So Paul, here in this texts says, "Don't make too much out of us. Don't make it such a big deal whether you are in Paul's camp or Apollo's camp. They're really is no need for that in the first place. But don't make a big deal out of us because our role and the way you should regard us, is that we are simply, the huparetes, the servants of Christ."

That's job description point number one.

[2] Our Responsibility
Job Description point number two, if this is our status, if this is our position, then what is our responsibility? What are we actually supposed to do?

Paul gives us the responsibility, I believe in this one word, stewards of the mysteries of God. The word, stewards, maybe a confusing term for us today because straightaway we think about SIA, and about the handsome guy serving you food. But the word, steward in the Greek, is the word oikonomos, which is a word that means a manager, a trustee, someone who manages other people.

So in those days, you have rich businessmen or rich owners who are so rich, they don't have to bother about their business or bother about the work. They employ someone to take care of the workers under him. So, this man is called the oikonomos, he will have the resources, the money, the food, and in the right time, he dispenses food, he dispenses money, he dispenses the provisions for the workers, so that they may do the work.

So, Paul is saying, "This is what we do, we are the spiritual leaders the oikonomos. We distribute the necessities to the people of God. Now, what do we as spiritual leaders distribute? Not money, not bread, not food, but stewards oikonomos of the mysteries of God. Hah, we are to dispense or to share and to give out the mysteries of God!"

Now, the word, mysteries may sound mysterious to you because it may sound like magic. "Wah, pastor sends magic." No! No! No! The word, mysteries is clearly defined I think in 1st Corinthians, you look at chapter 2 verse 7, I'm not putting it up here, but if you recall our journey, the mysteries of God refers to the Gospel.

You say, "Why is it mystery?" Because for a long time, before Jesus came, while they were hints about the message of salvation, it was not absolutely crystal clear. And after Jesus came, and after God, Jesus taught the disciples, it now became so clear, the mystery is revealed. And now the pastors, the apostles, spiritual leaders are responsible for giving out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Even in my own devotional reading this week, I was reading Ephesians, chapter 3. It absolutely clarifies for you what mysteries of God here refers to, it's clearly about the Gospel.

So, what is the responsibility of spiritual leaders? To run an organization, so that we have profit at the end of the year? No! To create many activities, so that Christians can have fun? No! What is the one thing he must do? He must be an oikonomos. He must take the Word of God and unfold the mysteries of the Gospel, so that God's people may be fed the truth of God, so that they may drink in the Gospel, that they might live out the Gospel and give out the Gospel.

And the number one criteria to the oikonomos of God, to the leaders of the church is that they must be faithful. Nothing wrong with seminary training, nothing wrong with charisma, nothing wrong with a good head, with a good IQ, nothing wrong with good management techniques and so on. Nothing wrong with these things, but these things are not the primary things.

The most important thing for a spiritual leader is that he must be faithful. He must be faithful to give out exactly what the Master wants to be given out. In other words, he doesn't modify the Word of God, he doesn't change it, he doesn't subtract from it, he doesn't add to it, he gives out just as it should be.

And if you want to be in the ministry, this has to be your commitment, that we are faithful to God's Word. Even when it is difficult, even when people do not like it, even if you do not have an ability to draw a big crowd, so be it! Teach God's Word as it is. Oikonomos, be faithful.

It is again an illusion, isn't it, of what Paul was talking about? "Be careful how you build. Don't use wood, hay and straw, but use gold silver, precious stones."

A story is told by John Kenneth Galbraith. He's a famous economist, some time back. And he wrote this in his autobiography about his servant.

"It had been a wearying day, and I asked Emily, my house servant to hold all telephone calls while I had a nap. Shortly thereafter the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson, [you will know, was one of the presidents of the United States], was calling from the White House. "Get me Ken Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson." "He's sleeping, Mr. President," Emily said, "he said not to disturb him." "Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him." "No, Mr. President, I worked for him, not you." When I called the president back, he could scarcely control his pleasure. "Tell that woman I want her here in the White House."'

What is that one thing she did so well? Faithfulness. Tell it as it is.

The pastor's job description means number one, he must be willing to be a huparete, a galley rower, nobody really bothers with. Content with no applause, no aplomb from the people around. Not that it is wrong that people appreciate him, but that's not what he looks forward to, that's not what he lives on.

The responsibility of the pastor is that he must be first and foremost, an oikonomos, faithful to the mysteries of God, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Tell it as it is, tell it with the offense of the cross, not backing down a bit at all.

[3] Our Review
And then finally, I'd like us to look at the review.

You know, in every job, you look forward ... well, some of us don't, but you do have job reviews, or your performance review. There's a rating, there's a ranking that goes on for some jobs. It's every six months for some jobs, it's every year, you sit down with your supervisor and he gives you your review. Now, for this job, as a spiritual leader, as a pastor, you also have your review, but the review does not take place so frequently, like six months or a year. In fact, it happens only one time in your entire life, and this happens only when the Lord comes.

But this review will be absolutely spot on, you know some of the reviews you may do with your supervisor, you know, you can get away with. He doesn't know everything you do, he doesn't know everything you did not do. So, you could kind of avoid some bad remarks as it were. You might still get a higher grade than you thought you deserved.

But when it comes to the review of the spiritual leader, ah, it's an entirely different story! In verse 5, we read, "Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God." [1 Cor 4:5]

So, it will be an absolutely transparent, open review, but only when the Lord comes. So the spiritual leader, the pastor must know that his assessment, his appraisal, his review is not now, certainly not by people, but it's with the Lord, when He comes.

And that's why he says, "For but with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court." [1 Cor4:3]

"Some of you say, "I belong to Apollos," some of you say, "You belong to Cephas," some of you say, "I belong to Paul." Actually, it's not such a big deal! Doesn't matter about your popularity contest. Doesn't matter about who you like. For me, it's a very small thing."

Not that it does not hurt, not that it does not help, not that it doesn't affect him at all, as if he doesn't care. But he knows that these things are not the ultimate things. People's assessments are not the ultimate things. In fact, "I don't even judge myself."

He says, "Your assessment bei zhun [inaccurate in Hokkien dialect], my assessment may be more zhun [accurate in Hokkien dialect], but also not so zhun. I, I do not even judge myself." Why? Because, "I'm not aware of anything against myself, but I'm not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me."

He says, "There are even things in my life I don't even know about. I'm not so discerning about my thoughts and intents and motives. I thought that it is all about Jesus, but sometimes I photobomb Him." So he says, "I cease trying to get acquittal or appreciation from people or even from myself. It's not accurate, anyway. But I look forward I labor towards that day when Jesus will return and when He will judge and that He will bring all things to light."

It is very difficult to serve God if your source of inspiration and encouragement is purely from God's people. Very difficult! Very easy to be discouraged when 3, 4, 30, 40 people start to talk negatively about you and your ministry. Very difficult, isn't it?

I mean, it's not just your pastor, it's not just spiritual leaders, anyone understands how difficult that is. I read about how a girl committed suicide because of negative remarks on social media. It's that difficult! But as spiritual leaders, again I say, the principles are transferable for all of us in a sense. We must realize that in Christ, we are freed from this life of having to perform before men and to gain the approval and the praise of men.

Paul knows there's one Master, he will have to give an account at the end when Jesus returns.

I end with this story and it's about a couple, a missionary couple who has been serving in Africa for 50 years. Finally, they head home, they got off their ship, back in their homeland. And they were absolutely, at least the husband, he was absolutely discouraged and saddened, because after serving for 50 years in Africa, no one remembered them, no one came to receive them at the dock, at the pier.

Seeing how sad he is, the wife then said, "Dear, why are you so discouraged?" He said, "We gave our lives to the ministry and no one in church appreciated us. We are back home and nobody cared for us." To which, the wife says, "But dear, we are not home yet." And she's right, our home is there, up there. And when Jesus comes, each one will receive his commendation from God.

Let's have a longer term vision. As spiritual leaders, we don't look to the here and now. We look forward to the day Jesus says to us, "Well done, you good and faithful servant, enter into My rest."

This morning, can I do my part as an oikonomos, for some of you who are not yet Christian. The mystery of God is found in the Bible, it used to be a mystery but now it's no more, it's clearly revealed, that the solution to human sin, the solution to alienation from God is found in Jesus Christ and the cross, because the Bible tells us, there is only one way you can be saved from your sin, and that is when there is a perfect Savior who would die and pay for you.

The only person who has done that and who can do that is the Lord Jesus Christ because not only did He die, but He rose again. My friends, my life has been changed 20 over years ago, when I repented of my sin, and believed in Jesus. He has changed my life a 180 degrees, and He can change your life. And the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus is this — whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved, if you believe in your heart, you too can be saved from your sin.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

While this is a passage that focuses on the spiritual leader, the pastor, the apostles, I hope that as followers of Jesus Christ, we too will take to heart these lessons. Whether you are CG leader, a Sunday School teacher, an usher, someone who operates the AV system, a Worship Team person, if you are serving God today, I pray He will arm you with the mindset of a huparete, to serve unseen, unknown, unheard. To be willing to labor when no one notices, to be someone who is not filled with self importance that says, "Do you know what I have done?" But one who gladly serves because Jesus gave His life for you.

I hope today that all of us, who are helping someone in the faith, either come to salvation or grow spiritually, we will be faithful oikonomos, to give the Word as it should be. No addition, no subtraction, no modification.

And I pray all of us today here at Gospel Light would not be people who are always craving for attention and applause from men, who are not so fragile when harsh words come our way. But we would look resolutely to the promise when Jesus comes, each one will receive his commendation from God. If only we can embrace these principles in the Pastor's JD, I believe we would serve Him well.

Father, thank You this morning for Your Word, and we pray that as Your Church, we would have such God-centeredness, that we will not be shaken by the winds of negativity and criticism all around. But there will be a joy, a confidence, a commitment to serve You all the days of our life.

Thank You, Your Son came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. May we follow Him well, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despised the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We also want to pray for friends who are gathered this morning, that they will understand the mystery of the Gospel. Mystery in a sense, it was previously hidden, but now fully revealed. Help them, we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

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