READ: 1 CORINTHIANS
3:4-9
The men David sent to
Nabal were disgraced; they went and returned to him empty-handed. While David
planned to take a violent action Nabal, one of Nabal’s shepherds quickly
informed Abigail of the impending doom and asked her to do something about it.
Nabal was called son of Belial because he was proud, unthankful and would not
listen to advice (1 Samuel 25:14-17). As a Heaven-bound Christian, these vices
must not be found in you. Pride attracts unpleasant events. When there is pride
in a man, demotion follows. King Saul was a very humble man. After he became
king, he felt he could disobey God. So God who gave him the Kingdom recovered
it. Some Christians, after several years in the kingdom or after becoming a
senior pastor or leader, make expectations for themselves over basic Christian
obligations.
They take the command to evangelize as strictly for younger Christians, no more for leaders. They exclude themselves from fasting, humility and respect for elders. In the process they work towards their demotion. Pride can also debase someone. It can reduce a man into an animal (Daniel 4:33). According to Luke 12:6-21, pride can bring sudden and premature death. God gave this farmer a bountiful harvest. Instead of giving God the glory, he took it, so God took him away from his harvest. Is your congregation increasing lately? If you think it is because of your strategies and therefore believe the glory should be yours, God may separate you from the harvest. Be warned.
It is not your unique methods or strategies that brought the increase. Many have tried better methods without getting your type of harvest. Our reading today makes this clear. Although one plants and another waters, their efforts remain futile until God gives the increase. It is foolishness for the one made by God to be marred by Him. Never receive glory for progress made in life. God will judge ‘glory thieves.’
They take the command to evangelize as strictly for younger Christians, no more for leaders. They exclude themselves from fasting, humility and respect for elders. In the process they work towards their demotion. Pride can also debase someone. It can reduce a man into an animal (Daniel 4:33). According to Luke 12:6-21, pride can bring sudden and premature death. God gave this farmer a bountiful harvest. Instead of giving God the glory, he took it, so God took him away from his harvest. Is your congregation increasing lately? If you think it is because of your strategies and therefore believe the glory should be yours, God may separate you from the harvest. Be warned.
It is not your unique methods or strategies that brought the increase. Many have tried better methods without getting your type of harvest. Our reading today makes this clear. Although one plants and another waters, their efforts remain futile until God gives the increase. It is foolishness for the one made by God to be marred by Him. Never receive glory for progress made in life. God will judge ‘glory thieves.’
MEMORIZE: 1
CORINTHIANS 3:6 –I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
