Sermon: Go to the Thirty

Sermon Date: 6/29/2025

Bible Verses:

• 1 Corinthians 3:1–17
• Matthew 9:35–38

Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley

Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new-beginning

Introduction:

There comes a time in every believer’s life when we need to grow up—not just in knowledge but in purpose. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for still needing milk when they should be eating solid food (1 Cor. 3:2). Why? Because immature believers are still focused on themselves. Mature believers are focused on the harvest.

And today, God is calling us not just to care for the one, but to get ready for thirty.

1. From Milk to Mission (1 Corinthians 3:1–3)

📖 1 Corinthians 3:1–3

Paul opens this section of his letter with a sobering rebuke:

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” (v. 1)

He’s not saying they aren’t saved—he’s saying they haven’t grown. They’re still acting like spiritual babies, needing milk when they should be eating meat. Why? Because there’s jealousy, strife, and a me-centered faith at work in their hearts.

They're more concerned with who’s better, who’s in charge, and how they feel, than they are with God’s mission.

You can’t care about the harvest if you're still fighting in the nursery. You can't reach the lost when you're still nursing old offenses. You won’t step into God’s calling if you’re still stuck in petty comparison.

Spiritual Maturity Means Missional Readiness

Growth in Christ is not just about gaining knowledge or feeling more spiritual—it's about becoming usable for His mission. Spiritual infants ask:

• “Am I being fed?”
• “Did I like the worship?”
• “Did that sermon make me feel good?”

Mature disciples ask:

• “Who can I feed?”
• “How can I worship with my life?”
• “Did that word equip me to go out and make disciples?”

 

Application Questions:

• Are you still feeding only yourself, or are you feeding others? → Are you seeking out the Word just for comfort, or also for equipping? → Do you share what you learn, or hoard it for yourself?
• Are you content to be comforted, or are you ready to be commissioned? → Have you settled for being a cared-for church member, or are you stepping into your role as a sent one, a laborer in the field?

Challenge:

It’s not enough to attend church—we’re called to be the Church. It’s not enough to drink the milk of encouragement—we need the meat of responsibility. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, the next step isn’t “more comfort.” It’s more courage. It’s time to move from milk to mission.

2. God Makes It Grow (1 Corinthians 3:6–9)

📖 1 Corinthians 3:4–9

Paul continues by addressing another issue in the Corinthian church: division over leadership.

“For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human?” (v. 4)

They were treating human leaders like saviors, and missing the fact that it is God who gives the growth.

Paul says:

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (v. 6) “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (v. 7)

The Mission Is Bigger Than the Messenger

We all have a role to play—some plant seeds of truth, others water with care and discipleship. But we are not the Savior. We are not the source of power. We are not the reason anything grows.

God alone gives the increase.

That means:

• We don’t boast in our results.
• We don’t despair if we don’t see immediate results.
• We don’t compete—we cooperate.

Faithfulness Over Fame

Your job is not to make it grow—your job is to plant and water faithfully. God’s job is the fruit.

This frees us from:

• Fear – “What if I fail?”
• Pride – “Look what I did.”
• Discouragement – “Nothing’s happening.”

God is working, even when you don’t see it. Sometimes the seed is growing underground. Your job is to show up and sow.

Application Questions:

• Are you trying to control the outcome, or are you being faithful in your role? → Are you trusting God with the results, or measuring your worth by visible success?
• Are you planting and watering, or just watching and waiting? → Are you engaged in God’s work, or sitting on the sidelines hoping someone else will do it?

Challenge:

Stop comparing. Stop competing. Start planting. Start watering. God is the Master Gardener. You just need to pick up the shovel and work t