November 3, 2025 • 28 mins
What if your definition of success is the very thing stealing your joy? We open 1 Corinthians 3:5–9 and confront a timeless trap: when growth arrives, pride starts whispering that outcomes depend on our hustle. Paul resets the frame with a farmer’s picture—some plant, others water, but only God makes anything grow. That single truth relieves pressure, restores unity, and returns all glory to the One who brings life.
Walking through the Corinthian story, we dig into how churches, families, and everyday believers slip from gratitude into comparison. We talk frankly about seasons when you’ve done everything “right”—prayed, served, invited, corrected with love—and still see little change. Instead of formulas, we offer freedom: faithfulness is your assignment; results are God’s. You’ll hear practical portraits of planting and watering in real life, from unseen volunteers and praying parents to quiet encouragers who hold space for others week after week. We pull on key threads—obedience over optics, service over platform, unity over rivalry—and show how a God-centered vision heals burnout and silences the scoreboard.
We also lift up the dignity of every role. Scripture says the planter and waterer are one, and each receives a reward according to labor, not applause. That means the nursery worker, the setup team at 5:30, the friend who keeps sending hopeful texts—all of them are vital in a field God owns. Ordinary means, extraordinary grace: that’s how the Spirit builds a people, reshapes hearts, and sustains momentum without ego. If you’ve been tired, discouraged, or tempted to take credit, this conversation will help you breathe, keep going, and trust the Lord of the harvest.
If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s planting or watering, and leave a review to help others find the message. Your story might be the spark someone else needs today.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:04):
Ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence
Church for it.
Providence Church is a localassembly of followers of Jesus
Christ dedicated to helpingpeople become committed and
mature followers of JesusChrist.
Now, here's Pastor Timothy Mannteaching the word.
SPEAKER_00 (00:22):
There's one more truth that we need to focus on
if we're going to grow God's wayindividually and as a church.
1 Corinthians chapter 3.
I'm going to pick up in verse 5.
I'm going to read down throughverse 9.
Of course, the Apostle Paul waswriting to the church at
Corinth.
We're going to jump in at verse5, and I'm reading from the New
(00:45):
King James Version of the Bible.
Follow along with me as I readGod's Word.
He writes and says, Who then isPaul?
Who then is Paul?
And who is Apollos?
But ministers, through whom youbelieved, as the Lord gave to
each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, butGod gave the increase.
(01:09):
So then neither he who plants isanything, nor he who waters, but
God who gives the increase.
And now he who plants and he whowaters are one.
And each one will receive hisown reward according to his own
labor.
For we are God's fellow workers.
(01:30):
You are God's field.
You are God's building.
We'll stop here.
This is God's word that we'vejust read.
If you've ever been in ministryor been in a setting in a church
that is experiencing growth, youknow that church growth can be
exciting.
It can also be exhausting.
(01:50):
It can be exhausting.
Ask any pastor, Brother Randy, Ithink you'd say amen to this.
Ask any pastor, any ministryleader who's experienced a
season of momentum.
Growth is a blessing, but italso brings a burning.
Because he said that, not me.
(02:15):
More people brings morelogistics.
More opportunities lead togreater complexity.
New faces.
Man, I'm glad I see new faces.
Saw new faces in the firstservice.
See new faces in this service.
We've been seeing new faces justabout every week for the last
many years now.
Thank God for that.
(02:36):
New faces, how exciting is that.
But new faces bring new needs aswell.
And sometimes, as the plateswe're juggling is in the air, we
wonder, is this trulysustainable?
But there's also a deeper dangerduring seasons of growth,
(03:02):
whether in a church, whether ina family, or your own personal
walk with Christ.
There's a deeper danger, andit's not just fatigue that can
sneak in.
It's pride.
We start thinking the results,the harvest, the blessings, are
due to our hustle.
(03:25):
And we began judging success byactivity rather than
faithfulness.
And in subtle ways, we shiftfrom glory to God to look what
I've done.
And that's what happened inCorinth.
(03:46):
That's what happened in Corinth.
The church was growing, peoplewere being saved, ministries
were multiplying, and beneath itall, ego was taking hold.
The people were divided over theleaders.
Again, if you went through themidweek study with us, you know
the problems behind this, and Ididn't even read all the verses
leading into it.
Some said, I followed Paul.
(04:08):
Some said, I follow Apollos.
Some had even said, I followCephas or also Peter.
And into that rivalry, thatproblem that's happening, the
Apostle Paul, through the HolySpirit, speaks a very necessary
word.
Not to shrink their vision, notto slow down the mission, but to
(04:31):
recenter their hearts.
He says, Who then is Paul?
Who is Apollos?
But ministers through whom youhave believed, as the Lord gave
to each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, butGod gave the increase.
So the Apostle Paul says, look,you guys, you're missing the
point.
You're really missing the point.
(04:51):
It's not about us, it's notabout personalities, it's not
about platforms.
We're just servants.
God is the grower.
And this is the word that weneed in our season at Providence
as well.
We've been seeing God move.
Praise the Lord for that.
We're baptizing down at theocean today.
(05:12):
And we've baptized in roughwater before.
We'll be careful.
We've baptized in rough waterbefore.
We've got pictures that showthat, right, Pastor Danny?
Yeah.
There's a good one of him.
I'll post it on Facebook latertoday.
You can see that.
If you're in the FacebookProvenance Church Group, it's a
private group.
If you're not, you'll want tojoin just to see that picture of
(05:33):
Pastor Danny.
We're seeing God move.
I mean, there's growth, there'slife.
Isn't it good to be a part of achurch that's alive?
There's a vision for the future.
We're talking about this threeand a half year kind of
strategic mission plan.
But in all of it, we mustremember God gives the growth.
(05:55):
And that's a word for you, too.
I'm talking personally is a wordfor you.
Because maybe, maybe you're in aseason of planting seeds in your
marriage.
Maybe you're in a season ofplanting seeds in your
education, in your in yourcollege career, or your future
career, your future job,whatever you're hoping to do.
(06:17):
Maybe you're busy in a seasonplanting seeds in your children
or a friend you've been prayingfor.
Or perhaps you've been watering,you know, you've been offering
encouragement.
You've been serving quietly inthe background.
Maybe you've been showing up atProvidence, serving week after
week without seeking thespotlight, without speaking,
without seeking recognition.
(06:38):
And you're wondering, is any ofthis truly making a difference?
I want you to hear this.
You don't grow your own life.
God does.
If you're saved, if you're aChristian, God does.
You don't change hearts.
God does.
(06:59):
You don't have to manufactureoutcomes.
God brings the increase.
Now, don't take me wrong, that'snot an excuse for passivity.
It's a call to faithful action.
We plant, we water, but we do sowith humble dependence on the
(07:19):
one who gives life.
So whether we're discussing thegrowth of a church, like
Providence Church, or whetherwe're discussing the growth in
your own walk with God, theprinciple remains the same.
And it's this that our hope, ourhelp, and our harvest come from
(07:39):
one place alone.
God gives the growth.
God gives the growth.
And so in this passage, theApostle Paul really lays out for
us, just these verses we read,he lays out for us three truths
that anchor us as we pursuegospel growth.
Truths that apply to our churchas a whole, but also truths that
(08:02):
apply to each one of usindividually.
So let's look at them.
First of all, if we're going tocontinue to want to grow God's
way, first of all, verses 5through 7, we have to remember
the source.
Remember the source.
God is the one who grows.
You as an individual Christian,and he's the one who grows the
(08:26):
church.
Remember the source.
He says, Who then is Paul?
Who is Apollos?
But ministers through whom youbelieved, as the Lord gave to
each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, butGod gave the increase.
See, here's the problem.
The Corinthian believers hadlost their perspective.
Their focus had shifted from Godto people.
(08:46):
And they started treating churchleaders like celebrities,
favoring some and fosteringrivalries.
I'm team Paul.
I'm team Apollos.
Well, I'm with Cephas, Peter.
And their focus shifted from themessage to the messenger.
(09:08):
It shifted from the Lord to thelaborers.
And the Apostle Paul, inspiredby the Holy Spirit, he steps in
to set the record straight.
And he says, Who are we?
Just ministers.
Just servants.
Not superstars.
Not the source.
(09:29):
We planted, we watered, but Godgave the increase.
God gave the increase.
That word ministers in verse 5.
The Greek word here is dachanos.
It means servant.
Sometimes we use ittransliterated to refer to an
office in the church, deacon.
(09:49):
I want you to visualize, whenyou think about this word
ministers here, I want you tovisualize a table waiter.
That's what I want you to thinkabout.
A table waiter.
Not the chef, not the host, notthe source of the meal, just
someone delivering what wasprepared by another.
(10:11):
That's what the apostle Paulsays he is.
That's what Apollos is.
And that's what every faithfulgospel worker is: a servant
delivering what God alone canprovide.
That's what we are.
He goes on to say, as the Lordgave to each one.
As the Lord gave to each one.
(10:32):
So any fruit in Corinth, meaningany salvations, any baptisms,
any spiritual growth, wasn'tcaused by Paul's preaching or
Apollos' wisdom.
It was God's gift.
Grace, God's grace was behind itall.
He says in verse 5, God gavethe, I mean verse 6, God gave
the increase.
(10:54):
Paul didn't take the credit.
Apollos didn't take credit.
They understood something veryessential.
You plant the seed, you canwater the soil, but you can't
make anything grow.
That miracle belongs to God.
(11:15):
It belongs to God.
So the Apostle Paul's point issharp and it's straightforward.
And that is that the source ofall growth, whether spiritual,
whether personal, whethercongregational, is God.
And this is a very God-centeredperspective on life.
(11:37):
It's a very God-centeredperspective on ministry, on your
own spiritual walk.
The church isn't a monument tohuman effort, it's a miracle of
divine grace.
I'll tell you what I've foundout really over the years, doing
(11:58):
this a lot of years now, I'vecome to realize that God really
isn't impressed by mystrategies.
He's not.
I mean, all that's fine andimportant.
We kind of see the trends andsee what's happening health-wise
(12:18):
and all of that.
But he's not real impressed withmy strategies or your strategies
or your spreadsheets.
What brings him joy is faithfulreliance on him.
That's what brings him joy.
And this applies not only topastors and churches, but also
(12:39):
to every follower of Christ.
God is the one who nurtures yourspiritual life.
God is the one who changeshearts.
God is the one who produceslasting fruit.
So think of how freeing this is.
I mean, it's really veryfreeing.
You don't need to be the saviorof your ministry.
(13:00):
Christ already is.
That means you don't need to fixyour spouse.
You don't need to fix your kids.
You don't need to fix yourfriends.
Let me go ahead and tell you.
You can go ahead and step downfrom being the general manager
of the universe this morning.
You can just go ahead and resignthat position.
Hand it over.
(13:21):
The Holy Spirit can handle that.
Yeah.
You don't need to createrevival.
You need to be faithful.
You need to be faithful.
Your job is not to producespiritual results, it's to plant
and to nurture the word andleave the outcome to God.
(13:42):
So maybe this morning, maybeyou've been doing a lot of
planting this season.
Especially within your family.
Maybe you shared the gospel withyour children or your grandkids,
neighbors, friends, whatever.
Maybe you prayed over them andfor them when they didn't even
realize it.
(14:03):
And you've poured out love andtruth and correction and
encouragement, especially thoseof you who have children,
whether they're small or whetherthey're now adults.
And you've tried to live it outin front of them, and yet
there's no fruit.
Maybe one of them is verydistant from the Lord.
(14:24):
Or maybe they've hardened theirheart.
And I know what you're thinking.
You wonder, is it me?
Did I fail?
Will any of this seed ever takeroot?
(14:45):
Let me speak to the faithfulparent in this room.
You're not the grower, God is.
You are not the grower, God is.
You're not responsible for theharvest.
You're called to be faithful insowing and watering.
You're planting.
(15:07):
You're trusting the God of theresurrection.
And you're not alone in this.
You need to remember, we talkedabout that the last few weeks.
You're not alone.
Jesus sees every prayer, Hehears every prayer, He sees
every tear.
He sees every time you walk intoa church service like this with
a heavy heart, and yet you liftyour voice anyway.
(15:29):
Some of you lift your handsanyway.
You still praise the Lord.
So I want to say to you thismorning, keep going.
Keep planting seeds, keeppraying.
I want to remind you what theBible says in Galatians chapter
6, verse 9.
Let us not grow weary whiledoing good, for in due season we
shall reap if we do not loseheart.
(15:50):
So let me get personal.
Let me ask you.
Are you trusting God to bringgrowth?
Or are you taking on the burdenyourself to produce what only He
can?
Are you this morning measuringsuccess by visible results or by
(16:13):
daily obedience?
Or are you more focused on whoreceives the credit instead of
who is saved or who is discipledor who is encouraged and helped?
I think this is a necessarycorrection for churches during a
season of growth.
(16:34):
And I also think it's a healingreminder for individuals in
seasons of waiting.
Again, maybe you've been doing alot of planting.
You've been faithful, you'vebeen having gospel
conversations, you've beenpouring into your kids, or
you've been pouring into yourmarriage, maybe you've been
leading that study group, oryou've been praying for that
friend, or you've been sharingyour testimony, and you're still
(16:55):
not seeing growth.
Can I encourage you?
Growth doesn't always followyour schedule.
As a matter of fact, it prettymuch never does.
God's growth doesn't alwaysfollow your schedule, but God is
at work.
He's at work right now in athousand ways you can't even
(17:16):
see.
Or more.
He's at work.
And God values faithfulness.
His word never returns empty.
He always fulfills his purpose.
Now we don't always know whatthat exact purpose is.
We want to pigeonhole God tosay, well, this surely is what
(17:38):
your purpose is.
So it needs to produce theresults that I'm expecting based
on what I think your purpose is.
You're not God.
But he always fulfills hispurpose.
You might not see results today,but that doesn't mean nothing is
happening beneath the surface.
(17:59):
And when God builds his church,or he builds your life, let me
remind you, he uses ordinarymeans.
Ordinary means.
A faithful Sunday school teacherwho shows up week after week.
A simple invitation to a friend,to a neighbor.
(18:20):
A parent who prays over theirchild's bed.
A man who quietly brings hisBible to work and lives it out.
It's not showy.
It's not social media worthy,but it's fruitful.
Because you're faithful.
And because God is in it.
(18:42):
And when the fruit comes, wedon't pat ourselves on the back.
You don't build your platform.
You don't build your brand.
No, instead, we bow our kneesand we give glory to the grower.
When the fruit comes.
He says, so, verse 7, so thenneither he who plants anything,
(19:03):
nor he who waters, but God whogives the increase.
That's not false humility.
That's gospel truth.
If anything good happens throughus, if anything good happens
through you, if anything goodhappens through me, it's because
of God's grace.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter16, verse 18, Jesus said, I will
(19:25):
build my church.
I will build my church.
He didn't say you will.
He said, I will build my church.
He didn't even say, hey, let'sbuild it together.
No, he said, I will.
I will.
The cross redeemed the people.
The resurrection gives power tothe mission, and the Spirit
brings new birth.
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
(19:46):
We don't save anybody.
We point them to the one whodoes.
To the one who does.
We don't produce spiritualfruit.
We abide in the vine.
Who does?
We don't get the glory.
Jesus does.
And when we remember that,something really incredible
happens.
(20:07):
We stop trying to controleverything.
And we begin trusting in faith.
We cease comparing ourselves toothers, and we actually start
celebrating what God is doingthrough all of us.
If you're going to grow God'sway in your life and in the life
of this church, you need toremember the source.
It's God who gives the growth.
(20:30):
Second truth in this passage,verse 8.
Verse 8 says, Now he who plantsand he who waters are one.
And each one will receive hisown reward according to his own
labor.
Not only do we need to rememberthe source, we need to stay
faithful.
Because every role matters.
(20:52):
Stay faithful because every rolematters.
In verse 7, wow, in verse 7, theApostle Paul puts everything
into perspective.
Only God causes the growth.
That's a very humbling truth.
It's certainly not a diminutiveone, because in fact, now the
Apostle Paul lifts our eyes tosee how valuable each role is in
(21:12):
God's work.
He doesn't say, oh, theplanter's useless.
He doesn't say the waterer, he'sirrelevant.
No, instead, he says they areone.
United in mission, vital to themission, vital to the purpose.
And then he makes this promise.
(21:34):
He says, each one will receivehis own reward according to his
labor.
Every part matters.
Every role is vital.
And that's a word that we needto hear as providence continues
to grow by God's grace.
But it's also a word that someof you need to hear as
(21:55):
individuals.
Primarily, if you are one who'sbeen serving quietly and kind of
unseen and wondering if any ofit really matters.
He says they are one, are one.
There's no competition inkingdom work.
No competition in kingdom work.
(22:17):
The person who starts theministry and the person who
quietly sustains it, they're onthe same team.
Planters and waterers are notrivals, they are co-laborers.
They're part of the divineprocess that's much bigger than
ourselves.
The Bible says each one willreceive his own reward.
You know what that means?
(22:38):
That means God doesn't just seethe collective effort, He sees
you.
He sees you.
He sees the individual.
The one who stayed late.
The one who prayed faithfully.
The one who showed up early tohelp get things going.
(23:00):
We need about 10 or 12 men at5.30 today in the gym to set up
some tables and chairs.
Got that, Jonathan?
The point is, as though when hesays each one will receive his
own reward, you're notforgotten.
You're not forgotten.
There is a reward.
And it says according to his ownlabor.
(23:23):
That's not based on results.
It's not based on applause.
Good job.
No.
It's not even based on howvisible your service is, how
visible your ministry is.
According to your labor, Godevaluates faithfulness, not
fame.
He evaluates obedience, notoptics.
(23:44):
I think this verse really helpsus rediscover a biblical view of
success.
Because in this church and inyour life, success is not about
the size of your platform orwhatever else.
It's actually about thesincerity of your obedience.
That's what God rewards.
(24:05):
That's what he rewards.
It's not the one with the mosttalent, it's not the one with
the loudest voice.
It's not the one with thebiggest audience, but the one
who keeps sowing, keepswatering, keeps trusting, even
when no one else is watching.
And that's really good news fora church like ours, where many
of you serve in roles that oftengo unnoticed.
(24:31):
You hold babies so young parentscan hear the gospel.
You clean restrooms andclassrooms that no one thanks
you for.
I'm saying thank you right now.
Thanks, Mike.
And all the others who help.
You pray for people who maynever know your name.
(24:53):
You disciple teenagers, let's behonest, who won't appreciate it
until years later.
Say amen, teenagers.
You'll get it later.
And God observes everything.
He sees it all.
(25:14):
Nothing is wasted.
And it all starts with someoneor some someone who understands
every role matters.
Everyone matters.
So let me ask you, do you everfeel like your part in the
church isn't important?
(25:35):
Have you compared yourself oryour ministry or service or just
yourself to someone else and youfeel inadequate?
Are you considering quittingbecause no one recognizes your
efforts?
Friends, remember, God sees.
(25:55):
He sees your efforts, heobserves your efforts, he
appreciates your work, and heguarantees a reward.
You might not always see thefruit, but he's faithful to
bring it in his time.
So stay faithful and keepshowing up and keep pouring out
and keep praying and keep lovingand keep giving.
Don't believe the lie that saysit doesn't matter.
(26:18):
Because if it's done for theLord, it matters more than you
can imagine.
It matters more than you canimagine.
I love the verse in 1Corinthians 15, 58.
Therefore, my beloved brethren,be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of theLord, knowing that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord.
(26:39):
In our culture, visibility oftendetermines worth.
If you're not seen, well, you'renot important.
But I want you to understand inthe kingdom of God, the rules
are different.
God values secret prayers.
God values small acts ofkindness.
(27:01):
God values quiet endurance inyour Christian life.
The dedicated volunteer whoprays over the chairs he or she
arranges might receive a greaterreward than the preacher in the
spotlight.
God is not unjust to forget yourwork and labor of love.
(27:23):
That's what it says in Hebrews6.10.
He notices what others overlook.
And we need a church of full ofpeople who understand their role
in God's field and willingly dotheir part, not for applause,
but for the sake of the harvest.
Jesus Himself, the Bible says inPhilippians 2, took on the form
(27:45):
of a servant.
And because he humbled himself,God highly exalted him.
And so the gospel teaches usthis true greatness is found not
(28:06):
in being served, but in serving.
SPEAKER_01 (28:09):
The grass withered and the flower fades.
But the word of God standsforever.
That's Isaiah 48.
Thanks for tuning in to theFoundations of Truth podcast
with Pastor Timothy Mann fromProvidence Church in Ormond
Beach, Florida.
Join us next time.
And until then, keep buildingyour life on God's Eternal
Truth.
Ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence
Church for it.
Providence Church is a localassembly of followers of Jesus
Christ dedicated to helpingpeople become committed and
mature followers of JesusChrist.
Now, here's Pastor Timothy Mannteaching the word.
SPEAKER_00 (00:22):
There's one more truth that we need to focus on
if we're going to grow God's wayindividually and as a church.
1 Corinthians chapter 3.
I'm going to pick up in verse 5.
I'm going to read down throughverse 9.
Of course, the Apostle Paul waswriting to the church at
Corinth.
We're going to jump in at verse5, and I'm reading from the New
(00:45):
King James Version of the Bible.
Follow along with me as I readGod's Word.
He writes and says, Who then isPaul?
Who then is Paul?
And who is Apollos?
But ministers, through whom youbelieved, as the Lord gave to
each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, butGod gave the increase.
(01:09):
So then neither he who plants isanything, nor he who waters, but
God who gives the increase.
And now he who plants and he whowaters are one.
And each one will receive hisown reward according to his own
labor.
For we are God's fellow workers.
(01:30):
You are God's field.
You are God's building.
We'll stop here.
This is God's word that we'vejust read.
If you've ever been in ministryor been in a setting in a church
that is experiencing growth, youknow that church growth can be
exciting.
It can also be exhausting.
(01:50):
It can be exhausting.
Ask any pastor, Brother Randy, Ithink you'd say amen to this.
Ask any pastor, any ministryleader who's experienced a
season of momentum.
Growth is a blessing, but italso brings a burning.
Because he said that, not me.
(02:15):
More people brings morelogistics.
More opportunities lead togreater complexity.
New faces.
Man, I'm glad I see new faces.
Saw new faces in the firstservice.
See new faces in this service.
We've been seeing new faces justabout every week for the last
many years now.
Thank God for that.
(02:36):
New faces, how exciting is that.
But new faces bring new needs aswell.
And sometimes, as the plateswe're juggling is in the air, we
wonder, is this trulysustainable?
But there's also a deeper dangerduring seasons of growth,
(03:02):
whether in a church, whether ina family, or your own personal
walk with Christ.
There's a deeper danger, andit's not just fatigue that can
sneak in.
It's pride.
We start thinking the results,the harvest, the blessings, are
due to our hustle.
(03:25):
And we began judging success byactivity rather than
faithfulness.
And in subtle ways, we shiftfrom glory to God to look what
I've done.
And that's what happened inCorinth.
(03:46):
That's what happened in Corinth.
The church was growing, peoplewere being saved, ministries
were multiplying, and beneath itall, ego was taking hold.
The people were divided over theleaders.
Again, if you went through themidweek study with us, you know
the problems behind this, and Ididn't even read all the verses
leading into it.
Some said, I followed Paul.
(04:08):
Some said, I follow Apollos.
Some had even said, I followCephas or also Peter.
And into that rivalry, thatproblem that's happening, the
Apostle Paul, through the HolySpirit, speaks a very necessary
word.
Not to shrink their vision, notto slow down the mission, but to
(04:31):
recenter their hearts.
He says, Who then is Paul?
Who is Apollos?
But ministers through whom youhave believed, as the Lord gave
to each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, butGod gave the increase.
So the Apostle Paul says, look,you guys, you're missing the
point.
You're really missing the point.
(04:51):
It's not about us, it's notabout personalities, it's not
about platforms.
We're just servants.
God is the grower.
And this is the word that weneed in our season at Providence
as well.
We've been seeing God move.
Praise the Lord for that.
We're baptizing down at theocean today.
(05:12):
And we've baptized in roughwater before.
We'll be careful.
We've baptized in rough waterbefore.
We've got pictures that showthat, right, Pastor Danny?
Yeah.
There's a good one of him.
I'll post it on Facebook latertoday.
You can see that.
If you're in the FacebookProvenance Church Group, it's a
private group.
If you're not, you'll want tojoin just to see that picture of
(05:33):
Pastor Danny.
We're seeing God move.
I mean, there's growth, there'slife.
Isn't it good to be a part of achurch that's alive?
There's a vision for the future.
We're talking about this threeand a half year kind of
strategic mission plan.
But in all of it, we mustremember God gives the growth.
(05:55):
And that's a word for you, too.
I'm talking personally is a wordfor you.
Because maybe, maybe you're in aseason of planting seeds in your
marriage.
Maybe you're in a season ofplanting seeds in your
education, in your in yourcollege career, or your future
career, your future job,whatever you're hoping to do.
(06:17):
Maybe you're busy in a seasonplanting seeds in your children
or a friend you've been prayingfor.
Or perhaps you've been watering,you know, you've been offering
encouragement.
You've been serving quietly inthe background.
Maybe you've been showing up atProvidence, serving week after
week without seeking thespotlight, without speaking,
without seeking recognition.
(06:38):
And you're wondering, is any ofthis truly making a difference?
I want you to hear this.
You don't grow your own life.
God does.
If you're saved, if you're aChristian, God does.
You don't change hearts.
God does.
(06:59):
You don't have to manufactureoutcomes.
God brings the increase.
Now, don't take me wrong, that'snot an excuse for passivity.
It's a call to faithful action.
We plant, we water, but we do sowith humble dependence on the
(07:19):
one who gives life.
So whether we're discussing thegrowth of a church, like
Providence Church, or whetherwe're discussing the growth in
your own walk with God, theprinciple remains the same.
And it's this that our hope, ourhelp, and our harvest come from
(07:39):
one place alone.
God gives the growth.
God gives the growth.
And so in this passage, theApostle Paul really lays out for
us, just these verses we read,he lays out for us three truths
that anchor us as we pursuegospel growth.
Truths that apply to our churchas a whole, but also truths that
(08:02):
apply to each one of usindividually.
So let's look at them.
First of all, if we're going tocontinue to want to grow God's
way, first of all, verses 5through 7, we have to remember
the source.
Remember the source.
God is the one who grows.
You as an individual Christian,and he's the one who grows the
(08:26):
church.
Remember the source.
He says, Who then is Paul?
Who is Apollos?
But ministers through whom youbelieved, as the Lord gave to
each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, butGod gave the increase.
See, here's the problem.
The Corinthian believers hadlost their perspective.
Their focus had shifted from Godto people.
(08:46):
And they started treating churchleaders like celebrities,
favoring some and fosteringrivalries.
I'm team Paul.
I'm team Apollos.
Well, I'm with Cephas, Peter.
And their focus shifted from themessage to the messenger.
(09:08):
It shifted from the Lord to thelaborers.
And the Apostle Paul, inspiredby the Holy Spirit, he steps in
to set the record straight.
And he says, Who are we?
Just ministers.
Just servants.
Not superstars.
Not the source.
(09:29):
We planted, we watered, but Godgave the increase.
God gave the increase.
That word ministers in verse 5.
The Greek word here is dachanos.
It means servant.
Sometimes we use ittransliterated to refer to an
office in the church, deacon.
(09:49):
I want you to visualize, whenyou think about this word
ministers here, I want you tovisualize a table waiter.
That's what I want you to thinkabout.
A table waiter.
Not the chef, not the host, notthe source of the meal, just
someone delivering what wasprepared by another.
(10:11):
That's what the apostle Paulsays he is.
That's what Apollos is.
And that's what every faithfulgospel worker is: a servant
delivering what God alone canprovide.
That's what we are.
He goes on to say, as the Lordgave to each one.
As the Lord gave to each one.
(10:32):
So any fruit in Corinth, meaningany salvations, any baptisms,
any spiritual growth, wasn'tcaused by Paul's preaching or
Apollos' wisdom.
It was God's gift.
Grace, God's grace was behind itall.
He says in verse 5, God gavethe, I mean verse 6, God gave
the increase.
(10:54):
Paul didn't take the credit.
Apollos didn't take credit.
They understood something veryessential.
You plant the seed, you canwater the soil, but you can't
make anything grow.
That miracle belongs to God.
(11:15):
It belongs to God.
So the Apostle Paul's point issharp and it's straightforward.
And that is that the source ofall growth, whether spiritual,
whether personal, whethercongregational, is God.
And this is a very God-centeredperspective on life.
(11:37):
It's a very God-centeredperspective on ministry, on your
own spiritual walk.
The church isn't a monument tohuman effort, it's a miracle of
divine grace.
I'll tell you what I've foundout really over the years, doing
(11:58):
this a lot of years now, I'vecome to realize that God really
isn't impressed by mystrategies.
He's not.
I mean, all that's fine andimportant.
We kind of see the trends andsee what's happening health-wise
(12:18):
and all of that.
But he's not real impressed withmy strategies or your strategies
or your spreadsheets.
What brings him joy is faithfulreliance on him.
That's what brings him joy.
And this applies not only topastors and churches, but also
(12:39):
to every follower of Christ.
God is the one who nurtures yourspiritual life.
God is the one who changeshearts.
God is the one who produceslasting fruit.
So think of how freeing this is.
I mean, it's really veryfreeing.
You don't need to be the saviorof your ministry.
(13:00):
Christ already is.
That means you don't need to fixyour spouse.
You don't need to fix your kids.
You don't need to fix yourfriends.
Let me go ahead and tell you.
You can go ahead and step downfrom being the general manager
of the universe this morning.
You can just go ahead and resignthat position.
Hand it over.
(13:21):
The Holy Spirit can handle that.
Yeah.
You don't need to createrevival.
You need to be faithful.
You need to be faithful.
Your job is not to producespiritual results, it's to plant
and to nurture the word andleave the outcome to God.
(13:42):
So maybe this morning, maybeyou've been doing a lot of
planting this season.
Especially within your family.
Maybe you shared the gospel withyour children or your grandkids,
neighbors, friends, whatever.
Maybe you prayed over them andfor them when they didn't even
realize it.
(14:03):
And you've poured out love andtruth and correction and
encouragement, especially thoseof you who have children,
whether they're small or whetherthey're now adults.
And you've tried to live it outin front of them, and yet
there's no fruit.
Maybe one of them is verydistant from the Lord.
(14:24):
Or maybe they've hardened theirheart.
And I know what you're thinking.
You wonder, is it me?
Did I fail?
Will any of this seed ever takeroot?
(14:45):
Let me speak to the faithfulparent in this room.
You're not the grower, God is.
You are not the grower, God is.
You're not responsible for theharvest.
You're called to be faithful insowing and watering.
You're planting.
(15:07):
You're trusting the God of theresurrection.
And you're not alone in this.
You need to remember, we talkedabout that the last few weeks.
You're not alone.
Jesus sees every prayer, Hehears every prayer, He sees
every tear.
He sees every time you walk intoa church service like this with
a heavy heart, and yet you liftyour voice anyway.
(15:29):
Some of you lift your handsanyway.
You still praise the Lord.
So I want to say to you thismorning, keep going.
Keep planting seeds, keeppraying.
I want to remind you what theBible says in Galatians chapter
6, verse 9.
Let us not grow weary whiledoing good, for in due season we
shall reap if we do not loseheart.
(15:50):
So let me get personal.
Let me ask you.
Are you trusting God to bringgrowth?
Or are you taking on the burdenyourself to produce what only He
can?
Are you this morning measuringsuccess by visible results or by
(16:13):
daily obedience?
Or are you more focused on whoreceives the credit instead of
who is saved or who is discipledor who is encouraged and helped?
I think this is a necessarycorrection for churches during a
season of growth.
(16:34):
And I also think it's a healingreminder for individuals in
seasons of waiting.
Again, maybe you've been doing alot of planting.
You've been faithful, you'vebeen having gospel
conversations, you've beenpouring into your kids, or
you've been pouring into yourmarriage, maybe you've been
leading that study group, oryou've been praying for that
friend, or you've been sharingyour testimony, and you're still
(16:55):
not seeing growth.
Can I encourage you?
Growth doesn't always followyour schedule.
As a matter of fact, it prettymuch never does.
God's growth doesn't alwaysfollow your schedule, but God is
at work.
He's at work right now in athousand ways you can't even
(17:16):
see.
Or more.
He's at work.
And God values faithfulness.
His word never returns empty.
He always fulfills his purpose.
Now we don't always know whatthat exact purpose is.
We want to pigeonhole God tosay, well, this surely is what
(17:38):
your purpose is.
So it needs to produce theresults that I'm expecting based
on what I think your purpose is.
You're not God.
But he always fulfills hispurpose.
You might not see results today,but that doesn't mean nothing is
happening beneath the surface.
(17:59):
And when God builds his church,or he builds your life, let me
remind you, he uses ordinarymeans.
Ordinary means.
A faithful Sunday school teacherwho shows up week after week.
A simple invitation to a friend,to a neighbor.
(18:20):
A parent who prays over theirchild's bed.
A man who quietly brings hisBible to work and lives it out.
It's not showy.
It's not social media worthy,but it's fruitful.
Because you're faithful.
And because God is in it.
(18:42):
And when the fruit comes, wedon't pat ourselves on the back.
You don't build your platform.
You don't build your brand.
No, instead, we bow our kneesand we give glory to the grower.
When the fruit comes.
He says, so, verse 7, so thenneither he who plants anything,
(19:03):
nor he who waters, but God whogives the increase.
That's not false humility.
That's gospel truth.
If anything good happens throughus, if anything good happens
through you, if anything goodhappens through me, it's because
of God's grace.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter16, verse 18, Jesus said, I will
(19:25):
build my church.
I will build my church.
He didn't say you will.
He said, I will build my church.
He didn't even say, hey, let'sbuild it together.
No, he said, I will.
I will.
The cross redeemed the people.
The resurrection gives power tothe mission, and the Spirit
brings new birth.
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
(19:46):
We don't save anybody.
We point them to the one whodoes.
To the one who does.
We don't produce spiritualfruit.
We abide in the vine.
Who does?
We don't get the glory.
Jesus does.
And when we remember that,something really incredible
happens.
(20:07):
We stop trying to controleverything.
And we begin trusting in faith.
We cease comparing ourselves toothers, and we actually start
celebrating what God is doingthrough all of us.
If you're going to grow God'sway in your life and in the life
of this church, you need toremember the source.
It's God who gives the growth.
(20:30):
Second truth in this passage,verse 8.
Verse 8 says, Now he who plantsand he who waters are one.
And each one will receive hisown reward according to his own
labor.
Not only do we need to rememberthe source, we need to stay
faithful.
Because every role matters.
(20:52):
Stay faithful because every rolematters.
In verse 7, wow, in verse 7, theApostle Paul puts everything
into perspective.
Only God causes the growth.
That's a very humbling truth.
It's certainly not a diminutiveone, because in fact, now the
Apostle Paul lifts our eyes tosee how valuable each role is in
(21:12):
God's work.
He doesn't say, oh, theplanter's useless.
He doesn't say the waterer, he'sirrelevant.
No, instead, he says they areone.
United in mission, vital to themission, vital to the purpose.
And then he makes this promise.
(21:34):
He says, each one will receivehis own reward according to his
labor.
Every part matters.
Every role is vital.
And that's a word that we needto hear as providence continues
to grow by God's grace.
But it's also a word that someof you need to hear as
(21:55):
individuals.
Primarily, if you are one who'sbeen serving quietly and kind of
unseen and wondering if any ofit really matters.
He says they are one, are one.
There's no competition inkingdom work.
No competition in kingdom work.
(22:17):
The person who starts theministry and the person who
quietly sustains it, they're onthe same team.
Planters and waterers are notrivals, they are co-laborers.
They're part of the divineprocess that's much bigger than
ourselves.
The Bible says each one willreceive his own reward.
You know what that means?
(22:38):
That means God doesn't just seethe collective effort, He sees
you.
He sees you.
He sees the individual.
The one who stayed late.
The one who prayed faithfully.
The one who showed up early tohelp get things going.
(23:00):
We need about 10 or 12 men at5.30 today in the gym to set up
some tables and chairs.
Got that, Jonathan?
The point is, as though when hesays each one will receive his
own reward, you're notforgotten.
You're not forgotten.
There is a reward.
And it says according to his ownlabor.
(23:23):
That's not based on results.
It's not based on applause.
Good job.
No.
It's not even based on howvisible your service is, how
visible your ministry is.
According to your labor, Godevaluates faithfulness, not
fame.
He evaluates obedience, notoptics.
(23:44):
I think this verse really helpsus rediscover a biblical view of
success.
Because in this church and inyour life, success is not about
the size of your platform orwhatever else.
It's actually about thesincerity of your obedience.
That's what God rewards.
(24:05):
That's what he rewards.
It's not the one with the mosttalent, it's not the one with
the loudest voice.
It's not the one with thebiggest audience, but the one
who keeps sowing, keepswatering, keeps trusting, even
when no one else is watching.
And that's really good news fora church like ours, where many
of you serve in roles that oftengo unnoticed.
(24:31):
You hold babies so young parentscan hear the gospel.
You clean restrooms andclassrooms that no one thanks
you for.
I'm saying thank you right now.
Thanks, Mike.
And all the others who help.
You pray for people who maynever know your name.
(24:53):
You disciple teenagers, let's behonest, who won't appreciate it
until years later.
Say amen, teenagers.
You'll get it later.
And God observes everything.
He sees it all.
(25:14):
Nothing is wasted.
And it all starts with someoneor some someone who understands
every role matters.
Everyone matters.
So let me ask you, do you everfeel like your part in the
church isn't important?
(25:35):
Have you compared yourself oryour ministry or service or just
yourself to someone else and youfeel inadequate?
Are you considering quittingbecause no one recognizes your
efforts?
Friends, remember, God sees.
(25:55):
He sees your efforts, heobserves your efforts, he
appreciates your work, and heguarantees a reward.
You might not always see thefruit, but he's faithful to
bring it in his time.
So stay faithful and keepshowing up and keep pouring out
and keep praying and keep lovingand keep giving.
Don't believe the lie that saysit doesn't matter.
(26:18):
Because if it's done for theLord, it matters more than you
can imagine.
It matters more than you canimagine.
I love the verse in 1Corinthians 15, 58.
Therefore, my beloved brethren,be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of theLord, knowing that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord.
(26:39):
In our culture, visibility oftendetermines worth.
If you're not seen, well, you'renot important.
But I want you to understand inthe kingdom of God, the rules
are different.
God values secret prayers.
God values small acts ofkindness.
(27:01):
God values quiet endurance inyour Christian life.
The dedicated volunteer whoprays over the chairs he or she
arranges might receive a greaterreward than the preacher in the
spotlight.
God is not unjust to forget yourwork and labor of love.
(27:23):
That's what it says in Hebrews6.10.
He notices what others overlook.
And we need a church of full ofpeople who understand their role
in God's field and willingly dotheir part, not for applause,
but for the sake of the harvest.
Jesus Himself, the Bible says inPhilippians 2, took on the form
(27:45):
of a servant.
And because he humbled himself,God highly exalted him.
And so the gospel teaches usthis true greatness is found not
(28:06):
in being served, but in serving.
SPEAKER_01 (28:09):
The grass withered and the flower fades.
But the word of God standsforever.
That's Isaiah 48.
Thanks for tuning in to theFoundations of Truth podcast
with Pastor Timothy Mann fromProvidence Church in Ormond
Beach, Florida.
Join us next time.
And until then, keep buildingyour life on God's Eternal
Truth.
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