Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

1 Corinthians 4: 10-16

"10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. 14I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me."

VIDEO OF THE DAY

In the world of technical climbing, there is one who leads and one who follows. The one who leads has the job of getting the team of climbers up the cliff safely. He does this by "setting protection" along the way. Into one crevice, he places a cam; into another, a chalk or a wedge. And into each of these devices, the lead climber fastens the climbing rope-and, thus, the well-being of his comrades hangs on how well he has done his job. If the climb is successful, the lead climber gets the glory.

On the other hand, the climber who follows-known also as "the cleaner"-rarely gets acknowledged. He has the unheralded job of unfastening or "cleaning" the protective devices set by the lead climber so that the team can advance up the cliff. There is nothing flashy about the role he plays. Consequently, he often goes unremembered.

The role of the Christian servant is like that of "the cleaner" on a treacherous, mountain climb. If he does his job well, the whole team advances. But if he is negligent, disaster can happen. I knew a man who broke his leg on an ice climb-snapped the bone clean in two-because his cleaner had not paid attention to his job.

Paul wanted so badly for the Corinthians to take servanthood seriously, that he highlighted his own service in verses 10-13, and even admonished his readers to be imitators of him. (Verse 16)

Whether one is a "lead climber" or a "cleaner", there is no place for arrogance in the body of Christ. We are all to be servants, just as our Lord Jesus was a servant. When we get this point straight, our journey upward will be a glorious one..

QUESTIONS:

1. In the body of Christ, do you see yourself as a "lead climber" or a "cleaner"?
2. Do you know of any disasters that have happened because Christian leaders were either arrogant or negligent?
3. Think of one servant leader that you know, and list the things that distinguish his servanthood.

LIFELINE:

Discuss the ways you and your family can be servants:

¨ to each other.
¨ to the church.
¨ to your neighborhood.

joe@menatthecross.org | Men at the Cross | 1353 Lake Shore Dr. | Branson | MO | 65616