Planting Churches Among the City's Poor - Volume 2

P ART I: C OACHING U RBAN C HURCH P LANTERS • 57

his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

b. The coming assessment of the quality of our works before the One who gave us our mandate

(1) 1 Cor. 3.10-15 (ESV) – According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ . Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire , and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (2) 1 Cor. 4.2-5 (ESV) – Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 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. 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 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.

F. The Reward : a representative is recognized and rewarded on the basis of his/her faithful representation of the sender.

1. The results are formally assessed and often publicly acknowledged, whether good or bad.

2. The sender acknowledges and recognizes the behavior, conduct, and product of the representative’s actions.

3. The reward and recognition corresponds to the level of faithful obedience to the task.