Bits and Pieces: The Church As God's Field

"What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, God was causing the growth. For we are God's fellow-workers; you are God's field, God's building," (I Corinthians 3:5,6,9).

* Rather than objects for worship or partisan allegiance, Paul saw himself, Apollos, and the other leaders as fellow-workers in the field known as the church. As God's field, our hearts are the cultivated soil which is designed to bear spiritual fruit. Only as we keep clean, continually uprooting the weeds of sin, will the Lord bear His fruit through us.

* Far from being the causes of division in the Corinthian fellowship, Paul, Apollos, and the others wanted to see spiritual unity and growth in God's field. Trouble is, the soil of believers' hearts is infested with sin and self. We would do well to obey Hosea 10:12-- 'SOW WITH A VIEW TO RIGHTEOUSNESS,
REAP IN ACCORDANCE WITH KINDNESS;
BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND,
FOR IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD
UNTIL HE COMES TO RAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS ON YOU.'

* Paul refers to us as God's field. Just as physical soil is only as fruitful as it is receptive to the seed planted, so the soil of our lives is only as fruitful as our hearts are receptive to the Word. How we need to continually ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any fallow ground in our lives which needs His breaking work.