“For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:9
I love this short verse and the way it summarizes, one, followers of Christ and particularly leaders in the church described as fellow workers with God. I love that. God’s fellow workers. So we work with each other, but not just with each other, we work with God. God uses us in His church to accomplish His work. That’s an awesome thought. Just soak that in today in your life and the lives of others around you. You are God’s fellow worker, you are working with God alongside others for the spread of His grace and His glory in the world.
So we are God’s fellow workers. You … Paul is talking to the church here at Corinth. He says, “You are God’s field, God’s building.” So both these images, rich imagery. God’s field, we’ve already seen in 1 Corinthians 3 how Paul planted, Apollos watered. God gave growth. You’ve got this picture of a field. Just picture of a field where seeds have been sewn, fruit is coming up in all kinds of ways.
All for the Glory of God
May local churches be fields that are flourishing for Your glory. Buildings constructed in every way according to Your Word for the display of Your glory. Make us to be what You desire for the spread of Your glory in the world.
So the church is God’s field, a place where gospel seeds have implanted, lives have been changed, fruit has been born, is flowing from this field. What a great picture of the church. And then God’s building. So God constructs His church. The church is like His building, which we’ll see right after this in other podcast episodes where we see Christ as the foundation of that building. So you’ve got this image, fellow workers, a field, a building to show what the church is like.
1 Corinthians 3:9 Prays for Churches and Church Leaders
And so with these images in mind, let’s pray for our churches and for the leaders in our churches based on 1 Corinthians 3:9. God, first, we praise You for the privilege of being in Your field, in Your building. We deserve to be cast out from Your presence, separated from You, enduring the holy judgment we deserve. The fact that right now we are praying as part of Your field where Your gospel has been planted in our hearts and it’s bearing fruit in our lives. The fact that we’re a part of Your building, that You are constructing. Yes, God. Thank You. God, thank You. Thank You.
And we pray that our churches would be fields that are flourishing for Your glory and buildings that are constructed in every way according to Your Word for the display of Your glory. God, make us the field, make us the building You desire for us to be in our churches we pray. And God, we praise You for workers in the church. Not just those who are maybe on staff at a church, but God, the brothers and sisters who You’ve brought together who were co laboring as sons and daughters of You. Who are co laboring in the work that You have called us to in Your church.
1 Corinthians 3:9 Thanks God for the Privilege of Knowing Him
God, we praise You for the privilege of being Your fellow workers, for what that means in relationship with You, for the fact that we work with You. That You work with us, in us, through us. What a joy. God, there’s no greater joy than knowing You and working with You, and being used by You. So yes, God, use us however You want. Help us to work faithfully with You and with one another as fellow workers.
We know that the problem there in Corinth was they were not working well together, help us to work well together as brothers and sisters in Your family. As our Father, help us we pray to honor You with the way we work alongside one another and ultimately alongside You. We pray that You’d help us to be faithful fellow workers in Your field, in Your building called the church. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
