Love Endures Forever pt. 5

In this message, Pastor Josh continues the Love Endures Forever series from 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul reminds the church that it’s not about who plants or waters, but about God who makes things grow. Pastor Josh speaks personally and honestly about insecurities, control, and the kind of foundation we’re building our lives on.

Planting, Watering, and God’s Growth

The Corinthians were divided by preferences for leaders—Paul, Apollos, Peter. Paul responds: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” Pastor Josh noted, “You can have your favorite pastor—Joshua Choi, John Piper, Francis Chan—but you can’t turn that into an excuse to oppose others. We are on the same team.”

He then made it personal: “As a pastor, I’ve wanted people to like me. I’ve wanted to lead a big church so people would respect me. At conferences the first question pastors ask is, ‘So how many people come to your church?’ That messed with me for years. But Paul is right—it’s not about me. It is God who makes things grow.”

Letting Go of Control

Pastor Josh pressed into how this applies to our lives:

• Parents: “Do not think you control your children’s future. The more you think you do, the further away you push them. Trust and pray, ‘God, they are Your children.’”
• Married couples: “Don’t think your personality keeps your spouse with you. It is God protecting and covering you.”
• Shepherds: “Do not take it personally when people leave your house church. They are God’s flock, not yours.”

“Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. That truth has set me free.”

Building on the Right Foundation

Paul compares the Christian life to a building project. The foundation is Jesus Christ, and everything else is built on top. Some build with gold, silver, and precious stones; others with wood, hay, and straw. Both might look impressive on the outside—but fire reveals what lasts.

Pastor Josh gave a sobering reminder: “You can build a ministry, a marriage, even a life that looks strong on the outside but burns away in the end. Only what is built on Jesus lasts.”

He challenged the church to think about how easy it is to build on the wrong things:

• A marriage built on romance or financial security.
• A career built on success or recognition.
• A ministry built on performance, numbers, or popularity.

“All of these,” he warned, “are like straw. They may look shiny for a while, but when the fire comes, they won’t last.”

Instead, he urged us to build with what endures: faith, love, prayer, and obedience to Christ. “When you sing, preach, or serve, don’t just do it for approval. Do it out of love for Jesus. That is gold. That is silver. That will remain.”

He recalled visiting ruins in Turkey where buildings had crumbled, but the foundation was still visible after thousands of years. “That’s your life,” he said. “Everything else may collapse, but if your foundation is Christ, it stands.”

“Marriage will not complete you.

Ministry cannot be your foundation.

Only Jesus Christ. Build with gold that lasts, not straw that burns.”

More Than Performance

Pastor Josh confessed moments of discouragement: when people he married promised, “We’ll come to your church!”—but never did. Or when people left and it felt like rejection: “It almost feels like they’re saying, ‘I hate you.’ I had to pray not to take it personally.”

Yet he came back to Paul’s assurance: “We are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the question is simple: what foundation is your life, your marriage, and your ministry built on? The world measures success by numbers, money, or applause—but God measures by faithfulness and love. As Pastor Josh reminded us, “Even if you do everything right, if it is not built on Jesus, it will all wash away.”

Let us be a church that builds with what lasts: Christ Himself and the love that endures foreve