1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 I'm thankful to be here and to talk to you about today's text. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,000 What's the toughest job you ever had? 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:14,000 You don't have to tell me all at once, just think about it. 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,000 I am going to be transparent with you about some of the jobs I 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,000 had. 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 You may think less of me but that's okay. 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,000 We'll figure it out together. 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,000 But one of the toughest jobs I ever had was a telemarketing 9 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:28,000 job. 10 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Can you believe that? 11 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,000 I was one of those guys. 12 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Before they were robots, they were college kids. 13 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Okay. 14 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:39,000 And I worked at a place called Apex Marketing and we tried to sell 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,000 people weekend getaways at a resort so they could go through 16 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,000 another sales presentation for timeshare. 17 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,000 You guys want to? 18 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:51,000 Yeah. 19 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Oh. 20 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Yes. 21 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,000 That was not, that was a hard, what I'm trying to bring up is 22 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,000 that was a hard sell, right? 23 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,000 It was hard to make sales doing that. 24 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,000 That was one sales job I had. 25 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Another sales job I had was I worked at a tuxedo rental place. 26 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,000 It was called Savvy Formal Wear. 27 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,000 And I, yeah, that was a good name. 28 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,000 I think it was fun. 29 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,000 And I would wear tuxedos, you know, and not every day, but we 30 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:27,000 would sell tuxedos and that was an interesting job. 31 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,000 The last thing that Brides think about are tuxedos and the last 32 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,000 thing that the guys think about are tuxedos, they all got to 33 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:35,000 get it. 34 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,000 I also sold discount furniture for a while and that was a good 35 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:40,000 sales job. 36 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,000 I got to connect it. 37 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,000 That was a lot easier than others. 38 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:48,000 The toughest sales job I ever had was convincing Megan Jennings 39 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,000 to marry me. 40 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,000 That was the toughest one. 41 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,000 So you know I can do a little bit with sales. 42 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,000 And she said yes, so that worked out. 43 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,000 But so yeah, sales is a thing. 44 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,000 I don't think of preaching as sales in that sense. 45 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000 I know I'm preaching today. 46 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,000 Sales is about somewhat serving an audience. 47 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,000 It's also about there is a persuasion. 48 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,000 There is convincing. 49 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:20,000 And I'm not trying to sell you something today, but I am trying 50 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,000 to convince you of something because that's what the text is 51 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,000 doing. 52 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,000 We are studying the book of 1 Corinthians. 53 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,000 Did you come today to learn something from the Bible? 54 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,000 I hope you did. 55 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Turn your Bible to 1 Corinthians if you are not already there. 56 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Chapter 4. 57 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:38,000 And today I'm not trying to sell you something. 58 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,000 I'm trying to convince you of what this text is saying and why 59 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,000 that seems to be kind of a tough sell. 60 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Why today's text is a little bit of a tough sell. 61 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,000 It's because it's in some ways very paradoxical. 62 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,000 How many of you have heard of the term paradox? 63 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,000 You know what a paradox is. 64 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,000 A paradox is something that seems to be contradictory at first 65 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,000 or seems to not be true at first, but when investigated and thought 66 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,000 all the way through, it's true. 67 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,000 I'll give you some ideas. 68 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Like for instance, pain and discomfort and training. 69 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Who likes pain and exercise? 70 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Right? 71 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:16,000 Anybody here like pain? 72 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:17,000 Okay. 73 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,000 Who likes to exercise? 74 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Right. 75 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,000 Like three of you. 76 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Right. 77 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,000 Correct. 78 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:24,000 Nobody loves it, right? 79 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:30,000 But pain and discomfort and training done consistently will 80 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,000 lead to less pain and discomfort and aging. 81 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,000 Okay? 82 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,000 That's true. 83 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,000 In a sense. 84 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Think about like, think about how weird it is. 85 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,000 I'm going to a building and they have a bunch of weight sitting 86 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,000 there and I'm going to pick them up and then I'm going to put them 87 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,000 down. 88 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,000 And then I'm going to pick them up again and I'm going to put 89 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,000 them down and I'm going to pay them to go pick them up and put 90 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:55,000 them down. 91 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,000 Are you with me? 92 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,000 I'm going to go to this place and I'm going to run on a thing 93 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,000 even though I could, and I try to get the first spot to go into 94 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,000 the place because I don't want to walk far. 95 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:13,000 To go in there and walk on the, it seems weird, right? 96 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,000 So at first it seems like why would you do that? 97 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 But people that do that with discipline, it's better for them. 98 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Who agrees it's better for you if you actually, I'm not convincing 99 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,000 you. 100 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,000 See, it's a paradox. 101 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,000 Right. 102 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,000 Dave Ramsey says this, if you've listened to his radio show, if 103 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,000 you're writing a book, live like no one else so that later you can 104 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,000 live like no one else. 105 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:39,000 You get the idea. 106 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,000 It seems weird to say I have the money to spend. 107 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,000 I don't spend all my money, but the truth is you shouldn't spend 108 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,000 all your money. 109 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:51,000 You should save some of your money so that later you can have. 110 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,000 I notice that when I have it, that's good. 111 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Right. 112 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Here's another one. 113 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Here's one true about relationships. 114 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:04,000 In relationships, this may be like new to you. 115 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,000 Okay. 116 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:10,000 Good relationships are good because of trust. 117 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,000 You with me? 118 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,000 It's better to trust than not to trust. 119 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,000 If you want to have a good relationship, you got to trust. 120 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,000 But trust only happens when there's a risk. 121 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,000 Are you with me? 122 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,000 There's a risk involved, right? 123 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:30,000 And so trust comes with a risk as a cost, but there's no intimacy 124 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,000 without trust. 125 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 So if you want to be close to somebody, you have to be vulnerable 126 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:37,000 to them. 127 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,000 There has to be some element of risk. 128 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:40,000 Does that make sense? 129 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,000 So it seems paradoxical, but it's true. 130 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,000 There paradox is in the Bible, for instance. 131 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,000 Salvation is free to us. 132 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,000 Who's glad for that? 133 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,000 Salvation is free. 134 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:58,000 I can look at anybody who's ever lived and say, God loves you. 135 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,000 I can say, Jesus Christ died for you. 136 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,000 It's free to us, but it cost him everything. 137 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:08,000 And while salvation is free, discipleship and Christ likeness 138 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,000 come at a cost. 139 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,000 Okay? 140 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,000 Jesus says, if any man come after me, let him take up his cross 141 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,000 and follow me. 142 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Okay? 143 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,000 So while salvation is free, discipleship has a cost. 144 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,000 It's expensive, but it's worth it. 145 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,000 It's worth it. 146 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Here's another one. 147 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Jesus said, those who gain their life will lose it, but those 148 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,000 who lose themselves, for my sake, in the Gospels, the same shall 149 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,000 find it. 150 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,000 Humility and giving up your rights. 151 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,000 Here's another one. 152 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,000 Humility and giving up your rights can lead to harmony and 153 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,000 incredible relationships. 154 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,000 But pride in demanding my rights can kill relationships. 155 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,000 Again, at first it seems counterintuitive, but it's true. 156 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:04,000 Honor and glory come by way, Jesus taught us, of humility and 157 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,000 service. 158 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,000 You know, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall 159 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,000 lift you up. 160 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,000 So in today's text, it's kind of paradoxical. 161 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,000 If you, at the end of this sermon, you're going to look at the 162 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,000 three points that I give you and you're going to go, yeah, that 163 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,000 kind of is a hard sell. 164 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,000 Because if you just read them out there and what Paul is trying 165 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,000 to tell these Corinthians to do, it doesn't seem super marketable. 166 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,000 But I'm telling you that we ought to follow what he has said 167 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000 and it is so worth it. 168 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:42,000 Paul is calling on the church at Corinth and then by implication 169 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:47,000 us to live differently than the way they were living. 170 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,000 He's giving them a new way to think about themselves, a new 171 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,000 way to think about their leaders, and a new way to think about 172 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,000 their lives. 173 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Specifically, he's calling them to live faithfully, to live 174 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,000 faithfully as stewards. 175 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,000 Everyone say the word steward. 176 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,000 Steward, steward is someone who manages something that they do 177 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,000 not own. 178 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,000 The stewards of the gospel, he's calling them to live as stewards 179 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,000 of the gospel faithfully and as members in their local church 180 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,000 together and that faithfulness would cost them. 181 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,000 That's what he's saying. 182 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:26,000 So today the lesson is you should live in a way that costs 183 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,000 you. 184 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,000 You should live in a way that expends energy on your behalf 185 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,000 for others. 186 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,000 You should not always think about yourself. 187 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,000 You should think about others. 188 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,000 You understand why this is a hard sell? 189 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,000 They didn't like the cost, these Corinthians. 190 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,000 This is why they were acting with the wisdom of men and not 191 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:50,000 with the wisdom of God. 192 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 And Paul is calling them to think and to live to be faithful 193 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,000 stewards of the gospel and members in their church. 194 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,000 So this is the question that we're going to try to answer. 195 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,000 And it's the answer that will be hard, but in the end we'll be 196 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:04,000 worth it. 197 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:05,000 Here's the question. 198 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,000 What does it mean to live faithfully as stewards of the 199 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,000 gospel and as members in a local church? 200 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,000 Paul gives three examples of the kind of thing that it takes 201 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,000 to be a faithful steward of the gospel and of life in the 202 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:21,000 church. 203 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:25,000 Here's the first example he's asking us to command, that he's 204 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,000 telling us it's a way to live, it's a way to think. 205 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:29,000 Here's the first one. 206 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,000 Number one, end your pride. 207 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:38,000 End your pride. 208 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,000 He's pretty straightforward. 209 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,000 Verse six, I'm going to cover just the first thing. 210 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,000 And these things, brethren, so he's continuing what he talked 211 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,000 about before. 212 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000 When Paul says these things, he's referring to all that he's 213 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,000 talked about up until this point. 214 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,000 Specifically, he's speaking about how to think rightly about 215 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,000 ourselves and our leaders. 216 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:04,000 Throughout the last three chapters, Paul has, and leading into 217 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:09,000 this fourth chapter, Paul has referred to himself, to 218 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:15,000 Apollos, to Cephas, which is Peter, and then to Christ. 219 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,000 If you've been here the last few months, when we've talked 220 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:24,000 about this particular passage, he says, some say I'm of Paul, 221 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,000 I'm of Apollos, I'm of Cephas, and I'm of Christ. 222 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,000 And this is in part because that's who these people were 223 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:38,000 following as influential people and the problem was they were 224 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,000 dividing over these people. 225 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,000 Who has heard me talk about that as we preach? 226 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,000 Some people say I'm of Paul, I'm of Apollos, I'm of Cephas, 227 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,000 I'm of Christ, and they were kind of dividing over that. 228 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,000 Paul's argument against this is that the Corinthians were 229 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,000 approaching the gospel in the church in the wisdom of men and 230 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,000 not in the wisdom of God. 231 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,000 He says over and over again, he gives clear teaching that the 232 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:09,000 wisdom of God is Christ crucified, Christ crucified. 233 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,000 He had continued to use himself then, and this is what I'm 234 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,000 going to show you in these verses. 235 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,000 He continued to use himself in Apollos as examples of people 236 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:24,000 who in the end were not really anything compared to Christ. 237 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,000 And just to give you an example, 1 Corinthians 3 verse 4, 238 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000 back in the last chapter, he says, for a while one of you, 239 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,000 one meaning one of you, one of you Corinthians says, sayeth, 240 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:40,000 I'm of Paul and another I'm of Apollos, are you not carnal? 241 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 What he's saying is you're thinking fleshly, you're thinking 242 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:49,000 temporally, you're thinking in this world's way of thinking, 243 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,000 you're thinking like an unbeliever, you're thinking like 244 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,000 people who don't understand eternity and Christ and all that, 245 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,000 he did. 246 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,000 He's saying you're thinking like everybody else in the world 247 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,000 thinks. 248 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:06,000 Who then is Paul and who is Apollos? 249 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:11,000 But ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to 250 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:18,000 every man, I have planted Apollos watered, but who? 251 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,000 God gave the increase. 252 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000 In terms of the gospel, in terms of the church, who's 253 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,000 important? 254 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,000 God's important. 255 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Without God, none of this happens, right? 256 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:38,000 And so we don't need to divide up over which guy we like. 257 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:42,000 The guy we all should like is God. 258 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Jesus is number one. 259 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Everybody is far down the line past that, right? 260 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,000 So he's continuing to teach them and to get them to see 261 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,000 leadership the way God sees it. 262 00:12:54,000 --> 00:13:00,000 All of us at best, if you're one of us, raise your hand. 263 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,000 Yeah, all of us. 264 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,000 What does all mean? 265 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,000 All. 266 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:10,000 All of us at best are just stewards of God's gospel and God's 267 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,000 gifts. 268 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,000 The gifts of the Holy Spirit. 269 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,000 In the end, anything good that happens happens because God 270 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 uses us as we are faithful to him. 271 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,000 But in the end, he's the one that does it. 272 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,000 He's the one that does it. 273 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,000 What's required of us then? 274 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Well Paul tells us in verse 2 in the same chapter, chapter 4. 275 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:36,000 Let a man, so how should we think about these apostles, 276 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,000 these leaders, how do we think about them? 277 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,000 Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ. 278 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,000 You know what that means? 279 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 We are slaves to Christ. 280 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,000 We are servants of Christ. 281 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,000 That's who we are. 282 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,000 Who's in charge? 283 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,000 Christ is in charge. 284 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,000 So when you're dividing up over us, you're just like, which of 285 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,000 the servants that are like me that owe everything to God, by 286 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,000 which God does things through, which one of those are we? 287 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,000 We are in some way of think. 288 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,000 All of us at best are stewards. 289 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,000 Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ. 290 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,000 Stewards of the mysteries of God. 291 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:17,000 Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. 292 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,000 So Paul gets through all of that. 293 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,000 So that's the things he says. 294 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,000 Now let's go back to the verse. 295 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:27,000 I have in a figure, he says, and these things, brethren, I have 296 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,000 in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your 297 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,000 sakes. 298 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,000 You know what he's saying? 299 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,000 He's saying, I have decided to keep referring to Paul and 300 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Apollos, and I'm doing it so that you get something. 301 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,000 What he's saying is, what Paul's saying is that he has been 302 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,000 using himself and Apollos as examples of these truths for 303 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,000 the Corinthians. 304 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,000 If the leaders, think about this, if the leaders that they were 305 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:59,000 dividing over have a humble and right view of themselves, 306 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:04,000 meaning God's everything and we're nothing, then we're just 307 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,000 stewards, then the followers of these leaders must have a 308 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,000 humble view of themselves. 309 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,000 Do you get it? 310 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:16,000 If this, I think it's hanging, falling out. 311 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,000 If this is, let's go over here, where's Corey? 312 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:28,000 Okay, if this is Team Corey and this is Team Dave Fawcett and 313 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:35,000 this is Team Miles and this is Team Ben, okay, whoa, almost 314 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,000 died, okay. 315 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,000 If we were literally divided up by that, right, and we're 316 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:46,000 fighting with each other based on who we like in the church, 317 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,000 okay, who thinks that would be bad? 318 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,000 Because I love all these people, right? 319 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,000 If these guys were to stand up in front of all these factions 320 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 in the church and say, it's not about me. 321 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,000 And he's saying, yeah, it's not about him or me. 322 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,000 And Dave's like, it's not about me, and Corey's like, it's not 323 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,000 about me, and Miles is like, it's kind of about me. 324 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,000 No, I'm joking. 325 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 If we're all saying, guys, stop fighting, it's not about us, 326 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 it's about Jesus, then don't you think that they don't have 327 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,000 really an excuse? 328 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,000 That's what he's trying to say. 329 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:25,000 He's saying, you guys have no, I keep using ourselves as 330 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:29,000 examples of people that are just being used by God because 331 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,000 that's all we are, and if we think in this way about us, you 332 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:36,000 need to think that way about you. 333 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,000 That's what he's saying. 334 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,000 You hear that? 335 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,000 That's snow coming off the dome. 336 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,000 Okay, I'm glad it's not in here, amen. 337 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Yeah, okay. 338 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Hey, by the way, I just want to say, we've got a great 339 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,000 maintenance staff around here. 340 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:58,000 Jeff Couples, Rhonda, Bill Baer volunteers all the time. 341 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,000 Bill was out here volunteering. 342 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,000 He did the twice this week. 343 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,000 He cleared out the parking lot. 344 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,000 Aren't you glad for that? 345 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,000 That's awesome. 346 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,000 That's awesome. 347 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:16,000 So what Paul's saying is, here's the point. 348 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 If I had a figure transferred to myself and to Paul's for 349 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,000 your sake, here's why I'm doing it. 350 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,000 That you might learn in us not to think of men above that 351 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,000 which is written. 352 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,000 So what he's saying is, I don't want you to think higher of us 353 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,000 than what the Bible says about us. 354 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,000 Okay? 355 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,000 I want you to think about your leaders the way that God 356 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,000 thinks about your leaders. 357 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,000 Then no one of you be puffed up. 358 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:48,000 Puffed up means prideful, arrogant, me before you, 359 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,000 instead of you before me. 360 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000 The whole reason I'm using myself as an example is not to 361 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,000 promote myself. 362 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,000 It's literally the opposite, Paul says. 363 00:17:55,000 --> 00:18:00,000 I'm trying to get you guys to stop fighting. 364 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Put everybody, put everybody else, don't be puffed up one 365 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,000 against another. 366 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,000 See, we respect our leaders but we don't go beyond what 367 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,000 Scripture says about them. 368 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,000 We all should see ourselves as stewards of the mysteries and 369 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,000 gifts of God. 370 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,000 The word here for above has the idea of beyond or more than. 371 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,000 He says, I don't want anybody to think of themselves beyond or 372 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,000 more than what, it's not got a boundary, more than what God 373 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,000 thinks about them. 374 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,000 Paul says, I've been telling you that I have nothing more than 375 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,000 a steward of what God is doing so that your pride will end. 376 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,000 We boast in Christ, nothing more. 377 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,000 We preach the wisdom of God. 378 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,000 Christ crucified. 379 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:42,000 Why did he die? 380 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:47,000 Because we, including me, including any other leader, we are 381 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,000 sinners. 382 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,000 But we've been saved by the grace and mercy of God. 383 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,000 Why do we have the ability to lead and minister in the 384 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:58,000 mysteries of God? 385 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,000 Only because of Christ. 386 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,000 The gospel is His. 387 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,000 The gifting He gives to ministers are His. 388 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,000 We are just stewards of everything that we have. 389 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,000 He goes on to make this point with some questions. 390 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,000 So here's the question. 391 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,000 Look at verse seven. 392 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,000 For who maketh thee to differ from another? 393 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:24,000 What makes Justin different than Robbie? 394 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Different than Chris? 395 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,000 Different than Megan? 396 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,000 Who does it? 397 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,000 God does it. 398 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000 There are two ways to take this question. 399 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,000 First it could be what makes you better than anyone else? 400 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:42,000 If all of us are, all of us, any of us are people who have been 401 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,000 saved and gifted by God. 402 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,000 Another way to think of it is who do you think you are to be so 403 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:48,000 puffed up? 404 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,000 What kind of self-delusion makes you think you can judge someone 405 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,000 else and make yourself better than them? 406 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,000 That's what he's asking. 407 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,000 The answer is I'm in the same position as everyone else who 408 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,000 is in the same position. 409 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000 That's the answer. 410 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000 Who makes you to differ from one another? 411 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,000 The only difference that comes between me and is all because of 412 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,000 God. 413 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,000 Look at the next question. 414 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:16,000 And what has thou, thou didst not receive? 415 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,000 What does that mean? 416 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,000 Anything good I have came because of God. 417 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:24,000 Right? 418 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,000 Who gave you life? 419 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,000 Okay, this is not hard. 420 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:30,000 I want everybody to answer. 421 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,000 Ready? 422 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:32,000 Who gave you life? 423 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,000 Who gave you salvation? 424 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Yeah. 425 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,000 Who gave you spiritual gifts? 426 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,000 Who put you where you are? 427 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:42,000 You get a trend. 428 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,000 What makes you different? 429 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,000 Who is the only one that would make you different from somebody 430 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,000 else? 431 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,000 God. 432 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:51,000 Now if thou didst receive it, he says, why does thou glory as 433 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,000 if thou didst not receive it? 434 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,000 Why are you acting like, man, God is lucky to have me. 435 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,000 Lucky to have me. 436 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:03,000 Recognize the skills. 437 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:09,000 Right? 438 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:13,000 The breath in my lungs comes from God. 439 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:18,000 I don't have a right to be prideful. 440 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,000 You know what that sounds a lot like? 441 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,000 Ephesians 2.8. 442 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,000 Four by grace. 443 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,000 Are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves? 444 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,000 It's a gift of God. 445 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,000 Not of works lest any man should boast. 446 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,000 You guys are on it. 447 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,000 Faith is not a work. 448 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,000 Receiving Christ and all that comes from Him is not something to boast in. 449 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,000 Again, it's grace. 450 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,000 What's Paul trying to get them to do? 451 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,000 He's trying to get them to end their pride. 452 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:51,000 Because their pride is what was causing the division in the church. 453 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:55,000 And pride is a wrong way to think about yourselves. 454 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,000 I love that song we sing. 455 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,000 It's kind of a new hymn. 456 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000 My worth is not in what I own. 457 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,000 Right? 458 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Two wonders here that I confess. 459 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:09,000 My worth and my unworthiness. 460 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:16,000 My value fixed, my ransom paid at the cross. 461 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,000 What does the cross teach me? 462 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,000 What does Christ crucify? 463 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,000 What does the wisdom of God teach me? 464 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 That God loved me so much that He gave His Son for me. 465 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,000 And that I deserve death. 466 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,000 And if I get anything other than death, 467 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:36,000 it's God's grace and mercy in my life. 468 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,000 Receiving Christ and all that comes from Him is not about something to boast in. 469 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,000 It's grace. 470 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,000 When their pride ends, then the division would end. 471 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:46,000 This is what Jesus... 472 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,000 Hey, you want the attitude Jesus wants you to have? 473 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000 Here's what Jesus said in Luke 17. 474 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:58,000 But which of you having a servant plowing or feeding cattle will say to him by and by when he's come from the field, 475 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,000 go and sit down to meet and will not rather say to him, 476 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:06,000 make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thyself and serve me till I have eaten and drunkened. 477 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,000 And afterward thou shalt eat and drink. 478 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:17,000 What he's saying is it's pretty natural for the person in charge to get the people that aren't in charge to serve them. 479 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,000 Who is Jesus? 480 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,000 He is Lord. 481 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Verse 9, does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? 482 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:27,000 I try not. 483 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,000 No, that's not what happens. 484 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:30,000 So likewise ye. 485 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,000 So what's your way of thinking? 486 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,000 When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, 487 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,000 say, we are unprofitable servants. 488 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,000 We have done that which was our duty to do. 489 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,000 What's Jesus saying? 490 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:53,000 My responsibility to Jesus, to God is to obey him. 491 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:59,000 And if I obey him, even that is God's grace in my life. 492 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:05,000 There's a humility that comes when we understand that grace and mercy afforded to us by Jesus Christ. 493 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,000 So Paul goes on and gives a severe rebuke. 494 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,000 And if you don't think there is sarcasm in the Bible, check this verse out. 495 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,000 Verse 8, now ye are full. 496 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,000 Now ye are rich. 497 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,000 You have reigned as kings without us. 498 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:25,000 And I would to God ye did reign that we also might reign with you. 499 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,000 It's kind of hardcore, isn't it? 500 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000 This seems to be a sarcastic rebuke of the way that the Corinthians were acting. 501 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,000 They were all trying to have the preeminence over each other. 502 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:40,000 They were trying to use their connections to other leaders to raise their standing in the church. 503 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:46,000 Paul is confronting this pride in this verse saying that they were acting as if they were already glorified and reigning with God. 504 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:51,000 If they were truly reigning as God had planned, then Paul and Apollos would be reigning along with them. 505 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:57,000 All of this to say that the problem that the Corinthian church was dealing with was a problem of pride. 506 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,000 They all wanted the preeminence. 507 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:06,000 And to live faithfully as stewards of the gospel and members of our local church, there really is no room for pride. 508 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,000 Putting yourself first is contrary to the gospel. 509 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:15,000 It's not even how Christ lived. 510 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,000 It's not what we're called to as students. 511 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,000 We're called to faithfulness. 512 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,000 We're called to putting God first and others ahead of ourselves. 513 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,000 So what do we got to do? 514 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,000 We have to end our pride. 515 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,000 And to see ourselves rightly. 516 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:30,000 That leads us to number two. 517 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,000 Ready? 518 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:36,000 We're going to live faithfully in the gospel. 519 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:37,000 We got to end our pride. 520 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Number two, we got to know. 521 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:40,000 Number two, embrace your role. 522 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,000 Embrace your role. 523 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Verse nine. 524 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:55,000 For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last as it were appointed to death. 525 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:03,000 For we are made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men. 526 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Paul and the Corinthians were living in a Roman culture. 527 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:11,000 And in this Roman culture, they had these things called Colosseums. 528 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:15,000 And in the Colosseums, they had gladiatorial fights. 529 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,000 How many of you guys have ever seen that on TV? 530 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,000 Right? 531 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,000 Gladiators going. 532 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:31,000 And the last people they put, the last act of the whole thing, whenever they would have these gladiator fights, was the most vicious battle, essentially. 533 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 The battle that was the bloodiest. 534 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,000 The people were there to see carnage. 535 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,000 They were there to see violence, right? 536 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,000 That's why they were there. 537 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:47,000 And what Paul is saying is he's kind of referring to the position of the apostles like those gladiators. 538 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:58,000 And he says, I think that God put us last and like the gladiator that's going to give himself, that's going to die, that's what we're like. 539 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:04,000 We're made a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. 540 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,000 The grand finale of the events was the most bloody and the most gruesome. 541 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:16,000 And I want to tell you this, that all of the apostles, according to historical accounts, all of them were martyred except for John who has left, you know, the world. 542 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:23,000 Alone on a, he died naturally, but he was, what's the word I'm trying to, exile. 543 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,000 Thank you. 544 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,000 You guys should help me write my sermons. 545 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,000 Exiled, right? 546 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,000 Why was that so important? 547 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,000 One thing is they were testifying the gospel. 548 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,000 They had seen Christ. 549 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,000 They had seen the risen Christ. 550 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:42,000 But the other thing is the fact that they were willing to die for it substantiated their message, right? 551 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,000 Nobody dies for a lie that they know to be a lie. 552 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:58,000 And so these guys, he's saying, Paul's saying, my role is like the role that's ready to die. 553 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:02,000 Like many Christians being fed to the lions, fighting gladiators and being burned at the stake. 554 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:08,000 Paul says that he thinks that God appointed him to be a spectacle to appoint people to Jesus. 555 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,000 He goes on to describe his role. 556 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:16,000 And he says, we are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise. 557 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,000 Fools to the world, but wise in Christ. 558 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,000 What's the wisdom of God? 559 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,000 Christ crucified. 560 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,000 He says, he goes on, we are weak, but ye are strong. 561 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,000 Ye are honorable, but we are despised. 562 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:35,000 In the world's eyes, as they divided and promoted themselves, they would come out wiser and stronger. 563 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:39,000 In the world's eyes, as they divided and promoted themselves, they would gain more honor. 564 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,000 Paul is saying, you guys are just thinking like everybody else in the world. 565 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:48,000 The more self-reliant we become in attitude, the less we need God and the less we depend on him. 566 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:53,000 The more self-promoting we become in attitude, the less we proclaim Christ crucified. 567 00:28:53,000 --> 00:29:04,000 It's when we embrace our own weakness and acknowledge our need for God that he then can use us in ways that make much of him. 568 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,000 How many of you have ever, and I'm right here with you, I'll be the first to raise my hand. 569 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:15,000 You guys have ever been prompted to speak up for Jesus to someone that needed to hear about him, and you were scared to do it. 570 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,000 Right. 571 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,000 And me too. 572 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,000 And why? 573 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,000 Because I'm worried what the other person will think. 574 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,000 I'm worried what they may do to me. 575 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:34,000 And what Paul says is, we got to make ourselves willing to be fools for God's sake. 576 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,000 We need to be seen as weak and be willing to be seen as weak. 577 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,000 And obviously when we do that we're strong. 578 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,000 We need to be willing to be despised to embrace Godly wisdom. 579 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,000 And you know what? 580 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:52,000 This is absolutely the issue in relationships all the time. 581 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:57,000 We try to push ourselves up and put others down. 582 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:58,000 Finish the sentence. 583 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,000 My way or the highway. 584 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:05,000 If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody. 585 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:10,000 That's just ungodly. 586 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:15,000 Why are you laughing? 587 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,000 My desires are more important than your desires. 588 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,000 Me before you. 589 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,000 I want mercy and grace, but I don't want to forgive. 590 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,000 Are you with me? 591 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:33,000 These are attitudes and practices that destroy relationships, institutions, churches, businesses, and families. 592 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,000 This is the kind of attitude that makes us a poor steward of the gospel. 593 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,000 If we only minister or share the gospel when it's convenient or makes me look good, 594 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,000 then we'll not share the gospel faithfully. 595 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:47,000 If we only share when it's not going to be awkward, then we're never going to share. 596 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,000 Someone might say, but what if I'm taken advantage of? 597 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:54,000 What if they think I'm weird? 598 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,000 What if they reject me? 599 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,000 What if they hate me? 600 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,000 To those people, Paul says, we are fools for Christ's sake. 601 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,000 This leads to this final example. 602 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,000 Are you ready? 603 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,000 Have I stepped on your toes? 604 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:07,000 I stepped on mine. 605 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:12,000 Number three, endure your suffering. 606 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,000 Endure your suffering. 607 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,000 Isn't this happy? 608 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:18,000 Know your role in your pride. 609 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,000 Endure your suffering. 610 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,000 It's not very marketable. 611 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,000 It may seem discouraging, but it's right for me to deliver the mail as God sent it. 612 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:36,000 Verse 11, even unto this present hour, Paul says, we both hunger and thirst and are naked 613 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,000 and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place. 614 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,000 You know, it's another word for that. 615 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:49,000 We are homeless and labor working with our own hands. 616 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Paul says, here's his current status. 617 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:57,000 Hungry, thirsty, naked, persecuted, homeless, all while working. 618 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Right? 619 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:06,000 Does that sound like a prosperity gospel? 620 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,000 What does he get from his work from others? 621 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:13,000 He says, being reviled, we bless. 622 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,000 Being persecuted, we suffer. 623 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,000 Being defamed, we entreat. 624 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,000 What does that mean? 625 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:26,000 When they're leveraging accusation against us, we're saying, yeah, you think we're weird. 626 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,000 Come be a part of us. 627 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,000 You think this is wrong? 628 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,000 We're right. 629 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,000 Come suffer with us. 630 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,000 We bless. 631 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,000 Encourage. 632 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:39,000 Help. 633 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,000 Comfort. 634 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:41,000 We suffer. 635 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,000 Endure. 636 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,000 Patience. 637 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:44,000 We entreat. 638 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,000 Pleading with people to do right to believe the gospel. 639 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,000 And are the off scaring of all things unto this day. 640 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,000 You know what off scaring is? 641 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:59,000 It's like, we're the filth on people's shoes. 642 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:04,000 And that's exactly how some people see Christianity. 643 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,000 It's a weakness. 644 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,000 By being faithful stewards of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul's experience was suffering. 645 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:16,000 And what he did in response to the suffering, what was the response? 646 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:23,000 Blessing, endurance, and continued ministry. 647 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:28,000 I experienced so much blessing from this ministry. 648 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,000 Folks, I love you. 649 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,000 I love ministering here. 650 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,000 It's pretty much all good. 651 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,000 There's some bad. 652 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,000 There's some hard. 653 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:45,000 But it's amazing. 654 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:53,000 But there are times where anybody that's doing anything in this ministry, all of us, we're 655 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,000 called to look like a fool. 656 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:59,000 There are times when I have to tell people to do the right and biblical thing even though 657 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,000 it's going to cost them. 658 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,000 I say things like, and you should say this too. 659 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:08,000 I'm not like, this would be stupid for me to be arrogant by giving you examples. 660 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,000 I'm not trying to do that. 661 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,000 I'm just trying to give you an example of how to live this out. 662 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:16,000 To some people you say, you should forgive. 663 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,000 To which they would say, but what if they hurt me again? 664 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000 To which you say, but you should forgive. 665 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,000 But what if they hurt me? 666 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,000 You should forgive. 667 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,000 You should not leave your marriage. 668 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,000 But what if my spouse doesn't change? 669 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,000 You shouldn't leave your marriage. 670 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,000 But what if... 671 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,000 You should tell your friend about Christ. 672 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Have you been to my office? 673 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,000 Have you been to my school? 674 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,000 You know what I would have to go through? 675 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:58,000 If I start telling people about Jesus, you should tell people about Jesus. 676 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,000 You should repent of that sin. 677 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,000 It's no big deal. 678 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:03,000 You're not perfect either. 679 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,000 You should repent. 680 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,000 You should hold that person accountable. 681 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,000 What if they hate me? 682 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,000 What if they reject me? 683 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,000 You should hold them accountable. 684 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,000 And you should hold them accountable considering your own selfless. 685 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:17,000 You also be tempted. 686 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:25,000 Take the plank out of your own eye so that you can see the speck in your brother's eye. 687 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,000 What's being taught here? 688 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,000 Embrace the hard. 689 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:34,000 Embrace the suffering. 690 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,000 End your pride. 691 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,000 Embrace your role. 692 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,000 And endure your suffering. 693 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,000 Why? 694 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:48,000 What was Jesus' teaching? 695 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,000 I'm going to give you two things to end the sermon. 696 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:53,000 Jesus' teaching and Jesus' example. 697 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:54,000 Here's Jesus' teaching. 698 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,000 One of many places. 699 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,000 And he opened his mouth and taught them saying, 700 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,000 Here's the paradox. 701 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,000 Remember I said a paradox? 702 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:03,000 Here's the paradox. 703 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:09,000 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 704 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:14,000 Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 705 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:18,000 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 706 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:23,000 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. 707 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:27,000 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 708 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,000 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 709 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:34,000 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. 710 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:40,000 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 711 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,000 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you. 712 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,000 What? 713 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,000 No. Blessed are ye. 714 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:53,000 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you. 715 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:58,000 And shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name's sake. 716 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,000 Well Jesus, no that's bad, isn't it? 717 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,000 No, blessed, why? 718 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,000 Rejoice. 719 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,000 You know what that means? 720 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,000 Yes. 721 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:12,000 Am I weird? I'm weird. 722 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,000 Woo! 723 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:16,000 They're talking about me at work. 724 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,000 Yeah! 725 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,000 It's for Jesus, right? 726 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:26,000 Rejoice and be exceeding glad 727 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:32,000 for great is your reward in heaven. 728 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:40,000 For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 729 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,000 What was Jesus' teaching? 730 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,000 Think heavenly, not earthly. 731 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,000 Think with God's wisdom. 732 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,000 What was Jesus' example? 733 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:58,000 I think it's good enough just for me to read without much commentary. 734 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, 735 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:05,000 if any comfort in love, if any fellowship of the spirit, 736 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,000 if any bowels and mercies, 737 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:12,000 fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, 738 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:17,000 having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. 739 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:18,000 What does that sound like? 740 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,000 Stop fighting. 741 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,000 Get on the same page. 742 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:27,000 Let nothing...how much? 743 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Let nothing be done through strife 744 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:36,000 that's fighting, needless arguing, 745 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,000 you before me. 746 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:43,000 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory. 747 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:47,000 Popularity, me before you. 748 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:53,000 But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. 749 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,000 Look not every man on his own things, 750 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,000 but every man also on the things of others. 751 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,000 Let this mind be in you. 752 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:05,000 Which was also in Christ Jesus. 753 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,000 Who, being in the form of God, 754 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,000 thought it not robbery to be equal with God, 755 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,000 but made himself of no reputation. 756 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:14,000 What does that mean? 757 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:16,000 It wouldn't be wrong for him to claim to be God. 758 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:17,000 He did claim to be God. 759 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,000 But what did he do? 760 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,000 He gave up his rights. 761 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,000 He made himself of no reputation and took on the form of a, 762 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,000 everybody say it, servant, 763 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,000 and was made in the likeness of men, 764 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,000 the thing he created. 765 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,000 And being found in fashion as a man, 766 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:41,000 he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, 767 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:46,000 what kind of death? 768 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:47,000 Even the death on the cross. 769 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:51,000 Wherefore, here's the paradox. 770 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,000 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, 771 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000 and hath given him a name which is above every name, 772 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,000 that at the name of Jesus, 773 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,000 every knee should bow of things in heaven, 774 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,000 and things in earth, and things under the earth, 775 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:10,000 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 776 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:19,000 to the glory of God, the Father. 777 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:24,000 You can't be a faithful steward of the gospel, 778 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:33,000 and you can't function in the local body with pride. 779 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:39,000 With me before everybody else, that does not work. 780 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:44,000 You have to understand all of our role before God. 781 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,000 It's all about him. 782 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,000 It's not about us. 783 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,000 It's all about him. 784 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,000 It's all about him. 785 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,000 It's all about him. 786 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,000 No, no, no. 787 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:02,000 All of it is about him. 788 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,000 It ain't about us. 789 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:09,000 So that means sometimes we endure. 790 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:16,000 We do the hard thing because it's the right thing. 791 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,000 We do the hard thing because it's the right thing. 792 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,000 And you know how you do it? 793 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:26,000 You know that one day you're going to be rewarded. 794 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:31,000 Rejoice and be exceeding glad. 795 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:41,000 The persecution is an opportunity for reward. 796 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:46,000 You guys are like, not convinced. 797 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:50,000 It's a lot easier preach, I'll admit, than it is to live. 798 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,000 Would you pray for me? 799 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:55,000 I'll pray for you. 800 00:41:55,000 --> 00:42:01,000 Would you bow your heads and close your eyes?