We're going to be continuing in the book of 1
Corinthians after the break for Palm Sunday and
Good Friday and then Easter. Coming back now
to where we left off in 1 Corinthians chapter
3. We're going to be reading today from chapter
3, verse 18 to 23. The subject today is one that
is very simple, but it's one that is emphasized
in this passage. All things are yours in Christ.
All things are yours in Christ. We begin reading
chapter 3, verse 18. Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you seems to be wise in this
age, let him become a fool that he may become
wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God. For it is written, he catches the wives
in their own craftiness. And again, the Lord
knows the thoughts of the wives that they are
futile. Therefore, let no one boast in men. For
all things are yours. Whether Paul or Apollos
or Cephas. Or the world or life or death. Or
things present or things to come. All are yours.
And you are Christ. And Christ. Is God. Let's
pray and ask God's blessing on this time. Father
we lift this time of teaching and preaching to
you. We pray Lord that you would be pleased.
To grant your spirit. I pray that I might speak
your wisdom Lord. And I pray that we would hear.
Your word Lord as it is given and understand
it. Please give us direction Lord. As we unpack
the wonderful truths that you have. In this word.
We ask this all in the name of Jesus. Amen. William
Tyndale, that great English biblical scholar
and linguist, translator, and Protestant reformer,
and the father of the English Bible, describes
the gospel like this. He says, glad and joyful
tidings that maketh a man's heart glad and maketh
him sing and dance and leap for joy. End quote.
Now he was describing the truth that Paul declares
in this passage, which reveals that the Christian
life is not one that is dour, insipid, or dull,
but neither is it the foolishness of this world.
There is a surpassing vitality, greatness, and
superiority of the Christian faith. And God's
wisdom and provision far exceed the folly of
human wisdom and the small -minded negativity
of factions within Christ's church. Why would
we settle for drinking from the polluted fountains
of this world with all of the envy and strife
and division that factions produce when indeed,
as the scripture says, all things are yours.
Or, as I will repeatedly say, because I'm including
myself in with us as the church of Christ, all
things are ours. They are ours because we belong
to Christ and Christ belongs to God. Every faithful
teacher, whether Paul, Apollos or Cephas or any
others, the world itself, life and death, the
present and the future, they all belong to us.
They are given for our benefit to be received
with gratitude toward the giver, to be enjoyed
and to be used. for God's glory and with his
blessing. Today, I'm going to first consider
this glorious major premise in verses 21 to 23.
Then in application, we're going to go back and
see how some in the Corinthian church had turned
reality upside down in their foolish pursuit
of human wisdom apart from God and in their partisan
spirit, they were missing out on the greatest
wisdom. And they created divisions that robbed
them of the full enjoyment of God's rich blessings
through the various servants that he had provided
for them. So let's begin now with our first,
and this is going to be the major point for today.
All things are yours or ours. In verse 21 to
23. He says, therefore, let no one boast in men,
for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos
or Cephas or the world or life or death or things
present or things to come, all are yours. There
is much to unpack in this simple statement. It
is very profound. He continues, you are Christ
and Christ is God. So this world -changing statement
by the apostle turns conventional wisdom and
stereotypes on their head. We have been gifted
with great blessings from God. He has showered
on us in abundance his free gifts that are given
to his people. For indeed his church, as Charles
Hodge says, the plan of God contemplates the
permanent exaltation of the redeemed. Let me
say that again. The plan of God. contemplates
the permanent exaltation of the redeemed. Paul
then goes on to describe the various kinds of
all things in four different categories. He does
first in mentioning Paul, Apollos or Cephas,
in which category is God's ministers and teachers.
Second is the world, which is the world in its
widest sense. And I'll explain that a little
more later. Then also in life and death. That's
the third category. And finally, the fourth category,
things present and things to come. Now, I want
to mention at the beginning here, at the outset,
these speak of blessings. In the midst of work,
difficulties, trials, and even persecutions.
Jesus speaks of this in Mark chapter 10 verse
29. Even as he warns his disciples about losing
their life for the sake of Christ. Hear the words
of Jesus. He says, so Jesus answered and said,
assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has
left house or brothers. or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for
my sake and the gospels. Who shall not receive
a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands,
with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal
life. So Paul is not saying here that all is
easy street. That this is just one great grand
time in which everything is ours and we can just
enjoy it? No, in no way can this be the interpretation.
This is not a prosperity gospel that proclaims
a kind of name -it -and -claim -it doctrine that
seeks, of course, always name and claim Lamborghinis
or great wealth or other such things. No, it
does speak of the trials and the hardships and
the striving for faithfulness and liberty and
virtue because God's blessing belongs to us and
not to the evildoers. And so we have great joy
in what is ours because we labor, we pray, and
we strive for it with patience for God, as the
scripture says in Romans 2 verse 6, will render
to each one according to his deeds. Eternal life
to those who, by patient continuance in doing
good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality.
But to those who are self -seeking and do not
obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation,
and wrath, tribulation, and anguish on every
soul of man who does evil, on the Jew first and
also of the Greek. And he comes back again, glory
and honor and peace to everyone who works what
is good to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
For there is no partiality with God. So let's
dig into this list of all things in order to
understand the implication of Paul's statement
more fully. The first he mentions three names.
These are the names of... faithful ministers
to the Corinthian church. They are Paul, Apollos,
and Cephas, or Peter. Now, interestingly, these
are the three names that factions had developed
around. Some said, I'm of Paul. Others said,
I'm of Peter. Others said, I'm of Apollos. And
so Paul here, very skillfully, uses these three
and says, they're all yours. They are all yours.
And so we look here and we see that God's ministers
are given as a gift to God's people. When Christ
ascended, he led captivity captive and gave gifts
to men. Now Paul uses that in the book of Ephesians
chapter 4, where he says that these gifts are
the fact that God himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors
and teachers. for the equipping of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ, till we all come to the
unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son
of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ. So get this
very carefully here. The church of Jesus Christ
is not the property of the apostles and ministers.
No. Apostles and ministers are... gifts to the
church. In other words, they belong to the church
and they're designed for its edification. The
church is not their property. It does not belong
to the ministry like a kingdom belongs to a king,
but rather the complete opposite. They are God's
gifts to the church and therefore need to be
perceived that way. This is not my domain. This
is not that the church does not belong to any
one person. It belongs to Christ. And then he
gives good gifts to bless his church. And Paul
says here, this is part of what is all yours.
The Corinthians had it all wrong. They thought
that they belonged to a particular faction led
by one of the apostles or ministers. And then
they needed to rally around their guy. This is
my guy. This is the group that I'm with. And
this and my guy is better than your guy. No,
it's Christ's church. The ministers are those
who serve by leading, by leading it well for
the sake of Christ. And they belong to the church
under Christ. When this gets turned around, Factions
develop and followers are then sought to bolster
the influence or the power of that particular
faction. A minister who seeks to cultivate this,
he might do so in order to increase his reign
or his rule and ultimately the corruption of
money, power or sex. Sometimes all three. are
used to control and manipulate the followers
and keep them in line or keep the money flowing.
And we have seen it over and over and over and
over again. Inevitably, when this gets turned
around, factions develop and corruption follows.
It always happens. Therefore, since Christ gives
ministers to his church, then we should enjoy
all that God gives to us. Some might be able
to communicate better than others, or some have
a way of helping you to understand things better
than another, but they are all yours. In this
congregation right now, we have two elders. We
have myself and Brother Ty. Now I do a good bit
of the preaching, but there are things that Ty
does that are much better than what I can do.
And it's interesting, as I'm watching, as we're
growing in this, I see that some things, they
kind of gravitate toward him and to his advice
or counsel and others to me. That's the way it
ought to be. There should not be factions at
all between us. We're all gifts that God gives.
to the church and indeed it goes even much further
than that and i'm not going to get all of this
into all of this today because it's not in this
immediate context but god gives all of you gifts
that minister to one another and to the body
so that the body as a whole is edified and blessed
and god is glorified but that's for another time
so Some communicate better than others. Others
have a way of helping you to understand things
better than another. But they're all yours. Delight
in the gifts that God gives. Now this goes further
than the local church. I think this extends also
to the broader church. And I'm going to take
it and push it out there a little bit further.
Within our own denomination, the communion of
Reformed evangelical churches, there are some
pastors that are well -known in evangelical circles,
and they have differing gifts and abilities in
their speaking and writing. And I'm going to
use some names, not to lift them up, but just
to use them as an example. So there's Douglas
Wilson and Peter Lightheart. They are both known
around the world and are well -regarded by many.
I have benefited from both of them and I have
disagreed on points with the both of them, which
is often the way that it is because we're all
human. But they are both ours to enjoy as God's
ministers in our communion. We look to them as
fathers and as ministers and as helps that help
in the larger body as a whole. But we should
not develop factions around them. Or neither
should we around any others that are more prominent
around, say, like Joe Rignier, Uri Brito, or
Randy Booth, or Steve Jeffrey, or Rich Lasker,
or many others. No, they're all God's ministers
to be used in their respective churches, and
they are also of greater benefit to the communion
as a whole. And we appreciate that. They're all
ours. All of them contribute greatly to the health
and to the vitality of our congregation. but
they are servants of Christ, and there should
be no factions around them. Now in the broader
Reformed world, I would say the same thing. We
have benefited greatly by the preaching and the
teaching or the writing ministries of R .C. Sproul
or of Sinclair Ferguson or of John MacArthur
and Votie Bauckham and Scott Brown and going
back in history of Charles Spurgeon and the Puritans
and Charles Hodge and John Williamson Nevin and
Philip Schaaf and I could just go on and on.
Nick Needham has done some excellent work in
his wonderful series on 2 ,000 years of Christ's
power. If you want a great four -volume set of
church history, I would recommend that one. Dr.
Beakey, Joel Beakey, has done the church a great
service in reprinting many old books. We have
a few here. And he has taught all over the world
on faithful Christian living and theology and
on familial and personal piety. Then there's
many others. There's John Piper and there's...
We could just list a whole bunch of different
people. Men who are faithful Christian men. They
do not 100 % completely agree with one another,
nor do I agree in everything with them. But they
are all ours. They are God's good gifts to the
church. And we receive that as God's gifts. Rather
than pitting them against each other, let us
value and appreciate them as Christ's servants
to the church and not develop factions around
them. I will go further. I'm not minimizing where
we have serious theological differences, but
I'm also grateful for God how... for how Christ
has used various Protestant denominations and
people in them in various ways. There are strong
points that the Baptists have and that the Lutherans
have and that the conservative evangelical Methodists
have and that the evangelical Anglicans and even
the Pentecostals in their emphasis on the active
work of the Holy Spirit. From my background,
from Anabaptists, from, while they are not fully
Protestant, I'm grateful for their emphasis on
obedience to God and strong families. It has
helped to shape my life tremendously. So I look
across all of these, and like I said, yes, we
have some serious disagreements in various theological
things, but here's the main point. Insofar that
they are a true church, and have a saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ, and believe in the gospel, and
the authority of God's word, they are all ours.
Ours to acknowledge and to be benefited by their
faithful example and ministries of writing, teaching,
and preaching. Where some of their teaching is
off, yes, we can warn about it. An attempt to
correct it by faithful teaching. Sometimes distinctions
need to be drawn. Where they are wrong. And we
have occasion to face them. Just like Paul did
to Peter. We can do so. And should do so. But
they are still ours in Christ. As we follow Christ.
And as they follow Christ. Therefore we also.
The scripture says. Seeing that we. Since we
are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which
so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God. Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. Dear Christian,
God's ministers, in so much as they are faithful
ministers before the Lord, as I've just outlined,
they are all God's gifts to his church. And we
must remember that. Not create factions around
each other. Secondly, Paul speaks of the world.
It says Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, and then there
is the world or life or death. So we're going
to look at life and death next. Now, in speaking
of the world, I must delineate between two different
uses of this word, lest you get confused. Because
there is both a negative and a positive meaning
to the word world in the scriptures. So the first
one is the negative. The word world or worldly
is sometimes used to speak of the system of sin
and evil. So this is like it's used in 1 John
2, 15 -17. Do not love the world or the things
in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of
the Father, but is of the world. And the world
is passing away, and the lust of it. But he who
does the will of God abides forever. So in this
passage, John defines the word world as sinful
desires and lusts of the flesh, of the eyes,
and the pride of life. That's what he is referring
to. These are ungodly. Paul uses this in his
letter to Titus in chapter 2, verse 11. For the
grace of God that brings salvation has appeared
to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in the present age. This is not the
context of the use of the word in our passage
today. But I want to bring it out because there
are many times when the word worldly or world
gets thrown around and we have to make distinction
between what we're talking about in the context.
That's what I'm doing right now. So the world
system of sin and evil is not the context of
one. Our context today is the world in its widest
sense. That is God's created world, the systems
that he has set up, and the whole universe and
created earth that we call our home. This includes
all of the derivative good things that God provides
for us from the created order. That's what we're
talking about today. This belongs to God. He
created it. Excuse me, as David explains in Psalm
24, the earth is the Lord's and it's all its
fullness, the world and all they that dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas and established
it upon the waters. This is the sense that Paul
is writing about in our passage. Sometimes Christians
have gotten these mixed up and they create rules.
that against things that are not called sin as
defined in god's word some of these rules oh
my we could just go on and on and looking at
different then i'm just going to mention a few
some of these rules in various places or cultures
of christian sex or christian face they might
ban colorful clothing or they might be completely
banned drinking alcoholic beverages even though
it's a sin to be drunken, but it's not sin to
taste wine, which we have right here for the
Lord's Supper. They might ban some of them as
any dancing at all or showing strong emotions.
Of course, if you get into some of the real conservative
ones, a car is worldly and a horse is not, so
you have to drive with horses instead of with
cars. Now you can see where this goes. Sometimes
there are overreactions against past excesses,
sometimes based on tradition instead of the word
of God. This happens a lot in strict fundamentalist
areas, some revivalist culture, and in a number
of very conservative church traditions. But we
have to carefully decipher in these, what is
God's word? What does it speak to this? And what
are we free to do under Christ? We have to sort
through these things. So we're going to do that
a little bit more today because God's world consists
of all things are yours. Remember, that's the
framework that we have here. Paul says all things
are yours and that includes the world. Now, over
in Colossians chapter 2, verse 20, Paul asks
the Colossians, he says, Therefore, if you died
with Christ from the basic principles of the
world, why, as though living in the world, do
you subject yourselves to regulations? Do not
touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all
concern things which perish with the using. according
to the commandments and doctrines of men. The
commandment and doctrines of men. These things,
he says, indeed, have an appearance of wisdom
in self -imposed religion, false humility, and
neglect of the body, but they are of no value
against the indulgence of the flesh. So in other
words, some people will see an excess in something,
so they think we need to create a rule about
this. Again, there's hundreds of examples that
could be given, and I'm not going to take the
time to do it. But a rule is created, a regulation
that is according to the commandments of men,
but it's often under the guise of, it's because
of this scriptural principle. You know, we're
to be separate from the world, therefore we need
to really be weird and different from everyone
else in every possible way. That kind of thing.
But here's a few things now to consider about
God's world. As he has given it. Remembering
we don't want to get into the commandments and
regulations and doctrines of men. We want to
look at the word of God. Let the word of God
define to declare to us. What is good and right
and just. And what is sinful. God's word is the
arbiter of that. We are not. God's word is. So
here's a few things to consider about God's world.
as he has given it. First of all, God created
the world to be inhabited. Isaiah 45, 18, For
thus says the Lord who created the heavens, Who
is God, who formed the earth and made it, who
has established it, who has not created it in
vain, who formed it to be inhabited, I am the
Lord, and there is no other. Have you ever heard
the song, This world is not my home, I'm just
a passing through? okay that's that's what kind
of an old one now okay again there's some truth
in it but it gets to be really mixed because
yeah it's true we are looking to eternal life
we're looking to be in glory with god someday
but the fact is that right here right now this
world is our home this is where god has placed
us this is to be inhabited and god has given
it to us For his glory, yes, but also for our
enjoyment. He pours out blessing upon blessing
upon blessing as we live in this inhabited world.
We're going to consider some of those blessings.
He created it to be inhabited. Second, God created
wonderful food to be enjoyed when received with
thanksgiving. To command to abstain from these
is a doctrine of demons. The scripture says if
someone tells you, oh, you can't eat this or
you can't eat this or you can't do this. If it
is something that is good before the Lord that
he has created, then they're wrong. It's a doctrine
of demons. The scripture says now we can get
into healthier foods and all of that. I'm not
getting into all of that today. If you want to
talk more about it, feel free to ask me my opinion
on some of those things. But here's the scripture.
1 Timothy 4, 1 to 5. Now the Spirit expressly
says that in latter times some will depart from
the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and
doctrines of demons. Okay, so get that. That's
pretty clear. Doctrines of demons. What do they
do? They speak lies and hypocrisy. They have
their consciences seared with a hot iron. They
forbid to marry. They command to abstain from
foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving
by those who believe and know the truth. And
then Paul expands this even further. For every
creature of God is good, and nothing is to be
refused if it is received with thanksgiving,
for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
I will grant you that there are some foods that
are much more tasty than others. I'm very glad
that I don't have to survive on a complete diet
of bland fish or of snails or of many other things
that fall into that category. But the fact here
is that God says he has given every creature
to be, it is to be enjoyed. when it is received
with thanksgiving because it's sanctified by
the word of god and prayer and to teach otherwise
is categorically wrong in the scriptures now
just think of all the delights that we enjoy
in our foods and if you're getting hungry i'm
sorry you might just get a little bit hungrier
but just think of the blessings and joys as he
speaks here receiving with thanksgiving What
God has given to us. Again, remember the all
things. Think about a good grilled steak or fresh
smoked salmon or creamy ice cream or chocolate
from cocoa beans, fresh garden vegetables or
potatoes with butter and cream or coffee. All
of these things that God has blessed us with.
Now, some of you might not like. That's okay.
We have the great freedom to enjoy. I'm just
saying it's all ours that God has blessed us
with. He pours out these things upon us. We're
going to get into some of the more blessings
here as we go down. Next, God created man and
woman. Yes, that is God's design. And guess what?
He made them different. And he made them unique.
He made their bodies to be strong and well -formed
and beautiful, although differing from one another.
God speaks of the glory of the Son and describes
it like a man. Which is, he says, the son is
like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and
rejoices like a strong man to run his race. So
there's God's description of the glory of the
beauty of a man. God's word speaks of women in
the scripture. Women like, and here's a list
of them, and I don't have nearly all of them,
but all of them are described in a certain way.
Sarai, Rebecca, Rachel, Tamar, Esther, the daughters
of Job. and the Shunammite woman. All of them
are considered of a beautiful appearance, Abigail,
a beautiful countenance, Sarai, very beautiful
to behold, Rebecca, beautiful form and appearance
is Rachel. God made women lovely, that they are
appeared and they appear to others in a beautiful
way. That is a creation of God. Now there's propriety
with that, of course. And we can look at that
in other scriptures. My point simply here is
that God made us unique. He made our bodies and
they glorify Him. They are created by His design.
They are part of the blessings that He gives
us. Following along with that, God also created
the sexual union between a man and a woman that
is also to be enjoyed within the marriage bond.
This is his idea and his plan. And it also brings
a future. More children who will grow to fulfill
God's command to replenish the earth and subdue
it. So he gives it for enjoyment and for procreation
and thus glorifying him. God creates bountiful
wealth for us to enjoy in various measures as
he sees fit. And we could get into a whole bunch
of different ideas on that, but I'm just going
to take you to 1 Timothy 6, verse 17. Paul says,
command those who are rich in this present age
not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God. Who gives us richly
all things to enjoy. Right there we have it again.
God gives all things. And this ties right back
to 1 Corinthians in chapter 3. He gives us all
things in the world. So think with me. Of the
grandeur of creation. I'm going to quote here.
From the moment the sun rises. Painting the sky.
In hues of rose and gold and lavender. To the
velvet darkness scattered with billions of stars.
The heavens declare the glory of their maker.
Mountains tower like ancient sentinels. Snow
-capped peaks in the Rockies. The jagged drama
of the Alps or the misty heights of the Himalayas.
Reminding us of their strength and endurance.
Vast oceans crash. With great power of the waves,
their depths hiding, coral reefs teeming with
neon bright fish, graceful whales, and mysterious
creatures that science is still discovering.
Deserts stretch golden and silent under endless
blue skies, yet bloom miraculously after rain
in carpets of wildflowers. Forests pulse with
life. the towering redwoods that have stood for
millennia, whispering pines and lush rainforests
alive with the calls of exotic birds or the chatter
of monkeys. Even the smallest details dazzle.
A single snowflake forms in perfect hexagonal
symmetry. No two alike. A hummingbird's wings
beat 80 times per second in iridescent blue.
Wildflowers, poppies, lupins, orchids Unfold
in delicate colors and fragrances That no human
artist could fully replicate The changing seasons
cycle Through spring's tender greens and blossoms
Summer's warm abundance Autumn's fiery tapestry
of reds and golds And winter's crystalline hush
Each bringing its own invitation To pause and
to marvel all of creation to us to behold and
to enjoy. The soaring mountains, the beautiful
grassy valleys, the snow scattered like diamonds,
the gentle rain which we've been experiencing,
the crashing thunderstorms, all of the animal
kingdom in the majestic elk, the ponderous elephant,
the giant barrel -shaped tank that is called
the hippopotamus, the swift deer or the cow that
eats grass. And makes the most wonderful steaks
to enjoy on the grill. God has filled this world
with pleasures. Pleasures for our taste. Pleasures
for our sight. In fact, for all of our senses
and abundance for our souls. Even the simplest
things can bring us great pleasure and glory
to God. We have the sight to see sunsets or northern
lights in the field of sunflowers. We have sound
that we can hear the mountain stream over rocks
or the thunder of a waterfall or a bird song
at dawn or the rustle of leaves in the wind.
quiet crackling of a campfire under a starry
night we have the sense of touch that we can
feel the tender love of a child coming up and
giving us a hug and we feel their smooth skin
as we give them a kiss or the the blessing of
a wife or a husband or of feeling the cool mist
of a forest waterfall in your skin or the comforting
weight of fresh snow We have the gift of taste
that is of ripe strawberries bursting with sweetness
or the tang of citrus or the earthiness of fresh
herbs or honey straight from the comb or the
rich comfort of bread warm from the oven like
I smelled just yesterday when my wife baked some
bread. There are waters from clean mountain springs,
juices from the orchard fruits and the endless
variety. of foods from every climate. We have
the gift of smell, the clean scent after rain,
which again, we just experienced that, or pine
needles that crushed underfoot, or the ocean
salt air, or a blooming rose, or bougainvillea,
or again, a baking bread. Our life is not just
survival. It is lavish enjoyment by the good
gift of God. Think of the simple joy of biting
into a fresh peach on a summer day or watching
fireflies, which we don't have in the West, light
up in a meadow at twilight, or at least I don't
think we do anywhere. We don't see it here, but
in the East, it's all over the place. Or standing
on a cliff overlooking the sea as the waves roar
below. Our life is not just survival. It is lavish
enjoyment. Then there is music, and then there's
art, and there's beautifully crafted buildings.
Do you know that the first recorded person who
was filled with the Holy Spirit in the Word of
God was a craftsman, a builder, and an architect?
He was a designer. His name was Bezalel, and
then Aholiab, and then there was also wise -hearted
men who worked with them to build the tabernacle
in the wilderness. That is in Exodus chapter
31. All of these things are God's gifts. The
world, brothers and sisters, is ours that God
has given to us. So life with God and in God's
universe is anything but dull and drab and useless,
which is precisely why cultures that hate God
promote ugliness, disorder, and disarray. It's
precisely why they do it. I'm taking the time
to go through all of this so that we can understand
that to all believers in Christ, the world is
ours. Ours to use, ours to develop, ours to refine,
ours to make and to keep beautiful and orderly
and to show forth the glory of God and to exalt
Him. And we need to keep this in mind as we care
for our properties and as we enjoy our foods
and as we live as husbands and wives and have
families and as we work our jobs and earn the
money and build wealth. As we see and experience
all these things, they should cause our hearts
to swell in exaltation and in praise to our God
and to worship. I encourage you this afternoon,
read Psalm 104 in light of all of this. I don't
have time to do it today, but verse 24. O Lord,
how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou
made them all. The earth is full of thy riches.
Then Paul says, life and death. This is also
ours. Life to enjoy under God's blessing and
approbation. Jesus says, the thief does not come
except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I
have come that they might have life. And that
they might have it more abundantly. Of course
that's also referring to spiritual life. And
that's why again saying under God. We have the
vitality only of our natural life. But also of
spiritual life pulsating within us. God pours
out his blessings in life. And I've been describing
much of that. But death brothers and sisters.
Death is also ours. When our life's work is finished.
And we rest from our labors and with Christ.
Paul, having experienced much hardship and labor
on behalf of Christ and his church, tells the
Philippians, for I am hard pressed between the
two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain
in the flesh is more needful for you. Psalm 116
verse 15, precious in the sight of the Lord.
Is the death of his saints. In Romans 14 verse
8. For if we live. We live to the Lord. And if
we die. We die to the Lord. Therefore. Whether
we live. Or die. We are the Lord's. This is ours.
As well. The Heidelberg Catechism in question
1. Captures this most beautifully. What is your
only comfort in life and in death? That I am
not my own, but belong body and soul in life
and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
This is our hope and our promise. Then he moves
on. He says of things present and things to come.
This speaks of time. Time is ours. God gives
to each of us 24 hours in a day, seven days in
a week, which one of them being a day of rest
unto him, 365 days in a year. Now, you know,
God is all in all. Do you ever think about this?
And yet he gives us six days to work and one
day of rest to him and worship to him. Very interesting
how God does this. Even in his greatness and
in his glory, he calls us for one day of rest
and worship that is especially dedicated to him.
And then six days he gives to us under his blessing
to work, to labor, to enjoy, to do all of the
other things that we have to do. He gives us
these six days. He sets up the seasons for us
and time is ours to live in and to glorify our
father in heaven. Yet in all these things, we
are more than conquerors through him who loved
us. Paul speaks of this, says, I am persuaded
that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth. nor
any other created thing shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Romans 8, 37 -39 We are kept by God
in the time that is allotted to us by His sovereign
decree. And having received the gift of eternal
life, we then live not only with the enjoyment
of our life as it is now, but with a living hope.
For blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1 verse 3, who according
to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to
a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved
in heaven for you who are kept. by the power
of God through faith for salvation, ready to
be revealed at the last time. This is our hope.
And he ends all of these statements here, he
ends them with, or things to come. That is the
time in the future, the time eternal. Yes, that
is ours also. He again emphasizes, all are yours.
This is God's world. Colossians 1. the earth
beneath, all spirits, principalities, and powers,
the church, and all civil governments belong
to Christ, all families. They are all to yield
to him in obedience and worship. And that is
where the unifying thing of all of the gifts
that God has given, they are designed for our
blessings and enjoyment, but as an aid to worship
him. As you see the glories and the wonders and
the blessings of life that you experience, let
your heart rise in continual worship for the
gifts that he has given. Excuse me. I need to
close with two applications. And I'm going back
here to this passage, which I'm going to go before
what led before in order for Paul to give this
glorious statement that we've been speaking about.
back at verse 18 he says let no one deceive himself
if any among you seems to be wise in this age
let him become a fool that he may become wise
for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with
god for it is written he catches the wise in
their own craftiness and again the lord knows
the thoughts of the wise that they are futile
The wisdom of the worldly wise man is contrary
to all that we have said today and to what Paul
has been saying. about all things being ours.
Why is this? Well, it's because professing to
be wise, they became fools and changed the glory
of the incorruptible God into an image made like
corruptible men and birds and four -footed animals
and creeping things. Romans 1, 22 and 23. So
then, when Christians go to drink of the wisdom
of the world, they are imbibing from a polluted
spring. Now, why would you do that? This is the
point Paul's making. Why would you do that? you
have all that is yours. All that God has given
to you, in which he has given to us, in which
I have more fully described from God's word for
you. Why would we go and drink from the polluted
fountains of this world? To let no one deceive
himself about human wisdom. Rather, become a
fool that is in their perspective, so that you
might become wise. In other words, what the unbelieving
world thinks is foolishness, It's actually wisdom
according to God. If God's world is ours, then
let us learn of him and not what those who deny
God think is wisdom. So we need to get our priorities
and our understanding right. Paul says, let no
one deceive himself about this wisdom of the
world. Secondly, he then says, let no one boast
in man. Verse 21, therefore let no one boast
in men for all things are yours. This completely
cuts against the factions that the Corinthians
were facilitating and separating themselves from
one another. And here's the thing, it was cutting
them short. Why have a faction around one particular
man and you're limited to what? To that man's
experience or that man's teaching when the world
is yours. And all of the teachings and blessings
that come from various men and men of God who
have preached and who have taught, it's all ours
to enjoy. So why would we limit ourselves to
just one tiny little segment of the Christian
faith? No. It is just, let no one boast in man,
he says. Furthermore, men are fallible. Men make
mistakes. Men sin. If you put your trust in a
particular man, you will be disappointed. So
why boast in man when we have so much more? Finally
then, we belong to Christ and Christ is God's.
I'll close with these words in 1 Corinthians
8 verse 6. Yet for us there is one God, the Father,
of whom are all things. And we for him. And one
Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom are all things.
And through whom we live. May it be so. As we
go and enjoy the world that God has given. And
give praise for him. Let's pray.