WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:03.600 We're going to be continuing in the book of 1 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:06.580 Corinthians after the break for Palm Sunday and 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:10.320 Good Friday and then Easter. Coming back now 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:13.300 to where we left off in 1 Corinthians chapter 00:00:13.300 --> 00:00:17.640 3. We're going to be reading today from chapter 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:24.660 3, verse 18 to 23. The subject today is one that 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:27.920 is very simple, but it's one that is emphasized 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:32.609 in this passage. All things are yours in Christ. 00:00:33.250 --> 00:00:38.210 All things are yours in Christ. We begin reading 00:00:38.210 --> 00:00:41.869 chapter 3, verse 18. Let no one deceive himself. 00:00:42.429 --> 00:00:45.350 If anyone among you seems to be wise in this 00:00:45.350 --> 00:00:48.490 age, let him become a fool that he may become 00:00:48.490 --> 00:00:52.590 wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness 00:00:52.590 --> 00:00:56.259 with God. For it is written, he catches the wives 00:00:56.259 --> 00:00:58.880 in their own craftiness. And again, the Lord 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.579 knows the thoughts of the wives that they are 00:01:01.579 --> 00:01:05.640 futile. Therefore, let no one boast in men. For 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:09.700 all things are yours. Whether Paul or Apollos 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:13.859 or Cephas. Or the world or life or death. Or 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:18.579 things present or things to come. All are yours. 00:01:18.900 --> 00:01:26.140 And you are Christ. And Christ. Is God. Let's 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:28.620 pray and ask God's blessing on this time. Father 00:01:28.620 --> 00:01:31.060 we lift this time of teaching and preaching to 00:01:31.060 --> 00:01:33.239 you. We pray Lord that you would be pleased. 00:01:33.379 --> 00:01:36.060 To grant your spirit. I pray that I might speak 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:39.599 your wisdom Lord. And I pray that we would hear. 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:42.659 Your word Lord as it is given and understand 00:01:42.659 --> 00:01:46.400 it. Please give us direction Lord. As we unpack 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.680 the wonderful truths that you have. In this word. 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:57.219 We ask this all in the name of Jesus. Amen. William 00:01:57.219 --> 00:02:00.980 Tyndale, that great English biblical scholar 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:05.760 and linguist, translator, and Protestant reformer, 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:11.360 and the father of the English Bible, describes 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:19.729 the gospel like this. He says, glad and joyful 00:02:19.729 --> 00:02:23.930 tidings that maketh a man's heart glad and maketh 00:02:23.930 --> 00:02:28.590 him sing and dance and leap for joy. End quote. 00:02:28.789 --> 00:02:31.969 Now he was describing the truth that Paul declares 00:02:31.969 --> 00:02:35.289 in this passage, which reveals that the Christian 00:02:35.289 --> 00:02:41.490 life is not one that is dour, insipid, or dull, 00:02:41.669 --> 00:02:46.830 but neither is it the foolishness of this world. 00:02:47.449 --> 00:02:51.569 There is a surpassing vitality, greatness, and 00:02:51.569 --> 00:02:55.090 superiority of the Christian faith. And God's 00:02:55.090 --> 00:02:59.210 wisdom and provision far exceed the folly of 00:02:59.210 --> 00:03:02.810 human wisdom and the small -minded negativity 00:03:02.810 --> 00:03:08.180 of factions within Christ's church. Why would 00:03:08.180 --> 00:03:11.780 we settle for drinking from the polluted fountains 00:03:11.780 --> 00:03:15.219 of this world with all of the envy and strife 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:18.520 and division that factions produce when indeed, 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:22.680 as the scripture says, all things are yours. 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:27.159 Or, as I will repeatedly say, because I'm including 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:30.060 myself in with us as the church of Christ, all 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:34.669 things are ours. They are ours because we belong 00:03:34.669 --> 00:03:38.909 to Christ and Christ belongs to God. Every faithful 00:03:38.909 --> 00:03:41.909 teacher, whether Paul, Apollos or Cephas or any 00:03:41.909 --> 00:03:45.330 others, the world itself, life and death, the 00:03:45.330 --> 00:03:49.330 present and the future, they all belong to us. 00:03:50.030 --> 00:03:54.270 They are given for our benefit to be received 00:03:54.270 --> 00:03:58.449 with gratitude toward the giver, to be enjoyed 00:03:58.449 --> 00:04:03.500 and to be used. for God's glory and with his 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:06.599 blessing. Today, I'm going to first consider 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:10.419 this glorious major premise in verses 21 to 23. 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.240 Then in application, we're going to go back and 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:16.980 see how some in the Corinthian church had turned 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:19.920 reality upside down in their foolish pursuit 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:23.220 of human wisdom apart from God and in their partisan 00:04:23.220 --> 00:04:26.399 spirit, they were missing out on the greatest 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:30.060 wisdom. And they created divisions that robbed 00:04:30.060 --> 00:04:34.279 them of the full enjoyment of God's rich blessings 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:38.639 through the various servants that he had provided 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:43.180 for them. So let's begin now with our first, 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:45.819 and this is going to be the major point for today. 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:51.500 All things are yours or ours. In verse 21 to 00:04:51.500 --> 00:04:55.139 23. He says, therefore, let no one boast in men, 00:04:55.259 --> 00:04:58.639 for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.079 or Cephas or the world or life or death or things 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:06.860 present or things to come, all are yours. There 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:11.680 is much to unpack in this simple statement. It 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.980 is very profound. He continues, you are Christ 00:05:14.980 --> 00:05:18.879 and Christ is God. So this world -changing statement 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:22.459 by the apostle turns conventional wisdom and 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:25.620 stereotypes on their head. We have been gifted 00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:29.220 with great blessings from God. He has showered 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:32.399 on us in abundance his free gifts that are given 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.540 to his people. For indeed his church, as Charles 00:05:35.540 --> 00:05:39.439 Hodge says, the plan of God contemplates the 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:44.220 permanent exaltation of the redeemed. Let me 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:47.879 say that again. The plan of God. contemplates 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:52.519 the permanent exaltation of the redeemed. Paul 00:05:52.519 --> 00:05:56.399 then goes on to describe the various kinds of 00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:01.550 all things in four different categories. He does 00:06:01.550 --> 00:06:04.850 first in mentioning Paul, Apollos or Cephas, 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:07.870 in which category is God's ministers and teachers. 00:06:08.230 --> 00:06:11.389 Second is the world, which is the world in its 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:13.170 widest sense. And I'll explain that a little 00:06:13.170 --> 00:06:16.629 more later. Then also in life and death. That's 00:06:16.629 --> 00:06:19.350 the third category. And finally, the fourth category, 00:06:19.629 --> 00:06:23.829 things present and things to come. Now, I want 00:06:23.829 --> 00:06:26.269 to mention at the beginning here, at the outset, 00:06:26.310 --> 00:06:31.680 these speak of blessings. In the midst of work, 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:37.100 difficulties, trials, and even persecutions. 00:06:37.540 --> 00:06:41.360 Jesus speaks of this in Mark chapter 10 verse 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:45.720 29. Even as he warns his disciples about losing 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.680 their life for the sake of Christ. Hear the words 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:51.220 of Jesus. He says, so Jesus answered and said, 00:06:51.379 --> 00:06:55.959 assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has 00:06:55.959 --> 00:07:00.100 left house or brothers. or sisters, or father, 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:04.779 or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for 00:07:04.779 --> 00:07:08.560 my sake and the gospels. Who shall not receive 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:13.800 a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:16.579 and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, 00:07:16.779 --> 00:07:22.180 with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal 00:07:22.180 --> 00:07:26.040 life. So Paul is not saying here that all is 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:29.490 easy street. That this is just one great grand 00:07:29.490 --> 00:07:32.629 time in which everything is ours and we can just 00:07:32.629 --> 00:07:35.550 enjoy it? No, in no way can this be the interpretation. 00:07:35.769 --> 00:07:39.910 This is not a prosperity gospel that proclaims 00:07:39.910 --> 00:07:44.370 a kind of name -it -and -claim -it doctrine that 00:07:44.370 --> 00:07:47.790 seeks, of course, always name and claim Lamborghinis 00:07:47.790 --> 00:07:51.120 or great wealth or other such things. No, it 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.420 does speak of the trials and the hardships and 00:07:53.420 --> 00:07:55.839 the striving for faithfulness and liberty and 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:59.420 virtue because God's blessing belongs to us and 00:07:59.420 --> 00:08:02.519 not to the evildoers. And so we have great joy 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:07.819 in what is ours because we labor, we pray, and 00:08:07.819 --> 00:08:11.899 we strive for it with patience for God, as the 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:15.079 scripture says in Romans 2 verse 6, will render 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:19.180 to each one according to his deeds. Eternal life 00:08:19.180 --> 00:08:23.319 to those who, by patient continuance in doing 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:28.079 good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality. 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:32.620 But to those who are self -seeking and do not 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:36.480 obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:40.639 and wrath, tribulation, and anguish on every 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:43.620 soul of man who does evil, on the Jew first and 00:08:43.620 --> 00:08:46.929 also of the Greek. And he comes back again, glory 00:08:46.929 --> 00:08:49.590 and honor and peace to everyone who works what 00:08:49.590 --> 00:08:52.330 is good to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 00:08:52.409 --> 00:08:56.830 For there is no partiality with God. So let's 00:08:56.830 --> 00:09:00.129 dig into this list of all things in order to 00:09:00.129 --> 00:09:02.370 understand the implication of Paul's statement 00:09:02.370 --> 00:09:06.110 more fully. The first he mentions three names. 00:09:06.250 --> 00:09:09.710 These are the names of... faithful ministers 00:09:09.710 --> 00:09:12.549 to the Corinthian church. They are Paul, Apollos, 00:09:12.549 --> 00:09:16.029 and Cephas, or Peter. Now, interestingly, these 00:09:16.029 --> 00:09:20.250 are the three names that factions had developed 00:09:20.250 --> 00:09:22.889 around. Some said, I'm of Paul. Others said, 00:09:22.950 --> 00:09:25.590 I'm of Peter. Others said, I'm of Apollos. And 00:09:25.590 --> 00:09:29.509 so Paul here, very skillfully, uses these three 00:09:29.509 --> 00:09:33.990 and says, they're all yours. They are all yours. 00:09:34.889 --> 00:09:38.070 And so we look here and we see that God's ministers 00:09:38.070 --> 00:09:43.809 are given as a gift to God's people. When Christ 00:09:43.809 --> 00:09:47.870 ascended, he led captivity captive and gave gifts 00:09:47.870 --> 00:09:51.309 to men. Now Paul uses that in the book of Ephesians 00:09:51.309 --> 00:09:55.610 chapter 4, where he says that these gifts are 00:09:55.610 --> 00:09:59.330 the fact that God himself gave some to be apostles, 00:09:59.730 --> 00:10:03.169 some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors 00:10:03.169 --> 00:10:06.320 and teachers. for the equipping of the saints, 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:09.320 for the work of the ministry, for the edifying 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:12.259 of the body of Christ, till we all come to the 00:10:12.259 --> 00:10:14.399 unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:17.500 of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:21.100 stature of the fullness of Christ. So get this 00:10:21.100 --> 00:10:25.419 very carefully here. The church of Jesus Christ 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:28.840 is not the property of the apostles and ministers. 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:34.980 No. Apostles and ministers are... gifts to the 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:38.639 church. In other words, they belong to the church 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:41.159 and they're designed for its edification. The 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:44.320 church is not their property. It does not belong 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:47.399 to the ministry like a kingdom belongs to a king, 00:10:47.500 --> 00:10:50.899 but rather the complete opposite. They are God's 00:10:50.899 --> 00:10:55.720 gifts to the church and therefore need to be 00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:00.700 perceived that way. This is not my domain. This 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:03.919 is not that the church does not belong to any 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:08.440 one person. It belongs to Christ. And then he 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:13.659 gives good gifts to bless his church. And Paul 00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:16.960 says here, this is part of what is all yours. 00:11:17.379 --> 00:11:20.460 The Corinthians had it all wrong. They thought 00:11:20.460 --> 00:11:23.960 that they belonged to a particular faction led 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.220 by one of the apostles or ministers. And then 00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:30.259 they needed to rally around their guy. This is 00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:33.659 my guy. This is the group that I'm with. And 00:11:33.659 --> 00:11:37.360 this and my guy is better than your guy. No, 00:11:37.539 --> 00:11:40.899 it's Christ's church. The ministers are those 00:11:40.899 --> 00:11:44.360 who serve by leading, by leading it well for 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:48.379 the sake of Christ. And they belong to the church 00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:52.950 under Christ. When this gets turned around, Factions 00:11:52.950 --> 00:11:56.309 develop and followers are then sought to bolster 00:11:56.309 --> 00:11:58.450 the influence or the power of that particular 00:11:58.450 --> 00:12:03.889 faction. A minister who seeks to cultivate this, 00:12:03.929 --> 00:12:07.230 he might do so in order to increase his reign 00:12:07.230 --> 00:12:10.909 or his rule and ultimately the corruption of 00:12:10.909 --> 00:12:14.759 money, power or sex. Sometimes all three. are 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:17.019 used to control and manipulate the followers 00:12:17.019 --> 00:12:18.980 and keep them in line or keep the money flowing. 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:22.460 And we have seen it over and over and over and 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:26.759 over again. Inevitably, when this gets turned 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:31.000 around, factions develop and corruption follows. 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:35.019 It always happens. Therefore, since Christ gives 00:12:35.019 --> 00:12:39.240 ministers to his church, then we should enjoy 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:44.610 all that God gives to us. Some might be able 00:12:44.610 --> 00:12:47.789 to communicate better than others, or some have 00:12:47.789 --> 00:12:50.769 a way of helping you to understand things better 00:12:50.769 --> 00:12:54.019 than another, but they are all yours. In this 00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:56.200 congregation right now, we have two elders. We 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:58.899 have myself and Brother Ty. Now I do a good bit 00:12:58.899 --> 00:13:00.620 of the preaching, but there are things that Ty 00:13:00.620 --> 00:13:03.320 does that are much better than what I can do. 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:05.759 And it's interesting, as I'm watching, as we're 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:08.639 growing in this, I see that some things, they 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:12.419 kind of gravitate toward him and to his advice 00:13:12.419 --> 00:13:14.980 or counsel and others to me. That's the way it 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:17.240 ought to be. There should not be factions at 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:20.580 all between us. We're all gifts that God gives. 00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:23.960 to the church and indeed it goes even much further 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:26.279 than that and i'm not going to get all of this 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.860 into all of this today because it's not in this 00:13:28.860 --> 00:13:32.299 immediate context but god gives all of you gifts 00:13:32.299 --> 00:13:35.639 that minister to one another and to the body 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.879 so that the body as a whole is edified and blessed 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:43.419 and god is glorified but that's for another time 00:13:43.419 --> 00:13:49.450 so Some communicate better than others. Others 00:13:49.450 --> 00:13:51.370 have a way of helping you to understand things 00:13:51.370 --> 00:13:54.070 better than another. But they're all yours. Delight 00:13:54.070 --> 00:13:57.649 in the gifts that God gives. Now this goes further 00:13:57.649 --> 00:14:01.470 than the local church. I think this extends also 00:14:01.470 --> 00:14:04.090 to the broader church. And I'm going to take 00:14:04.090 --> 00:14:05.809 it and push it out there a little bit further. 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:09.159 Within our own denomination, the communion of 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:13.559 Reformed evangelical churches, there are some 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:17.460 pastors that are well -known in evangelical circles, 00:14:17.539 --> 00:14:20.539 and they have differing gifts and abilities in 00:14:20.539 --> 00:14:23.080 their speaking and writing. And I'm going to 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:25.179 use some names, not to lift them up, but just 00:14:25.179 --> 00:14:27.740 to use them as an example. So there's Douglas 00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:30.519 Wilson and Peter Lightheart. They are both known 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.200 around the world and are well -regarded by many. 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:36.210 I have benefited from both of them and I have 00:14:36.210 --> 00:14:39.029 disagreed on points with the both of them, which 00:14:39.029 --> 00:14:41.230 is often the way that it is because we're all 00:14:41.230 --> 00:14:45.169 human. But they are both ours to enjoy as God's 00:14:45.169 --> 00:14:48.149 ministers in our communion. We look to them as 00:14:48.149 --> 00:14:52.269 fathers and as ministers and as helps that help 00:14:52.269 --> 00:14:56.690 in the larger body as a whole. But we should 00:14:56.690 --> 00:15:00.149 not develop factions around them. Or neither 00:15:00.149 --> 00:15:03.889 should we around any others that are more prominent 00:15:03.889 --> 00:15:06.769 around, say, like Joe Rignier, Uri Brito, or 00:15:06.769 --> 00:15:09.210 Randy Booth, or Steve Jeffrey, or Rich Lasker, 00:15:09.210 --> 00:15:12.610 or many others. No, they're all God's ministers 00:15:12.610 --> 00:15:15.950 to be used in their respective churches, and 00:15:15.950 --> 00:15:18.269 they are also of greater benefit to the communion 00:15:18.269 --> 00:15:21.570 as a whole. And we appreciate that. They're all 00:15:21.570 --> 00:15:24.929 ours. All of them contribute greatly to the health 00:15:24.929 --> 00:15:28.299 and to the vitality of our congregation. but 00:15:28.299 --> 00:15:30.480 they are servants of Christ, and there should 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:35.399 be no factions around them. Now in the broader 00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:39.350 Reformed world, I would say the same thing. We 00:15:39.350 --> 00:15:42.070 have benefited greatly by the preaching and the 00:15:42.070 --> 00:15:45.450 teaching or the writing ministries of R .C. Sproul 00:15:45.450 --> 00:15:48.090 or of Sinclair Ferguson or of John MacArthur 00:15:48.090 --> 00:15:51.649 and Votie Bauckham and Scott Brown and going 00:15:51.649 --> 00:15:54.789 back in history of Charles Spurgeon and the Puritans 00:15:54.789 --> 00:15:57.730 and Charles Hodge and John Williamson Nevin and 00:15:57.730 --> 00:16:00.309 Philip Schaaf and I could just go on and on. 00:16:01.049 --> 00:16:04.029 Nick Needham has done some excellent work in 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:07.110 his wonderful series on 2 ,000 years of Christ's 00:16:07.110 --> 00:16:09.809 power. If you want a great four -volume set of 00:16:09.809 --> 00:16:12.570 church history, I would recommend that one. Dr. 00:16:12.690 --> 00:16:15.149 Beakey, Joel Beakey, has done the church a great 00:16:15.149 --> 00:16:18.169 service in reprinting many old books. We have 00:16:18.169 --> 00:16:20.789 a few here. And he has taught all over the world 00:16:20.789 --> 00:16:23.769 on faithful Christian living and theology and 00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:27.289 on familial and personal piety. Then there's 00:16:27.289 --> 00:16:30.570 many others. There's John Piper and there's... 00:16:30.809 --> 00:16:33.470 We could just list a whole bunch of different 00:16:33.470 --> 00:16:36.990 people. Men who are faithful Christian men. They 00:16:36.990 --> 00:16:39.649 do not 100 % completely agree with one another, 00:16:39.789 --> 00:16:42.669 nor do I agree in everything with them. But they 00:16:42.669 --> 00:16:48.509 are all ours. They are God's good gifts to the 00:16:48.509 --> 00:16:53.360 church. And we receive that as God's gifts. Rather 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.860 than pitting them against each other, let us 00:16:55.860 --> 00:16:59.639 value and appreciate them as Christ's servants 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.379 to the church and not develop factions around 00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:07.759 them. I will go further. I'm not minimizing where 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.839 we have serious theological differences, but 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:14.130 I'm also grateful for God how... for how Christ 00:17:14.130 --> 00:17:17.650 has used various Protestant denominations and 00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:20.490 people in them in various ways. There are strong 00:17:20.490 --> 00:17:23.009 points that the Baptists have and that the Lutherans 00:17:23.009 --> 00:17:26.089 have and that the conservative evangelical Methodists 00:17:26.089 --> 00:17:29.190 have and that the evangelical Anglicans and even 00:17:29.190 --> 00:17:32.509 the Pentecostals in their emphasis on the active 00:17:32.509 --> 00:17:36.700 work of the Holy Spirit. From my background, 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:39.740 from Anabaptists, from, while they are not fully 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:42.480 Protestant, I'm grateful for their emphasis on 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.539 obedience to God and strong families. It has 00:17:44.539 --> 00:17:48.200 helped to shape my life tremendously. So I look 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:51.680 across all of these, and like I said, yes, we 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:54.559 have some serious disagreements in various theological 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:59.819 things, but here's the main point. Insofar that 00:17:59.819 --> 00:18:02.569 they are a true church, and have a saving knowledge 00:18:02.569 --> 00:18:05.529 of Jesus Christ, and believe in the gospel, and 00:18:05.529 --> 00:18:10.869 the authority of God's word, they are all ours. 00:18:12.109 --> 00:18:15.150 Ours to acknowledge and to be benefited by their 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:18.670 faithful example and ministries of writing, teaching, 00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:21.470 and preaching. Where some of their teaching is 00:18:21.470 --> 00:18:24.500 off, yes, we can warn about it. An attempt to 00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:27.880 correct it by faithful teaching. Sometimes distinctions 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:30.880 need to be drawn. Where they are wrong. And we 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.299 have occasion to face them. Just like Paul did 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:37.660 to Peter. We can do so. And should do so. But 00:18:37.660 --> 00:18:41.660 they are still ours in Christ. As we follow Christ. 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:45.279 And as they follow Christ. Therefore we also. 00:18:45.539 --> 00:18:49.819 The scripture says. Seeing that we. Since we 00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:52.440 are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. 00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:57.119 Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.839 so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:04.680 the race that is set before us, looking unto 00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:09.220 Jesus. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher 00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:12.359 of our faith, who for the joy that was set before 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:16.319 him endured the cross, despising the shame, and 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:18.519 has sat down at the right hand of the throne 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:22.859 of God. Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. Dear Christian, 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:27.519 God's ministers, in so much as they are faithful 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.980 ministers before the Lord, as I've just outlined, 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:36.380 they are all God's gifts to his church. And we 00:19:36.380 --> 00:19:42.220 must remember that. Not create factions around 00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:45.839 each other. Secondly, Paul speaks of the world. 00:19:46.329 --> 00:19:48.849 It says Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, and then there 00:19:48.849 --> 00:19:51.630 is the world or life or death. So we're going 00:19:51.630 --> 00:19:54.869 to look at life and death next. Now, in speaking 00:19:54.869 --> 00:19:58.329 of the world, I must delineate between two different 00:19:58.329 --> 00:20:03.349 uses of this word, lest you get confused. Because 00:20:03.349 --> 00:20:07.029 there is both a negative and a positive meaning 00:20:07.029 --> 00:20:11.529 to the word world in the scriptures. So the first 00:20:11.529 --> 00:20:16.789 one is the negative. The word world or worldly 00:20:16.789 --> 00:20:20.910 is sometimes used to speak of the system of sin 00:20:20.910 --> 00:20:25.069 and evil. So this is like it's used in 1 John 00:20:25.069 --> 00:20:31.309 2, 15 -17. Do not love the world or the things 00:20:31.309 --> 00:20:35.609 in the world. If anyone loves the world, the 00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:39.079 love of the Father is not in him. For all that 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:41.980 is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:44.619 of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of 00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:47.420 the Father, but is of the world. And the world 00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:50.380 is passing away, and the lust of it. But he who 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:54.099 does the will of God abides forever. So in this 00:20:54.099 --> 00:20:59.440 passage, John defines the word world as sinful 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:02.339 desires and lusts of the flesh, of the eyes, 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:06.970 and the pride of life. That's what he is referring 00:21:06.970 --> 00:21:12.009 to. These are ungodly. Paul uses this in his 00:21:12.009 --> 00:21:15.369 letter to Titus in chapter 2, verse 11. For the 00:21:15.369 --> 00:21:17.809 grace of God that brings salvation has appeared 00:21:17.809 --> 00:21:21.730 to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness 00:21:21.730 --> 00:21:26.910 and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, 00:21:26.990 --> 00:21:30.609 and godly in the present age. This is not the 00:21:30.609 --> 00:21:33.430 context of the use of the word in our passage 00:21:33.430 --> 00:21:37.049 today. But I want to bring it out because there 00:21:37.049 --> 00:21:40.109 are many times when the word worldly or world 00:21:40.109 --> 00:21:42.930 gets thrown around and we have to make distinction 00:21:42.930 --> 00:21:45.930 between what we're talking about in the context. 00:21:46.009 --> 00:21:49.890 That's what I'm doing right now. So the world 00:21:49.890 --> 00:21:53.750 system of sin and evil is not the context of 00:21:53.750 --> 00:21:57.920 one. Our context today is the world in its widest 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:01.859 sense. That is God's created world, the systems 00:22:01.859 --> 00:22:04.880 that he has set up, and the whole universe and 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:08.960 created earth that we call our home. This includes 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:13.799 all of the derivative good things that God provides 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:17.559 for us from the created order. That's what we're 00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:21.700 talking about today. This belongs to God. He 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:25.940 created it. Excuse me, as David explains in Psalm 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:30.980 24, the earth is the Lord's and it's all its 00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:35.799 fullness, the world and all they that dwell therein, 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:38.779 for he has founded it upon the seas and established 00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:43.200 it upon the waters. This is the sense that Paul 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:47.339 is writing about in our passage. Sometimes Christians 00:22:47.339 --> 00:22:51.140 have gotten these mixed up and they create rules. 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.539 that against things that are not called sin as 00:22:55.539 --> 00:22:59.440 defined in god's word some of these rules oh 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:01.759 my we could just go on and on and looking at 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:03.279 different then i'm just going to mention a few 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.440 some of these rules in various places or cultures 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:10.880 of christian sex or christian face they might 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:14.380 ban colorful clothing or they might be completely 00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:17.490 banned drinking alcoholic beverages even though 00:23:17.490 --> 00:23:19.789 it's a sin to be drunken, but it's not sin to 00:23:19.789 --> 00:23:21.809 taste wine, which we have right here for the 00:23:21.809 --> 00:23:25.349 Lord's Supper. They might ban some of them as 00:23:25.349 --> 00:23:27.910 any dancing at all or showing strong emotions. 00:23:28.609 --> 00:23:31.109 Of course, if you get into some of the real conservative 00:23:31.109 --> 00:23:34.710 ones, a car is worldly and a horse is not, so 00:23:34.710 --> 00:23:36.869 you have to drive with horses instead of with 00:23:36.869 --> 00:23:40.230 cars. Now you can see where this goes. Sometimes 00:23:40.230 --> 00:23:44.690 there are overreactions against past excesses, 00:23:44.710 --> 00:23:48.329 sometimes based on tradition instead of the word 00:23:48.329 --> 00:23:52.049 of God. This happens a lot in strict fundamentalist 00:23:52.049 --> 00:23:55.950 areas, some revivalist culture, and in a number 00:23:55.950 --> 00:24:00.390 of very conservative church traditions. But we 00:24:00.390 --> 00:24:04.549 have to carefully decipher in these, what is 00:24:04.549 --> 00:24:08.349 God's word? What does it speak to this? And what 00:24:08.349 --> 00:24:11.690 are we free to do under Christ? We have to sort 00:24:11.690 --> 00:24:14.109 through these things. So we're going to do that 00:24:14.109 --> 00:24:16.849 a little bit more today because God's world consists 00:24:16.849 --> 00:24:21.069 of all things are yours. Remember, that's the 00:24:21.069 --> 00:24:24.630 framework that we have here. Paul says all things 00:24:24.630 --> 00:24:29.440 are yours and that includes the world. Now, over 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:32.599 in Colossians chapter 2, verse 20, Paul asks 00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:35.200 the Colossians, he says, Therefore, if you died 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:38.359 with Christ from the basic principles of the 00:24:38.359 --> 00:24:41.920 world, why, as though living in the world, do 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.680 you subject yourselves to regulations? Do not 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:50.400 touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all 00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:54.150 concern things which perish with the using. according 00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:58.630 to the commandments and doctrines of men. The 00:24:58.630 --> 00:25:01.430 commandment and doctrines of men. These things, 00:25:01.470 --> 00:25:03.890 he says, indeed, have an appearance of wisdom 00:25:03.890 --> 00:25:07.250 in self -imposed religion, false humility, and 00:25:07.250 --> 00:25:09.789 neglect of the body, but they are of no value 00:25:09.789 --> 00:25:12.869 against the indulgence of the flesh. So in other 00:25:12.869 --> 00:25:16.529 words, some people will see an excess in something, 00:25:16.650 --> 00:25:18.609 so they think we need to create a rule about 00:25:18.609 --> 00:25:23.269 this. Again, there's hundreds of examples that 00:25:23.269 --> 00:25:24.809 could be given, and I'm not going to take the 00:25:24.809 --> 00:25:28.470 time to do it. But a rule is created, a regulation 00:25:28.470 --> 00:25:30.529 that is according to the commandments of men, 00:25:30.690 --> 00:25:34.309 but it's often under the guise of, it's because 00:25:34.309 --> 00:25:37.130 of this scriptural principle. You know, we're 00:25:37.130 --> 00:25:39.329 to be separate from the world, therefore we need 00:25:39.329 --> 00:25:41.250 to really be weird and different from everyone 00:25:41.250 --> 00:25:45.190 else in every possible way. That kind of thing. 00:25:45.849 --> 00:25:48.789 But here's a few things now to consider about 00:25:48.789 --> 00:25:53.039 God's world. As he has given it. Remembering 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:55.099 we don't want to get into the commandments and 00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:58.359 regulations and doctrines of men. We want to 00:25:58.359 --> 00:26:01.079 look at the word of God. Let the word of God 00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:04.900 define to declare to us. What is good and right 00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:09.220 and just. And what is sinful. God's word is the 00:26:09.220 --> 00:26:14.099 arbiter of that. We are not. God's word is. So 00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:16.299 here's a few things to consider about God's world. 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:19.500 as he has given it. First of all, God created 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:24.559 the world to be inhabited. Isaiah 45, 18, For 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:27.180 thus says the Lord who created the heavens, Who 00:26:27.180 --> 00:26:29.880 is God, who formed the earth and made it, who 00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:32.880 has established it, who has not created it in 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:36.079 vain, who formed it to be inhabited, I am the 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:39.700 Lord, and there is no other. Have you ever heard 00:26:39.700 --> 00:26:42.799 the song, This world is not my home, I'm just 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:45.720 a passing through? okay that's that's what kind 00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:48.740 of an old one now okay again there's some truth 00:26:48.740 --> 00:26:50.779 in it but it gets to be really mixed because 00:26:50.779 --> 00:26:53.779 yeah it's true we are looking to eternal life 00:26:53.779 --> 00:26:56.700 we're looking to be in glory with god someday 00:26:56.700 --> 00:27:00.240 but the fact is that right here right now this 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:02.920 world is our home this is where god has placed 00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:07.460 us this is to be inhabited and god has given 00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:12.009 it to us For his glory, yes, but also for our 00:27:12.009 --> 00:27:15.809 enjoyment. He pours out blessing upon blessing 00:27:15.809 --> 00:27:20.150 upon blessing as we live in this inhabited world. 00:27:20.329 --> 00:27:22.529 We're going to consider some of those blessings. 00:27:22.769 --> 00:27:27.029 He created it to be inhabited. Second, God created 00:27:27.029 --> 00:27:31.390 wonderful food to be enjoyed when received with 00:27:31.390 --> 00:27:35.569 thanksgiving. To command to abstain from these 00:27:35.569 --> 00:27:40.500 is a doctrine of demons. The scripture says if 00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:43.759 someone tells you, oh, you can't eat this or 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:46.619 you can't eat this or you can't do this. If it 00:27:46.619 --> 00:27:49.079 is something that is good before the Lord that 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:52.240 he has created, then they're wrong. It's a doctrine 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.279 of demons. The scripture says now we can get 00:27:56.279 --> 00:27:58.700 into healthier foods and all of that. I'm not 00:27:58.700 --> 00:28:01.660 getting into all of that today. If you want to 00:28:01.660 --> 00:28:03.859 talk more about it, feel free to ask me my opinion 00:28:03.859 --> 00:28:06.000 on some of those things. But here's the scripture. 00:28:06.589 --> 00:28:10.789 1 Timothy 4, 1 to 5. Now the Spirit expressly 00:28:10.789 --> 00:28:14.890 says that in latter times some will depart from 00:28:14.890 --> 00:28:19.670 the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and 00:28:19.670 --> 00:28:23.670 doctrines of demons. Okay, so get that. That's 00:28:23.670 --> 00:28:26.609 pretty clear. Doctrines of demons. What do they 00:28:26.609 --> 00:28:30.589 do? They speak lies and hypocrisy. They have 00:28:30.589 --> 00:28:33.390 their consciences seared with a hot iron. They 00:28:33.390 --> 00:28:38.089 forbid to marry. They command to abstain from 00:28:38.089 --> 00:28:41.869 foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving 00:28:41.869 --> 00:28:45.130 by those who believe and know the truth. And 00:28:45.130 --> 00:28:47.670 then Paul expands this even further. For every 00:28:47.670 --> 00:28:51.549 creature of God is good, and nothing is to be 00:28:51.549 --> 00:28:54.789 refused if it is received with thanksgiving, 00:28:54.829 --> 00:28:59.130 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 00:29:00.170 --> 00:29:02.529 I will grant you that there are some foods that 00:29:02.529 --> 00:29:05.509 are much more tasty than others. I'm very glad 00:29:05.509 --> 00:29:09.349 that I don't have to survive on a complete diet 00:29:09.349 --> 00:29:16.069 of bland fish or of snails or of many other things 00:29:16.069 --> 00:29:19.529 that fall into that category. But the fact here 00:29:19.529 --> 00:29:22.970 is that God says he has given every creature 00:29:22.970 --> 00:29:28.000 to be, it is to be enjoyed. when it is received 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:30.980 with thanksgiving because it's sanctified by 00:29:30.980 --> 00:29:33.900 the word of god and prayer and to teach otherwise 00:29:33.900 --> 00:29:39.759 is categorically wrong in the scriptures now 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:44.500 just think of all the delights that we enjoy 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:46.599 in our foods and if you're getting hungry i'm 00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:48.200 sorry you might just get a little bit hungrier 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:50.920 but just think of the blessings and joys as he 00:29:50.920 --> 00:29:53.920 speaks here receiving with thanksgiving What 00:29:53.920 --> 00:29:56.099 God has given to us. Again, remember the all 00:29:56.099 --> 00:29:59.319 things. Think about a good grilled steak or fresh 00:29:59.319 --> 00:30:02.400 smoked salmon or creamy ice cream or chocolate 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:05.259 from cocoa beans, fresh garden vegetables or 00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:09.180 potatoes with butter and cream or coffee. All 00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:12.180 of these things that God has blessed us with. 00:30:12.220 --> 00:30:14.160 Now, some of you might not like. That's okay. 00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:16.900 We have the great freedom to enjoy. I'm just 00:30:16.900 --> 00:30:20.740 saying it's all ours that God has blessed us 00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:26.339 with. He pours out these things upon us. We're 00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:28.299 going to get into some of the more blessings 00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:32.240 here as we go down. Next, God created man and 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:36.740 woman. Yes, that is God's design. And guess what? 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:39.880 He made them different. And he made them unique. 00:30:40.200 --> 00:30:43.380 He made their bodies to be strong and well -formed 00:30:43.380 --> 00:30:46.059 and beautiful, although differing from one another. 00:30:46.859 --> 00:30:50.500 God speaks of the glory of the Son and describes 00:30:50.500 --> 00:30:54.000 it like a man. Which is, he says, the son is 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:56.359 like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and 00:30:56.359 --> 00:31:01.400 rejoices like a strong man to run his race. So 00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:05.079 there's God's description of the glory of the 00:31:05.079 --> 00:31:08.819 beauty of a man. God's word speaks of women in 00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:11.420 the scripture. Women like, and here's a list 00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:12.940 of them, and I don't have nearly all of them, 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:15.500 but all of them are described in a certain way. 00:31:15.819 --> 00:31:19.720 Sarai, Rebecca, Rachel, Tamar, Esther, the daughters 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:23.279 of Job. and the Shunammite woman. All of them 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:26.339 are considered of a beautiful appearance, Abigail, 00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:30.380 a beautiful countenance, Sarai, very beautiful 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:34.200 to behold, Rebecca, beautiful form and appearance 00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:39.680 is Rachel. God made women lovely, that they are 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:42.400 appeared and they appear to others in a beautiful 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:47.019 way. That is a creation of God. Now there's propriety 00:31:47.019 --> 00:31:49.549 with that, of course. And we can look at that 00:31:49.549 --> 00:31:52.369 in other scriptures. My point simply here is 00:31:52.369 --> 00:31:56.410 that God made us unique. He made our bodies and 00:31:56.410 --> 00:32:02.730 they glorify Him. They are created by His design. 00:32:03.089 --> 00:32:06.450 They are part of the blessings that He gives 00:32:06.450 --> 00:32:10.329 us. Following along with that, God also created 00:32:10.329 --> 00:32:13.529 the sexual union between a man and a woman that 00:32:13.529 --> 00:32:16.269 is also to be enjoyed within the marriage bond. 00:32:16.680 --> 00:32:22.539 This is his idea and his plan. And it also brings 00:32:22.539 --> 00:32:25.559 a future. More children who will grow to fulfill 00:32:25.559 --> 00:32:28.640 God's command to replenish the earth and subdue 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:32.500 it. So he gives it for enjoyment and for procreation 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:37.170 and thus glorifying him. God creates bountiful 00:32:37.170 --> 00:32:40.769 wealth for us to enjoy in various measures as 00:32:40.769 --> 00:32:43.730 he sees fit. And we could get into a whole bunch 00:32:43.730 --> 00:32:46.809 of different ideas on that, but I'm just going 00:32:46.809 --> 00:32:51.410 to take you to 1 Timothy 6, verse 17. Paul says, 00:32:51.630 --> 00:32:54.970 command those who are rich in this present age 00:32:54.970 --> 00:32:58.470 not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain 00:32:58.470 --> 00:33:04.339 riches, but in the living God. Who gives us richly 00:33:04.339 --> 00:33:08.440 all things to enjoy. Right there we have it again. 00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:12.480 God gives all things. And this ties right back 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:16.980 to 1 Corinthians in chapter 3. He gives us all 00:33:16.980 --> 00:33:21.740 things in the world. So think with me. Of the 00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:25.079 grandeur of creation. I'm going to quote here. 00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:29.420 From the moment the sun rises. Painting the sky. 00:33:30.089 --> 00:33:34.569 In hues of rose and gold and lavender. To the 00:33:34.569 --> 00:33:37.369 velvet darkness scattered with billions of stars. 00:33:37.769 --> 00:33:41.589 The heavens declare the glory of their maker. 00:33:42.250 --> 00:33:45.809 Mountains tower like ancient sentinels. Snow 00:33:45.809 --> 00:33:48.809 -capped peaks in the Rockies. The jagged drama 00:33:48.809 --> 00:33:51.710 of the Alps or the misty heights of the Himalayas. 00:33:51.990 --> 00:33:54.990 Reminding us of their strength and endurance. 00:33:55.430 --> 00:33:59.440 Vast oceans crash. With great power of the waves, 00:33:59.579 --> 00:34:02.799 their depths hiding, coral reefs teeming with 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:06.480 neon bright fish, graceful whales, and mysterious 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:09.320 creatures that science is still discovering. 00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:13.079 Deserts stretch golden and silent under endless 00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:16.280 blue skies, yet bloom miraculously after rain 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:20.280 in carpets of wildflowers. Forests pulse with 00:34:20.280 --> 00:34:23.130 life. the towering redwoods that have stood for 00:34:23.130 --> 00:34:26.429 millennia, whispering pines and lush rainforests 00:34:26.429 --> 00:34:31.329 alive with the calls of exotic birds or the chatter 00:34:31.329 --> 00:34:35.610 of monkeys. Even the smallest details dazzle. 00:34:35.630 --> 00:34:40.429 A single snowflake forms in perfect hexagonal 00:34:40.429 --> 00:34:44.769 symmetry. No two alike. A hummingbird's wings 00:34:44.769 --> 00:34:48.949 beat 80 times per second in iridescent blue. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:53.719 Wildflowers, poppies, lupins, orchids Unfold 00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:56.760 in delicate colors and fragrances That no human 00:34:56.760 --> 00:35:00.159 artist could fully replicate The changing seasons 00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:02.900 cycle Through spring's tender greens and blossoms 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:07.139 Summer's warm abundance Autumn's fiery tapestry 00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:10.780 of reds and golds And winter's crystalline hush 00:35:10.780 --> 00:35:15.559 Each bringing its own invitation To pause and 00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:23.980 to marvel all of creation to us to behold and 00:35:23.980 --> 00:35:27.440 to enjoy. The soaring mountains, the beautiful 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:30.639 grassy valleys, the snow scattered like diamonds, 00:35:30.860 --> 00:35:33.440 the gentle rain which we've been experiencing, 00:35:33.719 --> 00:35:36.659 the crashing thunderstorms, all of the animal 00:35:36.659 --> 00:35:40.059 kingdom in the majestic elk, the ponderous elephant, 00:35:40.340 --> 00:35:42.860 the giant barrel -shaped tank that is called 00:35:42.860 --> 00:35:47.639 the hippopotamus, the swift deer or the cow that 00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:51.400 eats grass. And makes the most wonderful steaks 00:35:51.400 --> 00:35:57.079 to enjoy on the grill. God has filled this world 00:35:57.079 --> 00:36:01.739 with pleasures. Pleasures for our taste. Pleasures 00:36:01.739 --> 00:36:05.079 for our sight. In fact, for all of our senses 00:36:05.079 --> 00:36:10.400 and abundance for our souls. Even the simplest 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:13.340 things can bring us great pleasure and glory 00:36:13.340 --> 00:36:17.059 to God. We have the sight to see sunsets or northern 00:36:17.059 --> 00:36:19.880 lights in the field of sunflowers. We have sound 00:36:19.880 --> 00:36:22.599 that we can hear the mountain stream over rocks 00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:24.880 or the thunder of a waterfall or a bird song 00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:27.519 at dawn or the rustle of leaves in the wind. 00:36:28.300 --> 00:36:31.780 quiet crackling of a campfire under a starry 00:36:31.780 --> 00:36:34.719 night we have the sense of touch that we can 00:36:34.719 --> 00:36:38.300 feel the tender love of a child coming up and 00:36:38.300 --> 00:36:42.380 giving us a hug and we feel their smooth skin 00:36:42.380 --> 00:36:45.239 as we give them a kiss or the the blessing of 00:36:45.239 --> 00:36:49.980 a wife or a husband or of feeling the cool mist 00:36:49.980 --> 00:36:53.559 of a forest waterfall in your skin or the comforting 00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:56.710 weight of fresh snow We have the gift of taste 00:36:56.710 --> 00:36:59.349 that is of ripe strawberries bursting with sweetness 00:36:59.349 --> 00:37:02.309 or the tang of citrus or the earthiness of fresh 00:37:02.309 --> 00:37:05.329 herbs or honey straight from the comb or the 00:37:05.329 --> 00:37:09.309 rich comfort of bread warm from the oven like 00:37:09.309 --> 00:37:12.010 I smelled just yesterday when my wife baked some 00:37:12.010 --> 00:37:16.210 bread. There are waters from clean mountain springs, 00:37:16.349 --> 00:37:19.489 juices from the orchard fruits and the endless 00:37:19.489 --> 00:37:24.070 variety. of foods from every climate. We have 00:37:24.070 --> 00:37:27.730 the gift of smell, the clean scent after rain, 00:37:27.909 --> 00:37:30.469 which again, we just experienced that, or pine 00:37:30.469 --> 00:37:33.269 needles that crushed underfoot, or the ocean 00:37:33.269 --> 00:37:36.409 salt air, or a blooming rose, or bougainvillea, 00:37:36.409 --> 00:37:42.789 or again, a baking bread. Our life is not just 00:37:42.789 --> 00:37:47.789 survival. It is lavish enjoyment by the good 00:37:47.789 --> 00:37:52.340 gift of God. Think of the simple joy of biting 00:37:52.340 --> 00:37:54.699 into a fresh peach on a summer day or watching 00:37:54.699 --> 00:37:57.239 fireflies, which we don't have in the West, light 00:37:57.239 --> 00:37:59.420 up in a meadow at twilight, or at least I don't 00:37:59.420 --> 00:38:01.179 think we do anywhere. We don't see it here, but 00:38:01.179 --> 00:38:04.199 in the East, it's all over the place. Or standing 00:38:04.199 --> 00:38:06.980 on a cliff overlooking the sea as the waves roar 00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:13.559 below. Our life is not just survival. It is lavish 00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:16.800 enjoyment. Then there is music, and then there's 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:18.900 art, and there's beautifully crafted buildings. 00:38:19.139 --> 00:38:21.739 Do you know that the first recorded person who 00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:24.659 was filled with the Holy Spirit in the Word of 00:38:24.659 --> 00:38:28.099 God was a craftsman, a builder, and an architect? 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:31.480 He was a designer. His name was Bezalel, and 00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:33.820 then Aholiab, and then there was also wise -hearted 00:38:33.820 --> 00:38:36.480 men who worked with them to build the tabernacle 00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:38.840 in the wilderness. That is in Exodus chapter 00:38:38.840 --> 00:38:44.980 31. All of these things are God's gifts. The 00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:48.960 world, brothers and sisters, is ours that God 00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:53.260 has given to us. So life with God and in God's 00:38:53.260 --> 00:38:56.760 universe is anything but dull and drab and useless, 00:38:56.920 --> 00:39:00.920 which is precisely why cultures that hate God 00:39:00.920 --> 00:39:04.739 promote ugliness, disorder, and disarray. It's 00:39:04.739 --> 00:39:09.500 precisely why they do it. I'm taking the time 00:39:09.500 --> 00:39:12.199 to go through all of this so that we can understand 00:39:12.199 --> 00:39:15.019 that to all believers in Christ, the world is 00:39:15.019 --> 00:39:20.010 ours. Ours to use, ours to develop, ours to refine, 00:39:20.369 --> 00:39:23.690 ours to make and to keep beautiful and orderly 00:39:23.690 --> 00:39:27.190 and to show forth the glory of God and to exalt 00:39:27.190 --> 00:39:30.349 Him. And we need to keep this in mind as we care 00:39:30.349 --> 00:39:32.969 for our properties and as we enjoy our foods 00:39:32.969 --> 00:39:36.070 and as we live as husbands and wives and have 00:39:36.070 --> 00:39:38.869 families and as we work our jobs and earn the 00:39:38.869 --> 00:39:42.519 money and build wealth. As we see and experience 00:39:42.519 --> 00:39:45.239 all these things, they should cause our hearts 00:39:45.239 --> 00:39:49.579 to swell in exaltation and in praise to our God 00:39:49.579 --> 00:39:54.500 and to worship. I encourage you this afternoon, 00:39:54.699 --> 00:39:58.000 read Psalm 104 in light of all of this. I don't 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:01.400 have time to do it today, but verse 24. O Lord, 00:40:01.579 --> 00:40:05.039 how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou 00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:08.559 made them all. The earth is full of thy riches. 00:40:11.150 --> 00:40:15.550 Then Paul says, life and death. This is also 00:40:15.550 --> 00:40:18.710 ours. Life to enjoy under God's blessing and 00:40:18.710 --> 00:40:22.110 approbation. Jesus says, the thief does not come 00:40:22.110 --> 00:40:24.769 except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I 00:40:24.769 --> 00:40:27.480 have come that they might have life. And that 00:40:27.480 --> 00:40:30.300 they might have it more abundantly. Of course 00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:32.500 that's also referring to spiritual life. And 00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:35.719 that's why again saying under God. We have the 00:40:35.719 --> 00:40:39.079 vitality only of our natural life. But also of 00:40:39.079 --> 00:40:43.440 spiritual life pulsating within us. God pours 00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:47.679 out his blessings in life. And I've been describing 00:40:47.679 --> 00:40:50.800 much of that. But death brothers and sisters. 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:55.099 Death is also ours. When our life's work is finished. 00:40:56.269 --> 00:41:01.090 And we rest from our labors and with Christ. 00:41:02.949 --> 00:41:05.809 Paul, having experienced much hardship and labor 00:41:05.809 --> 00:41:08.489 on behalf of Christ and his church, tells the 00:41:08.489 --> 00:41:11.250 Philippians, for I am hard pressed between the 00:41:11.250 --> 00:41:14.909 two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, 00:41:14.989 --> 00:41:18.590 which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain 00:41:18.590 --> 00:41:22.409 in the flesh is more needful for you. Psalm 116 00:41:22.409 --> 00:41:25.429 verse 15, precious in the sight of the Lord. 00:41:25.869 --> 00:41:29.610 Is the death of his saints. In Romans 14 verse 00:41:29.610 --> 00:41:33.690 8. For if we live. We live to the Lord. And if 00:41:33.690 --> 00:41:40.929 we die. We die to the Lord. Therefore. Whether 00:41:40.929 --> 00:41:46.869 we live. Or die. We are the Lord's. This is ours. 00:41:47.070 --> 00:41:50.809 As well. The Heidelberg Catechism in question 00:41:50.809 --> 00:41:54.440 1. Captures this most beautifully. What is your 00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:59.579 only comfort in life and in death? That I am 00:41:59.579 --> 00:42:06.300 not my own, but belong body and soul in life 00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:11.440 and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:42:11.860 --> 00:42:16.500 This is our hope and our promise. Then he moves 00:42:16.500 --> 00:42:20.219 on. He says of things present and things to come. 00:42:20.340 --> 00:42:26.429 This speaks of time. Time is ours. God gives 00:42:26.429 --> 00:42:30.650 to each of us 24 hours in a day, seven days in 00:42:30.650 --> 00:42:33.250 a week, which one of them being a day of rest 00:42:33.250 --> 00:42:37.170 unto him, 365 days in a year. Now, you know, 00:42:37.170 --> 00:42:39.969 God is all in all. Do you ever think about this? 00:42:40.090 --> 00:42:43.989 And yet he gives us six days to work and one 00:42:43.989 --> 00:42:48.920 day of rest to him and worship to him. Very interesting 00:42:48.920 --> 00:42:51.920 how God does this. Even in his greatness and 00:42:51.920 --> 00:42:55.500 in his glory, he calls us for one day of rest 00:42:55.500 --> 00:42:57.920 and worship that is especially dedicated to him. 00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:02.780 And then six days he gives to us under his blessing 00:43:02.780 --> 00:43:06.860 to work, to labor, to enjoy, to do all of the 00:43:06.860 --> 00:43:11.480 other things that we have to do. He gives us 00:43:11.480 --> 00:43:16.489 these six days. He sets up the seasons for us 00:43:16.489 --> 00:43:19.550 and time is ours to live in and to glorify our 00:43:19.550 --> 00:43:23.630 father in heaven. Yet in all these things, we 00:43:23.630 --> 00:43:27.170 are more than conquerors through him who loved 00:43:27.170 --> 00:43:31.849 us. Paul speaks of this, says, I am persuaded 00:43:31.849 --> 00:43:35.090 that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor 00:43:35.090 --> 00:43:38.010 principalities, nor powers, nor things present, 00:43:38.070 --> 00:43:41.500 nor things to come, nor height, nor depth. nor 00:43:41.500 --> 00:43:44.559 any other created thing shall be able to separate 00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:47.260 us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus 00:43:47.260 --> 00:43:52.599 our Lord. Romans 8, 37 -39 We are kept by God 00:43:52.599 --> 00:43:57.039 in the time that is allotted to us by His sovereign 00:43:57.039 --> 00:44:01.059 decree. And having received the gift of eternal 00:44:01.059 --> 00:44:04.679 life, we then live not only with the enjoyment 00:44:04.679 --> 00:44:08.400 of our life as it is now, but with a living hope. 00:44:09.480 --> 00:44:12.159 For blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 00:44:12.159 --> 00:44:15.400 Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1 verse 3, who according 00:44:15.400 --> 00:44:18.559 to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to 00:44:18.559 --> 00:44:22.800 a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus 00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:27.420 Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible 00:44:27.420 --> 00:44:31.159 and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved 00:44:31.159 --> 00:44:34.570 in heaven for you who are kept. by the power 00:44:34.570 --> 00:44:37.309 of God through faith for salvation, ready to 00:44:37.309 --> 00:44:40.949 be revealed at the last time. This is our hope. 00:44:41.150 --> 00:44:46.989 And he ends all of these statements here, he 00:44:46.989 --> 00:44:51.369 ends them with, or things to come. That is the 00:44:51.369 --> 00:44:54.469 time in the future, the time eternal. Yes, that 00:44:54.469 --> 00:44:59.510 is ours also. He again emphasizes, all are yours. 00:45:00.349 --> 00:45:31.960 This is God's world. Colossians 1. the earth 00:45:31.960 --> 00:45:35.320 beneath, all spirits, principalities, and powers, 00:45:35.420 --> 00:45:38.159 the church, and all civil governments belong 00:45:38.159 --> 00:45:41.780 to Christ, all families. They are all to yield 00:45:41.780 --> 00:45:47.239 to him in obedience and worship. And that is 00:45:47.239 --> 00:45:51.619 where the unifying thing of all of the gifts 00:45:51.619 --> 00:45:54.880 that God has given, they are designed for our 00:45:54.880 --> 00:45:58.599 blessings and enjoyment, but as an aid to worship 00:45:58.599 --> 00:46:02.900 him. As you see the glories and the wonders and 00:46:02.900 --> 00:46:05.659 the blessings of life that you experience, let 00:46:05.659 --> 00:46:09.880 your heart rise in continual worship for the 00:46:09.880 --> 00:46:15.579 gifts that he has given. Excuse me. I need to 00:46:15.579 --> 00:46:18.239 close with two applications. And I'm going back 00:46:18.239 --> 00:46:21.340 here to this passage, which I'm going to go before 00:46:21.340 --> 00:46:25.599 what led before in order for Paul to give this 00:46:25.599 --> 00:46:27.780 glorious statement that we've been speaking about. 00:46:28.829 --> 00:46:31.570 back at verse 18 he says let no one deceive himself 00:46:31.570 --> 00:46:34.989 if any among you seems to be wise in this age 00:46:34.989 --> 00:46:37.750 let him become a fool that he may become wise 00:46:37.750 --> 00:46:41.130 for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with 00:46:41.130 --> 00:46:44.309 god for it is written he catches the wise in 00:46:44.309 --> 00:46:47.650 their own craftiness and again the lord knows 00:46:47.650 --> 00:46:50.630 the thoughts of the wise that they are futile 00:46:51.309 --> 00:46:54.570 The wisdom of the worldly wise man is contrary 00:46:54.570 --> 00:46:57.969 to all that we have said today and to what Paul 00:46:57.969 --> 00:47:01.760 has been saying. about all things being ours. 00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:04.880 Why is this? Well, it's because professing to 00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:08.460 be wise, they became fools and changed the glory 00:47:08.460 --> 00:47:11.880 of the incorruptible God into an image made like 00:47:11.880 --> 00:47:14.739 corruptible men and birds and four -footed animals 00:47:14.739 --> 00:47:18.239 and creeping things. Romans 1, 22 and 23. So 00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:21.039 then, when Christians go to drink of the wisdom 00:47:21.039 --> 00:47:23.420 of the world, they are imbibing from a polluted 00:47:23.420 --> 00:47:26.500 spring. Now, why would you do that? This is the 00:47:26.500 --> 00:47:29.179 point Paul's making. Why would you do that? you 00:47:29.179 --> 00:47:32.119 have all that is yours. All that God has given 00:47:32.119 --> 00:47:35.960 to you, in which he has given to us, in which 00:47:35.960 --> 00:47:38.739 I have more fully described from God's word for 00:47:38.739 --> 00:47:41.579 you. Why would we go and drink from the polluted 00:47:41.579 --> 00:47:46.360 fountains of this world? To let no one deceive 00:47:46.360 --> 00:47:50.599 himself about human wisdom. Rather, become a 00:47:50.599 --> 00:47:53.800 fool that is in their perspective, so that you 00:47:53.800 --> 00:47:56.699 might become wise. In other words, what the unbelieving 00:47:56.699 --> 00:47:59.480 world thinks is foolishness, It's actually wisdom 00:47:59.480 --> 00:48:03.300 according to God. If God's world is ours, then 00:48:03.300 --> 00:48:06.519 let us learn of him and not what those who deny 00:48:06.519 --> 00:48:11.800 God think is wisdom. So we need to get our priorities 00:48:11.800 --> 00:48:14.500 and our understanding right. Paul says, let no 00:48:14.500 --> 00:48:19.559 one deceive himself about this wisdom of the 00:48:19.559 --> 00:48:22.719 world. Secondly, he then says, let no one boast 00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:26.730 in man. Verse 21, therefore let no one boast 00:48:26.730 --> 00:48:30.610 in men for all things are yours. This completely 00:48:30.610 --> 00:48:33.590 cuts against the factions that the Corinthians 00:48:33.590 --> 00:48:36.789 were facilitating and separating themselves from 00:48:36.789 --> 00:48:39.670 one another. And here's the thing, it was cutting 00:48:39.670 --> 00:48:43.750 them short. Why have a faction around one particular 00:48:43.750 --> 00:48:46.710 man and you're limited to what? To that man's 00:48:46.710 --> 00:48:49.269 experience or that man's teaching when the world 00:48:49.269 --> 00:48:54.170 is yours. And all of the teachings and blessings 00:48:54.170 --> 00:48:58.789 that come from various men and men of God who 00:48:58.789 --> 00:49:02.469 have preached and who have taught, it's all ours 00:49:02.469 --> 00:49:06.309 to enjoy. So why would we limit ourselves to 00:49:06.309 --> 00:49:09.969 just one tiny little segment of the Christian 00:49:09.969 --> 00:49:14.829 faith? No. It is just, let no one boast in man, 00:49:14.989 --> 00:49:20.070 he says. Furthermore, men are fallible. Men make 00:49:20.070 --> 00:49:23.800 mistakes. Men sin. If you put your trust in a 00:49:23.800 --> 00:49:27.099 particular man, you will be disappointed. So 00:49:27.099 --> 00:49:34.940 why boast in man when we have so much more? Finally 00:49:34.940 --> 00:49:40.320 then, we belong to Christ and Christ is God's. 00:49:40.760 --> 00:49:43.300 I'll close with these words in 1 Corinthians 00:49:43.300 --> 00:49:48.000 8 verse 6. Yet for us there is one God, the Father, 00:49:48.239 --> 00:49:54.099 of whom are all things. And we for him. And one 00:49:54.099 --> 00:49:58.380 Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom are all things. 00:49:58.579 --> 00:50:04.579 And through whom we live. May it be so. As we 00:50:04.579 --> 00:50:08.239 go and enjoy the world that God has given. And 00:50:08.239 --> 00:50:10.400 give praise for him. Let's pray.