WEBVTT 00:00:01.070 --> 00:00:04.450 The sermon title today is The Lord Preserves 00:00:04.450 --> 00:00:10.130 the Faithful. Our text is in 1 Corinthians chapter 00:00:10.130 --> 00:00:16.309 4, beginning in verse 1 through verse 5. Hear 00:00:16.309 --> 00:00:21.269 the word of the Lord as written by the Apostle 00:00:21.269 --> 00:00:25.859 Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let a man 00:00:25.859 --> 00:00:29.440 so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:34.520 of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:38.780 in stewards that one be found faithful. But with 00:00:38.780 --> 00:00:41.140 me, it is a very small thing that I should be 00:00:41.140 --> 00:00:44.299 judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I 00:00:44.299 --> 00:00:47.560 do not even judge myself, for I know of nothing 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:50.899 against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.320 but he who judges me is the Lord. Therefore, 00:00:55.340 --> 00:00:58.340 judge nothing before the time until the Lord 00:00:58.340 --> 00:01:01.060 comes, who will both bring to light the hidden 00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:04.939 things of darkness and reveal the counsels of 00:01:04.939 --> 00:01:08.560 the hearts. Then each one's praise will come 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:12.459 from God. Let's ask the Lord's blessing on our 00:01:12.459 --> 00:01:15.519 time together. Our Father, we thank you for this 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:19.980 word. Lord, you have much to teach us about faithfulness. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:22.980 and of the coming judgment. So I pray, Father, 00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:26.299 that as we look into this passage and in other 00:01:26.299 --> 00:01:29.400 references in your word, we pray that you would 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.140 speak to us today, that you would open up your 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:34.959 word that we might understand. Lord, give us 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.739 faithful men and women and boys and girls, Lord, 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:41.939 who follow you, even as we sang about the martyrs, 00:01:41.939 --> 00:01:44.980 Lord. We ask, O God, that you would inspire us 00:01:44.980 --> 00:01:47.260 with a heart, that you would grant us a heart 00:01:47.260 --> 00:01:50.250 of faithfulness. We pray this in the name of 00:01:50.250 --> 00:02:00.010 Jesus. Amen. Psalm 31, verse 23 says, All you 00:02:00.010 --> 00:02:16.849 who hope in the Lord. Throughout the scriptures, 00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:20.460 The faithful person is praised and blessed by 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:23.800 God. Indeed, as in Proverbs chapter 20, verse 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:27.039 6 and 7 says, most men will proclaim each his 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:31.439 own goodness, but who can find a faithful man? 00:02:31.699 --> 00:02:35.360 The righteous man walks in his integrity. His 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:40.379 children are blessed after him. In fact, a faithful 00:02:40.379 --> 00:02:43.960 man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens 00:02:43.960 --> 00:02:47.280 to be rich will not go unpunished. Proverbs 28 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:51.939 and verse 20. Alas, there is much unfaithfulness 00:02:51.939 --> 00:02:56.699 all around us. I constantly hear how hard it 00:02:56.699 --> 00:02:59.740 is for businesses to hire faithful employees 00:02:59.740 --> 00:03:03.439 who will do a good job and will carry out their 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:06.580 duties with integrity. They will work hard and 00:03:06.580 --> 00:03:10.300 show up on time. Micah the prophet cried out 00:03:10.300 --> 00:03:13.080 in Micah chapter 7 verse 2 saying, The faithful 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:15.840 man has perished from the earth. and there is 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:18.520 no one upright among men. They all lie in wait 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:21.120 for blood, and every man hunts his brother with 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:25.639 a net. Right now in our own county, there's a 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:28.479 great upheaval because of the belief by some 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:32.639 that some of those in elected office are acting 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:36.439 in an irresponsible manner, or they're not faithful 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.719 to the Constitution and their oath of office. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:42.199 And this is not unique to this county, for in 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:45.639 most every place, the scarcity of faithful civil 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:50.199 magistrates and rulers is quite evident. And 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:54.340 various sins of wickedness and bribery and demagoguery 00:03:54.340 --> 00:03:57.979 and the violation of marriage vows and unfaithfulness 00:03:57.979 --> 00:04:01.860 to the constitutional oath, they abound. This 00:04:01.860 --> 00:04:05.500 is not only true of civil magistrates, but also 00:04:05.500 --> 00:04:12.199 of those of us who elect them. Indeed, David 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:17.420 cries out in Psalm 12, verse 1, Help, Lord, for 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:21.959 the ungodly man, for the godly man ceases, for 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:26.180 the faithful disappear from among the sons of 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:30.100 men. And yet, we thank God for the many faithful 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:36.100 ones, and we pray and work for more. Today in 00:04:36.100 --> 00:04:39.100 our passage of St. Paul's Holy Spirit -inspired 00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:43.459 writings, To the Corinthian church, Paul addresses 00:04:43.459 --> 00:04:48.220 the need for faithfulness, especially in the 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:52.579 context here, faithfulness in ministers who are 00:04:52.579 --> 00:04:56.879 servants of Christ and overseers and stewards 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.180 in Christ's church. The need for this is great, 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:05.620 for there are many charlatans, power -hungry 00:05:05.620 --> 00:05:10.629 egomaniacs, control freaks, adulterers, false 00:05:10.629 --> 00:05:14.930 teachers, and pastors who do not shepherd the 00:05:14.930 --> 00:05:20.389 flock of God well. This passage sounds a clear 00:05:20.389 --> 00:05:24.149 call both for the proper view of Christian leaders, 00:05:24.329 --> 00:05:27.970 but also with an emphasis on the need for faithfulness 00:05:27.970 --> 00:05:33.420 in them, that they must be faithful. But the 00:05:33.420 --> 00:05:36.019 call to faithfulness is not only for ministers 00:05:36.019 --> 00:05:39.100 in Christ's church. No, indeed, it is for every 00:05:39.100 --> 00:05:43.000 Christian believer. Each one of you, as a father, 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:46.680 a mother, as a man, as a woman, as a child, each 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:49.660 one of you are called by God to faithful Christian 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:53.079 living, to being trustworthy, to being honorable 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:56.100 in dealings with your neighbor and with your 00:05:56.100 --> 00:05:59.240 people around you, including those of your own 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:03.069 household. Each one of us are called to be a 00:06:03.069 --> 00:06:07.910 faithful steward, a steward of ourselves, of 00:06:07.910 --> 00:06:11.829 our money, our time, our resources, our households, 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:16.290 and if God calls us to a public ministry, whether 00:06:16.290 --> 00:06:19.029 that of civil service or in God's church, of 00:06:19.029 --> 00:06:22.629 being a faithful steward in that ministry. While 00:06:22.629 --> 00:06:25.089 this passage speaks specifically to ministers 00:06:25.089 --> 00:06:28.829 of Christ, the application is much wider. So 00:06:28.829 --> 00:06:31.089 let us then turn to this passage and understand 00:06:31.089 --> 00:06:34.009 the instruction given by the Holy Spirit through 00:06:34.009 --> 00:06:37.449 the pen of Paul the Apostle in this letter. The 00:06:37.449 --> 00:06:41.509 first one in verse 1 is Paul deals with the proper 00:06:41.509 --> 00:06:46.089 view of Christian leaders. Now remember that 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:48.670 one of the reasons for this is because the Corinthian 00:06:48.670 --> 00:06:52.389 view was wrong. And so he sets forth here what 00:06:52.389 --> 00:06:56.389 the right view is. He begins, let a man so consider 00:06:56.389 --> 00:07:00.920 us. as servants of Christ and stewards of the 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:05.100 mysteries of God. Now, let a man so consider 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:08.459 us reflects a present tense imperative. And this 00:07:08.459 --> 00:07:11.500 is basically Paul is saying here, this is how 00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:14.360 you ought to regard us. This is how you should 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.860 understand our position and how you should look 00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:19.829 at us. This is in the context of the problem 00:07:19.829 --> 00:07:23.009 of the Corinthian church of many factions. How 00:07:23.009 --> 00:07:25.930 the one apostle or one leader or another speaker 00:07:25.930 --> 00:07:30.329 was lifted up and put on a pedestal above others. 00:07:30.589 --> 00:07:33.110 They were considered, this is our man. This is 00:07:33.110 --> 00:07:37.209 who we follow. And he is better than those of 00:07:37.209 --> 00:07:40.189 the other parties or factions. This was creating 00:07:40.189 --> 00:07:43.069 divisions and the end strife in the congregation. 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:47.160 The us in this verse, let a man so consider us, 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.660 is referring to Paul and Apollos and Cephas, 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:54.500 or Peter, as those were specifically spoken of 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:57.259 in chapter 1. This is the same group of apostles 00:07:57.259 --> 00:08:00.860 and teachers, not only mentioned in chapter 1 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:04.060 verse 12, but also in chapter 3 verse 5 and chapter 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:07.540 3 verse 22. This could have also included other 00:08:07.540 --> 00:08:09.959 notable men who had ministered to them, but whom 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:13.290 Paul does not name. Rather than men who are to 00:08:13.290 --> 00:08:15.709 be lifted up above others and to serve themselves 00:08:15.709 --> 00:08:18.189 or promote themselves as leaders of factions, 00:08:18.449 --> 00:08:21.670 he continues, they are to be considered in two 00:08:21.670 --> 00:08:26.110 different ways. The first is as a servant of 00:08:26.110 --> 00:08:32.169 Christ. A servant of Christ. Now the word servant 00:08:32.169 --> 00:08:34.590 here is not the same as it's used in many other 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:39.789 places. The word literally means under rower. 00:08:40.250 --> 00:08:42.950 If you've ever seen the movie Bend Her with Charlton 00:08:42.950 --> 00:08:47.230 Heston, one of the classic movies from that time 00:08:47.230 --> 00:08:54.850 period, they excellently depict men who were 00:08:54.850 --> 00:08:57.370 chained to benches, who were down in the ship, 00:08:57.429 --> 00:09:00.850 who powered the ship by rowing. That's what this 00:09:00.850 --> 00:09:05.080 word means right here, a servant. They were galley 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:08.259 slaves. They were those under the authority of 00:09:08.259 --> 00:09:11.039 another who carried out the responsibility of 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:14.000 the master. Now this could also though be used 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.299 as that of any slave under a slave master or 00:09:17.909 --> 00:09:21.190 An officer or someone under the captain of a 00:09:21.190 --> 00:09:25.330 ship or of a minister of Christ. That's how Paul 00:09:25.330 --> 00:09:29.169 is using this. And he uses this analogy of being 00:09:29.169 --> 00:09:32.409 a servant in many places in the New Testament. 00:09:32.450 --> 00:09:36.490 For this is also similar to the word doulos in 00:09:36.490 --> 00:09:40.169 Greek. And he describes this many times. Which 00:09:40.169 --> 00:09:43.169 that word simply means in general a slave or 00:09:43.169 --> 00:09:46.850 a bondman. Paul uses it to describe one who gives 00:09:46.850 --> 00:09:50.049 himself up to another's will. Those whose service 00:09:50.049 --> 00:09:52.750 is used by Christ in extending and advancing 00:09:52.750 --> 00:09:55.830 his cause among men. That's how Paul uses it. 00:09:55.909 --> 00:09:59.090 So we have here the word servant here as it is 00:09:59.090 --> 00:10:02.870 used, which is the word for under rower. But 00:10:02.870 --> 00:10:06.149 in many places he also uses the same, or the 00:10:06.149 --> 00:10:09.309 word servant is translated servant, but it means 00:10:09.309 --> 00:10:13.309 that of a slave. For example, in Romans 1, verse 00:10:13.309 --> 00:10:17.429 1, Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called 00:10:17.429 --> 00:10:19.830 to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of 00:10:19.830 --> 00:10:23.250 God. Or Philippians 1, verse 1, Paul and Timothy, 00:10:23.490 --> 00:10:26.809 bondservants of Jesus Christ. Or Colossians 4, 00:10:26.909 --> 00:10:30.629 verse 12, Epaphos, who is one of you, a bondservant 00:10:30.629 --> 00:10:34.629 of Christ. This description does not speak of 00:10:34.629 --> 00:10:37.529 exaltation or advancement, but it stresses the 00:10:37.529 --> 00:10:41.039 reality that they are to serve. They are to serve 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:46.019 God and serve his people. Ultimately, they serve 00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:49.700 another, one Jesus Christ. And they themselves 00:10:49.700 --> 00:10:54.100 are nothing. This is how Paul could say of himself. 00:10:54.440 --> 00:10:56.899 He could speak of himself in 1 Corinthians 15 00:10:56.899 --> 00:11:01.500 and verse 9. For I am the least of the apostles 00:11:01.500 --> 00:11:05.120 who am not worthy to be called an apostle because 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:10.580 I persecuted the church of God. God's ministers 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:16.100 serve. They are not masters. They are stewards, 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:20.480 but not lords. And this brings us to the second 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.519 consideration. The second one, the first here 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:25.679 is that they are servants of Christ. And second, 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:30.019 they are stewards of the mysteries of God. Now, 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:32.399 when we think of a steward, we usually think 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.879 of someone who looks after a passenger on a ship 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:37.860 or maybe on an airplane, stewardess or steward, 00:11:37.860 --> 00:11:39.299 as they used to be called. Now they're called 00:11:39.299 --> 00:11:42.840 flight attendants, but or also on a train. We 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:45.039 think of one who brings drinks or meals or who 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.659 is responsible for supplies of food to maybe 00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:50.879 a college or a club or other institution. The 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:53.879 biblical word oikonomos, though, means much more 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:57.620 than that. The word for translated steward here. 00:11:57.740 --> 00:12:00.620 This is referring to one who is in a position 00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:06.899 of trust as of a household or a state manager. 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:10.759 Anthony Thistleton explains that in the ancient 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:14.220 world, the office normally included responsibility 00:12:14.220 --> 00:12:18.419 for overseeing a household budget, purchasing 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:22.580 accounts, resource allocation, collection of 00:12:22.580 --> 00:12:25.740 debts. and the general running of the establishment, 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:29.299 but only as instructed within the guidelines 00:12:29.299 --> 00:12:32.080 agreed by the employer or the head of the house. 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:35.840 So this is a very weighty word, one that entails 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:39.879 great responsibility. They are stewards of the 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:44.059 mystery of God. We think of Joseph, for example, 00:12:44.059 --> 00:12:47.950 in Potiphar's house. And his master saw, Genesis 00:12:47.950 --> 00:12:51.730 39, that the Lord was with him and the Lord made 00:12:51.730 --> 00:12:54.950 all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph 00:12:54.950 --> 00:12:57.950 found favor in his sight and served him. Then 00:12:57.950 --> 00:13:01.769 he made him overseer of his house and all that 00:13:01.769 --> 00:13:06.799 he had, he put under his. So it was from that 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.200 time that he made him overseer of his house and 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.919 all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:14.120 house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:16.200 the Lord was on all that he had in the house 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:18.720 and in the field. Thus he left all that he had 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.120 in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:25.039 had except for the bread which he ate. Genesis 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:29.799 39, verses 3 to 6. Joseph is a wonderful biblical 00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:34.279 example of a steward. Now the mysteries of God, 00:13:34.299 --> 00:13:37.039 he's stewards of the mysteries of God, simply 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:40.039 refers to the gospel, to God's revealed truth 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:42.899 in all of their fullness. This was spoken of 00:13:42.899 --> 00:13:46.320 back in chapter 2, verse 7. But we speak the 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:50.120 wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:53.139 which God ordained before the ages for our glory. 00:13:53.779 --> 00:13:57.600 Again, in chapter 2 and verse 10, God has revealed 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:00.860 them, that is these mysteries, to us through 00:14:00.860 --> 00:14:04.340 his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:07.840 yes, the deep things of God. So it was the responsibility 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:10.779 of the apostles and the prophets to reveal the 00:14:10.779 --> 00:14:13.399 deep and the hidden things of God by the Holy 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:16.600 Spirit. Thus they revealed the mystery and they 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:19.820 wrote them down. And now it is the responsibility 00:14:19.820 --> 00:14:23.379 of the preacher or the minister and the teacher 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:26.820 to take the word of God, to seek to understand 00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:30.259 it, and then to explain it, to give the sense 00:14:30.259 --> 00:14:34.159 of it so that all can be understand and be like 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:37.809 -minded and be shepherded by it. So this is the 00:14:37.809 --> 00:14:40.750 task. Yeah, we're not apostles and prophets in 00:14:40.750 --> 00:14:43.250 the way that they were there. To them, the mystery 00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:49.389 was revealed, but now we are still to dig into 00:14:49.389 --> 00:14:52.570 the word of God and to explain it. That's the 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:56.190 responsibility of a minister of God, a servant 00:14:56.190 --> 00:14:59.450 of God. Paul tells young Timothy in 2 Timothy 00:14:59.450 --> 00:15:04.909 2 in verse 15, he says, be diligent. To show 00:15:04.909 --> 00:15:08.669 yourself, to present yourself approved to God, 00:15:08.769 --> 00:15:14.070 a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly 00:15:14.070 --> 00:15:18.029 dividing the word of God. That's what I'm talking 00:15:18.029 --> 00:15:21.269 about right there. Rightly dividing the word 00:15:21.269 --> 00:15:24.889 of God. This includes rebuking false teachers 00:15:24.889 --> 00:15:28.330 and stopping their mouths, but not quarreling. 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.179 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be 00:15:32.179 --> 00:15:37.100 gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility, 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:40.259 correcting those who are in opposition, if God 00:15:40.259 --> 00:15:42.539 perhaps will grant them repentance so they may 00:15:42.539 --> 00:15:46.299 know the truth. This is in 2 Timothy 2, verse 00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:50.139 24 and 26. So the job of the minister here, the 00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:53.740 responsibility of the minister, how they are 00:15:53.740 --> 00:15:56.860 to be considered by the congregation is servants 00:15:56.860 --> 00:16:02.480 of Christ. and stewards of the mystery of God. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.200 Now, the status of Christian leaders are described 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:10.679 in four different ways in the book of 1 Corinthians. 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:13.960 There's the word diakonos, which is minister 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:17.320 or servant, in chapter 3, verse 5, and the word 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:20.840 oikonomos, or servant or under rower, subordinate 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:24.940 in our verse here, verse 1. This refers to the 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:27.529 elders or the bishops and overseers. to their 00:16:27.529 --> 00:16:30.269 secondary position in the church as under Christ. 00:16:30.450 --> 00:16:33.730 They report to him as their Lord and Master. 00:16:33.990 --> 00:16:39.090 They are not lords. They are servants. Secondly, 00:16:39.250 --> 00:16:43.830 that was two words. The third word is that of 00:16:43.830 --> 00:16:46.830 fellow workers. That's in chapter 3 and verse 00:16:46.830 --> 00:16:50.210 9. That defines and explains their relationship 00:16:50.210 --> 00:16:53.230 to one another. They worked in Christ's kingdom 00:16:53.230 --> 00:16:57.090 together. It was not one being lifted up over 00:16:57.090 --> 00:17:01.049 another or being put on this huge pedestal, but 00:17:01.049 --> 00:17:04.250 they were fellow workers together working in 00:17:04.250 --> 00:17:06.730 Christ's kingdom with a close relationship with 00:17:06.730 --> 00:17:09.789 one another. This is the great value of having 00:17:09.789 --> 00:17:13.920 multiple elders in a congregation. or of those 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:17.880 who labor together as evangelists, or also when 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:21.839 elders get together in a presbytery or a council, 00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:25.460 an association. We're to be fellow workers together 00:17:25.460 --> 00:17:28.460 in the kingdom of God. We see this with Paul 00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:31.880 and Apollos, Paul and Timothy, Paul with Aquila 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.900 and Priscilla in Romans 16 verse 3, or Paul, 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:38.400 Timothy, and Philemon in Philemon chapter 1 and 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:40.859 verse 1. They are fellow workers. And then the 00:17:40.859 --> 00:17:43.950 fourth word is that of steward. or estate manager, 00:17:44.170 --> 00:17:47.490 which we have here in chapter 4, verse 1. This 00:17:47.490 --> 00:17:49.450 then refers to their ultimate responsibility 00:17:49.450 --> 00:17:53.670 before God to be an overseer and to care for 00:17:53.670 --> 00:17:56.769 his church diligently, properly, and to maintain 00:17:56.769 --> 00:18:00.710 good order. Moving on then to our second point, 00:18:00.789 --> 00:18:02.970 we're now going to look at the requirement for 00:18:02.970 --> 00:18:06.529 stewards. This is in verse 2. Moreover, he says, 00:18:06.690 --> 00:18:09.690 it is required in stewards that one be found 00:18:09.690 --> 00:18:15.230 faithful. They is to be found faithful. A most 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:19.450 important quality of a steward is that of faithfulness, 00:18:19.529 --> 00:18:25.309 not eloquence, not popularity, but rather trustworthiness 00:18:25.309 --> 00:18:31.319 and loyalty to the master. Faithfulness means 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:34.660 a person or describes a person who shows himself 00:18:34.660 --> 00:18:37.799 faithful in the transaction of business, in the 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:41.119 execution of commands, or the discharge of official 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:45.759 duties. He is responsible to his master to do 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:49.299 all of these and to carry them out. It is one 00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:52.180 who keeps his plighted faith. He is worthy of 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:58.700 trust and he can be relied on. He is to be faithful. 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.059 The Corinthians were assessing their leaders 00:19:02.059 --> 00:19:08.279 on the criteria of wisdom, human wisdom, eloquence, 00:19:08.299 --> 00:19:12.279 and an impressive personal presence. But in stark 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:16.039 contrast, the pillar commentary says, God's basis 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:19.019 for judgment is very different. Those who are 00:19:19.019 --> 00:19:24.160 given a trust must be faithful, faithful to their 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:29.119 God. There's a number of examples of faithful 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.539 stewards and servants of God in the scriptures. 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:36.960 There's Timothy who is called a beloved and faithful 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:42.220 son in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 17. There is Moses 00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:46.700 who is described by God as one who is faithful 00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:50.599 in all my house. I speak with him face to face, 00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:54.539 even plainly and not in dark sayings. It's found 00:19:54.539 --> 00:19:57.500 in Numbers 12. verse 6 and 7, and repeat it again 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:03.619 in Hebrews. Even Jesus is described this way 00:20:03.619 --> 00:20:07.059 in Hebrews 3, verse 1 and 2. Therefore, holy 00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:09.660 brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, 00:20:09.819 --> 00:20:12.700 consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, 00:20:12.900 --> 00:20:17.880 Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him who appointed 00:20:17.880 --> 00:20:22.980 him. But this kind of faithfulness is not just 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:28.140 required of ministers. It is required of all 00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:32.339 believers. All believers are called to faithfulness. 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.140 Faithfulness and trustworthiness should be a 00:20:35.140 --> 00:20:38.779 constant and a consistent trait of all who know 00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:42.390 and profess the name of Christ. This faithfulness 00:20:42.390 --> 00:20:45.190 demonstrates itself in work ethic, in keeping 00:20:45.190 --> 00:20:47.930 the marriage covenant, even in handling money, 00:20:48.150 --> 00:20:51.509 in rearing children, in relationships one with 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:55.230 another, as well as in purity of doctrine and 00:20:55.230 --> 00:20:58.470 in the service and the worship of God. This faithfulness 00:20:58.470 --> 00:21:03.789 is required of all believers. Now, we know that 00:21:03.789 --> 00:21:07.029 some are given more and some are given less responsibilities. 00:21:07.529 --> 00:21:10.750 The key is not in the amount. but it is in the 00:21:10.750 --> 00:21:13.390 faithfulness to what God has allotted to each 00:21:13.390 --> 00:21:16.769 of us. Jesus speaks a very powerful story about 00:21:16.769 --> 00:21:20.109 this in the parable of the talents in Matthew 00:21:20.109 --> 00:21:23.130 chapter 25. He says, for the kingdom of heaven 00:21:23.130 --> 00:21:26.890 is like a man traveling to a far country who 00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:29.769 called his servants and he delivered his goods 00:21:29.769 --> 00:21:33.930 to them. To one, he gave five talents, to another, 00:21:34.069 --> 00:21:38.670 two, and to another. To each according to his 00:21:38.670 --> 00:21:42.470 own ability. And immediately he went on a journey. 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:45.519 I'm just going to stop there for a minute. We 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:48.319 see here how in this parable that Jesus gives, 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:51.759 it was given each to his own ability. We all 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:54.500 have different abilities. We all have different 00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:57.200 gifts. And God does not hold you responsible 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:00.019 for a gift that is given to another person that 00:22:00.019 --> 00:22:02.900 you don't have, unless it's truly a character 00:22:02.900 --> 00:22:05.359 trait that belongs to all. But I'm saying there 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:08.480 are various gifts that God disperses as he pleases. 00:22:09.690 --> 00:22:13.029 And we are responsible to be faithful in using 00:22:13.029 --> 00:22:17.609 that gift or those gifts according to what he 00:22:17.609 --> 00:22:23.130 has given you. There are many things that I cannot 00:22:23.130 --> 00:22:27.930 do. There are wonderful things. I can look around 00:22:27.930 --> 00:22:30.869 and I'm getting to know some of you well enough 00:22:30.869 --> 00:22:34.049 that I could even tell you some of what the various 00:22:34.049 --> 00:22:37.589 gifts are here in the congregation. I'm not going 00:22:37.589 --> 00:22:39.549 to embarrass you with it today, but I'm just 00:22:39.549 --> 00:22:41.509 saying God has given to you wonderful gifts. 00:22:41.730 --> 00:22:46.130 Each person is unique. You're called by God to 00:22:46.130 --> 00:22:51.089 be faithful in those gifts for the Lord. And 00:22:51.089 --> 00:22:55.549 in this parable, he was referring here to money. 00:22:55.609 --> 00:22:59.390 Some were given five, some two, and another one, 00:22:59.410 --> 00:23:03.809 one, each to his own ability. Well, then he who 00:23:03.809 --> 00:23:06.009 received the five talents went and traded with 00:23:06.009 --> 00:23:08.609 them, and he made another five talents. And likewise, 00:23:08.730 --> 00:23:12.410 he had received two, gained two more. But he 00:23:12.410 --> 00:23:15.849 who had received one went and dug in the ground 00:23:15.849 --> 00:23:19.789 and hid his Lord's money. And after a long time, 00:23:19.890 --> 00:23:22.250 then the Lord of the servants came and settled 00:23:22.250 --> 00:23:24.529 accounts with them. And so the one, I'm going 00:23:24.529 --> 00:23:26.369 to do some paraphrasing here for the sake of 00:23:26.369 --> 00:23:28.130 time, but the one who had five came and said, 00:23:28.190 --> 00:23:31.509 Lord, here I have, you have given me five, I've 00:23:31.509 --> 00:23:33.490 gained five more. And the other one said, here 00:23:33.490 --> 00:23:35.890 you have given me two and I've gained two more. 00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:38.650 I took what you gave me and I have multiplied 00:23:38.650 --> 00:23:41.190 it. I have used it. I have been faithful in it. 00:23:41.289 --> 00:23:44.630 For each of those, the master said. Well done, 00:23:44.809 --> 00:23:47.230 good and faithful servant. You were faithful 00:23:47.230 --> 00:23:49.750 over a few things. I will make you ruler over 00:23:49.750 --> 00:23:52.609 many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. 00:23:53.089 --> 00:23:57.130 But then the one comes. Now he had the ability 00:23:57.130 --> 00:24:01.809 to do one. He still had the ability, but it wasn't 00:24:01.809 --> 00:24:03.930 as great of an ability as what the others did. 00:24:04.130 --> 00:24:07.529 But even that ability that he had, he completely 00:24:07.529 --> 00:24:11.470 spurned. And he decided, you know, my master's 00:24:11.470 --> 00:24:13.759 a hard man. He really doesn't need the money. 00:24:14.059 --> 00:24:16.839 I'm just going to go bury it. And then I'll just 00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:18.440 give it back to him when he comes again. Because 00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:19.819 I don't want to mess with it. I want to deal 00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:24.180 with it. He says, you're a hard man. You reap 00:24:24.180 --> 00:24:25.920 where you have not sown. You've gathered where 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:28.579 you have not scattered seed. And so I was afraid 00:24:28.579 --> 00:24:30.680 and I went and I hid your talent to the ground. 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:35.200 Look, here you have what is yours. But his Lord 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.359 answered and said to him, you wicked and lazy 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:39.640 servant, you knew that I reap where I have not 00:24:39.640 --> 00:24:41.619 sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:43.980 So you ought to have deposited my money with 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:45.940 the bankers. And at my coming, I would have received 00:24:45.940 --> 00:24:48.880 back my own with interest. So take the talent 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:51.220 from him and give it to him who has 10 talents. 00:24:51.500 --> 00:24:54.180 For to everyone who has more will be given and 00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:57.099 he will have abundance. But from him who does 00:24:57.099 --> 00:24:59.460 not have even what he has will be taken away 00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:03.200 and cast the unprofitable servant into the outer 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:06.960 darkness. Jesus is using this parable to reflect 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:10.640 something to the Jews to whom he was speaking. 00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:15.700 But this has a greater value to us as well as 00:25:15.700 --> 00:25:18.259 we consider, or a further value I should say, 00:25:18.380 --> 00:25:23.079 as we consider Jesus' command. to use the gifts 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:27.200 and the talents that he has given to us for his 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:31.680 glory because he is going to ask what we have 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:35.099 done with the gifts that he has given to us. 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:39.480 We are responsible to him. So we are to beware 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:43.799 then of unfaithfulness, whether this is unfaithfulness 00:25:43.799 --> 00:25:47.599 to your spouse or it's unreliability to your 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:54.339 word where you break your word. or of a failure 00:25:54.339 --> 00:25:57.380 to take the gifts that God has given you and 00:25:57.380 --> 00:25:59.940 to use them for his glory and instead spurning 00:25:59.940 --> 00:26:03.839 them and wasting your talents, we must beware 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:08.619 of unfaithfulness. And I speak to this. to us 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:11.720 as ministers as well, to us as elders in the 00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:15.000 church of God. God has called us to be faithful. 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:17.880 We can't just go and hang up our gifts so the 00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:19.019 whole could say, you know, I'm just not going 00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:21.240 to get into that. I don't feel like that today. 00:26:21.339 --> 00:26:24.960 I'm too tired. I'm too whatever. I just don't 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:28.400 want to do the hard work of preparing or of counseling 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:31.099 or whatever it is. No, God has called us to be 00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:36.299 faithful in what we have done, but then not to 00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:40.859 create factions around each other. The principle 00:26:40.859 --> 00:26:44.799 of faithfulness in little then means that more 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:47.920 responsibility is given. Jesus brings this out 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:51.640 in Luke 16. He is faithful in what is least. 00:26:52.059 --> 00:26:55.519 is faithful also in much. And he who is unjust 00:26:55.519 --> 00:27:00.799 in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, 00:27:00.940 --> 00:27:04.019 if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous 00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:08.440 mammon, who will commit to your trust the true 00:27:08.440 --> 00:27:11.519 riches? And if you have not been faithful in 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:14.299 what is another man's, who will give you what 00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:18.059 is your own? Jesus here lays out the principle 00:27:18.059 --> 00:27:22.779 very clearly that faithfulness starts even in 00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:26.440 the little things. And then as we are faithful 00:27:26.440 --> 00:27:30.519 in that, he entrusts us with greater. And so 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:34.480 the faithfulness in little abounds to faithfulness 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:37.599 in much. Now to the elder or the minister, the 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:41.019 bishop, overseer, various English words describing 00:27:41.019 --> 00:27:45.059 the same position in the leader in Christ's church. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:49.400 Paul commands in Colossians chapter 4 that we 00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:53.359 are to take heed to the ministry which we have 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:56.940 received in the Lord that we may fulfill it. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:28:00.200 There is a charge that is given to ministers. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:03.700 There's a vow that they take that they will feed 00:28:03.700 --> 00:28:05.779 the flock of God, that they will shepherd, that 00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:08.700 they will live lives that are faithful. And God 00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:13.420 holds them to it. And here he exhorts them to 00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:16.319 take heed. To which you have received in the 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:19.559 Lord. So that you might fulfill it. In 2 Timothy 00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:22.920 1 he tells Timothy. Stir up the gift of God. 00:28:23.180 --> 00:28:25.460 Which is in you through the laying on of hands. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:27.660 And the things which you have heard and learned 00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:31.400 from the apostolic doctrine. To commit to faithful 00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:34.940 men. Who will be able to teach others also. So 00:28:34.940 --> 00:28:37.319 one of the responsibility of ministers. Is not 00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:39.920 only to preach and teach and counsel. And so 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:42.440 forth. And to prayer. To be constant in prayer. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:46.359 but it's also to raise up other men who will 00:28:46.359 --> 00:28:49.599 then also take their place in the oncoming generations 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:54.059 to also do the same, to teach, to preach, to 00:28:54.059 --> 00:28:58.079 counsel, to shepherd the flock of God. We are 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:01.559 to commit to faithful men who will be able to 00:29:01.559 --> 00:29:05.799 teach others also. Being a faithful steward means 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:09.049 working for the master. not only for the things 00:29:09.049 --> 00:29:13.269 which he requires, but also not going above or 00:29:13.269 --> 00:29:16.170 beyond the call and seek to enforce requirements 00:29:16.170 --> 00:29:19.450 that are beyond the charge that are given to 00:29:19.450 --> 00:29:24.710 him. This happens far. too often where instead 00:29:24.710 --> 00:29:27.430 of preaching the faithful word of god and applying 00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:30.930 it according to the intent that it is given here 00:29:30.930 --> 00:29:34.289 we incorporate our own thought our own things 00:29:34.289 --> 00:29:37.869 into it we we we do things we start laying on 00:29:37.869 --> 00:29:43.710 commandments of men upon people and this is not 00:29:43.710 --> 00:29:48.680 right it happens far too often especially In 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:52.059 more churches based on traditions or traditions 00:29:52.059 --> 00:29:55.119 that might have attached themselves to the word 00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:58.599 or to the church that are not required in the 00:29:58.599 --> 00:30:01.759 word. For example, going back to the time of 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:05.220 the Reformation, the sale of indulgences laid 00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:10.279 a heavy burden. On the populace of Europe. There 00:30:10.279 --> 00:30:13.079 was much begging and asking the people for money. 00:30:13.259 --> 00:30:17.500 To release departed loved ones from purgatory 00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:21.380 sooner. A completely made up doctrine. Laying 00:30:21.380 --> 00:30:23.960 burdens on people to give money. And of course 00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:28.819 the money was for certain purposes. better than 00:30:28.819 --> 00:30:31.160 others but still they were they were pulling 00:30:31.160 --> 00:30:33.960 it out of the people in a wrong kind of a way 00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:36.880 promising them certain freedoms based on the 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:40.960 money that was given indulgences or there was 00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.720 also not eating meat on fridays just simply saying 00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:45.960 arbitrarily you're not supposed you're not allowed 00:30:45.960 --> 00:30:49.640 to eat any meat on friday or there was also requiring 00:30:49.640 --> 00:30:52.940 celibacy in the priest now the friday The Friday 00:30:52.940 --> 00:30:56.519 requirement of not eating meat is no longer there 00:30:56.519 --> 00:31:00.259 in the Roman Catholic Church, but that of celibacy 00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:03.119 in the priests is requiring them that they cannot 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:06.859 marry. This also happens in legalistic churches 00:31:06.859 --> 00:31:10.039 that require far more of their people than what 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:13.400 the Word of God requires. There is a great liberty 00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:16.160 in God's Word, and to take that liberty away 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:20.740 is the mark of unfaithfulness in ministers. Matthew 00:31:20.740 --> 00:31:23.859 Henry describes this and he writes, The stewards 00:31:23.859 --> 00:31:26.759 in Christ's family must appoint what he hath 00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:29.720 appointed. They must not set their fellow servants 00:31:29.720 --> 00:31:33.200 to work for themselves. They must not require 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:36.859 anything from them without their master's warrant. 00:31:37.140 --> 00:31:39.980 They must not feed them with the chaff of their 00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:43.019 own inventions instead of the wholesome food 00:31:43.019 --> 00:31:46.039 of Christian doctrine and truth. They must teach 00:31:46.039 --> 00:31:49.549 what he hath commanded, not... the doctrines 00:31:49.549 --> 00:31:53.009 and commandments of men. They must be true to 00:31:53.009 --> 00:31:56.170 the interests of their Lord and consult his honor. 00:31:56.369 --> 00:32:00.009 Just a really strong statement there of not going 00:32:00.009 --> 00:32:04.390 beyond what God has commanded and taking away 00:32:04.390 --> 00:32:07.869 the liberty that is given to the people of God. 00:32:08.029 --> 00:32:11.210 So they are to teach, but that which God requires. 00:32:12.650 --> 00:32:15.690 To all Christians then, let us renounce the hidden 00:32:15.690 --> 00:32:18.690 things of shame. Let us not walk in craftiness 00:32:18.690 --> 00:32:21.750 nor handle the word of God deceitfully, but by 00:32:21.750 --> 00:32:24.650 the manifestation of truth, let us commend ourselves 00:32:24.650 --> 00:32:27.190 to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 00:32:27.430 --> 00:32:31.190 2 Corinthians 4, verse 2. To the Colossians, 00:32:31.190 --> 00:32:36.039 Paul says, walk worthy of the Lord. Fully pleasing 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:39.799 him. Being fruitful in every good work. And increasing 00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:42.960 in the knowledge of God. Strengthened with all 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:46.420 might. According to his glorious power. For all 00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:50.460 patience. And suffering. Long suffering with 00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:53.920 joy. Giving thanks to the father who has qualified 00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:58.660 us to be partakers. Of the inheritance. Of the 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:02.819 saints. In the light. We must stop being ashamed 00:33:02.819 --> 00:33:06.480 of God's law and his word. And cease making excuses 00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:11.920 for disobedience to Christ. But rather diligently 00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:16.059 make every effort to wholeheartedly and faithfully 00:33:16.059 --> 00:33:21.519 seek to honor God in his calling and in his commandments. 00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:27.700 Faithfulness is required of a steward of God. 00:33:28.220 --> 00:33:32.650 Thirdly then. Paul gets into a personal response 00:33:32.650 --> 00:33:38.049 to the censures of man in verses 3 and 4. With 00:33:38.049 --> 00:33:40.789 me, he says, it is a very small thing that I 00:33:40.789 --> 00:33:43.630 should be judged by you or by a human court. 00:33:43.710 --> 00:33:46.609 In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know 00:33:46.609 --> 00:33:49.309 of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified 00:33:49.309 --> 00:33:54.009 by this. But he who judges me is the Lord. What 00:33:54.009 --> 00:33:56.630 Paul is saying here is that this faithfulness 00:33:56.630 --> 00:33:59.529 is not judged by human standards. In fact, Paul 00:33:59.529 --> 00:34:02.549 refuses to be judged by human standards. He says 00:34:02.549 --> 00:34:05.670 by you, meaning the Corinthians, or by any human 00:34:05.670 --> 00:34:09.030 court, which very literally is by man's day. 00:34:09.409 --> 00:34:13.030 In other words, he is not subject to man and 00:34:13.030 --> 00:34:17.269 man's thoughts. He is responsible to God to judge 00:34:17.269 --> 00:34:20.539 him regarding his faithfulness. and the carrying 00:34:20.539 --> 00:34:23.880 out of his duties. He does not even judge or 00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:28.599 justify himself as the final authority. He says, 00:34:28.599 --> 00:34:31.119 though my conscience is clear, yet this does 00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:33.599 not necessarily make him innocent or acquitted 00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:36.159 before God. He says, I know of nothing against 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:39.880 myself, yet I am not justified by this. And his 00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:42.920 point in this, as he's speaking directly to this, 00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:47.320 is that he is responsible to God, and God will 00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:51.900 judge whether he is faithful or not. Now, it's 00:34:51.900 --> 00:34:55.079 important to have a good reputation and esteem 00:34:55.079 --> 00:34:58.300 among men. This is a good step of usefulness 00:34:58.300 --> 00:35:01.199 in the ministry. For example, the deacons ordained 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:04.000 in Acts chapter 6 were to be men of good reputation, 00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:08.000 full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. But Paul 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:10.780 cannot make it his chief endeavor and goal to 00:35:10.780 --> 00:35:14.139 please men. For this would hardly approve of 00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:17.260 himself as a faithful minister and a servant 00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:20.400 of Christ. And this goes for us all. Even if 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:22.780 we have a clear conscience before God. Which 00:35:22.780 --> 00:35:26.000 we should strive for. The ultimate standard of 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:28.860 our faithfulness is not others. It is not ourselves. 00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:34.260 It is the Lord. He who judges me is the Lord. 00:35:34.519 --> 00:35:38.300 We have an audience of one. Is one way of putting 00:35:38.300 --> 00:35:43.099 it. Where we honor Christ and He. stands over 00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:47.599 us and evaluates whether we whether or not we 00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:50.599 are faithful paul could not make it his chief 00:35:50.599 --> 00:35:53.380 endeavor or goal to please men for this would 00:35:53.380 --> 00:35:55.719 hardly approve himself as a faithful minister 00:35:55.719 --> 00:36:00.219 and a servant of christ no the ultimate standard 00:36:00.219 --> 00:36:03.119 is the lord in the exhortation against passing 00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:06.119 judgment on one another in romans 14 paul writes 00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:09.119 these words who are you to judge another man's 00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:12.530 servant To his own master he stands or falls. 00:36:12.730 --> 00:36:15.429 Indeed, he will be made to stand for God is able 00:36:15.429 --> 00:36:19.610 to make him stand. Indeed, he says, each of us 00:36:19.610 --> 00:36:27.550 shall give an account of himself to God. Now, 00:36:27.610 --> 00:36:30.449 this does not mean that nothing can be discerned 00:36:30.449 --> 00:36:32.949 or judged in the church, as we will see in the 00:36:32.949 --> 00:36:35.969 next chapter when Paul deals with an exhortation 00:36:35.969 --> 00:36:40.610 on how to exercise church discipline on an unrepentant 00:36:40.610 --> 00:36:43.309 church member who is living in adultery. But 00:36:43.309 --> 00:36:46.210 Paul does not answer to the various ones striving 00:36:46.210 --> 00:36:49.329 for factions and promotion of their man, their 00:36:49.329 --> 00:36:52.829 leader. Whether or not he is in or out, that 00:36:52.829 --> 00:36:58.140 matters little to him. He stands before. And 00:36:58.140 --> 00:37:01.639 then he goes on in verse five. He says, therefore, 00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:05.619 judge nothing before the time until the Lord 00:37:05.619 --> 00:37:09.320 comes, who will bring, who will both bring to 00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:12.639 light the hidden things of darkness and reveal 00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:16.500 the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise 00:37:16.500 --> 00:37:20.349 will come from God. So he cautions the Corinthians 00:37:20.349 --> 00:37:22.929 against censoriousness, that is the bold and 00:37:22.929 --> 00:37:26.130 severe judging of others. Judge nothing before 00:37:26.130 --> 00:37:28.789 the time. Wait until the Lord comes, referring 00:37:28.789 --> 00:37:32.170 to the second coming or the judgment day. Again, 00:37:32.210 --> 00:37:34.449 I'd like to give Matthew Henry's thoughts on 00:37:34.449 --> 00:37:36.510 this, but in some updated wording and grammar. 00:37:36.690 --> 00:37:39.630 He's not talking here about judges or people 00:37:39.630 --> 00:37:42.789 in positions of authority making official decisions 00:37:42.789 --> 00:37:46.070 as part of their job. He's also not referring 00:37:46.070 --> 00:37:49.090 to forming private opinions about obvious and 00:37:49.090 --> 00:37:51.630 well -known facts. But what he is condemning 00:37:51.630 --> 00:37:54.949 is when people judge others' final destiny or 00:37:54.949 --> 00:37:57.750 their eternal state, they presume to know the 00:37:57.750 --> 00:38:00.150 hidden motives and the intentions of their hearts, 00:38:00.250 --> 00:38:03.429 or they pass final judgment on matters that are 00:38:03.429 --> 00:38:06.909 unclear or uncertain. To judge in these ways, 00:38:07.150 --> 00:38:10.269 to give a decisive condemning verdict, is to 00:38:10.269 --> 00:38:13.239 step into God's place. and to claim a right that 00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:16.780 belongs only to him. Note this, that the person 00:38:16.780 --> 00:38:19.239 who is quick to harshly criticize and condemn 00:38:19.239 --> 00:38:22.840 others is being incredibly bold in their sin. 00:38:23.019 --> 00:38:26.000 Their judgments are arrogant and poorly timed, 00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:29.280 for there is one who will judge both the critic 00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:32.380 and the person being criticized, and he will 00:38:32.380 --> 00:38:37.280 do it perfectly without bias, emotion, or favoritism. 00:38:37.800 --> 00:38:40.940 There's also coming a day when everyone will 00:38:40.940 --> 00:38:43.739 judge rightly about themselves and others because 00:38:43.739 --> 00:38:46.960 they will simply follow God's perfect judgment. 00:38:47.300 --> 00:38:50.559 So this truth should make us very careful about 00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:54.260 judging others right now and much more serious 00:38:54.260 --> 00:38:58.900 about examining our own lives. When the Lord 00:38:58.900 --> 00:39:01.880 comes, Paul says, there's two things that will 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:05.320 happen. One is it will bring to light the things 00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:09.460 hidden in darkness. Bring to light the things 00:39:09.460 --> 00:39:13.119 hidden in darkness, the secret sins, the pride, 00:39:13.380 --> 00:39:16.719 the desire to be preeminent, the secret evil 00:39:16.719 --> 00:39:19.460 desires, the lusts of the flesh or the lusts 00:39:19.460 --> 00:39:22.360 of the eyes, the adulterous heart, the pride 00:39:22.360 --> 00:39:25.420 or envy that drive factions and separations. 00:39:25.460 --> 00:39:33.199 On that day, God will expose everything. Everything. 00:39:34.380 --> 00:39:37.239 Each one's work, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3 00:39:37.239 --> 00:39:41.739 verse 13, will become manifest for the day will 00:39:41.739 --> 00:39:44.599 disclose it because it will be revealed by fire 00:39:44.599 --> 00:39:48.360 and the fire will test what sort of work each 00:39:48.360 --> 00:39:53.039 one has done. And as Hebrews tells us, no creature 00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:56.940 is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and 00:39:56.940 --> 00:40:01.599 exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give 00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:06.639 an account. This is the word of God. He will 00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:11.059 bring to light in that day the things hidden 00:40:11.059 --> 00:40:15.739 in darkness. But secondly, he will also expose 00:40:15.739 --> 00:40:21.079 and reveal the counsels of the heart. That is 00:40:21.079 --> 00:40:25.380 the motives, the purposes. Man generally cannot 00:40:25.380 --> 00:40:29.860 discern motives. We can only consider actions. 00:40:30.699 --> 00:40:32.539 This, of course, is one of the problems with 00:40:32.539 --> 00:40:35.400 hate crimes legislation, as though the crime 00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:37.980 is worse when done with a specific motive of 00:40:37.980 --> 00:40:40.559 hatred as opposed to doing the crime itself. 00:40:40.659 --> 00:40:43.400 The core problem of judging and punishing hate 00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:46.159 crimes based on motive is that it turns the justice 00:40:46.159 --> 00:40:49.900 system into a mind -reading exercise that selectively 00:40:49.900 --> 00:40:52.139 criminalizes certain thoughts while ignoring 00:40:52.139 --> 00:40:56.019 others. This is a problem because we cannot fully... 00:40:57.300 --> 00:41:02.380 discern motives, but we can see actions. God, 00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:06.099 however, does know the motives. He knows the 00:41:06.099 --> 00:41:09.400 intent of the heart. And on that great judgment 00:41:09.400 --> 00:41:13.519 day, he will disclose and reveal the counsels 00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:16.159 of the heart. Now this should both encourage 00:41:16.159 --> 00:41:21.070 us, but also should startle us. It should encourage 00:41:21.070 --> 00:41:23.650 us in that when we are misunderstood or maligned 00:41:23.650 --> 00:41:28.230 or spoken evil about, God will reveal the truth 00:41:28.230 --> 00:41:30.489 and the purity and the sincerity of our hearts. 00:41:30.750 --> 00:41:34.809 But it should startle us and shake us up in that 00:41:34.809 --> 00:41:37.190 the secret sins and the motives and the wrong 00:41:37.190 --> 00:41:40.269 desires and the intentions, they will all come 00:41:40.269 --> 00:41:44.309 to light and will all be judged by God. This 00:41:44.309 --> 00:41:48.750 is terrifying when we consider it in this way. 00:41:50.840 --> 00:41:55.260 But Paul speaks this to show that this will be 00:41:55.260 --> 00:41:59.960 a time when each one's praise will come from 00:41:59.960 --> 00:42:05.000 God and not from men. And on that note, we bring 00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:08.460 this to a close. For indeed, as Hebrews puts 00:42:08.460 --> 00:42:12.960 it, Beloved, we are confident of better things 00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:16.340 concerning you. Yes, things that accompany salvation. 00:42:16.900 --> 00:42:20.380 Though we speak in this manner, For God is not 00:42:20.380 --> 00:42:23.659 unjust to forget your work and your labor of 00:42:23.659 --> 00:42:26.260 love which you have shown toward his name. In 00:42:26.260 --> 00:42:28.480 this you have ministered to the saints and do 00:42:28.480 --> 00:42:31.159 minister. And we desire that each one of you 00:42:31.159 --> 00:42:33.179 show the same diligence to the full assurance 00:42:33.179 --> 00:42:36.900 of hope until the end that you do not become 00:42:36.900 --> 00:42:39.239 sluggish but imitate those who through faith 00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:42.909 and patience inherit the promises. As in Hebrews 00:42:42.909 --> 00:42:47.130 6, verse 9 through 12. He says here, everyone's 00:42:47.130 --> 00:42:51.829 praise will come from God. On that day, God will 00:42:51.829 --> 00:42:55.150 reward your faithfulness, your diligence, your 00:42:55.150 --> 00:42:58.550 perseverance, your patience and your long -suffering, 00:42:58.590 --> 00:43:01.769 your tears, your endurance of the hard times 00:43:01.769 --> 00:43:05.059 and of the great difficulties. Those times when 00:43:05.059 --> 00:43:07.880 you pray when no one is around and you pray earnestly 00:43:07.880 --> 00:43:10.920 regarding the difficulty in your child or in 00:43:10.920 --> 00:43:16.139 somebody whom you know. God will reward you. 00:43:16.219 --> 00:43:21.159 God will praise you. Your praise, each one will 00:43:21.159 --> 00:43:25.659 come from God. This is true of ministers and 00:43:25.659 --> 00:43:29.519 this is true of each believer. So brothers and 00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:35.630 sisters. On that glorious day, with that in mind, 00:43:35.730 --> 00:43:39.469 let us press on. Let us know that God knows our 00:43:39.469 --> 00:43:42.590 hearts. If he convicts you of sin, be quick to 00:43:42.590 --> 00:43:45.889 repent and to run to him and keep short accounts. 00:43:46.969 --> 00:43:49.949 But he knows our hearts. He knows our labors. 00:43:50.090 --> 00:43:53.070 He knows our faithfulness. And you can rest in 00:43:53.070 --> 00:43:56.510 that. And he is the one who will give you eternal 00:43:56.510 --> 00:44:01.420 life and glory and immortality. In the name of 00:44:01.420 --> 00:44:04.320 the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let's 00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:04.440 pray.