An Opportunity for Work

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.719 God to bless the Reading and preaching of his word. Our heavenly father, 2 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.919 as we come to your word now, we asked that you would form us 3 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:15.160 by the teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness that your word does. 4 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:18.760 We asked that you would do it amongst us today, in our own 5 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:24.359 heart's exactly how each needs. We pray, Lord, that your word would 6 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:30.239 be clear to us and that it would be used by you for the strengthening 7 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:36.119 of our souls, for salvation and the bringing in of the elect we pray 8 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:41.759 this in Jesus name. And so let's hear God's word this morning. From 9 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:50.000 First Corinthians, Chapter Sixteen, beginning in verse five. I'll read verses five 10 00:00:50.079 --> 00:01:00.200 through nine. We are coming pretty close to the end of this book. 11 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:07.319 As we do so, we are receiving from Paul in his letter or these 12 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:17.959 final instructions and various commands and information about his travels and these kind of things. 13 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.599 They're helpful to us in a number of ways, which will consider this 14 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:27.040 morning. First Corinthian sixteen, five through nine. Paul Rights, I will 15 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:32.920 visit you after passing through massive Ownia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia 16 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.680 and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter so that 17 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:40.400 you may help me on my journey wherever I go. For I do not 18 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:44.560 want to see you now, just in passing. I hope to spend some 19 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:48.719 time with you if the Lord permits, but I will stay in emphasis until 20 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:53.400 pentecost, for a wide door for effective work is open to me and there 21 00:01:53.439 --> 00:02:13.000 are many adversaries I'm in. Please be seated. So passages like this give 22 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:17.919 us some very detailed information about Paul, about those to whom he writes, 23 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.680 about the places he's in and plans to go. This is information is useful 24 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:30.159 on a couple of levels. On one, it helps us to understand the 25 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:36.919 biography of Paul. You take passages like this and other bits and pieces, 26 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:45.120 side comments instructions throughout his letters. You combine that with Luke's accounts of Paul's 27 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:52.240 travels and acts and you end up having a fairly detailed picture of what Paul 28 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:55.319 was doing and where he was doing it and when. And, of course, 29 00:02:55.360 --> 00:03:00.719 all of these things go together in front that you can learn all kinds 30 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:05.280 of interesting things. You can imagine yourself and his position, you can think 31 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:08.120 what it must have been like to be him on to endure the things he 32 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:14.360 endured to serve in the ways he he did. He was a walker, 33 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:20.039 for example, I think. I think I read that he walks something like 34 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:24.919 an average of thirty miles a day, these great distances. He sailed sometimes 35 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:30.360 across the GNC, but that couldn't always be done. That might be one 36 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:34.800 reason why he wanted to stay with the Corinthians when the wintertime came. As 37 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:40.639 I understand it not a great time for ship travel, but he so. 38 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.879 Passages like this help us to get a fuller picture of who he is. 39 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:52.159 We've come to understand that Paul is not just a symbol standing behind these letters, 40 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:59.159 a symbol of APPA Appolis, apostolicity there it is, or symbol of 41 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:01.960 of of teaching or authority or something like that. He is those things. 42 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:08.759 He is an apostle of Jesus Christ. He is authority given to us, 43 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:12.759 the foundation upon which the church is built, along with the other apostles and 44 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:19.560 prophets. But he's also a person, a real person with trials and struggles 45 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:25.639 and all kinds of things that he goes through in his life. And so 46 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:29.439 for that reason, this, the passages like this are kind of helpful on 47 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:34.079 another level, particularly since Paul calls us to imitate him. He says that 48 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:39.079 here in this book and in other places as well. He says, look 49 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.720 at my way of life, look at how I live out the faith and 50 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.639 follow after me. And that, of course, Paul is not saying to 51 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:51.240 follow him instead of Jesus. He had several chapters at the beginning of this 52 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:57.600 book saying exactly the opposite of that, telling them that Jesus is the only 53 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:02.040 one that we must follow. But he's also told us that Jesus says he 54 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:09.079 unites members to his body. He puts in us the Holy Spirit. He 55 00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:14.199 puts people around us to show us what it is to live, and they 56 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:17.040 don't always do that perfectly, but the Lord is at work and he gives 57 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:24.560 us examples in in one another, particularly in our leaders, and especially in 58 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:28.879 the apostles, and the example that they set before us, as is recorded 59 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:35.600 by word the Holy Spirit in the scriptures. And so with that line of 60 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:40.959 thinking, I'd like to consider this passage this morning and think a little bit, 61 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:46.480 try to get into Paul's brain a little bit about his decision making process. 62 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:50.959 How does he make decisions? How does he think about things? And 63 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:56.360 I there's a lot to say that's really interesting about this, but I want 64 00:05:56.439 --> 00:06:00.759 to offer just a few broad, perhaps even vious, the strokes to you 65 00:06:01.480 --> 00:06:04.920 of that are, I think, will be helpful to us both for our 66 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:10.439 own lives and our own decision making and also for understanding of the Greater Work 67 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:18.560 of Christ in the world. It's helpful to mention these things because we're pushed 68 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:24.839 around a lot in our own hearts and in our world. If you haven't 69 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:29.959 noticed it yet, there are many, many people around you spending billions of 70 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:36.839 dollars a year to encourage you to make this or that decision. Advertising and 71 00:06:38.199 --> 00:06:43.319 many other things are so, so prevalent. On top of that, we 72 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:48.920 have books and streams of information constantly pouring into most of our lives that are 73 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:53.879 telling us do this and do that, and now try this and now try 74 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:58.360 that. Sometimes it can be really overwhelming. Sometimes you even it can be 75 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:00.480 hard to know what to do. I remember reading a list at one point, 76 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.720 kind of a jokey list, of the sort of assembled all the things 77 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:09.680 that you're supposed to do in your morning routine and how long this would sort 78 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:13.839 of take to accomplish what you sort of you know, fresh brewer coffee and 79 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:17.120 exercise for so many minutes and read your Bible for so long and chat with 80 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:20.959 your dad and all these great things to do, but you kind of see 81 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:24.360 how all the advice, once it gets to get you like this, is 82 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:30.399 impossible to do. It can feel overwhelming at times and if we're not grounded 83 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:36.000 in some of the big picture things, as we see Paul is here, 84 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:41.040 it can be very difficult and we can sometimes not just feel overwhelmed, but 85 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:46.759 we can get pushed around. Our decisions become made by simply who's the loudest 86 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:51.160 person yelling in our ear or WHO's spending the most money to get our attention, 87 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:59.199 or or other things from worse things. So what do we notice about 88 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:05.319 Paul in his decision making that's going on here? Well, one point, 89 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:09.040 this think is somewhat obvious but important to make, is that Paul does make 90 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:15.639 plans. Some of US don't like making plans. We find that frustrating and 91 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:20.079 difficult, but at some level it is a good thing to do. Paul 92 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:26.160 is remember he's not in Corinth writing to the Corinthians, he's in Ephesus writing 93 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:30.800 to the Corinthians. And you can kind of imagine a body of water, 94 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:37.679 the AGANC, and I guess here. Ephesus is over here, Corinth is 95 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:43.279 over here and as Paul writes this letter. He's writing it remember, because 96 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:50.240 he's received these reports from chloe's people and and and others, that there are 97 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:54.759 these problems that have come up since he was last there, and so he's 98 00:08:54.759 --> 00:09:00.279 writing them this letter. He's written to them, probably one previous to this, 99 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:03.799 and he will write yet more. But at this particular moment, what 100 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:07.960 does he makes some plans. What does he say? He says, I 101 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:13.639 will look into the future visit you after passing through Macedonia. He says, 102 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:20.600 I intend to pass through Macedonia. He talks about perhaps staying the winter, 103 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:30.440 staying awhile. He plans again to stay in Ephesus until pentecost. So he 104 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:35.519 makes plans, he looks to the future, he looks at the situation that 105 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:37.919 is in front of him at the moment, he looks at the things that 106 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:41.159 are needed. He weighs these various things and he says, I think it's 107 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:46.240 a good idea for me to go visit the Corinthians, and here's about when 108 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.320 I think I should do that. And he writes them and he tells them 109 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:54.200 his plans. Notice that his plans are definite. They have a time and 110 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:58.480 a place. He's not overly vague. He's not being noncommittal about it. 111 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:03.399 In fact, he'll have to make that point later on in Second Corinthians when 112 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:07.600 he gets accused of being fickle and flaky. He'll say no, I'm not 113 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:11.799 paying fickle and flaky. Here's why I wasn't able to come when I and 114 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:16.399 that sort of thing. But nevertheless, he he makes plans. He's not 115 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:22.879 trying to leave himself and out or or anything like that. He's willing to 116 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:26.600 be committed to these things. However, he builds into his plans a degree 117 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:31.879 of flexibility. He says, I intend to pass, I'll stay with you 118 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:35.639 perhaps for the winter. I intend to do this or I intend to do 119 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:41.879 that, and that's important because Paul knows he's not God. Some of US 120 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:45.399 don't like to make plans. Other of us, I love to make plans 121 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:50.919 and we make our plans and if they get broken, our hearts fall apart, 122 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:54.320 the end of the world has happened because we didn't get what we wanted, 123 00:10:54.960 --> 00:11:01.159 and that's not good either. Paul understands that he can make these plans, 124 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:05.759 but ultimately they're up to the Lord. He is not God. He 125 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:13.879 cannot be everywhere at all times, he cannot do all things, he cannot 126 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:18.639 know all things. These are characteristics that only we can attribute. We can 127 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:24.360 only attribute to God himself. Paul is limited in time and space and so 128 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.879 he has to make his decisions that way. He's also limited in knowledge and 129 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:33.559 he doesn't control all things, and so he rightly says, I intend or 130 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:37.960 perhaps. And then, finally, giving things to the Lord, he says, 131 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:45.759 if the Lord Permits. There's a sense in Paul's planning of he plans, 132 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:50.120 but there's a sense in his plans that there is something of the unknown, 133 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:56.200 that things might change. There's an openness to the future. But ultimately 134 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:00.759 he's not going to trust in himself, he trusts in the Lord, and 135 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:07.320 so he says, if the Lord Permits. So Paul makes plans and we 136 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:11.480 see some of the ways in which he makes them. The second thing I 137 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:16.960 think we can see is that those plans are not arbitrary, but they're rooted 138 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:52.399 in certain that mean he intends it not to be a fleeting or a passing 139 00:12:52.440 --> 00:13:00.080 thing. So let's think about Paul's goals for a moment. Paul's what are 140 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.559 the things, the values and goals on which he's making his decision. One 141 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:09.919 is that he's wants to be useful. Remember, Paul has a calling. 142 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:13.399 He has been called to do something by the Lord, Jesus Christ. He 143 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:18.559 is called to be an apostle. He has been given a mission and that 144 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:24.320 means it's his job to go to work. Now, none of us here 145 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.720 are apostles, but each of us have been given callings in our lives. 146 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:33.240 Some of those are relationships, all father, mother, son, daughter, 147 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:39.799 student, worker of some sort, boss and others. As God places us 148 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:43.559 in these various positions, we are called to work in them and to be 149 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.399 effective in them, to do good a good job, and to look for 150 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:56.600 opportunities for usefulness. Why? Because that's what we're called to do, called 151 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:03.320 to by the Lord. Though, Paul, Paul doesn't just wait around and 152 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:09.440 wait for something to happen, though he completely and entirely trusts in the Lord 153 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:13.879 and though he knows all of his work only comes from the Lord himself, 154 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.480 nevertheless he makes decisions and he goes and he acts and he trusts, hoping 155 00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:24.639 that the Lord will work. And sometimes we see that the Lord changes his 156 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:31.759 path along the line and Paul's life. He has various moments where, either 157 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:37.080 in God's providence or even in sometimes in Paul's life of visions, he is 158 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:41.960 told to take different directions and go different thing ways. Sometimes, as in 159 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:48.799 his separation from Barnabas, these plans were perhaps not desired or wanted, but 160 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:54.120 nevertheless they happened and they change the way. They change, they change what 161 00:14:54.159 --> 00:15:00.759 happens, what his plans for the future. But nevertheless, though these plans 162 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:03.720 may change in the Lord may have different desires, he makes decisions and he 163 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:07.480 gets to work. In ephesis, for example, where he is right now, 164 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:11.519 he first goes to the synagogue, as was often his practice, and 165 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:16.080 he reasons with the Jews that are there. He did that for about three 166 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:20.600 months until he was shut out and he wasn't allowed to go there. Well, 167 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:24.200 now what? Well, then he finds another place. He goes to 168 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:28.720 the hall of Tyrannus, and it turns out two years he was able to 169 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:31.759 stay there. This is perhaps what he's referring to when he talks about this 170 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:39.600 wide door that is opened for him. An amazing thing. Sometimes Paul's would 171 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:43.240 go to places and it would be very difficult right away. Part of the 172 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:50.200 reason for that is in Second Corinthians gets into this more right at the beginning 173 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:54.960 of Paul's mission there was a counter mission going on among the Jews seeking to 174 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:02.720 bring the God's people back under the laws of Moses. People going around to 175 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.679 the places where Paul was planting churches and discipling people and going ahead of him 176 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:12.440 and causing all kinds of problems, trying to stir people up and and draw 177 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:41.159 them away. Open door for ministry. Speaking regularly in the hall of tyrannus. 178 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:47.320 It's the scriptures saying in acts that the word went forth to all of 179 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:53.519 Asia as he ministered, as he ministered there. Nevertheless, that caused conflict 180 00:16:53.720 --> 00:17:02.120 with the locals. In one example there was there were people who said that 181 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:07.400 Paul was disrupting their business. Well, he was. In fact. What 182 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:12.519 was their business? Making idols, they said, as these people are converting 183 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:18.440 and as they are leaving idolatry were running out of business and it's disrupting everything. 184 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:25.480 It got so bad there was a riot in the city of Ephesus when 185 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:29.880 Paul was ministering in Ephesus. So many Christians, so many new believers, 186 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:36.559 were converting to the faith that the scriptures tell us that they came and they 187 00:17:36.640 --> 00:18:02.359 they confessed and divulged all of their magic practice. Fiftyzero pieces of silver are 188 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:07.759 amazing. So Paul was having a big effect and many people were saying praise 189 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:11.519 God for it. But for those who remained hard against the work of the 190 00:18:11.599 --> 00:19:07.400 Lord, those who remained hard in okay, that's working so far. So 191 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:11.680 Paul is looking for, and it is and it's and is receiving from the 192 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:17.519 Lord, a wide or for effective work. But notice something else about his 193 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:22.079 values here on values which are rooted in the Gospel and an understanding of what 194 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:26.079 Christ has done for us and who he calls the lives he calls us to 195 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.440 live. Notice, how the fact that there are many adversaries does mean that 196 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:33.799 he wants to get out of Ephesus. I think that's really interesting. He 197 00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:37.440 says, I will stay in the Ephesus until pentecost, for a wide door 198 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:44.759 of effective work has open to me and there are many adversaries. Difficulty and 199 00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:52.480 adversaries does not mean that Paul sort of pulls up. I'ms he has to, 200 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:57.079 sometimes there's no other option. Sometimes he there's an instance in which he 201 00:19:57.160 --> 00:20:03.720 is lowered, lowered in a basket by by friends as he escapes with his 202 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:07.839 life. There are times to to, you know, cut bait and move 203 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:11.440 on. Jesus talks about this as well. He says if, when he 204 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:15.480 gives sends out the seventy disciples, he says to them, if you are 205 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:19.799 not received into a house, I shake the dust off your feet and move 206 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:29.960 on again. Doesn't mean we have to be committed to it forever. But 207 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:37.559 it's also true that adversaries and difficulty and suffering does not necessarily make something bad. 208 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:41.519 Might make it uncomfortable and frustrating, but sometimes those are exactly the things 209 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:48.079 that we have to face in a situation. When Paul Preach the Gospel, 210 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:55.079 remember he's not preaching. He's not preaching to people who are already Christians. 211 00:20:55.160 --> 00:21:00.000 Now, many of them were God fears already or, like Apollos and others, 212 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:03.000 had had come to an understanding of God's word. But many others, 213 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:08.519 like the like the these magicians and others in Ephesus, were people who are 214 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:14.400 hard against the Gospel. And ultimately, any time somebody comes to faith, 215 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:21.279 it is the powers of Satan being conquered and the bringing forth of new life 216 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:26.359 in a person. There's always difficulty. In other words, there's always the 217 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:33.519 flesh to be put to death, there's always work to be done. The 218 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:40.039 adversaries that come into the church are common and frequent, and this is true 219 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:45.400 in any of our work. If if we think that we simply if something 220 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.359 is simply difficult, that we don't need to do it or we shouldn't do 221 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:52.279 it, we are mistaken. We have a bad view of the world, 222 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:59.200 a bad view of our work and our calling. Sometimes our callings, often 223 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:03.039 our callings, are to do the hard things, and Paul knows that and 224 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:07.559 sees that. He sees the value in overcoming these things. He sees that 225 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:12.839 the work he is doing is honoring to God, is bringing glory to him. 226 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:18.359 Can you imagine how frustrating it would be a to be in ephesus and 227 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:23.759 to receive a letter and a report from Corinth that all of the things and 228 00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:30.079 this problems that we've been going on in this letter, this letter, have 229 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:34.519 been happening? Paul, scholars estimate, based on various things he said, 230 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:40.759 probably wrote about four letters in a short period of time, one before First 231 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:47.119 Corinthians, first Corinthians, another one before Second Corinthians, or after and then 232 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:51.599 Second Corinthians. This back and forth back and forth, back and forth, 233 00:22:51.720 --> 00:22:56.319 is they struggle through these, these tough things, as he prepares to come 234 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:00.279 and meet with them. In fact, we we know that he likely went 235 00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:06.319 back earlier than what he plans on doing here from some things that we have 236 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:11.839 in Second Corinthians. He went back earlier to first back earlier to Corinth than 237 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:18.119 he had intended on, because of the need was was so great. But 238 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.000 these are the saints of the Lord, These are God's people for whom Christ 239 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:29.079 died. These are the ones that have been called out of death and a 240 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:34.960 life. These are those who are his beloved brothers. He's not going to 241 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:41.880 give up, he's not going to let go, and that reminds us, 242 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:45.240 finally, of this. Last thing I want to point out is that, 243 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:51.799 among his values and goals, it's these things that he believes and he's holding 244 00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:56.480 to. They are ultimately rooted in Christ's own work and Christ's own mission. 245 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:03.559 He knows himself as an apostle. He senses the the the Great Work of 246 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:08.960 God that is being done in him, and he's doing it. He knows, 247 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:14.200 in his head and in his heart and in the lives of the people 248 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:19.680 that are being changed, that Jesus is at work in this Great Gospel Enterprise 249 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:27.960 in which disciples are being made and found. He knows that we are in 250 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:34.279 the last times, the end of all things. He knows that the resurrection 251 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:40.559 has already begun in Christ Jesus. He knows that the end is soon at 252 00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:47.519 hand. He knows that the sufferings of this world will pale in comparison to 253 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:52.279 the weight of glory that is to be received on the last day. And 254 00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:57.240 all of these same things that he knows apply the same to us. Even 255 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:03.200 though we are not apostles, we still live in that era, we still 256 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:08.000 live in that space in which God is working and bringing in his people and 257 00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:14.599 is redeeming and calling us. We are a people who are to one day 258 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:21.440 be fully glorified in victorious overall. We are here today and we call other 259 00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:25.960 people to come and be a part of our church and the Greater Church of 260 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:30.160 Christ, to follow him with us, because we understand who Jesus is and 261 00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:36.039 what he's done and what's coming. We know that there's no other faith, 262 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:41.680 no other hope to build our lives upon, whether we're apostles or anything else. 263 00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:47.640 That is true for all of us, and Paul sees that and he 264 00:25:47.720 --> 00:25:53.079 knows it. We must likewise also learn to live our lives in light of 265 00:25:53.160 --> 00:26:00.160 Christ and his work. On the one hand, this ought to humble us, 266 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:06.720 if we are constantly thinking only about building our our lives and ourselves and 267 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:11.039 our wealth and whatever it is we're trying to achieve in this world. To 268 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:15.640 know that Christ is everything and that this world is fleeting and passing makes our 269 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:22.079 giant piles of whatever it is we've piled up not very good. We're not 270 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:32.079 worth very much. Paul says that he would give it all up for the 271 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:37.559 sake of of knowing Christ. It humbles us for those of us who cling 272 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:42.319 too much to this world, cling too much to relationships or to wealth, 273 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:48.920 or to our jobs or to our reputations or to our health. For those 274 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:53.920 of us who cling too much to hear that Christ is everything, to hear 275 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:59.319 that Christ, that Jesus, came into this world to die and to save 276 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:03.119 us from the world, to bring us into a new heavens and a new 277 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:10.559 earth, it reduces the importance of these things that we cling to. Hopefully 278 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:15.119 it even puts them to death, if they're idols for us. It humbles 279 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:19.319 us. That's one of the things that happens when we learn to see ourselves 280 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:22.279 in the light of Christ and his work, and that affects how we make 281 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:27.039 our decisions. Right, Jesus says, store up your treasures in heaven. 282 00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:34.519 The raw moths and rust and thieves don't have any power, Jesus says. 283 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:40.359 Seek first the Kingdom of righteousness, and all this other stuff will be added 284 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:44.960 to you. When we believe that, when we know who Jesus is, 285 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.039 then we start changing how we spend our money, the kinds of places we 286 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:52.480 live, how we spend our time, who we spend our time with, 287 00:27:53.119 --> 00:28:00.319 the things that are very most important to us in our priorities. But in 288 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:06.559 the same way, maybe not in the same way, but the flip side 289 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:11.720 of the coin. Perhaps just as the seeing ourselves in the light of Christ 290 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:17.039 and his work humbles us, it also dignifies us and lifts us up and 291 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:22.559 assures us. This world is constantly beating us down and for those of us 292 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:26.759 who have spent any time trying to accumulate any of the things that the world 293 00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:30.599 offers to us, you all know how difficult it is, how really impossible 294 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:36.640 it is, how fleeting these things are, how how vain it is to 295 00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:42.720 try and and achieve happiness and peace and complete joy through the things of this 296 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:52.559 world, then to receive all joy, all peace, the promise of a 297 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:57.839 perfect future in Christ. It now takes us from these sort of desperate positions 298 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:03.200 and which were just striving after the wind, and lifts us up into something 299 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:10.000 that is permanent and beautiful and wise, something in a kingdom that is strong 300 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:17.160 and and holy and full of love, a permanent place with a loving King. 301 00:29:18.200 --> 00:29:22.519 It gives us dignity, it allows us to hold our heads up high 302 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:26.279 and a walk in the world, even when people would point fingers at us, 303 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:30.039 as they did with Paul, and say you're not worthy and you didn't 304 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:36.519 do enough and you are a problem for this or for that reason, or 305 00:29:36.519 --> 00:29:41.880 when Satan himself accuses us of our sins and says you should just stop it 306 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:45.799 all right now, it's not even worth going on. Why do you bother 307 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:49.240 making plans when you are what you are, when Satan tells you these kinds 308 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:55.960 of things? We can point to Christ, we can abide in Christ, 309 00:29:56.039 --> 00:30:00.279 we can live in Christ, we can see with the light of Chris Christ 310 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:08.319 and say, I'm fine, I'm fine. The Lord of Heaven and earth 311 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:15.640 has me and his loving hands and will forever. He has dignified me and 312 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:21.200 he has caused me not to be ashamed. My sins are forgiven, my 313 00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:26.319 plans are secure, because I'm seeking after the very thing that he promised to 314 00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:37.319 me. This is how Paul made his decisions. Paul saw his life in 315 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:42.079 the light of Christ and the light of Christ's work in this era in which 316 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:48.119 we now live. He saw his life and light of the future hope that 317 00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:53.640 was coming, the past work on the cross. He heard and that sensed 318 00:30:53.720 --> 00:31:00.480 his calling and put himself to usefulness in that to give God glory, to 319 00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:04.720 bring people in, to help others know these things and to do his job 320 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:11.039 well, even when it was hard. And with those values and with that 321 00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:15.279 mission in place, with that perspective, he then makes his plans, but 322 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:21.119 instead, but always, leaving them open and knowing that the Lord is ultimately 323 00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:26.039 sovereign over all, not Paul, not me and not you, and you 324 00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:32.599 and I can and should do the very same things. Put our faith in 325 00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:41.720 Christ and then walk in him wherever he leads us today, tomorrow and on 326 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:53.480 to eternity. Let's pray. Most Glorious God, we worship and Adore you 327 00:31:53.519 --> 00:32:01.160 above all, things. There's nothing we desire on earth more than you. 328 00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:07.960 You alone are our chief and you alone are our only source of peace and 329 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:14.799 happiness and rest. You alone give meaning to our work. You alone give 330 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:21.039 meaning to our suffering and even the the struggles and the vanity of our work. 331 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:28.519 You alone allow the things that we do to be productive. You alone 332 00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:36.240 take our unproductivity and our weaknesses and even our sins and use them for good. 333 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:43.440 You alone are our chief and and our highest delight. Lord, help 334 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:49.839 us always to and only to rest in you. We ask that, as 335 00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:54.400 we've consider our own callings and our own plans, whether they're very tiny and 336 00:32:54.400 --> 00:33:01.720 and not significant or or they feel huge and life changing, may we always 337 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:09.119 put our faith in our trust in you above everything else. Help US also 338 00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:14.440 to be guided by your word and the decisions that we make, whether we 339 00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:19.039 go here or there, whether we stay or whether we wait, whether we 340 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:22.799 change our minds or whether we stay steadfast. Lord, help us to be 341 00:33:22.839 --> 00:33:30.880 guided by by the Gospel promises and also the commands of your word, the 342 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:37.319 commands to love, the commands to be patient, the commands to work hard, 343 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:39.680 the commands to do all things, whether we eat or drink it, 344 00:33:39.799 --> 00:33:45.480 whatever we do do it all for the glory of You are God and King. 345 00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:51.279 I pray for my brothers and sisters here this morning. I asked that 346 00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:57.119 you would be with them and each of their callings, as various family members, 347 00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:02.759 as workers of various kinds, as people who are called in often many 348 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:07.840 different ways. I asked that you would bless them, give us all wisdom 349 00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:13.920 and what we in the various tasks that we have at hand, help us 350 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:17.239 to know how to do them well, how to do them for your honor 351 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:22.599 and glory. Lord. We also ask that you would give us times of 352 00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:28.079 success, that as we work, it would not all be a frustration. 353 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:32.960 Please show US your pleasure as you're show us your delight. I'll remind us 354 00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:38.760 and give us encouragement along the way. We also ask, Lord, that 355 00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:44.320 you would be with those who struggle right now, I'm to know what to 356 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:47.239 do, to know whether to turn to the right or the left, to 357 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:52.559 know what decision to make. We ask that you would guide them and give 358 00:34:52.599 --> 00:34:58.320 them patience and trust in you. Help us all to remember that we do 359 00:34:58.360 --> 00:35:01.400 not know all things and we cannot know all things, and that the end 360 00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:07.239 of every day and them in the beginnings and in the middles. We must 361 00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:12.480 learn to trust you, who does know all things and can do all things, 362 00:35:12.760 --> 00:35:19.440 can be everywhere at once. We pray these things in Jesus name, 363 00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:22.000 our Savior, Amen.