Good evening and welcome. Again, this is the the last
sermon in our series through First Corinthians and we've
actually had 2022 messages. So here we go.
One Corinthians chapter 16, verses 1 to 24.
The title of tonight's message is Faithful to the finish.
So Paul has just finished chapter 15 with this, this
sweeping vision of resurrection, hope and the glory, the the
victory that is there, the the transformation of our bodies.
It's this majestic theology. But then what what comes next is
it's not like a celestial choir breaking out in the Hallelujah
Chorus. He breaks into chapter 16 with
the church offering schedule and we looked at this last week in
greater detail and it seems like this jarring shift from from
heavenly glory in chapter 15 to then handling money from the
resurrection to responsibility. Paul doesn't actually see a
contradiction here and it's because of this gospel doctrine
must lead to a gospel driven life.
So you see, if, if I really believe that I have a glorious
future and that my body is going to be transformed at some point
in the future, you know that I'm going to be in heaven with the
Lord forever and and then come back and serve 1000 years in a
remade earth, a a millennial Kingdom in a, in a glorified
body. Then that should motivate me to
do as Jesus said here on earth. You know when he said layout for
yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot
corrupt, where where thieves cannot break in and steal.
It's all of that so so knowing the future glories of heaven and
and bodily resurrection. I want to live on earth with
eternity on my mind and behaviour.
And so we can never cut or detach the future from the
present. And so thus Paul, he he gets
very, very practical in chapter 16.
He lands the plane of of 1 Corinthians in chapter 16 with
with this ordinary earthy but essential detail of, of what a
faithful church looks like, how it handles money, how it
responds to leaders, how it lives in love and leans into
grace. So think of the final chapter
not as a throwaway, but as a call to finish well.
And so to help us hear it tonight, let's frame Paul's
words under 3 headings. Number one, priority of giving.
We see that in verses 1 to 4 again.
And then secondly, posture in ministry in verses 5 to 9, and
then ahead into 13 and 14. And then thirdly and finally,
for us some people to honour in verses 10 to 24.
So let's look again, priority of giving verses 1 to 4.
I'm reading from the New King James Version now concerning the
collection for the Saints. As I've given orders to the
churches of Galatia, so you must do also on the first day of the
week, let each one of you lay something aside, stirring up as
he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will
send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.
But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.
So Paul starts with a very practical concern.
It's it's the offering for the struggling Saints in Jerusalem
and and it seems like a surprising place to begin unless
you remember what Jesus said again, where your treasure is
there your heart will be also. Matthew 6 verse 21.
Now Martin Luther said something interesting.
He said there's three conversions that are necessary.
The conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind, a
person's thought, life, and he said the conversion of, of their
purse, or we would say it today, their wallet or chequebook or
bank account. And those three conversions are
truly necessary. So Paul was speaking to
converted people, the Gentile church in Corinth converted in
heart, converted in mind, and he wanted to make sure that their
attitude towards money was also converted.
And so he asked that an offering would be taken up to support the
believers in Jerusalem who are struggling at this time under,
under heavy persecution. And in that what we see is, is
giving in our lives reflects gospel gratitude.
Paul doesn't open with a command for a a specific amount, but
what he is calling for is, is a pattern here.
And, and the principle that he indicates is of regularity in
our giving of, of proportional giving and, and cheerful giving.
And, and giving is so central. Why?
Because it, it demonstrates our relationship with God.
And Paul knows that financial habits are spiritual habits.
And so giving isn't God's way of raising cash.
It's, it's actually his way of raising children.
If we treasure the gospel, we'll be compelled to give in ways
that honour God's Kingdom. So let's look practically the
the specific guidance Paul provides is that that weekly
they were on the first day of the week.
That was the the time when they would gather for worship.
It's the Sunday and it emphasises regularity, not like
this one off sporadic act of charity, but it's also part of
their their worship time. And so it gave a structure that
prioritised God and, and his work.
And, and here, like I say on a weekly basis, it was personal.
He said each one of you. And, and it spoke to the
individual nature of giving. It wasn't just for the wealthy
in the congregation, but everyone in the congregation, no
matter how seemingly little or, or, or much that was given, but
a personal 1. And it was proportional.
It says, as he may prosper. You know, God never asks us to
give what we don't have, but to give according to what we do
have. And then he he indicates Paul
that it's to be prepared so that he says no collections need to
be made when I come. So it was this planned ahead of
time process, something that would not put the church on the
spot when when Paul did arrive. And, and the heart of giving
that's evident there is about it being a Worshipful component,
not an obligatory thing, but very intentional, very
Worshipful and, and, and for joy to be a part of it.
But you know, it also built this, this gospel unity because
the Gentile Christians were supporting the Jewish
Christians. Paul demonstrated that the
gospel binds in this way across cultural and ethnic lines.
And, and though the Gentiles had been outside of God's promises
that they were now Co heirs with the Jewish believers in Christ.
And so they were asked to support the church in Jerusalem.
And again, this has direct application for us today.
You know, a local church here in Australia, for example, we're
called to support missionaries and, and we do that in places
like Fiji and, and elsewhere. When the, when the need and
opportunity arises, it's, it's our giving then as a testimony
of, of the unity, a declaration that we're one in Christ.
And when we give, we're actually participating something much
bigger than ourselves. It's not just financial support,
it's the expansion of God's Kingdom.
It's, it's the worship of God's people unto the Lord.
It, it ties us to the mission of the church, linking us not only
with the needs we see, but with the whole global body of Christ.
So that's, that's Paul's first initial declaration.
And then secondly, we move on to the posture and ministry that he
provides. And we'll read these verses, but
what he's doing is, is he's opening up his schedule to them,
his his travel plans, his delays and the opportunities and the
opposition that he's experiencing and countering.
So verse 5, it says, now I will come to you when I pass through
Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia.
And it may be verse 6, that I will remain or or even spend the
winter with you that you may send me on my journey wherever I
go. For I do not wish to see you now
on the way, but I hope to stay a while with you if the Lord
permits. But I will tarry in Ephesus
until Pentecost, for a great and effective door has opened to me.
And there are many adversaries. And if Timothy comes, see that
he may be. Well, actually, we'll get back
to that. Let's jump ahead to verse 13.
And it says, watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be
strong, let all that you do be done with love.
So again, it's it's it's seemingly mundane kind of
practical information. But but Paul, he reveals a
particular posture in ministry through the revelation that
we've just read. There's a flexibility in in his
vision. Paul's ministry was always
marked by intentionality and flexibility.
He's making plans, but he's also making room for God's guidance.
He says, again, I hope to spend some time with you, But look at
this. If the Lord permits.
And Paul was a visionary, he was a planner, but he also knew the
importance of surrendering his plans to God's sovereign will.
Doesn't James chapter 4 remind us that we're not promised
tomorrow in verses 13 to 15? You know, planning is wise, but
we must always hold our plans lightly.
Our lives, you see, are ultimately in God's hands.
And the keyword again in Paul's schedule as we read is if the
Lord permits, you know, in in our lives, it's easy for us to
make rigid plans. But you know, haven't you found
that things often don't go as expected?
Sometimes that can seem like a disappointment to us, but other
times we we understand it and maybe we'll understand more on
the other side of eternity. But it it's a divine
interruption. And so in the Kingdom of God,
our calendars are not our own. They belong to the one who
directs our steps. And that's how we ought to live.
We're to live with with this caveat, if the Lord permits, if
the Lord wills. So again, go back to James,
James, chapter 4. James says, come now, you who
say today or tomorrow we're going to go into such and such a
city and spend a year there and buy and sell and make a profit,
whereas you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears
for a short time then vanishes away.
Rather he said you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live
and do this or that. So you know what, you and I, we
don't even know if the Lord wants us to live into tomorrow,
let alone do this or that. But if it's the Lord's will,
great. So we we make our plans, but
always give God elbow room because he's going to take it
anyway. Be flexible, be practical, be
flexible. Trust God with your time and
opportunities. So Paul's attitude here is of
surrender and trust. It's not a refusal to plan.
It's an openness to change. And then in verses 13 and 14, we
read those at the end there. There's this this courage that's
kind of commanded or or commended to the people in
current, but compassion runs through it as well.
It cuts deep into the heart of what it means to be a faithful
leader and follower of Christ. Be watchful, he says.
This speaks to spiritual vigilance.
As believers, we must be aware of the spiritual battles
surrounding us, especially as and when we step out in
ministry. Being watchful means being
prayerful, mindful of the schemes of the enemy, cautious
of complacency in our lives. He says to them, stand firm in
the faith. And Paul calls us to hold our
ground. You know, when opposition,
distractions, or even our own doubts arise, we cling to the
unchanging gospel. Stand firm, act like men.
This here isn't about bravado or ego.
What it is about is spiritual maturity and strength coupled
with gentleness and humility. And so the call is for men
specifically to rise up in courage, to lead, to stand firm,
to endure hardship for the sake of the gospel.
Don't we live in a culture that that denigrates men?
You just have to watch the average sitcom to see that it's
like the the dad or the man is, is kind of the butt of all the
jokes and he's totally incompetent, doesn't know what
what day it is and needs everybody else to help him out.
So he's almost there for like the comedic relief.
But I want to give you one verse that Paul already gave us
earlier in this same book. And I want to encourage all of
my brothers gathered here tonight to memorise it because
it'll change your life. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 7, Paul
says that men are the glory of what God.
Men are the glory of God. Gentlemen, when was the last
time someone told you that? I know you've heard you're an
idiot, you're a young guy, you've got no potential.
What do you know? And you've not done anything and
and all of this sort of derogatory negative language.
But gentlemen, you're the image of God.
So act like it, fulfil that identity and be strong flows out
of that. That the strength that Paul
speaks of here is not of raw physical power, but of spiritual
resilience. It's strength here.
It's a strength here that that holds firm in faith and love
even when the world is shaking. So here's the application.
In a world that is increasingly hostile to the gospel, men and
women of courage are needed. We need men who stand strong in
their faith, resist the world's temptations, and lead with love.
To act like men, in Paul's view, is not to be aggressive or
domineering, but to model Christ.
Like strength. This is strength rooted in love
grounded in truth. We need women who hold their
families in prayer, who encourage their brothers and
sisters, who stand firm on God's word in the face of opposition.
So Paul there, he's he's encouraged them with with the
posture and ministry that that he's all about and that flows on
into impacting them. And now he wants to thirdly and
lastly for us in verses 10 to 24, just honour a few people and
mention them by name. And he closes with names that
maybe you have or or haven't heard of in, in Timothy, in
Apollos and Stefanus Fortunatus, Priscilla and Aquila and a few
others. And I want you to know they're,
they're not footnotes. They're actually faithful people
that that Paul takes deliberate time to mention and to honour.
So we're going to read these verses as we go along.
But he's recognising the labourers that contributed to
the ministry. So he continues, continues these
final exhortations. Now if Timothy, he says verse 10
comes, see that he may be with you without fear, for he does
the work of the Lord as I do also.
Therefore let no one despise him.
Send him on his journey in peace that he may come to me for I'm
waiting for him with the brethren.
You know about Timothy, right is Paul's protege.
He's what Paul referred to as my son in the faith.
He'd met him on his first missionary journey.
He was a young fellow then he'd become a believer.
His his mother was a Jewish believer.
His grandma was a believer, but he had an unbelieving dad.
Actually on Paul second missionary journey, Timothy came
along with him. It's like Paul invited him
along. Hey, let me let me mentor you.
Be a ministry helper here. And he matured through that
process and Paul devoted a lot of time and energy to him, so
much so that Paul, when he wrote to the Philippian church, he
said, for I have no man like minded who will naturally care
for your estate as Timothy. And, and here's how strong this
connection was. There's this very rare word used
in Philippians there like in that phrase like minded in the
Greek, a sipsicos, which means equal soul.
He and I, Paul says, share the same soul basically.
I don't know about you, but you've probably got many
acquaintances, maybe you've got many friends, but isn't it rare
when you find somebody who has an equal soul?
You know somebody who it's like they know your heart, they know
your thoughts. They can sort of live inside
your head. You don't even have to give
explanations. They're already just tracking
along. So.
So Timothy was like that for Paul.
I don't know if you're catching the similarity here to an Old
Testament duo Jonathan and David.
You know where it said that the soul of Jonathan was knit
together to the soul of David back to Timothy.
Notice what Paul says in verse 10 of our text.
He said if Timothy comes see that he may be with you without
fear. He said that why did he say that
Timothy equally sold loved Paul loyal to Paul loved by Paul.
Paul saw him as a as a son in the faith, but it it's likely
that he lacked that same confidence that Paul possessed
that that same robust character that Paul had and naturally just
more more fearful and timid. In fact, in one Timothy chapter
4, verse 12, Paul writes to Timothy.
It's a personal letter. He says and and listen to this
language. Let no one despise your youth.
Be an example to the believers in Word, in conduct, in love, in
spirit, in faith, impurity. Don't let anybody look down on
you and despise you because you're young.
Timothy was actually in his 30s probably when Paul wrote that.
So he wasn't like a teenager, not in his 20s.
Even in his 30s, well, probably into his 30s.
But in those ancient cultures, you really weren't respected as
an elder until you're in your 40s.
Timothy, he's in his 30s. Maybe he had a baby face.
Maybe he looked like he was in his 20s and so he comes along
and he's been given the authority of Paul the apostle
and people probably took one look at him and went whatever,
who's this young with the snapper?
So Paul said, Timothy, don't let that happen.
Let no one despise your youth now.
Now, mind you, Timothy, for that to happen, you need to be an
example in these areas. You know he said be an example
to the believers in Word, in conduct, in love and spirit and
faith in purity and and on through but over in second
Timothy, Paul outlined something again to Timothy says in verse 6
of chapter 1. Therefore, I remind you, stir up
the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands
for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and
of love and of a sound mind. He's writing that to Timothy.
Timothy was the pastor at that time of Ephesus.
Where Paul was when he wrote one Corinthians and Timothy's
experiencing fear, maybe the increased persecution in Ephesus
at the time, maybe Timothy's perhaps got some, I don't know,
reservations or shame going on with the ministry or or what's
happened to Paul having been arrested, He's probably doubting
his own giftedness. So it makes sense that from
Ephesus here, Paul writes to the Corinthians.
He says, look, Timothy comes, see that he may be with you
without fear. You know, it's like he he's just
a timid guy. I remember fearful kind of
tightly strong. Just just be easy on the boy for
me, would you? And then verse 12 Now concerning
our brother Apollos, I strongly urge him to come to you with the
brethren. But he was quite unwilling to
come at this time. However, he will come when he
has a convenient time. So apparently it looks like the
Corinthians in part of their communicator Paul through Chloe
and and these others maybe that we're about to meet in this
chapter that had been in contact with Paul had had requested for
Apollos to return to Corinth and and share in the ministry.
Now Paulus has been mentioned a bit as we've studied through,
but again, his background, he was converted to Christ from
Alexandria. He'd gone to Corinth, he'd met
Paul, but first he he met Aquila and Priscilla, who'd been kicked
out of Rome, moved to Corinth and Aquila and Priscilla
listened to Apollos and they saw that he had this incredible gift
of oratory and, and it was a great preacher and very
persuasive and, and knew the word of the Lord, but only up
until the point, the baptism of John.
And so he, he hadn't heard or understood the rest of the
gospel story. And Priscilla and Aquila filled
him in on the rest. And he became this, this force
to be reckoned with. Apollos was in Corinth.
And Apollos went on to Ephesus to help Paul the apostle.
And Paul probably said, look, Apollos, they want you back in
Corinth. And Apollo said, no, I don't
want to go. I'll, I'll go later on, but I
don't want to go right now. So for whatever reason, Paul
puts it here in our text and he's just look, let me tell you
the truth, Apollos didn't want to come.
Here's what Paul didn't go. He's he's not going.
You know, the Paulus didn't want to come to the Corinth, but he's
coming anyway because I am the apostle after all.
And I gave him a commandment and I'll use my Apostolic authority.
Now he just writes Paulus. He, he's, he's not wanting to
come. If he's going to come, he'll
come later. So next item.
He, he didn't force the issue. And really, I think this is the
the heart of a good leader in in what we see in Paul is he let
Apollos go according to the leading that he had from the
Lord and then the gifts that God had given to him.
And it wasn't time to go and and be in Corinth.
Let's jump ahead to verse 19. He goes on to speak of this this
issue of community. It says the churches in the
province of Asia send you greetings.
Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly again.
That's the husband, wife team who just did wonderful ministry
together and man, what a what a beautiful thing.
And if you're married, you know this, that the joy of just
serving the Lord together. If you're single tonight, pray
for somebody who wants to do ministry with you, You know, to,
to open your home up, have Bible study to, to have people meet
Jesus in your house to, to pray with them to have dinner and
just be hospitable and build friendships in your home.
And, and that's what that's what this couple did.
Priscilla and Quilla were like this model married couple.
The New Testament is just filled with this meeting in homes.
And and they, Priscilla and Quilla were a part of that.
They're repeatedly mentioned. They're, they're helpful to Paul
and there's this godly husband and wife team.
And he says, so does the church also greet you that meets at
their house? All the brothers here send you
greetings, greet one another with a holy kiss.
There's this affectionate introduction and, and, and
language here. And like, you know, there's this
little church that meets in their house, kind of like the
early days of the church in Acts, where they would gather
together by the thousands for worship at the temple courts and
then break out into houses and, and homes and, you know, Bible
studies and prayer and meals and, and just love and, and
service and encouragement and support.
And so that's happening in in their home and and they they
send a greeting to the people in Corinth.
But here's the the final individuals I want to focus on
in this. And I think it's pretty cool.
Stefanus and his household in verse 15 to 16, it says, devoted
themselves to the service of the Saints.
And Paul says then to submit to people like this.
Why? Because these people are doing
the work of the gospel with humility and dedication and the
phrase devoted themselves in the Greek has this intensity to it.
It's not a a casual or part time thing.
It literally means this, that they appointed themselves or or
set themselves in place for this task.
Some commentators note that the word carries the idea of giving
oneself over so fully that it becomes like a holy addiction.
You could say they were addicted to service, but in the best
sense of the word, they weren't coerced.
They weren't guilted into ministry.
No one twisted their arm. They simply couldn't help
themselves. They saw needs in the body of
Christ and, and like someone drawn to their favourite
passion, they leaned in with eagerness.
Ministry for them wasn't a burden.
It was this joy and and they lived to serve.
You know, I think we all know what addiction looks like in in
the negative sense. Yeah.
We've seen, unfortunately, people so wrapped up in in
substances or destructive habits that it controls their lives.
But imagine that same intensity and obsession redirected toward
the things of God, towards serving others, toward building
the church, lifting up the downcast, strengthening the
weak. That's to find us.
And and that's his family. And that's what they were like.
And then imagine what if the church were filled with people
like that? What if he couldn't wait to show
up early to help? What if your your joy wasn't
just intent in attending a service, but in in being a
service? What if helping others became
less of a duty and more of like a a holy craving In a world full
of consumers? We are called to be contributors
and service is such and and Paul says of such people that need to
be recognised. And the word here means to
acknowledge, to appreciate and honour, not for ego's sake, but
encouragement. You know, these are people who
are pouring themselves out for the Saints.
They're they're living, breathing illustrations of Jesus
himself and we should highlight them.
Paul does that here. He celebrates them and he says
follow their lead. Then lastly, there's this
cultivation of gospel community. He ends with a few things that
are on his heart. You know, he's talked about
finances, the the doors of ministry, the critics leaders.
He's honouring them. And now finally, you know, he's
mentioned the community being built up in homes.
But then verse 21, I, Paul, write this greeting in my own
hand. Let's talk about this for a
minute. There's, there's probably much
to say on this verse, but the first thing I would say is that
it's curious that people will tell you that the New Testament
was written, you know, hundreds of years after the eyewitnesses
died. Yeah, that's myth.
That's actually legend. It's fable.
Paul tells us who wrote this letter.
He did. I want to remind you about Paul.
Paul. Who was he?
He was Saul initially. He was a murderer of Christians
and you're going, well, what's what's he doing writing the
Bible and, and pastoring Christians and believers.
Remember, he met Jesus. His heart was changed, his life
was changed. He realised that he was a
Sinner. Jesus was God, that Jesus lived
the life that that Paul could never live.
It was a life without sin. And, and Jesus died the death
that, that he deserved to die as a penalty for sin.
And Jesus rose again to take away sin and, and Paul's heart
melts and he loves Jesus for the rest of his life.
All of this was, you know, on the road to Damascus.
With that conversion, he became a Christian.
And, and the moral of the story in that is this, it's less about
where you begin and it's where you end that really counts.
You might start as a person like like Paul or Saul, as he was
known with, with all kinds of sin.
But if you meet Jesus, who knows, you could end up being
used of God in significant ministry as Paul was.
The second thing I'd say is that he's actually penning this,
writing it, and, and that letter writing, I think it's a lost art
form, you know, for those of you under 20, letter writing
includes paper, which can be purchased at most major stores.
And you use a pencil or pen, write that stuff down.
You know, it's not text messaging, but when was the last
time you got a handwritten note from someone who loved you?
It's probably been a while, hasn't it?
When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter to someone
you love? I think it's an art form that
Christians need to hang on to letter writing because there's
this tenderness to it. And it really comes through in
Paul's writing here. He loved them so much he, he
couldn't help but write and he wanted to convey this.
And he's told us in one Corinthians 14 verse 37 that
that he knows he's, he's writing the Bible, that he's writing the
the Lord's command and he's speaking for Jesus.
And, you know, he's their pastor and he's travelling and he's
gone. And, and so to receive a letter
from him probably meant a great deal to this little church in
Corinth. Now the letter ends with warm
greetings, affection, love. And there's this one sort of
sharp warning that almost seems as a contrast for us.
He says if anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed.
And you know, while it might sound harsh, it's actually a
revelation of Paul's love for the church.
And it's very serious. You see, loving Jesus isn't
optional. It's essential for Christian
unity. To love Jesus is to belong to
him, and to belong to him is to be part of the family.
You know, you always say the best for last, don't you?
And here it's Jesus four times in three verses.
I think you know your pastor loves you when he talks about
Jesus, you know, and here he says, you know verse 22, if
anyone does not love the Lord, that's Jesus, a curse be on him.
If you're here today and you haven't repented of sin and
trusted in Jesus, then there is that curse of sin upon you.
God is like a judge for you. He's not going, you know, you're
going to encounter that in, in a, in a powerful way unless you
repent, you're separated in sin and because of sin from God.
It's a serious thing to the holy and righteous God.
And if you don't repent of sin and turn to Jesus, because
that's the only way to have sin forgiven, to be reconciled to
God, to have peace with God, then then a curse is on you and
you're an enemy of God and you're going to hell.
In the original Greek, if you could read the Greek, it says he
who does not love the Lord, anathema be upon you.
And that and that anathema is very strong Greek word to
pronounce a curse upon. But then there's this other word
afterward in, in in Maranatha that's mentioned.
It's Aramaic, the understood in Greek culture, they would know
it. And Maranatha means come Lord
and become a, a buzzword by this time, a greeting by this time,
kind of code terminology for the early church and, and Maranatha
Aramaic, they go, oh, Lord come or the Lord is coming as a
reminder to them. And if you're aware, but in the
60s, seventies during the Jesus movement, they would say that to
each other. You know, bumper stickers had
Maranatha. There were songs.
Calvary Chapel had a music company, a label called
Maranatha Music and you know, I, I think we do well to bring that
sense of anticipation back into our conversation that Jesus is
coming soon. Maron Arthur and old Lord come
quickly. Then verse 23 the the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, my love be with you all in
Christ Jesus, Amen. You know verse 22.
He'd said if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus.
This is the the simplest description of a Christian,
someone who loves Jesus. You know when people ask you,
oh, you're a Christian? Well, you know, what kind what,
what denomination do you belong to?
Just tell them I'm the kind that loves Jesus.
I love the Lord Jesus. He's my friend.
He loves me. Tell them that and watch what
look they give on their face. I love Jesus and see how their
face contorts. But Paul, he ends his letter
with love and a final exhortation.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
You see, grace is what it's all about.
It's it's the glue that holds the church together.
It's what we've been given. And so the community of
believers are to be marked by warmth, love and grace where
Jesus is loved deeply and the gospel is alive in every
relationship. So there we are.
We're finished One Corinthians. We've been what a study.
It's been awesome to go through. But you know, as this, this
chapter folds, we, we, we look at the question, what does a
resurrection shaped life look like?
It's not about lofty ideas. It's not just about private
devotions, but it's about generous giving, about faithful
service, about gospel courage, about loving leadership, about
deep community. And so this chapter that we've
just gone through shows us that ordinary church life, you know,
budgeting, planning, writing letters, encouraging leaders,
honouring the Saints. It's actually holy ground.
It's not the mountaintop, but it's the long road of
faithfulness. And as Paul says, let all you do
be done in love. That's how you live in light of
the resurrection. That's how you finish well.