1 00:00:07,910 --> 00:00:11,350 Well, I'm I'm holding in my hand here a precious commodity, a 2 00:00:12,030 --> 00:00:15,990 little piece of plastic, something that almost every 17 3 00:00:15,990 --> 00:00:20,990 year old in Australia longs for, something that is earned with 4 00:00:20,990 --> 00:00:25,110 time and with patience, a fair bit of work. 5 00:00:26,070 --> 00:00:29,350 And this little plastic card which many of us have in our 6 00:00:29,350 --> 00:00:32,030 possession offers a new kind of freedom. 7 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,640 It's our driver's licence and it brings with it some power, 8 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,200 brings with it certainly some responsibility and for a 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,320 teenager, maybe bragging rights. Have you got yours yet? 10 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,800 I've got mine and all of that sort of stuff that goes with it. 11 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,120 When I first received my driver's licence, I remember it 12 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:55,200 just feeling like it opened up a whole new realm of opportunities 13 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,000 and possibilities for me. But here's a question of I've 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,600 got to thinking about this. How would I go if I had to take 15 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:09,960 my driving test again today, after nearly 30 odd years of 16 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:15,960 driving familiarity and certain habits, certain shortcuts that 17 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:20,440 I've probably been taking and of relatively driving unchecked, 18 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,840 would I pass? I wonder how I'd fare under 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,280 examination having to sit that test again. 20 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,040 It gets me thinking about other types of exams and assessments 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,480 and tests that we have. School exams, some of you have 22 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,720 just completed those, maybe university exams have just 23 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,840 wrapped up for you. Think about health exams and 24 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,400 check UPS that we can have. Think about audits and things 25 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,720 financially that examine how we're going with our budgets or 26 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,640 with our expenditure and those sorts of things. 27 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,600 And for the most part, many of those aren't fun, but they 28 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:59,000 certainly are necessary in many respects in our lives because 29 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:05,080 examinations reveal what's real, provide a good little status 30 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,720 quo, a check up on some things in our lives. 31 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,560 And that's exactly what Paul does here in chapter 13 to 32 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,480 conclude our book here at the end of Second Corinthians, he 33 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,920 closes what's been a very personal letter, a very 34 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,880 passionate letter, an often times painful letter that he has 35 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,600 addressed to the church in Corinth here now with this 36 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,840 single command that we see in verse 5. 37 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:33,440 And he says examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, 38 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,760 test yourselves. Do you not realise that Jesus 39 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:42,400 Christ is in you? Unless, of course, he says you 40 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,760 fail the test. And the Corinthians from 41 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,960 chapters 10 through 12, he's been addressing this. 42 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,960 They've been testing Paul. They've been questioning his 43 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,160 credentials, challenging his merits as an apostle, doubting 44 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,080 his authority, challenging his motives. 45 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,960 And now Paul turns the tables on them for us as we read. 46 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,600 He says, OK, you've been you've been testing me now. 47 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,640 Now it's your turn about some self examination. 48 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:16,680 How about you guys turn the focus off me for a moment and 49 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,240 reflect on yourselves. And so for us tonight, as with 50 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:26,280 them as we read, it's it's exam time, not a time necessarily for 51 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,760 us to be embarrassed, but rather to ensure to check that we're on 52 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,400 the right track. Not to, to shame, but to, to 53 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,920 strengthen where we're at in our walk with the Lord and our, our 54 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,240 progress in our faith, and not to necessarily expose failure, 55 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,200 but to confirm faith in our lives. 56 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,560 Again, the context, as we've been seeing all the way through, 57 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,120 is that the church in Corinth was a church that Paul loved 58 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,480 deeply, that he had a strong connection with. 59 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,120 And he was concerned having spent 18 months there. 60 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,400 We read in Acts chapter 18. It was the longest time that 61 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,480 again, he'd spent in any city in, in founding a church. 62 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,080 He'd taught, he'd discipled them, he'd loved them 63 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,480 powerfully. And he was, in a sense, their 64 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,920 first pastor. He called of them himself their 65 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,839 spiritual father. And then when he left, a great 66 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,760 orator, A fellow called Apollos had come in and taken Paul's 67 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,560 place, and it was a great teacher and and preacher of 68 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,960 God's word. And so imagine being a part of 69 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,760 that congregation in Corinth church that had been founded by 70 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,400 Paul, sitting under Paul's teaching and then under Apollos, 71 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,560 mighty in the Scriptures, the Bible says of Apollos. 72 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,200 You'd think that that would make a strong church, right? 73 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,360 But they were really messy. As we've discovered, church in 74 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,040 Corinth had a lot of problems. And we've been kind of like the 75 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,800 the brother or the sister looking on, as you know, the 76 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,760 parent has berated the fellow sibling and we're going, oh, OK, 77 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,520 there's some lessons I need to learn and take out of that. 78 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,360 It's been a pretty significant. They were divided as a church. 79 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,640 They were siding with one teacher over another and saying 80 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,440 I'm of Paul and others were saying I'm of Apollos and some 81 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,400 were saying I'm of Peter and still some were saying, well, I, 82 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,240 I I see that and I raise that and I'm of Jesus. 83 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,360 And they were dividing. There was disunity amongst 84 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,680 themselves following their favourite preachers. 85 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:33,240 They, we discovered, tolerated sexual immorality in the church 86 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:37,040 across a number of spectrums that even had one fellow we 87 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,960 discovered in One Corinthians who was sleeping with his his 88 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:42,880 stepmother, it probably looks like. 89 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,920 And Paul says this is a relationship that not even the 90 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,280 pagans would celebrate. And you're not only tolerating 91 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:51,680 it, but you're celebrating it in your midst. 92 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,960 They abuse spiritual gifts. We discovered they were even 93 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:01,320 getting drunk as part of their communion gatherings and they 94 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,520 misunderstood what the resurrection was all about. 95 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,600 And now they had turned against Paul, as we've been dealing with 96 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,760 in the last few chapters here and entertaining these false 97 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,800 self appointed super apostles who claimed this heightened 98 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,680 sense of spirituality and they were buying into that. 99 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,840 So Paul writes this final chapter here for us as a kind of 100 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,080 final warning and final appeal to the church in Corinth and to 101 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,440 you and I. He says, I'm coming again soon. 102 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,160 I'm going to come and I'll, I'll see you and I'll visit in 103 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,720 person. And when I do, I'm, I'm going to 104 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,800 deal with these issues that I'm writing and whatever still needs 105 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,680 correcting. We'll see that in verses one and 106 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,360 two. But he warns and says, before 107 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:47,320 that day, I urge you, let, let me come in a different way. 108 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,640 Don't wait for me. Examine yourselves. 109 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,560 Deal with it now so that when I'm I'm present with you, it can 110 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,400 be a different kind of of gathering in person. 111 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,520 So let's consider self examination spiritually speaking 112 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,240 in our lives. And what that means is we 113 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:09,320 consider the example of the Corinthians and I want to kind 114 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,200 of Orient our thoughts around three things. 115 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,640 The purpose of examination tonight is to confirm what is 116 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:19,640 real in our lives. And then we'll see the power of 117 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,160 this kind of examination and that is that it is able to 118 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:28,760 correct what is wrong that it's not too put us down, but rather 119 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,040 to build us up. That's that's Paul's heart in 120 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,720 writing these things to edify. And then the product of that 121 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,800 examination is to cultivate, to encourage what is right and to 122 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,800 see unity and harmony in the body of believers and in our 123 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,960 relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 124 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,400 Let's have a look at the first, the purpose of examination to 125 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,040 confirm what is real, and let's go through from verse one to 126 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,240 six. This will be the third time He 127 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:00,040 says I'm coming to you by the mouth of two or three witnesses. 128 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,440 Every word should be established. 129 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,640 I've told you before and foretell as if I were present 130 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,960 the second time. And now being absent, I write to 131 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,440 those who have sinned before and to all the rest, that if I come 132 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,320 again, I will not spare, since you seek a proof of Christ 133 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,560 speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 134 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,320 For though he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the 135 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,560 power of God. We also will weaken him, but we 136 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,280 shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 137 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,960 Now our focus, these two verses 5 and 6. 138 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,520 Examine yourselves as to whether you're in the faith. 139 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:41,640 Test yourselves. Do not know yourselves that 140 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,800 Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you are disqualified. 141 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,840 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 142 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,760 So the purpose of examination, as we consider, is to confirm 143 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,960 what is real, what is genuine, to prove that Paul's command is 144 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,920 not designed here to make them doubt, but rather to make them 145 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,560 sure. This isn't one of those tests 146 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:11,920 that sometimes a teacher can throw out to a class that's 147 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,720 almost designed to, to show students that they don't know as 148 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,320 much as perhaps they thought and that now they really need to be 149 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,440 urgent about their study. But the whole point of this 150 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:28,640 language here of Paul is to make them sure certain of their 151 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,280 faith, of their walk with the Lord. 152 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,040 The word examine in the Greek means here to test for 153 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,200 genuineness. Consider and think of it like 154 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:42,400 testing metal to see if it's pure gold. 155 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,840 And the word test that he uses means to prove something through 156 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:53,840 experience that it should come out in the usage of it as being 157 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,360 genuine and authentic. So Paul's call here for 158 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:02,280 examination is not an academic thing, but a very practical call 159 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,200 here in their lives. So in other words, what he's 160 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,360 saying, don't just profess Christ, practise. 161 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:14,040 Christ may be real in the day to day in in your living. 162 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,320 May it be evident in the way that you conduct yourselves. 163 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,880 Don't just say that you believe. Let's have this faith be alive 164 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,000 in you. So we asked the piercing 165 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:29,280 question, do you not realise that Jesus Christ is in you and 166 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,480 that's really the ultimate test as we consider this idea of self 167 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,920 examination is Christ in you? Is Christ in me? 168 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:44,520 Is there evidence of Christ shaping your life, of Him 169 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:49,480 shaping my life, of this being lived out in the day to day, in 170 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,560 the decisions that I make, in the words that I speak, in the 171 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:56,160 thoughts that I have, are they reflective of Christ in me? 172 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:00,920 Would that be evident as a means of examination of testing, of 173 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,640 proving my faith, your faith in Jesus Christ? 174 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,880 A modern illustration might fit. When we purchase a vehicle, we 175 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,920 don't just admire the paint work, but that's perhaps a part 176 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,880 of it. We don't walk around the vehicle 177 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,800 and and look at the tyres and go wow, they're pretty impressive 178 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,320 though that may be a part of it. We don't just consider the 179 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:25,560 fabric on the inside, but we typically will ask for the keys 180 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:30,280 and seek to take the vehicle, to test it, to prove it, to drive 181 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,360 it, to see it in action before making such a purchase, to see 182 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:39,520 how it runs on the road. And in the same way, what Paul 183 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:44,200 is asking of them and of you and I tonight is that faith ought to 184 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:48,480 be tested in real life. It's not just words, it's not 185 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,360 just thoughts, but it flows on out in actions and in deeds, not 186 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:58,080 in theory, not in isolation, but in the pressures of life, in the 187 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,720 traffic of temptation, in the detours of disappointment. 188 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:06,680 And this is all the way being evident in Paul's writing as the 189 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:10,920 challenges come about him being a an apostle of Jesus Christ. 190 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,800 And and the proof that he has provided has always been in the 191 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,320 pressure, in the suffering, in the trials, in the tribulation. 192 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,760 He says now it's time for you guys to do some examination, to 193 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,000 do some testing. So this is the purpose of the 194 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,400 examination Paul is referring to here. 195 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:33,120 If your faith is real, he says of them and he says of you and I 196 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,320 tonight it will be evident in the everyday. 197 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:41,760 It will be apparent. So as we think about this and 198 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,560 seek to apply it to ourselves, you know what? 199 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,720 Examine not just what you know about the Bible, about Jesus, 200 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:59,080 about God, but what you show. Do I see, do others see Christ's 201 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:07,800 character in me, in my reactions, in my choices, in my 202 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:12,400 thoughts, in the way that I conduct myself, my character? 203 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:19,240 Is there a growing love in me for God's Word, a desire for me 204 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:23,600 to open it and to read it and, and to seek wisdom and knowledge 205 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:28,960 from him when making decisions? Do I see God's people as a a 206 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,160 wonderful blessing in my life? That yes. 207 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,320 Oh, we might rub one another up the wrong way and we can get 208 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,480 irritated, but there's a a greater connection and bond and 209 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,000 a unity that we share and have in Jesus Christ that supersedes 210 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,480 that, that goes beyond that. Do I grieve over sin in my life 211 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,320 or do I just simply seek to manage it or to kind of cover 212 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,040 over it? So examination is what Paul 213 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,840 calls here. The purpose is not about looking 214 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,520 for perfection in our lives, but for direction. 215 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,880 Are we progressing in that sanctification, in that work 216 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,480 that the Holy Spirit is doing? In other words, is your life, is 217 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:14,880 my life moving toward Christ or moving away from Christ? 218 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:21,840 Are you, am I, are we becoming more like him, or as each day 219 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:29,040 passes, less and less like him? Paul says to them and to you and 220 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,800 I Unless, of course, you fail the test. 221 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:36,040 Now that's a pretty sobering statement, isn't it, when you 222 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,680 consider what we've been talking about and you know, there were 223 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,760 people in the Corinthian church, as I suspect that there are in 224 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:46,120 any churches and maybe just some in ours as well, who are busy 225 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:51,960 with religious activity, but spiritually empty and of this 226 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,880 exact situation. Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 7 227 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:59,800 verse 21 to 23, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will 228 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:04,000 enter the Kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me, Lord, 229 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,960 didn't we prophecy in your name? Didn't we cast out demons in 230 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,120 your name? Didn't we do mighty works in 231 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,640 your name? And I will say I never knew you 232 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,320 depart from me. I think that to be the most 233 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,040 tragic words that anyone could hear. 234 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:29,280 Not you failed, but I never knew you never knew you depart from 235 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,320 me. So Paul's challenge here is in 236 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,520 fact one of mercy. Wouldn't you rather be 237 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:39,000 challenged with that now than to find out it's all too late? 238 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,960 He says Take the test now while there's time. 239 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,880 Examine yourself. Test yourself. 240 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,600 And so the purpose of examination is to confirm what 241 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:55,240 is real power of such examination is that it corrects 242 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,960 what is wrong in US. And this is Paul's heart and 243 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,600 what we need to heed from this in verse 7 through to 10. 244 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:06,320 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, do no wrong, not that we 245 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,040 should appear approved, but that you should do what is 246 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:14,280 honourable, do good, though we may seem disqualified, for we 247 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:18,280 can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth we are 248 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,280 glad. Verse 9 when we are weak and you 249 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,400 are strong, and this also we pray that you may be made 250 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,560 complete fool. Therefore I write these things 251 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,840 being absent, unless being present, I should use sharpness 252 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,440 according to the authority which the Lord has given me. 253 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:40,280 Why purpose for edification and not for destruction. 254 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,360 Paul's heart here understand in in this declaration of you guys, 255 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:50,280 you need to examine yourselves. It's not harsh, but it's trying 256 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:54,120 to humiliate the Corinthians to get them to understand what 257 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,680 they've been doing and where they're at and to effect change. 258 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,080 His goal then is restoration and not rejection. 259 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:05,040 Verse 7, he prays, we pray to God that you may not do wrong, 260 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,440 that you may do what is right. In verse 10, he reminds them 261 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,200 that there's authority that he possesses God given, and that 262 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,560 authority is for building up, edifying, and not for tearing 263 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,359 down. In other words, understand my 264 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,480 heart here. My purpose in saying these 265 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:25,520 things is that I don't want to break you. 266 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,720 I don't want to destroy you, but I want to build you up. 267 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,640 I want to see you rightly living with the Lord. 268 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,280 And that's the power of examination, not to condemn, but 269 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,920 to correct. Think of a captain of a ship 270 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,120 before a long voyage about to embark. 271 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,760 It doesn't just assume that the course is right and correct. 272 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,240 They'll check the compass, the coordinate, the coordinates, 273 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,000 they'll study the charts, they'll test the instruments, 274 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,240 make sure that everything is taken care of before such a 275 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:57,800 journey. Why? 276 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:02,280 Because they know that that one small miscalculation now could 277 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:06,920 mean disaster later. Just as we trust when boarding 278 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:11,120 an aeroplane that the pilot has done such sort of things before 279 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,360 taking us on the journey, we trust that they've gone through 280 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:19,000 all of the protocol, all of the processes to get us to our 281 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,600 destination and to where we're going. 282 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,120 Well, in the same fashion, consider this self examination 283 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:28,800 as spiritual navigation. It allows then for the 284 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,960 Corinthians and for any of us tonight for this, for a mid 285 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,240 course correction. The Corinthians have begun their 286 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,480 journey in faith. They're walking with the Lord 287 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,200 and, and now Paul says you, you need to check yourselves. 288 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:46,000 You need to examine, you need to stop and and arrest the course 289 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,600 of direction that you're going, spiritually speaking, because 290 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,280 there's destruction ahead unless there's a change, unless you've 291 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,240 correct the course that you're going. 292 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,520 You need to realign with Christ in your in your journey. 293 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,920 So we, we need this, don't we? We need to constantly just 294 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:07,560 evaluate and to check and to to analyse because sin in our 295 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:08,920 lives. Haven't you found this? 296 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:13,320 It rarely announces itself, you know, it doesn't knock on the 297 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,720 door and say, you know, tomorrow you can expect such and such and 298 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,280 so and so by the way of temptation and you'll probably 299 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,760 succumb and fall into it. But now it creeps in quietly in 300 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:27,600 our lives through through compromise, through comparison 301 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:31,000 of others, through neglect of our spiritual disciplines and 302 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:32,480 our focus on the things of the Lord. 303 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,360 And and maybe maybe tonight we're sitting here and and maybe 304 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:40,000 we've grown comfortable with attitudes that once convicted 305 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,600 us. Maybe we've become critics of 306 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,320 others and defenders of ourselves. 307 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,440 Maybe we've replaced passion with performance. 308 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,120 You know, we do church, but but the fire has faded in our walk 309 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:57,560 with the Lord. So Paul says to them, as he 310 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,480 might say to you and I tonight, deal with it now, deal with it 311 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:05,680 now. Let God's truth realign you. 312 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,880 You know when I was a student? I wasn't excited about exams. 313 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,000 I don't think I'm alone in that. But you know, every so often a 314 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,480 teacher would hand back a marked test or assessment and say, now 315 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,080 I've corrected and I've shown where the errors were. 316 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:27,160 But here's what I want you to do. 317 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,480 I want you to consider it and go over it carefully. 318 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,040 I want you to see where you went wrong and I want you to learn 319 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,720 from it. And that's where the real 320 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,200 learning happened. And maybe you can relate and you 321 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,560 can connect. I could identify, I could see 322 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,720 in, in their marking, in their corrections, find out what is 323 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,320 correct and why it was correct. And I could learn it then I 324 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,080 could practise it. I could see where I went wrong 325 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,480 and then I could test it because I, I knew what the truth was. 326 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,720 And in readiness for the next time I could, I could know that. 327 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:03,240 OK, when that next test comes along, I'm confident now of the 328 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,520 knowledge I've practised, I've learnt it, I've been corrected 329 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:11,600 now. Well, God does the same through 330 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:20,120 his Spirit, through his word, as we read, he exposes not to shame 331 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:25,360 us, but to shape us. You know, I, I see now God, 332 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:28,000 haven't you found that you've been reading the Bible and you 333 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,600 go, thank you Lord for showing me that man. 334 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,280 I see what I was doing and, and now I see in your word and I've 335 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,640 read it and I understand it. I see what I was doing wrong and 336 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,080 I see it needs changing. Forgive me. 337 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:45,560 God, help me, God guide me, Holy Spirit in this and, and here's 338 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:50,040 how correction can happen now and, and then thank you God for 339 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:51,800 your mercy in revealing this to me. 340 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:56,360 Now help me in correcting this. Help me in navigating through 341 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,120 this. I don't want to break your heart 342 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:01,840 again in this way. So guide me, Holy Spirit, bless 343 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,360 me and and lead me. These are things that we pray 344 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:08,320 and that we go through. So every conviction then in our 345 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:12,040 lives is an invitation to correction, to stay the course 346 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:18,200 to move towards the Lord. Hebrews chapter 12 reminds us 347 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,640 the Lord disciplines those whom he loves. 348 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,000 And so if you're being challenged by the Spirit today 349 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:32,400 in any way, don't see that as rejection, but as as God working 350 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,560 on your relationship with him. That's God saying, you know, I 351 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,680 love you too much to leave you as you are. 352 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,560 Let's examine this and let's correct it and let's work and 353 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:47,320 move together so that thirdly and lastly, the product of 354 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:51,720 examination to cultivate what is right exists in our lives. 355 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,200 Paul concludes our journey through 1st and 2nd Corinthians 356 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,520 here with these words. Finally, brethren, farewell, 357 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:04,640 become complete, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in 358 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,960 peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 359 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,040 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 360 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:17,880 All the Saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus 361 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:22,360 Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit 362 00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:24,560 be with you all. Amen. 363 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,080 Doesn't Paul close this letter beautifully? 364 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:31,160 Just read those words. After all the the correction, 365 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,880 the confrontation that's come through the rebuke that's been 366 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,320 there. He ends with this, this grace 367 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,400 and warmth, particularly verse 11. 368 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,600 We've read it, but there's there's 5 short commands that he 369 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:46,360 supplies to them in verse 11. And they what those commands do, 370 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:51,400 they describe what, what healthy examined faith looks like. 371 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,320 And, and this is the product of examination. 372 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,800 And this is what is to be cultivated in their myths, in 373 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:02,560 our myths and in our lives. He says rejoice in other words, 374 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:07,200 lift your eyes from the problem, the circumstances, situation and 375 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:12,800 and lift them to the person of Jesus Christ and joy then is not 376 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,080 the absence of struggle in our lives, but the presence of 377 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:20,800 Christ in the midst of those to be able to enjoy his presence 378 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,600 with us. He says be made complete. 379 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,480 In other words, grow on towards maturity. 380 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:31,840 Don't settle for spiritual mediocrity or or celebrate past 381 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,360 victories, but always be pressing on and and moving on 382 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:36,200 ahead. Be made complete. 383 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,120 Thirdly, he says be comforted, in other words, support one 384 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:43,720 another, walk together through trials. 385 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,480 Fourthly, be of one mind. And in this he speaks of unity 386 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:52,760 and it's not about uniformity that everybody is to be the 387 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:56,160 same, but it's a shared purpose around the gospel. 388 00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:00,920 And then live in peace. Fifthly, in other words, where 389 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,880 it is a thing that you can do, do your part to make peace, 390 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,920 because where peace reigns, God's presence remains. 391 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,160 Now in verse 12, there's somewhat of an illustration of 392 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:17,080 this in his words. In Roman culture, people only 393 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:20,240 called family members, brothers or sisters, didn't they? 394 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:26,880 The early church began greeting one another in this way, even it 395 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,520 says with a holy kiss. And this is now what he says, 396 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,360 greet one another with a holy kiss. 397 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:34,920 And what that was was a, a declaration that they were one 398 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,480 family, brothers and sisters in the Lord. 399 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,080 And it was a a powerful witness as a consequence to a divided 400 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,600 world. Now in our culture and our 401 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,640 custom, that's why we shake hands. 402 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,360 That's why we we hug. That's why we fist bump maybe. 403 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:54,960 And then Paul seals it all with one of the most beautiful 404 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,720 benedictions in Scripture. And verse 14, he says the grace 405 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:03,680 of the Lord Jesus Christ, love of God, fellowship of the Holy 406 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:08,320 Spirit, be with you all. That's such a wonderful summary 407 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:13,080 of the Christian life there. The grace of Christ which saves 408 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:18,520 us, the love of the Father that surrounds us, and the fellowship 409 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:24,400 of the Spirit that sustains us. You know, you and I, we can't 410 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:31,880 live the examined life alone. We need the full ministry of the 411 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:37,080 triune God at work in US. And that's what Paul leaves them 412 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,760 with and you and I with and that's the product of the 413 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:43,080 examine life, cultivating what is right through the power of 414 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:49,680 God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as we 415 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,560 finish this book. And what a journey it's been. 416 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:56,640 But specifically tonight, as we think of this idea of 417 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:02,920 examination, spiritually speaking, when I passed my 418 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:07,520 drivers less all those drivers test all those years ago got my 419 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:12,960 licence. It wasn't because I was perfect. 420 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,480 You know, I made some mistakes in that test. 421 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,200 But you know, it was because having gone through the course 422 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:24,120 of practising, I'd learned to listen to the instructor, to 423 00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:28,280 correct my mistakes, to keep my eyes on the road, to examine the 424 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,680 mirrors, to do all of those things. 425 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:34,280 And, and that's the essence of this passage that we've just 426 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,040 finished with tonight. Paul's not calling the 427 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,240 Corinthians. Paul's not calling you and I to 428 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,720 perfection. He's calling for direction. 429 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:49,080 He's saying, don't wait for my next visit to sort things out. 430 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:54,080 Don't wait for judgement day. Examine yourself now. 431 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:58,160 Make sure you're in Christ and Christ is in you. 432 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:02,440 And so we can ask questions of ourselves tonight. 433 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:08,480 We can ask, you know, have have I been playing church or am I 434 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:15,520 pursuing Christ? Am I content in what I know of 435 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:20,400 him or do I actually know him personally? 436 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:26,400 Is it head knowledge only? Can I spout off Bible facts and 437 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:30,640 figures and things, or is there something deeper going on? 438 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,640 There's a relationship, a connection with the God that I 439 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:39,080 know stuff about, but do I know Him intimately, genuinely, 440 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,080 authentically? Is your faith alive? 441 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:47,320 Is it still growing? Is it active in love? 442 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,920 Is your faith in Jesus able to be tested in the everyday 443 00:28:52,920 --> 00:29:00,120 situations, in the workplace, in the home, in your marriage, in 444 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,040 your relationships with your brother, with your sister? 445 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,200 How does your faith in Christ hold up under pressure? 446 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,760 And so today, tonight ask, am I in the faith? 447 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:18,160 Are we in the faith again, Not just about believing facts of 448 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,960 Jesus or of the Bible, but am I in him? 449 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,480 Am I committed? Am I trusting in him? 450 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,000 We think of analogy that might help. 451 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,000 Consider the ark of Noah as it was being built. 452 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,360 You know, we know in the Bible that it was built out of 453 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,160 something called Gopher wood. You know, you can believe that 454 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,360 the ark is it's made out of Gopher wood. 455 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,600 Strong. Yes, I think it's sea worthy. 456 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:45,320 Look, it's it's a wonderful thing. 457 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,840 I think it would do the job. But the question is, are you in 458 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,720 it? Are you in the ark when the rain 459 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:57,320 come and the floods? It's the same with Jesus. 460 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,480 Are you in him? And is he in you? 461 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,000 You know, as we examine, maybe in thinking about this 462 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,240 ourselves, examine your public life. 463 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:13,520 Are you dishonest, thieving, swearing, drunk, unclean, 464 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:17,120 biblically speaking? And if so, you know something's 465 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:20,680 not right there. And we've all bumped into people 466 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,560 who profess to be Christians with their mouth, but when you 467 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,440 look at their lives, you think this. 468 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:32,320 The math ain't nothing. If that's you tonight, repent, 469 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,720 cry out. Oh God, be merciful to a Sinner 470 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:39,040 like me. Help me, correct me in our 471 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,440 private lives. Do you pray? 472 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,720 Do you search the scriptures? Do you think of God? 473 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,560 Or do you live as if a stranger to Him? 474 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,720 You know, if if you're right with God, you would say things 475 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,320 like, you know, I couldn't possibly live without prayer, 476 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,760 couldn't possibly live without opening my Bible. 477 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:01,640 You know, I love his word. I love his people. 478 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:05,280 I love his house. Finally tonight, can you say 479 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:11,800 Jesus Christ is in me and I am in him, even though at times, 480 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:15,560 yes, maybe your, your heart might feel dark, but he's there 481 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,640 and you know it. You've, you've accepted him and 482 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,680 Jesus Christ lives in you. And in that then we can rejoice 483 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,360 because there is grace that is offered to us. 484 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:32,040 Because here's the good news in this, in thinking about testing 485 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:37,240 and examinations, really, this is an open book exam and the 486 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,360 answer is a person. The answer is Jesus. 487 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,200 There's an old Scottish pastor who said for every look at 488 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,040 yourself, look 10 times to Christ. 489 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,440 So maybe tonight there's been a self examination. 490 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:55,680 As we've been talking, you've been thinking through and 491 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,600 perhaps some things have hit home and you've gone, oh man, 492 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:00,560 you know, here's what we need to do. 493 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,800 Look to Christ. He is the author and finisher of 494 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,520 our faith. He has begun a good work in you, 495 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,720 in me, in US. And the Bible says that He will 496 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,880 be faithful to finish it and to complete it to the very end. 497 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,520 He's your strength and weakness. We've been learning about that 498 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,680 through Corinthians. He's the restorer of brokenness. 499 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,080 If at times you felt disqualified, through 500 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,040 examinations, through self assessment, then here's what you 501 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:31,880 need to do. Come now to Him, because His 502 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,760 grace awaits to seek Him, to pursue Him. 503 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,400 You know Jesus is both the standard. 504 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:43,360 Yes, and He is our Saviour. He is the lover of your soul, 505 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,840 and when you have Him, you have passed from death to life.