1 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,320 Well, good morning. It's good to see everybody. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,280 If you have your Bible, you can turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,280 16. We'll be in First Corinthians 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,640 16. What that means is we're in the 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,960 final chapter of First Corinthians. 6 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:25,480 I think this is sermon #38 in the book of First Corinthians. 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,440 So now there's been breaks. So hopefully it hasn't felt that 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,040 lengthy, but that's where we're at. 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,720 We've got this week and then two more weeks in First Corinthians. 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,600 And then as of now, the plan will be to jump into the Gospel 11 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,920 of Matthew, jump into the Gospel of Matthew. 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,680 So I'm looking forward to that. But First Corinthians 16, today 13 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:50,680 we're as we come to the close of First Corinthians, Paul begins 14 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,840 to draw together all that he's been teaching this church. 15 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:01,400 Now this church is a church that, like ours, needed constant 16 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,440 reminders of grace and guidance for godly living. 17 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:13,000 In chapter 15, we stood on what is the summit of Christian hope, 18 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,120 and that is the resurrection of Christ and the promise of our 19 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,400 own resurrection. We we saw there that Jesus lives 20 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,760 or that because Jesus lives, death has lost its sting, sin 21 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,240 has lost its dominion, and our labor in the Lord is never in 22 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,120 vain. It's always meaningful. 23 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,920 It's always got purpose. And so now as Paul begins to 24 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,720 begins chapter 16, he brings this glorious theology of the 25 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,720 resurrection right down into the ordinary details of life. 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,160 All right, so he shifts from resurrection hope, if you will, 27 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,080 to resurrection living. OK, there's going to be a lot of 28 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:58,200 application in the next few sermons from what we believe to 29 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:03,000 how we behave, from what Christ has done to how we must respond 30 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,200 to what Christ has done for us. So here at the end of the 31 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,280 letter, Paul speaks about very practical things. 32 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,880 You'll see in today's message. There's a financial offering. 33 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,960 You'll see some travel plans, some ministry partnerships and 34 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:22,200 opportunities for gospel work. But these aren't random closing 35 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,280 remarks. It's not like Paul's coming to 36 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:25,840 the end of this letter. He thinks, man, I've been 37 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,960 writing, you know, all of these words and now I must hurry up 38 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,240 and get on to whatever Paul needed to get on to. 39 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,520 And so he just closes quickly. And then, hey, snow, these words 40 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,680 are pinned by the power of the spirits through Paul. 41 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,040 And so we know that they're meaningful, right, That they 42 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,480 matter. And often times as we come to 43 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:52,360 the close of the various epistles, we will just quickly 44 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:57,360 read over them and we'll miss so much of what God means for us to 45 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,600 understand. So here he he, he's doing that. 46 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,840 What these words show us is what a gospel shaped life actually 47 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:07,440 looks like. All right. 48 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,920 How believers in churches must live faithfully in light of the 49 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:13,760 resurrection. Now, these verses remind us of 50 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:19,200 the Christian life is not detached from our spiritual 51 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,160 lives. These aren't detached spiritual 52 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,840 ideas that he lays out. It's a whole way of living under 53 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,600 the lordship of Jesus Christ. So even in how we handle our 54 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,040 money, how we handle our time, and how we handle our 55 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,800 opportunities, we're called to reflect the gospel. 56 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,360 That has saved us. So as we read the passage, I 57 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,800 want you to listen for how Paul connects grace and daily life. 58 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,440 All right? Listen for how He connects grace 59 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:51,160 and daily life, how He connects hope and stewardship, and how He 60 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,440 connects belief and obedience, because what He lays out for us 61 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,840 really is a picture of what it means to live faithfully until 62 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,680 the Lord returns. So if you're able, would you 63 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,040 please stand to your feet as we read 1st Corinthians 16? 64 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,600 Going to read verses one through 9. 65 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,560 Now concerning the collection for the Saints, as I directed 66 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:19,200 the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do on the first day 67 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,440 of every week. Each of you is to put something 68 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:26,040 aside and store it up as he may prosper, so that there will be 69 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,760 no collecting when I come. And when I arrive I will send 70 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,440 those whom you a credit by letter to carry your gift to 71 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,120 Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I 72 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,720 should go also, they will accompany me. 73 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,400 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend 74 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,920 to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or 75 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,240 even spend the winter so that you may help me on my journey 76 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,120 wherever I go, for I do not want to, I do not want to see you 77 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,480 now, just in passing. I hope to spend some time with 78 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,520 you if the Lord permits, but I will stay in Ephesus until 79 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,960 Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, 80 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,000 and there are many adversaries. This is the word of the Lord. 81 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,080 Thanks be to God. Let's pray. 82 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,120 Heavenly Father, we come before you now. 83 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,240 As we open First Corinthians 16, we ask. 84 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,840 Father, that you would guide us by your spirits, we ask, Father, 85 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:23,720 that you would open our hearts to receive your word, that you 86 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,880 would open our minds to understand it. 87 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,200 Lord, that our eyes and ears may be open to see and hear. 88 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,240 Lord, we understand that we are powerless to the task of 89 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,760 transforming our own hearts. We understand that we're 90 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,360 powerless to the task of sanctification as believers. 91 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:47,560 That it's, it's not only you who draws us to yourself in belief, 92 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:52,000 but it's you who works in US, your salvation. 93 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,520 Lord, that you perfect those things in us. 94 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,880 And so we, as we hear these words preached this morning, as 95 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,200 those who believed, how would you draw us deeper into 96 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,480 maturity? Would you strengthen our walk 97 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,520 with you? Would you help us to live godly 98 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,680 lives that are examples of the things that we believe? 99 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,600 And Father, if there's anyone in here who doesn't know you, Lord, 100 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,400 I pray that through the preaching of your word that they 101 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:22,760 would see Christ today and that they would see him not only just 102 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,240 in in a picture, but they would see in such a way that they 103 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,320 would believe in their hearts that he is Lord and that you 104 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,640 raised him from the dead, that their souls would be saved. 105 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,520 Lord, again, we thank you for your word and we humbly submit 106 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,760 to it now. It's in Christ name, I pray. 107 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:39,160 Amen. Amen. 108 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:48,160 You may be seated. So Paul ends this letter really 109 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,200 in the same. Way that he began, which is with 110 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,600 the gospel at the center and the church in view, and it's the 111 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,960 Gospels at the center of the churches in view throughout 112 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,880 First Corinthians. He's been correcting, he's been 113 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,760 instructing, he's been reorienting a confused 114 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,960 congregation toward the grace of Christ. 115 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:14,040 He has dealt with divisions. There were divisions among them. 116 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,920 He's dealt with immorality. He's dealt with lawsuits, he's 117 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,440 dealt with abuses of worship, he's dealt with confusion about 118 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,400 spiritual gifts. He's even dealt with a shallow 119 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,360 view of the resurrection. And there's been other things 120 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:31,800 even in those that he's dealt with. 121 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,800 So through it all, though, what Paul has done is he keeps 122 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:40,400 bringing them back to the same foundation, the gospel of Jesus 123 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,200 Christ that saves sinners, it unites the church, and it 124 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,560 transforms daily life. He's he's bringing them back to 125 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,640 that over and over. Chapter 15 again lifted us to 126 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,480 this monumental peak, if you will, which is the resurrection 127 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,760 of Christ in the hope of our own resurrection one day. 128 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,840 Paul reminded us in First Corinthians 15 that because 129 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,960 Christ is risen, death has been defeated, sin has been 130 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,280 conquered, and our labor in the Lord is never in vain. 131 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:15,960 All right, that's the high point of the letter and that's, that's 132 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,120 the theological summit, if you will, of all that Paul's been 133 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,920 writing. Every, everything that he's been 134 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:27,520 arguing for in First Corinthians finds its resolution in that 135 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:30,320 high point. Everything that he's been 136 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,880 correcting and teaching and, and all the things that we've seen 137 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,480 in this letter, they find their purpose in that high point of 138 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,720 the resurrection of Christ and one day our own resurrection. 139 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:46,080 But when Paul begins chapter 16, he's not drifting again into 140 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,560 theological abstraction. He's not drifting into 141 00:08:49,560 --> 00:08:53,240 sentimental goodbyes. Instead, he shows what 142 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,000 resurrection hope looks like when it comes down to earth in 143 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,120 the ordinary details of giving and planning and serving. 144 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,760 Chapter 15 gives us the engine of the Christian life. 145 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:10,000 Then chapter 16 gives us the dashboard of the Christian life 146 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,960 where we see that resurrection, that resurrection power driving 147 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,800 ordinary obedience. You might expect Paul to end 148 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,840 with lofty doxology, as he does at times, but instead he talks 149 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:27,800 about an offering. He talks about travel plans. 150 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,680 He talks about ministry partnerships. 151 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,320 He talks about opportunities for gospel work. 152 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:39,080 And I want you to know that that's instructive for us this 153 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:45,680 morning because Christianity is never, ever, ever meant to 154 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:50,520 remain theoretical. It's meant to be practical. 155 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:56,200 It's meant to be lived out. The gospel that saves us also 156 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,240 steers us. Amen. 157 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:06,600 So true theology, always true theology, understood, always 158 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,800 leads to faithful practice, always leads to it. 159 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,440 So in these opening verses of chapter 16, Paul paints this 160 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,880 picture of what it looks like for a church to live out the 161 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,760 resurrection. Not just to understand it, not 162 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:24,720 just to believe it, but now how should it inform the way we 163 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,880 live? And the first thing he comes to 164 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:29,960 is this idea of faithful stewardship. 165 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:32,840 He shows that faithful stewardship, whether it's in our 166 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,680 giving, in our planning, or in our perseverance, is a mark of 167 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:40,920 mature discipleship. It's how a gospel shaped people 168 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,000 live together for the mission of Christ. 169 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,400 So if you're taking notes and in your bulletins, these are 170 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,160 actually fill in the blank now, you're welcome. 171 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:53,800 All right. Faithful stewardship means 172 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:59,360 managing our resources, plans, and opportunities for the 173 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,920 advance of the gospel. Faithful stewardship means 174 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:07,680 managing our resources, plans, and opportunities for the 175 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:10,120 advance of the gospel. Now, Paul's going to show us 176 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,080 what this looks like in three ways. 177 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:15,920 First, we'll see that faithful stewardship is generous in 178 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,880 supporting good gospel work. Secondly, we'll see faithful 179 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,040 stewardship is intentional and planning gospel work. 180 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,800 And thirdly, we'll see that faithful stewardship is 181 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,200 courageous and pursuing gospel work. 182 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:30,880 Now, if you weren't able to write those down, then we're 183 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,280 about to get into them, and they'll just remain on the 184 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,920 screen for plenty long enough time for you to write those 185 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,480 down. OK, so these verses remind us 186 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:43,400 that gospel maturity is not measured by knowledge alone. 187 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,600 All right? If you've ever met someone who 188 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:51,440 believes that the knowledge they have about God equals their 189 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:58,040 maturity, just the knowledge, you likely have met someone 190 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,360 who's a real turd in all of life. 191 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:06,680 All right, I've been that guy. It happens to all of us. 192 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:11,320 We have good intentions, but you Start learning these things 193 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,200 about the Lord and you automatically think I've 194 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,960 arrived. And you realize very quickly, 195 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:22,040 no, you have not, right? We have to learn how to take 196 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,560 what we know about God and live it out, right? 197 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:27,800 It's the difference between knowledge and wisdom. 198 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,240 Wisdom is putting into effect the knowledge that we have. 199 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,400 But often times we have knowledge without wisdom, right? 200 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,680 So these verses remind us that it's not. 201 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,400 Maturity is not measured by knowledge alone. 202 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,680 Maturity is measured also with faithfulness. 203 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,520 It's the wisdom to carry out a faithful life. 204 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,440 So it's measured by how we handle what God has entrusted 205 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:56,160 to. US. 206 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,880 Right, the resurrection doesn't make us careless or passive, 207 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,520 which it shouldn't. The resurrection ought to make 208 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,280 us steadfast. It ought to make us purposeful, 209 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:14,120 and it ought to make us generous that the grace that saves also 210 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:20,400 sins. God sends us to give and to plan 211 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,200 and to labor for the Kingdom of our risen Lord. 212 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:29,360 And so point #1 faithful stewardship is generous in 213 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,120 supporting gospel work. Bless you brother. 214 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,320 Faithful stewardship is generous in supporting gospel work. 215 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:38,640 Look at verses one through 4 again. 216 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,400 Now concerning the collection for the Saints, as I directed 217 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,960 the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do on the first day 218 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:48,280 of every week. Each of you is to put something 219 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:52,240 aside and store it up as he may prosper, so that there will be 220 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,240 no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send 221 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,400 those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to 222 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,160 Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I 223 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,720 should go also, they will accompany me. 224 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,280 So Paul begins his closing chapter by addressing something 225 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,840 very practical yet deeply spiritual, which is a collection 226 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,120 for the Saints. He writes in verse one. 227 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,400 Now concerning the collection for the Saints, as I directed 228 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,120 the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do now. 229 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:28,400 This wasn't just a one time project, it was part of the 230 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,400 ongoing ministry of compassion that stretched across the early 231 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,400 church. The early Church understood the 232 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,240 Great Commission, and they understood the Great Commission 233 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,080 right as to go and make disciples of all nations, 234 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,560 baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the 235 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:47,200 Holy Spirit, teaching them to do all that God commands or all 236 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,880 that Christ commands, right. The early Church so understood 237 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:57,160 this that they would give to good Great Commission work, 238 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,440 right? In other words, I would give to 239 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,880 missions, I would give to the support of other churches, the 240 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,680 support of other missionaries, the support of men and women who 241 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,600 are going around the world, just like David and Adriana Petro, 242 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,200 who we prayed for this morning, right? 243 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:20,000 The believers in Jerusalem were suffering under persecution and 244 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,360 famine, and the Gentile churches, like those in Corinth 245 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,280 and Galatia, which he mentions, were given the privilege of 246 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:31,560 participating in their relief. But this act of giving was more 247 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:36,240 than charity, right? It was a, it was theology made 248 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,160 visible. If you think about the churches 249 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:43,320 of Galatia and Corinth and the church in Jerusalem and you 250 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,320 know, kind of the history of those two things, there ought to 251 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,720 be something that there ought to be a glaring note that you make 252 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:56,160 there, and that is that Gentile believers are sending financial 253 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,840 help to Jewish believers, right? So this is theology made 254 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,560 visible. In doing so, what they're doing, 255 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,160 what they're doing is declaring that the gospel had torn down 256 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,920 that dividing wall of hostility that once existed between Jews 257 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:14,680 and Gentiles. So as Paul would write 258 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,000 elsewhere, Romans 15 says, for just as we have shared in their 259 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,880 spiritual blessings, they now share in our material blessings. 260 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,840 The offering that was being offered or given was a living 261 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:33,200 picture of 1 body in Christ, one people redeemed by 1 Savior. 262 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,960 Amen. And so Paul continues in verse 263 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,080 2. He says on the first day of 264 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:41,080 every week, each of you is to put something aside and to store 265 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,680 it up as he may prosper so that there will be no collection 266 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:49,160 collecting when I come. Now here we see that a 267 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:53,720 generosity and gospel stewardship is not impulsive. 268 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,320 It's not just when the missionary comes to town and 269 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,080 speaks that you're like, oh, shoot, let me grab that $20 out 270 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,000 of my wallet and throw that in the plate. 271 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,160 All right? It's not just impulsive. 272 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,920 It's not merely emotional when you hear about difficult stories 273 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,400 and you're moved by your emotions to give. 274 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,599 And it's certainly not irregular, not from what he's 275 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:22,079 describing. What we see is that it's 276 00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:27,440 ordered, it's intentional, and it's woven into the life of 277 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,880 worship. On the first day of the of every 278 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,680 week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up. 279 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:37,880 It's ordered, intentional, and woven into the life of worship. 280 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,560 But Paul's words there on the first day of every week likely 281 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,120 refer to the Lord's Day when they would gather for worship, 282 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,040 the day when believers gathered to celebrate the resurrection. 283 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,920 So in other words, giving was not a separate activity from 284 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,720 worship. It was an act of worship, right? 285 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,800 It's a day set aside, or in this day that was set aside for 286 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,040 worship, part of one of the acts of worship was to give. 287 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,840 And we should note the university, the universality of 288 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:15,040 Paul's command. Each of you, after visiting 289 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,880 today and you think, here we go, another preacher preaching on 290 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,200 money. I want you to know that I have 291 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,680 labored for 37 weeks in the book of First Corinthians and come to 292 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:32,200 this passage. We did not begin here, but what 293 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,280 we've tried to do throughout that laboring is to deal with 294 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,840 every phrase, to deal with every word of it, and to see what 295 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:41,440 God's Word tells us. And here it tells us, each of 296 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,440 you, brother and sister, please hear me. 297 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:51,840 No believer is exempt from the joy and responsibility of 298 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:57,080 giving, right? Stewardship is not for a select 299 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,240 few who have greater means than everyone else. 300 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,840 It's the daily expression of gratitude from every heart 301 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:06,760 that's been touched by the grace of God. 302 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,160 Paul then says each is to put something aside and store it up 303 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,200 as he may prosper. So this informs the giving. 304 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,640 The phrase stored up literally means to treasure up, right? 305 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,800 It's to store a treasure in heaven, so to speak. 306 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,520 The image here is of a believer setting something aside, 307 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:30,600 regularly treasuring it up week by week so that when the need 308 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,360 arises, the gift is ready, right? 309 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:37,240 So giving then is not reactionary. 310 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,320 It's planned, it's prayerful, and it's steady. 311 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:47,240 So Paul adds the phrase as he may prosper because the question 312 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,200 always comes, how much am I supposed to give as he may 313 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:54,920 prosper, meaning according to how God has blessed him. 314 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,680 All right. Giving in the Christian life is 315 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,040 proportionate. God does not call for equal 316 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:05,840 gifts, but for equal sacrifice. So the question is not what can 317 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,280 I afford to give? But rather, how has God 318 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:13,600 prospered me and how can I reflect his generosity through 319 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,800 mine? All right, Charles Spurgeon once 320 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:18,600 said this. He said, this is not how much we 321 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,560 give, but how much love we put into the giving. 322 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,160 All right, It's giving with a cheerful heart. 323 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,400 And that captures the heart of the passage. 324 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,400 The goal of Christian giving is not to meet a budget. 325 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,400 The budgets are useful for stewardship. 326 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:41,080 The goal of Christian giving is to mirror God's character, to 327 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,360 show that grace has so gripped the heart that it's loosened our 328 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:48,000 hands. All right. 329 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,520 Paul also adds in verse 2 that giving should happen so that 330 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,520 there will be no collecting when I come. 331 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,840 Now Paul's not trying to avoid the awkwardness of taking an 332 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,520 offering. Now he's teaching that true 333 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:06,080 generosity should be ready, Generosity, right, which comes 334 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,760 through good stewardship. But the gifts are to be gathered 335 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,280 long before Paul arrives, so that when he comes, their giving 336 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:17,320 will already be complete, a completed act of worship, not a 337 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:23,640 pressured moment of performance. And then verses 3 through 4 add 338 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,920 this layer of integrity and accountability that's important 339 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,880 for us as we think about stewarding the resources that 340 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,120 God grants to a church. He says, And when I arrive, I 341 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:37,480 will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your 342 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,720 gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I 343 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,360 should go also, they will accompany me. 344 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:49,400 So Paul knows that financial stewardship must be handled with 345 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:54,000 transparency, right? Those whom you accredit, that 346 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,640 means those whom have been tested, those whom you trust, 347 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:01,440 they will be the representatives from among the church. 348 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,760 It'll be men of proven character who could safely deliver the 349 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,320 offering. All right, you got to remember 350 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:13,600 it wasn't as simple as mailing a check or making a gift online as 351 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,320 you're taking the money bags and giving them to these men and 352 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,520 asking them to traverse rough country to deliver it. 353 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,360 It'll be easy for such men to just take the money bags and 354 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:31,160 head in their own direction, but these men were to go with 355 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:36,000 written commendations, official letters verifying their role 356 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:41,080 right as a weighty task. So, in short, what we see is 357 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:45,080 that Paul wants the church to give generously but also wisely, 358 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:49,240 to let wisdom instruct our giving. 359 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,200 Paul's guarding both the integrity of the gift and he's 360 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,120 guarding the reputation of the gospel in doing this. 361 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,680 Matthew Henry observed this. He said good men should not only 362 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,280 be careful to do good, but to do it well. 363 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,960 Amen. That's what Paul models here, 364 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,960 generosity with accountability, faith with prudence, grace with 365 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,800 order. And Paul's comment here, if it 366 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,120 seems advisable, that I should go also. 367 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,400 Well, this shows his humility, right? 368 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:29,680 He's an apostle called by God to preach the gospel across the 369 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,720 known world. And he's saying, if it's 370 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:38,160 advisable for me to go with them, I'll do that, right? 371 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:43,560 He doesn't assume authority over the offering. 372 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:47,120 He's willing to accompany, accompany the offering if the 373 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:50,360 church deems it wise. And so the focus here is on 374 00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:54,840 shared responsibility, the church giving, the messengers 375 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:58,920 carrying, and the Apostle Paul serving, right? 376 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,720 This entire section paints a picture of gospel shaped living 377 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:08,640 for us, regular, thoughtful, accountable and joyful, right? 378 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:11,200 The church is not a business that raises funds. 379 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,160 It's a family that shares burdens. 380 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,680 Brothers and sisters. Paul's pattern is still 381 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:24,080 instructs us. 1st we see that giving is an act of worship. 382 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,480 Right, it's not an. Afterthought, it should be as 383 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:33,160 much as part of as much a part of our Sunday rhythm as singing 384 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,880 and prayer. We also see here that giving is 385 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,560 personal. Each believer, no matter how 386 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,560 small their means, has the privilege, the privilege of 387 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,200 partnering in gospel. Work. 388 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,000 Thirdly, we see that giving is proportionate, all right? 389 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,320 We give according to how God has prospered us. 390 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,080 We don't give out of guilt. We give out of gratitude, 391 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,880 grateful to the Lord for his provision. 392 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,600 We also see, finally, that giving requires integrity. 393 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,280 We handle the Lord's resources in a way that builds trust, and 394 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,320 it protects the witness of the church. 395 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:18,240 That's super important. So faithful stewardship begins 396 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,640 right here. It begins an open handed 397 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,440 generosity that flows from gospel grace. 398 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:30,480 We've been saved by grace. And so we graciously, generously 399 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:36,800 give, just as the Father gave his Son and the Son gave his 400 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,600 life. That they might. 401 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,200 Save our souls. We now give ourselves and our 402 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,720 resources for the glory of Christ and the good of His 403 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,360 people. Amen. 404 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:53,960 Secondly, faithful stewardship is intentional in planning 405 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,520 gospel work. Faithful stewardship is 406 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,120 intentional in planning gospel work. 407 00:25:58,120 --> 00:25:59,760 Look at verses 5 through 7 again. 408 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,040 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend 409 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:09,240 to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or 410 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,600 even spend the winter so that you may help me on my journey 411 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:16,720 wherever I go. Brother, not want to see you now 412 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,360 just in passing. I've written a very difficult 413 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:21,840 letter to you all. I do not want to come just in 414 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:23,280 passing. I want to come and spend some 415 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,640 time right. I hope to spend some time with 416 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:31,520 you if the Lord permits. So after teaching the the 417 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:36,880 Corinthians how to give, Paul now models for them how to plan, 418 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,560 right. His stewardship isn't limited to 419 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,880 money. So often we think of stewardship 420 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:49,600 purely as a monetary instruction, but it's not. 421 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,280 It extends to time. We ought to steward our time 422 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,600 well. It extends to relationships. 423 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,440 We ought to, we ought to steward our relationships well. 424 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,480 And here what we see is that it extends to our mission. 425 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,120 We ought to engage in the Lord's work well. 426 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,600 We ought to think about it as stewardship. 427 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:13,120 Verse verses 5 through 7 reveal a man whose life is guided by 428 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:17,240 the gospel. It's not a life of impulse or 429 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:22,000 personal ambition. Paul writes in verse five. 430 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,960 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend 431 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:32,000 to pass through Macedonia. The words I intend, I intend. 432 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,560 These do not reflect casual thinking, brothers and sisters. 433 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,600 These reveal A deliberate, prayerful resolve. 434 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:48,000 Paul is making travel plans that he believes will strategically 435 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,600 further the gospel and strengthen the churches. 436 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,440 What we might say about Paul is that his calendar was a tool for 437 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:59,680 the Great Commission. All right, How many of us can 438 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,040 say of our calendars that they were tools for the Great 439 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:06,440 Commission? I don't mean that you're all 440 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,760 called to missions. Please don't mishear me. 441 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:14,240 A few of you might be called to missions if we're so fortunate. 442 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:20,360 What I mean is that every moment of our lives can be given to the 443 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:23,920 mission that God has given us, whatever that may be. 444 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:30,480 And we should steward our lives like we think they matter, like 445 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,480 we think time is important. We should steward our lives 446 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:36,760 remembering that life is a vapor. 447 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,520 You have a few moments, a few breaths, and then life is 448 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,720 finished and compared to eternity, right? 449 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:47,640 And so how are we going to spend our lives? 450 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:50,520 How are you going to spend your life? 451 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:53,880 How are you going to steward your role as a husband? 452 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:56,920 How will you steward your role as a father? 453 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,640 How will you steward your role as a child that's even shorter 454 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:02,480 than what your whole life might be? 455 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,720 All right? How will we steward our roles as 456 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,840 workers and church men and church women and friends? 457 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,320 I'm not saying you can't coach your kids baseball team. 458 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,320 Use those things as a way to glorify the Lord, all right? 459 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:22,240 There's all sorts of ways you can steward your time in a way 460 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:26,280 that would show that your calendar is a tool for the Great 461 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,800 Commission. What I want you to see about 462 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:36,280 Paul is that he's not aimless. I don't think any Christian has 463 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:40,720 the right to stand before God one day and say Lord, I was 464 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,200 aimless just as you asked me to. Be no. 465 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:50,160 That's never, never required aimlessness. 466 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,080 Of us. It requires intentionality, 467 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,800 purpose, right? He doesn't wander. 468 00:29:57,800 --> 00:29:59,960 Paul's not wandering from place to place. 469 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:05,080 He's not waiting for divine sparks to fall out of the sky. 470 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:10,880 He's committing himself to the plans that the Lord has. 471 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:15,760 And so he plans purposefully. But I want you to notice He 472 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,800 plans as we should all plan. He plans as a servant. 473 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,400 He doesn't plan as a sovereign, right? 474 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:29,240 He his plans are shaped by Kingdom priorities. 475 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,440 His plans are shaped by pastoral care. 476 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,360 His plans are not shaped by comfort or convenience. 477 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,000 If you know anything about Paul's life, you know that it 478 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:43,280 was not comfortable. It was not convenience, right? 479 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,120 His phrase there, I will visit you after passing through 480 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,320 Macedonia. Well, this also shows that Paul 481 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,680 is considering the needs of multiple churches. 482 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:56,720 It's not just the church at Corinth that he feels 483 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,560 responsible for, that he wants to strengthen. 484 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,560 Paul's not thinking in isolation here. 485 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:06,520 And that's what gospel stewardship means for us. 486 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:10,520 It means that we move beyond thinking about only ourselves, 487 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,360 and we use our time and our opportunities to build up 488 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:18,800 others, not just our own ministry or our own life. 489 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,480 And then in verse 6, he says, and perhaps I will stay with you 490 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,560 or even spend the winter so that you may help me on my journey 491 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:32,640 wherever I go. There's some humility in that. 492 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:40,760 There's some realism in that. Perhaps Paul recognizes that his 493 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:44,920 best laid plans are still subject to the Providence of 494 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,960 God. He leaves room for flexibility, 495 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:54,240 not because he's indecisive, but because he's submissive. 496 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:58,560 He doesn't say I will set will stay. 497 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:05,120 Rather he says perhaps I will stay because Paul's ministry is 498 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:12,360 not self-directed. There's a phrase that has been 499 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:16,600 used in my life over and over again by the great Dustin 500 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,200 Meadows. He says Semper Gumby all the 501 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,480 time. Is anybody familiar with the old 502 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:25,680 cartoon character Gumby? Oh my gosh, this example doesn't 503 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:27,920 even work in this generation of people. 504 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:31,840 Never mind he was super flexible. 505 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,440 I will have to start saying Semper Mr. Fantastic or 506 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:40,800 something. Anyway, Semper going to be 507 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:45,200 always flexible, which means that you make plans, but you're 508 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,040 flexible to the Lord's Providence. 509 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,480 You understand that your plans are directed by His Providence. 510 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,280 We see that again in verse 7 where he says, for I do not want 511 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,720 to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with 512 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:05,040 you if the Lord permits. That phrase, if the Lord 513 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,560 permits, captures the heart of Christian planning. 514 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:12,400 Paul acknowledges that God's sovereignty governs even his 515 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,280 travel itinerary, right? He knows that his ministry 516 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,720 belongs to God, it doesn't belong to himself. 517 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,640 And so we too can understand that our lives belong to God 518 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:29,760 that do not belong to ourselves. His words echo James 415 or 519 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:33,320 James writes there. If the Lord wills, we will live 520 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,800 and do this or that, if the Lord wills. 521 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:43,080 John Calvin observed this. He said that Paul's observed 522 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,640 that Paul's phrase teaches believers this, to make plans 523 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:50,000 subject to the will of God, that He may guide us where he 524 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,000 pleases. So planning is not pride when 525 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:55,760 it's surrendered to Providence. All. 526 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:00,400 Right Planning becomes prideful when our plans don't go the way 527 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:06,000 we want and we throw a fit about it, or we think that our plans 528 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:07,800 are going to build something for ourselves. 529 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:11,960 That's when plans are prideful. But planning is not prideful 530 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,840 when it's surrendered to God's Providence. 531 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:20,159 You understand that to plan without the Lord is presumption 532 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:23,400 on your part, but to plan under the. 533 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:32,560 Lord is faith. Proverbs 16 verses 1/3 and 9 534 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:34,760 offer these. Helps for us. 535 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,480 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the 536 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,560 tongue is from the Lord. Verse 3. 537 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,760 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be 538 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,440 established. And then in verse 9, the heart 539 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:52,040 of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. 540 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,160 So Paul's desire to spend some time with the Corinthians also 541 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:02,840 shows this relational priority of his ministry. 542 00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:08,680 He's not interested in a drive by visit or a transactional 543 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:10,720 relationship. Hey, I'm going to stop in, pick 544 00:35:10,720 --> 00:35:12,240 up the money, and then we'll head out. 545 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:19,280 He longs for time with him. Why he he wants to have a 546 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:23,080 presence with them. He longs for the kind of 547 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:25,480 fellowship that produces maturity. 548 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:30,760 Ministry for Paul was never merely about task or travel. 549 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:36,680 It was about people, right? Ministry is always about people. 550 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,200 When Paul says that you may help me on my journey, he's using a 551 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,760 term that means that you might send forward or assist in 552 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,520 mission. The Corinthians would 553 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:54,240 participate in his next steps. I could support him with prayer. 554 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,880 I might support him with provisions, but they would 555 00:35:57,880 --> 00:35:59,760 certainly support him with encouragement. 556 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,840 In other words, gospel planning is communal. 557 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,000 It has to be. The church works together to 558 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,400 advance gospel work through partnership. 559 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:18,200 For the for gospel work to go forward, it requires the work of 560 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:22,400 local churches. You understand that Bill Gates 561 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,160 is not ever going to write a check for DTN, right? 562 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:29,120 Or for New Life Community Church, or for any other 563 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:30,680 Christian ministry. Why? 564 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:33,080 Because Bill Gates. Is not a Christian. 565 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,320 They don't support his causes, right? 566 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,400 They don't advance his name. I'm just throwing out a a name 567 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,320 of some wealthy man. OK, That wouldn't be so personal 568 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:45,840 to you that you would be angry at me. 569 00:36:51,870 --> 00:36:57,270 God has always progressed his work, progressed gospel 570 00:36:57,270 --> 00:37:01,670 ministry, advance the gospel into the world through local 571 00:37:01,670 --> 00:37:04,560 churches. Through their prayers, through 572 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,240 their provision, through their encouragement, always. 573 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,000 This is what we're committed to at New Life. 574 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:19,000 Faithful stewardship requires intentionality. 575 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,400 Remember that God is a God of order, not confusion, right? 576 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:26,840 We saw that in First Corinthians 1433. 577 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,560 And so when His people plan wisely, and they plan with 578 00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:38,320 order, they reflect God's own orderly, wise nature, right? 579 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:42,160 But godly planning is always tethered to humility. 580 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:46,160 We don't cling to our. Plans as if they're the ultimate 581 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:51,920 'cause we hold them loosely and we say along with Paul, if the 582 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:58,520 Lord permits, right if the Lord. Allows we also see the gospel 583 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:01,360 stewardship involves relational investment. 584 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,680 Here, Paul's desire to spend time with the Corinthians 585 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:08,840 reflects the incarnational pattern of ministry. 586 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,320 Right. Just as Christ came near to us, 587 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,640 so gospel servants draw near to one another. 588 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,640 So this passage invites us to examine how we use our time. 589 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,800 It invites us to examine how we structure our lives each day. 590 00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:28,920 Faithful stewardship isn't just about tithing our income. 591 00:38:29,720 --> 00:38:33,000 It's about tithing our calendars all right. 592 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,160 Do we plan for gospel usefulness? 593 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,640 Do we carve out intentional space for people, discipleship 594 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:43,720 and prayer? Do we submit those plans to God 595 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:48,360 when our agenda changes? Do we trust his Providence, or 596 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:54,720 do we resent his interruptions? Do we include others in our 597 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:57,320 planning? The gospel advances when the 598 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,840 church works together, when individuals see their schedules, 599 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,960 their resources, and their skills as part of something 600 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:08,680 bigger than themselves. So Paul's example challenges 601 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,520 both our laziness and our self-reliance. 602 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:17,040 He shows us that the Spirit filled life is neither haphazard 603 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:23,080 nor is it controlling. We might say that it's 604 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:29,560 disciplined dependence. It's purposeful yet flexible. 605 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:34,800 It's strategic yet surrendered. Bless you. 606 00:39:35,240 --> 00:39:39,600 Wow, that rivals mine at home. Boo. 607 00:39:39,720 --> 00:39:45,200 I promise. If the first mark of faithful 608 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,520 stewardship is generosity, and the second is intentionality, 609 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:51,520 then the third has to be courage. 610 00:39:53,760 --> 00:40:00,920 Courage because no matter how well we plan, obedience always, 611 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:08,600 always involves opposition #3 faithful stewardship is 612 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:11,640 courageous in pursuing gospel work. 613 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,600 Look at verses 8 through 9 again. 614 00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:21,360 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for 615 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:27,080 effective work has opened to me. And there are many adversaries. 616 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,240 So Paul closes this little section that we're looking at 617 00:40:32,240 --> 00:40:37,480 with a remarkable statement that revolve that it reveals both his 618 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:42,760 resolve and his realism. I will stay in Ephesus until 619 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:47,200 Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me. 620 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:54,280 And there are many adversaries. So here Paul is writing from 621 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:58,760 Ephesus, and in Ephesus he's experiencing one of the most 622 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,560 fruitful and one of the most difficult seasons of his 623 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:06,520 ministry. Acts 19 tells us that the gospel 624 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:11,320 spread powerfully in Ephesus, that many people in the area 625 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:13,640 turn from their idols to serve the king. 626 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:18,160 They turn from their idols, those dead gods, to serve the 627 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:23,640 one true living God. Yet that same work provoked 628 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:29,840 fierce opposition. The opposition was economic, it 629 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:33,840 was cultural, and certainly it was spiritual. 630 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,520 But if you notice the balance or you should notice, you should 631 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:44,360 notice the balance in Paul's words, a wide door and many 632 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:50,040 adversaries. A wide door and many 633 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:54,400 adversaries. Now we would expect him to say 634 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:59,920 something like he might use the word, but there a wide door is 635 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:04,280 opened, but there are many adversaries. 636 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:09,720 Yet Paul doesn't see these as contradictions, does he? 637 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:19,320 He says and and many adversaries so opportunity and opposition 638 00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:24,760 coexist in the will of God, and you need to settle your. 639 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:30,720 Heart on that. And we have to settle our. 640 00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:36,080 Hearts on this? That opportunity and opposition 641 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:40,720 coexist in the will of God. The same open door that invites 642 00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:47,720 ministry also invites conflict. The word Paul uses for doors, 643 00:42:47,720 --> 00:42:51,800 The same word used elsewhere for God's providential openings. 644 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:55,200 You can see it in Acts 1427 or Second Corinthians 212. 645 00:42:56,160 --> 00:43:00,680 This wide door is an opportunity that only God could create. 646 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:05,000 Hearts are opening, the gospels advancing. 647 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,760 Disciples are being made. Only God does that right. 648 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:11,200 He does it through the proclamation of His Word. 649 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:16,160 But God does that right, Paul says earlier in this book, first 650 00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:20,840 Corinthians, you know, Apollo's water, Apollo's plants eye 651 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:22,720 water. God gives the increase. 652 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:32,920 So but we see that there's a he says a wide door for effective 653 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:37,320 work. And this word effective reminds 654 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:39,680 us that this is no passive opportunity. 655 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:49,760 It's it's a door of active work where God's power is at work. 656 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,920 You might say it's act a door of active energy, and that's used 657 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:59,680 to describe God's power at work. And then Paul adds, and there 658 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:06,800 are many adversaries. The phrase means there are many 659 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:13,200 who stand in opposition. What are they opposed to? 660 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:18,320 They're opposed to the work, the effective work of God. 661 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:22,680 They're standing as ones who oppose God's work. 662 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:27,600 And so we might rightfully conclude that they oppose God 663 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:33,760 himself. Paul doesn't minimize the 664 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:36,800 hostility. He acknowledges it. 665 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:41,880 Very plain, plainly. But in acknowledging it, he's 666 00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:45,160 refusing to let it dictate his obedience. 667 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:48,960 Charles Spurgeon is hopeful here again. 668 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:51,200 He once said this. He said if there are no 669 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:57,280 adversaries, then you may fear that there is no good being 670 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:03,280 done. In other words. 671 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:07,480 Opposition is often a sign that the gospel is in fact advancing. 672 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:12,640 Paul's courage flows directly from his theology. 673 00:45:13,720 --> 00:45:16,960 He's not persevering because ministry is easy. 674 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:21,240 Brothers and sisters, you've heard it said a lot. 675 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:25,520 We need to believe it that the life of a Christian is not an 676 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:29,560 easy life. We didn't sign up for a life of 677 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:33,720 ease. All right, we were called. 678 00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:38,640 By God. And we found God worthy, worthy 679 00:45:39,720 --> 00:45:45,440 of a life of pain and struggle and hardship because of the 680 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,720 blessings that will come. Amen. 681 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,120 He perseveres because the resurrection is true. 682 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,320 Chapter 15 fuels chapter 16 again. 683 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:07,360 In 15, we saw that because Christ is alive, Paul can stay 684 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:12,560 where the battle rages. Now in 15, he showed us that 685 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:14,880 death has been defeated. And because death has been 686 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:17,840 defeated, Paul doesn't fear adversity. 687 00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:22,480 Paul sees it as a pathway to fruitful labor. 688 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:29,240 This is courage that's shaped by conviction, not personality. 689 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:33,720 We we might rightfully conclude that Paul. 690 00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:36,920 Was a bad man. Like he was awesome. 691 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,800 We can look at his life and say it was amazing. 692 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:47,440 I, I wish that I could be as courageous as Paul and Paul 693 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,360 looks. And he says my courage is shaped 694 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:55,920 by my conviction. We can all be men and women of 695 00:46:55,920 --> 00:47:02,120 conviction, can we not? Paul's not offering up bravado, 696 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:06,240 as your favorite WWE wrestler might. 697 00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:12,480 He's not offering up recklessness. 698 00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:19,560 It's not this willingness to to stay where the fight is thick 699 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:24,840 just so he can die a martyr. He recognizes there's a great 700 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:28,360 opportunity here. I'm going to stay here through 701 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:31,360 Pentecost because of my conviction. 702 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:36,040 So what he's offering to us is faith. 703 00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:41,760 Courage is simply faith that refuses to quit. 704 00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:48,200 Courage is faith that refuses to quit. 705 00:47:50,240 --> 00:47:54,480 The gospel advances through both open doors and enduring hearts. 706 00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:59,960 In every age of the church, God's servants must see 707 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:03,960 opportunity not merely as comforts, but as a call to 708 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:10,040 perseverance. The pattern of the cross still 709 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:16,800 governs ministry today. What's the pattern of the cross? 710 00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:18,600 Well, it's glory through suffering. 711 00:48:20,720 --> 00:48:25,160 Christ suffered greatly that he might be glorified. 712 00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:31,680 What's the pattern of the cross? It's victory through endurance. 713 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:37,320 Christ endured the shame of the cross because of the glory that 714 00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:42,800 was set before him. John MacArthur notes here that 715 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:46,840 Paul's ministry was marked by the paradox of success and 716 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:50,200 suffering. He was always rejoicing, yet 717 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:55,200 always battling. And that's gospel ministry in 718 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:59,160 every generation. Paul's example calls us to 719 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:04,480 courageous stewardship, to stand firm and to stay faithful 720 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:06,680 wherever. God has placed us. 721 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:13,000 In the church, this means we don't flee hard ministry as 722 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,120 leaders. In the church, we don't flee 723 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:19,480 because the ministry gets hard. We stay and we labor for for 724 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:23,320 spiritual fruit even when the results are coming slowly. 725 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:30,040 In your home, this means you ought to be courageous in 726 00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:33,880 spiritual leadership. You're to lead your family in 727 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:36,320 prayer. You're to correct with the love 728 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:38,400 of God. You're to instruct with the 729 00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:42,320 wisdom of the Lord you. You are to endure in grace and 730 00:49:42,320 --> 00:49:48,640 all of it so that you can build godly homes in your workplace or 731 00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:54,240 in the community at large. When faith brings mockery or 732 00:49:54,240 --> 00:50:00,400 cost, remember that every adversary is another opportunity 733 00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:03,040 to display the worth of. Christ our Lord. 734 00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:12,120 And missions we support and we pray for those who are serving 735 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:17,400 through open doors that are often surrounded by hostility. 736 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:23,640 Courageous stewardship doesn't mean that we never feel fear, 737 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:30,360 Brothers and sisters, courage again is simply faith that 738 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:35,280 refuses to quit. It's a Courageous stewardship 739 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:38,000 means fearing God more than fearing man. 740 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:43,400 It means trusting that every opposition can become an 741 00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:47,440 opportunity. When Christ is Lord, you think 742 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:50,560 about. Paul's own life, he's on the 743 00:50:50,560 --> 00:50:53,200 road to Damascus. To do what? 744 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:57,200 To persecute more Christians, to put them to death. 745 00:50:59,240 --> 00:51:04,440 When Christ miraculously appears to him on the road and saves his 746 00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:11,360 soul, turns his life around, he becomes the greatest missionary 747 00:51:11,360 --> 00:51:16,160 the world has ever seen. You and I sit here as believers 748 00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:20,760 because of the ministry of Paul. We sit here as believers. 749 00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:23,280 More importantly, because of the lordship of Christ. 750 00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:29,120 Those Christians who were persecuted were fearless in 751 00:51:29,120 --> 00:51:33,080 their persecution. Think of Stephen as Paul. 752 00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:36,280 He saw at the time, but he's standing by overseeing the 753 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:40,000 stoning of Stephen. And Stephen in Acts 6 declares 754 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:42,080 one of the greatest sermons you'll ever read. 755 00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:44,840 They don't let him finish it because they begin to gnash 756 00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:49,480 their teeth at him and rage over the truth that he was spilling 757 00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:54,520 out. And as he's taking one stone 758 00:51:54,520 --> 00:51:58,560 after another, he looks up and he can see his Lord in heaven. 759 00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:04,840 What a magnificent vision God granted Stephen in his final 760 00:52:04,840 --> 00:52:07,440 moments. What's he telling him? 761 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:13,600 It's worth it, Stephen. Your courage and your faith will 762 00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:20,560 be rewarded. Faithful stewardship is the 763 00:52:20,560 --> 00:52:23,360 natural outflow of resurrection hope. 764 00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:27,440 Because Christ gave everything for us, we give generously. 765 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:30,080 Because His plan of redemption never failed. 766 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:33,800 We plan intentionally. Because His victory is certain. 767 00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:38,320 We serve courageously. And every season, God calls His 768 00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:41,280 people to manage what He's entrusted to them. 769 00:52:41,520 --> 00:52:44,560 Whether it's your wealth, your time, your relationships, or 770 00:52:44,560 --> 00:52:48,680 your opportunities, we manage those things for His glory and 771 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:50,080 for the advance. Of the Gospel. 772 00:52:51,240 --> 00:52:58,360 And so, beloved, I urge. You give with open hands, plan 773 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:02,520 with open hearts, and persevere with open eyes. 774 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:06,000 Today, for the risen Christ reigns. 775 00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:10,080 Christ is King. Amen. 776 00:53:10,920 --> 00:53:16,160 And every act of faithfulness in His name is never in vain. 777 00:53:17,400 --> 00:53:20,280 It's a faithful stewardship means managing our resources, 778 00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:23,160 plans and opportunities for the advance. 779 00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:29,960 Of the gospel, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 780 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:35,000 for your word this morning. Grateful Lord, for the way that 781 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:39,600 it challenges our hearts and minds as we consider our wealth. 782 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:44,600 So we consider our time and as we consider those ministry 783 00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:46,560 opportunities that you have given us. 784 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:52,480 And Father, would you lead us? Would you lead us in 785 00:53:52,480 --> 00:54:00,960 faithfulness? Help us to be wise in evaluating 786 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:05,640 our stewardship across those areas and help us to be faithful 787 00:54:05,640 --> 00:54:07,760 stewards of all that you grant to us. 788 00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:12,920 Whether it's in the home as husbands and wives and fathers 789 00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:16,760 and mothers or children, whether it's out on the mission field, 790 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:21,760 whether it's in the trenches of local church ministry, whether 791 00:54:21,760 --> 00:54:24,760 it's in our places of employment that you've granted to us. 792 00:54:25,320 --> 00:54:29,600 God, may we use all those things and more for your great glory. 793 00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:45,440 Father, I ask that you would save anyone here who doesn't 794 00:54:45,440 --> 00:54:50,320 know you as their Lord. She would help them to see the 795 00:54:50,320 --> 00:54:54,400 life they've been given. She would help them to evaluate 796 00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:58,720 their own sinfulness, to see it clearly, to see their need for a 797 00:54:58,720 --> 00:55:03,560 Savior, to understand God that you so loved the world that you 798 00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:09,800 gave your own Son to die a brutal death on a cross. 799 00:55:09,800 --> 00:55:12,080 To be raised to life on the third day. 800 00:55:13,680 --> 00:55:18,760 So that you might call a people to yourself and put them in 801 00:55:18,760 --> 00:55:24,120 service to you as people who worship you above all else, As 802 00:55:24,120 --> 00:55:27,800 people who gladly give our time, talent, treasure, for your 803 00:55:27,800 --> 00:55:32,800 name's sake. You might unleash us for 804 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:38,120 ministry in every area that you've called us to, no matter 805 00:55:38,120 --> 00:55:40,960 how small we might think it is in our own mind. 806 00:55:41,760 --> 00:55:45,760 God, we understand that you redeem all things. 807 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:50,800 And so Lord, may they surrender themselves to you this morning 808 00:55:51,360 --> 00:55:56,520 and find life in your name. Let me give you a moment now to 809 00:55:56,520 --> 00:56:01,440 pray there where you're seated to seek the Lord for a few 810 00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:06,520 minutes and or for a brief time. And maybe there's sin you need 811 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:10,480 to confess. Maybe you're hoarding your time, 812 00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:13,280 talent, treasure for yourself, trying to build your own 813 00:56:13,280 --> 00:56:15,840 Kingdom. And the Lord's convicted you of 814 00:56:15,840 --> 00:56:21,680 those things this morning. Maybe you're not a believer and 815 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:24,400 you sense that God's calling you to become his child. 816 00:56:25,640 --> 00:56:27,320 Would you surrender to him today? 817 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:29,320 What it? Whatever it is, what however it 818 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:31,480 is the Lord's leading you this morning, Take a moment now to 819 00:56:31,480 --> 00:57:12,690 pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 820 00:57:12,690 --> 00:57:16,050 for your grace and Your mercy seen in Christ. 821 00:57:17,610 --> 00:57:20,570 We ask that you would help us to believe in Him. 822 00:57:22,090 --> 00:57:25,090 Father, would you grow our faith in Jesus Christ? 823 00:57:25,090 --> 00:57:29,290 Having heard the sermon, would you grow our love for the 824 00:57:29,290 --> 00:57:32,170 Saints? Having heard the sermon, would 825 00:57:32,170 --> 00:57:36,920 you help us to glorify you and all that we do as we strive, as 826 00:57:36,920 --> 00:57:39,840 we Co labor side by side to make disciples? 827 00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:47,400 Lord, Sir, it's our hope, it's our purpose. 828 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:52,320 To honor you, we ask that you help us do that in the name of 829 00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:54,160 Christ our Lord, Amen.