1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,760 All right, well, we are in First Corinthians chapter #4 and we'll 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,520 be looking at this issue tonight. 9 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,360 Are you really ready to be a servant? 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,840 Are you really ready to be a servant? 11 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,280 Of course we know we're supposed to have servants hearts, don't 12 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:42,480 we? In fact, we sing about it. 13 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:44,360 Give me, Lord, a servant's heart. 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,400 Here's my life. Take every part. 15 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,080 We sing the songs. We know that we are to be 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,960 servants. But yet I don't know that we're 17 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,320 often always acquainted of what it takes to become a servant. 18 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,800 Or maybe I could even put it this way. 19 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:01,640 What the consequences? Are. 20 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,400 When we become a servant. In fact, one commentator put it 21 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,000 this way about the text we're going to read in just a few 22 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,560 moments ago, or just a few moments from now, rather that he 23 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,640 summarized tonight's text this way. 24 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,640 He says if I could summarize the text in 4 words, it would be 25 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,520 this. Spectacles, fools, sufferers and 26 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:27,160 scum. Spectacles, fools, sufferers and 27 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,560 scum. Now, if that's the way to 28 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,200 explain what a servant is, that doesn't sound like something we 29 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,320 want to be. But yet I would say that the 30 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:40,640 glamour of being a servant isn't really all that it's cracked up 31 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,240 to be. And rather, sometimes we have to 32 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,040 realize that the path to servanthood isn't necessarily 33 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,440 the primrose path, but rather it's actually a path of hardship 34 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,640 and difficulties at times. Or at least that we need to be 35 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,800 open to the fact that it will be one that is filled with hardship 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,920 and difficulties. How do I know that? 37 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,000 Well, one example would be Hebrews Chapter 11, that great 38 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,360 chapter of faith. And at the end of the chapter it 39 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,480 says this starting at verse 35, that others were tortured, not 40 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,120 accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better 41 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,760 resurrection. And others had a trial of cruel 42 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,160 mockings and scourgings, yet moreover of bonds and 43 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,760 imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn 44 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,680 asunder, they were tempted, were slain with the sword, they 45 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,480 wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being destitute, 46 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:34,400 afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. 47 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,280 They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and in 48 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,600 caves of the earth. Yes, there can be times of 49 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,240 exaltation for the servant. There are times when we can have 50 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,800 the victory within the life of being a believer, and I believe 51 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,000 that the victorious Christian life is a possibility for all 52 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,680 believers. But yet there is the thought 53 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,360 that when it comes to servanthood, it's not about 54 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,880 going up, it's about going down. And we see that here tonight 55 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,600 because you'll remember a couple weeks ago, the last time we were 56 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,400 in First Corinthians, Paul had to burst Corinth bubble. 57 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:08,840 In fact, that was the title of the message. 58 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,560 Because they thought so highly of themselves. 59 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,960 He had to tell them, hey, listen, simmer down a little 60 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:15,760 bit. You're not as good as you think 61 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,880 you are. And not trying to be insulting 62 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,800 to them, but rather trying to remind them of what their place 63 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,160 is. Well, tonight, now we're going 64 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,400 to see that Paul is going to tell us what servanthood is 65 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,480 really all about. And again, it's not as glamorous 66 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,160 as you may think, even for someone who was called to be an 67 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:34,920 apostle. So let's go ahead and look at 68 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,640 these verses beginning in verse #9 here in first Corinthians 69 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:38,960 chapter 4. It says this. 70 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,080 For I think that God hath set forth us, the apostles last, as 71 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,240 it were appointed to death. For we are made a spectacle unto 72 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,640 the world and to angels and to men, as that first word. 73 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,360 I just gave you spectacle. We are fools. 74 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,720 The second word, we are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are 75 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,280 wise in Christ. We are weak, but ye are strong. 76 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,000 Ye are honorable, but we are despised. 77 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,160 Even unto this present hour. We both hunger and thirst, and 78 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,640 are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place 79 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,200 and labor working with our own hands. 80 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,200 Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we suffer it. 81 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,720 Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of this 82 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,280 world. And are the off scouring of all 83 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:25,120 things under this day. And there's the scum that was 84 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,240 mentioned by that commentator just a few moments ago. 85 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,760 Now, if you just read that and I said, who wants to sign up to be 86 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,360 a servant, I don't think a lot of hands will be raised. 87 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,960 Amen. Because that's not exactly the 88 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,720 kind. Of description that really makes 89 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,480 us all want to say let's be servants, but yet Paul is trying 90 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,240 to remind us what the servant life is all about and to try to 91 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,720 give us the reality of it. Not that our life is always 92 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,880 going to be doom and gloom. Hardly. 93 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,360 I mean we ought to be joyful as believers. 94 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,400 The joy of the Lord is our strength. 95 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,480 The Bible says that a merry heart do with good like a 96 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,600 medicine. No, no, we're not to walk around 97 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,080 with sad countenances and to be down hearted and to be saddened 98 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:09,840 all the time. No, no, not at all. 99 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:13,240 But we do need to understand that suffering doesn't make us, 100 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,160 or rather, servanthood doesn't make us rise to the top. 101 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,200 Servanthood ought to make us get to the. 102 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,000 Bottom. Where God can truly use us. 103 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,600 The text we just read is full of contrasts, and we see these 104 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,480 contrasts in two different categories. 105 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,600 And the first of those tonight is this the culture of 106 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,280 servanthood? The culture of servanthood. 107 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,760 The beginning of verse 9 starts with Paul making clear both his 108 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,840 calling and his classification. He says this, that he was called 109 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:44,840 in verse 9 to be an apostle. For I think that God has set 110 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:49,000 forth us, the apostles last. Now, this might be confusing to 111 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,960 you here tonight where you say, well, Paul is an apostle. 112 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,600 I thought there were 12 disciples. 113 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,560 And those 12 disciples, well, one of them passed away because 114 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,800 he took his own life. And so there were 11 disciples 115 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,480 or 11 apostles. But then there was a vote in 116 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,120 Acts chapter 1, and Matthias was chosen to be the 12th apostle. 117 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,960 And so why is Paul here saying that he was an apostle? 118 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,720 And the answer, I believe to that question is this, because 119 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,000 Paul was one of the apostles, you say, well, what kind of 120 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,000 logic is that? Well, the word of God says that 121 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,480 he was an apostle. He said us as apostles. 122 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,000 That means there's 13 apostles. Well, it would be that Matthias 123 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,800 truly wasn't chosen of the Lord, but I believe that the Lord 124 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,400 honored the selection of Matthias because, well, the 125 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,680 church that Jesus Christ has established and voted Matthias 126 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,800 duly to be that apostle. Here's what I'm saying tonight. 127 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,520 I'm not too caught up in the fact of who was the apostle and 128 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,000 who wasn't. I know this by the inspiration 129 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,840 of God, Paul says this, us as the apostles, meaning this, that 130 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:52,720 Paul was considered to be an apostle. 131 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,440 But I also want to remind you this that the office of 132 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,760 apostleship is today closed. The Bible says that there were 133 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,640 some of those first offices that were used for the building and 134 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:04,760 growth of the church. But depending on who you watch 135 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,040 on television or you hear on the radio or you hear on a podcast 136 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,280 today, someone will call themselves apostle. 137 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,680 So and so and today, well, there's a lot of problems with 138 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,400 that. The first one is this Peter laid 139 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,680 out in Acts chapter one that someone that was to be an 140 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,960 apostle had to live during Jesus's ministry. 141 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,480 So unless that person on the podcast is 2000 years old, 142 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:27,080 they're not allowed to be an apostle. 143 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,240 That is something that has since been closed and is no longer 144 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,920 part of the church as the pastor is the calling. 145 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,280 We saw the Deacon, the office of Deacon in the church today, but 146 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,240 that is not part of that. But here's Paul saying this. 147 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:43,880 I am an apostle. He's not bragging, he's not 148 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,960 boasting, but he's saying for I think that God has set us forth, 149 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,000 us the apostles. Now that alone. 150 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,200 Wow, Paul thinks highly of himself. 151 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,000 He thinks that he's one of the apostles. 152 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,320 He's saying he's one of the apostles. 153 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,560 He must think highly of himself. But he says. 154 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:03,920 This next word last, his calling was he was an apostle, but his 155 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:08,400 classification was that doesn't make me more, it actually makes 156 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,760 me down here. He says we are last. 157 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,080 You see, servanthood isn't about being. 158 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,800 The Lord over other people, servanthood is this. 159 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,120 I am going to serve other people. 160 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,560 What did he realize he I may have some level of authority as 161 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,280 an apostle, but it also means that with that authority, I am a 162 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,919 servant to all of those people that I have authority over. 163 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,080 Maybe you'd say, boy, it must be nice to be a pastor because, you 164 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,640 know, you get to tell everybody what to do and, you know. 165 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:40,799 That's right, it actually is really cool to tell everybody 166 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:42,760 what to no. No, no, that's not what I mean 167 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,920 at all. But you know, with that comes a 168 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,720 level of service that has to be equal to the authority of which 169 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,360 I have. I may have to tell you what to 170 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,080 do. Well, really, it's thus, say at 171 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,480 the Lord that's what my job is to be able to do. 172 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,440 But with that comes not just thundering down from the pulpit, 173 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:02,280 but being a servant to be able to serve you and to help you and 174 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:03,840 your needs and those things that it's not. 175 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,120 Well, look at the pastor high and lifted up. 176 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,120 Listen, there's only one who's high and lifted up. 177 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,240 And we know who that is. And it's not any of us, it's him 178 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,280 and him alone. But Paul says this, I may be an 179 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,520 apostle, but I consider myself last. 180 00:09:16,680 --> 00:09:20,440 And he even says the apostles, they consider themselves last. 181 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,000 It's not just that he considers himself the least of all the 182 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,800 apostles, which he'll say later, but he says just as we as 183 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:27,960 apostles listen, we know who we are. 184 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,920 We know what our job is. We are to be served servants, 185 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,960 especially in contrast with how Kylie Corinth thought of 186 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,320 themselves. And we'll see that here in just 187 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,360 a moment reminded to us once again, but it says in verse 9, 188 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:44,480 For I think that God has set forth us, the apostles last as 189 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,640 it were appointed to death. For we have made a spectacle 190 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,840 under the world and to angels and to men. 191 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,400 Now, what's being spoken of here, when it talks about them 192 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:58,320 being made a spectacle, you'll find that the Greek word that's 193 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,760 used there is theatron, which is where we would get the word 194 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,560 theater today. Now, again, when I give you the 195 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:07,760 word that's behind what that is there, we're not correcting the 196 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:09,360 word of God. We refuse to do that because 197 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:10,720 there's no correcting that's needed. 198 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:12,360 Amen. But it does help us to 199 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,360 understand with our limited English today, you know, it's 200 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:21,120 mostly grunts and hums and haws and emojis to help us broaden 201 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,200 our understanding of what is that being said there. 202 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,000 But we do not correct the word of God. 203 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,560 I know you know that. But I have to say that once in a 204 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:30,240 while, just to remind you where I'm at, to make sure we're all 205 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,600 on the same page. But that word Theatron. 206 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:34,960 Is. Theater that basically said this 207 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,280 listen us apostles we've been made a spectacle we've been made 208 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,240 like a theater to you and really the picture I believe that is 209 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:47,280 spoken of here is the idea around 55 or so AD when this was 210 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,400 written you know give or take we don't know exactly how long but 211 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,920 emperor Nero who's in power what's taking place the. 212 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,480 Spectacle of Christians being put to death. 213 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,840 The fact that they were paraded out. 214 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,040 In front of people later on, after this time, but later on, 215 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,080 there would be many who would be crucified. 216 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,000 There would be many who would be lit on fire. 217 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,840 They will be slicked down with oil and lit on fire. 218 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:17,360 Was said that that Christians were the lights of Rome as they 219 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,480 literally were made the lampposts of Rome as they were 220 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:23,400 martyred for their faith. And there will be others who 221 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,200 would be taken into arenas and later the Colosseum to fight 222 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,760 wild animals. In fact, I was just reading this 223 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,960 today that Christians were often stripped, covered in animal 224 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:38,080 skins, thrown to packs of dogs, lions or bears. 1 historian 225 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:42,080 describes crowds cheering as the beasts RIP victims. 226 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:47,440 Apart in the flickering lights of the evening games, Paul says 227 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,920 this. You think following Christ is 228 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:54,320 all glamour Says we're willing to be made a spectacle, We're 229 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,520 willing to do whatever we have to do to shine bright for Jesus 230 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,800 Christ, even if that was Nero actually literally making them 231 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:06,360 shine bright in martyrdom. You know, I don't think we 232 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,440 understand the level of sacrifice today. 233 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:11,960 We sit in an air conditioned building. 234 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,880 It's somewhat dry, not necessarily this morning, but 235 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,400 it's dry now. Now we had a little bit of 236 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,440 leakage coming in this morning from the rain, but we're good. 237 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:29,720 It's climate controlled, we have warm houses, we have cars that 238 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,840 we came here and back home that work. 239 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,920 Well, reasonably well, depending on who you are, the situation at 240 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,200 any given time. We have so much, and again, I'm 241 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,600 not saying that we should, that the Lord has blessed us by 242 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,680 putting us in the United States of America. 243 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,640 I'm thankful for that. But I'm also saying this, that 244 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,960 often times we have so many of those creature comforts that we 245 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,560 forget what true servanthood is all about. 246 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,800 That you could strip away all of those things and you could still 247 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,120 be a servant. That the world could take away 248 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,840 all of those things and you could still have the heart of a 249 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:04,840 servant. He says this. 250 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,080 We've been made a spectacle. We've been made a mockery. 251 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,240 And by the way, Paul's saying that by the inspiration of God 252 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,840 that they would be a spectacle. And it just so happened to be 253 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,200 that as time would go on, what would happen? 254 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:22,440 Well, we find out that 11 out of the 12 apostles would end up 255 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,640 being martyred. At least history tells us this 256 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,520 one. John on the Isle of Patmos was 257 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,120 in exile, of course wrote the Book of Revelation by the 258 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,360 inspiration of God while he was out there, but none of them. 259 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:37,280 Lived in a way that the end of their life. 260 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:42,120 You said, wow, that's been a race well run at least the world 261 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:46,080 would say that, but Jesus Christ would have said, well done, thou 262 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,920 good and faithful servant, because they counted their lives 263 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,800 not dear unto themselves. And that's in contrast with 264 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,200 Corinth. In fact, we see that in verse 265 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,640 #10 it says we are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise 266 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,920 in Christ. We are weak, but ye are strong. 267 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,000 Ye are honorable. We are despised. 268 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,160 And what they're saying here is this, what Paul is saying here, 269 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,080 says that the church at Corinth had two problems. 270 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,360 They were proud of their own spirituality. 271 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:18,200 They were proud of where they were at, which by the way, they 272 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,640 weren't at the place they thought they were at. 273 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,000 They thought they were doing so well. 274 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,520 And Paul is going to continually tell them you're not doing as 275 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,320 well as you think you are. But then on the other hand, they 276 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,280 were also kind of embarrassed of Paul. 277 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,520 It was almost like this, Paul, we know you're a Christian, but 278 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,880 could you tone it down a bit? Do do you have to be so 279 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,600 Christian? Like, listen, when you're in 280 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,880 Corinth, couldn't you just tone it down a little bit, at least 281 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,160 when you're in the markets, at least when I mean, do you have 282 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,800 to hand everybody tracks? You have to talk about Jesus all 283 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:51,240 the time. He said you're reading into it. 284 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,040 No, no, I don't believe I am because the thought process is 285 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,080 this. It says Corinth, you think 286 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,600 you're doing so well and you're not. 287 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,640 And we're willing to look like fools in the eyes of the world. 288 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,600 By the way, true service can never be done for the Lord while 289 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,440 you're trying to look good in the eyes of the world. 290 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,880 Let me say that again. True service for the Lord can 291 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,000 never be done while you're trying to look good in the eyes 292 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,880 of the world. Are you willing to have people 293 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,680 think you're strange for being a Christian? 294 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,320 What you think about that? For a second? 295 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:25,960 He said this. They wanted to look wise. 296 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,640 They want to look full. They wanted to look well put 297 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:29,960 together. But Paul says this. 298 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,240 I'm willing to look like a fool. For the world, not that we 299 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,720 handle ourselves like fools, but the fact that you live a life 300 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,760 for Christ and live a life of servanthood makes the world 301 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,840 think you are a fool. Are you willing to look like a 302 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,240 fool for believing in Jesus Christ? 303 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,440 Are you willing to speak up for your faith at school? 304 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,200 Are you willing to speak up for being a believer in the 305 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,880 workplace? Or are you willing to talk about 306 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,840 Jesus Christ when you're at the doctor's office, or were you at 307 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,960 the salon, or at the barbershop, or while you're on social media, 308 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,640 Or are you willing to name the name of Christ? 309 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,120 No, I'm not talking about trying to act the fool. 310 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,160 I'm just saying this. When you live for Christ, the 311 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,120 world thinks you're a fool. We've talked about this over and 312 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,680 over in these first few chapters of First Corinthians. 313 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,680 Paul says this, hey, we're willing to look like that in the 314 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,000 eyes of the world because that's part of servanthood. 315 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:25,000 But are we willing to, or do we just want to look good? 316 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,960 You know, as a church, I want to be well respected in Easton. 317 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,760 I do. I don't want to drive down the 318 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,000 road and people see the church van and say, Oh no, that's the 319 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:35,880 Liberty Baptist Church. That's where the crazy people 320 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,320 are. But I will say this, if they 321 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,440 think that because we're out preaching the gospel and handed 322 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,840 people tracks and we're doing the work of the gospel, I'm 323 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,000 willing to live with that. Why? 324 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:53,640 Because this is who we are. Listen, the world thinks we're 325 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:55,680 crazy. Can I share something with you 326 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:57,520 tonight? The world is crazy. 327 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:00,280 I don't know if you've noticed this. 328 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,920 The world is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. 329 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,800 They're out there. They are gone. 330 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,319 And so why do we want to look good to them? 331 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:11,079 No, we want to love them. We want to care for them. 332 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,760 We want to be everything to them for the sake of the gospel, but 333 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,359 but not to impress them. Not so they can give us 334 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,960 platitudes. Not so that I could get called 335 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,040 down to town hall and said, well, you're one of the most 336 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,560 dignified pastors in town or your church is is one of the 337 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,800 most most well received places. I don't want that. 338 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,320 I would rather someone in town Hall get saved than us have that 339 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,760 kind of attitude there. No, listen, we want to have a 340 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,920 good rapport with the town. We've done a lot of things to 341 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,000 work that way over the years. I want that, but not at the 342 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,760 expense of the gospel, not at the expense of the truth. 343 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,320 And if you just. Want to serve? 344 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:48,720 Listen, people don't think you're crazy. 345 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,480 And if you want to serve Jesus, people are especially think 346 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,640 you're crazy. So what do you need to do? 347 00:17:55,400 --> 00:18:00,160 Be willing to understand that's a characteristic, the culture of 348 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,520 servanthood. The culture of servanthood is 349 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,720 this, Yeah. We're going to look a little bit 350 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,680 out there. We're going to look a little bit 351 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,360 weird. I mean, do you do? 352 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:13,520 This sometimes where people maybe at the workplace will ask 353 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,040 you, hey, what did you do over the weekend? 354 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,760 And you probably want to say anything, but I was at church. 355 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,840 Do you realize that's a perfect opportunity to share your faith? 356 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,960 I was at church on the weekend. We boy, let me tell you, we had 357 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,320 a service and and somebody trusted Jesus Christ their 358 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,120 Savior. I don't know if you're familiar 359 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:34,520 with that, but someone's life changed on Sunday. 360 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,680 That's a perfect opportunity. But sometimes it could just be 361 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:43,120 well, Oh well, we had a barbecue and you did have a BBQ, but you 362 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:44,880 never did mention the fact you were at church. 363 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:46,280 Why? Because maybe there's that 364 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,320 little bit of, oh, I don't know, that I want to say that. 365 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:49,840 Maybe they'll think I'm a little strange. 366 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:51,400 Maybe I think I'm a little weird. 367 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,440 Could I help you with something? If you want to win the loss to 368 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,080 Christ, they need to think you're different. 369 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,240 You can't make a difference without being different. 370 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,280 You can't change something by adding more of the same. 371 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,040 And so as a servant, we need to look different from the world. 372 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,480 It's the culture. And if we're constantly putting 373 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,360 our light under the bushel, then how are we going to be able to 374 00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:17,400 show them what's different about us? 375 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:20,720 So we see the culture of servanthood. 376 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:22,520 I'm going to move on here. But #2 I also see the 377 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,680 characteristics of a servant, The characteristics of a 378 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,800 servant. If you were getting a new job, 379 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,840 let's say you went in for an interview, you'd say, you know, 380 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,800 what are some of the perks of this job? 381 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,000 And maybe they say something like this. 382 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,200 Well, there's health insurance. There's a four O 1K. 383 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,960 We do matching investments there. 384 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:45,760 There's a certain amount of time off. 385 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,840 You might get a company car, you know, Right, Chuck? 386 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,880 So it's Chuck. Chuck has a company clown car, I 387 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:54,880 think that he has, But are they watching? 388 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,400 All right? No, we're good anyway. 389 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:58,200 We'll strike that from the record. 390 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,720 But anyway, these could all be the types of things these are. 391 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,680 Perks of the job, they say. Hey, what's a perk of being a 392 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:05,920 servant? What? 393 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,840 What's some of the perks of the job of being a servant? 394 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,920 You know what, What kind of accolades do I get? 395 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,480 When do I get my name and lights? 396 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:17,920 When do I get front page on the bulletin? 397 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,280 When do people get to know who I am and what I'm about? 398 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,000 Well, Paul's going to kind of talk about that, and it's not 399 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:30,120 exactly what you would think. Do you see what he says? 400 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:35,880 Get to verse #11 By my count here, he gives 10 different 401 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:41,400 characteristics of servanthood, and none of them would be 402 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,200 considered perks by the world. In fact, I would say on its 403 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,000 face, none of them would seem to be perks at all. 404 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:54,320 Look at verse #11 even both this present hour, we both Hunger 1 405 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:59,200 and Thirst 2 as itinerant preachers. 406 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:04,240 They typically had no large store of goods like you and I 407 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,840 would have. You do realize that Paul didn't 408 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,960 have running water in a tap like we would have today. 409 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:11,880 We're thirsty. We have water. 410 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,880 At any moment, and we may complain about the quality, 411 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,000 people say, well, at Easton the water used to be really great, 412 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,880 but now the water's not so good. Do you realize that the water 413 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:24,280 that we have here is better than you'll find in most other places 414 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,800 in the world? And certainly at that time that 415 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:31,680 people would have had at the ready, but they didn't have that 416 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,040 even worse than what other people have. 417 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:35,920 They said we hungered and we thirsted. 418 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:38,360 They had very little clothing. Look at that, they said. 419 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,840 We are naked. We are buffeted. 420 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,040 What does that mean? That there were times that they 421 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:48,000 were physically accosted? There were times that people got 422 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,760 physical with them for preaching the gospel? 423 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,200 What else did it say? We had no. 424 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,800 Certain dwelling place. You know whether you rent 425 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,560 tonight, whether you own when you leave here, you know where 426 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,720 you're going to go home. Please, I hope you know where 427 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,520 you're going to get home. If you don't, I can't really 428 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,080 help you with that, all right? But when you leave here tonight, 429 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,280 you know where you're going. You have a home, you rent it, 430 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,000 you own it. Whatever it is, you have 431 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,760 somewhere to go. Said this, we have no certain 432 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,280 dwelling place. Now think about this. 433 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,680 Even when we were on deputation, and we spent about a year on 434 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,520 deputation, going from church to church, about 100 different 435 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:27,240 churches over that time period, even when we had a break in that 436 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,600 time, we knew we were going to go back to Tampa. 437 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,880 We knew that was our dwelling place until we moved here. 438 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,320 But Paul said this, I have no certain dwelling place. 439 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:43,920 I just go from here to there, from here to there, preaching 440 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:48,080 the gospel and labor, working with our own hands. 441 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,320 Where did Paul get his money from to live? 442 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,560 Well, there were times that churches would take collections 443 00:22:56,120 --> 00:22:59,040 and give it to him. And there was nothing wrong with 444 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,440 that. In fact, it was important, Paul 445 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,720 said, for that to be the case in the church. 446 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,800 But at the same time Paul said this, he understood that in his 447 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,360 ministry there were going to be times that his needs wouldn't be 448 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:11,800 met and he wouldn't be chargeable unto them. 449 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,080 Meaning this. If he had to make tents, which 450 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:19,440 was his side job, if you will, we would say in 2025 side 451 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:20,600 hustle. You won't see that in the King 452 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,480 James Version. But that was what he did. 453 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:25,760 He makes tents to make some money. 454 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,480 By the way, most preachers, unless they're of a certain type 455 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,640 and usually on television, don't do it for the money. 456 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:37,440 You know, Kenneth Copeland, who's working for his third jet, 457 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,760 might be doing it for the money that just take that money that 458 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,960 might part out. All right, is doing it for the 459 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,720 money. I've told you before, there were 460 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,640 times when I've been here where I had to work Uber for a couple 461 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,040 years and and even when the money was not there because our 462 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,080 support went down and and the two trustees we had at the time, 463 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,080 one of them said, well, pastor, if there's no money, are you 464 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,040 going to leave? I said, don't leave. 465 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,760 Why would I leave? This is where God's called us to 466 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,080 be and of course we're going to stay. 467 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,200 Of course we're going to work and and that's what we did. 468 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:08,320 But I'm not equating myself to Paul. 469 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,880 But the idea is this, that for Paul, he said this, Listen, 470 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,760 there's times I just got to work with my hands. 471 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,200 I got to get things done because it's too important to be able to 472 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,480 do the work of the Lord. He goes on. 473 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,000 And, and then he gives these contrasts once again. 474 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:26,880 He says in verse #12 he says we've been reviled, but then we 475 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,520 bless. So even when people say slurs 476 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,680 against us and even when people say awful things about us, what 477 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,000 do we do? We bless and return being 478 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,760 persecuted. They, they're persecuted for 479 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:38,720 their faith. What happens? 480 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,360 He says we suffer it. We just take it we've been 481 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:45,280 defamed, it says in the next verse. 482 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,680 Meaning their own very character had been slaughtered. 483 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:52,520 And listen, what did Paul own? He owned almost nothing other 484 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,480 than the clothes. That he had, and perhaps a tent 485 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,640 that he had, he took from place to place. 486 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,120 The only thing he truly had was his testimony in his name. 487 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:06,240 He said that even that's been defamed from town to town people 488 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,320 has been spreading rumors and lies about me. 489 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,360 In fact, interestingly enough, in a second missionary journey, 490 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,120 he would go from 1 town and go to the next town and the people 491 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:16,760 from the previous town who hated him would fall in the next town 492 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:18,680 and tell the people in the next town, hey, don't listen to this 493 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,880 guy, he's defamed. But what did he do? 494 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:26,800 He said we we entreat meaning this that we just took it to the 495 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:28,960 Lord instead of taking it to them. 496 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,480 We made, we were made as the filth of the world and the off 497 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:36,440 scouring of all things under this day. 498 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,920 Filth off scouring scum said this. 499 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,680 You know what we've been, we've been dragged through the mud. 500 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,120 We've gone through it. Now let me ask you this. 501 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:51,480 You read those 10 characteristics, You think 502 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,400 Pastor? Sign me up to be a servant. 503 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:56,800 All right? Where do I start? 504 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,120 When do I begin? When do I get my first paycheck? 505 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,560 Is it direct deposit? And the answer is, you know, 506 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,640 being a servant isn't always easy. 507 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:12,400 Being a servant isn't always something that goes our way. 508 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,320 Being a servant isn't always something that gets us 509 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,360 recognized. In fact, being a servant might 510 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:23,880 actually put us at the worse instead of for the better. 511 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:26,720 Again, how did this play out for the apostles? 512 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:30,520 11 out of 12 were martyred. John was exiled on Patmos. 513 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,280 How about some of the other servants in the Bible? 514 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,680 I think of Joseph. Joseph served and served. 515 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,080 He served Potiphar, He served in a prison. 516 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,520 You realize that he served in the prison. 517 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,040 And not only did he serve in the prison, there was a Butler. 518 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,480 And a Baker who had a dream and they were sitting down in a a 519 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,640 jail cell talking about it. And Joseph, who could have just 520 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,880 served them and just walked away. 521 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:58,760 He said, hey, you guys look sad. Is there something I could talk 522 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,360 to you about? He cared about him. 523 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:02,800 Why? Because he had a. 524 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:07,520 Servant's heart. Well, what about Elijah? 525 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,360 Elijah was a servant who went through a great amount of 526 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:14,040 suffering. We we know that even through 527 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,920 times of famine, that even he had difficulties during those 528 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,000 times of famine. Even though the Lord provided 529 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,400 for miraculously with the Ravens and then with the widow lady. 530 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,160 We think of David and we think of Daniel and I think of John 531 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,160 the Baptist. And sure, some of these 532 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:33,200 suffering servants did have times of exaltation, but yet I 533 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,760 would say this, that even the ones who God. 534 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,480 Lifted up, never forgot where they were from. 535 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,240 And Daniel's a perfect example of that. 536 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:48,640 Daniel was stolen from his homeland, made a eunuch, and had 537 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:53,400 to serve a wicked king. I'd say that that certainly 538 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,760 would fit under those characteristics of things that 539 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,960 were not good. But. 540 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,800 What was it said of David? Or rather of Daniel, that in him 541 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:08,440 was found an excellent spirit, and he served for not just one 542 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:13,400 king, not just two kings. But listen, there was an entire 543 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:19,720 regime change and the new nation that came in the Medes and the 544 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,240 Persians ended up elevating Daniel even more. 545 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,440 How does that happen? Well, there's a man who was 546 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,000 faithful. Even though there was a lot of 547 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:34,560 difficulty and hardship, he gave God the glory. 548 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:36,520 He never forgot where he is from. 549 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,000 And listen, the Bible says that God will exalt you in due time, 550 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:46,320 and you trust the Lord for that. What did this all look like in 551 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,240 Paul's life? By the way, do you know we have 552 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,280 a record of how Paul went through some of these hardships? 553 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:54,360 I want you to see this. Turn your Bible to 2nd 554 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,960 Corinthians Chapter 11. You may likely have read this 555 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:01,640 before or heard me reference it, but I think tonight's a good 556 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,080 night for us to just look at this list here real quick. 557 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,600 What did, what was Paul's life like? 558 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:13,960 Paul wasn't just someone who was talking about servanthood and 559 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:18,320 the hardships of it. He was someone who lived it. 560 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:24,640 Look at verse #23 he says this. Are they ministers of Christ? 561 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,040 I speak as a fool. I am more. 562 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:28,480 And you say, what does that mean? 563 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,600 Well, there's some discussion about some people who are trying 564 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,840 to discredit them, he and his group saying that they were 565 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,000 false teachers. And so Paul is going to give 566 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:39,800 some of his credentials, if you will. 567 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,520 And he's basically saying, I don't even like talking about 568 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,400 this, but I feel like I am compelled to talk about it 569 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:50,160 because of me being discredited by these other men. 570 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,080 So he says this. Are they ministers of Christ? 571 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,400 I speak as a fool. I am more and laborers more 572 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:59,280 abundant in stripes above measure. 573 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,800 Now what was a stripe? A stripe would have been the 574 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,160 fact that he would have literally been whipped with 575 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,640 likely something like a cat of nine tails. 576 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,800 You know, the Old Testament in Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse #3 577 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:17,640 said that you have 40 lashes. But as we'll see here in just a 578 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:21,920 moment, 40 stripes save one. It was often the tradition of 579 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,240 the Jews to only give 39 stripes. 580 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:28,440 The reason why was if they were to give over 40 than the one who 581 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,000 is the practitioner of the stripes would have to give their 582 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,880 own life to be careful. They would just do 39. 583 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,960 You say, Oh well that must have been much better. 39 would 584 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:38,560 pretty much bring you to the point of death. 585 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,360 Your back would be riven. Typically there would be 3 586 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:47,840 different leather throngs that would come out from a stick and 587 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,360 it would hit you in both shoulders and the middle of the 588 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,800 back. The men who did this were well 589 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:54,880 practiced and practitioners of pain. 590 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,840 On those cat of nine tails would have been pieces of bone, pieces 591 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:04,600 of glass, pieces of metal, and it would have been put into the 592 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:09,600 back and then once it was embedded, not pulled back out, 593 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:15,360 but pulled across literally a back turn to shreds. 594 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:21,200 I'll continue to read in prisons more frequent and deaths off of 595 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:22,520 the Jews. How many times? 596 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,520 Five times received I-40 stripes save one. 597 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:33,040 Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I stoned, Thrice I 598 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,400 suffered shipwreck. A night and a day. 599 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:39,120 I've been in the deep and journeyings, often in perils of 600 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:43,240 waters, imperils of robbers, imperils by my own countrymen, 601 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,280 imperils by the heathen, imperils in the city, imperils 602 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:51,280 in the wilderness, imperils in the sea, imperils among false 603 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,800 brethren. A weariness and painfulness in 604 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:59,200 watchings, often in hunger and thirst, in fastings, often in 605 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,920 cold and nakedness. Now look at verse #28. 606 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,800 He says this beside those things that are without. 607 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,600 That which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 608 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:11,560 This isn't my message, but I just want to show you this very 609 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,880 quickly, Paul says. Listen to all these things that 610 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:18,160 have happened to me and boy, I don't know about you, but I have 611 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,960 a hard time wrapping my mind around all that. 612 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,040 We can read it, we can talk about it, but we really 613 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:25,600 understand the hardships that this man went through. 614 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,080 Just the beatings alone would be something that was unthinkable, 615 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,120 but to be bobbing up and down in the deep. 616 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,240 And you can go to Acts chapter 27 and just see one example of 617 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,960 that, how he was up and down through the night just holding 618 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:40,360 on. The only reason he knew he would 619 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,520 live was because of the promise of God, because there was 620 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,920 nothing that was happening around him that would show him 621 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,640 that he would live other than God's sure promise to him that 622 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:52,480 he extended to those other sailors there as well. 623 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,200 But listen to this. He says, I've gone through all 624 00:32:56,200 --> 00:33:00,160 of these things, but besides those things that happen outside 625 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,200 of me, he says here's something that also is difficult within me 626 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,440 that comes upon me daily, the care of the churches. 627 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,360 What is Paul saying? He's saying those things outside 628 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:16,200 I just mentioned were hard, but you do know what's inside that's 629 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:19,640 hard as well to care for the churches that I have to minister 630 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:22,520 to. Now listen, Paul, as a 631 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,720 missionary, Paul is an evangelist, cared for many 632 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,520 churches. But I will say this that it is 633 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,200 upon the pastor to be able to care for the Church of which God 634 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,800 has told him to care for. And listen, I'm not calling 635 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,080 myself a martyr this evening. I refuse to. 636 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,560 I'm one of the most blessed men on earth as far as I'm 637 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,440 concerned. But I will also say this, that 638 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,760 there does come a heavy responsibility to the pastor 639 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:51,160 when a church has been put in his care to make sure that he 640 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:55,720 cares for that church. And Paul says this, it's heavy. 641 00:33:56,160 --> 00:34:00,040 In fact, he equates it with some of the physical trials that he 642 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,920 went through. And again, I'm no apostle, Paul, 643 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,080 I'm no apostle. We've already covered that. 644 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:06,520 You can look at my driver's license. 645 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:11,719 I'm not 2000 years old. But I also know this that it's a 646 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,520 serious thing to care for the souls of which God brings into 647 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,719 Liberty Baptist Church and if you. 648 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,840 Pray for your pastor, which I pray that you do, but if you do, 649 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,120 that's one of the ways that you can pray for me as your pastor, 650 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:28,840 that I can care for those souls daily of those God has placed 651 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:33,159 here at Liberty Baptist Church, including you, so that I can be 652 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:37,120 what I ought to be. He says in verse #29 Who is 653 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:38,239 weak? And I'm not weak. 654 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:39,840 Who is offended? I burn not. 655 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,040 If I must be glory, I will glory the things which concern my 656 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:44,159 infirmity. So he says. 657 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,800 This am I glorying in the fact that I've gone through. 658 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:51,480 And done some incredible things. He says no, I'll glory in my 659 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:56,239 weakness. Verse #31 The God and Father of 660 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:58,760 our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore, knoweth 661 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:00,320 that I lie not. And look at this. 662 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:05,440 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king, kept the city 663 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:09,840 of Damascones with a Garrison desirous to apprehend me, and 664 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,680 through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and 665 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,440 escaped his hands. What a life. 666 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:23,000 That's what servanthood will get you, Say pastor. 667 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,600 If that's what servanthood will get me, then I don't want to be 668 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:30,800 a servant, and nobody here will want to be a servant. 669 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:35,200 Now when we have to chart the same path as Paul, thank the 670 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:41,000 Lord, I think we can say no. But I will say this, Paul makes 671 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:46,240 it very clear to us that the true servant must serve no 672 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:51,480 matter the cost. Listen, the true servant must 673 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:58,520 serve no matter the cost. Servanthood is not always easy. 674 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:00,760 In fact, I'll ask you this question tonight. 675 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:04,600 When was the last time you served until it hurt? 676 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,440 When was the last time you served until you were 677 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,400 uncomfortable? When was the last time you 678 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:17,840 served not doing the things that you enjoy doing, but doing the 679 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,120 things that maybe you don't enjoy doing, but you know you 680 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,680 need to do it because you need to be a servant. 681 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:28,440 Isn't everybody likes to do the things they like to do. 682 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:33,080 Everybody likes doing the things that don't cost us much. 683 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:38,320 But true servanthood says this. I will serve no matter what, no 684 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:41,480 matter the cost. One of our favorite places over 685 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:45,720 the last few years to take missionaries and guests in 686 00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:47,160 Plymouth. And it's not the Rock. 687 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:51,440 We've already covered that here. All right, is up on Burial Hill 688 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:55,480 right above the rock where Ad Nairman and Judson are buried. 689 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,360 I'd encourage you to just go up that small hill and find where 690 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:00,720 they are. And if you're not familiar with 691 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:04,480 them, learn their story. Ad Nairam Johnson. 692 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:05,880 I would just read a little bit of it to you. 693 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,840 Inspired by the sudden death of a close friend in 1810, 694 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:13,720 recommitted his life to Christ, pursued seminary and Co founded 695 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:15,960 the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign 696 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:19,520 Missions. He proposed to Anne in 1812 and 697 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,160 candidly warned her father of the missions. 698 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:26,720 Perils, permanent separation from family, exposure to 699 00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:30,920 poverty, distress, persecution, and even violent death. 700 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:36,560 All for the gospel sake and just 21 agonized over the decision 701 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,240 but accepted marrying Adiniram days before their departure at 702 00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:44,680 ages 22 and 24. This meant instant farewell to 703 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:47,720 parents, siblings and a comfortable life with no 704 00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:51,400 certainty of reunion. A few days after they got 705 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,760 married, they were on a boat and they were gone. 706 00:37:55,960 --> 00:38:00,840 No jet planes, no FaceTime, no Zoom calls. 707 00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:03,720 It was, we're going to leave for the sake of the gospel. 708 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:08,960 Many missionaries in those days would pack their things in a 709 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:10,680 casket. Why? 710 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:14,520 Because they knew that casket will be needed to ship them home 711 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:19,120 someday. Think of Livingston, and we 712 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,920 think of how he charted the course that history will tell 713 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:23,680 you today. He was a great explorer. 714 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,120 But he was no explorer. Of course he was an explorer, 715 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:30,040 but that wasn't his burning passion. 716 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,360 He he didn't go to Africa because he wanted to explore 717 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:35,680 uncharted land. He went because he wanted to 718 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,560 tell people about Jesus Christ who hadn't heard about Jesus 719 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:42,240 Christ before. His body was shipped after he 720 00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:44,480 died to be buried in Westminster Abbey. 721 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:48,800 But his heart is buried on the mission field in Africa where we 722 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,720 get the song Bury my heart on the mission field. 723 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:56,400 Lord, generation of servants that knew we just got to do what 724 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:58,920 God's told us to do, whatever the cost. 725 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:02,440 I look at Independent Baptists in the 50s and 60s and 726 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:05,600 missionaries particularly. They would go from place to 727 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:07,520 place. And I think of how well we were 728 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:10,200 treated when we were on the road a few years ago and what a 729 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:12,240 blessing it was and the people we got to meet. 730 00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:14,880 But it was not unusual during those days when there wasn't as 731 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:18,360 many hotels around, maybe some motor Inns and those kind of 732 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:20,080 things. But a missionary would come and 733 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:22,360 they'd stay a few days. They'd sleep on the pews of the 734 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,920 church. They'd sleep in a Sunday school 735 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:27,240 room. They're just going from place to 736 00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:30,160 place. Want to tell people in some 737 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:33,720 faraway land about Jesus showing their slide presentation. 738 00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:35,800 Yeah, slides that were, you know, back then, that was the 739 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:37,800 thing, right? Showing their slide 740 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:40,320 presentation, going from place to place. 741 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,600 Wasn't a lot of money involved, but they just want to get on the 742 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:49,360 mission field to help people. I think when we first got here, 743 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,200 I remember there wasn't a whole lot of money that we had. 744 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:54,360 A lot of money was going right into the church and there were 745 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:56,760 sometimes I had to go to to preachers meetings in different 746 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:59,840 places. I take the Greyhound bus and I 747 00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:02,200 had preachers tell me why are you taking a Greyhound bus? 748 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:04,640 We only have one vehicle. We have no church van. 749 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,320 And I'll go to South Station, take the Greyhound bus, go to 750 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:10,600 New York City round trip for 25 bucks. 751 00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:13,840 That sounds like a deal. Now the mugging was free, but 752 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:17,280 the 25 bucks? Almost a joke. 753 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:22,040 Not quite all right. But no, what am I? 754 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,880 What am I saying? Sacrifice is involved. 755 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,680 But you know, there's an interesting thing about those 756 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:31,040 stories. As time goes on, do you notice 757 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:37,000 how less impressive they are going from shipping your stuff 758 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:41,720 in a casket to sleeping in Sunday school rooms to take a 759 00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:45,120 Greyhound bus? They get less dramatic as they 760 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,840 go along, don't they? And so certainly I'm not 761 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:49,560 presenting myself as a hero here tonight. 762 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:53,720 But what I am saying is this is that even our sacrifices today 763 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,280 aren't nearly the sacrifices that we think they are. 764 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,880 Even our sacrifices today If. I sacrificed because I rode a 765 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,320 Greyhound bus a few times when we started a church. 766 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:09,040 I haven't sacrificed. If I've sacrificed because we 767 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:11,600 didn't always have all the food we want in the pantry at any 768 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:13,160 given time, we haven't sacrificed. 769 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,200 You know why We haven't missed a meal since? 770 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:16,680 We lived here and I haven't missed many lately. 771 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:22,840 Let me tell you that right now. God has been so good, and he's 772 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,800 good all the time. He was good to the Judsons, he 773 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,480 was good to those missionaries in the 50s and 60s, and he's 774 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:32,200 been good to us today. But what I'm saying to you is 775 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:39,480 this, Are we willing to sacrifice and serve no matter 776 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,880 the cost? I want you to go back to First 777 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,280 Corinthians chapter 4. We're going to end here in a 778 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:46,800 moment, but I want you to read verse 14. 779 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,360 We only read the verse 13 before that was purposeful because I 780 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,360 want you to look at verse 14 with me. 781 00:41:59,220 --> 00:42:01,860 Look who it says. I write not these things to 782 00:42:01,860 --> 00:42:07,500 shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you, Paul says, 783 00:42:07,500 --> 00:42:11,040 listen, I'm not saying these things to try to make you 784 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,880 ashamed. By the way, shame is one of the 785 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:18,720 worst motivators. If I preach a message and you 786 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:21,240 feel ashamed and you feel like you need to serve out of shame, 787 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:24,200 you'll probably serve for a month or two and then you'll go 788 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:25,400 right back to where you were before. 789 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,000 If you love Jesus, you'll come to soul winning on Saturday. 790 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,440 No pressure, right? You might come on Saturday, but 791 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:38,200 you don't want to be there. You're there because pastor 792 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,160 might call you on Saturday afternoon if you don't show up. 793 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:43,520 That's not a good motivator, Paul says. 794 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,160 I'm not saying this to shame you, but I'm warning you. 795 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:50,200 Listen, what's the warning? If we take what we learned about 796 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:52,480 Corinth the week before, the last time we were in this text, 797 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:56,720 and now the warning is this. The desire of man is always to 798 00:42:56,720 --> 00:43:01,080 lift himself up. But as servants we always need 799 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,960 to go low. The desire of man's always to 800 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:10,160 lift themselves up, but as a servant we must always go low, 801 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:12,960 preferring the needs of others before ourselves. 802 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:17,280 Now listen, can we take this too far? 803 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,400 I want to be careful. I know Baptist churches of 804 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:25,120 yesteryear that true service, quote UN quote meant this meant 805 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:26,960 you were in the church seven days a week doing stuff. 806 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,000 And if you were in that church seven days a week doing 807 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:31,880 something every night of the week, then you didn't really 808 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:35,320 love Jesus. Could I tell you that that is 809 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:37,720 probably the ditch too far on the other side of the road 810 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:41,480 because God also said this. Take care of your family. 811 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:45,400 For instance, First Timothy 58. But if any provide not for his 812 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:47,680 own, specifically for those of his own house. 813 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,000 He had denied the faith and his worth to the infidel. 814 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,480 That's not just talking about providing food and shelter and 815 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:54,880 money. That's providing for them 816 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:57,800 spiritually as well and being there for them. 817 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,080 We purposely made our, our calendar here at Liberty Baptist 818 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:02,400 Church. So you're not here seven days a 819 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:03,160 week. Why? 820 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:06,640 Because you need to serve your family as well, but then you 821 00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:08,920 also need to be able to have opportunities to serve at the 822 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:11,600 church. We don't want the ditch on the 823 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,240 other side of the road to go so far, the pendulum to go so far 824 00:44:14,240 --> 00:44:17,040 the other way that we say, well, we're, we're all too tired to 825 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:18,600 serve. We can't serve. 826 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:23,080 Somewhere in the middle is where God wants us to be. 827 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:28,080 I don't want to guilt you into service, but I do want us to get 828 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:31,840 to place in our life when our services do or service does cost 829 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:36,280 us something. Not necessarily money, but that 830 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:39,400 you gave even beyond of yourself what you thought you would. 831 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:42,640 And you realize this God still sustained me. 832 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:47,600 That you did something you didn't think you could do and 833 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:51,200 God sustained you, You did. Something you were uncomfortable 834 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:52,400 with? No, no, I'm not talking about 835 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:55,000 asking you to do something that's wrong, but I'm just 836 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:57,120 saying something you were uncomfortable doing. 837 00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:00,120 Well, well, that's not who I am. Well, well, maybe you can just 838 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:04,960 do it to be a servant. And God can help you. 839 00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:07,720 I've heard people say this. I can't work with kids. 840 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:10,120 And listen, maybe some people shouldn't work with kids. 841 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:13,720 You know what I'm saying? But I've heard people say I 842 00:45:13,720 --> 00:45:16,880 can't work with kids. Well, well, listen, is it I 843 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:20,720 won't work with kids? I can't work with kids. 844 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,600 What if God leads you into helping in a ministry? 845 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,240 Maybe you weren't anticipating helping before. 846 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:29,560 I don't know. If you noticed, we got a lot of 847 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:33,640 kids around here. I pray that we have a nursery 848 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:35,960 that's going to be even more filled. 849 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:40,680 And of course, we have wonderful plans for doubling the nursery 850 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:42,080 here in the next few months or willing. 851 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:47,440 But even beyond that, you know, we got to clean a church. 852 00:45:48,720 --> 00:45:50,680 We don't watch a parking lot because there are cars 853 00:45:50,720 --> 00:45:52,600 everywhere on that parking lot on Sunday morning. 854 00:45:54,720 --> 00:45:56,240 We got to shake. People's hands when they come 855 00:45:56,240 --> 00:46:02,640 in, we've got to serve people in the community, serve each other 856 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:06,000 on that stuff that's not on that list like we just talked about. 857 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:08,560 What do we do? Serve? 858 00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:13,200 It's not always pretty. It's always easy, but God called 859 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:16,800 us to be a servant. Well, Paul was willing. 860 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:18,800 This is the bottom line here tonight. 861 00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:24,440 Paul was willing to accept any outcome in his life as long as 862 00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:28,040 he could be a servant. Is that your heart, Lord? 863 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:33,040 Whatever my lot in life, just make me a servant, he says. 864 00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:35,000 I'll be naked, I'll be a servant. 865 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:38,080 I'll be hungry, I'll be a servant. 866 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:40,920 People can mock me. I'll be a servant. 867 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:45,880 I could be treated like scum. And I'll be a servant. 868 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:48,080 Why? Here's this. 869 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:52,080 And we're done. Because Jesus Christ taking upon 870 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:57,240 him the form of a servant. Philippians chapter 2. 871 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:00,680 What do we see in Isaiah chapter 53? 872 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:06,240 He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied by his 873 00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:08,760 knowledge. Shall my righteous servant 874 00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:12,080 justify many? If Jesus Christ wasn't a 875 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:17,320 servant, you don't get saved and I'm not saved. 876 00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:22,520 If He could serve you and you know who you are, and He could 877 00:47:22,520 --> 00:47:27,760 serve me and I know who I am, then can't we serve one another 878 00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:31,720 so we can serve Him? Thank you for listening to the 879 00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:34,320 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 880 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,960 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 881 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:41,080 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 882 00:47:41,240 --> 00:47:45,960 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 883 00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:49,880 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 884 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:52,960 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.