WEBVTT 00:00:00.550 --> 00:00:02.565 Corinthians Chapter six. 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:10.140 Paul is going to bring to us a message that I find very challenging and thought provoking as we live in light of what it means 00:00:10.140 --> 00:00:11.920 to be a Christian in this world. 00:00:12.280 --> 00:00:13.240 How We Choose to Respond. 00:00:13.780 --> 00:00:18.540 Chapter six to Chapter eight is a message of generosity in Second Corinthians. 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:20.570 And it's not just talking about financial generosity. 00:00:21.100 --> 00:00:26.060 It's living with a generous spirit in this world, how you choose to respond in light of the gospel. 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:30.930 And if you remember last week, God gave us all a title we dubbed you with a title. 00:00:31.180 --> 00:00:38.560 You know, I might call myself pastor, but we got we got a title that all of us are given as members of Christ's community within 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:39.380 the body of Christ. 00:00:39.420 --> 00:00:46.680 If you've accepted Christ as your Savior and you live to know Jesus like He gave you a title at the end of second Corinthians, chapter five, verse 00:00:46.680 --> 00:00:50.010 20, and he gave you a particular ministry with that title. 00:00:50.580 --> 00:00:53.020 And in verse 20 he referred to you as ambassadors. 00:00:53.500 --> 00:00:56.680 And we know ambassadors represent dignitaries in this world. 00:00:56.720 --> 00:01:02.280 And if you belong to Jesus, Jesus is your king and therefore you're Ambassador of Christ in this world. 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:04.420 And your ministry is a ministry of reconciliation. 00:01:04.780 --> 00:01:07.860 You implore people to be reconciled to God. 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:15.580 And it tells us in verse 21, He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Jesus. 00:01:15.660 --> 00:01:16.870 It's that verse of the great exchange. 00:01:17.580 --> 00:01:21.280 Jesus took our sin that we may take His righteousness and find freedom in Him. 00:01:21.580 --> 00:01:27.400 And that is an incredible gift, an incredible thought to even to even think that God would give his life for you. 00:01:27.660 --> 00:01:31.100 And then you're given a platform to represent Christ in this world. 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:34.010 And Paul doesn't just give give that statement lightly. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:37.020 He, in Chapter six then wants us to reflect on that. 00:01:37.080 --> 00:01:43.060 What is what does that mean for us in light of everything that Jesus has done and how I choose to respond? 00:01:43.060 --> 00:01:48.180 It's not just to simply take the title of ambassador and say, my job is about reconciliation in this world. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:51.720 But Paul is now going to use his own life as an example of how does that look? 00:01:51.720 --> 00:01:57.840 And it's in its outworking if I'm if I'm really sold out for Christ and I want to live for him in this world, what does that mean for me? 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:03.990 And in light of all of that and Paul sets up these first three verses to sort of give us this a little bit of a backdrop. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:11.580 And then and then we're going to ask three questions for us as it relates to verse four on and to verse ten, to examine our own lives in 00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:17.560 light of the Apostle Paul's example of his life, as to whether or not we're living truly as ambassadors. 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:25.160 And Paul starts it like this the second Corinthians, chapter six, verse one, he says, working together with him, meaning in light of 00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:27.240 this opportunity we've been given as. 00:02:27.420 --> 00:02:28.340 Ambassadors, the. 00:02:28.380 --> 00:02:35.580 Ministry of Reconciliation, in this great exchange where Jesus has taken on our sin, that we may be free in Him, we're now we're now working together 00:02:35.580 --> 00:02:36.840 with Christ. 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:38.700 We're all on mission together in Jesus. 00:02:39.200 --> 00:02:41.560 And then He says, We appeal to you. 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:46.160 Church and Corinth, not to receive the grace of God in vain. 00:02:47.780 --> 00:02:49.360 I mean, the Goddess doesn't want you to accept that. 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:50.320 And then that's it. 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:58.700 But when you understand what Jesus has done for your life and the love of God that's been demonstrated to you, and the freedom from sin that's been birthed into you 00:02:58.700 --> 00:03:03.260 and that you've become this new creation, as it says in second Corinthians 517, the oldest pass away. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.340 Behold the all things have become new in Jesus. 00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:10.240 Your response should not be to say, Oh, well, that's great, you know. 00:03:10.260 --> 00:03:11.400 Let's move on to something else. 00:03:11.760 --> 00:03:19.080 But what does this mean to live in light of that and discover that truth and the freedom, the love of God and that relationship as I wake up each and every day to enjoy 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:26.180 the gift of what today is and the opportunity that God has given me, how do I maximize the opportunity in coming to Christ and understanding 00:03:26.180 --> 00:03:31.490 what that full surrender of myself is in light of Jesus, man, I don't want to live my life laying down bunts. 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:33.980 I want to hit some home runs in Christ name. 00:03:33.980 --> 00:03:38.920 Like I want my life to make a difference and I want my life to matter and what does that look like? 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.660 And so Paul gives this thought to the church in Corinth and to us today. 00:03:43.200 --> 00:03:45.950 Don't receive the grace of God in vain. 00:03:47.880 --> 00:03:48.580 What does that mean? 00:03:50.640 --> 00:03:55.400 I mean, what would that look like to receive the grace of God in vain? 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:57.740 I mean, maybe just pepper it with this thought. 00:03:59.760 --> 00:04:00.520 If when you think to. 00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:05.180 To praise God in your life and you and you look to things to praise God for. 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:10.960 If all you can think about are things God has done in your life in yesteryear. 00:04:12.720 --> 00:04:14.720 But not what God has done this year. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:19.100 There's possibly. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:23.680 An opportunity being made known in your life where the. 00:04:23.700 --> 00:04:24.600 Grace of God might be. 00:04:25.660 --> 00:04:26.820 Be taking them in. 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.680 Because God desires to continue to do a work in us and through us. 00:04:34.460 --> 00:04:36.520 Don't take the grace of God in vain. 00:04:36.520 --> 00:04:37.060 In fact, he goes. 00:04:37.080 --> 00:04:38.890 In verse two a little bit further and compelling. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:40.160 The church, he says, for. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:45.840 He says in a favorable time, I listen to you and the days of salvation I have helped you. 00:04:45.840 --> 00:04:48.320 Behold, now is the favorable time. 00:04:48.320 --> 00:04:51.200 Behold, now is the day of salvation. 00:04:51.760 --> 00:04:54.720 And Paul's quoting a passage from Isaiah here. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:54.840 Where? 00:04:55.300 --> 00:04:55.840 There. 00:04:56.300 --> 00:04:57.980 Presupposing that the way to salvation. 00:04:57.980 --> 00:04:58.620 Is. 00:04:58.620 --> 00:05:00.140 Through religious works. 00:05:00.420 --> 00:05:04.760 And Paul's quoting Isaiah, where Isaiah talks about the freedom that we're going to be given as a. 00:05:04.820 --> 00:05:06.230 Gift from God by his grace. 00:05:06.880 --> 00:05:08.550 And we know that's happened now in. 00:05:08.660 --> 00:05:11.740 Jesus as Jesus has become our advocate, our. 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:12.340 Savior. 00:05:12.900 --> 00:05:14.950 And He's reminding us now, because of this precious. 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.580 Gift of Christ, how sacred that message is. 00:05:17.640 --> 00:05:19.540 For people to find freedom in Jesus. 00:05:19.640 --> 00:05:21.300 Not not tomorrow, but right now. 00:05:23.200 --> 00:05:29.900 Right now you have the privilege of representing Jesus to day as you go into this world, and there's no better time for someone to put their life in Christ. 00:05:30.340 --> 00:05:34.360 And then right now and how urgent that is in the moment, because. 00:05:34.400 --> 00:05:35.800 Nothing else is promised to you. 00:05:37.080 --> 00:05:39.500 God doesn't promise you tomorrow and God doesn't owe you tomorrow. 00:05:41.280 --> 00:05:48.300 And so Paul's saying don't delay in this, but understand the necessity of living for Jesus every 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:52.340 day, not taking the grace of God in vain, but delivering this message that brings freedom. 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:53.030 In verse three. 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:58.640 We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no one, no fault may be found with our ministry. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:07.620 And as we like to emphasize this, as a as a church, that we understand that the gospel, the truth of who God is, it 00:06:07.620 --> 00:06:11.300 provides enough stumbling block for people that we don't want to stand in the way of that. 00:06:12.520 --> 00:06:15.960 We don't want to have to make an apology for the way we represent Jesus in the world. 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:22.590 The only offense I want people to come across is the truth of who Christ is and whether or not they're willing to surrender their lives to him. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.460 We want to meet people where they're at and love them as Jesus would love them. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:27.560 And sometimes I often say this. 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:28.480 My wife always yells at me. 00:06:28.760 --> 00:06:30.000 But we literally want to love the. 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:30.620 Hell out of people. 00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:31.680 We do. 00:06:32.520 --> 00:06:32.860 We do. 00:06:33.380 --> 00:06:34.300 And she's not in here. 00:06:34.320 --> 00:06:35.400 She look good. 00:06:37.020 --> 00:06:38.480 She's teaching. 00:06:39.220 --> 00:06:39.660 But we do. 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:40.040 We don't. 00:06:40.100 --> 00:06:41.420 We don't want to be an obstacle to others. 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:45.360 The truth is offensive enough because it's the. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:46.240 Surrendering of yourself. 00:06:47.700 --> 00:06:50.220 And we understand that all of us struggle because all of us walk in a. 00:06:50.320 --> 00:06:54.770 Path of sin opposed to God, and Jesus had to give his life for that. 00:06:55.640 --> 00:07:03.060 And how much of God's grace had to be poured out on my life in order for me to even be willing to look at the truth of who Christ was, and to give myself to 00:07:03.060 --> 00:07:05.020 Him and find freedom in Jesus. 00:07:05.260 --> 00:07:07.090 And I want other people to have that opportunity. 00:07:07.280 --> 00:07:09.020 And I realize not everyone is going to agree with that. 00:07:11.200 --> 00:07:11.740 But I want to walk. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:16.230 As graciously as Christ walked for me that they would have the opportunity to find that freedom in Jesus to. 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:19.110 As Paul says. 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:20.730 I want to become all things to all people. 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:21.810 We want to open up God's. 00:07:22.640 --> 00:07:24.760 Word to learn and our hearts to love. 00:07:28.080 --> 00:07:29.420 And to share the truth of Christ. 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:36.860 And so, Paul, Paul, this morning, in order to encourage us, he really breaks down the rest of this passage into three, 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:42.480 three sections of which for us, we can ask three simple questions to examine. 00:07:42.880 --> 00:07:43.420 Whether or not. 00:07:43.420 --> 00:07:45.740 We're taking the grace of God in vain. 00:07:46.280 --> 00:07:48.580 Or are we proactively living to proclaim his name. 00:07:48.620 --> 00:07:48.760 And I. 00:07:48.840 --> 00:07:49.780 Didn't mean for that to rhyme. 00:07:49.820 --> 00:07:50.920 But it did, right? 00:07:51.420 --> 00:07:55.000 Are we taking the grace of God in vain or living proactively to proclaim his name? 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:56.760 That's the question that Paul says. 00:07:56.760 --> 00:08:02.460 So we're not just we're not just responding to this defensively, but we want to go on the offense and what Jesus has called us to in this world. 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:09.820 And so this passage becomes a challenge to our lives to examine them about am I really living for what Christ has called me to in 00:08:09.820 --> 00:08:10.400 this world? 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:13.120 So first question in your notes this morning, is this. 00:08:15.840 --> 00:08:16.860 Am I willing to. 00:08:16.860 --> 00:08:19.740 Go where God leads? 00:08:20.820 --> 00:08:24.170 Am I really willing to go where God leads? 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:28.240 Or maybe we could ask another way. 00:08:28.820 --> 00:08:31.890 Where am I refusing to follow God's leading in my life? 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:34.240 Where am I. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.419 Refusing to follow God's leading in my life, Paul? 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:44.480 You're going to see in these next few verses he enrolls in what we could call the school of Hard Knocks and some of the things that he's willing to do for the sake 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:45.590 of the gospel. 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:49.980 And he's identifying this these coming passages. 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:52.560 His life is not one about convenience and comfort. 00:08:55.560 --> 00:08:58.060 But he rather makes his life about Christ. 00:08:59.540 --> 00:09:04.480 He sacrifices comfort for the sake of making Christ known, and. 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:05.900 He gives up things that we would. 00:09:05.900 --> 00:09:07.520 Call just safety. 00:09:09.660 --> 00:09:12.320 In order to proclaim Christ's name. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:19.360 One of the passages that I this is not in the verse for, but one of the passages I love of the Apostle Paul is Philippians 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:20.040 chapter three. 00:09:20.040 --> 00:09:26.160 If I if I said maybe, probably one of my life verses that I really love in the way Paul reflects his heart in this world. 00:09:26.160 --> 00:09:28.940 He comes from this Philippians three, from this religious experience. 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:33.300 He describes himself in Philippians chapter three is the Hebrew of Hebrews. 00:09:33.680 --> 00:09:35.800 He's the most religious person among his people. 00:09:36.300 --> 00:09:38.180 He was top dog in his class. 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:41.460 If you want to know anything about the Apostle Paul, it doesn't get any more Jewish than Paul. 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:44.540 And he's saying he abandoned it all. 00:09:46.020 --> 00:09:47.060 For the sake of Christ Jesus. 00:09:48.580 --> 00:09:50.200 And he made his mission about one thing. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:55.700 His life was resolute towards one idea, and he says it in chapter three, verse ten. 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.460 I want to know Christ. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:03.340 I said. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:05.200 I want to know who. 00:10:05.280 --> 00:10:06.480 Christ. 00:10:07.260 --> 00:10:07.820 I want my. 00:10:07.980 --> 00:10:08.140 Life. 00:10:08.700 --> 00:10:09.960 To be identified with him. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.430 I want that relationship with Jesus for which I was created. 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:14.370 I want to know Christ. 00:10:15.280 --> 00:10:17.000 Yes, to know the power of his resurrection. 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:18.640 That's incredible. 00:10:18.680 --> 00:10:23.700 I mean, that's that is some power, isn't it, to overcome the grave, to be dead for three days and come back to life. 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:25.840 I want to know God in that way, right? 00:10:26.280 --> 00:10:26.920 That kind of God. 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:28.160 That's what I'm laying my life down for. 00:10:28.160 --> 00:10:29.010 This is what I'm pursuing. 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:30.340 This God can overcome anything. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:31.200 He's. 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:32.090 He's all powerful. 00:10:32.660 --> 00:10:35.500 If sin, Satan, and death can't stop him, then nothing's going to stop him. 00:10:35.880 --> 00:10:39.010 I want to know this Jesus and this beautiful verse. 00:10:39.420 --> 00:10:41.150 But then there's the second half of the verse. 00:10:42.400 --> 00:10:49.340 And this is the one that sometimes we can kind of mumble, if you know, this passage of scripture, you're probably really strong at quoting the first half, but then the second half of this. 00:10:50.040 --> 00:10:51.710 And participating in sufferings. 00:10:53.140 --> 00:10:57.750 Becoming like him in his death, it's just you just kind of we just kind of muddle through that very quickly. 00:10:57.880 --> 00:10:59.180 Participating suffers kind of like one death. 00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:02.010 But I want to know him in the power of his resurrection. 00:11:03.620 --> 00:11:06.640 But here's what's important about this passage. 00:11:07.780 --> 00:11:10.700 And this becomes significant for us as we look at the. 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:12.270 Rest of this section and second Corinthians. 00:11:13.560 --> 00:11:19.650 Because if we don't hear what Paul is saying appropriately, we're going to run the risk of promoting. 00:11:20.180 --> 00:11:24.960 Religious moralism and our pursuit of what Paul is calling us to in this section of Scripture. 00:11:26.300 --> 00:11:32.240 And what I want us to recognize that, yes, Paul is talking about participating in sufferings, becoming like Jesus in his death. 00:11:34.020 --> 00:11:38.060 But it's not in order to receive God's love, but it's because. 00:11:38.180 --> 00:11:40.340 He's already discovered God's love in Christ. 00:11:41.260 --> 00:11:46.100 And what I mean by that is this is a natural outflowing of the depth of his relationship with. 00:11:46.540 --> 00:11:47.480 Jesus. 00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:53.780 As he as he comes to understand the greatness of who God is and God's incredible grace that He has poured out on His life. 00:11:54.620 --> 00:12:01.970 Paul's life then becomes compelled to share this with others because Paul has found the grace of God and He knows how much it's transformed his him. 00:12:02.040 --> 00:12:03.820 And He wants other people to experience it too. 00:12:05.460 --> 00:12:12.460 And Paul, if you've done our yearly Bible reading, we've just gotten through the section in the Book of Acts, Chapter eight, Chapter nine, one, when 00:12:12.460 --> 00:12:14.580 Paul is coming to the stoning of Stephen. 00:12:15.920 --> 00:12:21.260 And it tells us in this passage, he is the one that leads the great birth of the persecution of the church in Jerusalem. 00:12:23.800 --> 00:12:25.450 To the point that he's willing to kill Christians. 00:12:25.900 --> 00:12:26.820 To stop their cause. 00:12:29.140 --> 00:12:33.260 And it was that Paul, whose life was radically transformed by the grace of God. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:37.260 As Christians went and ministered to him. 00:12:37.260 --> 00:12:38.610 The message of truth. 00:12:39.900 --> 00:12:45.220 And Paul, knowing how hard his heart was, continues to pursue other people who. 00:12:45.920 --> 00:12:47.760 Similarly to the apostle Paul. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:55.060 They kick in they scream and they fight and they even fight against other believers or believers to prohibit this message from 00:12:55.060 --> 00:12:55.640 going forth. 00:12:57.580 --> 00:13:01.660 But Paul, now that he has radically seen the grace of God in this life. 00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:08.720 And he knows how much God has poured out his life that Paul could find freedom in Jesus. 00:13:10.400 --> 00:13:12.770 He is willing to walk that road for the sake of others. 00:13:14.160 --> 00:13:17.260 He's willing to walk that road to glorify his king. 00:13:19.660 --> 00:13:26.820 This is not in order to receive God's love, but because He has discovered God's love in Christ as 00:13:26.820 --> 00:13:29.760 Christ has given His life for Paul. 00:13:29.760 --> 00:13:35.360 And because of that, Paul wants to share in the sufferings of others may find his freedom to. 00:13:36.880 --> 00:13:41.800 And, the Christian journey, God, God didn't beat around the bush. 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:46.390 In describing to us the type of sacrifice that could be involved with this people. 00:13:47.560 --> 00:13:53.400 In fact, Jesus said to us in Matthew, chapter 16, verse 24, If anyone wishes to follow me, he must deny himself. 00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:57.130 Take up his cross and follow me. 00:13:58.030 --> 00:13:59.390 That's a path of sacrifice. 00:14:00.760 --> 00:14:07.740 And that's a path that we would only we would only live faithfully less if our life is filled up by the grace of God. 00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:15.000 And we reflect on how wonderful it is to know the glory of this God, as He has made Himself known in such a personal way to bring us 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:16.880 freedom by giving his very life for us. 00:14:19.800 --> 00:14:27.530 Or in first Timothy, chapter three, verse 12, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ, Jesus will be persecuted. 00:14:28.540 --> 00:14:30.700 And so Paul in verse four, then he says it like this. 00:14:32.460 --> 00:14:33.360 But as servants of God. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:39.040 We commend ourselves in every way by great endurance. 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:46.210 And then Paul goes on to list areas of his life that he has demonstrated endurance. 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:54.360 So he's saying to us, look, if you don't want to take the grace of God in vain and you really want to live for the glory of God here. 00:14:54.940 --> 00:14:56.400 Here's where this road could lead you. 00:14:57.940 --> 00:15:00.960 And most likely here where this here's where this road will lead you. 00:15:02.020 --> 00:15:09.620 But here he starts with this sort of perspective that we need to take in and being willing to walk this road as we become 00:15:09.620 --> 00:15:12.460 known to the to the Lord and we know him. 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:17.340 And the grace of God fills our life, and the love of God compels us to live in this world. 00:15:17.400 --> 00:15:19.570 And he says, we need great we need great endurance. 00:15:20.900 --> 00:15:24.020 Look, we're not just approaching this as a sprint, but this is a marathon. 00:15:25.300 --> 00:15:31.360 And it's one of the things we say as a church when someone wants to take on a ministry position here, one of the questions we ask, how committed are you? 00:15:33.220 --> 00:15:34.080 How committed are you? 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:39.740 And one of the illustrations that we use here as a church, I know this is going to sound insulting if you've not heard it before. 00:15:39.760 --> 00:15:41.280 Some of you are familiar with this. 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:42.920 But are you a chicken or are you a pig? 00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:44.520 That's all we ask. 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:45.790 Are you a chicken or are you a pig? 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:52.360 And we simply say it like this, that a chicken on a farm, it can lay an egg and move on. 00:15:54.300 --> 00:15:55.450 For a pig to contribute. 00:15:57.490 --> 00:15:58.680 It's got to lay down its life. 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.600 When it comes to living for the Lord. 00:16:05.900 --> 00:16:07.110 Leading for the Lord. 00:16:07.900 --> 00:16:08.700 Being involved. 00:16:08.760 --> 00:16:09.180 In ministry. 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:10.120 Which are you? 00:16:12.280 --> 00:16:13.500 The chicken or the pig? 00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:15.680 And this is what Paul is saying here. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:23.500 This great endurance with this perspective in mind that whatever the road may be, my end goal is not about the peripheral 00:16:23.500 --> 00:16:27.470 of this road, but ultimately Jesus looking up to him, the author and perfector of my faith. 00:16:28.760 --> 00:16:29.960 And so then he begins to describe it. 00:16:29.980 --> 00:16:37.040 And when he describes what this road looks like, he breaks it down into clusters of words, these groupings of three words in three 00:16:37.040 --> 00:16:38.060 different sections. 00:16:38.060 --> 00:16:46.280 And this first road that he describes as simply a road that has difficulty in it, he's saying, look, and when I when I think about this greater endurance, there's 00:16:46.280 --> 00:16:47.680 certain things that are going to come with that. 00:16:47.700 --> 00:16:48.070 And it's difficult. 00:16:48.400 --> 00:16:50.590 Roads oftentimes there's going to be afflictions. 00:16:51.140 --> 00:16:54.230 There's going to be hardships and there's going to be calamity. 00:16:56.920 --> 00:16:57.980 And it's simply to say this. 00:17:00.180 --> 00:17:02.010 Are you willing to be uncomfortable for Jesus? 00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:06.130 What takes precedent in your life? 00:17:08.900 --> 00:17:10.040 Convenience or Christ. 00:17:12.520 --> 00:17:13.510 Comforts for Jesus. 00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:21.180 Sometimes I think within Christianity we get lured by convenience and comfort as if it were God. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:28.510 Or are we really if we're being honest, we follow the God of convenience and comfort and we just peppered Jesus, his name on top. 00:17:30.080 --> 00:17:33.620 But the minute that faith starts to make me feel that way, we'll back away. 00:17:36.100 --> 00:17:43.240 And pulsing when Jesus becomes your absolute in life and your pursuit is just is to know him and to make him 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:43.540 know. 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:45.720 To live for his glory. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:51.960 You will allow yourselves to get uncomfortable for the cause of Christ. 00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:56.900 You'll face those difficulties because ultimately what you want to do is praise God. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:58.120 And I'm not telling you. 00:17:58.220 --> 00:17:58.860 I'm not telling you. 00:17:59.740 --> 00:18:02.300 If you really want to follow Jesus intensely, go make your life hard. 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:09.280 But I am saying that sometimes in pursuing Jesus, there is a difficult road to walk. 00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:18.620 But God calls us in this world to be a blessing to people around us, to till the earth and to multiply as God's God's people that when someone 00:18:18.620 --> 00:18:19.560 encounters. 00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:23.270 You, though, no matter how difficult the moment will be, and though they may not always. 00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:24.840 Agree with you when they walk away. 00:18:26.540 --> 00:18:30.800 You weren't a stumbling block to them, but you were literally the loving hands and feet of Christ. 00:18:33.040 --> 00:18:37.560 Pulsing with great endurance, then this cluster of words, words of difficulty, affliction, hardship and calamities. 00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:45.680 And not only that, this next, next cluster of words pulls saying, not only am I willing to go through difficulties, I'm also willing to go through mistreatment. 00:18:48.180 --> 00:18:55.400 And this is a little counterintuitive to the American dream, because for us, at the end of the day, what matters 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:56.780 most to us is us. 00:18:58.540 --> 00:19:03.900 And but Paul is saying in verse five, he's saying, I'm willing to go through beatings, imprisonments and riots. 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:06.740 If. 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:10.830 By doing so, it would glorify the Lord. 00:19:11.620 --> 00:19:17.200 And one of the things I found impressive, even in the Apostle Paul story, not just these aren't just words on a page for the Apostle Paul. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:20.760 His life demonstrated this like in the Book of Acts in Chapter 16. 00:19:21.040 --> 00:19:23.000 This is when Paul went to Philip II. 00:19:23.280 --> 00:19:29.260 He went to Philip II and he made some rich people mad because of the gospel that he had proclaimed had set lady free. 00:19:29.260 --> 00:19:33.360 And by setting this lady free, it made these rich people not be quite as rich. 00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:39.760 And they got ticked and they got Paul in trouble, and Paul got thrown in jail and Paul got beat before he got thrown in jail. 00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:44.370 But there was one problem with beating Paul before he got thrown in jail was that Paul was a Roman citizen. 00:19:44.760 --> 00:19:46.000 Paul and Silas traveling at this time. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:50.800 They were Roman citizens and they were guaranteed as Roman citizens due process in the court of law. 00:19:50.820 --> 00:19:54.680 And not to give that to them was to break the law of what. 00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:56.080 Citizenship meant in Rome. 00:19:57.520 --> 00:19:58.780 And there was justice to pay. 00:20:00.460 --> 00:20:03.700 And Paul and Silas found themselves in a jail in Philippi. 00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:08.920 And they decided to release Paul and Silas and Paul and Silas knowing. 00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:11.060 That they had violated the very law against them. 00:20:11.060 --> 00:20:17.120 Paul and Silas, they endured the beating, even though and in those moments, they could have said, we're Roman citizens, you can't beat us like this. 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:24.460 They went ahead and endured the beating because they understood that it would give them leverage with the governing authorities in that region to always be able to 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:27.120 go back to Philippi and to be able to promote the gospel freely. 00:20:28.840 --> 00:20:33.280 And so they endured it for the sake of the Gospel Acts, chapter 16, verse 37. 00:20:33.280 --> 00:20:39.900 But Paul said to them, they have beaten us publicly condemned men who are Roman citizens and have thrown us in a prison. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:41.810 And do they now throw us out secretly? 00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:42.480 No. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:44.380 Let them come themselves and take us out. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:49.100 The police reported these words to the magistrates and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:52.360 So they came and apologised to them and they took them out. 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:54.060 And asked them to leave the city. 00:20:54.420 --> 00:20:55.320 So they went out. 00:20:55.520 --> 00:20:58.440 Of the prison and visited Lydia and when they. 00:20:58.440 --> 00:21:00.860 Had sent the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:04.160 Paul recognized. 00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:10.940 Enduring that suffering was going to give them incredible advantage for the gospel in that community. 00:21:12.340 --> 00:21:12.820 So what did they do? 00:21:14.340 --> 00:21:15.540 They sacrifice convenience. 00:21:16.520 --> 00:21:17.060 Or excuse me. 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:20.080 They let go of convenience in order to follow Christ. 00:21:22.620 --> 00:21:25.360 For the sake of his name as ambassadors in Christ. 00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:30.960 They didn't want to take the grace of God in vain, but wanted the opportunity to proclaim Jesus. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.660 Am I willing to go where God leads? 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:36.650 And then category number three, in these last three verses, he says this. 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:39.200 He labors. 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:42.780 He has sleepless nights and he hungers. 00:21:44.700 --> 00:21:47.600 These are words of devotion to Christ. 00:21:49.260 --> 00:21:52.500 He's willing to take temporary displeasure. 00:21:54.060 --> 00:21:55.160 In order to make Chrysler. 00:21:57.360 --> 00:21:59.400 Labor a little extra that day. 00:22:00.600 --> 00:22:07.080 Spend a little time, maybe at night someone comes in and as he's worked all day and he's he is dead tired and he just wants to go to bed. 00:22:07.620 --> 00:22:10.900 But it was at 9:00 at night, someone came up and said, Can you tell me about Jesus? 00:22:12.560 --> 00:22:16.200 So he stays till the wee hours of the morning proclaiming Christ to a family. 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:21.450 Even to the point that he's willing to forgo his dinner that evening just to share Christ. 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:28.120 Am I willing to go where God leads? 00:22:29.580 --> 00:22:30.640 I'm not telling you. 00:22:30.660 --> 00:22:32.240 Sell your house and move to Africa. 00:22:33.900 --> 00:22:34.360 But I'm. 00:22:34.360 --> 00:22:35.540 Saying with all of us, God. 00:22:35.540 --> 00:22:38.050 Has given us a certain area to be responsible for. 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:40.960 And in that area that we're responsible for, we have relationships. 00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:44.550 We have friendships with people that we interact with every day. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:49.270 How well are you following God's lead to direct those with you to Christ? 00:22:51.140 --> 00:22:51.830 You got a family? 00:22:53.740 --> 00:22:54.870 Are you going with Jesus? 00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:56.240 And are you leading that family? 00:22:58.280 --> 00:22:59.100 Your friends. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:07.020 What kind of influence are you being upon them or you are you taking the opportunity to lead them in Christ or are they leading 00:23:07.020 --> 00:23:07.180 you? 00:23:10.080 --> 00:23:13.000 Am I willing to go where God leads? 00:23:13.300 --> 00:23:18.600 I know sometimes we look at these kind of words and we ask the question, well. 00:23:19.060 --> 00:23:20.580 Does that mean I need to be a doormat? 00:23:22.900 --> 00:23:23.420 For people to. 00:23:23.840 --> 00:23:30.360 Simply take an to take advantage of or is Paul becoming a doormat for people to just walk over? 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:31.600 How did he do it? 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:34.110 How did he. 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:37.600 Endure this kind of circumstance in order to promote Christ? 00:23:37.660 --> 00:23:43.060 He's going to he's really going to tell us how he was able to endure in these situations and verse six and seven. 00:23:43.060 --> 00:23:50.280 But I want to I want us to think for a minute that in these sections, Paul is not saying, look, go out in this life and just let people abuse 00:23:50.280 --> 00:23:50.440 you. 00:23:50.860 --> 00:23:51.810 Just let him beat you up. 00:23:51.940 --> 00:23:53.440 Just, just let people take advantage. 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:54.740 That's not what Paul's promoting here. 00:23:54.800 --> 00:23:55.910 Paul is saying, look, I'm being intentional. 00:23:57.980 --> 00:24:05.280 He's not just saying, look, let people take advantage of it just so people can take advantage of you saying, if I could figure out in a circumstance where my inconvenience would 00:24:05.280 --> 00:24:08.460 become convenient for the sake of the Gospel, I was willing to walk that road. 00:24:09.820 --> 00:24:12.840 Now Paul's saying, look, I showed up to Philip II and just let people punch me in the face. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:14.960 Just so I could say people hit me. 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:15.200 Right. 00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:16.090 That's not his objective. 00:24:16.320 --> 00:24:23.480 His objective is he looked at the moment he realised by enduring what he was about to endure, that it would give them huge opportunity to 00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:25.940 proclaim Christ with freedom in the town of Philippi. 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:27.940 So he was willing to endure that for the sake of the Gospel. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:30.320 If he could understand how that moment. 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:32.900 Would elevate Christ. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:36.180 He was willing to do it. 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:40.760 So for you and Frye, it's not to simply say, let's let people just hurt us. 00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:48.500 But it's to say in the circumstance, God provides work and allow myself to be more inconvenienced. 00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:52.210 To become uncomfortable. 00:24:54.380 --> 00:24:55.480 To let Christ be made known. 00:24:58.480 --> 00:24:59.260 Do you challenge yourself? 00:25:02.300 --> 00:25:04.410 Does your Christian faith feel challenged? 00:25:05.980 --> 00:25:08.560 Have you taken the opportunity to share Jesus? 00:25:09.840 --> 00:25:11.920 It's one of the things I love about being a part. 00:25:11.940 --> 00:25:18.490 Of a community, because as a community, when we make this our objective, we can do so much more together for the cause of Christ. 00:25:19.360 --> 00:25:20.800 Now I think about as a church. 00:25:20.820 --> 00:25:26.700 Even this year, one of the things that I think I'll wear is as a as a badge of honor and thankfulness. 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:28.700 And being a part of this community is to know. 00:25:28.780 --> 00:25:35.640 Earlier this year, we purchased a religious building from a radical group that was training. 00:25:35.720 --> 00:25:36.840 Children to. 00:25:38.280 --> 00:25:39.140 Blow themselves up. 00:25:40.820 --> 00:25:41.580 And we. 00:25:41.580 --> 00:25:44.850 Bought that facility from that religious group and we gave it to a Christian organization. 00:25:46.360 --> 00:25:49.280 To proclaim the goodness of who Jesus was that people could find freedom in him. 00:25:49.900 --> 00:25:54.740 That is incredible that we did this or even this past week, like this past week. 00:25:54.940 --> 00:26:01.200 Some of you know, we didn't publicly broadcast this, but we had we had groups from all over the United States here at our church all week long. 00:26:01.540 --> 00:26:03.860 And we were training them in certain things and they were just being. 00:26:04.020 --> 00:26:04.630 Exposed to Utah. 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:07.040 We had at least seven different states here, people from Mississippi. 00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:09.100 Shane's here still this morning. 00:26:09.420 --> 00:26:15.420 But Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado. 00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:19.760 So we came and served this past week just going out throughout communities. 00:26:19.800 --> 00:26:20.910 We sent we sent those groups. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:25.580 We taught them how to reach Utah and then sent them to churches throughout the state to go minister. 00:26:25.620 --> 00:26:32.640 So without even in some of us realizing it, you were a big part of encouraging by having this place for us to gather, a big part of it encouraging 00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:34.460 churches all over the state of Utah. 00:26:36.260 --> 00:26:37.280 For some of you that were a part of. 00:26:37.300 --> 00:26:38.800 Our food pantry this past week. 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:41.900 I mean, every week in our church, we a minimum of. 00:26:41.900 --> 00:26:46.800 100 people were sharing the love of Christ with praying for them, talking to them about the Lord. 00:26:49.060 --> 00:26:50.260 How uncomfortable. 00:26:52.100 --> 00:26:53.680 Are you willing to get for the sake of the gospel? 00:26:54.420 --> 00:26:54.920 Question number two. 00:26:57.840 --> 00:26:59.980 Does my character reflect Christ? 00:27:01.760 --> 00:27:05.260 Or maybe we say Christ character does my character reflect Christ character? 00:27:05.620 --> 00:27:08.480 And in parentheses here, especially in adversity. 00:27:10.040 --> 00:27:13.180 And we could ask maybe the flip of that is where. 00:27:13.600 --> 00:27:14.060 Is my character? 00:27:14.560 --> 00:27:15.950 Not like Christ. 00:27:16.860 --> 00:27:18.430 Where right now can you identify that. 00:27:18.440 --> 00:27:21.300 You're you don't represent Jesus well? 00:27:21.300 --> 00:27:21.940 Where are you struggling? 00:27:24.520 --> 00:27:25.020 Paul. 00:27:25.020 --> 00:27:32.100 He's saying to us in this next few verses, he was able to go where God called him to go because he had surrendered to be who God had 00:27:32.260 --> 00:27:33.590 called him to be. 00:27:35.340 --> 00:27:37.180 And I want us to recognize and look at this. 00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:39.480 This is we're not promoting moralism here. 00:27:39.520 --> 00:27:42.800 We're promoting knowing Jesus and fully surrendering your life to him. 00:27:42.800 --> 00:27:47.740 And the outworking of that as Christ fills you up is that the character of God would reflect in your life. 00:27:47.800 --> 00:27:52.650 Because as you're surrendered to Jesus, you start to be conformed into his image. 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:57.160 Jesus starts to mold his image in you, and when you walk in this earth, you look like Christ. 00:27:57.500 --> 00:27:57.890 To the world. 00:27:59.800 --> 00:28:02.800 Does my character reflect? 00:28:04.140 --> 00:28:09.760 Christ's character, Paul, in this section, he gives us some. 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:17.160 Some words to think about, and he clusters these in groups of two as we consider our own life in light of Jesus am I when 00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:23.480 we make when we make our life about these words, when we when our being wants to be about. 00:28:23.780 --> 00:28:24.740 This posture. 00:28:25.780 --> 00:28:32.800 Then no matter where we go in this world and no matter where the road leads, what we emulate, whether it's a difficult time or an easy time, is Christ 00:28:32.800 --> 00:28:35.160 made known in our and our lives, in us and through us. 00:28:35.180 --> 00:28:36.220 And Paul says it like this. 00:28:38.020 --> 00:28:39.740 He walked by purity and knowledge. 00:28:42.320 --> 00:28:43.100 Purity means. 00:28:43.100 --> 00:28:44.460 His heart was given fully. 00:28:44.460 --> 00:28:51.720 Over to the Lord, and knowledge means with wise understanding of how to represent Jesus as He went along. 00:28:53.040 --> 00:28:54.470 First, Paul says, in order. 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:55.690 In all of those. 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:58.160 Battles that he faced, he described to us in the previous verses. 00:28:59.240 --> 00:29:01.620 In order to do that, it's important to recognize his posture. 00:29:03.540 --> 00:29:05.240 Was pure in its pursuit to Jesus. 00:29:05.380 --> 00:29:06.240 It was given to Christ alone. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:12.240 And with the knowledge of Christ, he would see the world as Christ sees the world. 00:29:12.600 --> 00:29:13.180 He knows. 00:29:13.220 --> 00:29:15.140 The truth of God that he could. 00:29:15.320 --> 00:29:19.180 See the things and the needs of this world as Jesus would see this world. 00:29:19.180 --> 00:29:20.920 One of my favorite lines in. 00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:24.860 A worship song is from the song Whose Hosanna Gets Me Every Time. 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:25.760 Every time we sing it. 00:29:26.900 --> 00:29:28.950 God break my heart for what breaks yours. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:30.950 Everything I am for your kingdoms calls. 00:29:32.920 --> 00:29:33.920 Purity and knowledge. 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:38.960 To look upon the soul of another individual and to see them as Jesus would see them. 00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:41.650 Policy no matter the circumstance. 00:29:42.080 --> 00:29:49.220 Because of that, I don't want to Christ be made known even to my enemies that they could find freedom because at one point I was the enemy 00:29:49.220 --> 00:29:50.370 of Christ. 00:29:51.060 --> 00:29:55.620 Does my character reflect Christ's character? 00:29:55.820 --> 00:29:59.400 Some people describe it like this, that Jesus gets first priority. 00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:04.300 And everything, and then everyone else gets second, third and fourth, and they might just say, family second. 00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:05.280 Job third. 00:30:05.280 --> 00:30:05.580 You know what? 00:30:05.840 --> 00:30:08.340 What our church and family or I don't know how you break it down. 00:30:08.360 --> 00:30:09.540 They'll just kind of rank their life. 00:30:09.540 --> 00:30:12.100 And rather than do that, I think it's better to say it like. 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:15.000 This that Jesus becomes the center of everything. 00:30:16.180 --> 00:30:18.600 And out of that, the outworking of all of my relationships. 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:22.680 There are certain priorities to my relationship, like wife and family. 00:30:23.060 --> 00:30:25.220 It takes first priority, but. 00:30:25.320 --> 00:30:29.380 But out of my relationship with Jesus, who is central. 00:30:29.900 --> 00:30:33.030 All all that come in contact with me should be blessed through that. 00:30:34.440 --> 00:30:35.420 So there's purity and knowledge. 00:30:35.420 --> 00:30:37.770 Second is this is patience and kindness. 00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:39.400 Patience and kindness. 00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:42.840 Patience is kind of a reactive word and kindness is kind of a proactive word. 00:30:42.840 --> 00:30:44.170 But these two go hand in hand. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:48.680 There's this patience towards people that need the extra patience. 00:30:48.700 --> 00:30:55.900 And then I bring about kindness towards them that they could find the love of Christ in my life and through my life and the truth of who Jesus 00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:56.240 is. 00:30:56.300 --> 00:30:56.860 So there's this. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:57.920 This patience and kindness. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:59.100 Can I just let you in on a little secret? 00:31:01.760 --> 00:31:02.740 When I get what I want. 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:05.200 Right when I want it. 00:31:06.060 --> 00:31:08.020 I am the most patient person in the world. 00:31:10.980 --> 00:31:13.560 When everyone does what I want them to do, I'm full. 00:31:13.560 --> 00:31:15.340 Of it when no one else is ever around. 00:31:16.020 --> 00:31:16.760 I am incredibly patient. 00:31:19.700 --> 00:31:22.860 But Paul is saying these words in the midst of the difficulty he's facing. 00:31:25.280 --> 00:31:26.200 In the middle of the riots. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:28.570 In the middle of the imprisonments. 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:31.070 He was patient. 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:36.500 And not only was he patient, he was also kind. 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:40.020 Because he knew what that heart needed. 00:31:41.380 --> 00:31:47.810 And if he respond with vengeance towards those that were reacting negatively towards him, they would never have hurt his message. 00:31:48.860 --> 00:31:52.580 So I'll say in this passage, does my character reflects Christ's character? 00:31:52.580 --> 00:31:55.640 Not not just when it's convenient to be patient. 00:31:56.820 --> 00:31:57.920 But when you're in the midst of adversity. 00:32:00.080 --> 00:32:02.580 How well do you represent Jesus? 00:32:02.600 --> 00:32:09.590 And I want you to know, if you read this word of patience and kindness and we're just kind of honest with ourselves, everyone struggles with patience. 00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:13.210 And we could feel the guilt of that and say, Oh, man, I've got to try harder. 00:32:13.360 --> 00:32:13.820 At being patient. 00:32:14.080 --> 00:32:16.920 Can I tell you the answer to being more patient is not try harder. 00:32:17.420 --> 00:32:18.200 To being patient. 00:32:18.500 --> 00:32:23.900 It's to recognize in your life that if you aren't patient, there's an area of your life you're not fully surrendered to Christ. 00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:27.420 And so he goes on further and he says this then. 00:32:28.380 --> 00:32:29.620 Through the Holy Spirit and. 00:32:29.940 --> 00:32:30.500 Genuine love. 00:32:31.780 --> 00:32:32.260 I love that. 00:32:32.260 --> 00:32:34.070 It's to say, the fruit of the spirits, Lovejoy. 00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:35.280 Peace, patience, kindness. 00:32:35.300 --> 00:32:35.460 Right? 00:32:36.380 --> 00:32:38.080 Love, peace, patience, kindness. 00:32:38.330 --> 00:32:40.580 It's there in the fruit of the spirit. 00:32:40.580 --> 00:32:47.600 And so as to help us realize that if there's an area of my life that I'm struggling to let Jesus be made known, it's communicating to me that there's an area of my life that 00:32:47.600 --> 00:32:48.640 have not fully surrendered to God. 00:32:48.740 --> 00:32:52.680 So I need to be asking the question, why am I holding on to this rather than give it to Jesus? 00:32:55.030 --> 00:32:56.280 And then it refers to it here. 00:32:56.880 --> 00:32:58.040 There's this genuine love. 00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:02.540 Everyone loves when it's convenient to love. 00:33:03.260 --> 00:33:05.120 Everyone loves when it's easy to love. 00:33:06.340 --> 00:33:08.760 It's Jesus who loved us in our sin. 00:33:09.380 --> 00:33:09.720 And it's the. 00:33:09.940 --> 00:33:12.260 Christian that's called to do the same thing. 00:33:12.320 --> 00:33:16.220 And we're only ever going to have the strength to do that as our hearts are surrendered to Christ. 00:33:16.300 --> 00:33:20.520 And we know we know the greatness of His grace that met us in our lives, in the midst of our sin. 00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:25.100 Does my character reflect Christ? 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:29.940 And then he says this by truthful speech and the power of God. 00:33:30.140 --> 00:33:32.360 I love how he's coupled those two terms together, because. 00:33:32.980 --> 00:33:34.930 Sometimes in life, when we understand what the truth. 00:33:35.060 --> 00:33:41.040 Is, we will leverage that as a tool to abuse people, and we will become People's Holy Spirit. 00:33:42.460 --> 00:33:49.540 Accept my message and we'll try to railroad people to embrace what we proclaim because we feel like it's so important and we're there to convict them. 00:33:49.660 --> 00:33:50.610 And it's not up to us. 00:33:52.120 --> 00:33:59.200 But we take the truth of God's word and a compassionate way, relying on the power of God to transform lives. 00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:01.780 It's not us. 00:34:03.060 --> 00:34:09.380 And so we pepper our conversations with people, with gospel centric conversations. 00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:17.330 You don't go into this world and preach the gospel and expect everyone just to immediately be saved in Jesus, but rather you can pepper the Gospel of Christ throughout. 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:21.560 You have gospel conversations with people and how God's working in your life and the truths that you've learned. 00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:22.420 You don't have to be an expert. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:30.340 Like you can literally open up your Bible and realize you don't know all of this, but you might know a verse and it might impact you. 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:35.260 And you can just share that with somebody and they can ask you a question and be like, I don't know, I've only just started this journey. 00:34:35.260 --> 00:34:36.320 I've just read one verse. 00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:37.150 I just thought it was awesome. 00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:38.000 I wanted to share it with you. 00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:39.840 I'll go ask you a question you don't know. 00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:40.949 You can go learn that later. 00:34:42.620 --> 00:34:43.560 You know, it has to be the expert. 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:46.960 You just take the truth of God as you've learned it and share it. 00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:50.090 And then he says this with weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left. 00:34:51.080 --> 00:34:53.060 Typically, the left hand was used for a shield. 00:34:53.060 --> 00:34:54.480 The right hand was used for fighting. 00:34:55.139 --> 00:35:02.200 But I want you to know that Paul is not thinking and go beat people up here to he's saying rather the war that we rage 00:35:02.200 --> 00:35:05.480 against and fight against is a spiritual battle for the souls of people. 00:35:05.680 --> 00:35:06.870 We don't fight people. 00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:09.160 We fight for people. 00:35:11.080 --> 00:35:13.120 But they could find the freedom of Christ to pull saying this. 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:14.270 This has an ambassador. 00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:15.620 This was my pursuit. 00:35:15.620 --> 00:35:19.380 I was sent by my king to bring freedom to people who are in bondage. 00:35:20.060 --> 00:35:21.140 And I labored. 00:35:21.140 --> 00:35:26.630 For this and I warred for this, that they may find the truth of who God was, just as I did, knowing that I was held captive. 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:31.220 And this is the way I walked my life, knowing that the road wasn't always going to be easy to walk. 00:35:31.820 --> 00:35:38.100 I walked with this posture in mind so that I would represent Jesus no matter the circumstances. 00:35:38.160 --> 00:35:39.330 So we can ask Paul then. 00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:42.750 Paul, what kind of results did you see? 00:35:44.460 --> 00:35:47.320 What kind of results did you discover in poll would answer the question like this? 00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:50.420 He would say, Well, it depends on from whose perspective you're looking at it. 00:35:51.760 --> 00:35:53.240 And this becomes the third question. 00:35:54.020 --> 00:36:01.140 In your notes, let me ask this and I'll talk about perspective is has this and my compromising my faith for the temporal or living 00:36:01.140 --> 00:36:02.120 for the eternal? 00:36:03.600 --> 00:36:07.060 Am I compromising my faith for the temple or am I living for the eternal? 00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:09.600 And Paul, he says this. 00:36:11.200 --> 00:36:12.820 Through honor and dishonor. 00:36:13.980 --> 00:36:16.420 And through slander and praise. 00:36:19.560 --> 00:36:24.540 Depending on whose perspective you're viewing Paul's life, you might give a different report of who he is. 00:36:24.600 --> 00:36:31.740 In fact, the reason Paul is truly presenting this case before the Corinthians is because Paul is being accused by these super 00:36:31.740 --> 00:36:34.960 apostles in his church that Paul isn't that great of a Christian. 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:37.720 And that they need to follow the. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:41.620 Super Apostles leadership rather than the Apostle Paul, and they can continue to diminish him. 00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:43.740 They say, look at Paul, look what he's gone through. 00:36:43.960 --> 00:36:45.440 He's been beaten, he's been in prison, he's been. 00:36:45.600 --> 00:36:48.440 Hungry, and the guy can barely hold it together and barely walk now. 00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:49.300 Because of everything he's going through. 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:50.140 Do you want to be like Paul? 00:36:52.080 --> 00:36:56.480 And Paul's saying, but my life has been nothing about the beauty of Christ and making him known. 00:36:57.420 --> 00:36:58.800 I'm I here to impress you with who I am. 00:36:58.980 --> 00:37:06.080 And so if you're going to examine the results of my life, it really depends on whose perspective you're looking for from people who live for the temporal things of 00:37:06.080 --> 00:37:06.600 this world. 00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:09.980 For people who live for the eternal things of God. 00:37:10.340 --> 00:37:12.590 And he lists these words from both of those perspectives. 00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:17.520 And so from that point of view in Christ, yes, what he's what he's done is full of honor. 00:37:19.060 --> 00:37:20.790 But the people of this world, they may look at them with dishonor. 00:37:22.360 --> 00:37:22.940 People of this world. 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:23.660 They may slander him. 00:37:25.560 --> 00:37:27.110 But those that live for the Lord, they praise. 00:37:27.700 --> 00:37:29.910 What God's doing through the Apostle Paul. 00:37:30.060 --> 00:37:32.170 We are treated as imposters in this world. 00:37:33.540 --> 00:37:34.900 Before Christ, he's walking. 00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:35.060 In truth. 00:37:36.220 --> 00:37:38.550 Other people may treat him as nobody unknown. 00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:40.560 And yet in Christ, he is fully. 00:37:42.860 --> 00:37:47.620 Somebody look at him and see he's walking a road of death, but he finds himself in Jesus completely alive. 00:37:49.180 --> 00:37:50.440 Some might see his life as punished. 00:37:50.540 --> 00:37:51.090 But Paul knows. 00:37:51.320 --> 00:37:52.700 Yeah, but you can't stop him. 00:37:52.740 --> 00:37:52.840 He's. 00:37:53.140 --> 00:37:54.310 He's not able to be killed. 00:37:54.340 --> 00:37:55.920 His life as eternal in Christ. 00:37:57.460 --> 00:38:01.640 It's horrible and some perspectives from what he's lost in this world. 00:38:01.900 --> 00:38:03.060 But yeah, he is fully rejoicing. 00:38:03.560 --> 00:38:05.550 Because he knows everything that he has in Christ. 00:38:06.820 --> 00:38:08.500 Yet making many rich. 00:38:09.780 --> 00:38:12.520 In Jesus yet is having nothing from a worldly perspective. 00:38:13.140 --> 00:38:17.900 He knows He possesses everything in Christ. 00:38:18.700 --> 00:38:21.460 He may have given up the things of wealth in this world. 00:38:23.300 --> 00:38:28.360 But in Christ, he is completely rich and blessed because he has that relationship with Jesus forever. 00:38:29.200 --> 00:38:33.160 And as Ephesians one describes, we have all that we need in Christ Jesus. 00:38:37.260 --> 00:38:40.500 Do I take the grace of God in vain? 00:38:43.020 --> 00:38:46.160 Or am I challenging myself to really live it to the fullest? 00:38:48.100 --> 00:38:54.440 Do I really see that position that God has gifted me with as his ambassador to proclaim his name in this world? 00:38:54.520 --> 00:38:58.320 Or do I just live for convenience and comfort and throw Christ's name on top? 00:39:00.180 --> 00:39:01.620 It's a challenging message, isn't it? 00:39:03.640 --> 00:39:10.260 But the only way that really is birthed in our life is that verse that Paul, Paul mentioned to us Philippians chapter three, verse ten. 00:39:10.280 --> 00:39:17.380 It's driven not by moralism, not by guilt, but by your own relationship in Christ, as he has made himself known in your 00:39:17.380 --> 00:39:17.680 life. 00:39:17.900 --> 00:39:19.320 And you have allowed your soul to be. 00:39:19.520 --> 00:39:21.930 Lavished in his graceful presence. 00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:25.310 That others may find that freedom to. 00:39:26.460 --> 00:39:30.420 Let me give you a few illustrations of maybe some practical out workings in our lives as we think. 00:39:30.420 --> 00:39:31.860 About living this out. 00:39:32.380 --> 00:39:35.340 There was a famous man, Bertoldo de Giovanni. 00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:37.120 Rolls off the tongue. 00:39:37.220 --> 00:39:40.180 Bertoldo di Giovanni, 15th century artist. 00:39:41.020 --> 00:39:44.700 He was taught by Donatello, and he was the teacher of Michelangelo. 00:39:45.860 --> 00:39:48.060 And I know when you guys hear that, you immediately start thinking way. 00:39:48.060 --> 00:39:53.060 I've never I've never been told about Bertoldo and my Ninja Turtles because you know how it goes. 00:39:53.080 --> 00:39:56.740 You've got Michelangelo and you've got Donatello. 00:39:56.740 --> 00:39:57.980 But Leonardo and Raphael. 00:39:57.980 --> 00:39:58.720 How does that sneak in? 00:39:58.720 --> 00:39:59.280 It should be. 00:39:59.740 --> 00:40:02.140 It should be Donatello, Bertoldo and Michelangelo. 00:40:02.140 --> 00:40:03.960 You have been ripped off from your childhood. 00:40:04.160 --> 00:40:05.080 So familiar that way. 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:11.380 But Bertoldo Bertoldo taught Michelangelo and at 14 years old, had him as a student. 00:40:13.020 --> 00:40:14.660 And Bertoldo knew that. 00:40:14.780 --> 00:40:18.460 Sometimes talented people coast, they tend to coast sometimes on their talent. 00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:22.240 And one day Bartolo walked. 00:40:22.540 --> 00:40:27.720 Into a room and he saw Michelangelo working on a sculpture that was far below his talent. 00:40:29.080 --> 00:40:33.900 And he grabbed a hammer and he stormed over to Michelangelo and he and he crushed the sculpture. 00:40:35.360 --> 00:40:36.000 And he said this. 00:40:37.220 --> 00:40:37.860 Michelangelo. 00:40:38.860 --> 00:40:39.340 Talent is cheap. 00:40:40.780 --> 00:40:42.360 But dedication is costly. 00:40:44.640 --> 00:40:48.120 You think without a teacher like that, to challenge you? 00:40:49.700 --> 00:40:51.960 Would you have things like the Sistine Chapel today? 00:40:54.060 --> 00:40:56.690 The great works of art that came through the hand of Michelangelo. 00:40:58.720 --> 00:41:03.200 And I think the same thing about us that we're created in Christ Jesus and Ephesians. 00:41:04.380 --> 00:41:04.940 Chapter two, verse ten for good works. 00:41:06.440 --> 00:41:13.760 And the illustration, if he's in Chapter ten, Chapter two, verse ten is the picture of an artist given a great canvas 00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:14.830 to paint. 00:41:16.120 --> 00:41:16.260 Okay. 00:41:16.260 --> 00:41:18.540 God wants you to make something beautiful with your life. 00:41:19.680 --> 00:41:22.480 Because God is making something beautiful in you with his life. 00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:26.580 And the way that's made known is not to. 00:41:26.660 --> 00:41:30.320 Walk in the places of comfort and convenience, but to see your life challenged and Christ. 00:41:31.860 --> 00:41:35.320 If I sell like this, challenge yourself not to take the grace of God in vain. 00:41:35.660 --> 00:41:38.390 But to make something beautiful in Jesus name. 00:41:40.120 --> 00:41:41.590 That's what Paul's saying here. 00:41:42.740 --> 00:41:43.830 Don't lay down a bond. 00:41:45.300 --> 00:41:47.860 Let God work through you to hit some home runs. 00:41:49.180 --> 00:41:56.340 Where have you just kind of gotten relaxed in the Christian life and just kind of coasting along on your talent rather rather than really seeing what 00:41:56.340 --> 00:41:58.060 God wants to do in you and through. 00:41:59.960 --> 00:42:02.240 I think the great David Livingston, who. 00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:04.320 Has also a mustache worth. 00:42:04.540 --> 00:42:05.200 Bragging about. 00:42:05.200 --> 00:42:11.960 But great, great Dave Livingston was a missionary to Africa and he walked some estimate some 29,000 miles. 00:42:11.960 --> 00:42:15.160 All over the continent of Africa, proclaiming the grace of God. 00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:21.060 And what he desired to know was this God, send me anywhere, only go with me. 00:42:22.260 --> 00:42:27.980 Like any burden on me, only sustain me, sever me from any tie. 00:42:27.980 --> 00:42:30.160 But the tie that binds me to your service. 00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:31.660 And to your heart. 00:42:32.900 --> 00:42:34.580 That's the beauty of this journey, isn't it? 00:42:35.300 --> 00:42:38.020 That has your life is challenged in that challenge. 00:42:38.920 --> 00:42:42.940 You get to find out if God fulfills his promises and walking with you. 00:42:43.040 --> 00:42:45.230 I mean, Jesus said, I am with you always. 00:42:45.260 --> 00:42:48.120 And that's what the Apostle Paul said, that I may know him. 00:42:50.140 --> 00:42:51.200 And the power of his resurrection. 00:42:52.160 --> 00:42:52.840 And look at this. 00:42:53.060 --> 00:42:56.750 And the fellowship of a suffering being made like him, even unto death. 00:42:57.580 --> 00:43:02.640 Paul saying, Not only do I want to know Jesus, I want to know the depth of Jesus, even in the hard things. 00:43:02.660 --> 00:43:07.080 I want to see God faithful to meet me there all the way to the point of death as I fellowship with him. 00:43:07.120 --> 00:43:09.080 Even in my suffering, to find that Christ. 00:43:09.500 --> 00:43:10.100 Sustains me. 00:43:12.420 --> 00:43:14.720 God, I am willing to go if you would go with me. 00:43:14.720 --> 00:43:17.920 And the promise of a scripture is that he was he's there. 00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:19.640 He's there. 00:43:19.640 --> 00:43:24.380 My heart my heart is often challenged when I when I encounter Christians going through difficult things. 00:43:24.740 --> 00:43:29.100 Our tendency is people when you find people going through hard things is try to help them immediately figure out how to make it. 00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:29.920 Convenient and easy. 00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:35.840 And some of us are trying to walk with Jesus in this area that we live in to follow after Christ. 00:43:35.960 --> 00:43:36.940 It comes with extreme sacrifice. 00:43:37.260 --> 00:43:44.280 But at the same time, I think that if Christians sustain, sustain where they are and just represent Christ where they are, the potential 00:43:44.280 --> 00:43:49.800 and opportunity that Jesus has given us that not only do we find him faithful in our lives, but to use that platform to. 00:43:49.800 --> 00:43:50.840 Share Christ with others. 00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:51.700 There's incredible opportunity. 00:43:54.560 --> 00:43:55.480 I'll end with this one. 00:43:55.920 --> 00:43:56.540 A couple of heroes. 00:44:00.560 --> 00:44:01.820 God does a beautiful work. 00:44:03.800 --> 00:44:04.300 If we're just willing. 00:44:06.460 --> 00:44:08.240 To not take the grace of God in vain. 00:44:09.560 --> 00:44:10.880 But to live for him in Jesus name. 00:44:12.620 --> 00:44:16.930 A couple of people that we as a church support have love had visited. 00:44:17.780 --> 00:44:20.720 One is Joseph Thomas on your right in India. 00:44:20.720 --> 00:44:23.040 The other is Peter Sayoc. 00:44:23.180 --> 00:44:25.440 Chiyangwa doesn't get any more African than that, right? 00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:30.280 But Joseph Thomas grew up as an orphan in India. 00:44:31.620 --> 00:44:37.110 Trained, taught the word of God, given an education as an orphan and went out and now runs. 00:44:38.340 --> 00:44:39.140 Runs an orphanage. 00:44:39.200 --> 00:44:42.100 And educates young ladies who are at risk in India. 00:44:44.380 --> 00:44:45.390 His wife sundry. 00:44:45.520 --> 00:44:47.520 We should probably put the pictures of wives up here too. 00:44:47.820 --> 00:44:53.820 But the Sundry and their beautiful family that just wake up every day to serve for the cause of Christ. 00:44:55.660 --> 00:44:56.400 Wherever Jesus leads. 00:44:58.760 --> 00:45:00.180 Pastor Peter, his wife Jolene. 00:45:01.200 --> 00:45:05.340 He just read the Bible, became a Christian, went to a village that didn't have a gospel presence. 00:45:06.060 --> 00:45:08.080 And the Lord directed him to start a church. 00:45:09.600 --> 00:45:11.920 Started a church and a community that had great need. 00:45:12.240 --> 00:45:14.340 Through that ministry started rescuing children. 00:45:16.800 --> 00:45:17.880 He was just willing to go where? 00:45:17.940 --> 00:45:18.240 God, please. 00:45:18.240 --> 00:45:20.980 He was an accountant before he decided to follow Jesus. 00:45:22.720 --> 00:45:24.380 And God's done a beautiful thing in his life. 00:45:25.680 --> 00:45:30.110 Because I'm not telling you, you've got to move to Africa and start a church and reach children. 00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:30.540 Right. 00:45:31.460 --> 00:45:33.060 But I am saying God's got you somewhere. 00:45:35.860 --> 00:45:43.170 And to understand that in that it's important to challenge ourselves because not only do we reach people, but we find the faithfulness of God in those moments. 00:45:44.720 --> 00:45:49.540 And as we find the faithfulness of God in those moments, God continues to do a beautiful thing through us. 00:45:49.960 --> 00:45:51.970 Am I taking the grace of God in vain? 00:45:53.040 --> 00:45:53.700 Well, that depends. 00:45:53.880 --> 00:45:55.100 Are you willing to go where God leads? 00:45:56.360 --> 00:45:59.960 Does your character reflect God's character? 00:46:00.380 --> 00:46:04.510 And are you compromising your faith for the temple, or do you live for the eternal?