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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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And I'm excited about what
we're learning in here today and

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thankful for that song there
reminder that even our good works,

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as the book of Isaiah says,
are like filthy rags.

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We try to earn our way, the
best that we can do is filthy rags.

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But the goodness of God is
that his sacrifice for us covers

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our sin.

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Not only covers our sin, but
it washes us clean.

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And I'm thankful for the fact
that God can do that for us.

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And I pray that that's your testimony.

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I pray that you can say, you
know what?

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I can't save myself, but I
know that God can and I trust in

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him to do so.

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I mean, we're gonna look at
that here today, how we can be messengers

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of that.

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The name of the sermon this
morning is the Marks of a Messenger

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as we Go.

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We are called to be
ambassadors for Christ.

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We've been studying that
principle now for quite a bit of

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time.

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And here in 2025, our goal as
a church is to go to proclaim.

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And, and so being a proclaimer
of the gospel means that we're representing

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somebody else.

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We're not representing ourselves.

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We're not representing our own
agendas, our own opinions.

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We're representing a higher power.

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We're representing God.

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We're representing his message
to the world.

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And so to be an ambassador
means to represent him.

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And we don't have a PowerPoint
this week, but what I would have

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you do is if you'd like to
follow along with our bulletin here,

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you can track along with the
outline with me.

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And that way you can stay
connected to what we are talking

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about here in Second Corinthians.

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2 Corinthians, chapter 10.

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We're going to start in verse
number seven here this morning, the

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marks of a messenger to
represent the Lord.

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This is our first blank here.

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To represent the Lord, we must
be messengers of the truth.

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We're carrying something with
us as ambassadors.

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Sometimes ambassadors, when
they go to another land, they bring

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gifts to the other leaders, or
they bring a culture, or they bring

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a way of thinking.

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We, as ambassadors for Christ
are bringing the message of the truth.

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And so we are messengers.

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And so what that means for us
is that as we represent God, we're

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not just representing what we
think about when it comes to our

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own preferences.

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We went back to last week,
thinking biblically.

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And so where we get this
message from is Scripture.

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And so to think biblically
means to think in accordance to God's

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plan for our life.

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To think biblically means to
think in accordance to the gospel

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and to represent ourselves properly.

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There is a responsibility for
all believers, ambassadors, messengers,

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to represent the word of God
properly by what we say, by what

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we do, by what we proclaim to
the world.

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And so we have a
responsibility to recognize biblical

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messengers.

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So just as much as we have a
responsibility to be a biblical messenger,

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we have a responsibility to
recognize biblical messengers that

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are coming to us with what
they claim to be the truth.

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And so me this morning, my
responsibility is to proclaim the

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truth of God as clearly as I
can, as accurately as I can, guided

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by the Spirit.

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But just as much as it's my
responsibility to be a messenger

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of the truth here today,
because that's my role, it is your

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role as a believer to
recognize the truth coming from the

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preacher, from the messenger.

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And so it's a two way responsibility.

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One, yes, we are called to be
messengers, but two, we are called

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to recognize biblical
messengers around us.

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We're going to see that in
this passage in Second Corinthians,

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chapter 10.

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So, so we think about it this way.

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We must strive to perceive the truth.

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So someone, you're hearing a
teacher teaching something from scripture,

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or you hear a preacher
proclaiming the truth from a pulpit

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or from, you know, a website,
YouTube, a podcast, wherever it's

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coming from, we have a
responsibility to perceive the truth.

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And so when someone's
preaching something that's not in

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accordance to the truth, that
should throw up red flags.

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That, that should make us feel
like, you know what, that's not right.

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That's not the truth.

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And so we have a
responsibility to perceive the truth

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and proclaim the truth.

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Want you to think about that
here this morning.

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You have a responsibility to
perceive the truth that's been given

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to you.

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Is this truth?

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Is this scripture?

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Is this right?

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Is this God's way?

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That's what we talked about
last week, thinking biblically.

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And so we take every thought
into captivity and we bring that

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to the foot of the cross and
we allow that thought to obey Christ

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in accordance to his word.

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So if someone's up here
teaching something and you say, you

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know what, that doesn't sound
right, you take that teaching, you

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take that thought and you
bring that to Scripture.

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And you say, does that match up?

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That's how we perceive the truth.

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That's how we discern the truth.

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And so believers should go
beyond the superficial things of

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this world.

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As we discern and distribute
the truth, we have a responsibility

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to discern the truth in our lives.

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We have a responsibility to
distribute the truth to the world.

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So how do we do that?

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Well, let's go to 2
Corinthians, chapter 10, and look

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at verse number seven.

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We're gonna see that there's
this temptation for us to discern

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the truth with fleshly or
carnal methods.

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We know that in Second
Corinthians, chapter 10, just back

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a few verses, verse four, Paul
says, for the weapons of our warfare

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are not carnal, not fleshly,
not of this world, but mighty through

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God.

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So it's the spiritual weapons
through God to the pulling down of

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strongholds.

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And we talked about
strongholds being thoughts that contradict

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the truth of God.

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And so we combat false
teaching with the truth.

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We don't combat it with the
ways of this world.

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So we are to go beyond the
superficial, beyond the surface.

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Verse number seven of Second
Corinthians, chapter ten.

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Paul is asking a question.

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Now, remember, you gotta
understand the context of second

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Corinthians.

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They are questioning Paul.

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They are actually the.

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The church at Corinth.

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They're denying that Paul is
preaching the truth.

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Why?

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Because false teachers have
come in and they have begun to teach

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false teachings.

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And therefore they are
claiming that Paul is a false teacher

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and that they're the true teachers.

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And Paul is basically, in
second Corinthians, defending his

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ministry and defending the
truth of God.

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And so Paul's saying, hey,
look, we need to think about what

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we are listening to.

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And he says, do ye look on
things after the outward appearance?

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Now, this could be taken two
different ways.

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In the original Greek, this
could be taken as, hey, are you looking

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only at the surface?

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Are you only looking at the superficial?

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Which I believe would be
applied to this scenario.

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It also could be looked at as
this way.

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Look at what's clear in front
of you.

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Look at the evidence.

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But either way, he's making
his point here.

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Be aware if any man trusts to
himself that he is Christ.

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Meaning if anyone claims to be
Christ, if anyone claims to be of

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Christ, we should say, let him
think of himself, or let himself

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think this again, that as he
is Christ, even so are we Christ.

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Meaning, hey, if they are of
Christ, they should recognize that

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we are of Christ because of
what we are preaching.

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Paul says, hey, check our preaching.

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Check our Teaching, ours is of
the Word, ours is of Christ.

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And so if they claim to be of
Christ, which they are claiming,

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they should match up and agree
with us.

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And I think that's clear to
see here in this passage, is that

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Paul is defending what it
means to be a true messenger of the

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gospel, a true messenger of Scripture.

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Now, this is a difficult passage.

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This is not a passage that
most pastors would just pull out

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and say, hey, we're going to
preach on this as a topic.

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This is really only seen
through expository preaching.

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Okay?

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We go verse by verse and we
get to this passage, and this is

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difficult.

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So what is Paul doing?

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Paul's essentially defending
his ministry.

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Paul's essentially defending
his message.

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And he says, this is a mark of
a true messenger of the Gospel.

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And so as we as Christians
grow in our understanding and hear

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teaching, we must discern the
truth as we distribute the truth.

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We are all called to
distribute the truth.

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That's.

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That's the goal.

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That's the commission.

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That's the job.

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But before we can distribute
the truth, we have to understand

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if we are hearing and
discerning the truth from other people

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around us.

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And so Paul's first question
is, is, are you looking at the superficial

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things of this world as your
guide to seeing who is a good preacher,

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a good messenger?

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Now, what the world usually
says is a good messenger is someone

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who speaks clearly or speaks
powerfully or is compelling or maybe

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has good looks or maybe has a
big following.

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Well, let's see how Paul came
to the church at Corinth.

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If you go back to First
Corinthians, chapter 2, Paul describes

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how he came to the church at Corinth.

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And we're going to look at
Paul and we're going to say, hey,

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from world standards, from the
standards of the superficial, Paul

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was not a good messenger.

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You're like, what?

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I thought he was a good messenger.

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We're going to see how Paul
was when he came to the church at

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Corinth.

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First Corinthians, chapter two.

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And we're going to see that
God's estimation of a true minister

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is not necessarily what the
true estimation is from this world.

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So First Corinthians, chapter
two, verse number one.

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Paul's describing how he came
to the church at Corinth.

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And he says, and I brethren,
when I came to you, came not with

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excellency of speech or
wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony

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of God.

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So he says, I came declaring
the testimony of God, but I didn't

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come to you with excellency of
speech, I didn't come to you with

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all this worldly wisdom going on.

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Verse two, he says, for I
determined not to know anything among

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you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

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He says, I wasn't worried
about impressing you.

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I wasn't worried about coming
in and having all the tools of the

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day and making sure you guys
thought that I was important.

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He says, I came to you and
preached to you the truth.

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Jesus Christ and him crucified
the gospel.

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And when I was with you in weakness.

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We don't know exactly what
Paul's weakness was, but we know

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that Paul had some maladies,
he had some issues physically.

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And so Paul says, I came to
you in weakness and in fear and in

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much trembling.

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And so we see a guy, he comes
up, he says, I was literally trembling

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before you.

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This would not be a mark of
someone who we would call as a powerful

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messenger of the gospel, but
yet we see that Paul is a powerful

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messenger of the Gospel.

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And so the judgment is not on
his appearance, not the superficial.

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The judgment was on his message.

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The judgment is on the deeper
elements of the spiritual nature

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of his message.

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Verse 4.

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He says in my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words

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of man's wisdom, but what but
in demonstration of the spirit and

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of power, that your face
should not stand in the wisdom of

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men, but in the power of God.

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Paul says, I came to you humbly.

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I came to you trembling.

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I came to you in weakness.

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I came to you in simplicity of
the gospel.

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I didn't come to entice you
with my words.

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I didn't come to tell you
funny stories and captivate you with

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my speech.

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He says, I came to you
preaching the gospel.

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And so what we can tell
through this message this morning,

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through both of these passages
of scripture, is that maybe, just

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maybe, our world today is
judging a good messenger on the superficial,

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on the outside, on the
entertainment, on, on.

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On whether or not they can
captivate the hearts of the audience.

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And folks, I want you to see
here this morning that that's not

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biblically the mark of a messenger.

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A mark of a messenger is what
we're going to look at here today.

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The these eight points that I
think through this passage, Paul

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explains is it's the deeper,
it's not the superficial.

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It's not the basic, it's not
the fleshly matters.

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It's not how attractive you
are, it's not how well you can speak.

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It's about the message that
you portray to the world.

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And so here in 2 Corinthians
chapter 10.

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I want us to look at the marks
of a messenger.

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Let's go ahead and open up
with a word of prayer, and then we'll

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get right into these eight
points of what we have here today.

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Lord, I pray that you be with us.

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Pray that you strengthen us,
pray that you encourage our hearts

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through the testimony of Paul.

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Lord, I pray that we can be
solidified in the truth of the gospel.

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Lord, help us to discern the
truth around us, receive and perceive

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the truth around us, Lord, and
help us to proclaim and distribute

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the truth to others that we
come across in our daily walk.

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Lord, I pray that all of us
can understand where we fall in the

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idea of preaching and teaching
and demonstrating the truth of the

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gospel in our world today.

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So, Lord, we ask all these
things in Jesus precious name.

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Amen.

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Verse number seven.

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Paul says, do you look on the
things after the outward appearance?

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If any man trust to himself
that he is Christ, let him of himself

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think this again, that as he
is Christ, even so we are Christ.

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The first mark of a messenger,
a genuine messenger of the gospel.

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Is this a genuine relationship
with Jesus Christ?

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There has to be a genuine
relationship with Jesus Christ for

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a person to be a messenger of
the truth.

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You can't know what to preach
unless you know the person you're

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preaching about.

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You, you, you can't understand
the heart of God unless you are in

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one with him and your identity
in Christ.

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There must be a real relationship.

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There's a lot of people that
have tried to fake this.

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There's a lot of great
speakers in the world that have tried

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to fake what it means to be a
follower of Christ.

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Folks, this is not something
that we can fake a true relationship

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with, with Christ is an
authentic relationship with Christ,

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meaning this.

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You know what?

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There could be someone that
comes up to me and says, you know

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00:14:22,582 --> 00:14:23,038
what?

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00:14:23,174 --> 00:14:25,170
I don't think you're really
married to your wife.

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What?

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I don't believe it.

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And I don't say, well, you
know what?

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Maybe I'm not married to my wife.

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Maybe no, I don't do that.

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I say, you know what?

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I was there when we got married.

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I was there when I made the commitment.

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I'm there daily with her.

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I understand that I know her
and that she knows me.

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And I can proclaim, you know what?

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Ask me anything, right?

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I know what my wife likes to eat.

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I know what she doesn't like
to eat.

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I know the things that I do
that make her, you know, frustrated.

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I, I, I know the things that I
need to do, right.

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I.

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00:14:52,114 --> 00:14:55,786
I know her and I know what she
wants in life because I have a relationship

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with her.

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It's the same thing as a
messenger of the gospel.

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Someone cannot proclaim the
truth of God unless they're walking

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with him on an individual way,
in a personal way, in their lives.

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00:15:05,218 --> 00:15:06,442
And that's what Paul's talking
about here.

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He says, if they're truly of
Christ, they're going to recognize

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other people of Christ.

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00:15:10,370 --> 00:15:13,370
Now, now, again, we can't know
everybody's heart, but what we can

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know is the manifestation of
what's in our hearts.

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00:15:16,110 --> 00:15:21,286
And truthfully, there are some
things that we can fake, and there's

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other things that we can't fake.

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And I'm just going to tell
you, an authentic relationship with

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Christ is something that
should exude in our lives.

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00:15:27,262 --> 00:15:29,798
If I come around you, and you
know what?

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00:15:29,854 --> 00:15:33,238
Some of you might have
hobbies, and someone else goes, oh,

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00:15:33,254 --> 00:15:34,406
yeah, I do that too.

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00:15:34,558 --> 00:15:36,934
All you got to do is talk to
them for about five to 10 minutes

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00:15:36,982 --> 00:15:39,798
to see if they're really into
that hobby, right?

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00:15:39,934 --> 00:15:41,092
Oh, I like this.

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00:15:41,206 --> 00:15:43,512
You know, like let's say, for
example, someone came up to me and

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they said, I really like fishing.

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00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:46,552
I fish all the time.

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00:15:46,576 --> 00:15:47,320
I go, okay, great.

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00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,288
Like, so what kind of rod do
you use?

348
00:15:49,344 --> 00:15:50,312
What kind of baits do you use?

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00:15:50,336 --> 00:15:52,712
I'm going to find out within 5
to 10 minutes whether or not they

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truly are fishermen or not.

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Right?

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00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,712
And that goes for when it
comes to Christ, you know, we should

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00:15:56,736 --> 00:16:00,184
be able to converse about the
truths of God, about what his Word

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00:16:00,232 --> 00:16:00,776
says.

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00:16:00,928 --> 00:16:04,424
And so the first mark of a
messenger of Christ is a genuine

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relationship with him.

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00:16:05,648 --> 00:16:06,792
But then I want you to see
number two.

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Look at verse number eight.

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It says this.

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For though I should boast
somewhat more of our authority, meaning

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00:16:12,784 --> 00:16:14,656
Paul says, I have the right to
boast in my authority.

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00:16:14,688 --> 00:16:15,968
I'm an apostle.

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00:16:16,144 --> 00:16:21,680
I've been selected by God to
proclaim the Word to the world.

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Now, Paul had a distinction.

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He was an apostle.

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He says, for though I should
boast somewhat more of our authority,

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which the Lord hath given us
for edification and not for your

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destruction, I should not be ashamed.

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Meaning this.

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God has given me this position
not to tear other people down, but

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to build people up.

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That's what that word
edification means.

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Verse 8.

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He says, I have been given
this opportunity.

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I have been given this authority.

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00:16:49,130 --> 00:16:52,122
I've been given this
responsibility to preach the Word

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00:16:52,186 --> 00:16:56,458
so that I can build up his
church, so that I can build up his

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kingdom.

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00:16:57,178 --> 00:17:00,634
And so I want you to see
number two, the mark of a messenger

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of the Gospel is someone who
is a fruitful person that has a positive

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impact for the kingdom,
meaning they're building others up.

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00:17:10,190 --> 00:17:13,606
A person who is tearing other
Christians down is not a messenger

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of the truth.

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00:17:15,070 --> 00:17:18,022
Paul says, I've been given
this authority, and I can boast in

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00:17:18,046 --> 00:17:18,454
this authority.

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00:17:18,502 --> 00:17:20,534
Paul says, God has given me
this opportunity.

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00:17:20,582 --> 00:17:22,294
And when he means boast, he
means glorian.

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00:17:22,342 --> 00:17:24,438
He, Paul, could get up in
front of everyone, says, hey, I'm

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00:17:24,454 --> 00:17:26,966
an apostle and I can preach
this to you.

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00:17:27,038 --> 00:17:29,398
But Paul says, I do this not
to tear you down.

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00:17:29,454 --> 00:17:34,178
He says there in verse eight,
very clearly says, not for your destruction,

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but for your edification.

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00:17:36,514 --> 00:17:38,066
There's no shame in that.

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00:17:38,218 --> 00:17:38,546
There's.

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There's no shame in building
other people up.

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00:17:40,506 --> 00:17:44,370
And so what I saw there in
point number two was that to be a

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00:17:44,410 --> 00:17:49,122
true messenger of the Gospel,
there must be a fruitful, positive

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impact in the kingdom of God.

399
00:17:50,546 --> 00:17:52,050
I'm not talking about numbers.

400
00:17:52,210 --> 00:17:54,098
I'm not talking about a claim
or money.

401
00:17:54,154 --> 00:17:57,310
I'm talking about building
other people up spiritually in Christ.

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00:17:57,890 --> 00:18:01,898
If the whole goal is to divide
people, tear people down, make people

403
00:18:01,954 --> 00:18:06,106
feel under the thumb of your
control, to have the power over people,

404
00:18:06,178 --> 00:18:08,042
that's not a mark of a messenger.

405
00:18:08,106 --> 00:18:10,474
A mark of a messenger is
building other people up so that

406
00:18:10,482 --> 00:18:11,402
they can serve God.

407
00:18:11,466 --> 00:18:15,402
Ephesians chapter 4 says that
the role of leaders within the church

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00:18:15,546 --> 00:18:20,602
and teachers in the church
would be to equip the saints for

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00:18:20,626 --> 00:18:21,930
the work of the ministry.

410
00:18:22,090 --> 00:18:24,070
The goal is to build other
people up.

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00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:27,372
And so Paul says, hey, you
have to have a fruitful positive

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impact for the kingdom to be
called a messenger of the gospel.

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00:18:31,300 --> 00:18:35,020
Paul has a view of his
authority as an apostle, and he could

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00:18:35,060 --> 00:18:37,708
have exercised that, but he
exercises it in meekness.

415
00:18:37,804 --> 00:18:39,640
Meekness is strength under control.

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00:18:39,940 --> 00:18:43,084
And what Paul does here is he
says, hey, God has given me power

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00:18:43,172 --> 00:18:46,492
to proclaim the truth, but
it's there so that I can build you

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00:18:46,516 --> 00:18:46,940
up.

419
00:18:47,060 --> 00:18:50,332
Paul recognizes that Jesus
gives us authority to preach the

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00:18:50,356 --> 00:18:53,956
word of God for one reason,
and that is to build up the church

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00:18:53,988 --> 00:18:55,284
and not tear it down.

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00:18:55,372 --> 00:18:58,420
So if there's a person tearing
down the church, tearing down other

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00:18:58,460 --> 00:19:00,356
Christians, they're not
messengers of the gospel.

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00:19:00,388 --> 00:19:03,092
They're messengers of their
own purpose, their own will, their

425
00:19:03,116 --> 00:19:03,920
own way.

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00:19:04,460 --> 00:19:07,604
And so we see that number two,
there's that positive impact for

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00:19:07,612 --> 00:19:08,036
the kingdom.

428
00:19:08,068 --> 00:19:09,012
Let's go to verse number nine.

429
00:19:09,036 --> 00:19:16,356
He says this, that I may not
seem as if I would terrify you by

430
00:19:16,428 --> 00:19:17,240
letters.

431
00:19:18,710 --> 00:19:21,230
Now, if you don't Understand
what he's saying here is that they,

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00:19:21,270 --> 00:19:23,662
they were in fear of Paul
because Paul was calling them out

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00:19:23,686 --> 00:19:26,730
for their sin in the, in, in
his letters to them.

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00:19:27,030 --> 00:19:29,566
And when he was there, he was
very meek, he was very humble.

435
00:19:29,598 --> 00:19:32,238
And so they said there's kind
of like a, a disagreement, Paul,

436
00:19:32,254 --> 00:19:32,862
on who you are.

437
00:19:32,886 --> 00:19:34,750
They were calling them
basically two faced.

438
00:19:34,830 --> 00:19:36,318
When you were here, you were gracious.

439
00:19:36,414 --> 00:19:37,966
When you, when you were here,
you were patient.

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00:19:37,998 --> 00:19:39,422
But now you're calling us out
for things.

441
00:19:39,446 --> 00:19:40,222
What's going on?

442
00:19:40,326 --> 00:19:43,528
Paul says there's a time and a
place for that, but my goal is number

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00:19:43,584 --> 00:19:47,060
three, to have a compassionate
heart towards God's people.

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00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,112
So a mark of a minister would
be someone who has a compassionate

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00:19:51,256 --> 00:19:53,460
heart towards God's people.

446
00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,620
That I may not seem as if I
would terrify you by letters.

447
00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:04,072
Again, that's tied together
with the edification when we do need

448
00:20:04,096 --> 00:20:06,680
to step up and tell someone
about the truth on their life.

449
00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,960
Maybe it's a truth that they
need to have corrected.

450
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,064
We do it through a way of
compassion and not through a way

451
00:20:12,072 --> 00:20:13,392
of terrifying and anger.

452
00:20:13,456 --> 00:20:16,384
Essentially it's this, it's
leading people to the truth.

453
00:20:16,432 --> 00:20:18,580
Not in fear, but in compassion.

454
00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:25,040
Folks, I can, I could, right,
preach only fear.

455
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,336
Now fear is something that we
should all have in the Lord, right?

456
00:20:28,408 --> 00:20:30,560
There is a healthy respect for
who God is.

457
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:35,056
The Bible says to fear God,
but if all we do within the church

458
00:20:35,088 --> 00:20:38,768
is predicated upon fear, it's
not a complete view of what God wants

459
00:20:38,784 --> 00:20:39,404
us to do.

460
00:20:39,512 --> 00:20:42,500
So I could have everybody, the
list is at the door when you come

461
00:20:42,540 --> 00:20:42,884
in.

462
00:20:42,972 --> 00:20:46,068
And if you don't follow that
list, okay, you're going to be not

463
00:20:46,124 --> 00:20:49,268
seen well in the eyes of me
and in the eyes of God.

464
00:20:49,364 --> 00:20:52,580
And we have this, this cloud
of fear over our lives.

465
00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:55,284
Paul says, I'm not writing you
these letters to terrify you.

466
00:20:55,372 --> 00:20:58,052
I'm writing these letters so
that you can come to Christ and to

467
00:20:58,076 --> 00:20:59,252
walk in obedience.

468
00:20:59,396 --> 00:21:03,000
There's a heart of compassion
with a messenger of the truth.

469
00:21:03,340 --> 00:21:05,876
Now, lest you think I'm only
talking about pastors, the Bible

470
00:21:05,908 --> 00:21:07,960
calls all of us to be
messengers of the truth.

471
00:21:08,750 --> 00:21:12,246
And so what I would call us to
do this morning is do I have compassion

472
00:21:12,278 --> 00:21:13,158
for those around me?

473
00:21:13,214 --> 00:21:16,518
If I have compassion, I extend grace.

474
00:21:16,694 --> 00:21:19,542
There's gonna be time in a
place where I need to just hold back

475
00:21:19,566 --> 00:21:21,654
and just say, you know what,
that's not my time or place to do

476
00:21:21,662 --> 00:21:22,118
that.

477
00:21:22,254 --> 00:21:26,182
But there's also time in the
life of a Christian that we explain

478
00:21:26,246 --> 00:21:28,198
compassion through speaking
the truth.

479
00:21:28,294 --> 00:21:30,182
We do it in love, but we speak
the truth.

480
00:21:30,326 --> 00:21:31,926
So, so Paul didn't mince his words.

481
00:21:31,958 --> 00:21:34,454
Paul didn't hold back from
telling them where they were at in

482
00:21:34,462 --> 00:21:34,790
their lives.

483
00:21:34,830 --> 00:21:35,790
They needed to get right.

484
00:21:35,870 --> 00:21:37,822
But Paul did it with a heart
of compassion.

485
00:21:37,966 --> 00:21:42,142
And I think that for us to be
messengers of the gospel, to reach

486
00:21:42,166 --> 00:21:44,702
our community, we have to
understand what it means to have

487
00:21:44,726 --> 00:21:46,010
compassion in our community.

488
00:21:46,390 --> 00:21:49,694
We could sit out on the corner
of Middletown here, if you're not

489
00:21:49,702 --> 00:21:52,334
from Middletown, whatever town
you're from, and you can yell at

490
00:21:52,342 --> 00:21:55,902
every car that goes by how
terrible of a sinner they are, and

491
00:21:55,926 --> 00:22:00,318
most of us would probably be
right, all right, but how could we

492
00:22:00,374 --> 00:22:03,542
reach people in a better way
than we could reach them through

493
00:22:03,566 --> 00:22:07,190
our compassion to lead them to
the truth, Right?

494
00:22:07,310 --> 00:22:10,294
There is a time and a place to
explain to someone where they're

495
00:22:10,342 --> 00:22:13,542
wrong and where they need help
and where God can intervene in their

496
00:22:13,566 --> 00:22:13,846
life.

497
00:22:13,918 --> 00:22:16,390
But folks, it's done through
that message of compassion.

498
00:22:16,470 --> 00:22:19,014
And so Paul builds a rapport
with the church at Corinth.

499
00:22:19,142 --> 00:22:22,422
He says, you know me and I
know you and I love you and I care

500
00:22:22,446 --> 00:22:22,742
for you.

501
00:22:22,766 --> 00:22:26,406
And that's how we can become
messengers of the truth in an effective

502
00:22:26,438 --> 00:22:26,726
way.

503
00:22:26,798 --> 00:22:29,996
So verse number nine tells us
that he had compassion for them,

504
00:22:30,118 --> 00:22:31,980
not just wanting to terrify them.

505
00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:33,580
Verse 10.

506
00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,736
For his letters say they
meaning the, the false teachers.

507
00:22:38,848 --> 00:22:41,232
The false teachers are saying
things about Paul.

508
00:22:41,376 --> 00:22:42,736
They're like, oh, Paul's letters.

509
00:22:42,768 --> 00:22:43,440
What do they say about.

510
00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:49,344
Paul's letters are weighty and
powerful, but his bodily presence

511
00:22:49,392 --> 00:22:51,328
is weak and his speech is contemptible.

512
00:22:51,424 --> 00:22:52,448
So what are they saying?

513
00:22:52,584 --> 00:22:55,904
His naysayers were saying Paul
writes really well and he has a lot

514
00:22:55,912 --> 00:22:59,430
of boldness to you and in his
letters, but when you see him, come

515
00:22:59,470 --> 00:23:00,886
on, look at him.

516
00:23:01,038 --> 00:23:03,238
Now, we don't know exactly
what Paul looked like, but history

517
00:23:03,294 --> 00:23:05,610
tells us that he wasn't an
imposing figure.

518
00:23:06,030 --> 00:23:09,382
I, I, I, I could read you some
descriptions of what he looked like,

519
00:23:09,406 --> 00:23:11,990
but I don't want to put into
your mind an imagination about him

520
00:23:12,030 --> 00:23:13,606
that, that, that isn't true.

521
00:23:13,638 --> 00:23:16,694
But let's just say no one said
Paul was this big burly guy that

522
00:23:16,702 --> 00:23:17,270
was good looking.

523
00:23:17,310 --> 00:23:19,430
They said that he wasn't a lot
to look at.

524
00:23:19,470 --> 00:23:22,262
And so what we can see here in
this case is that what are they trying

525
00:23:22,286 --> 00:23:22,972
to do?

526
00:23:23,126 --> 00:23:29,040
These other messengers were
trying to discredit Paul by the way

527
00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,980
that he looked and why and how
he came about in his ministry.

528
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:34,272
You see that there?

529
00:23:34,296 --> 00:23:35,440
He says for, for, for.

530
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,552
They say that, you know, his
words are weighty and powerful, but

531
00:23:39,576 --> 00:23:42,660
his bodily presence is weak
and his speech contemptible.

532
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:49,664
Let such a one thing this,
that such as we are in word by letters,

533
00:23:49,712 --> 00:23:53,928
when we are absent, such will
we be also indeed when we are present.

534
00:23:53,984 --> 00:23:54,760
Meaning this.

535
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,416
Paul says, I've been strong to
you in the letters, but I'm not afraid

536
00:23:57,448 --> 00:23:58,820
to be strong with you in person.

537
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,120
The reason why I have been
patient with you in person is because

538
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:03,032
of my compassion.

539
00:24:03,096 --> 00:24:05,272
But there isn't a time and
place where my patience runs out.

540
00:24:05,296 --> 00:24:08,536
And I'm going to come to you
as a strong proclaimer of the Gospel.

541
00:24:08,648 --> 00:24:09,720
But then we get to verse 12.

542
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:14,360
It says, for we dare not make
ourselves of number or compare ourselves.

543
00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:14,744
Paul.

544
00:24:14,792 --> 00:24:15,720
This is Paul speaking.

545
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:20,060
Or compare ourselves with some
that condemn themselves, but they

546
00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:22,684
measuring themselves by
themselves and comparing themselves

547
00:24:22,732 --> 00:24:24,476
among themselves are not wise.

548
00:24:24,588 --> 00:24:26,412
You may not have caught that,
but what is he saying?

549
00:24:26,436 --> 00:24:28,428
He says they have the wrong measurables.

550
00:24:28,604 --> 00:24:32,092
The people that are the false
teachers are comparing themselves

551
00:24:32,156 --> 00:24:33,692
to the things of this world.

552
00:24:33,876 --> 00:24:36,924
And then actually, if you go
further there in verse 12, he says

553
00:24:37,012 --> 00:24:40,160
they measure themselves by themselves.

554
00:24:41,140 --> 00:24:43,436
Basically saying they're
comparing themselves to each other.

555
00:24:43,588 --> 00:24:45,068
Well, I'm not as bad as that person.

556
00:24:45,124 --> 00:24:46,486
Well, I'm better than that person.

557
00:24:46,588 --> 00:24:47,058
I'm better.

558
00:24:47,114 --> 00:24:49,954
And that's a whole path that
we can take in our life.

559
00:24:50,042 --> 00:24:52,370
Well, at least we're not like
that church across town.

560
00:24:52,490 --> 00:24:54,770
At least I'm not as bad as
that person over there.

561
00:24:54,890 --> 00:24:57,250
And Paul says, that's the
wrong measurables to have.

562
00:24:57,290 --> 00:24:58,882
That's the wrong comparison to have.

563
00:24:58,986 --> 00:24:59,490
He says.

564
00:24:59,530 --> 00:25:00,866
He says that's not wise.

565
00:25:00,978 --> 00:25:02,834
They're comparing themselves
among themselves.

566
00:25:02,882 --> 00:25:04,546
They're comparing themselves
by themselves.

567
00:25:04,658 --> 00:25:05,474
That's foolish.

568
00:25:05,522 --> 00:25:06,914
That's the worldly wisdom.

569
00:25:06,962 --> 00:25:08,674
That's the wisdom that is carnal.

570
00:25:08,722 --> 00:25:11,570
That is the wisdom that leads
us to the place of strongholds.

571
00:25:11,730 --> 00:25:12,098
So.

572
00:25:12,154 --> 00:25:14,580
So let's look at point number four.

573
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,960
A mark of a messenger would be
a messenger who has a rejection of

574
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,328
worldly comparisons or measurables.

575
00:25:22,504 --> 00:25:24,260
I don't care what the world says.

576
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:26,216
I don't care if it.

577
00:25:26,288 --> 00:25:27,528
You know what the world might say.

578
00:25:27,584 --> 00:25:30,312
You know what a pastor, if he
doesn't pass a church of 500, he

579
00:25:30,336 --> 00:25:31,416
has no credibility.

580
00:25:31,608 --> 00:25:32,888
We don't care about that.

581
00:25:32,944 --> 00:25:33,400
Right.

582
00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,416
The world can say what the
world can say.

583
00:25:35,488 --> 00:25:36,856
Well, did you see the way he looks?

584
00:25:36,888 --> 00:25:38,376
Did you see the way that he dressed?

585
00:25:38,408 --> 00:25:39,956
Did you see what he did here?

586
00:25:40,028 --> 00:25:41,364
Folks, it doesn't matter.

587
00:25:41,532 --> 00:25:42,964
That's the externals.

588
00:25:43,092 --> 00:25:45,604
Well, what Paul is saying here
is that they're measuring themselves

589
00:25:45,652 --> 00:25:46,340
by themselves.

590
00:25:46,420 --> 00:25:46,676
They're.

591
00:25:46,708 --> 00:25:48,340
They're Saying, well, do you
know that pastor over there?

592
00:25:48,380 --> 00:25:48,676
He.

593
00:25:48,748 --> 00:25:49,220
You know, he.

594
00:25:49,260 --> 00:25:50,660
He says one thing and does
this, and.

595
00:25:50,700 --> 00:25:51,572
And they're judging.

596
00:25:51,636 --> 00:25:55,240
They're judging not in the
truth of God, but in their own opinions.

597
00:25:55,820 --> 00:26:00,200
Folks, we can get ourselves in
big trouble if we take worldly thoughts

598
00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:05,284
and compare ourselves to those
and compare our message to those

599
00:26:05,372 --> 00:26:06,340
measurables in our life.

600
00:26:06,380 --> 00:26:07,840
That's the wrong metric to have.

601
00:26:08,540 --> 00:26:11,540
A true messenger doesn't care
what the world says.

602
00:26:11,580 --> 00:26:14,724
A true messenger of the gospel
has concern about what God says in

603
00:26:14,732 --> 00:26:16,068
accordance to his word.

604
00:26:16,244 --> 00:26:18,660
And what I would tell you here
this morning is that we can get into

605
00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:21,396
a big trap within churches
today and even in our own Christian

606
00:26:21,428 --> 00:26:25,480
lives if we take the world as
our guide, as our standard.

607
00:26:26,860 --> 00:26:30,372
Well, you know, Pastor, we need.

608
00:26:30,396 --> 00:26:32,996
We need more money, we need
more buildings, we need more things.

609
00:26:33,068 --> 00:26:34,132
Those would all be nice.

610
00:26:34,196 --> 00:26:36,630
But folks, that's not
immeasurable of the truth.

611
00:26:36,970 --> 00:26:37,762
You know what?

612
00:26:37,866 --> 00:26:39,010
I was struggling this morning.

613
00:26:39,050 --> 00:26:40,754
I was coming here transparently.

614
00:26:40,882 --> 00:26:41,746
See the roadblock.

615
00:26:41,778 --> 00:26:42,706
Drive through the roadblock.

616
00:26:42,738 --> 00:26:43,042
Come here.

617
00:26:43,066 --> 00:26:43,746
There's no power.

618
00:26:43,818 --> 00:26:46,930
I immediately said, oh, I'm
gonna have to cancel church.

619
00:26:47,090 --> 00:26:49,154
I thought about it for a
second, and Pastor Carlos and I were

620
00:26:49,162 --> 00:26:49,394
talking.

621
00:26:49,442 --> 00:26:51,522
Pastor Carlos is like, you
know, there's people around the world

622
00:26:51,546 --> 00:26:53,922
that don't have power, and
they meet and they have church, right?

623
00:26:54,026 --> 00:26:55,186
And I said, you know what, Pastor?

624
00:26:55,218 --> 00:26:55,938
That's right.

625
00:26:56,074 --> 00:26:59,762
And the truth is, is that so
many times we link success to having

626
00:26:59,866 --> 00:27:02,186
things, buildings and.

627
00:27:02,258 --> 00:27:04,474
And empires and books and.

628
00:27:04,562 --> 00:27:05,562
And followings and.

629
00:27:05,586 --> 00:27:06,890
Folks, that's not what the
Bible says.

630
00:27:06,930 --> 00:27:11,722
The Bible says that a true
test of a steward is if you guys

631
00:27:11,786 --> 00:27:12,650
don't know what it says.

632
00:27:12,690 --> 00:27:18,730
It says to be found, faithful
obedience, obedient to what?

633
00:27:18,770 --> 00:27:20,874
Obedient to God and his word.

634
00:27:21,002 --> 00:27:21,290
You.

635
00:27:21,330 --> 00:27:22,682
You want to see what true
success is?

636
00:27:22,706 --> 00:27:24,730
The Bible says all about true success.

637
00:27:24,850 --> 00:27:27,110
Go back with me to Joshua,
chapter one.

638
00:27:27,750 --> 00:27:29,530
Joshua, chapter one.

639
00:27:30,390 --> 00:27:30,798
I.

640
00:27:30,854 --> 00:27:33,918
I'm going to tell you here
today that sometimes in our world,

641
00:27:33,974 --> 00:27:37,358
we define success by all the
worldly standards.

642
00:27:37,454 --> 00:27:40,014
But the Bible clearly, almost
at the very beginning here in the

643
00:27:40,022 --> 00:27:43,410
book of Joshua, tells us
specifically, what is prosperity?

644
00:27:44,950 --> 00:27:47,262
There's a prosperity gospel
out there.

645
00:27:47,446 --> 00:27:50,142
Prosperity gospel is, if you
believe it enough, God will give

646
00:27:50,166 --> 00:27:50,462
it to you.

647
00:27:50,486 --> 00:27:52,702
If you want a big church, just
want a big church and believe that

648
00:27:52,726 --> 00:27:53,816
you'll have a big church.

649
00:27:53,958 --> 00:27:56,068
If you want a big following,
just believe that you will.

650
00:27:56,124 --> 00:28:03,380
But in Joshua, chapter one, we
start in verse number seven and we

651
00:28:03,420 --> 00:28:06,836
see what God says to Joshua
and the people of Israel.

652
00:28:06,868 --> 00:28:09,060
What is prosperity?

653
00:28:09,220 --> 00:28:11,956
Because I do believe by the
way that there is a prosperity gospel,

654
00:28:11,988 --> 00:28:13,760
but not the prosperity of the world.

655
00:28:14,220 --> 00:28:16,000
Verse number seven.

656
00:28:17,260 --> 00:28:20,868
Only be thou strong and very
courageous, that thou mayest observe

657
00:28:20,884 --> 00:28:24,436
to do according to all the law
or the word which Moses my servant

658
00:28:24,468 --> 00:28:25,172
commanded thee.

659
00:28:25,236 --> 00:28:30,228
Turn not to turn not from it,
to the right hand or to the left,

660
00:28:30,364 --> 00:28:33,108
that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest.

661
00:28:33,204 --> 00:28:35,480
The prosperity is in obeying God.

662
00:28:35,980 --> 00:28:36,628
Verse 8.

663
00:28:36,684 --> 00:28:39,876
This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth, but thou

664
00:28:39,908 --> 00:28:43,076
shalt meditate there in day
and night, that thou mayest observe

665
00:28:43,108 --> 00:28:45,620
to do according to all that is
written therein.

666
00:28:45,700 --> 00:28:47,796
We meditate, we think upon a thinking.

667
00:28:47,828 --> 00:28:48,988
Biblically, it's tied together.

668
00:28:49,084 --> 00:28:52,332
We think biblically, we
meditate upon the word, we obey the

669
00:28:52,356 --> 00:28:52,556
Word.

670
00:28:52,588 --> 00:28:57,324
For then thou shalt make thy
way prosperous, and then thou shalt

671
00:28:57,372 --> 00:28:59,160
have good success.

672
00:29:00,100 --> 00:29:03,980
Bible says success is
obedience to God, obedience to his

673
00:29:04,020 --> 00:29:05,820
Word, living in accordance to him.

674
00:29:05,860 --> 00:29:06,892
And so that's prosperity.

675
00:29:06,956 --> 00:29:10,636
Now, I'm not preaching against
a success in your business or success

676
00:29:10,708 --> 00:29:12,524
in your life or success athletically.

677
00:29:12,572 --> 00:29:14,012
Those are all great things.

678
00:29:14,196 --> 00:29:18,380
But the true measure of a
messenger is not worldly success.

679
00:29:18,500 --> 00:29:21,832
The true message of a
minister, true message of a messenger,

680
00:29:21,896 --> 00:29:24,968
a true message of a Christian
is whether or not they are faithful

681
00:29:25,064 --> 00:29:27,240
to God's word and his path in
their life.

682
00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,568
And so, number four, it's a
rejection of worldly comparisons

683
00:29:30,584 --> 00:29:31,672
or measurables.

684
00:29:31,816 --> 00:29:34,504
If any person comes up and
says, hey guys, we really have to

685
00:29:34,512 --> 00:29:37,352
catch up with this church
across town, hey guys, let's look.

686
00:29:37,376 --> 00:29:38,840
This is the new stream of
doing things.

687
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:39,848
We got to catch up.

688
00:29:39,904 --> 00:29:41,128
Seeker sensitive, right?

689
00:29:41,184 --> 00:29:43,480
We got to find out what
everyone wants and we got to do it.

690
00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:47,610
That's not a messenger of the
truth, that's a messenger of a motivation

691
00:29:47,690 --> 00:29:50,442
in the heart to be successful
in the world standard.

692
00:29:50,586 --> 00:29:53,018
So we see number four,
rejection of worldly comparisons

693
00:29:53,034 --> 00:29:53,770
or measurables.

694
00:29:53,850 --> 00:29:55,786
Number five, let's go to verse
number 11.

695
00:29:55,938 --> 00:29:57,750
We already kind of alluded to this.

696
00:29:58,050 --> 00:29:59,350
Paul says this.

697
00:30:00,530 --> 00:30:02,074
Let me get to the right
passage here.

698
00:30:02,082 --> 00:30:04,682
I was jumping all over verse
number 11.

699
00:30:04,866 --> 00:30:13,560
He says, Let such a one think
this, that such as we are in word

700
00:30:14,380 --> 00:30:17,240
by letters, then we are absent.

701
00:30:17,580 --> 00:30:20,228
Such will we be also indeed
when we are present.

702
00:30:20,284 --> 00:30:21,092
Now what's he saying here?

703
00:30:21,116 --> 00:30:21,908
He's saying this.

704
00:30:22,044 --> 00:30:26,880
We're consistent with what we
say and what we do.

705
00:30:27,420 --> 00:30:32,596
And so another mark of a
biblical messenger would be a consistency

706
00:30:32,708 --> 00:30:38,480
of word and action, not saying
one thing and doing another.

707
00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:41,354
We can see that happening a
lot, right?

708
00:30:41,522 --> 00:30:42,842
I've been guilty of this.

709
00:30:42,946 --> 00:30:43,882
I've Been guilty of this.

710
00:30:43,906 --> 00:30:46,202
Guys, we need to have a
passion for souls.

711
00:30:46,266 --> 00:30:50,110
And then I don't follow
through with that because I'm busy.

712
00:30:51,090 --> 00:30:55,162
Guys, we, we, we must have
family worship time in our families.

713
00:30:55,226 --> 00:30:57,050
And then you know what life happens.

714
00:30:57,210 --> 00:31:01,066
The true mark of a messenger
is consistency between what they

715
00:31:01,138 --> 00:31:03,670
preach and what they do.

716
00:31:04,940 --> 00:31:07,652
How many times does someone
lose their credibility because they

717
00:31:07,676 --> 00:31:10,356
come up and say something, but
then yet their life does not align

718
00:31:10,388 --> 00:31:10,884
with that?

719
00:31:10,972 --> 00:31:13,908
What Paul's saying is, is,
hey, you guys are saying that we're

720
00:31:13,924 --> 00:31:14,900
writing strongly to you.

721
00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:16,868
We'll act strongly to you too,
in person.

722
00:31:17,004 --> 00:31:20,148
What he's saying is, is that
he stands for the truth on paper

723
00:31:20,244 --> 00:31:21,812
and in life.

724
00:31:21,996 --> 00:31:25,540
And that's what we have to do
as well as messengers, as we go out

725
00:31:25,580 --> 00:31:29,720
into Middletown, as we go out
into Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey,

726
00:31:30,140 --> 00:31:34,980
around the world, what we say,
we believe, we have to connect with

727
00:31:35,020 --> 00:31:36,160
what we do.

728
00:31:38,220 --> 00:31:39,540
You want to love the Lord?

729
00:31:39,620 --> 00:31:40,628
What does the Bible say?

730
00:31:40,684 --> 00:31:44,068
What does the Bible say that,
that a Christian looks like when

731
00:31:44,124 --> 00:31:47,220
he or she loves the Lord,
says, jesus says this, if you love

732
00:31:47,260 --> 00:31:49,396
me, you will keep my commandments.

733
00:31:49,428 --> 00:31:50,436
You obey.

734
00:31:50,628 --> 00:31:52,800
Obedience is not what saves us.

735
00:31:53,100 --> 00:31:55,644
Keeping God's commandments is
not what gets us to heaven.

736
00:31:55,732 --> 00:31:59,772
It's what shows that we love
him enough to reciprocate the love

737
00:31:59,796 --> 00:32:01,080
that he has for us.

738
00:32:01,620 --> 00:32:02,380
And so what it means.

739
00:32:02,420 --> 00:32:03,788
I'm not preaching legalism
this morning.

740
00:32:03,844 --> 00:32:05,884
Hey, guys, start obeying,
start doing.

741
00:32:05,972 --> 00:32:06,988
I'm saying this.

742
00:32:07,124 --> 00:32:08,812
You're saved by God's grace.

743
00:32:08,876 --> 00:32:10,716
You're saved when you don't
deserve it.

744
00:32:10,788 --> 00:32:14,988
But yet we should be stirred
in our hearts to obey him, to show

745
00:32:15,044 --> 00:32:16,200
our love for him.

746
00:32:16,740 --> 00:32:19,164
And what Paul is saying here
is that there's a consistency of

747
00:32:19,172 --> 00:32:21,440
word in action with a
messenger of the Gospel.

748
00:32:21,870 --> 00:32:24,230
If you want to be a messenger,
preach it.

749
00:32:24,270 --> 00:32:24,890
Yes.

750
00:32:25,470 --> 00:32:25,894
Can't.

751
00:32:25,942 --> 00:32:27,542
You can't preach it without
saying it.

752
00:32:27,566 --> 00:32:31,090
But then what we have to do is
we have to follow it by what we do.

753
00:32:31,550 --> 00:32:33,670
So, a consistency of word in action.

754
00:32:33,790 --> 00:32:35,410
Let's go to verse number 13.

755
00:32:36,110 --> 00:32:42,854
But we will not boast of
things without our measure, but according

756
00:32:42,942 --> 00:32:46,832
to the measure of the rule
which God hath distributed to us,

757
00:32:46,966 --> 00:32:49,640
a measure to reach even unto you.

758
00:32:51,060 --> 00:32:51,420
You.

759
00:32:51,460 --> 00:32:54,268
You might again not catch what
he's saying there because it's, it's

760
00:32:54,284 --> 00:32:55,692
a difficult way that he words it.

761
00:32:55,716 --> 00:32:57,756
But essentially what he's
saying is this.

762
00:32:57,908 --> 00:33:02,400
We cannot boast in what we're
doing in our own strength.

763
00:33:02,740 --> 00:33:03,148
Right?

764
00:33:03,204 --> 00:33:05,084
We can only boast in the Lord.

765
00:33:05,132 --> 00:33:07,660
So it's, it's point number six.

766
00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:10,908
You're A humbled spirit that
relies on the power of God.

767
00:33:11,084 --> 00:33:14,106
A humbled spirit that relies
in the power of.

768
00:33:14,188 --> 00:33:15,010
Of God.

769
00:33:15,510 --> 00:33:19,390
Paul's authority in the church
was, Was not unlimited, right?

770
00:33:19,430 --> 00:33:22,286
It wasn't like he could just
do whatever he wanted to do.

771
00:33:22,438 --> 00:33:25,086
God granted him an area of authority.

772
00:33:25,198 --> 00:33:29,090
God grants us all an area of
authority within the church.

773
00:33:29,750 --> 00:33:30,750
You say, what does that mean?

774
00:33:30,790 --> 00:33:33,330
Well, as a pastor, I have a
role, okay?

775
00:33:33,910 --> 00:33:35,870
As deacons, they have a role.

776
00:33:35,990 --> 00:33:37,934
As a church member, you have a role.

777
00:33:38,022 --> 00:33:40,030
And as a church member, you
have roles within that.

778
00:33:40,070 --> 00:33:41,134
Hey, okay, so I'm a.

779
00:33:41,142 --> 00:33:42,700
I'm a husband, I'm a father, okay?

780
00:33:42,790 --> 00:33:44,860
I have the authority over my home.

781
00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,640
And so there's all these
different areas that we can find

782
00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:49,152
in our life.

783
00:33:49,176 --> 00:33:50,416
And what we can say is this.

784
00:33:50,488 --> 00:33:52,544
I got this because of my hard work.

785
00:33:52,632 --> 00:33:54,960
I got this because of my intellect.

786
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:56,704
I got this because of my looks.

787
00:33:56,752 --> 00:33:57,920
No, what Paul says is this.

788
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:02,208
He says the only way that we
have what we have is by the power

789
00:34:02,264 --> 00:34:04,580
of God, the grace of God.

790
00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,384
And so the idea here would be
that there's limitations, yes?

791
00:34:08,432 --> 00:34:12,162
But God has given us
everything in our lives to use for

792
00:34:12,266 --> 00:34:13,430
his glory.

793
00:34:15,210 --> 00:34:19,602
And so as our understanding of
this grows, we say.

794
00:34:19,706 --> 00:34:23,202
We say, Lord, everything that
I have, every opportunity that I

795
00:34:23,226 --> 00:34:28,850
have, every gift that I have,
every ministry that I have is not

796
00:34:28,890 --> 00:34:34,274
relying on the power of myself
or my skills, but the power of God

797
00:34:34,322 --> 00:34:35,314
in my life.

798
00:34:35,482 --> 00:34:39,490
I can't boast in anything only
by the measure of the rule which

799
00:34:39,530 --> 00:34:41,442
God hath distributed to us.

800
00:34:41,626 --> 00:34:44,590
I can only boast in the sphere
that God has given me.

801
00:34:44,890 --> 00:34:45,810
So what does that mean?

802
00:34:45,850 --> 00:34:49,314
That means I can't do your
Christian life.

803
00:34:49,482 --> 00:34:49,810
I.

804
00:34:49,850 --> 00:34:50,242
You know what?

805
00:34:50,266 --> 00:34:53,410
God has called me to do what
I'm doing here, but God has not called

806
00:34:53,450 --> 00:34:56,242
me to take the first and
second Sunday school class, okay?

807
00:34:56,386 --> 00:34:58,546
So, so I can't come and say,
well, you know what?

808
00:34:58,618 --> 00:35:01,634
There's this and there's that,
and, and I would do it this way and

809
00:35:01,642 --> 00:35:02,498
I would do it that way.

810
00:35:02,554 --> 00:35:02,930
You know what?

811
00:35:02,970 --> 00:35:03,266
I.

812
00:35:03,338 --> 00:35:05,602
I have to answer for how I
lead as a pastor.

813
00:35:05,666 --> 00:35:05,848
I.

814
00:35:05,874 --> 00:35:08,508
I have to answer for how I
lead as a teacher.

815
00:35:08,604 --> 00:35:11,708
But you have to answer before
God for the things that God has given

816
00:35:11,764 --> 00:35:13,900
you and never boast in that.

817
00:35:13,940 --> 00:35:14,892
Never say, well, you know what?

818
00:35:14,916 --> 00:35:15,164
I'm.

819
00:35:15,212 --> 00:35:16,108
I'm so great.

820
00:35:16,164 --> 00:35:17,036
I'm so good.

821
00:35:17,108 --> 00:35:19,692
The messenger says it's only
because of God that we have this

822
00:35:19,716 --> 00:35:20,588
opportunity.

823
00:35:20,764 --> 00:35:22,332
So we go on a little bit
further here.

824
00:35:22,436 --> 00:35:23,100
This is verse 13.

825
00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:24,360
Let's look at verse 14.

826
00:35:24,980 --> 00:35:25,388
This.

827
00:35:25,444 --> 00:35:29,292
This is 14, 15, 16, for we
stretch not ourselves beyond our

828
00:35:29,316 --> 00:35:33,880
measure, as though we reach
not unto you, for we are come as

829
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,176
far as to you also in
preaching the gospel of Christ.

830
00:35:37,328 --> 00:35:38,472
And so what he's saying is this.

831
00:35:38,496 --> 00:35:40,660
He says, hey, we came to you
for a reason.

832
00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:43,176
We stretch not ourselves
beyond our measure.

833
00:35:43,208 --> 00:35:45,624
We can't go further than what
God has called us to do.

834
00:35:45,712 --> 00:35:50,312
As though we reach not unto
you, for we are coming as far to

835
00:35:50,336 --> 00:35:52,552
you means he's like, we came
all the way to you to preach the

836
00:35:52,576 --> 00:35:53,048
gospel.

837
00:35:53,144 --> 00:35:56,328
Verse 15, not boasting of
things without our measure, that

838
00:35:56,384 --> 00:35:57,944
is of other men's labors.

839
00:35:57,992 --> 00:36:00,178
So, so we can't boast in what
other people have done.

840
00:36:00,264 --> 00:36:03,050
I can't sit here and go, wow,
you know what?

841
00:36:03,430 --> 00:36:06,142
So and so led you to Christ,
so and so discipled you.

842
00:36:06,166 --> 00:36:08,622
And I can't look at you and
go, well, look at all my hard work

843
00:36:08,646 --> 00:36:09,022
in your life.

844
00:36:09,046 --> 00:36:09,630
I can't do that.

845
00:36:09,670 --> 00:36:12,530
That, that's not my, that,
that wasn't my opportunity.

846
00:36:13,110 --> 00:36:19,070
But, but, but having hope when
your faith is increased, grown that

847
00:36:19,110 --> 00:36:23,550
we shall be enlarged by you
according to our rule abundantly

848
00:36:23,630 --> 00:36:26,318
to preach the gospel in the
regions beyond you.

849
00:36:26,374 --> 00:36:29,502
So we preach to you and we
want to preach farther and not to

850
00:36:29,526 --> 00:36:33,134
boast in other man's line of
things made ready to our hand.

851
00:36:33,222 --> 00:36:34,350
So he's saying a lot there.

852
00:36:34,390 --> 00:36:36,638
But one of the things that we
could do is just kind of summarize

853
00:36:36,654 --> 00:36:37,278
it this way.

854
00:36:37,334 --> 00:36:39,210
Verse point number seven here.

855
00:36:39,910 --> 00:36:43,694
For a messenger of the gospel,
there should be a love for sharing

856
00:36:43,742 --> 00:36:44,382
the gospel.

857
00:36:44,446 --> 00:36:45,694
There should be a desire.

858
00:36:45,822 --> 00:36:49,150
There should be a desire to
reach people not just because their

859
00:36:49,190 --> 00:36:53,026
numbers, but to reach them so
that they can be saved and in verse

860
00:36:53,058 --> 00:36:55,890
15, so that they can be
enlarged and so that we can go further

861
00:36:55,930 --> 00:36:57,790
and preach the gospel in other areas.

862
00:36:58,490 --> 00:37:02,882
Folks, I'm going to tell you
that if a person does not love the

863
00:37:02,906 --> 00:37:06,162
gospel, they cannot properly
represent Christ because we know

864
00:37:06,186 --> 00:37:07,490
that that's the heart of God.

865
00:37:07,650 --> 00:37:10,030
We know that through Matthew
chapter 28.

866
00:37:10,490 --> 00:37:11,970
That's our theme for the year.

867
00:37:12,090 --> 00:37:15,858
Jesus says he's ascending to
heaven right before he goes, he says,

868
00:37:15,994 --> 00:37:19,950
go preach, teach.

869
00:37:20,610 --> 00:37:23,946
The whole point is to bring
people to the place of understanding

870
00:37:23,978 --> 00:37:25,802
who God is and what he has
done for us.

871
00:37:25,906 --> 00:37:29,210
If there's any other agenda,
if we love anything else like, and

872
00:37:29,250 --> 00:37:30,058
so how does this look?

873
00:37:30,114 --> 00:37:35,690
This looks like when a person
has a hobby horse within the realm

874
00:37:35,770 --> 00:37:40,506
of theology and emphasizes
something more than the gospel.

875
00:37:40,698 --> 00:37:44,170
Okay, and, and, and so I just
want to explain this to you and understand

876
00:37:44,210 --> 00:37:44,916
what I'm saying.

877
00:37:45,018 --> 00:37:47,904
There's other elements of
theology outside of the gospel.

878
00:37:47,952 --> 00:37:49,536
We understand that there's.

879
00:37:49,568 --> 00:37:52,400
There's other things in the
Bible that we have to talk about.

880
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:58,288
Spiritual growth, prayer,
communion service, you know, all

881
00:37:58,344 --> 00:37:58,832
baptism.

882
00:37:58,896 --> 00:38:01,680
There's all of these things
that we could talk about in theology.

883
00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:06,160
The problem sometimes happens
is that a person can love the nuances

884
00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:09,888
of certain elements and under
emphasize the gospel, folks, the

885
00:38:09,944 --> 00:38:11,838
first thing is the gospel because.

886
00:38:11,894 --> 00:38:16,110
Because we cannot understand
anything else outside of the gospel.

887
00:38:16,270 --> 00:38:18,510
And so we have to have a love
for the gospel.

888
00:38:18,670 --> 00:38:22,334
If I got up here and preached
moralistic, therapeutic deism, it

889
00:38:22,342 --> 00:38:26,558
would be this trust in God
now, obey God and now everything

890
00:38:26,614 --> 00:38:28,206
in your life's going to be okay.

891
00:38:28,398 --> 00:38:31,886
The problem with that is that
if we under emphasize the gospel,

892
00:38:31,998 --> 00:38:34,366
what's going to happen is
someone's going to try to obey God

893
00:38:34,398 --> 00:38:37,252
to the best of their ability,
even though they can't obey God completely.

894
00:38:37,366 --> 00:38:39,448
And then something bad's going
to happen in their life and they're

895
00:38:39,464 --> 00:38:42,248
going to say, well, I thought
you said that if I obey God, everything's

896
00:38:42,264 --> 00:38:42,856
going to be okay.

897
00:38:42,888 --> 00:38:43,992
That's not what I said.

898
00:38:44,096 --> 00:38:45,080
I said this.

899
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,152
The gospel of Jesus Christ is
so great that it doesn't matter what

900
00:38:48,176 --> 00:38:49,448
happens to us on this earth.

901
00:38:49,544 --> 00:38:52,216
We can have a joy that passes
all understanding.

902
00:38:52,248 --> 00:38:54,472
We can have a peace that
passes all understanding.

903
00:38:54,536 --> 00:38:57,336
So the truth is, is that the
gospel gives us a bigger picture

904
00:38:57,368 --> 00:38:58,328
of everything else.

905
00:38:58,424 --> 00:39:01,288
And so that the Christian life
is not just, hey, I got to be a good

906
00:39:01,344 --> 00:39:01,560
person.

907
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,524
The Christian life is I can't
be a good person.

908
00:39:03,632 --> 00:39:06,380
And all I can do is trust in
Jesus Christ to give me the hope

909
00:39:06,420 --> 00:39:09,820
to have everlasting life so
that I can live in his righteousness

910
00:39:09,900 --> 00:39:13,884
and show people his love and
to show people his compassion so

911
00:39:13,892 --> 00:39:15,132
that I can be changed.

912
00:39:15,196 --> 00:39:17,244
But the change doesn't come
through my hard work.

913
00:39:17,332 --> 00:39:19,676
The change comes through the
gospel of Jesus Christ.

914
00:39:19,748 --> 00:39:22,716
And so there must be a love
for the gospel.

915
00:39:22,908 --> 00:39:25,788
There must be a desire to
preach the gospel.

916
00:39:25,884 --> 00:39:29,468
You know, we should have
entrepreneurial spirits, but the

917
00:39:29,524 --> 00:39:33,182
entrepreneurial spirit should
not be only based in what we can

918
00:39:33,206 --> 00:39:34,526
get materially.

919
00:39:34,718 --> 00:39:37,742
We should think of all these
creative ways how we can get the

920
00:39:37,766 --> 00:39:39,870
gospel out to a lost and dying world.

921
00:39:39,910 --> 00:39:42,750
Some of you are super creative
in your business, some of you are

922
00:39:42,790 --> 00:39:44,814
super creative in your hobby.

923
00:39:44,862 --> 00:39:47,662
And you find all the different
ways that you can make money and

924
00:39:47,686 --> 00:39:49,886
all the different ways that
you can do this and that.

925
00:39:49,958 --> 00:39:50,334
Let's.

926
00:39:50,382 --> 00:39:54,542
It's okay to bring that
creativity to the gospel, because

927
00:39:54,566 --> 00:39:57,038
I might not be thinking about
a way to get the gospel out to somebody

928
00:39:57,054 --> 00:39:58,772
else, but you might be able to
do that.

929
00:39:58,926 --> 00:40:02,232
And so we bring every possible
way that we can love sharing the

930
00:40:02,256 --> 00:40:02,584
gospel.

931
00:40:02,632 --> 00:40:02,984
You know what?

932
00:40:02,992 --> 00:40:07,048
If Middletown Baptist Church
begins to love to share the gospel,

933
00:40:07,224 --> 00:40:07,800
you know what?

934
00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:10,424
We're going to see amazing
things happen within our church.

935
00:40:10,552 --> 00:40:12,904
We're going to see people
coming and seeing a distinction,

936
00:40:12,952 --> 00:40:15,368
a difference in the way that
we do things here.

937
00:40:15,504 --> 00:40:17,320
This isn't just a place of religion.

938
00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:18,536
This is a place of change.

939
00:40:18,608 --> 00:40:19,704
This is a place of life.

940
00:40:19,792 --> 00:40:21,304
This is a place of light.

941
00:40:21,472 --> 00:40:24,142
And so there must be a love
for sharing the gospel.

942
00:40:24,336 --> 00:40:28,130
And then we're gonna see
lastly here verses 17 and 18.

943
00:40:28,250 --> 00:40:28,770
But he.

944
00:40:28,810 --> 00:40:30,018
That Glorieth.

945
00:40:30,194 --> 00:40:32,530
Glorieth essentially just
means this to.

946
00:40:32,570 --> 00:40:32,818
To.

947
00:40:32,874 --> 00:40:34,530
To be excited about, to.

948
00:40:34,650 --> 00:40:35,986
To praise.

949
00:40:36,178 --> 00:40:39,042
To be so excited.

950
00:40:39,186 --> 00:40:41,350
Like, so for tonight, let's
just be honest.

951
00:40:41,930 --> 00:40:42,498
Some of.

952
00:40:42,554 --> 00:40:47,762
Some of you in this room, if
one certain team wins, is gonna glory

953
00:40:47,826 --> 00:40:49,710
in the fact that they won, okay?

954
00:40:49,810 --> 00:40:50,982
You're gonna get excited.

955
00:40:51,126 --> 00:40:51,750
You're gonna be.

956
00:40:51,790 --> 00:40:52,486
You're gonna be happy.

957
00:40:52,518 --> 00:40:54,050
You're gonna say, that's my team.

958
00:40:54,350 --> 00:40:55,158
You know, my.

959
00:40:55,214 --> 00:40:56,054
My kids played.

960
00:40:56,142 --> 00:40:58,010
They play basketball.

961
00:40:58,670 --> 00:41:00,534
And, you know, it's.

962
00:41:00,582 --> 00:41:03,286
It's like Nora's in first and
second grade basketball.

963
00:41:03,318 --> 00:41:06,982
And if you want to see
something that's not very organized

964
00:41:07,046 --> 00:41:09,750
and you want to see something
that's not very entertaining, watch

965
00:41:09,790 --> 00:41:11,558
first and second grade
basketball, okay?

966
00:41:11,654 --> 00:41:12,438
But you know what?

967
00:41:12,494 --> 00:41:15,254
When Nora got that ball, she didn't.

968
00:41:15,302 --> 00:41:15,766
She shot.

969
00:41:15,798 --> 00:41:16,928
She tried her best.

970
00:41:17,094 --> 00:41:20,012
She went like this, and she
went to shoot yesterday, and I was

971
00:41:20,036 --> 00:41:20,812
like, she's gonna make it.

972
00:41:20,836 --> 00:41:21,996
And the ball goes.

973
00:41:22,188 --> 00:41:23,948
It only went about 2ft off the ground.

974
00:41:24,004 --> 00:41:25,212
I was like, oh, but you know what?

975
00:41:25,236 --> 00:41:29,308
I was so excited for my
daughter being out there, being involved.

976
00:41:29,404 --> 00:41:31,004
I don't care if it goes in.

977
00:41:31,172 --> 00:41:33,708
I was glorying in my
relationship with her.

978
00:41:33,844 --> 00:41:35,724
Any other kid that went out
there and did that, I'd be like,

979
00:41:35,732 --> 00:41:37,036
oh, man, they can't shoot.

980
00:41:37,068 --> 00:41:37,884
But it's my daughter.

981
00:41:37,932 --> 00:41:39,884
She did it, and I'm excited, right?

982
00:41:39,972 --> 00:41:41,388
And so the truth is this.

983
00:41:41,524 --> 00:41:43,836
We glory in what we love.

984
00:41:43,908 --> 00:41:45,960
We glory in what we know.

985
00:41:46,460 --> 00:41:49,060
We glory in what we put first
in our life.

986
00:41:49,100 --> 00:41:50,532
And so he says here, verse 17.

987
00:41:50,636 --> 00:41:51,012
But he.

988
00:41:51,036 --> 00:41:53,800
That Glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord.

989
00:41:54,460 --> 00:41:58,960
It's okay to get excited, but
what are we getting excited for?

990
00:41:59,740 --> 00:42:00,068
It's.

991
00:42:00,084 --> 00:42:02,804
It's okay to long for
something, to look towards something.

992
00:42:02,892 --> 00:42:03,760
You know what?

993
00:42:04,940 --> 00:42:07,140
We all are wired.

994
00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:07,732
Wired.

995
00:42:07,796 --> 00:42:08,468
You know what I mean?

996
00:42:08,524 --> 00:42:11,040
We're designed to glory after something.

997
00:42:11,420 --> 00:42:14,082
We're designed to long for Things.

998
00:42:14,276 --> 00:42:15,382
But what does Paul say?

999
00:42:15,406 --> 00:42:17,270
We do it in the Lord.

1000
00:42:17,430 --> 00:42:18,918
There's nothing wrong with glorying.

1001
00:42:19,014 --> 00:42:22,982
But if we glory in ourselves,
if we glory in our economy, if we

1002
00:42:23,006 --> 00:42:27,222
glory in a sports team, only
if we glory in something else, that

1003
00:42:27,246 --> 00:42:29,878
means nothing in the grand
scheme of eternity, we're glorying

1004
00:42:29,894 --> 00:42:30,550
in the wrong thing.

1005
00:42:30,590 --> 00:42:31,222
Verse 18.

1006
00:42:31,326 --> 00:42:35,382
For not he that commendeth
himself is approved, but whom the

1007
00:42:35,406 --> 00:42:36,730
Lord commendeth.

1008
00:42:37,390 --> 00:42:37,942
What do you.

1009
00:42:37,966 --> 00:42:38,582
What do you see here?

1010
00:42:38,606 --> 00:42:39,270
You see this?

1011
00:42:39,390 --> 00:42:42,060
We can commend ourselves, but
that doesn't mean anything.

1012
00:42:42,190 --> 00:42:43,344
It's who the Lord approves.

1013
00:42:43,392 --> 00:42:44,800
It's who the Lord is pleased with.

1014
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,432
And so therefore, number
eight, a true messenger has a desire

1015
00:42:48,496 --> 00:42:51,664
to please God, a desire to
please God.

1016
00:42:51,712 --> 00:42:54,752
In the process of pleasing
God, we can glory in his work, in

1017
00:42:54,776 --> 00:42:55,500
our life.

1018
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:57,040
You know what?

1019
00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:57,900
This morning.

1020
00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:01,180
Well, I'm rewind you back to
last night.

1021
00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:03,632
I didn't know what the weather
was gonna be.

1022
00:43:03,656 --> 00:43:04,780
I'm like, lord, what.

1023
00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:06,192
What are you doing?

1024
00:43:06,296 --> 00:43:07,708
I want to have church.

1025
00:43:07,824 --> 00:43:09,508
I want to worship with my
church family.

1026
00:43:09,564 --> 00:43:10,804
We're moving forward.

1027
00:43:10,892 --> 00:43:12,356
And so I was worried about the weather.

1028
00:43:12,468 --> 00:43:13,620
God worked that out.

1029
00:43:13,740 --> 00:43:14,532
So I was driving.

1030
00:43:14,596 --> 00:43:16,004
I was actually giving God the glory.

1031
00:43:16,052 --> 00:43:18,228
On the way here, I was like,
I'm going to drive to the parking

1032
00:43:18,244 --> 00:43:19,668
lot, 7am but I know there's no ice.

1033
00:43:19,684 --> 00:43:20,628
There's no ice on the roads.

1034
00:43:20,644 --> 00:43:21,556
We're going to have church today.

1035
00:43:21,628 --> 00:43:23,572
And I turned that corner, I
saw that road closed sign.

1036
00:43:23,596 --> 00:43:25,316
And immediately I went, lord,
what are you.

1037
00:43:25,468 --> 00:43:27,060
Are you trying to tell me
something today?

1038
00:43:27,100 --> 00:43:27,524
I don't know.

1039
00:43:27,532 --> 00:43:28,916
Why are they closing the road?

1040
00:43:29,068 --> 00:43:29,476
And.

1041
00:43:29,548 --> 00:43:32,148
And the truth is, is that when
that power went on, it was me, Pastor

1042
00:43:32,164 --> 00:43:33,426
Carlos and Pastor John here.

1043
00:43:33,508 --> 00:43:34,054
We glory.

1044
00:43:34,102 --> 00:43:35,446
We're like, yes, we get to
have church.

1045
00:43:35,478 --> 00:43:35,718
Right?

1046
00:43:35,774 --> 00:43:39,126
And the truth is, is that
that's a small thing, but when God

1047
00:43:39,158 --> 00:43:41,926
does amazing things in our
life, we have to praise him.

1048
00:43:41,998 --> 00:43:42,230
We.

1049
00:43:42,270 --> 00:43:43,830
We have to give him the glory.

1050
00:43:43,910 --> 00:43:44,150
When.

1051
00:43:44,190 --> 00:43:47,126
When things happen, when
someone gets saved, when we understand

1052
00:43:47,198 --> 00:43:50,918
a truth in scripture and we're
growing and, and give him the glory.

1053
00:43:51,094 --> 00:43:51,446
Don't.

1054
00:43:51,478 --> 00:43:52,730
Don't commend yourself.

1055
00:43:53,150 --> 00:43:54,710
Hey, look at what I did this week.

1056
00:43:54,750 --> 00:43:56,006
Look how much I've grown in
the Lord.

1057
00:43:56,038 --> 00:43:57,286
The Lord will take care of that.

1058
00:43:57,358 --> 00:43:59,638
He who exalts himself will be
torn down.

1059
00:43:59,694 --> 00:44:03,280
As the Bible says, he who is
humble God will lift up in his due

1060
00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:03,952
time.

1061
00:44:04,136 --> 00:44:07,220
And so there's a desire to
please God and please God alone.

1062
00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:09,420
It's not about pleasing others.

1063
00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:12,064
Are we going to please others
by pleasing God?

1064
00:44:12,112 --> 00:44:12,560
Maybe.

1065
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:14,720
But the truth is, is that he
is the audience of one.

1066
00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:16,864
He is the one that we are
trying to please.

1067
00:44:16,952 --> 00:44:18,720
He is the one that we're
trying to lift up.

1068
00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:20,416
He is the one that we glory in.

1069
00:44:20,568 --> 00:44:22,304
So what are some takeaways here?

1070
00:44:22,472 --> 00:44:27,226
Well, well, Paul, essentially
He quotes Jeremiah 9:24 to the Corinthian

1071
00:44:27,258 --> 00:44:28,830
Church there in this last verse.

1072
00:44:29,730 --> 00:44:32,442
And, and he does that to
explain that they shouldn't find

1073
00:44:32,466 --> 00:44:36,890
their glory in Paul against Paul.

1074
00:44:37,050 --> 00:44:39,306
Some of them were actually
finding their glory against Paul

1075
00:44:39,338 --> 00:44:40,870
like they were fighting
against him.

1076
00:44:41,490 --> 00:44:44,250
First Corinthians, chapter
three tells us all about that.

1077
00:44:44,370 --> 00:44:45,850
Don't, don't find your glory in.

1078
00:44:45,890 --> 00:44:50,298
I'm a follower of Paul or
Apollos or Peter or Pastor Josh or,

1079
00:44:50,354 --> 00:44:50,922
or myself.

1080
00:44:50,986 --> 00:44:51,450
Right.

1081
00:44:51,570 --> 00:44:55,098
It's our glory cannot be found
in anything outside of Christ.

1082
00:44:55,154 --> 00:44:57,072
They should only find glory.

1083
00:44:57,136 --> 00:44:58,400
They should only find hope.

1084
00:44:58,440 --> 00:44:59,696
They should only find excitement.

1085
00:44:59,728 --> 00:45:02,016
They should only find
satisfaction in the Lord.

1086
00:45:02,128 --> 00:45:04,624
And there's a few passages of
Scripture that I've listed here to

1087
00:45:04,632 --> 00:45:08,192
kind of solidify this
obviously over and over again in

1088
00:45:08,216 --> 00:45:08,592
the Bible.

1089
00:45:08,656 --> 00:45:08,928
The.

1090
00:45:08,984 --> 00:45:12,080
It tells us to have this
perspective, but I think that these

1091
00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:13,904
verses explain it very well.

1092
00:45:14,072 --> 00:45:14,981
Psalm 34.

1093
00:45:15,082 --> 00:45:15,536
2.

1094
00:45:15,688 --> 00:45:16,581
Psalm 34.

1095
00:45:16,682 --> 00:45:17,136
2.

1096
00:45:17,288 --> 00:45:20,992
The Psalmist here says, my
soul shall make her boast in the

1097
00:45:21,016 --> 00:45:21,620
Lord.

1098
00:45:23,330 --> 00:45:25,870
The humble shall hear thereof,
and be glad.

1099
00:45:26,610 --> 00:45:27,834
What does the psalmist say here?

1100
00:45:27,842 --> 00:45:30,794
He says, anything that
happens, my soul is going to boast

1101
00:45:30,842 --> 00:45:31,866
in the lord.

1102
00:45:32,058 --> 00:45:34,230
Galatians, chapter 6, verse 14.

1103
00:45:35,010 --> 00:45:37,578
I don't know about you, but
when I read this verse, I.

1104
00:45:37,634 --> 00:45:38,810
I'm convicted.

1105
00:45:38,970 --> 00:45:40,346
Galatians 6:14.

1106
00:45:40,498 --> 00:45:44,110
I hope that at some point that
this can be all of our testimonies.

1107
00:45:44,610 --> 00:45:47,950
But what Paul says here
through the inspiration of Scripture.

1108
00:45:48,860 --> 00:45:55,044
But God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord

1109
00:45:55,092 --> 00:45:59,332
Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I

1110
00:45:59,356 --> 00:46:00,400
unto the world.

1111
00:46:01,340 --> 00:46:04,680
God forbid that I should glory
in anything outside of the cross.

1112
00:46:05,180 --> 00:46:09,040
Going further, First
Corinthians, chapter one, verse 31.

1113
00:46:09,420 --> 00:46:10,484
Again, we, we.

1114
00:46:10,572 --> 00:46:14,772
We see a, a repetition of
these principles explained to us

1115
00:46:14,796 --> 00:46:14,932
here.

1116
00:46:14,956 --> 00:46:18,350
1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 31.

1117
00:46:21,050 --> 00:46:24,450
That according as it is
written, he that glorieth, let him

1118
00:46:24,490 --> 00:46:26,150
glory in the Lord.

1119
00:46:26,810 --> 00:46:30,706
And so what Paul is saying
here is this same thing that Jesus

1120
00:46:30,738 --> 00:46:30,978
says.

1121
00:46:31,034 --> 00:46:33,250
It's the same thing that the
prophet said.

1122
00:46:33,290 --> 00:46:35,666
It's the same thing that we
see throughout all of Scripture.

1123
00:46:35,778 --> 00:46:39,522
The only hope that we have in
being messengers for the truth is

1124
00:46:39,546 --> 00:46:44,464
to be messengers of his glory,
messengers of his will, messengers

1125
00:46:44,512 --> 00:46:47,024
of his way, messengers of his word.

1126
00:46:47,152 --> 00:46:51,664
And so true messengers are not
about promoting self that's one of

1127
00:46:51,672 --> 00:46:55,952
the big tests, okay, one of
the big tests in discerning the truth

1128
00:46:56,016 --> 00:46:59,264
from someone preaching is, is
the message about them or is the

1129
00:46:59,272 --> 00:47:00,880
message about Christ?

1130
00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:05,216
Is the message about their
agenda or is the message about God's

1131
00:47:05,248 --> 00:47:06,480
will and His Word?

1132
00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:07,760
That's the first test.

1133
00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:10,478
What is what, what does that
individual preach about Jesus?

1134
00:47:10,584 --> 00:47:12,530
Does that individual preach
about His Word?

1135
00:47:12,610 --> 00:47:16,130
If it's about, look at me,
attention towards us, that's the

1136
00:47:16,170 --> 00:47:17,090
wrong methodology.

1137
00:47:17,170 --> 00:47:21,074
And so true messengers
proclaim the truth of God correctly

1138
00:47:21,122 --> 00:47:24,002
in accordance to His Word and
exalt his name.

1139
00:47:24,186 --> 00:47:28,514
And so going back to the very
beginning, we understand that the

1140
00:47:28,522 --> 00:47:32,722
Bible tells us very clearly
that we have an opportunity in our

1141
00:47:32,746 --> 00:47:38,056
lives to discern the truth, to
understand the truth, to think biblically

1142
00:47:38,088 --> 00:47:40,180
about it, and then to proclaim that.

1143
00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:44,088
Paul says in First
Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 4,

1144
00:47:44,224 --> 00:47:48,664
but as we were allowed of God
to be put in trust with the gospel,

1145
00:47:48,792 --> 00:47:53,448
even so we speak not as
pleasing men, right?

1146
00:47:53,504 --> 00:47:57,900
So Paul says, we have a job,
and that is to preach the Gospel,

1147
00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:02,620
not to please men, but God
which trieth our hearts.

1148
00:48:02,970 --> 00:48:06,034
We preach the gospel even when
it's not popular.

1149
00:48:06,162 --> 00:48:08,658
We preach the gospel even when
people aren't pleased.

1150
00:48:08,754 --> 00:48:09,922
Because our goal is not to.

1151
00:48:09,946 --> 00:48:14,114
If, if I wanted to please men,
if I wanted to please the audience,

1152
00:48:14,162 --> 00:48:17,378
if I wanted to please the
world, I could preach different sermons.

1153
00:48:17,474 --> 00:48:19,458
I could skip over passages of Scripture.

1154
00:48:19,554 --> 00:48:22,066
If I wanted to please myself,
I wouldn't preach through passages

1155
00:48:22,098 --> 00:48:22,546
of scripture.

1156
00:48:22,578 --> 00:48:24,514
I would say, you know what,
that's one of those ones I want to

1157
00:48:24,522 --> 00:48:24,850
leave out.

1158
00:48:24,890 --> 00:48:27,458
Because that's, that's hard
thing to swallow.

1159
00:48:27,634 --> 00:48:33,100
But the Bible says that we
don't preach pleasing men, but God,

1160
00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:35,020
we please God.

1161
00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:39,368
And so the thought that I had
as, as we conclude here this morning,

1162
00:48:39,424 --> 00:48:41,640
is this it.

1163
00:48:41,680 --> 00:48:44,568
It's very similar to the
thought that I had when I read through

1164
00:48:44,624 --> 00:48:46,260
Romans chapter 10 recently.

1165
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:51,576
It's, it's the idea of, are we
willing, are we willing to say, I'm

1166
00:48:51,608 --> 00:48:56,674
going to be a messenger of the
Gospel, a messenger of the truth,

1167
00:48:56,722 --> 00:48:58,710
or a messenger of myself?

1168
00:48:59,930 --> 00:49:02,350
Everyone's a messenger in some way.

1169
00:49:03,290 --> 00:49:06,350
Everyone is presenting a
message about their life.

1170
00:49:07,770 --> 00:49:11,010
It's just a matter of, is our
message going to exalt Christ or

1171
00:49:11,050 --> 00:49:12,562
exalt self?

1172
00:49:12,706 --> 00:49:17,150
Is our message going to exalt
the word or the world?

1173
00:49:18,010 --> 00:49:19,550
Romans chapter 10.

1174
00:49:20,070 --> 00:49:22,718
Very simple passage there.

1175
00:49:22,774 --> 00:49:26,126
When it comes to verse number
nine, we, we tell this to people,

1176
00:49:26,198 --> 00:49:29,278
even part of the Romans road,
that if thou shalt confess with thy

1177
00:49:29,294 --> 00:49:31,806
mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in thine heart that God hath

1178
00:49:31,838 --> 00:49:32,606
raised him from the dead.

1179
00:49:32,638 --> 00:49:33,790
Thou shalt be saved.

1180
00:49:33,950 --> 00:49:36,142
That's what we're preaching, right?

1181
00:49:36,326 --> 00:49:40,010
Just believe in Jesus, trust
in him, proclaim his name.

1182
00:49:41,110 --> 00:49:41,790
Verse 10.

1183
00:49:41,830 --> 00:49:44,222
For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness and

1184
00:49:44,246 --> 00:49:47,400
with the mouth confesseth,
Confession is made unto salvation.

1185
00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:50,328
For the Scripture saith,
whosoever believeth on him shall

1186
00:49:50,344 --> 00:49:51,500
not be ashamed.

1187
00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:54,280
For there is no difference
between the Jew or Greek.

1188
00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:58,696
For the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him.

1189
00:49:58,848 --> 00:50:01,820
For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1190
00:50:02,240 --> 00:50:03,896
So he says, that's the gospel.

1191
00:50:04,008 --> 00:50:05,112
That's what we're doing.

1192
00:50:05,216 --> 00:50:06,328
Then he says, verse 14.

1193
00:50:06,384 --> 00:50:08,380
This is what cut me to the core.

1194
00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:14,970
How then shall they call on
him in whom they have not believed?

1195
00:50:15,130 --> 00:50:18,230
How do we expect the world to
come to Christ?

1196
00:50:18,690 --> 00:50:20,762
They don't believe in him, right?

1197
00:50:20,946 --> 00:50:24,910
How shall they believe in him
of whom they have not heard?

1198
00:50:26,130 --> 00:50:28,858
So how can we expect the world
to believe in Jesus if they haven't

1199
00:50:28,874 --> 00:50:29,830
heard about Him?

1200
00:50:30,290 --> 00:50:32,670
And how shall they hear
without a preacher?

1201
00:50:33,970 --> 00:50:36,310
And how shall they preach
except they be sent?

1202
00:50:37,180 --> 00:50:39,940
Truth is, is that yes, I have
an opportunity to preach on Sunday

1203
00:50:39,980 --> 00:50:42,724
mornings and Sunday nights and
Wednesday nights, but all of us have

1204
00:50:42,732 --> 00:50:44,372
an opportunity to preach to
the world.

1205
00:50:44,476 --> 00:50:45,476
I can't go everywhere.

1206
00:50:45,508 --> 00:50:46,356
You can't go everywhere.

1207
00:50:46,388 --> 00:50:48,692
But if we all come together,
we can go somewhere.

1208
00:50:48,836 --> 00:50:53,636
And the truth is, is that we
have a opportunity and a responsibility.

1209
00:50:53,828 --> 00:50:57,652
How can they act in Jesus
Christ if they don't believe?

1210
00:50:57,756 --> 00:50:59,428
How can they believe if they
don't hear?

1211
00:50:59,484 --> 00:51:01,492
How can they hear unless we go?

1212
00:51:01,676 --> 00:51:04,892
And so to be a messenger,
number one, we have to identify the

1213
00:51:04,916 --> 00:51:08,540
truth coming to us, not
allowing false teachers to fill our

1214
00:51:08,580 --> 00:51:12,028
minds with terrible unbiblical
thoughts and getting strongholds

1215
00:51:12,044 --> 00:51:12,508
in our life.

1216
00:51:12,564 --> 00:51:14,700
So think biblically, discern
the truth.

1217
00:51:14,780 --> 00:51:18,440
But as we discern the truth,
we distribute the truth to the world.

1218
00:51:18,740 --> 00:51:20,604
And that is how we can be true messengers.

1219
00:51:20,652 --> 00:51:23,500
And so the the two call to
actions for believers here this morning

1220
00:51:23,540 --> 00:51:24,300
would be this.

1221
00:51:24,420 --> 00:51:31,226
Number one, are you receiving
the truth of God through a messenger,

1222
00:51:31,258 --> 00:51:33,070
A true messenger of the Gospel.

1223
00:51:33,730 --> 00:51:34,090
Be.

1224
00:51:34,130 --> 00:51:36,794
Be a berean, inspect the preaching.

1225
00:51:36,922 --> 00:51:42,234
But then number two, am I
being the true messenger of the gospel

1226
00:51:42,282 --> 00:51:43,670
to those around me?

1227
00:51:44,050 --> 00:51:46,618
You can't be a messenger of
the gospel unless you've believed.

1228
00:51:46,714 --> 00:51:49,306
Romans chapter 10 says very
clearly that if thou shalt confess

1229
00:51:49,338 --> 00:51:51,642
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus
and shall believe in thine heart

1230
00:51:51,666 --> 00:51:54,778
that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved.

1231
00:51:54,874 --> 00:51:57,226
For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1232
00:51:57,258 --> 00:51:58,318
Hey whosoever, you know what?

1233
00:51:58,374 --> 00:52:01,342
Maybe for you this morning,
you need to call out to the Lord.

1234
00:52:01,406 --> 00:52:03,262
You need to call out to him in belief.

1235
00:52:03,406 --> 00:52:05,342
I don't know what, you've been
trying to trust him.

1236
00:52:05,366 --> 00:52:07,902
Maybe you've been trying to
trust the worldly measurables for

1237
00:52:07,926 --> 00:52:08,878
your salvation.

1238
00:52:09,054 --> 00:52:12,686
Maybe you've been taught this,
that my good outweighs my bad.

1239
00:52:12,758 --> 00:52:13,970
So I'm going to go to heaven.

1240
00:52:14,550 --> 00:52:17,210
The Bible says, where do we
start today?

1241
00:52:17,670 --> 00:52:19,870
Our good works are like filthy rags.

1242
00:52:19,950 --> 00:52:21,486
You cannot earn your way to heaven.

1243
00:52:21,598 --> 00:52:25,086
Okay, Another thing people
might say, well, hey Pastor, I'm

1244
00:52:25,118 --> 00:52:26,030
a member of a church.

1245
00:52:26,110 --> 00:52:27,236
I, I grew up in the church.

1246
00:52:27,268 --> 00:52:29,284
I take all the, the sacraments.

1247
00:52:29,332 --> 00:52:31,316
I, I've done all of the rituals.

1248
00:52:31,428 --> 00:52:34,852
The Bible says that traditions
and rituals don't get us to heaven.

1249
00:52:34,996 --> 00:52:37,668
The Bible says it is through
faith and faith alone.

1250
00:52:37,764 --> 00:52:38,996
That's the world's measurables.

1251
00:52:39,028 --> 00:52:40,404
The world understands it this way.

1252
00:52:40,492 --> 00:52:42,120
Do and receive.

1253
00:52:42,460 --> 00:52:46,884
God says believe and receive
and that's the whole process that

1254
00:52:46,892 --> 00:52:47,540
we have to go through.

1255
00:52:47,580 --> 00:52:49,876
So maybe there's someone today
that says, you know what I haven't

1256
00:52:49,908 --> 00:52:50,276
trusted.

1257
00:52:50,308 --> 00:52:54,508
I've been in church, I'm a
good person, so to speak, but I've

1258
00:52:54,524 --> 00:52:55,612
never come to him in faith.

1259
00:52:55,676 --> 00:52:57,132
I encourage you to come
forward this morning.

1260
00:52:57,156 --> 00:52:59,404
We're gonna have a few folks
up here that can show you in the

1261
00:52:59,412 --> 00:53:00,220
word of God what it means.

1262
00:53:00,260 --> 00:53:03,100
But for all of us others that
have believed today, number one,

1263
00:53:03,140 --> 00:53:07,004
are we receiving and
perceiving and discerning the truth

1264
00:53:07,052 --> 00:53:08,684
from the messengers around us?

1265
00:53:08,852 --> 00:53:12,492
And number two, if we have
done that, are we those ones that

1266
00:53:12,516 --> 00:53:16,444
are looking to be a messenger
and having those marks of the genuine

1267
00:53:16,492 --> 00:53:20,618
relationship and impact for
the kingdom, compassion in our hearts,

1268
00:53:20,714 --> 00:53:23,626
rejection of worldly
measurables, consistency in word

1269
00:53:23,658 --> 00:53:27,306
and action, and humbled
spirit, loving the gospel and desire

1270
00:53:27,338 --> 00:53:28,314
to please him.

1271
00:53:28,482 --> 00:53:31,802
If that's your desire this
morning, come dedicate yourself to

1272
00:53:31,826 --> 00:53:34,106
him today to be that messenger
of the gospel.

1273
00:53:34,138 --> 00:53:35,898
I'm going to ask everyone to
stand with me, every head bowed,

1274
00:53:35,914 --> 00:53:36,506
every eye closed.

1275
00:53:36,538 --> 00:53:38,954
As the music plays this
morning, let me give you an opportunity

1276
00:53:39,002 --> 00:53:41,642
to respond to the message this morning.

1277
00:53:41,826 --> 00:53:43,790
The marks of a messenger.

1278
00:53:45,740 --> 00:53:48,148
Lord, I pray that you'd be in
this time of invitation, working

1279
00:53:48,204 --> 00:53:48,868
hearts and lives.

1280
00:53:48,924 --> 00:53:53,124
I pray that you can guide us
to a place of obedience to you so

1281
00:53:53,132 --> 00:53:55,892
that we can be that true
messenger of the gospel.

1282
00:53:56,036 --> 00:53:57,396
We love you and we thank you.

1283
00:53:57,468 --> 00:53:58,708
Pray that you work in this time.

1284
00:53:58,764 --> 00:53:59,668
In Jesus name.

1285
00:53:59,724 --> 00:53:59,988
Amen.

1286
00:54:00,004 --> 00:54:02,916
As the music plays, if you
need to come here at the steps and

1287
00:54:02,988 --> 00:54:03,940
commit yourselves to Him.

1288
00:54:03,980 --> 00:54:04,532
You can.

1289
00:54:04,636 --> 00:54:06,164
You need Jesus Christ as your Savior.

1290
00:54:06,212 --> 00:54:08,852
We'd love to show you in the
Word of God what it means to know

1291
00:54:08,876 --> 00:54:10,560
him and have everlasting life.

1292
00:54:10,940 --> 00:54:13,604
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1293
00:54:13,652 --> 00:54:14,404
Podcast.

1294
00:54:14,532 --> 00:54:17,160
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing blessing for you.

1295
00:54:17,460 --> 00:54:19,756
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1296
00:54:19,788 --> 00:54:23,404
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1297
00:54:23,532 --> 00:54:26,400
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1298
00:54:26,820 --> 00:54:31,276
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch

1299
00:54:31,308 --> 00:54:35,788
dot com if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1300
00:54:35,844 --> 00:54:38,800
along for future podcast and updates.

1301
00:54:39,220 --> 00:54:40,300
Thank you so much.

1302
00:54:40,420 --> 00:54:41,324
God Bless.

1303
00:54:41,452 --> 00:54:42,500
Have a wonderful day.