1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,576 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, 2 00:00:03,688 --> 00:00:06,584 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,672 --> 00:00:09,672 My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,696 --> 00:00:10,760 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,616 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,648 --> 00:00:16,300 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:17,576 Now, come along. 8 00:00:17,648 --> 00:00:21,700 Let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today. 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,800 Well, Anyway, we're in 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,964 If you have your Bibles, you can turn there with me. 11 00:00:28,112 --> 00:00:29,508 Second Corinthians, chapter 11. 12 00:00:29,564 --> 00:00:34,372 We're going to continue our series looking here at Second Corinthians 13 00:00:34,436 --> 00:00:37,760 and seeing how Paul is dealing with the church here. 14 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:39,060 And. 15 00:00:39,100 --> 00:00:41,828 And I need to give you some context to what's going on. 16 00:00:41,884 --> 00:00:47,320 Again, if you were here last week, Paul is defending his ministry 17 00:00:48,060 --> 00:00:51,364 against people who are questioning him, they're challenging 18 00:00:51,412 --> 00:00:51,956 him. 19 00:00:52,108 --> 00:00:53,956 And, and really what's happened as. 20 00:00:54,028 --> 00:00:58,274 As we have noticed that these false teachers have seeped into the 21 00:00:58,282 --> 00:01:02,630 church of Corinth, and they begin to teach a different Jesus. 22 00:01:03,050 --> 00:01:06,146 They begin to teach about a different spirit. 23 00:01:06,338 --> 00:01:08,418 They teach a different gospel. 24 00:01:08,594 --> 00:01:12,418 And so what Paul is doing is, yes, he is defending his own ministry, 25 00:01:12,594 --> 00:01:14,898 but in a greater way. 26 00:01:14,954 --> 00:01:17,394 He's defending the message of the truth. 27 00:01:17,442 --> 00:01:18,870 He's defending the Lord. 28 00:01:19,210 --> 00:01:23,030 And so he has to go through this with them, to explain to them 29 00:01:23,130 --> 00:01:26,330 that, hey, your eyes are on the wrong thing. 30 00:01:27,030 --> 00:01:30,558 You have turned your affections away from the truth, and 31 00:01:30,614 --> 00:01:33,358 you've turned your affections to the things of this world. 32 00:01:33,414 --> 00:01:37,170 You have attached yourselves to some false teachers. 33 00:01:37,670 --> 00:01:40,846 And by attaching yourself to these false teachers, you have attached 34 00:01:40,878 --> 00:01:45,390 yourself to a way that is not the way of the Gospel, not the way 35 00:01:45,430 --> 00:01:46,734 of Scripture. 36 00:01:46,862 --> 00:01:51,782 And so the title of the sermon this morning is Humble Honesty in 37 00:01:51,806 --> 00:01:53,990 the Face of Hypocritical Hoaxers. 38 00:01:54,070 --> 00:01:56,710 I know that's a long title, but there's a lot of H's in there 39 00:01:56,750 --> 00:01:57,574 for you to remember. 40 00:01:57,702 --> 00:01:59,558 Humble honesty. 41 00:01:59,734 --> 00:02:03,846 Paul's humble honesty in the face of hypocritical hoaxers. 42 00:02:03,878 --> 00:02:07,382 There's these individuals that have moved into the church, and they 43 00:02:07,406 --> 00:02:08,534 are presenting a hoax. 44 00:02:08,582 --> 00:02:11,670 They are presenting a false way of doing things. 45 00:02:11,710 --> 00:02:13,222 And so they're hypocrites in that. 46 00:02:13,246 --> 00:02:15,014 And so Paul is calling them out in honesty. 47 00:02:15,062 --> 00:02:17,622 Now, he does it in a humble fashion, which we're going to talk 48 00:02:17,646 --> 00:02:18,610 about here today. 49 00:02:18,910 --> 00:02:22,422 But what we need to do as believers is understand that there 50 00:02:22,446 --> 00:02:27,782 is a time and a place to proclaim the truth, but to do it 51 00:02:27,806 --> 00:02:29,542 in humility, to do it in love. 52 00:02:29,566 --> 00:02:32,806 And so Paul is going to toe that line of I'm going to challenge 53 00:02:32,838 --> 00:02:35,318 you with the truth, but I'm going to do it the best I can in, 54 00:02:35,374 --> 00:02:38,358 in honesty and humility. 55 00:02:38,534 --> 00:02:41,654 And so 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 5. 56 00:02:41,822 --> 00:02:47,942 He says this for I suppose I was not a wit behind the very chiefest 57 00:02:48,006 --> 00:02:48,970 apostles. 58 00:02:49,710 --> 00:02:51,638 Now you would say, what is he talking about here? 59 00:02:51,694 --> 00:02:54,166 Well, we're gonna see a lot of that in this passage. 60 00:02:54,278 --> 00:02:56,390 You're gonna say, what is Paul trying to get across here? 61 00:02:56,430 --> 00:02:58,150 Well, essentially what he's saying is this. 62 00:02:58,270 --> 00:03:02,662 He's like, I, I don't consider myself less than these people that 63 00:03:02,686 --> 00:03:04,662 you're calling the chiefest apostles. 64 00:03:04,726 --> 00:03:07,084 Now who are these chiefest apostles? 65 00:03:07,262 --> 00:03:09,024 We need to know what he's talking about here. 66 00:03:09,112 --> 00:03:12,048 Some people would argue that he's talking about people like Peter 67 00:03:12,224 --> 00:03:15,904 and John and, and the great apostles there in Jerusalem. 68 00:03:15,952 --> 00:03:16,720 That could be one. 69 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,288 Take that, you could take on this. 70 00:03:18,424 --> 00:03:22,272 Or you could say that he's referring to these people that are 71 00:03:22,296 --> 00:03:24,816 the false teachers in the church at Corinth. 72 00:03:24,848 --> 00:03:27,952 And everyone's referring to them as these chief apostles. 73 00:03:28,096 --> 00:03:30,096 These, these super apostles. 74 00:03:30,208 --> 00:03:34,494 That's the, the original Greek here actually means this, these ultra 75 00:03:34,622 --> 00:03:36,142 super apostles. 76 00:03:36,286 --> 00:03:40,174 And so we almost get a sense that Paul is using a little bit element 77 00:03:40,222 --> 00:03:41,406 of sarcasm here. 78 00:03:41,478 --> 00:03:42,302 He says, you know what? 79 00:03:42,326 --> 00:03:45,742 I'm not less than these super apostles that you're following here. 80 00:03:45,846 --> 00:03:48,494 And, and I believe by way of context that that's probably what 81 00:03:48,502 --> 00:03:49,582 he's talking about here. 82 00:03:49,686 --> 00:03:53,166 The, the people in Corinth are like, hey, Paul, these guys are better. 83 00:03:53,238 --> 00:03:55,118 These guys are the super apostles. 84 00:03:55,214 --> 00:03:57,726 We like what they're preaching, we like what they're teaching. 85 00:03:57,758 --> 00:03:59,472 He goes, hey, I'm not less than them. 86 00:03:59,646 --> 00:04:02,140 Um, I, I, I have the same calling in my life. 87 00:04:02,180 --> 00:04:05,292 And so he compares himself to these people that are referred to 88 00:04:05,316 --> 00:04:07,200 as these chiefest apostles. 89 00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:10,860 And so apparently these Corinthian Christians were preferring 90 00:04:10,940 --> 00:04:12,800 their message over Paul's. 91 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:16,284 And so in the original language, Paul goes, hey, you know 92 00:04:16,292 --> 00:04:16,460 what? 93 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:22,044 I'm just as important, I'm just as called as these super apostles 94 00:04:22,092 --> 00:04:23,640 that you are referring to. 95 00:04:23,940 --> 00:04:27,052 Now the reason why he does this is because he wants to make 96 00:04:27,076 --> 00:04:27,468 a case. 97 00:04:27,524 --> 00:04:30,434 He wants to make a case that what they are preaching is actually 98 00:04:30,522 --> 00:04:31,378 false teaching. 99 00:04:31,474 --> 00:04:33,666 He, he wants to make a case that, hey, you know what? 100 00:04:33,738 --> 00:04:36,402 I have a call in my life that is an important call, and that is 101 00:04:36,426 --> 00:04:37,458 to proclaim the truth. 102 00:04:37,554 --> 00:04:41,042 And I think for all of us to, to, to take it to application this 103 00:04:41,066 --> 00:04:41,538 morning. 104 00:04:41,674 --> 00:04:45,122 All of us have a call in our life to proclaim the message of the 105 00:04:45,146 --> 00:04:45,830 Gospel. 106 00:04:46,170 --> 00:04:47,874 Now, we aren't Apostles. 107 00:04:48,002 --> 00:04:50,434 But all of us are called to be ministers of the Gospel. 108 00:04:50,482 --> 00:04:52,994 All of us are called to be messengers of the Gospel. 109 00:04:53,122 --> 00:04:55,010 And so what Paul is going to do here is he. 110 00:04:55,050 --> 00:04:59,012 He's not gonna say that these people necessarily are, you know, 111 00:04:59,116 --> 00:04:59,668 at first. 112 00:04:59,724 --> 00:05:01,172 He's not going to say that they're evil. 113 00:05:01,236 --> 00:05:03,716 He's going to make a case to prove that what they're teaching 114 00:05:03,748 --> 00:05:07,060 is evil, and therefore that they are evil and that they are sent 115 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:09,284 from somewhere else, not from the Lord. 116 00:05:09,412 --> 00:05:13,028 But he does this in a fashion to basically explain himself before 117 00:05:13,084 --> 00:05:15,680 he immediately starts accusing them of these things. 118 00:05:16,220 --> 00:05:21,044 And so verse five, he says, for I suppose I was not a wit behind 119 00:05:21,132 --> 00:05:23,508 the very chief apostles, meaning I'm not behind them, I'm 120 00:05:23,524 --> 00:05:24,298 not under them. 121 00:05:24,404 --> 00:05:25,134 Verse 6. 122 00:05:25,222 --> 00:05:30,158 But though I be rude in speech, now we have to stop there. 123 00:05:30,294 --> 00:05:31,438 Say, what is he talking about? 124 00:05:31,494 --> 00:05:32,382 Why is he being rude? 125 00:05:32,446 --> 00:05:35,598 That word rude just means basic, common. 126 00:05:35,774 --> 00:05:38,222 Doesn't mean that he's being rude to how he speaks to them. 127 00:05:38,246 --> 00:05:40,798 He's not being mean, he's not being abrasive. 128 00:05:40,894 --> 00:05:44,190 That word rude in the original language just means that he is coming 129 00:05:44,230 --> 00:05:46,206 to them not with fancy speech. 130 00:05:46,318 --> 00:05:49,326 He's not coming to them in articulate fashion. 131 00:05:49,358 --> 00:05:51,548 He's coming to them just in everyday speech. 132 00:05:51,734 --> 00:05:54,288 And what's happened is, is that on the other side of things, 133 00:05:54,344 --> 00:05:56,976 these individuals that are coming into Corinth, they're using 134 00:05:57,048 --> 00:05:57,904 fancy speech. 135 00:05:57,952 --> 00:06:02,336 They're using very high methods of what we would even call 136 00:06:02,488 --> 00:06:05,616 manipulation to get people to begin to believe in what they're 137 00:06:05,648 --> 00:06:05,984 preaching. 138 00:06:06,032 --> 00:06:08,080 So Paul says, I'm not coming to you with great speech. 139 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,832 I'm coming to you with just basic language explaining to you 140 00:06:10,856 --> 00:06:11,648 the truth. 141 00:06:11,824 --> 00:06:15,264 He says, so though I'm not speaking like them in their style. 142 00:06:15,392 --> 00:06:16,240 What does he say next? 143 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:21,710 He says, yet not in knowledge, meaning he's not basic in knowledge. 144 00:06:22,130 --> 00:06:24,938 He has a true knowledge of who God is. 145 00:06:25,074 --> 00:06:27,066 He has a true knowledge of the truth. 146 00:06:27,178 --> 00:06:29,098 He has a true knowledge of the love of Christ. 147 00:06:29,154 --> 00:06:30,970 He has a true knowledge of the gospel. 148 00:06:31,130 --> 00:06:35,178 So he says, what's lacking, what's lacking in comparison to these 149 00:06:35,234 --> 00:06:36,858 preachers are that are false. 150 00:06:36,954 --> 00:06:40,122 And the preaching of Paul is that, hey, I have a knowledge of 151 00:06:40,146 --> 00:06:40,810 who God is. 152 00:06:40,850 --> 00:06:42,648 They don't have a knowledge of who God is. 153 00:06:42,794 --> 00:06:46,636 They might be impressive in speech, but they don't have a relationship 154 00:06:46,668 --> 00:06:47,260 with God. 155 00:06:47,340 --> 00:06:49,692 They're not proclaiming to you the truth of God. 156 00:06:49,756 --> 00:06:52,720 They're proclaiming to you the truth of their own opinions. 157 00:06:53,220 --> 00:06:54,892 And so what can we learn from this? 158 00:06:54,996 --> 00:06:56,892 Well, Paul is basically saying this. 159 00:06:56,996 --> 00:07:00,652 The distinction Between a true teacher, a true messenger of the 160 00:07:00,676 --> 00:07:05,692 Gospel, and a messenger of evil, a messenger of hypocrisy, a 161 00:07:05,716 --> 00:07:08,372 messenger of false teaching is this. 162 00:07:08,516 --> 00:07:11,380 The knowledge is not based in the knowledge of this world. 163 00:07:11,420 --> 00:07:14,276 The knowledge is not based in the knowledge of the individual that's 164 00:07:14,308 --> 00:07:15,444 standing in front of them. 165 00:07:15,532 --> 00:07:18,020 The knowledge is based in the truth of God. 166 00:07:18,180 --> 00:07:18,612 And the. 167 00:07:18,636 --> 00:07:18,772 And. 168 00:07:18,796 --> 00:07:20,692 And so the check and balance is just this. 169 00:07:20,716 --> 00:07:22,068 It's the truth of God. 170 00:07:22,244 --> 00:07:26,532 And so anytime that we are hearing someone teach, anytime that 171 00:07:26,556 --> 00:07:30,628 we're teaching, anytime we're listening to a podcast or a video 172 00:07:30,764 --> 00:07:34,612 or a radio show or any sermon, what we have to do is we have to 173 00:07:34,636 --> 00:07:38,290 match it up to the knowledge of God, the knowledge of his Word. 174 00:07:38,370 --> 00:07:40,418 It doesn't matter how well someone's speaking. 175 00:07:40,514 --> 00:07:45,026 I mean, there are some very, very accomplished public speakers 176 00:07:45,058 --> 00:07:47,986 that have no understanding of the knowledge of God. 177 00:07:48,178 --> 00:07:49,490 No, no, I'm not saying that. 178 00:07:49,530 --> 00:07:53,586 Every single speaker that has articulate speech, every single speaker 179 00:07:53,618 --> 00:07:57,058 that has a wonderful way of bringing forth the truth is evil. 180 00:07:57,154 --> 00:07:58,482 But that's not the test. 181 00:07:58,586 --> 00:08:01,170 The test is not in how well someone speaks. 182 00:08:01,250 --> 00:08:05,322 The test is in not how someone presents themselves in the outward. 183 00:08:05,386 --> 00:08:07,226 Look, we're going to see that here in a few moments. 184 00:08:07,338 --> 00:08:10,510 The true test, as he says here, is a knowledge of God. 185 00:08:11,170 --> 00:08:12,650 And I would tell you that there. 186 00:08:12,690 --> 00:08:17,354 There could be someone that gets up here and sings a song. 187 00:08:17,402 --> 00:08:19,322 Maybe, let's say, Amazing Grace. 188 00:08:19,466 --> 00:08:20,826 And they sing it perfectly. 189 00:08:20,858 --> 00:08:22,270 They sing it in tune. 190 00:08:22,610 --> 00:08:25,258 They sing it to the understanding of, wow, that person 191 00:08:25,314 --> 00:08:27,994 is technically right in everything that they're singing. 192 00:08:28,042 --> 00:08:30,794 But the true test on whether or not they understand that Amazing 193 00:08:30,842 --> 00:08:33,862 Grace is if they have the knowledge of who God is and what 194 00:08:33,966 --> 00:08:35,318 he has done for them. 195 00:08:35,454 --> 00:08:38,646 You can get up here all day and read passages of scripture. 196 00:08:38,678 --> 00:08:39,078 I could. 197 00:08:39,134 --> 00:08:41,090 I could print out a sermon online. 198 00:08:41,630 --> 00:08:44,422 I could print out one of the greatest sermons ever and read it 199 00:08:44,446 --> 00:08:47,110 to you in a way that is captivating. 200 00:08:47,190 --> 00:08:50,294 But the truth is, is that if I twist any of those words to the place 201 00:08:50,382 --> 00:08:53,334 where it's contrary to the knowledge of God, contrary to the 202 00:08:53,342 --> 00:08:55,254 word of God, folks, that's misleading. 203 00:08:55,302 --> 00:08:55,766 That's false. 204 00:08:55,798 --> 00:08:57,862 And so that's what Paul is warning them about. 205 00:08:58,046 --> 00:09:00,294 And so the warning for Corinth is this. 206 00:09:00,382 --> 00:09:02,950 Be careful in who you are listening to. 207 00:09:03,070 --> 00:09:05,702 Don't look at the way it's presented. 208 00:09:05,766 --> 00:09:08,534 Look at the content that is being presented. 209 00:09:08,662 --> 00:09:12,310 And so I would say the same thing to you here today, as a church, 210 00:09:12,470 --> 00:09:16,182 as an individual, as a believer in Jesus Christ. 211 00:09:16,366 --> 00:09:20,806 Really be on the lookout for the message, the content. 212 00:09:20,958 --> 00:09:22,102 Go Deeper. 213 00:09:22,246 --> 00:09:22,902 Go deeper. 214 00:09:22,966 --> 00:09:23,846 I don't know if you've. 215 00:09:23,878 --> 00:09:26,496 You've heard someone get up and they've talked for like 20 minutes, 216 00:09:26,528 --> 00:09:28,176 and then at the end you're like, what have they even talked 217 00:09:28,208 --> 00:09:28,640 about? 218 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,392 They've just basically rambled on and you're like, I don't. 219 00:09:31,416 --> 00:09:32,940 I don't understand what they're saying. 220 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:42,032 If you cannot take someone's message and boil it down to one theological 221 00:09:42,096 --> 00:09:44,464 truth, you've wasted your time. 222 00:09:44,632 --> 00:09:48,704 If a speaker gets up and talks about himself the whole 30 minutes 223 00:09:48,752 --> 00:09:52,222 to an hour, and you say, well, what did he talk about with God? 224 00:09:52,376 --> 00:09:55,794 What's happened is, is that he has now presented his own knowledge. 225 00:09:55,922 --> 00:09:57,666 And, and it's not the knowledge of God. 226 00:09:57,698 --> 00:09:58,802 So that's what Paul is talking about here. 227 00:09:58,826 --> 00:10:02,434 In verse six, he says, though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, 228 00:10:02,482 --> 00:10:06,210 but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. 229 00:10:06,250 --> 00:10:06,818 Meaning this. 230 00:10:06,874 --> 00:10:09,378 Paul says, we've proven ourselves to you. 231 00:10:09,514 --> 00:10:11,314 We've demonstrated the truth of God. 232 00:10:11,362 --> 00:10:16,190 So we talk the talk, but we also walk the walk. 233 00:10:16,730 --> 00:10:20,478 And so one test in a false teacher is this. 234 00:10:20,614 --> 00:10:22,990 Are they proclaiming the knowledge of God? 235 00:10:23,150 --> 00:10:25,038 But the second test would be this. 236 00:10:25,174 --> 00:10:28,530 Do their actions match their teaching? 237 00:10:29,430 --> 00:10:29,790 Do. 238 00:10:29,830 --> 00:10:33,646 Do they say, trust in God, but yet trust in the world? 239 00:10:33,718 --> 00:10:36,750 Do they say, believe in the goodness of God, but then believe 240 00:10:36,790 --> 00:10:38,206 in the goodness of themselves? 241 00:10:38,318 --> 00:10:39,646 So what Paul is saying is this. 242 00:10:39,718 --> 00:10:43,438 At the end of verse six, we have thoroughly made manifest among 243 00:10:43,494 --> 00:10:44,558 you in all things. 244 00:10:44,614 --> 00:10:45,022 Meaning. 245 00:10:45,086 --> 00:10:47,730 We've demonstrated to you, we've been transparent. 246 00:10:48,220 --> 00:10:48,580 We. 247 00:10:48,620 --> 00:10:52,212 We've allowed you to see the deepest parts of us when we come 248 00:10:52,236 --> 00:10:53,040 to you. 249 00:10:53,660 --> 00:10:57,908 And so Paul couldn't, or, or even in this case, he wouldn't give 250 00:10:57,964 --> 00:10:59,780 the Corinthian Christians the. 251 00:10:59,820 --> 00:11:02,452 The polished preaching that they wanted. 252 00:11:02,596 --> 00:11:04,580 They wanted to be entertained. 253 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:10,196 We as human beings have a desire, we really do, to be entertained. 254 00:11:10,228 --> 00:11:11,268 And that's okay. 255 00:11:11,444 --> 00:11:15,134 The problem is, is that sometimes we place the realm of entertainment 256 00:11:15,182 --> 00:11:17,870 to a place where we should be learning and growing. 257 00:11:18,030 --> 00:11:20,862 And to be entertained might mean that we are not learning and 258 00:11:20,886 --> 00:11:21,502 growing. 259 00:11:21,646 --> 00:11:25,246 And so what happens sometimes within the church, what happens sometimes 260 00:11:25,278 --> 00:11:28,990 within our own Christian lives is that we seek entertainment more 261 00:11:29,030 --> 00:11:31,250 than we seek the truth of God. 262 00:11:32,230 --> 00:11:36,046 And so that entertainment causes me to be excited, that entertainment 263 00:11:36,078 --> 00:11:38,350 gets me to a place of feeling good about myself. 264 00:11:38,510 --> 00:11:41,134 Sometimes the preaching of the word of God doesn't bring me to a 265 00:11:41,142 --> 00:11:43,966 place that I'm going to feel really good about myself. 266 00:11:44,158 --> 00:11:46,542 Actually, on the other side of things, sometimes the preaching of 267 00:11:46,566 --> 00:11:49,726 God brings me to a place of conviction and brokenness and humility. 268 00:11:49,838 --> 00:11:52,014 And that's what Paul is going to talk about here in a few moments. 269 00:11:52,062 --> 00:11:54,382 He says there's a time and a place to be humble. 270 00:11:54,526 --> 00:11:54,830 The. 271 00:11:54,870 --> 00:11:57,690 The gospel message will always humble us. 272 00:11:58,070 --> 00:12:00,170 Scripture will always humble us. 273 00:12:00,790 --> 00:12:06,270 Understanding who God is in his power will always humble us. 274 00:12:06,390 --> 00:12:09,878 Understanding what God has done for us in the Gospel, as Brother 275 00:12:09,894 --> 00:12:13,254 Michael sang this morning about coming to this earth, living 276 00:12:13,302 --> 00:12:17,110 a perfect life, dying on the cross, that will always humble us 277 00:12:17,150 --> 00:12:19,370 if we see it from the proper perspective. 278 00:12:19,710 --> 00:12:22,326 And so what he says here is, hey, you've seen it in our lives, 279 00:12:22,398 --> 00:12:23,730 demonstrated to you. 280 00:12:24,430 --> 00:12:28,886 And so God has made himself clear in the preaching of Paul. 281 00:12:28,998 --> 00:12:31,798 God has made himself clear in his word. 282 00:12:31,894 --> 00:12:36,360 And so here, in this case, Paul has allowed himself to be inspected. 283 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:37,768 He wasn't a polished speaker. 284 00:12:37,784 --> 00:12:39,832 We looked at that back in First Corinthians, chapter three. 285 00:12:39,856 --> 00:12:43,020 He says, I come to you in trembling. 286 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,100 I come to you in pain. 287 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,260 I come to you with fear. 288 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:48,360 So. 289 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:49,896 So Paul is not known. 290 00:12:49,968 --> 00:12:52,696 Even though I used to think this, the way that Paul was described 291 00:12:52,728 --> 00:12:56,104 to me as growing up in my Sunday school classes was that Paul 292 00:12:56,152 --> 00:12:59,384 was this guy who would get up and have this thunderous voice and 293 00:12:59,472 --> 00:12:59,864 be. 294 00:12:59,952 --> 00:13:01,096 Be an attractive guy. 295 00:13:01,128 --> 00:13:03,384 And everyone would say, well, that guy is the preacher. 296 00:13:03,432 --> 00:13:04,524 That guy is the teacher. 297 00:13:04,632 --> 00:13:07,940 And so therefore, everyone would respect Paul because of his 298 00:13:07,980 --> 00:13:08,560 power. 299 00:13:08,940 --> 00:13:11,860 But if you really study Paul, if you really look into his life, 300 00:13:11,900 --> 00:13:16,228 if you look into Scripture, Paul was not an individual that people 301 00:13:16,284 --> 00:13:18,520 would look at and go, wow, he's powerful. 302 00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:21,840 So where did he get his power from? 303 00:13:22,300 --> 00:13:25,204 Power was from the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 304 00:13:25,372 --> 00:13:27,840 The power comes in the message, not in the person. 305 00:13:28,540 --> 00:13:30,120 And so we don't worship Paul. 306 00:13:30,500 --> 00:13:31,676 We don't worship anybody. 307 00:13:31,708 --> 00:13:34,040 We don't worship any person that gets up here. 308 00:13:34,820 --> 00:13:37,964 And the truth is, is that Paul in First Corinthians, chapter 3, 309 00:13:38,052 --> 00:13:38,572 mentions that. 310 00:13:38,596 --> 00:13:41,612 He says, you know, some say that you're a Paul, and some are 311 00:13:41,636 --> 00:13:42,508 of Apollos. 312 00:13:42,604 --> 00:13:45,308 You know, some say you're from Peter, some say you're from John. 313 00:13:45,364 --> 00:13:49,468 Whatever it is, he says, it's not that you are a follower of that 314 00:13:49,524 --> 00:13:49,836 person. 315 00:13:49,908 --> 00:13:51,468 You're ultimately a follower of Christ. 316 00:13:51,524 --> 00:13:51,884 Why? 317 00:13:51,972 --> 00:13:54,716 It's because of the power of God working through the message. 318 00:13:54,748 --> 00:13:58,326 And so he says in verse six, we've made ourselves manifest unto 319 00:13:58,358 --> 00:13:58,930 you. 320 00:13:59,710 --> 00:14:02,490 He was honest and transparent. 321 00:14:03,070 --> 00:14:06,758 So that's another element of a true teacher of the gospel. 322 00:14:06,854 --> 00:14:07,110 So. 323 00:14:07,150 --> 00:14:08,646 So if you go back, what was it? 324 00:14:08,718 --> 00:14:12,038 It was this idea that it's based in the knowledge of God. 325 00:14:12,214 --> 00:14:13,958 Okay, Based in the knowledge of God. 326 00:14:14,054 --> 00:14:19,254 It was walking the walk, demonstrating action connected to 327 00:14:19,262 --> 00:14:20,166 the teaching. 328 00:14:20,358 --> 00:14:23,050 And then we see here, it's transparency. 329 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:25,160 Transparency. 330 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:29,832 It is important for a messenger of the truth to be transparent. 331 00:14:29,896 --> 00:14:33,448 If I get up here and tell you that my life is perfect, that I don't 332 00:14:33,464 --> 00:14:35,912 struggle with anything anymore, that you guys need to get 333 00:14:35,936 --> 00:14:39,352 on my level, because when you're a super saint, you will get 334 00:14:39,376 --> 00:14:42,024 there one day, I would not be transparent. 335 00:14:42,072 --> 00:14:45,752 Because, folks, I struggle too. 336 00:14:45,936 --> 00:14:48,200 I, I, I have big issues in my life. 337 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,312 And someone says, no, no, no, no, Pastor, we don't want to hear 338 00:14:50,336 --> 00:14:51,304 about your issues. 339 00:14:51,392 --> 00:14:52,984 We want to think that your life is perfect. 340 00:14:53,032 --> 00:14:54,264 My life is not perfect. 341 00:14:54,392 --> 00:14:55,960 I'm just going to be honest with you. 342 00:14:56,080 --> 00:15:00,248 Wednesday afternoon, seeing my son come out of surgery and not being 343 00:15:00,304 --> 00:15:03,784 able to tell him why. 344 00:15:03,952 --> 00:15:06,648 We left him seven hours ago, and he woke up and he wasn't around 345 00:15:06,704 --> 00:15:07,016 us. 346 00:15:07,088 --> 00:15:08,280 I was in pain. 347 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:09,736 I was, I was weeping. 348 00:15:09,768 --> 00:15:10,616 I couldn't do anything. 349 00:15:10,648 --> 00:15:11,896 I felt so helpless. 350 00:15:12,008 --> 00:15:14,376 I wanted to just take that pain away from my son. 351 00:15:14,408 --> 00:15:17,110 I want to just take it out of his body and put it into my body, 352 00:15:17,150 --> 00:15:18,450 but I couldn't do it. 353 00:15:18,910 --> 00:15:22,358 And that point in my life, I was struggling in the concept of 354 00:15:22,414 --> 00:15:22,694 Lord. 355 00:15:22,742 --> 00:15:23,094 Why? 356 00:15:23,182 --> 00:15:23,574 Why? 357 00:15:23,662 --> 00:15:24,198 Why? 358 00:15:24,334 --> 00:15:27,494 But the truth is, is that in that very moment, I realized, you 359 00:15:27,502 --> 00:15:28,006 know what, Lord? 360 00:15:28,038 --> 00:15:31,290 You are teaching me a lesson. 361 00:15:32,590 --> 00:15:34,742 Who knows what you're going to do in Silas's life? 362 00:15:34,766 --> 00:15:36,902 Who knows what you're going to do in his brother and sister's life? 363 00:15:36,926 --> 00:15:38,726 Who knows what you're going to do in these nurses life? 364 00:15:38,798 --> 00:15:41,502 And so the point is, is seeing it from a bigger picture. 365 00:15:41,606 --> 00:15:45,390 And so, transparently speaking, folks, I struggle as a 366 00:15:45,430 --> 00:15:52,382 pastor, and if I struggle, the implication would be that all of 367 00:15:52,406 --> 00:15:53,182 us struggle. 368 00:15:53,326 --> 00:15:55,646 And so there's transparency in the gospel message. 369 00:15:55,678 --> 00:15:58,046 Paul says, you've seen us be true with you. 370 00:15:58,118 --> 00:16:01,854 We're not trying to create an environment here and then present 371 00:16:01,942 --> 00:16:04,238 to you this perfect scenario. 372 00:16:04,334 --> 00:16:07,742 That's what the Corinthian false teachers were doing. 373 00:16:07,846 --> 00:16:09,902 They were trying to tell the church at Corinth, hey, you can do 374 00:16:09,926 --> 00:16:10,430 this, and this. 375 00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:12,450 And they're creating a facade. 376 00:16:12,950 --> 00:16:16,110 The moment that we create a facade in the church is the moment 377 00:16:16,190 --> 00:16:18,830 that we are allowing ourselves to become false teachers. 378 00:16:18,990 --> 00:16:22,530 And so in this case, Paul says, be transparent. 379 00:16:23,030 --> 00:16:25,262 Okay, so we're going to move on a little bit further here. 380 00:16:25,446 --> 00:16:26,890 Verse number seven. 381 00:16:28,150 --> 00:16:30,770 He says, have I committed an offense? 382 00:16:31,350 --> 00:16:32,910 Have I committed a sin? 383 00:16:32,990 --> 00:16:34,302 He's asking them a question here. 384 00:16:34,326 --> 00:16:35,836 He's making them think, now, aren't. 385 00:16:35,868 --> 00:16:39,280 Aren't you so thankful that people can teach through asking questions. 386 00:16:39,780 --> 00:16:41,596 Jesus did a lot of that, right? 387 00:16:41,748 --> 00:16:43,660 He would ask a question and make you think. 388 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:46,348 Instead of just telling you what to think, he asked questions. 389 00:16:46,444 --> 00:16:48,540 So Paul is asking them a rhetorical question. 390 00:16:48,660 --> 00:16:51,804 He's like, did I sin when I did what? 391 00:16:51,892 --> 00:16:56,460 Well, it says in verse seven, in abasing myself. 392 00:16:56,540 --> 00:16:59,196 Now, we don't use that word abasing very often, but it means 393 00:16:59,268 --> 00:17:04,390 humbling myself, lowering myself, putting myself in a state 394 00:17:04,430 --> 00:17:11,558 of humility so that what would happen here that ye might be exalted 395 00:17:11,734 --> 00:17:13,610 talking about the church in Corinth? 396 00:17:14,030 --> 00:17:19,014 And so a true test of someone who is presenting the gospel, presenting 397 00:17:19,062 --> 00:17:22,182 the message, would be that they are willing to be humbled so 398 00:17:22,206 --> 00:17:23,970 that other people are lifted up. 399 00:17:24,590 --> 00:17:29,184 They are willing to take a back seat when the people of the 400 00:17:29,192 --> 00:17:30,880 church need to take the front seat. 401 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:32,860 You know, I would say it this way. 402 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,792 Paul says, I was willing to humble myself. 403 00:17:35,856 --> 00:17:37,776 I was willing to go through difficulties. 404 00:17:37,888 --> 00:17:39,264 I was willing to go without. 405 00:17:39,352 --> 00:17:44,256 For you, that's a true test of someone who is preaching and teaching 406 00:17:44,288 --> 00:17:46,016 the gospel with the right motives. 407 00:17:46,208 --> 00:17:48,672 I'm going to tell you, if there's an individual that's not 408 00:17:48,696 --> 00:17:52,096 willing to be put out for the cause of the gospel, they're a false 409 00:17:52,128 --> 00:17:52,740 teacher. 410 00:17:53,230 --> 00:17:53,766 That's gonna. 411 00:17:53,798 --> 00:17:55,494 That's gonna take me out of my comfort zone. 412 00:17:55,542 --> 00:17:55,750 That. 413 00:17:55,790 --> 00:17:58,646 That's gonna put me to a place where I feel uncomfortable that I'm 414 00:17:58,678 --> 00:17:59,478 not first place. 415 00:17:59,534 --> 00:18:03,046 If someone has a desire to put themselves in first place, they're 416 00:18:03,078 --> 00:18:05,050 not a humble presenter of the gospel. 417 00:18:06,670 --> 00:18:09,222 Jesus is always the focus. 418 00:18:09,406 --> 00:18:11,030 The gospel is always the focus. 419 00:18:11,070 --> 00:18:13,126 And so what Paul is saying here is he's. 420 00:18:13,158 --> 00:18:14,134 He's implying. 421 00:18:14,182 --> 00:18:18,432 He's explaining that those other false teachers in Corinth were 422 00:18:18,456 --> 00:18:19,460 about themselves. 423 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,592 They were not willing to humble themselves so that the people 424 00:18:22,616 --> 00:18:24,384 of Corinth would be lifted up. 425 00:18:24,552 --> 00:18:28,820 That word exalted could be, you know, used as edified. 426 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:29,600 So. 427 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,856 So my goal as a pastor should be to do what I need to do to lift 428 00:18:33,888 --> 00:18:35,488 you up as the church. 429 00:18:35,664 --> 00:18:39,392 But on the same level, it should be that the church members 430 00:18:39,496 --> 00:18:42,352 are called to lift each other up, to lift your pastor up. 431 00:18:42,376 --> 00:18:43,200 And you do that. 432 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:44,780 Thank goodness for that. 433 00:18:45,170 --> 00:18:47,514 Last week, my heart was touched that the church should be 434 00:18:47,522 --> 00:18:50,954 willing to pray for us and take time throughout their week to 435 00:18:50,962 --> 00:18:51,914 pray for us. 436 00:18:52,082 --> 00:18:55,710 Folks, everybody needs that edification. 437 00:18:56,050 --> 00:18:57,790 Everyone needs exhortation. 438 00:18:58,290 --> 00:18:59,690 Nobody is beyond that. 439 00:18:59,730 --> 00:19:02,634 I don't care if you've been saved for 50 years or 50 minutes. 440 00:19:02,682 --> 00:19:05,082 We all need to be lifted up in the power of God. 441 00:19:05,146 --> 00:19:08,794 And so Paul says this is that we all as ministers of the gospel. 442 00:19:08,842 --> 00:19:11,194 And by the way, if you're a Christian, you're a minister of the 443 00:19:11,202 --> 00:19:13,522 gospel, you might be ministering a different way, but 444 00:19:13,546 --> 00:19:14,818 you're a minister of the gospel. 445 00:19:14,914 --> 00:19:17,842 It is our job to humble ourselves so that other people are 446 00:19:17,866 --> 00:19:18,498 lifted up. 447 00:19:18,554 --> 00:19:21,586 Now, you would say, where is that found in Scripture? 448 00:19:21,618 --> 00:19:22,050 Because I. 449 00:19:22,090 --> 00:19:25,010 I've always been taught God helps those who help themselves. 450 00:19:25,170 --> 00:19:27,762 I've always been taught that it's all about me and I got to get 451 00:19:27,786 --> 00:19:30,290 what I get because other people are going to get in my way. 452 00:19:30,330 --> 00:19:31,474 Well, I'm going to tell you this. 453 00:19:31,562 --> 00:19:33,490 There are going to be people that get in your way in life. 454 00:19:33,530 --> 00:19:33,874 Okay? 455 00:19:33,922 --> 00:19:34,322 That's. 456 00:19:34,386 --> 00:19:35,522 That's part of it. 457 00:19:35,706 --> 00:19:38,154 But the Bible speaks a lot about humility. 458 00:19:38,322 --> 00:19:42,154 And I want to take you to a few passages of scripture that specifically 459 00:19:42,202 --> 00:19:43,470 deal with this humility. 460 00:19:44,050 --> 00:19:47,470 And Jesus spoke of this very same principle. 461 00:19:47,810 --> 00:19:50,282 If you have your Bibles and you want to follow along with me, 462 00:19:50,306 --> 00:19:52,310 you can go to Matthew, chapter 23. 463 00:19:52,850 --> 00:19:55,034 Matthew, chapter 23, verse 12. 464 00:19:55,202 --> 00:19:58,394 Lest you think that this is just a doctrine that Paul is teaching 465 00:19:58,442 --> 00:20:01,402 about humbling yourself so that other people are exalted, I 466 00:20:01,426 --> 00:20:04,750 want you to see that Jesus taught this very same message. 467 00:20:06,340 --> 00:20:07,468 This very same message. 468 00:20:07,484 --> 00:20:10,332 And if this is the heart of Christ, if this is the heart of our 469 00:20:10,356 --> 00:20:12,760 Savior, this should be the heart of his people. 470 00:20:13,380 --> 00:20:13,740 So. 471 00:20:13,780 --> 00:20:17,084 So if you look at Matthew, chapter 23, verse 12, you have a 472 00:20:17,092 --> 00:20:18,240 red letter Bible. 473 00:20:20,020 --> 00:20:20,796 This is red. 474 00:20:20,868 --> 00:20:22,160 This is Jesus speaking. 475 00:20:23,060 --> 00:20:25,932 And we could read this whole passage of Scripture, but for the 476 00:20:25,956 --> 00:20:29,388 sake of time, we're only going to read a little bit here. 477 00:20:29,444 --> 00:20:31,174 But Paul is. 478 00:20:31,372 --> 00:20:31,922 Excuse me. 479 00:20:31,946 --> 00:20:34,870 Jesus here is explaining the same thing Paul was teaching. 480 00:20:35,450 --> 00:20:36,978 But he that is verse 11. 481 00:20:37,034 --> 00:20:39,602 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 482 00:20:39,666 --> 00:20:42,950 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased. 483 00:20:44,170 --> 00:20:45,122 And he shall. 484 00:20:45,186 --> 00:20:48,630 He that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 485 00:20:48,970 --> 00:20:51,074 It's the principle of scripture that, hey, you know what? 486 00:20:51,082 --> 00:20:54,470 If I want to be exalted, I humble myself. 487 00:20:54,890 --> 00:20:57,170 If I want to be humbled, I exalt myself. 488 00:20:57,250 --> 00:20:57,990 If I. 489 00:20:58,180 --> 00:21:00,562 The world has a way of humbling us. 490 00:21:00,746 --> 00:21:04,258 God has a way of humbling us when we exalt ourselves. 491 00:21:04,434 --> 00:21:08,066 But the moment we humble ourselves, that is when God lifts 492 00:21:08,098 --> 00:21:08,482 us up. 493 00:21:08,506 --> 00:21:10,258 And that's the kind of lifting up we need. 494 00:21:10,394 --> 00:21:11,026 You know what? 495 00:21:11,098 --> 00:21:13,874 A lot of times in our life we think that, hey, no one else is going 496 00:21:13,882 --> 00:21:15,906 to lift me up, so I got to lift myself up. 497 00:21:16,058 --> 00:21:17,490 That's the worst scenario. 498 00:21:17,570 --> 00:21:20,642 Because the more that I talk about myself, the more that I try 499 00:21:20,666 --> 00:21:21,714 to promote myself. 500 00:21:21,842 --> 00:21:24,498 The more I try to tear other people down while I'm being lifted 501 00:21:24,514 --> 00:21:27,224 up, the more God is going to humble us, the more God is going 502 00:21:27,232 --> 00:21:31,192 to bring into our minds and in our hearts ways that we can see the 503 00:21:31,216 --> 00:21:32,952 truth of his word. 504 00:21:33,016 --> 00:21:35,256 And therefore we're tested in our pride. 505 00:21:35,368 --> 00:21:38,264 There's other passages of scripture that speak to humility 506 00:21:38,392 --> 00:21:42,664 and you could go through all of them at some other time, but I 507 00:21:42,672 --> 00:21:44,184 do want you to see a few others. 508 00:21:44,352 --> 00:21:46,420 James, chapter 4, verse 6. 509 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:48,392 But he giveth more grace. 510 00:21:48,536 --> 00:21:52,376 And by the way, I've said this many times, we need to desire God's 511 00:21:52,408 --> 00:21:53,986 grace, folks. 512 00:21:54,018 --> 00:21:55,186 I, I need God's grace. 513 00:21:55,218 --> 00:21:56,950 I'm hungry for God's grace. 514 00:21:58,090 --> 00:21:59,410 I don't know, I don't know. 515 00:21:59,450 --> 00:22:03,042 The time in your life where you've been the most hungry, right? 516 00:22:03,146 --> 00:22:05,394 Maybe you've fasted and you've gone through a period of time where 517 00:22:05,402 --> 00:22:05,986 you haven't eaten. 518 00:22:06,018 --> 00:22:07,762 And like you are so hungry. 519 00:22:07,906 --> 00:22:10,350 And that food tastes different when you get it. 520 00:22:10,970 --> 00:22:13,170 And you're willing to eat a lot at that point, right? 521 00:22:13,210 --> 00:22:15,170 Sometimes you gotta be careful if you've been fasting for a long 522 00:22:15,210 --> 00:22:15,790 time. 523 00:22:17,290 --> 00:22:20,290 That is what the Bible says that we should be about grace. 524 00:22:20,370 --> 00:22:24,754 We should be so hungry for God's grace, we should desire it. 525 00:22:24,922 --> 00:22:29,346 And it says here, it says in verse 6 of James 4, but he giveth 526 00:22:29,378 --> 00:22:33,346 more grace wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth 527 00:22:33,378 --> 00:22:34,790 grace unto the humble. 528 00:22:35,130 --> 00:22:39,202 The Bible says that it is humility that brings us to a place 529 00:22:39,226 --> 00:22:39,906 of understanding. 530 00:22:39,938 --> 00:22:44,930 His grace, pride gets to a place where God resists that. 531 00:22:45,050 --> 00:22:47,554 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you 532 00:22:47,562 --> 00:22:47,730 up. 533 00:22:47,770 --> 00:22:51,006 James, chapter four, verse six, First Peter, chapter five, verse 534 00:22:51,038 --> 00:22:51,374 five. 535 00:22:51,462 --> 00:22:54,174 Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves under the elder, yea, 536 00:22:54,222 --> 00:22:58,030 all of you, be subject one to another and be clothed with humility. 537 00:22:58,190 --> 00:23:02,542 That phrase clothed with humility means taking the form of 538 00:23:02,566 --> 00:23:05,838 a servant, literally putting your garments in a servant's attire. 539 00:23:05,934 --> 00:23:08,462 What would happen is, is they would have, they didn't wear pants 540 00:23:08,526 --> 00:23:09,886 like we wear today. 541 00:23:09,958 --> 00:23:13,406 Men, Peter would have been wearing kind of like a robe. 542 00:23:13,598 --> 00:23:16,526 And the longer the robe, the more important you were, the shorter 543 00:23:16,558 --> 00:23:19,912 the robe, the more servant minded you were. 544 00:23:20,016 --> 00:23:21,960 And so what he's talking about here is this. 545 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,752 Take your robe and put it into the form of a servant, roll it up, 546 00:23:25,856 --> 00:23:28,328 tuck it into your belt and be a servant. 547 00:23:28,424 --> 00:23:30,060 Be clothed with humility. 548 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,336 And you know, when Peter wrote down First Peter, chapter five, verse 549 00:23:33,368 --> 00:23:36,504 five, I can't help but think that he was thinking about when Jesus 550 00:23:36,552 --> 00:23:40,152 In John chapter 13 showed them what it meant to be a servant. 551 00:23:40,296 --> 00:23:41,416 What did Jesus do? 552 00:23:41,488 --> 00:23:45,940 He clothed himself in humility and wash the disciples feet. 553 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:51,584 Paul says that the mark of a messenger of the Gospel in honesty 554 00:23:51,632 --> 00:23:53,136 is a mark of humility. 555 00:23:53,248 --> 00:23:55,632 Humble yourselves therefore into the mighty hand of God that 556 00:23:55,656 --> 00:23:58,224 he may exalt you due time. 557 00:23:58,312 --> 00:24:01,776 It's the exaltation of the Lord, not the exaltation of ourselves. 558 00:24:01,968 --> 00:24:05,024 So we're back in 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. 559 00:24:05,192 --> 00:24:06,352 If you go back with me. 560 00:24:06,376 --> 00:24:12,426 Paul says in verse number seven, question, have I committed 561 00:24:12,458 --> 00:24:19,546 a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted man, I don't 562 00:24:19,578 --> 00:24:22,234 know about you, but if I was sitting in the church at Corinth 563 00:24:22,282 --> 00:24:26,630 at the time, I'd feel some conviction in my heart. 564 00:24:27,090 --> 00:24:29,802 Paul says, you're calling me a sinner. 565 00:24:29,946 --> 00:24:31,610 You're calling me a false prophet. 566 00:24:31,690 --> 00:24:36,026 Did, did, did I sin against you when I humbled myself and lifted 567 00:24:36,058 --> 00:24:36,870 you up? 568 00:24:37,570 --> 00:24:39,674 And they're most likely probably like, wow. 569 00:24:39,722 --> 00:24:41,546 Oh that's, that's a tough one. 570 00:24:41,698 --> 00:24:42,538 That's a tough one. 571 00:24:42,594 --> 00:24:43,706 Paul's just speaking the truth. 572 00:24:43,738 --> 00:24:45,306 He's not bragging about himself. 573 00:24:45,418 --> 00:24:46,906 Paul's just bringing to light the truth. 574 00:24:46,938 --> 00:24:48,058 He says I have to deal with. 575 00:24:48,114 --> 00:24:50,522 Remember what he said back last week in the first verse he says, 576 00:24:50,546 --> 00:24:51,946 I have to deal with this foolishness. 577 00:24:52,058 --> 00:24:54,890 I have to go back and explain to you the truth of God. 578 00:24:54,970 --> 00:24:56,106 So he says, did I sin? 579 00:24:56,138 --> 00:24:57,946 And then he goes on even further. 580 00:24:58,018 --> 00:25:03,220 In verse number seven he says, because I have preached to you the 581 00:25:03,260 --> 00:25:05,720 gospel of God freely. 582 00:25:06,540 --> 00:25:10,356 Now we don't know all the details of what those false teachers 583 00:25:10,388 --> 00:25:13,892 were doing, but we can basically understand what they were 584 00:25:13,916 --> 00:25:16,516 doing by seeing what Paul says he did. 585 00:25:16,668 --> 00:25:21,492 So Paul says, I came to you presenting the gospel freely, meaning 586 00:25:21,636 --> 00:25:24,500 most likely that these false teachers were coming, trying to present 587 00:25:24,540 --> 00:25:27,400 a gospel that was linked to finances. 588 00:25:27,950 --> 00:25:32,150 Exalt us, pay for us, take care of us. 589 00:25:32,270 --> 00:25:33,926 It's all about the almighty dollar. 590 00:25:33,958 --> 00:25:38,086 And so Paul says, did I sin when I humbled myself and lifted 591 00:25:38,118 --> 00:25:38,566 you up? 592 00:25:38,638 --> 00:25:41,690 Did I sin when I presented the gospel to you freely? 593 00:25:42,590 --> 00:25:43,990 Well we know the answer to that. 594 00:25:44,030 --> 00:25:45,930 The answer is no, he didn't sin. 595 00:25:46,350 --> 00:25:50,470 But he's trying to put it in their minds in a way that they can 596 00:25:50,510 --> 00:25:53,526 understand that these people are the false teachers because they're 597 00:25:53,558 --> 00:25:55,210 all about the almighty dollar. 598 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,168 They were all about sucking the Corinthian church dry with their 599 00:26:00,224 --> 00:26:01,020 resources. 600 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:07,656 So, so a false teacher looks at an individual as a resource instead 601 00:26:07,688 --> 00:26:11,432 of a soul that needs to be saved, instead of a opportunity to 602 00:26:11,456 --> 00:26:12,264 Lift them up. 603 00:26:12,352 --> 00:26:13,320 So how would that look like? 604 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:14,200 That would look like this. 605 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:14,904 Okay? 606 00:26:15,032 --> 00:26:18,460 You come into a scenario and someone sees you and they go, ooh, 607 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:19,860 you do that. 608 00:26:20,410 --> 00:26:21,522 You have that talent. 609 00:26:21,586 --> 00:26:25,410 Well, we want you in our church a lot more than maybe someone 610 00:26:25,450 --> 00:26:27,426 who doesn't bring that talent to the table. 611 00:26:27,618 --> 00:26:28,130 You see? 612 00:26:28,170 --> 00:26:32,706 You see how an individual can preach a way of the Gospel that brings 613 00:26:32,738 --> 00:26:34,430 people in, that can help them. 614 00:26:35,210 --> 00:26:38,914 Now, does that mean that we don't use the resources given to 615 00:26:38,922 --> 00:26:39,730 us within the church? 616 00:26:39,810 --> 00:26:42,150 No, but it goes back to the motivation. 617 00:26:42,650 --> 00:26:46,450 If my motivation as a preacher and as a pastor is just to bring 618 00:26:46,490 --> 00:26:50,096 people in, that can help me, I've got the wrong mindset. 619 00:26:50,288 --> 00:26:53,584 The mindset should be, how can we as a church. 620 00:26:53,712 --> 00:26:57,008 How can me as a minister of the Gospel, minister to somebody 621 00:26:57,024 --> 00:27:00,992 and help them serve God in the midst of that, in the midst of their 622 00:27:01,016 --> 00:27:03,200 life, in the midst of their struggles, in the midst of their 623 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:03,952 blessings? 624 00:27:04,096 --> 00:27:06,640 And so what I would say here is that Paul is calling out these 625 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:07,296 individuals. 626 00:27:07,328 --> 00:27:08,624 Motivation, these false teachers. 627 00:27:08,672 --> 00:27:09,392 Motivation. 628 00:27:09,536 --> 00:27:11,540 So you've heard it, okay? 629 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:16,176 You've heard it on maybe the Internet or back in the day on tv, 630 00:27:16,208 --> 00:27:19,242 they would say, if you just send in this much money, we'll give 631 00:27:19,266 --> 00:27:20,634 you an extra blessing. 632 00:27:20,762 --> 00:27:23,002 Okay, well, here's the thing. 633 00:27:23,186 --> 00:27:27,230 I don't have the ability to extra bless you, okay? 634 00:27:27,650 --> 00:27:29,914 Now, if you said, pastor, we want to give you some money in the 635 00:27:29,922 --> 00:27:31,626 parking lot, I might not fight you on that. 636 00:27:31,698 --> 00:27:32,730 But here's what I'm going to say. 637 00:27:32,770 --> 00:27:34,830 I'm not going to bless you anymore. 638 00:27:35,250 --> 00:27:36,442 I don't have the ability. 639 00:27:36,506 --> 00:27:37,482 I don't have the power. 640 00:27:37,586 --> 00:27:39,962 The only one that can bless you is God. 641 00:27:40,026 --> 00:27:40,490 Right? 642 00:27:40,610 --> 00:27:45,232 And so therefore, all my job is to do is to bring you to him as 643 00:27:45,256 --> 00:27:46,112 a pastor. 644 00:27:46,256 --> 00:27:49,408 And so if an individual was giving you, like, hey, there's this, 645 00:27:49,464 --> 00:27:50,720 and then there's another level. 646 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:54,192 If you just unlock this next level and this next level, you can 647 00:27:54,216 --> 00:27:57,824 become closer to God if you just get to this next level of your 648 00:27:57,992 --> 00:28:02,144 position by just giving this much money per month. 649 00:28:02,312 --> 00:28:04,768 Now, let me stop here, okay? 650 00:28:04,784 --> 00:28:06,780 Let me just get transparent this morning. 651 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:08,192 I get a. 652 00:28:08,216 --> 00:28:09,984 I get a wage here at Middletown Baptist Church. 653 00:28:10,032 --> 00:28:11,870 I get paid to live, okay? 654 00:28:11,950 --> 00:28:16,318 But the truth is, is that the Bible never teaches against giving 655 00:28:16,414 --> 00:28:17,294 ministers money. 656 00:28:17,382 --> 00:28:18,318 It doesn't, okay? 657 00:28:18,334 --> 00:28:19,406 It actually says the opposite. 658 00:28:19,438 --> 00:28:21,502 It says that we should support those that are bringing forth the 659 00:28:21,526 --> 00:28:22,606 gospel message. 660 00:28:22,798 --> 00:28:26,814 But if the motivation is, we need to go farther, and that's the 661 00:28:26,822 --> 00:28:27,742 whole point that you're here. 662 00:28:27,766 --> 00:28:28,990 I had a pastor say it this way. 663 00:28:29,030 --> 00:28:30,862 I think I might even mentioned it last week. 664 00:28:30,966 --> 00:28:34,894 Some, some churches are all about nickels, the money and noses, 665 00:28:34,942 --> 00:28:36,130 people in the seas. 666 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,784 If that's our motivation, we're missing the point of the gospel. 667 00:28:39,832 --> 00:28:42,380 And so what Paul says is, I came to you freely. 668 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,120 And then this is really interesting, in verse eight, he says, 669 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,384 I robbed other churches. 670 00:28:49,512 --> 00:28:51,576 Now some of you are like, well, Paul just disqualified himself 671 00:28:51,608 --> 00:28:52,264 from ministry here. 672 00:28:52,272 --> 00:28:54,936 He robbed from another church to give to the Corinth. 673 00:28:55,128 --> 00:28:57,220 Well, not so much in that way. 674 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,992 That word robbed means basically, literally means this in 675 00:29:02,016 --> 00:29:03,278 the battlefield, what would happen? 676 00:29:03,384 --> 00:29:06,578 You guys know of the old days in the battlefield when someone would, 677 00:29:06,634 --> 00:29:08,034 would get killed, right? 678 00:29:08,122 --> 00:29:10,850 They would have their armor and they would have their goods. 679 00:29:10,930 --> 00:29:15,250 This literally means I took from this person and gave to you. 680 00:29:15,370 --> 00:29:18,450 Okay, so it's not robbing in an illegal way. 681 00:29:18,490 --> 00:29:21,250 He's talking about taking something from somebody else and 682 00:29:21,290 --> 00:29:21,986 giving it to them. 683 00:29:22,058 --> 00:29:23,202 This was a biblical thing. 684 00:29:23,226 --> 00:29:26,402 And actually Paul praises the Macedonian church for giving to the 685 00:29:26,426 --> 00:29:27,394 Corinthian church. 686 00:29:27,522 --> 00:29:31,986 So, so he's not saying that he underhanded, stole from one church 687 00:29:32,018 --> 00:29:32,946 and gave to another church. 688 00:29:32,978 --> 00:29:37,042 He's just talking about a church gave up their resources for 689 00:29:37,066 --> 00:29:38,150 another church. 690 00:29:38,490 --> 00:29:38,994 Right? 691 00:29:39,082 --> 00:29:40,434 So we do that as a church. 692 00:29:40,562 --> 00:29:43,682 We, we give to other churches, we give to other ministries, we give 693 00:29:43,706 --> 00:29:44,850 to other missionaries. 694 00:29:44,930 --> 00:29:46,386 So we take what we have. 695 00:29:46,458 --> 00:29:48,290 We can put all that money in our church. 696 00:29:48,370 --> 00:29:51,394 But we know that it's the, really, I believe the plan of God 697 00:29:51,442 --> 00:29:52,930 for us to support other churches. 698 00:29:53,010 --> 00:29:55,884 So therefore, Paul says, other churches have supported you. 699 00:29:56,002 --> 00:29:57,720 You didn't even have to support me. 700 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,032 He says, I robbed other churches, taking wages of them to 701 00:30:01,056 --> 00:30:02,180 do you service. 702 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:04,840 So what is Paul trying to do here? 703 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,656 Paul is preaching honesty. 704 00:30:07,768 --> 00:30:09,848 He's preaching honesty to humble them. 705 00:30:09,904 --> 00:30:10,968 Honesty humbles. 706 00:30:11,064 --> 00:30:12,168 And so what does he say here? 707 00:30:12,224 --> 00:30:12,904 He says this. 708 00:30:12,992 --> 00:30:14,936 He says, we took money from other churches. 709 00:30:14,968 --> 00:30:18,856 We know in the context of this passage, it was the Macedonian church. 710 00:30:19,048 --> 00:30:22,024 He says, I robbed other churches, taking wages of them to 711 00:30:22,032 --> 00:30:25,528 do you service so that there wouldn't be a burden upon them. 712 00:30:25,664 --> 00:30:29,032 He, he was considerate of the Corinthian church, even though the 713 00:30:29,056 --> 00:30:30,856 Corinthian church had a lot of resources. 714 00:30:30,968 --> 00:30:34,328 He was like, I was being considerate of you so that you could 715 00:30:34,464 --> 00:30:36,648 be able to do the things that you needed to do. 716 00:30:36,784 --> 00:30:37,656 Verse number nine. 717 00:30:37,728 --> 00:30:40,936 And when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable 718 00:30:40,968 --> 00:30:43,780 to no man, meaning I didn't want to burden you. 719 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:50,402 A, a, a pastor or a minister of the truth does not want to burden 720 00:30:50,466 --> 00:30:52,466 others for the cause of the Gospel. 721 00:30:52,658 --> 00:30:57,870 He says, I didn't want to be chargeable unto you for that which 722 00:30:58,250 --> 00:31:01,122 was lacking to me, Paul says, the things that I was missing out 723 00:31:01,146 --> 00:31:05,650 on, the brethren which came from Macedonia, supplied, he says, 724 00:31:05,690 --> 00:31:07,090 other people supplied my need. 725 00:31:07,210 --> 00:31:08,818 You didn't have to supply my need. 726 00:31:08,954 --> 00:31:10,882 God supplied it through the Macedonian church. 727 00:31:10,946 --> 00:31:13,922 And in all these, in all things, I've kept myself from being 728 00:31:13,946 --> 00:31:15,172 burdensome unto you. 729 00:31:15,266 --> 00:31:18,688 And so will I keep myself, meaning I will continue this way. 730 00:31:18,744 --> 00:31:25,696 And so a mark of a pastor, a mark of a minister, a mark of anybody 731 00:31:25,728 --> 00:31:28,880 who's proclaiming the truth of God would be that the desire is not 732 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,096 to burden other people in the work of the ministry. 733 00:31:32,288 --> 00:31:34,992 So we know then in the case of Paul, Paul was a tent maker. 734 00:31:35,056 --> 00:31:37,200 And so he was bringing in money that way, but he was getting 735 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:38,352 money from other churches as well. 736 00:31:38,376 --> 00:31:42,550 He had to support Silas, he had to support Timothy and the others 737 00:31:42,590 --> 00:31:43,702 that were with him. 738 00:31:43,886 --> 00:31:44,694 So what does this mean? 739 00:31:44,702 --> 00:31:45,766 What does this look like in practice? 740 00:31:45,798 --> 00:31:46,726 It means this. 741 00:31:46,878 --> 00:31:50,886 If I become a burden to someone, I am not properly presenting 742 00:31:50,918 --> 00:31:52,130 the gospel to them. 743 00:31:52,510 --> 00:31:55,078 If, if I'm weighing them down with all the needs. 744 00:31:55,134 --> 00:31:56,150 And then that's an issue. 745 00:31:56,190 --> 00:32:01,142 And so what I would say for us as believers is how can we get to 746 00:32:01,166 --> 00:32:04,342 a place in our life where we're presenting a message of the 747 00:32:04,366 --> 00:32:05,510 gospel that's free? 748 00:32:05,630 --> 00:32:07,842 A message of the gospel that's not burdensome. 749 00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:11,402 A message of the gospel that allows for individuals to see the 750 00:32:11,426 --> 00:32:13,482 truth of God and the truth of God alone. 751 00:32:13,626 --> 00:32:14,298 If it's. 752 00:32:14,394 --> 00:32:17,002 So, again, I got to take it to the context that I understand the 753 00:32:17,026 --> 00:32:17,322 church. 754 00:32:17,386 --> 00:32:20,026 So if I said, hey, we want a bunch of people to come to our church 755 00:32:20,058 --> 00:32:22,682 in Middletown, but when you come to the door, we want to see 756 00:32:22,706 --> 00:32:25,946 your W2s because we need to make sure that you have a financial 757 00:32:26,018 --> 00:32:26,874 burden to the church. 758 00:32:26,922 --> 00:32:29,434 And you know, you are a mouth to feed. 759 00:32:29,482 --> 00:32:31,322 And so therefore, when you come in, you gotta support. 760 00:32:31,426 --> 00:32:33,866 And when you come, you gotta be in a ministry. 761 00:32:33,898 --> 00:32:36,794 Before we can really give you the gospel and support you in the 762 00:32:36,802 --> 00:32:38,326 truth, you gotta get into a ministry. 763 00:32:38,358 --> 00:32:40,086 Cause you gotta start producing, right? 764 00:32:40,238 --> 00:32:45,890 Do you see how that becomes not a church, but a business? 765 00:32:46,670 --> 00:32:50,022 It becomes not a ministry, but a. 766 00:32:50,126 --> 00:32:52,210 A work of man. 767 00:32:52,590 --> 00:32:54,902 And so you say, well, Pastor, are you preaching that we don't have 768 00:32:54,926 --> 00:32:55,570 to give? 769 00:32:57,070 --> 00:32:58,262 That's between you and the Lord. 770 00:32:58,326 --> 00:33:01,158 But, but again, we do believe that the Bible says that there are 771 00:33:01,214 --> 00:33:02,006 commands to give. 772 00:33:02,078 --> 00:33:06,728 We do see, say that the Bible does teach that there is a need for 773 00:33:06,784 --> 00:33:07,880 service within the church. 774 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,968 But if that's what I'm holding Over your head in the gospel, like, 775 00:33:11,024 --> 00:33:14,420 well, I'll give you the truth of God only when you do this. 776 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:16,248 That's not presenting it freely. 777 00:33:16,264 --> 00:33:18,696 I'm putting a burden upon you so that you can come to the gospel. 778 00:33:18,728 --> 00:33:21,128 And that burden, folks, the burden should come through the conviction 779 00:33:21,144 --> 00:33:21,800 of the Spirit. 780 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:23,656 The burden should come from the word of God. 781 00:33:23,768 --> 00:33:26,792 I can sit here and make rules all day, but the Bible says it's 782 00:33:26,856 --> 00:33:30,532 only truly the heart change that changes your life to be that 783 00:33:30,556 --> 00:33:31,476 transformed individual. 784 00:33:31,508 --> 00:33:33,960 And so Paul says, I didn't want to be a burden. 785 00:33:34,620 --> 00:33:35,460 We don't want to be. 786 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:36,180 We don't want to be. 787 00:33:36,220 --> 00:33:39,236 Okay, so let's take it to the, the idea of, of Middletown Baptist 788 00:33:39,268 --> 00:33:41,120 Church reaching our community for Christ. 789 00:33:41,420 --> 00:33:44,772 Do we want to be a burden to our community or do we want to be 790 00:33:44,796 --> 00:33:46,116 a blessing to our community? 791 00:33:46,268 --> 00:33:48,160 I want to be a blessing to our community. 792 00:33:48,700 --> 00:33:52,372 And, and so therefore we want to do everything that we possibly 793 00:33:52,436 --> 00:33:55,620 can to not be a burden to those that we're trying to reach 794 00:33:55,660 --> 00:33:56,600 for the gospel. 795 00:33:57,230 --> 00:33:59,622 Oh, it's that church over there that just gets mad all the 796 00:33:59,646 --> 00:34:00,870 time about everything that we do. 797 00:34:00,910 --> 00:34:03,286 No, we want to be a church that's not a burden. 798 00:34:03,318 --> 00:34:05,078 We want to preach the gospel freely. 799 00:34:05,174 --> 00:34:09,222 We want to preach the gospel in a way that opens the door for 800 00:34:09,326 --> 00:34:13,190 change, opens the door for hope, opens the door for transformation 801 00:34:13,270 --> 00:34:14,646 in individuals lives. 802 00:34:14,798 --> 00:34:16,230 Does God require things of us? 803 00:34:16,270 --> 00:34:16,890 Yes. 804 00:34:17,710 --> 00:34:20,342 Does God, Does God challenge us with change? 805 00:34:20,446 --> 00:34:21,130 Yes. 806 00:34:21,550 --> 00:34:23,478 Should I live my life differently than the world? 807 00:34:23,534 --> 00:34:24,083 Yes. 808 00:34:24,221 --> 00:34:27,655 But that change comes after the gospel is presented. 809 00:34:27,767 --> 00:34:31,143 I can't expect someone to change not understanding the goodness 810 00:34:31,191 --> 00:34:32,087 of the gospel. 811 00:34:32,183 --> 00:34:33,975 And that's what Paul is talking about here. 812 00:34:34,127 --> 00:34:37,463 If you go back and, and you can see what he says there in verse 813 00:34:37,511 --> 00:34:42,859 number seven, he says, I preach to you the gospel of God freely. 814 00:34:43,519 --> 00:34:44,459 Freely. 815 00:34:44,959 --> 00:34:46,919 And so there's no strings attached. 816 00:34:46,999 --> 00:34:48,579 Let, let me put it that way. 817 00:34:48,959 --> 00:34:54,102 To be a true messenger of the gospel is being a messenger that 818 00:34:54,126 --> 00:34:56,330 doesn't put strings attached to the gospel. 819 00:34:57,310 --> 00:34:58,982 And so I think that that's important for us to see. 820 00:34:59,006 --> 00:35:01,622 All right, moving forward, we're going to go down a little bit 821 00:35:01,646 --> 00:35:03,142 quicker here in verse number 10. 822 00:35:03,246 --> 00:35:07,334 As the truth of Christ is in me, so again, he's attached to the 823 00:35:07,342 --> 00:35:07,910 truth of Christ. 824 00:35:07,950 --> 00:35:09,702 He's attached to the knowledge of God. 825 00:35:09,846 --> 00:35:14,490 No man shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 826 00:35:14,830 --> 00:35:16,370 You say, what is he saying here? 827 00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:20,050 He says, no one's going to stop me from boasting in Christ, 828 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:22,500 boasting in his provisions. 829 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,580 That word boasting is an interesting word there. 830 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:28,900 Now, you have maybe been taught, don't boast. 831 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:31,264 I'm going to challenge you on that. 832 00:35:31,352 --> 00:35:33,424 The Bible says, don't boast in yourself. 833 00:35:33,552 --> 00:35:35,056 But you can boast. 834 00:35:35,248 --> 00:35:36,192 You said what? 835 00:35:36,296 --> 00:35:37,232 I can boast. 836 00:35:37,376 --> 00:35:40,060 The Bible says to boast in Christ. 837 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:43,008 He's the only one that we can boast in, right? 838 00:35:43,064 --> 00:35:43,872 So, you know, we. 839 00:35:43,896 --> 00:35:46,350 We're going to have softball coming up here in the summer. 840 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:49,618 Some of you fellas are on the softball team. 841 00:35:49,754 --> 00:35:51,730 Some of you might come out and watch our softball team. 842 00:35:51,770 --> 00:35:53,550 If someone hits a home run, right? 843 00:35:54,170 --> 00:35:55,282 The temptation is what? 844 00:35:55,306 --> 00:35:55,714 To boast. 845 00:35:55,762 --> 00:35:56,370 Look at me. 846 00:35:56,410 --> 00:35:57,630 Look what I did. 847 00:35:58,650 --> 00:36:01,058 Sometimes temptation for us to boast in our own life. 848 00:36:01,114 --> 00:36:01,426 Look. 849 00:36:01,498 --> 00:36:03,474 Look at the raise I got at work. 850 00:36:03,642 --> 00:36:04,258 Look, look. 851 00:36:04,314 --> 00:36:07,602 Look at all the things that I've brought to my own life, folks. 852 00:36:07,666 --> 00:36:09,058 That's boasting in myself. 853 00:36:09,154 --> 00:36:11,010 Now, why is it wrong to boast in myself? 854 00:36:11,090 --> 00:36:13,198 Because I'm a flawed individual. 855 00:36:13,394 --> 00:36:13,846 I'm. 856 00:36:13,878 --> 00:36:16,490 I'm characterized by my failure. 857 00:36:17,150 --> 00:36:21,142 And, and then two, we're stealing the credit that should be 858 00:36:21,166 --> 00:36:22,214 given to the Lord. 859 00:36:22,342 --> 00:36:24,250 Every good gift comes from God. 860 00:36:24,910 --> 00:36:27,862 And so therefore, what happens is, is that when we boast in ourselves, 861 00:36:27,926 --> 00:36:28,550 we're sinning. 862 00:36:28,630 --> 00:36:31,270 When we boast in Christ, we're glorifying him. 863 00:36:31,390 --> 00:36:34,422 So Paul says, there's not anybody, there's nobody that can 864 00:36:34,446 --> 00:36:36,854 stop me from boasting in him and what he is doing. 865 00:36:37,022 --> 00:36:39,334 I would say that should be our testimony as well. 866 00:36:39,502 --> 00:36:43,890 Don't let anybody stop you from boasting in Christ. 867 00:36:44,670 --> 00:36:46,758 Sometimes people like, like you go, well, thank the Lord. 868 00:36:46,774 --> 00:36:47,414 He did that for me. 869 00:36:47,422 --> 00:36:48,262 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 870 00:36:48,326 --> 00:36:49,878 That's a kind of like a Christian cliche. 871 00:36:49,894 --> 00:36:50,102 We just. 872 00:36:50,126 --> 00:36:51,622 Yeah, the Lord did this, folks. 873 00:36:51,686 --> 00:36:53,862 Proclaim the Lord more everything. 874 00:36:54,046 --> 00:36:56,390 Hey, the Lord brought me today safely to church. 875 00:36:56,470 --> 00:36:58,502 Hey, the Lord gave me this, the Lord gave me that. 876 00:36:58,526 --> 00:36:59,510 The Lord provided here. 877 00:36:59,550 --> 00:37:00,230 The Lord did that. 878 00:37:00,270 --> 00:37:01,926 Paul says, no one's going to stop me. 879 00:37:01,998 --> 00:37:05,404 And by implication, we can see that it's those people, those false 880 00:37:05,452 --> 00:37:08,316 teachers that are trying to stop Paul from proclaiming the truth 881 00:37:08,348 --> 00:37:08,892 of Christ. 882 00:37:08,996 --> 00:37:11,644 He says, no one can stop me from preaching this everywhere. 883 00:37:11,772 --> 00:37:13,868 And then verse number 11, he asks another question. 884 00:37:13,924 --> 00:37:14,940 We're getting there, okay? 885 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:15,996 He says, wherefore? 886 00:37:16,108 --> 00:37:16,972 Because I love you. 887 00:37:16,996 --> 00:37:19,160 Not meaning this. 888 00:37:20,100 --> 00:37:22,732 Why do you think I'm doing everything that I'm doing in this 889 00:37:22,756 --> 00:37:23,212 ministry? 890 00:37:23,276 --> 00:37:24,600 Because I don't love you. 891 00:37:25,460 --> 00:37:27,644 He says, you think I'm doing this because I hate you? 892 00:37:27,732 --> 00:37:28,236 It's a, It's. 893 00:37:28,268 --> 00:37:29,180 It's a rhetorical question. 894 00:37:29,220 --> 00:37:31,984 He obviously has proven that he loves them by sacrifice place. 895 00:37:32,152 --> 00:37:33,488 He says, God knoweth. 896 00:37:33,584 --> 00:37:35,232 God knows that I love you. 897 00:37:35,336 --> 00:37:36,768 I don't care what you think. 898 00:37:36,904 --> 00:37:38,512 He says, you might think I don't love you. 899 00:37:38,536 --> 00:37:40,032 You might think those false teachers love you. 900 00:37:40,056 --> 00:37:41,600 They don't love you by telling you lies. 901 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:43,280 I love you by telling you to the truth. 902 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,128 And he says, the reason why I boast in Christ, the reason why I'm 903 00:37:46,144 --> 00:37:49,328 sacrificing, the reason why I'm transparent, the reason why I'm 904 00:37:49,344 --> 00:37:50,192 humble is this. 905 00:37:50,296 --> 00:37:51,904 Because I love you. 906 00:37:51,992 --> 00:37:53,040 It's all based in love. 907 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:56,948 And so Paul loves the church of Corinth so much that he would 908 00:37:57,064 --> 00:37:59,340 do these things that God has called him to do. 909 00:37:59,380 --> 00:37:59,964 Verse 12. 910 00:38:00,052 --> 00:38:02,860 But what I do, that will I do, that I might. 911 00:38:02,980 --> 00:38:06,764 That I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion. 912 00:38:06,812 --> 00:38:07,372 So you say, what. 913 00:38:07,396 --> 00:38:08,760 What is he talking about here? 914 00:38:09,060 --> 00:38:09,420 If. 915 00:38:09,460 --> 00:38:12,364 If you read that out of context, you might be saying, Paul 916 00:38:12,412 --> 00:38:14,428 is just talking gibberish here. 917 00:38:14,564 --> 00:38:15,868 No, he's saying this. 918 00:38:16,004 --> 00:38:21,516 I'm doing what I'm doing to cut off these people that are trying 919 00:38:21,588 --> 00:38:23,680 to fight against the Gospel. 920 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:28,152 He says that I might cut off occasion from them, opportunity from 921 00:38:28,176 --> 00:38:31,224 them which desire an opportunity to stop the Gospel. 922 00:38:31,352 --> 00:38:33,672 He says, I'm doing this to fight against the people who are 923 00:38:33,696 --> 00:38:37,368 teaching the wrong things that wherein they glory, they may be found 924 00:38:37,424 --> 00:38:38,792 even as we are. 925 00:38:38,976 --> 00:38:42,472 Meaning, if they're gonna glory, they should only glory in 926 00:38:42,496 --> 00:38:43,512 the things that we're glorying in. 927 00:38:43,536 --> 00:38:45,704 If they glory in their own stuff, they're glorying in the wrong 928 00:38:45,752 --> 00:38:46,340 things. 929 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:50,056 Now, this is where Paul doesn't pull any punches. 930 00:38:50,088 --> 00:38:52,910 He comes at him here, and this is a time there. 931 00:38:52,950 --> 00:38:56,702 There's a time in our Christian life that we need to get 932 00:38:56,806 --> 00:38:58,318 strong with the truth. 933 00:38:58,494 --> 00:39:01,358 Remember honest humility. 934 00:39:01,534 --> 00:39:04,094 Honest means sometimes that we have to tell the truth. 935 00:39:04,222 --> 00:39:05,870 So, like, for example, like, if. 936 00:39:05,910 --> 00:39:11,326 If someone came in to me and they were talking to me, and maybe 937 00:39:11,358 --> 00:39:11,982 they had. 938 00:39:12,086 --> 00:39:13,278 Okay, this is kind of humorous. 939 00:39:13,294 --> 00:39:14,846 Okay, so just follow me here. 940 00:39:14,918 --> 00:39:17,278 Let's say they had a piece of food just hanging off of their face, 941 00:39:17,334 --> 00:39:17,946 right? 942 00:39:18,118 --> 00:39:22,834 And, you know, I'm like, okay, kind of feeling awkward. 943 00:39:22,962 --> 00:39:26,722 But if I love them, okay, if I love someone, I'm gonna tell them 944 00:39:26,746 --> 00:39:28,706 that it's on their face so they don't embarrass themselves. 945 00:39:28,818 --> 00:39:29,186 Okay? 946 00:39:29,218 --> 00:39:31,522 There might be a little bit uncomfortable nature to tell them 947 00:39:31,546 --> 00:39:34,018 that they have something there, but at that point, I'm protecting 948 00:39:34,034 --> 00:39:36,270 them from the things that could happen. 949 00:39:37,130 --> 00:39:40,866 And that's basically in a spiritual sense what Paul is saying. 950 00:39:40,938 --> 00:39:44,230 There's gonna be some awkwardness when I tell you the truth, 951 00:39:44,580 --> 00:39:47,196 there's gonna be some discomfort when I tell you what's 952 00:39:47,228 --> 00:39:47,852 going on. 953 00:39:47,956 --> 00:39:49,948 But I'm doing this to protect you. 954 00:39:50,084 --> 00:39:51,932 I'm doing this to serve you. 955 00:39:52,036 --> 00:39:53,468 I'm doing this to love you. 956 00:39:53,524 --> 00:39:54,252 And so here it is. 957 00:39:54,276 --> 00:39:56,972 He says, for such are false apostles. 958 00:39:57,036 --> 00:39:57,900 He gets there. 959 00:39:58,020 --> 00:40:00,428 He didn't start with calling them false apostles. 960 00:40:00,524 --> 00:40:03,436 He, he started with them, you know, saying basically they're self 961 00:40:03,468 --> 00:40:06,652 proclaimed, you know, chiefest apostles. 962 00:40:06,796 --> 00:40:08,380 But now he gets to the real thing. 963 00:40:08,420 --> 00:40:12,160 He says, these are false apostles, these are false teachers. 964 00:40:13,340 --> 00:40:16,004 Now we're going to see where these false teachers come from here 965 00:40:16,012 --> 00:40:16,436 in a moment. 966 00:40:16,468 --> 00:40:19,760 He says these are false teachers, deceitful workers. 967 00:40:20,860 --> 00:40:21,476 Deceitful. 968 00:40:21,508 --> 00:40:24,200 They're liars, they're hypocritical. 969 00:40:25,740 --> 00:40:29,252 Going on a little bit further, he says, transforming themselves 970 00:40:29,396 --> 00:40:33,364 into the apostles of Christ, meaning they're apostles of someone 971 00:40:33,452 --> 00:40:36,036 else, but they're. 972 00:40:36,228 --> 00:40:38,996 That word transforming is not the transform when we're talking 973 00:40:39,028 --> 00:40:40,318 about the Christian life. 974 00:40:40,374 --> 00:40:41,902 A spiritual transformation. 975 00:40:42,046 --> 00:40:44,334 It's an outside transformation. 976 00:40:44,382 --> 00:40:45,182 So what is he saying here? 977 00:40:45,206 --> 00:40:50,142 He's saying they're disguising themselves as teachers of Christ. 978 00:40:50,246 --> 00:40:51,690 Apostles of Christ. 979 00:40:52,150 --> 00:40:54,734 So wolves in sheep's clothing, that's what he's basically saying. 980 00:40:54,822 --> 00:40:57,438 He's not saying that they, they have been saved and they're 981 00:40:57,454 --> 00:40:58,846 transformed from the inside out. 982 00:40:58,918 --> 00:41:01,566 He says these people are trying to deceive you, therefore 983 00:41:01,598 --> 00:41:04,462 they're changing from the outside, trying to make you think 984 00:41:04,486 --> 00:41:05,610 that they're from Christ. 985 00:41:06,380 --> 00:41:10,132 So who are they if they're not apostles of Christ, if they're not 986 00:41:10,156 --> 00:41:12,320 messengers of Christ, who are they messengers of? 987 00:41:13,100 --> 00:41:16,804 This is where he gets strong here, verse 14. 988 00:41:16,972 --> 00:41:24,612 And no marvel meaning don't be surprised, for Satan himself is transformed 989 00:41:24,676 --> 00:41:26,560 into an angel of light. 990 00:41:29,580 --> 00:41:32,750 He says that these false teachers are from the enemy, whether 991 00:41:32,790 --> 00:41:34,010 they know it or not. 992 00:41:34,310 --> 00:41:38,142 Just as Satan transforms himself, disguises himself as an 993 00:41:38,166 --> 00:41:41,694 angel of light, so false teachers will disguise themselves 994 00:41:41,742 --> 00:41:42,750 as apostles of Christ. 995 00:41:42,790 --> 00:41:46,046 They don't wear the message around their neck saying false teacher 996 00:41:46,158 --> 00:41:46,782 warning. 997 00:41:46,926 --> 00:41:52,250 They come as messengers of light, but fake light, not real light. 998 00:41:52,630 --> 00:41:54,490 And what we can see here is this. 999 00:41:55,030 --> 00:41:58,690 If they are not a messenger of Christ, they're a messenger of Satan. 1000 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,300 And what Satan does is he transforms himself to a place of 1001 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:05,176 being attractive. 1002 00:42:05,368 --> 00:42:08,968 Now when you think of Satan, you think of Satan, how he's portrayed 1003 00:42:08,984 --> 00:42:14,632 in Hollywood, maybe like cloven hooves and big long tail and 1004 00:42:14,656 --> 00:42:16,696 a pitchfork and he's red or whatever. 1005 00:42:16,808 --> 00:42:20,100 That's not what the Bible teaches that Satan is like. 1006 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:24,344 That's how tradition and paganism has taught different gods 1007 00:42:24,392 --> 00:42:26,292 and merged it into to Satan. 1008 00:42:26,356 --> 00:42:27,924 We don't have time to go into that. 1009 00:42:28,092 --> 00:42:31,876 But Satan is an angel of light. 1010 00:42:32,028 --> 00:42:38,180 Satan is an angel created for the purpose of glorifying God. 1011 00:42:38,340 --> 00:42:41,076 And we don't need to go into all the history of this, but biblically 1012 00:42:41,108 --> 00:42:43,316 speaking, Satan was created to glorify God. 1013 00:42:43,428 --> 00:42:48,500 He turned in pride and in sin and therefore became evil in his 1014 00:42:48,540 --> 00:42:53,274 desire and his motivation, but still has many of the opportunities 1015 00:42:53,322 --> 00:42:55,338 to present himself in an attractive way. 1016 00:42:55,474 --> 00:42:57,610 So let me say it this way. 1017 00:42:57,730 --> 00:43:01,322 A minister of Satan, an apostle of Satan, is going to be 1018 00:43:01,346 --> 00:43:05,546 very attractive and their message is going to be very desirable. 1019 00:43:05,738 --> 00:43:12,186 Get what you want, be attractive, be rich, be powerful, 1020 00:43:12,298 --> 00:43:12,666 right? 1021 00:43:12,738 --> 00:43:14,874 It's always going to appeal to our flesh. 1022 00:43:15,002 --> 00:43:17,174 So, so easy test. 1023 00:43:17,362 --> 00:43:20,690 Is this message a message from God or a message from Satan? 1024 00:43:21,030 --> 00:43:24,770 Does it appeal to our flesh or does it appeal to our spirit? 1025 00:43:25,190 --> 00:43:28,574 If the message is all about you and getting better you and becoming 1026 00:43:28,702 --> 00:43:32,110 more successful and becoming more attractive and becoming more 1027 00:43:32,150 --> 00:43:35,902 powerful, it's a message of the flesh that's appealing to our 1028 00:43:35,926 --> 00:43:36,510 flesh. 1029 00:43:36,670 --> 00:43:41,150 If it's a message of dying to yourself, serving Jesus, more exalting 1030 00:43:41,230 --> 00:43:44,414 others, humbling yourself, as Paul says, that's the message of 1031 00:43:44,422 --> 00:43:45,170 the spirit. 1032 00:43:46,230 --> 00:43:49,582 Folks, if I get up here and I begin to do a self help series on 1033 00:43:49,606 --> 00:43:53,262 how to become a better you and your own wisdom and your own strength, 1034 00:43:53,406 --> 00:43:54,446 that's not me, okay? 1035 00:43:54,478 --> 00:43:55,918 Someone's taken over my body. 1036 00:43:56,054 --> 00:43:57,006 That is not me. 1037 00:43:57,078 --> 00:43:57,374 Folks. 1038 00:43:57,422 --> 00:43:59,278 We are in love. 1039 00:43:59,414 --> 00:44:03,118 We are despicable human beings that fall short of the glory of God. 1040 00:44:03,214 --> 00:44:06,030 But because of what God has done in our life and because of his 1041 00:44:06,070 --> 00:44:09,070 presence in our life, we now, as Brother Michael was singing today, 1042 00:44:09,190 --> 00:44:12,424 there was value in us because of the image of God. 1043 00:44:12,552 --> 00:44:15,624 We, there's value in our lives because of the transformation. 1044 00:44:15,752 --> 00:44:18,696 And so therefore what Paul is preaching here is that these people 1045 00:44:18,768 --> 00:44:20,088 are following their master. 1046 00:44:20,184 --> 00:44:22,536 Satan comes and he tries to deceive folks. 1047 00:44:22,568 --> 00:44:23,832 Satan comes to us in different ways. 1048 00:44:23,896 --> 00:44:26,472 We, we saw last week that Satan came to Eve in the garden as 1049 00:44:26,496 --> 00:44:27,736 a subtle serpent. 1050 00:44:27,848 --> 00:44:32,140 He came in kind of like tricking, teasing, under the radar. 1051 00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:36,184 Satan comes, as we know in First Peter, Chapter 5, as a roaring 1052 00:44:36,232 --> 00:44:38,076 lion seeking whom he may devour. 1053 00:44:38,168 --> 00:44:39,844 So sometimes Satan comes just like that. 1054 00:44:39,932 --> 00:44:45,412 He comes openly and in a way that's bold, in a way that is in 1055 00:44:45,436 --> 00:44:48,196 many ways what we would say is evil from the outset. 1056 00:44:48,308 --> 00:44:52,132 But then we don't often think about this way, that Satan comes 1057 00:44:52,156 --> 00:44:58,160 to us as an angel of light, meaning as something that is good. 1058 00:44:58,940 --> 00:45:02,260 And again, we don't have time to go down this rabbit trail too 1059 00:45:02,300 --> 00:45:02,596 far. 1060 00:45:02,668 --> 00:45:03,812 But what I would say is this. 1061 00:45:03,836 --> 00:45:07,890 In your own life, inspect the message, not the appearance. 1062 00:45:08,310 --> 00:45:12,734 Okay, so, so let's say it doesn't always come this way, but 1063 00:45:12,742 --> 00:45:14,206 let's say something comes to your table. 1064 00:45:14,238 --> 00:45:16,782 There's a deal that comes to the table here and you've got it 1065 00:45:16,806 --> 00:45:17,262 in front of you. 1066 00:45:17,286 --> 00:45:21,022 And you say, okay, if I choose this path, this will bring me X, 1067 00:45:21,046 --> 00:45:21,758 Y, Z. 1068 00:45:21,894 --> 00:45:24,510 This will bring me as promised, good things. 1069 00:45:24,630 --> 00:45:28,206 This will bring me promised blessings, this will bring me promised 1070 00:45:28,318 --> 00:45:30,212 whatever, peace. 1071 00:45:30,406 --> 00:45:33,624 But then if I look at what the deal actually says, let me say it 1072 00:45:33,632 --> 00:45:35,512 this way, for, for ways that we can understand. 1073 00:45:35,616 --> 00:45:39,432 Read the fine print, read it all. 1074 00:45:39,536 --> 00:45:45,672 If this proposal from wherever is telling us to go contrary to the 1075 00:45:45,696 --> 00:45:49,048 word of God, folks, all those things that it promises is, it's 1076 00:45:49,064 --> 00:45:51,944 not really what's going to happen, that that contract's going 1077 00:45:51,952 --> 00:45:52,920 to be broken. 1078 00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:55,112 Sin always leads to destruction. 1079 00:45:55,256 --> 00:45:56,696 We might think it's worth it. 1080 00:45:56,768 --> 00:45:58,488 We might think that there's thrill in that. 1081 00:45:58,544 --> 00:46:01,750 And maybe even what Satan is bringing us will have a thrill, will 1082 00:46:01,790 --> 00:46:02,326 have excitement. 1083 00:46:02,358 --> 00:46:05,542 The Bible says sin is pleasurable for a season, but it 1084 00:46:05,566 --> 00:46:07,478 will eventually turn to destruction. 1085 00:46:07,574 --> 00:46:09,942 And what Paul is warning of here is this. 1086 00:46:10,046 --> 00:46:12,886 Don't be confused when something comes your way with great 1087 00:46:12,958 --> 00:46:13,770 promises. 1088 00:46:16,110 --> 00:46:17,398 And so what I would say is this. 1089 00:46:17,454 --> 00:46:20,486 The only promises that we want to trust in are the promises of God 1090 00:46:20,518 --> 00:46:21,782 that never fail. 1091 00:46:21,886 --> 00:46:22,850 Never fail. 1092 00:46:23,390 --> 00:46:25,090 So let's look at verse number 15. 1093 00:46:25,390 --> 00:46:29,746 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers. 1094 00:46:29,858 --> 00:46:32,994 So, so lest you think that I'm kind of reading between the lines 1095 00:46:33,042 --> 00:46:35,634 saying that Satan doesn't, maybe Satan has ministers, maybe 1096 00:46:35,682 --> 00:46:36,338 he doesn't. 1097 00:46:36,434 --> 00:46:38,642 You see it right here, verse 15. 1098 00:46:38,826 --> 00:46:43,874 Therefore it is no great thing, no surprise if his ministers, 1099 00:46:43,922 --> 00:46:48,546 Satan's ministers also be transformed as they as ministers 1100 00:46:48,658 --> 00:46:50,070 of righteousness. 1101 00:46:51,050 --> 00:46:56,906 He says people will use the name of God, people will use Jesus, 1102 00:46:57,018 --> 00:47:01,562 people will use the Spirit, people will use the gospel and they 1103 00:47:01,586 --> 00:47:06,250 will twist it to become, as we see here, ministers of Satan, not 1104 00:47:06,290 --> 00:47:07,546 ministers of righteousness. 1105 00:47:07,658 --> 00:47:10,730 They will proclaim some level of righteousness. 1106 00:47:10,810 --> 00:47:13,802 But the righteousness that's proclaimed from a false teacher is 1107 00:47:13,906 --> 00:47:15,150 self righteousness. 1108 00:47:16,450 --> 00:47:21,390 And the righteousness that comes from the Lord is God's righteousness, 1109 00:47:23,110 --> 00:47:25,730 righteousness that comes from him and him alone. 1110 00:47:26,310 --> 00:47:28,318 So what's the outcome of these false teachers? 1111 00:47:28,414 --> 00:47:31,022 What's the outcome of those that follow these false teachers? 1112 00:47:31,086 --> 00:47:36,370 Well, it says here this whose end shall be according to their works. 1113 00:47:37,270 --> 00:47:40,894 Now that might not sound scary, but let me tell you this, 1114 00:47:41,062 --> 00:47:45,570 you and I do not want to Be judged by our works. 1115 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:47,768 You. 1116 00:47:47,824 --> 00:47:48,088 You. 1117 00:47:48,144 --> 00:47:51,576 You understand that none of us want to be judged by our works. 1118 00:47:51,608 --> 00:47:52,792 You say, no, I'm a good person. 1119 00:47:52,896 --> 00:47:54,504 My good outweighs my bad. 1120 00:47:54,592 --> 00:47:56,300 That's not Bible. 1121 00:47:57,840 --> 00:47:59,944 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 1122 00:47:59,992 --> 00:48:01,620 For the wages of sin is death. 1123 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:04,296 There is none righteous. 1124 00:48:04,328 --> 00:48:05,160 No, not one. 1125 00:48:05,280 --> 00:48:08,440 Our goodness, our righteousness is like filthy rags, 1126 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:08,984 folks. 1127 00:48:09,032 --> 00:48:12,680 We do not, not, not. 1128 00:48:12,720 --> 00:48:13,848 I can't emphasize it enough. 1129 00:48:13,904 --> 00:48:16,126 We do not want to be judged by our works. 1130 00:48:16,288 --> 00:48:17,570 What do we want to be judged by? 1131 00:48:17,610 --> 00:48:19,906 We want to be judged by the work of our Savior. 1132 00:48:20,018 --> 00:48:22,322 We want to be judged with where our faith is placed. 1133 00:48:22,386 --> 00:48:23,314 And so what does he say here? 1134 00:48:23,322 --> 00:48:25,954 He says, the thing that they're missing is not the righteousness 1135 00:48:26,002 --> 00:48:26,590 of. 1136 00:48:27,130 --> 00:48:29,234 They're missing not their own righteousness. 1137 00:48:29,282 --> 00:48:30,610 They might have their own righteousness. 1138 00:48:30,690 --> 00:48:31,394 What are they missing? 1139 00:48:31,442 --> 00:48:33,650 They're missing the righteousness of God through faith. 1140 00:48:33,730 --> 00:48:37,842 And so therefore, they're not judged by their standing before God 1141 00:48:37,986 --> 00:48:38,690 in faith. 1142 00:48:38,770 --> 00:48:40,710 They're judged by their own works. 1143 00:48:41,620 --> 00:48:43,564 And so what I would say here this morning is this. 1144 00:48:43,652 --> 00:48:44,924 What do you want to be judged by? 1145 00:48:45,012 --> 00:48:47,868 I want to be judged by my justification in Jesus Christ. 1146 00:48:47,924 --> 00:48:51,852 My justification is this, that Jesus, because of his work on the 1147 00:48:51,876 --> 00:48:54,124 cross, offers the gift of salvation. 1148 00:48:54,252 --> 00:48:57,900 And when I trust in that gift of salvation and faith, I now have 1149 00:48:58,020 --> 00:49:00,012 what the Bible says is justification. 1150 00:49:00,076 --> 00:49:02,620 That means I am declared righteous before God. 1151 00:49:02,700 --> 00:49:05,500 Think of me sitting in a courtroom, and I'm sitting there, 1152 00:49:05,540 --> 00:49:07,660 and God is the righteous judge. 1153 00:49:07,740 --> 00:49:07,938 And. 1154 00:49:07,964 --> 00:49:10,982 And God is sitting up there, and he says, okay, let's see what 1155 00:49:11,086 --> 00:49:12,390 Josh has done in his life. 1156 00:49:12,430 --> 00:49:13,974 Well, he's done this, this, and this. 1157 00:49:14,062 --> 00:49:15,110 Are you guilty of those things? 1158 00:49:15,150 --> 00:49:16,358 Yes, I'm guilty of those things. 1159 00:49:16,414 --> 00:49:18,214 And then he says, okay, well, here's the sentence. 1160 00:49:18,262 --> 00:49:21,398 The sentence is for the wages of sin is death. 1161 00:49:21,534 --> 00:49:22,982 I have a death sentence on my life. 1162 00:49:23,006 --> 00:49:24,342 But then what happens is this. 1163 00:49:24,446 --> 00:49:29,222 Jesus, The Bible says, our advocate, the one who fights for 1164 00:49:29,246 --> 00:49:31,158 us, comes in and says, wait, wait, wait. 1165 00:49:31,334 --> 00:49:34,130 Look, my blood's on his account. 1166 00:49:34,430 --> 00:49:35,770 He's one of mine. 1167 00:49:36,750 --> 00:49:38,470 And therefore, what happens is this. 1168 00:49:38,590 --> 00:49:42,742 God no longer looks at us and says, well, you're guilty. 1169 00:49:42,806 --> 00:49:44,582 Or he doesn't look at us and go, well, you know, I'm gonna turn 1170 00:49:44,606 --> 00:49:45,606 my back away from that sin. 1171 00:49:45,638 --> 00:49:46,422 Just do what you want to do. 1172 00:49:46,446 --> 00:49:47,686 That would not be a good judge. 1173 00:49:47,798 --> 00:49:49,030 What does God do? 1174 00:49:49,070 --> 00:49:50,966 He looks at us, and he doesn't see us anymore. 1175 00:49:50,998 --> 00:49:54,502 He sees our righteousness in Christ. 1176 00:49:54,686 --> 00:49:58,502 He sees his Son, and that's what we rest in, everything that 1177 00:49:58,526 --> 00:49:59,014 we do. 1178 00:49:59,102 --> 00:50:04,812 In ministry, in service, in sacrifice, in love, goes back to 1179 00:50:04,916 --> 00:50:08,572 not being judged by our works, but being judged by who we are in 1180 00:50:08,596 --> 00:50:09,900 in Christ, his work. 1181 00:50:10,020 --> 00:50:13,340 Every other religion in the world says, work, work, work to get 1182 00:50:13,380 --> 00:50:14,124 salvation. 1183 00:50:14,252 --> 00:50:17,020 The Bible says this salvation comes through Jesus Christ. 1184 00:50:17,060 --> 00:50:18,600 It's not a work that you do. 1185 00:50:18,900 --> 00:50:23,116 And that is the difference between a false teacher and a true 1186 00:50:23,148 --> 00:50:24,092 messenger of the gospel. 1187 00:50:24,156 --> 00:50:26,764 Now you would say, pastor, were you just preaching to yourself 1188 00:50:26,812 --> 00:50:27,236 today? 1189 00:50:27,348 --> 00:50:29,092 Well, yeah, a lot of it was preaching to myself. 1190 00:50:29,236 --> 00:50:32,596 But remember, this isn't just talking about pastors. 1191 00:50:32,708 --> 00:50:35,332 This is talking about all people that are presenting the gospel 1192 00:50:35,396 --> 00:50:36,160 to the world. 1193 00:50:36,460 --> 00:50:39,988 So you can be a false messenger by the way that you present 1194 00:50:40,044 --> 00:50:40,964 yourself to the world. 1195 00:50:41,052 --> 00:50:41,300 The. 1196 00:50:41,340 --> 00:50:43,188 The Bible says here that there are. 1197 00:50:43,244 --> 00:50:45,876 What we see here is ministers of Satan. 1198 00:50:46,068 --> 00:50:47,668 You say, whoa, ministers of Satan. 1199 00:50:47,684 --> 00:50:48,436 Where is that at? 1200 00:50:48,508 --> 00:50:54,174 Just open your eyes, get on the Internet, look at the news. 1201 00:50:54,342 --> 00:50:57,130 There's ministers of Satan all around us. 1202 00:50:57,590 --> 00:51:00,638 All that means is servants of the message of the gospel, opposite 1203 00:51:00,654 --> 00:51:03,902 of the gospel, Satan's gospel, which means work your way to heaven. 1204 00:51:04,046 --> 00:51:06,782 Because Satan doesn't mind people being religious. 1205 00:51:06,926 --> 00:51:08,734 Satan actually wants people to be religious. 1206 00:51:08,782 --> 00:51:13,182 He wants people to be away from Christ, be as religious as you 1207 00:51:13,206 --> 00:51:14,890 want, as long as you don't come to Christ. 1208 00:51:15,270 --> 00:51:17,598 Why do you think there's so many false religions out there? 1209 00:51:17,734 --> 00:51:19,964 It's all about going another way. 1210 00:51:20,052 --> 00:51:22,188 Satan wants us to pick the other ways. 1211 00:51:22,284 --> 00:51:26,060 He only wants us to choose another path because there's only 1212 00:51:26,100 --> 00:51:28,092 one path that leads to salvation. 1213 00:51:28,156 --> 00:51:29,212 That is Jesus Christ. 1214 00:51:29,316 --> 00:51:30,700 And so what I would say is this. 1215 00:51:30,820 --> 00:51:34,716 Yes, the responsibility is on you to be a professor of the gospel 1216 00:51:34,748 --> 00:51:35,520 of truth. 1217 00:51:36,340 --> 00:51:40,892 But number two, there's a responsibility for us to discern 1218 00:51:41,036 --> 00:51:46,100 those ministers around me is this person that I'm listening to 1219 00:51:46,480 --> 00:51:51,816 trusting in a minister of the gospel or a minister of, not Pastor 1220 00:51:51,848 --> 00:51:55,272 Josh's terms, but 2 Corinthians terms, a minister of 1221 00:51:55,296 --> 00:51:55,980 Satan. 1222 00:51:57,200 --> 00:52:01,752 Well, that movie just told me to trust my heart, go after what 1223 00:52:01,776 --> 00:52:02,936 I want in life. 1224 00:52:03,088 --> 00:52:06,216 This person makes me feel good, so I'm just gonna go for it. 1225 00:52:06,368 --> 00:52:08,180 That's what Hollywood tells you. 1226 00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:11,064 And those are the people at the end that are lifted up as the 1227 00:52:11,072 --> 00:52:11,522 hero. 1228 00:52:11,616 --> 00:52:12,350 Guess what? 1229 00:52:12,470 --> 00:52:13,582 I'm going to be a little mean today. 1230 00:52:13,606 --> 00:52:16,270 And I'm probably going to be on some type of list somewhere that's 1231 00:52:16,350 --> 00:52:19,598 a minister of Satan that's leading you to think about a way 1232 00:52:19,654 --> 00:52:21,550 that is anti biblical. 1233 00:52:21,710 --> 00:52:25,022 Now, I'm not sitting here saying smash all your TVs, but be 1234 00:52:25,046 --> 00:52:27,838 discerning on what you take into your brain. 1235 00:52:28,014 --> 00:52:29,694 Be Discerning what you're reading. 1236 00:52:29,822 --> 00:52:31,534 Be discerning what you're following. 1237 00:52:31,702 --> 00:52:33,006 Allow yourself to say, nope. 1238 00:52:33,038 --> 00:52:33,982 That's the test. 1239 00:52:34,086 --> 00:52:34,718 That's the test. 1240 00:52:34,774 --> 00:52:36,158 And so Paul warns against that. 1241 00:52:36,214 --> 00:52:40,490 So Paul says, humbly, I bring to you the message of the gospel. 1242 00:52:40,990 --> 00:52:43,206 It's humility that brings us to that place. 1243 00:52:43,278 --> 00:52:45,254 Humility is this, I can't earn my way. 1244 00:52:45,342 --> 00:52:46,150 Humility is this. 1245 00:52:46,190 --> 00:52:47,142 I'm not good enough. 1246 00:52:47,246 --> 00:52:48,166 Humility is this. 1247 00:52:48,238 --> 00:52:49,494 I have fallen short. 1248 00:52:49,662 --> 00:52:53,190 And every time we see Christ, every time we see the message of 1249 00:52:53,230 --> 00:52:55,686 the truth, we should be humbled before him. 1250 00:52:55,758 --> 00:52:57,862 Because the Bible says, humble yourselves. 1251 00:52:58,006 --> 00:52:59,318 God will lift you up. 1252 00:52:59,454 --> 00:53:02,850 You lift yourself up, God will lower you down. 1253 00:53:03,710 --> 00:53:04,822 But there's beauty in this. 1254 00:53:04,846 --> 00:53:05,590 And the beauty is this. 1255 00:53:05,630 --> 00:53:06,656 God's forgiveness. 1256 00:53:06,798 --> 00:53:10,908 You say, well, I've been in the wrong place doing the wrong things. 1257 00:53:11,044 --> 00:53:12,620 I've been looking in the wrong areas. 1258 00:53:12,740 --> 00:53:15,560 I've been trusting in the wrong, wrong people. 1259 00:53:15,940 --> 00:53:19,372 Hey, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us 1260 00:53:19,396 --> 00:53:20,204 from all unrighteousness. 1261 00:53:20,252 --> 00:53:21,360 If we confess. 1262 00:53:22,260 --> 00:53:24,012 That's the beauty of our Savior. 1263 00:53:24,156 --> 00:53:25,180 He doesn't put us out. 1264 00:53:25,220 --> 00:53:26,156 When we fall short. 1265 00:53:26,228 --> 00:53:27,356 He doesn't reject us. 1266 00:53:27,428 --> 00:53:27,772 You know what? 1267 00:53:27,796 --> 00:53:32,412 There's times in my life with my children that I'm like, come on, 1268 00:53:32,436 --> 00:53:33,480 what are you doing? 1269 00:53:34,210 --> 00:53:36,030 You should have learned this lesson. 1270 00:53:36,930 --> 00:53:40,186 But what the Bible says is that in James 1, when we come back 1271 00:53:40,338 --> 00:53:43,642 to God and seek his wisdom, he gives it to us, and he doesn't hold 1272 00:53:43,666 --> 00:53:44,650 it over our heads. 1273 00:53:44,730 --> 00:53:47,114 He doesn't condemn us for seeking after his will. 1274 00:53:47,202 --> 00:53:49,754 And I would encourage you to seek after his will today. 1275 00:53:49,922 --> 00:53:52,490 Be a messenger of the truth. 1276 00:53:52,650 --> 00:53:56,922 Be a humble messenger of the gospel, but allow yourself to be 1277 00:53:56,946 --> 00:53:59,670 a humble hearer of the gospel as well. 1278 00:54:00,060 --> 00:54:01,684 And that's the message that Paul is giving. 1279 00:54:01,732 --> 00:54:04,500 Next week, we're gonna look at Paul's suffering. 1280 00:54:04,660 --> 00:54:10,644 You would say, well, if Paul is the true preacher of the gospel, 1281 00:54:10,772 --> 00:54:12,680 he won't go through any problems. 1282 00:54:14,220 --> 00:54:19,280 He'll be the one that is actually running a smooth life. 1283 00:54:19,740 --> 00:54:21,268 He'll get extra payments. 1284 00:54:21,364 --> 00:54:22,644 He'll have extra power. 1285 00:54:22,732 --> 00:54:23,840 No, no, no. 1286 00:54:24,380 --> 00:54:28,968 Paul's going to explain that the outward is not the true test. 1287 00:54:29,024 --> 00:54:30,700 It's what's going on in the inward. 1288 00:54:31,200 --> 00:54:34,440 Because no doubt those chief apostles that were claiming to be 1289 00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:37,112 the true messengers, their life probably was looking good because 1290 00:54:37,136 --> 00:54:41,400 they had finances, they had followers, they had friends, they 1291 00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:44,456 had people that were, you know, really exalting them up. 1292 00:54:44,528 --> 00:54:47,272 And what Paul says is, look, no, this is what it looks like to 1293 00:54:47,296 --> 00:54:50,872 be a servant, to go through the difficulties, but still have 1294 00:54:50,896 --> 00:54:51,720 the hope of Jesus Christ. 1295 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:53,380 And so that's what we're going to talk about next week. 1296 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:54,412 I'm gonna ask if you're able to. 1297 00:54:54,436 --> 00:54:56,588 To stand with me, every head bowed, every head close, as the music 1298 00:54:56,644 --> 00:54:58,444 plays here this morning. 1299 00:54:58,532 --> 00:55:00,108 I know it's a tough message. 1300 00:55:00,284 --> 00:55:02,476 This isn't a passage of scripture that we would normally 1301 00:55:02,508 --> 00:55:06,236 go to just in everyday conversation, but it's a passage 1302 00:55:06,268 --> 00:55:07,596 of scripture that we have to deal with. 1303 00:55:07,668 --> 00:55:10,652 If God talks about false teachers so much, hey, guess what? 1304 00:55:10,676 --> 00:55:13,196 It's probably a reality that we're gonna be facing false teachers 1305 00:55:13,228 --> 00:55:14,120 in our life. 1306 00:55:14,580 --> 00:55:15,852 So be on guard. 1307 00:55:15,996 --> 00:55:18,332 Hey, this morning, one of the things that you can do in the time 1308 00:55:18,356 --> 00:55:22,042 of invitation is, is just come forward and ask God to give you wisdom 1309 00:55:22,186 --> 00:55:26,522 and strength and protection and boldness in this world from the 1310 00:55:26,546 --> 00:55:28,430 ministers of the enemy. 1311 00:55:29,090 --> 00:55:30,586 Maybe, maybe not for you. 1312 00:55:30,658 --> 00:55:33,610 Maybe you're where you need to be, but maybe you want to come forward 1313 00:55:33,650 --> 00:55:35,402 and pray for your children. 1314 00:55:35,586 --> 00:55:38,106 Maybe you want to come forward and pray for your grandchildren, 1315 00:55:38,218 --> 00:55:38,730 your, your. 1316 00:55:38,770 --> 00:55:42,826 Your nieces, your nephews, maybe for the next generation that, 1317 00:55:42,898 --> 00:55:46,298 that they can be protected from the dangers of this world. 1318 00:55:46,354 --> 00:55:50,024 Folks, I pray every day that my children are spared from the pains 1319 00:55:50,072 --> 00:55:50,940 of sin. 1320 00:55:52,160 --> 00:55:53,928 So therefore, maybe today it's just this. 1321 00:55:53,984 --> 00:55:58,472 Hey, Lord, protect me, protect my family, protect my children, protect 1322 00:55:58,536 --> 00:56:03,740 my home from the enemy, from the messengers of evil. 1323 00:56:04,160 --> 00:56:11,288 May we be the messengers of the truth with boldness, with humility, 1324 00:56:11,464 --> 00:56:16,310 with transparency, with the knowledge of God. 1325 00:56:16,810 --> 00:56:19,698 Folks, it's one thing to know that God exists. 1326 00:56:19,794 --> 00:56:23,042 It's another thing to know who he is and what he has done for you. 1327 00:56:23,146 --> 00:56:24,914 And that knowledge changes us. 1328 00:56:25,002 --> 00:56:28,498 That knowledge changes us to the place where we can live in light 1329 00:56:28,554 --> 00:56:31,710 of the urgency of the world that we live in today. 1330 00:56:32,330 --> 00:56:34,194 Maybe you want to be a messenger of the truth. 1331 00:56:34,242 --> 00:56:36,962 Maybe you want to be like Paul and say, hey, I'm willing to do all 1332 00:56:36,986 --> 00:56:37,330 these things. 1333 00:56:37,370 --> 00:56:40,544 I'm willing to be humbled so that other people can be lifted up. 1334 00:56:40,642 --> 00:56:44,132 I'm willing to take a second place so that other people can hear 1335 00:56:44,156 --> 00:56:45,012 the gospel. 1336 00:56:45,156 --> 00:56:47,716 Hey, folks, it's time to give it over to him today. 1337 00:56:47,868 --> 00:56:49,040 Maybe you've been. 1338 00:56:49,580 --> 00:56:50,644 Maybe you've been drifting. 1339 00:56:50,692 --> 00:56:52,852 Maybe you've been allowing yourself to get to a place where 1340 00:56:52,876 --> 00:56:55,380 you've been trusting the things of this world come today and 1341 00:56:55,420 --> 00:56:57,780 allow yourself to be aligned with him. 1342 00:56:57,900 --> 00:57:00,996 And lastly, if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, we talked 1343 00:57:01,028 --> 00:57:02,440 about that justification. 1344 00:57:02,780 --> 00:57:04,868 What is God going to see when he looks at your account? 1345 00:57:04,924 --> 00:57:08,970 Is he going to see your good works or is he going to see what 1346 00:57:09,010 --> 00:57:12,682 Jesus Christ did for you on the cross and faith trusts in him 1347 00:57:12,706 --> 00:57:12,890 today. 1348 00:57:12,930 --> 00:57:14,922 If you need that, we've got some folks up here that can show 1349 00:57:14,946 --> 00:57:18,762 you from the word of God what it means to know you and to know 1350 00:57:18,786 --> 00:57:22,842 the Lord and to know where we stand before Him. 1351 00:57:23,026 --> 00:57:25,178 Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation working hearts 1352 00:57:25,194 --> 00:57:29,114 and lives challenge our hearts to a place where we can walk in honest 1353 00:57:29,162 --> 00:57:33,170 humility before the hypocritical hoaxers of our day. 1354 00:57:33,250 --> 00:57:34,914 We ask all these things in Jesus name. 1355 00:57:35,002 --> 00:57:35,298 Amen. 1356 00:57:35,314 --> 00:57:37,630 As the music plays, follow as the Lord leads here today. 1357 00:57:38,090 --> 00:57:40,674 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1358 00:57:40,722 --> 00:57:41,442 podcast. 1359 00:57:41,586 --> 00:57:44,270 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 1360 00:57:44,570 --> 00:57:46,866 If you would like to find out more information about our church 1361 00:57:46,898 --> 00:57:50,562 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1362 00:57:50,706 --> 00:57:53,510 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1363 00:57:53,930 --> 00:57:59,160 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaro, middletownbaptistChurch.com 1364 00:57:59,330 --> 00:58:02,908 if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 1365 00:58:02,964 --> 00:58:05,920 along for future podcast and updates. 1366 00:58:06,260 --> 00:58:07,452 Thank you so much. 1367 00:58:07,556 --> 00:58:08,364 God Bless. 1368 00:58:08,492 --> 00:58:09,540 Have a wonderful day.