Correction is Called For

Transcript

GR 1309
11-06-05
Correction Is Called For
I Corinthians 4:14-20
Gil Rugh

It's our practice to go through the Bible book by book and verse by verse. Since that's the way God chose to give us His Word under the direction of His Spirit, it seems to me that's the foundational way for us to approach the study of scripture. I don't believe it is the only way to study scripture, we can study it according to doctrinal themes and so on, but as the foundation for all of our classes in teaching the Word I've tried to establish a pattern of moving through the books of the Bible verse by verse. That means we have to cover the material that we particularly enjoy and the material that we would not cover if we didn't go through it this way. We all have our favorite portions of scripture, our favorite subjects, but everything God has said is for our edification to enable us to grow to maturity in Him.

And we're in I Corinthians 4. I don't want to imply this is one of those portions that I would choose not to study; however, it does draw to our attention certain things that will be true of those who are faithful to Christ, and are true of those churches that are faithful to Christ. Paul is writing and correcting some situations in the church at Corinth, and he has had, in chapter 4, to address the issue of suffering for Christ. It's a contrast between his situation and the situation in the church at Corinth. Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, made very clear that those who would be His followers would experience difficulty and trial and persecution in this life because of their identification with Him.

Leave a marker in I Corinthians and come back to Matthew 10. In Matthew 10 Jesus has selected those who would be His disciples, particularly the 12, entrusted them with responsibility. Told them in verses 16-23 that they would experience opposition and persecution and then He goes on to say in verse 24, a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher and the slave like his master. And remember that analogy of slave and master has been used by Paul in I Corinthians 3 and 4. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul how much more will they malign the members of his household. You cannot expect to be treated better than your master, if you are his slave. If they have spoken evil of your master, you can expect they will speak evil of you, as the slave of your master. Would you expect it any different? Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light. What you hear whispered in your ear proclaim upon the housetops. You'll note, He is going to entrust them with the message and they are to proclaim that message fearlessly. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

Verse 32, therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in heaven. Whoever denies Me before men I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Now note this, do not think I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found is life will lose it, he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. Very serious matter to consider being a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I will bring division into the closest of human relationships, I will divide family members. And you must be willing to take up your cross and follow Me, and take up the cross was a clear picture for any in that day. It meant that you would become an object of ridicule, of scorn, of rejection, you would suffer. It's a costly thing.

Turn over to Luke 14:25, now large crowds were going along with Him. This is what we would love, large crowds are following Him. You'd think the thinking of the time would be, now let's be careful and be wise and manage the crowd properly so they'll continue to come and they'll grow, because a crowd draws a crowd. And be careful what we say and maybe over time, then, we'll draw them into a true relationship. The crowds were going along with Him and He turned and said to them, if anyone comes to Me and does not hate His own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Well, wonderful, that just makes the crowd want to grow. Go get their friends and say, come, we've found someone we all want to be a follower of. Jesus Christ was not catering to the fleshly interest of the crowds. Makes it very clear. If you're going to be my disciple, then you must be passionately committed to me above everyone and everything else. You're willing to turn from your own family, your closest human relationship, and suffer the worst of rejection and ridicule and scorn, or else you cannot be My disciple.

For which one of you when he wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it. Otherwise when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him saying, this man began to build and was not able to finish. What king sets out to meet another king in battle will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with 10,000 to encounter one coming with 20,000.

Verse 33, so then, none of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. I don't want you to make this decision without having all the information in hand. It will cost you everything to be My disciple, you'll be left with nothing of your own. And again, you will be the subject of ridicule, scorn and rejection. That's what it costs.

Verse 34, salt is good, even if salt has become tasteless with what will it be seasoned? I'm not looking for just people who will follow Me. There has to be a passion and commitment to Jesus Christ and willingness to pay the price. I dare say we often present the gospel deceitfully today. Come to Christ, these are all the good things you've been looking for and it will make life complete and you will have ....................... There is an element of truth in that. That's the problem with error that entices people, it often is mixed with truth. When Jesus challenged the people, He was very clear, you shouldn't become My follower without knowing what it means to be My follower. It means you now belong to Me and your commitment to Me supersedes everything and everyone else.

Peter understood this, later he would write a letter. Turn back to I Peter 4. Peter is writing to believers who were going through some intense times of persecution and suffering. And look at what he writes in verse 12, beloved, those that I love, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. Don't be shocked as though this were something unusual, this fiery testing and trial you are going through. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing.

Verse 14, if you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. In other words see what happens when the Spirit of God is working mightily and powerfully in your life? You are so identified with Christ that people hate you like they hated Christ. We go just the opposite. We share the message of salvation through faith in the cross of Christ and people get upset and we go home and hang our head and say, oh I must have done something wrong. I just don't think it is my gift, all I do is offend people. It's probably better I don't say anything, I don't want to just turn people against me. Well wait a minute, he says, if you are reviled for the name of Christ you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. What an honor that you would be given the privilege to be so identified with Christ that the opposition that is in the heart of unbelieving people would be directed toward you because it is directed toward your master. Now make sure none of you suffers as an evildoer, you're suffering for doing the wrong thing. But if you are suffering because of your identification with Christ, that's an honor, that's an evidence the Spirit of God is working mightily in you.

Turn back to Romans 8:16. In verse 14 he said that those who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Verse 16, the Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. You'll note the identifying mark of a believer as Paul writes about it here, is he is suffering for his identification with Christ. He is so identified with Christ in the message that he brings and in the life that he lives that the rejection of Christ is also the rejection of him. But that's a mark of future glory.

Two other passages and one other book. Go back to II Timothy 1. II Timothy is Paul's last letter, he knows the process has begun which will culminate in his execution. In fact, he'll say, I am already in the process of being poured out. In chapter 1 he is writing to his beloved son in the faith, Timothy. We're going to see Timothy in Corinthians in a moment. And he reminds Timothy in verse 7, God has not given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice, but of power, love and discipline. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. Here is Paul, the end of a difficult life, and end of his life that was filled from the time of his conversion until this very time of suffering, of difficulty, of opposition, persecution. And now he is a prisoner. He is not writing to share with Timothy some lessons I have learned. Timothy, your life doesn't have to be as difficult as mine; Timothy, you have to learn to be careful, don't be so blunt with the gospel, I made too many enemies. Timothy, it's not necessary for you to suffer like I have. I don't want you to have to go through what I've gone through, I don't want you to end up in a prison waiting for execution like me. What does Paul say? Timothy, I want you to be just like me. Remember, it's not the Spirit of God who makes us cowards. Join with me in suffering for the gospel, according to the power of God. Not something, Timothy, you do in your own strength. You may naturally be a timid person, I'm not talking about what you do naturally, I'm talking about what you do when the Spirit of God is working in your life. Then divine power working in and through you, you step up, you become bold again with your testimony for Christ. And that will result in suffering. That's all right, don't be ashamed of the gospel, don't be ashamed of me. I'm a prisoner because of the gospel.

Turn over to II Timothy 3:10, now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love. You've been with me, Timothy, you've observed my life, perseverance. Verse 11, persecutions, sufferings such as happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, Lystra. Timothy traveled with Paul as you're aware. What persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. But He is not going to deliver him out of this one, this will be the end of the line, humanly speaking. Any regrets? No. Is Paul a unique case? We like to say, well Paul was a unique case, the apostles, unique cases. He reminds Timothy, Timothy, don't try to excuse yourself from active duty by thinking that I am a unique case, that you're not me.

Because verse 12 says, indeed all, and you ought to underline that word all, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. You cannot live a godly life as a servant of Christ and not suffer the consequence in an unbelieving world. Now evil men and imposters will continue to multiply, he goes on in the next verse to talk about, but all who are going to live godly are going to suffer for it.

Now come back to I Corinthians 4. Paul has driven home this very truth to the Corinthians in verses 8-13. Verse 8 using biting sarcasm, he has said to the Corinthians, you've arrived, you're already filled, you've become rich, you're living like kings. They are living like the kingdom had started. They thought that they had worked it out in the most effective way. Using the wisdom of the world and yet not denying the truth of God, they had made a mixture that was enabling them, the church at Corinth, to live the good life, to live without the persecution and opposition, to live without making enemies because of their identification with Christ. Yes, you're living like the kingdom had already come. Something is wrong. I wish you were kings because if the kingdom were here we'd be ruling and reigning with you.

But he goes on to draw the contrast between himself and the Corinthians. They're having the good life—no suffering, no persecution, but Paul's life is characterized by nothing but persecution and he says it is true of the apostles down in verse 13. We have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. Something is wrong. Why is it so comfortable for you and so hard for me? We are like the filth that people scrape off their shoes. That's how the world looks at us, and yet you're honored, you're getting along so well. Something is wrong. And the Corinthians thought they had taken the wisdom of the world and not denied the truth of Christ. Remember Paul doesn't rebuke them for doctrinal error or heresy in these opening chapters, but he does speak about the seriousness of the matter of trying to take the wisdom of men and mixing it with the wisdom of God, which is the truth concerning Christ. Because when you do that, you destroy the gospel.

Back up to chapter 1 verse 17. Paul reminds them, Christ did not send me to baptize, note this, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech. That word cleverness, not in wisdom of speech. So that the cross of Christ would not be made void, empty. See what happens when you take the wisdom of men and try to mix it with the truth, not denying the truth, but adding to it the wisdom of men, you nullify the power of the gospel for salvation.

I was reading some material, and this comes from a very popular book that is having great influence in Bible-believing churches these days. I just want to give you an example of what I would think is an example of exactly what's going on in the church at Corinth. Lest we think this is just musty truth, but wouldn't impact us in the same way today, the Bible-believing church, particularly focused on our nation, is being swept away by the delusion that you can mix the wisdom of men together with the truth of God, and now you've got a ministry that will be so appealing to the world, you have what the world would want, and thus you are effective for Christ. And I'm just reading miscellaneous quotes from different pages in the book. Jesus captured the interest of large crowds with techniques that you and I can use. First, He told stories to make a point, Jesus was a master storyteller. He would say, hey, did you hear the one about....... Then tell a parable in order to teach a truth. In fact, the Bible shows that storytelling was Jesus' favorite technique when speaking to the crowd. Matthew 13:34 says, Jesus spoke all things to the crowd in parables, He did not say anything to them without using a parable. Now some of you are familiar with what Jesus said in Matthew 13. That's a quote from Matthew 13:34, this man thinks you have to use stories, that's why Jesus used stories. He didn't teach them anything without a parable, so you have to learn to tell a story to teach truth. Remember the disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 13:10-15, why do you speak to them in parables? You know what Jesus said? I do that so they don't know the truth, I do that to hide the truth from them. Just the very opposite what this man is saying why we ought to be using stories. You ought to be consistent and say, you know, I, the preacher, ought to use stories to communicate God's truth, the kind of stories that nobody who comes here is going to understand. So when all is said and done you go away from here saying, what is that all about? Do you have any idea what he was talking about? You understand when Jesus got done with a parable, not even His own disciples knew what He was talking about. Matthew 13, read it. They had to ask Him, we don't understand what you meant, what was that parable all about? Is it not blatantly dishonest to say that's how............. You want to talk about how Jesus dealt with the crowds, we already read about that. He turned around and addressed them and told them what? Something they would understand. Unless you are going to hate your father and mother, brother, sister, family members, take up your cross and follow Me, you can't be My disciple. Is that clear? That's something they all could understand. They couldn't understand the parables, but they could understand that.

If you want to change lives, you must craft the message for impact, not information. What does that mean? When Paul went to Corinth, what did he do? I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When we get to I Corinthians 15 he'll tell you the information. We are sinners for whom Christ died, was buried and raised from the dead. That's the information, you either believe it or reject it. Listen to what he says about the unchurched, the unbeliever. The unchurched are not asking for a watered down message, they expect to hear the Bible when they come to church. What they do want is to hear how the Bible relates to their lives in terms they understand in a tone that shows you respect and care about them. They are looking for solutions, not scolding. So if the unbelievers aren't pouring into your church it's because you're not being practical enough. It's not that they don't want to hear the Bible, they just don't want to be scolded, they want to know how it relates to their lives. How does that relate to Jesus' ministry? You know in John 6 the multitudes are turning away from Jesus in droves, so many people are abandoning His ministry that Jesus turns to His own disciples and asks them, are you going to leave, too? And Peter says, where in the world would we go? You are the One who has the message of life.

Here's a good one. Crowds always flock to hear good news. There is enough sad news in the world that the last thing people need to hear is more bad news when they come to church. In other words, I don't want to have to tell you that you're a sinner. I know you didn't come here to hear about judgment, condemnation and hell, you came here to have your needs met. By beginning with people's needs when you preach or teach, you immediately gain the attention of your audience. It is my deep conviction, I'm still reading, I don't want you to think I'm saying this. It is my deep conviction that anybody can be won to Christ if you discover the key to his or her heart. That key to each person's heart is unique, so it is sometimes difficult to discover. It may take some time to identify it, but the most likely place to start is with the person's felt needs. And then he tells you, if anybody criticizes this approach to ministry it's because they're jealous, they're unfair. And remember they burned Wycliffe at the stake so they'll criticize you. I don't identify him with Wycliffe.

I want to read you one other statement because it relates to where we've been in Corinthians. Chapter 4 of this book that I took these quotes from is titled The Foundation for a Healthy Church. And at the beginning of the chapter he has a quote from I Corinthians 3:10, by the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder. And this chapter is about, here it is in highlighted block form: Your church's foundation will determine both its size and strength. You can never build larger than your foundation can handle. If you want to build a healthy, strong and growing church, you must spend time laying a solid foundation. This is done by clarifying in the minds of everyone involved exactly why the church exists and what it is supposed to do. There is incredible power in having a clearly defined purpose statement. If it is short enough for everyone to remember, your statement of purpose will yield five wonderful benefits for your church. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. What about I Corinthians 3:10? By the grace God has given me I laid a foundation as an expert masterbuilder, Paul said. He's not talking about crafting a well formed purpose statement. What does Paul say? There is no other foundation that can be laid than the one which has already been laid, perfect tense. It was laid in the past and it continues to be the only foundation which is Christ Jesus. I appreciate that Peter Drucker speaks to the importance of vision and purpose statements for an organization, but that's not what Paul is talking about. The problem with this book, about every other page I could quote you, it has truth we would all assent to. The problem is every other page has the error that takes away the truth that he claimed to believer, claimed to be promoting. And you have an example, when you mix the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God you nullify the message of the cross.

So what Paul is saying in I Corinthians 4 is put here for our benefit by the Spirit of God because it's the very thing the church is facing even today. And here we have the book of Corinthians, but this has become the bible for church after church after church. I listened to a pastor of an evangelical church this past week, and do you know what he was preaching? (thump, thump, thump, thump, thump), not (thump, thump, thump, thump, thump). I don't know how they'll figure that out on tape.

We're in I Corinthians 4. After Paul has unfolded the matter of suffering and persecution, the fact is, the crowds won't pour in for the truth. The crowds get sifted out by the truth. Paul is telling the church at Corinth, I'm seriously concerned for you. Verse 14, I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. He's used the picture of himself as a servant in the field, and I sow seed and another waters. He's talked about himself as the one who laid the foundation for the church at Corinth, but others are building on it. Now he's going to use another picture of himself—I fathered you spiritually in the gospel. What I'm writing here is not to shame you, but to admonish you as my well-loved children. My prime purpose is not to embarrass you, humiliate you, put you to shame. My purpose is to correct you so that you will function as you should as my spiritual children.

Now there are times when Paul is so worked up that he tells them, I hope you're embarrassed by this. Turn over to I Corinthians 6:5, we won't go into the context, we'll get here. But he says to the Corinthians, I say this to your shame. You ought to be ashamed, you ought to be embarrassed. I speak this so you will be humiliated. He'll do the same thing in chapter 15 verse 34 for certain things they ought to be embarrassed and ashamed over. And he wants to put them to shame. But now in what he's been dealing with here, even the biting sarcasm of verses 8-13 was not primarily to humiliate them, it was to get their attention and correct them, like a father does his children. That word admonish became popularized in English nouthetic, a certain line of Christian counseling as it came to be known. Followed nouthetic counseling, and that's the Greek word, nouthetic. It means to admonish, to correct. And it's like a father would his children. He is dealing with something that behavior needs to change, and he's bringing correction to them.

I want to admonish you as my beloved children, well-loved children, the children that I love. For, he explains this analogy. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Paul has emphasized in these opening chapters how he is like other servants God has used in their lives. We want to be careful about elevating servants, rather than honoring the master, Christ. But it is also true that Paul plays a unique role in the life of the Corinthian church. And that has already been touched on without being developed. In the analogy of the farmer in chapter 3 Paul said, I planted, Apollos watered. He was the one who brought the gospel initially to Corinth, Paul was. He said, I am the one who laid the foundation for the church at Corinth, others are building on it, that foundation, Jesus Christ. I came and preached the cross of Christ which is the foundation upon which the church at Corinth has been built and established.

I am your spiritual father, I was the one who brought you the gospel so that you might be born again. This is what he is saying at the end of verse 15. In Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. So I was the one that Christ used to bring about your salvation, the new birth, you must be born again, you must be born from above. How does that happen? I Peter 1, we are born again by the living and abiding Word of God. Romans 1:16, the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Paul says, I was the one who brought you the gospel, I became your spiritual father. Think of that. What an honor, what a privilege, what a blessing. Paul could write to the church at Corinth and say, I am your spiritual father. It's God's grace, he knew that. It was in Christ this happened through the gospel, but what a privilege. I am your spiritual father, the one that God Almighty used to bring you the truth that you might be saved. And you believed and were saved. Think about it. Do you have any spiritual children? How long have you known the Lord? In all those years, how many people have you been blessed to bring to salvation in Christ and become a spiritual parent to? Well I don't think my gift is apostleship. You know, Paul shared the gospel with multitudes of people, most of them did not get saved, most of them hated him for it. That's been the whole point of verses 9-13 of I Corinthians 4. You know most of us don't become spiritual parents because we just don't spread the truth of the cross. Oh, no, I tried it, not just once, I tried it three times and nobody got saved. In fact, most of those were hostile. Aren't you happy with the spirit of power and glory resting on you, as Peter wrote. What more could we want, that the Spirit of God use us so powerfully that people identify us with Christ.

I remember listening to an evangelist, I won't share his name because he has since gotten into trouble. But a man is used of the Lord and I was in meetings that he was preaching because the Lord used him to bring many to Christ. You know he says, I personally shared the gospel with over 100 people and no one got saved. I shared it with another 100 people, I forget how many hundreds of people he shared the gospel with before anyone ever got saved. And I never forgot that, and that goes back many, many years. Most of us quit too soon, we share the gospel with too few people. And we decide, well I shared the gospel with three people. You know I have to get a 30% rate of conversion just to have one child in the faith, if I only share with three people. If I share with 300 people, I can get three conversions if I only get 1% rate of conversion. I'm not saying we know what the rate will be. If I share with 3,000 people, then maybe I will see three people saved. I don't know. I couldn't help but think as I thought of this, Paul would write to them and say, I'm your spiritual father. What an honor that we would be privileged to be used of God to give the gospel to someone who in God's grace is going to believe and be saved for time and eternity. And we have the privilege to be identified as their spiritual parent. Paul says, I am your spiritual father.

Now you have many tutors. Now we have this word translated tutor brought over into English, pedagogee, child training. It's used in Galatians 3:24 of the law was our schoolmaster until Christ. The tutor, the pedagogue, was the servant, usually in wealthy families, who was entrusted with the care of the child, usually the son. And walked him to his classes, walked him home, had the general oversight. There could be many of those kind in a child's life, different ones at different times for different purposes. That's Paul's point. Many people can be involved and in good ways in your life. He is really driving home the point that at the church at Corinth there were those jockeying for the allegiance of these Corinthian believers—teachers and leaders that wanted to attract them to themselves, and often in opposition to Paul. Paul reminds them, you only have one spiritual father, so pay attention.

Verse 16, what does it mean then, what is the contrast? Therefore, since I became your father in Christ through the gospel, therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. Be imitators of me. One person put this note, the therefore, the logic implied by the therefore may escape the modern reader. For in our families there is no pressure for the son to imitate his father, but in the first century, indeed in virtually every pre- industrial culture, sons were expected to imitate their fathers. And we know that from the history of our country. If a father was a baker, his son became a baker. If a father was a shoemaker, the son became a shoemaker. It just was.............. The son was expected to carry on family values, family heritage, the family name. That's true more in some parts of the country. I remember years ago someone sharing with me who was from another country, in Asia. And he said the absolute worst thing that could happen to me as a member of my family, as a child of my father, is I would do something to embarrass him, something to dishonor the family. That's what Paul is talking about. I am your father, I'm the one you ought to pattern your life after. The Corinthians would immediately identify with that. You understand these are first generation believers. Who would be their example in Corinth? These are people saved out of paganism, didn't have Christian parents, didn't have Christian friends. For there were no Christians at Corinth until Paul got there with the gospel. He preaches the gospel to them and they are saved, now who is the pattern for their new life in Christ? Paul says, I'm your spiritual father. Mimic me, pattern your life after me. Sometimes when we are used to lead someone to Christ the first things we say is, now you don't want to look at me, you don't want to pattern your life after me. Look to Christ. Oh, where is He? What do you mean, don't look to me? What do you mean, don't pattern your life after me? Just what is there in your life you don't want people to mimic? Get rid of it. What is there in your life that you would not want a new believer to imitate?

Our kids are like this, aren't they? The picture is a natural, human picture. Children imitate their parents. Usually, now, young children, what do they do? They may pattern their life after their parents. You talk to a young child and ask, I'm sure you want to be like your dad. What does your dad do? I don't know, he goes to work and then he comes home and lies on the couch and turns on TV and says to Mom, when is dinner going to be done? Then what does he do? Well then when it's time to go to bed he turns off the TV and goes to bed. You say, I hope you imitate your father. We're very aware of that, so as parents we're sensitive when our children are around. And sometimes we'll remind one another as husband and wife, we ought to be careful, the kids are probably watching. I know, those little urchins, they always have their beady eyes on us and see what we do and see what we're doing and oh, I thought we weren't supposed to do that. Well you're not, when you're a parent you can do it. Now be quiet and go to our room.

But no, we're sensitive there is going to be imitation going on, and that's good. And a good parent wants to model good behavior, right? So his kids will have a pattern to follow and imitate. That's what Paul is saying spiritually. Our desire ought to be to be used of God to carry the gospel that can bring God's power of salvation so we can be the spiritual parent of someone. And then we're ready to say to them, now I can be a pattern for your life, and this will be new to you, but I'm someone you can imitate. What does Paul set down for them as a pattern in these opening chapters? A passionate focus on the cross of Jesus Christ and a commitment to the message of the cross, and a willingness to abandon the wisdom of men and be totally devoted to the wisdom of God as displayed in the death of His Son.

Paul has manifested his own conduct in verses 9-13, yes we as apostles passionately committed to Jesus Christ the message of the cross have become the scum of the world, despised. But that's all right. Mimic me. Same thing he told Timothy, isn't it. Don't be ashamed of me, the prisoner of Christ. Join with me in suffering for the gospel, become like me, Timothy. That that passion and zeal and fire for Jesus Christ and devotion to Him will be all consuming, and it will cost you everything. But we will gain everything that really matters. That's what Paul is saying, mimic me. Is that the way we are? We're sort of happy to be like the church at Corinth which was dangerously close to the church at Laodicea. We are rich, we are full, we have need of nothing. We love to think that we are the generation, we are the wise that have learned how to use the wisdom of the world in such ways when it is joined with the wisdom of God in Christ, that we have a church now that is popular, that is successful, that is attractive, that people want to come to. And they are not offended by the Word of God, because it is now relevant to them. Where in the world does the church get the idea that now the world really loves Christ, they no longer hate God? It's not the truth.

I'm not saying we want to go out and be as offensive as we can. The offense is the message of the cross. The offense is the message of the gospel. The offense is the godly, holy life of the believer that is an ongoing rebuke to the sin of the world around us. But none of us ought to suffer because of our own sin and evil, because we are to be a holy people.

He's not done, look at verse 17, for this reason I have sent to you Timothy. We read Paul's last letter, the letter to Timothy—II Timothy. I sent you Timothy who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. You know with Paul, what you see is what you get. The Corinthians didn't have to wonder, I wonder if Paul preaches the same message at Ephesus where he was when he wrote the letter to the Corinthians, as he did when he was here. I wonder if he lives the same way in Ephesus as he lived when he was at Corinth. Paul says, Timothy will come and teach you my ways. My ways, plural. Not just correct some doctrinal problems, I'll teach you my ways, what you are to believe and how you are to live as God's people. And you can identify with Timothy because Timothy had been with Paul at Corinth. So the Corinthians knew Timothy and Timothy is like the Corinthians because he's a family member and he's another child of Paul. He is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, just as you are, my beloved children, the end of verse 4. So I'm sending one of the family, I'm sending your older brother to remind you of what my ways............... Didn't Paul just get done saying we don't honor men? Well as I said, we don't honor them in the wrong sense. Our allegiance is not to men. But by the same token we recognize those people that God in His grace has used in special ways in our lives, those individuals that are committed fervently and passionately to Christ, willing to pay whatever prices is entailed in being faithful to Him. And they do become the pattern of our lives.

So Paul is sending Timothy to help the Corinthians. No Paul has some concerns. He reminds them that Timothy is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He'll remind you of my ways in the Lord, and he'll remind you of what I teach in all the churches. When you get to chapter 16 he'll tell the Corinthians, if Timothy indeed is able to come, you be sure he is with you without being afraid. Paul's concern, even when you get to the end of this letter, that some of the ungodly conduct will manifest itself in an unwillingness to respond to Timothy's ministry if he comes. Paul evidently has already sent Timothy. We know from Acts 19:22 when Paul was at Ephesus he wrote the letter to the Corinthians that he had sent Timothy into Macedonia, which is the northern part of Greece. Corinth is in the southern part. Macedonia is where Philippi and Thessalonica are. Evidently he sent Timothy on a journey to check with the churches that Paul had established. Timothy is often sent as Paul's representative. And Paul expects in the will of God that Timothy will then journey down to Corinth. Always the possibility that something will change in those kind of plans. Paul is going to mention that. He plans to come to Corinth himself, if the Lord wills. Sometimes Paul gets accused, the Corinthians accused him of not keeping his word because he said he was going to come and he didn't come when he said he would come. Paul is always mindful, as James says, we ought to be careful that we make our plans contingent on the will of God. We ought to say, if God wills we're going to do this. Doesn't mean we always have to use that verbal expression, but it always ought to be with that in mind. I have plans for tomorrow. Those plans are contingent on the will of the Lord. If I make plans to meet you somewhere this week and I promise I'm going to be there, you understand that promise is contingent on the will of the Lord. If something happens and I'm not able to come, it's not because I lied to you because when I told you I would, to the best of my ability that was my plan. All right. Timothy is coming to help with these matters.
Look at verse 18, now some of you have become arrogant as though I were not coming to you, but I will come to you soon if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. Now he is addressing some of the factions within the church at Corinth. They have become arrogant. We saw this word earlier, puffed up, filled with wind. Some of you have become windbags as though I were not coming to you. So they are getting people to commit themselves to their leadership in the church, and their dividing. You know you have many tutors, many people that want to take responsibility for you now, but remember, I led you to the Lord, I brought you along in your new life in Christ. I will come to you soon. He tells them at the end of the letter he plans to come, but he has to stay at least until the day of Pentecost at Ephesus and there are opportunities there for him. He's not free to leave on his own schedule because he is the servant of the Lord.

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills. And I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. This carries us back to the discussion in I Corinthians 1 and the contrast between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God and the wisdom of God is the power of God for salvation. Now he contrasts that, and we're going to find out where the true power is. Paul's gospel brought salvation to the Corinthians, these windbags don't save anyone. That's the context. The words of those that are arrogant. We'll find out where the true power is, do they have any power? He's already shown that those who mix the wisdom of men with the gospel of Christ make the gospel void, chapter 1 verse 17. It has no power when you mix it with the wisdom of men. Crucial to keep that in mind. So we'll find out if there is any power in their message, if they're preaching a true, pure gospel or it's just wind.

For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. You read commentators on this, they go on to endless discussion on how the kingdom began when Christ came. That is not what Paul is saying. The kingdom has not begun, he has already told the Corinthians that. The kingdom has not begun. Quit living like you're in the kingdom. I wish you were in the kingdom, because if you were in the kingdom, I'd be in the kingdom and we would be living as kings. It is the preaching of the gospel which is the power of God for salvation, and those who believe that are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Colossians 1 says. In other words, they become citizens who will be part of the kingdom when it is established. The kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. Those who will be in the kingdom are not those who heard a windy message of nothing, the wisdom of men. Those who experience the power of the gospel in their lives through believing the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's why Paul said, I am determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, chapter 2. Because if I had used the wisdom of speech and joined it with the message of the cross, the message of the cross would have been void.

So the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. Turn over to chapter 6 verse 9, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom. None of these kinds of sinful people. Don't be deceived, don't think I'm saved, I just happen to be living in immorality. Well neither fornicators, nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified. In the name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God salvation took place. You will inherit the kingdom. The kingdom is yet future, it hasn't begun, no one has entered into it yet. It's a future inheritance. He'll talk about the kingdom being future and flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom. The church in flesh and blood cannot go into the kingdom, I Corinthians 15:50.

But what we are doing through the proclamation of the pure gospel of Christ is giving birth through the power of the Spirit to those who will be citizens of that kingdom when it is established. But the kingdom will not exist until Christ comes. It is not an already not yet kingdom that they like to talk about. But almost all the commentators agree almost all the references to the kingdom of God are eschatological, they are yet future. But there are a couple of references that have to be taken as though the kingdom were present now. It's not present now. The kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. Nobody will be in the kingdom who responded in faith to a message of wind, to these airbags. Only those who heard the message of the gospel and believed it.

So what do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness. We have now this picture of a father. I think of it when I was a kid. We'd be upstairs and my dad would holler up, I'm going to be coming up there in a few minutes, things better be straightened out. In other words, do you want me to come up and things will go well. Or do you want me to come up and mete out some necessary discipline. The choice is yours. You either get it straightened out or. That's what Paul is saying. I'm going to be coming, and my coming can either be a time of blessing, or enjoyable fellowship, or a time of stern discipline that is meted out. And the choice is yours, because you can either correct the situation or I'll correct it when I come. That will also prepare the way for going into chapter 5, something that definitely needs to be changed. So not only the corrections of what he has talked about in the divisions in the church and the quarrels, but then things that must be dealt with in the church.

It's not an option, the church is holy, it is the dwelling place of the Spirit of God. It is not optional for us to function as God's holy people. The only issue is, will it take stern discipline or will we willingly do what God has instructed. What a privilege, isn't it, to be the people of God. Think about it. We belong to God, we are His children, He is our Father, He has given us His Word. We have just looked at a portion of what the Almighty God has put down in black and white for us as His people, to study, to learn, to know, to build into our lives through the ministry of His Spirit and our obedience so that we can be what He wants us to be, so we can enjoy all that He intends to do in us in preparing us for glory. And some of that will be as we are more fully and clearly and openly identified with Him. There will be fiery trials that help to refine and purify us, all in preparation for the glory He has prepared for those who love Him. There is going to be a coming kingdom. Jesus Christ will rule and reign over this earth and you and I will rule and reign with Him. It's not now. We don't want to make our plans, either personally or as a church, for what we do so that we will have the least persecution as possible. Our intention is not to antagonize, our intention is to be as clear and as bold with the gospel as we can possibly be, to live lives that are as clear a testimony to the work of the gospel in transforming us from sinful to holy as we can. Whenever the persecution comes, if it comes to us because of our identification with Christ, what a thrill to be so honored by God that it would be given to us, not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for His sake as he wrote to the Philippians.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your truth. Thank you for the beauty of the gospel. Lord, it goes beyond our understanding that the gospel, the truth concerning the death and resurrection of your Son is your power for salvation to everyone who believes. Lord, we know your Word says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. Lord, we have been entrusted with this glorious gospel, been placed in these earthen vessels. Lord, I pray that we will not be ashamed of our Lord or of those who have been faithful and suffered for their identification with Christ. The Spirit of God does not give us cowardice and timidity in the sharing of truth. Lord, I pray that we will draw upon His provision for us, that we will be bold with the gospel with family and relatives and friends and co-workers, neighbors and strangers. May we as a church be a strong, bold and clear testimony of commitment to Jesus Christ and the purity of the truth of the gospel. Lord, I pray for any who are here who sit and hear the message but have never truly believed unto salvation. May the Spirit of God open their blinded eyes that they might believe in the One who is the Savior of the world, that they may know life indeed. We pray in Christ's name, amen.