Urgently Devoted: Recognizing True Spiritual Leaders (2 Corinthians 11:5-11) | Pastor Mike Fabarez

Well, Jesus clearly warned us that if we ever have to play follow the leader, you better uh make sure you pick a leader who knows where he's going. Don't

pick one that doesn't know where he's going. That won't work out well for you.

going. That won't work out well for you.

Another way to put it as he did um much more seriously in Luke 6:40, he said u everybody who's taught by a teacher

after a while when he's fully trained, he's going to become like his teacher, which certainly uh makes us think you better be careful about the influences that you have uh and the people that

teach you. And certainly when it comes

teach you. And certainly when it comes to church, if you're faithful, do what God says we should do in his word that we shouldn't forsake assembling together. You think about going to

together. You think about going to church and being taught, um you're going to sit under hours and hours of teaching every year at your church. Uh that's

going to have an effect on how you uh you think and how you act and the values that you carry. It's interesting over there in Ephesians as the Holy Spirit's

giving a a name to the uh leaders, spiritual leaders in a church, uh he gives him a a compound name with two words uh that are very important. The

second word in the list is is the word teacher, dascalos. It's a it's a word

teacher, dascalos. It's a it's a word that um you associate with spiritual leaders certainly at a church because they spend a lot of time um like I'm doing right now is teaching standing up

and and explaining what God's God's word says. But the word in front of it is the

says. But the word in front of it is the word poman. The word uh pastor which is

word poman. The word uh pastor which is really the word shepherd which is an agrarian term for a person out in a field that is leading sheep into green

pastures and making sure they're taken care of. Uh, so those words go together

care of. Uh, so those words go together really well because whoever's teaching is certainly leading because the teaching is going to lead you and it's going to lead you in directions and and lead you away from some things and

towards some things and uh that's certainly the case. But not only just for um you know your spiritual leaders that seem more formalized in that sense, but even all the way down to your your

friends. I mean, think of u think of

friends. I mean, think of u think of Proverbs chapter 13:20 that says, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools suffers

harm." I mean, there's just no way

harm." I mean, there's just no way around that. As Paul put it all the way

around that. As Paul put it all the way in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the um the problem is that bad company is going to corrupt good morals. You can be doing well, but you

morals. You can be doing well, but you start putting people around you, they're going to influence you, and they're going to spiritually influence you. So

whether you're picking someone to take you through a disciplehip program or joining a small group or being a part of a sub congregation or choosing a church or even just picking some of your best

Christian friends, um the kind of people that you're choosing to influence you, uh they're going to have a big impact on your life and you better choose wisely.

Well, embedded in the text that we've reached today in 2 Corinthians chap 11, beginning in verse number five, Paul's going to lay out between verses 5 and 11, at least we can find in this text,

three tests to think through what it means to choose the people that influence us spiritually and to choose them wisely. And I want you to look at

them wisely. And I want you to look at this text because Paul, as we already know, if you've been with us in this study, is contrasting his leadership and his role with those that are working really hard to influence the Christians

at Corinth. So take your Bibles. Let's

at Corinth. So take your Bibles. Let's

look at this passage together. 2

Corinthians 11:es 5- 11. And uh he's going to talk about these people that have stepped in to influence these um

Corinthian Christians. He's later going

Corinthian Christians. He's later going to call them false apostles, but here dripping with sarcasm, he calls them in verse 5 super apostles. So let's look at

this text with some commentary and and try and make some sense of it. and then

we'll go back through it and and pick up these three tests things that we should be looking for whether we're talking about pastors or our best friends. 2

Corinthians 11:5 indeed Paul says I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super apostles literally these hyper apostles right

okay now Jesus has apostles these sent ones which is more than sent ones when Jesus is appointing them he got a bunch of disciples he appoints uh what he calls the 12 so of course you can speak

of the apostles in a non-technical sense and someone can be sent in a lot of different ways in the Bible even in the book of acts People can be sent in a non-technical way, but there are 12 apostles that Jesus keeps talking about.

And one of them didn't work out very well to state it to understate it, right? To state it mildly. And his name

right? To state it mildly. And his name is, okay, you're awake here, right?

Judas. So, uh, in Acts chapter 1, they they say, well, we should replace him because, uh, Jesus kept talking about the 12, and he made promises in Matthew 19 that the 12 would be sitting on the

12, uh, you know, thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And you know later John would reveal in the end of the Bible in in book of revelation that there would be 12 foundation stones with

12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb.

That seems really important that we have 12. So they uh go about it through

12. So they uh go about it through something called casting of lots like rolling dice to figure out who the 12 should be. I don't think that was

should be. I don't think that was sanctioned by God. If you go back to the sermons we preached on this. We uh just I mean we they get a name out of all that. But uh by the middle of the book

that. But uh by the middle of the book of Acts, as we studied through it, we have someone who makes much of his ministry as an apostle. And uh he's the apostle to the Gentiles. And uh I'm just

assuming in God's great plan, he's got this apostle, the Apostle Paul, who's going to certainly uh fulfill the role being from the tribe of Benjamin and ruling over one of the 12 tribes of

Israel during the millennial kingdom.

And at least in my understanding, that's probably our 12th apostle. as he says in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, the next chapter we're going to get to in verse number 12, he is going to be uh demonstrating with great patience the

signs of an apostle uh which are the credentials of the other 11 and he's going to be doing those faithfully there and I think he is that name that will be written on one of the foundation stones

around the walls of the new Jerusalem and the eternal state. So that's my guess. We'll see if I'm right, but that

guess. We'll see if I'm right, but that is my educated guess on the idea of Paul being that apostle. So here come the super apostles which is a funny thing if you think about Jesus keep talking about

the 12. They come in and say no listen

the 12. They come in and say no listen to us and uh they're putting themselves even in some illogical way above the apostles which is silly. It makes no

sense but they are that kind of people filled with hubris and pride and self grandandisement and self-promotion and um they're certainly doing a lot to put themselves on a high shelf as it relates

to the minds of Corinthians. And he

says, 'You know, even if I'm unskilled in speaking, which he leans in and takes hold of their criticism of him, which I'm thinking is a bit of an overstatement in his own mind because I

mean, I wouldn't mind having him as a guest speaker here, wouldn't I mean, it'd be okay, right? He says, "I'm not so in knowledge." And that's why we'd want him in the pulpit here, right?

Because he he clearly is coming with with biblical knowledge. Indeed, in

every way, we've made this plain to you in all things. All you got to do is go back in your mind or if you're notetakers, you can put as a cross reference in your notes. First

Corinthians chapter 2, he makes it very clear, I think, as an apostle. One of

the things he's doing with the authoritative voice of Christ, as he speaks of in the book of Galatians, having been in northern Arabia, learning

from Christ personally, he gets this revelatory information from Christ. And

it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, there are things that mind can't conceive and eyes can't see and ears can't hear, but they've been revealed by the spirit to him. And he's made them known to the Corinthians. He is a a

conduit as as prophets of the Old Testament were, as the apostles were in this age, and he's giving revelatory information. He's new information from

information. He's new information from God. And so, we end up with these 27

God. And so, we end up with these 27 books of the New Testament, and we have um God speaking through the apostles and the prophets. And he's made that plain

the prophets. And he's made that plain to them. And clearly they know he's

to them. And clearly they know he's bringing God's truth. Now he wasn't speaking like the sophists of the first century and they don't have all the rhetoric of the classical school of the Greeks and all the rest. And and clearly

right he's not playing that game and and they understand that. And part of that game by the way shows up in the next verse verse 7. I didn't commit a sin did I by humbling myself so that you might

be exalted. Right? I was bringing you

be exalted. Right? I was bringing you this biblical and heavenly knowledge that you wouldn't have otherwise had.

That's what revelation is by the way.

information and knowledge that wouldn't otherwise be known had God not revealed it. And I was the conduit of that to

it. And I was the conduit of that to you. And was I sinning in in that I

you. And was I sinning in in that I didn't charge you? Bottom of verse seven, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge. Right? I robbed

other churches. Verse 8, by accepting support from them in order to serve you.

And when I was with you and was was in need, I didn't burden anyone there. For

the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. Now this is weird because I told

way. Now this is weird because I told you that up there in Macedonia, those churches were much more uh they didn't have the means that they had down in Aaya where Corinth was. Corinth was a

very wealthy city on that little ismas there where you had you know east west maritime trade and north south you know land trade and you had all of this concentrated there. So you had wealthy

concentrated there. So you had wealthy people there which was the problem which is why he didn't want to be paid because there was this client patron

relationship that everyone wanted that certainly led to the mindset that was attacked back there in first Corinthians. I'm of Paul. I'm of

Corinthians. I'm of Paul. I'm of

Apollos. I'm of Cphus. Everyone wanted

this connection of these rich people saying that's my philosopher or in this case that's my theologian. and they

would be in this paid relationship where the rich people in the church would would say, "I'm buying these people to be my my guy." And and that's where Paul

comes in wisely and even in other places because he just doesn't want to be a missionary passing the plate. He gets

finances from Christians in other places and he comes without charge and even in places like Ephesus when there was a need. He would even start this this tent

need. He would even start this this tent business because people were coming to you know the the the the Aremis temple and he would uh make tents and make some money to to make sure he wasn't passing

the plate as he was winning people to Christ. Clearly believes 1 Corinthians

Christ. Clearly believes 1 Corinthians chapter 9 that you should pay your pastors and don't muzzle the ox while he's threshing. And even our translators

he's threshing. And even our translators say at the beginning of that chapter that Paul he surrenders his rights. He

had the right to be paid but he's not being paid. Particularly so with the

being paid. Particularly so with the Corinthians because of this patron client relationship that all the sophists and and the theologians and the philosophers wanted to have. The super

apostles wanted that. That showed

credentials that they were smart and they were they were they were teachers and they were real bonafideed you know theologians and intellects. Paul didn't

come in with that. Not only was he not schooled in all the rhetoric of of the Greeks, he certainly didn't demonstrate that. He didn't touch all the bases of

that. He didn't touch all the bases of that. Now he's not even willing to be

that. Now he's not even willing to be the client of the wealthy patrons in in Corenth. And so they look down their

Corenth. And so they look down their nose at that and he's going, "Was that a sin that I humbled myself that I wasn't charging for the gospel?" Verse 10, "As the truth of Christ is in me, this

boasting of mine," right? He's saying,

you know, I I I'm glad I didn't do that.

Will not be silenced in the regions of Aaya, right? That's where they were in

Aaya, right? That's where they were in the region of Aaya there in in modern day Greece. And why? Because I don't

day Greece. And why? Because I don't love you. No, it's just the opposite.

love you. No, it's just the opposite.

God knows I do. Okay, there's a little history, a little bit of what's going on in this passage. Let's go back through it now and touch on each of these sections and see some things you ought to be looking for. and everything from

your best Christian friends all the way through all the spiritual leaders that you choose in your life. Okay, let's

start in verses five and six. Indeed, I

consider that I'm not the least inferior to these super apostles. Now, both Paul and the super apostles, as he sarcastically says later, he's going to call them false apostles. Uh they're all

wanting to be an influence in the lives of the Corinthians. Even if I'm unskilled in speaking, I'm not so in knowledge. So he's contrasting the fact

knowledge. So he's contrasting the fact that there may be other people with more pizzazz in their delivery, but I'm bringing you knowledge. What kind of knowledge? 1 Corinthians chapter 2

knowledge? 1 Corinthians chapter 2 knowledge. Clear biblical revelatory

knowledge. Clear biblical revelatory truth which would be codified into New Testament Bible. Right? So I'm bringing

Testament Bible. Right? So I'm bringing you God's truth. Indeed, in every way, we've made this plain to you in all things. We're giving you God's truth.

things. We're giving you God's truth.

Okay? Now, ratchet forward 2,000 years.

We have this now as what we know of as the as the 27 books of the New Testament which of course they already had the 39 books of the Old Testament. So we have this written word of God and he's saying

I was all about that regardless of my polished delivery. I was bringing you

polished delivery. I was bringing you God's truth and for that you ought to say I'll take that over the fancy delivery. That's that's what I want.

delivery. That's that's what I want.

God's truth. And that's what you ought to treasure. Number one, you ought to

to treasure. Number one, you ought to treasure leaders who treasure God's word. If they treasure God's word, it's

word. If they treasure God's word, it's going to come out of them. If they're

your best friends, your small group leaders, your discipler, or your pastors, or the people that write your books that you read or the radio guys that you listen to, right? Whoever is

influencing you, right? You want them to treasure God's word. You want them to be a Psalm one kind of person who meditates on God's word day and night because then when you're with them or you listen to

them or you read what they write, they are going to influence you by bringing you knowledge. What kind of knowledge?

you knowledge. What kind of knowledge?

God's knowledge that's going to come out of them. Right? Deceitful are the kisses

of them. Right? Deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. You may find people that say a lot of things that are very sweet, very kind, but faithful are the wounds of a friend. What you want is the truth

no matter how it feels. And speaking of that little, you know, proverb, let's go to second Timothy chapter 4 and let's just look at something that that could

be written today. This is so relevant and so timely to where we live right now in the 21st century in Southern California. Turn with me to second

California. Turn with me to second Timothy chapter 4. You want people who are all about God's word, who treasure

God's word, who are ready to say things to you, both to encourage and to influence you, even if it's correcting

you, who are all about God's word.

That's what you want. Now, Paul here is writing to Timothy. And I like this because Timothy is not writing scripture, right? Timothy is reiterating

scripture, right? Timothy is reiterating what Paul has said, right? Think of 2 Timothy 2:2. Things you've heard from me

Timothy 2:2. Things you've heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. In other words, Paul here is bringing new revelation to

everyone he's preaching to. Timothy now

is taking what Paul has written and what Paul has said and now he's reiterating that the authority for Timothy comes from what the apostles and prophets have said. That's where we live, right? And

said. That's where we live, right? And

thankfully it's all written down for us.

So we have the God breathed words, right? They have come down to us and we

right? They have come down to us and we now say, "Okay, we're delivering that."

So that's Timothy's role. That's our

role. Which, by the way, everything I say today in this message, just remember this. First Peter 5:3. First Peter

this. First Peter 5:3. First Peter

chapter 5:3. First Peter chapter 5:3.

Remember that. Why? Because everything

I'm going to say about spiritual leaders, that verse reminds us that everything that you should look for in a spiritual leader, it should be emulated in your life. Whether you think you're a

leader or not, everything that God wants to have in your spiritual leaders should be the goal of your life because you know what? You're going to be a leader

know what? You're going to be a leader in someone's life. You're going to influence someone. And not only that,

influence someone. And not only that, it's a good thing for you to do the things that you should be looking for in in a spiritual leader's life. So

everything I'm going to talk about, I know we're always looking in the direction of make sure you choose wise friends, make sure you choose wise small group leaders, make sure you choose, you know, good authors, make sure you you

choose good, you know, radio preachers, make sure you you you pick good pastors.

All of that's true, but also I want you to do every part of what we you should treasure God's word, but you first and foremost in terms of the direction of this passage, you should treasure people who treasure God's word. So let's look

here's what I want to find in people that I want to draw near me. I want them to influence me. Verse one, second Timothy chapter 4, I charge you in the

presence of God and of Christ Jesus.

Now, everything we do is in the presence of God and in the presence of Christ Jesus. They're omnisient. We're talking

Jesus. They're omnisient. We're talking

about the first person and the second person of the Godhead. They know

everything. So, why say that? Because he

wants that front and center in Timothy's mind. I want to tell you to do something

mind. I want to tell you to do something and I want you to know uh God's listening in on this. He is a witness to this and uh he's in full agreement with what I'm about to tell you. Who is to

judge the living and the dead? He not

only is in full agreement with what I'm going to say, he's going to hold you accountable for what I'm going to say.

He's in perfect agree. He's the lawgiver and the judge. Both the living and the dead. Well, after you die, you're still

dead. Well, after you die, you're still cognizant and and you're still, you know, understanding and sensient and all that. I mean, so what does that mean?

that. I mean, so what does that mean?

That means the the living those who are given eternal life and those who are not who are going to be uh having that as we've talked about in in the series previous they're going to have uh

everlasting shame and contempt. So we're

talking about Christians and non-Christians. Christians have one kind

non-Christians. Christians have one kind of judgment. They're all going to be

of judgment. They're all going to be evaluated judgment of Christ and the great right throne judgment. Everyone's going to

throne judgment. Everyone's going to meet their maker and going to be evaluated by their maker at one judgment or the other. So Christ is going to judge the living Christians and the

non-Christians. And by his appearing,

non-Christians. And by his appearing, I'm also charging you by the fact that he's going to show up. Christ is going to show up and the establishment of his kingdom. Now, that's a big prelude for

kingdom. Now, that's a big prelude for whatever you're going to say to me, Paul, that you want me to think about.

God's listening. Christ is listening.

He's going to judge. He's going to judge non-Christians and Christians. the

people you're going to talk to, the people that you that that you are.

You're you're a Christian, Timothy. And

he's coming and he's going to have a kingdom. Wow. This must be important.

kingdom. Wow. This must be important.

Well, here it comes. Here's the

imperative. Verse two, preach the word.

Simple as that. Preach the word. Now,

this word preach, word caruso, it means that to just proclaim it. Lay it out there. Get it out. Preach the word. the

there. Get it out. Preach the word. the

logos, this written text which is written from our perspective. A lot of it was spoken from Timothy's perspective because Paul said things you've heard from me in the presence of many

witnesses. I've been clear. I have

witnesses. I've been clear. I have

written you some things. I've spoken

some things for us. Thankfully, it's

written for us now. It's called

scripture, right? To graph the scripture. So, we are supposed to preach

scripture. So, we are supposed to preach the word. Doesn't matter if you are a

the word. Doesn't matter if you are a preacher in terms of your business card.

You if you're whoever you are supposed to lay it out there and you are having people in your life that are supposed to be having the truth of scripture come out of their lives to influence you.

They ought to feel the obligation to tell you scriptural truth and even when they see things that think ah this isn't this this I don't feel like this is going to be popular. Look at the next

line. Be ready in season and out of

line. Be ready in season and out of season. Be ready in season out of

season. Be ready in season out of season. Now in season who knows when

season. Now in season who knows when that might be. Maybe if you lived in the great awakening times and everybody's trying to just convict me with a Bible verse today, you know, I've never had anybody say that to me when I'm waiting

for my car to get washed or whatever.

Hey, convict me with a really hard text of scripture, right? Nobody wants that.

Not today. Or out of season, which is like, I don't know, 21st century Orange County, California. That out of season,

County, California. That out of season, right? That's when no one wants you

right? That's when no one wants you preaching the word to them. Matter of

fact, preaching is a bad word in our vocabulary today. Don't preach to me. So

vocabulary today. Don't preach to me. So

all I'm telling you is it says the people that you want in your life. The

people that you should treasure in your life are the people as I said who are willing to tell you the truth. Faithful

are the wounds of a friend. And I say wounds because look at the next three words. It says here you should reprove

words. It says here you should reprove re rebuke and exhort. Paul's telling

Timothy to do that. And I'm saying you're going to have people in your life they're going to say you know what I just need to say this because I care about you. this is wrong. Going to

about you. this is wrong. Going to

reprove you, rebuke you. You got to stop doing what you're doing and exhort you need to do what you're not doing. I'm

going to tell you to do this. And

they're going to do it with complete patience. They're going to keep doing

patience. They're going to keep doing it. It's going to be consistent and with

it. It's going to be consistent and with here's the other word, teaching. Keep

going. It's like, I'm going to spell it out. I'm going to I'm going to one line,

out. I'm going to I'm going to one line, next line, go to this, go to that. I'm

going to keep laying it out for you. For

a time is coming, verse three, when people will not endure sound teaching.

Right? That's the out of season time.

And it's almost is this he's going to say it's like going to settle into that time. But having this great desire to be

time. But having this great desire to be patted on the back, itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. And the

passions of people when it's out of season, right? When you have a dominant

season, right? When you have a dominant spirit of the age, what says I just want you in the name of Christ and religion to tell me what I want to hear. Please

tell me things that match my basic desires of life. I'm okay. You're okay.

Everything's fine. God wouldn't want to change me. God wouldn't want to, you

change me. God wouldn't want to, you know, stop me from doing what I want to do. God would want me to love whoever I

do. God would want me to love whoever I want to love, be whoever I want to be, never put any strictctures in my life, never want to, you know, put barriers for my potential. God would want me to

do whatever I want to do. That can be done in the name of Christ and it's being done in the name of Christ all over the world and certainly all over the Western world and certainly in America. As a matter of fact, the more

America. As a matter of fact, the more you do that, the bigger your auditoriums need to be. Matter of fact, you could probably take a sports arena and you could probably rec, you know, configure it and turn it into a church and fill it

up if you're a decent speaker as long as you tell people exactly what they want to hear. You just find out what people

to hear. You just find out what people want to hear. You extract all the things that are not things they want to hear and a lot of people will come and hear that week after week after week after

week.

They will turn away from listening to the truth. They don't want the truth.

the truth. They don't want the truth.

They'll leave those places. They'll go

to another place. They'll leave those friends and go to other friends. And

they'll wander into myths. They want to live under the lie.

I want to unpack that word in just a second. But I want you to know that

second. But I want you to know that sometimes it's the not popular person you need to value as the friend you want in your life. It's the unpopular small

group leader that you want to be your small group leader. It's the person that everyone's afraid of that takes people through partners and the disciplehip program that that you say, "I want that

person." It's it's the person that you

person." It's it's the person that you think I know they're going to tell me the truth.

and and and that's because they're going to be faithful to the word because they're looking over their shoulder thinking, "God's listening. Christ, you

know, has commissioned me to do this. I

know this is the right thing to do. He's

going to judge me if I don't." They're

afraid not to tell you the truth. That's

how verse one started. And they're going to do it whether it's the season to do it or not to do it. And they're willing to re reprove, rebuke, and exhort. And

they're going to patiently do that.

I know the time is coming. People won't

endure it, but we need to do it. Now,

that last word myths, I want to explain what that means by going quickly to Jeremiah chapter 23. Myths. That word,

by the way, is a transliterated word, the Greek word mythos. And and that's another there's a lot of them. I forget

how many there are till I run into another one. And there there is another

another one. And there there is another one. Uh the idea of mythos, right?

one. Uh the idea of mythos, right?

Obviously, not hard for us to understand something that's not true. But I want to show you how that ends up in preaching and spiritual advice and counsel, you know, counseling. Biblical counseling.

know, counseling. Biblical counseling.

You know why people don't like biblical counseling? Because it's biblical. And

counseling? Because it's biblical. And

if it's biblical, it often makes people think, "I don't like it. You rebuked me.

You reproved me. You exhorted me. I

don't like that. I just want you to tell me it's okay. And it's my husband's fault. That's what I want you to tell

fault. That's what I want you to tell me." Right? And and sorry or my wife's

me." Right? And and sorry or my wife's fault. That may work better. Um, that is

fault. That may work better. Um, that is what people want. But what we want to do is tell tell the truth. We want to tell the biblical truth. How does the Bible have a bearing on this? Okay. Jeremiah

23. Let's start in verse 16 this time.

Jeremiah 23:16.

Thus says Yahweh of host. Again, here's

that phrase Yahweh. That's proper name of the triune God. Hosts the armies.

That that's the the speaking of the angelic class. So the Lord of hosts, the

angelic class. So the Lord of hosts, the army, the king of the armies of heaven.

Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. Now,

that's like saying, "Don't listen to the preachers who preach to you." And a lot of people, yay, finally. No, no, no.

That's a weird thing to hear from God, right? God's sending prophets, but he's

right? God's sending prophets, but he's making it clear, not all the prophets are sent by me. And today, you just need to know, you just want to tell people at work, just go find a church. Just go go

to any church. You need to remind people, right? They can't just pick any

people, right? They can't just pick any spiritual leader. Don't feel good just

spiritual leader. Don't feel good just because you have some relatives that you're hoping somehow will find Christ and you hear they're going to church.

You go, "Oh, good. I'm so glad." No,

don't be glad unless you know what kind of spiritual leaders that are influencing them. You've got to know

influencing them. You've got to know because there are some of them that the Lord of Hosts says, "Don't listen to them. Don't listen to the prophets who

them. Don't listen to the prophets who are prophesying to you." Why? Because

the kinds of people that teach myths are this. Myths are this kind. Filling you

this. Myths are this kind. Filling you

with vain hopes. That's a myth, a hope.

Everything's going to be fine. It's a

hope that you shouldn't have vain hope.

It's a false hope. They speak visions, bottom of verse 16, of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. And

their own minds, and they're really nice people. Have you noticed that? They're

people. Have you noticed that? They're

nice. They They want it to be this way.

They really do want you to love whoever you want to love. They want you to have no limitations on whatever you want to be. They want you to be happy. There are

be. They want you to be happy. There are

a lot of nice people saying a lot of wrong things and and and it's in their own head. Verse 17, they continually

own head. Verse 17, they continually say, I mean, this is the theme of their preaching. This is the theme of their

preaching. This is the theme of their council. This is how they advise their

council. This is how they advise their friends. They continually say to those

friends. They continually say to those who despise the word of the Lord, they would have opened it and seen what it says. They would know that, but they

says. They would know that, but they say, "Oh, it'll be well with you. It'll

be fine." And to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, "Hey, no disaster is going to come upon you.

It's going to be fine. Everything's

going to be fine." And you know how they get away with that? They take little slivers of the Bible and they make them into big fonts and they say, "Look, here it is. Now, you can inject your own

it is. Now, you can inject your own definition into phrases like this. God

is love." Right? God is merciful. God is

kind. God is patient. Now, are those things true? Of course, they're true.

things true? Of course, they're true.

There's more to the story than that.

And we have to define those things biblically. He's also holy. He's also

biblically. He's also holy. He's also

just. He's also the lawgiver and judge.

Those are never put on the banners of churches that are trying to fill you with vain hopes, who want to teach myths, things that are not true because they want to say everything's going to

be fine. Verse 18, but who among them

be fine. Verse 18, but who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and hear his word? Now, you could have gone and actually seen the scrolls

of Moses. You could have gone and really

of Moses. You could have gone and really seen them. You could have heard people

seen them. You could have heard people read them. Who's paid attention to his

read them. Who's paid attention to his word and listened? Behold, the storm of the Lord, the wrath has gone forth. A

whirling tempest. It's burst upon the head of the wicked. It's coming. Right.

The judgment of God, the train has left the station. Verse 20. The anger of the

the station. Verse 20. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he's executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days, you will

his heart. In the latter days, you will understand it clearly. Now, this is the sixth century. This is when Jeremiah is

sixth century. This is when Jeremiah is going to earn his title, the weeping prophet, because the armies of Nebuchadnezzar are sharpening their swords and everyone's going to understand it clearly that when all

those prophets are preaching to people saying it's all going to be fine, eventually the armies are going to march through and destroy Solomon's temple and all the houses and all the villages and all the towns and they're all going to

be destroyed. Only the poorest of the

be destroyed. Only the poorest of the land is going to be left. the best and brightest and the youngest are going to be taken off as prisoners to Babylonia.

This is going to be a really, really bad thing. And they're all going to

thing. And they're all going to understand. I guess the prophets

understand. I guess the prophets prophesied wrongly. Just like in our

prophesied wrongly. Just like in our day, everyone who's preaching in the name of Christ and God, all the best friends that say, "It's fine. It's all

fine. It's all fine." It's a classic Psalm 50 situation when all we do, Here's what it says in Psalm 50, we do all these things. God keeps silent for a

while and we assume God is altogether like us. God's like us. God's values are

like us. God's like us. God's values are our values when they're not. According

to verses 19 through 20 in this passage.

Verse 21. I didn't send the prophets yet they ran. I did not speak to them yet

they ran. I did not speak to them yet they prophesied. But if they had stood

they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, here's a good definition of what it means to give good counsel to people. They would have proclaimed my

people. They would have proclaimed my words to my people.

I know you call them your friends and I know sometimes you take someone through partners program or disciple this is my disciple I know we say that there's nothing wrong with saying that if you understand what it means or I might say well this is my congregation I I mean

okay but it's not and that's not your disciple and I know that's not your friend I know it's your friend you mean I know what you mean by that but that human being there is God's human being

and that congregation is God's congregation right and those people in your small group that's God's group of You need to proclaim God's words to

God's people. Then if they are out of

God's people. Then if they are out of step, bottom of verse 22, they would turn if you tell them the truth from their evil ways, from the evil of their

deeds by God's grace. That's what we want if you reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching.

That's what you need to do.

Now, deceitful are the kisses of an enemy, but faithful are the wounds of a friend.

And and all I'm saying is I want a friend like that who's willing to say what is true because they're saturated with God's word. They treasure God's word. They get up in the morning. They

word. They get up in the morning. They

read God's word. They study God's word.

They memorize God's word. They meditate

on God's word. And when you bump into them, a little bit of God's word leaks out. That's what I want. And that's what

out. That's what I want. And that's what you want of your best friends, of your small group leaders, of the people that disciple you, of the authors of the books that you read, right? Of the

people you listen to on the radio, and of the pastors that you sit under.

That's what you want. That's what you need, and that's who you need to be. 1

Peter 5:3, you need to emulate that because the danger of not doing that is great. According to second Peter chapter

great. According to second Peter chapter 3 15-18, you can twist the scriptures. You can fill in the gaps

the scriptures. You can fill in the gaps with your own vain hopes and thoughts and it leads to destruction. And the

destruction, I think clearly is Matthew 7:22-23.

You start to think all the shellac of of phony Christianity is real. And then you hear from him on that day, "Depart from me. I never knew you, you who practice

me. I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness."

lawlessness." So there's a danger of surrounding yourself with people that make you feel good all the time. They throw Bible

verses at you very selectively, but they don't tell you the truth.

The passage there, I just want to say one more thing. It's something I wrote about and often say to the preaching classes that I teach. Verse

22, Jeremiah 23. Here's the definition I think of what preachers should be doing.

And it says they would have proclaimed my words to my people. Some people, and I've sat in huge conferences where there's 2,000 pastors, or at least want to be pastors and pastors in the room,

and the guy gets up and says, "Here's what preaching should be. You decide

what you want to say, and then here's a method to try and go into the Bible and find verses that say what you want to say, and then you put it in this format, and then you get up in your pulpit, and you say it." Now, it took everything

within me to stay in my seat in the auditorium because here's the passage I'm thinking about because basically what's being said to thousands of pastors at one

time, you use the Bible to preach your message when in this text it's clear the Bible is supposed to use us to preach its message. That's how we're supposed

its message. That's how we're supposed to do this or to personalize it, right?

I'm supposed to be used by God to preach his message. I'm not trying to use God's

his message. I'm not trying to use God's words to preach my message. If I were, by the way, I would never go verse by verse through the Bible. You know that, right? I certainly wouldn't do anything

right? I certainly wouldn't do anything on giving like I did on that generosity series. I would have skipped that one

series. I would have skipped that one alto together. Plenty of passages I

alto together. Plenty of passages I would have skipped in the book of second Corinthians. I mean, I just wouldn't

Corinthians. I mean, I just wouldn't have done it. I would selectively pick things that I'm sure would have made me slalom my way through a lot of passages

that brought me grief and brought people grief, which brings me even more grief when you happen to communicate to me about the grief that it brought you. I

would much rather just have all the polyianish passages and and everyone would be happy and we'd go to lunch feeling great.

We got to preach the word as Paul said, the whole council of God. All right,

back to our text. 2 Corinthiansap 11:7, he brings up this topic.

I'm not getting into this client patron situation with you. I want to avoid that. I mean, that's underlying. It's

that. I mean, that's underlying. It's

not spoken here, but I think in the context in history, that whole philosopher sophist situation I think is there and it's just good policy for

missionaries. It's just I'm not I didn't

missionaries. It's just I'm not I didn't I didn't charge you. Now the super apostles, they think that makes me weak and less than and and it doesn't. But

what it does do is it shows a virtue that the Apostle Paul has. It's not a sin to humble yourself, right? To preach

the word of God free of charge. Although

he does say, as I referenced, 1 Corinthians chapter 9 says, "Don't muzzle the ox while he's threshing." Is

a clear principle of the Old Testament that says that's why soldiers don't serve at their own expense. That's why

farmers, you know, don't go buy their carrots in the marketplace. They eat

carrots that come out of their own field. That's why the priests in the Old

field. That's why the priests in the Old Testament, they didn't have to go and and and and raise their own calves to eat meat, right? They they were fed by the sacrificial system. And so, you should pay your pastors. So much so that

Paul writes to Timothy, says if they're really good at what they do, you should pay them double. This is important that we understand the principle. But the

principle here on the mission field for Paul is I'm going to give up that right.

particularly because of the pressure I think of the client patron situation in Corinth in the Greco Roman world in the first century. So it does prove one

first century. So it does prove one thing though when it comes to this and we see it throughout Paul's ministry that really he does prefer as he says here that that as he gets to at the

bottom of all this I I care about you.

It doesn't mean I I I I don't like you.

Doesn't mean that I I I love you less.

Doesn't mean that I don't love you.

Actually means that I do love you. Now,

we'll get into that more in a minute, which is a big statement, but let's just deal with the money issue for a minute.

You should always value people. Let's

put it this way. Leaders in particular, who value people over money. Number two,

you should always value leaders, best friends, disciplers, small group leaders, sub congregational leaders. You

should always have people in view who value people over money. That's a

principle you see throughout the scripture. Let me put it this way. One

scripture. Let me put it this way. One

of the earliest maybe even some think late first century early second century text outside of the Bible about the Bible the teaching of the apostles is called the

did a ever heard of the did a second century text called means the teaching of the 12 Philip Shaft one of the famous church historians called it uh his subtitle on the work is called the first

church manual because it's really about a lot of practical information about how the church should function a lot of stuff about you know do baptisms this way, blah blah blah. In the 11th

chapter, they versified it like they did the Bible later in time. But in chapter 11, starting in verse four, it starts to talk about people that are coming into your town to preach the Bible. He said,

"If they come into your town," it goes several verses into this, recapitulating the idea. They come into town and they

the idea. They come into town and they say, "Yeah, I'll preach to you, but here's what it's going to cost." If they want to charge you, right? They say,

"Yeah, I'll preach to you." He's a visiting preacher, right? and they say that and say, "No, not interested."

Matter of fact, you should know they're a false teacher if that's how they lead.

Not not going to be the case. Now, if

there's a legitimate, verifiable need of something that they're going to do, right? They got some project or that's

right? They got some project or that's different. But if they're coming to say,

different. But if they're coming to say, "I'll preach to you, but here's what it's going to cost you." And I can say, and I may have said this before to you, but I've been doing this for four decades, and I've tried to bring you some really good preachers, the best I

can find at least, that are willing to come. and and I've said, "Hey, can you

come. and and I've said, "Hey, can you squeeze, you know, Compass Bible Church into your schedule?" And I can tell you this without exception or at least that I can think of, maybe some parurch guy

that, you know, I but when it comes to preachers and Christian leaders, I can say almost without exception or without exception because I can't think of one name right now. I asked them to come preach and I've never had one of them

that I got on the phone or through an email say, "Yeah, I'll come." Uh, but what does it pay? Just doesn't happen.

And I praise God for that. I guess that means I'm picking the right the right guys because they are saying I value the ministry to your people that I don't even know over whatever it's going to

pay. Now of course I would be in sin if

pay. Now of course I would be in sin if we didn't give them an honorarium. I

think that's right. Don't muzzle the ox while he's threshing. That's my

prerogative. And sometimes they give it right back. Okay. A lot of times they

right back. Okay. A lot of times they keep it because there's a lot of expenses involved and surely I want them to keep it. This is you should. But

here's the idea. They don't re they don't ask this is but try that at your company. Bring in some guru, some

company. Bring in some guru, some nationally known person to speak to your employees and see if he goes, "Yeah, I can work that in my schedule." And never talks about, "No way. There's there

contracts. There's got to be so many blue M&M's in the green room or whatever. This is different. The world

whatever. This is different. The world

treats this differently because money is always ranking much higher than the service. And when it comes to to ministry, it isn't the service, it's the people. Service is a

means to get to the people. We want to serve people because we love people. And

you've got to always see in scripture that this is a key. We we don't get into ministry. 1 Timothy 6, right? Because

ministry. 1 Timothy 6, right? Because

it's all about money. And yet in the early church, they took Paul's, you know, principles seriously. And you

could do well financially by being a teacher of God's word. They would like Paul says to Timothy and and then this was starting to happen. People say,

"I'll get into that because I can make good money." And and Paul says, "Some

good money." And and Paul says, "Some people think godliness is a means to great gain." Sorry, that's not how this

great gain." Sorry, that's not how this works. Right? Contentment is. Let me put

works. Right? Contentment is. Let me put it this way. Turn over to Philippians chapter 3. I want to embed the principle

chapter 3. I want to embed the principle that I think you need to to see in this because it's a very simple principle that I preach all the time, but I want you to connect it in your mind. To value

people over money is something that I hope you see in in your best friends and in leaders that you that you think, "Yeah, they're influencing me for good spiritually."

spiritually." I think you'll see this in their lives.

Let's start in verse 18 of Philippians chapter 3. Philippians 3:18. For many of

chapter 3. Philippians 3:18. For many of whom I've often told you and now tell you, even with tears they walk or live, that's his word for live is a lifestyle

as enemies of the cross. Now, what's

interesting about this passage, he's going to talk he's talking about people that are leading. These are people that are passing themselves off much like we see in 2 Corinthians 11 as leaders as teachers, as spiritual influencers.

Their end is destruction. Okay, I guess they're false teachers then. Yes. Why?

Their god, small G, right? This is the thing that's governing their their behavior is their belly, which is another word way to say their passions.

It's all about what they want, what they they want to be satisfied with stuff now. and their glory is in their shame

now. and their glory is in their shame things they should be ashamed of but they're they're they're proud of it with here's as though we didn't catch it with those two phrases with minds set on

earthly things okay here's what I'm trying to say he's going to contrast now with good spiritual leaders with this statement verse 20 but our citizenship

is in heaven from it we await a savior the Lord Jesus Christ what are we looking forward to we can't wait for that next life who will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious

body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Here's

the phrase I was trying to get to.

Right? Good spiritual leaders, good spiritual influencers that are your friends should have an etern eternal perspective. They should always be

perspective. They should always be thinking it's not about the here and now. It's about the then and there. Now,

now. It's about the then and there. Now,

here's the problem. You can't swear off money. You just can't. There are a lot

money. You just can't. There are a lot of vices that that become problematic and you can say, "I'm going to avoid that all together. I'm going to swear that off. And that's great. But there

that off. And that's great. But there

are some things that are and can become vices like money. Matthew 19, money can become a vice, can become a an idol.

Jesus said over and over again, you can't serve God and and mammon, God and money. Right? This is a problem. Right?

money. Right? This is a problem. Right?

It's the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Right? 1 Timothy

chapter 6. It's clearly a a problematic thing, but we have to engage in it all the time. You need to buy groceries this

the time. You need to buy groceries this week. You need to pay your rent or your

week. You need to pay your rent or your mortgage. We need to interface with

mortgage. We need to interface with money, but it's dangerous because it's it it's it can it can take our our loyalty and our attention so much so

that we always say, "Well, man, if if I had more of it, I I could just I could satisfy all my passions. I could fill my my my passions to to get my belly of all

the wants filled." And so, that's the problem that makes my life all be about the now, the here and now. But Jesus is always saying, "Hey, wherever your treasure is, there your heart is also."

I want your heart to be there. I want it to be Colossians chapter 3, setting your minds on things above, not on things of the earth. Now, you have to live on the

the earth. Now, you have to live on the earth for now. So, you better you better have some money. You better be gainfully employed. You shouldn't be able to eat

employed. You shouldn't be able to eat if you're not gainfully employed. That's

what that's what he said to the Thessalonians. So, we have to traffic in

Thessalonians. So, we have to traffic in the money thing. But here's the deal.

When it comes to things that are going to go across the threshold of this life to the next, like people, that ought to be the priority. Now, the money right here's, let's put it this way, as Luke

16 says, it ought to be the means to things that are eternal. It ought to be the thing that you use in this in this way to help you with people to invest in

them to get into the next life. Put it

this way. I I quote Luke 16 because that's when Jesus tells the story of the unrighteous steward and he says, you know, the world, the sons of this world,

they're they're much more savvy and shrewd about dealings with their their own than we are, the the children of light. We we should be much more savvy

light. We we should be much more savvy with our money. So then he says this. He

says, "Make friends for yourself by means of unrighteous wealth. So when it fails, right, you can welcome them into eternal dwellings. Who? The friends that

eternal dwellings. Who? The friends that you've made. The them is the friends

you've made. The them is the friends that you've made by unrighteous wealth.

I know everyone looks at 1 Timothy chapter 6 and says when someone misques 1 Timothy chapter 6 and they say the love of money and you know you correct them with that because they say money is the root of all evil. No, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no. It says the love of money. Next time you do that, think

of money. Next time you do that, think of of Luke chapter 16. Uh because Jesus calls it unrighteous wealth there.

You're not going to correct him, are you? I'm just telling you there's

you? I'm just telling you there's something tainted about this in the way that it often gets between you and seeing it as a means and not an end.

Money is not the end. It's not the goal, right? And if you're a mass, if you had

right? And if you're a mass, if you had a big mass of it, great. There's nothing

wrong with being rich. It's just that you better utilize it as a means for something that is going to be eternal.

Because if it's all about the end, then that means your treasure is here. And

that means that your focus is here, your heart is here, and you will not be looking beyond where you should be.

Because I could quote passes after passes after passes that you should be worried about the then and there, not the here and now. Because Christianity

is not about the here and now, it's about the then and there. So your best friends, your small group leader, your disciper, your pastors, they should be

always valuing people over the finances, over their money. and see money as a means and not a goal. And again,

1 Peter 5:3, you should emulate all of that, not just look for it in people around you. Verses 10 and 11 quickly.

around you. Verses 10 and 11 quickly.

2 Corinthians 11:es 10 and 11. Now 10

still on the topic as the truth of of Christ is in me. This boasting, what's the demonstrative pronoun pointing to?

The money thing, right? This boasting of mine, in other words, I'm not taking money from you guys. I'm not falling into that trap. will not be silenced in the regions of Aaya. Aaya is where Corinth is. I'm not going to do that.

Corinth is. I'm not going to do that.

Why? Because I do not love you. God

knows I do. Now, I've already said valuing people, that's an act of of love. So, money is just one part of it.

love. So, money is just one part of it.

But when he just says love you, I just want to take that and say, of course, that's a bigger topic. And when when someone loves someone, you just need to know what this means. Certainly as Paul thinks about loving the Corinthian

congregation, he is committed to their well-being, which sadly the super apostles, right, were really worried about themselves. And Jesus says that's

about themselves. And Jesus says that's the problem with worldly leadership.

They're always thinking about what they can get out of their leadership because they're selfish. Selfish ambitions is

they're selfish. Selfish ambitions is about them being served in their leadership when real Christian leadership is about serving people. And

the platform may grow, but that just means you're serving more people.

serving. Jesus said, "I didn't come to be served. I came to serve." He says,

be served. I came to serve." He says, "You want to know what greatness is?"

Right? You know, I'm the greatest one among the 13 of us. He says, "Yet I'm among you as one who serves." When

you'll come when you come in with your crusty, dirty little feet, right? Who

takes up the basin and the towel? I do.

So, you need to readjust your idea because the Gentiles thinks it's about you being on top of the org chart so you don't have to do anything. But really,

it's the other way around, right? the

greater you are and the greater we understand someone to be, the more they're willing to serve. Now, I talk about this, right? Going the extra mile, staying the extra hour, and spending the extra dollar. Point two is about

extra dollar. Point two is about spending the extra dollar because we always put people before the money. But

let's just deal with the other two cuz love is always sacrifice. Going the

extra mile and staying the extra hour.

That's just two of the peaks of what it means to sacrifice. Number three, let's put it this way. Commit to leaders, right? leaders who sacrificially commit

right? leaders who sacrificially commit to you, right? If you should be looking for people and valuing and and and treasuring and and committing to to say,

"I like this. This is what it should be." Because I see in them the

be." Because I see in them the willingness to commit. And they commit sacrificially.

And they're in it when it's hard. They

stay in it. They're committed to it. And

like Paul said, they're willing to spend and be expended for your souls. And

that's your your best friends. That's

your partners. That's your discipl, your small group leaders. You want to see the tenacity of people that say, "I will stay the extra hour. I will go the extra mile." Not just, "I will spend the extra

mile." Not just, "I will spend the extra dollar." Which is certainly a good

dollar." Which is certainly a good thing.

One passage on this that has two good examples for us. Turn to First Thessalonians chapter 2. Once you write all that down,

I hope that you're naturally drawn to people around you who you know truly love you. And if they love you, that

love you. And if they love you, that means they're not just trying to use you in any way. They really do care. They

sacrificially are committed to your good. And and and Paul shows that in so

good. And and and Paul shows that in so many ways in all of his letters. And

here's one that is so good. 1

Thessalonians chapter 2, let's start in verse 6. Clearly, he's saying it isn't

verse 6. Clearly, he's saying it isn't about me. Verse 6, and not about me. He

about me. Verse 6, and not about me. He

said, "Nor did we seek glory from people." We weren't looking for a bunch

people." We weren't looking for a bunch of people in bleachers to to applaud us.

1 Thessal 2:6, "Whether from you or from others, that's not what it was about.

Though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ." That sound like Jesus. Hey, I'm the son of man. I'm the

Jesus. Hey, I'm the son of man. I'm the

important one among the 13. And yet I'm among you as one who serves. So are you catching the idea here that this isn't about me, right? That's that's not what

it's about.

As Jesus said, it's not about me getting it's not even about me giving so I can get back. He said, if you give so you

get back. He said, if you give so you can get back. If you throw a banquet hoping that people will invite you to their banquet, you got this all wrong.

This is what sacrificial commitment is all about. It's that you're not

all about. It's that you're not expecting anything in return.

could have made demands, but I didn't.

Instead, here's a great example, a great illustration. But we were gentle among

illustration. But we were gentle among you like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. You want a good example? Look at a mom with this innate

example? Look at a mom with this innate love that God puts in moms who who's able to sacrifice for children. Nursing

moms. Think about this. You got a little tiny baby that is not going to make a quid proquo at 2 in the morning to to agree to mop the kitchen if you just

feed me now at 2 in the morning. There's

no deals being made. Nothing in return.

But I will serve you. I will change your diaper. I will feed you because it's a

diaper. I will feed you because it's a loving mother.

Why? Cuz I love you. Verse eight. Being

affectionately desirous of you. He's now

applying this illustration. We were

ready to share with you not only the gospel. Of course we want to teach you.

gospel. Of course we want to teach you.

Of course we want to influence you. But

also our own selves because you become very dear to us. You want leaders. You

want influencers. You want friends that are sacrificially committed to you and you ought to commit to them. Verse 9,

for you remember brothers, our labor, our toil. We work night and day that we

our toil. We work night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. I

hope we look like sacrificial moms to you in that regard. We proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You're witnesses.

Verse 10. And God also how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was to you. We we weren't out to get

to you. We we weren't out to get anything from you. As I'll show you in the small group questions this week, and I hope you go to a small group this week. I talk about Samuel at the end of

week. I talk about Samuel at the end of his ministry. He's like, "Look, I didn't

his ministry. He's like, "Look, I didn't try and steal your axe. I didn't try to do deals. I I was just doing my

do deals. I I was just doing my ministry. I was serving you guys. I

ministry. I was serving you guys. I

wanted to do good for you." That's what you want from spiritual influencers in your life. Now, the example shifts.

your life. Now, the example shifts.

Here's the other illustration. Verse 11.

And it does shift. And there should be a difference in your home, and there should be a difference today in the family because a father's got a a different slant on this. For you know

how like a father with his children. Now

these are harder words. We exhorted each of you. We encouraged you. And we

of you. We encouraged you. And we

charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Now think about that, right? We were not only willing like a

right? We were not only willing like a mother to serve, serve, serve, give, give, give because we loved you. Also

like a father who also loves his children deeply. He'd lay down his life

children deeply. He'd lay down his life for his children. But you know what he wants? He wants to make sure that you

wants? He wants to make sure that you know what time it is when it comes to what you're supposed to be. And if

you're off the course, he's going to coach you, charge you. He's going to make sure that he encouraged you to get back on the right path. He's going to exhort you if you're in the wrong place because he knows what he's called you to

be, right? The God in this case to to

be, right? The God in this case to to apply the illustration. He's called you into his own kingdom and glory. So, he's

only going to call you to apply it.

Verse 13, back to his word. We thank God constantly for this because you responded to our coaching that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God which is at work in you

believers. For you brothers became

believers. For you brothers became imitators of the churches of God in Christ that are in Judea. You did the right thing even if it cost you. Even if

you suffered through it and like a good dad saying you did it. That's the

picture of someone who's willing, like the Apostle Paul, to say at the end of his time, saying goodbye to the Ephesus leaders, he says, "I preached the whole council of God to you guys. I wasn't

afraid to tell you what needed to be said. I only preach repentance to you,"

said. I only preach repentance to you," he says later, "but I I was willing to to say, I'm I'm pressing you for deeds that are appropriate to repentance.

Commit to leaders who are sacrificially committed to you." Whether there are leaders in your friend group, whether it's people that you want to influence you, whether it's authors, whatever, you

want people that know what it is to sacrifice for your well-being.

John Newton, you know that name, pastored a small working-class church at only about 60 miles north of London. He

did that for 15 years. Quite a sorted background. He's a slave trader as most

background. He's a slave trader as most of you know, many of you know, and deeply aware of his own past and um feeling a sense of unworthiness as

most of us should just as sinners. And

yet he became one of the most beloved and uh faithful pastors in English church history.

As they write about him, they note that he was relentlessly committed to to God's word and famously indifferent to status and money. Right? that was not

what he was after and certainly known for his sacrificial love to his congregation and the people in it. One

of them was William Cooper, the uh famous poet and you read about his life. He was a depressive and battled seasons of

depression and you know attempts at suicide and he was just just rough rough life and yet um he speaks of the

friendship he had with his pastor pastor John Newton and um speaks of that relationship being the thing that kept him from utter despair and kept him on

this planet. the two of them together

this planet. the two of them together put together the only himnil which is out there I've got a copy of it um and in that only himnil from that town that

little town there that's where the hymn Amazing Grace was first published which is now I mean that's known all over the place I

mean non-Christians know that old hymn even though they don't grasp the meaning of it all Newton gave Cooper for

what only got for 15 years, week after week, month after month.

What Paul is trying to describe in our passage, something that I hope we all find in all of our spiritual leaders at every level. And I hope we can treasure

every level. And I hope we can treasure it. I hope we can value it. I hope we

it. I hope we can value it. I hope we can commit to it. Matter of fact, if you look back at people that you think, "These people have really impacted my life spiritually." I hope you I mean

life spiritually." I hope you I mean there's not a face that comes to your mind that I hope you say if they've done good in my spiritual life I I know that they have treasured God's word. I know

that they weren't trying to get my money to to to engage themselves and I know they loved me. Those are things that I pray we all find an increasing measure

and I hope first Peter chapter 5:3 I hope we emulate that. I hope we become that for

emulate that. I hope we become that for others around us.

May that be true of us today. Let's

pray. God,

thank you for men like John Newton that remind us that doesn't matter what our past is, we need to start today to be the kind of people that we want to

have in our lives. We we want your word to saturate our thinking. We want to not get our counsel from the wicked as it says there in in Psalm

1. sit in the seat of scoffers. We We

1. sit in the seat of scoffers. We We

don't want to have the world define our values and thinking. We want the word of God to be

thinking. We want the word of God to be our anchor, the thing that saturates our our thoughts. We want

our thoughts. We want to value people far above our money. We

want to use money even as best we can to get more souls into the kingdom. We want

to show our relative unimportance of money next to the value of a soul. And

we certainly want to show our love in sacrificial ways, going the extra mile, staying the extra hour.

So God, please let us be that and let us also find that. And may you make this church a place where this is um just abounding that people can look in any

direction and find it. And I pray you be honored by that here as it increases in the months and and years to come in Jesus name. Amen.

Jesus name. Amen.