Verified Authentic | 1 Corinthians 16:5–20

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Amen. You may be seated. Well, welcome to life. Happy Mother's Day. I'll add my greeting to uh Aaron's that was already extended. We love you, moms. We recognize the sacrifice that you have paid and and and gave willingly for the good of your family and the good of your children. And we love you. We really do. We're thankful for that. And we are aware that Mother's Day is not only a time for some of celebration. It is a reminder of other things as well. And so I know many moms bring with them weights into a day like this. Maybe the inability to have children, and you've always mourned that, or maybe you can't yet, or maybe it reminds you of loss, and we recognize all of that. And so we just want you to know that we love you, we care for you, we're thankful for you, and uh we want to serve you uh as a church family. Uh, I'm not here to deliver a Mother's Day sermon. Uh, I made that mistake last year, and uh, we're not gonna do that again. Uh, we're gonna go into 1 Corinthians chapter 16, and I say that jokingly a little bit. But if you have your Bible, let's open to 1 Corinthians chapter 16, and uh we will study uh something I think that God has uniquely for us today that is helpful. So, 1 Corinthians 16 is the final chapter. We've been in this book for a while. Um, I have, at least from my seat in this room on a Sunday morning, have thoroughly enjoyed the study. It has taken us into places that I don't know that we would uh willingly journey without the guidance of Scripture. Um I've I never intended to necessarily deal with head coverings for women in church, and yet Paul does, or uh how you shouldn't sue your brother in Christ. It deals with it. So, excuse me, there are areas that Paul uh ventures into that our conviction that scripture, all scripture is breathed out by God and all scripture is profitable, leads us to study the Bible expositorily or expositionally. So we go through it and and we take out from the text what it says. We don't read into the text what we want to say, we take out from the text what it says so that we might understand God's will and plan for our lives and then apply it. So that's what we're doing again, and it our journey has brought us to the final chapter. Uh, we're not just gonna land the plane and move on. I think there's a few things that we cannot hurry by here as we finish out our study of 1 Corinthians. And so we're gonna read 1 Corinthians 16 here in just a minute and get some things in his closing remarks that I think are vitally important for us to get today. Okay, so this is gonna be a little bit more practical. Uh, there's not really a deep theological dive we're gonna do, like maybe we've done in other parts of our study. But I want you just to lean into what I think God has for us here today. Now, one of the things that uh we have that's true in our world today, I I imagine there was uh a truth of this all throughout ancient history and history, but we are uh obsessed with things that are authentic or the authenticity of a thing. So there are uh stamps of verified authentic or authenticity guaranteed, right? You get that. You don't you don't want a fake coach bag, right? I mean, you probably shouldn't have a coach bag, but if you do, it's okay. You certainly don't want to fake one if you have one, right? I mean, uh you don't want you don't want generic, you don't want uh uh uh counterfeit. So we have these stamps of approvals. I remember uh a couple few weeks ago I was in Nepal and uh they have all kinds of these um outback or or hiking alpine stores, and there was a Patagonia hat. I saw the Patagonia hat, and I actually bought the Patagonia hat. I bought it for about the equivalent of about $7. And I was I was looking at it later, laughing a little bit because I put it on and it hurt my head. I can't wear it. I actually got rid of it already because it just hurts my head. But then I noticed that the logo of Patagonia, this this high-end alpine brand, was like uh ironed on. It was stamped on, it wasn't stitched on, and it was a little crooked. And I'm like, this thing claims authenticity, but verified authentic, it cannot be. It is a counterfeit, it is not real. Nobody wants to invest in something fake. Even pictures now posted on social media, right? You look at that and you're like, I don't think I think that's fake. That's not real. And they're getting better and better at creating. AI has ruined this for us. Now we can't even trust pictures anymore. And it's because we want things that are authentic, and we should want things that are authentic. Now, there's a lot of counterfeits in our world today, not just of handbags and hats, but of ministry. Counterfeit ministry. A lot of ministry in churches and just ministry in general and TV ministry appears to be authentic, but lacks God's stamp of genuine authentic. In our text today, as Paul brings this letter to a close, he's gonna give us a glimpse into his ministry. I love these portions of scripture. These are not flybys, these aren't just let's get done with this. We dealt with all the things we need to deal with, let's close this out. But I think what we get, led by the Spirit, inspired by God, delivered for us, is a little bit of a look under the hood, if you will, of ministry by the apostle and what he is calling on people to do when it comes to ministry. Now, ministry is important. Ministry matters. Ministry is uh in many ways, uh um we could describe it. We could describe it as the minister of one to another, the encouragement and discipleship of one another, the advancement of the gospel to our neighbors, our city, our country, and around the world. That's ministry. So ministry is service. Ministry is serving the Lord, serving the body, serving the world. It is representing Christ or continuing to live out the life of Christ that He has called us to. And the problem is that wherever there is something genuine, the enemy offers something that is a fake or that is counterfeit. And in our text today, again, Paul's going to let us see some ministry, what he's doing. And so instead of just quickly closing out the study with a few comments about these words written and then moving on, I want to respect the fact that they are in the Bible, and I want to glean from them what we should learn. And we're gonna learn about verified, authentic ministry. Stamp of approval by the Spirit of God because of the life of Paul and what he calls on people to live out. Okay? So let's read it. 1 Corinthians chapter 16. I'm gonna read verses 5 through verse 20. There's a couple of verses in there we're gonna save for later, but we want to zero in on verses five through 20. Now you'll hear right when I start reading, it feels like he's just kind of laying this down and finishing out a sermon, but man, we've got to get it. So, verse 5. Here's what he's writing to the Corinthians. These are God's words for us today. He says, I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries. When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord as I am. He's doing ministry. So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, let all you do be done in love. Now I urge you, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanus were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Be subject to such as these. And to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaeus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. The churches of Asia send you greetings, Aquila and Priscilla, together with the church in their house, send you a hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brothers send you greetings, greet one another with a holy kiss. Amen. So as you can see, it's like Paul's finishing things up. And lots of pastors, and probably not wrong for doing so, just kind of said, Here's what he's saying, let's move on to the next book. But they're here, they're for us. And I think we've got to glean something from these, from the life of Paul, from what he is living out in his own life, the life of his ministry partners, as is described here, and his directives to the church. Now, this is not an exhaustive list by any means, but this is a list of authentic ministry activities. So over the top of this passage sits this big idea that I'm gonna unpack for the next couple minutes. An authentic ministry is clearly marked by biblical activities. I think that what Paul is describing here is activities biblical, supported elsewhere in Scripture, led by the Spirit, gospel-centered, discipleship-focused, that mark these activities as authentic ministry. Now, again, listen, we could add to this list. I think we could go other places and say, okay, these are some things that we need to have if we're gonna have a real authentic biblical ministry. I think those are there. But from this text today that we've just read, I think that there are eight qualities. Gasp, go ahead. Oh my goodness. You take 45 minutes with three. Now you're giving us eight. Yes. Rapid fire, we're gonna talk about these eight. Because I think that what Paul's doing is he is just, he's just giving us this little snapshot of what it is to be in the ministry, of what an authentic ministry looks like. And I want us, I want to pastor us a little bit and to say these are things that we should see where they're wrong or where they're distorted or where they're not being active, we should repent and re-implement those. And where they are strong, we should strengthen them more. These eight qualities should be true of us. These are things that should be true of our ministry as a church together and our ministry as we go into all the world and into our neighborhoods. Okay, so eight qualities of authentic ministry. I hope you'll write these down because these are things I think that we need to see later as we go. Okay, the first one. Ministry is authentic when that's how we'll do it. Ministry is authentic when these marks are there. And the first one I see from verses five, six, and seven is that it is authentic when you and I plan strategically. Now let's think about this for a second. He says, I'm gonna visit you. I will visit you. I'm planning to visit you. I have a plan after passing through Macedonia, but I'm intending to go to Macedonia first. And perhaps I'll stay with you even spend the winter. I I'm my plan is to not just come zoom by, say hi as I'm passing through, get lunch, and then move on. I want to spend some time with you, perhaps even the winter. I'll spend all winter with you because I want to be encouraged by you. I want to encourage you, I want you to help me. I have to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. Now, at first glance, these verses just seem like ordinary travel plans, schedules, and logistics. But underneath them, I think, is a clear lesson of the philosophy of ministry, and that is this that the apostle Paul organized his life around gospel priorities. Notice the intentionality. I will visit. I intend, perhaps I will stay. So here's what we learn from Paul, and we know this from other parts of Paul's ministry. He didn't drift through ministry, he thought carefully and strategically about how to maximize gospel impact with his life. He wanted to strengthen the churches, he wanted to revisit the believers, he wanted to spend meaningful time with the Corinthians. He didn't want to merely just pass through. He was not traveling on his private jet, flying over places he had been while he waves at them. He was not living in some sort of comfort while he just finishes out the rest of his life. No, he's saying, listen, I I want to intentionally lean into discipleship with you. I want to come see you. I'm gonna stay here because I think God's doing something here, but then I'm gonna come see you after I go see the Christians in Macedonia. I love how he says in verse 7, I do not want to see you now just in passing. His interest wasn't a shallow visit. He wanted time, he wanted presence, he wanted relational ministry. This matters because ministry is not just an activity we do, but it's a it's a it's a purposeful planned investment. We're not just talking about filling a calendar with events like a like an activity center, like a boys and girls club. We've got this, or a senior center uh where they play bingo on this night and they do knitting on that night. And that's not what he's doing. He was intentional about investing in the discipleship of others. And here's what I want to say by that faithful, authentic, fruitful ministry does not happen accidentally. Healthy churches think intentionally about discipleship. I just I want you to see this at play because we're trying to do this. Now, listen, we are uh not perfect in this, but we're trying to create and plan discipleship opportunities. That's why we plan groups. Listen, I just want you to know that our heart is that groups is not just this thing that we do because it's it's kind of an activity that we can report that we've got this many groups. No, this is intentionality planned out for your discipleship uh uh studies, uh uh uh volunteering at the hub on the serve your community night. Those are planned. We're trying to drip these things and we're trying to say these are things that we want to do, these are things that we want to be involved in. We don't just want to blindly, kind of aimlessly journey through ministry, but we want to be faithful, men on the mountain or uh a day on the mountain for the men. That's that's planned. There's there's logistics, there's finances, there's energy, there's scheduling, there's all kinds of things that go into that stuff for the purpose of what? Discipleship and growth and fellowship and evangelism and community. Now, Paul shows us something interesting, though, at the end of verse 7, he says, I'm gonna do all of this, but then he adds the disclaimer. Did you catch that? If the Lord permits. I love that. Paul planned carefully while remaining surrendered completely. Paul plans, but he does not presume. He strategizes, but then he submits. He makes decisions, but he knows the Lord rules over all of them. Planning is encouraged by the Lord. Luke 14, 28 says, listen, if you're gonna build a tower, you first sit down and count the cost to make sure you have enough. But trusting in the Lord in the planning and staying flexible to his will is key. So what Paul's doing here is he's modeling for us. Here's my plan. We have a calendar. I'm planning to come to you. I want to go to Macedonia, but I'm gonna do all of that if the Lord permits. So be intentional about discipleship, be intentional about worship. Listen, what gets planned gets prioritized. Years ago I learned that he who fails to plan plans to fail. Somebody told me years ago this too. If you aim at nothing, you hit it every time. That's the truth. If you have a plan, if you're aimlessly wandering through life, hoping that everything just kind of works out, that's not wisdom. Wisdom says plan your way and then stay flexible to the will of the Lord. So here's the application. You ready? Organize your life around eternal priorities, not merely urgent demands. Evaluate whether your calendar reflects your stated spiritual values. Build margin into your life for discipleship and relationships, not just activity or productivity. Like take time to have a coffee with a brother or a sister and sit down and slow down and talk and pray and encourage. Pray before making major plans. Instead of merely asking God to bless your decisions after you made them. Think beyond Sunday attendance. Listen, ministry is not just an hour and a half on a Sunday morning. Ministry is a 24-7 endeavor for God's people. And God's people, led by the Lord, filled with the Spirit, flexible to His will, plan their lives strategically. Ministry leaders, ask regularly: are we producing activity or actual transformation? Be intentional about investing in people, not just completing tasks. Learn to hold plans with humility and say, if the Lord permits, my plan is to visit you and encourage you. Stop drifting spiritually. Spiritual growth rarely happens accidentally. Parents, strategically disciple your children instead of assuming that Dom and Chris are going to take care of that, and spiritual growth will just happen automatically, right? Amen? Moms, amen. Alright, moms. Mother's Day, come on. Paul teaches us that even the best plans do not remove hardship now, though. Now look at the second thing. Ministry is authentic when you and I persevere courageously. So he's got this plan. I love that he's got a plan. And then he disquali he qualifies it with if the Lord permits. But then he says this in verse 8. But here's what my plan is now. I'm gonna stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. I got a calendar set out. This is what I'm gonna do if the Lord permits. And here's why. A wide door for effective work has opened to me. And there are many adversaries. This is none, this is one of the most important ministry statements in the whole passage. I love this. He says two things. There is an opportunity, a wide door open to me for effective ministry, and there is opposition. There were many adversaries. This is the fact that there is effective work and there is spiritual resistance. And here's what we fail to always understand. Sometimes we assume that if God opens a door, that means he's also going to make it easy. Paul teaches us the opposite. Sometimes the clearest open doors are surrounded by the fiercest opposition. And Paul was in Ephesus, it's recorded for us in Acts 19. The gospel was spreading. It was awesome. You could read it. People were turning from magic and idolatry, and they were coming to Jesus Christ. They were getting saved. Jesus was being magnified, but the city was being stirred up against Paul, and the idol making business was being threatened. It would be like all of a sudden, all of Jesus just takes over Las Vegas, and casinos start shutting down, and casino bosses start getting mad at life church because we're spreading the gospel too aggressively, and all of a sudden, their industry is going down. That's what's happening in Ephesus. And Paul says, in effect, because God's at work, in spite of opposition, I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna stay. In fact, look at that again. Look at verse 8 again. I'm, but I will stay. But I will stay. I love that. In fact, here's what I want to do: I want you to highlight that. If you're in the habit of highlighting your Bible, underline it, circle it. If you have a little neon lights you can put around it that flash, put it around that. Because that is a declaration of resolve. I will stay. Why? Because God's doing something. Yeah, but they're opposing you. It's getting tough. Things aren't happening with ease and comfort. Paul, you should probably do something else. He's like, nope, I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna stay right here. And I just say I think that there are some people in life that need to take those words and make them their statement. I will stay. This is courage. A lesser man would say, There are many adversaries, so I've got to leave. It's getting tough, so it must be that God's done with me here. Paul says there are many adversaries, so this must be important. They're opposing me. A thriving ministry does not interpret hardship as failure or the hand of God being removed. Sometimes difficulty means that you are not outside of God. Sometimes difficulty means you're outside of God's will, but sometimes difficulty means you're right in the middle of it. Because all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Ministry is spiritual warfare. Know that. Listen to me. Listen to me here. You're being here today, and you're ministering to one another through psalms. And through study and through fellowship, this is spiritual warfare. The enemy does not want you here. And it is no accident that so often there are things that come up that will resist you living on mission for him. This is important for our church because thriving ministry will always face pressure. If we preach the gospel clearly, there will be resistance. If we call people to holiness, there will be resistance. If we strengthen families, there will be resistance. If we try to disciple young people, there will be resistance. If we try to reach the lost here and around the world, there will be resistance. There will be. And it's not a sign of God's removing of his presence. Sometimes it's a sign of God at work in our ministry. Amen? You know what the uh state flower of Nevada is, right? The orange traffic cone. Right, you knew that, right? Whatever they claim it is, it's a lie. It's the orange traffic cone. I don't know how many orange traffic cones Las Vegas paving has or the city of Las Vegas has, but it's gotta be in the billions. It's ridiculous. Am I right? It's ridiculous. Like if there's anything that drives me to uh be in the flesh and not filled with the spirit, it is traffic jams because of orange traffic cones where no work is getting done. All right. I didn't mean that's not in my notes. It's not in my notes. The Spirit of God moved me to say that. But but here's what I have learned. I've learned this in time. It's slow, but in Las Vegas, whenever major construction begins, our state flower gets set out and traffic becomes frustrating. Road closures, detours, cones everywhere. And here's what I tell myself while I'm sitting in the traffic for 700 minutes in this traffic jam, that this inconvenience usually means something is being built. Hopefully it means something is getting better. Hopefully it means, I think it means progress is happening. Something is going to change. Hopefully, Charleston's going to be smoother now. And hopefully the flash floods aren't going to kill us all because they're putting something under the ground. And sometimes we can't even see it. But I'm assuming that because there is inconvenience and pressure and frustration that something is happening, listen, that can be said spiritually. When God begins doing meaningful work, oftentimes the enemy and spiritual warfare intensifies, criticism increases, discouragement grows, opposition rises, and the enemy does not panic over spiritually sleepy churches. But when God's people mobilize, when God's people get saved, discipled, transformed, and moving on mission, resistance often increases. And so what do we say in those moments? We say what Paul says in verse 8. I will stay. Hey, I think the enemy's getting pretty intense over here. I'm gonna stay. I can't leave yet. Because God's doing something. How do you know God's doing something? Because the enemy's scurrying over there. Traffic cones are getting set out and they're scared. God's at work. So expect spiritual opposition when pursuing meaningful gospel ministry. More applications. Refuse to let criticism determine your faithfulness. Refuse to let opposition determine your faithfulness. Refuse to let people who want to attack or resist or come against determine your faithfulness. Just say, I will stay. I will stay. That's three words. Say it with me. Ready? I will stay. That's what he said. Remember that fruitful ministry often requires long seasons of endurance, sometimes before even visible results appear. Teach your family that obedience to Christ is worth hardship. When opposition comes, ask, is this resistance because I'm foolish? If it is, repent, get right. Or is this resistance because the gospel is advancing and God is using me? Keep your eyes on eternal fruit instead of temporary comfort. Okay, so that's number two. Ministry is authentic when hey, eight might have been a little ambitious, but we're gonna get there. We're gonna get there. Number three, look what he says here. Authentic ministry is there, it's real when you and I welcome graciously. Man, he does something cool in verse 10. He's like, hey, listen, when Timothy comes, now Timothy was a faithful servant serving alongside Paul. Okay? And it appears that Timothy may have been a naturally timid or easily intimidated person. In 1 Timothy, when he wrote to Timothy, he says, Don't let anybody despise you for being young. Let no man despise you for your youth. And in 2 Timothy 1, 7, he says to Timothy, listen, Timothy, God gave us a spirit not of fear, like you have naturally, but of power and love and self-control. So when Timothy comes to Corinth, Paul knows what he's stepping into. We know Corinth, don't we? We've just studied it for several months. Timid Timothy is walking in to a brood of vipers, in essence, right here. This church was divided. They were arguing. They were saying, I'm of Paul. They were saying, I'm of Apollos. The real spiritual people were saying, Well, I'm of Jesus. They were suing one another. They were arguing about who should have the prominent place in the worship service. They were telling women what to do, how to wear their head coverings or not. Women were shaving their head, I guess. I don't remember. You remember it, right? It was crazy. This place was crazy. And here comes Timot Timothy on a mission for Paul, and here's what he says to him: put him at ease among you. See that you put him at ease. That means receive him in a way that removes his fear. Don't intimidate him. Don't despise him. Don't make his work harder than it needs to be. Why? For he is doing the work of the Lord. Receive Timothy, not because he's impressive, not because he's famous, not because he's Paul or has Paul's personality, but receive him because he's doing the work of the Lord. An authentic ministry welcomes people. That's what they do. They graciously welcome because of the value of the faithfulness more than the flashiness. Churches can become harsh environments. Did you know that? Some of the harshest places on earth is sometimes in a church building. People can criticize quickly, assume the worst, withhold encouragement, forget that ministry workers like Timothy or ministry leaders or people who serve are just human beings carrying spiritual burdens. A thriving, authentic ministry creates an atmosphere where faithful servants can flourish. Paul wanted to protect Timothy from the craziness of Corinth. Philippians, he says that I have no one like him who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare to the church in Philippi. That's Timothy. So he says, put him at ease and welcome him graciously. Listen, I just want us to be a church who's got that genuine, welcoming environment, don't you? I think one of the things that sets us apart, but I think we've got to maintain, is that this is a place I think that genuinely welcomes and cares for people. I think we genuinely want people to feel welcomed here, but here's the reality is that sometimes we can get so focused on the ministry we're doing and anything that's going on in our life that we start to become a harsh place rather than a hospitable place. And encouragement is no longer the culture, and welcoming environments are no longer the priority. It's our agenda, or it's our feelings, or it's that person didn't talk to me last week, or whatever. And I just want us to be a place like Paul calls on the Church of Corinth to be, and that is to be a place that is graciously welcoming, kind, embracing of guests, embracing of ministry partners. That's what we want, right? That's why you're here. You're not here because we're a harsh, stuck up, stiff people, are you? If you are, then we got something wrong. This isn't wooden, this is comfort, this is welcoming, this is what we want to be. So we want to become the kind of church member who strengthens people instead of intimidates them. Why did he have to say put them at ease? Well, because it probably weren't naturally a place to put people at ease. Why did he say welcome him graciously? Because they probably weren't a very welcoming environment. So here's what the practical application is for us. Speak encouragement. Speak encouragement. Pray for leaders and servants and pastors and each other. Refuse a critical and cynical spirit towards ministry leaders or other ministries. Welcome younger. That was Timothy. Welcome younger or even less experienced leaders like Timothy with patience and encouragement. Make your home, your group, your ministry environment safe and spiritually uplifting. Ask yourself, do people feel strengthened by me or drained after interacting with me? Look for ways to lighten the burdens of those serving around you. Welcome graciously. Church in Corinth, I'm sending Timothy. He's gonna be a little timid, but put him at ease. Welcome him and invite him in so that you can help him as he continues to live out his mission for the ministry. Okay? That's number three. Number four, ministry is authentic win. Notice this you and I partner harmoniously. Where do you see that? Well, look at verse 12. Now, concerning our brother Apollos. Now you remember Apollos, right? Apollos should have been Paul's ministry rival. Now think about it this way. If half of you said, I'm following Chuck, and the other half of you said, I'm following Andrew, guess what? Chuck and I are wrestling, right? We're going after it. No, I hope not. But but that would be logic. Logic would say, look, the the Apollos is taking some of the people and uh some of the people who should who should love me. There's a division going on, but but but that's not what's happening. Because remember back in chapter one, he was condemning them for saying, I follow Paul. Well, I follow Apollos. They had turned servants into symbols of division. And Paul now refuses to participate in that spirit. He calls Apollos what? Our brother. And he's like, listen, I want him to go to you. There's no jealousy, there's no insecurity, there's no competition, there's no suspicion. He's not trying to cast shade on Apollos. He's not trying to say, I'm sure glad Apollos didn't make it to you because he's just not grateful, you guys. No, he's like, I encouraged him to. I urged Apollos to go to Corinth. But Apollos chose not to go at that time, and Paul simply says he will come when he has opportunity. And there's a tone about that that's uh uh I hope he will. This is a healthy partnership. Paul does not control Apollos, Apollos doesn't undermine Paul, they're not building separate kingdoms, they're building the kingdom of Christ. Remember that in 1 Corinthians 3, 5 through 7, he asks, What then is Apollos? Or what is Paul? They are both servants through whom you believed. I planted, Apollos watered, but who gave the growth? God did. God gave the growth. So this theology behind their harmonious partnership is that God gives the growth, and if God gives the growth, then those servants get glorified. A thriving ministry does that, an authentic ministry does that. It partners harmoniously because he knows that the mission is bigger than any one person. This is vital for us. Here's what we learn from this. Unhealthy ministry is full of comparison. Healthy ministry is full of cooperation. Unhealthy ministry asks, who gets the credit? Healthy ministry asks, is Christ being honored? Unhealthy ministry protects turf. Healthy ministry shares the work. Unhealthy Ministry competes. Healthy ministry collaborates. This is what we're doing. This isn't, you know, this model for us, I think it was last week, the students and the senior adult group met and played games. That's awesome. That's that's what we're talking about. Like, we don't want there to be a division or a competition or a who are those old people, or the old people saying, who are those young people? Like we want there to be this collaboration, this harmonious partnership because this is for the work of the ministry. This is what Paul is saying. Some plant, some water, some preach, some disciple, some organize, some encourage, some give, some pray, but God gives the growth. And we're not at odds with each other. We are harmoniously partnering with each other. That's a church you would go to, amen. Not one that divides. Listen, jot down in your notes, Philippians 2. Here's where this is found. Three and four. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significantly than yourselves. That each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. That's what's taking place here. I think Paul, led by the Spirit, is strategically putting that there because he's wanting to close it out by reminding them: Apollos and I aren't rivals. We're wearing the same uniform, we're on the same team, we're striving for the same thing, we're working together for the sake of the gospel, and I hope he comes to you because he's beneficial to you. We're not at odds with each other. So refuse comparison. Comparison is a horrible place to live. Refuse comparison and jealousy in ministry relationships. Listen to this. This is a practical application. Please let's make this what we do. Celebrate what God is doing through other ministries and other churches. Celebrate it. Just be happy that God is blessing other ministries within this church or other churches outside of this church. Protect unity by assuming the best rather than the worst about others. Prioritize the mission over personal recognition. Learn to collaborate instead of compete. Be quick to reconcile relational tension before it grows. Refuse gossip, division, or personality cults within the church. Ask yourself regularly: Am I helping unify the church or am I contributing to the fragmentation of it? I think Paul was contributing to the unity of the ministry by mentioning Apollos here. Okay? We see that? That's number four. Now, number five. Ministry is authentic when you and I serve selflessly. Now look at verse 15. Now I urge you, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanus were the first converts in Achaia. And I love this, what it says about them. They devoted themselves to the service of the saints. What a cool statement. Devoted themselves means they intentionally assigned themselves to service. They arranged their lives around the strengthening of God's people. This is what spiritual maturity looks like. This is what authentic ministry looks like. They didn't just attend, they didn't just observe. They didn't just consume. They rearranged their lives around serving others. An authentic, thriving ministry is not filled with spectators, it is filled with servants. This is one of the great challenges I think in the American church life. People can easily view church like a provider of religious goods and services for me to come and consume. And if I like it, good. The moment I stop liking it, I'm gonna leave. And if I really don't like it, I'll leave a review on my way out. Do I like the music? Did I like the sermon? Did my kids enjoy the class? Was the coffee good? Was the parking easy? We have metrics for this in America. We have ratios that we want to make sure we have for seats and parking lots. There's ratios out there for how many seats we have, for how many square feet we have so that people feel comfortable. Did you know that? Like this is the world we live in. And listen, I embrace it, it's real. But all of that is to make sure that you feel comfortable that you're not too crowded, that you're not too hot, that you're not too cold, that your car's easy to get to, that your kids have a good, easy transition, that the coffee's nice and warm for you when you arrive. And let's make sure and have donut holes or a donut wall for us. And all of that is fine because I love all that stuff too. But then I realize that all of that is an attempt to just make sure that the consumer feels more comfortable in this place. And I'm not trying to be unkind to you. I'm sensitive to that. But what I want us to do is try to transition into a more biblically focused mindset, a gospel-centered orientation that says, I'm not here just to consume the goods and services of this religious offering. I'm here to serve Jesus Christ and serve the body. Amen? I'm gonna devote my life to this. I'm gonna rearrange my life to this. Think about this service right now. Someone prayed, people prepared the room, someone welcomed a guest, there's people teaching a child, there's somebody that's following up with a hurting family, some are giving sacrificially, someone noticed a lonely person, some opened their home, some stayed late to clean after some will carry a burden no one else saw. This is a thriving ministry that says, I'm gonna devote my life to serving this. So here's the practical application. Move from being a consumer of ministry to a contributor in the ministry. Ask where your gifts can strengthen the church practically. Serve faithfully even when no one notices you publicly. Look for needs instead of waiting to be asked. Embrace hidden service as valuable kingdom work. Teach your family that serving is part of discipleship. Make yourself available rather than always protecting convenience. Use your time, your resources, and abilities to strengthen others. And remember that Jesus modeled for us a servant-hearted ministry. That's what he says for us in verse 15. Interesting. Look at verse number six for me if you would with me if you would. Ministry is authentic when you and I follow humbly. So listen, Stephanus, the household, has devoted their lives. They were the first converts in the chain, they've devoted themselves to the service of the saints. And then he says in verse 16, be subject to such as these and to every fellow worker and laborer. So now he's calling on there to be some sort of submission to the leadership of the ministry. Paul calls the church to willingly follow faithful servants. This is a call to humble cooperation, not the endorsing of domineering leadership. That's not the Bible's ever giving us. But he's saying that when people faithfully labor, the word is labor to the point of exhaustion for the good of the church. The church then should not resist them with pride, but should respond to their service with humility. Corinth was a proud church. They boasted in knowledge, they boasted in gifts, they boasted in personalities, they had a boasting in their tolerant of sin. They resisted correction. And Paul says now, learn to follow those who set an example of devoted service. A thriving ministry cannot exist where everyone insists on their own way. No team can function that way, no family can function that way, no church can function that way. And so what Paul is calling on here is a humble following the example and following the leadership of those who are serving among you. This is clothing yourselves with humility, is what he's doing here. In a church, humble following of the leadership looks like receiving biblical correction, supporting faithful leadership, participating in the mission, refusing a divisive spirit, choosing unity over preference, trusting that the church is bigger than your or my personal opinion. This is deeply countercultural because we live in an age that prizes autonomy. Our culture says no one tells me what to do, but Christianity begins with surrender. Jesus is Lord, so I relate in humility, following the leadership of those who devote themselves to the ministry of our church and following their example. So, how do we practically apply that? Well, we follow humbly by cultivating a teachable spirit, receiving biblical correction without defensiveness, supporting faithful leadership with trust and prayer, submitting to biblical leadership even when preferences differ, refusing a divisive or rebellious attitude, practicing humility in conversations, disagreement, and ministry decisions, remembering that unity requires mutual submission. Ask yourself Am I easy to lead? Am I following the example of those who've devoted themselves here? The leadership that God has established in this church. Part of an authentic ministry included a submissive, humble spirit to the leadership of the church. That's what he's saying here. That's interesting. Number seven, notice what he says now about a few other people. Ministry is authentic when you and I refresh joyfully. Now look at this in verse 17. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaechis because they've made up for your absence. I haven't seen you, but these guys have made up. I feel like I get some of you when they're here. And here he says in verse 18, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. I love that. Paul was an apostle, but he was not a machine. He got tired, he carried burdens, he faced opposition, he was concerned for churches, he needed encouragement, and God used these men to refresh him. This is a cool ministry element to be refreshing. Refreshment. Growing up in Las Vegas as a kid, if you grew up here, do you remember back in the day when hose water was basically as good as fresh spring water? Right? Like, man, it's that was good. I remember playing until I was sweating and parched, and I wasn't looking for a bottle of Dasani. I was looking for a green hose curled up in someone's yard that I could turn on. And it wouldn't, it didn't care whose yard it was, right? It was like, I don't know who lives there, but they got a hose and that water works. I'm drinking that thing. You just had to be careful because if you drank it right away, it'd burn your tongue. So you let it flow a little bit, and then the water that was underground comes out, and then it's refreshing. Listen, and that was the most I've never had a drink of water in my life like I did from a green, nasty rubber garden hose laying in someone's yard in the summer of Las Vegas. Amen? That was refreshing. That is the definition of refreshing. Listen, I hope that I'm like that green garden hose to people who come in contact with me. I hope that I am refreshing to people who see me. Not merely am I here? Did I get something? Do I like everything? Did I approve? Thumbs up, that was good. Now I get to go. But did somebody interact with me and were they refreshed and encouraged and strengthened? Did I lift their burden? Did I bring joy into the body of Christ? This is what believers are like spiritually. They don't need a spotlight, they don't need a title, they simply bring grace with them. I know it's interesting in there in verse 16 and 17 and 18, he says, give recognition to such people. Do you know who should be honored in the church? The people who are like that big drink of water on a hot summer day. The people who refresh and encourage and bring strength to those who need it. So here's the application quickly. Make encouragement a regular habit. Send notes and texts and calls that strengthen others. Learn to notice wary people around you. Become someone who brings peace rather than pressure into a room. Speak words that build up rather than tear down. Carry joy in the ministry environments instead of constant negativity. Check our face. I have a note in my notes that says, Check your face, Andrew. Because I know sometimes my face has that intensity, and people can interpret that as I hate them, and I don't, but I don't want to be a person who brings that kind of weight. I want to be a person who brings refreshment. So who around me needs encouragement right now that I can be a drink of water for? That's what these people were to him, and that was authentic ministry. Amen. You got it? You got time for one more? Good. Some of you said yes. So one of you said yes, I'm going for it, okay? It's gonna be quick. You and I, our authentic ministry is this when you and I love genuinely. When you and I love genuinely. Now listen to what he does here. He closes this out. It's quick. The Church of Asia, they send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca or Aquila and Priscilla, these were early church leaders. They want me to tell you hi. They send a hearty greeting from the Lord. And all the brothers send you greeting. So he's modeling. They all love you. They all want to say hi to you. They all want to say they miss you. They all want to be with you. But then he ends with this greet one another with a holy kiss. What is that? And when does the line happen when we stop taking the Bible literally, right? Maybe right there. Greet one another with a holy kiss. Listen, please do not come up and kiss me later. Please do not. I will not call that a holy kiss. That will be an unholy kiss. What's he talking about here? He's talking about greet one another with a with an obvious uh expression of affection. How do we do it? We we do it today with a handshake and a hug. It's be so explicitly kind and gracious and affectionate to one another that there is a symbol of that. And that love that you express to one another in an explicit way, that is going to be the evidence that you are my disciples. Love one another earnestly, not fake, but earnestly from a pure heart. Let love be genuine, Paul says in Romans 12 9. Thriving ministry is not cold, it is not merely efficient, it is not merely organized, it is not merely doctrinally precise. It is loving. We want a genuine, loving environment. And that's why Paul says that. Greet one another with something that is explicitly affectionate, that there's an obviousness to the fact that you love one another. Let that be so obvious as you greet one another. So may that be true of us, right? May we be a church who's not like, good to see you, I'm headed to the car, but actually takes an intentional step towards one another, greets one another, and engages in real relationship with one another. That's what Paul's saying. So authentic ministry is not just about getting it right, it's about acting in a loving way to one another. So here's my challenge to you: application, build relationships within the church instead of remaining isolated. Don't stay isolated. Please don't do that. Pursue authentic fellowship beyond surface level conversations. Welcome newcomers warmly and intentionally. Refuse fake spirituality and performative friendliness. Love people who are different from you culturally, socially, and generationally. Prioritize the right kinds of relationships. Make room in your life and home for people. That's what we're talking about here. Okay, so we did it. What does a thriving ministry look like? What does an authentic ministry look like? Paul shows us. Here they are. A thriving, authentic ministry plans strategically. We're not aimlessly shooting from the hip on this. We persevere courageously, it welcomes graciously, it partners harmoniously, it serves selflessly, it follows humbly, it refreshes joyfully, and it loves genuinely. And I know that every one of those might not be what you can latch on to, but here's the reality. One of those is something or two that you can latch on to and say, That's what I need. That's what I need to focus on right there. These other ones I need to pay attention to, yes, but that one is one I need to focus in on. And all of this is ultimately rooted in Jesus. Jesus modeled every one of these for us. I don't have time to show you, but every one of these can be seen in the life of Jesus Christ. So we don't merely imitate Paul, we follow Paul as he follows Christ. That's what we're doing here. Now, the greatest need of your life, though, is not merely to join a thriving ministry. Your greatest need is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Our sin separates us from God, but Jesus lived the life that we could not live, died the death we deserved, and rose again in victory. And now he calls all who are sinners and all who are lost to repent, to believe, and to follow him. And without the transformation that Christ can bring, these qualities of authentic ministry are absent. And religion just becomes this wooden thing that you participate in. Listen, don't let that be true. Let's find Christ, let's meet Christ, let's receive Christ, and then let's, with his help, led by his spirit, enter into a ministry that is authentic in how we engage with one another and with our world. Amen, church. Amen. An authentic ministry is clearly marked by biblical activities. I don't have truth to life today. That's it. Let's pray together. Thank you, Father, for your word, the help that it brings in guiding us in practical things like this. Help us to be this kind of church and your spirit do a work in our midst. There are some that need to latch on to one or two of these. I pray that they would. I pray that where repentance is needed, it would happen. I pray that where a commitment to depend on the Spirit to produce these things, they would make this church that thing, that authentic ministry. And before we ever strive to be authentic in ministry, I pray that there would be genuine followers of Jesus Christ. And if people in this room don't know Christ as their Savior, that they would not fake it, but that they would come to faith in Christ so that authenticity starts with a relationship with Christ that is real. I pray you bless us as we apply these things. We pray this all in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.