Title: The Self Reflections of an Inspired Man of God
Meta: In Ephesians 3:1-13 Paul, under inspiration, gives a great deal of information about himself. And God has specifically designed us to be impacted by the example of others.
Tags: Paul,apostle,reflections,life,Christian,Tim Conway,God

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Ephesians 3.

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Now, we're going to read this again.

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We'll read through it pretty quickly,

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and then we're going to go back,

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and we're going to look at some things.

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What I want you to notice -

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I'll tell you right off.

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The title of my message is:

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"The Self-Reflections of an Inspired Man of God."

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This section of Ephesians is special.

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Now, I know that there's other portions

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of Paul's writings where you get glimpses

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into his life; his person.

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This is autobiographical -

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these first 13 verses of chapter 3.

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We get a lot of information about Paul,

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from Paul under inspiration.

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So let's read this.

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"For this reason I, Paul,

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a prisoner for Christ Jesus..."

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And we remember last week, the reason -

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because the Gentiles are fellow heirs;

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because the Gentiles are in the family of God;

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because they're included.

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"For this reason I, Paul,

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a prisoner for Christ Jesus

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on behalf of you Gentiles,

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assuming that you have heard

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of the stewardship of God's grace

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that was given to me for you..."

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So, you see that.

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Paul's a prisoner.

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Paul is a steward.

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"...how the mystery was made known to me

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by revelation."

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He's the recipient of relevation.

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"...as I have written briefly."

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When you read this,

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you can perceive my insight.

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Again, autobiographical.

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He's looking at himself.

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What's true of himself.

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He has revelation.

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He has insight into the mystery of Christ.

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"...which was not made known

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to the sons of men in other generations

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as it has now been revealed..." to him.

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He's one of the holy apostles

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"...and prophets by the Spirit.

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This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs."

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There's the mystery.

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"...members of the same body,

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partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus

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through the Gospel.

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Of this Gospel..." again,

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self-reflecting here.

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"...Of this Gospel, I was made a minister,

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according to the gift of God's grace

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which was given me by the working

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of His power. To me, though I am the very least

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of all the saints, this grace was given,

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to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ

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and to bring to light for everyone

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what is the plan of the mystery

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hidden for ages in God who created all things."

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And then if we jump to v. 13,

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"So I..." again, Paul, speaking specifically to them.

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"I ask you not to lose heart

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over what I am suffering."

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He's a sufferer.

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He's in prison.

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"...Which is your glory."

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Brethren, example is powerful.

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All you have to do is think about

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Scripture itself.

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We could think of Hebrews 11.

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I've heard John Piper say

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that based on Hebrews 11,

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He is convinced that he ought to be

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doing the biographical sketches

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that he does every single year

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at his pastor's conference.

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Because holding up such men -

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I find that to be true.

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I find that to be true in my own life

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that when I read about men,

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what I'm hit with is their example.

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I'm hit by their life

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and it's powerful.

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Imitation and example.

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God has designed us to be affected

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and influenced by the example of others.

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You think about the Proverbs.

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If you want to be wise, what do you do?

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Walk with the wise.

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If you walk with a fool,

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you're going to suffer harm.

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Or you come to the New Testament.

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You think about maybe Hebrews 13.

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What does the author say to us

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about those who are leaders over you?

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Imitate their faith.

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Exactly.

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Imitation.

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That is the reality of Scripture.

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You want to surround yourself

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with bad companionship?

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What does it do?

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It corrupts good morals.

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Good influence.

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Bad influence.

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They affect us.

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And Scripture speaks about both of them.

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I was just talking to a brother yesterday,

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and he was telling me about a season of life

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where he began to associate with a guy that was lost,

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and he was hoping to impart truth to him.

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And in the end, he ended up being corrupted by him.

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And you know what?

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When I was first saved, same thing was true.

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I thought in the beginning,

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I'm going to hang around with my friends

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from my old way of life

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because I want to influence them.

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And you know what I began to recognize

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they were having more influence on me

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than I was having on them.

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And I needed to break rank.

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This section of Ephesians is special

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because what we have is the example

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of Paul in certain aspects of his life;

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certain truths about his life

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that are displayed before us.

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It's autobiographical.

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But you know what especially?

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It's inspired autobiography.

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You know when you read -

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we're talking autobiography here -

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somebody that writes about themselves.

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You know what the problem is

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when somebody is uninspired?

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When they're inspired, it means

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that the Spirit is carrying Paul along

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to show us about Paul,

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which means it's all true.

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You know, when you have uninspired authors

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writing about themselves,

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two things happen, I find.

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On the one hand,

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they don't want to tell you the bad

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because they're trying to protect reputation.

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Or on the other hand,

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if they're humble men,

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they won't tell you the good,

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because it seems like they're boasting.

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But you know what's interesting about Paul?

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There are times when you read him

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when it does sound like he's boasting.

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And he's going on about his strengths,

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but he also does not leave out

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his weaknesses.

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And he tells you about his weakness.

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And he tells you that he's the least.

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I like that. There's truth.

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There's reality in that.

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We don't always know what's embellished

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or omitted when it's an uninspired writer.

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But when Paul pens Scripture,

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we know it isn't just true,

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but it's God bringing out of Paul's life

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what is true that He wants you and I

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to know about.

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I mean, you think about that.

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Paul is being guided here to tell us

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the things about himself that we need to know.

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And that could be helpful to us

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if we think about them.

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Here's Paul

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writing a letter to somebody else.

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He can say this.

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He can say, I am the least

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of all the apostles.

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Unworthy to be called an apostle.

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Don't you like that?

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Is that true?

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But you know what he can come right around

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within one verse and say this:

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I outran them all -

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speaking of the apostles.

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It's like basically saying,

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I'm the best of them.

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I ran the hardest.

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Now, he gives credit where credit is due.

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He says it's not me,

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it's the grace of God in me.

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But still, he can tell us where he excels

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and beats everybody else,

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but he can also tell us at the same time,

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he's not even worthy to be called an apostle.

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I love that transparency.

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And listen to this.

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"Are they servants of Christ?"

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Now here, he's not talking about the other apostles.

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Here he's talking about the false apostles.

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He says, "Are they servants of Christ?

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I am a better one.

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Far greater labors,

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far more imprisonments,

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countless beatings, often near death..."

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You see, this is the kind of thing

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when a guy isn't inspired and he's a Christian

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he would hesitate to tell us,

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because it sounds like he's boasting.

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The truth is if you look at 2 Corinthians,

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it sounds like he's boasting.

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In fact, he says he's boasting.

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And he says he sounds like a mad man.

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But he's being driven to it

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because he's trying to vindicate his ministry.

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Then, in the same verses,

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he can tell us about his weakness.

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Look, I'm thankful for the transparency here

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because this is a man

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that you and I are called to follow.

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I find this very interesting about the Apostle Paul.

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Very interesting.

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Paul seems to be the prototype saved sinner.

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Now look, I know that Jesus Christ

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is the preeminent example,

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but He's not a saved sinner.

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What you have in Paul is somebody

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who actually has been saved,

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and then is walking through this world

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with the weakness of a sinner

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saved by grace enduring

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the sanctification process

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that Jesus never had to go through.

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And so Paul is the prototype saved sinner.

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God worked in Paul in such a way

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as specifically to make him a pattern for us.

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And you know what's interesting?

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I never find that Peter or John

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ever said follow me or imitate me.

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Maybe I'm wrong.

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But I find this,

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that Paul said it more than once.

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He said, "I urge you, then,

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be imitators of me." 1 Corinthians 4:16.

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1 Corinthians 11, "Be imitators of me

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as I am of Christ."

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Philippians 3:17

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"Brothers, join in imitating me..."

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But he says, not only me.

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He says "keep your eyes on those

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who walk according to the example

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you have in us."

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Keep your eyes on them.

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Isn't that interesting!

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We often say keep your eyes on Jesus.

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True.

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And Scripture says that.

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But you know what?

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Equally, Scripture says keep your eyes

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on those who are made of the same stuff we are.

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I mean, we come from fallen stock.

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And we've been converted.

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Look for the people who run the best

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as saved sinners.

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Keep your eyes on those.

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Paul sets himself as an example.

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And it's interesting,

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at one place, yes, he can say,

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imitate me as I imitate Christ.

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Christ is the ultimate example.

275
00:11:19,054 --> 00:11:21,598
But in Philippians, it's interesting

276
00:11:21,598 --> 00:11:23,782
that it's almost like he's making himself

277
00:11:23,782 --> 00:11:25,621
the pattern and he says,

278
00:11:25,621 --> 00:11:29,048
imitate me and anybody else

279
00:11:29,048 --> 00:11:32,049
who is like me.

280
00:11:32,049 --> 00:11:34,456
And that's what we need to do.

281
00:11:34,456 --> 00:11:35,825
Brothers and sisters,

282
00:11:35,825 --> 00:11:40,149
surround yourself with the godliest people.

283
00:11:40,149 --> 00:11:42,751
Surround yourself with the wisest people.

284
00:11:42,751 --> 00:11:44,063
Read biography.

285
00:11:44,063 --> 00:11:45,393
Read autobiography.

286
00:11:45,393 --> 00:11:47,502
And read the best ones.

287
00:11:47,502 --> 00:11:49,154
Read the ones that are an example,

288
00:11:49,154 --> 00:11:50,708
that are worthy to follow.

289
00:11:50,708 --> 00:11:53,562
Be in churches where there's actually leadership

290
00:11:53,562 --> 00:11:56,275
whose faith you would want to imitate.

291
00:11:56,275 --> 00:11:59,149
Don't go to churches where you wouldn't want to imitate that.

292
00:11:59,149 --> 00:12:01,097
Don't go to churches where you wouldn't

293
00:12:01,097 --> 00:12:03,812
want to invite somebody to come to.

294
00:12:03,812 --> 00:12:05,113
We want that, brethren.

295
00:12:05,113 --> 00:12:05,934
We want it.

296
00:12:05,934 --> 00:12:07,042
It's good.

297
00:12:07,042 --> 00:12:08,438
It's right.

298
00:12:08,438 --> 00:12:10,210
You want to go to churches where you

299
00:12:10,210 --> 00:12:12,354
want to be like the majority of the people

300
00:12:12,354 --> 00:12:14,340
that are there, and surround yourself

301
00:12:14,340 --> 00:12:15,499
with the best.

302
00:12:15,499 --> 00:12:19,378
Surround yourself with that.

303
00:12:19,378 --> 00:12:24,882
Now, the self-reflections of an inspired man of God.

304
00:12:24,882 --> 00:12:25,887
That's my title:

305
00:12:25,887 --> 00:12:27,597
"The Self-Reflections..."

306
00:12:27,597 --> 00:12:29,775
Paul looking at himself.

307
00:12:29,775 --> 00:12:31,308
"...of an Inspired Man of God."

308
00:12:31,308 --> 00:12:33,641
And I have four points that I want to draw out.

309
00:12:33,641 --> 00:12:36,346
The first one is this:

310
00:12:36,346 --> 00:12:41,514
Paul's self-assessment of himself

311
00:12:41,514 --> 00:12:44,559
as a prisoner.

312
00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,035
Check this one out.

313
00:12:46,035 --> 00:12:47,644
V. 1

314
00:12:47,644 --> 00:12:48,863
You see it there.

315
00:12:48,863 --> 00:13:00,600
"I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus."

316
00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,704
Now, I want this to be personal

317
00:13:04,704 --> 00:13:08,984
with each one of us.

318
00:13:08,984 --> 00:13:12,071
Because I got to thinking last night.

319
00:13:12,071 --> 00:13:13,820
I went outside and I was thinking

320
00:13:13,820 --> 00:13:20,564
about this very statement of Paul.

321
00:13:20,564 --> 00:13:26,558
I think each one of us need to wrestle with this,

322
00:13:26,558 --> 00:13:29,360
if we're really going to benefit from Paul's example

323
00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,861
as we ought.

324
00:13:31,861 --> 00:13:35,202
Let me tell you what I mean.

325
00:13:35,202 --> 00:13:38,509
Where was Paul?

326
00:13:38,509 --> 00:13:43,172
Every bit of the evidence is

327
00:13:43,172 --> 00:13:48,812
that Paul, you remember Felix,

328
00:13:48,812 --> 00:13:50,165
Festus came.

329
00:13:50,165 --> 00:13:51,943
Wanted to do a favor to the Jews.

330
00:13:51,943 --> 00:13:53,378
Left him in prison.

331
00:13:53,378 --> 00:13:55,021
Basically what happened was

332
00:13:55,021 --> 00:13:58,140
there was an appeal made to Caesar.

333
00:13:58,140 --> 00:14:00,330
Paul was sent there.

334
00:14:00,330 --> 00:14:02,755
He was in chains.

335
00:14:02,755 --> 00:14:04,831
Apparently, he's at Rome.

336
00:14:04,831 --> 00:14:06,148
He's in prison.

337
00:14:06,148 --> 00:14:09,504
Now, look, we don't have it

338
00:14:09,504 --> 00:14:12,903
in inspired fashion all the rest of Paul's life.

339
00:14:12,903 --> 00:14:15,734
Could Paul have been released from prison there

340
00:14:15,734 --> 00:14:16,624
and gone on?

341
00:14:16,624 --> 00:14:18,124
Some think he went to Spain,

342
00:14:18,124 --> 00:14:19,673
even all the way up to Britain.

343
00:14:19,673 --> 00:14:22,410
I mean, is it possible that he was let go

344
00:14:22,410 --> 00:14:23,803
and he did more evangelism

345
00:14:23,803 --> 00:14:26,200
and he was in prison in various places

346
00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:27,099
along the way?

347
00:14:27,099 --> 00:14:29,353
Perhaps.

348
00:14:29,353 --> 00:14:31,275
The assumption is he's in Rome.

349
00:14:31,275 --> 00:14:32,930
Now you think about it.

350
00:14:32,930 --> 00:14:37,820
You're in a Roman prison.

351
00:14:37,820 --> 00:14:40,916
The assumption is Nero is Caesar.

352
00:14:40,916 --> 00:14:42,683
But Paul doesn't say,

353
00:14:42,683 --> 00:14:45,043
I'm a prisoner for Nero;

354
00:14:45,043 --> 00:14:47,658
I'm a prisoner for Rome.

355
00:14:47,658 --> 00:14:52,574
It's putting his place in life

356
00:14:52,574 --> 00:14:55,443
in perspective to Christ.

357
00:14:55,443 --> 00:14:57,193
That's the issue.

358
00:14:57,193 --> 00:14:59,083
He was a prisoner for Christ.

359
00:14:59,083 --> 00:15:04,290
This singular fact held sway with him.

360
00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:06,893
And it should hold sway with us too.

361
00:15:06,893 --> 00:15:09,515
If we think about our lives correctly,

362
00:15:09,515 --> 00:15:10,722
like he did,

363
00:15:10,722 --> 00:15:14,293
Paul sized up his whole life

364
00:15:14,293 --> 00:15:18,290
according to how it related back

365
00:15:18,290 --> 00:15:20,138
to his Savior.

366
00:15:20,138 --> 00:15:21,678
It's the most important thing.

367
00:15:21,678 --> 00:15:22,940
It's the highest thing.

368
00:15:22,940 --> 00:15:25,590
Do you remember what Paul said?

369
00:15:25,590 --> 00:15:26,573
Listen.

370
00:15:26,573 --> 00:15:28,426
Paul said this

371
00:15:28,426 --> 00:15:31,542
dealing with differences in the church

372
00:15:31,542 --> 00:15:33,280
about convictions over things.

373
00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,696
He said, look, if you're going to observe a day,

374
00:15:36,696 --> 00:15:38,272
what do you do?

375
00:15:38,272 --> 00:15:41,252
You observe it unto the Lord.

376
00:15:41,252 --> 00:15:44,250
And if you're not going to observe a day,

377
00:15:44,250 --> 00:15:49,830
you don't observe it unto the Lord.

378
00:15:49,830 --> 00:15:53,681
And listen, this isn't cheap talk.

379
00:15:53,681 --> 00:15:54,904
This is serious.

380
00:15:54,904 --> 00:15:57,029
Oh, it's so easy to tag that on there.

381
00:15:57,029 --> 00:15:59,465
Well, if I eat, we eat unto the Lord.

382
00:15:59,465 --> 00:16:01,277
If I don't eat... no.

383
00:16:01,277 --> 00:16:03,398
This is something that's done with the will.

384
00:16:03,398 --> 00:16:04,713
It's done with the thought.

385
00:16:04,713 --> 00:16:09,146
It's done with an allegiance to Him.

386
00:16:09,146 --> 00:16:10,803
If I watch the Super Bowl today,

387
00:16:10,803 --> 00:16:12,440
well, I'm going to do it unto Him.

388
00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:13,889
Why? Because I'm a Christian,

389
00:16:13,889 --> 00:16:15,851
and if I do it, it's got to be unto Him.

390
00:16:15,851 --> 00:16:19,855
That's not even thinking right.

391
00:16:19,855 --> 00:16:28,219
We should be measuring our life by Him.

392
00:16:28,219 --> 00:16:30,615
Everything. Everything.

393
00:16:30,615 --> 00:16:31,742
He says this:

394
00:16:31,742 --> 00:16:34,705
If you eat, you do it unto the Lord.

395
00:16:34,705 --> 00:16:37,042
If you don't eat, you don't eat unto the Lord.

396
00:16:37,042 --> 00:16:40,257
You see, everything is within perspective of that.

397
00:16:40,257 --> 00:16:42,364
Or you go over to 1 Corinthians 7,

398
00:16:42,364 --> 00:16:44,010
and you know what you have there?

399
00:16:44,010 --> 00:16:46,145
He says to slaves,

400
00:16:46,145 --> 00:16:50,006
he says if you are a slave,

401
00:16:50,006 --> 00:16:53,253
he said basically, don't be concerned about it.

402
00:16:53,253 --> 00:16:56,268
You know, today, we'd get all up in arms!

403
00:16:56,268 --> 00:16:57,900
Slavery!

404
00:16:57,900 --> 00:16:59,569
It's so horrible!

405
00:16:59,569 --> 00:17:02,293
Did you know that some of those

406
00:17:02,293 --> 00:17:04,347
church fathers had slaves?

407
00:17:04,347 --> 00:17:06,962
We better boycott them.

408
00:17:06,962 --> 00:17:13,088
You know what Paul would say to you?

409
00:17:13,088 --> 00:17:15,470
Don't be concerned about that,

410
00:17:15,470 --> 00:17:18,047
because even if you were a slave back then,

411
00:17:18,047 --> 00:17:19,867
don't be concerned about it.

412
00:17:19,867 --> 00:17:21,464
Why?

413
00:17:21,464 --> 00:17:24,207
Because brethren, sometimes the things

414
00:17:24,207 --> 00:17:26,531
that we count to be the big issues in life

415
00:17:26,531 --> 00:17:28,340
just aren't the big issues in life

416
00:17:28,340 --> 00:17:30,939
when you see things with the proper perspective.

417
00:17:30,939 --> 00:17:33,082
And see, this is what I love about Paul.

418
00:17:33,082 --> 00:17:36,058
He sees things by the proper perspective.

419
00:17:36,058 --> 00:17:39,971
And we know it because he's under inspiration.

420
00:17:39,971 --> 00:17:42,075
He sees life the right way.

421
00:17:42,075 --> 00:17:44,509
There in 1 Corinthians 7 it says,

422
00:17:44,509 --> 00:17:47,897
"he who was called in the Lord as a slave

423
00:17:47,897 --> 00:17:49,379
is a freed man of the Lord."

424
00:17:49,379 --> 00:17:50,485
Don't you love that?

425
00:17:50,485 --> 00:17:52,161
He's a freed man of the Lord.

426
00:17:52,161 --> 00:17:55,350
Again, it's all with regards to the Lord.

427
00:17:55,350 --> 00:17:57,651
If you're a free man when you were called,

428
00:17:57,651 --> 00:17:59,430
you're a slave of Christ.

429
00:17:59,430 --> 00:18:02,835
Everything has to do with Christ.

430
00:18:02,835 --> 00:18:05,277
It has to do with that perspective.

431
00:18:05,277 --> 00:18:09,032
A Christward perspective in all things.

432
00:18:09,032 --> 00:18:11,992
This is what gives value to anything and everything.

433
00:18:11,992 --> 00:18:14,599
Are you a wife?

434
00:18:14,599 --> 00:18:17,390
Don't just say, yeah, I'm a wife,

435
00:18:17,390 --> 00:18:18,692
and I'm a Christian,

436
00:18:18,692 --> 00:18:20,265
so it must be unto the Lord.

437
00:18:20,265 --> 00:18:23,679
No. It's more than that.

438
00:18:23,679 --> 00:18:26,179
It's a proper heart attitude

439
00:18:26,179 --> 00:18:28,922
and a perspective in your brain

440
00:18:28,922 --> 00:18:33,139
about where you fit into the whole

441
00:18:33,139 --> 00:18:38,300
scheme of things.

442
00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:43,174
You're a wife for Christ.

443
00:18:43,174 --> 00:18:45,962
Do you recognize what it's saying?

444
00:18:45,962 --> 00:18:48,029
All for Him.

445
00:18:48,029 --> 00:18:52,033
I'm going to live for Him as a wife.

446
00:18:52,033 --> 00:18:54,022
It's for Him.

447
00:18:54,022 --> 00:18:55,871
You remember what's said:

448
00:18:55,871 --> 00:18:57,325
Fear nothing.

449
00:18:57,325 --> 00:18:58,930
Remember that's what Peter said?

450
00:18:58,930 --> 00:19:00,531
You don't have to fear anything.

451
00:19:00,531 --> 00:19:03,719
Why? Because you're living for Him.

452
00:19:03,719 --> 00:19:05,876
If you're single, don't just say,

453
00:19:05,876 --> 00:19:07,713
well, I'm single and I'm a Christian,

454
00:19:07,713 --> 00:19:09,300
therefore I'm single for Christ.

455
00:19:09,300 --> 00:19:13,041
You know what it is to be single for Christ?

456
00:19:13,041 --> 00:19:15,061
It means you're not going to go

457
00:19:15,061 --> 00:19:17,130
hang out looking at pornography

458
00:19:17,130 --> 00:19:20,414
to try to satisfy your singleness.

459
00:19:20,414 --> 00:19:22,340
See, single for Christ.

460
00:19:22,340 --> 00:19:25,696
It's a right perspective.

461
00:19:25,696 --> 00:19:28,938
Paul didn't flippantly just append that name

462
00:19:28,938 --> 00:19:32,692
on the end of things.

463
00:19:32,692 --> 00:19:35,478
And don't you either!

464
00:19:35,478 --> 00:19:37,584
Oh well, I'm single.

465
00:19:37,584 --> 00:19:39,767
So, I'm single for Christ.

466
00:19:39,767 --> 00:19:42,377
None of that. None of that.

467
00:19:42,377 --> 00:19:44,100
You think about what that means.

468
00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:45,929
Ok, yes, you are a Christian.

469
00:19:45,929 --> 00:19:47,146
You are single.

470
00:19:47,146 --> 00:19:48,494
I would say this.

471
00:19:48,494 --> 00:19:50,279
Be what Paul was.

472
00:19:50,279 --> 00:19:53,512
Be single for Christ.

473
00:19:53,512 --> 00:19:55,225
Be a wife for Christ.

474
00:19:55,225 --> 00:19:57,499
Be a husband for Christ.

475
00:19:57,499 --> 00:19:59,106
You say, I have lost children.

476
00:19:59,106 --> 00:20:01,593
Then be a father or a mother

477
00:20:01,593 --> 00:20:04,974
of lost children for Christ.

478
00:20:04,974 --> 00:20:06,662
You see it looks like something.

479
00:20:06,662 --> 00:20:09,275
It isn't just empty words.

480
00:20:09,275 --> 00:20:13,008
It means I live my life as though

481
00:20:13,008 --> 00:20:14,496
He is at the center

482
00:20:14,496 --> 00:20:16,590
and everything branches out from Him,

483
00:20:16,590 --> 00:20:20,915
and He is the one around which

484
00:20:20,915 --> 00:20:22,973
everything else revolves.

485
00:20:22,973 --> 00:20:25,419
If I'm going to be a parent of a lost child,

486
00:20:25,419 --> 00:20:29,205
then I'm going to parent them for Christ

487
00:20:29,205 --> 00:20:31,725
being lost children.

488
00:20:31,725 --> 00:20:34,204
That's the idea.

489
00:20:34,204 --> 00:20:37,405
Don't use His name in vain.

490
00:20:37,405 --> 00:20:39,250
There must be wrestling.

491
00:20:39,250 --> 00:20:42,599
Do we ever sing the song

492
00:20:42,599 --> 00:20:46,030
that "I surrender all"?

493
00:20:46,030 --> 00:20:48,262
I would say that anybody

494
00:20:48,262 --> 00:20:50,509
with a real conscience;

495
00:20:50,509 --> 00:20:54,774
anybody who's really under the influence of the Spirit,

496
00:20:54,774 --> 00:20:59,548
you cannot sing that song flippantly.

497
00:20:59,548 --> 00:21:03,817
There has to be some self-survey;

498
00:21:03,817 --> 00:21:06,062
some self-examination.

499
00:21:06,062 --> 00:21:08,868
Those words come out of your mouth.

500
00:21:08,868 --> 00:21:10,870
You're saying them before God.

501
00:21:10,870 --> 00:21:14,834
I surrender all.

502
00:21:14,834 --> 00:21:17,284
Same thing here.

503
00:21:17,284 --> 00:21:18,700
You ought to be able to say

504
00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:21,529
whatever place you find yourself in -

505
00:21:21,529 --> 00:21:23,701
I'm a home owner.

506
00:21:23,701 --> 00:21:27,021
Be a home owner for Christ.

507
00:21:27,021 --> 00:21:29,279
You see, you ought to be able to put that on

508
00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:33,471
the end of everything you are.

509
00:21:33,471 --> 00:21:34,995
But it shouldn't be flippant.

510
00:21:34,995 --> 00:21:36,882
You shouldn't use His name in vain -

511
00:21:36,882 --> 00:21:41,883
tag it on the end just to try to sound like Paul.

512
00:21:41,883 --> 00:21:43,440
You see, what Paul recognized

513
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,128
is to be a prisoner for Christ,

514
00:21:45,128 --> 00:21:48,208
his whole life was invested

515
00:21:48,208 --> 00:21:51,100
in everything that that meant.

516
00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:53,644
(incomplete thought).

517
00:21:53,644 --> 00:21:54,855
And you know what?

518
00:21:54,855 --> 00:21:57,285
You had people in the guard getting saved.

519
00:21:57,285 --> 00:21:59,580
Why? Because he was speaking the truth.

520
00:21:59,580 --> 00:22:01,077
And while he's there in prison,

521
00:22:01,077 --> 00:22:01,920
what's he doing?

522
00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:03,312
The anxiety of the churches;

523
00:22:03,312 --> 00:22:05,285
the care of the churches rested upon him.

524
00:22:05,285 --> 00:22:07,990
He was penning letters to them.

525
00:22:07,990 --> 00:22:11,745
Undoubtedly praying for them.

526
00:22:11,745 --> 00:22:15,431
This is something to wrestle with.

527
00:22:15,431 --> 00:22:17,470
Wrestle with it.

528
00:22:17,470 --> 00:22:19,827
You work.

529
00:22:19,827 --> 00:22:24,380
What is your line of work?

530
00:22:24,380 --> 00:22:29,132
I'm a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom.

531
00:22:29,132 --> 00:22:31,038
Well, be a homeschooling mom for Christ.

532
00:22:31,038 --> 00:22:32,376
What does that look like?

533
00:22:32,376 --> 00:22:34,926
Does that look like getting agitated with the kids?

534
00:22:34,926 --> 00:22:37,113
Not if it's for Christ. Don't offer Him that.

535
00:22:37,113 --> 00:22:38,734
You see, it's for... For.

536
00:22:38,734 --> 00:22:39,832
What a preposition.

537
00:22:39,832 --> 00:22:41,361
A prisoner for Christ.

538
00:22:41,361 --> 00:22:43,507
It's like something to offer Him.

539
00:22:43,507 --> 00:22:45,749
You think about offering your life

540
00:22:45,749 --> 00:22:48,336
up on the altar.

541
00:22:48,336 --> 00:22:50,108
This is Paul.

542
00:22:50,108 --> 00:22:52,195
This is how he lived.

543
00:22:52,195 --> 00:22:55,939
Everything with a Christ perspective.

544
00:22:55,939 --> 00:22:57,429
That's how we should be living.

545
00:22:57,429 --> 00:22:58,594
What an example!

546
00:22:58,594 --> 00:23:01,074
Can you imagine walking with him?

547
00:23:01,074 --> 00:23:04,574
Everything - his decisions, his choices,

548
00:23:04,574 --> 00:23:10,570
it's for Christ.

549
00:23:10,570 --> 00:23:12,352
It's all for Christ.

550
00:23:12,352 --> 00:23:15,772
No split allegiances.

551
00:23:15,772 --> 00:23:17,242
You know what?

552
00:23:17,242 --> 00:23:19,051
A prisoner for Christ.

553
00:23:19,051 --> 00:23:21,136
This is what a man says about himself

554
00:23:21,136 --> 00:23:23,355
who's able to step back and see

555
00:23:23,355 --> 00:23:24,612
the whole picture -

556
00:23:24,612 --> 00:23:27,314
the big picture of things;

557
00:23:27,314 --> 00:23:29,859
see that in the whole scope of things

558
00:23:29,859 --> 00:23:32,255
what's really happening in the world.

559
00:23:32,255 --> 00:23:34,228
Where's history going?

560
00:23:34,228 --> 00:23:35,766
Do you recognize in the end

561
00:23:35,766 --> 00:23:39,845
every one of us stand before Christ as judge?

562
00:23:39,845 --> 00:23:41,992
Everything is moving in that direction.

563
00:23:41,992 --> 00:23:43,025
Everything.

564
00:23:43,025 --> 00:23:45,931
Why would you want to do anything

565
00:23:45,931 --> 00:23:47,815
or be anything that you could not

566
00:23:47,815 --> 00:23:51,703
append that prepositional phrase to?

567
00:23:51,703 --> 00:23:54,320
For Christ.

568
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:55,347
No, you know what?

569
00:23:55,347 --> 00:23:57,644
I'm going to go do something this afternoon.

570
00:23:57,644 --> 00:24:00,002
I did my religious deal.

571
00:24:00,002 --> 00:24:01,340
I came to church today.

572
00:24:01,340 --> 00:24:09,108
Now, I'm going to live, what? For me.

573
00:24:09,108 --> 00:24:11,705
There needs to be a wrestling;

574
00:24:11,705 --> 00:24:15,457
a proper perspective.

575
00:24:15,457 --> 00:24:16,804
I'm a husband for Christ.

576
00:24:16,804 --> 00:24:18,002
I'm a father for Christ.

577
00:24:18,002 --> 00:24:20,123
I'm a pastor for Christ.

578
00:24:20,123 --> 00:24:24,087
I'm a citizen of the United States for Christ.

579
00:24:24,087 --> 00:24:27,002
I own a home for Christ.

580
00:24:27,002 --> 00:24:33,715
I have what I have for Christ.

581
00:24:33,715 --> 00:24:36,700
This man is in touch with reality.

582
00:24:36,700 --> 00:24:40,033
Because the truth is, this isn't fiction.

583
00:24:40,033 --> 00:24:42,745
It's not just, well, it's good to think like this,

584
00:24:42,745 --> 00:24:46,815
but... this is necessary.

585
00:24:46,815 --> 00:24:48,569
It's not just good. It's necessary,

586
00:24:48,569 --> 00:24:50,614
if we're going to be in touch with reality,

587
00:24:50,614 --> 00:24:52,772
because this is really the issue.

588
00:24:52,772 --> 00:24:56,080
Everything is going to be measured against Christ.

589
00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:57,580
You recognize that?

590
00:24:57,580 --> 00:25:01,360
On judgment day.

591
00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:05,069
I was hungry and you fed Me.

592
00:25:05,069 --> 00:25:07,126
I was hungry and you did not feed Me.

593
00:25:07,126 --> 00:25:11,643
I want you to notice the "I" in that sentence.

594
00:25:11,643 --> 00:25:15,685
You see, everything revolves around Him.

595
00:25:15,685 --> 00:25:17,923
Everything.

596
00:25:17,923 --> 00:25:21,394
And Paul lived that way.

597
00:25:21,394 --> 00:25:23,326
A prisoner for Christ.

598
00:25:23,326 --> 00:25:24,806
All for Christ.

599
00:25:24,806 --> 00:25:25,879
Are you poor?

600
00:25:25,879 --> 00:25:31,739
Be poor for Christ?

601
00:25:31,739 --> 00:25:34,772
Whatever He gives you, have it for Christ.

602
00:25:34,772 --> 00:25:36,071
Paul says imitate me.

603
00:25:36,071 --> 00:25:41,523
You remember that? Imitate me.

604
00:25:41,523 --> 00:25:46,477
Imitate.

605
00:25:46,477 --> 00:25:50,516
I think if Paul showed up at this church,

606
00:25:50,516 --> 00:25:54,617
we would all of us have a hard time

607
00:25:54,617 --> 00:25:59,266
keeping step with him.

608
00:25:59,266 --> 00:26:02,028
The truth is if he came here

609
00:26:02,028 --> 00:26:05,300
and we saw him, we might not actually like

610
00:26:05,300 --> 00:26:10,432
the pace that he had set in his Christian life.

611
00:26:10,432 --> 00:26:13,997
Because it would kind of crimp our lifestyles.

612
00:26:13,997 --> 00:26:16,649
It'd be uncomfortable.

613
00:26:16,649 --> 00:26:19,024
He'd look at us and say seriously?

614
00:26:19,024 --> 00:26:21,800
You have all that stuff?

615
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,610
What are you doing?

616
00:26:23,610 --> 00:26:26,015
I left all that stuff behind a long time ago.

617
00:26:26,015 --> 00:26:27,683
Did you never read Christ's words

618
00:26:27,683 --> 00:26:29,851
that you're supposed to sell your possessions

619
00:26:29,851 --> 00:26:32,699
and give to the poor?

620
00:26:32,699 --> 00:26:36,869
The security you're living for?

621
00:26:36,869 --> 00:26:42,725
I think we might not like him here.

622
00:26:42,725 --> 00:26:43,963
Really.

623
00:26:43,963 --> 00:26:48,424
Do you examine the life of this man?

624
00:26:48,424 --> 00:26:51,732
I know sometimes we can write Christ off.

625
00:26:51,732 --> 00:26:54,998
You know, He's just surreal.

626
00:26:54,998 --> 00:26:57,691
He doesn't struggle with the devil

627
00:26:57,691 --> 00:27:00,769
and the flesh,

628
00:27:00,769 --> 00:27:03,607
and the world bombards us.

629
00:27:03,607 --> 00:27:06,516
Jesus seemed impervious to that.

630
00:27:06,516 --> 00:27:10,602
But listen, Paul's made of the same stuff we are.

631
00:27:10,602 --> 00:27:14,592
And God raised him up as an example.

632
00:27:14,592 --> 00:27:19,423
And He tells us (God tells us):

633
00:27:19,423 --> 00:27:23,024
Look at Paul. Keep pace with him.

634
00:27:23,024 --> 00:27:25,550
You imitate him.

635
00:27:25,550 --> 00:27:28,406
Do what he does for Christ.

636
00:27:28,406 --> 00:27:29,864
A prisoner for Christ.

637
00:27:29,864 --> 00:27:31,658
Ok.

638
00:27:31,658 --> 00:27:33,814
The second thing.

639
00:27:33,814 --> 00:27:36,227
I want you to notice the confidence

640
00:27:36,227 --> 00:27:38,406
of a God-made minister.

641
00:27:38,406 --> 00:27:40,294
Notice v. 7.

642
00:27:40,294 --> 00:27:45,164
"Of this Gospel, I was made a minister

643
00:27:45,164 --> 00:27:47,040
according to the gift of God's grace

644
00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,049
which was given me

645
00:27:49,049 --> 00:27:52,278
by the working of His power."

646
00:27:52,278 --> 00:27:55,604
Now look, I'm thankful for this.

647
00:27:55,604 --> 00:27:58,416
It's inspired.

648
00:27:58,416 --> 00:28:03,748
It tells me that God makes it plain

649
00:28:03,748 --> 00:28:10,193
to a man that he is called to the ministry.

650
00:28:10,193 --> 00:28:14,392
I was made a minister.

651
00:28:14,392 --> 00:28:16,759
He was made one.

652
00:28:16,759 --> 00:28:19,991
He didn't just become one of his own accord.

653
00:28:19,991 --> 00:28:22,187
He was made one.

654
00:28:22,187 --> 00:28:25,367
To be made one means he was acted on

655
00:28:25,367 --> 00:28:30,825
from outside of himself to become this.

656
00:28:30,825 --> 00:28:32,814
Brethren, I can say that.

657
00:28:32,814 --> 00:28:34,758
I can say that.

658
00:28:34,758 --> 00:28:36,376
I believe that.

659
00:28:36,376 --> 00:28:42,524
God has communicated that to my own soul.

660
00:28:42,524 --> 00:28:53,583
That He has made me a minister.

661
00:28:53,583 --> 00:28:58,884
They're not man-made.

662
00:28:58,884 --> 00:29:00,955
Nothing could really be clearer

663
00:29:00,955 --> 00:29:02,798
from Scripture than this reality.

664
00:29:02,798 --> 00:29:09,929
Paul says there in 2 Corinthians 3.

665
00:29:09,929 --> 00:29:14,022
He says God has made us sufficient

666
00:29:14,022 --> 00:29:17,019
to be ministers of a new covenant.

667
00:29:17,019 --> 00:29:18,901
Sometimes people ask,

668
00:29:18,901 --> 00:29:21,251
oh, are you new covenant?

669
00:29:21,251 --> 00:29:24,142
Look, those men who are God-made ministers

670
00:29:24,142 --> 00:29:30,384
are always ministers of the new covenant.

671
00:29:30,384 --> 00:29:33,417
God has made us sufficient.

672
00:29:33,417 --> 00:29:34,716
Do you like that?

673
00:29:34,716 --> 00:29:35,666
Sufficiency.

674
00:29:35,666 --> 00:29:38,804
The sufficiency that is given to a man

675
00:29:38,804 --> 00:29:42,825
to be a minister; to be in the ministry

676
00:29:42,825 --> 00:29:45,566
is given by God.

677
00:29:45,566 --> 00:29:46,894
It's God.

678
00:29:46,894 --> 00:29:50,345
A man's sufficiency is not from himself.

679
00:29:50,345 --> 00:29:53,159
Listen to the Apostle Paul in other places.

680
00:29:53,159 --> 00:29:55,437
1 Timothy 1:12

681
00:29:55,437 --> 00:29:58,569
"I thank Him who has given me strength,

682
00:29:58,569 --> 00:30:01,523
Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful."

683
00:30:01,523 --> 00:30:05,241
Notice this: "...appointing me to His service."

684
00:30:05,241 --> 00:30:06,610
Again, confidence.

685
00:30:06,610 --> 00:30:09,292
I'm talking about here the confidence

686
00:30:09,292 --> 00:30:12,983
of a God-made minister.

687
00:30:12,983 --> 00:30:14,715
Or in 2 Timothy 1:11,

688
00:30:14,715 --> 00:30:16,936
"I was appointed..."

689
00:30:16,936 --> 00:30:18,523
Here's that confidence again.

690
00:30:18,523 --> 00:30:19,429
He knows it.

691
00:30:19,429 --> 00:30:22,184
"I was appointed..."

692
00:30:22,184 --> 00:30:24,409
Not just an apostle,

693
00:30:24,409 --> 00:30:27,574
he says, "I was appointed a preacher

694
00:30:27,574 --> 00:30:29,618
and a teacher."

695
00:30:29,618 --> 00:30:31,040
He knew that.

696
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:33,192
Even being a preacher or a teacher

697
00:30:33,192 --> 00:30:36,384
comes by appointment.

698
00:30:36,384 --> 00:30:39,926
And he knew it. He knew it.

699
00:30:39,926 --> 00:30:42,348
And God tells us he knew it.

700
00:30:42,348 --> 00:30:44,534
God wants us to know that a man

701
00:30:44,534 --> 00:30:50,041
can be confident about his calling.

702
00:30:50,041 --> 00:30:54,200
Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his series on Acts.

703
00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,714
I remembered this from listening to his messages.

704
00:30:56,714 --> 00:30:57,961
I went back and dug it up.

705
00:30:57,961 --> 00:31:01,125
He says this: "Why am I a preacher of the Gospel?"

706
00:31:01,125 --> 00:31:03,695
He says, "there's only one answer to that question.

707
00:31:03,695 --> 00:31:07,030
I'm a preacher because I believe I have been called."

708
00:31:07,030 --> 00:31:08,394
Paul had confidence.

709
00:31:08,394 --> 00:31:09,761
Pat Horner told me one time;

710
00:31:09,761 --> 00:31:12,514
he said, brother, you don't want to go into the ministry,

711
00:31:12,514 --> 00:31:14,500
unless you know that God has

712
00:31:14,500 --> 00:31:16,022
called you to be there.

713
00:31:16,022 --> 00:31:17,468
He said you don't want to wait

714
00:31:17,468 --> 00:31:19,413
until you get in the midst of the battle

715
00:31:19,413 --> 00:31:21,288
before you try to figure that out.

716
00:31:21,288 --> 00:31:23,235
And he's right, because you know what?

717
00:31:23,235 --> 00:31:25,213
In the days that I've wanted to fly away

718
00:31:25,213 --> 00:31:27,301
to the mountains and be at rest;

719
00:31:27,301 --> 00:31:28,995
in the days when I've thought about

720
00:31:28,995 --> 00:31:30,596
driving out, sticking the key in,

721
00:31:30,596 --> 00:31:35,135
starting up that car and just driving,

722
00:31:35,135 --> 00:31:36,553
it's never been serious.

723
00:31:36,553 --> 00:31:38,855
It's never been a serious thought

724
00:31:38,855 --> 00:31:40,813
even on the most difficult day,

725
00:31:40,813 --> 00:31:43,304
because I really believe

726
00:31:43,304 --> 00:31:45,734
that this is what God has called me to.

727
00:31:45,734 --> 00:31:49,167
And I believe that that is something

728
00:31:49,167 --> 00:31:52,003
that God tells us in His Word

729
00:31:52,003 --> 00:31:55,185
is indeed a reality.

730
00:31:55,185 --> 00:31:58,626
A pastor or preacher without a calling,

731
00:31:58,626 --> 00:32:02,681
that's to have a name and nothing more.

732
00:32:02,681 --> 00:32:04,872
Brethren, you know it.

733
00:32:04,872 --> 00:32:08,899
It's the cause of many fruitless ministries

734
00:32:08,899 --> 00:32:12,145
and it's the cause of declining churches.

735
00:32:12,145 --> 00:32:14,913
Men in the pulpit -

736
00:32:14,913 --> 00:32:19,343
I come across examples of this -

737
00:32:19,343 --> 00:32:23,246
men who get in the pulpit,

738
00:32:23,246 --> 00:32:29,245
and they don't belong there.

739
00:32:29,245 --> 00:32:30,821
God said this:

740
00:32:30,821 --> 00:32:32,539
"I sent them not..."

741
00:32:32,539 --> 00:32:33,869
He says this in Jeremiah.

742
00:32:33,869 --> 00:32:37,660
"'I sent them not, nor commanded them.

743
00:32:37,660 --> 00:32:44,446
Therefore they shall not profit this people at all,' saith the Lord."

744
00:32:44,446 --> 00:32:47,555
That's what happens when men seek to be

745
00:32:47,555 --> 00:32:51,445
preachers, teachers, apostles, pastors.

746
00:32:51,445 --> 00:32:53,657
And brethren, the reality is that you know

747
00:32:53,657 --> 00:32:55,803
that this isn't just something that's said

748
00:32:55,803 --> 00:32:57,437
of the Apostle Paul.

749
00:32:57,437 --> 00:32:59,089
You remember what happened when

750
00:32:59,089 --> 00:33:02,097
the apostle was speaking to the Ephesian elders.

751
00:33:02,097 --> 00:33:04,968
He specifically said of those Ephesian elders,

752
00:33:04,968 --> 00:33:08,136
he said the Holy Spirit has made you overseers

753
00:33:08,136 --> 00:33:10,947
to care for the church of God.

754
00:33:10,947 --> 00:33:12,613
And again in 1 Corinthians,

755
00:33:12,613 --> 00:33:14,359
we know God appointed in the church

756
00:33:14,359 --> 00:33:16,697
first apostles, and then prophets,

757
00:33:16,697 --> 00:33:17,941
and third teachers.

758
00:33:17,941 --> 00:33:18,857
Appointed.

759
00:33:18,857 --> 00:33:21,449
Not just the position or the office;

760
00:33:21,449 --> 00:33:23,405
he's talking about individuals

761
00:33:23,405 --> 00:33:25,934
have been appointed.

762
00:33:25,934 --> 00:33:28,298
Anyway, I like that about Paul.

763
00:33:28,298 --> 00:33:34,180
He's confident of what God has called him to.

764
00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:37,687
Third thing.

765
00:33:37,687 --> 00:33:41,956
The self-assessment of a great man.

766
00:33:41,956 --> 00:33:44,249
Notice v. 8.

767
00:33:44,249 --> 00:33:49,055
The self-assessment of a great man.

768
00:33:49,055 --> 00:33:51,209
Well, maybe we can talk about

769
00:33:51,209 --> 00:33:53,803
whether he indeed was a great man.

770
00:33:53,803 --> 00:33:55,471
He seems to not think of himself

771
00:33:55,471 --> 00:33:56,627
as a very great man.

772
00:33:56,627 --> 00:33:59,718
"To me, though I am the very least

773
00:33:59,718 --> 00:34:02,793
of all the saints, this grace was given,

774
00:34:02,793 --> 00:34:07,675
to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

775
00:34:07,675 --> 00:34:10,756
Again, I would just say this.

776
00:34:10,756 --> 00:34:13,529
The Spirit of God wants us to hear

777
00:34:13,529 --> 00:34:15,843
Paul speak this way.

778
00:34:15,843 --> 00:34:18,371
And I think if he does, we should wrestle with it.

779
00:34:18,371 --> 00:34:20,355
What's the benefit for me?

780
00:34:20,355 --> 00:34:24,144
Is the benefit for me to say,

781
00:34:24,144 --> 00:34:27,273
oh, well, he's the very least of all the saints,

782
00:34:27,273 --> 00:34:29,210
so that doesn't include me,

783
00:34:29,210 --> 00:34:30,888
so I must be greater than him.

784
00:34:30,888 --> 00:34:33,150
He's the very least.

785
00:34:33,150 --> 00:34:35,134
Is that basically the conclusion

786
00:34:35,134 --> 00:34:36,608
we should come to when we read

787
00:34:36,608 --> 00:34:40,965
that statement by Paul?

788
00:34:40,965 --> 00:34:42,754
I would just ask this.

789
00:34:42,754 --> 00:34:47,733
Was Paul the least saint?

790
00:34:47,733 --> 00:34:52,522
Now remember, he's under inspiration.

791
00:34:52,522 --> 00:34:53,964
Is it true?

792
00:34:53,964 --> 00:34:55,632
I mean, the truth is, many of us

793
00:34:55,632 --> 00:34:58,908
would regard him - like I just got done saying -

794
00:34:58,908 --> 00:35:00,904
of all the men in Scripture

795
00:35:00,904 --> 00:35:02,890
who's a saved sinner that is

796
00:35:02,890 --> 00:35:06,129
set up as examples for imitation

797
00:35:06,129 --> 00:35:09,166
by God Himself -

798
00:35:09,166 --> 00:35:11,226
the Apostle Paul.

799
00:35:11,226 --> 00:35:13,558
If that's true, we would expect him

800
00:35:13,558 --> 00:35:17,711
to be the greatest example among saints;

801
00:35:17,711 --> 00:35:19,693
not the least.

802
00:35:19,693 --> 00:35:21,338
Right?

803
00:35:21,338 --> 00:35:25,555
I would expect that.

804
00:35:25,555 --> 00:35:27,334
Now look, on the one hand,

805
00:35:27,334 --> 00:35:29,288
this can't be false humility,

806
00:35:29,288 --> 00:35:31,602
because the Spirit of God isn't going to allow

807
00:35:31,602 --> 00:35:34,430
falsehoods in Scripture.

808
00:35:34,430 --> 00:35:35,701
Right?

809
00:35:35,701 --> 00:35:38,963
But does the Spirit perhaps allow Paul

810
00:35:38,963 --> 00:35:45,377
to express an opinion about himself -

811
00:35:45,377 --> 00:35:48,233
basically, Paul's perspective of himself

812
00:35:48,233 --> 00:35:53,951
in light of the shame he feels

813
00:35:53,951 --> 00:35:58,368
for what he did to the church

814
00:35:58,368 --> 00:36:00,047
in his lost days?

815
00:36:00,047 --> 00:36:06,080
Is this perhaps hyperbole?

816
00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:10,708
Hyperbole is an acceptable exaggeration.

817
00:36:10,708 --> 00:36:12,908
You need to hate mother and father.

818
00:36:12,908 --> 00:36:17,517
See, that's acceptable exaggeration in Scripture.

819
00:36:17,517 --> 00:36:18,957
It drives a point home.

820
00:36:18,957 --> 00:36:22,541
Is it true that Paul was the very least

821
00:36:22,541 --> 00:36:24,172
of all the saints?

822
00:36:24,172 --> 00:36:26,577
And you know, he says things in similar fashion

823
00:36:26,577 --> 00:36:27,684
in other places.

824
00:36:27,684 --> 00:36:28,960
You remember what he said?

825
00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:31,373
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,

826
00:36:31,373 --> 00:36:38,709
of whom I am chief or foremost.

827
00:36:38,709 --> 00:36:40,234
And you know he also said -

828
00:36:40,234 --> 00:36:41,545
we already looked at it -

829
00:36:41,545 --> 00:36:43,344
he says there in 1 Corinthians 15

830
00:36:43,344 --> 00:36:47,202
that I'm the least of all the apostles.

831
00:36:47,202 --> 00:36:51,800
Not even worthy to be one.

832
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:58,381
The self-reflections of an inspired man.

833
00:36:58,381 --> 00:37:00,543
You know what's interesting about the text

834
00:37:00,543 --> 00:37:01,964
in 1 Corinthians 15?

835
00:37:01,964 --> 00:37:03,703
It's right in the next verse.

836
00:37:03,703 --> 00:37:07,573
He says I worked harder than any of them.

837
00:37:07,573 --> 00:37:08,672
Don't you love that?

838
00:37:08,672 --> 00:37:11,344
I am the least,

839
00:37:11,344 --> 00:37:14,508
yet I'm the greatest.

840
00:37:14,508 --> 00:37:17,419
And that seems to be how he speaks.

841
00:37:17,419 --> 00:37:18,911
I love that.

842
00:37:18,911 --> 00:37:20,634
But what I ask is this.

843
00:37:20,634 --> 00:37:22,727
He's supposed to be an example to us.

844
00:37:22,727 --> 00:37:24,622
So what does it tell us about how we

845
00:37:24,622 --> 00:37:27,194
ought to view ourselves?

846
00:37:27,194 --> 00:37:30,101
Should we strive to see ourselves

847
00:37:30,101 --> 00:37:33,136
in the same way Paul saw himself?

848
00:37:33,136 --> 00:37:34,554
Or was Paul really the least,

849
00:37:34,554 --> 00:37:36,534
and for us to try to think of ourselves

850
00:37:36,534 --> 00:37:39,459
as least is only trying to think of ourselves

851
00:37:39,459 --> 00:37:43,517
in a way that really isn't true?

852
00:37:43,517 --> 00:37:46,007
Or, is this a healthy self-reflection

853
00:37:46,007 --> 00:37:48,068
that each one of us should have?

854
00:37:48,068 --> 00:37:50,045
And if it is, how do we get to the place

855
00:37:50,045 --> 00:37:52,237
to where we really think like this?

856
00:37:52,237 --> 00:37:55,293
And it's almost like,

857
00:37:55,293 --> 00:38:00,986
ok, let's all try to think of ourselves as the least.

858
00:38:00,986 --> 00:38:03,203
Let's compete for that.

859
00:38:03,203 --> 00:38:05,581
Let's be in competition

860
00:38:05,581 --> 00:38:07,993
for trying to see ourselves

861
00:38:07,993 --> 00:38:14,558
as the lowest; the worst.

862
00:38:14,558 --> 00:38:15,736
Which is what?

863
00:38:15,736 --> 00:38:17,565
It's actually trying to be greatest

864
00:38:17,565 --> 00:38:19,586
in pursuing being least.

865
00:38:19,586 --> 00:38:22,022
And it's almost like you go down that road,

866
00:38:22,022 --> 00:38:24,273
the moment you start to even think that way

867
00:38:24,273 --> 00:38:28,653
and pursue it, by nature, you just move

868
00:38:28,653 --> 00:38:30,574
in the opposite direction.

869
00:38:30,574 --> 00:38:33,659
But how can we think about this

870
00:38:33,659 --> 00:38:37,645
in a way that's healthy?

871
00:38:37,645 --> 00:38:39,624
I remember hearing John Piper one time.

872
00:38:39,624 --> 00:38:42,211
Somebody said to him;

873
00:38:42,211 --> 00:38:46,782
somebody asked him somewhere,

874
00:38:46,782 --> 00:38:50,632
(incomplete thought)

875
00:38:50,632 --> 00:38:52,662
I think the question was

876
00:38:52,662 --> 00:38:56,462
how do you remain humble

877
00:38:56,462 --> 00:39:00,674
in light of all the success that God has given to you?

878
00:39:00,674 --> 00:39:02,456
You know what he said?

879
00:39:02,456 --> 00:39:04,613
Piper responded with,

880
00:39:04,613 --> 00:39:08,056
I know who I am.

881
00:39:08,056 --> 00:39:11,919
In other words, I know how I talk

882
00:39:11,919 --> 00:39:15,923
to my wife when I go home.

883
00:39:15,923 --> 00:39:19,505
I know the thoughts that I struggle with.

884
00:39:19,505 --> 00:39:21,197
I know my failures.

885
00:39:21,197 --> 00:39:22,387
I know my sins.

886
00:39:22,387 --> 00:39:23,858
I know my struggles.

887
00:39:23,858 --> 00:39:26,548
And that's the issue.

888
00:39:26,548 --> 00:39:28,103
I would say this.

889
00:39:28,103 --> 00:39:30,321
Do you know based on the facts

890
00:39:30,321 --> 00:39:38,033
available to me?

891
00:39:38,033 --> 00:39:41,394
Like, I can sit around an elder's meeting

892
00:39:41,394 --> 00:39:45,760
and think I'm the least.

893
00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:52,504
I can think about life in the church.

894
00:39:52,504 --> 00:39:53,919
And I can feel like,

895
00:39:53,919 --> 00:39:57,505
Lord, I'm the last guy You should have called to this.

896
00:39:57,505 --> 00:39:59,543
I can think about a Denton conference

897
00:39:59,543 --> 00:40:01,687
and compare myself to the other preachers.

898
00:40:01,687 --> 00:40:03,103
I can think that way,

899
00:40:03,103 --> 00:40:05,334
that I'm the least.

900
00:40:05,334 --> 00:40:06,353
Why?

901
00:40:06,353 --> 00:40:11,998
That doesn't mean that we don't struggle with pride.

902
00:40:11,998 --> 00:40:14,013
And that thoughts don't come into our head

903
00:40:14,013 --> 00:40:17,576
of superiority or even asking the question,

904
00:40:17,576 --> 00:40:19,733
which one of us is greatest?

905
00:40:19,733 --> 00:40:21,637
But you know when you really think about

906
00:40:21,637 --> 00:40:25,320
who you are - I mean,

907
00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:31,242
when you really think about who you are,

908
00:40:31,242 --> 00:40:33,702
sometimes the thought probably comes up,

909
00:40:33,702 --> 00:40:36,603
am I even really saved?

910
00:40:36,603 --> 00:40:44,757
Lord, how could I even have a thought like that?

911
00:40:44,757 --> 00:40:46,659
You know what? I know a whole lot more

912
00:40:46,659 --> 00:40:50,167
about me than I know about you.

913
00:40:50,167 --> 00:40:57,447
And the reality is that knowing what I know about myself -

914
00:40:57,447 --> 00:41:01,338
I don't know how it is for you,

915
00:41:01,338 --> 00:41:08,416
but images and words and actions

916
00:41:08,416 --> 00:41:12,288
from my lost life -

917
00:41:12,288 --> 00:41:14,695
they're in my dreams still.

918
00:41:14,695 --> 00:41:16,693
I can just be driving down the road

919
00:41:16,693 --> 00:41:19,007
and a thought will flash across my mind

920
00:41:19,007 --> 00:41:23,292
about some wicked thing I did.

921
00:41:23,292 --> 00:41:26,924
Or even in wanting to have a pure mind now

922
00:41:26,924 --> 00:41:29,356
as a Christian;

923
00:41:29,356 --> 00:41:32,613
wanting to think right.

924
00:41:32,613 --> 00:41:35,171
I was out praying yesterday

925
00:41:35,171 --> 00:41:38,745
and I thought about a fellow preacher,

926
00:41:38,745 --> 00:41:43,795
and such thoughts of jealousy

927
00:41:43,795 --> 00:41:45,663
came up in my mind,

928
00:41:45,663 --> 00:41:48,823
and I stopped...

929
00:41:48,823 --> 00:41:52,934
(incomplete thought)

930
00:41:52,934 --> 00:41:57,767
I started going to Scripture.

931
00:41:57,767 --> 00:42:00,109
Lord, You promised that those who come to You,

932
00:42:00,109 --> 00:42:03,947
You will not cast out.

933
00:42:03,947 --> 00:42:05,793
And I have come to You.

934
00:42:05,793 --> 00:42:07,556
And You've also said without holiness

935
00:42:07,556 --> 00:42:09,087
no one is going to see the Lord.

936
00:42:09,087 --> 00:42:10,171
And those go together.

937
00:42:10,171 --> 00:42:11,152
I have come to You.

938
00:42:11,152 --> 00:42:13,196
That's a promise. I see that as a promise.

939
00:42:13,196 --> 00:42:14,639
You are going to make me holy.

940
00:42:14,639 --> 00:42:17,270
And that is not a holy thought that I just had,

941
00:42:17,270 --> 00:42:18,578
and I hate that!

942
00:42:18,578 --> 00:42:21,987
And all of a sudden, thoughts of heaven

943
00:42:21,987 --> 00:42:24,801
where we're not going to live in the realm

944
00:42:24,801 --> 00:42:28,418
that Craig was preaching about

945
00:42:28,418 --> 00:42:29,950
concerning the people of Christ

946
00:42:29,950 --> 00:42:30,995
in the first hour

947
00:42:30,995 --> 00:42:32,673
where we have to forgive each other

948
00:42:32,673 --> 00:42:34,493
and we have to bear with each other.

949
00:42:34,493 --> 00:42:35,547
Can you imagine glory

950
00:42:35,547 --> 00:42:36,800
where you're able to see

951
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:38,615
other people's success

952
00:42:38,615 --> 00:42:40,358
and totally rejoice?

953
00:42:40,358 --> 00:42:41,716
As I was walking yesterday,

954
00:42:41,716 --> 00:42:43,300
and I got to thinking about this,

955
00:42:43,300 --> 00:42:45,141
I got to thinking,

956
00:42:45,141 --> 00:42:48,721
Paul... do you know what?

957
00:42:48,721 --> 00:42:52,556
Paul could hear about the success

958
00:42:52,556 --> 00:42:55,854
of the Gospel in any one of God's churches

959
00:42:55,854 --> 00:42:59,949
and rejoice equally.

960
00:42:59,949 --> 00:43:01,480
And I've thought about

961
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:03,744
how well do the people in our church here

962
00:43:03,744 --> 00:43:07,227
equally rejoice when God brings success

963
00:43:07,227 --> 00:43:09,446
in a sister church?

964
00:43:09,446 --> 00:43:12,303
And I thought if we're really living like Paul,

965
00:43:12,303 --> 00:43:14,329
and everything is for Christ -

966
00:43:14,329 --> 00:43:16,267
I'm a prisoner for Christ -

967
00:43:16,267 --> 00:43:19,536
I'm in Grace Community Church for Christ.

968
00:43:19,536 --> 00:43:21,491
If you're here for Christ,

969
00:43:21,491 --> 00:43:23,614
then there's no party spirit.

970
00:43:23,614 --> 00:43:25,910
We can rejoice with the success of the Gospel

971
00:43:25,910 --> 00:43:29,672
in another place.

972
00:43:29,672 --> 00:43:31,433
I'm just saying this,

973
00:43:31,433 --> 00:43:34,772
based on what I know about myself,

974
00:43:34,772 --> 00:43:38,254
I think this is where Paul is coming from.

975
00:43:38,254 --> 00:43:43,657
He knew.

976
00:43:43,657 --> 00:43:49,217
You know he replayed Stephen in his mind

977
00:43:49,217 --> 00:43:51,248
over and over and over.

978
00:43:51,248 --> 00:43:53,045
They wept for Stephen.

979
00:43:53,045 --> 00:43:56,585
Stephen was a champion in that early church.

980
00:43:56,585 --> 00:43:58,196
Paul probably felt his whole life

981
00:43:58,196 --> 00:44:01,962
he didn't hold a candle to Stephen.

982
00:44:01,962 --> 00:44:04,612
And he recognizes these other guys,

983
00:44:04,612 --> 00:44:08,356
while they're walking with Christ,

984
00:44:08,356 --> 00:44:12,365
he hated Christ.

985
00:44:12,365 --> 00:44:15,145
You just think about the background you came from.

986
00:44:15,145 --> 00:44:17,435
See, we know. We know

987
00:44:17,435 --> 00:44:18,891
so much about ourselves

988
00:44:18,891 --> 00:44:21,360
and about our own sin.

989
00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:27,653
We know.

990
00:44:27,653 --> 00:44:29,392
I'm the least.

991
00:44:29,392 --> 00:44:31,502
And what a healthy place,

992
00:44:31,502 --> 00:44:33,010
because I'll tell you what,

993
00:44:33,010 --> 00:44:35,466
when you know that -

994
00:44:35,466 --> 00:44:37,752
they said of Charles Simeon,

995
00:44:37,752 --> 00:44:40,648
that that was one of his great strengths,

996
00:44:40,648 --> 00:44:50,219
is how deeply he loathed his own self.

997
00:44:50,219 --> 00:44:53,133
They said it brought such ballast

998
00:44:53,133 --> 00:44:55,897
to the ship of his life,

999
00:44:55,897 --> 00:44:59,788
and yet, he could bemoan

1000
00:44:59,788 --> 00:45:01,710
his own wickedness at times,

1001
00:45:01,710 --> 00:45:03,543
but then he would be lifted up

1002
00:45:03,543 --> 00:45:05,057
to the greatest heights

1003
00:45:05,057 --> 00:45:07,297
of appreciating the grace of God.

1004
00:45:07,297 --> 00:45:10,440
And I think they go hand in hand.

1005
00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:15,961
You know, if you have the self-deprecating

1006
00:45:15,961 --> 00:45:18,890
views of yourself, but they also don't

1007
00:45:18,890 --> 00:45:23,224
lift you up to the heights of the grace of God,

1008
00:45:23,224 --> 00:45:25,898
then you're looking at it all wrong.

1009
00:45:25,898 --> 00:45:27,904
You stay down there, you'll just end up

1010
00:45:27,904 --> 00:45:30,859
in depression and despair.

1011
00:45:30,859 --> 00:45:33,679
But see, Paul, he could think of himself,

1012
00:45:33,679 --> 00:45:36,296
but it was only a few words before he was -

1013
00:45:36,296 --> 00:45:40,779
I think that's why he lived on the mountaintops,

1014
00:45:40,779 --> 00:45:44,851
because he recognized:

1015
00:45:44,851 --> 00:45:49,132
this salvation is mind-blowing

1016
00:45:49,132 --> 00:45:50,957
when you think about what you were

1017
00:45:50,957 --> 00:45:55,157
and what God has now done.

1018
00:45:55,157 --> 00:46:00,551
So, one last thing.

1019
00:46:00,551 --> 00:46:10,554
Paul's reflections on grace toward himself.

1020
00:46:10,554 --> 00:46:13,308
Notice this:

1021
00:46:13,308 --> 00:46:16,021
V. 1-2, "For this reason I, Paul,

1022
00:46:16,021 --> 00:46:17,603
a prisoner for Christ Jesus

1023
00:46:17,603 --> 00:46:19,598
on behalf of you Gentiles

1024
00:46:19,598 --> 00:46:22,219
assuming that you have heard

1025
00:46:22,219 --> 00:46:26,148
of the stewardship of God's grace

1026
00:46:26,148 --> 00:46:29,314
that was given to me for you."

1027
00:46:29,314 --> 00:46:32,881
Now listen. Listen to the title of this point again.

1028
00:46:32,881 --> 00:46:38,783
Paul's reflections on grace toward himself.

1029
00:46:38,783 --> 00:46:40,416
We're dealing with grace.

1030
00:46:40,416 --> 00:46:44,899
And Paul saw grace given to himself.

1031
00:46:44,899 --> 00:46:46,413
I'll tell you this,

1032
00:46:46,413 --> 00:46:50,897
he talks in this section about grace three times.

1033
00:46:50,897 --> 00:46:56,838
And every single time, he uses two other words as well:

1034
00:46:56,846 --> 00:46:59,835
"given" and "me."

1035
00:46:59,835 --> 00:47:01,587
Notice them.

1036
00:47:01,587 --> 00:47:08,806
V. 2, "...God's grace that was given to me for you."

1037
00:47:08,806 --> 00:47:15,307
V. 7, "...God's grace which was given me

1038
00:47:15,307 --> 00:47:18,084
by the working of His power."

1039
00:47:18,084 --> 00:47:20,943
And then notice v. 8, "To me,

1040
00:47:20,943 --> 00:47:23,256
though I am the very least of all the saints,

1041
00:47:23,256 --> 00:47:25,855
this grace was given."

1042
00:47:25,855 --> 00:47:27,309
Three times "grace."

1043
00:47:27,309 --> 00:47:28,660
Three times "given."

1044
00:47:28,660 --> 00:47:31,176
Three times "given to me."

1045
00:47:31,176 --> 00:47:33,149
This is personal.

1046
00:47:33,149 --> 00:47:35,419
This is personal to Paul.

1047
00:47:35,419 --> 00:47:39,395
Grace given to me.

1048
00:47:39,395 --> 00:47:43,257
Now, it's not difficult to see

1049
00:47:43,257 --> 00:47:45,179
what he has in mind.

1050
00:47:45,179 --> 00:47:54,287
V. 8, He says this grace is to preach

1051
00:47:54,287 --> 00:47:55,408
to the Gentiles.

1052
00:47:55,408 --> 00:47:56,352
Do you see it?

1053
00:47:56,352 --> 00:47:58,198
"...to me, though I am the very least

1054
00:47:58,198 --> 00:48:00,711
of all the saints, this grace was given."

1055
00:48:00,711 --> 00:48:02,701
What grace are you talking about, Paul?

1056
00:48:02,701 --> 00:48:04,303
"To preach to the Gentiles

1057
00:48:04,303 --> 00:48:08,438
the unsearchable riches of Christ."

1058
00:48:08,438 --> 00:48:10,378
What I particularly want you to notice

1059
00:48:10,378 --> 00:48:12,412
is what Paul says in v. 7.

1060
00:48:12,412 --> 00:48:13,821
Because this is the point.

1061
00:48:13,821 --> 00:48:16,600
When Paul reflects on grace towards himself.

1062
00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:19,045
"Of this Gospel, I was made a minister

1063
00:48:19,045 --> 00:48:21,095
according to the gift of God's grace."

1064
00:48:21,095 --> 00:48:22,565
Now watch this:

1065
00:48:22,565 --> 00:48:27,197
"Which was given me by the working

1066
00:48:27,197 --> 00:48:30,648
of His power."

1067
00:48:30,648 --> 00:48:34,906
I think Mark Webb hit it right on the head.

1068
00:48:34,906 --> 00:48:36,697
May great grace fall upon me.

1069
00:48:36,697 --> 00:48:38,892
Do you know how many times the word "power"

1070
00:48:38,892 --> 00:48:40,359
came up in that song?

1071
00:48:40,359 --> 00:48:42,922
You might want to notice it the next time we sing it.

1072
00:48:42,922 --> 00:48:49,690
Great grace and continuous references to power.

1073
00:48:49,690 --> 00:48:52,317
I wonder, do we think -

1074
00:48:52,317 --> 00:48:54,828
again, Paul's the example.

1075
00:48:54,828 --> 00:48:56,171
Now just stick with me.

1076
00:48:56,171 --> 00:48:57,960
This is the last point here.

1077
00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:02,261
Paul, what do you think about grace?

1078
00:49:02,261 --> 00:49:04,782
When you think about grace

1079
00:49:04,782 --> 00:49:07,806
and it's personal - given to me.

1080
00:49:07,806 --> 00:49:11,180
See Paul didn't leave that word "power"

1081
00:49:11,180 --> 00:49:13,187
out of his sentence.

1082
00:49:13,187 --> 00:49:15,804
If you're asked to define grace,

1083
00:49:15,804 --> 00:49:17,846
I would just ask you this.

1084
00:49:17,846 --> 00:49:20,697
Do you imitate Paul this way?

1085
00:49:20,697 --> 00:49:24,072
When you're asked to define grace,

1086
00:49:24,072 --> 00:49:29,971
do you put power in the definition?

1087
00:49:29,971 --> 00:49:32,664
I remember years ago out at Community Baptist Church,

1088
00:49:32,664 --> 00:49:34,450
Pat Horner preached a message:

1089
00:49:34,450 --> 00:49:36,064
Grace and Power.

1090
00:49:36,064 --> 00:49:38,312
I looked it up to see if there was any record

1091
00:49:38,312 --> 00:49:39,591
of that message anywhere.

1092
00:49:39,591 --> 00:49:42,258
I don't even remember what he preached on specifically,

1093
00:49:42,258 --> 00:49:43,786
but I remember, he was saying,

1094
00:49:43,786 --> 00:49:46,712
if you're going to properly define grace,

1095
00:49:46,712 --> 00:49:49,612
you need to speak of power.

1096
00:49:49,612 --> 00:49:51,455
Listen to this.

1097
00:49:51,455 --> 00:49:55,641
the Friberg Greek Lexicon:

1098
00:49:55,641 --> 00:49:59,746
here's the definition of grace.

1099
00:49:59,746 --> 00:50:06,218
"The exceptional effects produced by God's favor."

1100
00:50:06,218 --> 00:50:09,861
See, we like to say unmerited favor.

1101
00:50:09,861 --> 00:50:12,657
But even when you look at the lexicons,

1102
00:50:12,657 --> 00:50:15,547
"the exceptional effects produced

1103
00:50:15,547 --> 00:50:19,273
by God's favor; by God's ability;

1104
00:50:19,273 --> 00:50:22,804
by God's power; by God's enabling."

1105
00:50:22,804 --> 00:50:24,877
I'll tell you this, honestly, when I hear

1106
00:50:24,877 --> 00:50:26,948
grace defined as unmerited favor,

1107
00:50:26,948 --> 00:50:29,338
I immediately think to myself -

1108
00:50:29,338 --> 00:50:31,113
every time it comes from this pulpit,

1109
00:50:31,113 --> 00:50:33,848
I think to myself,

1110
00:50:33,848 --> 00:50:36,617
you left power out.

1111
00:50:36,617 --> 00:50:38,249
I think every time that way.

1112
00:50:38,249 --> 00:50:40,898
Simply defining grace us unmerited favor,

1113
00:50:40,898 --> 00:50:45,191
in my estimation is a rather bland definition.

1114
00:50:45,191 --> 00:50:47,380
It's lacking something of the fullness

1115
00:50:47,380 --> 00:50:51,257
of the enablement that God gives to His favor.

1116
00:50:51,257 --> 00:50:54,977
The power, the fullness, and the glory

1117
00:50:54,977 --> 00:50:56,680
of grace is missing.

1118
00:50:56,680 --> 00:50:58,310
Now listen. Listen.

1119
00:50:58,310 --> 00:51:00,806
This place here is not the only place

1120
00:51:00,806 --> 00:51:02,387
where Paul speaks like this.

1121
00:51:02,387 --> 00:51:04,935
Just listen.

1122
00:51:04,935 --> 00:51:07,322
In 1 Corinthians 15,

1123
00:51:07,322 --> 00:51:09,026
we've mentioned this verse already,

1124
00:51:09,026 --> 00:51:10,367
but listen to it again.

1125
00:51:10,367 --> 00:51:13,665
V. 10, "But by the grace of God,

1126
00:51:13,665 --> 00:51:15,424
I am what I am,

1127
00:51:15,424 --> 00:51:18,583
and His grace toward me was not in vain."

1128
00:51:18,583 --> 00:51:21,595
Listen, Paul has an idea in his mind

1129
00:51:21,595 --> 00:51:25,607
that grace is vain unless it produces something.

1130
00:51:25,607 --> 00:51:28,186
And he says grace isn't vain,

1131
00:51:28,186 --> 00:51:30,799
and the way you can know it's not vain

1132
00:51:30,799 --> 00:51:32,516
is because of this.

1133
00:51:32,516 --> 00:51:34,019
He says, "On the contrary..."

1134
00:51:34,019 --> 00:51:35,139
It wasn't vain.

1135
00:51:35,139 --> 00:51:38,106
"On the contrary, it was effectual.

1136
00:51:38,106 --> 00:51:40,861
I worked harder than any of them,

1137
00:51:40,861 --> 00:51:42,810
though it was not I but the grace of God

1138
00:51:42,810 --> 00:51:44,368
that is with me."

1139
00:51:44,368 --> 00:51:46,219
You see what he's saying about grace?

1140
00:51:46,219 --> 00:51:48,462
Grace cause him to run harder,

1141
00:51:48,462 --> 00:51:49,631
to work harder,

1142
00:51:49,631 --> 00:51:51,432
to advance beyond others.

1143
00:51:51,432 --> 00:51:54,759
He doesn't see this as somehow

1144
00:51:54,759 --> 00:51:56,905
grace can be defined as

1145
00:51:56,905 --> 00:51:59,785
just unmerited favor unless you say

1146
00:51:59,785 --> 00:52:01,828
that that favor has some kind

1147
00:52:01,828 --> 00:52:04,196
of powerful effect in your life.

1148
00:52:04,196 --> 00:52:06,869
Unmerited favor? Yes! Absolutely!

1149
00:52:06,869 --> 00:52:08,865
It is that, but what sort of favor,

1150
00:52:08,865 --> 00:52:10,744
brethren, do we want?

1151
00:52:10,744 --> 00:52:12,831
Do we want powerless favor?

1152
00:52:12,831 --> 00:52:14,982
Do we want that which doesn't do anything?

1153
00:52:14,982 --> 00:52:17,124
Do we want a favor that has no expression?

1154
00:52:17,124 --> 00:52:19,515
Do we want favor that doesn't accomplish anything?

1155
00:52:19,515 --> 00:52:21,112
I don't want that.

1156
00:52:21,112 --> 00:52:22,841
Brethren, you know as well as I do,

1157
00:52:22,841 --> 00:52:25,620
prayer meeting after prayer meeting after prayer meeting,

1158
00:52:25,620 --> 00:52:28,619
what are we asking for? God, help us! Help!

1159
00:52:28,629 --> 00:52:29,919
What's that?

1160
00:52:29,919 --> 00:52:31,493
Do we want His favor? Yes.

1161
00:52:31,493 --> 00:52:33,438
But not a favor that's indistinct;

1162
00:52:33,438 --> 00:52:35,058
undiscernible, ambiguous,

1163
00:52:35,058 --> 00:52:38,569
that nobody can define or see or measure.

1164
00:52:38,569 --> 00:52:40,547
That isn't what we want, is it?

1165
00:52:40,547 --> 00:52:42,699
Aren't we praying that God would give us

1166
00:52:42,699 --> 00:52:45,440
such responses that when His grace comes

1167
00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:47,136
it would be great grace

1168
00:52:47,136 --> 00:52:48,575
and there would be power?

1169
00:52:48,575 --> 00:52:52,530
Demonstrations of power and the Spirit?

1170
00:52:52,530 --> 00:52:54,920
(incomplete thought)

1171
00:52:54,920 --> 00:52:56,383
That's what I want.

1172
00:52:56,383 --> 00:52:58,416
Is that not what you want?

1173
00:52:58,416 --> 00:53:01,579
We want that. We want that.

1174
00:53:01,579 --> 00:53:03,591
Do we want favor that's without energy?

1175
00:53:03,591 --> 00:53:05,024
Favor that's without strength?

1176
00:53:05,024 --> 00:53:06,970
Without change? Without force?

1177
00:53:06,970 --> 00:53:09,771
Look, grace manifests itself

1178
00:53:09,771 --> 00:53:11,357
in demonstrations of power.

1179
00:53:11,357 --> 00:53:12,642
It always does.

1180
00:53:12,642 --> 00:53:14,033
We can say that we're saved

1181
00:53:14,033 --> 00:53:15,992
by grace through faith,

1182
00:53:15,992 --> 00:53:17,938
but the evidence of God's grace

1183
00:53:17,938 --> 00:53:20,359
is that there's a demonstration of power.

1184
00:53:20,359 --> 00:53:23,065
Scripture over and over ties these two things together.

1185
00:53:23,065 --> 00:53:23,968
Listen to this.

1186
00:53:23,968 --> 00:53:26,195
2 Corinthians 12:9

1187
00:53:26,195 --> 00:53:29,245
You remember, Paul has a thorn in the flesh;

1188
00:53:29,245 --> 00:53:31,443
a messenger of Satan.

1189
00:53:31,443 --> 00:53:32,904
And what does he say?

1190
00:53:32,904 --> 00:53:35,076
He asks three times for it to be removed

1191
00:53:35,076 --> 00:53:38,046
and the Lord came back and said this:

1192
00:53:38,046 --> 00:53:41,730
"My grace is sufficent for you,

1193
00:53:41,730 --> 00:53:46,136
for My power is made perfect in weakness."

1194
00:53:46,136 --> 00:53:47,278
You see that?

1195
00:53:47,278 --> 00:53:48,576
Power.

1196
00:53:48,576 --> 00:53:51,032
Paul, I'm going to give you grace.

1197
00:53:51,032 --> 00:53:53,527
And if you want to know a synonymous way

1198
00:53:53,527 --> 00:53:57,929
of saying that: power.

1199
00:53:57,929 --> 00:53:59,277
2 Timothy 2:1

1200
00:53:59,277 --> 00:54:02,863
"You then, my child, be strengthened

1201
00:54:02,863 --> 00:54:05,646
by the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

1202
00:54:05,646 --> 00:54:07,441
Or this that goes right back to

1203
00:54:07,441 --> 00:54:10,043
"may great grace fall upon us."

1204
00:54:10,043 --> 00:54:11,860
"And then with great power,

1205
00:54:11,860 --> 00:54:13,918
the apostles were giving their testimony

1206
00:54:13,918 --> 00:54:16,020
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus

1207
00:54:16,020 --> 00:54:19,332
and great grace was upon them all."

1208
00:54:19,332 --> 00:54:21,324
Paul said that God's grace came to him

1209
00:54:21,324 --> 00:54:23,293
by the working of God's power.

1210
00:54:23,293 --> 00:54:25,627
Is that not what we want to see?

1211
00:54:25,627 --> 00:54:27,158
Look, many imagine themselves

1212
00:54:27,158 --> 00:54:28,736
to be recipients of grace.

1213
00:54:28,736 --> 00:54:31,578
Oh yes, by grace, I've been saved.

1214
00:54:31,578 --> 00:54:33,693
Listen, if that grace doesn't turn your life

1215
00:54:33,693 --> 00:54:35,582
upside down, it isn't God's grace.

1216
00:54:35,582 --> 00:54:39,070
Why? Because there's always a demonstration of power there.

1217
00:54:39,070 --> 00:54:41,054
That's why Paul could look at somebody

1218
00:54:41,054 --> 00:54:43,406
and say you need to examine yourselves.

1219
00:54:43,406 --> 00:54:45,774
If you're yet trapped in your sin,

1220
00:54:45,774 --> 00:54:46,931
there's a problem.

1221
00:54:46,931 --> 00:54:48,197
Examine yourselves.

1222
00:54:48,197 --> 00:54:49,336
You can't be saved.

1223
00:54:49,336 --> 00:54:50,833
Don't be deceived.

1224
00:54:50,833 --> 00:54:53,529
You see, brethren, when it talks about

1225
00:54:53,529 --> 00:54:55,364
tearing out the eyeball

1226
00:54:55,364 --> 00:54:57,216
and chopping off the hand,

1227
00:54:57,216 --> 00:55:00,243
or you don't go enter the kingdom -

1228
00:55:00,243 --> 00:55:01,756
that isn't works.

1229
00:55:01,756 --> 00:55:03,719
What that's saying is that grace

1230
00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:08,289
gives an individual power to be radical

1231
00:55:08,289 --> 00:55:09,983
in the fight for sin.

1232
00:55:09,983 --> 00:55:11,452
That's what it's all about.

1233
00:55:11,452 --> 00:55:12,482
It's power.

1234
00:55:12,482 --> 00:55:15,023
And we say, oh, I'm saved by grace.

1235
00:55:15,023 --> 00:55:16,464
But your life isn't changed?

1236
00:55:16,464 --> 00:55:17,720
You're not a new creation?

1237
00:55:17,720 --> 00:55:19,591
You're still the old, dead thing?

1238
00:55:19,591 --> 00:55:21,886
Going along in the old dead ways?

1239
00:55:21,886 --> 00:55:24,021
Following the old dead path?

1240
00:55:24,021 --> 00:55:25,240
The course of the world?

1241
00:55:25,240 --> 00:55:27,925
And following the prince of the power of the air?

1242
00:55:27,925 --> 00:55:31,090
Look, you may convince people around you,

1243
00:55:31,090 --> 00:55:33,695
but it's going to be very unconvincing in that day.

1244
00:55:33,695 --> 00:55:35,115
The only kind of Christianity

1245
00:55:35,115 --> 00:55:36,853
that holds any weight in Scripture

1246
00:55:36,853 --> 00:55:39,286
is that where there is power.

1247
00:55:39,286 --> 00:55:40,356
Paul talked about it.

1248
00:55:40,356 --> 00:55:41,926
Paul talked about his preaching.

1249
00:55:41,926 --> 00:55:43,752
He talked about the kind of preaching

1250
00:55:43,752 --> 00:55:45,666
that raised people from the dead.

1251
00:55:45,666 --> 00:55:47,802
He talked about preaching that Gospel,

1252
00:55:47,802 --> 00:55:49,498
and that there was a demonstration

1253
00:55:49,498 --> 00:55:51,084
of the Spirit and power.

1254
00:55:51,084 --> 00:55:52,857
That's what we want in the preaching.

1255
00:55:52,857 --> 00:55:54,625
That's what we want in the praying.

1256
00:55:54,625 --> 00:55:56,629
That's what we want in the evangelization.

1257
00:55:56,629 --> 00:55:58,455
That's what we want in the church life

1258
00:55:58,455 --> 00:55:59,649
Craig was talking about.

1259
00:55:59,649 --> 00:56:01,500
What do you think it takes

1260
00:56:01,500 --> 00:56:04,636
to take an old, dead, unforgiving,

1261
00:56:04,636 --> 00:56:07,815
hard-hearted, stiff-necked wretch

1262
00:56:07,815 --> 00:56:10,279
and make them able to forgive one another

1263
00:56:10,279 --> 00:56:11,934
and bear up one another's burdens?

1264
00:56:11,934 --> 00:56:14,229
That doesn't happen by manmade means.

1265
00:56:14,229 --> 00:56:16,209
That happens by the power of God.

1266
00:56:16,209 --> 00:56:18,263
That's the kind of grace we need.

1267
00:56:18,263 --> 00:56:20,975
We need grace that turns people's lives upside down.

1268
00:56:20,975 --> 00:56:22,956
Isn't that what we want?

1269
00:56:22,956 --> 00:56:25,506
Not where we have to get out the magnifying glass,

1270
00:56:25,506 --> 00:56:26,827
and look at everybody like,

1271
00:56:26,827 --> 00:56:28,391
well, are they saved?

1272
00:56:28,391 --> 00:56:30,600
We barely see any fruit.

1273
00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:33,159
That's not what we want.

1274
00:56:33,159 --> 00:56:35,700
We don't want, well, they come to church

1275
00:56:35,700 --> 00:56:38,137
once in awhile and they walk through the back door

1276
00:56:38,137 --> 00:56:40,716
ten minutes late, and well,

1277
00:56:40,716 --> 00:56:43,226
they don't give.

1278
00:56:43,226 --> 00:56:45,998
That's not it.

1279
00:56:45,998 --> 00:56:48,437
Great grace fell upon the early church.

1280
00:56:48,437 --> 00:56:49,638
There was power.

1281
00:56:49,638 --> 00:56:51,500
They went to pray and the place shook.

1282
00:56:51,500 --> 00:56:53,300
What do you think brings that?

1283
00:56:53,300 --> 00:56:55,555
It's power.

1284
00:56:55,555 --> 00:56:57,828
That ought to be the desire.

1285
00:56:57,828 --> 00:56:59,340
That ought to be what we want.

1286
00:56:59,340 --> 00:57:02,706
And brethren, think with me here.

1287
00:57:02,706 --> 00:57:05,864
Look, we've got people that are deceived

1288
00:57:05,864 --> 00:57:09,287
because there's no demonstration of power in their life.

1289
00:57:09,287 --> 00:57:11,359
There's no demonstration of transformation.

1290
00:57:11,359 --> 00:57:16,649
But on the other hand, just remember this:

1291
00:57:16,649 --> 00:57:19,306
Just because you suffer more greatly

1292
00:57:19,306 --> 00:57:22,545
in this church than others do -

1293
00:57:22,545 --> 00:57:24,364
you say why am I made to bear this

1294
00:57:24,364 --> 00:57:25,958
when other people aren't -

1295
00:57:25,958 --> 00:57:31,758
that is no evidence that you are graceless.

1296
00:57:31,758 --> 00:57:34,978
Scripture's very plain.

1297
00:57:34,978 --> 00:57:37,475
(incomplete thought)

1298
00:57:37,475 --> 00:57:40,596
Think of the Apostle Paul.

1299
00:57:40,596 --> 00:57:44,222
Jesus said to him,

1300
00:57:44,222 --> 00:57:48,849
when he asked that that thorn be taken away,

1301
00:57:48,849 --> 00:57:50,732
He specifically said,

1302
00:57:50,732 --> 00:57:53,148
"My grace is sufficient for you,

1303
00:57:53,148 --> 00:57:57,833
for My power is made perfect in weakness."

1304
00:57:57,833 --> 00:58:01,706
Do you know His power flows through us

1305
00:58:01,706 --> 00:58:03,567
when we're not strong.

1306
00:58:03,567 --> 00:58:05,437
We think of it the other way around.

1307
00:58:05,437 --> 00:58:08,158
We want to feel strong.

1308
00:58:08,158 --> 00:58:09,609
But you know what, so often,

1309
00:58:09,609 --> 00:58:10,819
it's when we feel weak

1310
00:58:10,819 --> 00:58:11,910
and we know we're weak

1311
00:58:11,910 --> 00:58:15,040
and we're desperate with God.

1312
00:58:15,040 --> 00:58:19,462
But He makes His power flow through weakness.

1313
00:58:19,462 --> 00:58:23,352
And you know there in Romans 5,

1314
00:58:23,352 --> 00:58:27,648
he says we stand in grace.

1315
00:58:27,648 --> 00:58:33,465
It's like we stand in the realm of grace.

1316
00:58:33,465 --> 00:58:35,948
And you know what he says there?

1317
00:58:35,948 --> 00:58:38,931
He takes us down this path

1318
00:58:38,931 --> 00:58:41,423
and he says that,

1319
00:58:41,423 --> 00:58:43,802
"we rejoice in our sufferings."

1320
00:58:43,802 --> 00:58:45,415
See, this is standing in grace.

1321
00:58:45,415 --> 00:58:46,956
"We rejoice in our sufferings."

1322
00:58:46,956 --> 00:58:48,486
Why? What happens?

1323
00:58:48,486 --> 00:58:50,792
Well, because they produce endurance.

1324
00:58:50,792 --> 00:58:52,385
What's that?

1325
00:58:52,385 --> 00:58:53,638
What's endurance?

1326
00:58:53,638 --> 00:58:55,084
Endurance is what you call it

1327
00:58:55,084 --> 00:59:00,168
when you suffer longer without complaining.

1328
00:59:00,168 --> 00:59:01,734
You have more endurance.

1329
00:59:01,734 --> 00:59:02,976
You know how it is.

1330
00:59:02,976 --> 00:59:05,004
You suffer. You complain.

1331
00:59:05,004 --> 00:59:07,471
Greater endurance is

1332
00:59:07,471 --> 00:59:09,876
you don't complain as fast.

1333
00:59:09,876 --> 00:59:11,864
Greater endurance - you don't seek

1334
00:59:11,864 --> 00:59:15,925
a way out of the suffering that's sinful.

1335
00:59:15,925 --> 00:59:17,664
You don't seek a way out

1336
00:59:17,664 --> 00:59:20,051
that's going to dishonor God.

1337
00:59:20,051 --> 00:59:22,664
Now, we're never told to suffer if there's a way out.

1338
00:59:22,664 --> 00:59:24,449
But you only want to take the way out

1339
00:59:24,449 --> 00:59:26,868
if it's a righteous way out.

1340
00:59:26,868 --> 00:59:29,427
(incomplete thought)

1341
00:59:29,427 --> 00:59:30,970
But how does that work?

1342
00:59:30,970 --> 00:59:32,548
That's the power of God.

1343
00:59:32,548 --> 00:59:36,456
You see, suffering, oh, we all know it.

1344
00:59:36,456 --> 00:59:38,645
Christians for 2,000 years know it.

1345
00:59:38,645 --> 00:59:39,725
Our greatest growth;

1346
00:59:39,725 --> 00:59:41,040
our greatest refining

1347
00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:43,126
has always been when we're in the fire.

1348
00:59:43,126 --> 00:59:44,441
And how does that work?

1349
00:59:44,441 --> 00:59:46,871
Power.

1350
00:59:46,871 --> 00:59:48,119
Because think about this:

1351
00:59:48,119 --> 00:59:50,603
You take a lost man and you put him under suffering,

1352
00:59:50,603 --> 00:59:52,443
and it doesn't make him more enduring.

1353
00:59:52,443 --> 00:59:53,865
It doesn't produce character.

1354
00:59:53,865 --> 00:59:54,749
What's character?

1355
00:59:54,749 --> 00:59:56,302
That's the proven worth.

1356
00:59:56,302 --> 00:59:57,932
And then what follows out of that?

1357
00:59:57,932 --> 00:59:58,831
Hope.

1358
00:59:58,831 --> 01:00:00,084
Why is there hope?

1359
01:00:00,084 --> 01:00:02,950
Because when we suffer,

1360
01:00:02,950 --> 01:00:04,669
we look and see:

1361
01:00:04,669 --> 01:00:06,491
I didn't give way.

1362
01:00:06,491 --> 01:00:07,994
I endured.

1363
01:00:07,994 --> 01:00:09,990
Somehow, God held me up.

1364
01:00:09,990 --> 01:00:11,547
And I continued going.

1365
01:00:11,547 --> 01:00:13,308
I continued trusting Christ.

1366
01:00:13,308 --> 01:00:16,250
And I see that there was a proven quality

1367
01:00:16,250 --> 01:00:18,254
and a proven worth that was worked in me.

1368
01:00:18,254 --> 01:00:20,808
How does that happen? How does suffering produce that?

1369
01:00:20,808 --> 01:00:23,706
Because God is doing something that man can't do.

1370
01:00:23,706 --> 01:00:26,125
And that doesn't happen in the lost man.

1371
01:00:26,125 --> 01:00:27,829
You put a lost man under suffering,

1372
01:00:27,829 --> 01:00:29,258
he will curse God.

1373
01:00:29,258 --> 01:00:30,976
You put a man under suffering,

1374
01:00:30,976 --> 01:00:34,307
he will seek all manner of unlawful ways

1375
01:00:34,307 --> 01:00:37,821
to escape that suffering.

1376
01:00:37,821 --> 01:00:40,707
It's supernatural.

1377
01:00:40,707 --> 01:00:43,107
It's power. Power.

1378
01:00:43,107 --> 01:00:44,445
Our greatest advantages

1379
01:00:44,445 --> 01:00:46,307
and our greatest purifyings

1380
01:00:46,307 --> 01:00:49,387
have always occurred in the fire.

1381
01:00:49,387 --> 01:00:51,562
And there's no other way to explain that

1382
01:00:51,562 --> 01:00:55,350
than the power of God.

1383
01:00:55,350 --> 01:01:00,188
So Christian, don't believe yourself graceless

1384
01:01:00,188 --> 01:01:03,509
simply because God calls you to suffer more.

1385
01:01:03,509 --> 01:01:05,135
In fact, you may find in the end,

1386
01:01:05,135 --> 01:01:06,989
you have to remember, there's actually

1387
01:01:06,989 --> 01:01:09,401
kind of a tying together.

1388
01:01:09,401 --> 01:01:11,150
This momentary light affliction

1389
01:01:11,150 --> 01:01:15,301
is working for me

1390
01:01:15,301 --> 01:01:16,962
this eternal weight of glory.

1391
01:01:16,962 --> 01:01:21,051
The one works the other.

1392
01:01:21,051 --> 01:01:23,963
Power.

1393
01:01:23,963 --> 01:01:25,673
I just say this in ending.

1394
01:01:25,673 --> 01:01:27,587
Power excites me.

1395
01:01:27,587 --> 01:01:29,532
I want it.

1396
01:01:29,532 --> 01:01:32,266
Paul - he didn't want to define grace without it.

1397
01:01:32,266 --> 01:01:33,068
He saw it.

1398
01:01:33,068 --> 01:01:34,581
Something had happened to him.

1399
01:01:34,581 --> 01:01:36,176
It was to me.

1400
01:01:36,176 --> 01:01:38,892
He saw grace to me.

1401
01:01:38,892 --> 01:01:41,430
It was the powerful working of God

1402
01:01:41,430 --> 01:01:42,503
that was behind it.

1403
01:01:42,503 --> 01:01:44,541
I get excited about power.

1404
01:01:44,541 --> 01:01:46,323
Why?

1405
01:01:46,323 --> 01:01:47,627
For one reason:

1406
01:01:47,627 --> 01:01:49,527
Power makes things happen.

1407
01:01:49,527 --> 01:01:51,221
I get those great big locomotives -

1408
01:01:51,221 --> 01:01:52,870
for some reason, they like to park

1409
01:01:52,870 --> 01:01:54,812
right out my bedroom window,

1410
01:01:54,812 --> 01:01:56,294
and they rumble over there.

1411
01:01:56,294 --> 01:01:57,543
But that rumbling!

1412
01:01:57,543 --> 01:01:58,556
There's power.

1413
01:01:58,556 --> 01:02:00,762
Sometimes there's four engines over there.

1414
01:02:00,762 --> 01:02:02,540
(incomplete thought)

1415
01:02:02,540 --> 01:02:04,185
I've counted before.

1416
01:02:04,185 --> 01:02:06,220
It's like 100 - that thing may be

1417
01:02:06,220 --> 01:02:07,936
a mile long or more,

1418
01:02:07,936 --> 01:02:09,473
and every one of those cars

1419
01:02:09,473 --> 01:02:10,943
is full of rock or something.

1420
01:02:10,943 --> 01:02:13,139
Can you imagine the weight in there?

1421
01:02:13,139 --> 01:02:14,255
Power.

1422
01:02:14,255 --> 01:02:16,029
Power moves things.

1423
01:02:16,029 --> 01:02:17,634
Power accomplishes things.

1424
01:02:17,634 --> 01:02:19,969
Power, brethren, power!

1425
01:02:19,969 --> 01:02:21,739
In the Scripture, what does it do?

1426
01:02:21,739 --> 01:02:23,444
It turns the world upside down.

1427
01:02:23,444 --> 01:02:24,348
Power.

1428
01:02:24,348 --> 01:02:25,345
The power of God -

1429
01:02:25,345 --> 01:02:27,936
He can create everything that there is out of nothing.

1430
01:02:27,936 --> 01:02:28,772
Power.

1431
01:02:28,772 --> 01:02:30,397
Red Seas divide.

1432
01:02:30,397 --> 01:02:31,915
Power.

1433
01:02:31,915 --> 01:02:34,124
Power is what it takes to transform.

1434
01:02:34,124 --> 01:02:37,961
Power is what transforms hard hearts.

1435
01:02:37,961 --> 01:02:40,397
Power radically changes men

1436
01:02:40,397 --> 01:02:43,491
from proud, boastful, arrogant,

1437
01:02:43,491 --> 01:02:46,608
self-worshiping little gods

1438
01:02:46,608 --> 01:02:47,766
into what?

1439
01:02:47,766 --> 01:02:49,646
Men and women who are humbled,

1440
01:02:49,646 --> 01:02:50,773
see their sin,

1441
01:02:50,773 --> 01:02:52,038
cry out to Christ,

1442
01:02:52,038 --> 01:02:53,754
find their only hope there.

1443
01:02:53,754 --> 01:02:56,126
Their pride is laid low before the cross.

1444
01:02:56,126 --> 01:02:57,687
That's what power does.

1445
01:02:57,687 --> 01:02:59,148
Man can't do that.

1446
01:02:59,148 --> 01:03:00,425
We can't produce that.

1447
01:03:00,425 --> 01:03:02,804
We can't break hard hearts.

1448
01:03:02,804 --> 01:03:05,530
We can't break our children's hearts.

1449
01:03:05,530 --> 01:03:07,195
They can be ever so little.

1450
01:03:07,195 --> 01:03:08,569
They can be this big.

1451
01:03:08,569 --> 01:03:10,302
They want to fight.

1452
01:03:10,302 --> 01:03:12,391
You try to change that.

1453
01:03:12,391 --> 01:03:13,706
We all try to change that.

1454
01:03:13,706 --> 01:03:15,190
We can't change that.

1455
01:03:15,190 --> 01:03:16,917
It takes power to change that.

1456
01:03:16,917 --> 01:03:18,032
We want power.

1457
01:03:18,032 --> 01:03:20,173
Power's what causes people to grow

1458
01:03:20,173 --> 01:03:21,686
into the likeness of Christ.

1459
01:03:21,686 --> 01:03:23,712
Power is what's behind you suffering

1460
01:03:23,712 --> 01:03:25,564
and growing more and more like Christ.

1461
01:03:25,564 --> 01:03:27,539
That's what it is and that's what we need

1462
01:03:27,539 --> 01:03:28,980
and that's what we must have.

1463
01:03:28,980 --> 01:03:30,763
Power. Power. Power.

1464
01:03:30,763 --> 01:03:33,267
It's power that takes a man

1465
01:03:33,267 --> 01:03:36,823
or a woman and those old works

1466
01:03:36,823 --> 01:03:38,726
of the flesh -

1467
01:03:38,726 --> 01:03:40,096
you know what they are.

1468
01:03:40,096 --> 01:03:41,628
Just what I was talking about.

1469
01:03:41,628 --> 01:03:43,620
Jealousy and envy and hatred

1470
01:03:43,620 --> 01:03:44,955
and bitterness and strife

1471
01:03:44,955 --> 01:03:46,555
and fornication and adultery

1472
01:03:46,555 --> 01:03:49,195
and drunkenness and all the things -

1473
01:03:49,195 --> 01:03:50,266
we know about them.

1474
01:03:50,266 --> 01:03:51,248
They gripped us.

1475
01:03:51,248 --> 01:03:52,744
We were in the grips of them.

1476
01:03:52,744 --> 01:03:54,167
How do we cleanse away

1477
01:03:54,167 --> 01:03:57,126
all those defilements of body and mind?

1478
01:03:57,126 --> 01:03:58,247
How does that happen?

1479
01:03:58,247 --> 01:03:59,314
Power.

1480
01:03:59,314 --> 01:04:01,221
It takes power to break sin.

1481
01:04:01,221 --> 01:04:02,249
Dominion.

1482
01:04:02,249 --> 01:04:03,807
That's how Paul talks about sin.

1483
01:04:03,807 --> 01:04:04,918
Dominion.

1484
01:04:04,918 --> 01:04:07,729
It seeks to reign in the mortal body.

1485
01:04:07,729 --> 01:04:09,616
How do you confront that?

1486
01:04:09,616 --> 01:04:10,661
Power.

1487
01:04:10,661 --> 01:04:12,150
It's the power of the Spirit.

1488
01:04:12,150 --> 01:04:14,159
By the Spirit, we put to death.

1489
01:04:14,159 --> 01:04:16,034
This is the grace of God.

1490
01:04:16,034 --> 01:04:17,657
We don't want the cheap thing.

1491
01:04:17,657 --> 01:04:19,068
We don't want the imitation.

1492
01:04:19,068 --> 01:04:20,356
We don't want that.

1493
01:04:20,356 --> 01:04:22,346
We want to come into our prayer meetings

1494
01:04:22,346 --> 01:04:23,640
and we ask for help.

1495
01:04:23,640 --> 01:04:24,769
What is it we want?

1496
01:04:24,769 --> 01:04:25,622
We want grace.

1497
01:04:25,622 --> 01:04:27,235
Yes, unmerited favor.

1498
01:04:27,235 --> 01:04:29,929
But what kind of favor do you want?

1499
01:04:29,929 --> 01:04:31,898
I don't want the favor that's going to

1500
01:04:31,898 --> 01:04:33,585
leave our neighborhood unchanged.

1501
01:04:33,585 --> 01:04:35,057
I don't want the kind of favor

1502
01:04:35,057 --> 01:04:37,755
that is going to leave these young ladies unchanged

1503
01:04:37,755 --> 01:04:39,887
that come to the crisis pregnancy center.

1504
01:04:39,887 --> 01:04:42,028
I don't want the kind of preaching

1505
01:04:42,028 --> 01:04:43,849
that leaves prisoners unchanged

1506
01:04:43,849 --> 01:04:46,014
at the prisons and jails.

1507
01:04:46,014 --> 01:04:47,632
I don't want the kind of favor

1508
01:04:47,632 --> 01:04:50,241
that leaves women at the Grace House unchanged,

1509
01:04:50,241 --> 01:04:51,902
or the kind of favor that leaves

1510
01:04:51,902 --> 01:04:54,169
all of us within these walls unchanged.

1511
01:04:54,169 --> 01:04:55,859
Through the preaching of the Word

1512
01:04:55,859 --> 01:04:57,852
and the ministry to one another,

1513
01:04:57,852 --> 01:04:59,573
bearing up one another's burdens,

1514
01:04:59,573 --> 01:05:01,323
and using our spiritual gifts

1515
01:05:01,323 --> 01:05:02,477
upon one another.

1516
01:05:02,477 --> 01:05:05,344
That's the cheap; that's the imitation.

1517
01:05:05,344 --> 01:05:06,999
That's the man-made.

1518
01:05:06,999 --> 01:05:08,277
We shouldn't be surprised

1519
01:05:08,277 --> 01:05:10,312
when man-made religion can't produce

1520
01:05:10,312 --> 01:05:11,611
the real thing.

1521
01:05:11,611 --> 01:05:13,311
But we ought to be surprised

1522
01:05:13,311 --> 01:05:16,009
and not content if we're actually

1523
01:05:16,009 --> 01:05:18,791
observing that which is of God

1524
01:05:18,791 --> 01:05:22,025
and not seeing something radical.

1525
01:05:22,025 --> 01:05:24,385
Because that's what God's power does.

1526
01:05:24,385 --> 01:05:26,913
That's what He's always promised be for His people.

1527
01:05:26,913 --> 01:05:28,529
Power. Power.

1528
01:05:28,529 --> 01:05:31,473
This cheap talk of grace that doesn't change anything;

1529
01:05:31,473 --> 01:05:33,672
doesn't turn the world upside down;

1530
01:05:33,672 --> 01:05:35,305
doesn't radically recreate.

1531
01:05:35,305 --> 01:05:39,528
It just leaves sinners sinners.

1532
01:05:39,528 --> 01:05:44,790
Barely discernible.

1533
01:05:44,790 --> 01:05:46,511
I mean, that's what man can do.

1534
01:05:46,511 --> 01:05:50,465
Man has the ability to make people religious.

1535
01:05:50,465 --> 01:05:52,467
Man has the ability to become religious

1536
01:05:52,467 --> 01:05:56,859
and wear around some veneer of hypocrisy

1537
01:05:56,859 --> 01:05:59,169
and self-righteousness and religion.

1538
01:05:59,169 --> 01:06:00,316
Man can do that.

1539
01:06:00,316 --> 01:06:02,881
But man doesn't have the power that we need.

1540
01:06:02,881 --> 01:06:05,313
We need the grace of God

1541
01:06:05,313 --> 01:06:08,325
that comes through Jesus Christ,

1542
01:06:08,325 --> 01:06:10,526
that is undeserved and unmerited.

1543
01:06:10,526 --> 01:06:13,917
Yes.

1544
01:06:13,917 --> 01:06:17,448
But reveals itself in mighty demonstrations.

1545
01:06:17,448 --> 01:06:21,158
Self-reflections of an inspired man.

1546
01:06:21,158 --> 01:06:23,139
He saw grace,

1547
01:06:23,139 --> 01:06:26,992
and it was according to God's power

1548
01:06:26,992 --> 01:06:29,610
that was at work.

1549
01:06:29,610 --> 01:06:32,458
Don't let us be content with anything less than that.

1550
01:06:32,458 --> 01:06:34,407
Oh, you know what?

1551
01:06:34,407 --> 01:06:35,838
Paul may set a pace

1552
01:06:35,838 --> 01:06:37,823
that would make some of us uncomfortable,

1553
01:06:37,823 --> 01:06:39,691
but I think if we had him in our midst,

1554
01:06:39,691 --> 01:06:41,406
his expectation of the power of God;

1555
01:06:41,406 --> 01:06:43,600
his expectation that in weakness,

1556
01:06:43,600 --> 01:06:47,289
God would show Himself mighty;

1557
01:06:47,289 --> 01:06:49,234
I think that would encourage us all.

1558
01:06:49,234 --> 01:06:54,282
The faith of this man.

1559
01:06:54,282 --> 01:06:56,094
Father, we pray that You would help us

1560
01:06:56,094 --> 01:07:02,606
to imitate Paul;

1561
01:07:02,606 --> 01:07:05,723
to feel who this man was;

1562
01:07:05,723 --> 01:07:08,128
to feel his humility, his faith,

1563
01:07:08,128 --> 01:07:11,717
his expectation, his confidence.

1564
01:07:11,717 --> 01:07:18,385
Lord, we pray...

1565
01:07:18,385 --> 01:07:21,656
We just pray, Lord,

1566
01:07:21,656 --> 01:07:25,331
help us to imitate him

1567
01:07:25,331 --> 01:07:28,137
as he imitates Christ.

1568
01:07:28,137 --> 01:07:29,298
Power.

1569
01:07:29,298 --> 01:07:37,251
Father, it's You who makes

1570
01:07:37,251 --> 01:07:39,126
the true churches of God

1571
01:07:39,126 --> 01:07:44,382
stand apart from the dead church.

1572
01:07:44,382 --> 01:07:45,910
It's You who makes the living

1573
01:07:45,910 --> 01:07:48,586
stand apart from the dead.

1574
01:07:48,586 --> 01:07:49,834
It's You who gives life.

1575
01:07:49,834 --> 01:07:53,506
It's You who energizes

1576
01:07:53,506 --> 01:07:55,501
the very workings of the church.

1577
01:07:55,501 --> 01:07:57,346
How are we able to gather together

1578
01:07:57,346 --> 01:07:59,578
and stir up one another to love and good works

1579
01:07:59,578 --> 01:08:01,315
where those who are called to be

1580
01:08:01,315 --> 01:08:03,931
pastors and teachers to equip the saints

1581
01:08:03,931 --> 01:08:05,603
for the work of the ministry.

1582
01:08:05,603 --> 01:08:08,809
Or we come together and we live together

1583
01:08:08,809 --> 01:08:12,100
and above all these things, love.

1584
01:08:12,100 --> 01:08:14,437
How is it that we are to forgive one another

1585
01:08:14,437 --> 01:08:15,877
and abide with one another

1586
01:08:15,877 --> 01:08:17,487
and stir up one another,

1587
01:08:17,487 --> 01:08:19,594
encourage one another,

1588
01:08:19,594 --> 01:08:21,114
exhort one another?

1589
01:08:21,114 --> 01:08:22,915
How is it that we're able to do this

1590
01:08:22,915 --> 01:08:24,678
and produce and see produced

1591
01:08:24,678 --> 01:08:27,073
the very fruit of the Spirit

1592
01:08:27,073 --> 01:08:28,863
in people that we know come

1593
01:08:28,863 --> 01:08:32,214
from all manner of wickedness

1594
01:08:32,214 --> 01:08:33,586
and darkness.

1595
01:08:33,586 --> 01:08:34,546
How?

1596
01:08:34,546 --> 01:08:36,778
How? Lord, this is supernatural.

1597
01:08:36,778 --> 01:08:39,881
What we see in Scripture;

1598
01:08:39,881 --> 01:08:43,072
what we view in the workings of the church -

1599
01:08:43,072 --> 01:08:46,118
Father, it's supernatural.

1600
01:08:46,118 --> 01:08:49,139
It's something that You do.

1601
01:08:49,139 --> 01:08:51,580
A Christianity without You, Lord,

1602
01:08:51,580 --> 01:08:54,288
we know this - Christianity starts

1603
01:08:54,288 --> 01:08:57,477
and it progresses only in as much as

1604
01:08:57,477 --> 01:09:04,568
You are in it and involved with it.

1605
01:09:04,568 --> 01:09:07,045
We pray for the real thing.

1606
01:09:07,045 --> 01:09:11,367
Father, give us the real Christianity.

1607
01:09:11,367 --> 01:09:12,816
We thank You for everything

1608
01:09:12,816 --> 01:09:14,126
You have given to us.

1609
01:09:14,126 --> 01:09:16,093
We thank You for all the life and reality

1610
01:09:16,093 --> 01:09:18,728
that we've experienced.

1611
01:09:18,728 --> 01:09:21,827
Lord, You know.

1612
01:09:21,827 --> 01:09:24,666
You know that early church.

1613
01:09:24,666 --> 01:09:26,197
Great power.

1614
01:09:26,197 --> 01:09:28,340
Great grace.

1615
01:09:28,340 --> 01:09:31,747
And You know how those terms

1616
01:09:31,747 --> 01:09:35,933
line up with what's happening in our church today.

1617
01:09:35,933 --> 01:09:38,542
Father, we can say this,

1618
01:09:38,542 --> 01:09:40,428
that if we're experiencing the same

1619
01:09:40,428 --> 01:09:42,245
great grace and great power

1620
01:09:42,245 --> 01:09:43,461
that they experienced,

1621
01:09:43,461 --> 01:09:47,430
then Lord, our lips are sealed.

1622
01:09:47,430 --> 01:09:50,727
But Lord, if we're falling short

1623
01:09:50,727 --> 01:09:52,877
of receiving what they received

1624
01:09:52,877 --> 01:09:56,815
in the measure of grace and power,

1625
01:09:56,815 --> 01:09:58,420
then Father, could we not ask You

1626
01:09:58,420 --> 01:10:00,174
based on what they received

1627
01:10:00,174 --> 01:10:02,139
to remember us as well?

1628
01:10:02,139 --> 01:10:06,835
And to give us more?

1629
01:10:06,835 --> 01:10:11,421
Lord, give us the wings of eagles

1630
01:10:11,421 --> 01:10:14,394
that we may soar spiritually;

1631
01:10:14,394 --> 01:10:18,414
that we may run and not be weary;

1632
01:10:18,414 --> 01:10:20,795
that we may go forward in the power

1633
01:10:20,795 --> 01:10:23,954
and the grace of our God.

1634
01:10:23,954 --> 01:10:25,691
We ask this in Christ's name.

1635
01:10:25,691 --> 01:10:26,719
Amen.