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Speaker 1And I I see a couple of visitors and I I heard their accents and so I recognize them. They recognize me. It's good they're from Georgia. If y'all would stand with me, I'm going invite Bob and Florine up towards the front and we're going to sing together. We'll sing a couple of songs.
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Hopefully, that you know. If you don't, mutter through the first verse and sing loud on the second. I will sing of my redeemer, hymn number five seventeen if you want to find your part. Thank you, Florine.
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Speaker 3It's always a blessing to be here. Amen?
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Speaker 1Amen. Amen. Amen. Y'all sound good this morning. That's kind of a peppy number up here with this little Romanian playing.
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Wouldn't y'all sing with us on since Jesus came into my heart? 66. 503.
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Speaker 3Yeah. At the Spanish service and in Romania also, what if I have to I have the chance to lead a music. Why are you singing so fast? That's my style. I
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Speaker 1love to be alive. I love to be alive. Alright. Alright. Since Jesus came into my heart, remember 503.
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Alright. Thank you. Y'all can have a seat. We've got a couple of announcements. First of all, welcome.
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I'm glad you're here. I see we do have a couple of visitors, a few of you in here and welcome. Announcements. Yes, I heard something. I can sure.
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This one? No. Sorry. Both. Perfect.
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Let me know. That's good? There we go. Alright. Is that better?
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You're welcome. So Krista Nethercott. This, to begin with, before the announcements Krista, come on up. Krista's a member here, has been for a long time. If you know Jackson, you know, Nethicotts, y'all been here forever.
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But she's a member here, and she will be available after this service if you wanna talk to her more about this. But she's got a kind of a report from their trip.
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Speaker 2Alright. Are you ready to do this again? Okay. Josh, would you like to go clear across the other side of the world to go see your paw with Henry? Sure.
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So what did we do? What did we do? We got on a plane? We got on a plane and flew for thirty five hours to get to Bangladesh. Oh my goodness.
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It was the longest plane ride. But we had a great time. So I'm gonna show you just a few slides. The first one is my grandpa Henry. That was the main reason why we went and he is 92 years old and my uncle is a missionary surgeon for a baptist organization in Bangladesh and so he decided rather than go to a nursing home, he wanted to go live with his son.
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So, we got to not only see Papa Henry but we did get to spend time with the people of Bangladesh and see them in the hospital and spend time with them. This picture that you see here, the Vacation Bible School ended up donating tons of toys, stuff that kids could play with with markers, toys, all kinds of things and we were able to go to the hospital and the little villages surrounding the area and we were able to hand these out to people and so you can see I love the woman's expression on her face. She's so happy. I mean, they were the most grateful people and they were so happy just to have anything. This is another picture of a little boy that was in the hospital and we gave a flower to him and they just really enjoyed even though we couldn't speak their language and we did have some people that were translators.
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They really enjoyed just seeing us and just showing the love of Christ to people was like the best thing for us. And this was another little boy that was in the hospital. And I have to say the biggest hit that we got for toys was the Hot Wheel Cars. I wish we could've taken more with us because they're very heavy. They're die cast metal.
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So it was very, you know, hard to put those into suitcases. But the little boys went crazy over these cars. So that's a picture of him. And one of the biggest things that the hospital does for people is they have created something called Heart House. It is for women who are left behind when Bangladesh became its own country.
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They went through a civil war and a lot of the women were left without their husbands. And Bangladesh is a country where if you don't have a man to support you, your odds of surviving and your children surviving is very slim. So, they ended up making this heart house where women learn how to sew, they learn how to make dolls, they learn how to do all kinds of crafts and sell them. And that was spending some time with the women there making dolls. And if you visit our little table in back, you'll see some of the examples of that.
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It was really neat. So that's kind of the gist of Bangladesh. I did wanna say because I didn't get to do it during the first service, but my uncle is in need of surgical hats. And I have made a couple of these, but I'm selling some stuff out there that I've crocheted to help pay for the fabric to send it and make them. So you guys can check that out.
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Speaker 1I told the first service thank you very much. Cool. Glad y'all. I told the first service that the go ye therefore, the go ye in go ye therefore, is it's a participle. And the go you therefore, that participle does have the the force of an imperative.
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Go. Yes, it does but it's also a participle. So, the as you are going is a really good way. Her granddad was there. Her uncle was there and they went and as they were going, they were making disciples and sharing Jesus, love of Jesus because that's what they have and so, praise God.
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That's just cool. I I love that. That just kind of happened. That wasn't something that was set up by us to do specifically although we do that all the time. It was just something that just is happening all the time as a part of the life of this church.
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Would you stand with us? We're going to sing a few more songs. Oh, I probably have some announcements. Sorry. Monday nights at First B is happening on Monday night.
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Big surprise. 06:00 in the evening, meal, music, and message, Carl's in Philippians one. It's great. It's been really good. Solid Rock Student Ministry is meeting during the first service right at the preaching time.
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They split up and go downstairs or to my office. The guys go to my office. That's good and normal things Thursday night and Friday morning are on track for student ministry around here. There's a wrapping party on next Wednesday, November 18 from six to eight to wrap up boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Tanya, this mean more stuff.
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More stuff. I don't know much sign language, but I got that. More stuff. So nice stuff too, not just dollar store stuff. The way that Operation Christmas Child works is a a child is eligible one year to get this and it might be the only present that that child gets.
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So, get good stuff and maybe a wow item and more stuff. Stuff. Alright and next Sunday, it's all missionary stuff this morning. Next Sunday, missionary, our gal, Melissa Landis, will be available during the connect hour. So, she's going to try to set up in my office down the hall but if there are too many, we'll find a better, bigger spot for her but she'll be available to answer any questions about her continued work with Crossroads.
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She's heading back down to South Africa on December 8. So, get together with her next week and hear how things are going in South Africa in Durban. So, I think that's it and the rest of em check your bulletin. If you want to go see the movie, The War Room, it's about prayer. It's really really good movie from what I hear.
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I haven't seen it yet but the last day that it's going to be on here in the valley is today. So, if you want to go to that, fill the fill the theater this afternoon But check your bulletins for everything else. If you'll stand, the trio up here will bring you back together with a song. Greet one another. Por favor.
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We'll sing another one. And in the South, y'all Georgia folks, this is not the invitation. Don't leave after it's over. Where he leads me, I'll follow. We're gonna sing it before the sermon instead.
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Hymn number five ninety three. Amen. Thank you. Can I get the front line forward? And, Florine, would you mind saying our operatory prayer since you're gonna play during
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Speaker 3the offering anyway? Heavenly father, thank you so much for the privilege that we have to be here. Thank you so much for your son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for salvation. Thank you for our life every day.
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Thank you for our family church. I'm so blessed to be here. Thank you for your love and kindness. Please bless us as we give to give for your for your honor and glory. In Jesus' name, pray.
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Amen. Amen.
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Speaker 1Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, boy. So, we have gotten up to second Corinthians eight.
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If y'all have been following along, most of you have. I know for the visitors out there, what we've been doing for the last three and a half years is going through the Bible in chronological order. Actually, we started out with the life of Jesus in the book of John. Probably one of the last New Testament books written but we started out with the life of Jesus in John verse by verse going through. Then, went to the book of Acts, got the framework for the early church, life of the early church, and then we've been going back and getting the books, the epistles as they were written in order as best we could tell or as best I can tell actually because there are some decisions that have to be made.
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So, we've been through several but we're up to second Corinthians eight and I am gonna call this one this morning the biblical reaction to grace received and I've tried to highlight the word grace everywhere where it shows up all throughout the slides today to just let you see that God's grace is all over it. It's all over this passage. So, the biblical reaction to grace received and the way that we're gonna do it or I think that most pastors would like to think that what we do is apply. How does then and there apply to here and now? So, I'll tell you that on the front side rather than this being the last slide.
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I want for it to be the first. So, you'll be thinking about it the whole time. I would prefer that I just am like a shoe salesman showing you shoes, okay? I'm showing you a shoe and if the shoe fits, wear it. This is a one size fits most shoe.
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It one size fits all, probably, shoe. But I don't like to be terribly forceful and I don't see Paul being terribly forceful with this message. Now, chapter eight of first Corinth second Corinthians and chapter nine are both about the same thing. It's about giving but I want you to see this and be thinking about how does then and there apply to here and now. In your own mind, be thinking about the similarities in context and let's go.
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So, then and there is what we'll start with. Just backing up a minute, Paul wrote first Corinthians from Ephesus and we can see that in first Corinthians 16. He says, but I will stay on at Ephesus, meaning he's there and he's gonna continue to be there. I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost. So, Paul at Ephesus writes a letter and sends it to Corinth whether it went across the sea or not, we're not positive but it probably went right like this, got over to Corinth.
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First Corinthians, the letter that we have. Corinth is the city. Now, Corinth is right here on this narrow isthmus, the Peloponnesian isthmus right there and this was the fastest way to get from Asia Minor, we call it today, Asia then. You call going the same route that I took for that letter there. Get it gets up to Corinth, and there's a narrow strip of land that they have plans even in the first century BC to dig a canal across it because it was the narrowest spot and the quickest way to get from Asia to Italy, which was a route that need that, you know, was a big deal.
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So rather than going around and getting into stormy seas and everything else, they'd stay like this, come to Corinth, they'd have to offload everything off the ship, travel across the land, and then put it back on a ship. So when the stuff was going across there, Corinth taxed everything that came across. Corinth was a very wealthy city. They had leisure time. They had a middle class, which is just about unheard of at this time.
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Usually, was uber rich and very poor, but they had kind of an emerging middle class, we'll call it. In Corinth, right there. Second Corinthians two, it tells us that Paul traveled to Troas to minister there but he also expected to meet Titus and we've been over this couple of times. Second Corinthians two twelve says, when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was open for me and the Lord, my spirit was not at all at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. He had expected Titus to be there and he wasn't there.
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Even So, though the preaching was going well and his running buddies and everybody was doing fine, he was not at rest because he didn't find Titus. So, second Corinthians two and seven which we actually covered this last week says, so I took leave because his spirit was not at rest. So, I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest but we were afflicted at every turn, fighting without and fear within. So, from Ephesus to Troas up to Philippi probably or Macedonia anyway which is all of these cities, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea are all in Macedonia and actually, do you remember how well the gospel had gone from the book of Acts?
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Like Philippi, people were accepting it and Thessalonica, people were accepting it and Berea, people were accepting it. It was great. It was a big time for the gospel on Paul's missionary journey. This is the third missionary journey. He gets up to Macedonia and Paul and Titus reunite there.
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He says, but God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus. So, when Paul was in Macedonia, Titus meets back up with him. He doesn't have to wonder about him anymore. He's not anxious in his spirit anymore. He's comforted by God by the coming of Titus.
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Is everybody with me so far? Alright. I love the map. Corinth, Paul wrote second Corinthians from Macedonia. He had heard Titus's report about how things were going in Corinth and he had also seen what was going on in Macedonia with his own eyes.
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And after he had reunited with him, he writes this letter. He mentions it over and over and over again, probably sends it overland with Titus to go back down to the people of Corinth. So that brings us to this text right here. Eight one through four. Let's start there.
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We want you to know brothers and sisters. We do not want for you to be ignorant. We want you to know brothers and sisters about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. Now, what is grace? Unmerited favor.
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I've said that a thousand times from right here. Unmerited favor, undeserved blessing, undeserved favor. We want you to know brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. So, in this instance, it can be taken one of two ways. It can it can actually be taken both ways.
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We want you to know brothers and sisters of Corinth about the grace of God that has been given among the churches at Macedonia. It could be God's grace through Jesus for salvation for the people of those churches. That's a perfectly legitimate way to accept it and that's the way I take it but it's also we want you to know brothers and sisters about the grace of God. So, it's God's grace that has been given among or from the churches of Macedonia. So, it's God's grace being given through the Macedonians and then going forward to someone else.
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Okay? That make sense? I go with, it's the grace of God through Jesus that saved him and then he'll go from here and pretty much every other place where grace is mentioned in this is about a financial gift for the struggling saints in Jerusalem. So, here it goes. It has been given.
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This is something that's already happened at the time he's written a letter. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. In a severe test of affliction now I told you about Corinth and how well off Corinth was doing, and it was a place that was a place that had plenty of money. Macedonia, though, is flat broke, busted, geographic problem there. About a hundred and fifty years before this, Macedonia had had a gold rush, and they had a boom town situation going on.
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But after barbaric invasions and all kinds of other things that had come in and Roman occupation, everything happened right around that time. Their boom towns had gone flat and they were broke. Now, Philippi was a place and there are a couple of different places where Roman soldiers would retire because it was a cheap place to live and it was a nice area but they just didn't have much money. It was not a place where things were going well and you see this in this verse. In a severe test of affliction, they were broke.
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Extreme poverty. But it says, they're a bun in a severe test of infection, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty. Now, every, just about every missionary report that we've ever had up here and just about everyone that I've ever heard in any church usually goes something like this. I'm so blessed to have gone. I was having such a good time.
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We went there to share Jesus with them and we saw they just had nothing. But they were so joyful. The church there was so full of joy but they had nothing. Amen. I was looking for images to do this and I just couldn't put em up there.
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We were in a very, very poor place in Mexico for seven years, several years. And yeah, it's tough, but there was extreme joy. And he says their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed. Those two mixed together have overflowed into a wealth of generosity, and generosity is exactly what we think it means. It is giving, giving financially.
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For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord. Look at look at these. It's a grace, unmerited favor of God had been given to them and in their abundance of joy, it overflowed with a wealth of generosity they gave of their own accord. Amen. But it's voluntary of their own accord.
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In fact, Paul, looking at this this passage, I don't think Paul asked them to give. He probably let the need be known for sure. There are Christians suffering in Jerusalem and he was going to take him a collection. Yeah, he had written that to Galatians. He had written it to first Corinthians but I don't think he asked these guys.
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I think he just let them know because they're asking, how are the Christians in Jerusalem? You you're traveling. We're broke. He says, of their own accord, they gave according to their means and even beyond their means but it was voluntary. In fact, the biblical reaction to grace is what this is about.
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The biblical reaction to grace, anytime that God extends grace to someone, they extend it to others. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Biblical reaction to grace received from God is grace extended to others.
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I think that's true spiritually. I think it's true financially. I think it's true with forgiveness. That one's hit me really hard this morning. If God has forgiven you, be forgiving others just as God in Christ has forgiven you.
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We see Jesus in Luke 21 and he, Jesus, looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury and he saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So, he said, truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all for all these out of their abundance have put in the offerings for God but she, out of her poverty, put in all the livelihood that she had. Amen. One of the images that I saw yesterday had a superimposed over some text, and it said, the poor are often the most generous. And then below it, it said, because they know what it's like to have nothing.
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So of their own accord, grace. Of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints, and those were the saints in Jerusalem. They gave beyond their means of their own accord begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. That favor right there is charis, the word charis. Now anybody all know somebody named charis?
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Yeah. Charis means grace. Actually, the Greek word charis can mean either favor or grace or thanks, depending on the context, and we'll see it. Eight four is the first time we see it here as favor, begging us earnestly for the favor or the grace of taking part in the relief of the saints. They wanted to be a part of it.
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They had experienced God's grace, and they wanted to share it with other people. So, you could put grace there if you want to instead of favor and this, not as we expected. This is what I'm saying. I don't think that Paul had asked them. I think it was a spontaneous giving that came out of their knowing Jesus and this, not as we expected but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
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It's voluntary. The biblical reaction to grace received from God is grace extended to others. Accordingly, we urge Titus that as he start, as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. Now, that goes back to that first Corinthians 16. I'll share it in a few minutes but Titus in Corinth had already started actually doing a campaign, a collection for the saints in Jerusalem.
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We'll see in a minute. It was about a year ago. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started just as he started about a year ago, he should complete among you this act of grace. Our Thanksgiving holiday, Thanksgiving, in Mexico, they don't have it on the same day, but they call it Dia de Accion de Gracias. It is a day of the action of giving thanks.
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That makes sense? It just changes things a little bit but this is for this action of grace. It's showing that you have been given and you want to extend to but as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, and in knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace. Also, grace, grace, grace, care us. It's all over this whole passage and he say it, see that you excel in it, sharing.
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There's a side note right here on eight seven and this is completely apart from what I've been saying but I want you to I want you to hear this because we we talk a lot about scripture translation and language stuff and the manuscript evidence. I love that kind of stuff. I I dig into that sort of stuff. So, a side note on eight seven is this, as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, so far so good. He says everything and then he starts listing stuff out.
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Paul does that a lot. When he gets to all earnestness, you think, well, we just heard earnestness last chapter. He said, that's produced by this godly grief that you've experienced. So you're excellent in faith and speech and in knowledge. They had said about Paul, oh, his speech is unimpressive.
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But he said, no. Yours is impressive. Y'all are eloquent speakers, and y'all are knowledgeable too. You're really smart. This is a thriving community where you have time to study.
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You're not just working in the fields all day. And in all earnestness that this godly grief has produced in you and in our love for you. Now, if you're reading that along in your Bible and you hit that, you go, that didn't seem right. That it's in our love for you. It seems like it would be you excel in everything in faith and speech and knowledge and earnestness and in your love for us.
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Doesn't that seem like that fits better? See that you excel in this act of grace also. So, some manuscripts actually say, in your love for us. Now, there's no hanging point of theology that hangs on this. It's in a series of things that they excel at whether it's our love for you or your love for us doesn't seem like it matters that much.
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I use this example because I want you to see that this way is the more difficult reading and if you check-in your Bible, almost every single one of em is going to go with this reading. It's the more difficult of the two. Does that make sense? Why would you choose the most difficult? Wouldn't you wanna make the picture look as good as you could?
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No. You'd rather undersell than oversell. Does that make sense? If it's a difficult reading, go with the worst possible scenario or the one that makes the least sense if you're translating. Are you with me?
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I've got a lot of these in here this morning. Blake told me after you said, are you with me a lot this morning? In our love for you, when you're translating and you have a manuscript that says in our love for you and you got another one that says in your love for us but you're only going to put one of em on this page. Actually, if you check your Bible, it's probably got a footnote that says, or or your love for us. The reason that we go with the more difficult reading is because you don't ever want to oversell.
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Does that make sense? You don't want to ever over promise anything And this one, again, no point of theology hangs on it, but the one that seems to make the most the least sense is the one we put in. Because if we have an error, we want it to be with translation with us. Okay? And as as and much as it depends on you, live at peace with all men.
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Don't overdo it. Don't oversell it. And don't are you with me? I have to say it again. Tanya, are you with me?
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Not quite. Okay. I'm just checking. Yes, she's with me. I I use this particular point and it is a complete side note but I just want you to say, your Bible can be trusted.
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Your Bible can be trusted. The footnotes in there, everything else is because this one doesn't matter whether it's our love for you or your love for us. They love each other. That's the point but I wanted to say this as a side note because It makes a difference if you over promise to somebody like life in Jesus is going to be easy. All you gotta do is give your life to Jesus and your life is going to be great.
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I'd rather you say, trials and temptations you will have in the life with Jesus but he will be with you. Amen. Does that make sense? Because he says, we're going to have em. So, don't over promise.
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The the sale of, hey, you're you're going to have trials and temptations is much better. Jesus will be with you. Alright, back to the sermon. Second Corinthians eight seven, see that you excel in this action, this act of grace also. The Greek word cares means favor, grace, or thanks.
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Unmerited, completely undeserved, given voluntarily to someone who may not or does not deserve it. If they did deserve it, it would be a payment, right? But as you excel in everything in faith and speech and knowledge and all earnestness and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. It's voluntary.
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Paul keeps coming back to it. Grace is something that God has given and once you've received it, you can give it to people but it's voluntary, Voluntide. It has to do with your will. Whether you will or will not, it's voluntary. Biblical reaction though to grace received from God is to extend it to others.
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The also there, he was not trying to shame him saying, Macedonia did it. It was great. Even though they're broke, they did it. He was saying, no. It proved that they had received the grace of God when they gave spontaneously.
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See that. Your love is seen also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You've received the grace of God. He's given to you unmerited favor, geographic determinism.
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You were born in a place where it's wealthy and great. Things are going well for you financially. That's not true everywhere and you've received the grace of God through the message of the cross. You are a believer in Jesus. You have spiritual vitality forever.
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For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor so that you may by his poverty become rich so that you by his poverty might become rich. Jesus, who was eternally existent with the father in perfect relationship with him, chose to come into this world and make himself a servant, humble servant, poor, born in a stable. That you might become rich. And in this matter, I give you my judgment. Paul says, that this benefits you.
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Given this act of grace benefits you who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. And when he wrote first Corinthians from Ephesus, I told you that sixteen eight tells us where he was when he wrote. This is what he wrote in chapter 16. He said, now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do on the first day of every week which is Sunday. Each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper as God has prospered you so that there will be no need for collecting when I come and when I arrive, I'll send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
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If it seems advisable that I should go also, then they will accompany me. Back to chapter eight and in this matter, I give you my judgment. This benefits you who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now, finish doing it as well. He's saying, get the job done.
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Y'all started collecting, but come on, let's bring that to completion so that your readiness and desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. Out of what you have, not what you don't have. For if the readiness is there, it's acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. He's not asking something that is cumbersome or burdensome to you. He's saying, just because you don't have billions, doesn't mean you can't give something.
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There are lots of people here in this place who do have lots and lots and lots of money but just because they can get could give more, that mean that you shouldn't. You know, he's saying it's by what you do have, not by what you don't have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened but that as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their need so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. This is as close as the Bible ever gets to life is fair. And it doesn't say life is fair.
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It's saying, you could you could help make it more fair by giving. As it is written, whoever gathered much had nothing left over and whoever gathered little had no lack. Y'all know where that's from? From the story of manna, from the story of manna from heaven. Actually, I'll just read it to you.
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How about that? Just kidding. This is this is the Exodus passage right here and it is sixteen nine starting and going on down through 21. If you look right there, that's where it is but when they measured it out with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, whoever gathered little, had no lack, and each of them gathered as much as he could eat. But read the rest of this part right here, and as Moses said to them, let no one leave any of it over till morning, your daily bread, take your daily bread, and be satisfied with that.
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But they did not listen to Moses, some left part of it till the morning, and it bread worms and stank. Yeah. Gross. They were hoarding the blessing, trying to gather it up, and hold on to it for their future or whatever but it left till morning it, bread worms and stank and Moses was angry with him. Big surprise.
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Moses angry. Morning by morning, they gathered and eat as much as he could eat but when the sun grew hot, it melted. Now, God provided for them quail in the evening for meat and manna in the morning. Let's go forward. 16 through 19 says this, but thanks be to God who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care that I have for you.
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So, Paul loved the Corinthians. He's been expressing that for the two books we have and the other letters he's written them to and he says, thanks be to God that Titus has that same kind of earnest care for you that I have for he not only accepted our appeal, I asked Titus to go. I appealed to Titus said, would you go? And he said, yes but being himself very earnest, he's going to you of his own accord. Again, it is voluntary.
51:15
It keeps on coming up that it was of his own accord. It was not something that he was forced to do. It's not under obligation or compulsion but it was voluntary. It had to do with his own will, matching it up with what God put before him. Biblical reaction to grace that Titus received was to give that grace to others.
51:32
With him, we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. So, he's sending a well known evangelist, somebody who draws a crowd maybe. He's well known. Famous among the churches for his preaching of the gospel. Not only that but he's been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace.
51:54
That's being ministered by us for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. Y'all know Billy Graham, right? You know who Billy Graham is. Everybody knows who Billy Graham is. I was going to mention something.
52:09
We're going to get to it in just a second but when it said that we're going to send the brother who's a famous for preaching the gospel. Billy Graham is as close as we've gotten this land to somebody that like that. He's saying, we're sending that guy along. He's well known. Now, a lot of other guys have gone through scandal but Billy Graham never has.
52:29
We carry out this act of grace. Y'all know what that means. We take this course so that no one should blame us. When he says we're sending the famous guy and we're sending some appointed people from the churches, We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that's being administered by us. He's careful to say, it's not for us.
52:47
It's being administered by us. For we aim at what is honorable not only in this Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. We aim for what is honorable in the sight of man too because what's the world going to say about you? If you're taking up a collection, oh my. You're taking up a collection.
53:06
I go, that's for that preacher. That's for his car, his house, his wife, his shoes, whatever. We are aiming at what's honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. Accountability and integrity have gotta be seriously considered. You gotta consider how a cheater would cheat the system and then put systems in place so that that can't happen.
53:25
Unimpeachably implemented by any ministry endeavor. It has to be to protect the gift, the giver, messengers, and the receiver. That applied then and there and it still applies here and now. All missions organizations, you have to have financial transparency and accountability and we have that. We have that here.
53:41
I was going to mention old bills, fun run last last week and everybody kept bringing this to me this week. This little picture in the paper is me receiving a check. All all the ministry that we do, this is the one that makes the paper. I'm like, hey, big smile on my face. Anyway, Billy Graham and the the guys, George Bevleshay and all those guys that that traveled with him, Cliff Barrows and that crowd got together in Modesto, California after an evangelical rally, a revival and said, we're going to get together and we're going to put some parameters in place around our ministry that we're not going to allow ourselves to fall into the traps that a lot of people have fallen into for the glory of God.
54:27
So, these are the resolutions they made. Number one, never exaggerate the attendance figures at the meetings. That's honorable. Guard against lying and deceit. Take only a fixed salary from the organization.
54:44
Fixed. And actually, it was pinned to the average salary of a pastor in their denomination. Guard against financial thievery. Never be alone with a woman other than their wife, mothers, or daughter to guard against sexual sin. Never criticize fellow members of the clergy to guard against pride.
55:02
Ain't that good? That's the Modesto Manifesto. If you ever hear that term, that's what that is. And with them, we're sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you And as for Titus, he's my partner and my fellow worker for your benefit. And as for the brothers, our brothers, they are messengers.
55:27
Now, messengers usually is Angolas which also means angel but in this case, it's Apostolos which is apostles. I think that the ESV, the English Standard Version didn't want you to confuse this with being some of the other apostles that we all know. These are messengers of the churches or apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ. Apostles means those who are sent out by the churches. They're sent out and trusted to take care of this gift, financial gift.
55:52
So, give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men. Give proof before the churches because these messengers are going to be there with it. He's just saying, show the love. Show em that you love em. Practice that act of grace.
56:09
Your love, our boasting about you to these men. So how does that then and there apply to here and now? Well, are there still places right now that are experiencing a severe affliction of poverty? Yes. Y'all can answer out loud if you want to.
56:26
Yes, we're all thinking of somewhere or somebody right now that's experiencing it. Does God's grace still exist? Okay. Have we received of God's grace? Will we extend that grace to others?
56:41
That's what the force of this passage is. It's voluntary. It's voluntary but will we extend that which he has extended to us? It's about giving. Sure is.
56:52
It's about forgiving also. It's about extending spiritual grace. If you struggle and had a hard time and you found your peace in Jesus, be sharing that peace. Whatever he has given you, be sharing. Now, personalizing it, are there still people, individuals right now that are experiencing severe affliction of poverty?
57:12
Yes. I I hesitated. I started to say this earlier in the sermon. I paused for a second. There was a fellow that came in this week here who his story is very difficult, very, very difficult.
57:26
About eight months ago, his family was killed viciously, and he has been reeling since then. He's had a really, really hard time. And he came in here completely broke, been sleeping in his car for several days. And we were able to say yes. I'm not sensationalizing this happen.
57:46
We were able to say yes to give him gas money to get out of town to an aunt's house in Montana, and to give him a couple nights in a hotel room where he could take a shower and get a decent night's sleep rather than sleeping in his car. Because y'all said yes and gave through old bills, which amplified the gift because other people said yes and shared of the financial gifts that they had been given. We were able to give to this guy who's flat, busted, and completely psychologically destroyed. Praise God. He didn't deserve it and they walked in off the street but the act of grace is given when people do not deserve it.
58:19
That's what grace is. God gave us when we didn't deserve it but we're able to say yes to this guy because of that. The biblical reaction to grace received from God is to extend that grace to others and that's the point. If y'all hadn't caught that, we've had about 10 times. With, can I get the musicians back up here?
58:38
And oh, wait a second. We've got communion and I preach right up to the dot. 12 on the dot. Dave, I apologize. We're here we are.
58:46
No. I pick it, Dave. Would y'all stand and just let's pray. God, I know that in some churches and in some traditions, they look at this communion that we're about to take right here. They look at this communion and they say, this is the actual grace of God that if you put this wafer on your tongue, let it melt and you take this juice or wine that you have received of the grace of God.
59:10
Lord, we believe that it's a symbol of that grace. As we practice this today, lord, as we do this in remembrance of you, would you bless each one that receives of your broken body and your shed blood, lord. I ask you that you would accompany this gift Lord, would you bless the distribution of this bread For the one who receives it, lord, and the one who has to let it pass because they just haven't ever put their trust in you. In Jesus name, lord, would you bless this communion? Amen.
59:50
Y'all can have a seat. If I get the frontline team to come forward, Thank you. And distribute. Y'all can go ahead. In doing this, we proclaim Christ's death until he comes again.
1:07:48
And, actually, I probably we have another song, but I think we're just gonna sing the doxology. How about that? Would y'all stand with me? And we'll sing. Praise God from whom all blessings flow praise him all creatures here below.
1:08:11
Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost. Amen. And for the benediction, both spiritually and financially. Give freely of the grace that you've received and in this matter, I give you my judgment just like Paul.
1:08:42
This will greatly benefit you. Amen.
