Faithful God's Grateful People

Well, as Brian alluded to in his prayer, I am not feeling my best. I had some friends over, we watched a sermon last night called The Fight for Joy by John Piper, and then I went upstairs to finish my sermon and came down with food poisoning. So that was an acutely experienced fight throughout the night. So I'm certainly not my strongest or sharpest, but I know that the Lord is no less able to use me to communicate his truth. Now I'd like to begin this morning by reading a reflection from a man who has spent the past 10 years serving as a missionary in the Middle East. And this is what he says. It is a strange relief to find that I am not the only one working cross-culturally who feels it is often fruitless and profoundly frustrating. Things never work as planned. Amazing potential always feels within reach. But because of our own intercultural incompetence and local resistance to outside things, the impact of our work never seems to reach anywhere near its potential. Culturally conditioned as I am to take at least some of my identity and worth from my success at work, it has at times been a crushing journey that has frequently tempted me to pack it in. At my worst, The crushed expectations have driven me further into workaholism, with a subtle but inherently selfish, babble-like agenda to make a name for myself. That at least would validate why so many people continue to so generously support us. And friends, even if you've never served overseas, I think we should be able to relate to that. I mean, imagine leaving everything behind, going to a foreign place, laboring away for 10 years and having people who are giving of their money to support you and feeling like, where's the fruit? Wondering, is it really making a difference? And I bring that up because ministry is so often so hard. And I think that's true whether you go, perhaps especially true if you go as a cross-cultural missionary, but I think that's also true right here as we serve in this church, as we seek to evangelize our friends and family and neighbors, as you parent your children and seek to disciple them and share the gospel with them. Probably all of us have experienced something of this feeling of frustration and fruitlessness in ministry. And as we think about that, I am convinced that the Apostle Paul understood something of what that's like. Now, I think at first, often we think of Paul and we think, well, he was so successful. And yet, I think we can sometimes overlook some of the details of what his life would have been like and some of the acute pain he would have felt, the deep difficulties and disappointments he had to face in ministry. And today we are gonna start a series in the book of 1 Corinthians. So whenever I'm preaching, I plan to just pick up where I left off and we're gonna work through this book. And I think as we study this book, it's going to be very evident why Paul faced some real challenges and difficulties. He experienced lots of disappointment and frustration. And I think we are going to see that as we begin, and especially as we look at the introduction of this letter, I think that we can be instructed and encouraged by the way that Paul responds to those disappointments and frustrations and his heart in the midst of it. So before looking at the letter itself, I want to give a little bit of background. Our scripture reading this morning was from Acts chapter 18, in which we read about Paul's first visit to the city of Corinth. This was during his second missionary journey, and he came to Corinth after leaving Athens. Corinth was a large city. It had several hundred thousand people living there, and it was influential. It was a strategic port which contributed to its wealth, but it was also renowned for immorality. There was even a term coined called to Corinthianize, which meant to behave promiscuously. And so Paul goes into this city, and as usual, he first goes to the synagogue, to the Jews. And he preaches the gospel there, and then eventually, as was often the case, he gets rejected and kicked out, rejected by many of the Jews. And so then he turns to the Gentiles. However, there were some influential Jews who believed, like Crispus, who was the ruler of the synagogue. And we also read in Acts chapter 18 that God gave Paul special encouragement, presumably because he needed it. And God says to Paul in a vision, this is Acts chapter 18 verses 9 and 10, do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you. And no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. And so with that encouragement from the Lord, Paul stayed there for 18 months teaching the word of God. Now when Paul left Corinth, he goes to Ephesus where he stays for about the next three and a half years. And it's while he's in Ephesus that he writes this letter of 1 Corinthians. And so this is written probably around AD 53 to 55, somewhere in that time period. Now, we know that Paul actually wrote at least one letter prior to 1 Corinthians, because in 1 Corinthians 5-9, he's actually trying to explain a misunderstanding from his earlier letter. But we don't seem to still have that letter, so we have 1 Corinthians as the first letter from Paul to the Corinthians in our Bible. Now, the letter of 1 Corinthians basically breaks down into two sections. Chapters 1 through 6 is a response to reports that Paul has heard from people in the Corinthian church telling him what's going on. And then chapters 7 through 16 are a response to a letter that the Corinthian church has sent to Paul asking him various questions. And as you read through it, you see that it's really Paul having to deal with one problem after another. And the letter is just full of one problematic situation after the next. And so I want to take a few minutes and just sort of go through what some of these problems were. The first problem in Corinth was divisions. And by the way, you may want to follow along in your Bible. I'll try to give verses and chapters so you can see where this is written. So if you just go down to chapter 1, verse 10. Paul says, I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you. And then in verse 12, what I mean is that each of you says, I follow Paul, or I follow Apollos, or I follow Cephas, or I follow Christ. And so there was this carnal, worldly allegiance to men rather than Christ alone. And this was connected to an apparent infatuation with eloquence and speaking prowess in Corinth. There was a love for the art of speech and debate and rhetoric rather than a love for the pure and simple truth of the gospel itself. And moreover, there seems to have been a growing number of influential persons in the church who were critical of Paul himself. They seem to have been citing Paul's lack of speaking prowess and outward impressiveness as marks against him. Some were apparently questioning Paul's apostleship because he has to defend that in chapter 9. And Paul even has to explain that the reason he didn't charge money for his preaching is not because he was unqualified or undeserving, but because he chooses to freely surrender his rights for the sake of the gospel. So division was a real issue. Another issue was that of sexual immorality. In chapter five, verse two, Paul says, it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And he says, and you are arrogant. Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. So a member of their church was sleeping with his mother-in-law. And the church is tolerating that. In fact, they are looking at their toleration as a mark of, you know, how great they are, that they can put up with this, rather than grieving over the way that this is staining the name of Christ. And if that weren't bad enough, it seems that other members of the church were sleeping with prostitutes. Because Paul has to say in chapter 6 verse 15, do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? And he says, flee sexual immorality. Now another issue is there were lawsuits going on in the church. In chapter 6 verse 1, Paul says, when one of you has a grievance against another, Does he dare to go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? So members within the church were suing one another. Two Christians standing before a pagan judge to settle their disputes. And Paul's like, what a stain on the reputation of Christ this is. Ought not Christians to be examples of justice, wisdom, and integrity? And so he says in chapter six verses seven and eight, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud even your own brothers. Now another issue in the church was that of asceticism. And this may be surprising because it seems so different than all these other issues, but it seems that perhaps in reaction to the Libertine members of the church, there was an ascetic wing in the church. Because in chapter 7, Paul has to correct those who were either practicing abstinence within marriage, or else were improperly avoiding marriage altogether. Another issue is there was the eating of food sacrificed to idols. Some members were apparently participating in pagan feasts within the temples of idols. And the Corinthians were justifying this by their knowledge that idols have no real existence. But Paul has to explain to them that they are missing the far greater issue of love. He says in chapter 8, verse 1, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And then he explains in chapter 8, verses 10 to 12, for if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ." So they're not loving their brothers as they think about exercising and flaunting their freedom in Christ. But then moreover, Paul, in chapter 10, he has to warn them about the danger of idolatry. Because their supposed knowledge of, well, idols are nothing, was making them spiritually complacent rather than vigilant and careful. And so in chapter 10, Paul warns them against being like idolatrous Israel who perished in the wilderness. And then he concludes this in chapter 10, verse 19. What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything or that an idol is anything? No. I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. See what he's saying? You go into that idol festival, that's a demonic thing. And I don't want you participating with demons when you are called to be the holy people of God. Now, continuing the list, there were abuses during the Lord's Supper. The Corinthians practice of the holy, sacred rite of the Lord's Supper was so shameful that Paul says in chapter 11, verse 17, when you come together, it is not for the better, but for the worse. Can you imagine that? To come together and take the Lord's Supper, and Paul can say, it's not for the better, it is worse. It's better if you didn't do it at all. And then even in chapter 11 verse 20, he says, when you come together, it's not the Lord's Supper that you eat. Whatever you're doing, it doesn't even count as the Lord's Supper. Because there were factions among them, they weren't waiting for one another, and there were rich people getting drunk at the Lord's Supper, and there were poor people not having enough to eat. And Paul has to rebuke this utter failure to discern the body and blood of the Lord. There are also issues regarding spiritual gifts. In light of chapter 12, apparently the Corinthians were elevating certain gifts and disparaging others. They were failing to appreciate the unique ways that God gifts every member of his church and their interdependence on one another. In particular, it seems that they overvalued the gift of tongues. And Paul has to remind them that no gift is given for personal elevation, but for mutual edification of the body. And then Paul spends all of chapter 13 explaining that every gift is nothing if it's divorced from love. Well, then another issue was disorderly worship. It seems that members of the church were actually interrupting one another by speaking in tongues and prophesying, or that multiple people were speaking up at the same time in the service, creating confusion and chaos. And Paul has to remind them in chapter 14, verse 33, God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. Moreover, there seems to have been an issue of insubordinate women who were disrupting the worship service. Because in chapter 14 verses 34 and 35, while Paul's dealing with the issue of weighing prophecies, he has to tell women to be silent in church, and that if they have a question, let them ask their husbands at home. And then also back in chapter 11, Paul has to deal with the issue of head coverings. And it seems that some women were rejecting the cultural practice of wearing head coverings during worship services, which was symbolic of the God-ordained male headship in the church and home in general. And they were not wearing head coverings, therefore rejecting the God-ordained order. And Paul has to deal with that. And then finally, one last issue. Paul has to deal with the denial of the resurrection. So in chapter 15, verse 12, Paul says, now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? In other words, some of the Corinthians were denying that there is a bodily resurrection for believers. They apparently underappreciated the goodness of the physical body and were seriously doubting the power of God to raise our mortal bodies in power and incorruptibility. And Paul has to combat this false teaching by going all the way back to the very basics of the gospel. reminding the Corinthians that the whole gospel is founded on this message about Jesus who died on the cross and then rose again on the third day and was seen by witnesses. And then he has to say this, if there's no resurrection of the dead, then Jesus is not raised. And if Jesus is not raised, then we are still in our sins. And in fact, if Christ is not raised, then we are of all people most to be pitied. You deny the resurrection, you have thrown out the gospel itself. So, I went through all of that, that long list, to try to help you feel and appreciate my point that the Corinthian church was a mess. I mean, there is flagrant immorality and worldliness made all the more repulsive by this aura of pride and arrogance. I mean, the Corinthians are proud of their supposed knowledge while really being quite spiritually foolish. They viewed the gift of tongues and speaking prowess as confirmations of their spiritual greatness, while actually demonstrating deep spiritual immaturity by failing to walk in the most essential Christian virtue of love. And on top of that, they were even being critical and looking down on the Apostle Paul himself, the very one to whom they owed their salvations. And they are turning their backs on him. And so surely, as we consider the difficulty of ministry, this is a good example of it. We can just imagine what this was like for Paul to hear these reports, to receive these letters, to have to try to explain these things to them. And so in light of that context, let's now take a closer look at these first nine verses. Verses that I think it would be so easy to just skim past. And I want us to notice how Paul begins to speak into this situation. And there are four basic things I want you to notice. And the first is this, Paul reminds the Corinthians who he is. So verse one, Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. Now the fact that Paul begins with himself is simply the customary way that his letters were written. The first word in all 13 of Paul's epistles is Paul. But what's significant here is that Paul is writing to a church he planted. A church that knew him well and yet he finds it important to immediately assert his apostolic authority. To remind them that he is called by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. to be an apostle, a messenger, a sent one, one in whom Jesus has vested unique authority in the initial formation of the church. And Paul was self-consciously aware of the authority he possessed. He says later in 1 Corinthians in chapter 14, verse 37, If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. I mean, it seems that Paul was self-consciously aware that he was writing scripture, that he was writing the very words of God, and therefore to disobey his letter was to disobey God himself. Also in chapter four, verses 19 to 21, Paul claims to possess spiritual power to bear a rod of discipline. He says, but I will come to you soon if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness? So Paul is here reminding the Corinthians of his authority from God. And what's important to notice about that is by doing so, Paul does not make this a personal issue between him and the Corinthians. He makes it a matter between the Corinthians and God. Paul is the apostle and messenger of God, so either they listen to him or they reject God himself. And friends, of course, today the office of apostle has ceased because the foundation of the church has been laid and the writing of scripture is complete. But the application for us is that it doesn't ultimately matter who the messenger is, whether a preacher, a friend, a spouse, or even that person that you find so irritating. All that matters is if the words they speak are in accord with scripture. Because if they are, then to reject their words is to reject God's. And let us take note that if God rebuked Balaam with a donkey, and if he chose the ineloquence of the Apostle Paul to speak to the Corinthian church who were so loved having their ears tickled with fine speech, then he just may sometimes choose to speak to us through messengers whom we really just don't want to hear it from. And we need the humility to heed the word of God, no matter who shares it with us. So, number one, Paul reminds the Corinthians who he is. Well, number two, Paul reminds the Corinthians who they are. So continuing verse one, Paul identifies himself and then he says, and our brother Sosthenes. Now Sosthenes is not mentioned in any of Paul's other letters, nor anywhere else in this one. And Paul uses I throughout the rest of the letter, so Sosthenes really should not be thought of as a co-author. Nor do we have any reason to think that Sosthenes was one of Paul's traveling companions. Rather, Paul probably mentioned Sosthenes because he's a Corinthian who happened to be with Paul in Ephesus. And in fact, it's very plausible, if not likely, that he is the same Sosthenes mentioned in Acts chapter 18, who became the ruler of the synagogue after the former ruler, Crispus, had become a Christian. And if so, then Sassanides was among the Jews, if not the leader of them, who then attacked Paul and sought to have him condemned by Galileo, the proconsul. And then when Galileo threw out the charges, it was Sassanides who was dragged out and beaten. And Galileo took no notice. And yet it appears that God has so softened this enemy of the gospel's heart. that Sosthenes himself was now a Christian and a brother to Paul and the Corinthian church. And so just by mentioning his name, what a powerful reminder of God's grace this is. I mean, what a powerful reminder this should have been to every Corinthian of who they were before Christ and how Christ had called and transformed them and given them a new hope, a new life, and a new family. And by the way, I think this points us to why it's so helpful to hear one another's testimonies. And why even tonight, if you're able to come out and hear Rob Puya's testimony, why that can be such an encouragement to be reminded of God's grace in our lives, in your life, and in the lives of others. Now, there's a second way that Paul reminds the Corinthians who they are, and that's found in verse 2. He says, to the church of God that is in Corinth. And notice that Paul doesn't just say to the Corinthian church, but to the church of God in Corinth. And we know that pride was a real issue in Corinth, so it seems fitting for Paul to remind them that they are members of God's church, not theirs. That no ministry was their ministry, that no converts were their converts, and that no gifts were their gifts to be used for their own personal aggrantizement. No, the Corinthian church and this church and every church is God's church. Every ministry is God's ministry. And we ourselves are God's servants. So let us conduct ourselves as stewards of what belongs to God, and as those who are within the church handling the very holy things of God. Now Paul, as he continues in verse two, he provides a third way of reminding the Corinthians who they are, because he says, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints. And isn't that an interesting phrase? To those sanctified, called to be saints. Now since a saint is a sanctified one, it's basically saying to those sanctified, called to be sanctified. It's like Paul saying, be who you are. Realize who you are in Christ and then live like it. And just like stories of children raised by wolves and then brought into human society who have to learn what it means to be a human rather than a wolf, well the Christian has to learn what it means to be a child of God rather than a child of this world. And in that sense, sanctification is not about becoming someone you're not. It's about learning to shed old habits and old ways in order to live in line with your new identity in Christ. And specifically for the Corinthians who were infatuated with miraculous gifts and knowledge and eloquence, they needed to understand that what mattered most in terms of them representing God and living in accordance with his calling is that they walked in holiness. They were sanctified in Christ. That is, they had been set apart as holy unto Yahweh, just like the vessels of the Old Testament temple. And therefore, rather than being like the surrounding culture, and like the city of Corinth from which they came, they were to be holy, different, distinct, pure, and set apart. They were to stand out and shine like stars against the night sky. And brothers and sisters, we need this reminder too. Especially because we live in a culture that is becoming more and more Corinthian-like. Promiscuity and sensuality are everywhere. Pride and arrogance are often celebrated rather than condemned. Personal aggrandizement is expected. And there's so often this love for prowess and debate, even at the expense of the substance of the argument. I think our culture often esteems knowledge above character. And the question for us is this, will we be mirrors who reflect our culture? Or will we be different from the culture as those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints? Now finally, a fourth way that Paul reminds the Corinthians of who they are is found in the last part of verse two. So he continues, so those sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus, both their Lord and ours. And so here Paul reminds this church, which is so full of divisions and factions, that there's only one body of Christ. And to be called into the fellowship of God's son is to be called into fellowship with all of God's people. So there's no place for us to take pride in being a certain kind of Christian or to look condescendingly upon other believers. Rather, true holiness produces both a radical separation from the world and a warm-hearted Catholicity toward all in every place who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. And so brothers and sisters, as we gather this Lord's Day morning and every Lord's Day, how good it is to be reminded and mindful of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are gathering on this day in the same way to worship the same Lord. And to think of our brothers and sisters in Zambia, in Shanghai, in Guinea, and Inner Mongolia, and even right down the street here in Charlottesville. And for instance, we think of these churches, I hope it stirs your heart to think, I want to see these churches unified, I want to see them growing, I want to see Christ's name being exalted. And I think as we do that, it sort of reorients the way that we look at our own church. Because we are reminded that we are part of this much broader, much bigger body of Christ. And therefore, what a shame it would be to let petty things interrupt our unity. What a shame it would be if we are divided and fighting. And so as we think of this broad work of God, I think that inspires us to be a united people. So, Paul has reminded the Corinthians who he is, he's reminded the Corinthians who they are. Number three, Paul reminds the Corinthians who God is. Look at verse three. He says, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Paul uses this exact greeting in almost all of his letters, but that's not because it's just a stylistic or perfunctory thing. He has actually carefully crafted a unique Christianized greeting. He took the traditional Greek greeting of kyrein, which means rejoice, and he modified it to karis, which means grace. And then he combined that with the traditional Jewish greeting of shalom, which means peace. So grace and peace, and then he doesn't just generically wish that grace and peace would come to people, but he says grace and peace from God. and not just any God, but God our Father, and also from Jesus Christ the Lord. And so Jesus is the co-equal source of grace and peace, and thereby equal with God the Father. And so right from the beginning of the letter, Paul makes clear that he is speaking of the God who is Father and Son, and that this is a God who richly bestows grace and peace on his people. In fact, notice with me as we just read through this how many times in these first nine verses Paul mentions Jesus. Look at this. Verse one, Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosnes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift. As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I mean, that's, I counted nine times in nine verses. And so what I want you to see here is that Paul just cannot stop talking about this God who has opened the floodgates of his grace through the work of his son, Jesus Christ. And friend, if you're here this morning and you don't know Jesus, then what you need to understand is that you, like me, and like all of us, are a sinner. And you stand condemned before a holy God. And the day is coming when Jesus will return to judge this world and to judge you, and you will face the wrath of God against your sin. But the good news is that God has given His Son, Jesus, as a substitute for sinners who suffered and died on the cross so that our sins can be forgiven, so that sinners like us can receive grace and forgiveness when we repent of our sins and trust in Christ. And then instead of being paralyzed by guilt and fear, we receive peace with God and the security of knowing that we will stand guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a friend, if you don't know Christ, call it to him. He will give you the grace and the peace that you need. And also, for those of us who are believers, we need this reminder of who God is as well. Paul has many things he needs to correct the Corinthians about. And maybe your life looks like theirs. Maybe there are many ways that you are failing, many ways that you are falling short of your calling as a Christian. And everything I say this morning might do nothing but add a crushing burden to your back if not coupled with this great truth, that we serve the God of all grace, that we serve a God who's able to help us in our weakness, who's able to overcome our sin. You serve the God that not only, verse two, called you to be a saint, but in verse eight, who will sustain you to the end guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. To think you will stand before God guiltless, without spot, without blemish, holy and acceptable in his sight, because he who has begun a good work will sustain you, he will finish it. And this is because, as verse nine says, God is faithful. By whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And notice that God has not only forgiven you, but he has called you into the fellowship of his son. And what a reminder that should be that God loves us. It's not that he has begrudgingly forgiven you just so you could go on your merry way. No. He forgave you so that he might welcome you into his presence, into his family, and into the very fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. And so brothers and sisters, as we consider our calling this morning, and what it means to follow Christ, and all that we're supposed to do, never forget who our God is. He is the one that John saw when the heavens split open, riding on the white horse, who is called faithful and true. He is that perfect bridegroom whose banner over us is love. And He is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, eternally existing as one God, yet working harmoniously to bring about our salvation. For he is the fountain of all grace and the giver of that peace which passes understanding. So Paul reminds the Corinthians who he is, who they are, and finally who God is. And then fourth, last point, Paul thanks God for the Corinthians. Now friends, remember where we started. We started just by recognizing that ministry is hard. It's often arduous, it's often disappointing, it often feels like you're taking one step forward and two steps back. And here in Corinth, Paul had poured out his heart and life for these people, and yet now he sees some of them turning their backs against him, speaking ill of him. He hears reports of the church and there are just all kinds of problems in morality and carnality and divisions and false teachings and chaos and pride and lack of love. And how easy it would have been for Paul at this point to look at all of that and think, lost cause, wasted effort, to reflect on the Corinthians and feel nothing but hurt and pain and loss. And yet, verse four, Paul writes, I give thanks to my God always for you. He thinks of the Corinthians and he feels gratitude. Now, Paul is not a man given to flattery, nor is he a man of empty words. He gives thanks because he really, genuinely feels grateful to God for the Corinthian church. And how is it that Paul feels such gratitude for the Corinthians? Well, the main thing I want you to see in verses four to nine is that Paul's gratitude only makes sense in light of his great confidence in the faithfulness of God. Because if Paul can't count on God, then being thankful for the Corinthians doesn't make a whole lot of sense. What makes sense is thinking lost cause, wasted effort, source of hurt, pain, and loss. But that's not at all how Paul sees it. In verse four, he continues and he expresses confidence that they have received God's grace in Christ. And how does he know that? Well, then verse five, he says that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge. That is, they received spiritual gifts like prophecy and tongues and utterances of wisdom and knowledge. And though the Corinthians were wrongly infatuated with the gifts themselves, Paul's thankful for the gifts because through them, as he explains in verse six, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you. In other words, one function of the gifts is they help to confirm that the Corinthians had truly received the message of the gospel. And then verse 7, Paul continues, In other words, he's saying, not only did God call you, and not only did he confirm your calling through gifts of speech and knowledge, but God has also sufficiently gifted you to be equipped in every way needful as you wait for the return of Christ. And then verse eight, Paul says, the Lord Jesus will sustain you to the end guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. So in spite of all of their sin, all of their guiltiness, he's saying Jesus isn't going to let you go. Jesus will sustain you. He who has begun this good work will finish it. And you can be sure of this because, verse nine, God is faithful. By whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And so the Corinthians' salvation did not ultimately depend upon their fortitude. nor was it even jeopardized by their fickleness. It ultimately depended on the certainty of a faithful God who had already called them into the fellowship of His Son. And that is why I say that Paul's gratitude for the Corinthians flowed from his unshakable confidence in the faithfulness of God. He knows they're not a lost cause because God is in it. He knows that his work was not in vain because God would bless it. And he can look at the mess of the Corinthian church and feel genuine gratitude because he knows that God has begun something and God will finish it. So he has simply had the privilege of being involved in what God is doing. And brothers and sisters, how this should encourage us when things are hard in our own church. When you're serving here and you are frustrated and you feel fruitless and you want to just throw up your hands or throw in the towel, remember that God is faithful. It doesn't depend on man, it depends on Him. It depends on the fact that God will fulfill all His promises and that God will sustain each and every one of His people and they will be presented guiltless in the day of Jesus Christ. And so when all your efforts in ministry seem like a mess and failure, remember that God always finishes what he starts. The truth of God you have sown in the lives of others will not return void. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And you know, I think this is so important for us to remember. Because if God is really as holy as he is, and God is really as powerful as he is, How easy it is for us to just sort of assume, whenever we see impurity in the church, whenever we see like significant failure, well, God's not in there. And how easy it is for us to jump to that conclusion. And yet that is not how Paul looked at Corinth. God, it seems, is surprisingly willing to work slowly and through broken means to accomplish his purposes. And isn't that also what we see in the Old Testament? You know, think of the family of Abraham and just all the mess that family was. I mean, Abraham, he goes into Hagar, he lies twice about Sarah being his wife. Then Rebecca comes along who helps her son Jacob deceive his father and her husband and steal the blessing from Esau. Then Esau wants to kill him. You've got Judah and his brothers who sell their younger brother Joseph as a slave after thinking we'll kill him first. There's the episode of Judah and Tamar. There's Simeon and Levi murdering the Shechemites. There's Reuben sleeping with his father's concubine, Bilhah. It was a messed up family, and yet God was in it. Yet, God was faithful to work through all of this brokenness and all of this sin to finish what he began. And friends, I think the more that we recognize and look to the faithfulness of God, even amidst the brokenness of this world, the more grateful of a people we will be. the more we will become people who are able to recognize the hand of God and thank Him for that. People who see God's past faithfulness and remember that and thank Him. People who see God's goodness to us now. People who even can look at broken situations and in light of the faithfulness of God, be confident in what God will do and therefore look at the here and now with grateful hearts. And friends, I'm convinced that there are few things which are as good a medicine for our souls as a grateful heart. And I think that's one reason why our God commands us repeatedly to be a thankful people. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Ephesians 5, verse 20. Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then finally Colossians chapter three verse 15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful. And so brothers and sisters, as we reflect on these first nine verses of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, let's be reminded of who we are and who we're called to be of who our God is. And may we be stirred to gratitude because he is faithful. And the good work that he has begun in our lives, and the good work he has begun in this church, he will finish. Amen, let's pray. Oh Father, how good it is to know that you are faithful. And that out of your great faithfulness and love, you have called us into the very fellowship of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. God, we pray that you would strengthen us to serve you faithfully. God, we thank you that you help us in our weakness. And God, we pray that in all things, you would help us to be a grateful people, for you have given us so much to be grateful for. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.