Stand Firm

now concerning the matters about which you wrote

, right? That's signaling that now he's responding to their letter. Then when you look at chapter 7 verse 25, Paul says,

now concerning the betrothed.

So he addresses that topic. Chapter 8 verse 1,

now concerning food offered to idols.

And chapter 12 verse 1,

now concerning spiritual gifts.

So when we get here to chapter 16 and see now concerning in verse 1, and then now concerning in verse 12, that indicates there's two more sections of two more items that Paul wants to address from their letter. The collection for the saints and Apollos. And then it's verses 13 through 24 that are the actual conclusion to the letter. Now, in verses one through 11, as Paul addresses the collection, you'll notice that it's really only the first four verses that are specifically about that. But because Paul's answer to the question about the collection involves him mentioning his own visit to Corinth, he goes on to explain his own travel plans in verses five through nine. So Paul's currently in Ephesus, that's where he's writing from, but he plans to pass through Macedonia, which would mean visiting churches like Philippi and Thessalonica and the Bereans. And then he hopes to visit Corinth for the following winter. And then, as Paul's clarifying his own travel plans, he thinks of Timothy. Because Timothy is probably en route to Corinth at this time. Paul had said back in chapter four,

I've sent Timothy to you to remind you of my ways in Christ.

So Paul sent him, and now Paul's naturally wondering, how are they gonna receive him? I mean, this has been a hard, confrontational letter. And Paul knows there's this whole faction in the church that doesn't like him. So what kind of reception is his young protege Timothy gonna have? Well, that's why Paul says,

see that you put him at ease among you and let no one despise him, help him on his way in peace.

Well, then in verse 12, Paul addresses Apollos, this one other matter from the letter, because it seems that the Corinthians wanted Paul to send Apollos for a visit. And when you remember that in chapters one through four, there was division in the church. And there was a whole faction in the church saying, I am of Apollos. Well, you can see why this is a loaded request. And yet Paul says, I strongly urged Apollos to visit. He's just not willing at this time. And I think this is a testament to Paul's own humility and love for the gospel. I mean, he knows that Apollos' eloquence is likely to make some of the Corinthians think less of him. And as long as Apollos is gonna point them to Christ, Paul doesn't care. I mean, his perspective is,

I sowed, Apollos watered, God gives the increase.

And therefore, it's all about God's glory, not Paul's own recognition or reputation. Well then finally in verses 13 through 24, we come to the conclusion. And in verses 15 to 18, Paul includes a commendation of the letter carriers, because that's almost certainly who Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus were. They were men from the Corinthian congregation, quite possibly all members of Stephanus' household. And it seems likely that they were the ones who had brought the Corinthian's letter to Paul to begin with. And now Paul is gonna send them back with this letter that we call First Corinthians. And given that these were men who had traveled, volunteered to travel all the way to Ephesus just to bring a letter to get Paul's feedback for the church. Given that Paul talks about how they've refreshed his spirit. These are almost certainly men who are loyal to Paul. So again, as with Timothy, Paul gives some special instructions about how they're to be received and treated in the church. Also in verses 19 and 20, Paul sends along greetings from some other saints who were there in Ephesus with him, including Aquila and Priscilla or Prisca. And this is a couple that Paul had actually originally met in Corinth when he first arrived there because Aquila and Priscilla were tent makers like Paul. And so they got to know each other and then they had been instrumental in helping Paul start the Corinthian church. Also interestingly, it was Priscilla and Aquila who had first more fully explained the gospel to Apollos himself. But the most important thing as we look at this conclusion is what bookends or sandwiches it. which is the final charge and the final warning slash encouragement. All right, it's be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, let all that you do be done in love, and

if anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord come, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you, my love be with you all in Christ Jesus, amen.

So the letter is brought to a close with this point. Will you stand firm out of a sincere love for Christ or not? And therefore, this morning I want us to consider four marks of a sincere love for Christ. And the first is this, to give to needy Christians. And of course, that's what Paul's urging the Corinthians to do in verses one through four. He says,

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, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Now this is a collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. You can see that that's where this gift is going in verse three. And this is something that comes up in a number of other places in the New Testament. Apparently, there was great need in the Jerusalem church. We know from Acts that that was a large church, and it had a lot of widows and poor members. That's why men like Barnabas were selling fields to contribute. That's also why they had this whole daily distribution system for widows. And then on top of that, we know from Acts chapter 11 that there was a great famine. that had made the situation even worse, perhaps even dire. So Paul went to great lengths to rally other churches to give a sizable financial gift for the poor in Jerusalem, probably on at least two different occasions. We hear about this in Acts, Romans, Galatians, and 2 Corinthians. And we know that churches like Philippi and Thessalonica also contributed. And it's obvious from what Paul says here that he's already talked to the Corinthians about this. Here he's not explaining why this is needed or what it's for. He's just giving some specific details about how to practically go about it. So he says,

just as I told the churches in Galatia, on the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

So Paul doesn't want there to be a big one-time collection when he arrives. He doesn't want to have to drum up money. Instead, he wants everyone to systematically, regularly save up money week by week. And based on how it's worded, it's probably an individual thing. So I have a little jar in my house, and every week, as I prosper, I add some money. And that way, when Paul comes, it's ready to give. And hopefully it's a much larger amount than if I just waited for him to come and then saw whatever I happened to have left over at the time. And interestingly, Paul's very specific about doing this on the first day of the week, that is Sunday. Now, I don't think that was payday, right? When you're a merchant, a slave, or a farmer, it's not how it works. It's the first day of the week because that's the day that Jesus rose. It's the Lord's Day. It's the special day for Christians. That's why on the front page of your bulletin it says, Lord's Day Worship. And it's why we gather for our main weekly service on Sundays. And that's also why Paul says here, that's the day you should put this money aside. I think that should challenge us to consider, I mean, how are you making this day special? At a bare minimum, are you protecting it to be a day to gather for public worship? Or is there something else that's interfering with you giving God the first fruits of your time and remembering the resurrection of Christ? Well, Paul continues,

and when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

So Paul wants the Corinthians to identify trusted delegates who can carry their gift to Jerusalem. And Paul will either write them letters of commendation or else accompany them himself. And I think what's most significant about that is that Paul wants this whole operation to be totally above board. He wants there to be no room for questioning if the money has been properly handled. He doesn't say, well, just give me the money and I'll take it. He says, appoint a team of delegates. And if the Apostle Paul himself wanted his ministry to have this kind of financial accountability, how much more should we? If we as a church are gonna be good stewards of God's money, we need to make sure that it's being used the way it's supposed to be. And we also need to be wise in protecting against unverifiable accusations that can create all kinds of division. And so having good financial policies, transparency, and accountability is very important for us as a church. But as important as that is, It still means nothing if hearts aren't moved to give in the first place. There's lots of good application here, but the most important thing Paul says here is give. Contribute to the needs of poor saints. And he's actually not talking here about regular giving to the church, though he certainly expects us to be doing that. He's talking here about giving something above and beyond for these Christians out there who have material needs. And what's striking is that Paul obviously expects the Corinthians to do that. I mean, he expects them to go above and beyond. There's no, well, if you desire, if you feel so led. He's expecting them to do this and to do this every single week. And this is for people they don't even know. I mean, they've never met these Christians in Jerusalem. They probably never will. So why does Paul expect them to sacrifice like that? I mean, is he just being pushy? Why should the Corinthians love these people so much to sacrifice for them this way, to give to them like this? Well, it's because the one thing that they do know about them should be enough. It's that they're Christians. They're brothers and sisters for whom Jesus died. And if they're that dear to Christ, they should be dear to us as well. You see, in the same way that if you heard that your best friend's mom was in critical condition in the hospital, even if you had never met her, Wouldn't you pray for her differently than if it was just some stranger you heard about on the news? And you do that because you love your friend and you know how dear she is to him. Well friends, one of the marks of a sincere love for Christ is to love and sacrifice for and give to other Christians, whether or not you've met them. because they're dear to him. You know, I think one of the most abused verses in the Bible is when Jesus says,

I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

You know, people often quote that as a way of saying, shelter the homeless, do prison ministry, and give to orphans. And those are all wonderful things to do, but that's really not what that verse is about. Jesus says,

for in as much as you did it for one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it for me.

Jesus isn't talking about the poor in general there. He's talking about his brothers, Christians. That's who he personally identifies with. That's why when Jesus confronts Saul on the way to Damascus, he says,

Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting me?

Jesus personally identifies with his people. And therefore, when we give to needy Christians, it's like you're giving to Christ himself. So friends, is our love for Christ sincere? How generous are you towards your brothers and sisters in Christ? I mean, are you willing to give to people that you don't even know, people from whom you'll gain no recognition or reward? And are you committed enough to do that, not just as a one-time thing, but intentionally, regularly, consistently, week by week, as Paul urges here? Because let's be honest, I mean, how likely is it that this one-time gift is really gonna be as much as if you set something aside as you're able every single week? And finally, as you think about giving, notice that little phrase in verse two, as he may prosper. I mean, always remember that every dime you have comes from the prospering hand of God. He prospers us so that we can bless others. And that also means that other times, we may not have anything to give. You know, sometimes you're the one who needs to have the humility to ask and receive. And that doesn't make you any less. What we are called to is financial faithfulness, using whatever money we do have in a way that honors Christ, in a way that reflects our love for him, who though he was rich, for our sakes became rich. So the first mark of a sincere love for Christ is a willingness to give to needy Christians. Well, a second mark is to honor gospel workers, to honor gospel workers. Now, we've already seen that Paul gives some special instruction for how the Corinthians are to receive Timothy, Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus. But what I also want you to notice is that Paul lumps all of those men together into the same category with himself. as fellow workers. He says of Timothy in verse 10,

he is doing the work of the Lord as I am.

And then of Stephanus' household, which I think probably includes Fortunatus and Achaicus, in verse 16,

be subject to such as these and to every fellow worker and laborer.

And when you look across all of Paul's letters, you'll see that he doesn't ever use the language of fellow workers, just of Christians in general. This is special language that's always used of particular people who are devoting themselves to gospel work in a special way. So sometimes it's used of women, like Euodia and Syntyche and Philippi. It's used of Titus and Timothy as pastors. It's used of Epaphroditus who nearly died coming to minister to Paul in prison. But it always seems to suggest some sort of special leadership or initiative in doing the work of ministry and seeing the gospel go forth. And of course that's what we see with Timothy who's traveling around, dealing with difficult church situations, laboring in the word and doctrine, and sacrificing whatever far more comfortable kind of life he otherwise could have had. And then there's Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus who've traveled all the way from Ephesus. And bear in mind how hard and dangerous travel would have been during that time. And they've done that to bring a letter to Paul so that they can get Paul's feedback for the good of their church. It also seems likely that Stephanus is a leader in the church in some way. And ever since the founding of the Corinthian church, verse 15 says,

his whole household have devoted themselves to the service of the saints.

So Paul calls these men fellow workers with himself, and then he says in verse 16,

be subject to such as these.

In verse 18,

give recognition to such people.

In verses 10 and 11 of Timothy,

put him at ease among you, let no one despise him, and help him on his way in peace.

In a word, Paul's saying, honor them. Treat these men who are laboring for the gospel as dignified, weighty, and significant, and worthy of the utmost recognition and respect. And bear in mind that these are people who in the eyes of the world are nobodies. I mean, what honor does the world see in devoting your life to the ministry of the gospel? I remember Mark Collins being here talking about resumes and how when he comes back as a career missionary and he meets up with his college buddy from 20 years ago that's not a Christian and they're sharing about their lives and he feels like, what do I have to show for my life? I mean, there is nothing on my resume that a non-Christian would regard as at all significant. But Paul's saying that in the church, These men and women who are co-laborers in the gospel should be received and recognized with honor and respect. And in this case, whatever differences they may have with Timothy or Stephanus, those should be laid aside. They should recognize such men. And why is that? I mean, why should we give this special honor to such people? Well, I think there's a number of reasons, but I think the fundamental reason is this. the more you love Christ and just yearn to see His kingdom come and you want to see Christ exalted, well, the more grateful you're gonna feel for gospel workers who are out there trying to make Christ known. And the more you should just naturally want to honor them. You know, rather than adding any kind of burden to their shoulders, you'll want to help them and encourage them however you can. You're not gonna have this party spirit, you know, are they on my side? Do they fit into my camp? Are they helping my church? But you'll be thinking the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. You'll be praying, oh Lord, send out laborers into your harvest. And then when you see God doing that, there should be this posture of gratitude and joy. and this desire to show honor and support. So how could you better honor gospel workers? Are you sometimes too quick to criticize? Letting some secondary disagreement just sort of overshadow legitimate gospel work. Are you willing to submit to them? You know, when someone's trying to lead a ministry in the church, and they're sacrificing their time and their energy to try to help the gospel go forth, to try to help the church grow, I mean, are you grateful for that? And do you show them honor by having a submissive posture? Or do you wind up just resisting them every step of the way? You know, or leaving them out to dry by not following through on commitments? And then in your heart, Is there a genuine gratitude and joy when you see and hear about gospel workers? I mean, is your instinct to just rejoice and want to honor them because you love Christ and want to see Him proclaimed? I mean, I think of Paul who, I mean, in Philippians he talks about how there were people who were preaching Christ, not co-laborers, but people who were preaching Christ motivated by envy. wanting to add affliction to Paul's chains. And Paul says, how do I respond to that? I rejoice, because Christ is being proclaimed. I mean, if that's Paul's heart, because of his love for Christ, I mean, how much more should a love for Christ motivate us to want to honor those who are truly laboring for the cause of the gospel? So that's a second mark of a sincere love for Christ. Mark number three, to greet one another. to greet one another. Notice that in verses 19 through 21, greet or greetings shows up five times. And not only is there the example of Aquila and Prisca sending hearty greetings, and not only are all the brethren in Ephesus sending their greetings to the Corinthians, but notice that Paul also gives a specific command to the Corinthians to

greet one another with a holy kiss.

Now, especially in a church that's racked by division and infected with pride, that's a significant thing to say. A kiss was a greeting that conveyed affection, respect, and a familial bond. And while there's some debate about how commonly and in exactly what settings people would have customarily greeted that way in first century Rome, it seems clear enough that in the church, as one scholar concluded,

It was a practice which expressed the closeness of people who were coming from many different social classes, and who were transcending gender, religious, national, and ethnic divisions, and finding themselves one in Christ.

So Paul's saying, greet one another as equals, as family, and as people who are united together as one in Christ. So all this division in the church, lay it aside. All this pride and this obsession with wisdom and status, it means nothing before the cross. So rich people, kiss the poor. Masters, kiss the slaves. And all of you greet one another like family, with a kiss of love. And don't just do it in pretense. with a painted on plastic smile over a cold heart. Don't let it be like with Judas kissing Jesus in the garden, or like Joab kissing Emesa. No, let it be a holy kiss. Let it be with all sincerity and love. And I think for us it can be easy to overlook how significant greetings can be. You know, during our membership interviews, one of the questions I always ask people is, so why do you want to join this church? And amazingly, one of the things that probably most people mention is because the church is so warm and welcoming. Like the way we greet one another has a huge bearing on whether someone wants to join this church or not. And then the other side, there's been a number of times when I've talked to someone who's really struggling to be here. And they might say something like, you know, I love the theology and the teaching, but I just don't feel like I fit in. I don't feel welcome. And as I press into that, it's often not because some big thing happened. It's not even because the church as a whole has been unwelcoming. It's often because there's like two or three people who maybe made a comment or said something that made them feel a little uncomfortable. And then those people don't seem to go out of their way to ever greet this person. Now the point is, regardless of how real or perceived that lack of welcoming may be, it shows that how we greet one another matters tremendously. I mean, if there's been any conflict, our greeting says a great deal about whether or not we're really reconciled. And if someone has even the slightest feeling of inferiority, the slightest feeling that maybe I'm a little bit less on the church totem pole, well the way we greet one another says a great deal about whether or not we truly view ourselves as equals in Christ. And if someone feels neglected or overlooked, a warm greeting. goes a long way towards showing them love and respect and inviting them into a relationship. So if our love for Christ is sincere, let's think about how we can show that by the way we greet one another. I don't think it has to be with a kiss, but whether it's a handshake or a hug, let it be with warmth and sincerity. And let's strive to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. So, give to needy Christians, honor Gospel workers, greet one another, and now fourth, and probably most significant of all, the fourth mark of a sincere love for Christ is this, stand firm in the faith. Now as I said before, verses 13 and 14 contain Paul's final charge for the whole letter. So after everything he said, after all the ways he's been calling on the Corinthians to repent and change, he says, be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, let all that you do be done in love. Now the picture here is of a man who loves something so much that he's going to do everything he can to protect it, and fight for it. He's watchful, he's holding his ground, standing firm, he's courageous and strong, and he's doing it all in love. Now the word translated act like men is just the Greek word for man in a verbal form. So andros is man, this word is andrizomai. It's quite literally act like men. Now that's not to say that this command is only for men. This is the final charge for the whole letter. This is for the whole Corinthian congregation, men and women combined. But Paul's using manhood here as an example to say something about what our spiritual posture should be like. So like if I were to say, be strong as an ox, that would make sense to you because you know something about oxen. Or in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 7, Paul says,

but we were gentle among you like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

Okay, so Paul compares himself to a nursing mother and he uses that to show how gentle and compassionate he was. Well, the idea here is that the Corinthians should exemplify the strength courage and watchfulness of men. So just imagine a man who knows there's a threat against his family's life. I mean, is he going to run away? No, he's going to stand firm. I mean, is he going to fall asleep? No, he's going to be watchful, looking out for that threat. And then if the threat comes, I mean, is he just going to roll over and give up? Well, no, he's gonna be strong and courageous, and he's gonna fight with all that he has because of his great love for his family. Well, the point here is that's how every Christian is supposed to be with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul knows the Corinthians are gonna face opposition. He knows that there are some in the church who will resist and reject the things he has just said in this letter, and that is gonna put the rest of the Corinthians to the test. He knows that the Corinthians need to repent in significant ways, and that's gonna be hard. They're gonna need to be spiritually strong. So he says, be watchful against sin and falsehood. Stand firm in the faith on the truth of the gospel. Act like men, be strong, and let all that you do be done in love. So what about us? I mean, do you love Christ in such a way that you would do anything to protect and fight for the truth about Christ and the gospel through which you've come to know Christ? I mean, how many Christians have compromised on biblical teaching because they cared more about what the world thinks than fidelity to Christ? How many churches have been torn apart because nobody was being watchful for false teaching? and false brethren creeping in to lead the church astray. How many Christians have made shipwreck of their faith because they weren't watchful against temptation or strong in fighting against sin? And they let the hope of the gospel be snatched away from them by the world, the flesh, and the devil. And how many churches have been divided? Because when there was conflict, no one had the courage or the strength to admit that they were wrong. And to repent like the gospel calls us to. You see friends, there are so many ways that if we're not being watchful and standing firm and being strong, we're gonna drift away. We're gonna be shipwrecked, we're not gonna make it to the end. And at the end of the day, the only thing that can truly bear us through is if we have a sincere love for Christ himself. So when we look at Christ as he's offered to us in the gospel, and realize that apart from him, we're lost. And apart from him, we are sinners condemned to hell, an eternal fire with no hope, no end, with a worm that never dies, and a fire that's never quenched. And yet he has come down. And He has lived for us, and He has died for us, and He has risen for us. And He's loved us with a love that never lets us go. That He is the one who is altogether pure, and holy, and loving, and gracious, and kind, and good. He is the light of the world, the bread of life. And when we realize how precious Christ is, and we love him with a sincere love like we ought, well then we're gonna act like men with the most precious thing in the world to protect. And we are gonna stand firm in the faith. We are going to be watchful, we are going to be strong, and we're gonna live like the gospel is something worth fighting for, even worth dying for. And if you're here this morning and you aren't a Christian, what I hope stands out to you in all this is that Christianity is not fundamentally about a list of rules to keep. It's about a savior. It's about a savior who loves us and a savior whom we should love. And there is this firm warning here that if you have no love for him, you will be accursed. Your sin will condemn you. But friend, if you will only look to Christ, and believe in Christ and love Christ, he will save you. He will freely forgive all your sins and not because of anything good you've done, but by his own mercy and grace. And then for those of us who do love and believe in Christ, let our love be sincere. Let's show it by how we give to needy Christians, honor gospel workers, and greet one another. And most of all, let's show it by standing firm in the faith. And as we stand firm and we pray with Paul, our Lord, come, hasten the day. Come and establish your kingdom. Come and be with us. And until that day, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. Amen. Let's pray. Oh, Father, we thank you for Christ. We thank you that you have given us the victory in him, and we rejoice because he is the one who is altogether lovely, the one who is worthy of our hearts. We pray that you would help our love to be sincere. We pray that you would help our love and our faith to grow, and we pray that you would strengthen us with all your might to stand firm in the faith, to be watchful, to be strong, to act like men, and to do all that we do in love. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. And now please stand and we'll sing our song of response, The Solid Rock.