How to Understand What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry

What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry?

1^st Corinthians 4:2

Moreover, brethren, it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful.

2^nd Corinthians 4:1-7

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; ²But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Introduction:

Recently, we saw, in 2^nd Corinthians 3:6, that we are “ministers of the New Testament.” The idea is that we serve the New Covenant. We deal in the Good News of the Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But we are Not promoting a list of rules by which one may try (and fail) to please a Holy God.

We preach the Gospel of Christ, which God says is His power to save all those who believe it. He receives all those who come to Him by faith.

So, we ought to consider, “God has made me an Ambassador of Christ, and a minister of the New Testament. How does He want me to act upon that responsibility?

The word “minister” simply means “servant.” In western culture, we have elevated that word to mean a high office. Minister of the interior, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, etc. But it literally means a servant.

Each of us has been given a stewardship of some sort: There are people within your sphere of influence or even just social contacts, to whom you may be the only source of God’s light in their world. The question then becomes, how are you shining that light for them?

We talked last week about how Moses’s face glowed when he “had been with Jesus.” Also, we saw that the disciples’ lives and speech radiated the fact that they “had been with Jesus.” We talked about the New Testament “shine” that is our task in the world. And, a long time ago, we remembered how God gave Gideon’s Army three tasks:

Stand
Shine a light
Sound an alarm…sound the warning.

We see that God has given us the same three tasks. We have a stewardship to fulfil.

Stewardship Requires Faithfulness

1^st Corinthians 4:2

“Moreover, brethren, it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

What is Faithfulness?

In some contexts, the word “faithful” just means the believers: it is describing those who have placed their faith in Jesus as their Savior. But, in the context of behavior, it means “reliability:” It means that you can be counted on to actually do what your job entails. It means that you do not just “talk a good fight.”

If the job assigned to a steward is to “walk through a factory and count all their inventory,” then, regardless of how boring and pointless it may seem, an accurate, complete count of everything on the list is absolutely essential to faithfulness. Estimates are not acceptable. (How many gallons of what color of paint? How many cases of toilet paper? Etc.)

If the job to which we are assigned is to “walk worthy of the calling to which you are called,” it means day-by-day walking with Jesus, and responding to the people around you with the Love of Christ. It means fulfilling whatever physical responsibilities you have accepted or have been assigned. We can read about that part of the assignment in Ephesians 4:1-3.

But, if the job is the Great Commission, (and it is) then we need to think about how we can further that task. I may or may not be able to do certain jobs. I will never be a bush pilot, so I will not be taking missionaries into jungle airstrips. However, I can support those missionaries, though, and look for ways to further the job of the Great Commission. Also, I can encourage those around me and help them to focus on the job, too. That is all part of faithfulness.

So, Then, What IS Faithful Ministry?

Paul introduced the idea in 2^nd Corinthians 4:1-2

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

²But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Notice that the first thing Paul says, is that because we have received this ministry (and we have) then, as we have also received the mercy of God that goes along with the job, we do not “faint.” We do not succumb to discouragement.

Yes, we experience discouragement; from the World, from our own sin nature (the Flesh) and from our immortal enemy, the Devil. But we press on, regardless. That is the first element of what we call faithfulness: Don’t quit! Choose to keep on doing what God has assigned to you!

But Look At What Else God Says: (verse 2)

Renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty
Not walking in Craftiness
Not handling the Word of God deceitfully
Manifesting (“making known”) the Truth

The result is that we (as faithful ministers of the Grace of God) find ourselves commended unto the conscience of other people, and before God.

We seek to handle God’s Word faithfully, not feeling that we have to make everything easily understandable in natural terms: We are dealing specifically with the Supernatural, by definition. Time, space, and physical “laws” do not limit God. He is the Author of all things. He can “change the Game” when He chooses to do so. And, only the limits of His own perfect character bind Him in any way.

We are required to say, “I don’t know,” when we don’t know, rather than struggle to come up with an acceptable, palatable explanation. Any other behavior is dishonest. If we try to show that we know it all, and are conscious that we are deliberately giving an answer contrary to the Spirit of God, it is Craftiness, as the actions of Satan are described. None of us wants to be guilty of that! We devote ourselves to Not handling the Word of God deceitfully, by using “out-of-context proof-texts.” We allow God’s Word to comment on itself, as the most accurate commentary.

In all things, we strive to make known the Truth. (Manifesting the Truth) Not only the general truths of what God’s Word actually says, but also the TRUTH. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” Are we seeking to make Him known? That is the central issue in faithfulness as His servants, His Stewards, His Ambassadors.

What is the Result, and Why?

There will be those for whom the Gospel remains hidden, even when we attempt to explain it to them. All the world is lost, but some are more open to the truth of God. Some, by choice, are not. They reject all accountability to a Sovereign, Holy God. They insist that they, themselves, are the standard of truth and righteousness. Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” As a result, they have allowed themselves to be blinded to the truth of God’s Word.

Not Just Israel

God specifically addressed the nation of Israel (Romans 11:25) as having become blind to His truth, and says that the day will come when the few who are left will universally see Him as their Savior and Messiah.

But the principle applies to Gentiles, as well: If I had continued to reject the Gospel, there would have come a time when I was blind to it and could no longer make a reasonable decision. I have encountered more than one person who clearly stated that, even if they could absolutely prove that all of the Bible was true, they still would reject it. They do not want to know the God of the Bible, and resent the implication that they need a Savior.

Verse 4 makes it clear that “the god of this world (implying Satan) has blinded their eyes.” And that his underlying purpose is that they will not receive the “light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan’s goal is to prevent the light of the Gospel fromshining for them.

How Do We Pursue the Good Result of the Gospel?

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake

The first point Paul makes is that the Gospel is “not about us:” We do not advance our cause, or our message, but rather the cause and message and Person of Christ… Jesus… The Lord!

We do not present ourselves as anything special: Only as servants…both to the Lord Himself and to the people to whom we are reaching with His message. Paul says, “we are your servants for Jesus’s sake.”

Why Do We Present Ourselves In That Way?

Because the light of God has already shined in our own hearts, and it compels us to reach to others with that same offer.

⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

His light begins our living relationship with Jesus. It opens our hearts to the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus.

We are living in a world full of deceit, and trickery, and broken promises. But, we offer a God of truth, and honesty: The One Who keeps His Promises to Eternity.

We have to allow Him to live in us in such a way that others see His character in us, and begin to hope that they, too, can know that God. Our lives are supposed to be a living example of His Love and Faithfulness.

Finally, What kind of People qualify as Servants?

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are just ordinary people: Clay pots, not fine china. But the key is our focus on the task, and our faithfulness toward completing that task.

The earthen vessels serve to accentuate the Holiness of the God who indwells us. The Excellence we want people to see is not our own, but that of Jesus, Himself.

Who qualifies? Those who have placed their faith in Jesus, and who choose to allow Him to live through them. Jesus said, “Apart from me ye can do nothing.” So, if I keep trying to please Him in my own strength, I am just spinning my wheels, and I am probably getting in the way of what He wants to accomplish.

The humility required to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding” is the backbone of Faithfulness. Embrace the Cross, and the Humility of servanthood. God will bless faithfulness and provide opportunities for service.

Lord Jesus, help Your Servants to focus on Your priorities, and to leave behind our old, selfish lives. Develop faithfulness in each of us, and draw us to follow as Your Disciples.

June 6, 2026June 6, 2026

Here’s a Good Question: Why Did Moses’s Skin Glow?

Why Did Moses’s Skin Glow?

Exodus 34:29-35 (Read it!) Compare 2^nd Corinthians 3:7-18

“⁷But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his ⁸How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

⁹For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

¹⁰For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. ¹¹For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

¹²Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: ¹³And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

¹⁴But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. ¹⁵But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. ¹⁶Nevertheless when it (their heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

¹⁷Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

¹⁸But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Introduction:

There are some strange things in the Bible…mysterious at first glance, and sometimes still mysterious, no matter how we study, trying to understand.

For instance, it is difficult when we try to understand the triune nature of God. The Bible teaches that He eternally exists in three separate persons. Each of the three is individually (and co-equally with the other two), God. And yet, together, they are literally One God…not three. We hear Jesus say that the Father is greater than all. 1^st Corinthians 15:24-28 says , after the Great White Throne Judgment, Jesus will hand over to His Father the Eternal Kingdom. But…Isaiah 9:6 says that one of the Son‘s names is “the Everlasting Father!“

Sorry! That one remains mysterious!

Others turn out to be pretty simple. We easily discovered the reason David took precisely five stones from the brook when he went to face Goliath. The Giant had four brothers! That is still mind-boggling! To David, (if God is on your side) in order to fight five Giants, you only need five rocks!

**But, Why did Moses’s Face Glow, or Shine?**

So, why did Moses’s face shine or glow, when he returned from talking with God in Person? Is this an exaggeration? We sometimes say that certain people seem to “glow with good health, or with happiness.” That is not the same.

Moses was shining in a way that terrified the people, so that they were afraid to be near him. So, was he radioactive, or, in some way exuding dangerous radiation? If that were it, then veiling his face would not diminish the danger, but only mask it. All we know is that Moses was physically glowing and he did not know it. And, once he knew the problem, he understood why the people feared his presence. He hung a cloth over his face to hide the glow.

What was the source of the Light? Did he develop some sort of bioluminescence? Like a glow-worm, or a firefly? No! It was not a natural phenomenon at all! The simple and mysterious truth? He had been with Jesus.

The Apostles Glowed in a Different Way

In Acts 4:13, 14, we see a hint of how that works today. “¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

Philippians 2:15, 16 says that we are to shine as lights in a dark world, and offer the Word of Life. That is what the Apostles were doing. They were shining, and offering the Word of Life!

They had “been with Jesus” before the Holy Spirit came. Exactly the same amount of time as in Acts chapter 4. But they had not been shining…they were hiding! If we are not walking with Jesus: If we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to shine through us, then we are not shining, either.

We look like pretty dim bulbs, because we are afraid to cheerfully shine the Glory of God in our lives and words. Or, perhaps we have become discouraged, and don’t feel that we can shine.

But Jesus commanded us to allow our light to shine in such a way that other people see the change in our lives, and can glorify God because of what they see.

Matthew 5:14-16

¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

In John 8:12, speaking of Himself, He said, “I am the light of the World: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” Why did Jesus say that we are the light of the world?

I hope you are starting to see a possible answer.

Where Does the Light Originate?

If we go all the way back to Genesis 1:3, we see that God Himself was the original source of light. John 1:4 tells a similar story, saying “In Him (the Word…Jesus) was life and the life was the light of Men.”

If we see God as the ultimate source of light in the world (all light, physical and spiritual: moral and intellectual) then the whole question begins to become clear.

Moses had been in the immediate physical presence of the ultimate source of light. God had temporarily “charged” Moses with, or filled him with, that light. He continued to radiate it after he had left the immediate presence of God.

The Apostles had been in the physical and relational presence of the Living Word, Jesus, the True Light of the World, for more than three years. The moral and intellectual light of His Person shone through them. It astonished the adversaries, and shut their mouths. All they could do is recognize that the Apostles “had been with Jesus.”

What is the Result of the Light?

Jesus told His disciples, in the Sermon on the Mount, that they were the light of the world. Like a city set upon a hill, they were not to be a hidden value. The light should be visible. And the light that came from God through them would be a witness to the world around them: It would shine and bring glory to God, regardless of people’s individual responses to the Light.

Remember the story about the lantern in the barn: J. Vernon McGee told how as a child, he carried a lantern into the dark barn, as he went to feed the livestock. When he entered the door, two things happened: The rats, scavenging for food on the barn floor, scattered, hiding from the light. The birds, roosting in the rafters mistook the light for sunrise and they began to sing. The same light brought two utterly different responses. Both responses testify to the light!

What About Israel?

Paul says they saw the light and they hid from it. Moses had to put on a veil, so that they would not see the glory of God, even though it was fading. And Paul goes on to say that the same veil is there today, when they read the Old Testament. They are judicially blind to the light of God. Remember that the veil in the temple was torn in two and it opens the way for us all. They have not taken advantage of that open door, as a nation and as a people. Romans 11:25 confirms this, saying that blindness has come upon Israel in part, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in.

2^nd Corinthians 3:14-17 says, ¹⁴But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. ¹⁵But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. ¹⁶Nevertheless when it (their heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. ¹⁷Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

So, when the nation of Israel turns its collective heart back to God, the veil will be taken away, and they will be free at last.

What About Us?

How do we fit into this picture? To begin with, we also seek to be the disciples of Jesus. So, his teaching regarding how the disciples were to live would be applicable to us as well. Philippians 2:15, 16 confirms that connection. (Not everything directed to the original disciples is directed to us…Passages like Philippians help us to see which ones are directed to us, and not just to the original disciples.)

He definitely calls us to shine in the World. And we can see that the source of the light has to be Jesus, the Living Word of God. We can also see that the people in the Bible whom everyone saw as “having been with Jesus” were those who had “been with Jesus.”

Moses had been with Jesus! The Apostles had been with Jesus. Stephen, being stoned to death, was shining, and everyone could see it: He not only had been walking with Jesus and speaking for Jesus…He could see Jesus standing to receive him! And they killed him!

**But, What about Us?**

If we are not deliberately seeking the Presence of the Living God in the Person of the Risen Christ, and meditating on the Written Word as we seek to know the Living Word, then we cannot expect to see His Light Permeating our lives.

Years ago, we talked about how, in the wintertime, the headlamps on our vehicles often become spattered with road grime until their light is very dim. We have a difficult time seeing the road. Others may find it difficult to clearly see us, at night. Why is this happening? The electric “fire” inside those lamps has not failed. But, through neglect, or by simple rough use, and severe conditions, the lenses have become so muddy that the light cannot shine through.

Why might we fail to shine?

Our lives are similar in some respects. We need to consistently be watchful, and aware of when we fail to follow, and fail to shine. God calls us to confess our sins, so that He can cleanse us and we can once again shine for Jesus.

The Holy Spirit; God indwelling us, has not changed. His Holiness and Love and Light are still shining, eternally unchanged. But we have allowed the World and our own fleshly fears and follies to dirty, darken, discourage, and dim us until that light is hard to see. We can hardly see it ourselves, let alone others seeing Him in us.

So, here is our hope: 1^st John 3:2

“²Beloved, now are we the sons (“Children:” Greek word is “tekna,” meaning “offspring”) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Folks…I truly want to be like Jesus, but until I see Him face to face, it isn’t going to fully happen. All I can do in this life is to keep focused on the little that I do see of Him, shining through His Word, and in the lives of Godly people around me. The more consistently I seek His face, the more consistently others will have to conclude, “He has been with Jesus!”

Lord Jesus, please grip our hearts with the urgency of Your call to Discipleship. Help us to daily seek Your Face, and be transformed into Your likeness, Shining with Your Light.

May 30, 2026May 30, 2026

In What Way are We Servants of the New Testament?

We are Servants of the New Testament

2nd Corinthians 2:14-3:6

¹⁴Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

¹⁵For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: ¹⁶To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Introduction:

We have often seen Paul presenting himself as a servant of the gospel. Romans 1:1 says “I am consecrated unto the Gospel of God.” Now, we might interpret this passage also, as Paul explaining the life of the apostles.

However, if we consider the parallel passages, where he also says we are Ambassadors of Christ (2^nd Corinthians 5:20.) In the Great Commission itself, Jesus commanded the apostles to make disciples in all nations. Furthermore, it said, teach those disciples to do everything Jesus assigned to the Apostles. Then we have to slow down and consider, “How much of this applies to me directly?”

**Does God Cause Us to Triumph in Christ?**

Against Satan:

Where is the battle? Who is the enemy? Against whom do we put on the whole armor of God, so as to withstand the attacks of the Enemy? Satan is a defeated enemy, but he still attacks us: and God gives us victory.

Against the World:

When God calls us to “overcome the World,” what does He mean? Where do we find the answer to that question? 1^st John 5:4, 5 says it means you have placed your faith in Jesus, as the Son of God. If you have trusted in His blood as full payment for your sins, then YOU have overcome the World!

Against the Flesh:

Is there more? Yes, of course there is! He calls us to walk with Him and to allow Him to increase our faith. He wants to increase our strength and stability in Him. (We can’t lose! God says nothing in the universe can separate you from His love! Romans 8:38, 39)

As we walk with Him, we find that we are also victorious over our old sin nature. We can’t get rid of it entirely, but God says we can continually set it aside. As believers, we can submit our new nature to the holiness of God. We can’t eradicate our old nature in this life, but we can starve it, and have daily victory. Galatians 5:16 promises that IF we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh.

So, yes! God does cause us to triumph in Christ!

**What Is The Result Of That Spiritual Triumph?**

He says that, due to that triumph, God causes us to “Smell like Jesus,” for better or worse. To those who are responsive to God’s call, we smell like eternal life. To those who habitually reject Him, we smell like judgment, and death.

We do not cause that aroma. God causes the fragrance of Christ as the result of His Grace manifested itself in our lives. Look at 2:14 again: He says God causes us to triumph, and God makes known the savour (aroma, or fragrance) of His knowledge by us in every place.

But, since that is the standard, if we see that we are not “smelling like Jesus” then the lack is in our response to Him. God does not fail, but we frequently fail to cooperate with His Grace. So, to the question, “Who is sufficient for these things?” we reply, “Only God!”

**What Does it Mean, to “Corrupt the Word of God?”**

The word translated as “corrupt” in verse 17 can also be translated as, “peddle,” or “make merchandise of.” When a band sells “merchandise” at a concert, it includes all sorts of “I was there” memorabilia. (Junk, really, but to those who want to advertise a favorite band, it may seem desirable.) And the band frequently makes more from the merchandise sales than they do the ticket sales.

There are preachers who are “in the ministry” for money, and they have an agenda to sell. They use God’s Word as merchandise, and they hope to gain great financial support from people who “like their message.” One problem with that approach is that they tend to modify the content to some degree, in an effort to make their message more popular. In doing so, they are corrupting God’s Word.

We have nothing to sell! We preach the Good News of Salvation through the Cross, but we also preach the bad news: “The necessity of the Cross: Why did Jesus have to die for us?”

Obviously, we cannot afford to “make God’s Word more palatable.” If we were to do so, we would be corrupting the Word, which Paul specifically warns against, here.

We choose to tell people the truth about Jesus: That He is God in the Flesh. That He hates sin just as much as ever, but He chose to become a man and to die in place of the entire Human Race. We teach that He calls us to place our trust in His completed Work, and to abandon our attempts to please Him with our own works. He asks us to allow Him to work through us. And He has given us a job, which He will accomplish through us, as we walk with Him by faith.

2^nd Corinthians Chapter 3

¹Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ²Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

⁴And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: ⁵Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; ⁶Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

**No Self-Commendation, and No Self Condemnation:**

Paul cautions the Corinthian believers to understand that he is not “commending himself:” He says if anyone wants a “letter of recommendation” regarding his work, they should read the lives of the people who have believed the Gospel and who are being set free from sin!

He says that the believers who have benefitted in one way or another by Paul’s teaching are the only letter of recommendation He can ask for. Either God has been working via the Gospel, and the message Paul has preached is sound teaching, or He has not, and Paul’s ministry is flawed.

God’s Word transforms lives! He works from the inside out, to renew our minds and to strengthen our walk with Him. Paul faithfully transmitted the true Gospel of Christ, and everywhere Paul went and shared the message of the Gospel, there was either a riot, a revival, or both! Why? Because he was telling the truth!

The message can be clearly read in the changed hearts and lives of the believers. No one has to go to a temple and read the commandments written in the stone. They can see the living Word of God shining in the changed lives of His saints.

Why is that happening? Because of the triumph we saw in chapter 2. God “has (past tense) made us able ministers (servants) of the New Testament…the New Covenant.”

What Gospel do We Preach?

We do not “preach the Law,” though it is Holy and unchanging: We preach the Righteousness of Christ, which now is available to all. Romans 3:21 says, “But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets.”

We no longer condemn ourselves for failing to “keep the Law:” No one but Jesus ever succeeded in keeping the Law. Acts 15:7-11 says that none of the Jews, who were raised up from infancy under the Law were ever able to keep it. It goes on to say that the Gentiles are not responsible to “keep the Law.”

They (and all believers, Jew or Gentile) are offered the Gift of Eternal life through the finished work of Jesus at the Cross. The Law, thereafter, sees the believer as “Dead in Christ!” ( Galatians 2:19-21) And the Law has no effect on “dead people”…it warns the living of the Holiness of God, and the coming judgment. But our judgment was carried out and finished at the Cross.

What did John the Baptist and Jesus preach?

John the Baptist preached the coming Judgment and the promise of God. Jesus pointed out that as natural humans, we are already under the condemnation of God for our sin. But He presented His life as the sacrifice for our sins, and promised that we can have eternal life immediately, if we believe His Word, and trust in His shed blood for our salvation.

We do not have to wait until we die to know that we have eternal life. He gives it immediately when we place our faith in Him, and He says that He wants us to know that we have eternal life. Romans 8:2 says that “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death!”

That is Good News!

So, What is Our Job?

We know that our job is to be ambassadors for Christ. So, we want to learn how to do our job effectively. When I worked as a welder, I wanted to learn to do my job well, with top quality welds and high productivity. I wanted to be effective at my job.

Here at True Hope Christian Fellowship, we are attempting to equip the saints for the work of ministry, as we are told to do in Ephesians 4:11-17. We hope to see all the believers grow to be highly functional as ambassadors of Christ.

That involves thorough, serious teaching of the Written Word, and constant encouragement for all of us to “get out of our comfort zone,” as they say.

But the fact remains, for all of us: We have a job to do! Let’s get on with it!

Lord Jesus, grip our hearts with the honor You have conferred upon us, that we are allowed to go to work with You, every day, and see Your hand changing the world around us, and offering life to the hopeless. Teach us to be devoted to Your service, so that it is no longer a matter of convenience, but of true commitment.

May 23, 2026May 23, 2026

How to Understand The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

Quite some time ago, we taught through 1^st Corinthians 5. There we saw a man known to be having sexual relations with his father’s wife. The church of Corinth did not see this as an evil thing. They did not know the Mosaic Law condemned such behavior in strongest terms. That is no surprise, since, in the first place, they were Gentiles, and abysmally ignorant of the Mosaic Law.

But Paul pointed out that, even in most Gentile societies, such a thing was unthinkable, and universally condemned. So, how could they have “missed the memo,” so to speak? Why did the Corinthian Church actively support behavior that “everyone knew” to be wrong? (And which God specifically stated was wrong?)

“Welcome to Corinth!” The community center for that city was the largest house of prostitution in known history! It was the temple of Aphrodite. There, the practitioners approved every form of perversion! The Britannica Encyclopedia said, in its peak years, that temple employed 10,000 prostitutes, male and female. Corruption ran especially deep in Corinth. And that is where this story originated! Please turn to 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7.

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

¹ It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. ²And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

³For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

⁶Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ⁷Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

What Was The Problem? Incest!

This is nothing new. It happened in the Old Testament, at least once (Genesis 35:22.) And it had permanent consequences for the young man involved. He had committed incest with one of his father’s younger wives (Genesis 49:3, 4).

But in Corinth, they proposed no consequence for the sin. The church seems to have applauded it. They were at least proud of their own “tolerance.” (Sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it? It is happening today, as a spreading pattern among churches.) Paul said they were “puffed up,” meaning “conceited, or proud.” But He condemned their pride. He said that they were dead wrong, for not judging the sin that was being openly paraded before them.

Paul warned that some sins are especially “contagious.” He said sin spreads, just as yeast multiplies in bread dough, until all the dough is full of yeast. They knew enough about the Passover to know that it used strictly “unleavened bread.” Yeast, or any kind of leaven was forbidden. God is Holy, and a walk with Him will constantly require self-examination and confession.

So, he concluded that their “glorying” in their tolerance of sin was not good: it was both counter-productive, and destructive. He said that they should have been mourning that such a thing was happening among them. And he commanded that they separate themselves from that Evil, by separating the individual from their fellowship.

Church Discipline

We usually call this practice “Church Discipline.” But we seldom practice it today. And, sadly, when we attempt to do so it is usually done wrongly, with wrong motives, and for wrong reasons.

I knew a man whose wife left him for another man. But his own church put him out of the fellowship! Why? Because they felt that he had “not done enough” to bring her back.

A few months ago, I heard of a young mother whose husband had been continually abusing her. She finally left him. And her church informed her that she was no longer welcome to take communion with them, because her marriage had failed.

Both of these circumstances are horrible misuses of Church discipline, and they are the sorts of things that give churches a bad name.

Galatians 6:1-5 outlines the correct motive for approaching another believer about sin: The motive is restoration, not condemnation. If there is sin that is threatening the flock, it does require that we approach the persons involved, hoping for restoration, but knowing that, “unless something changes, we are going to part ways.” So far as I am aware, that has only happened once in the thirty years’ history of this church.

So, what happens then? What if they repent, and they want to do right?

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

The Corinthian Church repented of their sin, and they obeyed Paul’s command! We know nothing about the inner workings of how that played out, but we do get to “read the last chapter” on that situation: The man repented! So, what should they do now??

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

¹ But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. ²For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? ³And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. ⁵But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

Here, in verses 1-5 we can see how Paul felt about the whole matter: He knew that the words he had sent the church, regarding the sin in their midst, were going to cause grief. He did not want to have to deal with such a “mess” in person, if they would respond to a letter.

He wanted to have a good relationship with them, and, if they would obey the Word without Paul’s personal presence, they would surely have a more joyful response when he finally arrived in person. In fact, in verse 9, he stated that one reason he wrote was to find out whether, indeed, they would obey,

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But the most serious point, here: They had seen the separation as a permanent expulsion. Paul informed them that that was not the purpose of church discipline.

I have never played hockey: but I have read that when a player violates some rule, the referee sends him to a “penalty box.” And the rest of the team struggles on, competing without him. He is not “off the team,” he is just off the ice, for a period of time. It is a penalty for both him and the whole team! In a limited sense, Church discipline is similar.

We need one another, and we do not want to lose people. But God commands that if we “can’t play right,” then He requires our own team to put us out of fellowship. This is not due to some unintentional error, or because someone doesn’t like them. It is a united response to a known sin, and it is specifically due to an unrepentant response to all attempted correction.

We need one another, and we are aware of our own fragility. We are not condemning a person: we are condemning a persistent practice of deliberate sin.

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

Paul says: ⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

The man in 1^st Corinthians 5 was living in a corrupt city, where there was only one group of “Bible-believing Christians,” as we might call them today. He could not say, “Well, fine, there’s a dozen other churches I can join!” There were no other believers to join.

How to Understand The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

What Was The Problem? Incest!

Church Discipline

I knew a man whose wife left him for another man. But his own church put him out of the fellowship! Why? Because they felt that he had “not done enough” to bring her back.

Both of these circumstances are horrible misuses of Church discipline, and they are the sorts of things that give churches a bad name.

So, what happens then? What if they repent, and they want to do right?

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But the most serious point, here: They had seen the separation as a permanent expulsion. Paul informed them that that was not the purpose of church discipline.

We need one another, and we are aware of our own fragility. We are not condemning a person: we are condemning a persistent practice of deliberate sin.

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

Paul says: ⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

The unrepentant Sinner found himself “drifting” in a sea of vile sin and corruption. He found himself “shipwrecked” on a desert island, devoid of the food and water of fellowship. But he soon realized that his decision to practice the same sins as the community of the lost, forced him to take up residence with them again… He had nowhere else to turn.

Less Effective Today

Today, this practice is much less effective, because people do feel that they can just “find another church.” (And they can!) But… he repented! Paul told them how to respond to the repentant man:

⁷So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. ⁸Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

Paul commanded them to receive him back, and to comfort him. The goal was never to drive him to despair, but only to allow him to reflect on his bad decisions, and make a new, good decision.

He needed to see that the other believers still loved him and cared for him: But they simply could not allow him to continue in a pattern that would not only destroy his relationship with God, but would also affect the believers around him.

⁹For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

Paul admitted that part of the reason he wrote to them in the first letter, regarding the sin in their church, was to discover whether they would respond to correction. They passed the test! Now he says, “The penalty is over! He is repentant, and he desires fellowship with you. He has abandoned his sin, and he is trying to walk with God again! Step in and help him! Encourage him! Forgive him for all the past error!”

Paul Concludes:

¹⁰To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; ¹¹Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

He assures the Corinthian Church that he is in full agreement with their forgiveness and the restoration of fellowship. The Unity of the Church is a vital part of our testimony in the World. The three criteria by which Jesus has authorized the World to judge the Church, are:

The Agapé Love which we either do or do not show toward one another. Remember, Jesus said, “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciple if ye have Love one for another.” (John 13:34, 35)
The Unity of the believers…not fighting and bickering amongst themselves. Jesus also said, (John 17:21) “…That they may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
The Good Works of committed believers. The overall “Smell of Jesus” in their lives. (Matthew 5:15, 16; 2^nd Corinthians 2:14-16)

We are not to be tearing each other up, in self-righteous indignation over imagined faults. But certain sins can “infect” other people. Hebrews 12:15 points out that bitterness, for example, is contagious, and, if it is allowed to remain, it will defile many. Give that some thought.

Lord Jesus, help us to learn the principles of Your Holiness, and the Power of Your Grace, and the Value of Your Forgiveness, to the end that our fellowship may grow strong in all three.

May 16, 2026May 16, 2026

How to Understand The Gospel As A Cause For Rejoicing

The Gospel Is A Cause For Rejoicing

2^nd Corinthians 1:12-24 (Read it!)

Introduction:

We have examined a couple of passages in 2^nd Corinthians 1, and ended with verse eleven. Now we want to progress through Paul’s explanation of his own motives in life and in teaching.

The Gospel Is A Cause For Rejoicing, Both To The Speaker And The Hearers.

¹²For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation (Greek, “anastrepho”…how we live our lives) in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

Paul and his associates rejoiced in having a clean conscience, knowing that their testimony was consistent. He gave full credit to the Lord, as the One who made such lives possible. He and his team had “practiced what they preached.” They had not given a mixed message. They never preached one thing, as if it mattered, and then did the opposite, as if it did not matter. They preached the truth, and lived it, too! And they rejoiced for the privilege to have served!

¹³For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; ¹⁴As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are our’s in the day of the Lord Jesus.

I found this passage to be difficult to understand in the King James Version. The translators used the word “acknowledge” when the intent was “to understand.”

The New International Version Renders It This Way:

³For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Our “objective” in all speech or writing is communication. But without understanding, we have not communicated. I believe that “Until learning occurs, I have not accomplished teaching.” Paul seemed to agree with this principle. He and his fellow laborers were careful, in writing. They used language they knew the recipients could read. They taught concepts they knew they could understand.

Their hope was that the understanding would continue to develop until the Corinthian believers completely understood the message of Christ. The end result of such understanding is Joy! Paul and his fellow-laborers already rejoiced to see the reality of Christ developing in the lives of the Corinthian believers. (Despite their many errors.)

They hoped the Corinthian believers, eventually, would fully rejoice to have received the message from Paul. (It was not always “fun to hear” Paul’s message. Most of the Corinthian letters are corrective teaching. In our natural selves, we don’t like to be corrected.)

What About Correction, When It Matters?

When we desperately need to be correct in some matter, and we know that the person correcting us truly does know what is correct, and that they are truly acting for our benefit, then correction is precious to us. But when we just want to think that whatever we are doing is correct, then we resent correction. It makes us unapproachable when we feel and act this way.

Personal Example:

A missionary friend told of a tense situation: He and his family had invited several couples from the remote people they were serving, to have dinner at their house. But as the meal progressed, he could see that the men looked more and more angry, and the women looked both embarrassed and flattered.

He had no idea what was happening. His daughter rescued him. She asked him to help with something in the kitchen: There, she asked, “Daddy, do you know what you are doing??” He knew something was wrong, but did not know why. So he replied honestly, “NO! Please tell me!”

She explained that he had been trying to dislodge a piece of corn from between his molars, by probing with his tongue. “But, Daddy, in this culture, THIS…” (poking her tongue into her cheek) “means THIS! (She gave a sly, suggestive wink!)

The missionary was horrified to learn that he had been openly (though unknowingly) flirting with all the wives of the men they had invited as guests. He marched right back into the dining room, and confessed his abysmal ignorance of their culture. He explained that he had only been trying to get a piece of corn out of his teeth.

They accepted his apology, and cheered up, saying “We do it this way!” (Shoving a finger into the far reaches of their mouths, and picking with a fingernail.) The ministry in that village was saved by a young girl who was more observant of culture than the adults were, and a father who was not too proud to learn from a child.

Paul’s Original Intent

¹⁵And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit; ¹⁶And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.

Paul had intended to pass their way again, but it had not yet worked out. His intention had been to bring additional blessing through teaching, and guidance, as the Holy Spirit worked in their midst, by his presence and teaching and example.

¹⁷When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? ¹⁸But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

No Double Meanings: No Ambiguity

Jesus was not ambiguous in His teaching. Paul sought to also be ambiguous. He did not “say one thing and mean another.” (As an example, he asked, “Do you think I was ‘just talking’ when I said I wanted to visit you?”)

He did not speak lightly to them about anything. Life is serious, even when individual things are amusing or entertaining. The overall results of life are very serious. He had wanted to visit them, and still wanted to do so.

Paul did not “pretend to agree with them and then attempt to correct them.” He was not playing games, and he was never “two-faced” about his ministry. As a God-ordained Apostle, Paul told the truth all the time, and did not try to “soft-peddle…soft-sell” anything. He told the blunt truth.

²⁰For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Paul assured them that all the promises of God were secure. There was no “hidden agenda” with them or with God. As they offered God’s Word, they did so in complete transparency.

Who Builds The Relationships Between Teachers And Their Hearers?

²¹Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; ²²Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Remember that the One who assures us that the teaching we are hearing, and the person doing the teaching are from Jesus Christ, and not leading us astray, is God Himself. God sends the faithful shepherds, and He has sealed them in Christ (Same as He did with us!) and has indwelt them with the person of the Holy Spirit. (Again, the same as He did for us!)

And God has given us the means, in His Word, by which to ascertain their character and their trustworthiness: God tells the necessary qualifications for all the (Elders, Shepherds, Overseers,) and Deacons, in 1^st Timothy 3:1-8, in Titus 1:5-9, and in 1^st Peter 5:1-4.

He tells us what their task is, in both the Old and the New Testament. (In Ezekiel 34:1-10, God laid out seven tasks of the shepherds of Israel, and He condemned them for not even trying to do those things.

And, in Ephesians 4:11-16, God tells us the additional tasks of the New Testament Church leaders. In Acts 20:26-35, he gave final commands to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus. So, we all have the capacity and resources to look, and to search the scriptures, to see whether the teaching is from God, and whether the workers are doing what they are called to do.

**Why Did Paul Not Visit Corinth Again, Sooner?**

²³Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

Paul knew that the Church at Corinth was riddled with problems, but he did not want to come to them with a list of “all the things they were doing wrong.” He hoped to come to them only to confer a blessing, through fellowship and additional teaching: Not to “Straighten you numbskulls out!” He did not want that sort of relationship with them. Paul had led most of them to Christ, and evidently had baptized a few of them. He would rather enjoy a fatherly, loving relationship with them, rather than constantly scolding and correcting them.

Additionally, he freely confessed that their faith was not to be ruled by Paul, but by Jesus. He only hoped to add to their joy by helping them in their faith. He concluded that it was by faith alone that they stood righteous before God.

²⁴Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

What About Here At True Hope?

We do not “dominate the faith” of anyone here. Our primary goal is to feed the Flock: To help the flock to gain a deeper understanding of God’s Word. All of us seek to help one another to experience faith, and God’s Peace, and the Joy of the Lord. We seek to build disciples who can, in turn, build others, drawing others to believe the Gospel of Christ, and to understand His Word.

The Great Commission comprises the “marching orders” for the whole Body of Christ. We want to teach one another to embrace the One Job he has given to us. We have a multitude of “tasks,” and not all of us have the same tasks, because, for one thing, our gifts also vary.

But ALL of us have only One Job: the Great Commission was given several times, and in different contexts, and in slightly different phrasing: but the central command is the same. We are His Witnesses: We are Ambassadors for Christ. That is not a matter of choice, or preference. That is our reason to exist!

Lord Jesus, awaken in our hearts the earnest desire to walk with You and to become active ambassadors of the King of Kings: representatives of the Savior, the eternal God in the Flesh. Take away our constant tendency to wander away to toys and earthly distractions. Teach us the serious central issues of life.

May 9, 2026May 9, 2026

How To Understand and Use God’s Plan Of Evangelism

What Is God’s Plan Of Evangelism?

2^nd Corinthians 1:1, Acts 17:1-14, Acts 18:1-8, Romans 15:15-20; Acts 8:1-4

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

Introduction:

Corinth was the Roman Capitol of Achaia at the time Paul was writing. Obviously, wherever he went, Paul made a practice of going to principal cities, such as Corinth, Philippi, etc. He sought to plant churches in each place as a “start,” like planting grape cuttings. This served to introduce the Gospel of Christ, via a self-supporting, self-propagating organism. He hoped each “start” (each fledgling church) would flourish and spread to all the villages around them.

To begin with, the Church exists as a Living, self-replicating, and self-propagating organism. The Holy Spirit has planted the church in the world, much as the wind plants dandelions in your lawn. (Obviously, You did not plant the dandelions there: They simply arrived, blown by the wind.) And they blossomed where the wind planted them: They sent down tough, resilient taproots, seeking water and nourishment. Furthermore, they maintained through dry summers, cold winters, and other hazards. And, every spring, they blossom again, producing hundreds of seeds. When mature, those seeds will blow away on the wind, like tiny parachutes and start new life elsewhere.

Clearly, the World does not want us here, any more than you want the dandelions in your lawn. But, like dandelions, we blossom where God planted us. And, like dandelion seedlings, we dig deep into God’s Word, seeking Living Water and Spiritual food. We multiply, and the “Wind of God” carries our “seeds” elsewhere. They take root in other places, other cities, other countries and languages.

This is God’s Plan of Evangelism

Paul demonstrates this “plan of evangelism” in Romans 15:17-20. It says “from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Now the distance from Jerusalem to Illyricum, by road, is anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 miles. (That distance depends on what cities he visited as “side-trips.”)

Paul did NOT “talk to every single person” in that area. He planted churches any where he found even a few receptive hearts. Then he allowed the natural, spiritual reproduction of the Living Spirit of Christ to spread out and “self-propagate” from each of those “starts.”

Normal Propagation

Corinth and other primary cities in Achaia had received the Gospel of Christ. God caused many small churches to thrive there, though Paul had not visited everywhere in that province…just a few chief cities and towns (We only know of Athens, Corinth, and Cenchrea, for sure.) But, he said that He extended his greeting “to all the saints which were in ALL Achaia!” The Gospel had spread, just as it is supposed to do!

Forced Propagation

Acts 8:1-8 gives us one example of a delayed, but highly productive “spread.” Persecution broke out in Jerusalem after a mob stoned Stephen to death. The persecution “broke up the party” that the believers were enjoying in Jerusalem. They had continued to increase, in and around Jerusalem, but they had made no effort to evangelize outside that area.

in Acts 1:8, Jesus gave the following assignment: “After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, ye shall be witnesses unto Me, in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth.”

The believers at Jerusalem, (whom we see in Acts chapters 2-6) had become pretty complacent: They were “having a great time around the Table of the Lord,” but they were not venturing out “into the field,” as they had been directed. We can’t really blame them: We tend to do the same thing.

What Happened in Jerusalem?

After the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, a persecution broke out. Acts 8:1 “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Please remember: Many of these believers were not natives of Jerusalem. They had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost, and the Apostles introduced them to Jesus as the Messiah. They stayed, to learn and grow, and to fellowship and grow strong. When the persecution began, most of them probably just went back to wherever they had originally come from.

And we see the result in Acts 8:4, : “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” (Aha! So, persecution can result in evangelism!)

But, do we have to wait for persecution to drive us to the world around us? Or can we do it for the sheer joy of responding in obedience to the Great Commission?

The Joy of Christ

If we read the rest of Acts 8, we see that Philip went straight to Samaria. It was the old capitol city of the region of Samaria. Idolatry was common there. Jews and Gentiles existed in a confusing mix. They pracitced a “mixed bag” of Judaism and a host of other religions. Paul preached the Gospel there: Specifically, it says, “He preached Christ unto Them.” (That is what we are called to do, too!)

The result? Acts 8:8 says, “There was great Joy in that city.”

The Joy of Christ has been the result wherever there has been a true reception to the Gospel. In individual lives, we see that Joy replicated, today. We see lives transformed by the Living Word of God. As a result, we see the Person and the Character of Christ beginning to appear in their lives, and the Fragrance of the Savior beginning to emanate from their lives.

We see people, young and old, lifting up their eyes from the World around them, taking their attention away from the crushing apathy, the evil desires and the gross self-centeredness of the Human Race, and seeing Jesus, the perfect human who is also the True God, in the flesh.

The Result In Our Lives

Together, we find Refuge in Him. We rejoice together in His Light, and we feed together on His Word, and we fellowship together around the Person and Work of the Risen Christ. We learn to find our Joy in Him, (Habakkuk 3:17-19) and, as Habakkuk did, to find that He “makes our feet like the feet of the ‘hind,’ a rock-climbing, mountain-loving deer: He places our feet on our high places,” so that the troubles of this life seem far below us. And even when they affect us directly, we see those troubles from the vantage point of Citizens of Heaven, not as those still enslaved to the World.

How We Choose God’s Plan

People have written scores of books about evangelism. One such book claims the title of “The Master’s Plan of Evangelism,”and it is actually a pretty good book. If one is truly going to follow “The Master’s Plan of Evangelism,” then regardless of how they see that plan, the first item on the agenda is to deliberately choose God’s plan, as opposed to our own, or a program set up by our school or by the founder of a movement, or anything else.

If we can Look to God’s Word, and see how He planned to reach the world, and deliberately choose to learn His way, and to follow His way, then we are already on the right path.

Acts 16:6-11

⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, ⁷After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. ⁸And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. ¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. ¹¹Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

When we read Acts 16:6-11, we see that Paul and his entourage did not get to just “look at a map and pick where to go next:” God forbade them to go in one direction, then another. (verses 6, 7) But a little further along, He sent a vision, directing them to Macedonia. So, off they went, going where HE directed them to go, and doing as HE directed them to do!

**Being “In” The Way: (On The Path: “On Task“)**

In Genesis 24:27, we see that the servant of Abraham, who was on assignment to find a wife for Isaac, stated that he was “in the right place, doing the right thing,” when he prayed and asked God for direction. He said “I being in the way, the LORD led me!” He was already choosing, day by day and step by step, to follow the assignment given to him, and the directions he had been given so far. And so it was, that, when he asked for specific direction, God responded immediately, and very specifically.

Paul and his group were in the same situation in Acts 16:6-11. They were doing their “best diligence” to follow what they knew of God’s direction. But then it came down to a need for a specific direction: They had tried two directions, and God had “closed the door.” (We are not told how: All we know is that He forbade them to go to the first two places they attempted.)

So, they continued seeking His will, and He gave them very specific direction. They obeyed that new directive immediately, and they headed for Macedonia.

What About Us?

As a Church, we were already promoting evangelism and discipleship. Our church preached the Gospel and we taught the Word, and we avoided distraction. We taught that the one assignment Jesus gave to the Church was the Great Commission. We understand that the propagation of the church occurs because of a “Spiritual chain reaction.” (One beliver shares with one unbeliever. If that person believes, and is born again, then TWO believers are now sharing with others, and so forth.)

We continually sought His direction as to how we could reach out and be a part of His plan. And we had no idea how that might work out. Then He dropped “His plan for us” into our collective laps! We responded with joy and eager obedience, and God has been blessing this little church, beyond anything we had hoped for! We have now supplied hundreds of Bibles for believers in places where they could not possibly afford to buy them.

The Results?

We can see the results in the Philippines, in Papua New Guinea, in Kenya and in Pakistan. Hundreds of hungry hearts are being fed on the Word of God. Hundreds whom we may never meet in this world are being trained up to “Blossom where they are planted, to Dig deep into God’s Word, to Press closer into Him for the Living Water of His Grace, to Bear fruit, and to multiply.” (Just like Dandelions!) And we are called to do the same!

Can there be more? Without a doubt, there can be! But what we must continually do, is to continue in obedience and to look to Him for direction, just as we have done before.

Lord Jesus, please raise our eyes to see You clearly, and to discern the path of obedience for each soul among our flock. We desire to do Your Will, and we confess that, apart from Your leading, we do not know how to do so.

April 30, 2026April 30, 2026

How to Understand Paul’s Missionary Letters

A Missionary Letter From Paul

1^st Corinthians 16:5-18

Introduction:

We sometimes receive letters from the missionaries we support. Sometimes they have a lot of information, sometimes a lot of prayer concerns, sometimes exciting reports about what the Lord is doing where they serve.

Last week we received two such letters: One simultaneously gave exciting news and let us know of a need:

Burdett Letter

Jim and Judy Burdett announced on Facebook the fulfillment of the ministry we have supported for years. The announcement said the Dom believers are delivering the Dom New Testament. They are distributing them among the people who speak that language in Papua New Guinea. We have a copy of this translation, in the foyer, under Jim and Judy Burdett’s prayer letter and card. The churches they planted began with over one thousand of these New Testaments, last year. Those thousand books are nearly gone. Many people earnestly desire to have a copy of the New Testament.

They have also distributed hundreds of copies of another book: “King of Glory.” It is written in Melanesian Pidgin, the trade language of Papua New Guinea. (It is effectively a translation of the book we often give away, here, called “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.” The book explains the Old Testament. It shows Jesus’s appearances throughout the Old Testament. (Jesus taught the two disciples in that way on the road to Emmaus, before they recognized Him.) They are nearly out of that book, too! So, we take that news as an invitation to help replenish their printing fund, though they did not ask for anything.

Megan Lewis Letter

We received another prayer letter, but it was the reverse. Megan Lewis, whom we support in her ministry with Ethnos 360, asked me to send her any news of our church, or needs within our church or ministries, so that she could pray for us! That is encouraging, all by itself!

Paul Sent A Few Missionary Letters, Too:

I am quoting the NLT translation today, because it allows us to see how similar his letter is to the letters we receive.

NLT Version Reads Very Much Like A Modern Prayer Letter.

Paul included these personal notes at the end of the book of 1^st Corinthians. The rest of the book was mostly corrective teaching. This part includes more personal sharing, and information about Paul’s travel plans and about his fellow-laborers.

⁵I am coming to visit you after I have been to Macedonia,^[a] for I am planning to travel through Macedonia. ⁶Perhaps I will stay awhile with you, possibly all winter, and then you can send me on my way to my next destination. ⁷This time I don’t want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay awhile, if the Lord will let me. ⁸In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. ⁹There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.

Other Leaders

¹⁰When Timothy comes, don’t intimidate him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. ¹¹Don’t let anyone treat him with contempt. Send him on his way with your blessing when he returns to me. I expect him to come with the other believers.^[b]

¹²Now about our brother Apollos—I urged him to visit you with the other believers, but he was not willing to go right now. He will see you later when he has the opportunity.

¹³Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.^[c] Be strong. ¹⁴And do everything with love.

¹⁵You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece,^[d] and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters,^[e] ¹⁶to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. ¹⁷I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. ¹⁸They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.

King James Version, In Contrast:

(Read it) (Notice verse 15: “Addicted to the ministry of the saints.”)

**So, Where Was Paul?**

Historical And Geographic Notes:

Macedonia, today, is a separate Balkan nation, north of Greece. But, at that time in history, it was under Roman rule, and it also included the northern part of what we call Greece, today.

Ephesus was also under Roman rule at that time, and though it originally was a Greek city, today it is in modern-day Turkey, on the coast, directly across the Aegean Sea from Athens.

Achaia included the northern crescent-shaped coast of Pelopónnese, the southern section of Greece, as well as a wide strip of the southernmost section of Greece, proper. It was bordered on the west by the Ionian Sea, and on the East by the Aegean Sea. It included Cenchrea, Corinth and Athens, as major cities. Corinth was the Roman capital of Achaia in Paul’s time.

Paul’s Plans

Paul shared with the believers at Corinth that he was currently in Ephesus, and planned to stay there until after the feast of Pentecost (50 days after Passover) because he had a wide open door for evangelism, although there were many who opposed the message, as well. He said he intended to pass through Macedonia on the way to Corinth.

Now, when I look at a map, I can see that Ephesus and Corinth are separated by “only” 250 miles of water. So, to my mind, a ship seems a logical choice: It might be a three- or four-day voyage, depending on where else among the various islands the ship might make stops. But ancient sea travel was dangerous, due to storms and pirates, as well as fairly expensive, compared to walking.

If all you want to do is “get there,” then, even today, a flight is the most efficient way to travel almost anywhere in the world. But: If the journey itself, and the lives of people you touch along the way are also important, then you might choose a means of travel that takes much longer, but allows stops and visits en route.

Paul evidently chose walking: He expressed his intent to travel through Macedonia en route to Corinth. We can read Acts 16 and 17 to see where in Macedonia he may have wanted to visit:

What Cities Might He Visit In Macedonia? (See The Vision In Acts 16:9)

Neapolis, (Acts 16:11)
Philippi, (Acts 16:12-40)
Amphipolis, (Acts 17:1)
Apollonia, (Acts 17:1)
Thessalonica, (Acts 17:1-10)
Berea, (Acts 17:10-14) and
Nicopolis (Titus 3:12)

A walking journey through Macedonia could take some significant time. God does not reveal to us how long he may have spent at each of these places, but the walk itself (Ephesus to Corinth) is around 865 miles by land, and each visit may have added a few days, or more, to the overall journey. So, Paul lets his supporters in Corinth know where he is, and where he intended to go next, and approximately when he might arrive in Corinth.

Paul’s Priorities

When we read 1^st Corinthians 16:8, 9, we see a little of “what made Paul tick.” The reason he stayed in Ephesus, was an open door to the Gospel there: He was not about to miss it!

Want to see another place where Paul states his priorities? Romans 15:20 says, “²⁰Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:” And, even when he was in prison, for preaching the Gospel, Paul asked for prayer that he would have boldness to keep on preaching the Gospel.

Ephesians 6:18-20, says “¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ¹⁹And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Paul’s Other Concerns

The Lives Of The Corinthian Believers

Paul said that the believers were to “¹³Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.^[c] Be strong. ¹⁴And do everything with love.”

They were to be watchful at all times, knowing the enemy is not going to take a day off.
They were to stand firm in the faith in which they walked, not allowing any distractions.
He said to be courageous, facing whatever persecutions might come, as they appeared.
They were to be strong in the Lord.
They were to saturate everything they did in the Agapé Love of Christ.

**How The Believers Were Going To Treat The Leaders That God Sent To Them**

Timothy

Timothy was one of Paul’s protégés. He was much younger, and, though he was gifted as a prophet of God, he faced some resistance because of his youth. In 1^st Timothy 4:12-16, Paul warned Timothy that this could be an obstacle, and told him how to avoid it:

“¹²Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, (it means “behavior”) in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. ¹³Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. (Teaching) ¹⁴Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. ¹⁵Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. ¹⁶Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

He told Timothy that his job was to live in such a way that no one would have an excuse to be dismissive of his ministry. But, he warned the Corinthian believers, that their job was to render full respect to Timothy, and not allow anyone to intimidate or despise him.

They were to treat Timothy just as they did Paul, because he was doing the same work. His assignment was from God, just like Paul. Also, he told them to help him on his way, financially.

Paul asked Apollos to visit them, but Apollos was busy elsewhere. He said he would come when time allowed.

Stephanas, And Others Like Him

But Paul was especially concerned that they would learn to value Stephanas and his family for the work they did among the believers, there in Corinth.

He said that they had served faithfully and had been a great blessing to Paul as well as to the whole church. They had refreshed the spirits of Paul and the whole church. Therefore, Paul declared that they were to treat Stephanas and others like him, as elders: Follow their leading, and show appreciation for their work.

The Writer of Hebrews echoes this command: Hebrews 13:17 says, “¹⁷Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

How Does It Apply?

This command is specifically addressed to Church leadership: Secular leaders or supervisors are not “Watching for your souls.” They may be actively attempting to destroy your faith, in fact. But Paul gives reason to follow the leaders in your assembly, and what to watch for in identifying such leadership. 1^st Timothy 3:1-8; Titus 1:5-9; and 1^st Peter 5:1-4 all tell us how proper elders are to behave, and what they are to accomplish. Ezekiel 34:1-10, (from a negative point of view) lists the seven tasks of the shepherds and concludes that the shepherds of Israel were seriously failing to do their collective job.

How Does It Apply to Us?

So, this “Missionary Letter” had a great deal of corrective teaching or exhortation included. It was not just a “How are things on your end?” letter. Information was given, and observations made, and exhortation given, telling them (and us) to actually live out the principles of God’s Word. It is not just “Fun Stuff to Know and Tell!” The letter is practical. It assigns the reader some responsibility and allows them (us) to see “how the writer is practicing what he preaches.”

Paul did all the things he encouraged his followers to do.

My desire is to learn to follow in Paul’s footsteps, but I seem to be progressing awfully slowly.

My hope is that all of you will join me in this endeavor. No one is saying it will be fun or easy: But we get to watch the Lord at work, not only in our own lives, but also in the World at large.

Lord Jesus, please correct the trajectory of our lives. Help us to press on toward the mark: The prize, of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We desire to please You with our lives. We know that “it is God who works in us, both to will and to do of Your good pleasure.” Bless us to Your Service. Amen!

April 25, 2026April 25, 2026

How to Know From God’s Word Why Jesus Wept

Why did Jesus Weep?

John 11:32-37 (Cp. Romans 12:15; Hebrews 4:15, 16)

³²Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. ³³When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. ³⁴And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

³⁵Jesus wept.

³⁶Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! ³⁷And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

Introduction

We often hear about John 11:35 being the “shortest verse in the Bible.” That is true, of course. But it doesn’t seem to have much bearing on what it means for us as believers. Who cares that it is the shortest? That fact is interesting, perhaps, but, in itself it is meaningless. The content of every verse is what we need. What does it say, and what does it mean? And, ultimately, how can I apply it to my own life?

In the context of Lazarus’ death and the grief of his family and friends, Jesus weeping means much more. Did grief overwhelm Jesus also, at having lost His friend? That seems unlikely, since He knew He was about to raise him back to normal life. It seems far more likely that Jesus wept for the grief that the others were experiencing.

Get The Whole Context!

Remember, back in verses 1-14, we saw that Jesus knew all about what was going on in Bethany. Though he was a long distance away, He knew that Lazarus was sick. He knew that it would ultimately not result in death, (v.4) but in His own glorification. Jesus waited two days after hearing the news that Lazarus was sick. Lazarus would not have “just died” when Jesus arrived. He waited that long so that no one had any doubt about his death. So that Lazarus would have been dead long enough that his body would have begun to decay!

Then He told His disciples that He was going back to Judaea. They were afraid the Rulers of the Temple might kill Him. He finally explained to them that Lazarus was dead, and that He, Jesus, was going to “awaken” him. They were still pretty anxious about going back, to a town so close to Jerusalem, but they all went along.

When Jesus initially arrived, the majority of the people he met were his friends. They told Him, “Lord, if you had been here, Lazarus would not have died.” To one another, they said, “This man could heal the blind. Couldn’t he have prevented the death of His friend?” So, we can see that many of them had at least a rudimentary faith in His ability to heal.

What about Death itself?

The issue they were all struggling with, was “Why didn’t you save his life?” But it had not yet occurred to any of them that Jesus could actually raise the dead, except Martha, who seemed to have a glimmer of an idea that Jesus could ask God to bring Lazarus back from the dead. (See verse 22: She said, “Even now, whatsoever you will ask of God, God will give it to you.”)

**Can God Raise The Dead?**

So, the next question is, “How far does Jesus, the Messiah’s Authority really extend? Can He raise the dead?” We know that this is not the first time God raised the dead. In 1^st Kings 17:17-24, we see that the Widow’s son at Zarephath had died, and Elijah asked God to restore him. God honored the request and raised the boy back to life.

2^nd Kings 4:1-37 tells of Elisha, the protégé of Elijah, and another child God raised from the dead. And, at the end of Elisha’s life, long after his death, in 2^nd Kings 13:20, 21, we see some men sent out to bury the corpse of a dead man. But, because the gravediggers saw a band of raiders coming, they hurriedly let the man’s body down into the grave of Elisha.

The result must have been a shocking experience to those men: When the corpse touched the bones of Elisha, it sprang back to life. (I especially enjoy this story: I can imagine the men who attempting to do the burying, running back to the city walls to escape the raiders, and looking back to see the dead man running with them. I’ll bet they really ran, then!)

Finally, Ezekiel 37: Though it was a vision, it still spoke of God’s authority to bring back those who had long ago died. In that particular case, it referred to the resurrection of the Jews as a nation, both physically and spiritually.

But; Can Jesus Raise the Dead?

So, the concept of God raising the dead was not new. But none of them had ever seen it, and now they would see whether Jesus actually possessed the authority He claimed. That is the real question: “Does Jesus truly have the Authority He claims to have?”

We still ask that question today: “Can Jesus really take care of me and my family? Is His blood really sufficient to take away all my sins? How sure am I, really, that everything He says is really true?”

Jesus wants us to be sure. He wants us to know that we have eternal life, now. 1^st John 5:11-13 says that He wants us to know that we have eternal life… not to hope, or just persuade ourselves, or something. He wants us to know it.

The Widow of Zarephath had already believed that Elijah was a man of God. She agreed to make the small cake of bread for him. He promised that her little barrel of meal and her little jar of oil would not run out until the famine was past. And it didn’t!

But then her son died. She immediately reproached Elijah, in grief and anger. But he took the dead child from her, and carried him up to the loft where he was living. He prayed for God to “return his soul to his body.” And God did so. Her response was “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the Word of the LORD in thy mouth is Truth!”

God wants us to be that sure!

How Can We Experience Eternal Life?

We know from the Old Testament stories that God is completely capable of getting us safely home to Himself. We believe that His authority carries beyond the grave. But He wants us to be sure, not only that we already have eternal life through faith in the shed blood of Jesus: He also wants us to be secure in the knowledge that He is with us now, and can carry us through all of the trials of life and through death itself. This is not a “pie in the sky when you die” idea. He calls us to experience that Eternal Life in the here and now!

In John 17:3, Jesus said “ And this is Eternal Life: that they may know thee, the one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” The word translated as “know,” here, is the Greek word, “ginosko,” meaning “experiential knowledge.” It is not just “knowing a lot about a person.” It means having an ongoing, living, growing relationship with that person. If we are to experience eternal life today, then we need to be in that ongoing, experiential relationship with Jesus.

We can “have” eternal life, because we have placed our faith in His completed work at the Cross…faith in His shed blood for our sins. But to experience it in a real, everyday way, we need to be walking with Him.

Seeing the Dead Raised

We might think, “Well, why doesn’t God raise the dead today, and make everyone believe?” There were enemies who saw Jesus raise Lazarus. The experience did not persuade them to place their faith in Jesus. No! They plotted to kill him! And, in the next chapter, it occurred to them that they had better include Lazarus in the bargain: (“Gotta kill him too, or people will believe in Jesus anyway!”)

In Luke 16:19-31, we see the story of the “other Lazarus.” In it, the dead rich man argued that “if they see someone raised from the dead, they will believe!” Abraham answered, “If they will not believe Moses and the Prophets, neither will they believe, though one be raised from the dead.” This passage in John 11, and 12 is clear proof of that truth! Those who rebelled against Jesus were determined to oppose him despite having seen undeniable proof of His deity!

How does it Help Us, to Know that Jesus Wept?

Compassion should have been strong in every priest.

In the Old Testament, it is easy to see that some of the human High Priests were not very compassionate. And the High Priest at that moment, when Jesus was raising the dead, was Caiaphas. He was leading the group that wanted Jesus murdered! (How “compassionate” was that?)

In Exodus 28:29-30, God called the High Priest to carry the names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders and on his heart. Leviticus 16:1-6 says that the High Priest had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins, before he could minister as the mediator for the people. Hebrews 5:1-3 confirms that the High Priest is supposed to “have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are ‘out of the way,’ specifically because he himself is surrounded by his own infirmity.” And that was just about the human high priests. They were flawed individuals themselves! And they were to have compassion upon others for that very reason.

Jesus Is The Perfect High Priest

And, in Hebrews 4:15, 16, we see that “We do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” I often point out that “our feelings are not always an accurate reflection of reality.” That is certainly true, but the fact remains that the feelings themselves are a reality that we have to deal with! And Jesus is aware of our feelings and is compassionate toward us in our frailties.

Jesus had no sin, but He suffered as though He were just like any other human. He felt the grief of the people, and “wept with those who wept,” genuinely feeling their grief, and sharing in it for their sake. He did not just say, “Chin up! This too shall pass!” Nor did He utter any other such inane platitudes: He wept with them because of their grief, even though He knew He was about to bring them indescribable Joy.

God Calls Us To Join Jesus In His Priesthood

Jesus is the True High Priest… but every believer is called to serve as a priest in the Body of Christ. We are to be His hands and feet and heart in our lifetime, here on Earth, reaching out to those around us in genuine compassion.

This is part of the unity of the church: we are all part of the Body of Christ. And when one part of the body is injured, it affects the whole body to one degree or another. Every living body exhibits this care for itself. If my back itches, for example, my body contorts itself to reach and scratch it. If a toe is injured, the whole body responds to protect that toe by limping or hobbling along, avoiding further injury. We are to care for one another at that level, spiritually and emotionally, as well as physically.

Compassion is Required in Disciples

Romans 12:15 clearly commands us to “Weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice.” This is not a command to “pretend” grief or “pretend’ joy. It is a command to extend our hearts to the needs of those around us, to the extent that we feel their sorrow as our own and we feel their joy as our own. Ultimately, of course, that makes us pretty vulnerable to being hurt. But it also opens us up to experiencing the blessing of God flowing through us to those who are hurting, in the world around us.

If we are genuinely caring about the needs of those around us, then, as Jesus did, we will often find ourselves weeping in sympathy with those who weep, and experiencing the joy of those who rejoice.

Lord Jesus, open our hearts to be like You, caring deeply for those around us, and deeply, genuinely empathizing with them as You demonstrated in Your life. Help us to demonstrate the Agape Love so that the World will see Your face in us.

April 19, 2026April 19, 2026

How to Understand New Testament Giving As a Church

New Testament Giving: Corporate and Individual

Acts 11:27-30; 1^st Corinthians 16:1-4; 2^nd Corinthians 8:1-5; 2^nd Corinthians 9:1-15

Introduction:

Many of us “shy away” from discussing the topic of giving. Part of the reason is that many unbelievers claim, “Churches are only after yer money!”And, sadly, there have been many charlatans over the years who took up collections. They supposedly did so for some worthy cause, or for a charitable project or something. But they were taking the funds for their own use. Some men and organizations still “make merchandise of religion,” so to speak, and even make merchandise of Biblical teaching.

2^nd Corinthians 2:17 says “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”
Notice that the KJV only says they “corrupt” the Word of God. Newer translations say they are “peddling the Word of God for profit,” or making a “trade” of it. In “selling” God’s Word as a commercial product, people frequently do corrupt it. They water it down or “modify” it in other ways, to make it “more marketable;” more palatable.

That is one reason our church explicitly does NOT expect visitors to contribute. This church is self-supporting, and visitors are our guests. This is not a money-centered organization.

I feel fairly comfortable talking about giving because this church has been faithful to give. For at least the last thirteen years, money has not been a problem. No one here needs to feel as though anyone is “squeezing” them for money. Therefore, I can teach on New Testament Giving without fear that someone willbe offended.

Context Matters!

We do take a weekly offering, but we do not try to persuade people to give. And to those who give, we do not ask them to “give more.” Why? Because we know that people are already giving as God directs them!

In the scriptures we read today, we will see that one of the principles of New Testament giving is “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” But they had a purpose in their giving: A specific need right then: Turn to Acts 11:27-30, please.

Acts 11:27-30

²⁷And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. ²⁸And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. ²⁹Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: ³⁰Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

There was a famine, and it evidently hit Judaea pretty hard. The believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the believers in Judaea. They did so, and sent Paul and Barnabas to see that the funds arrived safely and were used properly.

When we give to missionaries, we do so because we already see how they are living. They are using their lives and funds in a way that honor God and that further the Gospel.

The first time we sent funds for Bibles, we sent through a known, reliable man. The people actually received the Bibles before we delivered the money to him! He was faithful! The recipients are faithful, too. They have sent photos of the people receiving their Bibles, and of them worshipping together, and being baptized, etc.

The best the believers at Antioch were able to do was to send reliable men. They sent Paul and Barnabas first, and others later. There was a period of time during which they were giving regularly to support the believers in Judaea. Please turn to 1^st Corinthians 16:1-4.

1^st Corinthians 16:1-4

¹Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. ²Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. ³And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. ⁴And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

Notice that the pattern of giving had spread from Antioch to other churches across Asia Minor and Greece. The Galatian churches were involved, and so was the church at Corinth. Paul said that no collection was going to be taken up when he arrived to pick up their gifts: Each person was individually responsible to set aside their own intended gift each week, and whenever Paul arrived, they could put all the gifts together for the church’s corporate donation. Then he said they could choose in writing who they wanted to carry the funds, and if they wanted him to go with their representatives, he would do so.

We have periodically announced the need for Bibles in Kenya and Pakistan, and each person gave as they chose, simply specifying that their gift was for Bibles. We demanded nothing from anyone, but the giving was generous, and immediate. The same thing happened among the Churches in Macedonia: Notice what happened there:

2^nd Corinthians 8:1-5

¹Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; ²How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. ³For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; ⁴Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Paul had to “encourage” the believers at Corinth, as voluntary “free will” giving was a new idea to them. But, he said that he had already “bragged” about them to other churches, and warned them that there could be emissaries from those churches, coming along with him…. So, he warned them not to embarrass themselves (or him) by stingy giving.

2^nd Corinthians 9:1-15

¹For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: ²For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. ³Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: ⁴Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Paul had even sent messengers ahead of time to give them ample warning, so they would not feel “ambushed,” or “cornered.”

⁵Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. ⁶But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Paul did point out that ministry includes (but is not limited to) giving, and that as we invest in God’s work, we know that a small gift can have great returns. We saw how the boy who offered his lunch to Jesus saw a huge “return on his investment.” 5000+ people were fed that day, and there was more left over than the entire amount he had given. Remember that he gave his whole lunch. That is what made it a “heavy investment.”

The “Bottom Line”

⁷Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

This is the rule: no one needs to feel that someone is shaking the plate and staring at them. We are not “paying admission” to attend. We give because we want to do so. And we look to God for His supply in each of our lives.

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: ⁹(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

Not for Personal Gain

Please do not see this as a temporal “investment program.” Some people do try to teach it that way, as though the Bible says, “give to the church and God will make you wealthy.” The believers in Macedonia gave out of their deep poverty, begging Paul to add their gift to the relief for Judaea. And they were still poor! They gave beyond their means. But the result was great:

¹⁰Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) ¹¹Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. ¹²For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; ¹³Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; ¹⁴And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

What About Us?

It is almost incredible to me, that God has allowed us the privilege of giving to feed His Word into the lives of hundreds of people in Kenya, and in Pakistan. The results have been amazing, and we are encouraged by those results. But those churches are praying for us, just as Paul says, here. So, the blessing is going in both directions. And all we can say is:

¹⁵Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

AMEN!

Lord Jesus, we are thrilled to be allowed to serve You by giving to put Your Word in the hands and the hearts of people across the globe, most of whom we will never meet. Teach us to find our joy in Your presence and in Your blessing.

April 11, 2026April 11, 2026

How To Understand God’s Reasons for Believers’ Suffering

Thirteen Reasons for Believers’ Suffering

2^nd Corinthians 1:3-11

Introduction:

We frequently wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” or “Why is this happening to our loved ones, or our church or our country?” It is good to look to God for answers:

**Thirteen Biblical reasons for suffering (there may be more):**

In the first place, let’s remember that God is Sovereign… He does not require our approval. His ways are just, even when we don’t like them. He defines Righteousness. The evil that is in the world came there as a result of Human sin, not “Divine caprice.”

**So, Let’s Begin With the Concept of “Consequences”** (Points 1-4):

Consequences of Original Sin. There are bad things happening in the world, and the world got that way when Adam sinned. Romans 5:12—“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
By the way, (Compare Romans 8:18-23) this sin affected the whole creation, not just humans, though the plants and animals have not sinned. But they were changed from all being herbivores to some of them being prey animals and others being ferocious, merciless predators. And all of that is the result of Human Sin.

2. Consequences of (past) Personal Sin (or simply error, etc.:) There can be (usually are) consequences for sin, foolishness or errors. This is not “punishment,” but simple consequences. Sometimes we see the natural consequences of an error as punishment. But punishment implies wrongdoing, and some errors are not wrongdoing, but just bad judgment, or clumsiness, or ignorance—and all can have terrible consequences.

I have a cousin who is missing an arm. He lost it because he fell out of a tree as a child and broke it: The attending physician did not realize that the bone had pierced the skin, and had plunged into the soil before pulling back into the flesh. It had thereby infected his flesh with the bacteria that nearly killed him.

They had to amputate the arm to save his life, and even so, they nearly lost him. It truly was a deadly infection…but: Was it Punishment?
No! It was partly original sin—there are terrible bacteria out there, as a result of the Fall of the Human race: And, infections can kill. Partly, it was a simple error on my cousin’s part—he fell out of a tree. It was also partly an error on the physician’s part: He was not careful enough in his diagnosis. But possibly, even had the surgeons known exactly what they were up against, they may have lost the arm anyway. And, no matter how you look at it, it is not punishment.

3. Consequences of (current) Personal Sin. In a believer’s life, God may apply chastening to turn us away from error. It is still not the same as punishment. God says the wages of sin is death—eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. That is punishment. In John 3:18, Jesus said, “He that believeth in Him is not condemned; He that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.”

We who are believers have placed our trust in Jesus’ shed blood at the Cross. So, where is our Judgment? At the Cross. Where is our sin? At the Cross. Where is our punishment, and our condemnation? At the Cross! Jesus truly paid it all!
But God DOES chasten believers, to correct them. Do you think, perhaps, that Jonah’s “water-taxi” ride to the beach was fun? God corrected the prophet Jonah.

4. Consequences of Personal Righteousness. This is an odd one—we think that if we are doing right, everything ought to go well…and sometimes it does. Proverbs 16:7 states, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” That is a general truth: In general, we can expect that result.
But if our enemies are God’s enemies, then at some point, we will be attacked for being good. 1^st Peter 2:19 says, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”

“Non-Consequence” Reasons

5. Training, or testing, in the sense of an athlete, or soldier, or student. God still refers to this as “chastening,” in Hebrews 12:3-15. But it is not punishment, nor is it even as a result of wrongdoing. It is a “workout” given so that we may profit thereby.
When I was in high school, as a wrestler, we had brutally hard workouts, every evening. I went home with a terrible headache, every night.

But, those workouts were by no means “punishment.” They were just because we were “on the team!” They were designed to build strength, skill, and speed, so that we could compete against wrestlers from other schools, in intermural tournaments.

Sometimes God puts us through hard times to develop our faith. James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all Joy, my beloved Brethren, when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
God loves us and He subjects us to stresses to make us better able to serve, and better able to stand against the evil of the world.

Another view of the same concept is “pruning.” John 15:2(b) states that a healthy, live, fruit-bearing branch of a vine may still be pruned to make it more fruitful.

6. Because it is simply God’s will for us at the time. Job did NOT know what was going on in his life, nor why he suffered the loss of all his possessions, and all his children in a single day. But we were given a little “peek” into what was going on.

God did have a purpose, and it had nothing to do with any error on Job’s part, nor, apparently, any need for correction, testing or training (though we might read that into our understanding of the result.)
God had his own purpose in Job’s life: He was not required to explain it all to Job. (And as far as we know, He didn’t, unless Job was the writer: It doesn’t say.) If Job was the writer, then God revealed to him all that had happened “behind the scenes.”

7. Suffering for Faith. Being subjected to threats from around us, and suffering persecution rather than renouncing our faith. (This is closely related to #4: Consequences of personal righteousness, but is a little different.)
Under genuine persecution, a believer may be offered a chance to recant his faith in order to escape persecution. Refusing to recant, and accepting the suffering, is part of the believer’s lot.

During the early days of the church, many believers lost their lives for that very cause. Philippians 1:29 says, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

Over the centuries, thousands have been martyred for their faith, some by people who claimed to be acting on behalf of God, but, in fact, were persecuting the Church. Some were tortured and killed by people who were consciously enemies of God.
But, even today, the believers who are actively living for Christ tend to be “outside the gate:” They are rejected by the World. (Compare Hebrews 13:10-14…this is not to be counted a “bad thing.” Jesus was rejected, too!)

8. So that We may be a Comfort to Others. 2^nd Corinthians 1:3-11 (read Verse 4.) “That we may comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we were comforted by God.” When we have suffered the same experience, we can offer encouragement to others who are going through it.

I recently was able to offer comfort to the wife of a cousin, because, years ago, I went through open heart surgery. It was for what is called an “annuloplasty,” wherein the prolapsed mitral valve is repaired and reinforced, using Gore-Tex fabric and a thin ribbon of surgical stainless steel, wound up as a ring, supporting the inlet side of the mitral valve.

She (Adelia Lee) had been in great anxiety for her husband (my cousin Peter Lee) and she was profoundly relieved to hear from someone who had endured exactly the same surgery and had regained full health.

Now: Did I know, at the time I underwent that surgery, that I would thereby become a comfort to someone else? Nope! I was just glad to get well and regain some of my former strength and stamina. But I am glad that it was a help to someone else.

9. So that our Consolation in Christ may Abound. Verse 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so may the consolation of Christ abound. We are called to join Him in the fellowship of his sufferings (Philippians 3:10 “….that I may know Him and the power of His resurr3ection, and the fellowship of His suffering…”). But we are to experience the reality of His consolation, as well. (Habakkuk 3:18 says, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD: I will Joy in the God of my Salvation!”)

10. So that Others’ Consolation may Abound Through Us. Verses 6-7. We can learn from the experiences of those around us. We cannot live long enough to experience everything ourselves, as individuals. But we can learn vicariously through their examples. I can learn from your example: You can learn from mine, perhaps.

11. So that We will Learn to Trust God, and Not Ourselves (Tied to #5). Verse 9. This is an important one. At some point, we must learn that God is in control and that He is entirely trustworthy.

Some of you have been praying for Hannah’s brother, Andrew, who is dying of cancer. He is declining rather rapidly, now: He can no longer stand and walk, and he can barely talk. But, when the Hospice nurse asked him, this week, “How are you doing?” He simply shrugged and said, “God’s got this!”

(Amen!) The truth is, God has ALWAYS “got this!” The question is “What will it take for us to accept that truth and apply it on a daily basis?”

12. So that We, as Christians may Learn to Pray for Each Other. Verse 11. This ties directly to Ephesians 6:18-20. We need the prayers of one another, but we are also commanded to pray for one another: Prayer is part of the Christian’s Armor in this world. And notice: Paul asked them to pray for HIM…it is not just for the weak or struggling believers: It is for all the believers.

Ephesians 6:18-20 “¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ¹⁹And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

13. So that Thanksgiving may be Offered on Our Behalf. Verse 11. The result of answered prayer is thanksgiving. And, as we see God’s hand moving in the lives of others, we can be filled with thanksgiving on their behalf, as well as for ourselves.

So, What About Us?

If we can accept the suffering in our lives (small or great,) and respond in faith, it will glorify God, and bring eternal blessing to us. In 2nd Corinthians 12:1-10, Paul gave us an example, where he cheerfully accepted God’s Grace as sufficient in his suffering.

But Jesus is our ultimate example: He deliberately laid aside His eternal prerogatives as God, the Creator; God, the Eternal Son, and the Living Word of God, to become a human baby, living and growing up in a poor family, in a poor village, in a small, poor country that was already enslaved by the Roman Empire.

Finally, He voluntarily took upon Himself the weight of all the sins of all humans for all time, and He became our sin, to take upon himself the whole judgment of God for our sins. He voluntarily laid down His life. Why? So that we could become the Righteousness of God, in Him!

2^nd Corinthians 5:21 “For He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him!

The Resurrection we celebrated last week is the reason for the rest of our faith: We are risen with Him, ascended with Him, and seated with Him. That is why we can choose to accept our suffering as something hardly worth worrying over. That is why Andrew could say in all honesty, “God’s Got This!” And we can say so, too!

Lord Jesus, please change our vision of the life we live, so that we can see just how temporary it is, and how completely we are in Your hand, and can trust Your Wisdom and Love. Teach us to walk with You in peace, and seek to fulfil Your will in our lives.

What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry?

1st Corinthians 4:2

2nd Corinthians 4:1-7

Introduction:

Stewardship Requires Faithfulness

1st Corinthians 4:2

What is Faithfulness?

So, Then, What IS Faithful Ministry?

But Look At What Else God Says: (verse 2)

What is the Result, and Why?

Not Just Israel

How Do We Pursue the Good Result of the Gospel?

Why Do We Present Ourselves In That Way?

Finally, What kind of People qualify as Servants?

Why Did Moses’s Skin Glow?

Exodus 34:29-35 (Read it!) Compare 2nd Corinthians 3:7-18

Introduction:

But, Why did Moses’s Face Glow, or Shine?

The Apostles Glowed in a Different Way

Matthew 5:14-16

Where Does the Light Originate?

What is the Result of the Light?

What About Israel?

What About Us?

But, What about Us?

Why might we fail to shine?

We are Servants of the New Testament

2nd Corinthians 2:14-3:6

Introduction:

Does God Cause Us to Triumph in Christ?

Against Satan:

Against the World:

Against the Flesh:

What Is The Result Of That Spiritual Triumph?

What Does it Mean, to “Corrupt the Word of God?”

2nd Corinthians Chapter 3

No Self-Commendation, and No Self Condemnation:

What did John the Baptist and Jesus preach?

So, What is Our Job?

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Church Discipline

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

We Can Read About The End Results In 2nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

How to Understand The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

The “Other Side” Of Church Discipline

2nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Introduction:

1st Corinthians 5:1-7

Church Discipline

The “Other Side” of Church Discipline

We Can Read About The End Results In 2nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

Discipline is Temporary, for Restoration

But What Happens When The Sinning Brother Repents?

Less Effective Today

Paul Concludes:

The Gospel Is A Cause For Rejoicing

Introduction:

The Gospel Is A Cause For Rejoicing, Both To The Speaker And The Hearers.

The New International Version Renders It This Way:

What About Correction, When It Matters?

Personal Example:

Paul’s Original Intent

No Double Meanings: No Ambiguity

Who Builds The Relationships Between Teachers And Their Hearers?

Why Did Paul Not Visit Corinth Again, Sooner?

What About Here At True Hope?

What Is God’s Plan Of Evangelism?

Introduction:

This is God’s Plan of Evangelism

Normal Propagation

Forced Propagation

What Happened in Jerusalem?

The Joy of Christ

The Result In Our Lives

How We Choose God’s Plan

1^st Corinthians 4:2

2^nd Corinthians 4:1-7

1^st Corinthians 4:2

Exodus 34:29-35 (Read it!) Compare 2^nd Corinthians 3:7-18

**But, Why did Moses’s Face Glow, or Shine?**

**But, What about Us?**

**Does God Cause Us to Triumph in Christ?**

**What Is The Result Of That Spiritual Triumph?**

**What Does it Mean, to “Corrupt the Word of God?”**

2^nd Corinthians Chapter 3

**No Self-Commendation, and No Self Condemnation:**

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11, compare 1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

1^st Corinthians 5:1-7

We Can Read About The End Results In 2^nd Corinthians 2:1-11.

**Why Did Paul Not Visit Corinth Again, Sooner?**

**Being “In” The Way: (On The Path: “On Task“)**

1^st Corinthians 16:5-18

**So, Where Was Paul?**

**How The Believers Were Going To Treat The Leaders That God Sent To Them**

**Can God Raise The Dead?**

1^st Corinthians 16:1-4

2^nd Corinthians 8:1-5

2^nd Corinthians 9:1-15

2^nd Corinthians 1:3-11

**Thirteen Biblical reasons for suffering (there may be more):**

**So, Let’s Begin With the Concept of “Consequences”** (Points 1-4):