All right, let's take our Bibles
now and turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. 1 Corinthians 4. I want to just kind of bring
us up just a statement or two on where we are. The Apostle Paul is writing to
the church at Corinth. And what he's been dealing with
is correcting them on a problem that they had on preachers. Some of them were saying, well,
I'm of Apollos, I'm of Cephas. I'm of Christ, I don't listen
to any preachers, some say, you know. And Paul knew that what
they were doing was problematic at best. He said, this difference right
here, he said it shouldn't be He said in the first verse, we
looked at the first couple of verses here a few weeks ago,
I'm going to just read them and then go on to start in verse
3, but he said, concerning God's preachers, let a man so account
of us as the ministers of Christ, stewards of the mysteries of
God. He said, this is the way, He
said that you want to be thinking concerning God's preachers. Where Christ's ministers sent,
called, qualified, taught, and sent to the Church of God as
God's gifts. And they're as ministers, they're
stewards of the mysteries of God. They're trustees. The Lord has taught His people
to be one that takes the glorious truth of the gospel of God's
grace The mysteries of God. I told you last time, consider
this glorious truth. That Almighty God would choose
to show mercy. Is that not a great mystery? Why would God choose to show
mercy to me? Or you? I know something about
me. It amazes me. I've said before,
there's only one human being in this congregation here that
knows me as well as one can know. That's my mama. And I'm telling
you, it embarrasses me. To think on
the things that I, growing up, things that I've done and that
God Almighty would call me to be a minister? A steward of the
mysteries of God? And send me to a place where
Almighty God, over 60 years ago, raised up the gospel and sent
a faithful, faithful, pastor and then would allow me to stand
in this pulpit. Paul says in verse 2, moreover
it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. That's
the preeminent quality, characteristic of a man that God has called
faithful. Faithful to preach the gospel. Faithful. Whatever else that
man does in this ministry, whatever ministering that he does, being
sensitive to God's people. Let me tell you something. This
is the requirement of God's stewards. that they be faithful to tell
God's people the truth. Whenever the Lord Jesus Christ,
the faithful, the faithful one, the faithful servant, when He
came into this world, listen to what God Almighty said to
those that were standing around Him, on the mount of transfiguration. Listen to what God said. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. Hear ye Him. Here's what I say. Here's what I say to you. Here's
what I say to us. I'm going to try to be careful
how many times I say you, Mark. I'm going to say us. I'm hopeful. This is the Word of the Lord. This is the Word by which we're
all going to be judged. These scriptures right here will
be the last thing that I'll tell you all of us are going to realize
to be our final judgment. These scriptures And when these
scriptures are found to be our foundation of judgment, the Word,
the Word that you've heard, that's what the Lord said. I'm not judging
you, the Word that you've heard, that's going to be the judgment.
In that day, how thankful God's people will be that they heard
the Word of the Lord and God taught them. To stand before God and to hear
Almighty God say, I never knew you. To know that these words
were never made dear to our hearts. There is no describing the horror
of that day. It is required. This is my beloved
son. This is the message of my son.
This is the gospel. This is the gospel of God's grace.
This is the gospel of God's mercy. Not of works, not of works, not
of works that we've done. According to His mercy, He saved
us. This is my Son in whom I am well
pleased. You hear Him? Hear what He says. And then He spoke to the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself. In Mark 1.11, from heaven, the
Father spoke to the Son Himself and said this, Thou art my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased. And He let some folks hear that. What an honor that the Father
has bestowed upon faithfulness. Faithfulness. And how careful
We ought to be seeking and asking and knocking at the door of God's
mercy to be kept. Lord, keep me. Keep me. I know something of what I am
by nature. I want to be faithful. I want
to be faithful. I want to be faithful to God's
Word. I want to be faithful to God's people. I want to be truthful
with you. I understand this. Somebody may
hear what God has to say, and as I've said before, I'm just
a voice. You that have heard me, you know
this. If I'm saying something contrary
to these scriptures right here, you'd have done called me on
it. You know that. But as a trustee, as a steward
of the mysteries of God, May Almighty God keep me to be found
faithful, faithful, faithful. Paul says in verse 3, but with
me, it's a very small thing that I should be judged of you or
of man's judgment. Yea, I judge not mine own self. What he's saying is this, if
I be found faithful, doing what Almighty God has called me to
do, He said, it's just a small thing that I should be judged
of you or of a man's judgment. If I'm doing what God's called
me to do and He's taught me the gospel and I'm found faithful
to preach the glory of Almighty God in the face of the Lord Jesus
Christ, it's just a small thing. If somebody tries to contradict
me, it's the Word of the Lord. It's God's truth. And Paul knew, he knew that God
had called him to the ministry. Look at 1 Timothy. I'll read it to you. 1 Timothy
chapter 1, verses 12-13. 1 Timothy 1. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord
who hath enabled me, for He counted me faithful, putting me into
the ministry, who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, injurious,
but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith
and love, which is in Christ Jesus. He says, the Lord counted
me. He judged me faithful, having
made me so by grace. It wasn't my own doing, Paul
says. So he says, if I be judged of another man's judgment because
of what I'm preaching, because of what God has taught me, he
said, that's just a very small thing to me. I ought to obey
God rather than men. That's what Peter said. We ought
to obey God rather than men. What if somebody comes up and
contradicts this? This truth right here. What if
somebody you truly love, You love them, you love them, but
it's contrary to God's Word. Paul says with me, that's a very
small thing, that doesn't carry any weight, because this is the
Word of the Lord. Verse 4, For I know nothing by
myself, yet am I not hereby justified? But he that judges me is the
Lord. Now keeping in the context of
what what Paul has been saying concerning ministers, ministries. Paul is saying this. He says,
I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified, but
he that judges me is the Lord. He says concerning his life as
a sinner. He said, I'm not saying that
I'm not a sinner. But here's what he was saying.
He said, I'm not conscious of being unfaithful to the calling
of the Lord in preaching the gospel. That's what he's saying.
I know nothing by myself concerning what I'm proclaiming. He said,
I'm not conscious. When I'm standing here telling
you this, I believe this. I want to believe it. I pray
God's given me a heart to believe it. I know it's right. Lord,
give me a heart to believe it, to rest in it. But he says, even
though what I know that I'm preaching is so, I've told you before,
I've got some notes here. And based on what the Lord has
taught me concerning these scriptures right here, concerning the glory
of God in Christ, I know they're scriptural, I know they're doctrinally
sound, I know they're right, because they're consistent with
these scriptures. But Paul says, even though I
know nothing by myself, Even though what I'm preaching I know
is consistent with God's Scripture, yet am I not hereby justified. He said, that's not what justifies
me before God, because what I'm preaching I know to be so. He said, I haven't held back
anything. I've not been unfaithful." He
knew that he was free from the blood of all men, Jew and Gentile. Listen to this. He said, whenever
the Jews refused to hear in Acts 18.6, when they opposed themselves
and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, Your
blood be upon your own heads. I'm clean from henceforth. I
will go unto the Gentiles. And Paul, he had followed faithfully. the Lord's leadership and guidance. He said in 2 Timothy 4, "...but
watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an
evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry, for I am now ready
to be offered the time of my departures at hand. I've fought
a good fight, I've finished my course, I've kept the faith."
So when Paul says, I know nothing myself, he wasn't saying that
in himself, He's blameless or without sin, but he was declaring
in that answer to his conscience this very thing. I've been faithful
to the Lord's charge. I've been faithful to what God
has called me to do. I've been faithful to these scriptures.
I've not kept back anything. He's still following through
with, moreover, it's required in Stuart's that a man be found
faithful. Faithful. Faithful to God's Word. Faithful to God's people to preach
to them and tell them the truth. And then so he says there in
verse 5, Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord
come. who both will bring to light
the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels
of the heart, and then shall every man have praise of God."
He said, don't be hasty. Don't be hasty or premature to
judge, you know, one preacher over another preacher, you know,
don't... God's ministers have been called
to be stewards of the gospel. And I know you said, you know,
somebody said, well, I like this one better than this one. I like
this one better than this one. They're all God's gifts to God's people
sent by the Lord. So he says concerning this, don't
judge anything before the time till the Lord come. God's going
to bring to light. I told you, I know the last time,
Brother Scott and I preach the same message. I'm coming up that
point when I made this gesture right here. Concerning our dispositions, just the way, same message. Two
men preaching the same message. But as far as characteristics,
two different men, same message. Don't judge anything. That's
what Paul said. Don't judge it until the Lord
comes. God's going to bring to light why He did what He did. God's going to bring to light
the hidden things of darkness. He's going to make manifest the
counsels of the heart. The Lord's going to open up. He's going to make the disclosure.
He's going to reveal and expose the secret things concerning
His will. especially concerning his preachers. God's preachers, I've said this
before, they're in a fishbowl. And they're just so easily examined
and judged and questioned and criticized. But when the Lord
comes, Paul said, God's going to make all these things known.
Pray for us. You know, a lot of times, We're
all faced with decisions that we've got to make. And God puts
a man in a position where he's going to have to make a decision
based on what he believes God wants me to do. And I'll tell
you this, I've had many, many people come ask me something
and say, I've got this situation. And I'll ask them this, is this
what you believe God wants you to do? Yes, it is. I said, well, that would be my
answer. Whenever I came here, I was in Franklin, Tennessee,
and Brother Scott had asked me a
year and a half before I came here, asked me, he said, would
you consider taking this pulpit? And I said, no, sir. I said,
Brother Scott, I don't even remotely, remotely think that, I appreciate
the invitation, but no, sir. I said, I'm in Franklin. A year
and a half later, I came here. Why? Because this is what I believe
God wanted me to do. That was my answer to all that
would ask me. So, therefore, judge nothing
before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to
light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels
of the hearts. Verse 6, And these things, brethren,
I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for
your sakes, that you might learn in us not to think of men above
that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one
against another. He said, I'm going to use myself
In these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself
and to Apollos for your sake." What he's saying is this. He
said, so that you can understand what I'm talking about. Some
of y'all was talking about, I like Paul better, I like Apollos better,
I like Cephas better. He said, well, I'm going to apply
concerning these factions. differences in preachers. He
said, I'm going to do this, I'm going to use myself and Apollos
for your sakes. We are the illustrations concerning
God's ministers and to think concerning God's ministers. Paul
said, I'm not Apollos, I'm not Cephas, Cephas is not me." And
he said, don't go beyond. Don't go beyond that which God
has revealed in His Scriptures and concerning His ministers,
making great differences. Because then he said in this
seventh verse, "'For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive?' Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou
glory as if thou hadst not received it? Now, he's saying to those
who saw or thought themselves spiritually superior or capable
of discerning or distinguishing who among the ministers of Christ
were more gifted. and more worthy to be heard. This is what I think they ought
to do. This is what I think you ought to do. This is how I would
handle it. They were boasting of particular
ministers to the neglect and the contempt of others. And Paul
said, who made you, who distinguished you to know the difference that
God places between his people in this world, especially those
that God sends. Was it Paul? Was it Paulus or
any other preacher that God raised up and was able to
teach you anymore because of his great ability? Was that it? Obviously there is a difference
between one man and another, but who made the difference? To whom was that honor to be
bestowed? Who made the difference between
Israel and Egypt? Who made that? Look at Exodus
11, 1-7. I'm closing. Who made the difference? Exodus 11. You know the Israelites, the
nation of Israel, the Hebrews, This was their epitaph. Wicked. Wicked people. Wicked. How about the Egyptians? Wicked
people. Wicked people. There's not an
ounce of difference between any man, any woman. Every thought
of the imagination of all men, all women, is only evil continually. There wasn't an ounce of difference.
But now in Exodus 11, verse 1, the Lord said unto Moses, Yet
will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and Egypt afterwards. He will let you go hence. When
he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Now you speak now in the ears
of the people. He let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every
woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. The Lord gave the people favor
in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very
great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh, and servants
in the sight of the people. And Moses said, Thus saith the
Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt,
and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. from
the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even
unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill, all
the firstborn of the beast. There shall be great cry throughout
all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall
be like it any more. But against any of the children
of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue against man or beast,
that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel." Now, what was the difference? The
grace of God. The mercy and compassion of Almighty
God. So whenever Paul was correcting
this church at Corinth, Because they had a little faction. They
had a little faction over here, a little faction over here, a
little faction over there, you know. Well, if Paul comes to
preach, we're going to end up, we're going to be there, you
know. Well, let's see if Peter comes to preach, we're going
to be over there. Paul said, these are ministers,
ministers of God, stewards of the gospel of God's grace. And
he said, what they preach, these men preach, they preach because
they were taught of God. And it's required in those men
that they be found faithful. So he said, don't judge anything.
Don't judge it. Don't let there be schisms and
factions and things like that. Especially, especially over preachers. If God raises up a man, you know,
Paul said, I'm going to use myself and Paul as examples. We're just
preachers that God's called. I mean, be faithful to the Word,
faithful to the Christ preached. He said, because who made you
to differ? Who made you the authority? You know, God Almighty is the
only one that makes a difference between one man and another.
What do you have? He said. What do you have that
you didn't receive? If God's taught you anything,
He gave you that. And now if you received it, why
do you glory thinking that you have something as if you didn't
receive it? God gave you something. Pray
for us. Pray for us. Let there not be
any schism. The faith by which you now believe. Was that within you? The preacher that you have more
confidence in was able to somehow draw it out of you, you know.
Therefore he is deserving of more honor, or did God grant
you that faith? Did God teach you that? You know,
Philippians 1.29, For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him, but to suffer. And your
salvation, was that a product of skill, because of a faithful
preacher? Was it just a man that was preaching
the Word of God? Somehow, you know, he had the
ability to be able to convince you? Or was it according to the
will and purpose and grace of God? This is what Scripture says.
For by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves.
It's a gift of God. If you received it, why do you
glory? Why do you think you've gained
something by your own perception? To be able to distinguish one
preacher over another as if you haven't received it. Oh beloved,
if we could behold the mercy and compassion of the Lord toward
His people. Here's the mercy of God. We're
here. We're still here by the grace
of God. You know how many places that
there was at one time the gospel preached? And it's not there
anymore. There's no church in Ephesus. There's no church in Corinth
that I'm aware of. Well, according to the writers,
let me say it like that, I'm not of authority. But as far
as these places where God raised up the gospel, there's places
that we know of right now. I can name you, and you can too.
Places where that one time there was a gospel church there, where
the gospel was preached, where God raised up a minister. And
by the grace of God, there was a preacher there. And Paul was
saying, Don't lay judgment, you know. God raises up men. He puts them as gifts and gives
them to the bride. And he said, don't try to vet
one over another. Pray for her. Pray for her. It's
by the grace of God that God would send a preacher. I pray
the Lord bless this word to our hearts. Give us a heart. We pray
it for one another for Christ's sake. Amen.