If you would turn with me to
1 Corinthians chapter four, this is another one of those
verses, one of those passages of scripture that I pretty well
quote at some time during the message every week. 1 Corinthians
chapter four, verse seven. Here the apostle Paul asks us
three questions. And the first question is, for
who maketh thee to differ? I've often asked myself, being
a music lover and somewhat a musician, why can't I compose music like
Mozart? Why can't I paint like Rembrandt? How come I'm not brilliant like
Einstein? What about being handsome like
Paul Newman or Brad Pitt? Well, the answer is simple, really,
because God has made me exactly as I am, sin excluded. The Apostle Paul very plainly
said, by the grace of God, I am what I am. Now, do we believe
that? Do you believe that God made
you just the way you are? Strength is from the Almighty
God. Skill is from God Almighty. Talent is from the Lord God of
heaven and earth. One might say, well, I'm skilled
and I'm talented, but I've just never had the opportunity. Opportunity
is also given by God. You see, he's the first cause
of everything. Now you say that preacher, what
do you mean by that? Just what I said. God is the first cause, the first
reason for everything. Every single one of us are what
we are by the grace of God. And the reality that we are all
different shows and proves to us that God's grace is distinguishing. That's exactly what the word
differ means. It means to distinguish. Who
distinguishes you and I from someone else? Well, it's God
who does. He's the only one who can. Now
that word differ means to separate. It's God who separates and distinguishes
us. The word distinguish means to
recognize or treat as different. It means to differentiate. It
means to determine. It means to discriminate. Now
that's not right for you and I to discriminate one against
another because in verse seven here, the second question Paul
asked is what have you and I done or what do you and I have that
we did not receive as a gift from God? Again, nothing but
sin is the answer. But doesn't God, as our sovereign
creator, have the right to discriminate? Of course He does, He's God.
since it was God who created us and made us and caused us
to differ from one another. The third question Paul asked
here in verse seven is why do we glory? Why do we take pride
or credit for what we are and have as if we hadn't received
it as a gift from God? Those are three good questions
and three questions that shine a great deal of light upon who
God really is. Do we think that we somehow earned
or merited or deserve these gifts because of something special
in us or something commendable about us? Well, there are many
who do. And again, that word differ means
to distinguish. The word distinguish means to
determine between, to pick out, to choose. to decide between,
to make or draw a distinction between, to separate, to set
apart, to single out. Now, knowing this, is there any
reason for pride in us? Knowing that God's grace is distinguishing,
knowing that it's God who makes us to differ, is there any reason
for us to be puffed up? In verse six, Paul said that
we might learn, now look at this, not to think of men above that
which is written. That's talking about written
in this book. It's talking about written in this Bible. He said
that none of you be puffed up one against another. No reason
for us to be puffed up, think we're better than somebody else.
Why? Because God has mercy on whom
he'll have mercy. Isn't that what he said? That's
what he told Moses. Moses said, let me see your glory,
Lord. He said, this is my glory. I
have mercy on whom I have mercy. I have compassion on whom I have
compassion. That's the glory of God. God
distinguishes. God has mercy and God hardens. God determines between. To one, He gives grace. To another,
He doesn't. To one, He chooses, separates,
and sets apart. To one, He singles out, picks,
and draws a distinction between. And to another, He doesn't. And
that makes folks mad. Well, you're mad at God. Are
we going to charge God with that foolish question? Why does God
then yet find fault? That's what Paul said. He said,
you're going to say to me, me telling you that God has mercy
on him. He'll have mercy. And he hardens him. Well, you're
going to ask this question. Why does he yet find fault? If
he's sovereign, if we're bound to do what he determines and
purposes, how can he yet find fault? You know what Paul said
is the answer? No, no, no, no. Nay, nay, old
man. Who and what are you that would
dispute or reply against God? Shall the thing formed, that's
you and I, Shall we say to Him, God that formed us, why have
you made me this way? Hath not the potter, God Almighty,
power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto
honor and another unto dishonor? Now, how do you answer that?
Does God, the sovereign potter, the one who has the clay in His
hands, the one who fashions that clay and forms that clay, doesn't
He have a right to make one an ashtray and another a beautiful
flower pot? If He's God, He does. Make one a vessel of honor, another
a vessel of dishonor. It's the sovereign potter's prerogative. It's the distinguishing grace
of God that does it. It's God in His discriminating
grace who makes the difference. No excuse for pride in any of
us. It's God who makes us to differ. And actually that should humble
us. Actually that should remove all our pride. That should make
us content. And it most certainly shouldn't
make us full of gratitude. Why, anything short of hell for
any of us is love, mercy, and differentiating grace, isn't
it? Every blessing we possess is the gift of God. We don't
have anything that we haven't received from God. That's what
Paul asked here. What do you have that you didn't
receive? And if you received it, why do you glory as if you
didn't receive it? Every good and perfect gift cometh
down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
no change, neither shadow of turning." Why, God is so unchangeable,
brothers and sisters, that there's not even a shadow of turning
on His part. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. He's the Lord that changes not. I ran across a passage of scripture
in 1 Samuel 15, verse 29 this week. It says, the strength of
Israel will not lie nor repent. That's speaking of God. That's
speaking of the Lord Jesus. That word strength there means
the eternity of Israel. The eternal one can never change. You see, he is I am. He never was I was, and he will
never be I will. He's I am. Now we change with
time. You don't believe me, go look
in the mirror. Get out a high school picture
and then go look in the mirror. Time ain't too kind to us, is
it? We change with time, but God's
not bound by time. You see, God is a spirit. God
is eternal. God doesn't change. He never
changes. Matter of fact, in Numbers 23,
you know the passage, God is not a man that he should lie,
neither the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said and
shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken and shall he
not make it good? Now we have nothing that we did
not receive from God, nothing. God gives us temporal blessings
that we find most useful, but God gives us eternal blessings
that are most needful. What do we have that we did not
receive? Again, our reply must be nothing
but our sin. Now that's something we can take
credit for. No such thing as a self-made
man. One man may be wealthy, another
may be poor. One man may be born in slavery
and poverty, and another man be born in freedom and prosperity. But regardless, it was God's
doing. It was God who made them to differ. And there is nothing more, that
is nothing more, I should say, than ascribing the glory to God
that belongs to God. You know, I don't understand
how some folks can believe that this is a controversial message. Why do you preach on such controversial
issues? There's no controversy at all.
It's what God says, what this book declares. You're the one
in rebellion not believing it. There's no controversy in the
Scriptures. The only controversy spoken of in the Bible is the
controversy that is clearly seen, declared, and proclaimed, and
found in the Scriptures that's between a thrice holy God and
depraved men and women. Now there's an issue there. And
yet that's what this book is about. How depraved men and women
can be reconciled to this thrice holy God. That's the issue. I'm not interested in how to
live a holy life when I know that I in and of myself cannot. I'm interested in how I can be
holy before a thrice holy God, and there's only one way, and
that's in the Lord Jesus Christ. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God's choosing, God's electing,
God's making the difference, God distinguishing, God differentiating,
God discriminating, God picking some and passing by others is
no doubt a great mystery. but it's a mystery of godliness
because it's God that does it. God's ways are past finding out. Isn't that what a mystery is?
It's something that's difficult or impossible to understand or
explain. The gospel is certainly that.
We do our best to explain it. We do our best to proclaim it.
but God's got to reveal it. It's got to be revealed by God
and the mystery of God's choosing and predestinating and His calling
and His justifying and His glorifying is a great mystery that can only
be divinely revealed by Him. God has to show it to us. Now to those who are yet unconvinced
of God's choosing, Unconvinced of God choosing some to salvation. How do you reconcile what the
Lord Jesus said in John chapter 15, verse 16? Well, I don't believe
that the Lord chooses some and passes by other. Well then why
did the Lord Jesus say, you have not chosen me, but I've chosen
you? He said, I have ordained you
to bring forth fruit. Now that word ordained means
just what you think it does. It means to purpose. I have purposed
you to bring forth fruit. I have ordered, I have decreed,
I've determined, I've predestinated, I've predetermined, I have foreordained
because I chose you to bring forth fruit. Why do we think
that things catch God by surprise? There's never been anything that's
caught God by surprise, nothing. He's the first cause of everything.
Now to bring forth fruit, to be saved, that's what that's
talking about. bringing forth fruit worthy of
repentance, only done in Christ. You've got to be first made alive.
We talked about that in the first hour. Only one who's alive can
be fruitful. God ordained life in his people. He foreordained it. He did it
before the foundation of the world. That's what he says in
this book. A dead tree can't bring forth
fruit. Only one who's alive can be fruitful. God ordained life in His people. He foreordained it. He did it
before the foundation of the world. The child of God, the
believer, is called the beloved of the Lord. Why? Because God
hath from the beginning chosen them to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit, that being God the Holy Spirit. and belief of
the truth, that being the gospel written in this book. Who chose
us? God did. Who makes us to differ? The Spirit of God. And it was
by sanctification of the Spirit. You know what sanctification
is? I know you do. It's the setting apart. It's
the setting aside of chosen sinners to be made holy and pure. Who
does that? Same one makes you different. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1,
he said, but of God, well, we ought to write that down. Look at it every day. But of
God, are you in Christ Jesus? If you're saved, if you're a
saved man or woman and found in the Lord Jesus Christ, right
this second, it's because of God. but of God are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God, speaking of Christ Himself, is made unto
us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. He's made that unto us. Not something
I earned, not something I merited, not something that I did to deserve
it. He made it, He gave it to me. God has in Christ the beloved
made every believing sinner everything that he requires in order for
them to be accepted in Christ, who is the beloved. God has in
Christ given the child of God wisdom. We've got wisdom to know
the salvations of the Lord. If God has given you wisdom,
you know salvations of the Lord. You just do. You know you didn't
have nothing to do with it. Christ has made unto us righteousness. It's the very righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ that covers our sin. Christ is our sanctification. We are set apart according as
He had chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
Separated unto the gospel. Who separated you? Made holy without blame before
God and love. Who did that? Jesus Christ is our wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification. Jesus Christ is our redemption. He's our salvation. We are redeemed
by His blood. We're made perfect by His finished
work. Our Lord said it's finished.
You know why? Because it was. God said that's
enough. The wages of sin was paid in
full by Christ's death. And because he was perfect and
the fact that he knew no sin, death in the grave couldn't hold
him. And he was not only raised from the dead, but we were raised
from the dead being in him and death no more has dominion over
us. He that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken, make alive our mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwells in us, Romans 8, 11. And again, our text. I want you
to see some things in these verses. I'm not gonna keep you a whole
lot longer. Again, verse seven, for who maketh? Now, if you have
a marginal Bible, you'll see that that word maketh actually
does mean distinguishes. For who distinguishes you? We could read it that way and
be no less correct. Who distinguishes you? Well,
we've already answered it, God does. And I hinted to this in
the beginning of the message. This chapter in its context is
about man's pride. It's about God's sovereignty
in the salvation of sinners. And it's Paul's argument as to
why we shouldn't be puffed up. Now in the previous chapter,
chapter three, Paul accused the folks there at Corinth of being
yet carnal, being yet fleshly, and they were. In verse three,
of the previous chapter, he told them that there was envy and
strife and division among them. And one said, you know, I'm a
Paul. I like the way Paul preaches.
And the other said, oh, no, he couldn't hold a candle to Apollos.
He's my favorite. And Paul said, what difference
does it make who Paul is and who Apollos is? Both are ministers
by which you heard the gospel. Well, I like the way Gene Harmon
preaches. Well, I like the way Donnie Bell
preaches. I like the way Todd Nyberg preaches. Who cares? They're all ministers
by which you heard the gospel. They all preach the same message. They all preach the same gospel. One preacher plants, another
preacher waters, but it's God who gives the increase. It's
God who distinguishes. It's God who differs. He that plants is nothing. He
that waters is nothing. But God who gives the increase,
He's everything. Me and Apollos are one, Paul
went on to say, just preachers with the same message, the same
gospel. Now look at verse one here in
1 Corinthians 4. To further the thought on this
preacher favoritism they had, Paul said, let a man so account
of us, he's speaking of him and Apollos, as the ministers of
Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now, Paul refers to himself
and Apollos here in two ways. First, as ministers, and secondly,
as stewards. Both titles mean the same thing. In the context, This is speaking
of preachers. The word means servants. A minister,
a steward is much more though than just a preacher or pastor.
No doubt in this context, it's talking about preachers and pastors.
But every believer is to some degree a minister, a steward
and a servant of Christ in some sense of the word. In 1 Corinthians
5, Paul said that God has given to every child of God, every
believer, the ministry of reconciliation. Did you know he's in the ministry?
All who believe are to share the gospel of how God saves sinners
and how they're to be reconciled to God. And God will open doors
for you to preach. It may not be in the front of
the church, it may not be behind the pulpit, but God will open
opportunities for you to preach. He has you, hasn't He? That word reconciliation means
to be restored. The word reconciliation means
atonement, atonement. That's a good way to remember
what that word is. Atonement, me and Christ, we
can make one. My, what a wonderful thought.
So what Paul writes here in verse two applies to preachers and
pastors, no doubt, but it also applies to every believing child
of God, verse two. Moreover, it is required. You see that? Probably ought
to underline it. Moreover, it is required in stewards
that a man, and I'll add this, and a woman, he's given us all
the ministry of reconciliation. Moreover, it is required in stewards
and servants that a man or a woman be found faithful. Faithful. Notice the language, it's required.
It's not an option. Faithful means to be constant,
devoted, unwavering, dedicated, committed, responsible, reliable,
dutiful. If you're a deacon, be faithful,
constant, and committed. If you're a Sunday school teacher,
be reliable, responsible, and dutiful. If you're the church
treasurer or the song leader or the piano player, be faithful. After all God has done for us,
is that not our reasonable service? Proverbs 13, 17 says, a faithful
ambassador is health. When Paul wrote, forsake not
the assembling of yourselves together, he said that for our
good. We miss out on so much when we
miss assembling and worshiping together. Well, we miss out on
exhorting one another. That's what the text is talking
about. We miss out on fellowship with the saints. We miss out
on the worship of God. We miss out on the hearing of
the gospel. How does our faith increase? By hearing the word
of God. It's by attending worship that we speak to our selves in
Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in our heart to the Lord, giving thanks for all things unto Him. Unto who? Him. He's the giver
of all things. Where the gospel is concerned,
there can be no compromise. And this is why a preacher especially
must be Faithful. He must be faithful in his preaching
to the word of God. And in verse three, Paul lets
these carnal fleshly minded men and women know that compared
to what God thought, it mattered very little what they thought
of him. The pride of man's not a pretty thing. I'm certain that
many were negative to Paul's message. Don't you imagine? No
doubt that Paul was a man of humility, but when it came to
the gospel that he preached, he's gonna be faithful to his
God. Verse three, but with me, it
is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's
judgment, yea, I judge not my own self. There's nobody more critical
They're preaching than the preacher himself. Man, I can't tell you how many
times I went out that back door and shaking my head going, boy,
I'd sure like to have another shot at that. My, my. Paul is saying what you
think of my preaching, what other men and women think of my preaching,
even what I think of my preaching is a very small thing compared
to what God thinks. Verse four, for I know nothing
by myself. What I know is what God's taught
me. What I know is what God has revealed to me. I'm a servant,
I'm a steward. I'm a minister of the gospel.
God has entrusted me with the message of his gospel, and I
must be faithful to it. And it's a very small matter
if you judge me. It really doesn't matter what
others think. It doesn't even matter what I think, Paul's saying.
I'm gonna preach the truth of God, because he that judges me
is the Lord. I'm going to preach man's depravity.
I'm going to preach God's unconditional election. I'm going to preach
limited atonement. I'm going to preach irresistible
grace. I'm going to preach God's preservation
of the saints. In other words, I'm going to
preach who it is that makes the difference. Now you can call it Calvinism
if you want to, for without preaching Christ, that's all it is. Just
five good points. If you leave Christ out of it,
that's all it is, just five good points. And all we can take credit
for in those five points is the first one, and that's total depravity.
But God's unconditional election is in Christ Jesus. We were chosen
in Him before the foundation of the world. God's limited atonement
is in Christ. Christ didn't die to save the
whole world, no. Christ died to save those that
God gave him before time ever was. God's irresistible grace
is in Jesus Christ. For by grace are you saved, through
faith that's not of yourself. It's only found in Christ, nowhere
else. God's preservation of the saints
is because of Christ's finished work of redemption. We're kept
by the power of God and we persevere only because God preserves us. Only because God makes the difference. When Paul says in verse four
that he knows nothing by himself, you know, the more correct translation
there would have been, I know nothing against myself. I'm preaching
the gospel. My preaching doesn't justify
me. It's Christ that justifies me. I'm not going to get into
heaven's glory because I'm a preacher. If anything, I'm going to be
held more responsible for the things that I preach. No, sir. He that judges me, Paul said,
is the Lord. That's who we have to stand before
and give an account. Preachers especially. Even more
so. Verse five, it says, therefore
judge nothing before the time. What time? That time when everything
will be revealed by God's judgment. When the Lord comes and reveals
all things in full light. That day's coming. When God will
make manifest the counsels of the hearts of men and women.
Until then, it's best that you and I withhold our assessment
of the preacher that we hear. It'll be then that every man
and woman, every faithful steward of the gospels shall have praise
of God. Isn't that what the Lord will
say in that day of judgment to those who trusted Christ? Well
done. Well done, thy good and faithful
servant. What did I do? I trusted in Him
who did it all for me. Now look at verse six. And these things, brethren, I
have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for
your sake." I apply these things to myself and Apollos by our
example. Learn these things from us. That's
what he's saying. Learn what? Well, this is absolutely
crucial. That you might learn in us. Now look at this. Not to think
of man above that which is written. Now, as you can see there, those
two words of men is italicized, meaning that they were added
in the translation. And no doubt that we're to think
of men above, we're not to think, I should say, of men above what
the Bible declares them to be. Man in his best state is altogether
vanity, the scripture says. There's none good, no not one.
There's none righteous, not a single one. There's none that seeks
after God. They've all gone astray. Every imagination of man's heart
is only on evil and evil continually. But what Paul says here is much
more than that. What he's saying here is this,
that we might learn not to think above that which is written. Not just about men, but about
everything. Don't think above what is written
in the scriptures. That's the problem we have today
in religion. People don't believe what the
Bible says. They believe above, they believe
below. They're over here, they're over
there, but they're not on this. I want you to understand this.
David says, It's the best example I can come up with. David said
to every man and woman in their fallen and natural state, he
said, you thought that I was altogether such a one as yourself. Now that word altogether means
to come into existence. I found this so interesting.
I love to do word study, but I don't ever want to be too complicated.
The Greek word, therefore, that word altogether means to breathe. You can look it up in a concordance.
What David is saying there is meaning you thought that you
all together, you thought that you breathed yourself into existence. That's the problem with religion. That's the message of religion. You remember when God breathed
into Adam the breath of life, it says, and Adam became a living
soul. He poured him out of the dust of the ground. Just flesh. Just dirt. And God breathed into
him the breath of life. And when God did, he became a
living soul. David is saying here that every
natural man and woman by nature thinks that we can breathe life
into ourselves. Do you think you can give yourself
life? Do you think yourself to be on
the same level as God? Do you think God is altogether
like you? You think you can give yourself
life and breath and all things? Well, that's to think and believe
above that which is rich. The Word of God. The Word of
God is clear. The Lord said, You will not come to Me that
you might have life. The Word of God says it is not
of Him that willeth. The Word of God says it's not
by the will of the flesh. It's not by the will of man.
Yet many still believe that man has a free will and a decision
in their redemption when it's God alone who makes them to differ. To think such as to think above
that which is written in the scripture. Again, it's God who
distinguishes, it's God who differentiates, it's God who determines, decides,
chooses, separates, singles out, sets apart, gives or withholds. Now in closing, I want to give
you four quick questions answered for us in this verse. First one,
who? Who, not what, makes you to differ? Some are born free, some into
slavery. Some male, some female. Some
wealthy, some poor. Some healthy, some sickly. Some
live long, some die young. Some hear the gospel, others
don't. Some saved, some lost. Who makes the difference? Not
what makes the difference. Who makes the difference? It's
who that makes the difference. It's God alone. Second question,
what? What do you have? What do you
have? Some have eyes, but they can't
see. Others have ears, but they can't hear. Some have hearts,
but they can't believe. Some have minds, but they don't
understand. Some have hope of eternal life,
others don't. Some have the forgiveness of
sins, but not others. What do you have? Third question,
how? How did you get what you have?
How did you become what you are? You received it. It was a gift. Salvation is a gift. Grace is
a gift. Faith is a gift. Forgiveness is a gift. It's all
a gift. If you earn something, you work for it. If you married
something, you deserve it. If you purchase something, you
buy it. But if it's a gift, that's what it is. It's a gift when
it's freely given. Then the fourth question, why? Why do you glory if it wasn't
a gift? That's a good question. Why would
any sinner be puffed up with pride? Do those who have strength
look down upon those that are weak? Do those who have wisdom
mock the fool? Do the rich shun the poor? Do
those who have received grace judge the sinful? Not if they've
seen it's God that makes the difference. They'll look at a poor beggar
on the street and say, if not for the grace of God, there go
I. Why do we glory? Why are we puffed
up? Why are we filled with arrogance
and pride? Why, why, why? when it was God
who made us to differ, when everything we have and everything we are
was received, when God gave everything to us as a gift. Why? Peter reminds the children of
God to be subject to one another and to be clothed with humility.
You know, we should wear humility like we would a piece of clothing. God resists the proud and He
gives grace to the humble. You want grace? That's how. For by grace are you saved. I've
quoted that 10 times today. Make it 11. For by grace are
you saved through faith. And that is not of yourselves.
It's the gift of God. It's not by works that any man
should boast. You see, God gets all the glory.
All of it. He gets all the honor. He gets
all the praise because it was he who made us to differ.