1 Corinthians 16:5

Now, I will come unto you when I shall pass through Macedonia, for I do pass through Macedonia. It may be that I will abide, yes, and winter with you, that you may bring me on my journey wheresoever I go. I will not see you now, by the way, but I trust to tarry with you, if the Lord permits. I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost, for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

Now, if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear, for he works the work of the Lord as also I do. Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for I look for him with the brethren. As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren, but his will was not at all to come at this time. He will come when he shall have a convenient time.

Watch you. Stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men. Be strong. Let all your things be done with love. I beseech you, brethren, you know the house of Stephanas, that it was the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. Submit yourselves unto such and to everyone that helps with us and labors.

I am glad for the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. They have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore, acknowledge you them that are such. The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord. With the church that is in their house, all the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

The salutation of Paul with my own hand. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. Father, we ask for your wisdom as we study your word now. You have promised to give wisdom to us. You have promised to guide us in all truth and teach us all things by your Spirit. And so we pray that you would do that now. Transform us by the renewing of our minds. Wash us by the washing of the water of your word. For we ask this in Jesus' name. And all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

Now, to be very honest, I probably need like three weeks to cover all this. But we are beginning a new series next week, "The Key to Unlocking Joy." So I don't have three weeks. This is actually our 52nd study in 1 Corinthians, so we've been here a long time. You may remember that we are actually studying the book of Acts. We left the book of Acts over a year ago to study 1 Corinthians because we are going through the New Testament chronologically.

The book of Acts is a history book. It lays out the history of the first 30 to 35 years of the church after Jesus ascended into heaven. The rest of the New Testament is primarily letters written by the apostles—Paul, Peter, Jude, John—to various churches or individuals for equipping, encouragement, and exhortation. All those letters were written as time progressed through those first 40 years of the church.

As we have been going through Acts, we have also gone through Galatians and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians and 1st Corinthians. We will be back in the book of Acts after the first of the year for about two weeks, and then we will return to the book of 2nd Corinthians, hopefully for less time than we spent in 1st Corinthians. You can pray towards that end, and we will be there.

But we have here Paul's parting exhortations to the church at Corinth. The book of 1st Corinthians and our study in it has been a challenging study. The church at Corinth was much like the church here in America in the 21st century. The church there was facing all sorts of difficulties.

There are problems and carnality within the church. It has been that way since the first century, and it will continue to be that way until Christ returns because the church is filled with sinners. We're all sinners. God does not expect, nor does He demand, that you first be perfected or cleaned before you become a part of the gathering of those who follow Him. He draws us in as we are, bringing us, who are sinful and have rejected and rebelled against God, His law, and His commands, to Himself for salvation. Then, in Christ, He transforms us.

That's what the new covenant in the Bible, the new birth, is all about—transforming us to be more like Him. However, the reality is that once we are in Christ, we still sin, we still fall short, and we still fail. The problem arises when we, who are sinners, put up a front and try to pretend that we're not, that we're quite good, in fact, that we're perfect. The world looks in—those who do not believe, those who are not a part of the church—and they see a church full of hypocrites. They think we are no different than they are, and they notice that we try to pretend we're different.

That is a problem, and I agree with that. It's a good thing to recognize who we are and that we fall short. The church at Corinth was a church that fell short, but God's grace is greater. They struggled with division, immorality, divorce, spiritual elitism, pride, and all kinds of carnal qualities—similar to the issues we face here in the year 2011, approaching the year 2012. We're no different.

Paul's desire in every church in which he ministered was to bring the body of Christ, followers of Jesus, to maturity. That is the same desire we have as the pastors and elders here at Calvary Chapel. Our desire is to help the body of Christ grow to maturity, recognizing that we will never be perfected in this life. Even the Apostle Paul, whom many of us look up to as a devoted follower of God who gave so much to the Lord and to the church, said in Philippians chapter 3, "Not as though I have been perfected or have attained, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me."

I want to lay hold of that life in Christ that He won for me on the cross. And so, that is our desire.

is to see maturity. This is really the commission and call of God. Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven, "Go into all the world and make disciples, not converts, disciples." The process of making disciples is not something that happens in an instant or overnight. It takes time as we follow the Lord and exercise ourselves in godliness. Then we see fruit coming forth, being born in the life of that person who is following the Lord.

We are not here just to make converts but to make disciples. However, in the last 60 to 70 years of American church history, the church in America has become very focused on making converts. In reality, we have been called to make disciples. The church got zeroed in on this idea of making converts, and therefore, we have what we call the mega church movement. If you look at church history, you don't see mega churches with 35,000 members on a Sunday, 17,000 members on a Sunday, or even 600 on a Sunday like we have here at Calvary Chapel. You just don't see that in church history.

This phenomenon is a product of the church's focus changing from making disciples to making converts. You can get a lot of people to come, but God ultimately wants us to mature. He has given leadership within the church to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. We are devoted, unashamedly devoted to discipleship. We believe that every single one of you here today is called by God to be a follower of Jesus Christ and for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in your life—here, at work, at home, and on the baseball field. Wherever you are, it should be evident that there is a difference in you.

Our desire is for that, and Paul is seeking this church at Corinth to be matured and equipped. He gives several parting exhortations to them as he closes out this letter, aiming to encourage and strengthen them. There is a whole lot packed into these last 20 verses that we could spend several weeks picking apart, but I think it's sufficient to wrap up 1 Corinthians by considering two observations and two exhortations from this passage. The first observation comes to us...

At verse 9, you can see where Paul says, "A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." In the three or four verses leading up to that, in verses 5 through 8, Paul expressed his desire and willingness to go back to Corinth to minister in that city. He said, "I long to come and see you." He expressed this to the Romans in Romans chapter 1, stating, "I desire, I long to come to you." He wrote in advance to the church at Jerusalem, saying, "I'm desiring to come to you." To the Philippians and to the Colossians, in many of Paul's letters, we see him say, "I want to come to you."

You might wonder, why didn't he? Why didn't he just go to Corinth? He tells them here, "I want to come to you," but why didn't he go? The reason is found in verse 9. The reason I haven't just come to you and am sending you a letter instead is that a great door and effectual has been opened unto me. I have an awesome opportunity right here where I am.

So, where was Paul when he wrote this letter? In our study of Acts, we find him in Acts chapter 19, where Paul is in the city of Ephesus. He writes this letter from Ephesus. While he was in the city, it is said of Paul in Acts chapter 19 that he went into the synagogue, which was the house of worship for the Jews in Ephesus during the first century.

In Acts 19, it states that he spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading concerning the kingdom of God. He was preaching the gospel, and there were Jews and Gentiles present who were interested in the things of God. However, it says in verse 9 of Acts 19 that there were diverse individuals whose hearts were hardened towards Paul. They did not believe and spoke evil of the way he was preaching before the multitude.

As a result, Paul departed from them and separated the disciples, the group of followers who began to follow Jesus and the gospel. It states that he was reasoning and disputing daily in the school of Tyrannus, and this continued for the space of two years, so that all they...

That dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. This is the great door that was opened to Paul. He was in the city of Ephesus, preaching the gospel in the synagogue. As he was there, a group of Jews rose up and said, "We don't like you anymore; get out of here." This happened just about everywhere Paul went—Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. People would rise up and say, "Get out of here," and he would leave.

Except here, he didn't leave because an opportunity opened up in a school called the School of Tyrannus. There was a guy named Tyrannus who was in charge of that school, and he said, "Yeah, Paul, you can use my facility." So, Paul came in and for two years, every day, he was reasoning from the Scriptures and teaching. People were coming from all over Asia to hear what he had to say. You can see a great door was opened to him.

He also says that it was a great and effective or effectual door. You might wonder, what makes a door effective? An effective door is a door that you go through. It only becomes effective once you go through it. So, Paul says, "Great doors opened to me; I went through it." But he also mentions that there are many adversaries.

In this single verse, verse 9, I believe we find a very important teaching and truth about the leading of the Lord. I have had the privilege over the last 13 years to teach and preach God's word. I started in youth ministry with junior highers and high schoolers. I moved to Germany and taught college students at a Bible college in Ziegen, Germany. I returned here and continued to teach at the Bible college just up the freeway in Marietta. For the last six years, I've been teaching there, and the Lord has opened up the opportunity to teach adults.

I have found that at all those age groups—junior high, high school, college, and adults—people who want to follow God have this question: How do I know God's leading me? What is the will of God? How do I know where to go and what to do in Christ? There are many Christians saying, "I want to be a follower of God; I just don't know what that looks like." How does that happen? How do I follow Him? Here, we've got a great example and great instruction just in this small observation. In May of '99, I...

The third book that I taught through in the Bible while teaching junior highers was the book of Philippians. In May, at the end of May 1999, when I was 19 years old, I was teaching through Philippians chapter 2. I came across a verse that I had never read before, or if I had, I didn't remember it; it just didn't register with me before. I read in Philippians chapter 2, verse 13: "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure." Another translation says, "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him."

This is a work that God does in the Christian. The work of Christ begins internally and then begins to move out through our lives. The Old Testament makes it very clear that all humanity has a single great problem: they have an evil heart. Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 9 states that we have a heart that is desperately wicked. I realize that this flies in the face of modern psychology and much of our modern culture, which says that man is inherently good. The Bible says no; man is not inherently good. From that evil heart, Mark chapter 7 says, flows evil thoughts and evil actions.

So, what does God do? In Ezekiel chapter 36, He says, "Behold, I am going to give you a new heart." This is the new birth. This is what happens in a person when they put their trust in Jesus Christ. God does something in them; He gives them a new heart, and something happens when they are born again. That is the term we use: born again. Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3, "You must be born again, or you will not see the kingdom of God."

When a person is born again, instantly things happen. My wife is very near to giving birth to our third child. She told me just 30 minutes ago, "I think this baby's coming this week." She's sitting right there, so you can pray for her. Sometime between now and the end of this month, or the beginning of next month, the due date is December 5th. She doesn't think she's going to make it that long; the baby is going to be born. I've had the incredible opportunity to witness two of these births so far, and there comes a point when the doctor looks at you and hands you, as the husband, the baby.

Some scissors say you want to cut the cord. All right, you cut that cord. It's a little harder than that, but something happens instantly. The cord is cut, and something happens to this little baby that has just been born. There are new desires that the baby never had before. One of the first desires that little baby has as soon as that cord is clipped is that there's something missing. The baby thinks, "I need something. I want to eat."

When you become a Christian, you're born again, and almost instantly, you have a new desire for food—spiritual food, the Word of God. But there are other desires that come as well. There's a new desire to honor God. You realize, "You saved me. I've been an enemy of Yours, and You have redeemed me. You haven't judged me, although I deserve Your judgment. You've redeemed me; You've saved me." Because of this, you want to honor Him. You want to do those things that please Him.

That desire is not manufactured by your sinful heart. It is not something you create on your own. Instead, it is a new desire that God works in you—a desire to want to worship God, to serve God, and to do what God wants you to do. This is something different, something new that wasn't there before. That's a good thing. That desire comes from God. You want to do what honors Him, what pleases Him.

You know, people who don't know God might look at you and say, "I want to go on a mission trip to Africa. I want to spend two weeks of my vacation serving people in Africa." People look at you and say, "What? That's not what vacation is for! Vacation is for you to go to the beach somewhere and relax, to be refreshed for yourself, not for others, not for the glory of God. Why would you do that?" It just doesn't make sense; it doesn't compute to someone who's not a Christian.

But when you become a follower of Jesus and you have been born again, you have a new desire that is from Him. He has given you new desires to please Him. You think, "I want to please Him. I never wanted to do that before, but now I want to please Him."

Well then, how do I do those things that are pleasing to Him? Notice what He says: "I'll give you a desire and the power to do." Now, that power speaks of opportunity and provision necessary to do it. So, people ask, "How do I do what God wants?"

I am pleased by how to know His will. The Bible reveals a lot about what God's perfect revealed will is. But beyond that, what do I do? I want to do what I don't know if that's God's will. Yes, He gave you the desire; of course, it's His will. He gave it to you naturally. You don't desire those things without reason, so do what your new heart desires to do.

You might say, "Well, I don't see an open door." Okay, then it's a time of preparation and prayer. If you don't have an open door, you pray, you prepare, and you wait until an open door comes. But when an open door does come, I meet Bible college students every single semester who say, "I really want to go serve the Lord." Where do you want to serve the Lord? In Australia? Do you have an open door? Yes, someone asked me to serve with this church in Australia, but I don't know if that's God's will. Are you kidding me? Of course, it's God's will! You don't need to pray about it; go through the door and pray as you're going. The door is open.

Paul said, "A great door is opened unto me." It's only effective when you go through it. However, you find something when you begin to go through that door: there are many adversaries. Doors of opportunity always come with opposition. Why? God's leading does not mean that there will not be opposition because we have an enemy. The Bible describes the devil as opposing those things that please God; he is opposing the work of God.

So, you can be certain that when you desire to do what is honoring to God and pleasing to God, and you start to go through that door, opposition is going to come. Here's the problem: most Christians figure it's not true. Paul says, "A great and effective door has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries." A lot of times, we shut down, we stop, or we go the other way because of opposition.

Now, when we get into the exhortations that Paul is going to give here in just a minute, we will see that Paul speaks to that issue and how we are to face it. There are going to be hindrances; there are going to be oppositions, and it does not necessarily mean God is saying no. Now, if He closes the door, slams it shut...

Then, okay, something else. He's got something else; that's fine. But just having something hinder it does not necessarily mean no. A great and effective door has been opened to many adversaries. He works in us to desire and to do what is pleasing to Him, and what is pleasing to Him brings our maximal joy—our greatest joy.

I'm getting ahead of myself because this is our series. Next week, our greatest joy, ultimate joy, is found in what pleases Him. He wants us to do those things that please Him and bring our maximal joy. That's what He wants for us. He doesn't hide His will from us; it's very clear and right in front of us to do it. However, we oftentimes miss it or don't go through it because of opposition or fear.

So, that's the first observation having to do with the leading of the Lord: a great and effective door has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries. The second observation comes in verses 10 through 12 and verses 15 through 18, and it has to do with the treatment of leaders within the body of Christ.

The first observation is the leading of the Lord; the second observation is the treatment of leaders. Look at this: Verse 10 states, "Now if Timothy comes to you, see that he may be with you without fear, for he works the work of the Lord as also I do. Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace that he may come unto me, for I look for him with the brethren."

As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren, but his will was not at all to come at this time. However, he will come when he has a convenient time.

Now, verse 15: "I beseech you, brethren, you know the household of Stephanas, that it was the first fruits of Achaia and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. Submit yourselves therefore unto such and to everyone that helps with us and labors."

I'm glad for the coming of Stephanas and for that which was lacking on your part; they have supplied, for they have replenished my spirit and yours. Therefore, acknowledge them that are such. So, in these verses, we have an observation.

Different characters such as Timothy, Apollos, Stephanas, his whole household, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, along with Paul's words concerning these individuals, teach us some very important things about how we ought to interact with or deal with those who are leading within the body of Christ.

Let's look at them briefly. From what is written about Timothy in the New Testament, we see him in the Book of Acts, accompanying Paul on his journeys. Paul mentions him in letters like 1 Corinthians and in the two letters he wrote to him, 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. What we know about him from the Bible is that he was a faithful minister of the Lord, yet he was filled with timidity. Is there anyone here today who can relate to that? Timothy was indeed a faithful minister, but he was also timid.

Timothy was likely the letter carrier of this epistle from Paul to the Corinthians. Paul instructs the Corinthians to treat him with respect when he arrives, to encourage him, and not to let anyone treat him badly. He advises them to bless him when he leaves and to send him on his journey with some companions.

From this observation of Timothy by Paul, we learn that those who serve the Lord are just like us. They have the same fears and failings that are common to all of us. I mention this because sometimes we have a high-minded view of those who serve God, thinking they possess something we do not—some sort of personality, perfection, or abilities that we lack. However, Timothy shows us that he is just a man like the rest of us, experiencing the same common fears.

Recognizing that those who serve the Lord are just like us is important. They have set themselves in a position where they will experience great opposition because of their calling. Since they have chosen this path, we need to support and encourage them in their journey.

We need to respect that and do everything we can to encourage and lift them up. You may say, "Well, that's incredibly self-seeking of you, Pastor Paul," but I am just speaking on behalf of one of my fellow ministers. I think it's an important truth for us to learn: they are just like us, yet they have set themselves and their families in a position where they will face opposition that the average person may not encounter. There is a spiritual attack that will come against them, and as a result, we should learn how to excel at encouraging those individuals.

Secondly, Paul reveals in verse 12 that he strongly encouraged Apollos to go back to the city of Corinth. Apollos responded, "Not at this time. When I have a convenient time, I'll go, but right now I'm not ready to go." I think there is a great truth for us here. We learn that Paul, although he was an apostle, did not act as a commander within the church. He did not sit in a position demanding that people do whatever he bid or please. He did not say, "What I say, you do, because I am Commander Paul."

This reveals to us that there is no hierarchical business structure within the church like we see in the world. It is not a part of the church. Jesus even said, "You are not to lead like those in the world who lord their authority over you." Now, that doesn't mean there isn't a God-given authority within the body of Christ, but those leaders are not to lord their authority over people. Paul was an apostle, and his position was certainly to be respected, but Jesus is the Lord, not those leaders who have been set up.

One of the defining characteristics of Calvary Chapel as a movement has been servant leadership. That is always what we are looking for at a church like Calvary Chapel. In the world, people often look for leaders who are demanding, domineering, and charismatic. However, in the church, we are looking for people who serve. We seek individuals who lay down their lives for others, who deny themselves and take up their cross. That is what is lifted up as leadership within the body of Christ.

What Jesus said is that he who desires to be first must become the last and become a servant. This is so contrary to our world, isn't it? In God's kingdom, that's the way He works. It is just so different from what we're used to.

Stephanas and his household were told in verse 15 that they were some of the first converts to the faith in the city of Corinth. Paul says, "You know them well; they were some of the first fruits there in the city of Corinth." They addicted themselves to the ministry. I love that King James word: they addicted themselves to the ministry. They appointed themselves to the work, saying, "God has saved us; we're doing the work." I think this is such a great encouragement. This is what God has called us to do: to set ourselves to that which is pleasing to Him.

Now, the crazy thing is that we are going to get into this in the next several weeks. You might say, "I am setting myself to do what is pleasing to God." It can actually come across as very selfish because, in setting yourself to do what is pleasing to God, you're also setting yourself to be joyful. People might say, "That's rather selfish." Maybe, but my joy excels in the glory of God, so I set myself to that. We all should.

Stephanas's household addicted themselves to the ministry, and we see in this that all who work in this manner, Paul says, should have the respect of willing submission from those under them. In verse 16, he encourages us to submit ourselves to such individuals and to everyone who helps with us and labors.

However, 21st-century American culture pushes back against this. We don't like that word "submit," do we? We live in a nation that is so far from the idea of submission. What are you talking about? Paul says that those who have been appointed to this work are worthy of that subordination. They are not to lord their authority over you, but the body should willingly submit to them. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 17, drives this point home. The author of the book...

The book of Hebrews says, "Obey those that have rule over you and submit yourselves to them, for there's a reason for it. They watch out for your souls as those that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and without grief, for this would be unprofitable to you." God has set them in a position of authority and leadership; therefore, submit yourselves under them and let them serve in that position with joy, not with grief.

Now, how would you make their job grieving? Just fight against it every step of the way, like the children of Israel in the wilderness. As Moses was set as a leader over them, they fought against it every single day. The author of Hebrews says, "Let them do it with joy, not with grief."

In 1 Peter 5:5, Peter also says much the same thing: "Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be in subjection to one another and be clothed with humility." Peter's exhortation to the church was to submit yourselves to those that are in authority.

You might ask, "Why?" The answer is found in 1 Peter 5:5: "God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble." So, the question is, what would you rather have: God resist you or give you grace? It's an easy question in my book; I want grace. God says to submit yourselves to those that have authority.

In 1 Corinthians 16, we learn about three men: Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus. They carried a care package to the Apostle Paul from Corinth to the city of Ephesus. They brought material goods to take care of him, and they ministered to him in a material way. However, they also ministered to him emotionally and spiritually.

In 1 Corinthians 16:17, Paul says, "I am glad by the coming of these three," and down in verse 18, he adds, "For they have refreshed my spirit and yours." What we see in these verses is that ministers like the Apostle Paul ought to be supported emotionally, spiritually, and materially by those who have been ministered to by them. Furthermore, there are people within the...

The body of Christ consists of those whom God has called and gifted to be ministers, who minister to ministers. These three individuals were ministers who served the minister Paul. Paul states that this is a noble work and ought to be acknowledged. Therefore, at the end of verse 18, he says to acknowledge those who are such. In other words, know them in their true worth and treat them accordingly.

Those who minister to ministers should be acknowledged within the body of Christ. I must express my gratitude to those within the body of Christ here at Escondido who pray for me and my family and support us in many ways—not just financially, but also through encouragement. Those who send cards and emails, or offer a word fitly spoken at the right time, deserve recognition. I will never be able to sufficiently express my gratitude to such people. However, I know this: although their names may never be posted for all to see, our Father who sees in secret will reward them openly.

Now, as we consider the time that remains, I have two exhortations from verses 13 and 14. The first exhortation is to watch and stand fast in the faith. Be strong and let all your things be done with love. To summarize, we should watch, stand courageously, and be strong in love. Great and effective doors of opportunity are opened to each and every one of us on a regular basis. Whether we recognize those doors and walk through them has a lot to do with the issue of watchfulness.

The New Testament, through Jesus, Paul, Peter, and many other writers, constantly points us back to this truth: we who are in Christ, as followers of Christ, need to be watchful and vigilant. Another way to express this is to be on guard.

We need to be disciplined to be watchful servants so that the opportunities that come to us don't pass us by. If we are obliviously engaged in trivial pursuits and amusements, we fail to recognize these open doors of opportunity. Therefore, we need to be on our guard.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit London, I highly recommend that you take one of the days you are there to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Has anyone ever been there to see it? I have seen it two or three times. You go there early in the morning, every other day in London, and you stand before Buckingham Palace. There are these twelve-foot-tall black wrought iron gates with gold tips all over. The building is just awesome looking, standing in a huge open square.

At a certain time, here come the guards approaching Buckingham Palace to change out the guards. They are in their black slacks and red jackets, wearing that funny black hat on their heads. Some of them carry guns, while others are on horses, and there are guys playing drums and horns. It is just a cool thing to watch.

You look at this and gather that this place is secure. You think, "Wow, look at this! I don't want to mess with those guys." You can’t even get them to smile. If you try doing funny things in their faces, they just stand there. You realize that these guys are disciplined, and you don’t want to mess with them.

However, in the early morning hours of June 7, 1982, a 31-year-old unemployed father of four named Michael Fagan scaled the walls, shinning up a drainpipe to the Queen's private residence. He got in, sat down on the edge of her bed, and had a ten-minute conversation with her. It wasn't until he asked for a cigarette that she politely said, "Can you hold on a second?" in her very British accent. Then she called for help, and someone came in to subdue him. The police came and took him away.

So, something failed; someone was not on guard. In fact, I read an article that said one of her guards was walking the royal dogs at the time. It just failed; he wasn't at his post. Sometimes we can look very astute and engaged, yet be rather daft.

Not paying attention can lead to serious consequences, so we need to be on guard, vigilant, and ready. Once we're watchful, we are told to stand firm while serving the Lord. We are not only to be watchful; we are to be steadfast because we have an enemy. Our adversary, the devil, is seeking whom he may devour, as the Bible says. He is looking to oppose us, and we need to be prepared for that opposition.

How do we get ready for that opposition? In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12, we read, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Because of this, we are instructed to take unto ourselves the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We are to stand therefore, having put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, we should take up the shield of faith, with which we will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. We also need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We should be praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

So, we are watchful, and now we need to do everything we can to stand. Then, we are told to quit ourselves like men. In other words, be courageous. The King James Version says, "Quit yourselves like men," or show yourself a man. The idea is to be what you are as a Christian. You are watchful, you have been equipped, and now you need to be and do what you are equipped to do.

How many here this morning have a military background? Raise your hands. We thank you for your service. Those of you who went through the military started your journey before entering into service. You began by going through boot camp or basic training, which made you watchful and equipped you with the skills to shoot a gun and defend yourself. You were ready.

However, some of you who were in military service were also called to stand on the field in combat. Before you went, you probably heard someone tell you to be courageous, to be the marine that you are, and to be what you have been trained to be.

To be that exhortation to be strong and ready. Although on the outside you looked ready, there's probably something inside that says, "I hope I'm ready." They told you to be what you are, Christian. In 1st Timothy, chapter 6, Paul said to Timothy, "Remember, Timothy, timid Timothy. Never forget that." He said to Timothy in 1st Timothy 6, verse 12, "Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are called and have professed a good profession among many witnesses." You've said it; you've told everybody, "This is who I am. This is what I am." Now, be that.

In 2nd Timothy, chapter 2, verse 3, to the same timid individual, Paul said, "You therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." So, be courageous.

You might respond, "Paul, I realize that I've been equipped, and I know I'm to watch. Yet, I know I'm to be courageous, but you don't understand. I don't feel courageous. I feel like I'm kind of like Timothy." Well, this word "be strong" means to increase in vigor or to strengthen that which is weak, to get strong. The idea here is that we need to exercise so that we're strong.

All of you who went through the military lost some pounds and increased some muscle. It always blows my mind when some of our guys go off to boot camp. They go down to MCRD and come back, what, 18 weeks later? You look at them and think, "Man, something's changed. They're strong now."

They don't stay that way if they don't work at it, right? I know full well that you work and work to get strong, and then you think, "I've finally arrived. I'm going to stop working." What's it take? Two weeks, and you go, "What happened to me?" The law of thermodynamics is true: order leads to disorder.

You have to work at it; you have to strengthen yourself. Paul, again, writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, "Exercise yourself unto godliness, for bodily exercise profits little." How many of you recognize that bodily exercise profits little? We all know that. Paul is speaking the truth: exercise yourself toward godliness. Bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of life that now is and that which is to come.

Exercising yourself in godliness prepares you for what is to come, as well as for today. So, how do I exercise myself in godliness? By working at the spiritual disciplines that God has called us to: prayer, fasting, Bible reading, Bible study, Bible meditation, Bible memorization, service, and sacrificial giving. The list could go on and on. As we work at these things, we might start small. For example, we could say, "I'm going to fast for one meal," and do that a few times. Then, we might say, "I'm going to fast for two meals," and eventually, "I'm going to fast for a whole day," or even "I'm going to fast for two days."

I met someone several years ago who told me, "I'm going to do a 40-day fast." Jesus did it, yes, He did. If you have ever fasted before, I recommend you start a little smaller than 40 days.

When it comes to Bible reading, someone might say, "I'm going to read the whole Bible in the next two days." Wow! Come tell me how that went. Have you been reading your Bible before? "No, I haven't really read it before." All right, why not take just this chapter in Ephesians and read that tomorrow? Do it diligently and repeatedly.

Someone might come and say, "I'm going to memorize Psalm 119." Have you memorized any other passages in the Bible before? "No, not really." Well, maybe you might want to start with one verse. Let's start with that.

A lot of people get discouraged when they start working out because they can't run a marathon on day one. They might say, "Well, I can't do that," and give up. We all know that's foolish. So, is it foolish to approach being godly in the same way? The day you confess Christ, you didn't come in, and all of a sudden, your wife goes, "Wow, are you godly?"

I don't think it took, right? That's probably what she said. You have to apply yourself to this; you have to discipline yourself in this. Now, we know this one great truth: it is not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit. God enables us; He gives us the will and the ability to do those things that are pleasing to Him. So, we have to rely upon Him.

Before Paul says to put on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6, verse 12, he says in Ephesians 6, verse 10, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." We have to completely confess our inability, our insufficiency, our weakness, and recognize that He strengthens us. If we are to watch, if we are to stand fast, if we are to be courageous, if we are to be strong, we must do all these things.

Fifth and finally, in this section, let’s look at verse 14: "Let all things be done with love." Everything we endeavor to do must be done by love; if not, it is pointless. It's pointless. In 1 Corinthians 13, we already saw this: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I have become as a sounding brass and a clanging cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have faith that I could remove mountains, if I have not love, I am nothing."

So, any endeavor not motivated by, empowered by, sustained by, or compelled by love is not worthwhile. It needs to be motivated by love. What kind of love?

Last exhortation: in chapter 16, verse 21, "The salutation of me, Paul, with my own hand." Just briefly, everything until 1 Corinthians 16, verse 20 was penned by someone else as Paul dictated it. From 1 Corinthians 1 through 16, verse 20, Paul was speaking, and someone was writing it down. Then, at the very end, he says, "Give me that scroll; I want to write one more thing." He wrote it down with his own hand.

In verse 22, he states, "If any man love not..."

The Lord Jesus Christ, let Him be anathema. Maranatha! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Any endeavor not motivated by love is not worthwhile. What kind of love? If any man love not first, foremost, supremely the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha! Love for God supremely is what compels us to love one another.

In Second Corinthians 5, verse 14, we are told that the love of Christ compels us. Therefore, we do this because His love constrains us. It must be that which motivates, empowers, and sustains the work, or else it will fail. It is not worthwhile.

It is true that man does have the capacity to do good works and to act in a way that reveals love toward others apart from the love of God compelling him. There are people in the world who do not have the love of God in them because the Bible makes it very clear that only the Christian, the person who has had the new birth and the new heart, has the love of God in them. It is one of the evidences of the new birth.

However, there are a lot of people in this world. In fact, on October 31st, we reached 7 billion. That is a lot. There are many people who do good things and say, "I'm a good person because I do all of these good things." Yet, all of those good works are futile unless they are motivated by the love of Christ in you. Isaiah 64, verse 6, says that all of our good things are as filthy rags before Him. Therefore, all the good works that man does apart from the love of God being resident within him are futile.

Love for God supremely needs to be that which compels us. Even the person who does good works, if they do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, is missing the essential motivation. Notice the formal way that Paul expresses this.

Lord Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, ruler of all things and creator of all things. He is Jesus, which means Jehovah is salvation. He is the one who brings salvation to lost individuals. He is Christ, a Greek word, Christos, related to heaven to accomplish that work. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

You must love Him. A lot of people in the world say, "Oh, I love Jesus." But when you start to ask, "Is He the Lord of your life?" the answer is often no. Is He the Messiah who came to take away the sin of the world? No, I don't believe that. They may say, "I love Him; He said a lot of good things," but they do not love the Lord Jesus Christ. Let him be anathema. Maranatha.

You may say, "Well, I don't quite know those words," and you probably won't unless you understand Greek and Syriac. Anathema is Greek, and Maranatha is Syriac. If you don't know what that means, I didn't either at first. You have to look it up in a dictionary. Anathema means accursed or excommunicated.

There are some people who read this, and I believe it's a misreading of this passage, who say, "Listen, if you don't love the Lord Jesus Christ, we're going to excommunicate you from the church." How do we know if they love the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, we'll see the good works. However, people who don't love the Lord Jesus Christ still do good works. So how are we going to excommunicate that person who doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ? What are we going to do?

It's not talking about just excommunication from the church. That's why the next word, Maranatha, is important. That word means "Our Lord comes." What is being said here is that if anyone loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, they will be eternally excommunicated when our Lord comes. The Bible says He is coming, so when He comes, those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ will be accursed eternally.

This is sobering, and it's almost too heavy to bear if it were not for the next verse: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Jesus Christ. Amen." There are but two options in this world: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ or the curse of the Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing. Those are the two options.

Now, some will say that's rather narrow and a little arrogant to say that. If it's true, it's a good thing to say, even if it comes across as narrow. If you say to someone, "Get out of the street; you're going to get hit by that truck," that's rather narrow. Okay, suit yourself. I told him, and he said, "The arrogance of you to tell me that."

It's either or. God told us, "If you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, you are accursed eternally at His coming." There's another option, though: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Love the Lord Jesus Christ and abide eternally in His grace. If you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, you will experience a curse at His coming. Those are the two options.

The gospel's call is not a call to do good works; the gospel's call is a call to love a good God who did the good works on our behalf and offers and extends freely the gracious gift of salvation. All I'm asking is that you love me, set your affection on me, not this world, and experience eternally His grace.

I honestly can't think of a better way to end a letter. It's kind of in your face, but it's a good way to end a letter: "If anyone loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

Oh, Father, we thank You for Your grace. Let's stand together. Father, we would be nothing but condemned to eternal hell if it were not for Your grace. We deserve nothing of blessing; we deserve nothing of Your grace. But in Your mercy, You have given us all things. Lord, stir our hearts and make us ready to watch.

To stand fast, to be courageous, to be strong, to walk in love—work in us to shine brightly in a dark world. Lord, this world, our friends, co-workers, and family members who don't know You, that they would not be anathema at Your coming.

Give us boldness to go through those doors of opportunity, even facing opposition, to share this great and glorious good news with all that we come in contact with. For we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

And God will bless you.