Good evening. It's a real joy once again to be standing here and to be with you this evening. And I just also want to thank you again for your warm reception and loving Christian hospitality extended to both myself and my wife. It's just a real pleasure and joy to always To be here, you make me feel very much at home and we pray for you often and will continue to do so.
Scripture Reading
Open your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. See the Reformed Baptist book here. 1 Corinthians chapter 16, reading just one verse. Verse 13, be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Verse 14, let all things that you do be done in love.
Introduction
Our theme of this evening is words to live by. And as I'm sure you are aware, in this epistle to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul has raised a number of issues that needed to be addressed. There was division in the church. There was pride amongst the people.
There was even a measure of worldliness that had to be addressed. And as the apostle comes to the conclusion of his letter in chapter 16, in verses five through nine, he shared with these brothers and sisters his travel plans. There in verses five through nine, I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia. And perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter so that you may help me on my journey wherever I go.
For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost for a wide door for effective work has been opened to me and there are many adversaries." And then he makes reference to a number of people. In verse 10, he mentions Timothy. that young man who was very close to the Apostle, referred to elsewhere as his son in the faith.
In verse 12, he makes reference to our brother Apollos, another key individual in the Apostle Paul's life and ministry, and the person who was also dear to the Corinthians, known as a powerful preacher of the word of God. Others are mentioned in verse 17. And in verse 13, we have these exhortations. Four of them.
We might think of them as words pointing us to four great principles of the Christian life. Words to live by. So our outline is simple and it's quite evident. It comes right out of verse 13.
Watch. Stand fast in the faith. act like men, be strong. And let me suggest these words, vigilance, faithfulness, courage, and strength. And we'll consider those words in the order they come to us.
First: Vigilance
First, watch. Vigilance, other words may come to mind, words like alertness or attentive carefulness. They all convey by that word in our text, all conveyed by that word in our text, watch. It implies being on our spiritual toes, being on the lookout, on the guard. is another way that we could translate the word.
Having your spiritual wits about you. You have it also in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8. And of course, Peter was one who could speak from personal experience for the necessity of watchfulness, of vigilance, of spiritual alertness. He says, be sober, be vigilant, Watch.
It's interesting if you go back to Mark's gospel in chapter 13, we see the Lord Jesus, he used this word three times in just a few short verses. Mark chapter 13, there in verses 32 through 37. Now certainly in the context of being watchful here, it's for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be on the watch for I'm coming again.
But also the necessity of being watchful in our lives, being alert, being vigilant in our lives in the light of that second coming. Verse 33 of Mark chapter 13. Be on guard. Take heed, he says, and watch and pray.
Stay awake, verse 35, watch therefore, for you don't know when the master of the house is coming. Verse 37, and what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake, watch. So repeatedly, the savior makes this emphasis, watch, watch, be alert, be vigilant, be on your spiritual toes. Now why is such a word of exhortation needed?
And why such emphasis? Well, obviously it's needed because of the adversary we have as believers. And certainly Peter makes it clear in that verse we looked at in 1 Peter 1.5.8, Satan's our adversary. Be sober, be on the watch, you have an adversary.
The devil, Satan, he's like a roaring lion. Be sober, be vigilant. He goes on to say, your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. So obviously, vigilance is necessary for the Christian in terms of our thinking.
And certainly this evening, I'm speaking primarily to the Christians. the ones that are in Christ Jesus by faith. The very fact that we do have such a spiritual enemy makes it absolutely imperative that we be watchful, that we be vigilant in all things. But there's another reason I want to emphasize this word watch. And one which I'm convinced you know really well.
But we need consistent reminder and that's the deceitfulness of our own heart. We have an enemy, yes, outside the devil. Watch, but we also have the deceitfulness of our own heart. You know the familiar verse, I'm sure, in Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9.
You probably can quote it from memory.
The Deceitfulness of the Heart
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I would digress for just a moment and speak to you about the importance of memorizing scripture. I don't know that we put as much emphasis upon that as we ought.
When I was growing up in the church, there was a real emphasis placed upon memorizing scripture. And I think it's so important that we do it. And you young people, do it while you're young, especially when you get to be 63, 64 years old. Trust me, it's a lot harder.
And so hide that word of God in your heart now while you are young and it certainly will serve you well. But back to the passage in Jeremiah. The word heart in the Bible speaks of the real person. It's our essential essence and being.
It's not that organ that's within our chest that's pumping and pulsating and providing the blood flow through our body, obviously, but it's the hidden part of us which makes us what and who we are. And we look on the outward, God looks upon the heart. And so it's the spiritual control center, as it were, of our lives. That's the heart.
It's the inner person or being. Now, when we are born again by the Spirit of God, we experience what the Bible speaks of as a radical change of heart. You may recall that wonderful Old Testament section of scripture in Ezekiel 36. Brother Cam referred to it in Sunday school this morning where God says, I will give you a new heart. and I will put a new spirit within you." And he's speaking of that inner change.
He's speaking of that transformation that Jesus referred to as being born again. That powerful, radical, saving, wonderful change brought about by God working sovereignly in the heart. But still, even when that radical, that saving, wonderful change takes place, even when our hearts are changed by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, we need to always remember
The Root of Sin Remains
the root of sin remains in us. Marsha and I sold our house a number of years ago and we just have a, we live in a condominium and it really fits my lifestyle. I really enjoy just having a little tiny patio area and just the smallest of gardens, but we used to have a big house and lots of yard work. And I didn't like picking weeds.
And if you've ever done that, you know, you go out to the pick weeds and you'll pull and invariably you'll get the top and the bottom is still, it's still there in the ground. The root stays. Well, the root of sin always remains in us until glory, until we are perfected. We are changed in the new birth.
Sen no longer has dominion, but we will always struggle and we will always fight Sen all our days. That root of Sen will always be there, bothersome, and that's why we always have to be mortifying it. That's why we have to be attacking it. That's why we have to be dealing with it.
And that's why there is this emphasis upon this word, watch, says our Lord. Vigilance is absolutely necessary in the Christian life. And it's necessary because of our deceitful heart. See, even as believers in Christ, our heart, that old man, will tell us there's really no need for spiritual exercises.
It will tell us that, you know, it's okay to neglect the vital spiritual exercises of prayer. It's okay. And that reading and meditating upon the word of God and worship of God and proper heart preparation, it will tell us to neglect those things, the old man. It will tell us not to bother to attend the prayer meetings, to think light of those things. to find them boring and unimportant.
And where do you suppose that type of attitude comes? From above or from the world? Don't worry. Don't worry, says our heart.
It says a little compromise with sin is okay. After all, you've been saved. So go ahead, take it easy. No need to be so watchful.
Come on, after all, how many years have you been on this Christian road? Self-denial. The heart says, why are you worried about that? Isn't that an old concept, self-denial?
This is the 21st century. Man, just do it. Just go for it. It's all about you.
And besides, God wants you to have it all. And besides, once you've accepted Christ, the heart whispers, you're in. Does it really matter all that much how you live once you've decided for Jesus? Brethren, the deceitful heart.
And dear friends, if you have not learned something of the importance of being watchful of being vigilant in the Christian life, you've really learned nothing at all of the Christian life. And so the importance of this first word, watch, says Paul. Vigilance, be on your guard in terms of your own self, your life, and heart. Now, listen, I'm not suggesting some joyless, morbid, introspective, sort of behavior.
Not at all. But I'm saying be aware of yourself. Know yourself. Observe your own heart and life.
And as I mention this, I think of that verse in Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 23. Here's another one to memorize. Keep your heart with all diligence. The New American Standard Bible puts it this way.
Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it for the issues of life. Watch, watch.
Second: Faithfulness
Second, faithfulness is the second word. Paul says stand fast in the faith. Stand, the Greek word is stiko. It means to stand firm rather than quit.
So we could paraphrase Paul's words this way, stand fast in the faith, we could paraphrase Maintain your loyalty to the cause of Christ. Or we could say maintain your commitment to the truth of the gospel. And if you are a Christian, if you are familiar with this Corinthian letter, you will remember the issues that Paul raised in earlier chapters. And you will know that faithfulness to the gospel was at risk at Corinth.
Faithfulness to the gospel was being undermined there in the church at Corinth. You remember how in the opening chapter Paul warned them against what he called the wisdom of this world. Let's look at just some of the references. Go back with me to chapter 1 and we'll see how Paul begins to develop this concern and theme.
Chapter 1, verses 18 through 21. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy, what? The wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning, I will thwart.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish, what? the wisdom of this world.
For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the following of what we preach to save those who believe." And then having introduced that theme, He goes on in several other places. Look at verses 26 and 27. For consider your calling brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards.
Not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. In other words, God is set against and has confounded this worldly wisdom that the Corinthians were beginning to buy into. That they were being taken in by.
Again in chapter 2, the first five verses, well-known words of the Apostle in regards to his own ministry. Verses 1 and 2, and when I came to you brothers, When I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." And then verses four and five. And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. He goes on in this thought, for example, verses 12 and 13.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words, not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the spirit interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. And on and on he goes developing this vital theme. One last look, chapter three, verses 18 through 20.
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, he catches the wise in their craftiness.
And again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile. So in the Corinthian epistle, he's dealing with this at great length. And he is emphasizing the danger of this human wisdom. He is emphasizing the danger of this counterfeit wisdom, which James says in his epistle is not from above.
And so Paul exhorted them at Corinth and he exhorts us as well as believers in Christ that we must stand fast in the faith. We must be faithful to the Lord Jesus and his gospel. And you see the danger for the Corinthians was to be drawn back into their pagan way of thinking, into their pagan lifestyles. And that's what Paul understood.
That's what Paul wrestled with throughout the letter. This danger of being drawn back into this pagan way of thinking and living, which of course would have been fatal. And so it's appropriate that he speaks to them about faithfulness in this context. And brethren, that message is always relevant in the Christian church.
It comes to us today as believers in Christ, living in 2013, the exhortation to stand fast in the faith. We must take that exhortation to heart. There is so much at stake here. The honor of the Son of God himself.
When professing Christians desert the faith, When professing Christians deny their profession and the Son of God, when they go the way of the world back to the old way of thinking, to use the words of John, because as those who walk no more with him, when that happens, what awful dishonor and reproach is done to the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. That's a great tragedy. Is not Christ worthy of our loyalty? Is he not worthy of our steadfast allegiance and commitment?
Think of all that he has done for us. Has he ever done us wrong? Has he ever once harmed us? Was he ever disloyal to us?
Why would we not be faithful? Moreover, the eternal wellbeing of our soul is at stake. Listen, brethren,
Faith Alone, Yet Faith That Endures
we are not justified by faithfulness. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. But faith is never alone. And the way to heaven is the way of faithfulness. and it's necessary.
Did not our Lord Jesus Christ say in Luke 9.62, no one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Faithfulness is necessary. Did not the Lord Jesus say in Matthew 10.22, he who endures to the end will be saved. faithfulness, perseverance in the faith. And in this very epistle, chapter 15, the Apostle Paul himself emphasized the necessity of persevering in the faith.
Chapter 15 verses 1 and 2. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preach to you which you received in which you stand and by which you are being saved if you hold fast to the word I preach to you unless you believe in vain. Brethren there is such a thing as a temporary believing. There is such a thing as a vain believing that does not result in faithfulness and steadfastness in the faith.
And so the Apostle Paul has soberly spoken to them along this line and so I think it's a word that we must take seriously. Our eternal well-being is at stake. Faithfulness to the gospel. Now I hope you don't think that I'm implying something here tonight in terms of some big problem at free grace.
I'm not implying that at all. Matter of fact I commend you brethren and I am thankful as the Apostle Paul would say for your faith and your labor of love. But brethren don't be presumptuous about that. Watch.
Watch. Be on your spiritual toes, and in doing that, remain steadfast in the faith.
Third: Courage
Well, then the third word, courage. I think the new King James Bible says, be brave. The ESV, the translation I'm using, it translates, act like a man. And I do believe it's an accurate translation of the Greek verb that's used literally, act in a manly fashion.
There are certain sensitivities in our day I suppose that we must be aware of. Certainly this is not considered to be some sort of a put down of women when it says act like a man. I remember a Baptist church that Marcia and I attended And I was teaching the adult Sunday school class. And I can't remember the exact subject matter of the class, except I do remember quoting this particular text and reading it in that way.
And I was approached by one of the dear ladies afterwards. And she wanted me to know with no uncertain terms that she felt the Apostle Paul was some sort of a chauvinist, you know, and was putting women down here by the use of his particular language. Have you seen the movie Iron Lady? I think, is that the name of it, Iron Lady?
The one about Margaret Thatcher? It's really a very good movie. As one man said of Margaret Thatcher back in her day, she's the best man we've got in the nation. And it was meant as a compliment.
A person of courage is what the Apostle Paul is speaking of here. And of course, that's the way the Bible uses it. Act in a manly fashion, be courageous in your Christian walk. Be vigilant, be faithful, and be courageous.
And when I think of courageous faith, I often think of Abraham, but I also think of Sarah. When I think of courage, I think of a woman like Rahab. We think of a Daniel. Children sing in our Sunday school, dare to be a Daniel.
Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm. Dare to make it known. Act like men.
In the history of the church, there are so many wonderful examples that stand out. I think one of my favorite characters in all of church history is old Hugh Latimer, a martyr at a very old age. He was an old man. I guess he must have been 80 or thereabouts.
And he was bound to the stake. and there at Smithfield in England under the reign of Bloody Mary, and he was to be burned alive along with his younger companion, Nicholas Ridley. Ridley, earlier in his experience, had actually denied the faith, and to save his from being a martyr. And he was grieved over that. And he repented of that sin.
And he owned the Lord Jesus. And so now a second time he's at the stake. Still a young man with the old man Latimer. And there as they are bound, ready to be burned, Latimer said to him,
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley
play the man, Master Ridley. We shall by God's grace light such a candle in England today that shall never be put out. Tremendous words. Play the man. courage and brethren think about it how true as I think about that if I was all bound and and they were putting the wood around my feet and they were ready to light a fire you'd have to play the man you'd have to be brave for Christ and so the Apostle Paul was exhorting the Corinthians and the Word of God is exhorting us to be current courageous act like men in the faith the NIV says Be men of courage.
And the reality is to be faithful to God and the world in which we live today, it demands courage. It's absolutely necessary. Because as Christians, we are to stand for the truth of God and we're to stand for who He is. We considered this morning those names of God that tell us something of God and His character.
And in a world that is determined to deny Him, we're called to proclaim the reality of God. And men have always sought to hide from God. From the beginning in Eden with Adam and Eve, they tried to hide from God, you remember? You remember the account?
I'm sure you're familiar with it. God came into the garden. Adam, where are you? Adam, what's happened to our fellowship?
Now, it wasn't that God didn't know where Adam was. He knew exactly where Adam was. Or it wasn't that he didn't know what had happened. He was sorting Adam out.
And of course, sin had entered. And so man ran from God's presence. And that's now part of all human nature. That's what we do as sinners.
All people seek to run from God. And they do that by denying the reality of God. If you think about it, the truth is we always deny the reality of the things we find unpleasant. Isn't that true?
Some level? My dear mother, when my father passed away, she continued to lay out his pajamas every evening. and then to fold them up in the morning and slip them underneath his pillow, which always remained. She just, it was hard for her to accept the fact that my dad, now my mother was a Christian. She loved the Lord and she knew that my dad was in heaven.
It's like an athlete coming to the end. Hard to accept. I run from it and deny the reality of it. I was talking to Cam this morning about your injury.
We get to an age where we got to put that stuff away, don't we? And sometimes it's hard. Can't accept it. Or the ending of a relationship happens.
I don't love you. And sometimes it ends in horrible tragedy. And because of sin and alienation and enmity with God, The very thought of God is so unpleasant to the sinner. To someone who in their heart knows they are living against God as Paul teaches in Romans 1.
They're acting against God and they're speaking against God. They're going their own way, ignoring God. And the thought of God is so distasteful and it is so troubling and so disturbing to their mind. And one of the ways the human heart deals with that is to deny the reality of God.
They suppress it and hold that truth down, as Paul says, in unrighteousness and they deny the God revealed in nature. They deny the God revealed in Holy Scripture and in the Lord Jesus Christ. They deny it. Paul says, that's what man does.
But the Christian is one who will assert the reality of God despite the uprising of atheistic declarations of God denying and God defying statements from every corner of modern culture. We see these denials of God, denials of his son, the Lord Jesus, denials of the gospel of grace. And the Christian is called to be a person of courage, asserting the reality of God. Moreover, not only is the Christian called upon to courageously assert the reality of God, but also assert the authority of God.
The authority of God to set standards of behavior. Now, brethren, how relevant is that in our day? Why do genuine Christians insist on sex being limited to the marriage state? Why do we say there must be no sexual intercourse outside marriage?
No shacking up. Why do Christians insist that homosexuality is wrong? That same-sex marriage is wrong? Why do we say such things?
Are we simply out of touch? Are we simply out of the mainstream? Why do we say stealing is wrong? That people must not lie.
That killing, even the unborn, is evil. Why do we say such things? And I suppose you could offer a variety of reasons to all of those things. You could give a number of pragmatic reasons why they are wrong.
But the bottom line, brethren, it's because God says they're wrong. God says so. And you can make all your arguments from family values, you know, and political leverage and whatever. And I'm not putting all that down.
It may have its place, but brethren, the bottom line is because God says so. That's the Christian's bottom line. I'm not a prophet, I'm not the son of a prophet, but I would suggest you simply can't understand the times in which we live unless you see that there has been a massive widespread denial of that. A massive denial of the authority of God.
The reality of God and the authority of God. But the Christian is called to be courageous and to declare and to live under the authority of God in this day. No matter what anyone else might say. That takes courage.
And the Christian is called upon to defend and assert the revelation of God. I just said our bottom line is because God says so. Why do you act the way you do? Why do you not do certain things?
Because God says so. But brethren, the very next question is, oh yeah, well, where does God say so? And the answer of the Christian is in the Bible. And the battle's on again.
It starts all over. Well, we don't believe the Bible. Well, we don't believe the Bible that way. It's a wonderful book.
It's a wonderful grand piece of literature. And when it does speak to you with a measure of power and moves you, that's a wonderful thing. But we don't believe the Bible like that. Why should we do anything simply because the Bible says it?
So another area of huge conflict. I suppose over the years, since the beginning, it's been the very focus of the conflict. Satan came to Adam and Eve asking, has God really said? In the Reformation, it was the leading principle that was taken up by Luther and Calvin and others, sola scriptura.
And in our day we see this rebellion and we see this denial of scriptures, this repudiation of God. Well, brother, it's not easy and we recognize it's difficult to go against the flow. But the reality is we are called upon to do just that. And this wonderful verse before us today, this evening, this challenge, this call to courage, We have here, must remind us, watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, courageous, act like man.
Fourth: Strength
And then the last word would have to be strength. The apostle says, be strong. You see, courage is just not enough. It's very important, but courage is just not enough.
I have a little, well, she's not a puppy anymore. Callie is her name, and she's a terrier, and she's a real terrier, if you know anything about terriers. And some of you have met Callie. Some of you don't have real fond memories of her.
She's full of herself, and she has no lack whatsoever of courage. And I take her for a walk from time to time. And there's this greenway. We walk between the houses.
And she always knows where the dogs are at. And she always gets ready for coming up when they're on the other side of the fence. And there was this one place, a great big, big German shepherd. And of course, in Callie's mind, she's up to the task.
And she gets at the fence back and forth, her and the shepherd, running back and forth. And we went on, and we came back about a half hour later, and we're getting almost to the end. That German shepherd is barking, and Callie is barking. And that German shepherd was able to get its head through a corner of the fence, got about half its body out, and grabbed her by the tail and just shook her good.
And I was kind of worried for her. She bled a bit, and she was a different person after that. She was not up to the task. She wasn't lacking in courage.
She needed strength. And so the Christian does need courage, but we need more than courage. We need strength for the battle. We need strength for the challenge.
We need strength for the day. And what does our Bible tell us? Psalm 46 and verse one,
Strength Through Prayer and the Word
God is our refuge and strength. Psalm 91 verses 1 and 2, which we just considered this morning. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. So we must know Him.
And we must know Him more and more if we are going to be strong Christians. You must know Him by prayer. Take time with God. Cultivate your prayer life.
Isaiah 40 and verse 31, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
How's your prayer life? Of course, we must know him by the scriptures themselves to love the word of God, to search it out, to study it, to meditate upon it, to hide it in our hearts, to memorize it, They must be so much a part of us. Psalm 119 and verse 28, my soul melts from heaviness, strengthen me according to your word. Have you been in the word this week?
And we must know the Holy Spirit. He's the one who comes to be with us. He's the one who has been given to not only be with us, but to abide in us. He's our strength.
Zechariah 4.6, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Ephesians 6.10, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. You can't live for Christ. You can't be strong if you grieve the Holy Spirit.
And so we have these four words to live by, simple message. Four Christian watchwords, vigilance, faithfulness, courage, strength. Brethren, these things we must have. These are the things that we need to plead to God to give to us.
These things ought to be the focus of our prayer times together. I always try to encourage the folks at Glen Collin to pray for one another. And sometimes people will say, well, I'm, I'm just not sure what their needs are. I'm not sure how to, you can always pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
You can always pray for your pastors that they would be strengthened in their inner being. That they would, that they would be men true to the faith, that they would be courageous and that they would be strong for Christ. We must pray for those things and we must give ourselves to the means of grace that they may be part of us and that they may grow in us. And
Application: Love Balancing the Watchwords
we should notice before leaving this passage, the 14th verse, which goes along with verse 13. And it's really another message, brethren, but I just mention it. Let all that you do be done in love. Now let's take that together.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, let all that you do be done in love. We must live the Christian life in balance. I was talking to one of the brothers earlier today of the importance of balance in the Christian life. It's not easy.
Jesus was so incredibly balanced. I remember one time I was at a conference, and it was a John Piper conference actually, and John Piper exhorted us. He said, some of you men sitting out there need to be a little stronger. And you need to go back to your congregations and you need to preach the truth with a little more emphasis.
And you need to deal with some issues that are in front of you. And he said, others of you men need to be a little more loving. And you need to go back to your congregations and you need to love your people. And then he challenged us to read the Gospels and to mark down how the Lord Jesus dealt with people.
And make a tick mark on every time he dealt with people in what we may say in a harsh way or in a way of stern, mark it down. And then on the other side, mark down where you see him dealing in this gentleness with people and just check the balance. It's quite amazing. And what will we expect from the Son of God?
But he's our pattern and we struggle. It's not easy. to be balanced in our Christian walk. Now I'm not suggesting that what I'm saying is, okay, today I got to do a little bit of verse 13. Okay, I've done that for a while.
Now I got to do a little bit of verse 14. I got to give four hours to verse 14 today to balance things. No, that's not what I'm suggesting at all. When we think of these catchwords, they're strong in verse 13.
They're almost militaristic and we're engaged in battle. And so the danger is in the battle to get out of balance. The danger is to become all harsh and judgmental, overaggressive, insensitive. And so it's interesting to note that Paul, who gives us these strong militaristic words to live by, directs us then to verse 14, let all that you do be done in love.
A beautiful statement. Paul is saying that love is to permeate all that we do. This is the way we're to be. We're to be on guard and vigilant.
And we're to be faithful. And we're to act like men with courage. And we're to be strong. But all of that needs to be flavored with love.
All of it. It's like sugar in your tea. You put it in and you stir it. The sugar doesn't go away.
It's not that it's diluted, but it permeates all of it. And that's what Paul is suggesting. He said elsewhere, we are constrained. by the love of Christ. It's that which is to motivate us.
It's out of that love we're to take these watchwords to heart. What a beautiful statement. There's so much more that we might say, but I just can't help to think of his well-known words back in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And I think what we'll do, I will close with this.
Let's just turn to 1 Corinthians 13 and let me read the chapter. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." Think of old Hugh Latimer.
Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way.
It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. As for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
For now we see in a mere dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." So now faith Hope and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, let all that you do be done in love. Brethren, may God help us by his grace to live out of the truth of those two verses to his glory and to our eternal good.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Father, we do thank you for this day that you've given to us. We thank you, Father, for your Word that is able to make us wise, even unto salvation. And we thank you, Father, for these exhortations that have reminded us of all that you have called us to do and be. And Father, we do thank you for the grace that is ours in Christ Jesus.
As the Apostle Paul had said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And certainly these are the very things that the Apostle has in mind. Help us, Father, to live out of these things, not in our own strength, but in the grace of God and in the power of your Holy Spirit. And help us, Father, to serve you and to love you all of our days.
Father, I thank you for this precious congregation. I thank you for these dear people. I thank you for their pastors, and I pray that you would watch over them and keep them in the center of your will. And we pray, Father, for the continued faithfulness of this place.
May the gospel always be proclaimed from this pulpit. And then, Father, help us to love you and to live in a way that is worthy of our calling as your dear children. Bless us, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.